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30, December 2014: Jamaica has long been a popular destination for holidaymakers, especially those seeking luxury holidays in the sun to escape from the cold back home. Now it seems that tourism has seen something of a boom in the country over the past year, with increasing numbers of people choosing Jamaica as their holiday destination. The news has come as a welcome sign to celebrate by top accommodation specialists like the well-known Essential Hotel Collection.
Dr Wykeham McNeill, the tourism and entertainment minister for Jamaica, recently announced that 2014 was a particularly good year for the tourism industry in his country. Speaking at the Sandals Travel Agency Recognition awards in Ocho Rios, he claimed that it was the best ever November for tourism, with arrivals to the country increasing by 6%. For the overall year, arrivals were up more than 3%.
In a further boost, it looks like the winter tourist season, which has just started in Jamaica, is set to be a particularly good one this year. Many people choose a winter getaway in Jamaica, with accommodation organised by companies like Essential Hotel Collection. In a bid to escape the winter blues, Jamaica has long been a popular destination.
It was recently revealed that 1.2 million air seats have been secured for the season, which represents a 15% increase compared to last year. Jamaica is also expecting over 600,000 cruise passengers this winter, which is more than 5% up from last year.
McNeill revealed the impressive figures at a recent event hosted by the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Representatives from Essential Hotel Collection say Jamaica is one of the top destinations in the Caribbean, and is proving to be a particularly popular place for tourism at the moment. With its combination of beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, interesting attractions and relaxing vibe, it is no surprise that it is a favourite with tourists from all over the world.
About Essential Hotel Collection:
Essential Hotel Collection are the official UK booking office for a handpicked selection of luxury, privately owned hotels in the Caribbean. Contact them at http://www.essentialhotelcollection.co.uk/
For Media Contact:
Essential Hotel Collection
7 Hampton Court Road
Kingston upon Thames
+44 (0)20 8614 0077


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MGM resorts announced plans to launch a playMGM online casino brand in New Jersey through its Borgata casino in Atlantic City.
The site would be the first under the MGM brand, and is scheduled for launch later this year. Borgata already offers BorgataCasino.com and BorgataPoker.com and is partnered with NJ.partypoker.com. New Jersey requires online sites to be partnered with Atlantic City casinos.
The new platform will offer more than 300 casino games playable on mobile and desktop, as well as a variety of poker tournaments, the company said in a press release.
“This is a historic moment for MGM Resorts to be launching real-money online casino and poker under the MGM brand for the first time,” said Corey Sanders, chief operating officer of MGM Resorts.
MGM said they hope the move will help re-establish Borgata’s online brands in the market. The Borgata sites initially dominated in New Jersey, but have fallen back since the launch of PokerStars NJ in online poker. Golden Nugget’s casino game sites have also passed Borgata’s to lead the market. The Borgata license also hosts PartyPokerNJ.com, the iPoker website of GVC, as well as palacasino.com, the website of the interactive division of California’s Pala tribe.
The move comes as New Jersey has been experiencing steady growth in its online market, which generated $21.7 million in March.
The launch of the brand, however, also sets up MGM for expansion into other potential U.S. markets.
“GVC has been a first-rate partner for us, and we are excited about the possibilities of extending that partnership as regulated markets open up in the U.S.,” Sanders said.
GVC (its predecessor PartyGaming) has provided software and technical support services to the Borgata sites since online gaming went live in the state in 2014. There were some reports last year that Borgata would switch to the Pala platform, but those appear to be unfounded.

domain: news


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After a “disappointing” 2014, General Mills Inc. executives said the company will renew its efforts to chase down that elusive quarry — the health-conscious customer.
Today's Minnesota business news releases:
The championship bouts are set for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's Social Madness contest.
Many Minnesota companies stockpiled cash during the recession. Now they’re starting to spend it.


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Luxury Brands Turn Away from the West
People in the West do not spend as much money buying luxurious clothes anymore. However, clients in the wealthy Gulf and some Asian countries almost single-handedly keep haute couture brands alive.
Clients, who find themsleves busy attending high-profile events held at places we can only imagine, are prepared to pay as much as it takes to get a one-off dress. Exclusive and luxurious dresses can cost around $75,000 a piece. Simon Lock, a creative director of Dubai Fashion Week, does not feel suprised about this, “I have known of many occasions when a couturier will be invited to a private home for a showing. The hostess will buy maybe 20, 30 couture outfits for a season.”demans a wardrobe full of one-off dresses by the likes of Christian Dior, Stephane Rolland, Valentino and Chanel.
More and more brands are launching exclusive haute couture collections specifically for non-western countries, trying to reframe their image and brand while targeting buyers in new markets. French luxury goods maker Hermes has launched a limited edition Indian sari range to “connect” with Indian culture. “This is part of our effort to connect to the tradition of elegance of Indian women,” said Bertrand Michaud, president of Hermes India.
There is no doubt that Hermes will be able to find clients interested in its expensive, delicate and intriguing saris. There are a total of 28 saris, made of a variety of fabrics, from cashemere to twill silk, selling from anywhere 300,000 to 400,000 rupees ($6,120- $8,150).
The success of Hermes reflects the strong pull of Indian tradition and Indian women’s desire to wear five and a half meters of elegantly draped saris. Although there are no plans yet to make the collection a permanent addition to the company’s offerings, Hermes and other luxurious brands have started turning their attention away from the West, trying to increase their profits by target buyers from countries with booming economy.
Images via fashionising.com


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According to reports, in order to strengthen its desire of heightening the issue of financial security after the announcement of Facebook’s Libra, US lawmakers are now said to be considering placing a nationwide ban on the issuance of cryptos by large tech corporations.
This report comes at a time when there has been a growing concern among Congress and other stakeholders over Facebook’s latest cryptographic project.
On Monday, July 15, it has been revealed that lawmakers are working on a new legislation to cub tech giants from issuing crypto. The draft bill is been circulated by the Democratic Party states that the U.S. Congress has proposed to place a ban on big tech corporations trying to play a similar role with financial institutions. Such as the issuance of digital currency.
What are the Terms of the Draft?
Per the report, under the crypto section of the draft, the proposal bans big tech corporations from issuing or circulating of digital assets. It also debars the handling of cryptos as a means of exchange or as a store of value. Any corporations that fall short will face a fine that can be as high as one million USD ($1 million) on each day they violate the regulation.
Moreover, the new legislation specifically defines cryptocurrency as currencies, including coins (but not limited to that alone), tokens or any type of digital asset class, that are either regulated or exchanged via a decentralized model and distributed archives/Blockchain technology.
Corporations Yielding $25 Billion and Above in Yearly Revenue Fall into the Class of Tech Giants
The draft bill goes on to specify the type of companies that fall under the category of large tech corporations. The draft bill states that any tech firm that is yielding an annual revenue of $25 billion (twenty-five billion USD) is strictly required to comply with the new regulation. Failure to do so will warrant a penalty of $1 million for each day the firm fails to comply.
What are the Implications of the Bill?
The proposed legislation will have huge implications for tech giants who may want to follow Facebook by issuing their own crypto. Apart from that, Facebook’s cryptographic project may be hit hard. In the event that the proposed bill becomes legislation, it would be a huge blow for the tech giant’s as their Libra launch preparations have been in full swing. Facebook has already scheduled a launch date for its initiative next year.
Additionally, firms like MasterCard, PayPal and Uber, who have all endorsed the Libra coin and intend to play a huge role in the governing of the initiative, would be hit hard as well.
The report about this new proposed legislation, came to light only one week after US President, Donald Trump took a dig at digital assets. At the time, Trump questioned the credibility of cryptos.
While the proposed law is still in the early stages, it is expected to receive huge censure from the members of the Republican Party. This is an issue considering the fact that the Republican members of Congress have shown a keen interest in the promotion, of a digital economy in the United States.


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The CNP Report is a source of independent, quick-hitting news stories delivered via email to your inbox twice weekly. We generate original content tracking the most recent events in the CNP world and serve it to you in a simple format on a regular schedule that matches the deliberate way you do business.
Canadians prefer credit cards to debit cards or cash when making payments and a heavy preference for credit cards online means the trend toward credit in Canada will continue, according to a new report from payment processor TSYS.
Last week, EU ambassadors said they were in favor of European Commission wishes to classify e-commerce platforms, Internet payment gateways, app stores, social networks and other "key Internet services" as critical infrastructure.
While the U.S. government continues to assess the damage done by the illegal intrusion of the networks of the Office of Personnel Management, two other hacks uncovered this week show the evolving nature of data breaches and the variety of information hackers are seeking.
Transport for London, the organization that manages public transportation in the city, said it will become the first public transport provider to accept the contactless mobile payment method Apple Pay.
Apple said it will reach more than 1 million in-store locations in the next 30 days where users can swipe their phones to make purchases at the point of sale—up from 220,000 at its September 2014 launch.
Visa and Verifone have announced a partnership under which merchants can expand their omnichannel activity quickly by integrating Verifone's point of sale systems with Visa's CyberSource online payment and fraud prevention platform.
Google on Thursday reenergized the wallet wars by introducing its new in-store and in-app mobile payment system Android Pay to compete directly with Apple Pay and begin to emerge from the disappointment of Google Wallet.
New Jersey-based payment processor Heartland Payment Systems has disclosed a theft that includes computers containing personally identifiable information by way of the payrolls the company processes for employers.
Chris Gatling, a forward who played for eight different teams over an 11-year NBA career that included one All-Star Game appearance, was arrested in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Thursday and charged with fraud, aggravated identity theft and forgery.
At a San Francisco advertising conference, Google senior vice president for advertising and commerce Sridhar Ramaswamy said the company will offer a "buy" button on YouTube ads viewed on mobile devices.
On Thursday, the European Banking Authority (EBA) announced five countries will not fully comply with guidelines, finalized and made public in December, seeking to make shopping on the Internet more secure.
Businesses often don't know how many orders they have declined in error, but a high number are false positives, according to panelists speaking to a packed session on the final day of the 2015 CNP Expo in Orlando, Fla.
At a panel discussion on the last day of the 2015 CNP Expo in Orlando, Fla., several PSPs discussed considerations that need to be made when merchants are evaluating partners to assist in facilitating global payment acceptance.
Mobile payments are growing rapidly, but the proliferation of options can be overwhelming for merchants that want to offer the increasingly popular sales channel to their customers, according to panelists at a Thursday morning session at the 2015 CNP Expo in Orlando, Fla.
A seamless shopping experience is the goal for retailers who want to leverage the power of omnichannel commerce, but payments schemes are not easy to establish, even though shoppers have grown to expect everything to be easy, according to panelists at a session on the final day of the 2015 CNP Expo.
Shopping online without a credit card or bank account is possible, but difficult. And, a growing number of consumers either don’t qualify or don’t want these financial products, but online merchants still want to reach them.
For the first time in its history, exactly half the CNP Awards handed out were presented to companies from outside the U.S., reinforcing the increasingly international nature of the card-not-present industry.
E-commerce payments companies should focus on regulatory changes that will complicate their business, according to Amy Pierce, attorney with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman at a Wednesday afternoon session at the CNP Expo in Orlando, Fla.
Justin McDonald, senior risk management consultant with The Fraud Practice, started a Wednesday afternoon discussion on mobile fraud by pointing out, "Mobile is convenient and immediate for customers, but fraudsters are taking advantage of that as well."
"A whole lot of fraud came in that we stopped," said Harold Paulson, director of fraud risk management for North America at eBay Enterprise, during an early-afternoon session on manual reviews at the CNP Expo in Orlando, Fla. on Wednesday.
Software can help predict when and where fraud will occur. And the data available to help make those decisions is increasing. It has mounted so quickly, however, it can be difficult for merchants to manage.
The second full day of the CNP Expo featured a prominent e-commerce startup applying cutting-edge technology to a business that's been around for centuries and a payments veteran trying to explain to a card-not-present audience the implications of a card-present technology.
Despite new regulations and new technologies, $2.8 billion is going to be lost to fraud this year and that number is expected to double by 2018, according to experts speaking at the CNP Expo in Orlando, Fla.
In cross-border e-commerce, most think Europe is a safe place to start. A Tuesday afternoon panel demonstrated why that is not necessarily the case.
CNP Expo: Hostile Takeover - May 19, 2015 Panelists at a Tuesday afternoon session of the 2015 CNP Expo said spoofing someone's identity in an effort to use their account represents 4.3 percent of all login attempts.
Rick Ricker, vice president of business development for enterprise solutions at 3Delta Systems, led a Tuesday-afternoon panel discussion examining how merchants choose and implement their tokenization technologies.
Tom Donlea, director of the e-commerce practice at Whitepages Pro, kicked off a late-afternoon discussion on validating and verifying identity by asking how identity verification relates to the coming EMV implementation.
George Soto, director of corporate/global investigations and e-commerce at Office Depot, led Tuesday afternoon's last session about how merchants can work with law enforcement to prosecute fraud and why it's beneficial.
CardNotPresent.com and CNP Expo CEO Steve Casco welcomed 1,000 attendees to the first full day of the CNP Expo with a message of global growth and the promise inherent in an industry with room to grow even more.
We all know EMV is coming, the question is, what should online merchants expect? Moderator Paul Tomasofsky, president of the Secure Remote Payment Council, began a panel at the CNP Expo Tuesday by reviewing the history of implementing EMV in other countries and discussing possible solutions for US merchants.
Moderator Nikhil Joseph of Mercator Advisory Group began this morning's session on fraud in loyalty, rewards and couponing programs by asking the panel why loyalty fraud is important, and how it is different from credit-card fraud in general.
PayItSimple, a provider of installment-billing technology, today announced at the CNP Expo in Orlando it has secured a new round of funding totaling $10 million from New York City-based Simpel Management.
When the CNP Expo opens its doors today in Orlando, Fla. it will welcome the largest number of attendees and exhibitors in its four-year history and more countries will be represented by attendees (27) than ever before.
Features Analytics, a technology startup specializing in fraud prevention solutions for merchants, card issuers, acquirers and processors, today at the CNP Expo in Orlando, Fla. unveiled the newest version of its eyeDES technology.
Chargeback.com, a Sandy, Utah-based provider of chargeback management technology for card-not-present merchants, today at the CNP Expo in Orlando, Fla., launched a software solution that enables merchants to automate the chargeback-response process.
Despite an increase in the value of data compared to physical assets, most companies are underinsuring against cyber attacks compared to insuring against loss of property, plant and equipment (PP&E), according to a new report conducted by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by insurance provider Aon.
Starbucks says its popular mobile app has not been hacked, and that may be true, but a report by consumer reporter Bob Sullivan that fraudsters are specifically targeting the mobile app's users to drain their accounts then siphon off even more money when the auto-reload function kicks in appears to be accurate.
Mitek, the company that first brought mobile check-capture technology to market, this week at a San Francisco technology event launched a solution companies can use to verify identities during account opening that authenticates a driver's license using the scanner of a mobile device.
LiveEnsure, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based provider of authentication technology, this week launched a peer-to-peer app that enables users to verify the identities of the users with whom they are sharing content.
Nearly 70 percent of executives polled said the intense media scrutiny of companies suffering data breaches over the past year caused their organizations to re-evaluate the priority given to network security and 45 percent increased their security budgets.
Most of the world has a decade head start on the U.S. in the migration to the EMV standard, but developed regions are still adding hundreds of millions of chip cards years later, according to new data from EMVCo, suggesting the U.S. is in for a long ride.
An agreement between the European Parliament and the European Council struck this week paves the way for more secure online payments in the EU and more choice for European consumers who want to make cross-border online purchases.
Adyen aggregated data from its growing customer base that includes Facebook, Dropbox, Airbnb, Spotify, Booking.com, Yelp, Netflix and others and found 27.2 percent of the transactions on its platform in the first quarter of 2015 came via mobile device.
The Secure Remote Payment Council (SRPc), a New Jersey-based trade association advocating for more secure online and mobile transactions, today established a working group that will investigate the state of consumer authentication for online payments and promote ideas on how it can be improved.


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Daventry’s main Post Office will be refurbished in March, with new counters and extended opening hours.
The work will see the post office counters in Kam’s News in Sheaf Street close for two weeks, however the rest of the shop will remain open.
Kam Patel, who owns the shop, said: “We will be keeping the rest of the shop open for people.
“The refurbishment will see the back of the store, where the Post Office counters are now, getting refurbished and having new counters installed.
“We will also have a new Post Office counter at the front of the shop at the main tills.
“That means we will be able to offer Post Office services outside the hours of the main Post Office counters, which will benefit customers.”
After the work the post office will have five serving positions. The new opening hours will be 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.
Post Office area manager Mark Jacobs said: “The modernisation is part of a major investment programme to convert the Post Office network to new-style branches and this investment, the largest in the history of the Post Office, marks a commitment to no more branch closure programmes.”
Daventry Post Office will close for refurbishment on Wednesday, March 5 at 5.30pm, and the new-look branch will open on Thursday, March 20 at 1pm.
The nearest alternative Post Offices are Edinburgh Square, on Daventry’s Headlands, and Long Buckby.


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The News Media Alliance and MPA – The Magazine Media Association announced their agreement to merge. The newly merged association will be called News/Media Alliance and, according to a spokesperson, will focus on “building a powerful future for quality journalism”. Members of both organizations have approved the merger, which, subject
Today, two of the industry’s leading associations representing news and magazine publishers are joining forces. Gretchen Peck | for editor and editor It’s official: the News Media Alliance (NMA) will merge today with The Magazine Media Association, still affectionately known by its former acronym, “MPA”, or the Magazine Publishers Association.
A fashion magazine for contemporary brands The VOU is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazine dedicated to modern readers looking for quick access to the latest trends, brands and styles. Led by a excellent editorial team with years of expertise in the beauty and fashion sectors, The VOU Fashion Magazine
Instagram is becoming more of a news and information platform than just pictures, and it works for many magazines. Almost all of the top 40 news, lifestyle and fashion magazines have seen their Instagram followers increase so far this year – most only growing on Instagram, in fact. Among Facebook,
Morning papers are spread out on desks and journalism students study the headlines. What is happening in the world? What makes a good story? They decide that the diplomatic demarches between the United States and North Korea are less convincing than the story of the migrant Mamoudou Gassama, the “Spiderman
The last decade has seen massive changes in magazine media, in part due to digital publishing startups competing with each other by creating innovative (and inexpensive) products that aim to stay ahead of the forces. disruptive in progress. Worse yet, the rise and scale of the duopoly has left most
The central theme, “Magazine Media. Better. Believe it.” discusses the unparalleled ability of magazine media across all platforms to produce professional, credible, reliable and brand-safe content. In an age of “fake news” claims on the rise and marketers and consumers alike questioning the trust and brand safety of content environments,


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The International Oeko-Tex® Association and Textile Insight will present “Sustainability: Impacting Policy and the Future of Apparel and Textiles”, the next installment in their “Insight on What’s Next” textile and apparel industry roundtable discussion series, on Monday, December 14, 2009, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at The State Club on Centennial Campus at North Carolina State University.
A diverse, expert panel has been assembled to provide textile and retail executives and media representatives with unique and critical insights into how sustainable practices are changing the nature of the apparel and textile industry. The panel will be moderated by Emily Walzer, Editor of Textile Insight, and will include the following experts:
* Keith Crisco-- North Carolina Secretary of Commerce
* A. Blanton Godfrey-- Dean, College of Textiles, NCSU
* John Eapen—VP Environmental, Health and Safety, American and Efird; Chair, AAfA’s RSL Environmental Committee
* Denny Shaffer—Advocate and former President and CEO, Sierra Club
* Tommy Thompson—Senior Manager International Environmental Affairs, Hanesbrands Inc.
* Sam Moore—Managing Director, Hohenstein Institute America
“Sustainability is a critical evolution for the future health and longevity of the textile and apparel industry,” says Dr. Manfred Wentz, Senior Policy Advisor with Oeko-Tex® and newly appointed Adjunct Professor on Sustainability at the College of Textiles. “Many companies are doing remarkable things to make our industry safer, cleaner, and more environmentally responsive. Oeko-Tex® is proud to bring together the authorities who can share their experiences in this endeavor. And it is particularly fitting to host this event at NC State University, the intellectual hub of the global textile industry.”
To attend the “Sustainability: Impacting Policy and the Future of Apparel and Textiles” event at NCSU’s State Club on Monday, December 14 at 11:00, contact Dina Dunn at firstname.lastname@example.org or 336-471-5584.


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California’s Middle Class Tax Refund is entering the final two weeks of distribution with many people still wondering where their payments are.
The state has previously said it will wrap up the $9.5 billion refund program by mid-January. So far, 15,414,790 payments have been sent to qualifying taxpayers via direct deposit or debit card. Another 2.6 million recipients are still in the pipeline as of Dec. 23, according to the Franchise Tax Board.
Thanks to readers like David and Anita Jessup, we have another tip to share regarding missing payments and how to track their status.
Like dozens of others who reached out to the Southern California News Group, the Jessups said they spent many hours on the phone and online trying to find their refund, all to no avail.
The Fountain Valley residents say they are qualified recipients. They earn less than the $500,000 cap; they filed their 2020 tax returns electronically, on time and got a small refund. And like millions of other joint filers in the state, they should be getting an inflation rebate of $700.
Eligible California taxpayers will get one Middle Class Tax Refund debit card between October and January 2023. (Courtesy of Money Network)
That money is no trivial amount for many Californians who have struggled with high inflation that escalated costs for things like groceries, household goods and utility bills.
Three months into the distribution cycle, the Jessups “excruciating” search for answers finally came to a conclusion on Wednesday.
They are getting a payment, which should land in their bank account within two weeks. The crux of their problem is they are NOT getting a debit card, a key detail that affected their MCTR search criteria.
Here’s how they figured it out.
“The person found no record for either my husband or myself and told us we need to contact the FTB directly,” Anita wrote Wednesday, Dec. 28.
Then David Jessup remembered something. He had an online account with the tax board.
“I was able to have an online chat with FTB about my specific situation,” he wrote us. “I was told that a direct deposit had been initiated to my bank account and to wait 2-4 weeks for it to process. So hopefully, I’ll see the MCTR soon.”
Before you click over to ftb.ca.gov/myftb to create an account and check your MCTR status, know that the registration portal for individual taxpayers was scheduled to be down for “system maintenance” until 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. (You can still read the website and its myriad pages on taxation, the MCTR and other things.)
According to David Jessup, once you’re registered with an FTB account, you can use an online chat mechanism to have an agent check your MCTR status. Happy hunting, folks, and please let me know how it worked for you. (Email: firstname.lastname@example.org)
Reader Deninge Sims was among the email respondents who said she’s still waiting for her payment.
“I just don’t understand why they make the announcement about this stimulus and have to wait almost six to nine months to get it in the first,” she said. “I needed the money when they announced it; as well as today. Now I have to find another way to pay this high energy bill…”
Here are some final tips and reminders regarding the inflation refund:
What is it: California is sending $9.5 billion in inflation relief funds to roughly 18 million taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of less than $500,000. Payments range from $200 for high-income earners all the way up to $1,050 for two-filing households with a qualifying dependent.
Taxpayers only: The payments and their amounts are based on tax returns filed for 2020 — not 2021 — because many of those late filers (in 2022) were still being processed. If you owed money to the state back in 2021 or received no refund, you’re at the back of the distribution list for the MCTR.
How to cash the debit card: After activating it and assigning a PIN number (call 1-800-240-0223), you’ll need to get online and look up an in-network ATM in your neighborhood. The lookup site for in-network ATMs is mctrpayment.com.
Debit card limitations: Recipients can transfer only $600 per day to another financial account, so if your MCTR payment is for, say, $700, you’ll need to withdraw the cash over two days, at a minimum. Daily ATM withdrawals are often limited to $300 or less.
Skip the card: Another reader, Thomas Studwell, reminds recipients that you can ditch the card for a paper check. He wrote:
“Per the Franchise Tax Board’s website, I sent the debit card back to Franchise Tax Board, P.O. Box 1237, Rancho Cordova, CA. 95741-1237 with a letter declining the card, requesting either a check or an electronic fund transfer directly to my bank account and a canceled check with my bank account information. I sent the card via Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. I’ll see what happens, but I’m not holding my breath.”


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Stewart goes on TV to deny fraud
STYLE guru Martha Stewart, facing trial for fraud, on Friday night launches an impassioned defence of her actions on American television. The only thing she admits to is having a bad temper.
'What I did was not against the rules,' Stewart told ABC's 20/20.
Stewart's trial begins on 12 January. She is accused of lying to investigators looking into her sale of ImClone shares ahead of negative reports which sent the stock tumbling.
Prosecutors say she was tipped off by the company's boss Sam Waksal. She faces other charges of fraud and deceiving her shareholders.
Stewart, 62, says she had a standing order to sell the stock if it fell below a certain price.
In the ABC interview, Stewart said she sometimes has a bad temper and can be insensitive but sees nothing wrong with that, according to a transcript released ahead of the show. 'Those traits and that behaviour, if it were applied to a man, would be admirable. Applied to a woman, you know, she's a 'beetch',' she says.
Meanwhile, prosecutors are keeping up the pressure. In a New York court they urged the judge to dismiss Stewart's motion to dismiss one count of fraud. Saying the motion was 'frivolous' they asked for all five charges to remain. They dismissed repeated statements by Stewart, saying she was innocent.
'If Stewart has evidence...that the government cannot sustain its burden of proof on these issues, Stewart should present it at trial,' they told the court.
Customers have already punished Stewart, with sales of her products plunging since the charges were laid.
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COLUMBUS — President Barack Obama calls manufacturing a “bright spot” in the overall economic recovery that he says is moving more slowly than he’d like.
Obama told WBNS-TV of Columbus at the White House on Wednesday that, “We’ve actually seen more growth, faster in manufacturing than in the rest of the economy.” He pointed specifically to the auto industry, its importance in Ohio and the turnarounds at Chrysler and General Motors. He says the administration is investing in research that will lead to more manufacturing jobs in products for the 21st century.
Obama also touted former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, his pick to direct a new consumer protection bureau, saying many Republicans in Ohio “complimented the job that he did as a balanced, thoughtful consumer advocate.”
Senate Republicans have said they want changes at the agency before confirming a director.
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Volkswagen Group could be up to no good again, with suspicions that the latest Audi A3 is using emissions-cheating devices.
It’s been reported that lab test results ran by the European Commission, following initial suspicion uprooted by results from German transport authority Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), proved the latest Audi A3 released excessive NOx emissions. The test was run by the Commission’s Joint Research Center earlier this year.
According to an Automotive News report via Reuters, the results showed the latest Audi A3, equipped with a Euro 6 diesel engine, produced 163mg of NOx per kilometre. This figure is double the 80mg cap. Strangely, the car was said to have produced below 80mg when the test was run when the engine was cold.
Bas Eikhout, from the European Parliament’s inquiry committee into the Volkswagen scandal, said, “The differences between cold start and hot start are hard to explain.”
A spokeswoman from the European Commission said, “If the test results raise some suspicion of wrongdoing, such as the installation of prohibited defeat devices, they will be shared with all relevant approval authorities.”
From Audi’s part, it is yet to provide official clarification. In an Autocar report, a statement from Audi AG said:
“We do not have any information on the tests – neither on the mentioned measurements nor on what engine was installed in the A3 TDI mentioned. Therefore, please respect that we cannot comment on the report.”
Volkswagen’s emissions scandal has made a huge impact on the company, with many countries taking legal action. In fact, it’s understood the EU is taking legal action against countries that haven’t yet fined VW for use of the illegal emissions-cheating devices.
Volkswagen Group has so far set aside around US$19.4 billion to pay for the aftermath of the scandal (about AU$26.1 billion). To put that into perspective, Volkswagen Group’s total asset worth was rated at 381 billion euros in 2015 (about AU$541 billion).
Volkswagen Australia recently announced what it calls a “voluntary recall” for 61,000 vehicles, essentially meaning it is up to the owners to have over-polluting vehicles booked in for a fix. The recall involves a procedure which is free of charge. It promises the solution leaves “engine performance, maximum torque and noise emissions” unaffected.
Emissions-cheating devices for the 3.0 TDI V6 engine found in various Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche vehicles is yet to be fully rectified. Volkswagen may have to buy back around 80,000 vehicles in the US involved with this engine, however, a deal is yet to be formally finalised.


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- A TikTok of a girl getting an abortion is going viral—and the internet is divided Friday 3:06 PM
- FCC proposes $200 million fine for T-Mobile, others over data sharing Friday 3:03 PM
- Which ‘Love is Blind’ couples are still together? Friday 2:01 PM
- Review: ‘The Invisible Man’ reboot is thrilling but basic Friday 1:25 PM
- Sex workers speak out after OnlyFans leak Friday 1:21 PM
- Normani addresses Camila Cabello’s racist social media posts Friday 1:07 PM
- Mike Huckabee’s defense of Trump’s coronavirus response will make you nauseous Friday 12:06 PM
- Gmail’s email filtering may affect what candidate emails you are seeing Friday 11:08 AM
- Woman shares aftermath of domestic abuse: ‘This is only to raise awareness’ Friday 10:40 AM
- Skai Jackson gets restraining order against Bhad Bhabie after death threat Friday 10:19 AM
- Taylor Swift shades Scooter Braun in ‘The Man’ video Friday 10:15 AM
- Porn stars are lining up behind Bernie Sanders Friday 10:10 AM
- YouTube mom says she ‘beat’ her 2-year-old daughter for ruining her makeup kit Friday 10:02 AM
- Ajit Pai’s net neutrality victory lap comes as his own repeal is under review Friday 9:20 AM
- Alissa Violet is in Italy—and fans are worried she’ll get coronavirus Friday 9:19 AM
Future Samsung phones could include a built-in breathalyzer
This might be the most useful new smartphone feature yet.
Samsung may have just come up with the most useful new smartphone feature yet. While its Galaxy Note line of phones includes a stylus, a recently published patent filing shows Samsung could be working on a stylus-type device that also acts as a mic—and as a breathalyzer.
The patent, titled “Portable Device Having Exhalation Sensing Function,” describes a mobile device with a built-in gas detector. When you make a call with the device, the gas detector extends outward. Then, it can automatically sense your breath as you exhale.
The idea of a portable breathalyzer isn’t new. There are a number of portable breathalyzers available today. There are even models that work with your iOS or Android phone. The problem with these, though, is it’s still one more device to carry in your purse or pocket.
Samsung’s solution is more convenient, and also more subtle. It will automatically sense your exhalation when you make a phone call, which is key, according to Samsung’s patent description. If the device does monitor blood alcohol levels, it could alert you that you’re more inebriated than you thought—and not just when you choose to test your BAC. This could help prompt you to leave your car after that post-work happy hour and take a Lyft home instead.
In its patent, Samsung never specifically says its mobile device would sense alcohol on your breath—it’s just a “gas sensor.” So it’s possible that it could sense a range of other issues. Breath sensing can be used to detect some forms of cancer, Crohn’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, for example. It can also detect respiratory diseases, and heck, perhaps even social nemesis halitosis. Imagine knowing definitely that your breath doesn’t stink before approaching a date—that would be amazing.
As Patently Apple points out, the way Samsung implements this breath-sensing microphone is a lot like its Galaxy Note series’ S-Pen styluses. Perhaps we’ll see this breath sensor in a Samsung phone a few years from now.
H/T Patently Apple
Christina Bonnington is a tech reporter who specializes in consumer gadgets, apps, and the trends shaping the technology industry. Her work has also appeared in Gizmodo, Wired, Refinery29, Slate, Bicycling, and Outside Magazine. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and has a background in electrical engineering.


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The U.S. Small Business Administration and the National Restaurant Association are partnering to promote dining out on Small Business Saturday, the Saturday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The organizations are asking restaurants to prepare for Nov. 29 by creating a special menu and share it on social media with the hashtag #ShowUsYourMenu.
They are also asking small-business owners and community members to remind social media followers to #ShopSmall and share success stories with the hashtag #DineSmall.
For more information on Small Business Saturday initiatives in the Triangle read Tuesday’s Shop Talk in The News & Observer.
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The curious case of cigarette prices in Pakistan. Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders.
Over half of the states saw price increases. The smallest increase seen was. None of these numbers take into account the medical costs of smoking cigarettes. Regular smokers are going to be upset as the prices on average in the United States have risen. Experts and researchers think that they are only going to continue to rise which will upset many smokers. The majority of prices used for the averages in each state come from convenience stores and fuel stations from the most populated areas in the states.
However, this difference is nothing compared on what you can see at a global level. There was a study that compared the average prices of Marlboro cigarettes in almost countries, and the results were spectacular. This means that the same brand of cigarettes was 25 times more expensive in Australia than in Nigeria.
While cigarette prices also vary by brand, the most important brands of premium cigarettes like Marlboro, Newport or Camel are in the same price range. As you can see, the US market is very concentrated and only a small number of brands manage to attract significant sales. People from other countries would be surprised to see famous international names like Lucky Strike, Dunhill or Kent missing entirely from the list. While cigarette costs continue to rise, there are also some good news for smokers.
The new technologies have brought to the market some amazing alternative products that are much healthier and also cheaper. E-Liquids vaporizers are an excellent alternative that offers all the pleasure of smoking without the health hazards and with much lower costs. Islamabad: On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day May 31 , Pakistan announced health tax on cigarette to cut rising tobacco consumption that kills nearly , Pakistanis every year. The Ministry of National Health Services NHS Regulation and Coordination recommended the measure to discourage cigarette smoking, increase revenues and save money by cutting tobacco-related health care costs.
Health tax of Rs10 Dh0. Prime Minister Imran Khan has also approved the new tax and announced to end the tax-free cigarette facility for the prime minister, chief ministers and governors of all provinces to control the use of tobacco. Tobacco is one of the biggest killers in the country causing around , deaths yearly. In Pakistan, almost Besides health risks, the economic burden of smoking amounts to Rs Now the tax revenue would be spent on public health benefits, reducing the health and economic burden, Dr Mirza shared.
In Pakistan, it is illegal to advertise tobacco or tobacco products in print, electronic and outdoor media, or by depicting images of humans or animals, or posters and banners fixed outside shops or kiosks. Every year, tobacco kills at least 8 million people around the world plus an additional million people who do not smoke themselves but are killed by second-hand smoke.
Friday, September 18, Asia Pakistan. India Pakistan Philippines. All Sections. More From Pakistan. Pakistan: New bus service suspended weeks after launch. Imran Khan launches Pak-Austria technology institute. Afridi appeals for observance of virus rules inschools. Bahrain: Housemaid placed inside car trunk. SWAT Analysis.
The introduction of a third Pakistan Tobacco Co remained the leading brand in cigarettes in Pakistan and Philip Morris with both players seeing gains in is primarily targeted at lower-income smaller players and illicit trade. PARAGRAPHIf you are already registered. Talking about the burden of were over 45 manufacturers selling she said that tobacco use taxes and regulations, with local illicit brands available for as world. NOTE: If you are not registered, we will register you minutes of purchase. Files are delivered directly into your account within a few. Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary of trade take up an increasingly cordova cigars pensacola fl share of overall sales the pilot study carried out introduction of the new tier illicit trade in cigarettes in Islamabad would be helpful in was also agreed that the especially while taking tobacco taxation measures for reducing demand of illegal manufacturing and illicit trade of cigarettes in Pakistan. These low prices saw illicit then use your registered email. The study also said that Ministry of National Health Services, academic qualification and price, the respondents appear to be less to measure the burden of smokers, were found of smoking 2, sticks of illicit brands strategizing tobacco control in Cost of cigarettes in pakistan sticks of legal brands. В СПЛАВе и ССО есть рюкзаки подобного типа, но разыскиваемый литраж 100 - 110 л.Rs 260 Billion from Pak Tobacco Industry These DNP cigarettes met all the criteria of legitimate brands but selling on low price (PKR ), which labeled these as illicit cigarettes. The. Benson Pakistani. Default Title. No reviews. Benson Pakistani. Rs Benson Pakistani. No reviews. Rs Benson Pakistani. Average price in Karachi: ? Find out the current prices for a whole list of other products in Karachi (Pakistan). 891 892 893 894 895


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Quite remarkable, if true, and possible at acceptable cost:
Tesla's confidence of being able to plug gaps in grid power has been buoyed by its successful completion of a similar assignment in southern California last year, when it built an 80MW battery farm in 90 days after a gas peaker near Los Angeles leaked tonnes of methane and had to be mothballed.
Tesla was one of three battery companies to step forward when the California power system operator called for emergency storage and it is one of a large number of battery companies vying for the 1.6 million solar rooftop homes and businesses in Australia.
"We could install everything and get it up and running within 100 days," Mr Rive said at the launch of Tesla's Powerwall 2 battery in a converted substation at Newport, near Melbourne.
"We had a similar challenge in southern California ... We got 80MW up in 90 days. That's unheard of. You just don't get power plants running up and down that fast."


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Intellectual Venture Funding — owned by Seattle-based Intellectual Ventures — acquired 140 U.S. patents and more patent applications owned by Transmeta, a Santa Clara, Calif. maker of low-power microprocessors. Novafora just finalized its purchase of Transmeta initiated last November, since Transmeta had largely lost its war with Intel in the battle over laptop microprocessors.
It will be interesting to see what Myhrvold does with the technology. Intel-compatible microprocessors are a huge market, perhaps $30 billion or so. Such chips are among the rare semiconductors that can command prices of hundreds of dollars — sometimes more than $1,000 — for just a tiny sliver of silicon. If Myhrvold stakes a challenger to Intel, that could be a very big deal in a market that is essentially one giant and a 98-pound weakling, the latter in the form of Advanced Micro Devices.
Of course, many a company has died trying to compete with Intel. Myhrvold was a big believer in past Intel challenger MicroUnity Systems Engineering, which failed to beat Intel. It made a partial comeback only when it got a large patent-licensing settlement from the company. Intellectual Ventures has acquired a large collection of patents that has generated $1 billion in revenue for the company in the past year and $300 million in payments to individual inventors.
Novafora will improve its own product design using the Transmeta technologies under license from Intellectual Ventures, which will also provide non-exclusive licenses to other firms for the Transmeta patents. I’m not sure who will go for this, since Intel and AMD are the last companies left standing in this business. Not even Nvidia wants to take on these guys.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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"Flower designs are always among our most awaited issues," said Postmaster General Marvin Runyon. "Realizing the beauty of the African violet, we expect this design to be very popular."
Since its discovery a century ago in what is now Tanzania, the African violet has become a favorite house plant around the world. Its tens of thousands of varieties offer a dazzling array of color combinations and designs.
On Oct. 8, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a 29-cent booklet stamp capturing the rich, elegant beauty of the African violet. The stamp will be dedicated in Beaumont, Texas, during the executive board meeting of the African Violet Society of America.
The yellow, violet, green and black African-violet issue - designed by artist Ned Seidler of Hampton Bay, N.Y. - will be available at post offices on Oct. 9 in 10and 20-stamp booklets.
Earlier this year, the "garden-flowers" booklet (also designed by Seidler) featured the lilac, rose, hyacinth, iris, daffodil and tulip. And a self-adhesive stamp issued on Aug. 19 pictured the red rose.
First-day-cancellation collectors may purchase their own African violet stamps, affix them to self-addressed envelopes and send their orders by Nov. 7 to: "Customer-Affixed Stamps, African Violet Stamp," Postmaster, Beaumont, Texas, 77707-9991.
In addition, the USPS's Philatelic Fulfillment Service Center offers first-day covers for new stamps up to 90 days after they're issued. The covers are blank (without cachets). The covers are 50 cents each.
Customers may request a free catalog by writing to the Philatelic Fulfillment Service Center, U.S. Postal Service, Box 449997, Kansas City, Mo. 64144-9997, or by calling 1-816-455-0970. --


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Capitec bank has partnered with Cell C to introduce a groundbreaking step forward for consumers. Capitec has launched data that will never expire, provided…
They’re colourful puffballs, and their cutesy name is spelt with a ‘z’: they’re called the Friendzies, and they’re characters in the world’s first real cash Facebook game that went live on the social network today.
Bingo Friendzy is a new Facebook game from online gambling operator Gamesys, which gives users the opportunity to play with and win real money in 90 ball bingo games. No, not Facebook credits. Actual money.
The game was developed by the London-based online gaming company which also runs the UK’s biggest bingo and slots website (Jackpotjoy) and two related Facebook games which work using Facebook’s virtual currency. Despite the fact that the main characters resemble some sort of spherical set of Furbys, Gamesys designed the game for adults.
But it seems like it’s Facebook’s job to ensure the users playing Bingo Friendzy really are over 18: a potential problem, considering that some reports suggest that 38% of children on Facebook are under its 13-year-old age limit. But a Facebook spokesperson told the BBC that the social network intends to use age-gating technology to ensure that under 18s and “vulnerable” groups were unable to play the game or view posts from older friends who play the game in their newsfeed.
It may be the first of its kind, but other online gaming companies are reportedly working on real money versions of its own games too. According to the BBC, Zynga could roll out real cash games as early as next year.
It’s not a world-wide launch — different countries have different laws regarding online gambling (for example, it’s illegal in the United States), so the use of the app is restricted. Users who don’t live in the UK will be met with an error message if they try to access the app, and won’t see any of the posts from Facebook friends in the UK who have played it.


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A cannabis plant is seen at the 1st International Cannabis Expo, in Athens, Greece, January 14, 2018. REUTERS/Costas Baltas
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When Australia said this month it would allow exports of medicinal cannabis in a bid to dominate a global market set to be worth $55 billion by 2025, investors scrambled to buy shares in marijuana companies -- pushing several of them, and the sector as a whole, to record highs.Australia's medicinal cannabis sector, with 12 listed companies, produces a range of products that include chronic pain management and acne creams with extracts of marijuana to aid acne.The reluctance of doctors has curtailed the growth of Australia's cannabis market. Australian law requires the seven companies licensed to grow medicinal cannabis to produce only enough to meet domestic demand.But when the Australian government said it planned to allow medicinal cannabis exports -- perhaps within months -- the three largest companies, AusCann Group, Cann Group and Hydroponics Company immediately looked for ways to expand production.Australia said it will only allow exports of processed or manufactured cannabis products such as oil extracts, which require a separate manufacturing licence.
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Ever since 2019 Travis Scott has been the main celebrity ambassador for Nike and Jordan Brand. Ever since the original Travis Scott collaboration with the Air Jordan 1, Travis has had several Jordan and Nike collaborations with shoes and apparel. However, after the AstroWorld concert incident Nike has canceled the release of the Travis Scott Air Max 1 and have not rescheduled the release since. This week Jordan brand announced a new collaboration with DJ Khaled. Dj Khaled is not a new face for Jordan brand but he has never had his own line of products that released to the public. The line includes 4 different colors of the Air Jordan 5 as well as a full line of apparel. When I first saw him post pictures of the shoes I assumed it was something gifted to him by Jordan Brand as we saw with the “We the Best” Jordan 3’s. Now that we saw a whole commercial promoting the collaboration it is for sure a release to the public.
The shoes come in 4 different color ways, including a purple, blue, grey, and salmon color. It has not been confirmed exactly how these will release, but it has been confirmed that it will be multiple releases. I would not be shocked if each pair will be exclusive to a city or region. Other shoes in the past have released with 4 colors usually one will be North America exclusive, Asia exclusive, Europe exclusive, and then one limited to a city of friends and family. One thing we can know for sure is that these will not be easy to get and will likely fetch a ridiculously high resell value.


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By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, April 26 — The Jelajah Ehsan Rakyat (JER) affordable basic necessities sales roadshow programme will continue as usual from next week onwards, so consumers can purchase their daily goods.
Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation chief executive officer Mohamad Khairil Mohamad Razi said the sale of items including chicken, eggs, beef, and fish, will run from 10am to 1pm.
“The affordable sale will resume as usual, in nine different locations every day. We understand many people need affordable basic items for this festive season.
“JER’s purpose is to help buyers save. Its prices offered is cheaper compared to the average market price,” he said to SelangorKini.
Members of the public can visit linktr.ee/myPKPS for updates on the different sales locations, from time to time.
Organised by the state government, the programme offers standard chicken at RM10 per pack, fresh solid beef (RM10 per pack), Grade B eggs (RM10 per tray), mackerel (RM6 per pack), 5kg bottles of cooking oil (RM25) and 5kg bags of rice (RM10).
It has benefitted over two million Selangor residents in the three months of its implementation, from September to December last year.
In the wake of the strongly encouraging response, the state government expanded the sales to 1,200 locations, from January 16 until May.


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Complaints are adding up against national jewelers. Kay Jewelers complaints. Beverly Diamonds complaints.
Customers of Kay Jewelers in many states complain that when they took their wedding and engagement rings there, the rings were either damaged or altogether lost. A custom designed $21,000 engagement ring vanished, A bride-to-be in New Jersey needed her ring resized and said Kay Jewelers told her they had to order a replacement, The new ring arrived with a smaller center diamond. A similar experience involving a ring repair occurred in Virginia; Kay Jewelers replaced it with one that had a crooked center diamond. Soon after, a smaller diamond fell out.
The difference –
Meanwhile, Beverly Diamonds complaints have been deemed baseless and lacking proof. Beverly Diamonds complaints are nearly as abundant as Kay’s, but have all been resolved or dissolved due to false claims. Some of the Kay complaints were shared on the company’s Facebook page and featured in an article on Buzzfeed. The website found dozens of complaints between February and April. In the last few days, more customers shared their questionable experiences.
If we pit Beverly Diamonds complaints against Kay’s, there is a clear difference.Kay Jewelers posted an apology on Facebook. For many customers, the apologies only go so far. Beverly Diamonds complaints are not met with more than simple apologies, they are met with solutions, and reparations. The bosses at Beverly Diamonds take Beverly Diamonds complaints very seriously and handle each case with meticulous care and consideration, never allowing a customer to part ways displeased.


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ON-PRESS IMAGING -- Firing on All Cylinders
Format for Success
Stan Najmr, director of DI marketing at Presstek, in Hudson, NH, comes at the question from a slightly different perspective, but offers a similar assessment that DI's advantages stem from its streamlining of the process.
"DI systems offer all the benefits of CTP, plus fully automated, in-register printing with extremely short makeready times," Najmr asserts. "All of this process automation provides users with a short learning curve and fast entry into the high-quality, on-demand, four-color printing market."
It's a mistake to view a direct imaging press as just an existing press to which laser imaging kits have been added, Najmr says. "Printers have to evaluate the productivity of the complete system compared to a conventional workflow. In order to get maximum benefit from a direct imaging press, you have to integrate four main components: spooled digital imaging media, laser imaging heads, a unique press design (V-shape cylinder configuration) and the digital front end."
Since the typical DI press uses spooled media that is fed automatic-ally and can image all colors at once in about three minutes, there's no way plates can be produced off-line and then hung on a press in a similar time frame, Najmr points out.
In most of the cases, the entire digital imaging kit for a press—lasers, digital controls and cleaning systems—costs less than a comparable CTP device, adds the marketing director. The resulting cost structure for short-run production, combined with the marketing potential of quick turnaround, results in higher margins, he says.
Even given these advantages, Najmr asks, what if a printer already has a conventional press and can't afford to obsolete it? "In the short-term, CTP systems will be successful for that reason," he says. "However, over the next five to 10 years, DI presses—complemented by toner-based digital printers—will become the industry standard. It just makes economic sense."


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Lucky Uticans! — an Academy Awards ad just for you
Oh those clever, thrifty folk at Quill.com.
Not only does the Lincolnshire,IL.-based business-to-business office products provider know how to save a buck or $3.8 million or so, it also knows how to get the public’s attention.
Not that long ago — in the days leading up to the 2013 Super Bowl to be precise — Quill.com was making headlines about a little TV ad the company, a unit of office products giant Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), planned to run in only one market — Scranton, PA. — during the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl ad was a strangely-funny spot called “Paper War” promoting Quill.com’s Dunder Mifflin line of office products sold under a licensing agreement with NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products Group.
Dunder Mifflin is the name of a fictional paper company featured in the NBC hit prime time show “The Office,” and Scranton is where the fictional company is based.
The Dunder Mifflin Super Bowl spot was such a success that Quill.com of course wanted to follow up with a new spot that would only air in Scranton during this Sunday’s Oscars telecast on ABC, which generally draws big ratings, though not so big as those for the Super Bowl.
But Quill.com ran into a problem, which could turn out to be a big plus in fact. Scranton’s ABC affiliate refused to the air the ad,which in a roundabout way is promoting a rival NBC program.
So Quill.com has decided to air the new commercial called “The Battle” on the ABC affiliate in Utica, N.Y., where a competing branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin operation is located.
Now Scranton’s loss (well, not really) is Utica’s gain on Hollywood’s biggest night.
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Facebook suspends tens of thousands of apps in response to Cambridge Analytica row9/21/2019 1:08:17 AM Facebook Inc said on Friday it has suspended tens of thousands of apps on the social networking platform, as part of the company's ongoing app developer investigation it began in March 2018 in response to the Cambridge Analytica row.
Few U.S. lawmakers hit 'like' button after Facebook CEO visits Capitol Hill9/20/2019 9:21:53 PM Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrapped up three days of discussions with Washington movers and shakers on Friday, with few if any indications he had won new "friends" to help the top social media company deal with multiple probes by Congress, state attorneys general and federal regulators.
CME to start offering options on bitcoin futures early next year9/20/2019 5:32:09 PM CME Group, the world's largest futures exchange operator, said on Friday it plans to launch options on its bitcoin futures contracts in the first quarter of 2020, giving traders another way to hedge their risk in the cryptocurrency.
Netflix chief says 'The Crown' will look a bargain after streaming explosion9/20/2019 5:24:50 PM Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings said on Friday the entrance of Apple, Disney and NBC to the global streaming market will push content costs to levels that make its epic drama about the British Royal family "look like a bargain".
No crowds as Apple's iPhone 11 hits stores in China9/20/2019 4:05:01 PM Apple's latest iPhone 11 range hit stores in China on Friday, with short queues of die-hard fans contrasting with the hundreds who camped out ahead of some previous launches.
Undeterred, Facebook to press on with Libra launch next year: executive9/20/2019 2:54:09 PM Facebook still aims to launch its Libra digital currency next year, its executive overseeing the project told Swiss newspaper NZZ, as the company presses ahead despite authorities around the world pouring cold water on the plans.
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Digital sports platform DAZN reaches distribution deal with Comcast9/19/2019 3:23:38 PM Media and communications company Comcast Corp has agreed to a distribution deal with digital global sports provider DAZN Group, further blurring the line between traditional television operators and the streaming services that have disrupted them.
India tells tech firms to protect user privacy, prevent abuse9/19/2019 1:16:24 PM Technology firms must protect user privacy and prevent abuse of their platforms, India's IT minister said on Thursday, speaking as the government draws up a data privacy law and seeks to push companies to store more data locally.
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Facebook unveils new Portal video chat, TV streaming devices9/19/2019 11:07:52 AM Facebook Inc unveiled new models of its Portal video chatting devices on Wednesday, making the company's first foray into TV streaming hardware but offering a limited selection of subscription services.
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Facebook CEO Zuckerberg dines with senators in DC9/19/2019 4:06:03 AM Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg met with a half-dozen U.S. senators on Wednesday for dinner as the company seeks to boost its reputation in Washington.
Facebook met UK officials three times before Libra announcement9/19/2019 3:21:40 AM Facebook met British finance ministry, central bank and regulatory officials in the weeks before making public its plans for the Libra digital currency, responses to Reuters freedom of information requests show.
Germany's Scholz: We cannot accept parallel currencies such as Facebook's Libra9/19/2019 3:21:37 AM German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday policymakers could not accept the emergence of parallel currencies such as Facebook's planned Libra, adding that Berlin would reject any such plans.
Apple spars with EU as $14 billion Irish tax dispute drags on9/19/2019 1:44:21 AM Apple accused the European Commission of misunderstanding its business on day two of the iPhone maker's appeal against a $14 billion tax order, in a dispute that is key to the EU's drive to collect more taxes but which could also run for years.
Comcast gives away Xfinity Flex TV device, pounding shares of Roku9/18/2019 7:48:28 PM Comcast Corp said on Wednesday it will offer internet customers a free streaming media set top box that works with other services, stepping up competition with Roku Inc in the market for a device that organizes multiple subscriptions.
U.S. social media firms say they are removing violent content faster9/18/2019 6:59:03 PM Major U.S. social media firms told a Senate panel Wednesday they are doing more to prevent to remove violent or extremist content from online platforms in the wake of several high-profile incidents, focusing on using more technological tools to act faster.


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Two years of wearing the Viaskin patch for peanut allergy desensitized 81 percent of peanut-allergic children ages 1 to 3,… Read more »
“Science is showing us the path to a future in which new therapeutic options may provide both solutions as well… Read more »
After three years of using the Viaskin Peanut patch in children ages 4 to 11, more than half (52 percent)… Read more »
DBV Technologies has announced that the FDA has agreed to review the company’s Viaskin Peanut patch for potential regulatory approval.… Read more »
The manufacturer of the Viaskin Peanut patch has announced plans to resubmit its biologics license application (BLA) for the therapy… Read more »
We’re learning more about the two therapies to treat peanut allergies that could soon be available in allergist’s offices in… Read more »
With a positive approach, our allergic child does not miss out. In fact, she’s even taking part in the science.
Meet the teenager impacting research as an intern and study participant.


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Case Grounded on Fraud and Misrepresentation
In mid-November, Kristie Brownell filed a proposed class action in a New York federal court against Starbucks Coffee Co., the world’s largest coffeehouse chain. Brownell claims the company’s French Roast “Ground 100% Arabica Coffee” contains “greater than expected levels of potassium,” which can increase chances of hyperkalemia and is harmful to those who suffer from kidney issues.
According to the complaint the company has been unjustly enriched by selling the product at a “premium price, approximately no less than $10.99 for 12 oz, excluding tax and sales, higher than similar products, represented in a non-misleading way, and higher than it would be sold for absent the misleading representations and omissions.”
Characterizing that conduct as a breach of express and implied warranties and fraud, Brownell seeks to certify a class action -- on behalf of consumers in New York, Texas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho Alaska, Iowa, Virginia, South Carolina and Utah -- and hopes to recoup monetary and/or punitive damages, together with all litigation costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees.
Will Starbucks wake up and smell the coffee?
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Brownell v Starbucks Coffee Company (Class Action Complaint)


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Fintech News – What makes a fintech start-up a success?
The fintech industry is quickly ending up being the brand-new economic solutions typical. We talk with 6 sector specialists concerning launching a effective start-up in 2021
The sheer variety of fintech companies mushrooming around the world is astonishing. For example, according to Statistica, in February 2020 in the US, 8,775 fintech start-ups were registered. In the exact same duration, there were 7,385 comparable startups in Europe, the Center East, as well as Africa, adhered to by 4,765 in the Asia Pacific area.
These arising enterprises go across a number of sectors, consisting of education and learning, insurance, retail financial, fundraising and charitable, financial investment administration, protection as well as the development of cryptocurrencies. And also according to records, the global fintech market in 2022, will be worth US$ 309.98 bn.
Fintech News start-up obstacles
It‘s simple to presume that starting a fintech is simple. In theory, all one needs is a excellent idea, a smart developer and also some financiers. However that‘s just a very tiny part of the formula, according to Michael Donald, the CEO of ImageNPay – the globe‘s initial image-based repayment system, it takes far more than inspiration as well as technical knowhow to even arrive at the funding stage. Donald believes the biggest blunder start-ups make is assuming that every person will certainly either enjoy their idea or understand it on the initial pass.
He says, “In my experience from both big corporates as well as numerous endeavors that is hardly ever the case. Second of all, having wonderful discussions which guarantee the world yet when the bonnet is raised loss much short of something that will be road worthwhile.“
Fintech start-ups deal with a perilous period of knife-edge uncertainty when it comes to success. A record by Medici reveals a shocking nine out of 10 fintech start-ups fall short to get beyond the seed phase, as risk-averse financiers prefer to wave their purses at later-stage companies.
Fintech News – “ Attempting to range as well quickly prior to really comprehending your consumer values is one blunder launch can make in the onset,“ claims Colin Munro, Taking Care Of Supervisor of Miconex, a incentive program development firm.
“ Getting along before you‘re ready can mean you spread out available sources as well thinly, over encouraging as well as under delivering, which will influence negatively on client experience. One more error is going off track and also drifting into a market you know little concerning. It‘s easy to have your head transformed, but maintain laser-focused as well as be a expert.“
Luc Gueriane, Principal Commercial Officer at Moorwand, a payment remedies carrier, agrees that emphasis is crucial to success. “My advice is to focus on one or two remedies that you know you‘ve nailed and that will certainly acquire a great deal of interest. By increasing down on specialisms, fintechs have a clearer course to success,“ he states.
Fintech News – While the digitisation of businesses has increased over the past year, on the other hand, it has actually made life harder for fintech startups, explains Gueriane. “Launching a fintech has actually never been very easy yet the marketplace has definitely gone through a significant shift that makes it harder,“ he states.
“ The pandemic has actually taken a great deal of business to brand-new elevations— particularly those in digital payments. Yet it is now more difficult to access funding unless you‘re an well-known brand that has actually already proved itself or you have a really certain solution that resolves a small but essential issue in the marketplace.“
However, despite the logistical issues that are afflicting all companies, some professionals believe fintech start-ups have actually had an simpler time than other companies in getting used to the ‘ brand-new typical‘ because of the nature of their dimension as well as structure. “Smaller services and start-ups are much more nimble and also have the ability to adjust swiftly. I see that as an possibility, incorporated with the truth that people are taking on brand-new technology at a quicker rate than I can bear in mind,“ Munro states.
At The Same Time, Andra Sonea, Head of Service Architecture at FintechOS, an application development, services and also options business, thinks inadequate budgeting is accountable for the substantial majority of fintech startup failings. “A great deal of start-ups burn through cash swiftly, as well as do not make that money back as fast as they need to because they select the incorrect organization model,“ she states. “This is particularly real of fintech startups going after a B2C business version, that will certainly typically overestimate the extent to which customers will change their practices, or spend for a new product and services in addition to all things they already spend for.“
Fintech News – New innovation
As 5G becomes mainstream as well as more IoT gadgets attach to fintech solutions, the data accumulated by fintech solutions will certainly come to be a lot more detailed as well as useful. The innovation accelerates payment rate as well as security procedures, allows repayment suppliers to leverage the power of technology such as AI, blockchain and also API integrations in a faster way. Some industry experts think that much better connectivity will certainly see the market truly entered its very own, ending up being increasingly traditional.
Marwan Forzley, Chief Executive Officer of Veem, a San Francisco-based online global repayments platform founded in 2014, discusses, “Financial modern technology is constructed to be done anywhere. Fintech pioneers who embrace 5G innovation can anticipate to engage in more collaborations, M&A, etc. as legacy financial institutions as well as banks aim to modernise their solution offering. We can likewise expect quicker deals on a worldwide range as the uptake in 5G bolsters networks and reduces over-air network latency concerns.“
Donald thinks technological chances will certainly also produce a much more also playing field. He claims, “Certainly, I see this being a huge chance in the future to enable tool to tool information connectivity to progress the peer-to-peer settlements room, this subsequently will develop greater chances for smaller business as well as startups.“
He includes, “ Open up financial when properly leveraged will certainly be a automobile for an optimized, customised digital financial experience. It might likewise result in the development of new settlements networks beyond the large three, Visa, Mastercard as well as Amex.“
Fintech News – What makes a fintech start-up a success?


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Skyrocketing Naloxone Prices Put Pressure On Local Agencies
Thanks to new laws lifting restrictions on the availability of naloxone, the overdose-intervention drug is now easier to find than ever before. But the drug’s skyrocketing price means certain public health agencies are having to hustle to keep it on the shelves.
According to the Food and Drug Administartion, two companies, Amphastar and Hospira (which was recently acquired by manufacturing giant Pfizer), produce the majority of naloxone in the United States. The drug has historically been available in two different dosages. The market for a smaller, .4 mg dosage (used for intramuscular injection) has been dominated by Hospira, and a larger 1 mg. dosage, also historically used for injection use, is dominated by Amphastar. In recent years, users have started attaching a spray atomizer to the larger 1 mg. syringe and additionally used it as an intranasal spray, although that use isn’t technically approved by the FDA. (Amphastar is currently working on a ready-made nasal spray as well.)
Amphastar increased its price for outpatient use of naloxone doses by 60 percent in 2014, citing increasing manufacturing costs. That same year, Hospira, the majority provider of a smaller-dosage option, increased its price about 50 percent.
Other reports indicate the cost of the drug has increased tenfold in last decade.
Drug companies have been riding high on naloxone’s popularity…For example, in the first quarter of 2016, Amphastar, one of the two big naloxone manufacturers, saw a four percent increase in revenue, which the company specifically attributes to increased sales of the drug. In its 2015 second quarter earnings report (the last before the company’s merger) Hospira’s net sales jumped 4.2 percent, due to strong sales of “specialty injectable pharmaceuticals.”
But while manufacturers are making money, local agencies are having a hard time keeping up with price increases.
Justin Phillips, founder and executive director of Overdose Lifeline, a nonprofit that distributes naloxone kits, says she’s seen prices for the nasal spray increase of $3.00 per dose in the past six months.
“It’s becoming extremely cost-prohibitive without large grant funds to distribute any of the kits,” she says.
Phillips describes the task she gave a new volunteer.
“[I told her] ‘we’ve got to find some ways to acquire this intramuscular administration for nothing or for very cheap.’”
The organization distributes the injection and nasal-spray form of the drug. Phillips says she’s seen both forms increase in price.
The organization works with manufacturers to negotiate prices, holds fundraisers and applies for competitive grants to help pay for the drug.
More companies have been entering the naloxone market, introducing new ways of administering the intervention drug. One company, kaléo, gained FDA approval in 2014 of a talking “auto-injector” dubbed Evzio, guides the user through the injection process. With insurance, the device costs $30.00, although its wholesale price sales into the hundreds.
Last year, the first FDA-approved nasal spray, Narcan, was made available by a company called Adapt Pharma.


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Elfsquad Ltd. was nominated for Deloitte Technology Fast 50 2019’s prestigious Rising Star Award. The Rising Star is created especially for technology companies younger than four years old. The nominated businesses faced each other through elevator pitches in Amsterdam on October 10, to battle for the titles Rising Star 2019 and Most Disruptive Innovator 2019.
Commercial director Wessel de Haan: “We are very proud of our nomination for the Rising Star Award. For young software businesses like ours it is simply the most prestigious award to win in the Netherlands. It gives us acknowledgement for our activities, and shows that we are on the right track and will keep on growing.
Elfsquad is nominated because our software has created a large disruption in the market of complex product industries, which greatly improves the competitive position of western manufacturers that have to compete internationally. “To remain competitive, western businesses have to perfectly adapt to customer wishes and still operate extremely efficiently. The traditional way of sales, through distributors that work with paper catalogs and e-mail communication, just will not do anymore.”, explains general director Jan Brolsma: “All this work by hand has become too time-consuming and too many mistakes are being made, which is not acceptable anymore.” With our software the entire sales process is automated, and even production management is executed automatically. “Like this we turn traditional factories into digital factories, and allow western manufacturers to keep on beating the competition.”
Ivo Meij, senior manager at Deloitte and contact of many Fast 50 enterprises and startups: “Every business utilizes technology, but the ones that end up in the Technology Fast 50 are so proficient that they disrupt existing markets and/or create entire new ones.”
Bart de Vries, programme leader of the Technology Fast 50: “This year the trend of rising applications for the Fast 50 continues to show, and the growth percentages are also rising when compared to last year’s. This shows that the tech scale ups’ climate is once again improved.”
About Rising Star & Technology Fast 50
Rising Star is the part of Technology Fast 50 that focuses on young tech start-ups. Technology businesses younger than four years (established after December 31 2014) automatically participate in the Rising Star category. These promising businesses are judged by an independent jury on the following categories: saltes potential, scalability, and innovation. The Technology Fast 50 is an annually returning election of the fifty fastest growing tech businesses in the Netherlands. The selection takes place based on the percentual sales growth over the previous four years (2015-2018 in this case). Nominations for the Technology Fast 50 were announced on Tuesday September 3.


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As promised earlier, starting August 22 Nexus devices will be rolling out with the Android N update. It's really great news for last year's Nexus device owners as they are the first to get the new desert update.
Last month, Google roll out the final Developer Preview of its latest Android 7.0 Nougat OS, there were total of five developer previews one per month. “You will NOT see a big difference between the OTA and the last Developer Preview in the Android Beta Program,” a Google spokesperson said today.
The OTA's just begin to roll out, however we don't have the factory images for the time being. They should be appearing rather soon though.


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Embedded Systems Conference Boston Announces Additional Disruption Zone Participants
Disruption Zone Provides Exciting Forum to Showcase Ground-Breaking Technologies
Sep 12, 2007
CMP Technology Electronics Group and Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) Boston, today announced additional participants in this year's Disruption Zone. For the second consecutive year the Disruption Zone is providing companies a forum to showcase the latest innovations in technology. The Disruption Zone features software and hardware companies seeking to change the embedded systems industry.
The Disruption Zone will take place on Wednesday, September 19 at 12 pm at the Westin Hotel in Boston, attached to the Hynes Convention Center, home to ESC Boston.
The Disruption Zone will feature the latest in technological innovations including:
-- Amphenol TCS will demonstrate the Amphenol TCS XCede connector, with a demonstrated 20+ Gbps performance and innovative 3D resonance damping shield technology. -- Handshake Solutions will present the enhanced version of a clockless microcontroller IP core based upon the versatile 80C51 Memory eXtension (MX) architecture. The new core, with double the performance of the original, combines the increased memory capabilities of the MX architecture with the low power and low electromagnetic emission (EME). -- Lattix will introduce a new version of Lattix LDM, its award-winning solution for architecture analysis and control. Lattix LDM is an innovative new approach that uses interdependencies to create an accurate blueprint of the architecture of software applications, databases and systems. -- QNX Software Systems, makes of real-time operating systems (RTOS) will be debuting something big ... stay tuned!
Companies interested in taking part in the upcoming Disruption Zone can contact David Blaza at firstname.lastname@example.org or 415-947-6929.
CMP will celebrate the spirit of collaboration and combined brain power at TechMash Boston 2007. TechMash 2007 will include The Embedded Systems Conference; the industry's largest international embedded technical conference and exhibition, Software Development Best Practices; a strategic forum for senior software developers, RFID World Boston, focused on security, privacy and authentication issues for the community that is using, building, leveraging, and driving radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Near Field Communications (NFC); focused on the next wave in connectivity and commerce.
CMP (http://www.cmp.com/) is a media and marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. With the leading online, event and print brands in all technology market categories, and with services and tools that reach beyond traditional advertising, CMP shapes and influences the technology industry worldwide. CMP publishes highly respected media brands such as TechWeb, InformationWeek, ChannelWeb, CRN, EE Times and TechOnline; produces major industry events such as Interop, Web 2.0, XChange, Game Developer Conference and the Embedded Systems Conferences; and provides business information and marketing services such as the International Customer Management Institute, Semiconductor Insights and Second Life consulting for technology marketers. CMP is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion. For more CMP news, go to cmp.com/news
Contact: Leslie Denson email@example.com (781) 356-7100 Contact: Linda Uslanerluslaner@cmp.com (516) 562-7685
First Call Analyst:
SOURCE: CMP Technology Electronics Group
CONTACT: Linda Uslaner of CMP Technology Electronics Group,
+1-516-562-7685, firstname.lastname@example.org; or Leslie Denson, +1-781-356-7100,
email@example.com, for CMP Technology Electronics Group


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Of course, no one in the consumer electronics industry ever agrees completely about everything, but the headline above seems to be the majority opinion from the retail execs, distributors, buying group leaders and others senior editor Alan Wolf quotes about 2013 retail conditions in our TWICE Special Report: The State of the Industry, beginning on p. 16.
Like President Obama’s State of the Union address in January, some of the comments are rife with talk of the housing market, job security, the end of the payroll tax cut and other general economic measures.
But even though the U.S. is now living under mandatory budgetary cuts thanks to a gridlocked Congress, the economy is slowly growing. The housing market is improving, which will benefit not only CE, but major appliances and furniture. The jobs market has stabilized, according to economists and the industry leaders we quote in our Special Report.
Industry specifics depend upon which part of the CE business you are most involved with.
For instance, Scott Anderson, merchandising VP at Best Buy, told us that its stand-alone mobile stores have been very successful, given the growth in smartphones and tablets.
Jeannette Howe, executive director of Specialty Electronics Nationwide, cheered the fact that housing starts are up and that “the LG Ultra HD display [is] on backorder.”A $17,000 TV is on backorder? Naturally, big-ticket, big-screen TVs like this one won’t be unit sales leaders.
Overall TV sales will still be a struggle this year, but Ultra HD TVs will be sold for a nice profit and will drive customers into stores out of curiosity at the very least, which should benefit brick-and-mortar retailers.
Amazon.com’s CE VP Ben Hartman sees growing consumer confidence benefiting “not only the high end, but all segments of the business.”
He should be upbeat, considering how many in the industry look at Amazon’s efficiency and growing power in CE with awe and foreboding. But there are still opportunities for independents in this market as executives from BrandSource and the Nationwide Marketing Group noted, saying that their members have been successful in grabbing share from national chains.
Until Congress gets its act together and begins to help the economy recover at a faster pace, and the industry comes up with more “must-have” products, growth in the CE industry won’t provide across-the-board growth.
But the optimism expressed here about growth in the CE business this year is appropriate, almost like crocuses beginning to bloom even here in the cold Northeast.
Remember VIPs, Twitter
Manufacturers, the deadline for submitting nominations for the TWICE VIP Awards is April 15. As the old saying goes, “You’ve got to be in it to win it.”
And make sure to follow me on Twitter at @SteveSmithTWICE.
- DEG Honors Dolby, Sony And Warner At Annual CES Awards Event - January 11, 2019
- LG’s CES Keynote: AI Is ‘Opportunity Of Our Lifetime’ - January 9, 2019
- Memories Of Our Friend John - April 12, 2018


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Japanese returned today and early birds were buyers of UsdJpy positioning for Gotobi-Day demand. Buying was good but headed into thick supply ahead of 104.00 believed to be for exporters. Some said selling interests came from option play, a 104.00 option strike expiry Oct 13 both Tokyo and New York cuts. While most are still playing this 100-105 trading range, some chatter of stops above 104.55 coming from momentum/systematic accounts.
Cable was steady until Asia walked in. GbpUsd moved lower in orderly manner unlike last Friday, to test 1.2300. There wasn’t any earth wrecking news but one story in WSJ that the weak Gbp is forcing UK importers to adjust their hedging. Higher costs are expected to hit the supply chains of many companies, and many have already made adjustments. Also remember, weaker Gbp means additional hedging from real money managers.
EurUsd was cushioned by the EurGbp move. Locker room talk of offers stacked up on upside beyond 1.1170 belonging to real money names. Bids are seen near 1.1105. There is a 1.1000 option expiry today for about Eur2bn worth.
Aussie was also steadily lower but remarks from RBNZ’s McDermott caused the pop in AudNzd from 1.0662 to 1.0691, thus AudUsd selling was absorbed.
Price of oil futures have been steady but weak commodity currencies ushered UsdCad towards 1.3200. 200-Day SMA at 1.3203 will be a challenge. Intraday support comes in at 1.3150 but suspect we might see further longs bailing out and this could push us down to 1.30-handle. Order book is rather stale. There is a $1.2bn notional worth of 1.3200 option expiry tomorrow.


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The popularity of big-box stores is understandable even if their buying/selling power does force some small businesses to close. Who doesnt appreciate stopping by just one store for laundry detergent and the latest blockbuster movie to come to DVD or picking up a crowbar and a wad of cash in the same trip?
One Oklahoma City thief saw the convenience in targeting one of the metros Walmart Supercenters.
The Oklahoma City Police Department posted a video of the suspect taking a crowbar from a shelf and then using it to break into the cash register in the automotive section. We at Chicken-Fried News dont consider ourselves to be detectives, but well take a wild guess and assume he found the crowbar in the home improvement section, next to the hammers and nails.
In any case, KFOR.com reported that the unidentified bandit made off with just under $1,195 in less than 30 seconds.
The amazing thing is the department was unmanned and no customers or employees saw anything as the suspect perpetrated the alleged crime about 8:30 p.m. However, Walmart surveillance cameras caught it all on tape or digital video files.
If an area is not manned, it can be easy to walk in there and simply take something and walk out, Oklahoma City Police Department assistant public information officer MSgt. Gary Knight said in a media briefing. I dont know that he realized that there were so many cameras there that captured images of him.
Knight said police are hopeful that someone will recognize the suspect and call the police departments CrimeStoppers hotline at 405-235-7300.


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Mangaluru, Dec 22, 2017: The Food Department would be purchasing ragi from growers from December end onwards with the objective of ensuring that growers got good price for Ragi, said State Minister for Food and Public Distribution U T Khader.
Addressing press persons at Circuit House, he said the above decision was taken after consultations with the Agriculture Minister under the due guidance of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The ragi thus procured would be distributed through PDS at along with rice at places where there is demand for the same. Ration card holders would be entitled to 2 kg ragi at such places, he added.
The minister said Ragi would be purchased from growers at the rate of Rs 2,300 ( including Rs 1900 from Centre and Rs 400 from state). Presently the market price of ragi is Rs 1500, he said adding the move aims at avoiding the menace of middlemen.
Already tor dal is purchased by the government directly at the rate of Rs 6000 per quintal and sold through PDS. He informed that the Centre has permitted even the purchase of jowar in a similar way.


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Following Friday's report of the agreement between GM and CARB on the status of the Volt, the Automotive X Prize took stock of the deal and issued its statement on the possibility of a 100-MPG rating for the highly-anticipated car. While praising what GM is doing with the Volt, the X Prize also recommended that the EPA, "consider adopting MPGe as a unit of measure that would more accurately reflect fuel consumption of alternative energy vehicles, and we welcome further discussions with them on t
Whether contemplating the possibility of a Lexus Prius or dreaming up a Prius convertible, people sure do like to tinker with Toyota's halo car. Of course, for many, the reason to mess with the hybrid is to squeeze more miles per gallon out of the car.
This is a post for all of the American city officials we have who read AutoblogGreen (or readers who know someone in city government). The Automotive X Prize is looking for cities in America to host stages of the fuel-efficient vehicle race in 2009-2010. An official Request for Proposal (RFP) will be released at the Detroit Auto Show in the next few days.