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Muscat: Nawras posted a net profit of OMR18.7 million for the first half of 2014 compared to OMR15.2 million in the same period of 2013 as the telecom operator yesterday announced unaudited financial results for the six months period ending June 30.
The increase in net profit for the year is driven by higher Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation), partially offset by higher depreciation cost due to network modernisation, the company said in a statement.
Total revenues for the first half increased by 10 per cent, and amounted to OMR108.2 million, compared to OMR 98.4 million for the same period last year. The growth is driven by increases in both fixed and mobile data revenues as well as voice revenue offset by decrease in SMS revenue.
The Ebitda for the first half of the year stood at OMR56.7 million, compared to OMR46.6 million for the first six months of 2013. Ebitda growth for the year is driven by higher revenue. The total number of customers grew by 7.7 per cent, to reach 2,472,497 at the end of the first half of 2014 compared to 2,295,722 for the same period of 2013.
The fixed service customer base increased by nearly 13.4 per cent to 64,192 customers from 56,598 customers for the same period of 2013. Year-on-year, mobile post-paid customer base also grew by 2.6 per cent to 190, 531 customers, compared to 185,705. In addition, year to date, mobile pre-paid customer base increased by eight per cent to 2,217,774 customers compared to 2,053,419 customers.
Commenting on the results, Greg Young, the chief executive officer said, "Nawras was able to grow revenue during the first half despite the ongoing challenges of the competitive environment. Revenue growth was driven by increases in both mobile and fixed."
"In mobile, strong increases in data were achieved, with voice also increasing — both stimulated by our innovative consumer offers. The introduction of Shahry (monthly) post-paid plans with data add-ons and smartphone devices greatly contributed to the take-up of data, as did increased inbound roaming. Voice is increasing , driven by our Mousbak International offers for countries such as for Bangladesh and Pakistan," he added. "In fixed, the positive increase has come largely from B2B. In particular, our government sector revenues had a strong second quarter.
Investment in our network continues to underpin the revenue performance, enabling faster uploads and downloads and better quality of voice. Our turbocharging programming has greatly improved the network experience for customers in the south to Salalah and inland in the governorate of Al Dakhiliyah. We continue to improve our 3G network northwards to Ibri, Dankh and Buraimi. We launched Home Broadband over LTE, and our 4G mobile usage is growing each quarter."
Greg pointed out that the results were proof of the ongoing hard work and dedication of the employees of Nawras.


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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is understood to be planning to launch a fleshed out DC Comics video game universe, new industry rumblings indicate.
The company took its sweet time announcing the Gotham Knights action RPG, as well as the much more unique action adventure called Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is meant to tie into the upcoming Suicide Squad movie scheduled to (hopefully) hit the theaters next year because its new adopted parent – wireless giant AT&T – was kind of… trying to get rid of it.
But ultimately, no one was too keen on buying one of the largest video game manufacturing lines on the planet without the DC Comics game licenses to go along with it. But once that has been cleared up, WB Games is said to be ready to fully commit itself to building new powerful brands, starting with some DC Comics interactive universe of sorts.
After all, games are still very much an area in which a DC Comics IP is as close to a premium quality guarantee as possible. Marvel… isn’t so fortunate outside of Spider-Man, though it continues schooling DC at the box office. Regardless, WB is likely to confirm plans for some kind of a superhero gaming universe in the months ahead.

domain: news


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Maple has announced a special offer on the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro in celebration of the upcoming festival of Gudi Padwa.
You can avail the offers from March 15 to March 31, 2023. You can avail a flat discount of Rs. 8000 on the iPhone 14 when you purchase it from Maple.
Notably, the current market price of the 128GB storage variant of the iPhone 14 is Rs. 79900. But, by using Maple's instant discount, you can receive a flat discount of Rs.
8000, and an additional HDFC instant cashback of Rs. 4000, resulting in an effective price as low as Rs. 67900.Moreover, Maple is offering an opportunity with their March2Maple campaign, where you can exchange your existing device at their physical stores or online and receive the best buyback value for the device, according to a report by PTI.Read more on tech.hindustantimes.com


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Cole Sprouse is surprising fans again with yet another amazing hair transformation. While most fans were shocked when he dyed his naturally blonde hair to jet-black for his role as Jughead on Riverdale, his new hair transformation might be the most surprising one yet. In a video posted on Sabrina Carpenter’s Instagram story, Cole is having his new “long, blonde hair” blowdried like something straight out of a hair care commercial—or at least a parody of a commercial.
"Bringing mullets back @colesprouse," Sabrina captioned the video of Cole wearing waist-length blonde hair extensions. Fans immediately took to the comments section to voice their theories on why Cole was rocking these new locks. Some fans believed Cole was actually wearing his Riverdale co-star Lili Reinhart’s hair extensions, which would make any #SprouseHart stan’s day. Other fans didn’t care where the hair extensions came from and were more excited at the idea of a Cole and Sabrina friendship.
According to J-14, it looks like Sabrina and Cole were just preparing for an upcoming photoshoot together and Cole thought it would be fun to borrow Sabrina’s extensions. So even though #SprouseHart seemed to have nothing to do with this and the new hairstyle isn’t permanent, at least this hilarious clip now exists for you to enjoy whenever you want.
Still, Cole loves to surprise his fans, so here’s to hoping Bughead really does get some matching hairstyles in the future.


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XBIZ | Gay Porn | Gay Porn News
Flava Works Releases ‘Cody Kyler’s Pinga Paradise’
Jan 11, 2010 10:15 AM PSTFlava Works has released “Cody Kyler’s Pinga Paradise.”
Titan Media Signs Dario Beck to Exclusive Contract
Jan 10, 2010 10:00 AM PSTTitan Media, parent company of TitanMen, ManPlay, MSR Video and TitanMen Fresh, has signed a multi-year contract making Dario Beck its newest exclusive performer.
DudeVu Disappears From Web After Piracy Suit Is Filed
Jan 8, 2010 10:45 AM PSTDudeVu.com silently disappeared from the web a couple of weeks ago, but the mystery over what happened to the popular gay tube site may have been solved.
Pacific Sun Offers ‘Taggaz,’ ‘Thugbait’ Double Feature
Jan 8, 2010 9:00 AM PSTFollowing its release of Knightnet Enterprises’ “Taggaz Vol. 1” and “Thugbait Vol. 1,” Pacific Sun Entertainment is releasing both movies together as a double feature.
Unzipped Presents Jan./Feb. Double Issue
Jan 7, 2010 11:00 AM PSTUnzipped Media has unveiled its January/February double issue, featuring a self-portrait cover by photographer Mike Ruiz.
AEBN Exclusively Streaming ‘Bareback Lockup’
Jan 7, 2010 9:00 AM PSTVideo-on-demand giant AEBN is now streaming No Cover Productions’ exclusive title “Bareback Lockup.”
Perfomer Lars Svenson opens Studio
Jan 7, 2010 9:00 AM PST
John Jacobs Acquires Drake Rock Media
Jan 6, 2010 5:00 PM PSTCompany videographer John Jacobs has completed his acquisition of gay content producer Drake Rock Media.
10th Annual Cybersocket Web Awards Seeks Sponsors
Jan 4, 2010 2:00 PM PSTCybersocket has available sponsorship opportunities for its 10th annual Cybersocket Web Awards show.
Raw Riders Wraps New Bareback Title
Dec 31, 2009 12:00 PM PSTGay adult bareback company Raw Riders Studios in association with Dark Alley Media Release has just wrapped its third film since its debut.
WEB / TECH NEWS
Adult Biz Faces More Obstacles Past Prop. 60 Battle
On Feb. 1, I completed 365 days as the Free Speech Coalition’s executive director. It was a turbulent first year, and when I received the 2017 XBIZ Industry Leadership Award I was startled, humbled...
Ad Networks: A Look at Compliance Issues
Among the major concerns of online marketers when evaluating advertising creatives are the return on investment, click-through and engagement rates, (re)targeting and opportunities for micro-tuning monetization....
Ad Networks: Maximizing Precious Time and Resources
For traffic-savvy adult website operators and marketers, buying ad space and premium placement on select sites is a proven method for attracting audiences. This has traditionally involved studying a site’s...


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When Google took the wraps off Android Pie at Google I/O 2018, it also revealed Digital Wellbeing, a new feature designed by the company to gives users an insight into smartphone usage habits and ultimately control it for the better. At launch, it was in beta and Pixel users with Android Pie could opt for the program to test it out. It is to be noted that Android Oreo users can’t use or see the beta app. The feature was given the form of an app on the Play Store and although, it has expanded to Android One devices, it now appears that it is now out of beta.
As spotted by Android Police, the new build brings the Digital Wellbeing app to version 1.0. So far, no major changes in features have been detected by the source except that the beta label that was in the earlier build is no longer there. Check the image below for more detail. Sadly, neither new features or additional device compatibility seem to have been added yet. The update is rolling out via the Play Store and can be downloaded from there just in case you’re allergic to beta labels.
Recent studies have linked excessive smartphone usage to mental stress and anxiety. Digital Wellbeing is Google’s own way of caring for its user base. Android is now one of the biggest mobile ecosystems around and it is easy to get bewildered by the sheer amount of apps that are on the marketplace. Google wants users to be more considerate of how they use their Android devices and it believes Digital Wellbeing will empower users to do that. Right now, the beta has very limited features, but when it is complete, it will be a data book that will show how you use your smartphone on a daily basis.
It’s pretty simple to use. It starts with a dashboard that gives you an infographic of your daily activity. The infographic shows you how much time you spend on your smartphone as well as on each individual app. Once you want to set limits, the app has features to restrict usage of apps to specific times with a variety of options available.


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@ICICI tops list of telcom funders
ICICI tops list of FI sanctions to telcom sector
Category : News & Analysis
Technology : Business Intelligence
ICICI has topped the list of FIs in terms of sanctions to the Telcom sector by end of last fiscal. According to figures published by Telcom Regulatory Autority of India (Trai), ICICI tops the list of FIs in terms of sanctions to the Telcom...


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Why would you write an app about Cricket? Because there are more cricket fans in India than there are people in the USA. India is huge – 1.2 billion people live there. It’s developing too so when it comes to technology it’s an opportunity, especially for low-cost technology. Google recently introduced new Chromebooks and Chrome OS services at an event in India and it’s going to be very interesting to see how this market develops over 2015. Will the people, and government, take it on?
Over at UMPCPortal.com, our site for mobile PCs, India is the #3 visiting country. Here at Chromebooknews India is at #5 and the numbers are rising. It’s not surprising because despite having 22 official languages, English can be spoken by around 100 million residents. The number of people reading English, especially in the tech circles, must be much bigger than that. Combine the need for low-cost technology due to a low average income it makes absolute sense that Google is promoting Chromebooks in India.
The new Nexian and Xolo Chromebooks are, bar a few strange Android smartbooks, the cheapest laptops on the market. At Rs 12999 (about $200, inclusive of taxes) it’s much less than entry-level Windows laptops which start at about Rs 17000. ($270.)
If India’s schools and consumers take to it there’s huge potential for sales. Gartner predicts a 27% global increase in Chromebook sales in 2015 (total 7.28 million global sales) with just 220 thousand sales coming from APAC, which Includes India. If the Chromebook infrastructure works well in India then those numbers could be much, much higher but there are issues to address.
Around 8 million laptops are sold in India each year which shows a low-level of penetration and consideration must be given to the low-cost tablets and smartphones that are available. You can buy a 7-inch tablet and keyboard for under Rs 5000 for example and in a country that has an average per-head income that’s 1/10th of the USA, price is a major issue. Even at $200 Chromebooks will be too expensive for most consumers. The best opportunity for Chromebooks comes through the government and the education sector.
Pilot programs were started in 2013 and it looks like there’s more coming so if these projects are successful in providing Internet, Chromebooks, management, repair, applications, training and improved education results then the door is open but predicting government funding for larger-scale roll-outs is not easy. In the meantime we’re updating the database with the new models so feel free to have a browse.


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Reason #5: If all else fails and Paris Hilton's sophomore album flops, she's got more than enough money lying around to scoop up a couple hundred thousand copies herself.
You know how we just mentioned that Paris Hilton sold almost 200,000 copies of her debut album? Well, go do a quick survey of your friends and ask how many of them bought Paris. Actually, don't. We can tell you the answer right now: ZERO. And while we don't doubt that some people out there actually shelled out 10 bucks for Paris, we do doubt that 200,000 people did it. We won't accuse Paris of anything here. But let's just say that, one way or another, her sophomore album will sell. And everyone making fun of her deal with Cash Money right now will have to live with the fact that Birdman & Co. made a fortune off of it. We bet it doesn't sound like such a bad idea now, does it?
Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times


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ArmInfo. Artak Shaboyan, Chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC), called the rise in price of a number of products in the Armenian market justified. Artak Shaboyan stated this on November 5, stressing that the monitoring conducted by the Commission did not reveal any manifestations of unfair competition. "The market of oil, eggs and gasoline is constantly in the center of attention of the State Commission," he assured.
According to Shaboyan, oil prices have been rising periodically since September last year. The rise in prices was 80% - from 2,480 AMD to 4,500 AMD. Nevertheless, as pointed out by the expert, the rise in price is due to trends in the world market.
Since August this year, there has been an increase in prices in the gasoline market. In September, gasoline went up by 20 AMD, then by another 10 AMD, thereby fixing a 7-8% increase. The Commission explains this phenomenon mainly by the increase in purchase prices (large companies - Flash, CIPs Oil, Max Petrol gasoline buy from Rosneft, editor's notes).
Meanwhile, the increase in the price of eggs, according to Artak Shaboyan, is associated with seasonal demand. At the same time, he does not agree that the prices for the goods have grown strongly. As he pointed out, we are talking about a rise in price by 5-6 AMD, but not more than that. "Traditionally, at the end of each year there is an increase in seasonal demand for eggs, and at this time local producers either increase production volumes or import products, but this year the import has been somewhat delayed, but according to our information, at the moment the products are imported, Therefore, there is no cause for concern. "This problem will soon be resolved," he said.
Note that in recent months, prices for meat, dairy products, eggs and gasoline have sharply increased in Armenia. As the plenipotentiary structures of the country claim, the reason for the increase in the prices for meat is exports, and for butter - fluctuations in the world market of dairy products.
Note that according to the National Statistical Service, the average price for 1 kg of beef in August in the capital of Armenia was about 2100 AMD, and mutton - about 2200 AMD. The increase in prices for pork was more tangible - 2,600 AMD. Thus, if the price of beef increased by about 200 drams, the rise in prices for pork amounted to 800 AMD. The price of 1 kg of Ankor oil last month was 4450 AMD, today it costs 4510 AMD. The same cannot be said for "New Zealand" oil, because instead of 4,490 drams for last month it now costs 4,430 AMD. So, oil <New Zealand> has fallen in price by 60 AMD. Eggs from the 60 AMD mark reached the price of 90 AMD. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia informs that in the pre-New Year holidays there is no shortage of eggs in the republic. Moreover, in the near future, the previous prices for this product will be restored.


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Comic book artist Tim Sale passes away at 66.
George Pérez, dynamic comic book artist, dead at the age of 67.
Comics legend Neal Adams passes away at the age of 80.
Who get’s the last laugh…?
Know what the Riddler knows…
Even Batman can’t brood in the presence of a dog.
Our spoiler free review for “The Batman”.
Famed JLA/Avengers story being reprinted to honor comics artist George Pérez.
Brian August, editor and comic book writer, dead at 67.
Batman: Caped Crusader lands comic writer Ed Brubaker as lead writer. Batman: Caped Crusader was announced in may of last…


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The titles were added to the libraries just two days ago, and since then, some players have had issues claiming the game. Specifically, players who already owned Final Fantasy VII Remake on PS5.
Users who already owned the game would receive an error message, saying the version they were trying to redeem clashed with the version they already owned.
It all comes down to how the PlayStation Store categorizes everything, and what bundles clash and when.
Thankfully, the issue has now been resolved, and if you previously had trouble being able to redeem Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, then you should have no issue now.
Hopefully the many convoluted ways in which the PlayStation Store organizes itself won’t cause issues like this in the future, though somehow that seems doubtful.
Source – [VGC]


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The death of Joan Rivers leaves the world with one less comedian, acerbic fashion commentator and cable TV gadfly, but Rivers’ passing also marks the exit of one of the world’s most avid readers.
Rivers, a tireless talker and stand-up comic, was most closely associated with the spoken word, although she was also a popular author – the talent behind last year’s “I Hate Everyone ... Starting With Me” and “Diary of a Mad Diva,” published earlier this summer.
But Rivers was not only a bestselling author, but a bibliophile of long standing.
Rivers’ bookish side probably didn’t mesh very well with her public image as a pop culture commentator, which is perhaps why she didn’t discuss it very much.
But in a 2012 interview with The New York Times, Rivers talked in surprising detail about her reading life, an avocation that had led her to some pretty cerebral volumes.
She was a fan of a four-volume history of English kings by Thomas B. Costain. “I read this one every 10 years,” Rivers told the Times. “It sounds insane, but it’s a real page-turner.”
Rivers was, oddly enough, a big history fan. “My favorite literary genre, seriously, is European history, but only up to Napoleon,” she said. “The minute Shorty comes on the scene, I’m not interested.”
Rivers recommended “Mary Poppins,” “The Secret Garden” and “The Middle Moffat” as ideal children’s books. “There is also a series of books called ‘Tales of the Wild West,’ by Rick Steiber,” Rivers added. “They’re almost pamphlets, and they contain true eyewitness accounts of all kinds of lives lived on the frontier.”
Rivers told the Times that reading was a big tradition in her family. “Every Saturday night for years my husband and I would end up at the old Doubleday store on Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets,” she recalled. “We would take (daughter) Melissa, and the deal was, you could buy any book you wanted (don’t look at the price) as long as you promised to read it.... We went home loaded with shopping bags filled with books.”
Rivers also confessed to reading strictly for enjoyment. “I use books totally for my pleasure,” she said. “If I don’t enjoy them, I don’t finish them. They’re not assignments. They’re my happiness.”
There you have it – the ideal of books as sources of happiness. Not a bad way to remember a lady who brought so much happiness to her fans.
Danny Heitman, a columnist for The Advocate newspaper in Louisiana, is the author of “A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House.”


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Gartner has released their latest market share figures, and while they are not exactly surprising, they are also not very good for Microsoft.
The lack of new devices running Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile is now showing its results as – per Gartner – the Windows market share on mobile devices have fallen to an all-time low of 0.3%.
Microsoft could only manage to sell about a million Windows-powered mobile devices in Q4 2016; compare that with Android, that came running on 352 million devices, and iOS, with 77 million devices.
The death of Windows on mobile has been a slow and exhausting process. The consumers at large didn’t pay attention to Microsoft’s efforts, which meant the developers didn’t either.
Eventually, Microsoft’s OEMs gave up as well, leaving only Microsoft and – somehow – HP to continue with the Windows platform. The entire Nokia debacle didn’t help Microsoft either; the handling of Nokia can perhaps count as Microsoft’s biggest missteps in the past few decades.
Microsoft is working on bringing Windows back to mobile. The company hasn’t abandoned Windows 10 Mobile and still adds features to the Insider builds. The upcoming Creators Update will also release for Windows 10 Mobile, making sure that those who did purchase a Windows 10 Mobile device are not abandoned just yet.
That’s short term, though. In the long term, Microsoft is rumored to be working on the Surface Phone – if the patents are anything to go by, it’s going to be quite unique.
Satya Nadella himself has said that Microsoft is no longer interested in imitating what other are doing in the mobile space, and would rather create a brand new category of mobile devices. The “ultimate mobile device.”
In addition to all that, Microsoft is also working on bringing x86 apps to ARM processors via emulation. The Snapdragon 835 will come with DirectX 12 support, making it the ideal mobile SoC to run Windows 10.
The future isn’t as bleak; the present is still better than Blackberry’s rounding-error percentage of a market share. The past, however, mustn’t be forgotten, for the mistakes cannot be repeated once more.


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Pinterest might be a better source of referral traffic, but its got nothing on Twitter when it comes to revenue.
Zappos Labs found that while consumers were 13 times more likely to share a purchase on Pinterest than Twitter, tweets generated the most revenue.
Using its new PinPointing system — a web tool that recommends products based on Pinterest posts — the company was able to disprove an earlier study claiming that Pinterest users were more likely to buy and spend twice as much as referrals from other social networks.
According to Zappos, Twitter referrals averaged $33.66 per order, more than 10 times those of Facebook ($2.08 per order) and Pinterest ($0.75 per order) combined.
“Even if a person has 100,000 followers on Pinterest and she pins something to a board called ‘Stuff I Love,’ that’s not as big a deal as an endorsement tweeted to 10,000 followers,” explained Will Young, director at Zappos Labs.
While this data is not meant to deter you from using Pinterest, it serves as a good reminder not to neglect your strategies on other social media platforms.


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The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about emails claiming to be from the BBB. Heeding the warning could save your computer from a deadly virus and spare consumers costly repair bills.
The local BBB's scam alert cautions against opening an email that claims to be about a BBB complaint because it has a dangerous attachment that could mess up your computer.
Local director Carmen Million says it's a scam and adds that the BBB doesn't email complaints in this manner. Anyone receiving such an email should delete it or contact the BBB.
Under no circumstances should the email's attachment be opened, Million said.
"We're afraid if they click on the attachment it's going to let loose a virus on their system."
As well, Million offers tips for shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday--which might as well be today if the traffic is any indication. People already are out scooping up gifts to make sure they get what they want. Million suggests creating a realistic budget. And make sure you understand the return policies where you make purchases. "If an item is not defective or it has not been misrepresented, a company does not have to give a refund and in some cases they will only give a credit to the store or if they give you a refund they will keep a restocking fee. It's actually the consumer's responsibility to find out what the store policy is before they purchase an item," said Million.
She suggests people read the fine print on gift cards and ask for gift receipts. When it comes to online purchases she suggests consumers shop on trustworthy Web sites, protect personal information and confirm that purchase are secure. She says it's also better to pay with a credit card in case you don't receive the item, and keep any documentation of your order. It seems the scam artists keep getting more sophisticated, so Million is trying to help consumers keep ahead of their game.
Copyright 2011 KPLC.All rights reserved
The following are news releases issued by the BBB on shopping tips and the latest alert issued:
BBB Tips for Shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Friday and Monday after Thanksgiving, are the most popular holiday shopping days of the year. According to a survey conducted by National Retail Federation, 212 million shoppers visited stores and web sites over Black Friday weekend last year.
Whether shopping at a local store or online to avoid the crowds, Carmen Million, BBB President urges consumers to take precautions to insure a great holiday shopping experience.
BBB offers consumers the following tips to help save time, stress and money on this busy shopping weekend:
BBB offers online shopping tips for Cyber Monday:
If you have questions or need additional information, contact your BBB at 337-478-6253 or visiting www.bbb.org
Malicious Complaint Email Claiming It's From BBB
Carmen Million, President of the BBB of Southwest La., Inc. is issuing an urgent SCAM alert cautioning businesses and consumers about an email that is purporting to be from a bbb.org email address about a recently filed complaint. The email contains a dangerous attachment regarding a complaint and appears to direct recipients to the BBB website. This is a scam - BBB does not send complaints as attachments via email.
The email appears to come from a fake BBB employee claiming that the recipient needs to review this matter and advise the BBB of their position. From there, the email appears to direct the recipient to the BBB web site, but actually directs them to an outside link. This email is fraudulent and does not originate from BBB. The email attachment and link are malicious and we are strongly advising to not open or click them.
Should you receive such an email, please disregard its message, and report any information received to BBB's Scam Portal, and then delete it. If you have clicked on the link, immediately do a virus scan.
When in doubt, check with your BBB first at 337-478-6253.


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The statistic shows the leading countries ranked according to their number of Facebook users as of May 2014. During that month, 70.5 million Brazilian users were registered on the social networking site. Facebook's website offers various activities such as connecting with people or sharing photos.
After a couple of years of functioning as a proto-social network for university and high school students only, in September 2006, Facebook opened for the general public and started quickly gaining users. A decade later, the company reports almost 18 billion U.S. dollars in revenue and a net income of 3.69 billion US dollars. As of 2015, the number of Facebook employees has reached 12 thousand full-time staff an impressive increase compared to only 15 employees in 2005.
In the third quarter of 2012, the number of active Facebook users surpassed 1 billion per month, reaching a a million daily users daily in 2005, the company being the first social network to achieve this performance. Overall, the company has become the most popular social network according to worldwide users, beating competitors like YouTube, QQ or Instagram. The social network has gained an increasing popularity among those accessing the internet through their smartphone or tablet computer, having also crossed the 1 billion mobile user threshold, many of them accessing Facebook exclusively from their mobile devices. The platform is mostly popular among 25 to 34 year-olds around the world and the majority of users claim to access it at least once a day. The most common reason to use Facebook is staying in touch with friends, as well as staying uo-to-date with current events and news or simply filling up spare time.
The countries with the most Facebook users, as of 2014, are the United States, India and Brazil.


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PlayStation E3 2017: How to Watch, Games & Predictions
The PlayStation E3 2017 press briefing will bring game reveals and lots of new things to talk when it airs June 12th. Gamers hope a slew of video game announcements and price changes for the PS4 and PS4 Pro are on tap for the show.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo happens every June. To kick-off its presence at the show, Sony opens the week with reveals of what it’s planning to bring to gamers for the rest of the year and beyond. It’s at E3 Media Showcases that we get news of new exclusive games meant only for PS4 players. Sony has used the briefing to tease new gaming consoles, TV services, and VR accessories too.
Some gamers will trek to Los Angeles, California to see the PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase and events in person. Everyone doesn’t have to though. Sony will livestream its PlayStation E3 2017 festivities for everyone to see. Here’s how to watch the PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase, and what we think Sony might reveal at the show.
Read: Xbox One S vs PlayStation 4 Pro: Hardware Compared
When is the PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase?
The PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase starts on Monday, June 12th at 6 PM Pacific Time. That’s 9 PM Eastern Standard Time. Typically, these events last around an hour or more, but Sony has not confirmed how long this year’s media showcase will run.
How to Watch the PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase?
We know that gamers can stream the press conference from home because Sony confirmed that on its dedicated E3 2017 website. These streams will appear on PS4 consoles connected to PlayStation Network. Additionally, PlayStation’s YouTube profile, Twitch profile and Live.PlayStation website will carry the briefing and stream footage from the show floor.
Spike TV, which has broadcasted E3 press events in the past, won’t show the PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase this year. For now, its online schedule doesn’t show any E3 conferences at all.
The PlayStation E3 Experience lets gamers watch the media showcase in theaters across Canada, the United States and Latin America. Sony plans to give out special trading cards and exclusive digital extras at this year’s event. The PlayStation Blog has a list of participating theaters and constant updates on available tickets.
PlayStation E3 2017 Predictions: Games
Sony goes into the PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase with another stellar year behind it. The PS4 Pro arrived on store shelves last fall. Gamers that buy a PS4 Pro get 4K video playback and games with enhanced graphics. The PlayStation VR headset that the company teased at two previous E3 events launched last year too. Expect Sony to focus on games for all these pieces of new hardware.
Read: 5 Best PS4 Exclusive Games Coming in 2017
Unless there is a surprise delay, Spider-Man PS4 is still set for release in 2017. The company should discuss this game at the show. There’s a lot we don’t know about it. Spider-Man PS4 is not its final title. We have yet to see any of the game’s villains either.
Expect footage from other PS4 exclusive games to surface at the show. The company’s God of War reveal surprised gamers during Sony’s E3 2016 Media Showcase. The Last of Us Part 2 was another major shocker from Sony last year. Both should get a brief mention, even if they don’t get new teasers. Detroit: Become Human had a very flashy trailer during last year’s show. It’s another anticipated game PlayStation executives could show off.
Sony will talk about games that aren’t exclusive to the PS4. The Call of Duty franchise gets downloadable content first on PlayStation. Sony will have content to tease from Call of Duty: World War 2. It’s teased the franchise at its briefings every year for some time now. PS4 users get exclusive Destiny 2 content. Sony will want to talk about that during the show too.
PlayStation E3 2017 Predictions: PlayStation VR
It’s hard to imagine that the PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase won’t have a huge amount of time dedicated to the PlayStation VR. Sony could use the show to put the focus back on it. If it doesn’t, it risks gamers forgetting the headset exists.
There are no rumors pointing to a PlayStation VR price cut, but one seems inevitable. PlayStation VR started as one of the cheapest ways to get virtual reality games at $499. An Oculus Rift VR headset costs $499 now. Microsoft’s coming Xbox Scorpio console will support VR headsets too. If Sony wants to keep its edge in the space, it’ll need to do something to jumpstart PlayStation VR sales.
Expect the company to show off all the different games coming for PlayStation VR buyers too. After all, PlayStation VR is for gaming. The company needs some must-have experiences for the headset as it goes into the fall and winter.
Read: 8 Exciting 2016 PlayStation VR Games
The PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase is only the beginning. Expect footage from developers on the show floor and other surprises too. A new PS4 price cut is already building hype ahead of E3 2017. It brings the price of the PS4 with 500GB of storage space to $256 on Amazon.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
The Crash Bandicoot games were synonymous with the PlayStation during its formative years. Past games in the series let players use jumps and spins to take on enemies. Long levels offered combat, crates and fruit that players needed to collect. There are three games in the series.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy includes all three older games. It has Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot Warped. The original experience of all these games are there, but developer Vicarious Visions has added in a checkpoint system and a manual save system across all the games in the trilogy. Checkpointing ensures that gamers don’t lose progress when they forget to save. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy has upgraded audio and 4K visuals to along with the updated saving features. This game arrives for PS4 on June 30th for $39.99.
[ Buy Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy from Amazon for $39.99 ]


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Another bitch is on the way.
According to a press release, Flying Dog Brewery will be releasing Tropical Bitch, a 7 percent ABV Belgian-style IPA brewed with pineapple and mango juices as well as “passionfruit natural flavorings” to commemorate its 25th anniversary. This is not the first time the Frederick, Md.-based brewery has used the Bitch name, as it also produced Raging Bitch, an 8.3 percent ABV Belgian-style IPA brewed with Amarillo, Columbus and warrior hops for its 20th anniversary.
“For years, she’s gone walking,” reads the beer label. ” When she passes, she lures you in. And time after glorious time, she never disappoints. Tall and tan and young and lovely. You smile. With a swing so cool and a sway so gentle, you’ll give your heart gladly.”
Tropical Bitch will be packaged in 12-ounce bottles and will be released at the brewery on Jan. 28, with bottles scheduled to hit Flying Dog’s entire distribution network starting Feb. 1.
Update (Jan. 27, 2016) — This post was updated to include details on the release date. It was originally published on Nov. 18, 2015.


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- Articles tagged "optimus"
The 5-inch LG Optimus VU stands out not only because of its large form factor but also because of its unique 4:3 ratio. How does it fare under our scrutiny? Let's find out.
LG follows suit in the quad-core race with its flagship LG Optimus 4X HD and beefs up its 3D smartphone portfolio with the Optimus 3D Max. Let's take a quick look, shall we?
- M1's SIM-only postpaid plans aim to deliver value, flexibility and generous data
- Microsoft reveals Windows 10 local pricing
- Trend Micro for Windows 10 is a step ahead in more ways than one
- Ouya developers picking up the pieces after Razer's acquisition
- Qualcomm's WiPower wireless charging technology can now charge metal phones
- Razer gobbles up Ouya
- Plextor's M6V is the latest entry-level SSD to hit the stands
- Ultra tough RugGear Apex RG702 coming to Singapore


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SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday told 200 temporary workers at its full-size truck plant here they will be laid off this summer.
The company will also slow production at its Tundra plant, scheduling 14 days between now and October when no trucks will roll off the assembly lines. Those days, workers will be allowed to take vacation, days without pay or work at the plant on non-manufacturing duties as they choose, said Toyota spokesman Mike Goss.
The temporary workers were hired at the plant with hopes of becoming permanent employees as other workers left, but they will instead be returned to the agency that helped hire them, Goss said.
''We have a very long-term view of that factory in Texas. We're trying not to overreact. We're trying not to shut it down,'' said Goss, who noted record-high gas prices and a slowing economy have badly damaged truck sales.
The layoffs announced Tuesday do not affect the company's permanent work force of 2,000 at the San Antonio plant that opened in November 2006. At full capacity, the plant can produce 200,000 trucks a year.
It's not clear how the layoffs or slowed production might affect the 21 onsite suppliers that make parts for the Toyota Tundra plant. Those companies employ another 2,000 workers.


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Transcom Presents to PayPal’s Senior Leaders at their Global Partner Summit in Manila
Transcom actively participated in the annual PayPal Global Partner Summit, held in Manila, Philippines.
The event was attended by some of the US company’s most important strategic partners.
Over three days, the partner companies’ representatives learned more about PayPal's strategy directly from the company's top management and were able to participate in workshops on Customer Experience. This is a new way to strengthen collaboration between the various partners and understand needs and expectations of the consumers.
Working with a fintech partner such as PayPal has allowed us to take on innovative challenges and continue to deliver excellent, all-round service in a dynamic, ever-changing, industry: "We have always combined security, which for our customer is obviously fundamental, with high quality standards" said Gianluca Gemma, General Manager of the Italian market.
Transcom presented to the audience of 50 industry representatives as part of PayPal’s ‘Innovation Station’ initiative. This gave us the opportunity to share our best in class practices on a global stage.
The goal of the Summit is to continue and further improve partnerships. "Based on our client's needs and skills, we have developed new processes to train staff, manage seasonal volumes, provide more and more contact experiences. This commitment was also rewarded as Customer Service of the Year in the Payment Solutions category in France by Viséo Customer Insights. A truly important milestone, which shows how passion and innovation can often lead to goals considered by many impossible" said Gianluca Gemma, General Manager of the Italian market.
Transcom is a PayPal customer service partner with a multilingual approach, servicing multiple languages (Italian, English, French) from different sites, all certified according to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
Transcom's representatives Maurizio Marrone, Operations Manager, Gianluca Gemma, General Manager for the Italian Cluster, and Erwan Injey, Client Service Manager


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British Virgin Islands and Airbnb sign memorandum of understanding
Caribbean: The British Virgin Islands has announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbnb.
A statement read that the partnership “aims to drive local, authentic and sustainable tourism to the islands, democratise the tourism economy and directly benefit Virgin Islanders”.
In the last two years, Airbnb has signed agreements with 16 different destinations around the Caribbean.
Sharon Flax Brutus, director of tourism in the British Virgin Islands, said: “We are pleased to be a formal part of the Airbnb network. We think Airbnb properties present a fabulous opportunity for home share guests to be able to experience authentic British Virgin Islands culture and lifestyle.”
There are currently more than 100 Airbnb hosts listing their properties across the British Virgin Islands.
Carlos Munos, campaign manager for public policy and communications for the Caribbean and Central America, said: “Airbnb is proud to partner with the BVI Tourist Board to diversify the local tourism product through home sharing. This partnership will help to strengthen tourism development, one of the nation’s largest economic sectors, and generate economic opportunity throughout the islands.”


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In a recent panel discussion conducted by MM Steel club SMM 2020, Eurometal President Fernando Espada stated that the European steel industry struggled even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
A combination of factors—Europe’s antidumping duties on Chinese, Brazilian and Russian hot-rolled steel, the US’s section 232 tariffs on its trading partners, the EU’s steel safeguarding measures, and the industry’s overall economics—had made the European import market challenging.
The aforementioned safeguarding measures have restricted steel consumers from buying raw material externally, which has, in turn, increased raw material prices from mills on the continent and caused final product pricing to surge, putting European manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage.
Espada said it would lead to manufacturers buying semi-finished products from other countries to reduce their costs, which will significantly affect the EU’s steel sector. He compared the US’s section 232 tariffs to the EU’s safeguarding measures, and added that such policies adversely impact long-term pricing.
EUROFER’s Director Allesandro Sciamerelli, who also spoke at the panel, affirmed Espada’s statements and said Europe’s steel-consuming sectors, like construction, mechanical engineering, domestic appliances, and auto, were reeling as far back as 2019, before the pandemic. The automotive sector saw a 5pc annual decline in 2019.
This decrease occurred, Sciamerelli said, because of Brexit and trade tensions between the US and China, the fallout of which was brunted by Europe’s steel industry, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these problems.
However, he expects the steel industry to get recover by early next year, at least where consumption is concerned. He projected the construction industry to grow by 4pc, the mechanical engineering sector to grow by 6.8pc, the automotive industry grow by 25.3pc, and the domestic appliance industry to grow by 8.9pc.
Still, Sciamerelli is concerned about the effects of Brexit on the EU market, as it is yet to be determined how the UK will trade with the continent. Whatever that determination, it will greatly impact the EU’s steel industry, he added.


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CKS CORNER, S.C.- The fastest growing auction in the Southeast Region began construction on two state-of-the-art lanes in February 2008. The new lanes will be fully operational by this summer.
This marks the second major construction project in as many years for the dealer-only auction. In March of 2007, Charleston Auto Auction unveiled a newly expanded facility with a new dealer lounge, large lobby, increased parking areas, vehicle registration and a new lane that is used exclusively by franchise dealers.
“Customer service is the number one goal for all of us at Charleston Auto Auction. Every facet of our construction is focused on making it easier and more convenient for our customer. If we deliver on that promise, we know we will see repeat business” said Keith Lelux, owner/managing partner. “We are extremely excited about the changes we are making to better serve our customers, and pledge to continue to work hard to offer the best environment for buyers and sellers at our sales.”


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Bytedance is separating TikTok from its Chinese operations
The company fears it could be forced to sell it off as a result of a US national security reviewBy Adrian Potoroaca
In brief: TikTok parent company ByteDance wants to avoid the possibility of being forced by the US Committee on Foreign Investment to sell off the popular app. As a result of being investigated on fears of working with the Chinese government, it's taking steps to distance TikTok from its Chinese business.
Following a national security review by the US Committee on Foreign Investments, the company behind TikTok is scrambling to provide assurances that personal data is stored securely and can't be compromised or tapped into by Chinese authorities.
This comes hot on the heels of criticism levied at the company for blocking a teenager that posted about China's Muslim detention camps from her account. Specifically, she made a bait-and-switch video where she asks viewers to use their phones to look up information about the phenomenon while pretending to teach them how to get longer eyelashes.
A TikTok spokesperson said the decision wasn't influenced by the Chinese government and that parent company ByteDance doesn't control the app's policies for content, which is stored in the United States.
Seeing as that is adding to the suspicions of US regulators who believe ByteDance is censoring content at the request of China, the company has started a process of separating TikTok operations from the main firm, which is based in Beijing. In just three months, the company has finished setting up product, marketing, legal, and business development teams that are now independent from those in its Chinese offices, who will continue working on social media app Douyin.
ByteDance also plans to put together a team in Mountain View, California, specifically for monitoring and controlling access to TikTok data for Chinese-based engineers. The company will also hire more US-based engineers in an attempt to curb suspicions that it's exporting user data to China.
As of writing, TikTok has around 400 employees in the US, some of which came on board as part of the Musical.ly acquisition. Owner ByteDance employs over 50,000 people around the world, and is looking to compete with the likes of Apple and Spotify for a place in the music streaming market in the near future.
TikTok, in particular, stores user-submitted personal information like name, age, email, phone number, as well as the content generated inside the app. Other than that, the app will automatically record a person's location when posting a video. And since TikTok has been downloaded over 1 billion times, regulators are right to be concerned.
Earlier this year, a number of popular apps have sparked privacy debates with their vague data policies. Examples include face filter app FaceApp and deepfake creation tool Zao, both of which attracted a significant number of users with their novelty.
In the face of public and regulatory scrutiny, ByteDance wants to avoid the situation of Kunlun Tech, the Chinese company behind gay dating app Grindr, who has been forced by the CFIUS to sell it off until 2020. The same could happen with TikTok, if ByteDance won't convince US regulators that it can protect user data from being sent to Chinese entities.


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Catering Insight and Foodservice Equipment Journal’s chat series, Market Talk, is returning in a Live format as part of the CEDA Conference 2021.
Debuting Market Talk Live at the Commercial Kitchen Show in September, the brand, which began as online episodes, will take pride of place as part of the CEDA Conference’s business day next Thursday, 25 November, at The Majestic Hotel in Harrogate.
Delegates will enjoy a special session focusing on sustainability in the UK catering equipment supply chain and this will once again be hosted by Catering Insight editor Clare Nicholls and Foodservice Equipment Journal managing editor, Andrew Seymour.
Expert panellists comprise: Richard Fordham of Ki-Tech Solutions Ltd, Lawrence Hughes of Falcon Foodservice, Paul Neville of CHR and Tyron Stephens-Smith of TAG Catering Equipment. They will focus on hydrogen powered equipment, energy management/optimisation, the challenges of designing for sustainability and sustainability for service and maintenance.
Nicholls said: “I’m excited to bring our popular Market Talk Live chat show to the CEDA Conference as it’s an ideal forum to discuss the essential topic of sustainability. There have been many conversations about what foodservice operators can do to be green, but we really do need to explore how distributors and suppliers can add to the cause, and I’m looking forward to finding out our guests’ opinions on the topic.”
The event’s Business Day programme overall is a packed agenda with top names from across the hospitality and foodservice spectrum.
Delegates will hear insights and data, projections, upcoming trends to look out and gear up for, as well as lively debate and chat on everything from the Northern food scene to the circular economy.
Kicking things off will be Peter Martin, who will give an overview of the industry, a detailed explanation of who owns what brands, where they sit and what’s to come in his ‘Brand-scape’ presentation.
Next up is The Big Interview with Philip Harrison, CEO and founder of Harrison, one of the leading hospitality concept-creation consultancies globally. He will give an update on the US hospitality sector.
Charlie Mitchell, head of consumer at CGA will utilise CGA’S suite of data on the hospitality industry in his presentation ‘The Northern Hospitality Scene – The Data’ to tell the story of how the sector has fought back over the past 18 months. This will be nicely followed by a panel discussion entitled ‘The Northern Hospitality Scene’ and will feature Thom Hetherington, CEO of NRB, Marko Husak, Co-Founder of Bundobust and Jocelyn Neve, MD of Oakman Group.
A series of 10-minute presentations will quickly cover a variety of topics:
Sustainability takes centre stage when Mark Chapman, CEO and founder of the Zero Carbon Forum delivers his presentation ‘Helping Hospitality Hit Net Zero Carbon’.
Attention will turn to the supply chain as the conference welcomes Ruth Edge, the NFU’s food chain advisor. Edge leads the NFU’s strategy and relationships with the UK’s national retailers, large brands and policy areas on food labelling and will share her insight and experience from the farming world.
The next speaker, Lorraine Copes, is founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality, a procurement consultant and life coach. Having spent almost two decades working within the hospitality sector successfully leading procurement teams for brands including Shake Shack, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants and Corbin & King, her experience spans new market entry, national and international leadership roles.
David Chenery, director of Object Space Place, is hoping to educate and inspire during his presentation on using the principles of a circular economy to create restaurant designs and fitouts that give more than they take, and how this can be done.
Chapman, Edge, Copes and Chenery will then participate in a panel debate inspired by their individual presentations, led by Martin.
Martin Vander Weyer, business editor of The Spectator, amongst other accolades, will give the final presentation of the day, bringing to a close the impressive line-up of industry personnel and thought leaders.
CEDA’s director general, Adam Mason, said: “Every year we have fabulous speakers and I always wonder how we’ll top it the next year. I’m delighted to say we have, yet again, managed to attract some top-drawer names and I genuinely can’t wait to hear what they have to say.
“It’s important for us to deliver a broad range of speakers and relevant topics and I feel we’ve hit that mark especially well this year. Coming off the back of COP26 which has dominated the news agenda over the past few weeks, it’s key that our sector is a part of that wider discussion and so dedicating a number of our speaker slots to the topic is something we’re proud to be offering the delegates at this year’s conference.”


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Jan 13, 2014
Qualcomm products mentioned within this post are offered by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
Despite flight delays caused by nasty snowstorms blanketing much of the rest of the U.S., about 150,000 people from all over the world flocked to Las Vegas for the giant 2014 International CES trade show. If you were not one of them, here are a few highlights:
―Demo: Qualcomm® Connected SmartHome. The Qualcomm SmartHome exhibit featured a full-sized mock-up of a four-room house, chock full of smart (connected) things like door locks, lighting bulbs, A/C, a wine cooler, home security device, audio speakers, smart TVs, and even a connected teddy bear. All these household items can discover each other and interact in intelligent and convenient ways, all coming together to deliver an exceptional experience. It’s the Internet of Everything coming to life.
Featured technologies making the experience possible include: Qualcomm® Wi-Fi solutions, AllJoyn™ core and service frameworks for seamless device-to-device discovery and communication, the Qualcomm® AllPlay™ smart media platform, the Qualcomm® Smart Gateway powered by the recently announced Qualcomm® Internet Processor (IPQ) and featuring the Gigabit Wi-Fi® of Qualcomm® VIVE™ 802.11ac and the intelligence of Qualcomm® StreamBoost™, rounded out by Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 processors powering smart TVs throughout the house.
―Announcement: Qualcomm Snapdragon 802 processor. Designed to power next-generation smart TVs, smart set-top boxes, and smart digital media adapters, the newest processor in the Snapdragon family supports Ultra HD video content, delivers console-quality gaming—and much more.
―Announcement: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Automotive Solutions. Powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 602A processor from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., the first-ever automotive-grade Snapdragon processor, this breakthrough solution is designed to extend the smartphone experience into the car. The powerful quad-core CPU, combined with the Qualcomm® Gobi™ 3G/4G modem and other cutting-edge components, delivers unprecedented integration and connectivity for the next generation of connected infotainment systems. Designed to deliver the right blend of in-car integrated infotainment with brought-in experiences, it turns the car into a 4G LTE connected device, enabling occupants to stream high-def content throughout the vehicle to up to three screens, and more. And it supports both Android and QNX operating systems.
―Announcement and Demo: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and QNX implement Qualcomm Snapdragon Automotive Solutions. In-car electronics-maker QNX Software Systems Limited and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced support for the Snapdragon Automotive Solutions in the QNX CAR™ Platform for Infotainment, a solution for building connected infotainment systems. The first-ever implementation of the Snapdragon Automotive Solutions, the QNX CAR Platform was demonstrated at CES in the QNX® reference vehicle, a specially modified Jeep Wrangler, showing next-gen connected infotainment experiences from user apps to 3D navigation to rear-seat 3D gaming.
―Demo: First-ever public demo of the new, fully-electric Formula E Car. Qualcomm Incorporated is an Official Founding and Technology Partner for an exciting new evolution in the history of auto racing—the new FIA Formula E championship, the world’s first, fully-electric racing series for open-wheel cars capable of speeds in excess of 150mph. In addition to promoting sustainable technologies in the automotive sector, the series aims to create excitement for a whole new generation of racing fans.
The Formula E FIA Championship is made up of twenty drivers from 10 international teams, many backed by high-profile personalities including Alain Prost, Sir Richard Branson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Beginning this fall in Beijing, the teams will race in 10 city-centers around the world, including Los Angeles and Miami in the US. To unveil the car, Qualcomm Chairman Dr. Paul Jacobs and Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings came together as part of a press conference / demo in the parking lot of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
The car was driven by Lucas di Grassi, a former Formula One driver and Le Mans 24 Hours podium finisher, who is now one of the development drivers for Formula E. Despite having to drive within a small, confined area, Lucas and the Spark-Renault SRT_01E created a lot of excitement at this historic coming out party. In the days after the event, the car was on display at the Qualcomm exhibit and Lucas sat in for several extended autograph sessions.
―Keynote: FutureCast panel on Mobile Innovation. Dr. Jacobs was featured in a program that drew enough attendees to fill both the main room and the overflow room to capacity. The CEA defines the annual Technology Innovators Keynote series as a way to “offer insights by innovators, thought leaders and disruptors – the ‘rock stars’ of their industries.’” This year’s event featured Dr. Jacobs along with AT&T SEVP John Donovan, and Ericsson President and CEO Hans Vestberg. The discussion was lively since the three “titans of industry” brought strong points of view to their predictions about the future, living up to the stated goal of the event, which, according to the CEA, is to provide “a stage for those with big ideas that are reframing the way technology will impact our interaction with the world today, and in years to come.”
One of my favorite CES moments happened on the way in to Paul’s panel, when I spotted another fellow who has had an impact on the world, Dr. Irwin Jacobs, who paused at the entrance to check the event notification coming in on his Qualcomm® Toq™ smartwatch.
Qualcomm Snapdragon and Qualcomm Gobi are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Qualcomm® AllPlay™ and Qualcomm® Toq™ are products of Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc.
Qualcomm® Wi-Fi solutions, the Qualcomm Smart Gateway, Qualcomm Internet Processor, Qualcomm® VIVE™ and Qualcomm® StreamBoost™ are products of Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.
AllJoyn is an open source project, initially developed by Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc., and hosted by the AllSeen Alliance.


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JobsOhio and the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Liquor Control have announced they will provide the bars and restaurants with a one-time rebate to defray the restocking costs high-proof spirituous liquor.
French beverage firm Pernod Ricard has completed the buyout of alcohol manufacturer and marketer Castle Brands.
The Philippines Government plans to increase alcopop tax to generate additional revenue and discourage binge drinking.
Constellation Brands has agreed to sell nearly 30 brands from its wine and spirits portfolio to E&J Gallo Winery, and Aprirose has acquired Spirit Pub Company’s portfolio of public houses from British Land for around £130m. Drinks-insight-network.com wraps up the key news stories from April 2019.
New Age Beverages has launched a range of Cannabidiol (CBD) infused Marley-branded drinks in some US states where recreational marijuana use is allowed.
Food and Drink Agency Wales Board (FDWIB) has set out a strategy to boost the growth of its beverage industry over the coming years.
Just-drinks magazine is the essential reading material for decision-makers in the drinks industry, bringing you the latest news and analysis in an exciting, interactive format.


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Police in Cumbria say 6 out of 10 burglaries happen because homes are left unlocked. 19 of the 32 break-ins reported in Penrith and Carlisle since the beginning of July happened because doors or windows were left unlocked.
More top news
Warnings in place for parts of the region as rain heads into cold air....just in time for the start of December and the Tuesday rush hour
With internet sales set to peak today Cumbria Trading Standards is warning of the dangers of buying counterfeit Christmas presents.
Cumbria Police issue burglary and theft warning ahead of the festive season.


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TRADER TIPS: City insiders say buy expanding pizza group Domino's but sell Pets at Home, whose half-year update disappointed investors
BUY THIS: Domino’s Pizza Group
Numis has a ‘buy’ rating on Domino’s, which last week announced it was aiming to increase its stores to 1,600 – up from a target of 1,200.
The pizza group is on track to open 80 this year, taking it to 950 across the country.
Tasty: Domino’s is aiming to increase its stores to 1,600 - up from a target of 1,200
Numis said it was trading well and it was confident on sales prospects. The broker added that international sales had boosted the firm, with around 100 stores abroad.
Numis has a target price of 446p.
SELL THIS: Pets at Home
Liberum has posted a ‘sell’ rating for the pet retailer, whose half-year update disappointed investors last week despite a 9.1 per cent revenue rise.
The broker said a quarter-on-quarter slowdown showed there were challenges in the merchandise division and warned the outlook statement from the group was cautious.
Analysts noted that the firm had not promised an end to earnings downgrades.
Liberum has a target price of 200p.
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Current year could be tough for non-banking finance companies: ReportPartha Sinha | TNN | Jan 22, 2013, 08.56 PM IST
MUMBAI: The road ahead could be bumpy for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) this year due to the slowdown in the key segments they operate in, that include financing of commercial vehicles (CVs) and construction equipment (CE), and also gold loans.
In addition, some build up of delinquencies and a downward bias in interest margins may also make the business environment tougher for NBFCs, a report by domestic credit ratings agency ICRA said.
The silver lining, however, is despite these problems, NBFC sector is still expected to show a growth rate in double digits, at about 17%, the report added. "Managed retail credit of NBFCs reported a 32% growth during 2011-12. In light of significant slowdown in CVs, CE and Gold loan portfolio segments in the current financial year (which put together account for around 56% of total NBFC retail credit), the expected retail credit for NBFCs to grow by only 17% in 2012-13," the ICRA report noted.
The report said that total NBFC retail managed credit was at about Rs 2.96 lakh crore as on March 31, 2012, which was distributed across CVs (29% of total), gold loans (17%), mortgage (16%), CE (10%), cars (15%), unsecured loans (8%) and tractor loans (3%). "This proportion could undergo some shift because of slowdown in vehicle sales and in gold loans and continued expected growth in the mortgage segment," the report said.


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Whenever a company may be guilty of something, from petty neglect to grand deception, there's usually a class action lawsuit filed. But until a judge rules that lawsuit legitimate, the threat remains fairly empty. Unfortunately for Facebook,
Some of the most sensitive U.S. government departments and agencies still aren’t using a basic email security feature that would significantly cut down on incoming spam or phishing emails. Fifteen percent of all U.S. government domains still aren’t employing DMARC,
Amazon announced today that it has invested $10 million in Closed Loop Fund, which finances the creation of recycling infrastructure and services in U.S. cities. In a statement,
TechCrunch Disrupt is the world’s biggest and most impactful tech startup conference, and we can’t wait to bring the hype to Berlin. We’re very proud of the show we’ve put together and are thrilled to give you a look at what’s in store. Editor’s Note:
JobUFO, the Berlin-based startup that has built a video focussed app to help facilitate better job applications, has raised €2 million in seed funding. Leading the round is IBB and Hevella Capital, with the investment to be used for growth.
Commenting publicly for the first time about Google’s censored search engine for China, CEO Sundar Pichai said onstage at the WIRED 25 summit in San Francisco that the company is taking “a longer-term view” about the country. Codenamed Project Dragonfly,
Uber and Lyft are often times the ones to blame for the rise in traffic and congestion in cities. In San Francisco, the two ride-hailing services are undoubtedly partially to blame, but not entirely to blame, according to a new study from the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.
Syncron, a Stockholm-headquartered company that offers a SaaS to help equipment and other product manufacturers move to a service model, has raised $67 million, its first ever funding round despite being over 15 years old. Leading the round is growth equity firm Summit Partners,
With the debut of his Eminem Augmented app at Coachella last night, hip hop’s not-so-merry prankster took the (somewhat revolutionary) step of embracing the machine that so many musicians have raged against — by building an experience that actually enhances the way that modern fans see live music.
Tesla has paused the production of Model 3, Buzzfeed first reported. However, this seems to be part of Tesla’s planned downtime for Model 3. “Our Model 3 production plan includes periods of planned downtime in both Fremont and Gigafactory 1,
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee has been working with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to develop a permit process to enable the SFMTA to regulate e-scooter share companies. Today,
编者按： 马特·雷利（Matt Reilly）是埃森哲战略（Accenture Strategy）负责汽车、工业、基础设施和旅游产业的高级总经理。… Read More
一家军事上诉法庭作出裁决，政府不能再提到WikiLeaks泄密者Chelsea Manning（旧名Bradley Manning）时将其称为男性。Manning因为将超过70万机密文件和视频泄露给WikiLeaks而被判35年徒刑。
最近爆料大神 upleaks 就在 Twitter 表示，HTC One M9+ 才是這部比 One M9 規格更強的神機真正名稱。The post HTC One M9 Plus 真正名稱是 M9+？ appeared first on UNWIRE.HK 流動科技生活.
Not too long ago, the newly-announced Lumia 640 and 640 XL we spotted on Zauba, an import tracking website in India, showing large quantities of both handsets to make their way to the country. The handsets are expected to launch in India in early April,
Following deals for merchandise, endorsements and even a Lifetime Original Christmas movie, the hardest working cat on the Internet is backAnd this time, Grumpy Cat is a comic book hero.See also: Meet the artist who made a Grumpy Cat bust out of baconImage:


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INTRALOT welcomes U.S. Secretary of Trade Wilbur Ross in its booth during TIF 2018
Thessaloniki International Fair opened its gates on September 8, 2018 hosting the United States as honored country for 2018 with INTRALOT participating as Gold Sponsor of the US Pavilion. A senior US Administration delegation was led by US Secretary of Trade Wilbur Ross., participating in the inauguration ceremonies. INTRALOT’s Group CEO Antonios Kerastaris welcomed Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and US Secretary of Trade Wilbur Ross, escorted by US Ambassador in Greece Geoffrey Pyatt and Chairman of American Hellenic Chamber of Commerce Simos Anastassopoulos at the INTRALOT booth, exhibiting in this year’s TIF as a global technology corporation with a strong base in the US.
- All figures related to increased capex and reasons for the delay in deleverage have been communicated timely and transparently during investor presentations and publicly released data. Moody’s clearly acknowledges the key role of the Italian asset in the deleverage process, hence INTRALOT maintains the capacity to move forward at optimal timing. RCF line are available for growth stimulating capex if necessary with sufficient test headroom. As articulated in our last investors call, the excessive capex of 2018 is directed to projects that will generate significant returns, as soon as 2019, from already contracted revenues.
- The negative FX/EM climate naturally weighs in but we tend to be optimistic as the nominal devaluation rates are offset by organic growth and inflation adjustments. We are particularly positive about Turkey, given our track record (31% revenue growth in constant currency in 1H2018) as well as recent regulatory changes: the new law to increase the betting payout from 50% to 70% is going to stimulate explosive growth in land-based and online operations. The majority of our reported €195 reserves are in hard currencies, so they are not significantly exposed to FX risks.
We are extremely positive about the future of our US operations given the latest regulatory changes on sports betting.
About INTRALOT (www.intralot.com)
INTRALOT, a public listed company established in 1992, is a leading gaming solutions supplier and operator active in 52 regulated jurisdictions around the globe. With €1.1 billion turnover and a global workforce of approximately 5,100 employees (3,100 of which in subsidiaries and 2,000 in associates) in 2017, INTRALOT is an innovation – driven corporation focusing its product development on the customer experience. The company is uniquely positioned to offer to lottery and gaming organizations across geographies market-tested solutions and retail operational expertise. Through the use of a dynamic and omni-channel approach, INTRALOT offers an integrated portfolio of best-in-class gaming systems and product solutions & services addressing all gaming verticals (Lottery, Betting, Interactive, VLT). Players can enjoy a seamless and personalized experience through exciting games and premium content across multiple delivery channels, both retail and interactive. INTRALOT has been awarded with the prestigious WLA Responsible Gaming Framework Certification by the World Lottery Association (WLA) for its global lottery operations.
Mr. Chris Sfatos
Group Corporate Affairs Director
Telephone: +30-210 6156000
Fax: +30-210 6106800


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(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – At Uber, we’re helping partners in Sri Lanka achieve their dreams through mobility, by caring for our communities. The positive effects we’ve had on Sri Lankans have been well understood and documented in “The Impact of Uber in Sri Lanka”, a detailed report researched and published by Public First, UK, an independent UK-based consultancy.
On-Demand Services Helped Boost Small Business Recovery – Through Uber Eats, we helped and encouraged Sri Lankans to support local restaurants and merchants, which they may otherwise have not had access to. This helped us to unlock LKR 2.1 billion in additional revenue for small businesses in Sri Lanka, while having a gross impact worth LKR 51 billion on the Sri Lankan economy as a whole.
Driver and Delivery Partners Value Flexibility – Widely highlighted and reported in “The Impact of Uber in Sri Lanka”, flexibility was a key reason our partners chose Uber, with 35% saying schedule flexibility was important to them when looking for work. In 2021, we estimate that this increased flexibility was worth LKR 1.2 billion to drivers and delivery partners, and that they made an additional LKR 775 million a year in earnings directly as a result of being on Uber. This was, on average, 27% more than their next best income alternative.
Driver and Delivery Partners are Satisfied and Inspired –61% said that they are completely satisfied with their experience being on Uber. Only 17% said they would look for another part-time job, while 30% said that Uber has inspired them to consider starting their own business or otherwise working for themselves.
How We Help Dreams Become Reality
Apart from the daily stream of micro-opportunities we provide our partners with on a daily basis, we’ve also gone out of our way to do more. Celebrating 4 years in Sri Lanka, we contributed more than LKR 3 million to support delivery partners and their families.
One of our now ongoing programmes is Uber Delivery Scholar, which is currently in its 2nd edition, and is an initiative that helps support delivery partners and their children to achieve academic goals. Uber Delivery Scholar provides scholarships and gifts, including school stationary for children of delivery partners for one whole year. The programme also provides scholarships worth LKR 40,000 each, to empower qualifying delivery partners to pursue certificate courses at the National Institute of Business Management (NIBM).
In Their Own Words
Manjula De Silva is a Driver Partner for Uber X, and has been on Uber for over 6 years. In that time, he’s completed 17,500 trips, with an exceptional rating of 4.94, and has showcased exceptional care for passengers and always provided top-quality service.
Talking about how Uber has helped him, Manjula says, “I’ve been working with Uber for over 6 years now. In the beginning, I rented out a car from another guy and worked with Uber. After that, from the money I generated from Uber Rides, I’m really proud to say I have bought a new vehicle of my own thanks to the support given by Uber. I was awarded many times by Uber because, when we honestly work with Uber, they don’t think twice about treating us very well. That’s why we are always truly grateful for Uber.”
A Tip to Help Achieve Dreams
Did you know that your tips go a long way for our driver and delivery partners? And, that 100% of your tips go to them? So, the next time your use Uber, remember that even a small tip can help people like Manjula get closer to achieving their dreams. This way, we can all help each other thrive as one Sri Lanka!


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After a slightly later start to the season, supplies of organic blueberries are building. “We are in the peak of the front side of the season. It feels like some of the later varieties are on track while the earlier varieties are late to start. There’s a lot of volume in the market probably this week and next,” says Michael McMillan of Bridges Produce.
“Washington State has a fabulous crop of mid-late season and late-season blueberries. We will ship through most of September and there’s a lot of Peruvian product coming in very early this season and we’d love to get domestic support to move our crop.”
The delayed start follows the cool wet spring seen in the Pacific Northwest. “We had the most precipitation on record in Western Oregon between April and June and temperatures were just below normal over the 10-year-average that just delayed maturity,” says McMillan.
Now that volumes are building, there’s good quality fruit coming from Eastern Washington and that will continue through to week 38. “Right now we’re in a really good position to promote through mid-September,” adds McMillan.
Organic vs. conventional demand
Demand for organic blueberries has been good, but McMillan notes a surprising trend this year. “It feels like the production world has invested heavily into developing organic supply and there’s been much less, especially as we get later into the season, conventional supply available. So conventional has been really tight while organic there’s been fruit available,” he says. “We’re now where some of the retail demand has been filled a bit and things feel fuller. But we anticipate that clearing out in the next couple of weeks and a great August ahead.”
To date, Bridges Organic has done many 6 oz. packages of organic blueberries though McMillan notes this could be a reflection of the shorter conventional market. He anticipates pint sizes being the focus for the duration of the season.
As for pricing, given the increased costs that producers are seeing--McMillan notes that Washington state has some of the highest agricultural labor costs in the country and new agricultural overtime laws have come into place--that inflationary corrections are happening on blueberry pricing. “This being the peak, there is some product being moved at aggressive pricing. Ultimately, we are asking for modest price increases over last season that we’d love to maintain through September,” says McMillan.


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Popeyes is taking the satisfaction of chicken hypebeasts to a new level. The slingers of the famed chicken sandwich that had social media abuzz this summer are staffing up in preparation for its return.
We’re giving the side-eye to the idea of a chicken sandwich “running out,” but that’s neither here nor there. According to Bloomberg, the company is hiring 400 employees across 150 stores in order to have at least two people on chicken sandwich-making duty.
The plan is for the chicken sandwich to make its return in early November.
“Our franchisees have worked to increase staffing,” said Restaurant Brands, Popeyes’ corporate parent, in a statement. “We have been working diligently to bring the sandwich back to our restaurants soon, as we know our guests are anxiously anticipating its return.”


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Steam bans games that allow NFT and trading with cryptocurrencies
Officially, there have been no announcements from Steam. However, the platform updated the guidelines this week, adding the new rule. In the updated text, there is the 13th rule among the prohibitions of “applications built on blockchain technology that emit or allow the exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs”.
The new decision will affect famous games already released or in development, such as My Neighbor Alice and Age of Rust. Also, other games are in the crosshairs of the platform.
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The change came to light through a Twitter statement from SpacePirates, the developer behind Age of Rust. According to the post, from Steam’s point of view it is that items have value in the real world and the platform does not allow items to have value outside the platform.
Community: A few minutes ago, we were notified that @Steam will be kicking *all blockchain games* off the platform, including Age of Rust, because NFTs have value. Behind the scenes, we've had good communication and have been upfront with Steam. #blockchaingames #NFT
— Age of Rust (@SpacePirate_io) October 14, 2021
It’s still unclear how many games left Steam’s list in the coming weeks. It is estimated that around 64 games could be in Steam’s crosshairs. Among the most popular are Mir4, Chainmonster, Evaverse, Dissolution, Age of Rust and My Neighbor Alice.
So far, Steam has not commented on the withdrawal of games or on the motivations for the new rule.


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Banglalink, has recently signed a strategic agreement with iPay Systems Limited at Banglalink head office in Gulshan to unleash a fresh wave of enthusiasm in the rapidly growing digital economy of the country.Founder and CEO of iPay Systems Limited Zakaria Swapan and CCO of Banglalink Ritesh Kumar Singh signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.
The agreement enhances the opportunity of Banglalink’s digital drive where iPay will closely work to facilitate payment solution for various Banglalink digital products including recharge as well as digital touch points like MyBL App, Banglalink website, etc.
Banglalink customers will also be able to cash-in their Banglalink wallets using iPay. This makes it very convenient to pay for products and services from the Banglalink websites, e-shop, Banglalink Walk-in-Centers can also accept iPay as payment option. As par this strategic agreement, both companies will also run joint campaigns.
Head of Digital of Banglalink Gaurav Kakkar, Head of Digital Distribution Rashed Moslem, Digital Distribution Manager, MD. Ariful Hoque and iPay’s Head of Business & Strategy Muhammad Abul Khair Chowdhury, Head of Communication and Media Muhammad Muntasir, Head of Market Operations Mohammad Fahim Hossainand Manager, Strategic Business Development and Partnership, Sayed Taslim Mahmood were present on the occasion.
Source: The Asian Age


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The vacation rental platform Airbnb is preparing its IPO by the end of the year and plans to submit the necessary documentation to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) throughout August, in a public offering led by Morgan Stanley and, in a somewhat more secondary role, Goldman Sachs, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Tuesday.
In April, the CEO of the company, Brian Chesky, said in an interview that the company was working to present the documentation in March, but that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on world tourism canceled those plans due to the uncertainty generated so much by the virus as by the volatility of the markets.
The American company had announced in September last year its intention to make its stock market debut during 2020. However, since the spring, Airbnb has managed to recover relatively quickly since, even though people decided not to travel, they continued to book houses close to their habitual residence through this portal, reaching the peak of 1 million nights billed on July 8 throughout the world, a figure that they had not recorded since March 3.
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Airbnb’s IPO has been widely expected by analysts in recent years, who compare this movement with the IPOs of other firms of the so-called sharing economy, such as the transport companies with driver Uber or Lyft. The vacation rental platform was recently valued at about $ 18 billion, well below a previous estimate that put the company’s value at about $31 billion.
The San Francisco-based company is the largest vacation home rental platform in the United States and, if it goes public, it will join other companies that have also launched this year, such as Warner Music or Lemonade. that managed to carry out their public offering with relative success despite the pandemic.
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Iraq says it rejected a shipment of 12,000 Canadian-built Chevrolet Malibu automobiles because the cars suffered from bad clutches, were not equipped as represented by the maker and were poorly finished.
Iraqi ambassador to Canada, Abdo al-Dairi says the Malibus are one of the rewards the government presents to bereaved families of Iraqi war dead, the victims of the 20-month war with Iran.
Last week Iraq announced that it would not accept the $100 million worth of vehicles because the cars were in many cases faulty and the transmissions did not work.
General Motors of Canada, Ltd., the Canadian subsidiary of General Motors Corp. of Detroit, built the vehicles at its plant in Oshawa, Ontario. An earlier shipment of 13,000 Malibus was accepted by Iraq and paid for.
GM Canada applied in February for payment by Canada's Export Development Corp., a government agency that insures foreign trade, for payment on the rejected car shipment.
Meanwhile Canadian government officials have been helping GM Canada by trying to sell the unwanted vehicles as taxicabs in Columbia.
Canadian auto dealers show little interest in acquiring the vehicles partly because they have an unusual floor-mounted manual three-speed gearshift. The cars were designed for use in Iraq and have a high gear ratio, which makes them unsuitable for climbing even a modest North American hill.


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Sony and Bethesda have reached an agreement on mod support for the PS4. Both the upcoming Skyrim Enhanced Edition and Fallout 4 will support mods in the future, while Skyrim will offer a native 4K resolution option on the PS4 Pro.
Sony’s plans for the PlayStation 4 Pro will give developers a great deal of freedom in how they showcase their products and advantages — but it’s also going to require some substantial TV upgrades from gamers if they want to take advantage of the new platform.
Sony is trumpeting that their new PlayStation 4 Pro is 4K-capable. That’s a much more complicated claim than Sony is admitting.
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Microsoft have said that they expect to ship 350 million Windows 7 devices by the end of 2012. They also claim to have sold 350 million Windows 7 licenses over the last 18 months.
According to a report on Bloomberg, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer spoke at the May 21st forum in Seoul and said that the fact they had shipped 350 million Windows 7 devices ‘makes Windows the most popular single system'.
Microsoft spoke out last month to say that they had sold 350 million licenses of Windows 7 in only 18 months. Ballmer is reportedly adding that they plan on selling 350 million Windows 7 licenses this year, alone.
This was verified in a blog post by Microsofts Brandon LeBlanc who wrote in a blog post “18 months ago to this day was when we launched Windows 7 and with that we’ve hit another important milestone: we are pleased to announce that Windows 7 has sold more than 350 million licenses. The momentum we’ve seen and continue to see with Windows 7 is incredible.”
The Windows platform is strong this year. Microsoft announced that the Windows and Windows Live Division posted revenue of $4.62 billion, up 4 percent from the previous year. Windows Enterprise desktop adoption is up to 40 percent worldwide.
Windows 8 is due for release in the not too distant future, although there are mixed feelings for the upcoming operating system. It is designed to pitch Microsoft in a head to head battle with Apple in the tablet sector. It also supports ARM based hardware. The ‘Metro' interface is the main talking point however as it is designed primarily for touch screen interfaces. There aren't many people who want finger prints over their 24 inch or 30 inch screen, even if they had touch screen support.
The plan so far is to release Windows 8 in October.
Ballmer added in his April 19th Statement “We’re driving toward exciting launches across the entire company, while delivering strong financial results. With the upcoming release of new Windows 8 PCs and tablets, the next version of Office, and a wide array of products and services for the enterprise and consumers, we will be delivering exceptional value to all our customers in the year ahead.”
#Kitguru says: Big sales for Windows 7, but will Windows 8 be such a big success in the desktop market?


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Electrolux CEO Forecasts Growth in Western Europe
Jan. 28 -- Electrolux AB, Europe’s biggest appliances maker, reported higher fourth-quarter earnings than analysts estimated and forecast market growth of as much as 2 percent in the region this year. Chief Executive Officer Keith McLoughlin talks from Stockholm with Francine Lacqua on Bloomberg television's "The Pulse."
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