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The explosion of e-commerce has many traditional brick and mortar retailers racing to re-invent themselves.
IoT can help them do just that, explains Mona Patel, CEO and founder of Motivate Design.
“One of the biggest pain points in the retail experience is paying,” explained Patel during a chat in New York earlier this year.
“What if you could take a hanger, try on the clothes if you want to, and then walk out [of the store] with [the hanger]?” Smart devices could help alleviate a major pain point for shoppers, and potentially generate buying data for stores.
To learn how, check out Samsung’s guide to retail IoT.


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The Osborne Identity
In tonight’s Mansion House speech, Chancellor George Osborne is set to fire the starting gun on a process which will start with a trial separation of UK retail from investment banks, and end in divorce.
He is unlikely to say this is what he wants to achieve. He is more likely to imply that banks need to stop moaning, and start working out how operational separations might take place, ahead of the final report of Sir John Vickers’ Independent Commission on Banking in September.
Vickers’s interim report has already endorsed operational separation to ensure the state will not need to rescue the riskier investment banking arms, as well as retail banks, in another crisis. The retail banks are likely to be required to boost their capital reserves to reassure their depositors.
The process is unlikely to stop there for the simple reason that the retail banks will end up with their own managements, with their own ambitions. Their terms of reference will be different, with retail deposits being used to develop personal lending, mortgages and (probably) small business lending. It will make no sense for a retail bank to lend its capital to the investment bank, because this would only lead to it becoming an unhappy creditor in the event of its collapse.
As a result of this process, the people running the retail bank will become detached from the rest of the group. They will seek a new identity. They will start to build their own empires. They will look outside the group for inspiration, rather than being forced to kow-tow to near-mythical figures at the top of a long food chain. As they lose their fear, they will become increasingly keen to secure a divorce.
There are plenty of precedents for management initiatives leading to organisational change as a result of government policy. Back in 1989, following a Monopolies Commission report, the government told the big brewers they should restrict their ownership of pubs. Rather than choosing a half way house, they sold their brewing businesses. Pub chains were sold at a later stage, as their managers sought to boost profits through economies of scale.
The regulators put British Gas under pressure to achieve structural reform in 1993. It wasn’t too long before its board of directors realised it was easier to split the company up than put up with intense regulatory scrutiny.
When the UK government chose to privatise the electricity and water industry, it was the easiest thing in the world to split them up by putting separate managements in charge. They loved their power. In later years, they loved the money they were given following the takeover of their businesses even more.
In 1999, when John Roberts took over as chief executive of United Utilities - a sprawling utility company - the regulators forced it to cut 25% off its capital base. Roberts said the ruling was the best thing that could have happened.
To break up fiefdoms and save money, he eliminated dividing lines between every unit, encouraging teams to co-operate. Bringing together water and electricity supplies created a more profitable billing business, as well as greater enthusiasm and economies of scale. United Utilities rose from 95th in the FTSE 100 index to 48th in five years.
Dustin Seale, European managing director at consultant Senn Delaney, told Financial News last year, that liberated banks can learn from what has been achieved in other sectors. He cites fast food chain KFC which has improved quality control and accountability by making its food suppliers report to individual restaurants.
Seale said: “You need a culture which supplies a service, as opposed to selling products.”
And that might well be easier for retail banks to achieve if they were allowed to manage their own destiny - as opposed to internal profit expectations - by achieving a new Osborne identity
--write to email@example.com

domain: news


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Hello Kitty vehicle wraps for the smart fortwo can now be ordered through smart USA's "smart Expressions," a customization program that had its launching last July.
Kim McGill, smart USA's vice president of marketing, said that the company is expanding the smart program by adding licensed brands in its wrap offerings. The North American division of smart has teamed up with Sanrio to offer vehicle wraps featuring Hello Kitty for the smart fortwo.
The Hello Kitty wraps are available in three different full body designs, with each being offered in a selection of color schemes, aside from a range of partial wrap designs and colors.
Customers can choose from a total of 22 full and partial wrap design and color combinations. McGill said that the two companies see this as an opportunity to “bring the two fan bases together,” as they both have a “passionate following.”
Expect these Hello Kitty wrapped cars to draw in the crowds at numerous Sanrio 50th Anniversary events this fall. These customized cars can be viewed at different stops on the Small Gift mobile pop up tour, which starts in San Francisco on Oct. 23.
These cars will also be appearing at the Small Gift West and East Coast events that are scheduled from Nov. 12 to 21 in Los Angeles and December 2 to 5 in Miami.


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Digital Transformation / DX
Artificial Intelligence / AI
Internet of Things
Digitisation stories - Page 3
Two reasons to digitalise travel and expense data
SAP Concur outlines how taking this data into the cloud can be beneficial to any organisation.
How to get more value from legacy IT in a digitally driven world
To derive maximum value from legacy IT, organisations can take a number of steps to harden legacy systems.
Rittal launches new online portal to help companies modernise data centres
“As the IDC research highlighted, around 75 percent of decision-making is now based on information gathered online."
Kiwi businesses must 'substantially change' if they want to survive, says expert
Kiwi businesses need to substantially change how they operate with the rapid arrival of the digital age.
Data: A new frontier in the construction industry
Construction companies sitting on the sidelines need to take steps now to join the digital future – or risk being left behind.
Schneider looks to accelerate digital economy with Hong Kong summit
Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit has just closed in Hong Kong, with a number of world premieres and exclusives to power digital transformation.
"Most technologically advanced stadia ever built" - Tottenham partners with HPE
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has been singled out as a key partner in forming one of the most technologically advanced stadia ever built.
An inconvenient truth: AU businesses struggle to deliver digital services
80% of Australian consumers view a company as outdated or worse, an inconvenience if they don’t offer digital ways of doing business.
Why a digitalisation strategy is keeping CIOs up at night
This strategy needs to be a constantly evolving plan that can be changed, modified or replaced at a moment’s notice.
How low-code platforms enable digital transformation in ANZ banks
Technology savvy customers across ANZ are demanding for technologies such as mobile commerce and the use of smartphones for banking transactions.
How digitisation can make businesses more efficient and profitable
For all of our technological innovation and advances, one of the biggest obstacles facing companies today is digitising data and records.
Simple tips for overcoming your mountain of paper
In business today it easy to become lost within a world of paper. Receipts, invoices, HR forms, bills… the list goes on and on. Here's a solution.
Digitising documents - is there a way that isn't time and labour-intensive?
Digitising documents can be a labour intensive project for staff who should be doing things that drive the business forward - here's a solution.
Goodbye paper: Multiple India government offices go paperless
eMudhra today announced that it has worked with more than 15 State Government offices to help them go completely digital.
Software AG makes new appointment for Asia Pacific & Japan
In making this appointment, they’ve revealed their intentions moving forward – to bolster their network and operations in APJ.
Security or empowerment? Here's how you can find the balance
Here is a guide to finding the balance between enforcing security to protect your business while still allowing a free and flowing workplace.
WHITEPAPER: Key to embracing a flexible digital workplace
Going digital and staying ahead of competitors can be an uphill struggle, as one size does not fit all - here's a look into the hybrid environment.
Enterprise specialist Cisco renews focus on SMBs
Cisco's new initiative provides SMBs and midmarket businesses with access to a suite of simple, secure and smart enterprise-class technologies.
Global report reveals big benefits for digital workspaces
Organisations that are utilising digital workspaces are gaining business, operational, & financial benefits while those that wait are falling behind.
IN PICS: Bett Asia 2016 - defining the future of education
The Bett Asia 2016 summit took place this week, gathering all the leading policymakers, researchers and most forward thinking educators in APAC.
Sink or swim: 5 tips to improving your Data Lake strategy
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is coming, and there’s no way for you to hit the pause button. Can your data strategy keep up with digitisation?
The age of digitisation: Financing your digital-ready network
While most businesses recognise the benefits associated with digitisation, many are still struggling to pull it off.
Your invite: National forum on the Future of Public Sector Digitisation
A national conference to be held in Sydney this July will provide insightful case studies around digitisation and converting to e-service delivery.
Gartner names 11 Cool Vendors from ANZ for 2016
Eleven businesses from Australia & NZ have been named in Gartner’s 2016 Cool Vendors series as digitalisation drives strong innovation in the region.


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What you need to know
- Razer announced the Opus X headset today.
- The headset features active noise cancellation technology and two built-in microphones.
- The Razer Opus X launches today with a starting price of $100.
Razer announced its new Opus X headset today. The headset features active noise cancellation (ANC) technology and has a 60 ms low latency Gaming Mode. It also has two built-in microphones for in-game communication or video conferencing. The Opus X headset is available starting today for $100 in green, mercury (white), and quartz (pink).
The headphones feature 40 mm drivers, and Razer highlights that they're good for gaming as well as entertainment. If you're using the headphones on the go or just need to hear your surroundings, they have a Quick Attention Mode that brings in external noise.
The Opus X connects through Bluetooth 5.0, which allows it to use less power than previous Bluetooth connections such as Bluetooth 4.2. With noise cancellation on, the Opus X will get up to 30 hours of battery life. That bumps up to 40 hours of battery life if you turn off noise cancellation.
Razer already makes some of the best PC gaming headsets, according to our experts. Once we get our hands on the Opus X headset, we'll see if it deserves a spot on our list as well.
Last year's Razer Opus headset was the company's first pair of headphones not exclusively aimed at gaming. The new Opus X follows those same lines of versatility.
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All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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According to ACT Research’s (ACT) latest State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Report, “’Almost exactly as expected’ would be a reasonable phrase for February’s crop of heavy truck data, particularly given well-behaved cancellations, steady build rates, and an order-to-build imbalance that is keeping backlogs falling from high levels.”
“The data continue to tell a couple of stories. First and foremost, it is a story of current demand strength, with truckers making money, the near-term backlog jam-packed, and robust retail sales suggesting good follow-through on all those orders,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT Research’s President and Senior Analyst. He added, “The second story starts with ‘puny’ freight metrics, pivots on robust build and sales and ends at the nominal reality of a 70,000 Class 8 inventory.” The report indicated that, in short, freight growth is stagnating and Class 8 population growth is accelerating, a supply-demand story that typically does not end well.
Regarding the medium duty markets, Vieth commented, “The medium duty metrics also are aligned with expectations; cancellations are at benign levels, build rebounded to trend rates in February, and backlogs reached a nine-plus-year high.”
ACT’s 60th seminar is scheduled for March 25-27, 2019, and will feature a trucker/fleet panel, as well as discussions on near-term demand of commercial vehicles and the impacts of emerging technologies on change in the North American commercial vehicle industry.


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Have you ever wondered about the birth of bizarre conspiracy theories like QAnon on-line? And why, despite the farfetched fabric of these stories, so many people forsake their family and friends — the people they know — to join a
In early 1997 a UC Berkley based Theoretical Physicist wrote article in Wired Magazine, where he called “attention” the currency of the new economy. He foreshadowed its potential consequences: division, disparity of power, deepening inequality,
Guest: Andrew J. Grotto The term “Deepfake” was first coined by a Reddit user who created a forum of the same name in 2017. The forum was dedicated to the creation and use of deep learning software for digitally swapping
The events of the last few years have underlined that we are awash in disinformation, AND that a large swath of society believes that disinformation to be reality. But disinformation doesn’t just include easily refutable assertions,
Like it or not – we are at war: one of information and disinformation and the stakes cannot be higher. How can we better understand and mitigate, or at least anticipate what is next in a disinformation campaign? For example,
Guest: Carl Gahnberg The field of AI ethics is relatively new, mostly because we are just starting to grasp the implications of advances in AI and therefore decisions that may need to be made by the machines then, or by
Guest: Joanna Bryson Artificial intelligence and machine learning and data are inextricably linked. Yet common misconceptions persist. What is intelligence and is machine intelligence same or better than human intelligence?
Guest: Keith Kirkpatrick Today, retailers collect a wealth of data on consumers, both online and offline. And consumers hand it over, sometimes willingly and sometimes unwittingly. In retail locations surveillance cameras have given way to unobtrusive ...
Guest: Bruce Schneier You have probably heard the saying: “If you are not paying for the product, you ARE the product”. Nowhere is this more acute than on the internet when our personal data is collected, analyzed and used to persuade
Guest: Aynne Kokas Chances are, by now you have heard about the controversy surrounding TikTok, the popular social media video app. The controversy stems from allegations that TikTok complies with Chinese Communist Party’s request to provide user data...


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Luxury outerwear brand Moncler is going fur-free, joining the ranks of high-end fashion brands that
Between climate change and overpopulation, is it possible to have children and help the planet?
After years of research and innovation, toothpaste giant Colgate is finally rolling out recyclable tubes.
Garnier's new No Rinse Conditioner saves water, but to be truly sustainable, beauty has to
Chanel's new "eco-responsible" beauty line debuts more sustainable packaging options, but relying on nature for
Levi's is transforming old denim into new jeans through the brand's new partnership with recycling
Proposed New York legislation could hold luxury and fast fashion brands accountable for mistreatment of
Innovative and luxury skincare brand Common Heir is on a mission to show the beauty
Burger King is adding vegan nuggets to its meat-free line-up, which already includes two plant-based
The diet industry has upped the ante on its advertising. But what if we ignore


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Stockholm Resilience Centre collaborates with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Swedish clothing retailer H&M group on how the textile industry can operate within planetary boundaries
Article published by the Stockholm Resilience Centre
Stockholm Resilience Centre is collaborating as the scientific partner in a new research project with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, initiated by the Swedish clothing retailer H&M group.
The project is part of the centre’s ongoing efforts to downscale and operationalize the planetary boundaries framework. This work is coordinated by a team of researchers at the centre who aim to characterize the ‘safe operating space for humanity’ in applicable ways. Researchers contributing to the new textile industry project are Sarah Cornell, Johan Rockström, Tiina Häyhä and Fredrik Moberg.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation will provide expert input on the circular economy, and act as the intermediary ensuring that the scientific activity carried out at the centre remains independent of the commercial activities of H&M group.
Cotton is one of the fibres that will be analysed in a new research project focusing on how fashion can operate within planetary boundaries. Photo: P. Greb/USDA via Azote
Down-scaled open source methodology
The collaboration between the centre and the Ellen Macarthur Foundation will explore how a circular economy approach could enable the textile industry to stay within the planetary boundaries. One of the objectives with the project is to develop a down-scaled open source planetary boundaries methodology for the whole textile industry, with the possibility to compare different fibres and recycling methods. It is hoped that the methodology, once developed, would be applicable to other industries.
“Although humanity has crossed four of nine planetary boundaries I believe there is still time to pull back from the brink and create a sustainable future based on a circular economy that continually reuses resources, powered by renewable energy,” comments centre director Johan Rockström.
The new research project provides a unique opportunity to explore more in detail how this could be implemented and inform a transformation of the textile fibre industry into a circular model that operates within the safe operating space of planetary boundaries.
Three year project
The research is envisaged as a three-year project including several senior researchers. A full-time post-doctoral researcher to deliver the core research operations and a full-time PhD-student will carry out information gathering, analysis, and underpinning research.
The centre will also engage MSc students to support in-depth analysis of particular fibres, textiles or points in the value chain.


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Find all the news about your favourite mobile games! Upcoming releases, pre-registrations, smartphones to play with and all kinds of news!
For fans of old-school RPGs or fans of the medieval era, Vendir: Plague of Lies is coming to mobile this week! ...[Read More]
Freshly announced by Bethesda, Mighty Doom, a super cute game in the bloody universe of Doom opens its pre-registrations...[Read More]
The world is going bad. As a result, Netflix publishes games around climate change like Highwater and Tencent turns directly to the...[Read More]
Available in early access on Steam for a few months, the roguelite shooter Brotato: Premium opens its pre-registrations on mob...[Read More]
Many of you have been waiting for the adaptation of Black Clover into a mobile game for several months. But this expectation is almost...[Read More]
After an early access last August, the mobile game in the universe of LittleBigPlanet makes its entry on the stores. The so...[Read More]
The pre-registration phase for SFD is coming to an end soon, but you can still pre-register before the release date of Str...[Read More]
Discover our weekly recap of the mobile games news on Android and iOS number #97 ! On the agenda this week: the opening of the...[Read More]
NetEase is launching pre-registrations for Ace Racer, its game of flying cars that can cross obstacles and light up the sky...[Read More]
In mobile gaming, it often happens that excellent games get stuck in Asia, especially in China or Japan.
As we told you in our weekly recaps of mobile games news, the beta of Squad Busters, a game that will be released in the fall of 2010, has been...[Read More]
You've heard about a Street Fighter game on mobile and you might be interested. But how do you pre-register for the game?


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Financials ... Noland Co.
Noland Co. (Newport News, Va.) reported a huge increase in net income for the third quarter ended Sept. 30: $2,954,000 vs. $1,132,000 last year. Favorable market conditions, including a hot, dry summer, boosted demand for plumbing and air conditioning equipment and supplies in much of its 13-state territory, Lloyd Noland III, chairman, said in a statement. Plumbing sales rose 10% and air conditioning sales increased by 14.5%. This was offset by a 13.6% decline in electrical/industrial sales. Total sales for the third quarter of $131,076,000, were up 7.1% from last year's period. For the nine months, sales were up 1.9% and net income increased by 33.1%.


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Vera Sidika taking her melanin back might just be but a stunt.
In a viral Instagram photo just Monday, Vera unleashed to the world the true African girl she once ran away from captioning:
It might feel good to be back as fans applaud her for embracing the beautiful African tone but let´s admit, she still looks like a plastic doll.
Most of us might have been acquainted to the fact that one can actually rip off the melanin to get that ´perfect´ light skin tone but never thought you can take that melanin back.
Question though, if you transition from dark to a lighter tone, that´s bleaching and what of light to dark? Un-bleaching?
Anyway, we need to look at the other side of the coin and realize that with in the current age and time, one can come up with anything just at the click of a button.
One is the effect of Photoshop. She sure does not look human, if anything, a porcelain doll.
Through the use of Photoshop, Vera might have done something we call frequency separation.
If we are to recall the high profile socialite´s words with former NTV´s Larry Madowo, back in 2014, the surgery done to lighten her skin and boost her boobs cost her a lifetime.
I did it the right way…I used the right procedure.
I had a great dermatologist from the UK.
Most important is fact that her usual trademark color is what makes her a brand, a procedure that ate into roughly Ksh 15 Million.
My body is my business, and it’s a moneymaker.
I said if I have to do it (skin lightening), it has to be great, it has to be right.
According to her, she ensured it was done ´perfect´ to avoid having any regrets even 50 years from now.
Ten years from now, twenty years from now, fifty years from now… I’ll still look the same
So what good reason does she have to get back her melanin in actual sense? To impress her fans? Definitely not!
And while previously speaking to the Nairobian, she articulated:
I have had boob surgery before, years ago in Beverly Hills, California.
I paid a lot for the procedure.
Yes, it’s more expensive but worth it because you get qualified and certified surgeons with over 20 years’ experience.
Additionally, just the 9th of December 2018, the Queen of bleaching shared a photo of herself looking a shade darker that her usual self.
Vera´s intention in that particular case was to draw attention to her Yel Hair until curious fans took note of her darker skin tone with some commenting:
You want to be black again? The makeup dint like you.
Furthermore, on the 11th, same month, she stepped out looking all made up with many attributing her usual trademark color to makeup.
And this could definitely be a game of chess and a way of making her followers keep up with her after going under for days and back with melanin.
Fortunately, true to it, her idea has worked after receiving well over 11,000 likes in less than a hour since the post.
Unfortunately, it has come as a blow to Kenyans and to the world at large and fans are confused, they don´t even know how to handle it.
Some claiming this is but a stunt, others don´t seem to believe you can have melanin back.
And the rest definitely backing her up asking her to ignore the noises because she is stunning.


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LINUX DISTRIBUTION Ubuntu has already christened its 11.10 release Oneiric Ocelot even though its predecessor, Natty Narwhal has yet to hit the mirror sites.
Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Canonical, also gave some hints about the difficult decisions the Ubuntu Project will have to make prior to the October 2011 launch of Oneiric Ocelot. That release will be the last before the long term support (LTS) release of Ubuntu 12.04, which is expected in April 2012.
Canonical expects to release Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal towards the end of April, which will be the first release to use the Unity user interface instead of Gnome. A number of changes to the default applications will also be introduced in Ubuntu 11.04, including ditching Oracle's Openoffice in favour of the forked community supported version, Libreoffice.
Shuttleworth has said that Oneiric Ocelot will have a 2D user interface to compliment the OpenGL Unity interface. There will also be support for Qt, the user interface framework that Nokia recently dumped. He also said that the Ubuntu Project will narrow down the number of cloud services it supports out of the box, saying the team will need "tighten up and make some firm decisions about the platforms we can support for 12.04 LTS".
Those cloud service providers who want to be on Canonical's approved list might have to make a good case for themselves at the Ubuntu Developer Summit. The weeklong conference held in May will be the forum where Shuttleworth says many of these decisions will be made following "feisty debate".
Given that Canonical takes a conservative approach to its LTS releases, the major changes already pencilled in for next month's launch of Natty Narwhal are likely to be superceded by fine-tuning with Oneiric Ocelot, teeing up Ubuntu 12.04 in April 2012.
For Canonical, the more pressing matter will be whether its wholesale changes to the Ubuntu user interface in Natty Narwhal will be well received when it hits the mirrors next month. µ
Firm's first high-end speaker gets the thumbs up from us
Yes. Yes you can
A fantastic ultraportable that's almost devoid of innovation
Screen if you want to go faster


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Get Set For IoT Revolution In 2020
The year 2020 is likely to be a revolutionary one for Internet of Things (IoT), believe experts, which at present is an evolving ecosystem that includes almost any form of technology capable of connecting to the Internet. The phenomenal growth in cloud services and number of Internet-connected devices is expected to drive the IoT market globally to $3.04 trillion in 2020, says research firm IDC.
Gartner has also mentioned in an earlier report that the IoT is expected to reach 26 billion installed units by 2020, up from 0.9 billion just five years ago, and will impact the way industries and their leaders will function. Another report by consulting firm iDate too suggested that by 2020, a well over 80 billion objects are likely to be connected to the Internet. It says that nearly 15 billion things (machines, connected devices and objects) were connected to the Internet in 2012, up from 4 billion in 2010. These numbers suggest that the market is set for a big leap in the years to come.
The IoT boom
IDC which was always upbeat about IoT estimated the market to be $1.3 trillion in 2013, which is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13% to reach $3.04 trillion in the next 5 years. The installed and connected base of IoT units will reach approximately 30 billion by the same time, it says.
The huge growth will be driven by factors such as proliferation of smartphones, tablets, wearable techs and other connected devices as well as greater availability of bandwidth and elements that are being embedded in modern devices such as sensors, image recognition and NFC technologies.
The opportunities presented by IoT are driving widespread attention among both traditional and non-traditional IT vendors looking to take advantage of the emerging revenue opportunities, said IDC’s Vernon Turner, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure, Consumer, Network, Telecom and IoT Research.
Turner believes when IoT moves beyond the hype and promise, a variety of vendor strategies and key players will emerge to find success in meeting customers’ needs as well as growing new revenue streams from this net new market opportunity.
While IoT is still in its early stages of maturation it will ultimately impact every industry verticals and segments including the government, consumer, and enterprise environments, believes IDC.
Researches believes that the IoT market will be driven by multiple industries including automotive, aeronautics, energy, food and retail, connected home and healthcare. On the revolutionary growth, Amitabh Ray, MD, Ericsson Global Services, comments that 2020 will indeed be a landmark year for the Internet of Things as connectivity will be present everywhere. “There will be connection between your mobile phone, alarm clock, geyser, vacuum cleaner, microwave and all the devices that we use in our daily lives,” he says.
In such a scenario, there will be no one leader in this market, says the analyst firm.“The market will rely on partnerships, federation, and innovative services to create truly valuable IoT solutions,” IDC Vice President, IoT and Mobile Service and Infrastructure, Carrie MacGillivray said in a blog post.
Privacy and security
While Gartner too sees a huge growth in connected devices, predicting a 30-fold increase in Internet-connected physical devices by 2020, it also sees sufficient risks in the process, especially that of information access and cyber-risk exposure. “It’s important to put IoT maturity into perspective, because of the fast pace at which it is emerging, so supply chain strategists need to be looking at its potential now,” said Michael Burkett, managing vice president at Gartner.
Forrester too reveals that nearly 50% of respondents believe that privacy and security are the biggest concerns in the adoption of IoT.
Andrew Rose, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, mentions that there is an increased risk of data to be stolen or compromised when deploying emerging technologies such as IoT. “Companies should have a security policy in place to identify targets, evolve key security control, add newer delivery mechanisms and review their security scenario frequently,” he writes in a blog.
However, security and other challenges cannot stop IoT from reaching its heights. By 2016, analysts believe over half of the companies globally will implement IoT-related technologies in some form or the other and in 2020 IoT rules may have to be rewritten.
- Global Device Shipments To See Flat Growth This Year: Gartner
- India Says 'Yes' To Net Neutrality; What Does It Mean
- Public WiFi To Connect India's 40 mn New Users To Internet: Study
- 5 Ways To Create A CX-First Culture For Executives
- 5G To Pave Way For Self-driving Cars' Safety: Gartner
- For Most Firms, Digital Workplace Is Still Distant Dream : Gartner
- CRO Initiatives Lead To Greater Customer Satisfaction: Study
- Edge Computing Drives Internet Of Thing's Growth: Study
- Indus OS To Become Default Platform For Internet Content
- How Businesses Can Generate Insights From IOT Devices


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Alien-tech watch maker TokyoFlash has just rolled out another alien watch called “Traffic Watch”. This traffic watch is just another terrific watch that will make your head spinning and eyes rolling if you don’t know how to read the watch.
The shape of the watch is looking like a normal watch, but what’s interesting is the Traffic map that will light up accordingly to show user what time is it.
According to TokyoFlash, the Traffic watch uses three map routes in displaying time. For hours (1-12), it will make use of the blue city streets, for 5-minute count, it will us the subway line in orange and the single minutes 1-4 is using the highway route that shine in green.
Aside from the unique time reading, TokyoFlash Traffic watch has featured an optional animation in night mode that will be activate once passing 6pm and midnight. Another good side is the rechargeable battery that could be charged via USB port. The rechargeable battery is good for around 300 charges and you can buy the replacement if broken.
TokyoFlash Traffic watch is currently on sale for $169 USD (15,900 Yen).


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WASHINGTON – Apple’s CEO is disputing assertions by a Senate panel that the company avoids billions of dollars in U.S. taxes by shifting profits to foreign affiliates.
Tim Cook testified at a hearing Tuesday by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which released a report Monday attacking Apple’s tax practices.
“We pay all the taxes we owe — every single dollar,” Cook said. “We don’t depend on tax gimmicks.”
Cook, who is more accustomed to commanding a stage in front of investors and techies than facing a congressional committee, took a defensive tone with his opening statement. He punched out words when stressing the 600,000 jobs that the company supports while adding that Apple is the nation’s largest corporate taxpayer. Cook advocated an overhaul of the U.S. tax code.
At the same time, Cook said he was happy to appear in the spotlight of a congressional hearing to be able to give Apple’s side of the story.
“I’m saying it’s who we are as people. … Wherever we are, we’re an American company,” Cook insisted when asked about Apple’s use of affiliate companies in Ireland.
The $6 billion in taxes that Apple says it paid in fiscal 2012 works out to $16 million a day.
The subcommittee’s report estimates that Apple avoided at least $3.5 billion in U.S. federal taxes in 2011 and $9 billion in 2012 by using its tax strategy, and described a complex setup involving Irish subsidiaries as being a key element of this strategy.
But Cook said the Irish subsidiaries don’t reduce the company’s U.S. taxes at all. Rather, they manage cash earned overseas. If that cash were to be repatriated to the U.S., it would be subject to U.S. taxes.
Like other multinationals, Apple choses to keep cash overseas so as not to pay the 35 per cent U.S. corporate tax rate. Apple is holding overseas $102 billion of its total $145 billion in cash.
Cook reaffirmed Apple’s position that given current U.S. tax rates, it has no intention of repatriating its overseas profits to the U.S.
He appeared with Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer and Head of Tax Operations Phillip Bullock.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the panel’s chairman, said Apple’s use of loopholes in the U.S. tax code is unique among multinational corporations.
Apple uses five companies located in Ireland to carry out its tax strategy, according to the report. The companies are located at the same address in Cork, Ireland, and they share members of their boards of directors. While all five companies were incorporated in Ireland, only two of them also have tax residency in that country. That means the other three aren’t legally required to pay taxes in Ireland because they aren’t managed or controlled in that country, in Apple’s view.
The report says Apple capitalizes on a difference between U.S. and Irish rules regarding tax residency. In Ireland, a company must be managed and controlled in the country to be a tax resident. Under U.S. law, a company is a tax resident of the country in which it was established. Therefore, the Apple companies aren’t tax residents of Ireland nor of the U.S., since they weren’t incorporated in the U.S., in Apple’s view.
“Apple is exploiting an absurdity,” Levin said at the start of the hearing.
The spotlight on Apple’s tax strategy comes at a time of fevered debate in Washington over whether and how to raise revenues to help reduce the federal deficit. Many Democrats complain that the government is missing out on billions of dollars because companies are stashing profits abroad and avoiding taxes. Republicans want to cut the corporate tax rate of 35 per cent and ease the tax burden on money that U.S. companies make abroad. They say the move would encourage companies to invest at home.
The subcommittee also has examined the tax strategies of Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and other multinational companies, finding that they too have avoided billions in U.S. taxes by shifting profits offshore and exploiting weak, ambiguous sections of the tax code. Microsoft has used “aggressive” transactions to shift assets to subsidiaries in Puerto Rico, Ireland and Singapore, in part to avoid taxes. HP has used complex offshore loan transactions worth billions while using the money to run its U.S. operations, according to the panel.
Levin and McCain are proposing legislation to close loopholes in the tax code.
Thanks largely to the iPhone, Apple is one of the world’s most profitable companies. It earned $41.7 billion in calendar year 2012. It’s neck and neck with Exxon Mobil Corp. as the world’s most valuable company.
However, Apple’s Irish subsidiaries date back thirty years, to the time when the Macintosh computer was Apple’s banner product, and its profits were a fraction of 1 per cent of today’s figure.
The tone of the hearing turned tense before the Apple executives appeared, as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., an anti-tax hawk who reflects tea party sentiment, insisted that the subcommittee apologize to Apple for unfair scapegoating.
“If anyone should be on trial here it should be Congress … for creating a bizarre and byzantine tax code,” said Paul. “If you want to assign blame, this committee needs to look in the mirror and see who created that mess.”
Levin countered angrily that no such apology would be forthcoming. “Apple’s a great company, but no company should be able to determine how much it’s going to pay in taxes ….. by using gimmicks,” he said.
And Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the subcommittee’s senior Republican, condemned Paul’s remarks as “offensive” for accusing Levin of bullying Apple executives.
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Tuesday denied the assertion in the subcommittee’s report that Apple had negotiated an Irish corporate tax rate of less than 2 per cent. All companies pay the standard rate of 12.5 per cent on profits from Irish operations, the prime minister said.
“Reports of lower effective tax rates appear to arrive at their figures by running together the profits earned by group companies in Ireland and in other jurisdictions,” Kenny said.
Associated Press writer Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin contributed to this report.


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Bangalore based startup Increff, which offers end-to-end supply chain technology solutions to retailers and brands has raised 2 million in a seed round of funding led by Sequoia Capital.
The funding round also saw participation from Grey Orange Robotics and a couple of angels investors includes CareerNet co-founders Rishi Das and Anshuman Das; PremjiInvest’s Rajesh Ramaiah; and Jasbir Juneja, Director of research and advisory firm RedSeer Consulting who participated in this round.
The startup was founded in August 2016 by former Myntra executives Nirmal Jain, Rajul Jain, and Anshuman Agarwal. The founding team also includes former DevFactory employee Romil Jain.
The startup offers a supply chain management platform that broadly includes verticals like tech-led merchandising and pricing, design intelligence, fulfillment technology, and services. Besides, it helps in mobilizing working capital for inventory financing to its customers and also provides centralized cataloging and listing services.
As per the company’s official statement, the fund will be utilized in building technology and increasing customer base and hiring talents for its technology team.
Commenting on the development, Rajul Jain, Chief Executive of Increff said, “The fashion industry, including brand houses, retailers and ecommerce players, is struggling to generate margins while they try to achieve a faster rate of moving inventory. Increff’s offering takes into account factors such as predicting demand on merchandising level and ensuring constant tracking of every item at warehouse level.”
Owned and operated by NextSCM Technologies, Increff is an end-to-end supply chain tech provider for fashion and lifestyle brands. Some of its key clients include Zivame, Aditya Birla Group-owned Abof, Campus Sutra, and Brand Studio Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd.
Over the next six months, the company plans to strengthen its product suite by beefing up features of its platform such as transaction technology, merchandising solutions, and visual intelligence.


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Irish professional dating agencies Private webcam finder
I do not wish to purchase an Apple product, as I would prefer an Android at a lower price.I would use the tablet on holiday as a Kindle-type device and would use it for email, internet and viewing sports or films.On the 10th anniversary of its birth, the i Phone is making big bets on smartphones' future.
I hate its connotations around a cultural predilection toward being "cute".An Irish spokeswoman for credit-monitoring giant Equifax said she does not believe the company's Irish operations have been affected by a massive data breach exposing the personal information of over 143 million people on Equifax's database.What does the future hold for the tech we use every day? These are the big questions after Europe's biggest tech trade event, IFA 2017.In a few hours' time, Apple will unveil its latest i Phones, together with a few other gadgets and upgrades.will be live from the Steve Jobs Theatre in San José, California, bringing you updates on the new products as they're announced. Q I think my child needs a computer now that she's starting secondary school.


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On a drizzly Tuesday morning, a Petaluma woman was buying juicy grapes for her two-year-old at the Eastside farmer's market. Instead of using cash, she paid for the fresh produce with wooden tokens, the standard tender for recipients of CalFresh food benefits.
As a CalFresh recipient, she received an extra $10 to spend on locally grown produce at the market, part of a new incentive program to encourage healthy eating in low-income families.
"I think it's pretty amazing," said the woman, who did not wish to be named. "I had seen (the incentive advertised) on Facebook. Every 10 bucks helps. It made it really nice. Sometimes it can get tough at the end of the month."
On Nov. 20, the Petaluma Eastside farmer's market began giving low-income families on CalFresh benefits an extra $10 to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. The incentive program is a way to encourage people to purchase healthy food, said Elece Hempel, executive director of Petaluma People Services Center, which co-sponsors the incentive.
"The CalFresh benefit is not a lot of money, so people tend to go where you can get more bang for your buck," Hempel said. "A lot of times that is not the most healthy option. Giving the incentive encourages people to buy healthy food."
The average CalFresh benefit, formerly known as foodstamps, is $200 per family per month, according to Oscar Ramirez, spokesman for the California Department of Social Services, which administers the federal program. Through October, recipients spent $4.7 million in benefits at the state's 291 participating farmer's markets.
"Everyone benefits," Ramirez said. "It allows people who get benefits to get a better diet, and it opens up merchants to new customers."
Farmer's markets in Sonoma County have been accepting CalFresh EBT cards for two years. The Tuesday Eastside farmer's market has been accepting the benefits since it launched in September as Petaluma's first year-round market. Merchants think the additional incentive will help attract new customers.
"Everyone has to eat well," said Rick Krout, who sells winter squash, chard, kale and garlic at the market. "This should stimulate some business. It sounds like a great strategy on the part of the community."
The $10 incentive program was funded by a $5,400 donation pooled from a number of local organizations, most of which provide health care. Petaluma Health Care District, St. Joseph Health and Petaluma Health Center together contributed $4,000 and Kaiser contributed $1,000. Ladybug Connections added $400, according to Kelly Smith, executive director of Agricultural Community Events.
"Everyone is working together," Smith said. "It's really cool to see all these organizations coming together to eliminate hunger and need in Petaluma."
Petaluma non-profits have been looking for ways to connect low-income residents with healthy, local food, and the incentive program is part of that trend. The Petaluma Food Pantry distributes packaged food to needy families at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Petaluma Community Center, the site of the Eastside farmer's market.
Ladybug Connections provides fresh eggs and meat to the food pantry bags, and the group donated turkeys and hams to families for Thanksgiving. Eastside farmer's market vendors provide excess fruits and vegetables to the food pantry.
Farmer's market customers only need to present their CalFresh EBT card to receive the $10 incentive on a minimum purchase of $10. The incentive is limited to one family per week and will continue as long as funds last.
Read all of the PD's fire coverage here


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CES 2010 On Friday morning, Comcast asked a US court to strike down a 2008 Federal Communications Commission order to stop blocking subscribers' heavy use of its services, saying that the FCC had exceeded its authority. On Friday afternoon, during a casual interview at the Consumer Electronics Show, the response from the FCC chairman was: "No comment, but..."
Chairman Julius Genachowski seized the opportunity to reiterate the FCC's net-neutrality goals and reasoning to his interlocuter, Consumer Electronics Association president and CEO Gary Shapiro.
When Shapiro asked him his opinion of Comcast's argument that the FCC didn't have authority to dictate to them how to run their business - "There was simply no federal law to interpret, enforce, or apply against Comcast," were Comcast's words - Genachowski danced away from the question. "The litigation underscores for me the importance of developing sensible rules of the road around a free and open internet that people understand," he said, adding that "we'll obviously watch what happens with the court and act accordingly."
When Shapiro pressed him on his opinion of Comcast's argument, Genachowski begged off more directly. "I wasn't at the argument. I was working. I was walking the [CES] floor." But although he couldn't be drawn out about his thoughts on Comcast's filing, Genechowski had plenty to say about the importance of the "free and open" internet.
"The goal of preserving the special magic of the internet that we have remains the important thing," he said.
When asked if the internet should be controlled by what Shapiro referred to as "the people who own the pipes," or whether it should be open and available to every user on an equal basis, Genechowski was adamant. "Listen, we have benefited in this country enormously from this distribution medium that was open from its beginning, that has an open architecture built into it."
His reasoning for extending that openness has a business basis. "One of the healthy things that we're seeing - and I see it here, and with many of the people I meet with, and with what I see on the [CES] floor - [is that] more and more the idea that open platforms are good business is becoming conventional wisdom, and I think that's a very healthy thing."
Noting that there are heavyweight players on both sides, Shapiro asked Genachowski if he saw an end to the argument, or whether it would "go on forever."
As might have been expected from a political appointee, Genachowski's answer was an optimistic one. "I don't think it has to. The [FCC] staff has done its work here, running an open, data-driven process that really brings in the engineers, the business folks, the people who really understand the consumer perspective, from all over the landscape. I think that what they're finding is that the goals are more broadly shared than people think, and that the gaps between what people think are sensible rules are narrower than some people feared."
Returning to the "free and open" buzzphrase, he continued: "Our hope is that there is an outcome here that preserves a free and open internet and that accomplishes the reasons that we're in this game, which is to promote innovation, to promote investment, to protect the free flow of expression, and to preserve and indeed accelerate the kind of innovation, economic activity, and job creation that we've seen out of this platform for the last several decades, and that we need as a country to continue for the next several decades."
Thick bureaucratese, to be sure, but Genachowski's bottom line is clear: keep the internet free and open, or suffer the economic consequences.
But not at expense of competition. "There's no question that competition is a critical policy objective of the FCC. Competition, we believe - and our country believes - is the mother of invention, the mother of innovation. Promoting competition, ensuring competition, solves many, many problems."
He admitted, however, that it's not easy for innovation to occur in a confused landscape in which it's hard to understand the guidelines and parameters of, on the consumer side, billings and services, and on the business side, regulations, rules, and guidelines.
"We're thinking about ordinary consumers and the confusion that they often experience, and also CTOs and business folks at new companies, new entrepreneurs, new innovators who are trying to get on the platform, who, if they can have better information about the rules of the road...we'll see a healthier, faster-moving environment with the FCC less required to be involved."
Genachowski sees a day when the FCC can step back and let a transparent set of rules support both small and big businesses alike. The Commission will, however, be ready to act as "a backstop when there's conduct that's contrary to the goals that we have for the internet."
Such as when the FCC ruled against Comcast. How the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rules on Comcast's assertion that the FCC doesn't have the proper authority to tell it what to do will make a huge difference in Genachowski's chosen path to a free and open internet. ®


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Max Verstappen will cause a "massive accident sooner or later" if he does not change his driving tactics, Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen says.
Better than an Oscar? On Thursday, Janua
Opel/Vauxhall said its GT Concept that w
Marriott Hotels announced the opening of
Germany's Angelique Kerber stunned world
Harry Potter fans have given a new play
The UK will formally begin the formal Br
Norwegian filmmaker Kyrre Lien began res
US President Barack Obama will push plan
TripAdvisor International Deep Link
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Local bike component manufacturer, King Cycle Group/Chris King Components has just released the results of their “Pretty and Strong” promotion. Over a four month period they donated a portion of the sales of a limited production run of pink parts to Oregon and SW Washington chapters of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The final donation amounted to $10,316.56.
From the press release, King’s Jacki Sterner said:
“The dealers who chose to sell it and the riders who chose to buy it carried that commitment to completion. I am continually amazed that we have the people inside our company and customer support outside who can make this sort of thing go.”
I worked with King Cycle Group back Santa Barbara, California right out of college and I can say that I have never come across a company so committed to being a good citizen. In addition to being one of the most earth-friendly companies in the world, they spend and donate thousands and thousands of dollars every year to non-profits, trail building projects, and more. This may not seem like a ton of money compared the millions a company like Nike can throw around, but this is a small, privately held company that makes bike parts (which isn’t exactly a rich man’s business). If “voting with your wallet” means anything to you than you should have King headsets and hubs on your bikes or at least one of their cool shirts on your back.
I don’t mean to pontificate or anything but this company is the real deal, and that’s increasingly rare in the business world these days.


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Date(s) – 05/10/2022
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
The Lafayette Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free educational event for restaurant owners interested in learning about how to reduce trash associated with their takeout business. Sign up to learn cost-savings tips and tricks to green your restaurant. Experts will also share info about two new state bills that support the use of reusable containers for restaurant takeout and restrict the use of plastic straws and other throwaway items.
𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐄𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑
Tuesday, May 10, 2:30pm-3:30pm online via Zoom Webinar
Register at https://lafayettechamber.org/takeout.
Event will include brief presentations by several experts in eco-friendly restaurant practices and waste management as well as educate about two new state policies — AB 619 focused on allowing BYO reusables and AB 1276 restricting restaurants from providing single-use foodware accessories to customers unless specifically requested. Enforcement provisions, including fines of up to $300, begin June 1, 2022.
This is a Zoom Webinar designed to answer restaurant operator’s questions, community members are welcome to attend. The webinar will be recorded for future viewing.
Questions? Email email@example.com.


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Added Sugars in your diet triple the risk of having a low level of ‘good’ cholesterol
The average westerner eats the equivalent of about 21 teaspoons of added sugar a day – about 2½ to 3 times more than new heart disease prevention guidelines say they should.
Excess sugar is known to contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other conditions linked to heart disease, and now new research links it to unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
People in the study who ate the most added sugar had the lowest HDL, or good cholesterol, and the highest blood triglyceride levels. People who ate the least sugar is the opposite and had the highest HDL and the lowest triglyceride levels.
Eating large amounts of added sugar more than tripled the risk of having low HDL, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
The study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Added Sugar, Empty Calories
Added sugar is defined as any caloric sweetener used in processed or prepared foods. Beyond increasing calories, added sugars have no nutritional value.
In guidelines released late last summer, the American Heart Association recommended limiting added sugar in the diet to no more than 100 calories a day for most women and 150 calories for most men.
That’s about 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men.
To put this in perspective, the average 340ml can of regular soft drink (like Coca-Cola) have between 8 and 10 teaspoons of sugar. A breakfast cereal with 16 grams of sugar per serving has about 4 teaspoons.
In the newly published study, daily consumption of added sugars averaged about 360 calories a day, or 16% of total daily calories.
The lowest consumption group got less than 5% of their daily calories from added sugars, while the highest consumers got 25% or more of their daily calories from sugar.
Sugar consumption appeared to be directly related to HDL and triglyceride levels. The more sugar the participants ate, the lower their HDL and higher their triglycerides.
Compared to people who ate the least sugar, people who ate the most sugar were three times more likely to have low HDL levels.
Sugar Hiding in Drinks, Processed Foods
Reading food labels can help, but because labels don’t distinguish between added sugars and those that occur naturally in foods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, they can be misleading.
“When a label has the word ‘syrup’ or words that end in ‘ose’ like sucrose, fructose, and dextrose, these are added sugars.” Another ingredient that represents added sugar is “evaporated cane juice.”
Anyone who wants to limit the sugar in their diet should start by examining what they drink.
Soft drinks with the most sugar include sodas like coke type drinks, sport drinks and fruit juices.
Eating fewer processed foods is also very important to lower cholesterol.
The old mantra to shop the perimeter of the grocery store is as true today as it ever was. A diet based of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meats will be low in added sugars.
The Manna Cholesterol Support were specially formulated to deal with high triglycerides, high LDL levels and to boost low HDL levels.
Thus, to take control of high cholesterol, cut back on sugar consumption, eat as suggested and take the Manna Cholesterol Support supplement.


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Tina’s Enters the Cuban Food Battle, as Sophie’s Takes Two Steps Back- 4 Steps Forward
Fans of the latin food chain Sophie’s Cuban might have noticed something strange about two of their three Midtown locations. The branches of Sophie’s that were located on 56th btw. 5+6th and on Madison btw. 33+34th, are now called Tina’s Restaurant. Both storefronts still have the same menu, and what appears to be the same food… only now they are called Tina’s instead of Sophie’s.
According to a Sophie’s rep:
“Sophie’s has been a family operated business for over ten years in Manhattan. There arose a difference of opinion about how to operate the business among the family members operating Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine restaurants. Sophie’s management believes that outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value to our guests are the most important elements of our business. Tina’s is no longer associated with Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine.”
Based on that quote, you would think the issue was one of standards, but according to one of the employees at Tina’s it had more to do with franchising fees, and the fact that the members of the family who own the two Tina’s locations just didn’t want to pay them. The owner of Tina’s didn’t return my calls.
Still, Sophie’s soldiers on with their franchising. Finally, some news on the 40th St. location- plus a new food court location, after the jump…
The Sophie’s website has finally been updated to say that the location on 40th St. btw. 7+8th (which has been under construction for a year) will open on March 1st, but like all Midtown dates, it’s tentative. Either way, the grand opening will be a free food day, just like the grand opening of the 56th St. location. Their rep also told me, in addition to the new 23rd St. location, and new downtown Fulton St. location, there will also be a food court location added sometime soon on 3rd Ave. in Midtown- although he wouldn’t disclose which food court. (My money is on this one. Update: According to a commenter there is some action in the Pampano Taqueria food court on 3rd Ave., so it may be that one as well…)
The interesting thing about the Sophie’s “family” is that they are originally from Peru. They started serving Cuban food at their business because they thought it would be more popular. At this point, with so much Cuban food in Midtown, I think we’re ready for some Peruvian food! Are you listening Tina???
Tina’s Restaurant, 179 Madison Ave. (btw. 33+34th), 212-679-3500
Tina’s Restaurant, 23 w. 56th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-315-4313


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Underlying illnesses, medications linked to hearing loss
Illnesses include diabetes, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, certain infections
SAN ANTONIO – An estimated 48 million Americans suffer from some form of hearing loss.
Some people think that hearing loss is a part of aging or caused by exposure to extreme noise.
But some underlying illnesses, such as Diabetes, osteoporosis, high cholesterol and certain infections, have been linked to hearing loss, Consumer Reports said.
"The best thing you can do in all those cases is just make sure you are treating the underlying condition," said Consumer Reports health editor Lauren Friedman.
Some prescription drugs or high doses of acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin have also been linked to an increased risk of hearing loss, Consumer Reports said.
If you notice hearing loss, see your doctor immediately.
"If it's addressed quickly, permanent damage can often be prevented or minimized," Friedman said.
All Consumer Reports material Copyright 2019 Consumer Reports, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Consumer Reports is a not-for-profit organization which accepts no advertising. It has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site. For more information visit consumer.org.


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Eau Claire (WQOW) - An Eau Claire business is closing its doors after five years.
Whippersnappers, a children's clothing store in Banbury Place is going out of business. The store's owner says the decision to close comes after business slowed for the past year or so.
The store used to be on Barstow Street, but moved to Banbury in January to save money. Whippersnappers has not said what day it will officially close.
5545 Highway 93, Eau Claire, WI 54701
News Tips: (715)-831-1824 or email@example.com


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Saskatoon teen starts 'unique' mobile ice cream business amid heat wave in Sask.
With temperatures continuing to break records in the province, a Saskatoon high school student is taking advantage of the heat and dishing out a sweet treat from her mobile ice cream parlour.
Holly Hancherow started "Scoopa Palooza YXE" with her dad to pass some time during the COVID-19 lockdown. The pair bought a trailer and turned it into a fully functioning ice cream shop where Hancherow makes everything from scratch.
She says the process of building her business was a learning curve but a great way to bond with her dad.
“I learned a lot about him, he learned a lot about me and we are still learning everyday because we are both new at this,” said Hancherow.
The ice cream parlour is one of the only ones in Saskatoon that specialize in rolled ice cream. Hancherow believes it's what makes her business unique.
“I just think it’s a new experience. Rolled ice cream is something different, they’re cool to take pictures of, they are really satisfying to watch, you can watch us make it and it’s very fresh ingredients, everything is chopped in right there in front of your eyes."
Since officially opening her business a couple weeks ago, Hancherow has already hired five new employees but has yet to tell them she actually owns it.
“Actually, not a lot of people know,” said Hancherow.
“I just tell people that I am just an employee here. I feel like people look down on me a little bit more if I were to be younger and doing this so I’ve just been telling people that I am an employee.”
Scoopa Palooza YXE is parked outside of the Co-op Home Centre on 8th St every evening from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. if you are looking to cool off this summer.


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The world of sports is one of the great claims for advertisers. Having your space on television or on the Internet is important, but being a sponsor of a team in any sports discipline gives a lot of notoriety. In this case, it’s time to talk about a change that will be very important for Lakers and Clippers fans with the change of name of the Staples Center to one of the most important cryptocurrency websites.
Welcome to the Crypto.com Arena
In these times, there are many users who decide to allocate part of their income to investing in cryptocurrencies. It is not something that is recommended by high economic institutions, but it is a practice that many do despite the warnings. But it is a fact that little by little they are taking more and more presence to the point of being something within everyone’s reach.
And it is that their presence may soon reach the sports field with the new sponsorship that the stadium where the Los Angeles basketball teams play will have. And is that the Crypto.com website will give its name to what was until now the Staples Center. An announcement has already been made in the Twitter account of the cryptocurrency purchases website that soon your name will be the one that appears on the revamped Crypto.com Arena.
We’re extremely proud to announce that Staples Center, Los Angeles’ most iconic arena is getting a new name:
As part of this 20 year partnership, we’re also excited to welcome the @Lakers & @LAKings as our newest partners! pic.twitter.com/KCfYKySDRt
— Crypto.com (@cryptocom) November 17, 2021
If you did not know the site, it will tell you when is the best time to buy a cryptocurrency thanks to its trading system. It also works as a digital wallet in which you can save all the cryptocurrencies you buy and then manage them however you want.
Los Angeles on the warpath over name change
As always, there are users who do not like the changes at all. Of course, we are talking about something as emblematic as a local stadium, an emblematic space for local users. These are the ones who have commented the most on this important change that the Staples Center changes its name to a cryptocurrency, which also has the name Crypto.
As you can see, there are tastes for everyone, but it is a fact that we will soon see how the stationery brand disappears due to the cryptocurrency site on the facade of the stadium. This is a major change in the world of sports sponsorships. In the case of our country, you may not know that Cádiz FC has a sponsor of a cryptocurrency, so it is something more and more common among companies.


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Sales by market matching in Davao Oriental up by 431% from last year
Davao City (23 February) -- THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office in Davao Oriental reported that market matching and linkage activities in 2009 generated high sales valued at P12.117 million, higher by 431 percent as compared to previous year's P2.811 million only.
Based on its annual report, DTI-DO also revealed that the sales generated through market matching and linkage last year was even 173 percent higher than its annual target of P7 million.
Among the major suppliers linked to institutional buyers were the Pag-asa Cooperative and Bitanagan Upland Farmers Cooperative (BUFC) for its abaca fiber, Passion Growers of Governor Generoso for its fresh passion fruits, Lupon Women's Federation, Incorporated for its mats, San Isidro Abaca Farmers Association of Manay for its abaca ropes, Mayo Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (MAGREBCO) for its fermented cacao, and Lingling Recycled Bags for its bags made of empty foil packs of juice, coffee, and other waste materials.
DTI-Davao Oriental provincial director Ma. Belenda Q. Ambi said that the enormous increase can be attributed to having linked producers to institutional buyers, improved products and the wider exposure of these products in provincial and regional fairs.
"Trade fairs ? local, national, or international ? really help MSMEs expand their markets. Through these, they get to meet a lot of potential buyers. We have to note also that the number of MSMEs from Davao Oriental who are already joining trade fairs has increased," she said.
"DTI-DO, together with our Regional Office, are assisting our MSMEs improve their product labels and quality," she said.
Meanwhile, Ambi said there are already four pasalubong centers in the entire province of Davao Oriental. These shops are located in Mati, Lupon, Governor Generoso, and Banaybanay.
"We are optimistic that these pasalubong centers will help us increase our domestic sales this year," she ended. (dti11/jmm) [top]


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The PSA group is continuing its implementation in Morocco. The French car manufacturer - which operates the brands Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall, has in fact inaugurated Thursday a new factory in Kenitra (about 50 km north of Rabat), where will be produced the new city car the Peugeot 208.
a Sign of the challenge for Morocco is king Mohammed VI in person, who presided over the inauguration ceremony. The coming of the king brand, "the official launch of the construction of the second phase (...) of this plant of new generation, designed for vehicles, thermal and electrical", said the moroccan minister of Industry, Moulay Hafid Elalamy. The minister speaks of a "second phase of the work", as the plant of Kenitra product already, since December, the engines for the 208.king Mohammed VI at the inauguration of the PSA plant in Kenitra, June 21, 2019. FADEL SENNA / AFP 200.000 vehicles "made in Morocco"
The plant of Kenitra will have a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year, which will be gradually increased to 200,000 vehicles per year. The objective of PSA is to double the volume of its sales in Africa and Middle East by 2021.
The site, which will eventually 2,500 employees and 1,000 stakeholders in outsourcing, has been built in 4 years in an industrial area classified as "free zone" where there are installed several automotive industry suppliers. "With this ecosystem, SAP has created a 19,000 direct jobs" thanks to the investments of the group and equipment manufacturers, welcomed Thursday, Moulay Hafid Elalamy.automotive, head of exports in Morocco
Jean-Christophe Quémard, director of the PSA of the area Africa and the Middle East, welcomed in his speech the "contribution without flaw" of Morocco, which has allowed "to the factory to be the best standard of know-how" with a "network of automotive suppliers to world class". The installation of the group in Morocco has resulted in the opening of some sixty companies, of which 27 "greenfields" (new creations), according to several sources cited by the AFP. The chinese group Dicastal, number 1 worldwide in the manufacture of aluminum wheels, was launched in early June a new production unit in Morocco, according to Moulay Hafid Elalamy.
Morocco has been leading since several years a strategy of industrialization with the development of free zones. "Everyone is in search of competitiveness, a few years ago everything went to China, recently we see a change to the chinese model: there is a shift," said the moroccan minister, explaining that his country was trying to seize this opportunity. In Morocco, the labor is less expensive, with "the salary of an engineer less than half the level of salaries in Belgium", has he said in response to a question. The automotive sector comes since 2014 head of the exports to Morocco (24.4% of exports in 2016, ahead of the agricultural sector and phosphate). The automotive industry has reached a turnover to the export of 70 billion dirhams (€6.5 billion) in 2017.to give priority to areas with low wages
the PSA was preceded in Morocco by his French rival Renault, which was opened in 2012 its biggest factory in Africa on the free zone of Tangier (1.1 billion euros invested, 7,000 employees, exports in 74 countries and a production horizon of the order of 500,000 vehicles in 2022).
As a Renault in Tangier, PSA benefits from the tax and customs benefits related to free trade zones and export via Tangier Med to 80 of its markets. This policy of relocation has prompted criticism in France. More generally, Renault and PSA were the most popular areas to low-wage since the early 2000s. Objective: to minimize the costs and have sites very competitive. The strategy is well known: it is to produce the models the more "high end" (high-value) on the national territory and relocate the "low-end" outside of France. PSA provides, for example, a factory in Trnava (Slovakia), which manufactures the Peugeot 208 and Citroën C3 III, while the factory of Sochaux is dedicated to the Peugeot 308.
The PSA group, which shows excellent health in Europe, despite setbacks in China, was published last year, a record net profit of 2.8 billion euros and a profitability among the highest in the industry. The group, led by Carlos Tavares, has eight other manufacturing plants in the area Africa and the Middle East are managed from Casablanca. In Algeria, the production site that was originally supposed to happen as soon as 2019 has obtained its building permit in the beginning of the year, according to media reports algerians.Updated Date: 24 June 2019, 00:00


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The New York retail real estate market could be ready for a comeback.
At a breakfast presentation on Tuesday, executives from the brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield reported that the market in Manhattan started showing signs of stability at the end of 2009 and could rebound in 2010.
“We believe the Manhattan retail market has bottomed,” said Joseph Harbert, COO of the New York metro region for Cushman & Wakefield. “We expect most of the submarkets will remain at the level they are now for the first few months of the year, and that absorption will return in the second quarter of 2010.”
Leading the recovery is the Times Square area, where average asking rents rose 12 percent between the third and fourth quarters to $658 per square foot.
Brad Mendelson, EVP of retail services at Cushman & Wakefield, attributed that change to the city’s healthy tourism industry. “New York had the largest amount of tourists of any city in the world last year,” he said. “Forty-five million people came here. That’s a decline of 4 percent, but it was still substantial.”
And while availability rates declined on Madison Avenue in the fourth quarter, Mendelson said there is still opportunity for retailers in that area, where rents dropped by $10 per square foot.
Meanwhile, in Soho, average asking rents for ground-floor space jumped 8 percent in the quarter to end the year at $258 per square foot, while availability increased 12.6 percent.
And on Fifth Avenue, between 49th Street and 60th Street, availability remained stable at 3.3 percent, while asking rents dropped 11 percent to $2,000 per square foot.


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The LPG Marketing Companies Association of Ghana is lamenting the high cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and the negative impacts consumers have had to bear.
According to them, the only way the government will be able to achieve its target of doubling the consumption of LPG by 2030 is to scrap taxes on the product – an appeal they want government to consider now without delay.
Vice-Chairman of the Association, Gabriel Kumi, who spoke on Eyewitness News was convinced that such action will encourage more people to patronize the product and bring respite to “the masses.”
“LPG is a product whose elasticity is high. It is a product for the masses and so if you want to increase consumption, what you do is that, you lower prices so that you attract a lot of people into the consumption net. Government has put 25 percent [tax] on LPG and it is not deregulated so we believe that a removal of all these taxes on the product will free up demand. We are making this appeal because of the enormous benefits this country stands to gain by pushing up the consumption of LPG.”
“Government itself has seen the wisdom in increasing the consumption of LPG but it can expect to set a target and at the same time, it keeps increasing the price of the product through taxation the two cannot be achieved at the same time. So we believe that, the best option for government is to take off all taxes on LPG”, he intimated.
This is not the first time the group is pleading with the government to remove what had been described as “ nuisance taxes ” on LPG to make it cheaper and more accessible for Ghanaians.
Gabriel Kumi recounted how the removal of the subsidy on LPG has affected the end-user and how businesses are also bearing the brunt.
He therefore advised the government to subsidize the price of LPG as done in the past to increase demand and consumption.
“Our main challenge is the price of LPG. When LPG was introduced in the country, it was highly subsidized. But when consumption started growing, government feels the subsidy was becoming too much to bear so it decided to remove all subsidies on the product so we go full cost recovery. Over the years, taxes have been very constant on the product which has shot the price to as height that consumers can no longer afford.”
“Between 2016 to now, LPG consumption has really been stagnant. Or projection is that, if the price remains like this, eventually it will lead to a decline in the consumption of LPG. Ironically, President Akufo-Addo wants us to double the consumption of LPG by 2030. Most people who have the 25kg cylinders that they bring to our stations now come to fill two or three of the cylinders instead of the initial ten or 15 they used to – they then go back and buy firewood or charcoal to supplement it. The President's vision for the LPG sector is good but unfortunately, the price of the product is working against his objective”, he added.
Government in the mid-year budget review announced an upward adjustment in a number of taxes in the hope of raising more revenues to execute government's programmes and policies.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta stated that government is proposing an upward adjustment in a few levies including the Road Fund Levy, the Energy Debt Recovery Levy; and the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy to bring the ratios close to twenty-one percent to help bridge the financing requirements.


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Netflix said it's been experimenting with top 10 lists in the UK and Mexico since last year. The positive feedback from users made Netflix decide to expand this feature to more territories.
This isn't the first new feature Netflix has been experimenting with lately. Earlier this month, Netflix finally gave its users the option to turn off the autoplay preview function.For more, check out everything that's coming to Netflix in March. Or read about an all-new character coming to Netflix's The Witcher: Season 2.
Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.
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The final corner of The Square was razed in 1989 to make way for the NCNB Corporate Center (now Bank of America Corporate Center and Founders Hall). These photos illustrate uptown Charlotte’s small scale before all the redevelopment! More at www.charlotteobserver.com, Full Menu/News/Retro Charlotte.
Staff writer Ted Mellnik reported on December 29, 1988:
“The Eckerd Drugs that overlooked The Square, the last store to sit on one of uptown Charlotte's oldest commercial corners, closed for good Wednesday. The building is scheduled to be torn down in coming months. Its corner eventually will become an open plaza in NCNB Corporate Center, a $300 million complex that will take a whole block at Trade and Tryon streets. Only a few small shops in the block will be left open by week's end.
“The giant Belk store there closed last summer. The final day for the F.W. Woolworth at 112 N. Tryon is Saturday. Christmas lights still burned in the Eckerd windows Wednesday night. The Eckerd corner is one of uptown Charlotte's most historic. Charlotte founder Thomas Polk lived there, and British generals made their headquarters there during the American Revolution. A drugstore has stood on the corner since the 1920s. Part of the current building opened in 1946. In the next few years, it was expanded and remodeled into today's two-story, 8,000-square-foot building. A newspaper at the time hailed it as ‘one of the most modern in the South. Its tile exterior, plate glass windows, air conditioning, fluorescent illumination . . . place it in a class of its own.’”


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VCN- That is the information at a seminar on international transport held by the General Department of Vietnam Customs in cooperation with the International Road Transport Union on 29th March 2017 in Hanoi.
|Hai Phong Customs guides shipping agencies to perform procedures for connection|
|Administrative procedures through the National Single Window at ports expanded|
|Can export processing enterprises liquidate assets in the form of scrap metal?|
According to Mr. Nguyen Anh Tai, the Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department, in recent years, the trend of globalization and the exchange of trade, investment, services and tourism have increasingly developed.
In this context, in order to promote Customs administration effectively and facilitate international trade; international organizations and forums such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the World Customs Organization, ASEAN and APEC have encouraged members to apply international transit mechanisms to facilitate trade and transport. One of the most effective international mechanisms in facilitating the transport of goods among nations today is the International Transport Convention (TIR Convention).
Mr. Jens Hugel, the Head of Sustainable Development and Goods Transport said that since 2008, there had been more than 200,000 vehicles across the border. The fact shows that TIR member countries have saved $US 35 billion per year in freight across the border. When becoming a member of the Convention, a member country can increase GDP from 0.14% to 1.31%.
The TIR Agreement was first signed in 1949 by some European countries and then it was extended to the TIR Convention in 1959 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The extension of the scope was applied for seaborne container shipping and then applied for rail container transport and road container transport in the new version of the Convention in 1975.
|4 groups of vehicles and equipment must be energy efficiency labeled.
VCN - The Prime Minister has stipulated a list of vehicles and equipment that must be labeled ...
Currently, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) is the leading agency implementing the TIR mechanism as required by the United Nations.
By Dao Le/ Hoang Anh


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The newspaper reported today that European Commission (EC), the regulator of the European Union, plans to launch a query on competition And sputive Claims that the iPhone-maker uses its position as an application store gatekeeper "to deliberately harm other application developers."
In a complaint filed with the European Commission in MarchApple has "overturned the playing field" by running iOS, the platform and the App Store for distribution as well, Sputify said Spotify Competitor, Apple Music.
In particular, Sputify CEO Daniel Eck He said so a Apple Locksmith developers and their statutes, which include a 30 per cent reduction in in-app spend. Ek also claimed that Apple Music had unfair advantages over competitors such as Spotify, while expressing concern that Apple controls communication between users and application publishers, "including unfair restrictions on marketing and promotions that benefit consumers."
The announcement was unprecedented – Eke claimed that many other developers feel the same way, but they do not want to bother Apple by talking. The EU will certainly benefit from this silent rule if the investigation is already underway, as the Financial Times claims.
Apple returned to Sputivi's claims, but its response was a rebuttal – or an alternative angle – to those complaints. Apple has not dealt directly with any of the claims raised by Spotify, and those options include alternative payment options (as shown in The Google Play store) and equal treatment for Apple and third-party applications such as Spotify.
The EU is gaining a reputation as a strong opponent to curb technology giants in the United States.
Regardless of the GDP initiative, Has a history of taking action on clear monopolies in technology.
Google imposed a fine of 1.49 billion euros ($ 1.67 billion) in March This year on antitrust violations in the search for brokering advertising, for example. Google has been fined a record $ 5 billion Last year because of Android violations, there have been calls to consider dismantling the search company. Inevitably, Facebook is under the spotlight for a series of privacy concerns, especially about the election.
Pressure from the EU has already led to Social network provide clear terms and conditions About using it for data to advertise, while May also change its rules that limit advertising spending abroad On EU elections after concern from Brussels.
Despite what some believe in the United States, the Commissioner of Competition in the European Union, Margretti Viger, Publicly said it was against the division of companies. Instead, Vestager undertook to organize data access.
"The dismantling of a company, the fragmentation of private property, will be far-reaching and will require a very strong case that it will lead to better results for consumers in the market than you can do using more common tools.We are dealing with private equity companies that are built, Because of its innovation " She said in an interview with SXSW earlier this year.


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The Laguna Niguel housing market, found in the midst of Orange County, Southern California, saw a serious decline in the number of homes sold over the last tracking period. Not all the news was negative, however, as the median price of a Laguna Niguel home for sale rallied substantially over the year ending June 30. According to an August 25, 2010 report from the Orange County Register, "In the midst of a week filled gloomy housing news, a glimmer of sunshine has broken through. Sure, Orange County house sales may be down for the first time in two years and new home sales contracts may be down 35%. But things are looking up in O.C.’s housing market, if you believe the Federal Housing Finance Administration – the agency that oversees Fannie and Freddie. According to FHFA, Orange County’s home-price appreciation was fourth highest among 303 of the nation’s metro areas this past spring. That’s right, we’re Number 4 according to the federal government’s House Price Index, which dates back 35 years. Based on FHFA math — which compares repeat transactions involving Fannie and Freddie loans for home purchases and refinancing — O.C. home prices increased 1.45% in the 12 months ending on June 30. Of course, that’s old data, preceding the end of federal tax credits and the damper their demise put on billowing home sales. And it gives you a sense of how bad things must be in the rest of the country. After all, Orange County was able to elbow it’s way up to Number 4 in the nation with an appreciation rate of just 1.45%."
In the vast majority of Orange, County, the number of home sales decreased, although a few areas did post modest gains. An August 26, 2010 article also from the Orange County Register found that "Taking sales volume into consideration, home sales are down in 68% of the market. Overall, countywide sales were down15.1% from a year ago...Thirteen local ZIPs had both sales gains and price gains in the period. These double-gainers had combined sales volume equal to 19% of the Orange County market. But 27 local ZIPs had double losses — with both sales and price down. They had a combined sales volume equal to 28% of the market."


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Last weekend kicked off the opening of Coronet Peak meaning that now all 3 local ski fields are open for business!
Fittingly coined the adventure capital of New Zealand, Queenstown is the ideal holiday destination for the thrill seekers.
If this weekend was a sign of what’s to come then we are in for a powder laden ski season here in Queenstown. We spent the weekend under a blanket of snow with mother nature giving our local ski fields more than the usual May dusting.
Planning to visit to Queenstown this year over Queens Birthday weekend? Don’t miss Queenstown’s newest and brightest event, kicking off the Winter festival season. Going off the successful debut last year and promising to be even bigger this year


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Toyoda testimony: As automaker grew, safety sufferedTue, 23 Feb 2010
Toyota Motor Corp. president Akio Toyoda plans to tell lawmakers on Wednesday that the company regrettably chased growth at the expense of safety in recent years, and he will announce steps to improve Toyota's handling of customer complaints.
Toyoda's written testimony to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says the automaker's priorities “became confused.”
“We pursued growth over the speed at which we were able to develop our people and our organization,” Toyoda says. “I regret that this has resulted in the safety issues described in the recalls we face today.”
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released Toyoda's testimony today at the same time that the House Energy and Commerce Committee was conducting the first congressional hearing into Toyota's safety problems.
Toyoda also says the company's recall decisions will be informed by a new system in which customer input from around the world “will reach our management in a timely manner.”
His testimony doesn't provide details.
Toyoda says the company will form a quality advisory group composed of outside experts from around the world “to ensure that we do not make a misguided decision.” In addition, Toyota will form an Automotive Center of Quality Excellence and introduce the position of product safety executive, he says.
There also will be “the sharing of more information and responsibility within the company for product quality decisions, including defects and recalls,” Toyoda says, without providing details.
Finally, Toyota managers will “actually drive the cars” and “check for themselves where the problem lies as well as its severity,” he says.
“My name is on every car,” says Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder. “You have my personal commitment that Toyota will work vigorously and unceasingly to restore the trust of our customers.”
By Neil Roland- Automotive News


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MWC 2013’s biggest sasquatch may be Nokia’s much rumored and highly anticipated Nokia EOS smartphone with a 41-megapixel PureView sensor for Windows Phone 8. The device was rumored prior to the show to come with a new unibody machined aluminum frame that’s slimmer than the flagship Nokia Lumia 920 and pack a 41-megapixel sensor from the Symbian-powered Nokia 808. An MWC 2013 announcement of such a device would come on the year anniversary of the announcement of the Nokia 808, which broke ground in the camera phone department with its large sensor and pixel-packing technology at last year’s MWC.
Instead of focusing on the high-end market at MWC, Nokia chose instead to focus on the mid-range and entry-level segment. The company announced a Nokia Lumia 720 (mid-range) and a Lumia 520 (entry-level), with the latter also headed to T-Mobile USA. According to Nokia’s nubering convention, the higher the number, the more features the device would pack. As it stands, the Lumia 920 remains the flagship for now.
Stealing MWC’s Thunder
And Nokia’s not the only one not making a big splash at Mobile World Congress. Like other trade shows–CTIA, CES, and MacWorld–MWC is beginning to show some slow downs as manufacturers are now looking to private events to unveil products on their own schedules, rather than rushing products to meet trade show deadlines.
One such example of this is Samsung, which actually took to Mobile World Congress to announce not a flagship smartphone, but a date to announce its Galaxy S4 smartphone. That’s right, at MWC 2013, Samsung announced the Galaxy S4’s announcement date, which is a bit unusual.
And Nokia’s other rival, HTC, chose a private event in New York City days before MWC to announce its flagship HTC One smartphone, though HTC did have an announcement at MWC. Like Samsung’s curious ‘we’re announcing the date for our next flagship,’ HTC told attendees that the HTC One will be its one and only flagship for the year.
A Second Nokia No Show
A second rumored Nokia Windows Phone 8 Lumia model that did not make it to Mobile World Congress would be Verizon’s variant of the flagship Lumia 920. It’s been rumored that AT&T had a time-limited exclusivity in the Lumia 920 and its image-stablized PureView camera technology, and the time is up. Unfortunately, that remains to be seen and Nokia didn’t announce the rumored Nokia Laser for Verizon’s 4G LTE network in the U.S., giving AT&T an even longer exclusivity over the 920.
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| May 29, 2014
| 11:32 AM
Are consumers getting tired of jeans?
One retail analyst thinks so.
Changing the color and fit used to be enough to prompt shoppers to go out and buy something new, but "the lack of any real innovation in jeans has created consumer fatigue," Marshal...
| May 23, 2014
| 8:18 AM
Stroll through shops in a town-like setting or escape to the comfort of an air-conditioned mall.
City Center at Oyster Point. 701 Town Center Drive, Newport News. Offers 230,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurants. Host to a weekly farmers'...
| May 16, 2014
| 5:20 PM
At 24, Brian Jaffe got a job in the entertainment industry, sitting behind a desk all day. In just a few short years, his physique was not what it used to be.
"I got out of shape," says Jaffe, now 28. "I was at a job that didn't allow me enough time...
| May 5, 2014
| 11:35 PM
Spurred by outrage from fans and players alike, new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acted with admirable swiftness in addressing the blatant racism of Donald Sterling. Now the NBA should turn its attention to a more subtle and pervasive form of racial...
| May 5, 2014
| 5:56 PM
Forget recording every meal on Instagram. Colin Beckett has made a career of the food portrait. Juicy oysters at Quartino, a slew of tapas at Black Bull and a perfectly foamy craft beer for the cover of Chicago magazine -- the 28-year-old food and product...
| Apr 18, 2014
| 3:35 PM
Can your footwear speed you up? We gave four new running shoes, each touting an impressive design technology, to four college runners. One shoe was super-flexible, one super-bouncy, another super-flat and another super-light. The verdict: Set your...
| Mar 7, 2014
| 7:55 AM
Charlie White and Meryl Davis, who won an Olympic gold medal in Sochi, Russia, for ice dancing, will be contestants on the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars," which starts March 17 on ABC. But they'll be competing against each other, not as...
| Mar 4, 2014
| 9:06 AM
Ever lust after a product displayed in a store that’s closed for the day? Or struggle to find the item you saw in a magazine or YouTube advertisement? Maybe you’re curious about something on a shelf but can’t find a salesperson to...
| Jan 20, 2014
| 2:30 PM
Mandalay Sports Media has acquired Roadside Entertainment, a sports and entertainment production company based in New York City and founded by veteran producers Ron Yassen and John Hirsch. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Roadside and its staff will...
| Jan 9, 2014
| 4:03 PM
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Isaiah Thomas felt discouraged during the opening weeks of the 2011-12 NBA season. He was a rookie, and he was struggling to earn playing time with the Sacramento Kings. Doubt crept into his mind.
Thomas needed advice and a...
| Dec 20, 2013
| 1:38 PM
Arron Afflalo on Friday rejoined his Orlando Magic teammates after he missed Wednesday's game and Thursday's practice because he was sick.
"I doing better, for sure," said Afflalo, his voice slightly hoarse. "I had a little something going on with my...