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By fall 2014, there will be 1,620 more hotel rooms for travelers visiting Las Vegas – as well as a Fred Segal-branded retail experience.
Construction of the SLS Las Vegas, which is part of the exclusive SLS Hotels brand by sbe, is beginning today at the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. It’s where the remains of the former Sahara Hotel & Casino, which closed in May 2011, stand awaiting a massive makeover.
Sbe describes SLS Las Vegas as “an all-encompassing, mixed-use resort and casino.” A Los Angeles-based hospitality company that develops and operates award-winning hotels, restaurants and nightlife venues, it has teamed up with the equity firm Stockbridge Capital Group of San Francisco to revitalize the property. In fact, the remainder of the more than $400 million in financing required for the project was secured earlier this week.
“It’s a proud day for sbe, our partners at Stockbridge and the Vegas community as we embark on a historic chapter for SLS Las Vegas,” said Sam Nazarian, the visionary founder, chairman and CEO of sbe. “We’re very excited to deliver a new idea to Vegas in terms of brands, approachability, operations and infrastructure, and to achieve our goal of helping to revitalize the north end of the Strip.”
Additionally, sbe has enlisted the talents of several leaders in the hospitality industry – such as design icon Philippe Starck, the globally acclaimed Gensler Architects and award-winning chefs José Andrés and Katsuya Uechi. All of them are pleased to celebrate the start of construction as well.
Plans call for SLS Las Vegas to showcase a collection of unique restaurants including The Bazaar by Andrés, Katsuya by Starck, Umami Burger and The Griddle Café, which is revered in L.A. for its oversized pancakes. Among the four nightlife experiences being created for the resort, sbe will reinvent Shelter, its original nightclub concept. The Sayers Club, considered L.A.’s most exclusive live music venue, will also have a presence. And, as mentioned above, there will be a 10,000-square-foot Fred Segal retail experience, featuring seven of the esteemed brand’s boutiques – so guests can expect to shop from a wide range of stylish merchandise.
SLS Las Vegas is becoming a member of sbe’s family of existing hotels comprised of the SLS Beverly Hills and SLS South Beach, along with The Raleigh (in South Beach) and The Redbury (in L.A.). More hotels are being developed in the U.S. in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Austin, Seattle and Washington, D.C., as well as in the Middle East and Asia.
“Sbe and SLS Hotels properties will be operational in every core urban market in America by the time SLS Las Vegas opens, which is an advantage no other hotel-casino owner on the Strip has,” said Sam Bakhshandehpour, the president of sbe. “Through our strategic expansion into markets like Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle, Boston, Houston and New York, we’re able to build considerable consumer awareness for the SLS Las Vegas product on a national scale.”
Indeed, SLS Las Vegas is a wonderful project. It’s expected to be a magnificent hotel and great addition to the city’s hotel scene. Located close to both Interstate 15 and downtown Las Vegas, the resort will be targeting everyone from young adults and hipsters to residents and traveling professionals.
“With our proximity to a resurgent downtown community and the convention center, and our mix of nationally relevant brands, SLS Las Vegas is ideally positioned to appeal to locals, destination tourists and conventioneers,” said Rob Oseland, the president of SLS Las Vegas. “Today is a day we’ve all been waiting for, and we’re thrilled to be a part of reinvigorating a legendary section of the Strip.”


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Scout & Molly,
an upscale women’s clothing, jewelry and accessory store based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, will open its first Wisconsin store at The Corners of Brookfield.
The addition of the out-of-state retailer is the latest tenant announcement to come from the developers of The Corners, a mixed-use development in the Town of Brookfield, which is expected to open in spring 2017.
The 400,000-square-foot project, which has been years in making, is located at Barker Road and I-94, and will include retail and restaurant space along with 244 apartments.
"We're excited to bring another first-to-Wisconsin retailer to The Corners,” said Jay Eck, vice president, Bradford Real Estate Services Corp.
, who is the development manager for project. “Scout & Molly’s is a welcome addition to our already exceptional line up of retailers.”
In August, The Corners announced
Free People, a bohemian women’s apparel store, Paper Source and Francesca’s had signed leases.
As previously announced, a Von Maur
department store will be the anchor tenant at The Corners and will occupy 140,000 square feet, Sendik’s
will open a 30,000-square-foot store and L.L. Bean’s first Wisconsin
store will occupy more than 15,000 square feet.
Other retailers that have been announced for The Corners include Anthropologie, Arhaus, Café Hollander, Evereve, lululemon athletica.

domain: news


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China FAW Group and Russia QUEEN GROUP jointly held a FAW Oley launch ceremony on May 20 in Moscow. It was reported that 20 local dealers, 15 potential users and 54 well-known Russian mainstream media attended the ceremony. The lowest price of Oley released at the ceremony was 430,000 rubles.
The newly launched Oley is an economic passenger car designed specially for Russian users. The model is characterized by fashionable appearance, top quality, high-tech and safety. Local dealers and media highly appraised three-box Oley model for its rich equipment and high performance-price ratio.
FAW Group is a leading global manufacturer of quality passenger cars, trucks, and buses. Established in 1953, the company is China's oldest and largest automotive group. Annual sales exceed one million units.


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Secure file sharing: Making BYOD viable for your business
Dec 15, 2015
Americans love their gadgets. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that around 68 percent of American adults have a smartphone right now, and that number is rapidly increasing every year. With so many people carrying around what is essentially a computer in their pocket, it's not surprising that a lot of organizations are allowing the bring-your-own-device trend to settle into their company.
BYOD is quickly picking up steam, with a Tech Pro Research survey finding that 74 percent of businesses already have or are planning to have employees use their own devices at work. That being said, BYOD is being seen by many as a major threat to company security. Employees simply aren't as vigilant about cybersecurity with their own devices as they are with company-owned ones, and certain IT professionals envision a lot of problems with letting employees bring their own equipment.
Employees just aren't reliable sometimes
One of the biggest security concerns about BYOD is how poorly many people treat their own property. Because the devices technically belong to the employee, many IT experts are worried that they may not treat the company information contained on their devices with the respect it deserves. To an extent, these professionals are right to be worried.
A infographic from IKEA found that 43 percent of Americans believe themselves to be unorganized. While this is a big enough problem when it comes to a messy workplace, being disorganized has more frightening implications for business owners that want to implement a BYOD policy. Due to the fact that smartphones allow for mobile file sharing, there is a very good chance that an employee working for a company utilizing BYOD would use their phone for work. This employee, if one of the 43 percent that identifies themselves as disorganized, could very easily leave said phone on a bus or a train.
If this phone were to fall into the hands of a nefarious individual, your company's private data would instantly be up for grabs. Are you ready for all of your business's private information to become public?
Secure file sharing with remote wipe is the solution
Although this is a very real concern about implementing a BYOD policy, it doesn't have to stop your company from allowing employees to bring devices from home. A secure file sharing system with a remote wipe option, like Memeo C1, is perfect for these kinds of situations. Once notified that the phone has been lost, an administrator can easily wipe the device of any company data instantly and from the comfort of the office.
BYOD is rapidly becoming a trend that is sweeping the business sector. Don't let security woes stop your company from taking advantage of it!


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Ferro-alloys.com：According to data released by CLARKSON, a British shipbuilding and shipping dynamic analysis agency, on the 9th, the number of new orders for global container ships this year is 2.446,992 million revised gross tonnage (66 ships), of which Korean shipping companies have won 49.1% of the orders.
Since the beginning of this year, global newbuilding orders have been 4.815303 million revised gross tonnage (169 ships), of which container ship orders have been 2.446,992 million revised gross tonnage (66 ships).
South Korean shipping companies have received a total of 2.496758 million revised gross tonnage (64 ships) this year, of which container ship orders amounted to 1,202,272 revised gross tonnage (22 ships), accounting for 49.1% of the global container ship orders.
In addition, South Korean shipping companies also accept orders for oil tankers (69,364,100 revised gross tonnage, 22 ships), liquefied petroleum gas carriers (245,348, revised gross tonnage, 11 ships), and other ship types (184,054 revised gross tonnage, 7 ships).
According to analysis, the surge in global ocean freight has pushed shipping companies to increase their investment in container ships. Shipping companies predict that economic recovery will push up throughput. Increased environmental protection efforts by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will also boost container ship orders.


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Tata Digital is in talks to buy a significant stake in hyperlocal delivery start-up Dunzo. The potential deal may value the platform anywhere between $150-200 million. This platform is backed by big players in the market like Google, Blume Ventures, and Lightbox, to name a few.
The hyperlocal delivery start-up Dunzo Digital Pvt. Ltd, had earlier raised $40 million in its series E round of funding. The company is also planning to raise $150 million to expand its reach, and accelerate to become a $1-billion revenue business soon.
Dunzo was established in 2015 by Ankur Agarwal, Kabeer Biswas, Mukung Jha, and Dalvir Suri. Dunzo had also raised $11 million from Alteria Capital back in February 2020. The same investor had provided the company a capital of $1 Million in November 2018. As per a valuation report filed with the Registrar of Companies, Dunzo was valued at $220 million exactly one year ago in June 2020.
Categories: Corporate M&A


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The following cars represent the most technically advanced available.
The 2014 Porsche 911 Targa 4 and 4S bring a classic Porsche body style into the 21st century.
We take a look at the new Porsche 911 Turbo S, and have a look back at where it came from.
The new Porsche Boxster S is one of the best cars the Stuttgart-based manufacturer currently makes.
The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S combines technology and traditional sports car principles to deliver an excellent driving experience. The cabin electronics won't disappoint, but neither will they wow.
On May 15, major carriers will give people the ability to text to 911. The problem is many emergency call centers aren't set up to accept texts. CNET's Sumi Das and Jessica Dolcourt examine the issue.
Newly released government documents spell out how officials should answer questions about the NSA's mass surveillance program; examples include "defend the nation" and prevent "another 9/11."
As a sports car, it just is. Actually, it's better than most things.
Having only ever seen the fearsome Nurburgring in the virtual world, we sent Alex to see whether he could tame the beast in reality from behind the wheel of a Porsche 911.
The new Porsche 911 has a long history to live up to. Can the 991 match its predecessors' greatness?
He says in a blog post that the image, which framed part of the New York City skyline in a smartphone screen, "fell woefully short of honoring the lives on that tragic day."


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Listen to this article
Bright Machines announced that it brought in $132 million in debt and Series B equity funding. The new round brings the company’s total funding to $330 million. Eclipse Ventures led the equity portion of the funding, which totaled $100 million. Silicon Valley Bank and Hercules Capital led the debt portion of the funding, making up the remaining $32 million.
This is the company’s first funding round since its SPAC deal fell through in December 2021. In May 2021, Bright Machines announced plans to go public through a merger with SCVX, a special-purpose acquisition company. The companies agreed to terminate the deal around a month before it was scheduled to go through.
The company’s flagship product is the Bright Machines Microfactory. The company’s Microfactories are complete, programmable assembly lines that are powered by the Brightware Platform. The Microfactories are designed to allow users to build more units at a lower cost.
The Microfactories are made up of robotics-based work cells designed to reduce floor space. A Bright Machines work cell could include applications like assembly, welding, fastening, dispensing, labeling or inspecting. BrightMachines integrates a number of different robotic arms in the work cells. Each work cell has a standard footprint, and this simplifies the design and layout of any number of manufacturing process steps.
“We founded Bright Machines with a singular mission to enable our customers to transform the way they have historically approached product assembly. We are excited to partner with the industry in creating a more streamlined ‘design-to-make’ process in which every product can be manufactured closer to the end consumer. In today’s unpredictable, global environment, this mission is more important than ever,” Lior Susan, CEO and Co-Founder of Bright Machines, said. “We believe our solutions provide an essential pathway for the industry’s transition to more local, resilient, and sustainable operations. I am proud of the positive impact we’ve made to date and excited for this next phase in our journey.”
Bright Machines plans to use the funding to accelerate the company’s growth, including expanding into high-demand industry verticals and developing new software and service offerings to complement its existing portfolio of products. The company also aims to extend the capabilities of its Microfactory, accelerate the Brightwave software roadmap, strengthen its partner network and grow its customer base.
The company plans on unveiling its newest integration hub in Guadalajara, Mexico later this year and a customer experience center in San Francisco in 2023.


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Google Now Testing Generative AI for Search
Thursday May 25, 2023. 08:58 PM , from MacRumors
Google today announced that it is opening up access to Search Labs, allowing testers to try out its new Search Generative Experience. The AI-powered Search option is limited to those who have signed up to be a part of Google Labs, with Google letting in a small number of people who have joined the Google Labs Waitlist.
AI for search is a feature that Google announced during its I/O developer conference earlier in May.
Google says that AI Search is designed to 'take some of the work out of searching,' which can make it easier for users to understand new topics, uncover different viewpoints, and 'get things done more easily.'
Google suggests that AI search can break down complicated searches into smaller parts, offer quick tips for specific questions, and provide background on what should be considered when searching for items to buy.
The addition of generative AI to search is a new concept for Google, and the company says that it will be making 'many updates and improvements over time' based on user feedback. Access is limited to those in the U.S. right now, with the Google app or Chrome desktop browser required. Google customers eligible to use Google Labs will receive an email.Tag: GoogleThis article, "Google Now Testing Generative AI for Search" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Feb, Sun 25 - 15:13 CET


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KUCHING: Padini Holdings Bhd (Padini) is opening three more brands outlets and multi-brand concept stores in the next six months that will further boost sales going forward.
OSK Research Sdn Bhd (OSK Research) affirmed that the number of outlets had grown to 16 within a five-year period, recording 22.3 per cent for net profit.
Padini had been registering an average 15 per cent to 20 per cent earnings growth since the financial year 2007. In it latest quarterly results, the net profit surged 46.9 per cent year-on-year, mainly fuelled by new store openings and sturdy sales at its existing brands outlets.
Its Brand outlet which tapped the middle to lower-end of the market looked poised to attract more value buyers in the near future. It carried a mixture of in-house and third party brands, showcasing ‘high-volume’ and ‘fast-selling’ garments which were marketed at lower prices and ‘value-for-money’ to attract consumers.
The main topline growth contributor, brand outlets chalked up same-store-sales (SSS) growth of 22.1 per cent which was higher than the average single digit SSS growth of the retail industry.
Apart from expanding its Brands outlets, Padini had three more multi-brand concept stores in the pipeline. The analyst stated that Padini would concentrate mainly in the domestic market as the local market was still lucrative.
It remained conservative to expand in overseas market due to the extra capital expenditure and additional risk. In view of Padini’s good track record, growth story and favourable pricing, it needed liquidity and its market capitalisation to breach the RM1 billion to attract attention from investors. Padini’s fair value was pegged at RM1.80 per share based on the financial year 2012 earnings per share.


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77 Interactions, 6 Today
Two of the most important themes in the bitcoin and blockchain industries are decentralised banking and gaming.
DeFi Land, a blockchain gamification platform, has raised $4.1 million in funding to launch a new decentralised finance game on Solana, showcasing the burgeoning ecosystem surrounding SOL.
Over 40 investors participated in the funding round, including some of the largest names in blockchain venture capital. Among the primary investors were Animoca Brands, Alameda Research, Jump Capital, NGC Ventures, Solana Foundation, and Gate.io.
DeFi Land is a farming simulation game that aims to gamify all facets of decentralised finance. The purpose is to develop instructional solutions for users interested in DeFi or other alternative financial options. The website has a play-to-earn approach, allowing users to earn money by performing tasks or hitting milestones.
Brian Lee, a senior executive at Alameda Research, said DeFi Land blends “two of the most interesting things happening in crypto right now – gaming and DeFi.” This raises the likelihood of inexperienced gamers and cryptocurrency users accessing the decentralised financial sector for the first time.
Although DeFi Land is primarily aimed at ordinary investors with bitcoin exposure and newcomers to the sector, demand for DeFi protocols is swiftly expanding to include major institutions and accredited investors. Large institutional investors dominated the decentralised finance industry in the second quarter, according to recent reports.
According to new Chainalysis data, large institutional transactions accounted for more over 60% of DeFi transactions between April and June, compared to less than 50% of all cryptocurrency transactions. When measured in terms of total value locked, or TVL, the DeFi market is currently worth over $170 billion, according to industry data.


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A set of Andy Warhol's iconic Campbell's Soup screenprints will be auctioned May 20 at Ivey-Selkirk Auctioneers. The 10-print portfolio, number 202 of 250 complete sets, is from an unidentified St. Louis collection and is estimated to bring $200,000 to $300,000, said Ivey-Selkirk's Mark Howald. Each screenprint is signed by Warhol in ballpoint pen and stamp-numbered. The auction, which begins May 19, also includes two lots by glass artist Dale Chihuly from the collection of Edward Daumit of St. Louis.
Dogra's draft dominance
CAA Football agent Ben Dogra of Clayton continues to demonstrate why he may be the best professional football agent in the country. Dogra represented four first-round picks, more than any other agent, during the April 28-29 NFL draft. He has represented 15 first-rounders in the last four years, also more than any other agent. His top pick this year was running back Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma who was selected seventh overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
Higher and higher
Champion Bank, the Creve Coeur startup launched last July, upped its interest rate on checking account balances to 6.01 percent from 5.25 percent on April 7, the highest rate locally, said Russell Pemberton, senior vice president. Champion also surpassed $100 million in assets, up from $70 million in February.
The Doster Mickes James Ullom Benson & Guest law firm, with annual revenue of about $12 million, is opening an office in Collinsville and adding four lawyers. Barney Mundorf, partner in charge of the new office, Christi Flaherty and D. Brian Smith all had been at the Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor firm. They will be joined by Alefia Mithaiwala, who had been at the Weatherly Law Firm in Atlanta.
Centene Corp. has leased two floors, 32,000 square feet of space, in a Sachs Properties building at 16090 Swingley Ridge Road in Chesterfield. Jamie Marx, leasing director at Sachs, said the asking rate was $26 a square foot or $832,000 a year. Centene is establishing a West County office unrelated to the company's plans to build a corporate headquarters in Clayton.
Pondering a move
Whelan Security, which is located in an area targeted for redevelopment by Richmond Heights, is preparing for a move a block south to the former headquarters of Tripos Inc. on South Hanley Road in Brentwood, said Whelan President Greg Twardowski. The Twardowski family, which owns Whelan, bought the Tripos building last month for $4.7 million.
Returning to retail
Mike Wilson, founder of Advanced Auto Alarm & Car Stereo and former partner of Scott Miller in Marketing Matters, is opening a Slumberland furniture and bedding store in the Costco and Target complex in South County in June. He expects to do $5.5 million in revenue in the first year.
A billion-dollar rice dispute
Don Downing, a principal at the Gray, Ritter & Graham law firm in St. Louis, has been named a lead counsel for rice farmers in five states in a class-action lawsuit they have filed against Bayer CropScience alleging genetically modified rice contaminated conventional rice. The case will be heard here before U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry. Downing said in a recent court filing that the compensatory damages sought may exceed $1 billion.


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US conveys concerns on new social media regulations
The United States (US) has reportedly conveyed its serious concerns on the proposed new social media regulations with the possibility of Facebook and Pay Pal, social and e-commerce platforms, threatening to leave Pakistan, well informed sources in Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The government had secretly issued social media rules but after criticism across the country, the government withdrew the notification and constituted a committee headed by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Amir Azeem Bajwa to finalise its recommendations and submit them to the government.
Digital media giants Facebook, Google and Twitter (among others), in a letter to the Prime Minister had already made it clear that they would suspend services in the country if new regulations approved by the Pakistani government are not revised.
Sharing the details, sources said, Pakistan ambassador to Washington met the acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells on March 11, 2020. During the discussion, Ambassador Wells shared the news that the visit of US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to Pakistan in February 2020 was the result of President Trump’s initiative. She maintained that while the visit had generated positive optics, it was not going to produce anything in substance until confronting issues were addressed. Ambassador Wells suggested that Deputy Secretary of Commerce Karen Dunn Kelley’s follow-up visit to Pakistan should be used to discuss outstanding issues.
Dilating further on the outstanding issues, Ambassador Wells mentioned payment to the five US energy firms that had invested in the Jhimpir wind farms. The US side had conveyed in their discussion with Ministry of Energy that “renegotiating the contract” or “withholding payment on non-technical reasons, such are the availability of a cheaper alternative, would be considered legitimate grounds for Pakistan’s failure to abide with relevant commercial contracts.”
“Any such step would send negative signals about the business environment in Pakistan,” the sources quoted ambassador Wells as saying. She added that the US companies were confident that they would prevail if they approach the Court of Arbitration to enforce their contracts.
Wilbur Ross held meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister for Power Omar Ayub, Adviser on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Special Assistant on Petroleum Nadeem Babar and Adviser on Commerce and Industries and Production and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood and raised issues being faced by the American companies in Pakistan.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Wells also reiterated US concerns about the formulation of new social media regulations, noting that it would leave social and e-commerce platforms like Facebook and Pay Pal with no option but to leave Pakistan. She urged that the implementation of the regulations be suspended until discussions have been held between the government and the relevant US companies and other experts. The problems being faced by the US companies like Metlife in repatriating profits to the US also needs to be addressed, she added.
The sources said Secretary Ross will discuss issues related to American companies in different sectors as the responsibility of Secretary Commerce is to promote business of American companies. The issues related to Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and other trade related issues are in the domain of USTR.
Appreciating that United States Trade Representative (USTR) had received a response to his letter Ambassador Wells noted that the US still had concerns regarding soybean and GMO exports to Pakistan, adding that Washington wants a durable solution to the issue.
Newspaper: Business Recorder


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Since Apple made the Apple TV iOS 4.1 firmware available on their website, developers and hackers alike have been scouring through with a fine toothed comb. What they have found so far is quite interesting - Facetime may be coming to Apple TV via your iPhone 4 using AirPlay, there could be DVD remote support, and the device does contain bluetooth code.
Perhaps the most exciting find has been what we touched on earlier today, Apple TV is capable of being jailbroken via the Shatter exploit.
Check out the source links below for more, including Erica Sadun's comprehensive article at TUAW. Should be pretty exciting to see what this little device will be capable of in the upcoming weeks.


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British car sales rose by 3.3 percent in August compared with the same month last year, recovering from a flat performance in July shortly after Britons gave a positive vote to leave the European Union in June, reuters.com informs, quoting the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data.
Thus, the best-selling models are the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Corsa, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf.
In August, Dacia sold 845 vehicles on the British market, up by 97.43 percent compared to the same period in 2015 when 428 units were registered.
During January-August 2016, Dacia sold 15 676 vehicles on the UK market, down by 1.6 percent from the same period in 2015 when 15,931 units were registered.
The figures suggest that it was fleet registrations which bolstered the market, however, as private registrations fell by 0.2 percent.
Year-to-date registrations are 1,680,799, up by 2.8 percent on the same period of 2015, with nearly 50,000 more cars registered this year so far.
As predicted, sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) rose again, with strong growth of 30.8 percent compared with the same period in 2015. The segment still only made up 3.1 percent of registrations last month, though. Diesel registrations fell again, by 0.2 percent, while petrol sales rose by 5.3 percent.
Mike Hawes, the SMMT’s chief executive, explained that August is traditionally one of the quietest months of the year for UK car registrations, as September brings in the switch to the new registration plate.


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Your trusted stop for all cryptocurrency news! Get connected and become an expert on the new economy. This app brings you the latest and most relevant updates about Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, Ripple, Cardano, IOTA, EOS, ZCash, and other cryptocurrencies/blockchain assets. We also cover the latest ICOs, token sales and dapps
The app is developed by Newsfusion and its category is News & Magazines. Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency & Blockchain News was downloaded and set up by over 1K users and the most recent stable release was on Nov 16, 2017. On Google Play, the tool is rated 4 by its users.


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China’s cyberspace regulator said it conducted a network security review of products from Micron Technology, a U.S.-based memory chipmaker, and found them to be non-compliant, Reuters news report said.
The regulator stated that operators of critical infrastructure would be prohibited from purchasing products from Micron. The scope of this decision may encompass various sectors, including telecommunications, transportation, and finance, as per China’s broad definition of critical information infrastructure.
In a statement, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) explained that the review had identified significant network security risks associated with Micron’s products. These risks were deemed to pose a substantial threat to China’s supply chain for critical information infrastructure, thus impacting national security.
Micron confirmed that it had received the CAC’s notice regarding the conclusion of the product review in China. The company expressed its intention to continue engaging in discussions with Chinese authorities on the matter. However, the CAC did not provide specific details regarding the identified risks or which Micron products would be affected by the decision.
Jefferies analysts anticipated a limited impact on Micron, considering that the company’s primary customers in China consisted of consumer electronics firms, such as smartphone and computer manufacturers, rather than infrastructure suppliers. They noted that Micron’s revenue in China primarily stemmed from non-government entities and telecommunications companies, hence minimizing the overall effect on the company.
Micron specializes in manufacturing DRAM and NAND flash memory chips, competing with industry players like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix from South Korea, as well as Japan’s Kioxia (a Toshiba subsidiary).
The timing of the CAC’s announcement during the G7 summit in Japan carried significance, according to Christopher Miller, a professor at Tufts University and author of Chip War: The Fight For The World’s Most Critical Technology.
Micron’s products came under review by Chinese authorities in late March, with the company expressing cooperation and stating that its business operations in China remained normal.
Approximately 10 percent of Micron’s revenue is derived from China, though it remains unclear whether this decision will affect the company’s sales to non-Chinese customers within the country.
Analysts suggest that the majority of Micron’s products imported into China are acquired by non-Chinese companies for use in locally manufactured products.


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Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kit is so successful, that people are already selling the products on eBay at nearly 10 times their original cost after they immediately sold out on her website. Kylie Jenner’s site was swarmed by young people desperately enough to buy her lip kit, according to E Online.
Jenner, 18, offered three different products at 12pm EST that went on sale for $29. The website sold out of Kylie’s lip product within minutes.
Now, Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kit is being sold on eBay for as much as $255 for one color (Dolce K), while other sellers are charging between $100 and $200 for Dolce K or Candy K, the most popular of the three shades.
Other sellers are offering True Brown, the least popular of the shades, for between $70 and $150, while the lowest price is currently $68.
When shoppers attempted to purchase the Lip Kit earlier today, the website crashed and users were met with an “Error” page, or a page saying: “Your cart is currently empty” despite them having added the products to their shopping carts.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, who appeared at her sisters’ Dash store in LA to launch the lip range in person alongside Kris on Monday afternoon, first made headlines last year for her shockingly full pout, but only admitted to getting lip injections on the reality series last March.
Speaking to the cameras, she revealed that she had been having ‘temporary lip fillers’ - having denied using any form of cosmetic enhancement on her pout for months.
Explaining on the show that it was “just something I wanted to do,” Kylie added at the time that she “wasn’t ready” to talk directly to the press about the procedure and instead decided not to “confirm or deny” it when asked by reporters.
Now, however, she’s happily making a career out of her surgically-enhanced pout, by offering her fans the chance to replicate her plumped-up lips without the help of fillers.
But that popularity hasn’t necessarily worked in Kylie’s favor because, just minutes after her products launched, fans were reporting severe technical issues with the website, with many saying that it had ceased to work altogether.
Fans took to Twitter to complain about her site being down, prompting Kylie to respond: “Nobody be upset! There’s so many people trying to buy at once so there are some tech issues.”
She added in a subsequent tweet: “Everybody stand by and keep trying! We r [sic] working on it.”
But Kylie’s tweets did little to quell her fans, who were eager to buy the Lip Kit that was two years in the making.
Shoppers who attempt to buy one of the three natural hues, Dolce K, Candy K, and True Brown K, voiced outrage about the site’s technical difficulties by tweeting at the star.
“I typed my credit card info and it kept saying error, stupid because the items where in my cart too… so annoyed tbh,” said one user, who went on to complain about Kylie’s lack of apology for the site’s problems.
“I think more should be added to say ‘sorry’ for these ‘tech issues’ like people like me who had the items in cart,” she added.
Other users became frustrated when the two lighter hues, Candy K and Dolce K, sold out in just minutes.
“It’s working for me now! But only True Brown!” wrote on fan, who was disappointed she missed out on the two more popular colors.
Many other fans said they were not purchasing because of the Lip Kit’s price, which was $37 in total when combined with shipping charges.
Since admitting to getting lip fillers, Kylie has gradually embraced the plastic surgery, and recently praised the doctor who injects her with lip fillers for her “super natural” pout.
Now, she’s capitalizing on her surgically-enhanced lips by selling products that supposedly will give people similar pillowy pouts - if they are ever able to purchase them.


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A recent study ranking trade show organizers worldwide according to revenue found that the United Kingdom and Germany lead the pack by a long shot. AUMA, the Association for the German Trade Fair Industry, concluded its research in August 2016 and found that seven of the world’s top 10 revenue earners in the trade show industry are located in one of those two countries.
The No. 1 firm on the list is Great Britain’s Reed Exhibitions, which pulled in $1.3 billion in revenue in 2015. The No. 2 company, UBM headquartered in Great Britain, was nearly $400 million dollars behind Reed with an annual turnover of $961 million. France, Switzerland, and Italy each had one trade fair organizer in the top ten, but Germany and Great Britain dominated with four and three companies respectively.
The United States only had one firm in the top 30 – Emerald Expositions – which brought in $309 million in 2015 and landed at No. 12 on the list. Just five of the top 31 companies logging more than $110 million in revenue were outside of Europe. Aside from the United States, those companies were all from Asia, including organizers from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, and China. In comparison, eight companies in the top 31 are headquartered in Germany, and seven are in Great Britain.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation on Friday to give mobile-phone users the right to 'unlock' their devices and use them on competitors' wireless networks, something that is now technically illegal.
The legislation cleared the Senate last week. President Barack Obama said in a statement that he looked forward to signing the bill into law.
"The bill congress passed today is another step toward giving ordinary Americans more flexibility and choice, so that they can find a cell phone carrier that meets their needs and their budget," Obama said.
The lawmaking follows a 2012 ruling by the Library of Congress, the minder of U.S. copyright law, that effectively made phone unlocking illegal, even after the consumer completed the contract with its wireless carrier.
U.S. wireless carriers often tether, or "lock," smartphones to their networks to encourage consumers to renew mobile contracts. Consumers, for their part, can often buy new devices at a heavily subsidized price in return for committing to long-term contracts with a single carrier.
In December, major wireless carriers - including Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc, Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc - struck a voluntary agreement with the Federal Communications Commission to make it easier for consumers to unlock their phones after contracts expire.
Under current law, someone who unlocks their phone without permission could face legal ramifications, including jail.
New legislation, welcomed by consumer advocates, reinstates the exemption given to mobile phones in the copyright law before the controversial 2012 ruling by the Library of Congress and calls on the officials there to reconsider the issue during its next round of reviews in 2015, potentially expanding the exemption to tablets and other devices.
"Today's action by the House moves us closer to alleviating any confusion stemming from the Copyright Office’s 2012 decision," Jot Carpenter, vice president of government affairs at the wireless association CTIA, said in a statement.


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The opening ceremony of the Fourth Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Festival (WANG XIANG)
The Fourth Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival was launched on November 30 to much fanfare.
The festival not only showed the world the development of southeast China’s Fujian Province and its capital Fuzhou City as a result of Maritime Silk Road tourist cooperation, but also shared with participants in the tourism industry worldwide the promotion strategies and practice of China’s top drawer tourism products. This provided a platform for countries and cities along the Maritime Silk Road to showcase their tourist attractions, tourist investment and financing projects.
The festival was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Fujian Provincial People’s Government, and was undertaken by the People’s Government of Fuzhou and Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. Held at the Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center, the theme this year was Expanding Cooperation along the Maritime Silk Road to Share a Better Life.
Three musicians play traditional Chinese instruments at the opening ceremony (WANG XIANG)
Fuzhou has been a host of the prestigious forum since its inception four years ago. The annual convergence allows participants to discuss issues pertaining to tourist cooperation and cultural exchange across borders and to work together in promoting win-win cooperation in tourism among countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road.
According to the organizing committee of the festival, in 2017, Fuzhou’s GDP reached 710.4 billion yuan ($102.1 billion) with a year-on-year growth rate of 8.7 percent. Fuzhou has built an industrial cluster worth 2 billion yuan ($287.4 million) made up of food, manufacturing, electronic products, information technology and construction materials. This makes it one of the cities that boast a high industry cluster density and complete supporting facilities in the coastal region of China.
A local travel agency from Fujian Province introduced their scenic spots to participants (WANG XIANG)
This year, the festival witnessed nearly 1,000 participants, including representatives of embassies and consulates of countries such as Myanmar, Croatia and Panama and tourism department representatives from the Belt and Road such as Hungary, Malaysia and Turkey.
A number of local Chinese companies also secured their own exhibition stands at the festival to enhance Chinese participation. Among other key activities was a float parade which ran under the theme Maritime Silk Road Connects the World - Have Fun in Fuzhou. Troupes of performers showcased the customs and cultures of the countries along the Maritime Silk Road.


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GHS Theater Program – GHS Theater proudly presents “Our Town” tonight, and Saturday, November 23rd, at 7:00 PM and Sunday, November 24th at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $5.00 for students and senior citizens, $8.00 for adults.
Tickets for the Thanksgiving Football Game – are being sold in the principal’s office until next Wed. 11/27 until 10:00 AM. Tickets prices are $7.00 students/senior citizens, $10.00 for adults. On Thanksgiving Day all tickets will be $10.00 to get into the game.
GHS Gymnastics – There will be a mandatory team meeting for all gymnastics team members next Monday, November 25th at Iron Rail Gymnastics at 7:30 PM. All team members must attend this meeting with at least one parent.
DECA – Kettle corn is now being sold in the DECA store. Only $2.00 dollars a bag. What a deal! Come to the DECA store Monday, Wednesday and Friday and see what else we have to offer.
GHS Flicker – Baby pictures need to be brought to Ms. Eastman in Room 3303 by December 6th if you want them to be in the yearbook. Please clearly print your name on the back of the picture.
NHS – NHS is launching the annual Holiday Food Drive. Please bring your non-perishable food items to the library. We need 1,500 food items by Christmas in order to have our student/faculty basketball game.
DAILY NOTICES >


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INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers eager to take advantage of Black Friday deals spent the day shopping.
Shoppers like Stephanie Gohmann were not playing around this year when it came to getting the best Black Friday deal. With so many deals available, they're trying to make sure they get the best one.
"This year was different because there were so many offerings early during the week. So, it was tough to decide whether to shop early or wait until Black Friday," said Gohmann.
Rising costs due to inflation have shoppers keeping a closer eye on their wallets and using strategies like strict budgets.
"I am trying to cut my budget. I am trying this year. It has played a difference in my planning. That's why I'm really working hard for the deals this year," said Gohmann.
Even with inflation, many retailers say this year is a complete 180 from the last two years, when the pandemic and supply chain issues burdened business owners.
"I feel like more people are just wanting to get out and support their local businesses whether they're getting the best deal or not," said owner of Francis and Fern Boutique Kim Pauszek.
Black Friday used to mean long lines and hot deals here in central Indiana and around the country.
But over the past few years, its evolved from a crazy shopping day, to late-night Thanksgiving deals to an online shopping-focused push in the pandemic.
Economists say shoppers Friday were spreading out their holiday shopping over the month of November and these calmer days of deals may be here to stay.
"Just shopping for family and stuff," said shopper Sommer Allen.
They got out bright and early. For many, it's an annual tradition.
"Got my brother-in-law and friend from high school," Jeremy Rese said.
And the crowds?
"They haven't been as bad as I thought they were gonna be," Allen said.
This month, many people are choosing to fill their carts from their couch and shopping cybersales before Black Friday.
"There are so many offerings earlier in the week, it was tough to decide whether to shop early or to wait for Black Friday, so I did both," Gohmann said.
Kyle Anderson, an economist at IU's Kelley School of Business said, said Black Friday started in the 1990s as a way to get customers in the door to start holiday shopping. But over the years, with the addition of online shopping, that's slowly changed.
And after the pandemic, many people are now putting to bed the doorbuster drive to stores for good.
"It's certainly smoothed out a lot. People are spreading out their shopping throughout the season rather than focusing on that one day and it's probably a good thing, especially as we have a hard time hiring and those sorts of things. You're seeing that transfer and it's probably better for both the shoppers and retailers," Anderson said.
An estimated 166 million people are planning to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year, according to the National Retail Federation. That's up eight million from last year alone.
But more shoppers are shifting away from traditional shopping the day after Thanksgiving, with people choosing to spread out their shopping.
That was clear last year when consumers spent $109 billion online in the month of November, according to Adobe, up nearly 12% from 2020.
But while fewer people are flocking to stores, Anderson said the holiday season and fourth quarter sales are critical for retailers. Profit margins made this time of the year can make or break the year for them, and they'll be closely watched especially this year to see if our economy is tipping toward recession.
"I think a lot of people are paying attention to those numbers. If retail sales come in strong, we know that consumer households are still willing to spend and that's a good indicator that we may not have a recession or a very mild one going into 2023. If we start to see households really start to pull back, we know that they're going to be concerned and that can be a tough indicator," Anderson said.
And while customers right now are price-sensitive on shopping, Anderson said sales have been strong so far in the face of inflation, like those coming from shoppers out today.
"Hopefully when I go in here I find something good, too," Allen said.
"All of them. I like all of them," Gohrmann said.
That drive to shop is bringing a merry and bright economic outlook, Anderson said, expecting to bring with it a bright holiday season for many families nationwide.
With so many deal opportunities coming up, including Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, Gohmann said whether you buy now or later, it's a gamble.
"It's hard to wait because there are so many deals right now, I don't know if they'll get any better by Cyber Monday," she said.
Saturday is Small Business Saturday and some local business owners said that's actually the day they look forward too. Over 30 businesses on Massachusetts Avenue plan to participate.


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House Democrats announced Tuesday they struck a deal with President Trump to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement. The new pact, with the somewhat unwieldy title of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (or USMCA), would update a host of laws and regulations governing trade relations between the three countries. The deal also received the blessing of the AFL-CIO, America's biggest union organization, which clears the way politically for skeptical Democrats to get on board.
In truth, exactly what's in the USMCA is still in flux. Final legislation has yet to reach Congress, though lawmakers are eager to pass a finalized agreement this month. But we do have some idea what it contains. And despite President Trump's frequent denunciations of the original NAFTA as "the worst trade deal ever made," most of the changes in the UMCSA appear modest and highly contingent — albeit mostly in pro-worker direction.
Here's a rundown of those teeny, tiny improvements in this draft of the USMCA.
1. New rules to help American automakers
A big complaint with the original NAFTA was that it led to a lot of automanufacturing jobs fleeing from the U.S. to Mexico, where labor costs (i.e. worker pay) are lower, and labor standards and work conditions are more lax. Basically, Mexico's workers are worse off, so it’s cheaper to build cars there. The new USMCA tries to rebalance those forces by laying down rules of origin requiring a certain portion of car parts be built in America, lest extra tariffs get slapped on the final vehicle when it's sold in the United States. In particular, the USMCA requires that 40 to 45 percent of cars and trucks produced in Mexico be made by workers earning the equivalent of $16 an hour in U.S. dollars — which would bring labor costs more into balance on both sides of the border.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) projected in April that these provision would increase employment in American auto parts manufacturing by 28,000. That's positive movement, but it's worth keeping in mind it would amount to a 3 percent increase in jobs on offer in the entire American auto sector.
2. A few more jobs overall (maybe)
The point about automobile employment leads to the larger question of what impact the USMCA would have on the U.S. economy overall. The ITC's work projects the deal would add $21 trillion in GDP to the American economy over its first six years, leading to 176,000 additional American jobs. Once again, those are positive numbers. But you also have to consider them in context: Another $21 trillion over six years is a mere 0.35 percent increase for U.S. GDP, while the job increase is a 0.12 percent increase over current employment — about what the country adds in a single month of normal economic growth. Wages would increase by 0.27 percent.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the ITC's track record for these sorts of projections is not stellar. It wildly underestimated the harm that would come from liberalized trade relations between the U.S. and Korea, as well as the U.S. and China. Bizarrely, the ITC's own model assumes that improving labor standards in Mexico would contribute much less to the U.S. economic improvements that more "investor certainty." And other projections dispute even the very modest positive gains the ITC projected.
3. Improved labor standards (maybe)
Overall, Mexico's labor movement is in even worse shape than America's. Its union membership rate is 14.5 percent, and many of the workers who are organized are in particularly weak unions. Labor activists in Mexico also have a habit of disappearing or being killed. All of this leaves Mexican workers extremely vulnerable to exploitation, and thus cheaper than their U.S. counterparts. Which means improving labor standards and union rights in Mexico is a big part of the USMCA.
The trouble has always been enforcement. Making sure Mexican authorities respect labor rights requires some sort of mechanism, such as inspections from the U.S. or Canada, but Mexico doesn't like surrendering its sovereignty in that respect. Lawmakers have been trying to hammer out a compromise for months, and it's not yet clear what they settled on. But obviously, this is something the AFL-CIO cares about a lot, and their endorsement of the USMCA yesterday specifically noted the elimination of "loopholes designed to make it harder to prosecute labor violations."
4. Tamer investor settlement rules
One of the particularly odious aspects of old trade deals, including NAFTA, was the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism. Basically, if a member country to the deal decided they needed some new regulation to improve worker safety or environmental cleanliness or what not, private businesses could sue the government in a special court system for harming their bottom line.
Happily, it at least looks like the system has been scaled back in the USMCA's case: Investor-state dispute cases can go on for another three years in Canada, but then companies will have to go back to the regular Canadian court system. There are larger carve outs protecting the system in Mexico — particularly for fossil fuel industries — but even here new limitations have been added.
5. Tamer drug patents
One last ugly business from old trade deals is the extension of extremely long America-style patent laws, particularly for life-saving drugs. These laws can allow one company to corner the market for a pharmaceutical for years, jacking up the price as it goes. Not only does that enact a heavy cost on poor people in other countries, it makes it harder for Americans to reform their own laws, since now their patent rules have to be coordinated with everyone else’s.
Once again, the USMCA appears to have stepped back a bit here: For biologics, expensive pharmaceuticals that represent over a third of consumer spending on drugs, U.S. patents give companies 12 years before cheap generic versions of the drug can be made. But the patents only last five years in Mexico and eight years in Canada. The deal's original compromise was 10 years — an increase for two of the three signatories.
But political pressure appears to have forced lawmakers to back off, and the new USMCA reportedly allows each country to keep its own patent design. Which arguably makes this the teeniest improvement of the lot.


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Thomas Cook customers accused the airline of withdrawing cash for the disappearance of a holiday company after facing high bills to book a replacement flight.
Those who booked flights with the company now told the BBC that the price of a flight has tripled in some cases to find an alternative deal.
Holiday maker Angela Mills said the flight from Glasgow to Death to Greece is 280 pounds on Sunday, but now it's 1,000 pounds.
Analysts said the price reflects high demand for routes with few spare seats.
John Strickland, aviation analyst at JLS Consulting said, “People are not sitting with their hands up in joy. The price rises when sales increase sharply on popular routes.
Strickland said September is a popular time for people to enjoy holidays, not school closures, and many flights are already full.
He said airlines could decide to stop the price increase, but the company said it should be promoted commercially.
"Thomas Cook failed because he had a huge debt and lost money. It's a vulnerable industry. More than 12 airlines went bankrupt.
"If the airline doesn't benefit from having a few flights available, there's no chance of survival."
But Mrs. Mills said that this increase is not good for travelers who are already "in shock."
She flew from Glasgow to Rose on Wednesday Thomas Cook flight. When the travel agency found an alternative after the collapse, the cheapest price to find an alternative flight for her and her husband was over £ 1,000.
The company where she booked accommodation through Jetline Holidays eventually found an alternative deal that cost her an additional fee of £ 600.
But she now has to catch a plane in Edinburgh, and when she returned, she spent the night in Prague and returned there.
Mrs. Mills says she hopes to incur additional charges for the flight when she returns.
What are my rights?
Anyone who purchases a future package vacation with Thomas Cook is subject to the air travel organizer's licensing scheme (Atol). This means they won't leave but holiday costs will be refunded.
However, Atol protection does not apply to flight-only transactions. The main alternative for travelers is to claim a refund or charge travel insurance from a used credit or debit card provider.
What are your rights? See here for details
Kevin Spence went to Florida with his family next June. It took two years for the trip and planning.
But he said Thomas Cook rose sharply the next morning while checking flight prices just before it collapsed on Sunday.
The original flight cost of £ 1,800 per four members of his family has now risen to £ 2,500, he said.
"I am devastated.
"Holiday costs are over the current budget. I am now in a position to cancel it completely," he said.
But Nigel Wilson said he could beat the price increase by booking a new flight for a vacation from Manchester to Marrakech on Monday at 12:30 am (BST).
The cost of flying for four families added 640 pounds, but when checking prices on Monday, it said the cost rose to 1,500 pounds.
"If we waited, we wouldn't have the funds to book more tickets at that price," he said.


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Over the last decade, the tech sector has – in many ways – set the tone for the global workplace. After big tech names made headlines with their WFH policies in the wake of the pandemic, many have actually expanded their global footprint. Here’s why.
It’s no exaggeration to say that technology has been the greatest influence on the global workplace in the last decade – for four reasons.
Firstly, the emergence of tech taints has fuelled office demand, both directly and indirectly across the world. Secondly, the workspaces that these titans have designed and delivered (inclusive of allotments, granny flats for workers to relax in, hammock desks, table football and more), represent a significant step-change in what we define as best-in-class workplaces.
Thirdly, the hardware and software created by these titans have revolutionised how we work, where we work, and indeed, what we work on – never more so than over the past twelve months, as our working world moved entirely online. Fourthly, new technologies, such as AI, VR, AR, automation and robotics will continue to force structural change within businesses and across the global labour market.
And so, unsurprisingly, the ‘death of the office’ debate was most palpable when tech giants announced their work from home strategies. Google, Facebook and Salesforce announced that all its staff would work from home for the rest of 2020, and Twitter took it one step further by declaring employees could WFH forever should they wish to.
But behind the headline-grabbing was a more nuanced narrative. For starters, many of us worked from home during most of 2020; this was a collective necessity rather than a ground-breaking assertion. And secondly, while employees were working from home, major tech companies were actually busy expanding their office space, with Facebook, TikTok, Netflix, Apple and Microsoft all completing significant deals in major markets.
In fact, in our global occupier survey, 39% of businesses we spoke to who anticipated an increase in the size of their global footprint over the next three years identified as Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) businesses.
Discover the full story in (Y)OUR SPACE
In May 2020, founder Mark Zuckerberg took to camera to explain that in the next five to 10 years, about 50% of Facebook’s staff could be working remotely. Other senior staff members discussed a future where both remote and in-person working would be recognised for its value.
But in what seems like a U-turn, Facebook is “betting on an in-person future” and expanding its office footprint to become one of New York City’s largest corporate tenants.
To accommodate the needs of staff and maintain effective working habits, Facebook’s creating an ‘urban campus’. In fact, according to Becca Foy, Facebook’s Global Business Director, the tech giant’s urban campus comprises Hudson Yard, which is set to be a creative, collaborative hub with plenty of event space, while Farley Post (just a 13 minute walk away) is set to be a dedicated tech hub for its engineers.
In going down this route, Facebook is sending a strong signal to local talent: “Companies go where the people they want to hire are,” says Julie Samuels, Executive Director of Tech:NYC, and that certainly seems to be the case here.
Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, has also recently stated that they will invest some US$7 billion to expand and build out both data centre and office space across 19 US states. Interestingly, he maintains that this investment is at the heart of Google’s strategy to diversify the business both racially and geographically, with additional office space procured in markets such as Atlanta and Chicago, as well as new office openings in Texas and Mississippi.
Despite initially saying its staff won’t return to the office until September 2021, Google’s new Global People Operations Lead, Fiona Cicconi, recently announced the ‘return to office’ timetable was moving forward – and if employees wanted to work from home for more than 14 days, “they’d have to apply to do so.”
Amazon also announced its plans for an “office-centric culture” as a way to “invent, collaborate, and learn together most effectively.”
Ultimately, the past year has been a learning curve for all – including the tech sector. Carolyn Everson, Vice-President of Facebook’s global business group even admitted when discussing working policies: “We’re making this up on the fly.”
To explore what the future of work means for your business and understand how you can optimise your real estate strategy, step into (Y)OUR SPACE, or get in touch with a member of our team at www.knightfrank.co.th/commercial/occupier-services


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A lithium-air battery pack in the U.S. market that can handle the power of the next generation of electric vehicles has a price tag that is higher than the lithium ion battery market.
A lithium-nissan Leaf battery in the United States can be purchased for about $16,000, while the latest Tesla battery pack for a 2018 Nissan LEAF has a $16.9 million sticker price, according to data compiled by Edmunds.
The price tag for a Tesla Model S battery pack has also climbed to $35,000.
For now, Nissan and Tesla have no plans to release their new battery packs for 2017 or beyond.
Nissan and Teslas were the first to launch a battery pack, but they have not announced pricing plans for new vehicles.
The Tesla Model 3 is the first battery that Tesla has announced that it plans to produce at scale.
Tesla also plans to build its own battery plants, which would be more profitable and easier to scale than a battery factory.
The battery industry has been in the spotlight for months because of the increasing demand for lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles.
Tesla said it will begin selling a battery that can store enough energy to power a full-sized SUV, a luxury sedan, a midsize sedan, and even a sport utility vehicle.
The company says the battery can be charged by using solar panels or a battery farm.
But for now, the Model 3 and Model S batteries can only charge when they are plugged into a wall outlet.
The Model 3 battery packs are smaller than the ones Tesla produces, and they require a separate charging port for each pack.
The Model 3 packs are also thinner and lighter, which Tesla says makes them easier to transport.
The new battery pack would be available for about half as much as the Tesla Model X, which is available now for $30,000 in the states.
Nissan, the maker of the Leaf, says the new Model 3 batteries will be more expensive.
The Nissan Leaf battery pack is smaller and lighter than the Tesla battery packs, but it does not require a different charging port.
Tesla says the Model S packs have charging ports for a total of about 12 miles.
The price tag of the new Tesla battery is a major concern for the electric vehicle industry.
Lithium-ion battery packs have a sticker price of $50,000 and can store more than 100 kWh of energy, which has a capacity of more than 20,000 kWh.
But Tesla’s prices for its battery packs on its website and on a Tesla showroom website have risen significantly since the launch of the Model X. The new battery will be the most expensive car in the world if it sells for $80,000 or more.
The lithium ion cells that are used in the Model T and X are made from an alloy of cobalt, silicon, and nickel.
Those cells can store a tremendous amount of energy for a long time, but their battery life is limited by their capacity.
When they become depleted, the batteries can lose a significant amount of their energy, making them less than reliable for long-distance driving.
The batteries also have to be charged from the inside out to maintain their energy density.
Tesla’s batteries use a lithium-oxygen battery pack that is designed to last up to eight years.
Tesla says the price of its batteries is a big concern because of their cost and capacity.
The company is trying to get a lithium ion-air pack to compete with batteries made by Panasonic, which also makes batteries.
The prices of batteries are a major problem for electric vehicle manufacturers, which are hoping to sell their vehicles for less than their gasoline-powered counterparts.


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A lot of games out there task the player with mowing down hordes of enemies. What’s less common is jumping into the action after the bullets have already flown. That’s what Body of Evidence does, the new puzzle game/corpse disposal simulator coming to Nintendo Switch on December 17.
In Body of Evidence, the player’s job is to not only get rid of dead bodies but also any evidence that they were ever there in the first place. This means cleaning up blood, debris, evidence; anything that could expose the client. Of course, this also means finding somewhere to dispose of the body.
My Nintendo App Launches In Japan And Allows Players To Watch Nintendo Directs And More
Speaking of clients, you’ll be working for all sorts of people on both sides of the law. While the press release doesn’t get into the specifics of this, one would imagine that cleaning up a police crime scene would play out differently than cleaning up the aftermath of a mob hit.
That is, assuming that the police responsible are on the up and up. Cue the dramatic music.
Stranded Sails Pulls Into Port October 2019 On Switch, PS4, Steam, and Xbox One, Interview With Rokaplays
Tools will be required to get the job done properly, ranging from simple items like mops and water hoses to sneakier items like lockpicks. Luminol can be used to find hidden blood stains that aren’t visible to the naked eye. This is especially important because it’s exactly what the police will be looking for. You need to beat them at their own game.
The trailer makes the tone of the game pretty clear. The subject matter may be deadly serious, but it’s all handled with a wink and a nod. Ragdoll physics make it hard not to laugh when you’re dragging a body down a hallway. Then again, the copious amounts of blood splattered everywhere aren’t exactly hilarious.
The game promises thirty different levels, with various ways to complete each one. The press release also claims that the developers were inspired by Quentin Tarantino movies, which would explain the grim humor. It should also help gamers decide whether this is their cup of tea.
Thankfully, if you’re interested, it’s not going to cost much to find out. The game will retail for only $9.99, which is a hard price tag to ignore.
Clash Force Is Headed For An Explosive Release On Xbox One, PlayStation 4, And Nintendo Switch This July
If done properly, this could be a really fun time in a very niche genre. The only game that immediately springs to mind is Serial Cleaner, but the top-down perspective and stealth element of that game makes for a pretty loose comparison.


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It’s safe to say that in some ways, the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X was a unique graphics card. For the first time, the manufacturer used a more advanced cooling system design, which was previously not available in the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti family, and the name was associated with the updated GeForce RTX 2000 series. Do not agree to release the new model in the market.
MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X will not hit store shelves. NVIDIA was to stop the Taiwanese from using the potentially misleading naming.
MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X – Taiwanese introduced a new graphics card of the Ampere family
Just a week ago we reported about the upcoming premiere of the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X graphics card. In terms of appearance, this variant is quite unique, because the manufacturer used a large-scale cooling system known from more expensive and faster models of the SUPRIM line. As with other updated GeForce RTX 3060 Ti models, the Taiwanese came up with the faster GDDR6X memory type. The new version was supposed to debut in select Asian countries, but recent reports indicate that the launch has been canceled and the product card has disappeared from the MSI website.
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio Graphics Card Test – Good Cooling, Very Quiet
According to user sources @hkepcmedia, NVIDIA has ordered the Taiwanese company to completely pull the graphics card from its distribution channels. This is likely related to the potentially misleading nomenclature. A few years ago, updated systems of the GeForce RTX 2000 and GTX 1600 series arrived in stores, which differed significantly from the basic versions. To make the new models easier to identify, NVIDIA added a footer to the name at that time amazing. Customers who do not keep up with the PC component market may have mistakenly assumed that the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X also offers improved technical specifications. It is currently unknown if MSI will decide to change the name and re-submit the new variant for sale.
NVIDIA has notified MSI to recall this graphics card regardless of whether it is called SUPER 3X or SUPER3X @employee pic.twitter.com/tuQGgGOyer
– HKEPC (hkepcmedia) April 26, 2023
Source: VideoCardz, @hkepcmedia (Twitter)
“Prone to fits of apathy. Introvert. Award-winning internet evangelist. Extreme beer expert.”
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Digitalization has been a major concern for every business executive in order to keep their services relevant to the market. The banking industry is not spared from the security threats businesses are facing today. Digital banking makes it more convenient for consumers to access financial services through their own devices without having to leave the comfort of their home especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it proves to be more accessible for users, there is a risk posed with thousands of sensitive personal information being transmitted through the digital channels in every transaction. The way organizations respond to these risks determines the longevity of transacting via digital banking applications.
In 2018, an Indonesian Private Bank took a step forward to digitize their banking services through their digital banking app to cater to the millennial market segment who are more familiar with the use of technology. The adoption of the digital bank app was quick as more users utilized the system to fulfill their banking transactions. While more users trusted the system with their data, cyber threats around the world continue to evolve in hijacking current systems. The Digital Bank’s management recognized that their customer data is vulnerable to data breaches and cyber attacks especially as their app users grew into millions. The risk is magnified for the Bank and its customers as more and more points of vulnerabilities emerge where attackers can infiltrate and grab the data.
With the aim to keep their customer’s data safe, the digital bank took a step further by partnering with ITG Indonesia to fortify their security from breaches whether data is in transit or at rest. By understanding their direction and business goal to help more Indonesians through the digital banking app, ITG Indonesia proposed the adoption of a tool to help jumpstart and improve their secret management.
ITG in partnership with Hashicorp gave the digital banking app an extra layer of security by delivering encryption and decryption capabilities to the data and controlling how secrets are stored and transmitted through HashiCorp Vault’s Secret Management solution. With the competent and skillful ITG Technology experts, they are able to secure their data management and balance both the security and complexity on how they run their operations.
As of 2020, the Digital Banking App has over 2.7 millions users and has become one of the fastest growing digital banks in Indonesia. It is continually growing its user base in confidence with the guidance of ITG Experts and the capabilities of HashiCorp Vault. Secure Digital Data Management in the digital age.
Let ITG help you pivot to the world of digital with solutions that will change the way you secure your business. Schedule a consultation with our tech expert to know how you can scale your business with a seamless roadmap for your digital transformation journey.


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Rising from fourth place in 2003 to the first place in 2004 is no mean feat for any organization. Acer has achieved this phenomenal growth across Europe for its notebooks and is now being named the Dark Horse of Europe. Acer has managed to overtake heavy weight competition in the world’s second largest marketplace for notebooks and this has been made possible with better distribution policies, localization of product, and better marketing and promotion.
So is the European market more active than the US market when it comes to Notebooks? Possible. Research has shown more flux in the European market which has contributed significantly to Acer’s fantastic rise in this market.
As Acer becomes a strong force in the notebook market, forecast reports are including the information about Acer’s strategy to growth along with a detailed study of the success factors which have resulted in the recent gains by Acer. Who knows, it could even just be from their new Acer Ferrari line.
So if you are based in Europe and looking at buying a new notebook, you should definitely check out Acer’s offering along with that of IBM and Dell in order to ensure that you make a smart decision. After all so many notebook users cannot be wrong!


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In recent years, the fundamental insecurity of the internet has driven many to seek ways of protecting themselves and their data online. Businesses have pushed many of them in an attempt to help customers stay secure. There have been browser plugins to help force users to take advantage of SSL encryption on websites where it’s […]
As this year is shaped with worldwide self-isolation, the tendency is to move activities online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. People are seeking reliable means to protect their devices from malware for work and broaden their reach of new content for leisure. Here is how to use a DNS server to increase security and […]
Nowadays, everything seems to be connected to each other over the internet. While this interconnectivity can be a good thing in some cases, it jeopardizes your security and privacy. Due to this security challenge, a virtual private network is a tool that many people turn to for protection against all sorts of intrusions and restrictions […]
Frankly speaking, there are three stakeholders fighting the guerilla war on online anonymity. These stakeholders are government agencies, cybercriminals, and us, the average internet users. According to a report, 53% of users are skeptical regarding their online protection. Fortunately, you can use both Blockchain and VPN in parallel to safeguard your digital existence to a […]
Disruption is happening everywhere! It is the new world mantra. Everyone is thinking about new things, innovation as we come to know it. We are in an age where new technologies are replacing old ways of doing things; nothing is the same again. From self-driven cars to electric cars, from video marketing to AI-powered service-based […]
One of the popular ReadWrite posts discussed the 6 emerging cyber threats to look out for in 2019. These threats call for more robust security tools and strategies to protect our data. Also, the rapid rate of advancement in cyber threats deems it necessary that we constantly adapt to developments in the cyber world. Browser […]
With constant technological evolution making it increasingly challenging to keep prying hands and eyes out of one’s online business, it is hardly surprising that the race towards VPN software has mounted up over the years. This works just as well for marketers as the market has witnessed an influx of VPN apps, all claiming the […]
Cybercrimes are not abating any time soon. Hackers who have become tech-savvier are always on the prowl launching attacks with renewed vigor. They are not leaving out anybody, individuals, governments, charity organizations, as well as big and small businesses, are all targeted. You will want to reposition your brand against cybercrimes through VPNs. Six suggestions […]
Most people are familiar with IPTV services that are the recent replacement to the tradition cable TV. This latest technological trend, IPTV delivers users with fast streaming service of their favorite video content. Internet Protocol Television operates through your internet service which means you can directly stream any show without having to download it first. […]
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), despite their somewhat esoteric name, aren’t unknown to everyday users. Many people, including myself, use VPN apps or Chrome extensions like Hola to get onto sites that are blocked or otherwise inaccessible in certain countries. Many people find themselves using a VPN for the sake of convenience, very few implement one […]
Or just clumsily blocking video with malware tactics.
Defending against the Heartbleed bug involves way more than just patching buggy versions of OpenSSL.
You may have rolled your own virtual private network for security, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe from Heartbleed.
You built a functional VPN server! Now what?
Trust no one and build a server that encrypts your Web data from prying eyes.


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Western Power Distribution (WPD) is currently recruiting 100 Nissan EV owners in the Midlands, South West England and South Wales to take part in its Electric Nation project, a trial for Vehicle to Grid (V2G) smart charging technology.
As we recently reported, the trial is opening up recruitment for domestic V2G users by offering the free installation of smart chargers worth £5,500 to Nissan EV drivers who live in those regions. Electric Nation is different from other V2G projects because it is using up to five different energy suppliers instead of just one. This means that the trial is a more realistic simulation of a future world in which many streets will have a number of EVs using V2G chargers operated by different energy suppliers.
Vehicle-to-grid technology allows an EV to be used as a battery pack, letting owners sell stored excess energy back to the grid when demand for it is peaking. Basically, your electric car will work as a decentralised power storage station. It will help to reduce the grid’s need for additional energy generation, either through fossil fuels or renewable energy, at peak times such as between 5pm and 7pm in the evening.
Currently, only Nissan EVs can be used for V2G charging due to their CHAdeMO technology. The majority of EVs have the CCS charging system, which is due to be V2G compatible by 2025, but until then other EV owners will need to wait.
This recruitment is the second phase of the project as it follows the first 2018-19 trial that provided data from more than two million hours of car charging, revealing the user habits on timings of charge, where and for how long, as well as the impact of different tariffs.
Roger Hey, WPD’s DSO Systems and Projects Manager is confident that this technology could revolutionise the EV world.
“One of the latest Nissan Leafs with a 62 kWh battery would be able to put energy back into the grid that would be the equivalent of powering a house for days,” he said. “Multiply this by millions of EVs across the UK and there is the potential for huge storage which can mitigate the peaks in electricity demand. And people could be rewarded for offering their EVs as a service to the grid.”
On top of the free installation of the smart charger, participants are expected to earn a minimum reward up to £120, available over the one-year trial period from March 2021 to March 2022, by simply plugging in at specified times and putting energy back into the grid.


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ET Sustainability Forum: 'Carrot & stick' policy for faster green transition
As companies across industries grapple with the sustainability ask, top corporate executives and climate experts discuss green adoption at the ET Sustainability Forum. Calling for an approach that combines policy consistency and penalty on polluters, they say it’ll make ‘go green’ initiatives sustainable and affordable. Brand Connect Initiative
“In India, what we have suffered in the past is a lack of clear, sustainable long term policy solutions. Now, it seems to have changed… We need to be clear on one thing: we cannot keep changing this. So today it's EV (electric vehicle) and tomorrow it should not become hybrid, or tomorrow it should not become some other technology solution,” said Rajeev Chaba, CEO Emeritus, MG MotorIndia.
“Long-term policy is important, so the industry does not get confused.” India has begun focusing on EVs as part of the larger drive to clean up road transport, which almost entirely depends on oil and gas and produces enormous emissions that must be tackled to achieve climate goals. The government has offered purchase subsidies and production-linked incentives with an aim to boost local production of EVs and help build its local supply chain, which is overwhelmingly dependent on China today.
EV sales have risen and MG Motor’s Chaba expects its share in new passenger vehicle sales to rise to 30% in 2030 from just about 2-3% today.
Consumers are asking for sustainable products, which are also affordable, he said, adding that the younger generation is willing to pay a premium for such products, while the older generation is still focused on cost.
To cut emissions, original equipment makers (OEMs) could reduce the consumption of metal in cars by beginning to use thinner but stronger steel, said Dilip Oommen, CEO of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, a joint venture between the world’s leading steel companies.
This thinner steel would, however, be more expensive on a per unit basis than the commonly used sheets today but due to its lower weight could ultimately reduce the overall cost for the carmakers.
“The point is the entire value chain has to be green,” Oommen said, explaining how fuel providers, steel makers, and car manufacturers are all linked and all the participants in the value chain must act to have a significant impact on industrial emissions.
Companies’ decarbonisation plans are under increased scrutiny from lenders and equity investors, Oommen said, adding that higher cost has been a big hurdle in the adoption of sustainable technologies. The cost of green hydrogen is prohibitive and it must come down to $1.5 per kg from $5-6 today, he said. And in the intermediate phase, the steelmakers can use natural gas in their blast furnaces.
He also pushed for the carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology, arguing that the country should at least begin with carbon storage and the utilisation could follow. The need is to ensure that we reduce the use of fossil fuels for generating power, he said. May be (use) nuclear energy, which has its issues but at least it’s a clean fuel, he added.
Tapping scrap to reuse steel was a good idea but had its limitations, he said. “The availability of scrap is going to diminish,” he said, adding that as more countries try to pursue the same path, import of steel scraps will sharply reduce and India will have to largely depend on domestic scrap.
Major steel products would have a life of about 30 years and compared to today’s requirements, India didn’t produce or consume much steel 30 years ago, he said, explaining why the domestic supply of scrap would be limited.
Oommen also pushed for penalties for emitters and rewards for those who reduce emissions. India is beginning to develop a carbon market, which will encourage industries to switch to cleaner paths. Businesses need “certain clarity of direction” for a smoother transition, said Anirban Mukherjee, managing director & partner - Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
“We need to act fast, but we should not confuse speed with haste.” The global economic recovery from the pandemic, the supply chain disruptions, and the Ukraine war brought on the world an unprecedented energy crisis in the past two years, pushing some countries to increase the use of highly polluting coal. The developed world faced a cost-of-living crisis and this cast doubt on whether an orderly energy transition can be achieved.
While the broader national climate goals have been set, there was a need to “go sector by sector” and chart a preferred path to sustainability, Mukherjee said.
Digitalisation in general and the increased use of artificial intelligence could come in handy in attacking climate problems by bringing in low-cost solutions, Mukherjee said, adding that startups could help in this. India still has limited startups in the energy and mobility value chain but will likely expand as the market scales up, he said. “But if you look at the unicorns in Europe, they are across the board -- they are in carbon accounting, carbon markets, mobility, alternative fuels, hydrogen.”
To really move fast and be effective, the industry will need a collaborative approach, said MG Motor’s Chaba. “We know the building blocks. The need is to have a lot of partnerships and collaborations because one person or one institution cannot do it on its own,” he said.
Technology companies are going to play a major role in society’s green pursuit, Chaba said. “They are going to disrupt all industries,” he added.
Industry urged to use domestic tech, innovation
India has laid a well-structured climate road map backed with the right policies and is on track to achieve its green goals, environment secretary Leena Nandan said while advising the industry to double up efforts at using local innovations and sustainable tech.
“We are absolutely on track and raised the bar higher,” Nandan said during the ET Sustainability Forum’s panel discussion, referring to India’s 2070 netzero goal as well as the pledge to source 50% of national energy consumption from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
“The road map is very well structured, organised in terms of not just the thinking, but also the policy interventions.” Globally, businesses are increasingly expected to switch swiftly to sustainable practices, and such demands, which initially came from the government or the regulators, are now also coming from other segments of society.
“We are moving to a regime where consumers expect sustainability not just in terms of product but also the process,” she added.
Increased consumer expectations may force companies to act faster. Also, the consumers expecting sustainable products and practices are also often those willing to pay a higher price for such products and services.
Regulations with respect to sustainability by Sebi have also been evolving in the country. “There is a lot of consultation (by Sebi) and that has been done on a regular basis with the industry so that there is a commonality of understanding,” she said.
“And of course, the focus of the ESG is that it has to be something which does not ultimately become (some) kind of ‘greenwashing’ because that is something that has become a concern.”
Technology and innovation can play a critical role in the faster transition. “There is a lot of innovation in our country. So now the time has come when the industry also has to take advantage of this innovation.”
[Brand Connect Initiative]


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BIG RAPIDS, MI – Two people are wanted for questioning by the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office for trying to steal over $4000 worth of merchandise from Walmart in Big Rapids.
On Friday, November 24th, 2017, at about 8:00 PM, Deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Wal-Mart store located at 21400 Perry Avenue in Big Rapids Twp. for a retail fraud in progress complaint.
While Deputies were en route to Wal-Mart, the suspects fled the scene in a silver passenger vehicle.
The man and woman were attempting to steal $4,250 worth of merchandise. Wal-Mart security personnel were able to recover the items, however, the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office is requesting assistance in identifying the two suspects.
The female in the picture has blond hair and was wearing a red shirt. The male has a thin build and was wearing a white MSU ball cap.
If you can identify the suspects please contact the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office at 231-592-0150.