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Currently in a closed beta release, version 23 of the product should reach market within the next two weeks.
“We’re very close,” said QuoteWerks Vice President Brian Laufer in a conversation with ChannelPro last week at the ConnectWise IT Nation Connect event in Orlando. Aspire recently adopted a new naming convention for the product, he noted, in which the big release the company ships annually is named after the year it will be used in.
Included among version 23’s enhancements will be support for MFA via widely-used authentication apps from Microsoft, Google, and Cisco’s Duo unit. QuoteWerks offers authentication only via text messages at present. Aspire has no plans to make using MFA mandatory, Laufer notes.
Included as well in version 23 is the ability to create white label URLs for QuoteValet, the QuoteWerks product’s online quote delivery and acceptance vehicle. At present, Laufer notes, end users see a generic quotevalet.com link when receiving quotes. “Depending on who your customer is, they’re like, ‘Who the heck is quotevalet?'” he says. Going forward, MSPs will be able to add their own name to that URL.
“That way there’s a level of branding on there so that the customer feels comfortable clicking on the link,” Laufer says.
A new set of reports for the QuoteWerks system’s procurement feature is coming in the new release too. “We have a really great dashboard,” Laufer says, “but now we’re going to allow them to have full capability to export things out into .pdf and Excel.”
Other functionality in the new release will make sending order tracking numbers to customers, which is currently a manual process, much simpler. “We’ve automated it so that they have the ability to send out those tracking numbers automatically to their customers,” Laufer says. “It cuts out that extra step.”
This year’s smaller, quarterly QuoteWerks updates added integrations to three new distributors: ADI, BlueStar, and ScanSource. An enhanced integration with Amazon shipped in April also provides access for the first time to the often lower pricing available through Amazon Business, a version of Amazon’s online marketplace that caters to commercial buyers.
Users are increasingly turning to sites like Amazon Business and other non-traditional suppliers to source hard to find goods in a time of continued supply chain logjams. VendorRFQ, an addition to QuoteWerks shipped in February that helps users collect and compare information on product availability, technical specifications, pricing, and more from multiple companies in real time through a centralized interface, makes coping with supply chain headaches simpler for MSPs as well, Laufer says.
“They have to go to vendors that they don’t normally work with sometimes,” he notes. “Using VendorRFQ, it allows them to get those types of pricing from those vendors [online] as opposed to picking up the phone and calling them.”
Used by more than 88,000 people worldwide in over 101 countries, QuoteWerks is Aspire’s flagship offering. The system has won the gold medal for best quoting software seven out of the last nine years in ChannelPro‘s annual Readers’ Choice Awards.


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“The Apple Watch is available on April 24,” Apple CEO Tim Cook declared on stage during
Apple’s March media event, officially setting the launch date for Apple’s highly anticipated new product. And yet when you consider all the facts, it’s hard not to conclude that the Apple Watch truly arrives this fall, and its first six months have been merely a prologue.
I wear my Apple Watch every day, and I enjoy it. The fitness features have made me more active, and I enjoy being able seeing notifications from my iPhone and responding quickly when I feel the need. But as with so many new Apple products, the early users are on the shakedown cruise, before all the regular passengers come aboard. This was true with the iPod and the iPhone, and it feels true about the Apple Watch, too.
First, consider that most entirely new Apple product suffer from shortages, and not just because of pent-up demand. Building a new piece of high technology in large numbers, especially
with Apple’s specifications, can be fraught with difficulties. So part of the objective of the first few months of Apple Watch production was to increase manufacturing volume. First came fulfilling demand in the Apple Watch launch countries; then as the initial demand has been met, Apple has added in new countries with their own initial demand and rolled the watch out to Apple’s retail stores. The goal is to reach the holiday season with an ability to accept every Apple Watch order that’s made, and to have enough watches to sell at Apple Stores (and
other retail establishments).
Then there’s watchOS itself. The version on the Apple Watch today is so new, it doesn’t really even have a name. It’s an impressive piece of work, but software–unlike hardware–is a constant work in progress. Apple needed the Apple Watch hardware to be rock solid on the launch date, because once that watch hardware is out in the world, it’s never going to get any better. But the software, that’s a continuing story.
Getting to version 2
With the announcement at WWDC 2015 of
watchOS 2–finally, a name!–we can see how the Apple Watch will function beginning this fall, and how holiday watch buyers will experience it. The big story is support for standalone watch apps, but there will be plenty of other feature tweaks as well, exactly what you’d expect after six months of continued development of a brand-new product. (Not to mention, watchOS 2 will benefit from what Apple has learned from the first users of the Apple Watch outside Apple. The company tested the product extensively in house, but there’s nothing better than hearing from real customers about what they desire and what disappoints them.)
This fall’s Apple Watch will also benefit from six months more consideration and experimentation from third-party app developers. The first wave of Apple Watch apps were created largely on spec, without much idea of how the Apple Watch would really be used by regular people day to day. The second wave came when
developers used their apps on real Apple Watches and realized that their initial approaches weren’t appropriate for the actual product. This fall we’ll see a third wave of apps: Some will take great advantage of the new features of native apps on watchOS 2, some will be improved versions of existing watch apps, and still others will be first releases from app developers who have been watching the mistakes and successes of other developers and waiting for the right moment.
“We’re more excited about how the [Apple Watch] is positioned for the long term,” Cook said in that analyst call. “We’re convinced that the watch is going to be one of the top gifts of the holiday season.”
I’m enjoying my time with the Apple Watch, but it seems clear to me that the real starting gun for this product will be fired this fall with the release of watchOS 2. Its success as a product won’t be measured this summer, but after all the tinsel and ornaments have been taken down and Apple’s reviewing its numbers from the holiday quarter, which is traditionally its best quarter by far.

domain: news


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- BT Group [s; uk:bt.a] is mulling the sale of a 31% stake in Indian software services company Tech Mahindra, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Tech Mahindra is owned by BT and Indian vehicle and tractor maker Mahindra & Mahindra. It has a market capitalization of about $2.2 billion, according to the Financial Times. BT declined to comment on the report, Dow Jones Newswires reported.
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Intralot Wins Online Sports Betting Contract
Wednesday July 18 2012 : ONLINE SPORTS BETTING CONTRACT WON BY INTRALOT
Greek supplier will provide German sportsbetting monopoly ODS Oddset Deutschland Sportwetten GmbH with a retail and online operation.
Intralot SA has won a contract in partnership with American lottery technology provider Scientific Games Corporation to provide German sportsbetting monopoly ODS Oddset Deutschland Sportwetten GmbH with a retail and online operation.
Oddset will be furnished with with a betting platform that fully supports retail and interactive businesses together with complete risk management and interactive operational services.
Oddset is the recently established state entity tasked with modernising and developing the nation’s existing sportsbetting operations via the Deutsche Lotto und Toto Block national retail network and its over 23,000 points of sale. Aiming to become a leader in Germany's betting market, it intends to apply for one of the 20 national sportsbetting concessions set to be made available and featuring a seven-year term.
“We are very pleased to become part of this great opening of the German market, one of the most important markets in Europe and worldwide,” said Constantinos Antonopoulos, Chief Executive Officer for Intralot.
“Scientific Games’ considerable experience and knowledge of the local market together with Intralot’s extensive know-how of sportsbetting operations and the powerful market position of the German state lotteries create the synergy to address the challenges of this market.
“Our common objective is to establish through Oddset a modern, attractive and competitive product portfolio, enabling it to become the market leader in sportsbetting in the Federal Republic of Germany.”
Implementation is expected before the end of 2012.
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Gambling News :
Tom Horn Awarded Malta Gaming License -
Online gambling software provider Tom Horn Gaming has been awarded a Malta Gaming Authority license that permits the company to host and manage Malta-based gaming operators.
Calvin Ayre invests in new Antigua Business Center -
Ayre joined with government officials this week in a ground-breaking ceremony for a five-story centre on Antigua which will be home for the venture. The "green" building will be solar powered and provide employee-friendly services like catering, a gym and child care.
Attack of the Zombies Slot -
Online gambling games developer Genesis Gaming has unveiled its latest game, with a theme based on a horror story of the undead, exploiting the current trend....and just in time for Halloween.
Why is FullFlush Poker Still Down -
Its now almost a month since Full Flush Poker went offline "for a platform upgrade" and stopped communicating with its reportedly many unpaid and unhappy players. All trace of the operator - and means to communicate with it - have vanished.
Time Running Our For Pennsylvanian online gambling -
Hopes that this week would see the Pennsylvanian Senate voting on an online gambling and DFS legalization bill already passed by the House four months ago dwindled Wednesday when no progress was made and the legislatures season officially closed.
Yggdrasil Gaming Expanding -
The Swedish online gambling games developer Yggdrasil Gaming is to establish a new parent company and expand its Stockholm office as it bolsters its presence in Sweden with a raft of new hires.
FanDuel and DraftKings Settle With NY Attorney General -
Speculation earlier this week that daily fantasy sports market leaders FanDuel and DraftKings were about to agree a settlement on consumer fraud suits prepared by the New York AG was confirmed Tuesday when a $12 million settlement was announced.
Stan james Now Live With EPOS -
The company switched to the Optima server less system across its entire estate in July after previously using Optima EPOS technology. The switch was completed early this (October) month and has already delivered noteworthy savings for the company.
Singapore Online Gambling Ban Begins -
Singapore media reports indicated Tuesday that restricted online gambling services offered by the Singapore Pools have started online operations, whilst Singapore Turf Club will commence online betting activity on November 15.
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Value your brand? Then take IT security seriously
Now, I would like to think businesses take IT security much more seriously than the average consumer. But every month another company hits the headlines because of another IT security breach. This month alone there were two in one week.
Equifax making headlines
One recent high-profile breach came two weeks ago when Equifax, which dubs itself a “global information solutions company”, reported that social security numbers, dates of birth and addresses of around 143 million customers had been leaked following a hack. Not only did the company apparently leave its doors wide open for cybercriminals, it even inadvertently directed concerned users to a phishing site specifically set up to troll the organisation.
This is worrying, terrifying even. This is a company millions of people trust to securely track consumer data, one that surely knows breaches like this are becoming far more frequent. And one that proudly claims to “serve as a consumer advocate, steward of financial literacy, and champion of economic advancement.”
Equifax has unquestionably been damaged by this cybersecurity incident. Its consumers have been left in a state of flux. They’re questioning how they can trust the company to champion their economic advancement when it can’t even protect their identity. And to make matters even worse, the company’s CEO has stepped down – leaving someone else to rebuild the company’s reputation.
No brand is safe
You don’t have to look far to learn that 15 of the 20 companies on this year’s “World's Most Valuable Brands” list, published by Forbes, have been subject to an IT breach in the last five years. One of the world’s “big four” accountancy firms, Deloitte, was targeted only this week.
A growing number of these hacks are coming from within – the so-called “malicious insider”. It’s something even “the world’s most secretive company” isn’t immune to. Incredibly, with just days before its iPhone launch event, Apple faced an apparent “intentional act of sabotage” that revealed details of every product. For a brand like Apple, which wrote the book on the secrecy of a product reveal and centres its marketing strategy on suspense – not to mention priding itself on being “deeply committed” to customer security and privacy – this was a huge blow.
Brand Apple is built not just on great products, but on marketing hype, surprise product reveals and, of course, “one more thing…”. If you’re a (potential) Apple customer, your purchasing decision may have already been influenced before the launch because of the breach. Which, for Apple, represents a worrying lack of control. The leak might also make you wonder if there are other malicious insiders at the company, and why they became so disgruntled in the first place – and that might dent your trust in the brand. We recently created an infographic with consultancy firm TORI Global that explores the cause and effect of the malicious insider phenomenon:
While the impact of IT hacks is commonly reflected in the share prices of the business involved (in the wake of the Equifax beach its share value plunged 16%) I think another factor is much more important – the impact on the brand’s value.
Forbes defines brand value as: The ultimate currency craved by companies. A valuable brand spurs demand and creates pricing power.
The author and entrepreneur Seth Godin expands on this:
“A brand's value is merely the sum total of how much extra people will pay, or how often they choose, the expectations, memories, stories and relationships of one brand over the alternatives.”
Brand value is the strength of the relationship between a company and its (potential) customers. It’s mutual trust, shared values and a sense of identity. It’s the reason a customer chooses an iPhone over a Samsung Galaxy S and will spend big on a Mercedes over a Ford. And, it is why Kraft bought Cadbury for a whopping $19.5 billion – it wasn’t buying the factories or the chocolate – it bought the brand for its value.
Damage to a brand’s reputation should not be taken lightly; it can take a lot of time and cost a lot of money to try and rectify. After investing $500 million to restore its brand reputation, BP is still counting the cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill seven years on, with many still boycotting the brand. Although the disaster and ensuing PR nightmare wasn’t down to an IT security breach, it shows just how much it can cost to fix a damaged brand reputation. When it comes to IT, the two-way exchange of data and value between brand and customer needs to be foolproof. Your consumers need to feel safe trusting you. They are your most important investor after all.
As Creative Director, I spend a huge amount of time working with a host of different companies to improve their brand value. According to the Gartner CMO Spend Survey, on average companies spent 12% of their revenue to set themselves apart. But all this cash and hard work can be wasted in a matter of minutes because of an IT breach. And, given the increasing sophistication of today's cybercriminals, I think we can expect more incidences of cyber attacks specifically designed to impact brand value. “Brand hacking” if you will, but not in the positive sense.
When a business is hacked, it’s not just data that’s at risk – it’s the brand’s reputation and value. Companies must realise that if they truly value their brand and customers, they must pay more attention to reputational flossing.


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Export volume in British goods rose 1.1% over the three-month period ending November 2016, an improvement over the 2.7% decline from the previous period. The uptick in exports indicates the weak pound has created a favorable market for goods entering the country.
Exports, however, did not keep pace with imports, resulting in a trade deficit that increased by 100 million pounds to 35.9 billion pounds ($43.84 billion) during the same period.
Over time, the weaker pound should result in fewer imports and more exports.
(Related on SJ: Retail Strong in UK Despite Brexit Vote)
LevaData is tapping the power of AI to make strategic sourcing and procurement more seamless for apparel industry members.Read more
Samples, it seems, may soon end up on the endangered list if 3D modeling technology continues to improve and provides the industry with a way to cut down production timelines.Read more
Abercrombie & Fitch continues to rely on Hollister gains, while positioning the Abercrombie brand for similar success. Gap sales up on Athleta, Old Navy performance.Read more
The domestic textile industry and apparel importers have often been on opposite sides of U.S. trade issues, but in today’s political climate they seem to have found some common ground.Read more
U.S. employers added 261,000 jobs in October, pushing unemployment down to the lowest rate since the halcyon days of late 2000.Read more
While everyone’s been focused on the "retail apocalypse," the real story to emerge from 2017 might be the strange bedfellows that have emerged as everyone tries to plot a course forward. The recent partnership between Walmart and Lord & Taylor is the latest to get people talking.Read more
J.W. Anderson’s chief executive, Simon Whitehouse, is exiting the company, plus Dick's Sporting Goods tapped Paul Gaffney as its new CTO.Read more


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Travis Perkins Group is still on track to demerge Wickes as Q3 reports show total sales growth in its retail division up by 8.3%.
The demerger of Wickes is set to be completed in Q2 of 2020. However, its divestment of the plumbing and heating side of the business has been put on hold because of “the current unprecedented level of uncertainty”.
Total sales growth in the plumbing and heating side of the business fell by 1% this quarter. In the merchanting division they were up by 2.6%, while Toolstation recorded the highest growth at 21.3%.
The K&B side of the market remained “robust” according to its Q3 interim statement. Travis Perkins said it saw an increase in lead generation through digital channels, good sales conversions and an increase in installation services.
Overall, the company has seen a growth of 3.8% in Q3 and 3.4% as like-for-like sales growth. The planned cost reductions throughout every sector of Travis Perkins are under way to achieve between £20 million and £30m annualised savings by mid-2020.
Travis Perkins last full results were to the end of June. In that half-year, overall sales were £2.77 billion for the group (operating profit £195m) and £695m for the retail division (operating profit £52m).
Recently appointed chief executive Nick Roberts, said: “Now in my third month since taking over as CEO of the group, I have spent a considerable amount of time in our branches, learning about our businesses and our markets from colleagues, customers and suppliers. This has confirmed my initial impressions that our businesses are well-positioned to compete strongly and win a greater share in their markets in the future.
“I am particularly impressed by the quality of our teams and their commitment to excellent customer service. The plan to simplify the group’s portfolio of businesses remains the right one, with good progress made through the quarter towards reducing cost and complexity and enabling greater focus and more disciplined capital allocation to our advantaged trade-focused businesses.”
He concluded: “The group delivered a solid performance in Q3, despite trading conditions becoming incrementally more challenging through the course of the summer as a result of the ongoing market uncertainty. Though the group maintains a cautious outlook for the near-term, full-year performance remains in line with our expectations.”


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Netflix may have lost a few customers in the wake of last year’s Quickster debacle, but it still has very ambitious goals for subscriber growth: The video service wants to eventually be two to three times as big as HBO, which would equal between 60 million and 90 million domestic subscribers, according to a presentation published by CEO Reed Hastings this week. The slide deck, titled “Netflix Business Opportunity,” is meant to explain the company’s business to potential new hires – but it also provides interesting insights into Netflix’s goals as well as its take on competitors and the changing video marketplace.
Hastings remarked in the presentation that HBO currently has about 30 million U.S. subscribers but that Netflix has a number of competitive advantages over the cable network. It’s unbundled, so users don’t need to buy it in conjunction with an expensive cable package; it offers a wider selection of content, including kids shows and anime; and it comes with a personalized UI that works on multiple devices. “Netflix USA should grow to 2-3x of HBO,” he concluded.
The presentation includes a number of other interesting tidbits:
It’s worth noting that this is the second edition of this particular presentation, if only to point out one interesting omission: The previous version, posted by Hastings two years ago, predicted that DVD shipments will continue to grow for a few more years, after which they’ll slowly decline. This time around, DVDs aren’t even mentioned.
Check out the entire presentation below:Netflix Business Opportunity View more presentations from Reed Hastings
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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Brand: Highsnobiety Gate Zero
Release Date: The drop is available now at our store in Zurich Airport and will be hitting our online store tomorrow, November 17.
Editor’s Notes: Highsnobiety has been in the merch game for a while now, offering readers our own branded product as well as the very best of our favorite brands, but on Monday we hit a new milestone — opening our own physical store. For six months, Highsnobiety has a brick and mortar location at Zurich Airport complete with a curated selection of products and exclusive releases from over 20 brands.
Of course, we had to release a capsule collection to celebrate this momentous moment. Drawing on classic imagery from the region — think Swiss Army Knives, The Sound of Music-esque landscapes and traditional alpine flowers — we put together a collection of wear-anywhere tees, hoodies, long-sleeves and tote bags that will upgrade your next airport drip. See the lookbook above, check out the store if you're in Zurich and get excited for the online drop, arriving November 24.


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By Mario GearVLogz
My thoughts on youtuber samcrac-vs-dominos over a salvaged chevy spark dxp delivery vehicle. The website jalopnik has an article on their site regarding the recent legal issues that fellow youtuber Samcrac is having with dominos over the rebuild of one of their former dxp delivery vehicles. In my video I give you my take on this whole issue.
Link to my Video: https://youtu.be/l4SblOyW23s
Links to Samcrac YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Samcrac
Link to Jalopnik article: https://jalopnik.com/domino-s-franchise-threatens-youtuber-who-restored-dxp-1823859448


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A NEW multi-million pound leisure complex is finally underway in Oswestry.
Developers moved into the 32-acre site off Shrewsbury Road last week to begin work on the new livestock market which makes up part of the £45m facility.
Set to create 400 jobs, the final development will include a Morrisons supermarket, five-screen Cineworld cinema, two-storey McDonald’s and Frankie and Benny’s restaurant.
The development could open as soon as Summer 2015. A second phase of the non-food retail elements of the scheme will be introduced at a later date.
There will also be a shuttle bus between the site and Oswestry town centre.
Roy Jones, chairman of Oswestry Cattle Auctions, said this initial phase is due to finish in December when work on the leisure plots will begin.
He said: “This is the most major development that has happened in Oswestry for a very long time and it will have benefits for the town and into the town centre because it will retain people in the town that at the moment go shopping elsewhere.
“For me the cinema is the best part of the whole project because a lot of young people are looking forward to that and Frankie and Benny’s and McDonalds.”
Mr Jones says the development has been “a long time coming” after it was first packaged in 1999 and took four years to get planning permission.
He added: “We are pleased to see machinery on the ground now and this is good progress.”
The new market will include reception offices, store cattle sale ring and pennage, and a calf sales building, while the Pedigree Public House is moved into the present office accommodation following a “substantial” conversion.
The work is being carried out by Hewlett’s of Leeds and Minshalls.
The existing market will still be open throughout the development.
See full story in the Advertizer


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It is absolutely genius what five Clemson University students have done with their concept for Illuminate smartphone packaging, which adds to the existing purpose of printed cardboard wrappings to create something more meaningful than a brand's visual merchandizing. Together, Dan Hutcherson, Calvin Hutto, Brooks Patrick, Isaac Levin and Evan Funderburk have developed a box that harnesses solar energy to charge the handset inside of it.
The unique circular carton encourages user interaction, given the innumerable ways in which the lid can be applied to the base. A closer look in fact reveals that the perimeter of the top is perforated with significant spaces and the bottom is lined with a photovoltaic strip. Illuminate smartphone packaging encourages the consumer to hold onto the container for longer, because it can be used continuously to charge his mobile phone on the go.


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Nokia recently announced that the Nokia Lumia 610 will start rolling out in Asia beginning this week and ending a few weeks later. The roll out begins this week in the Philippines and will continue in the coming weeks through China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. The Lumia 610 will also arrive in many other regions this quarter, not just the specific regions mentioned.
The Lumia 610 will roll out through all locations in all four available colors: black, cyan, magenta and white. It will sell at an estimated retail price of EUR 189. The Lumia 610 is one of Nokia’s offered low-tier Windows Phones with 8 GB internal storage, 256 MB RAM, 5MP LED autofocus rear camera, and 3.7″ LCD display. It’s a great entry smartphone with the bonus of Windows Phone OS, perfect for any user.
“The Nokia Lumia 610 will introduce Windows Phone to a new generation of smartphone users, offering something very different to the monochromatic smartphones filling shelves today,” said Jo Harlow, Head of Smart Devices at Nokia. “PeopleHub, Nokia services and quality apps – coupled with a fast and friendly interface – will make for a great smartphone experience at a great price.”


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The industry will benefit from growing commercial and multifamily residential construction
New York, NY (PRWEB) October 12, 2014
The Structural Metal Product Manufacturing industry produces fabricated joists, concrete reinforcing bars and metal plate work, among other products. Industry products are essential for strengthening and evening out concrete foundations and for framing roofs and floors to walls. Therefore, they are heavily used in the construction of commercial buildings and multifamily (apartment) buildings. They are also used in utility and infrastructure projects. Rising construction activity is expected to spur revenue growth for the industry in the next five years.
Nonetheless, the Structural Metal Product Manufacturing industry has faced its share of challenges over the past five years, the first of which is steel price volatility. Over two-thirds of industry products are made of steel, making the price of steel immediately relevant to operators. IBISWorld Economic Analyst Amal Ahmad says “although rising steel prices raise the cost of raw material purchases, they also boost the value of inventory, enabling operators to raise selling prices and boost revenue.” In 2011, strengthening global demand and limited global supply pushed steel prices upward; this, combined with stronger construction activity, boosted operator revenue by double digits. However, oversupply has since subdued steel prices, lowering the value of inventory and slowing down revenue growth. Rising import levels have also constrained revenue growth. An increasing share of domestic demand for structural metal products is being fulfilled by more price-competitive imports from the United States and China. Import penetration has been encouraged by slight appreciation of the Canadian dollar over the period. In response, the industry has been consolidating, with fewer companies generating a greater share of industry revenue. This has helped the industry maintain profit margins over the period, despite rising competition.
Going forward, the industry is expected to continue benefiting from growing commercial and multifamily residential construction. “In addition, the Canadian government's multibillion-dollar plan for infrastructure investment over the next decade will propel demand for metal products for utility construction,” Ahmad says. However, growth will remain constrained by global oversupply of steel, volatile metal prices and rising import competition. Overall, IBISWorld expects revenue to grow over the next five years.
For more information, visit IBISWorld’s Structural Metal Product Manufacturing in Canada industry report page.
Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld
Friend IBISWorld on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189
IBISWorld industry Report Key Topics
This industry manufactures a variety of structural metal products for use in building and infrastructure construction markets. Products include fabricated bar joists, concrete reinforcing bars, metal plate work, railway sections and structural panels for bridges, boats and ships.
Key External Drivers
Industry Life Cycle
Products & Markets
Products & Services
Globalization & Trade
Market Share Concentration
Key Success Factors
Cost Structure Benchmarks
Barriers to Entry
About IBISWorld Inc.
Recognized as the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US and Canadian industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.


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This is unbelievably heartwarming.
A whole community in Istanbul, Turkey learned sign language to surprise their neighbor, Muharrem, as part of an ad for Samsung, who is launching a video call center for the hearing impaired. Yes, it's an ad, but this is another one of those advertisements you don't want to skip. Just watch:
Muharrem's sister was their contact for the event.
His face right here says absolutely everything:
To everyone who helped make Muharrem's day, and pull this whole thing off:


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The holidays are over and work is expected to resume in earnest. For the tech industry, manufacturers should begin to announce dates for the launch of new products. A large number of these products will be announced at the all-virtual CES 2021 event which begins on January 11. However, some other announcements or product launches will happen outside of the annual tech show.
Xiaomi is one of those who has a launch scheduled for the first work week of the year and it is for the Indian-exclusive Mi 10i smartphone. The phone which will sport a 108MP primary rear camera will be unveiled on Tuesday, the 5th of January. Ahead of the launch, Xiaomi has already sent out review units, and we are sure a number of you have already seen photos of the phone. For those who haven’t, the Mi 10i is practically a rebadge of the Chinese Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G albeit with special features for the Indian market.
Alongside Xiaomi, Samsung also has an event scheduled for the first week in January. The Korean Giant has an event on Wednesday, January 6 which has been reported to be an early CES 2021 event. Samsung is expected to announce new TVs and new display technologies. Maybe, we will see a new cool TV like the Sero which can rotate to switch between portrait and landscape modes.
Chinese phone accessories manufacturer, ZMI, also has a product launch set for January 6 and according to teasers, the new product is supposed to be a power bank with a total power output of 200W. The portable battery pack has been reported to be able to output 120W of power from one of its ports. Like other ZMI products, this will be launching in China first.
ALWAYS BE THE FIRST TO KNOW – FOLLOW US!


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Cancun Eases Restrictions As Spring Break Approaches
The Governor of Quintana Roo has announced an easing of restrictions for Cancun, Playa Del Carmen and Tulum as the Mexican Caribbean prepares for an influx of travelers for spring break. State governor Carlos Joaquin announced that the state epidemiological light will change from orange to yellow which allows for more occupancy at hotels, restaurants and beaches.
India may open up for tourists from ‘Covid-free’ nations soon
India could soon reopen its doors to foreign tourists from countries where the Covid situation is under control, by following all required health protocol. Government officials on Thursday said inter-ministerial talks are on for a “calibrated resumption of tourist visas on a country-specific basis”. Owing to Covid, India had in last March suspended most visas issued to foreigners. Later, it allowed foreigners with certain visa types — except tourist — to travel here.
MEXICO REOPENING FOR TOURISM: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Mexico officially began reopening its vacation destinations for tourism as of June 8th, 2020. The resort destinations of Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos Tulum, Oaxaca and Mazatlan have all reopened their hotels and beaches for tourists.


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Almost a year after the 2023 Corvette Z06’s official introduction in the United States, General Motors has announced that the most radical C8 Corvette variant introduced to date has just made its public debut in the Middle East.
The new 2023 Corvette Z06 made its first public appearance in the Middle East during a special automotive event called the Automoto Show at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, which ran from Friday, October 7th to Sunday, October 9th. This marks the first time the Corvette C8 Z06 has been shown locally ahead of its planned regional launch early next year.
In collaboration with Bin Hamoodah Auto, the official Chevrolet dealership in the iconic city of Abu Dhabi, the automaker showcased the 2023 Corvette Z06 for the first time to the public in the United Arab Emirates with a special exhibition celebrating the iconic legacy of the Corvette. As such, the introduction of the high-performance version was supported by the presence of a variety of models spanning all eight Corvette generations.
Specifically, the special display of the 2023 Corvette Z06 at the Abu Dhabi Automoto Show included a single Hypersonic Gray Metallic Coupe-bodied example flanked by 12 collector units of its predecessors, from a legendary first-generation Corvette C1 to the latest Corvette C8 Stingray. The unit on display was enclosed in a glass circle, so visitors to the event could only see it from a distance.
In addition to its more radical and streamlined design, the 2023 Corvette Z06 stands out as having the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine ever offered in a production vehicle. It’s the new naturally aspirated 5.5L V8 LT6 engine that puts out an impressive 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, which GM says allows the Z06 to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds.
The 2023 Corvette Z06 will officially launch in the Middle East early next year, when it is scheduled to arrive and go on sale in Chevrolet’s dealer network in Southwest Asian countries. Full details on C8 Corvette Z06 trims, pricing and specific equipment in that region will be released closer to the regional launch date.


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During National Consumer Protection week, March 1-7, Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is releasing his office’s general Top Ten Consumer Complaints received by the office in 2019.
“Our Consumer Protection Division is working every day to address issues plaguing consumers and businesses relating to consumer issues,” said Ravnsborg. “The Division works to educate South Dakotans on how to detect fraud, and what their next steps are. Recognition and notification are the first steps to prevention.”
”Whether you are looking for ways to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft and scams, or are looking for the best way to use credit, I encourage you to visit the Division’s website at www.consumer.sd.gov,” said the Ravnsborg.
You can also get a free hard copy of the new Consumer Protection Handbook, by calling 1-800-300-1986, or emailing [email protected]. The Division can also give presentations to organizations or groups upon request. If interested, contact them at 1-800-300-1986 or [email protected].
The Office of the South Dakota Attorney General and the Division of Consumer Protection help all South Dakotans to not fall victim to scams. They remind consumers to stay vigilant when it comes to protecting themselves.
Jody Gillaspie is the director of the Division of Consumer Protection. According to her, the 2019 top 10 areas of consumer complaints are:
- 1. Retail Sales – consists of work-at-home, computers/software, cable providers, retail general, cell phones, vets/pets, unsolicited mail, photography, gift cards, memberships, boats, moving companies.
- 2. Landlord/Tenant – can consist of deposit issues, repair work, evictions.
- 3. Credit Reporting – credit card companies, collection issues, debt adjusting/consolidation, inaccurate credit reporting, garnishments.
- 4. Auto – new, used, title issues, lease/rental, extended warranty, financing, repairs, camper/motorhome, repossession.
- 5. Health Fraud – billing, pharmaceutical issues, medical provider, healthcare claims & products, devices/equipment.
- 6. Travel – flights/airlines, motel, hotel, campgrounds, timeshares, vacation packages.
- 7. Home Repair – landscaping, windows, roofing, electrical, painting, remodel, contractor/subcontractors, plumbing, new construction, new mobile home, concrete, floor coverings, new modular home.
- 8. Internet Goods – fraud, auctions, pets/animals, websites, retail, gambling, providers.
- 9. Telemarketing – Do Not Call, fraud, sweepstakes, magazines, extended warranties, collection scams, buz op scams, grant scams, business to business, trial offers, etc.
- 10. Predatory Lending – mortgage, loans, banking entities, student loans, foreclosure, payday/title loans, usuary laws.


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September 16, 2009
In June this year, Yahoo’s CEO Carol Bartz said the company sold its search business to Microsoft because, according to a New York Times report, “Yahoo could no longer continue to match the level of investment Google and Microsoft were making in searching”, and instead has plans to invest in the company’s display ad, content and mobile services technologies.
However, it is now praying for deliverance from the Justice Department that antitrust regulators approve the deal. There are also reports that the company’s executives are offloading their shares at a time when confidence in the company needs to be bolstered. But the big question is, what would happen to Yahoo if the deal were to be scotched?
Ms Bartz suggested in a bizarre interview that Yahoo isn’t a search engine company and denied it ever was one. She also said that she would have sold the company to Microsoft and, when asked what’s next for Yahoo, unbelievable as it may sound, she replied, “search isn’t what we’re after…I don’t wake up in the morning and say ‘Gosh, what am I going to search?’ That’s not what I do. I wake up and say, ‘What’s happening?’ And that’s really what Yahoo is. We really want to be the centre of peoples’ online lives.”
While it is understandable that Yahoo could no longer continue to fund search at the levels of Google and Microsoft, the Microsoft-Yahoo deal has stalled. According to Yahoo’s financial news site, US antitrust regulators have “requested more documents” in their probe of the Microsoft deal to provide search engine technology to Yahoo, with experts expecting it to get “close scrutiny from regulators”, but concluded it should eventually be approved but that it will take months.
Although these antitrust problems exist, Microsoft says that it is confident in its ability to persuade the regulators that more competition in the market is a good thing and that this deal will ensure that its race to catch up with Google has the “best interests of the market”.
Perhaps the deal is not so much in doubt, but what would happen if the antitrust regulators fail to approve the move? It would simply leave Yahoo, and particularly Ms Bartz, between a rock and a hard place with no alternative in place.
On the face of it, Justice Department interest in the deal is somewhat strange in that a merger of two companies’ technologies to compete with the market leader doesn’t really smack of antitrust. But perhaps the regulators just want to further the probe into the effects on advertisers? Anyway, some analysts believe the Justice Department will force both companies to put Yahoo’s search technology assets up for auction in order for the deal to go through.
Microsoft and Yahoo representatives have also said they were hopeful that the deal to challenge Google would close early next year, but with Google’s search market share as much as 65% of the US market and up to 90% internationally, and with Yahoo’s about 19% in the US, the deal has a long way to go yet before it makes any real impact.
The antitrust probe is not the only problem affecting the company: executives are also offloading shares. With the furore about antitrust and Yahoo’s business model, it is claimed that Carol Bartz and other Yahoo’s executives have sold out their shares. Ms Bartz sold $830,000 of Yahoo stock in March and a further $1.4m in June, or 46% of her share options, for almost $2 million.
All this comes on top of reports that Ms Bartz fired off an angry internal memo after it was disclosed that Yahoo shareholder Carl Icahn sold 12 million shares in the company. In the memo she told employees to “get out of the sugar low – we have work to do. Stop staring at our navels, stop arguing with each other. Stop debate, debate, debate, and let’s focus on the competition.”
And it’s not just Carol Bartz and Carl Icahn who are selling Yahoo shares. General Manager Mike Callahan also sold $1.35 million in shares the past year. As Yahoo investor Eric Jackson of Ironfire Capital remarked: “Two million already cashed out for Bartz is too much, too soon.” He added, “it doesn’t really fit with her ‘I didn’t need this job as I was retired’ image she portrays”.
Yahoo’s response was that Ms Bartz needed the money to pay a hefty tax bill. So, instead of building confidence in the company at this vital time and holding on to stock, Yahoo’s shareholders get to pay her taxes. But whatever rationale is attached to all this, it doesn’t exactly make Yahoo look like a very attractive investment at the moment.
The sale of these shares alone may well have left Yahoo’s investors wondering about Carol Bartz’s long-term loyalty and whether she still believes in the company. Maybe she cashed in her shares before the share price dips too low? Maybe other major shareholders will follow suit if Yahoo struggles and fails to turn its profitability around?
When you take a look at Yahoo’s finances, they are not looking that great. The Guardian recently published, “In its latest financial results, the company said that revenue for the past three months was down 13% from the same period last year to $1.5bn, while profit rose slightly to $141m…Bartz’s influence appears to have had little impact on the company’s bottom line so far…”
But doesn’t this sound all too familiar? With the banks now back to the bonus culture, thestreet.com commented on Yahoo’s executives, “…Every director and officer there seems to have a congenital affliction that is forcing them to withdraw as much compensation as they can from the shareholders…As a casual observer, I’m simply galled at this pigs-at-the-trough behaviour.”
All this negative press must have Google ready to roll out the tanks if Yahoo shows any further signs of tripping over its own bootlaces. Unlikely, but should this merger be blocked, what would become of the search engine company that doesn’t do search?
John Sylvester is the media director of V9 Design & Buil (http://www.v9designbuild.com) and an expert in search engine optimization and web marketing strategies.


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BlackBerry OS 10.2, which is expected to arrive before the end of the year, was recently detailed by BlackBerry Product Manager Michael Clewley. According to Clewley, BB OS 10.2 will add support for unicode emoji, support for multiple alarms, a timer, and support for level 1 notifications. An SDK for BlackBerry OS 10.2 is expected to arrive in June, with the full operating system following several months later.
AT&T has added a new administration fee to the monthly bills of all its customers. The fee amounts to 61 cents, which, when multiplied across AT&T's entire customer base, amounts to about $500 million in extra revenue per year for the company. An AT&T spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the fee is less than that charged by its competitors. It went into effect May 1.
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HTC today announced that the HTC One smartphone is its first HTCpro Certified smartphone. Devices certified as HTCpro meet certain security standards that make it more appealing as a choice for business customers. Chiefly, it meets the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 and offers 256-bit encryption. Further, it includes IPsec VPN for accessing corporate networks securely, and includes mobile device management APIs that can be used by businesses to control the One remotely. The One is available from AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile USA.
Samsung today indicated through one of its official Twitter accounts that the Verizon variant of the Galaxy S 4 is now available. It costs $199.99 for the 16GB model with a new contract.
SoftBank has signalled to the U.S. government that it will let officials elect a new person to Sprint's board of directors. This person would be responsible for overseeing national security concerns. The move is an unusual concession on SoftBank's part, and is being taken to allay U.S. governmental fears about foreign country ownership of a telecommunications company. The government is also pursuing the right to approve certain telecommunications equipment purchases, and wants Sprint to remove Chinese equipment from its affiliates. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has already approved the deal, but it is still undergoing review within the U.S. Departments of Justice, Defense, and Homeland Security, in addition to the FBI. The deal must also be cleared by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.
Google continues to make small improvements to its Chrome browser for the Android platform and today it was updated to version 27. The latest stable release changes the search omnibox to show the search terms rather than the search URL, and makes it easier to jump to other searches in the search history. The app now also allows for full-screen browsing. Last, Google says the browser loads pages 5% faster. Google said that a new version of Chrome will soon be available to Apple's iPhone and iPad, and will bring with it voice search tools built into the browser. Google also updated the Google Play Magazines application and gave it a brand new user interface for the magazine library. Both Chrome and Play Magazines for Android are free to download from the Google Play Store.
Twitter today increased the security it offers to users of its microblogging platform by adding two-step authentication to the sign-in process. The process requires that users add a mobile phone number to their account. With the two-step authentication enabled, Twitter will send an SMS to that number with a code that must be entered in addition to the username and password in order to gain access to the Twitter account. The code will be sent each time the person logs in via the web, but is not required for subsequent sign-ins through Twitter apps. This new security feature is optional.
Verizon Wireless today announced a new company called Viva Movil, which is meant to help address the Latino population in the U.S. The company was founded by Jennifer Lopez, who serves as its chief marketing officer. Viva Movil is a partnership between Brightstar Solutions, for distribution, and Moorehead Communications, a Verizon Wireless retailer. The company will use social networking and online commerce to connect with the Latino population. The company is a retail chain that sells Verizon phones and tablets on Verizon's network with Verizon service plans. The stores will be designed in a way so that they are appealing to the Latino community, and all staffers will be bilingual. The company's web site is up and taking orders, and the first Viva Movil retail store will open on June 15 in New York City. Other markets, such as Los Angeles and Miami, will follow throughout the year.
Cricket today showed a sneak peek of two Samsung phones coming this summer. The Admire 2 sports a 4-inch screen and 4G LTE, while the Galaxy Discover is more basic with its 3.5-inch screen and stock Android interface. We checked them out. Read on for our first impressions.
Google today announced the availability of a new version of its Drive app for Android devices. Google Drive has been updated with a number of user interface tweaks to make it easier and faster to access files and documents. Documents are now laid out in cards that offer large previews of the content within the document. Users can swipe from card to card and document to document, viewing previews as they go. The app now also lets users download and store copies of files to their Android device. Another new feature of Google Drive lets Android device users snap photos of documents, which are then converted into PDFs and automatically uploaded to Drive for safe keeping. Google says that Drive's optical character recognition feature will allow the text of those documents to be searchable. Last, Google Drive for Android updates the editing tools for spreadsheets, making it less cumbersome to make changes from mobile devices. The new version of Google Drive for Android is free to download from the Google Play Store.
Samsung today confirmed that it has made a $48 million investment in competitor Pantech, which gives it 10% ownership of the company. "The investment is aimed at solidifying our relationship with Pantech, a key component customer of Samsung," said the company in a statement. "Samsung will have no involvement in Pantech’s business management in any way or form." The two competitors already collaborate on semiconductor and display technologies. Pantech sells a mix of feature phones and smartphones in the U.S. through AT&T.
Clearwire's board of directors has approved Sprint's increased bid for the company. It is recommending that shareholders vote in favor of accepting the bid and allowing Sprint to purchase the remaining portion of Clearwire that it does not already own. Sprint increased its offer for Clearwire from $2 billion to $2.5 billion to win over investors unhappy with the original offer.
At a press briefing this morning, Cricket revealed that it plans to enable LTE roaming later this year on bands 4 (1700) and 25 (1900). Band 25 LTE is used exclusively by Sprint in the U.S. Band 4 (AWS) is used by many carriers, including T-Mobile, AT&T, and soon, Verizon. The Samsung Galaxy S 4 will be Cricket's first phone to support band 25 roaming.
Cricket today announced plans to offer two new Samsung Android phones this summer: the Admire 2 and the Galaxy Discover (already offered in a GSM variant by Net10.)
- The Admire 2 is a new, mid-range Android phone with 4G LTE, 4-inch display, 5-megapixel camera, memory card slot, and Samsung's TouchWiz interface and camera features on top of Android 4.1. U.S. Cellular carries it as the Axiom.
- The Galaxy Discover is a basic Android phone with a 3.5-inch display, 3-megapixel camera, memory card slot, and stock Android 4.0 interface.
Cricket today announced that it will start selling the Samsung Galaxy S 4 on June 7 for $599.99. A financing option starts with a $59.99 down payment, plus monthly payments.
Verizon Wireless has begun selling more specific data generated by its customers to third-party companies, reports the Wall Street Journal. The data being offered includes details such as locations, travels, demographics, and web-browsing habits. The data is anonymized, so it can't be identified to individual customers, and is packaged in groups of customers rather than by person. The data, which is compiled by a company called Precision Media Insights, is sold to organizations such as the government, malls, billboard owners, and stadiums, which can then gain a better understanding about the people who frequent their businesses, what they're doing, and the general area in which they live. Verizon warned customers in 2011 that it might use their data in this manner. The Journal reports that subscribers can opt out via Verizon's web site. Information about government and corporate clients is not shared, and Verizon says that it complies with applicable laws regarding customer privacy. The Journal says that AT&T is looking to sell similar customer location data, but has not yet chosen to do so.
Coolpad announced the Quattro II on the sly during an event at the CTIA trade show. Phone Scoop took a quick look at the company's latest low-cost wonder.


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A U.S. judge has denied Apple’s preliminary injunction, which would have immediately stopped online retailer Amazon from using the term “App Store” even before the case goes to trial, reports Reuters.
Apple claims it owns a trademark on “App Store”, which is the name of the company’s application market place launched in 2008. Apple first took legal action in March after Amazon announced it was launching an app store of its own called the “Amazon Appstore for Android.” Apple then filed a motion claiming that Amazon’s store would cause customer confusion.
Amazon argued that the term is generic, which U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton did not agree with, according to an order released on Wednesday. Yet, because Apple has not established “a likelihood of confusion” with Amazon’s services, Hamilton denied the injunction.
Previously, Hamilton hinted that Apple would “probably” lose its motion against the online retailer. A trial date is set for October 2012 to determine a final verdict on Apple’s motion, according to court documents.


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The coronavirus has already lead to factory shutdowns in China and MWC's cancelation, and now Reuters reports that Samsung was forced to close a South Korean factory after an employee had been tested positive to the virus. The company hopes to resume most of the production on Monday and has placed colleagues who came in contact with the infected in self-quarantine and is currently monitoring their health. Read More
The coronavirus outbreak is shaking up the tech world, leading to factory and store shutdowns all over China. This could mean we'll see some production shortages, but fears of the virus spread also have more tangible effects. Many companies have decided to withdraw from or limit their availability at MWC 2020, slated to begin February 24. To hinder contamination, the fair organizer GSMA has put a vast number of actions in motion to keep attendees as safe as possible. Read More
In what is an increasingly dismal downward spiral, MWC 2020 appears to be on the verge of collapse. The fate of the world's biggest smartphone event, an annual convention held in Barcelona for a decade, will allegedly be decided on Friday. That this news comes on the day of Samsung Unpacked and the launch of the Galaxy S20 feels especially... weird.
The show has been threatened by the fear and paranoia surrounding the Chinese coronavirus epidemic, which topped 42,000 cases by Tuesday. The number of companies withdrawing from MWC as a result of concerns about a global pandemic stemming from the convention also grows daily now. Read More
The novel coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 20,000 people, killed hundreds, and has put millions of people in China under quarantine is increasingly affecting travel not just within, but into and out of the country. Nearby countries are handling cases and deaths of their own. All of this could throw a wrench into the Mobile World Congress as the trade show is set to begin in Barcelona on February 24. Two major participants, LG and ZTE, have announced that they won't be there. Read More


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A ROADSHOW to boost independent traders sweeps into the west and south of the county next week.
The Small Business Saturday UK bus tour will spend Monday [November 14] morning in Carterton, before moving to Thame in the afternoon.
It hosts activities, workshops and exhibitions to boost awareness of Small Business Saturday on December 3 – the busiest shopping day of the year.
Between 10am and 12.30pm on Monday, Carterton’s Market Square will be full of stalls offering services for small firms.
On board the bus will be workshops from Stefan Thomas, author of Business Networking for Dummies and Caroline Drake from Blossom Social Media.
This is the fourth roadshow - last year’s came to Oxford’s Bonn Square.
Business woman and town councillor Sarah Scott-Stovold [correct] lobbied organisers to include Carterton.
Ms Scott-Stovold, marketing manager for the town’s Chamber of Trade and business manager for family-run garage Auto Repair, said: “We went to see the roadshow in Oxford last year and it was excellent.
“We thought it would be amazing if we could bring it to Carterton.”
After months campaigning, aided by Mayor Lynn Little and West Oxfordshire District Council business development officer Will Barton, she succeeded.
She said: “I was so excited when they phoned to tell me the bus would be coming.
“It is a brilliant opportunity for local businesses to come together and take advantage of this networking opportunity.“
Oxfordshire Business Enterprise, Jennings Business Mentors and Oxfordshire Apprenticeships will be among stallholders offering support.
Mr Barton explained: “It’s a good opportunity for small businesses to get together to find out what support is available and how they can all work together on Small Business Saturday.”
Stefan Thomas, who runs his networking firm from Carterton, said: There are loads of businesses in Carterton but we are a really small town, even compared to Witney.”
He added: “Whether butcher, baker or candlestick maker, there are others facing exactly the same challenges as you.
““This is not just about support for businesses, it’s about creating a sense of community.”
In Thame High Street, from 2pm to 4pm, activities will include a free workshop hosted by not-for-profit Do it Digital on Google and Street View.
The roadshow, which includes 29 stops, started in Aberdeen last month and ends in Bournemouth on November 25.
It is part of the Small Business Saturday campaign, which encourages shoppers to spend their cash in independents, rather than chain stores.
The not-for-profit promotion, backed by government and local councils, showcases 100 independents on social media in the three months leading up to December 3.
Those chosen this year include Oxford High Street gift shop Podarok [ok].
For more information, see smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com


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Is this the end of the Call Center Era in PH?
India is bound to get back what was once theirs.
The land of Bollywood was also once the land of call center hubs in the 90′s, until businessmen discovered Philippines—a Southeast Asian country whose people have unexpectedly natural, clear-cut American accents.
Since then, the country has been the top destination for business process outsourcing (BPO), focusing mainly on the customer and technical support arm of several companies.
In a report by Economic Times India, the country’s Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry said they lost almost 50 percent of the international voice center business to Philippines during its boom some seven to eight years ago.
Now, India is aiming to reclaim the crown, because of the Philippines’ rising attrition (reduction of strength and effectiveness of the worker through pressure), costs of labor, and large number of clients being served from a small region, leading to different business risks.
Aside from this, “purevoice services” are becoming a thing of the past, and newer multichannel openings, such as email and chat will be better suited up for India.
Quoting more from the report:
Business process outsourcing companies also point out that Indian employees are better at jobs that require some aspect of sales, as clients look to convert their call centres from purely a cost centre to a unit that could also drive some revenue for them.
Despite the migration, businessmen clarified that not all of the work will be moving to India. According to a business executive who refused to be identified:
It will not all move back, because companies have invested in centres in the Philippines. But now India as an option is back on the table and clients are looking at it, which was not the case two years ago. Some incremental work is definitely coming here
But this is not a competition. Rather, it’s a joint effort for the BPOs that constitute a bulk of both countries’ economies:
“The Philippines had an edge in pure voice customer service. But if you have technology-enabled services for customer support, or for services like technology support, for that we see the centre of gravity moving back here,” said KS Viswanathan, vice-president at industry body Nasscom.


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I arrived at the BUILD event here in Anaheim, California, at about 8 a.m., an hour before the event. Already there was a mile-long line of developers crowding in front of 10 doors leading to the area where the first keynote would begin.
Extreme. And reminiscent of the craziness surrounding the Windows 95 launch back in the day.
The guy at the very front of the line--he was Cooper Power's Phil LaBar--told me he got there at 5 a.m.
By lunch, Microsoft senior vice-president of Windows Steve Sinofksy and other execs had shown us a slew of new features, which I detail here.
Here are some of my early impressions. Boot time is rapid--the demo showed a cold boot at eight seconds. And I loved the start screen in the new Metro UI.
To me, one of the biggest deals here is Windows 8 support for all of Microsoft's cloud-based services--Hotmail, Windows Live, and so on.
Another major advancement is Windows 8 support for touch and mobile devices -- most notably, tablets that don't have Intel inside. Execs showed three tablets running the developer preview version, launched today, of Windows 8. One was a prototype i5-based Samsung tablet. The other two tablets were based on Qualcomm's processor and the upcoming NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor.
Microsoft launched the Windows 8 Developer Preview today. Download it here in both 32 & 64-bit versions.
This is just part of what will be in Windows 8 on release. I'll be updating this piece. Stay tuned!
Larry Press is a senior contributor for BYTE. Email him at [email protected]


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Space RPG The Outer Worlds is now available on Steam and GOG. It's only $30, or 50% off the usual price, if you grab it before November 6.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with the Game Director for The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon to discuss the game's first piece of DLC, its inspirations, and much more!
The Outer Worlds, Obsidian Entertainment's surprise hit RPG, is getting its first major expansion, available now.
The Outer Worlds is getting its first DLC outing with the "Peril of Gorgon," and we got to go hands-on with the first hour. Here's what you need to know!
The first of two story DLCs for The Outer Worlds was announced during the Xbox showcase today, and with it comes a new asteroid, enemies, characters, and more.
The story of The Outer Worlds isn't over yet. Shyla, the Social Media Manager, confirmed that story add-ons (DLC) were on the way in 2020. It's unclear where the story will take us next.
There's a whole lot of cool weapons and armor in The Outer Worlds, and we have a list of the rarest.
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Wednesday, December 07, 2011
By Pranjal Gera
Mahindra & Mahindra sales jump 52.71 per cent in November
The country’s largest utility vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra has posted steep growth of 52.71 per cent during the month of November 2011. The Total sales of the company stood at 40,722 units during the month as compared to sales of 26,666 units in the November, last year.
The total sales of M&M in its base market India stood at 38,159 units in the month, as against 25,166 units of its cars sold in the same month last year; registering a sales growth of 51.63 per cent rise during the month.
In the utility vehicle segment, the company’s total sales was at 17,813 units in November as compared to 12,323 units in sold in the same month last year, accounting for a sales surge of 44.55%. The utility vehicle range of the company in the country includes Mahindra Scorpio, Mahindra Bolero, Mahindra Xylo and recently launched Mahindra XUV 500.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Rajesh Jejurikar, M&M Chief Executive (Automotive Division), said that the company is delighted with its massive surge in sales in November, wherein in spite of the market slowdown after the festive season, the firm has been consistently able to maintain its performance. All Mahindra brands are doing well, with the excitement around XUV 500 continues.
Exports of the company jumped to 2,563 units during the month as compared to 1,500 units during November, 2010, accounting for a sales surge of 70.87 per cent.


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Carrefour Bydgoszcz Urges Customers To Bring Bags, Containers For Groceries
Carrefour Polska has announced that customers in its Fordon Gallery store in Bydgoszcz can now bring their own containers and bags for grocery purchases.
It is the first store in the network to allow customers to buy products by weight in shoppers' own containers.
The Product Range
Customers can buy a range of products including meats, cheese, cabbage, and pickled cucumbers, as well as fruit and vegetables.
In the store, customers hand over their packaging containers to shopping assistants at respective counters, who weigh the products and add a label that can be scanned at the checkout counters.
The move is a part of the retail group's strategy to cut plastic consumption in product packaging.
By 2025, it aims to switch to own-brand packaging that can be recycled or composted.
The retailer also encourages customers to buy coffee in their own reusable cups in its 'Smacznie' bistro outlets, operating at Carrefour hypermarkets.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.


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A representative of TUI Group said the signing marks the tourism magnate's formal entry into the Hainan free trade port, adding that it will found an Asian-Pacific regional headquarters and joint venture here to further deepen its business relations with China and the Asian-Pacific region.
Milan Brglez, member of the European Parliament and the member of leadership of Slovenian Social Democratic Party said he was worried that the signing of the declaration could worsen relations between Slovenia and China.
The brazen practice of these American politicians has fully showcased the U.S.-style hypocrisy and bullying, revealing the ugly face of modern hegemonists, said the spokesperson.
China's economy has become more intertwined with the world, as shown by the remarkable increase in imports and exports in June, and growing trade with partners such as the ASEAN and the Belt and Road countries. Hyping up the theory that China is self-isolated not only goes against the facts, but also leads to many enterprises missing the opportunities of sharing the cake of China's growth.
It cited Apple as an example. "In a world where many homes in the west are cluttered with its devices, China also offers a vital source of fresh customers," said the article.
The Chinese side has proposed that the two countries draw up three lists respectively on cooperation, dialogue and issues that need proper management, and draw up a road-map for future interactions, he added.
Wang said that China firmly supports Malaysia in hosting this year's APEC meeting, and in striving to adhere to the purposes and principles of the APEC, build an open Asia-Pacific economy, uphold the spirit of an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and partnership, and formulate the Post-2020 Vision.
Some U.S. politicians seek to tarnish China's image, he said.
Though impacted by the novel coronavirus in Egypt, Beshr and his colleagues have been proceeding with their work. At the end of June, Beshr's team successfully signed a bonded warehouse lease agreement with a Chinese textile company.
"China's door to dialogue remains open. We are willing, in the spirit of equality and open-mindedness, to talk and interact with the United States, and resume dialogue mechanisms at all levels and in all fields," said Wang. ■
"Pompeo and his likes have time and again abused state power to bring down Chinese high-tech companies under the pretext of national security, which China firmly opposes," Wang said.


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Greens have unanimously backed proposals to stand against the Conservatives’ Trade Union Act and to give Trade Unions new rights to access workplaces, at their Autumn Conference in Birmingham.
The proposals, put forward by the Green Party Trade Union Group (GPTU), aim to combat increasing exploitation of workers. They come after efforts by outgoing Leader Natalie Bennett and new co-Leader Jonathan Bartley to draw attention to abuses of workers at firms such as Deliveroo.
The first successful proposal pledges to join in direct action against the Trade Union Act as it comes into force, a move first called for by Green Party MP and co-Leader Caroline Lucas, whilst the second calls for a new statutory right of access for Trade Unions to enter unorganised workplaces and speak to workers.
Kieron Merrett, the Green Party’s Trade Union Liaison Officer, said:
“In the Green Party, we know that the best way to stop abuse and exploitation in the workplace is to enable workers to get organised in Trade Unions, so they can make their own claims and campaign for their own improvements in pay and conditions.
“But legislation in the UK is infamously restrictive, making it harder for Trade Unions to access the most vulnerable workers. That’s why the Green Party has pledged to join in direct action against the Trade Union Act as it comes into force, and to call for new rights for Trade Union representatives to access workplaces and organise the most vulnerable workers.
“The Green Party has confirmed that, to promote equality and protect workers, we need to support the Trade Union Movement and enable it to do what it does best.”
Clare Keogh, Co-Chair of the Green Party Trade Union Group, said:
“Many workers are now employed in new types of workplaces without any history of unionisation – particularly young workers and migrants. It’s no coincidence that these are the workplaces where the worst abuses are taking place.
“To put a stop to this, legislation and government action simply aren’t enough – workers must be organised in Trade Unions. It’s much more difficult to undo unionisation in the workplace than it is to repeal legislation in Parliament.
“I’m delighted that the Green Party has given unanimous support to our proposals. Not only do Greens fully support the Trade Union movement, but there are also many active Trade Unionists in our party. We are the party for working people!”


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Sony has admitted, through the voice of its Worldwide Studios president, Shuhei Yoshida, that it’s quite hard to convince third-party developers to make games for its recently launched PlayStation Vita handheld console.
The PS Vita came out at the beginning of the year and was supported by a solid lineup of impressive games, ranging from first-party releases like Uncharted: Golden Abyss or Wipeout 2048, to third-party experiences, like Ubisoft’s Rayman Origins or Lumines: Electronic Symphony.
After a few months, however, releases for the PlayStation Vita have gotten rarer and rarer, as third-party developers are avoiding the console while blockbuster titles, like Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation
or Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified
, are still a few months away.
The boss of Sony’s internal studios, Shuhei Yoshida, has admitted that getting more developers interested in the PS Vita is a tough thing, as not a lot of third-party companies can see the value of getting a game on the handheld platform.
"We're having a more difficult time than we had anticipated in terms of getting support from third-party publishers, but that's our job. We will continue to talk to development communities and publishing partners and tell them why Vita can provide a great experience for the IPs they have," Yoshida told PlayStation The Official Magazine, via CVG
Yoshida quickly added that big upcoming games, like Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation, will prove to other developers the appeal of the PS Vita through its quality, which was already showcased in an impressive gameplay video
While Yoshida is trying to convince developers of the Vita’s value, sales of the handheld console haven’t been that great, so it’s getting tougher and tougher to make out the PS Vita as a successful product.
Hopefully, the portable device will experience a new wave of popularity this holiday season thanks to Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, and other franchises.


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If you're looking to trick out your Windows 8 PC, a monitor like this can really help.
The AOC e2251Swdn is new, not refurbished, and it features an LED-backlit display and three-year warranty.
As expected, ViewSonic has unveiled a 22-inch Android touchscreen desktop running the latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich.
The PL2210W doesn't have a lot of fancy features, but it does come with a three-year warranty. Can't beat that!
It's refurbished, yes, but it's available in black or way-cool white, and its base doubles as a wall mount.
Judging from a teardown by researcher IHS, the manufacturing costs of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus should help Apple maintain its margins -- among the highest in the smartphone market.
A new report says HTC is set to make the new Nexus 9 despite a lack of experience in building tablets.
Living with the iPhone 6, Part 3: In which Scott Stein sizes up the iPhones against his favorite portable game consoles and finds some interesting conclusions.
ViewSonic is planning a ridiculous 22-inch Android Ice Cream Sandwich-powered tablet. But that's nothing to Steve Ballmer's latest idea.
The matching curved soundbar for Samsung's curved UHD TV goes on sale for around $860.


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“There is a lot of momentum in the local music scene right now and it’s great to see so many people working together trying to build something positive.” Continue reading
The announcement was made at a company summit in the grand Germanic beer hall at their Seaport brewery last night, and CEO Rich Doyle celebrated the news and said the decision came after the company’s existing shareholder group sold 48% of its shares to an ESOP. Continue reading
The only local acoustic online music festival you’ll need. Continue reading
Unfortunately, watching a dude sporting a studio tan hover over his laptop doesn’t exactly make for a riveting show.
Enter the VJ. Continue reading
And there are always new cats stepping up. Continue reading


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Hawaii To Boost Its Green Energy By As Much As 10 Percent Through 158 Tesla Mega Batteries - True Activist
Hawaii collaborated with Tesla and have starting making way to supply their residents with enough energy, without harming the environment.https://www.trueactivist.com/hawaii-to-boost-its-green-energy-by-as-much-as-10-percent-through-158-tesla-mega-batteries-t1/
House Republicans Call in Hunter Biden to Testify on African Cobalt Mining and His "Expertise" on EV Batteries
House Republicans called in Hunter Biden to testify on the Oversight and Reform Committee due to his experience in African cobalt mining. Cobalt is used in the manufacturing of car batteries. According to Ranking Member James Comer, Hunter Biden secured a contract with the Chinese Communist regime d..https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/house-republicans-call-hunter-biden-testify-african-cobalt-mining-expertise-ev-batteries/
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is not going the way Moscow intended, and one reason for that is a small, inexpensive Turkish combat drone. Ukraine’s small fleet of Bayraktar TB2 drones are giving the bear a good kicking, destroying surface-to-air missile batteries, fuel convoys, and other targets vital to Russia’s war effort. The drone, first flown in 2014, has destroyed 796 targets in five wars across Syria, Ukraine, and Ethiopi
The Bayraktar TB2 Drone Has Become an Unlikely Hero in Ukraine
The drone is fast becoming a legend as it punches above its weight in a war for national survival.https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a39375014/bayraktar-drone-ukraines-guerrilla-air-force/?utm_campaign=socialflowFBPOP&utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=facebook
Fitbit Recalls 1 Million Ionic Watches After Burn Injuries (VIDEO)
The company announced a voluntary recall "out of an abundance of caution."http://www.newsy.com/stories/fitbit-recalls-1-million-ionic-watches-after-burn-injuries/
Tesla Cybertruck Prototype Spied With Side Mirrors, Possible Rear Wheel Steering
The Tesla Cybertruck is one of the most hotly anticipated electric pickups coming to market. And although deliveries ...https://www.theepochtimes.com/tesla-cybertruck-prototype-spied-with-side-mirrors-possible-rear-wheel-steering_4057970.html
"Until recently, US auto companies sourced nearly all of their batteries overseas. USMCA changed that. Under the agreement, an automobile cannot qualify for duty free treatment unless 40 percent of the content (45 for a truck) is manufactured by workers earning at least $16 per hour. Advanced batteries of the kind that will power new energy vehicles comprise such a high percentage of the value of these vehicles that it will be almost impossible for auto companies to qualify them under the agreement without sourcing the batteries in the United States. And in order to take advantage of a longer transition time available under the agreement, most auto companies have committed to qualifying their entire North American fleet—regardless of where the vehicles are manufactured and traded.
The result we are seeing is a Renaissance in US battery production. SK Innovations announced a $2.6 billion new facility in Georgia that will open later this year. And just yesterday SK and Ford announced an $11 billion investment in Tennessee and Kentucky. Without USMCA—and the Trump Administration’s strong actions to push back against China’s unfair trade practices—this new investment and the thousands of good paying jobs that go with it would have gone to China or other low wage jurisdictions. Worker-focused trade policy works for America. More of America’s cars of the future will be built right here."
Multiple Rockets Launched at Kabul Airport
'US official confirms 2 suicide bombers were in explosive laden vehicle targeted by US drone strike today,' according to reports.https://www.westernjournal.com/multiple-rockets-launched-kabul-airport/


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Certified Pre-Owned Cars: Is 2023 a Good Year to Buy Them?
Buying a car can be stressful enough, but deciding between a new and a certified pre-owned (CPO) model can add to the headaches as you figure out which is best for you. A few short years ago, those on a budget tended to go with used cars because it could save them money. However, that’s no longer the case in this post-pandemic world, and you may spend less by buying a new vehicle.
Is 2023 a good year to buy a certified pre-owned car?
For those interested in a CPO vehicle, 2022 was a fantastic year to buy one. Even though used car prices increased at a painful rate in 2020 and 2021, prices dropped 8.8% in 2022, according to Forbes. While this may have seemed like good news for 2023, it appears this was a brief respite before prices began to rise once more.
All the progress we made last year toward decreasing the price of CPO models has been lost, since prices rose 8.6% in the first quarter of 2023. Predictions that used car prices would fall by 4.0% have been dashed and are now expected to increase by 1.6%. Because of this, 2023 is not a good time to buy a CPO vehicle.
Even though this is not the ideal time to buy a used car, there are some holidays when you can save money. Black Friday is the perfect time to buy a CPO car, as well as other holidays like Christmas or Memorial Day.
Why do certified pre-owned cars cost more than new vehicles?
It doesn’t make sense that used cars are selling for more than new ones. When you consider depreciation, added mileage, and any repairs, it seems clear that new vehicles should cost more. However, there are two significant reasons it doesn’t work out this way: demand and a lack of inventory.
Many popular vehicles on the market that are in high demand, like the Ford Bronco, aren’t readily available. Many potential buyers visit their local dealerships to purchase one, only to find no Broncos on the lot. If they order one, it could be months before they get one.
A lack of new vehicle availability can be very frustrating for buyers. However, the dealer might have some CPO models on their lot. Even though they cost more, some consumers who need a vehicle now are willing to pay. In some cases, Forbes reports this can be as much as 12.3% more than a new Ford Maverick, or $4,038.
CPO vehicles get another price bump because many are still under warranty, have lower mileage, and come with extra perks. Because of this, the demand for used vehicles has gone up, which can increase the cost even more. If you are selling a used car, this is a great time to do so. For those buying a CPO vehicle, you’re better off waiting for a deal.
Are certified pre-owned warranties worth it?
If you’re questioning whether you ought to get a warranty on a CPO vehicle, the answer is yes. It is the same as a new vehicle and will save you money on repairs for things like engine and transmission repairs.
The warranty won’t last as long as a new vehicle warranty would, but it definitely helps. Most CPO warranties will include a bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranty in addition to roadside assistance and trip interruption coverage.
However, this may be different depending on the dealer you get it from. You may be able to negotiate this with your dealer when you purchase. Just make sure you do so before you sign on the dotted line.


text: Ministers from five key World Trade Organization members moved to dampen expectations before a major trade summit in Hong Kong next month, acknowledging that they will likely not reach the goals set for the meeting. "There were wide disagreements," Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath told reporters at the end of a meeting he chaired Monday with the trade chiefs of the United States, the European Union, Brazil and Japan. Ministers are scrambling to reach tentative agreement on issues such as agriculture and access for manufactured goods to the international market before the 148 WTO members meet in Hong Kong from Dec. 13-18. That meeting is supposed to approve a detailed framework for a global trade treaty - but negotiators haven't even been able to produce a draft agreement yet. "It isn't that Hong Kong is going to be a failure. We are tempering expectations based upon the timing and the intricacy," said Nath. With only weeks to go before the Hong Kong meeting, ministers seemed to be trying to avoid the kind of crushing disaster they faced at the last WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in 2003. That meeting collapsed in disarray and acrimony, paralyzing the global trade body for months. The ministers stressed that they were not lowering their aims for the overall agreement - known as the Doha Round, for the Qatari capital where it was launched in 2001 - but it might take longer to get there. "We will not lower the level of ambition of the round. If necessary we may lower the level of expectation for Hong Kong," said Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. Negotiators from the five countries now travel to the WTO headquarters in Geneva, where on Tuesday they will share their discussions with a larger group of ministers. US Trade Representative Rob Portman said he was pleased to note that Monday's meeting didn't focus entirely on agriculture - as previous ones have done - but discussed other issues such as market access for manufactured goods and opening up service industries to international trade. "These other issues are quite important to the success of the round," he said. The United States and the European Union, under heavy pressure from developing countries to reduce farm subsidies and cut tariffs on agricultural products, have insisted that in turn they must see concessions from poorer nations on goods and services. "We need to make progress in other areas. We need to address the whole of the agenda if we are to make the progress we want to do," said EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson. India is less convinced, insisting that the first emphasis must be on agriculture - its major trade sector - and particularly in ensuring that poor nations get the help they need to increase their economies and ensure development. The treaty, when completed, would be binding on all WTO members, which is why it provokes such high emotion among negotiators. The round is already well behind its original December 2004 deadline. "This is a critical week for these negotiations, there's no two ways about that," said Keith Rockwell, spokesman for WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy.


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Yahoo beats Google in traffic for first time since 2011
By Melanie Hicken @melhickenAugust 22, 2013: 11:50 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
In the longstanding battle of Yahoo vs. Google, score one for theunderdog.
For the first time in more than two years, Yahoo sites were the most visited in the country in July, according to a monthly report from comScore, which tracks unique visitors to U.S. properties across the Web.
With 196.6 million visitors to 192.3 million who visited Google properties, Yahoo(YHOO) bested its competitor, which has long held onto the top spot, for the first time since May 2011. Yahoo's unique visitors were up by roughly 20% compared to July of last year, when it came in third behind Google and Microsoft(MSFT), according to comScore.
The comScore report is inclusive of desktop traffic only. A more comprehensive report is due out next week. Though Google typically beats Yahoo handily in mobile traffic, Mayer has noted that Yahoo has seen a recent uptick in mobile.
Since Mayer took the reins, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company has acquired more than a dozen start-ups, most notably Tumblr, and revamped a number of the sites.
Traffic for Tumblr -- which was the web's 28th most popular U.S. property in July, according to the report -- did not directly contribute to Yahoo's visitor tally, said Andrew Lipsman, comScore's vice president of industry analysis.
In an earnings call last month, Mayer noted that Yahoo page views were rising after more than a year of declines, citing recently refreshed versions of Yahoo mail, weather, sports, news and Tumblr, both on desktop and mobile.


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DFDS invests for the future with new Volvo FH trucks
DFDS upgrades its vehicle fleet with 57 new Volvo FH trucks. With improved fuel efficiency and driver safety, the new trucks will help DFDS optimize logistics flows and reduce the environmental footprint of road transport.
Volvo FH matches DFDS’ top priorities
The long-standing relationship between DFDS and Volvo Trucks continues with the investment of 57 new Volvo FH trucks. Fuel efficiency, driver safety, and reduced emissions are top priorities for DFDS and one of the reasons for the investment. The new trucks will be used for regional transport in Sweden.
Saving fuel and reducing emissions
Over the years, DFDS has made strategic decisions to invest in trucks with the highest Euro-class engines to reduce exhaust emissions and ensure optimal safety and efficiency. The Volvo FH engine meets the Euro 6 regulation and makes full use of the available energy at every stage.
The new Volvo FH trucks will be powered by HVO, a biodiesel made from 100 percent renewable raw materials. Combining HVO with the low emissions of Volvo Trucks’ Euro 6 engines will reduce fuel consumption and emissions heavily. By upgrading the fleet with the new trucks, DFDS will reduce its fuel consumption by 40 000 litres per year.
Improving driver experience and safety
The Volvo FH trucks are designed to be safe and comfortable over long distances. Dynamic steering helps the drivers avoid skidding and unintentional lane changes. Drivers can set the steering wheel preferences or use remote steering control.
An investment for the future
“It is great to once again partner with Volvo Trucks on the journey towards more sustainable road transport. The new investment will support DFDS in staying on top of the emission regulation while at the same time improving fuel efficiency and driver safety,” says Niklas Andersson, Executive Vice President & Head of Logistics Division.
Johan Selvén, Sales Director at Volvo Trucks Sweden, says, “We are very happy with this deal with DFDS. We have optimized our Volvo FH trucks for these routes with, for instance, smaller engines and a bigger focus on aerodynamics. It gives DFDS a more sustainable and efficient solution, including the service market. Similar engines and optimization of all trucks leads to lower fuel consumption and less environmental impact.”


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From the Guardian
Number attending funerals for 8 yeshiva students = thousands
Number attending funerals for over 120 Palestinians = they didn't say.
There are more than ten articles in the Guardian over the last two days on the killing of these eight Jewish seminarians. A couple of Guardian hacks even had the chutzpah to say that the killings might actually imperil the peace process.
Still it's not all doom and gloom in Israel. In Tel Aviv the fashion show goes on and Linda Grant (for it is she) even manages to slip a thinly veiled reference to the holocaust, lest we forget, into an article about how an Israeli is trying to revive the name of a sixties fashion designer Ossie Clarke.
And Ehud Barak seems to have got away with calmly announcing the ethnic cleansing of thousands of Palestinians from the north of Gaza since I can't see any mention of it in the anti-Israel Guardian. Of course they have to keep that out of the media for now because when it happens they can say that Israel somehow snapped and lost its innocence over the this "carefully planned atrocity [that] strikes at Israel's spiritual heart".
Julian Assange Speaks Out: The War On The Truth
13 hours ago


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Australia’s SMEs are increasingly turning to short-term freelancers in a bid to reduce their overheads, according to MYOB.
As part of its SME Snapshot for November, the cloud accounting provider surveyed 395 SMEs about the freelancing economy. Of the SMEs that had used a freelancer in the last six months, a majority (89%) indicated they are likely to do so again.
According to MYOB CEO Tim Reed, businesses have become more comfortable with a different approach to talent acquisition due to the “changing shape” of Australia’s workforce together with the rise of sharing economy platforms that make it possible to engage workers, representing a broad range of skills, from around the world.
“By taking advantage of freelancers, including remote workers, businesses owners can free themselves up to look for new opportunities for business growth, without sacrificing business profitability, customer service or losing peace of mind that important tasks aren’t being looked after,” he said.
“As indicated by an Upwork study, freelancers make up a third of the Australian workforce and has rapidly grown over the last decade. As small businesses become more tech-savvy and have easier access to freelancers, we expect that SME owners will continue to take advantage of this trend.”
While SMEs are most likely to source freelancers through recommendations from other small business owners (46%) and friends and family (44%), freelancer marketplaces are growing in influence, with 15% of small business owners stating they have found a freelancer through apps or websites such as Freelancer.com and AirTasker.
“Business owners are benefitting from the flexibility these resources can provide them, enabling them to scale when needed,” Reed said. “This trend will continue as small businesses continue to do more things online and digitally transform.”
Other key findings from the SME snapshot survey included:
- Business owners aged under 40 are the most open to engaging freelancers, with 74% stating they would consider usinga freelancer for specialised help with a task or project, compared with only 40% of business owners over 40.
- SMEs identified greater flexibility for seasonal businesses (47%) and access to different skillsets (41%) as the main advantages of hiring freelancers. Meanwhile, the cost of employing full-time staff was also a consideration, with 21% of respondents stating one of the benefits of freelancers is that they are cheaper
- The key disadvantages were perceived by SMEs to be freelancers not understanding their business (26%) and complex payment processes (10%).
- Businesses generating over $2 million in revenue are the most likely to engage freelancers – 20% had used a freelancer in the last month, compared with 14% of SMEs with revenue between $75,000 and $500,000.
- The SMEs in Victoria and NSW are leading the way when it comes to freelancer engagement (17%) compared to Tasmania (0%) and WA (9%).
- Manufacturing and wholesale trade sector was most likely to engage with freelancers (23%), followed by finance, property service (16%) and retail & hospitality, tied with construction (11%).