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Companies found in violation of behavioral advertising guidelines could be exposed publicly.
The Direct Marketing Association, the trade group overseeing the online ad industry's self-regulatory regime, is officially enforcing compliance with the online ad icon program. The organization believes the program, developed in conjunction with several trade groups under the Digital Advertising Alliance umbrella, qualifies as a do-not-track system. Violators could be publicly exposed.
The DMA will now require its members to include the ad icon in online ads targeted through behavioral data. The icon links to information about how the ad was delivered and allows people to click to opt-out from behavioral targeting.
"We will shame companies. We will embarrass companies, but that's not the goal," said Linda Woolley, DMA's EVP of government affairs, noting that if DMA members do not abide by the guidelines, the organization will publicize the violation. There are no penalties or fines associated with non-compliance, but companies could eventually be kicked out of the DMA for violating the rules.
Even firms that are not DMA members could be exposed if they violate the self-regulatory requirements, said Woolley. In the case of non-members that are persistently non-compliant, the DMA would refer those companies to the Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC in December bemoaned the industry's lack of progress on implementing a robust self-regulatory program for protecting consumer privacy when it comes to online behavioral advertising. In a report released by the FTC at the time, the agency supported the creation of a browser-based do-not-track mechanism, calling it "the most practical method" of providing universal choice to consumers regarding use of their online data for ad targeting.
"We think that this is do-not-track," said Woolley of the alliance's self-regulatory program. The FTC "talks a lot about transparency and choice and ease of use and we believe that the advertising option icon embodies all the things the FTC asked for."
"It's a good first step," said Craig Spiezle, executive director and president of the Online Trust Alliance. The OTA is a membership organization that includes a variety of companies operating in the digital arena, including eBay, Chase Bank, Microsoft, Symantec, and certified ad alliance program vendors Evidon and TRUSTe, according to Spiezle.
Spiezle believes the FTC is also concerned with privacy and security when it comes to data tracking and sharing associated with online advertising. "If you get down to the core issues of what consumers are concerned about," he said, "the overall element is about the collection of data, the usage of data and sharing."
Currently, ad verification company DoubleVerify is voluntarily providing the DMA with a list of clients using its compliance services, according to company CEO Oren Netzer. Woolley expects other firms to provide clients lists also, in an effort to assist the DMA in monitoring industry for compliance. In addition to DoubleVerify, Evidon and TRUSTe are certified by the alliance to enable inclusion of the icon in ads and offer related compliance services.
"Our first effort out of the box is to contact companies and ask, 'Did you know? Are you aware [of the new requirements]?'" said Woolley. Companies found in violation of the self-regulatory guidelines will be given a chance to mend their ways before any public action is taken against them, Woolley explained, noting that the process put in place by the DMA is the same used for all marketing channels including direct mail, and is based on the FTC's own process for monitoring corporate practices. There will be a "grace period for companies that really didn't know that this is going on," she said.
Still, Wooley believes most companies involved in online advertising are aware of the DMA's new requirements and should already have been gearing up for compliance. For instance, in addition to other organizations in the alliance conducting education efforts for their members, Wooley said she has been "on a mini-speaking circuit to other trade associations" including the Online Publishers Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation.
Woolley also aims to spread the word overseas. "Especially with brands that are global marketers, compliance is really essential," she said, adding that "ubiquitous compliance" throughout the European Union and other regions "is the way to go." As part of that global initiative, Woolley has "had many conversations" with foreign DMAs and "encouraged them to adopt our program as we've laid it out."
The FTC is accepting comments on its privacy report calling for do-not-track. Since the report was released, Woolley said the DMA has been in contact with the FTC.
Kate Kaye was Managing Editor at ClickZ News until October 2012. As a daily reporter and editor for the original news source, she covered beats including digital political campaigns and government regulation of the online ad industry. Kate is the author of Campaign '08: A Turning Point for Digital Media, the only book focused on the paid digital media efforts of the 2008 presidential campaigns. Kate created ClickZ's Politics & Advocacy section, and is the primary contributor to the one-of-a-kind section. She began reporting on the interactive ad industry in 1999 and has spoken at several events and in interviews for television, radio, print, and digital media outlets. You can follow Kate on Twitter at @LowbrowKate.
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Articles under the topic Technology
Enterprises have adopted a cloud first approach to their new initiatives while they seriously evaluate movement to the cloud whenever faced with any upgrade or refresh decision. However, the two biggest stumbling blocks that would not go away even with the maturity of the cloud solutions and growing customer base are ROI and Security. It does not matter how many have taken the leap of faith or how long the solution has been around.
Deloitte has recently released its sixth annual report "Tech Trends 2015 - The Fusion of Business and IT." This outlines the top technology forces with the potential to reshape business models, reimagine customer engagement, and change how work gets done. report examines how some of the biggest macro technology forces are enabling historic advancements in business, government, and society.
Last week, Microsoft showed the world that elephants can dance. For a company that failed to see and shape the mobile revolution, the event told the world that Microsoft will shape the internet of things and lead unification of user experience across platforms and devices. It is clear that the company is innovating all over again and this time users will benefit along with the industry at large.
After digitization and addressing customers directly through their TV sets, enterprise mobility is the next major leap making a mark on the industry in the area of customer experience. Satish Prabhu, Head - IT, Asianet Satellite Communications explains why mobility is the next big leap and how it helped the company achieve an all time high in customer experience while helping add new customers much more faster and cheaper.
With our ever-expanding network of dealers, the amount of data to be dealt also increased exponentially. Analyzing sales trends and other key performance indicators for such humongous data quantities started becoming a challenge. We decided to take our ERP to the In-Memory platform that has helped business achieve better visibility and usability.
One of the key initiatives this year was to help our patients get access to lab reports online. The portal has helped us to drastically improve patient experience. We rolled iSoft for implementation of this new system. The report portal is integrated with Lab Information System (LIS) and Website. The quality of interaction between the patients and doctors today has undergone substantial improvement.
We needed a scalable future proof customer experience solution that could help us keep track of the customer service history and make information accessible to our call centre staff. That's when we decided to roll out a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application for our customer care department. There has been drastic improvement in call handling times, increased transparency, reduction in costs and improved our security posture.
We have been one of the early adopters of cloud and we will continue look at the model to provide us with faster and scalable IT services. One such decision that we undertook was to move our emailing system to the cloud. It has helped us to integrate communications between our group companies across India as well as our international entities.
Serco Global Services rolled out a mobility platform to provide management information that came out through its delivery centres. It is an innovative tool and probably a first in the BPO industry. It has resulted in increase of trust, transparency and accountability from our customers. Apart from having access to real-time data, customers can also pull out historical reports as and when needed.
Atul Ltd, a chemicals manufacturing company, decided on open source MySQL Pentaho Kettle Spoon Data Warehouse instead of going for the conventional Oracle Database based Data Warehouse. Rajat Sharma, CIO of Atul Ltd. tells us how this unconventional move has helped to not only drastically reduce costs but has also laid the foundation of reporting and BI operations with lower efforts, without giving up on agility.

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Stock prices were mixed Tuesday as investors returned from the Presidents Day holiday. Key reports on inflation and housing are due out later this week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 23.99 points to 16,130.40. However, the Nasdaq composite index rose for the eighth consecutive session, up 28.76 points to 4,272.78, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 2.13 points to 1,840.76 -- within eight points of a record set last month.
Analysts continue to weigh the impact of the severe winter storms on the economy as consumer spending is affected by people restricted to their homes and the potential drop in vehicle sales.
Rising energy demands linked to the storms pushed oil prices up $2.13 to $102.43 a barrel, the highest level since Oct. 10. Gold dipped 0.4 percent to $1,323.75 an ounce.
Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) surged 28 percent after Actavis Plc (NYSE: ACT) agreed to buy the maker of the Alzheimer’s drug Namenda. Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) dropped 3.8 percent as fourth-quarter profit fell.
Equities rose last week as Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen pledged to maintain her predecessor’s policies by scaling back stimulus in “measured steps.” Economic growth has strengthened and there is “broad improvement” in the labor market, she said, adding that only a “notable change in the outlook” for the economy would prompt the central bank to slow the pace of tapering.
The Fed will release minutes from its Jan. 28 and 29 meeting Wednesday, giving details on central bank policymakers’ decision to trim bond purchases by $10 billion for a second time. Three rounds of stimulus have helped push the S&P 500 as much as 173 percent higher from a 12-year low in 2009.
Investors have dismissed weaker-than-forecast economic data, including January’s payrolls over the past two weeks, helping stocks recover from their worst start of a year since 2010. The S&P 500 had slumped as much as 5.8 percent since reaching a record on Jan. 15 as concern over Fed tapering fueled an exodus in emerging markets. The index has since climbed 5.7 percent, paring its 2014 loss to 0.4 percent.
A total of 12 S&P 500 companies were due to report earnings Tuesday. About 74 percent of those that have posted results for the fourth quarter have beaten estimates for profit and 64 percent have exceeded sales projections, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Companies in the gauge are exceeding analyst revenue forecasts by the most since 2012, a sign rising consumer demand is fueling economic expansion.
Seven out of 10 main groups in the S&P 500 rose, as health care shares advanced 0.9 percent for the biggest increase.
Forest Labs jumped 28 percent to $91.04. Actavis, the world’s second-largest generic-drug maker by market value, is buying Forest for about $25 billion in a deal that will transform it into a developer of brand-name drugs. Actavis rallied 5 percent to $201.47.
The deal is a win for billionaire investor Carl Icahn, Forest’s second-largest holder who gained seats on the company’s board in 2012 and 2013, and pushed for a sale. It also comes after Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) last week announced the year’s biggest deal, a $45 billion agreement to acquire Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC).
Other pharmaceutical companies also rallied Tuesday. Drug maker Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL) climbed 4.8 percent to a record $48.30, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: REGN) added 2.7 percent to $332.78, also an all-time high.
Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA) increased 5.8 percent to $5.15. The social gaming company reached a 19-month high after King Digital Entertainment Plc, the maker of popular smartphone games including “Candy Crush Saga,” filed to raise $500 million in an initial public offering in the United States on Tuesday. The amount King Digital is seeking to raise is a placeholder used to calculate fees and may change.
J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM) rallied 3.8 percent to $95.31 after being upgraded to overweight at Stephens Inc. The jam maker slumped 3.5 percent on Feb. 14 after forecasting a bigger sales decline than analysts had anticipated.
Coca-Cola fell 3.8 percent to $37.47 for the steepest drop in the Dow and its biggest loss since August 2011. CEO Muhtar Kent, facing slowing growth in emerging markets, said the company will pare supply and data-management costs and overhaul marketing programs to generate $1 billion in savings by 2016. Global sales volume rose 2 percent for the year and 1 percent for the quarter, less than the 4 percent annual and 3 percent quarterly growth reported a year ago.
D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) lost 1.3 percent to $23.31 and PulteGroup Inc. (NYSE: PHM) slid 1.2 percent to $19.79 as a gauge of homebuilder confidence declined by the most on record in February amid bad weather that hurt sales.
An S&P index of homebuilders slid 1 percent, with 10 of its 11 members declining. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo sentiment gauge slumped to 46 this month from 56 in January. Snowstorms last week from the South to the Northeast helped reduce homebuyer traffic to its slowest pace since April.
Purchases and sales expectations also declined as builder confidence deteriorated from coast to coast, signaling construction will contribute less to economic growth at the start of 2014.
-- Bloomberg contributed to this report.


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Media reported on Monday it had purchased US online dating site eharmony, within the first significant deal since it carved straight straight straight straight straight straight down an original ecommerce partnership with General Atlantic.
The purchase of eharmony, which was created in l . a . and expects to join up 2.8 million brand title name} brand-new users this year that is current complements ProSiebenвЂ™s own Parship dating franchise this is certainly industry frontrunner in Germany.
We’ve been joining together two brands which are strong will build them into one of the earthвЂ™s internet that is leading companies, ProSieben CEO Max Conze claimed in a statement.
Terms aren’t disclosed for the offer getting eharmony, which has been launched by medical psychologist Neil Clark Warren and makes usage of a thorough questionnaire that is online figure out of the compatibility of potential lovers looking for durable relationships. „Choose guide: ProSieben buys US online service eharmony that is dating. Dating apps and web internet web internet web web sites“ weiterlesen


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7-Eleven to Use Power-Saving Lights at 5,000 stores in Japan
TOKYO -- Seven-Eleven Japan Co. plans to switch its in-store and signboard lights to power-saving, light-emitting diode lighting at 5,000 locations, the company announced. The change is part of a 10 billion yen program planned to deal with expected power shortages this summer in Japans eastern and northeastern regions.
The program’s aim is to cut electricity consumption by 25 percent from July through September and includes the installation of solar panels at 1,000 stores. Power saving per store is estimated to be 125 kilowatts per day, according to the company.
Japan’s government is reportedly considering limiting the use of electricity by major companies in order to cope with anticipated power shortages due to several Japanese power companies losing some of their supply capacity following the March earthquake and tsunami. Other Japanese convenience store chains, including Lawsons Inc. and FamilyMart Co., have announced plans to save power by changing their lighting setups, changing air conditioning temperature settings and other measures.


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Consumers spending more on environment friendly goods
UK households are upping their spend on green goods and services, albeit slowly, a new report has revealed.
According to the Co-operative Bank’s latest ethical consumerism study, British homes are investing £251 a year each in environmentally responsible items such as energy-efficient appliances.
In 2008, some £6.4 billion was spent on green products and services, up 5 per cent on the previous year.
This was despite the impact of the recession.
Although the rate of increase is tentative, it is also progressive, having risen steadily over the past few years. Nevertheless, green goods still only account for 1 per cent of average household expenditure in the UK.
The money has tended to go on energy-saving electrical appliances, boilers and lightbulbs, as well as small-scale renewables and green energy tariffs.
Against the background of the UN Climate Change conference being held in Copenhagen, Tim Franklin, the Co-op Bank’s chief operating officer, said the figures indicate consumers are beginning to take climate change more seriously.
However, Mr Franklin added: “In order for the UK to reduce its carbon emissions by 30 per cent by 2020 there will need to be a step-change in the take-up of low-carbon technologies, and this will need a new contract between business, government and the consumer.”
Business innovation and ethical consumption require the support of thoughtful government intervention, Mr Franklin went on to say, as in the case of the phasing out of inefficient lightbulbs.
He concluded: “We now need to see such initiatives in a raft of new areas such as transport and electronic goods.”
The Co-op Bank’s full report is due to be published later in December.


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The difficulty, according to Arora, is not a lack of cybersecurity providers, but rather the complexity of an organization’s security infrastructure, some of which still uses antiquated parts. In order to upgrade and streamline these systems and improve real-time threat detection and response, he underlined the need to develop a two to three year plan. The CEO observed that criminals are breaking into critical data more quickly. These attacks can now happen within hours, when it used to take days to compromise systems.
Arora emphasized that “it’s essential for us to be prepared to repel these threats in a matter of hours, not days.” He stressed that resource allocation is more important than greater spending when it comes to modernization.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently issued guidelines that require businesses to report a “material” security breach within four days of discovery, prompting Arora’s remarks. Cyberattacks have recently affected a number of well-known businesses, including copper miner Freeport-McMoRan, cosmetics producer Estée Lauder, and consumer goods manufacturer Clorox.
Arora emphasized the value of prompt correction, saying that businesses should steer clear of the risky circumstance of reporting a breach to the SEC without having fixed the problem. He highlighted that it is everyone’s duty to make sure that customers can respond quickly to cybersecurity events.
The stock price of Palo Alto Networks significantly increased on Monday, rising by almost 15%. This increase was probably brought on by the company’s results report that was made public following Friday’s market closing. According to the study, revenue increased dramatically over the same quarter the year prior by 26%, totaling $1.95 billion. The company reported adjusted quarterly earnings per share of $1.44 as opposed to Refinitiv’s average forecast of $1.28 per share, which was somewhat below the $1.96 billion consensus estimate.


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USF-led partnership awarded $1 million to launch new companies
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- Staff Tampa Bay Business Journal
A regional partnership led by the University of South Florida has been awarded $1 million by the U.S. Commerce Department to support new Web and mobile app ventures, a project designed to launch new companies and create hundreds of high-wage jobs in the greater Tampa Bay region.
The grant is one of just six i6 Challenge grants awarded nationally this year—the only one of its kind awarded this year in the southeast, a press statement said. An estimated 245 high-wage jobs totaling more than $15 million in annual salaries will be created as the project pairs selected ventures with dedicated mentors and supports the fledgling businesses with an array of resources and services.
Partnering on the effort were Tampa Bay WaVE, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Tampa Bay Technology Forum, the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, the University of Tampa, and various private companies.
The i6 Challenge grant—working through Tampa Bay WaVE – is slated to help at least 50 Florida-based startup companies secure early-stage funding to grow into viable high tech companies and find the growth capital they need, the statement said.
In addition to the $1 million grant, another $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions is provided from members of the partnership.
The grant will be used to establish and operate The FirstWaVE Venture Center, an innovation and incubation center to be headquartered in downtown Tampa. The Center will initially serve the eight Florida counties that make up the greater Tampa Bay area but is designed to create an innovation ecosystem that can be replicated in other Florida regions.
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"I asked for 250k to work at the local ad agency as a sr dev, but they said no. I now work at Google for 80k as a jr. dev"
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Business Week has a long but excellent piece on the turnaround strategy of Nokia CEO Stephen Elop – timely in a week where the company drastically lowered its forecasts and fended off rumours that it will be acquired by Microsoft
Tag: Comes With Music
Comes With Music goes DRM-free for China
Nokia is launching Comes With Music in China today, and it’s the first market to get a DRM-free version of the all-you-can-eat music service. Nokia has partnered with Chinese firm Huadong Feitian to launch the service there, and eight handsets will be supported from day one.
Comes With Music becomes Ovi Music Unlimited for India
Nokia has rebranded its all-you-can-eat music service from Comes With Music to Ovi Music Unlimited for its launch in India – part of a wider move to bring Nokia’s music services under its Ovi services brand
Comes With Music coming to India next
Nokia has announced that it plans to launch Comes With Music in India by the end of June, with handsets from its E-series, N-series and XpressMusic ranges. However, the company hasn’t announced which operators (if any) it’s partnering with, as well as specific pricing details for the service.
New version of Nokia X6 doesn’t Come With Music
Nokia has unveiled a new version of its X6 music phone, which unlike the original doesn’t include the company’s Comes With Music service.
Nokia releases Comes With Music stats. About Elvis.
Nokia still isn’t stumping up any official Comes With Music figures, but it has released some info on the popularity of Elvis Presley tracks in Brazil. Well, it’s a start.
Analyst predicts Comes With Music closure within a year
Reuters has a long piece examining the performance and prospects of Nokia’s Comes With Music service, including contributions from Music Ally. But the killer quote comes from MKM Partners analyst Tero Kuittinen.
Nokia to reveal 10m Comes With Music downloads in Brazil
Nokia is on the verge of announcing that 10 million songs have been downloaded by Comes With Music users in Brazil, just seven months after it launched there.
Nokia’s X6 goes on sale with Comes With Music
Nokia has announced that its X6 music handset is now shipping in Finland and the UK, with a SIM-free price of 450 Euros.
Nokia launches Twitter riddles contest for Comes With Music
Nokia has unveiled the latest stage in its marketing campaign for Comes With Music. It’s called ‘Comes With… Riddles’, and will take place entirely on Twitter.The company is giving away […]
Music Ally Report: Nokia’s CWM service struggles to move beyond its niche
Our lead examines Nokia’s Comes With Music unlimited download service performance from its launch to explain why it has not took off as expected.
Comes With Music: 107k users worldwide
Music Ally has been passed details of the global uptake of Nokia’s Comes With Music service, which suggest it is struggling to make headway. As of July, Nokia had just […]


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Today is the day that more than 1 000 former chicken industry workers woke up unemployed, with no income and no means of feeding themselves, their families and other dependents.
FairPlay is a new international anti- dumping movement and our first project is to stop chicken dumping in South Africa.
Today workers, unions and company bosses join in a march to the EU offices in Pretoria to protest at the damage being done by dumping.
The march highlights what happens when the inevitable unemployment that follows dumping starts to bite; workers with up to 10 dependents lose their means of support, and poor people become destitute and desperate. Ah, say the dumpers, but we are on the side of the angels; we bring cheap chicken meat to feed the poor. This is not only cynical, it dresses up blood-toothed greed as a service.
People with no money cannot buy chicken at any price, not even chicken written off as waste, and being sold below the cost of production to drive South African chicken producers out of business.
The threat to the South African chicken industry is real. Since 2012 and particularly since early 2016, the dumping of chicken has risen dramatically. Imports of bone-in leg quarters now constitute more than 25 percent of the poultry market.
In 2016, up to 30000 tons of chicken leg quarters a month was dumped in the South African market, mainly by the EU and the UK, as well as the US (in terms of the Agoa agreement), and sold into the market at less than the cost of production.
The reason is that consumers in Europe and the US prefer chicken breasts and wings. The brown meat – leg portions of drums and thighs – are popular in South Africa, but are considered surplus by producers concentrating on northern hemisphere markets. They sell this unwanted surplus for any price they can get. This is doing huge damage to the South African chicken industry. An estimated 4 000 to 5 000 jobs have already been lost.
RCL Foods has halved production from February 2017 at its Hammarsdale plant in KwaZulu-Natal, with the loss of 1350 posts at the plant. The crisis that the chicken industry has been warning about has arrived. In 2013, the South African Poultry Association warned that unless action was taken to curb imports, some 20 000 jobs would be lost in the country.
Read also: Chicken fight rocks SA-Europe relations
In 2016, an RCL Foods executive said that if dumped imports continued unabated the South African industry might not survive in its current state for another 8 to 12 months.
That means we are now facing the possible collapse of the entire South African chicken industry, putting at risk 110 000 jobs in the industry and a further 20000 jobs in the maize and soya industries which supply chicken producers.
In international trade, dumping is the export of a product at a price that is lower than the price charged in its home market, or below its cost of production. It allows an imported product to gain unfair market share and is considered a predatory practice.
Dumping is not fair trade, or fair competition. Nor is it fair to consumers. Experience shows that once local industries have been crippled or killed, importers are free to raise prices to whatever level they think the market will bear.
Governments, too, are the losers, because those who lose their jobs become dependent on state grants and other support, for years and even decades.
South Africa’s food security could be another casualty of chicken imports. According to a recent report in World Poultry, poultry meat has grown to be the most important protein source in the diet of the majority of South Africans.
The grain industry produces between 25 percent and 33 percent of the country’s total gross agricultural production. The South African chicken industry accounts for 90 percent of all soya grown locally and after the consumer is the second largest user of maize. The collapse of the chicken industry would have a disastrous impact on the grain industry, food security and the national economy.
In the case of the chicken industry in South Africa, FairPlay will press for action against the chicken dumpers by all means possible, until the practice is a sad footnote of history.
Francois Baird is founder of the FairPlay movement.
This article was first published on www.iol.co.za/business-reporton 1 February 2017


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Qihoo 360 (QIHU), provider of online services and consisting of advertising services, announced its Q2 2013 results yesterday morning. The company reported a record quarter and its search service so.com seems to be giving Baidu (BIDU) a run for its money as the Chinese internet search industry becomes more competitive.
Qihoo 360 reported a 108% revenue increase accompanied by an earnings jump of 135% on a YoY basis. While the company is slowly but steadily pushing its cause in the search market, the company holds a competitive edge over rivals Baidu and Sina Corp (SINA) due to its presence in the online gaming space. The company reported close to 40% of its revenues from mobile services, a segment which is experiencing a huge growth in China. As per the company statement, this segment will see increased focus in order to drive future growth at the company. The Qihoo stock price closed 7.75% higher in the regular trading session yesterday following the earnings announcement.
Qihoo stock price Vs Baidu stock price
Source: Qihoo stock price Vs Baidu stock price by Amigobulls
Other stock market articles:
Read our Newsletter here: Facebook stock finally makes financial sense


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COVID-19 has caused global economic disruptions that threaten global food supplies from Africa to Latin America to the United States
As government restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 have now been largely in place globally for most of 2020, international organizations are sounding the alarm that global starvation may be on the horizon due to food shortages and economic disruptions.
In Africa, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development warns that the continent suffers a new threat to food security: COVID-19. The continent, which imported 85% of its food in 2018, is facing a crisis as the costs of food skyrocket worldwide due to economic disruptions from the pandemic.
Elsewhere, in Latin America and the Caribbean, a collection of United Nations agencies are warning of rising hunger in a region already struck by food insecurity and right on the United States' doorstep.


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Survey: Spike in Use of AI in Email Marketing
There exist concerns among recipients about 'creepy data'
A new survey of email marketers reveals an explosion of use of artificial intelligence (AI), with plenty of room for growth in the future.
The report by email marketing firm RPE Origin, released earlier this month, is based on a survey of more than 100 enterprise marketing professionals about their email practices. Nearly half of the respondents (48 percent) say they plan to use AI in the coming year, a spike from 26 percent in 2022. Nearly a quarter of respondents (24 percent) say they are already using it "extensively."
The top ways marketers are using AI, or plan to, are content personalization (50 percent), email retargeting (47 percent) and subject line optimization (47 percent). Nearly all respondents (99 percent) say their experience with AI has been extremely or somewhat positive.
Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.


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Prices are also set to move ahead, having fallen slightly last year as consumers traded down to lower-priced wines.
Le Piat d'Or, one of many brands in the International Distillers and Vintners stable, is the market leader, particularly in the predominant light still wine sector.
The total value of wine sold in the UK in 1992 was pounds 3.6bn, and should top pounds 5bn in 1997, according to a report by Euromonitor, the market research company.
Euromonitor says volume sales of light wines are forecast to increase by 39 million litres to 610 million litres in 1997, although that category's share of the market looks set to ease from 76.7 to 76 per cent.
Sales of British-made wines are expected to rise by only 2 million litres to 71 million, and experience a decline in market share from 9.3 to 8.8 per cent.
Demographic trends, however, favour heavier wines. Fortified wine is expected to grow gradually. Last year's sales of 36 million litres are seen as rising to 44 million litres in 1997.
That sector of the market, particularly for sherry and port, will benefit from the ageing of the population.
Sources of wine, Euromonitor adds, will become even more diverse, as countries such as Argentina, Russia, China, the Ukraine and South Africa increase their UK wine business.Reuse content


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The Uruguayan Live Studio by Vivo Gaming opened in 2019 has undergone a revamp—video premiered on YouTube! (Image courtesy of youtube.com Vivo Gaming)
Exciting times are ahead for Vivo Gaming as the live casino software platform has spread its wings across from its original hunting grounds in Asia, swept through Europe, and into South America. And as a testament to its success, the Vivo Gaming Uruguayan live studio is officially revamped.
The studio originally began its Uruguayan operation in 2019 after closing its Costa Rica operation. After almost 3 years in action, and obvious success, Vivo Gaming management decided it was time to update the studio. Spoilers of showcasing the new look live casino studio are already here and ready to circulate iGaming social media platforms after a video premiered on the esteemed live dealer brand’s YouTube channel as well as on its Twitter channel.
On the YouTube video titled ‘Uruguay Studio – Vivo Gaming’ there are currently 6 views as of the publishing date of this new report but is sure to circulate the new wires any time soon. As a fan of the live game developer and a subscriber of its YouTube channel, I came across the video via a handy YouTube notification. It’s always interesting to see how live dealer platforms are performing and for signs of success, which a renovated studio certainly suggest Vivo Gaming has conquered the Uruguayan live casino scene with its eloquent brand image and smooth live casino gameplay armed with fun, but also very professional.
For the time being, we only have the video to go by, which comes with the upbeat Vivo Gaming theme tune and some great footage of the live dealers in action inside the newly decorated studio. Up class looking blackjack, baccarat and roulette tables feature and text advertising ‘The Ultimate VIP Casino Experience’, ‘High-Definition Video Streaming’. We also get a preview of someone playing Vivo Gaming live games on their smartphone, which is possible thanks to the brand’s sophisticated state-of-art HTML5 delivery system. Another point made is that there are Spanish, French, Portuguese, and English-speaking dealers and croupiers with Spanish and Portuguese, commonly spoken languages in the country.
Studios by Vivo Gaming: Currently, Vivo Gaming has 5 studios across the globe. Early last year (2021) the brand opened its 5th studio in Bulgaria under the Bulgarian State Commission on Gambling following its Philippines live studio opened the previous year (2020). In 2019, the Uruguay operation came online, which was around the same time it moved its South-eastern Asian studio in Laos, in operation since 2010 and the birth of the brand, over to the Philippines.


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We reported earlier that the girls of SNSD / Girls’ Generation would participate in a new advertising campaign for the Nintendo DSi. Well, you didn’t have to wait long as the commercials have been released.
The girls were seen playing around with the game system on set and you can see that reflected in the commercials. Nintendo’s Korean representative said, “I hope people look at SNSD and see that this is a game set that is enjoyable for all ages groups for boys and girls.”
Thanks to Melany for the tip and check out the commercials below.


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Online Weight Loss Tools Quickly Becoming Preferred Solution
Online Weight Loss and Diet Programs
More and more Americans are using the Internet for everything from buying a new car to paying bills and booking vacations. Approximately 77% of Americans are now online, up from 74% in 2005, and compared with 57% back in 2000. Now, Americans are even dieting online - seeking the tools, support and motivation of online communities to achieve weight loss goals.
A study by Brown University found that people who enrolled in a structured online dieting program lost three times more weight in six months than those who casually surfed the Internet for diet information.
To help people successfully lose weight and lead healthier lives, Medifast, a leading clinically proven portion-controlled weight loss program, today announced the launch of MyMedifast (http://www.MyMedifast.com), creating one of the most comprehensive online customized weight loss communities in the industry to meet people's individual needs.
After conducting targeted market research among its customer base, the company identified a strong need for an online community where people could receive customized support and be part of an exclusive group, interacting with other people who are facing similar weight loss challenges.
MyMedifast offers users an interactive community where dieters can seek support by participating in a wide variety of interfaces including joining regularly scheduled chats about nutrition, dieting and exercising, or posting motivational messages on message boards. There are customized communities to meet the needs of individuals such as the "100+ pounds" and "Age 50+" categories where people who fit into these groups can connect and discuss their successes and challenges - supporting each other and keeping one another motivated.
"The friendships I've formed on this board are wonderful. We all have something in common. We are trying, and committed to each other and ourselves in this journey. We encourage each other and no one gets that 'feeling' of being judged like in the real world," commented a MyMedifast user.
One of the most significant features on the MyMedifast website is the customized Meal Planner. This feature provides a database with thousands of food items and their nutritional profiles to give users all of the necessary information to make healthy food choices. This section of the site also allows the user to log their weight, measurements and exercise on a daily basis. The website calculates this information and delivers a report to the user, showing if they are meeting their goals.
Users can run reports and see snapshots such as a daily nutrition score that highlights totals for calories, fat, sugar, proteins, carbohydrates etc. The website also offers users the option of receiving daily and weekly tips and articles.
"We understand that it is often difficult for people to stick to a weight loss plan, find the time to attend support meetings and prepare healthy meals. With the launch of MyMedifast, we are one of the only weight loss programs to offer all of the online tools people need to successfully lose weight and lead a healthy life -- providing the meal planner, nutrition and fitness information, scheduled chats with a nutritionist and an active community of Medifast users to seek support from," said Jaime Elwood, vice president of corporate communications for Medifast.
The MyMedifast website features healthy recipes, tips for dining out and various channels that provide additional resources to help dieters stay on track with their weight loss goals, including the following:
- Blogs and Message Boards:


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The Victorian Government Has Indicated It Will Regulate The Sector While The NSW Government Is Reviewing Safety Guidelines
Food delivery giant Uber Eats will help its riders stay injury-free on Australian streets by making them the first in its global workforce to access a new set of technology and safety gear following rider deaths that dragged attention toward regulation of the industry. A week after Facebook agreed to pay news publishers in Australia under threat of regulation, Uber became the latest tech titan to adjust its practices in the face of pressure from Australian courts, unions and parliaments over the consequences of its business model.
From Tuesday, it will roll out a new object recognition feature in its app to detect whether its riders are wearing a helmet, require them to complete a checklist of their bike’s roadworthiness, and later this month, start distributing lights, reflective vests, bells and phone holders (though not helmets). But the more resources a company provides to its workers, the more likely they are to be classified as employees than independent contractors and therefore entitled to the minimum wage, workers’ compensation and unfair dismissal protections. Using contractors is key to Uber’s business model because it lowers costs and allows its workers more flexibility in their days, accepting orders from multiple platforms and to log on and off at will.
Uber Eats Australian general manager Matthew Denman said the legalities did not factor into its decision to deploy the new safety features, which follow the deaths of two Uber Eats riders in three days amid a spate of five deaths across the industry last year. “What we said was: ‘how do we operationalise this and let’s get on and do it because it is the right thing to do so’,” Mr Denman said. The Transport Workers Union, which has been campaigning against what it sees as non-existent job security, low pay and frequent injuries in the gig economy, welcomed the changes but said they addressed a symptom of the sector. “The fatal pressures imposed by Uber’s exploitative business model that are literally killing workers remain unchanged,” said the union’s national secretary, Michael Kaine. “Offering Band-Aid solutions when the adverse publicity gets a bit hot is simply not good enough.”
Time pressure caused by low pay and apps that let users rate riders down for slow deliveries was the real cause of safety problems, Mr Kaine said. Mr Denman countered that Uber’s riders enjoyed their flexibility and were well paid, pointing to a study released last year from a Victorian government inquiry that found the average hourly rate for delivery riders on apps was about $22. “Without getting into specifics, it reflects what we see,” he said. The company was open to discussions about paying a minimum wage while riders were on trips, Mr Denman said, though he did not countenance an overall hourly wage that would include waiting time.
Of the new measures, the helmet detection software and checklist are being rolled out in Australia before anywhere else. Other companies, including Deliveroo, already provide their riders with some safety items such as jackets. Riders will also receive more safety training. The measures come as Uber faces widespread pressure. It settled a court case from the union late last year after Federal Court judges picked apart its argument that its Uber Eats workers were not employees and subsequently changed its contracts. The United Kingdom’s top court found a group of its workers were not self-employed this month and at a state level, the Victorian government has indicated it will regulate the sector while the NSW government is reviewing safety guidelines. Federally, Labor and the union want an independent tribunal to give riders employee-like rights such as a minimum wage.
This news was originally published at SMH


text: Michael Dell's 2009 compensation increased 5% compared to the year earlier, when his pay package totaled $2 million. He took home a $931,731 salary (down from $950,000) and $1.2 million in other compensation (nearly all of which is company-paid expenses related to Dell's personal and residential security). No stock or option awards were made to Dell during the company's 2009 fiscal year, which ended Jan. 30, 2009. Meanwhile, revenue was flat and profits fell 16% at the company. Dell reported income of $2.48 billion on revenue of $61.1 billion in 2009. In 2008, the company reported income of $2.95 billion on revenue of $61.1 billion.


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May 28, 2015
This morning, Shazam announced that it has added a new feature to its popular music discovery app: visual recognition. The added functionality gives users a new way to use their mobile devices to engage with the physical world through image recognition of certain goods, from books to toys. While that sounds neat, there's a very real probability that the feature will get little to no use from its current set of more than 100 million monthly users.
Shazam's New Image Recognition Tech
The new visual recognition technology on Shazam's app opens up a different kind of experience for users. Through the the new feature, users can now use their smartphone's camera to scan things in the physical world (such as Blu-ray boxes, magazine pages, and other pacakaged goods) to give them additional access to interactive content and special offers not available elsewhere. It will also give users an additional method through which to purchase certain goods – simply snap a picture of an item, and an option may be provided for you to purchase that item right from your phone. The one drawback: you can only scan items that either already have a QR code or have Shazam's camera logo.
“The introduction of visual recognition is another step on our journey to extend the ways people can use Shazam to engage with the world around them,” said Shazam CEO, Rich Riley, in a statement. “For brands, we’re providing a near-frictionless way to engage customers on their mobile devices, with a single tap of a button.”
Growing Trend in Visual Recognition
Visual recognition search has increasingly gained momentum in the past year – with companies like Canada's Slyce raising nearly $30 million for its image recognition technology and major retailers like Neiman Marcus offering their own set of visual search features. And such moves are certainly warranted: it's inevitable that we'll move towards a future in which all the technologies on our mobile devices will be utilized optimally…where image search functionality will help to solve certain pain points in our lives.
For example, there's a lot of utility to be gained when a clothing retailer implements image recognition search capability into its app – there's large market potential for consumers trying to pin down more information on that random skirt or dress shirt they found. By giving consumers the ability to simply take a picture of that clothing and helping them get one step closer to that item, a company can actually directly benefit from visual recognition tech.
A Weakness in Shazam's Attempt
Shazam's implementation of visual recognition tech seems more to be move benefiting brands than something adding any actual value to their user base. While the company purports to increase engagement with products in the physical world, the likelihood of anyone pulling out their phone to take a photo of an item featuring Shazam's unique logo or QR code is very minute, especially when the deliverables aren't anything of necessity (people don't need to watch an exclusive short from Disney's Tomorrowland – one of the company's current partners – but they may need to buy that dream wedding dress they found in a magazine ad). Consider: when was the last time you, someone you know, or even a random stranger pulled out their phone to take a pic of a QR code?
“There’s plenty for the brands to like. Shazam offers more than 100 million monthly users globally, with broad demographics Riley says mirror iPhone ownership. Shazam can work closely with each partner to help them watermark an image to prime it for recognition. Many already do that with Shazam to tag television ads. And for Shazam, it’s another form of media to tap for potential partners, and ultimately, revenue.”
While the tactic seems viable and beneficial to the company at the moment, Shazam's visual recognition approach will likely only push them forward in the short-term. Over the coming months – as more data becomes available on actual usage of this feature – we should expect Shazam to roll out additional methods through which it can engage both brands and users (the assumption here being: it's visual search approach will ultimately fail).
But, I mean, who knows? Maybe Shazam will successfully evolve past its mere music discovery roots.
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As a host of new payments schemes—with digital at their core—emerge, legacy payment processing systems are struggling to expand beyond their original use-case. The foundational architecture of platforms designed for a world of card payments has become incompatible with today’s intricate payments universe.
Our latest webinar, moderated by Finextra researcher Jane Cooper and featuring a global panel of experts, explores the relationship between banks and these new payment types (including digital currency)—and offers insights on how banks can futureproof their strategies to remain relevant within the payments ecosystem.
to hear the panel’s point of view as they discuss:
How the emergence of new payments schemes is impacting the ecosystem
How costs and complexities around running current multiple in-house payments silos are impacting innovation and transformation
How reusable technology can assist in the delivery of new services
The features and benefits of migrating to a cloud-based payments platform
Jane Cooper - Researcher, Finextra [Moderator]
Rod Bungey - Director, Diebold Nixdorf
Varun Yadav - Global Innovation Program, Treasury Services, Digital Platform Office, BNY Mellon
Becky Clements - Director of Payments, UK Finance


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PUBG was the game that made the battle royale genre as popular as it is right now. But Epic is currently profiting from the model, having released its own free-to-play version.
One would naturally think that there's some bad blood between the two companies but, in an interview with PCGamesN, Corrigan revealed that Epic is actually one of PUBG Corp's best partners and the relationship is great, despite the former levying a lawsuit against the Fortnite creators over alleged imitation.
“When [PUBG] first came out - years ago now, I guess - the idea was to just sell a copy of the game, and it’s going to be great, and that’s that. A lot of the season stuff has been our internal thinking evolving over time," he said. "People have this idea that there’s some animosity or something with Epic, but they’re one of our best partners, we talk to them all the time!”
PUBG Corp's lawsuit has since been dropped and the studios are now said to be "learning from each other." PUBG has picked up Fortnite's battle pass system but the director doesn't think the latter's model works for his company.
“While I think we can learn a little bit from how that’s working over there, just like all games learn from each other, I don’t think their model exactly works for us,” Corrigan added.
“We have a more high-intensity competitive game, we’ve got a functional esports program that we’re putting a lot of time into right now. I think maybe the way seasons will work for us is probably going to be a little bit different going forward, but I don’t think we’ve really worked out all the details yet, to be honest.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s not like we’re taking the blueprint over there and trying to build a better photocopier. That’s not it. If there’s pieces that work for us, that’s great, because we should learn from the best teachers across a lot of different games, but our formula is unique. That’s something we understand, and we have to always remember: this PUBG formula is unique, there really is nothing else out there like it.”
Given the similarity between the two games, it would be pretty normal for the creators of the original to feel offended. It's very likely that the relationship has become amicable over time but Mr. Corrigan can't expect us to believe things were always cool. Not like there wasn't a lawsuit or anything.


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Forza Horizon 3‘s Blizzard Mountain expansion pack, which was originally announced last month, is now finally available. it is available on the Microsoft Store right now for $20, if you don’t own the Expansion Pass for the game. If you did buy the $35 Expansion Pass, then the download is available to you for absolutely free.
To celebrate the new release, Playground Games and Microsoft have released a thrilling new launch trailer for the expansion, which you can see below. Blizzard Mountain looks to be a nice change of pace from Forza Horizon 3‘s Australian setting, and most fans should like what they get with it- especially since Blizzard Mountain is the first time snow will be featured in the series.
That apart, the expansion brings with it new vehicles, new events, and 28 new Achievements- so it’ll be worth the purchase for anyone who liked Forza Horizon 3. Forza Horizon 3 is available now on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs.


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SCAM reports are soaring as tricksters creating fake scratchie tickets, invoices, refund offers and computer viruses prey on homes and businesses.
In Victoria alone millions of dollars were lost to bogus lotteries and charities and internet love rats in the last year, the Herald Sun reported.
Consumer Affairs Victoria figures released to the Herald Sun reveal reports of shameless shysters trying to fleece victims or steal their identities have surged 150 per cent in four years.
More than 6770 official reports were made last financial year. However, this is the tip of the iceberg, as many people are too embarrassed to come forward.
Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O'Brien warned con artists frequently posed as reputable organisations,including government agencies, Microsoft and Sensis Yellow Pages to try to steal personal details.
"Just because you get contacted out of the blue by what sounds like a legitimate business does not mean you should drop your guard,'' Mr OBrien said.
Victims range from elderly people living alone to busy small businesses tricked into paying bogus invoices to register their company's internet address.
Common cons circulating in Victoria in the last financial year include:
A COMPUTER repair or Microsoft scam, where the victim is contacted and told their computer has a virus. The scammer uses remote access to steal banking or other personal details, or charges a service fee.
RECLAIM scams where victims are contacted by phone, mail or email, and told they need to pay a fee to get access to owed money.
RENTAL scams luring victims through fake advertisements for rental or holiday rental properties and trying to trick people into paying an upfront fee.
GLOSSY travel brochures containing scratch lottery tickets that claim households have won a huge prize. Householders are asked to pay fees or tax or supply details such as driver licence, date of birth, address and bank accounts to redeem their winnings.
SCAM CASE STUDIES
A MAN lost $16,500 after responding to a text message telling him he'd won the UK lottery. He sent the money to the scammer after being told he would have pay the British tax office as well as cover the cost of a courier who would deliver the winnings from Nigeria in order to access the prize of $100,000.
A CONSUMER lost $13,000 after receiving a letter in the mail saying they had inherited a large amount of money from a distant relative in Spain. The letter told the consumer to send the money to cover taxes.
AN elderly woman living alone paid thousands of dollars to lottery scams arriving in the post over four years. She had also unwittingly subscribed to a number of bogus charities and was sending them regular payments.
A BUSINESS owner paid $249 for what looked like a tax invoice from a domain name company. He later realised the bill was not from the company he had done business with in the past, and no money was owed at all.
A WOMAN met a man on an internet dating site, spoke to him on the phone twice a week, and sent money for he and his daughter to pay for flights from the UK to visit her via a Western Union bank transfer. The night before they were due to arrive, he said his daughter had been in a car accident. He had given a fake address and was never heard from again.


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Plastic has become an enormous problem for the entire planet, as it’s estimated that between five and ten million tons of this material are dumped each year on the land and in the oceans.
Unfortunately, about 550 tons of plastic in Costa Rica are produced daily, and approximately 80% ends up in the sea.
Bioplastics have been presented as a possible solution for this environmental issue in the last two decades. However, they do not degrade in natural environments and require industrial composting.
“Bags, plates, cups, and straws, among other single-use items, are sold in stores and supermarkets with labels and terms such as oxo-biodegradable, biodegradable, biological, compostable, and green. These products have the same environmental impacts as plastics of petrochemical origin and are not alternatives to eliminate traditional plastic,” said Alberto Quesada from the Mar Viva Foundation.
To test these new materials and determine their effects on the environment, the University of Costa Rica (UCR) conducted a study with the participation of the Natural Products Research Center (Ciprona) and the Chemistry and Biology schools.
The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the biodegradability of materials identified as polylactic acid (PLA) and oxo-biodegradable (OXO), which are labeled as “biodegradable.”
These materials were evaluated in a home composting system for 78 weeks. The composting test was adapted from two standards, which establish that the plastic material has to reach 90% degradation or the same degradation of the reference material (cellulose) at 31 weeks.
Researchers compared the mass values of the materials to measure changes in matter, and after 31 weeks of composting, the mass of the analyzed plastics did not suffer any changes.
Dr. Rosaura M. Romero Chacón, a chemist and one of the researchers participating in the study, explained that “normally, additives are added to polymers so that they have certain characteristics, such as color and some physical properties.”
She also explained that the problem is that some additives cause plastics to break down into smaller particles and are dangerous.
On the other hand, bioplastic is a “polymer derived from renewable, biodegradable sources or both.” However, many of them have other compounds added that make them no longer biodegradable.
Dr. Keilor Rojas Jiménez also pointed out that “plastics enhance the pollution of the environment because they will be there for hundreds of years.”
For the experts, there is a severe problem with labeling these products since they give the consumer an erroneous impression of what they really are.


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While Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphones still haven’t officially been recalled in the United States, all over the world, people are continuing to use their brand-new phones, at least until Samsung is able to get a replacement Note 7 into their hands. To keep these stubborn customers from fiery disaster, the company announced a software update in South Korea that could hit other countries and might be involuntary: users won’t be able to fully charge their batteries. [More]
Hey, Microsoft? Just a little heads up. If customers despise your latest and ostensibly greatest operating system so much that businesses are offering a downgrade service, you might want to take that as a sign that something has gone wrong. Because while we can understand having to pay for an upgrade, ponying up cash just to take a step back on your new laptop with pre-installed software is well, it’s a step back. [More]
The U.S. government isn’t alone in the Standard & Poor’s downgrade doghouse. Google, which is in the process of buying Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, took a sharp knock from Standard & Poor’s equity researchers, who moved Google’s stock from a “buy” to a “sell,” lowering its target price to $500 from $700.


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Tasting paddles with a strong brand.
Due to the recent closing of Denver-based Southern Concepts Restaurant Group, the barbecue spot in the Lincoln Center will not be a Carve Barbecue location. The space will be occupied by yet-unopened Tailgate BBQ, a kitchen-less concept owned by Warren and Chandler Knop and supplied by Roth Premium Foods.
—ORIGINAL POST 1:31 P.M. TUE., AUG 1, 2017—
Goat Patch Brewing Company
has opened, as of Monday, July 31. Owned by Justin and Jen Grant and Cate and Darren Baze, the Lincoln Center brewery has been on our radar for about a year
. Brewer Darren, a veteran of Bristol, Trinity and Colorado Mountain breweries, says it's been "So far, so good."
"People seem to like the beers… we did a bunch of soft openings to dial in the service," he adds. "I think that helped.”
Currently, the brewery offers six beers on tap. Their blonde (which we saw at a recent preview
) and red ales are the first of their flagship brews. Baze says he's considering making their session IPA a flagship as well. They're also offering an unfiltered IPA, a porter, and an oddball beer they've dubbed Goat Patch Punch. It's a Belgian-style ale brewed with cherries and orange peels, fermented with a German-style hefeweizen yeast (best known for, when used traditionally, imparting banana and clove notes) and a Belgian saison yeast. We have no clue what to make of this beer, having only heard of it by phone, but we're intrigued, to say the least. It's notable also for being their only named beer.
“Eventually, if we get into packaging we might start naming them," explains Baze. "Everything we think of to name stuff, another beer’s already named that.” Beyond the six available now, Baze says they have a double IPA and a smoked ESB fermenting, set for release sometime early this month.
Currently, customers can take beer home in both 32 ounce crowlers and 64 ounce growlers. During the day, customers will be able to bring in food from the brewery's neighbors in the Lincoln Center.
Denver-based, fast casual barbecue spot Carve Barbecue Tailgate BBQ has yet to open in the adjacent space
, but once that does, it'll serve as the brewery's evening foodservice spot.
“Until then, we’ll do food trucks in the evening,” says Baze, explaining that he has no intention of introducing competition to the eateries with which the brewery shares the Center. “We want to help out the other businesses in the building.”


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PASSAIC, NJ-Pennrose Properties LLC of Philadelphia is looking to redevelop a pre-World War II rubber factory into a $60-million mixed-use complex.
The developer appeared before the Passaic Redevelopment Agency last night to discuss its plans. The agency later named Pennrose as the developer for the property by a vote of 5-0.
Timothy Henkel, senior vice president for Pennrose Properties, says the company plans to refit the building in three phases, with retail on the ground floor and 550 apartments above. He estimated the cost of the first phase at about $60 million. Of the 550 units, 376 would be rented at market rates, 80 units would be sold as condominiums and 94 would be designated affordable housing. See story in The Record.


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The WD Black SN850X NVMe SSD launches today, and it packs performance you won’t find in any other PCIe 4.0 drive. In fact, it boasts of unmatched read speeds making it the top choice for anyone who simply needs to have top-tier components in their system.
In terms of appearance, the WD Black SN850X can easily be mistaken for its closest counterpart, the SN850, at a glance. However, there’s no fault in the new drive’s faster speeds, coming in at a surprisingly fast 7,300MB/s compared to the 7,000MB/s offered by its predecessor, a 300MB/s uplift.
However, it’s in write speeds that the WD Black SN850X really flexes its muscles at 6,300MB/s, an improvement of the SN850 versus 1,000MB/s. With specs like this, the WD Black SN850X seems like a shoo-in for the title of best SSD for gaming, but its faster speeds come at a higher price.
You can get the WD Black SN850X in 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB capacities starting today for $159.99 USD / £157.99 GBP. If you can wait a while to upgrade the storage in your gaming PC, PCIe 5.0 SSDs like the Corsair MP700 promise to push the limits of read and write speeds even further.Get latest news and articles related to gaming only at Gaming Strat.


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There are delights at every turn – and every short drive – in Dunsborough. Picture: Tourism WA
Stan’s new series Bump enters the pantheon of great Australian TV
The pandemic has fuelled extreme inequality. It’s time for a global reset
Super top-up: Funds call for $5000 payments for low-income earners
Australia ‘frustrates the hell’ out of Xi Jinping with massive trade surplus
Quiz: Can you get all of these tough Aussie questions right?
How to get food and travel vouchers worth up to $200 in NSW and Victoria
Evening : Watch The News in 90 Seconds


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New basketball based interactive digital game, ‘10 Minute Madness‘, has been launched by Euroleague sponsor and Europe’s largest sportsbook, Bwin.
Bwin are the world’s largest listed online gaming company with a particular enthusiasm for online sports betting. In an attempt to appeal to basketball fans away from the sidelines, this newly launched game offers players the chance to predict game events for each quarter including scorers, final scores, the winning team and more.
Using a points system, players are then able to win exciting prizes guaranteed to appeal to all basketball fans such as VIP courtside tickets, signed jerseys, season match tickets and tickets for the Euroleague Final Four in London in addition to an array of merchandise.
Head of Sponsorship & Events at Bwin, Daniele Sano, said: “Our aim is to bring the courtside thrill of Euroleague into the living rooms of our customers. 10 Minute Madness’ inspired use of second screen technology means fans are constantly involved in the action, with a stake in the outcome of each and every play. As we have already shown with our Playbook iPad app, our approach is to bring real added value to our partnership with Euroleague and make a meaningful and longstanding connection with fans.”
Roser Queraltó, Chief Business Development Officer at Euroleague Basketball, was equally as enthusiastic about the launch of the new digital game, saying: “This is another great example of Bwin bringing something new to the Euroleague experience, enhancing the action for dedicated fans everywhere.”
The free play game has been optimised for play on iOS and Android Tablet and smartphone devices but is also available across an array of platforms with internet access. Fans can take the game even further by discussing play on Twitter, #Makeyourplay, with other fans and even chatting to their favourite players.
For more information on the interactive basketball game, visit www.bwin.com/mobile.


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Kidman, Urban Wedding Pics Not Be Up to Snuff for Donations
Newlyweds Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban maybe want to make it good with their wedding photos when they released one of their June 25 nuptial to the world's media in exchange for a charitable donation. Unfortunately, the fact works just the opposite, their exclusive wedding pictures fail to produce donations.
The celebrity couple released the photo hours after their Sydney, Australia, wedding as an attempt to curb aggressive paparazzi tactics at the ceremony. That's for everybody to know.
And, instead of selling the pics, the couple requested that media outlets using the photo to make a donation "in good faith" to the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation. Nonetheless, the Australian hospital says that it has received "about six or eight donations", averaging as little as 550 dollars each. And though they have not benefited through the press, the hospital is hoping that it will be a little luckier when it comes to donations from guests at the wedding who were also requested by the couple for a donation to the hospital in lieu of a wedding gift.
More Nicole Kidman News
- 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Toys Reveal First Look at Kurt Russell's Ego
- Will Kanye West Perform at Pal Donald Trump's Inauguration?
- Fergie Who? Nicole Scherzinger to Replace the Singer in Black Eyed Peas
- Tupac Shakur Biopic 'All Eyez on Me' Is Set to Be Released in Summer
- Kendall Jenner and A$AP Rocky Reignite Dating Rumors After Seen Shopping Together
- Ariana Grande Criticized for Claiming She's the 'Hardest Working 23-Year-Old' on Earth
- Lady GaGa Teases Super Bowl Performance in New Behind-the-Scenes Video
- 'Game of Thrones' Latest Tidbit Reveals This Character's Unlikely Return in Season 7


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Italy has banned all CBD products, now classified as narcotics
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In a shocking move, Italy has become one of the most restrictive countries in Europe when it comes to the sale of Cannabidiol (CBD) obtained from hemp varieties of the cannabis plant.
Reported in Hemp Today, The decision by officials is to classify CBD products as narcotics and to ban everything including oils, vapes and any other products not covered by the Novel Foods ruling which had banned CBD in edibles.
Italy has been in CBD limbo since a new more Conservative Government came into power in 2018 and made moves to prohibit the beneficial cannabinoid from general sale. Interestingly, this latest ruling does “cause apparent conflict in Italy following a separate recent decree from the Agriculture Ministry that listed hemp flowers for “extraction uses” as an agricultural product, and not a drug” (Hemp Today)
Up to March 2019 customers could by CBD over the counter in all its various forms in Italy. Then after a ruling banning hemp derivative sale, CBD was still available widely online and imported from other Countries in Europe relatively easily. Prohibition Partners reported at the time that: “The Supreme Court of Cassation said existing laws do not permit the sale or transfer, for any reason, of products ‘derived from the cultivation of cannabis’, and that products currently on sale including oil, leaves, inflorescences and resin must be removed from shelves.” After this point CBD remained on sale online, but not in high street shops.
But now the Government has gone further.
It is unclear how the Italian Government plans to handle the vast quantities of CBD imports that will inevitably be occurring daily regardless of any rulings.
Some have wondered if this could be the influence of giant medical players in the cannabinoid industry. Hemp Today reports “Observers have noted that the decree establishing narcotic status for CBD is, in part, preparation for the introduction of Epidiolex, a CBD-based drug whose manufacturer, UK-headquartered GW Pharmaceuticals, has requested authorization to begin selling that product on the Italian market. GW is slowly expanding its distribution of Epidiolex in Europe, with rollouts also afoot in the U.K., Germany, Spain and France.”
Whatever the reason, this ruling could cause serious issues for Italian patients currently self-medicating with cannabidiol who will now be forced to source their medicine illegally. On the other hand, this will move CBD more in line with other cannabis products already illegal due to THC content, so rather than removing the product officials will simply be faced with impossible enforcement due to the many bordering countries still selling CBD online and in shops that can be travelled to from Italy.
This news from Italy follows the recent signs that the European Union is moving towards regarding CBD and other hemp extracts as narcotics. Hopefully, the well-established CBD industry and its various regulatory boards throughout Europe can push back on this to ensure CBD access for everyone who requires it.


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Sony Considering Buying Ericsson Out Of SE Project?
Could Sony handle the smartphone market as it stands today? Is Ericsson really the problem? Would Sony actually be better off going at it alone? It's extremely hard to judge; the smartphone universe has shifted dramatically in recent years, and it seems to be shifting even more every single day. If Sony removes the "E" from the existing 50-50 venture, it's not too hard to envision what Sony may try to do: add even more PlayStation flair to their future smartphones. Microsoft has definitely gone to great lengths to integrate sections of Xbox LIVE into Windows Phone 7, and we suspect that Sony may have a similar plan.
Would you be more or less interested in a Sony-branded phone if the "E" were dropped?


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Nintendo announced a new Super Smash Bros. game with new fighters, stages, and more at E3 2018. It will be released on December 7, 2018.
Legendary game worlds and fighters collide in the ultimate showdown – a new entry in the Super Smash Bros. series for the Nintendo Switch system! New fighters, like Inkling from the Splatoon series and Ridley from the Metroid series, make their Super Smash Bros. series debut alongside every Super Smash Bros. fighter in the series…EVER! Faster combat, new items, new attacks, new defensive options, and more will keep the battle raging whether you’re at home or on the go.
- A new game in the Super Smash Bros. series
- New fighters, new stages, and every fighter ever featured in the series…EVER!
- Inkling from the Splatoon series joins the roster
- Ridley from the Metroid series also joins the fight
- Returning fighters include Wolf, Ice Climbers, Pokémon Trainer and more
- Elevate the Super Smash Bros. experience to new heights with faster combat, new attacks, new items, and new defensive positions
- Hold a 4-player-free-for-all, or kick it up to 8-player battles. (Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. Game, system, amiibo and some accessories sold separately.)
- All current Super Smash Bros. series amiibo figures are supported.
The retail edition of Super Smash Bros.Ultimate can be preordered now. Players in the United States can purchase it from GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart or Target. Each one has priced it at $59.99. Canadian players can preorder the game from Walmart for $79.96. The digital edition of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is “coming soon”.


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4 Hands Brewery has brewed beer with a mission for years with their City Wide American Pale Ale and City Wide Pilsner. For each case sold, they donate $1 to a different nonprofit every quarter. The brewery’s drive to give back pushed them to craft a new product with the greater good in mind – 4 Hands Hands Cleaner.
When Kevin Lemp, 4 Hands Brewery founder and CEO, learned how depleted the hand sanitizer market was, and realized that 4 Hands already had three out of four of the ingredients needed to make it, the wheels started turning. When the brewery acquired the missing ingredient, glycerin, and two-ounce containers, production on 4 Hands Hands Cleaner began.
“We started out just to make a couple of gallons to have on site for our team,” Lemp says, “but things changed so quickly.” Once they heard that City Hall was completely out of sanitizer, they decided to scale up their new operation to make hand cleaner for more than just the 4 Hands employees. On Wednesday, March 15, 4 Hands announced “4 Hands for Hands” on social media, giving the two-ounces bottles away for free and asking only those who are able to donate to a fund for the wellbeing of the St. Louis hospitality industry. The following Monday, Lemp delivered 140 gallons of hand cleaner to City Hall.
The hospitality industry, including 4 Hands, has been hard-hit by the pandemic, but pivoting to fill this market need is important to the entire 4 Hands team. Before they came up with this plan, morale was low at the brewery, but once they figured out a way to give back, spirits lifted. Lemp sees it as an extension of the City Wide mission, one they’re thankful to be able to do.
The brewery is continuing its hand cleaner production and is now filling one-liter bottles to sell to the doctor’s offices and grocery stores who have called to ask them for it. Lemp says, “We want it to go to the people who are helping people.” They plan to produce an additional 2,000 gallons of hand sanitizer in the next two weeks, for those who can’t stay at home. Even in this challenging time,Lemp says, “There is still good in the world. There are still people who go above and beyond.”
Join the Story
- To support 4 Hands Brewery, you can purchase to-go orders from noon to 6 p.m. at 1220 South 8th Street, or donate to their GoFundMe.
- Use #STLMade4Good and join the #STLMade4Good Facebook group to share acts of kindness.


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ZTE has introduced updates to its Axon phone lineup, by announcing the Axon 30, Axon 30 Pro, and Axon 30 Ultra 5G. The Ultra is definitely the most intriguing of the bunch.
Pricing and availability for the range are not yet known, but ZTA said the Axon 30 Ultra will be sold in the US and Canada. It’s a high-end Android device, complete with a 6.67-inch 1080p OLED. ZTE described it as a “borderless, curved” OLED panel with a 95% screen-to-body ratio and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
Earlier this week, ZTE had officially revealed the launch date for its upcoming flagship lineup, the Axon 30 series. Now, Read more
ZTE will be announcing the ZTE Axon 30 5G phone an in-screen camera on July 27 in China. Ahead of Read more
ZTE will be announcing the Axon 30 5G smartphone on July 27th in China. Last year, the Axon 20 5G Read more
The smartphone market has been trying to push for full-screen displays for a long time now, but no single solution Read more
While many will be looking forward to what Samsung will reveal next month, ZTE is calling attention to what has Read more
Today, ZTE confirmed that it will be announcing the Axon 30 5G with the second generation in-screen selfie camera at Read more
The latest devices in ZTE’s portfolio are two affordable 4G midrangers dubbed Blade V30 and Blade V30 Vita. They launched Read more
ZTE has silently unveiled the ZTE Blade V30 smartphone in Mexico. It is a new mid-range phone from the brand Read more
ZTE has been working on its second-generation under-display camera smartphone — ZTE Axon 30 as a successor to Axon 20 Read more
Last year, ZTE had launched the Axon 20 5G smartphone as the world’s first mobile phone to feature an under-display Read more
ZTE is likely to launch a new phone called the ZTE Blade V30 in the European market. Ahead of the Read more
These smartphones compete in our extensive test: the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, OnePlus 9 Pro, and Read more


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There are few ideas that are discussed in credit union circles more than the need for increased and more effective collaboration. This isn’t just a recent topic of conversation. I’ve been privileged to work in our industry for more than 20 years, both in credit unions and for the leagues...
This Opinion piece offers software and non-software based techniques for managing branch staff "idle time."
Maryland's financial regulator and the FDIC have approved the purchase of Advance Mutual Savings Bank in Baltimore by Municipal Employees Credit Union of Baltimore.
MECU awaits only member vote to buy Advance Bank of Baltimore.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Take Five from Nashville? Questioning "best kept secret" status of credit unions.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Take One from Nashville? Re-think human resources. Push past fear.
Credit union advances one more step toward what is becoming a trend: credit unions buying banks.
Analysis shows Republican-leaning states particularly affected in areas of home purchasing and student lending.
Injunction sought against FEMA as new rates kick in Tuesday.
A credit union helped a small-time baker grow from delivering home-baked goods to parties and weddings to placing Bundt cakes on regional grocery store chain shelves with a microloan of less than $50,000.


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NHTSA Investigating Complaint Filed by Tesla Driver
Nov. 16, 2021—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a complaint filed by a Tesla driver claiming the automakers' Full Self-Driving software caused a crash.
A report filed with the agency says a crash happened on Nov. 3 at an undisclosed location, according to the Associated Press. The driver of the vehicle, who was also unnamed in the report, said the Model Y in question entered the incorrect lane. When the driver tried to correct course, the vehicle "took control and 'forced itself into the incorrect lane,'" causing an accident. No one was injured, though the Model Y suffered significant damage.
The incident is likely the first complaint filed with the NHTSA claiming the Full Self-Driving software caused a crash. An NHTSA spokeswoman says the agency is working with Tesla to get more information. Tesla says that, despite the systems' names would imply, vehicles with “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” programs are not capable of driving themselves.


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Digital Transformation / DX
Artificial Intelligence / AI
Internet of Things
Business Intelligence / BI stories - Page 2
A/NZ firms turn to analytics & BI for support during COVID
Workforce issues and new ways of working, adapting to shifts in the economy and the market, driving revenue and managing cashflow are top-of-mind for businesses.
Huawei launches digital payment cloud solution
Huawei recently held its Better World Summit 2020, in which the company revealed details of its new digital payment cloud solution.
HPE welcomes the 'new era' of exascale computing
HPE's Cray supercomputing line aims to answer the challenges posed by the new exascale era, such as massive data growth, modelling, AI, and more.
Distributed workforces pose new challenges for information management
“Collaboration can be stymied, mistakes can be made, and organisations can suffer data breaches if they don’t immediately address the issue of how employees are accessing and sharing information while working remotely.”
Hyland adds handwriting recognition to Brainware Foundation platform
The addition of advanced handwritten text OCR will enable organisations to expand their ability to extract information from documents and forms, as well as their ability to accelerate downstream processes.
Hands-on review: Microsoft Surface Book 3
The majority of buyers of the Microsoft Surface Book 3 will undoubtedly be tempted in by the device’s versatility, and who can blame them?
New solution allows Windows apps on Chromebook Enterprise
Parallels and Google have partnered to enable Windows applications to run in VMs on Chromebooks without rebooting or an internet connection.
Vend to empower retailers with Pointy for Google integration
The integration will enable retail stores using Vend to showcase their products online through Pointy to help drive traffic in store.
Zoom unveils new features to liven up meetings
"We believe that people connect better on video, but feeling connected when working from home is still challenging."
Minglr chat tool aims to bring 'watercooler' talk back to remote work
In the age of remote work, some people are sorely missing the so-called ‘watercooler talk’ and hallway conversations.
Global government IT spending to reach $438 billion in 2020
According to the Garter forecast, the software sector is set to experience the strongest growth in 2020.
Malware attacks abusing machine identities grew eightfold over the last 10 years - report
"Machine identity capabilities have become commoditised and are being added to off-the-shelf malware, making it more sophisticated and harder to detect."
How data analytics can save APAC businesses millions
Given the economic impact of COVID-19, businesses across the APAC region need to identify and plug financial leakage quickly to prevent further losses. Data analytics could be the answer.
Alteryx and onepoint bring data-led solutions to disparate workforces
“We are delighted to be working with onepoint in delivering the Alteryx APA Platform ecosystem and solution services, providing companies with deeper understanding, digital efficiencies and workforce upskilling during this time.”
Cloud breaches set to increase in velocity and scale - Accurics
“While the adoption of cloud native infrastructure such as containers, serverless, and servicemesh is fuelling innovation, misconfigurations are becoming commonplace and creating serious risk exposure for organisations."
Lenovo looks to enable next generation of business with purpose-built servers
“Our new ThinkSystem servers are designed to enhance mission-critical applications like SAP HANA and accelerate next-generation workloads like AI, analytics and machine learning."
Analytics and BI: Before and after COVID-19
"Companies who adopt data-driven decision making separate themselves from the pack. With analytics they find those vital pivot points and thrive versus facing existential danger."
ThousandEyes makes three senior appointments across Aus
The cloud intelligence company has added a principal solutions analyst, and two regional sales managers, in Melbourne and Sydney.
OpenText boosts cloud capabilities with new update
Brings a raft of new capabilities to its range of enterprise information management offerings.
Data visualisation market growing US$900 million a year
The biggest increase in the use of data visualisation tools is expected to be in academia and research, financial services and healthcare.
TIBCO takes first Challenger title in BI Magic Quadrant
Gartner’s 2020 Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms Magic Quadrant outlines the company’s strengths and cautions.
Talend updates to cloud data product for improved intelligence
The new release includes the Talend Cloud Data Inventory as a self-service cloud app to automatically calculate the Data Intelligence Score of all data across an organisation.
Qlik named in Gartner leaders quadrant for BI and analytics, launches Data Literacy as a Service
It is the tenth consecutive year the company has been positioned in the leaders quadrant.
Accenture announces new acquisition to bolster digital supply chain solutions
The acquisition will boost Accenture’s growing technology practice and number of SAP professionals in Australia and New Zealand.


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The exclusive performance car will be available in LA and Chicago.
After a successful year of marketing the Pininfarina Battista in the US, the boutique hypercar manufacturer, which will soon compete against the likes of the Lotus Evija, has announced that it will be expanding its presence in the country with an additional pair of retailers. Newport Beach Automotive Group in Orange County and Lake Forest Sportscars in Chicago will take on the responsibility of selling the electric performance product that will officially enter production in Italy this spring.
With this, Pininfarina's local presence is expanded to nine retailers in the North American region. 2021 saw the official reveal of the Battista Anniversario at the Monterey Car Week. All five examples of this exclusive model were sold on the spot which highlights the demand for new-age electrified hypercars, particularly in this continent.
Pininfarina acknowledges the North American market as one of its most important ones. Its 16 other dealer partnerships are currently established in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. According to the brand, all of these retail partners have garnered comprehensive track records when it comes to managing the sales and servicing of exclusive and luxury vehicles.
Although it was revealed to us back in 2019, the Pininfarina Battista will only be ready for production later this year as it enters its final stages of development. The Italian marque explains that, with a total of 128 million different interior combinations alone, each specific unit will be completely bespoke to the next.
The Newport Beach location comes as an expansion to the brand's presence in California and is operated by the Newport Beach Automotive Group. This joins the network of existing retailers in the area such as O'Gara Coach in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and Luxury Cars Los Gatos in San Francisco. This particular space will provide luxurious convenience to new clients in the Orange County region as it adds to the total of three partners situated in the west coast region.
The Chicago division is operated by Lake Forest Sportscars which is a family-run business that has been operating since 1923. Pininfarina says it was happy to engage in a partnership with this dealership because it shares the same values and ethos when it comes to having a passion for exquisite cars. The business is situated in Lake Bluff, Illinois which is just north of Chicago.
Together with these two new partners, Pininfarina customers will also benefit from the car's connected systems, which will include over-the-air software updates regardless of the owner's location. Furthermore, the company will be offering a 'flying doctor' to worldwide locations for in-person technical support, if required.
The Pininfarina Battista is a fully electric performance car that is powered by four liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel. These work in conjunction to deliver 1,900 horsepower and 1,696 lb-ft of torque and offer a claimed range of 310 miles on a full charge. Energy is sourced from a 120-kWh lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide battery pack developed by Rimac.


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Handing a long-sought victory to organic food activists, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday that it is allowing meat and poultry products to carry a label indicating that they have been certified as organic.
"This announcement means more information--and more choice--for American consumers," Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said. "It will help organic family farmers and ranchers further expand their already growing markets."
The change is effective immediately.
Organic activists had lobbied for years for such a policy change. In late 1997, the USDA proposed federal rules to govern the organic industry, but because of wrangling between the organic industry and agriculture officials, those have yet to be finalized. Glickman's action thus provides an interim fix for meat and poultry producers.
Organic meat, poultry and egg products come from farms that have been inspected to verify that they meet standards mandating the use of organic feed, prohibiting the use of antibiotics and requiring that animals have access to fresh air and sunlight.
Until this change, meat and poultry producers have been hampered in their ability to use the organic label. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, which inspects most slaughterhouses, has not allowed such products to be labeled organic.
A few small producers of organic meat and poultry have built a direct-sales business with customers in the U.S. and overseas.
But a federal label promises to open up new markets, producers said.
Producers will be able to use the label if they are certified by a private or state certifying entity and seek approval from the USDA.
The overall organic industry in the U.S. is approaching $4.5 billion.
Allen Shainsky, owner of Petaluma Poultry Processors in Petaluma, Calif., home of Rocky the Range Chicken, said he expects sales to rise 10% to 15% once he slaps the organic label on Rocky's organic counterpart, Rosie the Organic Chicken.
The product is already certified by Oregon Tilth, a prominent certifying organization.
Certified organic meat products have been the only category of certified products prohibited from including the word "organic" on the label.
"Glickman is very sensitive to the current ag crisis," said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Assn., a 900-member association in Alexandria, Va.
"Prices are not good for farmers, and there are very few premium or specialty markets for small growers and producers." Thus, she said, he was open to the organic proponents' arguments.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Assn., a trade group representing mainstream producers, said it supports giving consumers a choice. "But our concern is to make sure that claims are not made that would imply that the generic beef in your meat case is unsafe," said Alisa Harrison, a spokeswoman for the Denver organization.