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Decoupling our economy from China before we become too dependent is the path our nation must take.
The increasingly brutal crackdown on Hong Kong protesters by Communist China, combined with China’s increasing aggression and provocation – not to mention their continued arbitrary detention of two Canadian Citizens – is raising difficult questions for Canada.
We now face a clear choice, and that choice is increasingly unavoidable:
Live up to our values, or increase our trade with Communist China.
Because, at this point, we can’t do both.
Even powerful American companies and brands (like the NBA) are discovering that the more you do business with China, the more you are forced to sacrifice your own values to the whims of the Communist Party.
The result is that China is exporting their authoritarian Communist system to the rest of the world, using trade as the cudgel to put other countries into a state of dependence.
And beyond that, we’ve already seen the hollowing out of Canada’s manufacturing sector, in large part because of China’s deceptive trade practices, currency devaluation, and dumping of product in markets across the globe.
Additionally, the majority of fentanyl coming into Canada and causing so much devastation arrives here from Communist China.
So, for all of these reasons, it is essential that we begin to decouple our economy from China.
Some will say that there is too much money to be made in China for us to decouple, and that trade is worth any cost to our values. But if that’s the direction Canada ends up taking, what is even the point of being a country?
If we have no values, no standards, and no willingness to defend what we claim to believe in as Canadians, then how can we hold our heads up high as a nation?
China doesn’t want trading partners, they want vassal states.
Now, some trade with China is certainly acceptable, in areas where China is desperate and thus can’t enforce demands in return. For food and natural resources which China can’t supply on it’s own, Canada loses nothing from trading with China, but when it comes to technology and manufacturing, trade with China puts our own economic and national security at risk.
And even in terms of food and natural resources, we must limit the expansion of trade with China, because relying too much on their market brings it’s own risk.
Thus, the solution is for Canada to impose large tariffs on imports from China in areas such as metals, military technology, and telecommunications (ban Huawei 5G), while putting limits on the exports of Canadian products to China. At the same time, producers should be compensated for losses from decoupling and we should seek out other markets (like India), where we can trade without throwing our values or national security in the trash.
We live in a dangerous world, and being dependent on trade with a nation like China represents far too big a risk to Canada. We must get rid of that risk before it’s too late, and that means we must begin the process of decoupling as soon as possible.
Photo – YouTube[widget id="top-posts-5"]


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Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, digital payments company Block Inc., profit rose 29% year-on-year to $1.47 billion in the second quarter, even as its bitcoin business plummeted due to declining consumer demand and falling prices to bitcoins (BTC).
The financial services firm primarily generates bitcoin revenue by providing bitcoin trading services through its digital payment app, Cash App.
Block Inc. noted that for the quarter, bitcoin revenue was $1.79 billion, down 34% from the previous year, while bitcoin gross revenue was only $41 million, suggesting that the provision of bitcoin services to its customers can be a costly undertaking.
Block Inc. stated that the drop in bitcoin earnings was due to “wider uncertainty” in crypto assets, stating:
“The year-over-year decline in bitcoin revenue and gross margins was driven primarily by lower consumer demand and bitcoin prices, partly attributable to broader uncertainty around crypto assets, which more than offset the benefits of price volatility. bitcoins during the quarter.
However, Block Inc. stressed that the drop in BTC earnings does not reflect broader business performance. He also noted that BTC earnings are likely to fluctuate over time as a result of “changes in consumer demand or the market price of bitcoin.”
The company also noted that it has recognized a $36 million impairment loss on its BTC holdings, however this is likely only a loss on paper.
Under U.S. accounting procedures, cryptocurrencies are classified as an intangible asset on balance sheets, and companies must report a loss when the price of an asset falls below its cost, even if the gain or loss was realized through a sale during that quarter.
The company noted that as of June 30, 2022, the fair value of its Bitcoin investment is $160 million based on market prices.
Kevin O’Leary Interview: Is Bitcoin $28K Down or Down? | Market negotiations with Crypto Jebb
Investors don’t seem to be impressed with Block Inc’s results. in the second quarter as the SQ of the firm’s stock fell 7.42% after hours to $83 at the time of writing.
Bloomberg speculated that this was due to the company reporting a lower-than-expected transaction volume of $52.5 billion. against to $53.47 billion.
Bitcoin from block
Dorsey, the fiery bitcoin maxi, has been relatively calm about his plans for digital gold ever since he announced in June that Block Inc. bypasses the Web3 model to create a Web5 project focused on the bitcoin blockchain.
Web5 is essentially a decentralized web platform or DWP that allows developers to create decentralized web applications with DIDs and decentralized nodes that will also have a monetary network built around BTC rather than tokenization supported by a smart contract.
— Jack (@jack) June 16, 2022
Credit : cointelegraph.com

domain: news


text: Cellco Vodafone Germany has launched a notebook data card that enables download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps and upload speeds of up to 1.45Mbps. The card uses high speed upload packet access (HSUPA) technology so that customers can upload data at higher speeds than a fixed line broadband connection. Outside regions of HSPA coverage, the card uses a 3G or GPRS/EDGE connection for data transmissions over the Vodafone infrastructure. The new card will be available from 9 July 2007. The HSPA network is currently being extended across major German conurbations and HSUPA will be deployed over the entire Vodafone 3G network by the summer of 2008.


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Last week, security researchers announced a new vulnerability for Android phones which could allow installed apps to be modified without the user being aware of it. Almost all Android devices are vulnerable, as the vulnerability has existed since Android 1.6 (Donut), and currently only the Samsung Galaxy S4 has been patched to protect against it.
The vulnerability – known in some quarters as the “master key” vulnerability – has attracted considerable media attention, but it has not always been accurately reported. We have updated Trend Micro Mobile Security to protect our users, but at the same time we wish to clarify what’s going on, what the threat is, and what users can do.
What’s this “master key” vulnerability?
The vulnerability is related to how Android apps are signed. All Android apps have a digital signature from their developer, which verifies that the app actually did come from the developer and was not modified en route. An app can only be updated if the new version has a matching signature from the same developer.
This particular vulnerability is in that last step. What researchers have found is a way for attackers to update an already installed app even if they do not have the original developer’s signing key. In short, any installed app can be updated with a malicious version.
Note that technically, there is no “master key” that has been breached. Yes, any app can be modified and used for malicious purposes, but there’s no “master key” in the first place.
What are the risks?
This vulnerability can be used to replace legitimate apps on an Android device with malicious versions. Apps with many permissions – like those from the phone’s manufacturer or the user’s service provider – are at particular risk.
Once on the device, they can behave in the way that any malicious app would, except the user would think they were a completely legitimate app. For example, a modified/Trojanized app for a bank would continue to work for the user, but the credentials would have been sent to an attacker.
What can users do to protect themselves?
We’ve updated our Trend Micro Mobile App Reputation Service to detect apps that abuse this vulnerability, but so far we have not found any. Nonetheless, for users of Trend Micro Mobile Security, we have released an update to the pattern to ensure that we will detect apps that target this particular vulnerability. (All users with pattern version 1.513.00 or later are covered. Apps found exploiting the vulnerability will be detected as Android_ExploitSign.HRX) This is sufficient to ensure that our users are protected from this threat.
We strongly suggest disabling the ability to install apps from sources outside of Google Play. This setting can be found under Security in the system settings of Android devices.
Google has made some steps to protect users. They’ve modified the backend of their online store so that apps that try to exploit this problem are blocked. Thus, users who do not download apps from third-party stores or sideload APK files should not be at risk from this threat. The company also released a fix for the vulnerability and distributed it among OEMs. Hopefully, the importance of this update will prevent delays in its deployment.
Update as of July 11, 2013 3:43 AM PST
We were able to find a report that features a different approach for the same attack to bypass Android signature checking, this time using a Java Zipfile implementation vulnerability. We are currently working on the solution, and malicious apps that will be found using this technique will be detected as AndroidOS_ExploitSign.HRXA.


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On the heels of a company restructuring earlier this year and in November 2016 that cut 300 jobs, GoPro announced Wednesday that it will stay on track with its 2017 non-GAAP profitability plan by cutting operating expenses and once again reducing 270 staff positions (both current headcount and existing open jobs).
While the San Mateo, Calif. based company isn’t expected to release Q1 earnings until the end of April 2017, the preemptive cuts are a reflection of Founder and CEO Nick Woodman’s vision to keep 2017 financials on track.
“We’re determined that GoPro’s financial performance match the strength of our products and brand. Importantly, expense reductions preserve our product roadmap and we are tracking to full-year non-GAAP profitability in 2017,” said Woodman in a press release.
This round of restructuring will cut operating costs for the company by more than $200 million, year over year, and position the company for new growth in hardware, software, and in International markets, according to GoPro.
Since the Karma Drone recall in November, less than 2 months after its initial debut, GoPro has been clawing back missed revenue opportunities. Although it was reintroduced in February, the Karma’s absence gave market competitors a clear advantage, according to analysts’ speculation.
Upon contacting GoPro, the company declined to provide any further comments besides what was contained in the official press statement released Wednesday:
GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) announced that it affirms 2017 first quarter revenue to be in the upper end of its previously announced $190-210 million range and repeated its target of full-year non-GAAP profitability. The Company also announced a restructuring that reduces full-year GAAP operating expenses to below $585 million and non-GAAP operating expenses to below $495 million without impacting the Company’s roadmap for new hardware and software products.
GoPro will release its financial results for its first quarter, ended March 31, 2017, after the market closes on April 27, 2017.
The reduction in operating expenses is achieved with a combination of cuts to program costs, headcount and open positions, totaling the elimination of approximately 270 positions. GoPro estimates that it will incur total aggregate charges of up to $10 million for the restructuring, which are primarily cash expenditures related to severance costs. The Company expects to recognize the restructuring charges in the first quarter of 2017.
“Today we are updating revenue guidance for the first quarter of 2017. We now expect to deliver revenue in the upper end of our guidance range of between $190 million and $210 million,” said GoPro Chief Financial Officer, Brian McGee. “We currently have no need to draw on our credit facility and we expect to be EBITDA positive for full-year 2017.”
Read the press release from GoPro.


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The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has warned consumers that they should get rid of their Chinese phones and avoid buying new ones.
This comes after a report was released by the National Cyber Security Center, which tested fifth-generation phones from Chinese manufacturers.
Researchers have determined that one of the Xiaomi phones has built-in monitoring tools, while another Huawei model may be vulnerable to cyber attacks.
In turn, Huawei responded that user data is not shared with third parties.
“Our recommendation is not to buy new Chinese phones and get rid of existing ones as quickly as possible,” said Deputy Defense Minister Margaris Apockevicius.
The report claims that Xiaomi’s flagship Mi 10T 5G phone was found with a software in able to detect and monitor anti-China terms, including “Free Tibet”, “Long Live Taiwan Independence” or “Democracy Movement”, according to the BBC. “Al Arabiya.net”.
The report highlighted more than 449 terms that could be censored by Xiaomi phone system applications, including the default internet browser.
In Europe, this feature has been disabled on these models, but the report says it can be enabled remotely in any time.
Xiaomi did not respond to a request for comment.
The research also found that a Xiaomi device was transmitting encrypted phone usage data to a server in Singapore.
“This is important not only for Lithuania, but for all countries that use Xiaomi equipment,” the center said.
The smartphone maker has grown in popularity with its more affordable models, seeing a 64% increase in revenue in the second quarter over the previous year.
The report also highlighted a flaw in the Huawei P40 5G phone, which puts users at risk for cybersecurity breaches.
A joint statement released by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense and its cybersecurity agency said Huawei’s App Store directs users to stores online third-party applications, where some applications have been rated by antivirus programs as malicious or virus-infected.
A Huawei spokesperson told the BBC that it respects countries’ laws and regulations in which it operates and prioritizes IT security and privacy.
“Data is never processed outside of Huawei devices,” he added.
He continued: “Huawei’s App Store collects and processes only the data necessary to allow its customers to search, install and manage third-party apps, in the same way as other apps. store”.
He said Huawei is also conducting security checks to ensure that the user only downloads “safe apps”.
One of the OnePlus phones, which runs on fifth generation technology, was also reviewed by the team, but it turned out that he had no problems.
The report comes with the escalation of tensions between Lithuania and China. Last month, China asked Lithuania to remove its ambassador from Beijing and said it would withdraw its envoy from Vilnius.
The dispute began when Taiwan announced its missions in Lithuania would call themselves the Taiwan Representative Office.
Other Taiwanese embassies in Europe and the United States use the name of the country’s capital, Taipei, to avoid referring to the island itself, which China claims as its territory.
Read More About: Business News


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A London-based library has announced plans to provide flexible working space for the city’s entrepreneurs.
The Whitechapel Idea Store, which is located in London’s East End, is aiming to create a workspace where early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking to set up their own business can network and trade.
Read more >>
More SMEs are now choosing to work remotely, according to research from internet-based phone service company Nimvelo.
The research showed that 66 per cent of small businesses are now choosing to operate from a remote location or employing remote workers.Read more >>
Two start-ups from the UK have been announced as winners of Virgin’s VOOM 2016 competition.
The companies will be awarded a share of a £1 million prize from Sir Richard Branson.Read more >>
The majority of Britons would welcome an annual shutdown of businesses, according to a study by virtual assistant website ava.
The study showed that nearly 60 per cent of those surveyed feel that shutting down a business during quiet periods would enable it to remain cost-efficient and be more productive.Read more >>
Entrepreneurs have called for action to be taken to protect London’s status in the tech sector following the UK’s exit from the EU.
Business leaders who supported a Remain vote have spoken out, discussing the importance of providing training to address skills gaps in the sector.Read more >>
Recruitment platform Talendrone has secured a £350,000 investment to enable it to generate more income for UK recruiters.
The company, which specialises in recruitment in the IT sector, is hoping that the investment from Finance Yorkshire will help to benefit 10,000 companies.Read more >>
Britain’s tech companies are putting expansion plans on hold following the UK’s exit from the European Union.
Companies are now concerned about how the loss of access to European markets could affect the UK’s financial technology sector, with some considering moving to a continental location.Read more >>
London is facing competition to hold onto its technology graduates, according to research from LinkedIn.
The research, which has been released during London Technology Week, showed that the city’s graduates are being snapped up by tech hub rivals from the UK and Europe.Read more >>
Deloitte has launched a cloud-based accounting and analytics service for start-ups and SMEs. The Big Four company has invested £2.5 million into the project, which is called Propel.
Propel will provide a wide range of services, which will be available to the UK’s 5.4 million small business owners.
Read more >>
London provides the most opportunities for female workers in the tech sector, according to technology recruitment company Mortimer Spinks.
The research, which surveyed over 3,700 workers across the UK, showed that 40 per cent of the country’s female tech workers are employed in the city.Read more >>
Over 70 per cent of self-employed people will be basing their EU vote on personal choice rather than what is best for their business, according to a study from Intuit QuickBooks.
The study looked at how self-employed people plan to vote in today’s EU referendum and found that just 20 per cent will base their vote on what will be best for their business rather than their personal or political views.Read more >>
Techspace has secured investment from multimillionaire Leo Noé and Goldacre Ventures to enable it to expand and provide extra space for scale-up companies.
The company, which is based in London and specialises in providing flexible co-working space for fast-growth tech companies, will use the £5 million Series A funding to drive growth in the city.Read more >>
Over 25 per cent of small business owners believe that working for free is a necessary step when starting up a business, according to research from micro-business company Chorus.
The research showed that over 60 per cent of micro-business owners have worked for free in order to get their business started up.
Read more >>
Entrepreneurs are most likely to underestimate accountancy fees when it comes to costs, according to a study from business services company Geniac.
The study looked at the costs involved with running a business and identified the most expensive areas for starting up a business.Read more >>
More Brits are turning to online learning sites to develop new skills, according to research from Hitwise.
Figures released by the company showed that over 4 million people in Britain searched “how to” queries in the first quarter of 2016, whilst 1.3 million Brits visited a learning site over the same period.Read more >>
Peer-to-peer lending company Funding Circle has partnered with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support small businesses by increasing loans.
The partnership, which comes just a few days before the EU referendum, is expected to provide £100 million worth of loans for small businesses. This will be the first time that the EIB has provided lending through a peer-to-peer company.Read more >>
Employers in the UK are working together to provide apprenticeships for young people under a new initiative called the Digital Apprenticeship Standards Steering Group.
The group has already collaborated over the past few years to develop digital and tech apprenticeships for areas such as digital marketing, data analytics, and software development as part of the Government’s Trailblazer scheme.Read more >>
Smaller businesses are collectively attacked 7 million times per year by cyber criminals, which is costing the UK economy £5.26 billion, according to a report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
The report, Cyber Resilience: How to protect small firms in the digital economy, showed that despite over 90 per cent of smaller businesses taking action to prevent digital threats, over 60 per cent have fallen victim to cybercrime over the past two years.Read more >>
Technology companies are ahead of FTSE companies when it comes to female leaders, according to research from Tech London Advocates.
The Women in Tech Leadership Index showed that a fifth of UK tech companies are run by women, compared to 5 per cent of FTSE 100 companies and 4 per cent of FTSE 250 companies.Read more >>
Over the weekend, Virgin Trains launched a new booking tool for small and medium-sized businesses named Railblazers.
The service will support SMEs by enabling them to easily travel across the Virgin Trains Network to attend business meetings.Read more >>
Companies need to rethink how they go about helping managers and leaders develop professional skills, according to a survey from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
The CMI’s report, “Learning to lead: the digital potential”, looked at how digital learning is used in companies and what methods of learning managers prefer.Read more >>
A campaign has been launched to help provide more support for female entrepreneurs. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is aiming to increase the number of women in business and has called for the UK and Welsh Government to provide more support and better access to finance.
According to the UK Government, providing more support for female entrepreneurs could help to boost the economy by £600 billion.Read more >>
Uni-hood is to launch a business club for young people. The company will be launching The Entrepreneurs Club to help young people develop the skills they need in order to set up their own business.
The project will provide young people with the opportunity to receive mentoring from a group of successful businessmen and businesswomen.Read more >>
The 2016 StartUp Britain bus tour has now been launched.
The tour is part of a partnership between NatWest and StartUp Britain, and aims to inspire thousands of entrepreneurs across Britain.Read more >>
Increasing the employment rate of workers over 55 could add £105 billion to the economy, according to Big Four company PwC.
The study compared employment rates of workers across 34 OECD countries and found that whilst the UK performs well in terms of employment rates for older workers when compared to other EU countries, it does less well when compared to countries outside the EU, such as the US and Japan.Read more >>


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Bricks-and-mortar retailing is as strong if not stronger than ever. In fact, the store is and will remain the centre of the sales universe.
It’s a simple fact that many retailers ignore at their peril! Seventy per cent of consumers will walk out of a store if they don’t have access to knowledgeable salespeople.
Lynne McKay, GM Retail Activation, was asked to comment on which marketing channels were performing the strongest for Retail Safari’s FMCG clients.
UK Supermarket chain Asda has taken to the road this Christmas, treating shoppers to a magical Après Ski lodge experience.
This week I attended the “Highlights from the ACRS World Retail Congress” where my time was well spent hearing about merging global trends and retail best practice. This year’s theme centred on the idea of ‘Transforming retail today, tomorrow and beyond’ to survive in an age of disruption. Retail leaders – Dr. Sean Sands and […]
Sydney, Sept. 22, 2015 – retail marketing agency Retail Safari – part of CPM Australia – has secured one of the industry’s leading retail marketing operators, announcing the appointment of Nabih (Nabs) Awad as group account director. Effective immediately, Awad’s appointment consolidates CPM’s leadership team and its ongoing commitment in helping Australia’s top organisations by […]


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Julia Moser typically waits to do her shopping until the eleventh hour, but this year, Moser said she found herself struck with a case of the “supply chain scaries,” a quite contagious fear that the normal flow of goods into stores where we can buy them has been completely gummed up thanks to effects of the pandemic. So this time, she ordered her boyfriend’s Christmas gift in mid-October. The gift? An iSi whipper. (Ever had whipped cream fancily dispensed atop your drink at Starbucks? That can is an iSi whipper.) “He’s very into cocktail making,” Moser said. “Apparently you can use it to infuse all sorts of things for cocktail ingredients. I was like ‘that’s exactly the kind of thing that would get delayed at the port.’ ” Except it didn’t. It didn’t even take the projected shipping time when she placed her order. It came the very next day.
“I usually wait until the last minute,” Moser, who lives in Los Angeles said. But over the summer she was “extremely online and seeing everyone saying, ‘GET YOUR GIFTS NOW!’” Despite besting the supply chain, though, Moser now has a different problem on her hands. What to do with a gift that arrived that early? “I was too impatient to store it for another few months so I just gave it to him and now I have to think of another present to get him for actual Christmas,” she said.
Supply chain horror stories are everywhere as the holidays loom. “How the Global Supply Chain Might Ruin Christmas,” the New York Times grimly forecasted in October. “Christmas Lights Need a Supply Chain Miracle,” my colleague Aaron Mak wrote the same month. Reports indicate you can expect to pay more for everything from your balsam fir tree to your Thanksgiving turkey. Shipping ports are historically backed up and, on the other end, factories in Asia where most of what Americans are buying is coming from, are subject to more frequent shut downs due to COVID outbreaks. And lest you think, “I’ll just shop in store and avoid possible shipping delays,” the shelves you’ll find are likely to be more barren than usual, thanks to, well, more shipping delays and a nation-wide worker shortage. No wonder people are finding themselves suddenly motivated to break lifelong procrastination traditions and get their shopping done early. Fear of failure, as it turns out, is a pretty good motivator when it comes to Christmas gift giving. I’ve already received my first Christmas card this year, well before even Thanksgiving. It was from a college friend who said her wife was too nervous about delays to wait until a seasonally appropriate time to order their cards.
But having those gifts arrive ready for wrapping so far ahead of schedule poses the storage issue that Moser evaded by handing the whipper over right away. “I’ve heard toys will be especially impacted this year, so I’m getting gifts for our 2½-year-old early and stashing them in closets,” Alisa Richter said. She described herself as a person who rarely shops early, “except for maybe custom gifts from Etsy.” Fortunately for her, she now lives in a house with more room for stowing away secret gifts than her previous apartment. Kat Spada still lives in an apartment, but moved to a larger one while in the middle of early-ordering holiday gifts, “so now there’s a large pile of boxes” in addition to the usual moving mess. Hillary Kelly is already done shopping for her 4-year-old’s Christmas gifts, a move largely motivated by supply chain worries. “I don’t care if my kid gets less this year—she doesn’t need a ton of stuff,” Kelly said. “But I didn’t want to be sitting around on the 24th hoping things would arrive.” Her daughter’s presents are currently wrapped in sweaters in the back of Kelly’s closet. “I keep waiting for her to find them,” she said.
So how can us poor gift purchasers really know what will languish on container ships for weeks, and what will land on the stoop tomorrow? The most important factor, according to Emphraim Ausch, chief logistics officer at Tactical Logistics Solutions, is where in the supply chain your gifts are when you order them. But that’s not always something you can assess when you’re clicking “add to cart.” If the item is in stock (and the store isn’t lying) and is already in the country, you’re probably good to go. “Once your item is in the United States, you’re fine,” says Ausch. “UPS, FedEx, USPS, they have capacity issues, yes, but not to the point where you have to wait a month or two.” He confirms that backup at ports like Los Angeles is the major issue for holiday shopping. Getting products off cargo ships and into delivery trucks used to be a process that took days. Now that most ideal version of that timeline looks more like weeks. Early shoppers getting gifts delivered promptly, Ausch says, are likely ordering things that just happened to already be in stock and ready to go. Not everyone who orders later will be so lucky.
The early-orderers may not always feel so charmed as they try to manage closet space and surprise UPS deliveries. Alyssa L., who asked that her full name not be used, said she usually first gets just “a couple of early gifts, and then the majority after Thanksgiving.” Alyssa’s job in book publishing, however, gave her a front-row seat to shipping and production issues this year. “The supply chain issues are real! That definitely played into it this year—I only have one or two gifts left to buy at this point,” she said. And, naturally, everything she ordered early came “super prompt.” She and her partner have been texting each other warnings on certain days not to check the mail … because they’d both ordered gifts for each other that had come quicker than planned.
If it’s any comfort to the rest of us, Ausch says that many retailers have been preparing for this holiday bottleneck for months. He works with a client that specializes in fake Christmas trees who began stepping up their cargo container shipping in June. The Port of Los Angeles is now open 24 hours a day in an attempt to alleviate backlog. (It was previously operating 18 hours per day and Ausch says he’s not optimistic the extra six hours will be the miracle the industry needs.) His advice for consumers is to not dawdle if you see something you know you plan to buy is in stock. Even if it means having to find extra hiding places around the house.
My own version of Moser’s iSi canister was a pre-lit faux-pine garland for my fireplace mantle—though technically, it’s a gift for myself. Last year, I decided to go full Martha Stewart and make my own out of real boughs and while my living room smelled great over Christmas I am still vacuuming up needles nearly a year later. So in early October, I found a nice, fake garland and pressed order. The confirmation said it would arrive after Thanksgiving. Perfect, I thought to myself, I don’t have anywhere to store this thing anyway. It arrived the very next day. I’m staring at the box as I write this.


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Could the next restaurant menu you see have a warning about salt on it? It's happening in America's largest city.
On Wednesday, New York City commissioners unanimously approved a warning label for high sodium dishes. Chain restaurants with menu items that have more than the daily recommended amount of sodium now have to label them with a salt shaker.
Registered dietitian and nutrition counselor Elaine Hastings says many Americans go over their daily sodium limit.
"Salt is very similar to fat in that we need some, but we need the right amount," she explained.
The American Heart Association recommends people consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day.
"The average American eats around 3,400," Hastings says, more than double the AHA recommendation.
Studies show too much salt can raise your risk for high blood pressure and heart disease - the leading cause of death in the US.
If you need to cut down on salt, she says there are a few things you can do.
First, pay attention to processed foods. Hastings says most of the sodium many Americans consume is found in prepackaged items.
Second, Hastings says don't be afraid to ask restaurants how their dishes are prepared, and read menus and nutritional info online before you go to try and avoid hidden salt.
Finally, she says it's a lot easier to control sodium if you're cooking at home. She recommends using spices like garlic powder and onion powder to pack on the flavor without a lot of salt.


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Today's Apple liveblog started with the usual dose of big numbers. The fact that there have been 50 billion app downloads from the App Store is something we already knew, and Android has almost matched, but Apple has added that it now has 575 million store account holders, choosing from a total selection of 900,000 apps, with 375,000 of those tailored specifically for the iPad. 90 percent of iOS titles are active in the sense of being downloaded each month, and they've resulted in a total of $10 billion that has so far been paid out to developers -- three times more, Tim Cook says, than all the other platforms put together. Phew. Oh, but there are more:
600 million iOS devices sold so far (that's 235 million since last year's count and, as Ryan from the Block points out, evidence of "some pretty ridiculous growth");
300 million iCloud accounts, which apparently makes iCloud "the fastest growing cloud service ever";
240 million Game Center users;
800 billion iMessages sent (and perhaps received);
Some ridiculous number of "push notifications" that we can't fully remember except that it was in the trillions.
Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.


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Alabama retailers looking for holiday sales boost
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Holiday shopping season has officially begun! Retailers are gearing up for the busiest shopping time of the year but inevitably, things are looking quite different in 2020.
It has been a difficult year for many retailers working to keep their doors open and their customers safe. However, the holiday shopping season could provide a big boost, and the early signs are encouraging.
The Alabama Retail Association Director of Public Relations Nancy Dennis says customers spent eight percent more statewide in September when compared to last year.
“Most of them are in full recovery and have great momentum heading into the holiday shopping season. They’re optimistic about being able to end the year on a high note,” Dennis said.
A similar trend in November and December could push statewide sales past 2019′s total of 13 billion dollars. Retailers are expected to follow local and state health protocols including requiring masks, encouraging social distancing, and limiting store capacity.
Dennis believes online shopping will also play an important role in the success of Alabama retailers this year.
“Retailers and consumers both have already pivoted. They’ve already changed the way they shop and those ways will continue. So, you can still continue to shop safely and continue to shop locally throughout the holiday season,” Dennis said.
Dennis is confident the 2020 holiday shopping season will meet or exceed last year’s holiday sales.
Copyright 2020 WAFF. All rights reserved.


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SUVs have been flooding the market in recent years, with even our favourite supercar marques giving in to the high sales and inevitable revenues. It’s just so difficult to say no to that end of year’s bonus, right? Bugatti is the latest company to hint at an SUV when they declared that a second model alongside the Chiron is on its way.
Speaking with Autocar magazine, the VW Group brand has confirmed that a second model is in the works, and will either take the shape on an SUV or a four-door grand tourer. We, of course, would prefer the latter. Bugatti’s accountants are presumably eyeing up the former. But maybe, more importantly, company boss Stephan Winkelmann explains that this new car will be a daily driver, over the weekend toy Chiron.
The second model, whatever form it takes, will be engineered to be used on a daily basis, and therefore should be adapted to the daily trials of a normal day. So, maybe the quad-turbo W16 is out of the question?
“In my opinion, electrification would be the right approach,” said Winkelmann. A hybrid is not where Bugatti wants to take its car as that is not the cutting edge of technology. This new car will either be fully powered by an internal combustion engine, or it will run an entirely electric powertrain.
While you may be wondering if this daily driver will dilute the brand’s exclusivity, this car will still only be built in limited numbers. We’re talking low thousands, here. And if the vehicle is to be an EV, then they won’t be competing in this range battle that’s plaguing our press releases right now. Instead, they will focus on performance metrics such as acceleration and, you guessed it, top speed. They would also insist on fast charging times, comparative to stopping at a fuelling station.
That’s a lot of questionable information from the makers of the fastest car in the world. So what can we safely take away from this after sifting through the dust?
A second model is coming alongside the Chiron. It is more than likely going to be an SUV. An EV is plausible, but I would think Bugatti wouldn’t put their trust in such a volatile and quickly changing market. Instead, I expect an SUV that focusses on luxury and drivability, but one that also undercuts competitors in regards to performance. Will it use a chassis similar to that of the Urus? No, expect something built from the ground up.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing Bugatti’s portfolio grow, and here’s hoping I get the chance to drive it.


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RT Koytango Private Limited has announced that it is setting up 100% free electric vehicle charging stations connected to grid-tied solar power stations. The company has tied up with multiple green funds for this exercise and will offer free EV charging for all types of vehicles.
RT Koytango said that any business establishment, school, college, office, factory with a minimum of 100kw load and 10,000 sqft rooftop space can avail the entire solar plant free plus free charging of all electric vehicles for 3 years.
The company added that easy availability of charging stations is posing the bigger challenge towards the rapid push for EVs in the country.
RT Koytango stated that it is important to have both slow and fast charging stations outside every building in the city. Many vehicles are coming up with lead acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries, the company noted.
Mrinalini Kapoor and Raninder K Chahal, Founders, RT Koytango, said that green power has to be generated exactly where charging is happening as the local Delhi Grid will not be able to take the additional load of 2 to 5 lac electric vehicles plugging in for charging.
Kapoor and Chahal further stated that putting up electric vehicle charging stations and drawing grid power won’t be a good option as the whole exercise would end up burning coal instead of burning petrol. Electric vehicles will not remove pollution if charging is done from grid power, they added.


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WWMT Newschannel 3 - Search Results
Apple CEO in hot seat over taxes
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Apple CEO Tim Cook was in the hot seat Tuesday.
He is defending the company's policy of shifting billions of dollars of income overseas, specifically to a subsidiary in Ireland.
Critics say it allows Apple to avoid paying its fair share of U.S. Taxes.
"No company should be allowed to determine how much they're going to pay in taxes using all kinds of gimmicks to avoid paying the taxes that should be paid to this country, said Senator Carl Levin.
"We pay all the taxes we owe - every single dollar. We not only comply with the laws, but we comply with the spirit of the laws. We don't depend on tax gimmicks," said Cook.
During a lighter moment in the hearing Senator John McCain wanted an answer to a question a lot of iPhone users have.
Thank you. I'm out of time, but what I really wanted to ask is why the hell I have to keep updating the apps on my iPhone all the time and why you don't fix that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman," said McCain.
"Sir, we're trying to make them better all the time," said Cook.
Tuesday's hearing came after a Senate report that Apple avoided paying billions of dollars in taxes.
Cook said he believes the solution is to simplify the tax code.


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A time-of-use renewable energy retail offer has signed up hundreds of customers since its launch in South Australia last September, including Adelaide’s first 10-star energy rated home, and households with battery storage only and no solar.
iO Energy, which describes itself as an energy tech start-up, is working with retailer Energy Locals to give South Australian customers the opportunity to pay less for clean energy by becoming smarter consumers.
The business is one of a number to have emerged in the energy retail space over recent years in response to the rapidly changing market dynamics that are largely being driven by the huge uptake of residential rooftop solar.
In South Australia, in particular, this has led to some of the cheapest wholesale electricity prices in the country, with the state’s huge share of rooftop solar sending the average daytime wholesale price to below zero.
In April, the Australian Energy Market Operator revealed that the average price of wholesale power in South Australia between 10am and 3.30pm has been minus $12/MWh in the three months to March 31 – a first for Australia’s main grid.
On the less positive side, the massive amounts of cheap solar generation flooding the grid during the day have led to the fast-tracking of a solar switch-off mechanism in SA, for use by AEMO at times when extreme lows in minimum demand threaten to destabilise the grid.
That problem is being addressed, through the use of old and new “grid firming” technologies including synchronous condensers and battery storage.
But better matching the demand-side of the grid to the changing shape of an increasingly renewables-shaped generation profile will also be all important. And that is where companies like iO Energy come into play.
The company, which is headquartered at Adelaide innovation hub, Lot Fourteen, taps cheap wholesale market prices during the day to offer electricity for as little as 8c/kWh, according to the company’s co-founder and chief operations officer, Luke Morton.
“We have to make it apparent [to consumers on the retail level] that renewables are cheaper than other forms of energy,” Morton told One Step off the grid in an interview this week.
“And in a kind of indirect way, we are helping to mitigate those [rooftop solar oversupply] problems in the middle of the day. The more people that do this, the less firming power we’re going to need.”
The company’s offer of cheap daytime power – which Morton says has been taken up by “hundreds” of customers, so far – is particularly well suited to households or businesses “locked out” of rooftop solar, either for reasons of having an incompatible rooftop, or no rooftop at all.
Morton also believes the company is the first in Australia, and perhaps even in the world, to offer a viable way to run grid-power only home battery energy storage systems.
“In a sense, what we’re offering is solar without solar,” Morton said. “This means that you can take advantage of cheap renewable power even if you’re a renter or have a shaded rooftop.
“We even have customers who don’t have solar, but charge their home battery systems according to time-of-use pricing.”
Ultimately, the key concept behind iO Energy’s offering is to incentivise a change in consumer behaviour to capitalise of the infamous duck-shape of grids like South Australia’s, where solar is over-abundant and cheap during the day.
Morton says that the uptake of the company’s offer has so far shown that consumers are willing to make such changes, particularly when it becomes obvious that they can lead to significant savings on energy.
So much so, he adds, that iO Energy’s customer load profiles wind up looking “like Mount Kilimanjaro,” as they channel demand to the middle of the day.
The company uses a software platform and data analytics gathered from smart meters to understand customer load profiles and, in turn, help customers understand what their usage looks like and how they can improve it.
Using more daytime power won’t work for everyone, of course – households that are more or less empty during the day, come to mind as a poor fit. But battery storage could help remedy that problem – and a battery without solar makes the economics more attractive, too.
Regardless, making consumer load profiles – and also rooftop solar generation profiles – more in tune with the ups and downs of the broader energy market will become increasingly important, and thus will be increasingly incentivised by retailers using a variety of mechanisms.
iO Energy is getting ahead of the curve and hopes to expand its offering into the less and less coal dependent Victorian market, again in partnership with licensed retailer Energy Locals.
“We have hundreds of customers now and ultimately we want to become the supplier for sustainable homes and businesses in South Australia,” Morton said.
“We’re just taking advantage of the way that renewables are eating the world.”


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However, it was the art of Neapolitan pizza-making, or 'Pizzaiuolo, ' earning its spot on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list last year that pushed French bakers to request the same recognition for the French culinary staple.
President Emmanuel Macron is hoping to lend some serious sway to a campaign by his country's bakers to have the iconic doughy delicacy secure a place on UNESCO's "intangible heritage" list.
THE French baguette should be listed as a Unesco cultural treasure, France's President Emmanuel Macron has claimed.
Why do the French think this is necessary?
The French President said that the baguette is part of "the daily life of the French, in the morning, at midday and in the evening".
Artisan bread makers in France have often raised concerns about the rise of mass-produced imitations of their 'national treasure' tarnishing their traditions. But while the Eiffel Tower enjoys international protection, the humble French bread is defenseless in the face of supermarket chains' onslaught.
The traditional baguette is already protected in France by a 1993 law.
To be a true French baguette, the dough must be made from only four ingredients - wheat flour, water, yeast and salt - and must not be frozen or contain any added preservatives. It is also forbidden for the bread to be frozen before it is put on the shelves.
President Macron once said that he never published the three books he wrote as a young man because he was unsatisfied with them. Yoga, Spanish flamenco and Tibetan Opera have already made the grade, as have Belgian beer culture and the gingerbread craft of northern Croatia. That submission was centred mostly around the rituals that accompany the cuisine: how wines are paired with dishes, how the table is dressed, and the precise placing of glasses and cutlery.
Maëlle Brun, the author of Brigitte Macron, l'Affranchie (The Unfettered Woman), interviewed a neighbour of the Macron family in Amiens, northeast France.
The list, which is reviewed annually includes items "that testify to the diversity of the intangible heritage and raise awareness of its importance".
- Horario, TV y formaciones — Independiente-Gimnasia
- Patriotas avanzan a la Final de la Conferencia Americana
- Los escalofriantes detalles que entregó Nahir Galarza del asesinato de su novio
- Presentan a Yerry Mina en Barcelona
- La espectacular volcada de Manu Ginóbili — De lujo
- Yerry Mina, recibido con aplausos en su primera práctica con Barcelona
- "No nos saldremos del Banco Mundial" — Ministro de Economía
- Microsoft releases new Windows update for Intel chip security flaw
- A horas de su llegada, amenazan al Papa Francisco en Chile
- Real Madrid - Bayern Munich, desafío entre colosos


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Call of Duty Advanced Warfare launches on November 4
Anyone who purchases the Season Pass for launch day will get access to the Atlas Gorge multiplayer map, a remake of CoD 4 classic, Pipeline.
Tweaks to the re-envisioned fan favorite map include the added use of the game's exoskeleton technology, and new map-based turret scorestreak.
And Sledgehammer Games have unveiled the trailer for the DLC action set to be released next year.
The Advanced Warfare Season Pass will give access to four DLC packs, each providing new multiplayer content.
The new content: Havoc, Ascendance, Supremacy, and Reckoning, will also come with early access to bonus DLC weapons.
Sledgehammer co-founder Glen Schofield recently hit out at new leaks that have revealed some of the features of upcoming title Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
Game makers have had to grow use to spoilers being released before big launches, but Schofield was left feeling angry at the footage going live so close to launch date, November 4.
"We took 3 years 2 make a game," he wrote on Twitter.
"Kept it quiet 4 the fans & it has to be stolen & leaked a week b4. That sucks. A real bummer. Thanks a lot."


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New discovery could help feed millions (w/Video)
When scientist Loretta Mayer set out to alleviate diseases associated with menopause, she didn't realize her work could lead to addressing world hunger and feeding hundreds of millions of people.
PayPal founder bankrolls 3-D printed meat
Noisy youngsters pay the ultimate price
(PhysOrg.com) -- Babies crying with hunger may attract annoyed looks from bystanders, but in the bird world noisily crying nestlings are likely to pay the ultimate price, according to the authors of a new ...
Researchers find clues to why some continue to eat when full
The premise that hunger makes food look more appealing is a widely held belief - just ask those who cruise grocery store aisles on an empty stomach, only to go home with a full basket and an empty wallet.
Rats move toward the food but do not eat
Scientists led a rat to the fatty food, but they couldn't make it eat. Using an animal model of binge eating, University of Missouri researchers discovered that deactivating the basolateral amygdala, a brain ...
Sleep may keep you thin: studies
The secret of staying thin could be at least partly down to a good night's rest, an international conference on obesity heard in Amsterdam on Thursday.
Research shows that shopping while hungry makes people buy more than just food
It's almost lunchtime. You are hungry, but decide to stop at an office supply store before eating to pick up a few items. New research by USC Dornsife's Norbert Schwarz, Provost Professor of Psychology and ...
Restoring science's place in society will help us resolve the big debates
In the early days of independent India, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said, "It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty … of a rich country inhabited by starving people." Would ...
Biomimicry: Science inspired by nature could feed the hungry, reduce impact of technology
A wind turbine designed to incorporate the bumps on a whale's tale. A fast-growing rice that needs half the normal amount of water to grow, thanks to observation of a hot-spring fungi. A video display inspired by the iridescent ...
Childhood hunger policies should target neighborhoods, not families
Policies addressing childhood hunger should target neighborhoods, not individual families, according to new research from Rice University.
When do products (and money) literally make your mouth water?
In certain situations, people actually salivate when they desire material things, like money and sports cars, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Digging into our consciousness
Dr. Antonio Damasio, a neuroscientist and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California, is best known for his pioneering work on how the brain generates emotion and how emotion, ...
Sleep loss limits fat loss
Cutting back on sleep reduces the benefits of dieting, according to a study published October 5, 2010, in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Life-threatening syndrome makes hunger dangerous
A University of Alberta medical researcher is studying obese children affected with a life-threatening syndrome that makes them constantly feel hungry.


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Coinbase Worldwide Inc. has been looking for better approaches to bring in cash. One business it played with was dubious: utilizing its own cash to theorize on digital currencies.
Last year, Coinbase — which works a huge cryptographic money trade that handles bitcoin and other computerized coins — employed no less than four senior Money Road merchants and sent off a gathering to create benefit, to a limited extent, by utilizing the organization’s money to exchange and “stake,” or lock up, digital currencies, as per individuals near the matter. The action was depicted as “restrictive” exchanging by individuals at the organization.
Recently, the group finished a $100 million exchange that the gathering saw as a test exchange of the new exertion, as per individuals. The exchange came after Coinbase leaders vouched for individuals from Congress last year that the organization didn’t trade computerized monetary standards for its own record.
The monthslong work to send off the Coinbase Chance Arrangements bunch highlights how Coinbase, which has seen its portions tumble around 70% over the course of the last year, has engaged more forceful methodologies as it attempts to foster new organizations.
Coinbase expresses some at the organization inspected seeking after exclusive exchanging yet ruled against it.
“Our assertions to Congress precisely mirror our genuine business exercises,” a Coinbase representative said. “Coinbase doesn’t, and has never, had an exclusive exchanging business. Any intimation that we misdirected Congress is a stubborn distortion of current realities.”
The Coinbase representative added that “Coinbase Hazard Arrangements was laid out to work with client-driven crypto exchanges,” and “irreconcilable circumstance alleviation devices and approaches” were set up in the gathering.
There are no guidelines forestalling firms like Coinbase from exchanging advanced monetary standards close by their clients.
Before, speculation banks worked restrictive exchanging bunches that were dynamic in stock and security markets, while likewise doing “office” exchanging, or exchanging exclusively for the benefit of clients.
Rules on banks limiting theoretical exchanging forced in 2010 were facilitated generally quite a while back, and Coinbase was never dependent upon these limitations. In any case, controllers and legislators have long stressed that speculative movement by firms like Coinbase in early crypto markets could hurt clients. At the point when a monetary firm puts away cash for its clients simultaneously it puts its own cash on the lookout, it can prompt dangers and expected irreconcilable circumstances with clients. For instance, a firm trading similar speculations could drive up or down the cost of these ventures, harming the clients.
In July of last year, Coinbase laid out the Gamble Arrangements unit to exchange crypto for clients. The gathering likewise made arrangements to start making exchanges with Coinbase’s money, among different techniques, as per individuals near the matter.
The group assembled complex exchanging frameworks to empower this exchanging, as indicated by individuals. Coinbase CFO Alesia Haas was engaged with making of the unit, which was driven by Brett Tejpaul, Coinbase’s head of institutional deals, exchanging, guardianship and prime administrations, individuals said. Representatives were deterred from sharing data about the new exchanging business or examining it inward interchanges, individuals said.
Neither Ms. Haas nor Mr. Tejpaul answered a solicitation for input.
In December, five months after the making of the Coinbase Chance Arrangements unit, Ms. Haas affirmed before Congress that “Coinbase is an office just stage. We don’t take part in restrictive exchanging on our foundation.”
When addressed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, N.Y.), Ms. Haas emphasized that Coinbase doesn’t do exclusive exchanging.
Afterward, the organization explained its exercises to Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) by saying that “Coinbase does, now and again, buy cryptographic money as head for explicit purposes that we don’t see as exclusive exchanging on the grounds that its motivation isn’t really for Coinbase to profit from expansions in worth of the digital money being exchanged.”
Recently, after the declaration before Congress, Coinbase’s Gamble Arrangements bunch finished its first, sizable exchange. It fund-raised for the exchange by ensuring a $100 million “organized note” that was offered to firm Invesco Ltd. at a fixed-pace of 4.01%, as indicated by individuals near the matter. Coinbase utilized the $100 million to benefit in digital currency markets, as per individuals.
An Invesco representative affirmed the exchange and said the trading company had “no immediate openness to digital currency” as a feature of the obligation bargain, adding that “this is presently not a functioning situation for us.”


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Sony has rolled out a new system software update for the PlayStation 5 (PS5) console for July 2023. Since its official launch in November 2020, Sony has consistently released several system updates for the PS5.
The Nature of Updates
These updates often introduce new features to the PS5 console, while others, typically minor ones, are primarily aimed at enhancing stability. For instance, update 4.0 enabled users to add a custom M.2 SSD to the PS5, thereby increasing the total storage capacity and allowing for the installation of more games on the system. Now, Sony has unveiled another system software update for the PS5 console.
The Latest Update
As per reports by Push Square, system software version 23.01-07.60.00 is now live on PS5. However, it doesn’t bring any significant changes or improvements. The patch notes indicate that this new update enhances the system performance of the console, suggesting it’s another stability update for the PS5.
The last few versions, including the PS5 system updates for June and March, also offered stability improvements.
Patch Notes for July 2023 Update
The patch notes for the July 2023 update are succinct:
- This system software update improves system performance.
Push Square notes that this new update is optional, meaning gamers aren’t required to install it to access online functionality. It also doesn’t come with an update for the DualSense controller, and its total size is just over 1 GB.
While Sony has introduced some notable system features in the past few years, version 23.01-07.60.00 is another addition to the list of performance updates.
If you want to know how to connect DualSense and iPhone together, here’s how.
Looking Back and Ahead
In 2022, Sony released a major PS5 system software update that came with a host of exciting features, including support for 1440p HDMI video output and UI enhancements. This update also enabled users to create Gamelists and introduced new social features. However, it seems that all system updates since then have been for stability and performance purposes, so fans may have to wait a bit longer for new PS5 system features.
One feature that is notably missing on PS5 is the ability to add a theme to the home menu of the consoles. Themes were extremely popular during the PS4 generation, with developers sometimes offering unique themes with custom background music as pre-order bonuses.
Players could also purchase themes from the PlayStation Store, with some being offered for free. It remains to be seen if this feature will ever make its way to the PS5.
And should the time ever comes when the anticipated PS5 Pro is confirmed for release, here’s what it should look like (according to me, of course).


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Tesco is getting ready to welcome customers to the opening of a new Express store in Battersea this week.
The Prince of Wales Drive Express store will open its doors on 26th February, and in addition to providing 15 new jobs, it brings with it food bank donations and funding opportunities for local good causes.
Gowthaman Selvarathnam, the store’s manager, said that supporting the community’s residents will be hugely important to store staff in the coming years.
He added: “The opening of the store will give a real boost to the community, not only offering people jobs, but the opportunity to learn and grow in their roles.
“It’s been a really difficult time for everyone over the last year, so we’re hugely excited to be opening the store and giving something back to the local area.
“The new team is bursting with talent and we all can’t wait to get started.
“We will of course also promote Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme, with the aim of donating thousands of pounds for local good causes that can help the community to flourish.”
Local groups are invited to apply for community funding through Bags of Help, Tesco’s blue token voting scheme which sees three local projects voted on by customers in store every three months, with first place awarded £2,000, second place £1,000 and third place £500.
To date Bags of Help has provided £6.1million to 2,622 projects across London since 2016, with over £87,000 of grants provided directly to 34 different groups in Battersea. Among the projects to benefit from the funding is Christ Church CE Primary School, which received £4,000 in 2019 to create a ‘Dream Garden’ for their pupils, families and the local community to use.


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Freebirds alcohol permit pending City Council approval; restaurant raises $3,500 for charities before opening
Published 3:30 pm, Monday, May 16, 2011
Olivia Fryt has never even tried Freebirds. She’s hoping she likes it, though. Having camped out with Trinity classmates Christian Farris and Stone Fuglaar on Monday night, she could be receiving free burritos for a year if she ends up among the first 25 in line when she wakes up from inside of her tent today.
“Three hundred and sixty five,” Fuglaar said, trying to guess how many burritos they could each eat if they win.
Freebirds World Burrito will officially open its doors today. It opened on Sunday and Monday for charity events in which it raised more than $3,500 for area nonprofits by offering free food to those who donated at least $5.
Regional Manager Gus Carbonell said $2,500 was raised on Sunday for Habitat for Humanity and about $1,029 on Monday for the American Red Cross of Southwest Texas. Meals were offered to customers for a $5 donation on those days. He said the total raised on Sunday set a record for the chain, which has restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma and California.
“We always pay forward to the community,” he said, adding staff also have and will continue to be involved with Habitat for the remainder of the year.
The store was approved on a 6-0 vote at Monday’s Planning and Zoning Commission for a specific use permit for the sale of alcohol. No one spoke in opposition to the request during the public hearing. The City Council will have to approve the measure before sales of beer and wine can begin.
In addition to Freebirds and its neighbor Smiling Moose Deli, another business is planned for that area of the loop.
Christian Brothers Automotive was approved in a 6-0 vote by the commission on Monday for a zone change at Loop 250 and Tremont Avenue.
The automotive store plans to construct a facility between Verizon Wireless and Holiday Inn Express if given final approval by the City Council.
Jonathan Wakefield, of Christian Brothers Automotive, said if given a nod by the council, they hope to have the business opened before the close of the year.
Taking commissioners through the plans for the facility, Wakefield said they aim to meet or surpass the standards of nearby businesses architecturally. Pointing toward the brick facade, he said they’re designed more like a cottage with a garage in it than a garage with a small waiting room attached.
He said, if given final approval, the automotive shop will be open Monday through Saturday just during the first six months of operation and then only on Mondays through Fridays after that.
Any vehicles being worked on that aren’t picked up by the close of business each day are brought inside the shop to ensure it maintains a neat appearance, he said, and they’re also adding more landscaping than is required to the property.
No one spoke in opposition to the request during a public hearing on Monday. One individual who spoke in favor of the request described the chain as the Chick-fil-A of the automotive world because of its values and standards for quality.
In other business, the commission also unanimously approved a specific use permit for the sale of alcohol at Wingstop. The restaurant already sells alcohol but is adding seats and therefore had to reapply.
Commissioner Galen Gatten was absent from Monday’s meeting.
Kathleen Thurber can be reached at email@example.com.


text: Unilever is taking a big step in protecting marine life and ultimately us, too. It turns out that the plastic beads in your exfoliating body wash are more harmful to the environment than you might think. These tiny non-biodegradable pieces head down your drain, enter the ocean, and are later ingested by sea creatures. Studies show that these tiny particles can also transport contaminants to the animals potentially being consumed by humans. Unilever (owners of Dove and Vaseline) is taking action. The company vows to phase out plastic exfoliants by 2015. Until then, you can take responsibility in reducing the ocean's landfills by opting for sugar or salt scrubs over marine-killing microbeads.


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Amazon.com is making its biggest acquisition since the 2009 purchase of Zappos.com, agreeing to pay US$775 million ($945 million) for Kiva Systems, a maker of robots that move items around warehouses.
The all-cash deal for closely held Kiva will close in the second quarter, Seattle-based Amazon said.
Kiva's orange robots slide under shelves and bins of products and are used by Quidsi, the parent company of Diapers.com that Amazon acquired for about US$545 million last year.
The takeover of Kiva by Amazon, the largest online retailer, will add to investments chief executive officer Jeff Bezos has made in technology at the company's order centres.
Amazon spent US$4.6 billion on its warehouses last year, the company's largest operating expense at 9.5 per cent of sales and a 58 per cent increase from 2010.
"It's an internal infrastructure play, and it comes at a time when their headcount has been growing faster than revenue," Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Partners in New York, said in an interview of the Kiva deal.
Amazon had 56,200 full-time and part-time employees in 2011, a 67 per cent increase from the year before, while revenue rose 41 per cent, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Amazon spent about US$1.2 billion to buy online shoe retailer Zappos.com in 2009.


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The hottest new spirit in Chicago this winter? Plum brandy, which two Chicago distilleries released this week.
At Fat Rice’s holiday market last Sunday, the Macanese restaurant was selling bottles of Onu Tuica Romaneasca, a Romanian plum brandy, that the restaurant’s chef Abe Conlon and Transylvanian janitor, Ioan "Onu" Aldea, made with CH Distillery.
Aldea brought samples of a homemade plum brandy to Conlon, and they worked together with CH to develop a recipe. Michigan’s Seedling Farms naturally fermented 1,500 pounds of fruit and delivered them to CH, where they were distilled. While 1,500 pounds sounds like a lot, it only resulted in 80 half-bottles of brandy, some of which were sold during the market. The rest are mostly being poured at Fat Rice, with a few at CH Distillery and some for sale at Perman Wine Selections.
I sampled the brandy at the market and, at 90 proof, it’s a doozy of a spirit. Plum flavors come through clearly, and since the pits were exposed during the fermentation process, I picked up on nutty notes as well. I asked Conlon how he’d be using it in the restaurant, and he said he’d be serving it straight.
The Tuica is also the first in a series of fruit brandies for CH, which is also working on cherry, pear, peach and quince brandies.
Rhine Hall will be releasing a slivovitz plum brandy, which is similar to tuica. Rhine Hall distiller Jenny Solberg says that they drove to Michigan four months ago to pick up 15,000 pounds of plums, which they chopped and fermented before distilling. The brandy is designed as an after-dinner drink, or used in cocktails, like an old fashioned. The slivovitz will be released on Saturday in the tasting room from 2–7pm.


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Amazon has reached an agreement to acquire Twitch Interactive for $970 million. Twitch provides a live video platform that lets gamers watch and broadcast video game play. The site Twitch.TV is extremely popular with gamers, with more than 55 million unique visitors viewing over 15 billion minutes of content in July.
Jeff Bezos (Founder and CEO of Amazon): Like Twitch, we obsess over customers and like to think differently, and we look forward to learning from them and helping them move even faster to build new services for the gaming community.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2014.
[Image courtesy: Twitch]


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WhatsApp will soon be another Meta service that will receive personalized three-dimensional (3D) avatars. This alternative version of our face that can be used in video calls, will also serve as a sticker format both in conversations with other members of the community and in group chats on Android devices.
Since Mark Zuckerberg announced his interest in developing the metaverse, the company gradually introduced the possibility of using avatars and custom three-dimensional avatars in some of its applications, such as Facebook and Messenger.
Instagram announced in February the incorporation of these virtual figures, with the aim of moving towards the implementation of this alternative universe in all its services and “give people more ways to express themselves.”
Recently, WABetaInfo leaked that the company is working on including these avatars in WhatsApp, an alternative set of Memoji/Birmoji (personalized avatars with human faces) that would have begun to develop in March.
This option is part of the latest update for Android 220.127.116.11, developed through the Google Play Beta Program.
As they shared on this site dedicated to the messenger, the application will make available to users a new option within the video call interface that will allow them to change the real image for that of an avatar. At the moment, the Switch to avatar button remains in development and It still doesn’t respond when pressed.
The avatars that Meta announced
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in the middle of the month that the company is launching a digital designer clothing store called the “Meta Avatars Store.”
Starting with a presentation during an Instagram Live with Instagram’s vice president of fashion partnerships, Eva Chen, Zuckerberg unveiled the system. It’s not known how many people will actually want to spend money to dress their avatars in designer clothes, but Zuckerberg sees the new trendy clothing options as a way for users to express themselves through their avatars.
The company is in search of its identity, according to reports, to the point that it will imitate Tiktok more to attract new users.
The new virtual store launches on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger and will allow users to buy digital clothing for their avatars. The store will begin rolling out next week and will initially offer digital ensembles from Balenciaga, Prada and Thom Browne. Meta did not disclose any pricing information for these digital sets. It is worth noting that the options Free clothes for Meta avatars will continue to be available.
Zuckerberg said that Meta plans to make the store an open marketplace where developers can create and sell clothes.
“We’re launching our avatar shop on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger so you can shop for digital clothing to style your avatar,” Zuckerberg said in a statement.


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IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira, Senior Vice President of Government Relations & Public Policy Judith Thorman and Director of Political Affairs & Grassroots Advocacy Erica Fitzsimmons traveled to the National Football League’s headquarters Dec. 12 in New York to announce a partnership between the IFA and the NFL to execute the first-ever NFL Franchising Boot Camp, an intensive program for approximately 20 current and former NFL players and their spouses who are interested in learning about the franchising industry.
The boot camp is scheduled for April 26-29, 2013 at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, named for Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and will be keynoted by Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, a former NFL receiver for the Baltimore Colts and franchisee himself, who built an empire of 800 restaurants from one hamburger stand.
Several high profile players such as Drew Brees, a Jimmy John’s franchisee; Peyton Manning, a Papa John’s franchisee; and Colt McCoy, who has just signed on with Dunkin’ Donuts as a franchisee; have become part of our great industry. This boot camp will provide the opportunity for more NFL athletes to learn about franchising.
Buying a franchise or being part of the franchise industry can be a solid and sustainable investment in a players’ future. But as with any major decision, it is important that players have the opportunity to do their due diligence so they can learn as much as they can about the franchise model and the potential of the industry before making a decision.
Owning a franchise would allow players’ to go into business for themselves, but not by themselves. The franchisor provides a vast array of support and guidance including training, HR, marketing and leveraging supply-chain efficiencies to save costs.
This boot camp will allow players to better understand the franchise industry, the legal framework in which it operates, and provide attendees with general and specific knowledge allowing them to evaluate franchise opportunities.
Many of franchising’s most iconic brands, such as Papa John’s and McDonald’s, among others, are already official partners of the NFL and we are truly thrilled to partner with the NFL in this capacity to design a program that educates current and former players and their spouses and creates a path to business ownership for them in franchising.


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The future of Cambodia’s economy, as Tekreth Samrach, chairman of the government-controlled flagship airline, sees it, is in tourism. And thanks to China, tourism, like many sectors in the economy, is surging. “To be frank, everyone goes to China to make money,” he says from his office decked with pilot caps and model planes. “So we have to go to China to make money, too.”
Following that logic, the government appears to be making a sharp break from its long-standing partnership with French infrastructure conglomerate Vinci. It’s drafting plans and starting work on two new airports backed by mainland money, despite granting an exclusive, 45-year concession on international airports to a company majority-owned by Vinci. That concession isn’t supposed to end until 2040. The government’s move is meant to address the rapid rise in tourism, but it also reflects Cambodia’s increasingly enthusiastic embrace of booming Chinese investment.


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Mall Of America
Every year, 42 million people visit the more than 500 stores and restaurants at the Mall of America. Ultimately, that translates into an annual average about 10,000 tons of trash — or about 28 tons per day.
A 40-year-old California man is accused of sexually assaulting an adult woman who worked at a Mall of America comedy club where he performed, according to charges filed Friday in Hennepin County Court.
Twin Cities leaders are breaking ground Tuesday on a project that will nearly double the size of Mall of America. MOA officials said when the project is done, you can expect a multi-level complex that will connect to the existing mall on all four levels.
Summer break? Holiday off from school? Weekend excursion? These kid-friendly hotspots are sure to make the little ones smile.
You don’t need to leave Minnesota to find excitement, especially when CSI comes to Mall of America. It’s a new entertainment feature where you can use the tools they provide to uncover a murder mystery.
After being away for the last three years, Hard Rock Cafe is officially coming back to the Twin Cities. A press release on Tuesday announced the restaurant’s new Mall of America location, set to open during the summer of 2014.
Minnesota is not usually first on the list for spring break, but it should be. This article will show you why.
The Mall of America, one of the largest malls in the continent, says it will break ground in a couple of weeks to start making the mall a whole lot bigger. The mall has secured financing for a $300 million expansion.
Over 2 million people have arthritis in the four state area….some are a lot younger than you think. Listen to Dave’s story about Jarrett by clicking the link above.
Meet the Beatles, Minnesota — again. The Grammy Museum says a traveling exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in the U.S. will stop in Bloomington.
Whether you’re a newcomer to the world of Barbie or a fan since the first doll hit store shelves more than 50 years ago, there’s a new exhibit at the Mall of America that’s sure to attract your attention.
The cost to get in the gates at the Minnesota State Fair is going up by $1. That means adults will pay $13, and seniors and kids will pay $11. Tickets for children under five remain free. Jerry Hammer, the state fair’s general manager, says the increase is necessary for operational purposes. “Our costs to produce the fair continue to go up quite a bit,” Hammer said.
A little more than a year after shutting its doors, the popular West Bank music club, the 400 Bar, is set to reemerge as a multiple-use music complex at the Mall of America.
Hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and natural resource managers will gather at the Mall of America Ramada Hotel to celebrate Minnesota’s waterfowl and wetland resources.
WCCO Radio announced Thursday it raised more than $250,000 to fight hunger in its one-day “Let’s Kick Hunger” event at the Mall of America. The station raised $250,181 on the day, which brought the five-year total for the fundraising campaign to more than $1 million.


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Stock jumps 13.3%
Five Below (FIVE) stock price witnessed a 13.3% rise on September 7 largely driven by its announcement of its better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results a day earlier.
Five Below’s fiscal second-quarter sales and EPS of $347.7 million and $0.45, respectively, rose 22.7% and 50.0%, respectively, year-over-year. The company also raised its sales and EPS guidance for fiscal 2018. Five Below also added that the increase in tariffs is unlikely to affect its performance in fiscal 2018.
Five Below’s top line is being boosted primarily by its new stores. In the fiscal second quarter, the company opened 34 new stores, taking the total count to 67 for the first half of fiscal 2018. The company is targeting 125 store openings for fiscal 2018. By fiscal 2020, Five Below plans to have a 2,500-strong store base. The company is also remodeling stores to provide a better shopping experience.
To maintain a steady supply of inventory to its stores, the company has been focusing on its distribution centers. Five Below is planning to open distribution centers in the southeast and southwest regions in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
For fiscal 2018, Five Below expects to see capex of $130 million primarily directed toward the opening of stores and its planned distribution center.
Five Below is also making significant investments in broadening its product assortment as well as enhancing its brand visibility. In the fiscal second quarter, the company launched a TV campaign for ~40% of its market. It’s also testing social media and mobile ad campaigns to attract customers.
Changes to PE valuation
On September 7, Five Below was trading at a 12-month forward PE ratio of 45.6x.
Five Below is trading at a higher valuation multiple than its peers. Big Lots, Dollar Tree, and Dollar General are trading at 12-month forward PE ratios of 9.3x, 14.0x, and 171x, respectively.


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Backup and Recovery Pricing Debate Heats Up
Now that the cost of storage in the cloud has dropped the cost of backup and recovery a fierce debate has emerged between vendors about how best to pass those benefits on to customers.
Now that the cost of storage in the cloud has lowered the cost of backup and recovery, a fierce debate has emerged between vendors about how best to pass on those benefits to customers.
Backup vendors such as Intronis are making the case that rather than charge customers for backing up their data, the time has come to charge customers when they recover that data. Intronis CEO Rick Faulk said because the cost of storing data is next to nothing, it doesn’t make much financial sense to charge customers to store data in the cloud for two reasons.
First, he said, charging for backup requires customers to make a bet on what data they will need to recover, as no organization can afford to back up all of its ever expanding data no matter what the cost. When an emergency inevitably occurs, there will be some critical piece of data that was not backed up because no one is sure what dependencies exist between various data sets.
The second issue, Faulk said, is end customers have a lot transparency into the cloud. They know what it costs to store data on, for example, Amazon Web Services (AWS). That means margins for a backup and recovery service priced based on the amount of data being stored will be low.
But as interesting as that approach may be from a solution provider perspective, others contend that charging customers for recovering data at the exact moment they need it most is inherently flawed. Rob Rae, vice president of Business Development at Datto, said charging customers for recovering their data during an emergency will appear to the customer as though the solution provider is gouging the customer at the exact moment they need the solution provider’s expertise most. The solution provider will appear to be no better than the owner of a gas station that hikes pricing during a hurricane, he said.
Between these two extremes, David Maffei, vice president of Global Channel Sales at Carbonite, said solution providers should look to find a middle ground. In the event of an emergency, they shouldn’t charge customers to recover data. But there are hundreds of little emergencies daily when customers need to recover data because of human error rather than acts of God.
With the rise of image-based backup and replication in the cloud, the ability to back up and recover both applications and files successfully has never been greater. But now that the cost of delivering those backup and recovery service in the cloud has never been lower, the challenge facing solution providers is how to actually make money delivering those services.


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| Nov 25, 2011
| 8:25 AM
It appears much of the midnight Black Friday rush has dissipated in Glendale, making way for the morning crush of shoppers who decided to get a few hours of sleep after Thanksgiving to start their day.
Shoppers who braved midnight store openings at...
| Nov 25, 2011
| 4:25 PM
Tens of thousands of Black Friday shoppers flocked to stores at midnight in Glendale and Burbank, with waves of fresh reinforcements streaming in throughout what was a relatively typical start to the holiday retail season.
Yvonne Rodriguez, 29, and...
| Dec 9, 2011
| 6:22 AM
The world's largest Apple stores is opening amid controversy inside Grand Central Terminal Friday morning. The deal, which the retailer made with the MTA, is under a state investigation.
The Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, which...
| Jun 1, 2012
| 2:14 PM
An explosion rocked one of the busiest retail and tourist areas of Manhattan, leaving two men hurt and hundreds running to safety on or near the High Line elevated park. The accidental blast also left some eyewitnesses thinking the explosion was...
| Nov 9, 2012
| 11:04 AM
Holiday parties are a great chance to gather friends and family together for a good time. Food and drink are important components, but so is the entertainment factor. Here are some ideas to keep the action going and multiply the fun.
| Mar 16, 2012
| 3:51 PM
About 8:30 Friday morning, Brian Dorr emerged, with a large smile and his arms raised, from the Apple Store at The Mall in Columbia, as blue-shirted employees cheered and slapped him high-fives.
He and his wife, Donna, got what they came for: the third-...
| Aug 3, 2012
| 7:51 AM
WASHINGTON There's a new application to help visitors navigate the massive collection of the Smithsonian's 15 Washington museums and the National Zoo.
The app, created by the editors of Smithsonian magazine, was released earlier this week. It...
| Aug 6, 2012
| 8:09 AM
Richard Schulze has offered $24 to $26 a share to buy Best Buy, the teetering electronics retailer he founded in 1966 and helped run for decades before being elbowed out in a scandal this spring.
Schulze is already the Minnesota company’s largest...
| Aug 20, 2012
| 8:35 AM
Best Buy Co. named a new chief executive Monday, proclaiming Hubert Joly -- the current head of Radisson and T.G.I. Friday’s parent Carlson -- as the best bet to save the beleaguered electronics retailer.
Minnesota-based Best Buy has struggled in...
| Aug 21, 2012
| 8:36 AM
Looks like Best Buy Co.’s new chief executive has his work cut out for him, with the electronics retailer’s profit falling 91% and its stock plunging to a nine-year low.
The sour earnings report came the day after Best Buy announced Hubert...
| Jan 12, 2012
| 2:47 PM
Atholton High School student Eric Lu whipped out his cellphone and displayed information about the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that occurred off the west coast of Sumatra on Tuesday. The information came courtesy of mobile application software called...


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D – The constituent general meeting of the new united federation of the German promotional products industry, GWW (Federation of the Promotional Products Industry), took place on March 26, 2015 in Mainz. Previously, the members of the individual associations AKW (association of brand companies), bwg (distributors‘ association) and BWL (suppliers‘ association) once again agreed upon the merger at their respective associations under the supervision of a notary. Overall, the result of the vote was unequivocal: Apart from one abstention, all of the attending members were in favour of the union federation and new statutes. As such, the German promotional products industry has for the first time in its history a uniform representation for all market participants.
Up until the Annual General Meeting with elections on December 16, 2015, the old GWW Board will continue to steer the fate of the new GWW: Patrick Politze is the Chairman, the remaining members of the board are Hans-Joachim Evers, Klaus Rosenberger and PSI Director Michael Freter. According to the old statutes, the PSI has two votes on the Board, one of which was assigned over to Manfred Schlösser, Edit Line.
A toast was raised to the new association during the meeting at the Atrium Hotel in Mainz. Furthermore, several speakers gave a review of the approx. 55-year history of the German promotional products industry and its associations. Subsequently, three guest speakers addressed current problems including the current restrictions in the advertising industry, the tax treatment of promotional products and the current compliance requirements. One thing became clear: Plenty of work awaits the new GWW. The Executive Director of the GWW Ralf Samuel is going to tackle this workload with a further enforced team: Judith Metzler and Wilfried Wurch will be actively supporting Samuel at the new GWW offices in Frechen.


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"There are 1.70 crore families or seven crore people who have ration cards and are eligible to buy foodgrains from state-run fair price shops," the statement said.
The proposal was moved by the Department of Food and Civil Supply and Consumer Protection.
As per the Reserve Bank of India's consumer price index, the country's retail inflation rate is 7 per cent. Against this backdrop, the state government's decision to offer essential items at subsidised rates will enable the economically-weaker sections to prepare snacks and sweets for Diwali using the package of groceries.
Notably, many civic and local governing bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in the state are due for elections in the coming months.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Concor Suitors Seek Clarity Over Shareholder Rights
Potential suitors for Container Corporation of India (Concor) have sought clarity over shareholder rights after the sale of a partial stake in the logistics major by the government.E-auction for RCap Later this Month; Base Bid at ₹5,231 Cr
Lenders of Reliance Capital will hold an e-auction later this month for Anil Ambani’s insolvent financial services company to identify the highest bidder, two people aware of the development told ET.Premium Models Drive Car, TV, Smartphone Sales in Diwali Season
Indian consumers have purchased more premium cars, smartphones, televisions and appliances than ever before during the week leading up to Diwali this year.
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We study mexican households savings and consumer credit patterns through the Covid-19 pandemic and the dynamics of these variables during the reopening period.
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Household net financial wealth fell in real terms in 2022. The nest egg built up during the pandemic diminished dramatically during the year, potentially capping growth in domestic demand going forward.
The sanctions imposed on Russia will impact negatively on the Spanish economy. There are few direct transmission channels, but the indirect ones could put a brake on recovery in the next few months.
In the last few months, a depression appears to have arrived that has poured cold water on economic forecasts — affecting in particular the autonomous communities of the North. This correction, however, does not stop us from repeating once agai…
This week, the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) publishes its first estimate of 3Q21 GDP and it is very likely to show an acceleration in economic growth. This is a result of the atypical figures recorded in 2Q21 reverting back to…
Spain was the Eurozone country that recorded the largest rebound in the household saving rate in the first half of last year. Health restrictions and the fear of contagion were the main factors behind the increase in family savings.
February 25, 2021
Peru | Real-time analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on consumption (up to February 22)
In February, total card consumption fell 4,3% YoY (26,9% in January 2021). There was a strong increase in the share of on-line card purchases, consistent with the new reimposition of lockdowns.
Economists are getting used to expecting the unexpected. The unprecedented fall in Spain's GDP—seen during the first half of the year—was followed by one of the highest growth rates ever recorded.
The drop in household spending is unprecedented. BBVA's credit card spending data went from an increase of around 10% in Catalonia before the state of alarm to a drop of almost 60% following its implementation.
The running out of tailwinds, the smaller increase in financial wealth and consumer financing and the rise in uncertainty will slow down the growth household consumption expenditure to 1.8% in 2019 and 1.7% in 2020
Consumption growth, following steady progress in H2 2018, will slow to 2.1% in 2019 and to 1.8% in 2020 as a result of a lower contribution of financial wealth, a disappearance of pent-up demand and increased uncertainty. Fiscal stimuli, increased real estate wealth and steady progress in terms of financing will enable expe…
Private consumption surprised on the upside in early 2018. Growth will pick up to 2.6% in 2018, slowing to 2.1% in 2019. Incomes, housing wealth and credit will continue to show strength. The fiscal impulse included in the Peruvian annual budget for 2018 will offset the increase in oil prices and the implications of the cur…


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Tasmanian potato growers Susie and Gerard Daly win Kondinin Group, ABC Rural Farmer of the Year Award
Tasmanian potato growers Susie and Gerard Daly have been recognised for their innovation and dedication to the agriculture industry by winning the Kondinin Group and ABC Rural 2019 Australian Farmer of the Year Award at a ceremony held at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday 16 October 2019.
The award was presented as part of the 2019 Kondinin Group and ABC Rural Australian Farmer of the Year Awards, which recognised the agriculture industry’s leading farmers and industry members. Susie and Gerard Daly were also awarded the Award for Excellence in Innovation, sponsored by Telstra.
Susie and Gerard Daly were recognised for their ingenuity and innovation in creating value-added products, which have increased their sales and productivity, and reduced waste. After years of global research, they transformed their business from farming fresh potatoes to launching a potato distillery producing quality vodka and opening a commercial kitchen producing ready-made potato salads, mash and bakes.
They have also worked closely with the industry to explore new export markets for their products, taking part in industry initiatives such as the levy-funded Reverse Trade Mission to showcase their potatoes and value-added products to international buyers, as well as other state- and industry-run export development programs to highlight the products that Australian growers can offer international markets.
AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside commended Susie and Gerard Daly on their decision to invest in product transformation to create high value products for local and international consumers.
“While the potato industry is the biggest component of the vegetable sector, valued at around $750 million in 2017/18, the potato is often unfairly maligned. Susie and Gerard are working hard to increase potato’s popularity, improve its image and develop products that excite consumers,” said Mr Whiteside.
“The innovations they have employed on-farm have the added bonus of reducing food waste in an environmentally sustainable way, thereby allowing the business to be more profitable and support their employees and local community.
“By working with state and industry export development initiatives to explore new markets and get more people around the world interested in Australian potatoes, Susie and Gerard’s products will hopefully result in more people wanting to buy and eat Australian potatoes, which are tremendously healthy and a crucial component of a well-balanced diet.
“The Australian agriculture industry needs more forward-thinking and innovative businesspeople like Susie and Gerard who are willing to try new things and invest in technologies and processes to supply vegetable products to Australian and international consumers. It is important that we recognise their achievements and I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for them and their business.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Shaun Lindhe, AUSVEG National Manager – Communications
Phone: 03 9882 0277, Mobile: 0405 977 789, Email: firstname.lastname@example.org