text:
Airbnb shares fall after a big jump
Airbnb’s stock dropped more than 4% on Thursday after the firm released its second-quarter earnings. The business beat Wall Street’s revenue and bookings projections but warned about the Covid delta version’s projected volatility. Here’s how the company fared: Earnings: 11 cents per share loss; Revenue: $1.34 billion, compared to Refinitiv’s projection of $1.26 billion.
After the tourism sector collapsed a year ago due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the company reported 83.1 million nights and experiences booked, up 29 percent from the first quarter and a stunning 197 percent year over year. Analysts polled by StreetAccount predicted 79.2 million booked nights and occasions. Revenue increased by approximately 300 percent year on year to $1.34 billion.
Airbnb’s sales and marketing spending increased 175 percent year on year in the second quarter, reaching $315 million. The business blamed the increase in marketing costs on its Made Possible by Hosts campaign. Airbnb warned in February that it expected its sales and marketing expenses to be higher as a percentage of revenue in the first half of 2021 than in the second half.
Companys’ gross and loss
Gross booking value, which Airbnb uses to measure host revenues, service fees, cleaning fees, and taxes, was $13.4 billion, up 320 percent year over year and higher than the $11.56 billion FactSet average.
Airbnb’s net loss for the quarter was $68 million, a decrease of more than 88 percent from the previous year’s net loss of $575.6 million. Its average daily rate increased to $161 from $160 in the last quarter, reflecting increased client spending on houses and experiences. This figure increased by 41% year over year.
Expectations of revenue
Airbnb expects delta to influence travel behavior, specifically how frequently and when guests book and cancel. Although the firm expects the third quarter to achieve its highest quarterly revenue on record, it expects Q3 nights and experiences booked to be lower than in Q2 and Q3 2019.
Combination of fewer bookings for the autumn, simply due to the nature of certain seasonality and any impact potentially on Covid concerns, Airbnb CFO Dave Stephenson said on a conference call with analysts. According to Airbnb, vaccine success and the containment of new strains would influence the company’s performance in the fourth quarter. The company stated in its shareholder letter that we do not yet know how willing people will be to go in the fall versus summer.
The post Airbnb shares fall after a big jump appeared first on FinanceBrokerage.


text:
Chinese consumption has shown its unabated vitality while the Year of the Ox was ushered in, although many activities such as travel have been restricted due to the epidemic prevention and control.
There are many rituals associated with Spring Festival, including an elaborate dinner on the Spring Festival Eve, which fell on Thursday. As over 100 million Chinese people would not go home for family celebrations this year due to the epidemic, people have come up with creative ways to make up for their traditional home-cooked dinner through online and offline purchases.
Since January 20, China's online retail sales have exceeded 700 billion yuan ($108 billion). Compared with the same period last year, online catering has seen a 50 percent growth, indicating that the form of consumption has changed during Spring Festival this year, said Guo Liyan, a research fellow with the Academy of Macroeconomic Research affiliated with China's National Development and Reform Commission, the China Central Television reported on Thursday.
During the past three days before the Chinese Lunar New Year, from Tuesday to Thursday, the semi-finished dinner deliveries on food express platform Ele.me increased by four times compared to last year, and the deliveries of New Year's Eve meal packages increased by two times, according to statistics Ele.me sent to the Global Times on Friday.
For many people who spent the Spring Festival at their workplaces, take-out food has become their natural need to feed themselves during Spring Festival. Delivery orders for a single person doubled in the last three days of the Lunar New Year compared with 2020, especially in first - and second-tier cities. For instance, in Shenzhen, the number of meal deliveries for a single person increased by 2.5 times compared to last year, and in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan and Xiamen, the year-on-year growth rate was more than 100 percent.
On Chinese social media, hashtag 100 million Chinese stay where they are to celebrate Spring Festival made into the hot topic list on Weibo on Friday, the day of Spring Festival, with more than 600 million views by Friday noon.
Many netizens said they either ordered half-cooked food to make their own Spring Festival Eve dinner or ordered a set menu from their favorite restaurants.
"As a Chinese from southern China, I never had dumplings for the Spring Festival Eve dinner. But this year, I brought many since I am celebrating the festival in northern China, because I better do as the Romans do, a netizen said.
Dumplings are a very common dish in northern China, symbolizing reunion and fortune.
Some who stayed in megacities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou joked that Chinese metropolises are finally not "empty and deserted" during this year's Spring Festival, as previously many would leave for their hometowns.
Sales of the Chinese New Year's Eve family dinner of Alibaba's fresh-food chain brand Hema Fresh increased by 100 percent in Shanghai, with dishes in small portions increasing by a significant 74 percent, compared with last year, as in-person dining has declined this year, Li Nan, PR manager from Hema Fresh, told the Global Times on Friday.
"Sales of small portions for four to six diners were much better than other packages, which showed most people had the Chinese New Year's Eve family dinner with core family members, and only a very few families had large gatherings of 10 people or above," Li said.
Apart from family dinner, sticking couplets with auspicious words to bring good wishes for the whole family is another tradition for the Spring Festival Eve.
According to e-commerce platform Taobao, major shops selling couplets have seen an annual growth of 43 percent during this Spring Festival, and each day, over 5 million couplets were sold on Taobao.
Many restaurants also extended their opening hours since the Spring Festival Eve to cope with the increased number of diners.
An employee from a roast duck restaurant in Beijing told the Global Times on Friday that their restaurant has been booked up until Sunday, and their working hours have been extended to 10 pm during the Spring Festival holiday, one hour later than usual.
To lure more customers, many shopping malls also extended opening hours. In Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, Grandview Mall opens 10 minutes earlier and closes half an hour later than usual.
Although this year's Spring Festival has seen a drop in travel, Chinese people can still find many means of recreation, such as watching movies, skiing, and visiting parks and gyms.
China's box office on Friday reached 1.5 billion yuan ($232 million) by noon, setting a new record for single-day box office of China's film market and breaking the single-day box office record of a single market in the world, according to ticket platform Maoyan.

domain: news


text:
Often times when a stock gains this much, Jim Cramer is hesitant to ‘chase.’ But in this case, Cramer doesn't consider it chasing.
Some of Friday's midday movers.
Near-blizzard conditions and record cold snarled air travel up and down the East Coast, causing thousands of flight delays and cancellations.
The "Power Lunch" crew looks at today's top stories, including Twitter's run and the coming advertising campaign for e-cigarettes and a Twitter downgrade.
NBC's Kerry Sanders reports Delta will honor ultra-low airfares due to a website glitch. A first class ticket to Hawaii was sold for $88.
Take a look at some of Friday's midday movers: Twitter, Textron, Sprint
NBC's Kerry Sanders reports Delta's glitch of cheap flight tickets was amplified by social media.
Happy Friday. Now can get please get the lights turned on again?
NBC News' Kerry Sanders reports Delta says rock-bottom fares sold by mistake was "not planned."
Thanks to a technical error some consumers were able to land round-trip tickets on Delta Air Lines for under $50, which the airline said it will honor.
The "Fast Money" traders weigh in on everything from the Fed decision to which is hotter for 2014 — Facebook or Twitter.
As the U.S. airline industry continues to shrink, dozens of small and midsize cities are scrambling to try to maintain their economic lifelines.
No matter what the FCC decides, there will be no in-flight phone conversations by passengers on Delta or JetBlue, the airlines say.
Some of Wednesday's midday movers:
Despite the chance to lock in gains, most hedge funds are standing by their bets and keeping risk on.
Members of frequent flier programs face ongoing plan changes and the notion that if an airline decides to kick them out, there's little they can do.
The Department of Transportation said it will consider a ban on in-flight phone calls as part of its consumer protection.
Take a look at some of Wednesday's midday movers:
Air travel over Christmas can be less frustrating with the right preparation. How to avoid delays and travel in style.
CEO Doug Parker tells CNBC that "as long as demand stays the same, nothing should happen to prices."


text:
Grocery stores are restocking shelves with water and bread, and supply stores are selling a lot of plywood and generators today (Sept. 10) as East Coast communities prepare for Hurricane Florence to strike hard later this week, according to CNN.
Forecasters say Florence could mount a direct, devastating hit on North Carolina and South Carolina as the most powerful storm to hit the area in three decades.
Dee Witting, executive director of the Carolina Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (CARVC), noted to Woodall’s Campground Management, that no evacuations have been issued yet for either North Carolina or South Carolina.
“Once that occurs the campgrounds inland and out of the storms path will take in the evacuees,” explained Witting. “The campgrounds play a huge role in coordinating with each other if they have sites available…etc.”
She noted that some inland campground members have reported a few calls for evacuation, but are waiting for evacuee orders to be given. Witting said that the association works with its members to make sure they are prepared for these types of situations.
The National Hurricane Center forecasts Florence to hit the shore late Thursday night or early Friday morning.
Swells up to 15 feet high could reach the coast, Myers said, and the storm system is likely to stall when it hits land, dumping up to 20 inches of rain in some inland locations.
Florence was about 625 miles southeast of Bermuda as of 5 a.m. ET Monday. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was moving west-northwest at about 9 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
To read more on this story click here.


text:
Quick Note: Nokia PureView Will Get Windows Phone Treatment
March 5, 2012 3:35 PM
comment(s) - last by
Gorgeous camera makes this a must-buy Windows Phone
Remember Finnish phonemaker Nokia Oyj.'s (
incredible "41 megapixel" PureView 808
? The phone was more than just hype -- it was an engineering marvel packing Carl Zeiss optics paired with a sensor that was four times the size of that found in the camera of Apple, Inc.'s traditionally well-regarded (
-- commonly viewed as an industry leader in image quality.
A smartphone to rival discrete digital cameras, the most baffling and disappointing aspect of the announcement was that the operating system involved was Symbian Belle,
a soon-to-be-defunct in-house design
But just as the collective Darth Vader-esque "NOOOO!!!" swept the smartphone community, Nokia has apparently come to its senses, revealing that a Windows Phone variant (in the Lumia family) is on its way.
[Image Source: Fone Arena]
Nokia SVP of Mobile Phones Jo Harlow broke the good news in an interview with Finnish newspaper
. Better still, other sources say the phone is likely destined to hit American shores in Windows Phone form.
Nokia already has a very attractive Windows Phone lineup emerging in the U.S., led by the
sleek and chic Lumia 900 LTE
. But those attractive models may pale in comparison to the Lumia PureView 808 whose awesome optics would make it the Windows Phone to get -- period -- and perhaps even the phone to get of
smartphone, for photo buffs.
The phone is expected to carry Microsoft's
, and according to Ms. Harlow (translated), "I can’t say precisely when [the Windows Phone variant will launch], but it will not take very long."
(Click picture to view in full screen)
So it sounds like a buyers -- possibly U.S. buyers, may be able to get their greedy paws on this marvelous device before the end of the year.
Perhaps this will be the must-have differentiator to finally draw customers to the
impressive Windows Phone operating system
, which arguably leads Android and iOS in intuitive, attractive interface design, though
badly trailing those top players in sales
. Perhaps that
expensive Nokia partnership
is finally paying off, after all.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
3/6/2012 5:49:40 AM
the screen resolution must be updated too. long wait.
by that time, compact cameras might have updated sensors to distance themselves from smartphones.
RE: not yet...
3/9/2012 2:56:21 PM
Smartphones have an advantage in that they're not expected to house optical zoom. That lets them use significantly more compact optics.
Fitting a 1/1.2" sensor into a compact camera is going to be very difficult unless it foregoes optical zoom (4x is the minimum nowadays), and if it does then sales are going to be rough.
"It looks like the iPhone 4 might be their Vista, and I'm okay with that." -- Microsoft COO Kevin Turner
Nokia's 41 MP Super Phone to Sport Symbian, See Euro-Only Launch
February 27, 2012, 2:32 PM
Report: Microsoft Gave Nokia a $250M USD Windows Phone Payday in Q4
January 26, 2012, 1:22 PM
Nokia Makes Very Soft "Aggressive" Launch of Lumia 900 LTE Windows Phone
January 9, 2012, 6:50 PM
Microsoft to Follow Windows Phone Mango With Tango, Apollo in 2012
December 28, 2011, 5:06 PM
As Windows Phone Turns One, Microsoft Hopes to Buy Market Share
October 13, 2011, 10:51 AM
Report: DISH CEO Makes Aggressive $2B USD Bid for LightSquared's Spectrum
May 20, 2013, 10:25 PM
Apple Releases Tim Cook's Testimony on Corporate Tax Laws
May 20, 2013, 7:40 PM
Apple's Tim Cook to Talk Profit Shifting, Taxes at U.S. Senate Hearing
May 20, 2013, 1:44 PM
HTC to Double Production Capacity for "One" Flagship Smartphone This Month
May 20, 2013, 10:10 AM
LG Showcases 5" Flexible OLED Technology at SID 2013
May 20, 2013, 8:18 AM
Air Force Expects to Save Over $50 Million in 10 Years by Using iPads
May 17, 2013, 12:26 PM
Most Popular Articles
Windows 8.1 Will Be Free; Microsoft Holds Onto Struggling ARM Variant
May 14, 2013, 2:57 PM
Google Announces "Pure" Galaxy Nexus S4 for $649, Android Updates
May 15, 2013, 1:42 PM
Bill Gates Gets Teary-Eyed While Discussing Steve Jobs, Shows Off Life-Saving Tech on 60 Minutes
May 13, 2013, 12:30 PM
U.S. Federal Traffic Board Wants to Make Drunk Driving Threshold Far Harsher
May 15, 2013, 11:32 AM
Google's Eric Schmidt: "Don't Be Evil" was Stupid
May 14, 2013, 11:00 AM
Latest Blog Posts
Quick Note: Sony "Teases" PS4 Ahead of Xbox Reveal in New Video
May 20, 2013, 12:33 PM
Nokia Introduces Instagram-Like App of Its Own to Help Lumia Sales
May 20, 2013, 7:10 AM
Parents of Pre-Teen Drivers Commonly Practice Distracted Driving Says Study
May 9, 2013, 7:16 AM
Apple's iOS 7 Running Into Internal Delays Due to Massive Overhaul
May 1, 2013, 4:26 PM
Elon Musk Willing to Spend More Money on Widening of 405 Freeway
Apr 26, 2013, 7:28 PM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2013 DailyTech LLC. -
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information


text:
Samsung is currently selling souped-up LCDs as “QLED TVs” but the term originates with an entirely new type of a self-emitting display, similar to OLED. China’s BOE has showcased the first two prototypes of true QLED displays, according to a report by OLEDnet.com.
True QLED is still years away
UBI Research’s Chief Analyst, Choong Hoon Yi, once said: “If you can’t do OLED, don’t even dream about QLED”. What he meant was that a true QLED display actually builds on OLED technology more than any single manufacturer will admit. It is a combination of some technical principles developed for OLED and quantum dot technology.
”If you can’t do OLED, don’t even dream about QLED”
During many years of research, the term “QLED” referred to an electroluminescence – or self-emitting – display technology. In other words, a display that applies electricity to individual pixels to make them emit light and consequently colors. That was until Samsung chose to rebrand its LCD TVs to “QLED” this year. An LCD display relies, as you know, on a backlight unit, an LCD panel, and other layers sandwiched in-between.
That is why China’s BOE’s latest prototype displays are exciting. These are the first true QLED displays; a new self-emitting display technology that could one day challenge OLED.
The two displays are apparently a 5” QLED prototype with 320x240 (80ppi) resolution and a 14” QLED prototype with 960x540 (80ppi) resolution.
- “QLED display improves its reliability by using inorganic matters for existing OLED structure instead of organic matters, featuring better color gamut than OLED. 100% inkjet printing-based QLED is better in terms of manufacturing cost saving and large scale, compared to deposition-based OLED,” BOE told OLEDnet.com.
Manufacturers such as LG.Display are currently using deposition-based production techniques to produce OLED TV panels. LG, Samsung and others have experimented with using inkjet production techniques for OLED, and LG will reportedly start inkjet pilot production this year.
The industry expects that it will take more than 5 years to mass-produce QLED displays.


text:
Marc Jacobs Mink-Hued Wigs
It looks like Marc Jacobs’ Fall 2014 runway launched more than the embrace of Kendall Jenner as a high fashion model — it also spawned a fashion-world adoration of the model’s wigs dyed in pinks, creams, beiges, and brown. The wig hues were coordinated to match the clothes, and were so widely admired that fashion folks are already demanding the dusty and iridescent hues from their stylists.
Colorist, Victoria Hunter, shared news of the hubbub, saying “It’s kind of a little nutty how this show has inspired people. I have clients calling from Paris, Japan—and they’re already trying to do it at home! I think they should just get me a dedicated store, because so many people are requesting this. The shades are very chic and tasteful and powerful—and with everything that’s been out there with color being so literal, this is a cleverer alternative. It’s something unique, and we haven’t really seen it before, which is why I think it’s caused a bit of a craze.”
“Marc asked me if I could come up with something kind of mink-y, old-lady, that had that kind of antique-y look about it.” Hunter continued, “We came up with five different shades: a mauve, a brown—which we were calling ‘mink,’ a beige—a very grey-ash color—and a flesh color, and a Nordic blond. But there were no real shade names; we just ended up calling them one, two, three, four, and five. As you can imagine, with 70 wigs and two days to dye them, things can get quite crazy. And then the models’ brows were bleached, and we dyed all of them the beige color regardless of wig shade.”


text:
A recent report by the most popular professional networking platform, LinkedIn states that blockchain is a top skill in demand. The findings of the report clearly showcase the rapid fluctuations in skill requirements in the IT job market, with Blockchain at the top in 2020. Hiring managers are constantly on edge with frequently changing trends in the requirements of hard skills and soft skills.
The most striking highlight about the report is that it has stated, “blockchain is the most-demanded job skill in 2020”. On the other hand, there was no hint of blockchain among the requirements of hard skills in 2019. This article presents an in-depth perspective on the findings of LinkedIn’s report with an idea of career prospects in the blockchain.
The requirements of soft skills for enterprises have the tendency to reform gradually over the course of time. On the other hand, the most demanded hard skills continue to transform drastically, especially with continuous technological advancements. LinkedIn had included analytical reasoning, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing as the top hard skills in 2019.
All these skills are still present on LinkedIn’s list of most demanded hard skills this year. However, blockchain has been able to mark its own presence among the top skills of 2020. This has been a promising boost for driving awareness around career opportunities with blockchain technology. Blockchain is a top skill in 2020, and this statement coming from LinkedIn would have a huge impact on career prospects.
Start learning Blockchain with World’s first Blockchain Skill Paths with a guided approach tailored by industry experts Now!
Why Blockchain is a Top Skill in 2020?
According to LinkedIn’s report, Blockchain is the top skill for its potential for inducing transformation. The blockchain technology has finally achieved a distinct recognition than cryptocurrency with different industries adopting its diverse functionalities. The different relevant use cases for blockchain also showcase the potential of blockchain for penetrating different job markets.
Previously, blockchain expertise was limited to cryptocurrency markets, and gradually financial institutions started using blockchain technology, and slowly it has gained a substantial market base. Recruiters have to leverage the power of blockchain as one of the most in-demand skills for the future to drive business value. Recruiters have to develop familiarity with the working of blockchain, its potential benefits, and the professionals suited for helping businesses leverage the maximum potential of blockchain technology.
Readers should also note that apart from LinkedIn’s report, blockchain is a top skill in the US, UK, Germany, Australia, and France. Many large enterprises continue to look for blockchain professionals with some top names includes Oracle and IBM. In addition, startups are also on the constant lookout for blockchain experts. Another critical aspect of blockchain is that professionals can explore a wide variety of job roles with blockchain expertise. The diversity of blockchain-based job roles includes opportunities for developers, business managers, coders, analysts, engineers, and many other roles.
Industries that Demand Blockchain Expertise
Presently, the demand for blockchain jobs would increase in specific sectors. The impact of the report would encourage the expansion of employment opportunities in the significant sectors that require blockchain expertise. Almost every industry ranging from financial institutions, banks, insurance, retail, accountancy, and even law offices, want to leverage the benefits of blockchain.
Blockchain is a top skill in the case of these industries for the advantages of decentralization and secure transactions. Blockchain startups, which have been operational since the inception of the technology, could use individuals with blockchain expertise to drive innovation in their products and solutions.
The decentralization aspect of blockchain is also driving its adoption in tech firms and governmental firms. While decentralization helps in simplifying internal and external transactions for tech firms while streamlining operations, governmental agencies are leveraging blockchain for the symbiotic balance between cryptography and transparency.
Hard Skills and Soft Skills
LinkedIn has used specific criteria for qualifying hard skills and soft skills in its report. Hard skills are basically the employee’s ability to carry out a particular task while soft skills are about the approaches for achieving the concerned task. Soft skills are particularly associated with the ability for collaboration, problem-solving, decision making, and adaptability. On the other hand, hard skills among which blockchain is the top skill in 2020 require technical abilities and specialization in areas such as patent law, software development, or financial accounting.
Hard skills have easier criteria of definition and measurement in comparison to soft skills. Employers would look for soft skills in combination with blockchain skills for filling in crucial blockchain-based job roles. However, soft skills deal primarily with cognitive abilities, behavior, personal traits, and thinking. These aspects are particularly hard to measure and present notable difficulties for recruiters.
So, what is the ideal soft skill that makes blockchain one of the high paying skills 2020? The answer to this question, according to LinkedIn’s report, is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence showcases the ability of blockchain professionals to recognize their emotions and that of others. It also helps a professional utilize emotional information for driving proactive and efficient thinking. Recruiters can use questions such as candidate’s responses to previous mistakes or performance in short-term projects for evaluating the emotional intelligence of candidates.
Other Hard Skills in Demand
In addition to the fact that Blockchain is a top skill in 2020, there are many other skills with global demand. UX design, affiliate marketing, video production, business analysis, and sales are also crucial in-demand skills for 2020. While cloud computing, analytical reasoning, and artificial intelligence have a formidable position in the list of hard skills for 2020, blockchain can prove to be a game-changer. Prospects of integration of blockchain technology with IoT and cloud-based solutions present the initial evidence for the same.
Is Blockchain Here to Stay?
Blockchain is a top skill, and LinkedIn has stated it for the first time. It seems nothing less than a miracle as the report of LinkedIn comes at a time just before a sudden spike in digital transformation. Enterprises are shifting towards digital platforms for ensuring sustainability, reducing costs, optimizing resources, and many other reasons.
The recent global pandemic has been a huge driver for digital transformation, and blockchain technology is a proven tool for the creation of highly secure, transparent, and effective end-to-end solutions. So, the higher demand for blockchain technology expertise would continue to improve in the future.
So, if you are aspiring to build your career with the most in-demand technology, you should start your Blockchain journey now with the Free Blockchain Course. Take the first step now to lay the foundation of a bright future!


text:
6309 Monarch Park Place, Suite 203
Niwot, CO 80503, USA
Phone (303) 443-5060
Toll free (888) 742-5060
Ingersoll-Rand plc (NYSE: IR), Swords, Ireland, reported sales for the first quarter of $3 billion, up 4 percent over the same period a year ago. Profit decreased 23.2 percent to $117.1 million.
Industrial sales were $676.5 million for the first quarter, a 0.6 percent decrease year-over-year.
Climate solutions sales were $2.3 billion, an increase of 5 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.


text:
The right to enjoy a premium cigar in California is once again under attack, this time in the form of a higher excise tax.
On June 5, California voters will go to the polls to decide whether or not to pass Proposition 29, or the California Cancer Research Act, an initiative that raises the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products (OTP). Revenues from the tax proposal are to be doled out to various cancer research funds as well as anti-smoking campaigns.
The proposal would greatly increase the excise tax on cigars and other products that fall into the OTP category in California from 31.73 percent of the wholesale cost to 54.89 percent.
For the past two years, the state’s Board of Equalization, which controls tobacco taxation, had decreased the OTP tax. In 2010, the board lowered the tax from 41.11 percent to 33.02 percent, and the tax was again decreased last year to its current 31.73 percent.
Cigar lobbying groups like the Cigar Rights of America and the International Premium Cigars and Pipe Retailers association have pledged to fight Proposition 29. Both the IPCPR and the CRA are committing resources to help California Citizens Against Wasteful Taxes, a ballot measure committee composed of California cigar enthusiasts, retailers, importers, and distributors.


text:
Binance, a global cryptocurrency exchange, has partnered up with Mastercard to launch a crypto prepaid card in Argentina. The announcement was made by the exchange on Thursday. The new card by the CZ’s exchange is still in beta and will be widely accessible soon.
The Binance Card issued by Credential Payments will allow all new and existing Binance users in Argentina with a valid national ID to make purchases and pay bills with cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and BNB, at over 90 million Mastercard merchants worldwide, both in-store and online.
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.
Users can enjoy a seamless transaction in which their cryptocurrencies are converted to fiat currency in real-time at the point of purchase, as well as earn up to 8% in crypto cashback on eligible purchases and enjoy zero fees* on ATM withdrawals.
Argentinian users with the necessary valid ID can get access to the binance card. The launch of the product is the vision of the exchange as a part of its global expansion. The new card will allow users to use crypto for payments at over 90 million Mastercard merchants globally. Using the card, crypto will be converted to fiat currency in real-time at the point of purchase. In addition, cardholders will also earn 8% crypto cashback on all eligible purchases. ATM withdrawals will also be free of any charges.
“Payments is one of the first and most obvious use cases for crypto, yet adoption has a lot of room to grow. By using the Binance Card, merchants continue to receive fiat and the users pay in the cryptocurrency they choose. We believe the Binance Card is a significant step in encouraging wider crypto use and global adoption and now it is available for users from Argentina”, said Maximiliano Hinz, general director of Binance in Latin America.
Binance Holders Gets Features via App
Holders of the binance card can easily access the card’s features and manage it through the dashboard available on the app and website.
Other features, including payment history and customer support, can be accessed through the app.
The first Latin American country to debut the card is Argentina. Argentina has emerged as a hub for different crypto cards. Recent months have witnessed almost three local crypto exchanges providing their crypto card services.
Binance is one of the world’s major cryptocurrency exchanges. In 2017, the exchange began offering its services. With over 30 million users, it has established a global footprint. Unlike other trading platforms that were struggling to survive, Binance expanded and hired during the poor sinking market of 2022.


text:
IBM Moves Social Media Analytics to the Cloud
Updated · Mar 24, 2011
IBM (NYSE: IBM) is moving social media analytics to the cloud.
Big Blue today unveiled cloud-based software that the company said will give marketers “real-time, actionable insight from data available across social media channels.”
The new offerings are based on IBM’s acquisitions of Unica and Coremetrics. IBM Coremetrics Social will help companies analyze the business effect of their social marketing initiatives, while IBM Unica Pivotal Veracity Email Optimization Suite analyzes email links that are shared across social network platforms so marketers can capitalize on opportunities across channels.
IBM is linking the announcement to its recent “Smarter Commerce” initiative, which also includes cloud analytics software that lets companies monitor their brand’s presence in real-time through social media channels.
John Squire, chief strategy officer of IBM Coremetrics, said in a statement that “IBM’s approach to social media analytics is based on the understanding that people interact with an organization’s brand in a number of ways — including email, social networking sites and company Web sites — and the true measure of business impact demands a fully integrated view of the interaction with these resources. The new social media analytics software unveiled today will help marketers develop more targeted, highly-measurable and effective social media marketing campaigns.”
Coremetrics Social uses data that’s publicly available on social media websites to measure the effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of social marketing initiatives. IBM says the product “delivers real-time intelligence on the social media response to a particular brand or the products, content and services being offered and enables clients to make fact-based, accurate decisions about marketing expenditures.”
The Unica offering is aimed at tracking email offers that are shared across social networks. Well-known brands can see as much as 38 percent of their special offer email links shared across social networks, and an average of 28 percent of these links are then ‘liked’ or commented on, IBM said.
For more on the state of the marketing software market, see Marketing Automation Heats Up
Paul Ferrill has been writing for over 15 years about computers and network technology. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering as well as a MS in Electrical Engineering. He is a regular contributor to the computer trade press. He has a specialization in complex data analysis and storage. He has written hundreds of articles and two books for various outlets over the years. His articles have appeared in Enterprise Apps Today and InfoWorld, Network World, PC Magazine, Forbes, and many other publications.


text:
Roofing Trends in 2023
The roofing business is predicted to continue developing and inventing as we approach the year 2023. New trends in the roofing sector are evolving, and residents in Portland, Oregon, should expect to witness some interesting developments.
Learn more about: What is the future of the roofing industry?
Sustainability will be one of the most important themes in reroofing in 2023. People are seeking methods to lower their carbon footprint as they grow more ecologically concerned. With the growing popularity of green roofs, solar roofs, and cool roofs, this trend is already seen in the roofing sector. Green roofs are becoming more widespread in cities, where they serve to minimize urban heat islands and enhance air quality. Solar roofs are also becoming more popular, as they enable homes to produce their own power and minimize their dependency on the grid. In contrast, cool roofs reflect sunshine and heat, lowering the amount of energy required to cool dwellings during the summer months.
The usage of technology in roofing is another trend that is predicted to continue in 2023. To boost efficiency and accuracy, roofing businesses are investing in new software and technology. Drones are being utilized to check roofs and detect problem areas, and software systems are being created to assist contractors in precisely estimating the cost and time required for a roofing job. Homeowners should also expect to see more “smart” roofs, which are outfitted with sensors that monitor weather conditions and change the temperature and ventilation of the roof as needed.
In addition to sustainability and technology, the usage of novel materials is likely to continue in 2023. Conventional roofing materials such as asphalt shingles and clay tiles are being phased out in favor of more lasting and environmentally friendly alternatives. Metal roofs, for example, are gaining popularity due to their durability and minimal maintenance requirements. Rubber roofs are also becoming more popular since they are environmentally friendly and can be built from recycled materials.
Lastly, in 2023, residents in Portland, Oregon, may expect a greater emphasis on design and aesthetics in roofing. Roofing firms are expanding their customization choices, allowing homeowners to select from a wide range of colors, textures, and patterns. This trend is most evident in the increased use of flat roofs, which provide a sleek and modern aspect that suits modern architecture.
To summarize, the roofing business is quickly developing, and trends for homeowners in Portland, Oregon, may expect some interesting developments in the future years. Sustainability, technology, new materials, and design are all projected to be major topics in 2023. As homeowners grow more environmentally conscious and expect more from their roofing systems, roofing businesses will innovate and adapt to meet their demands.


text:
Tesla reintroduces ‘Enhanced Autopilot’ – offering cheaper alternative to ‘Full Self-Driving’
Tesla has reintroduced the ‘Enhanced Autopilot’ option – offering a cheaper alternative to the ‘Full Self-Driving’ package for existing owners.
Over the last few years, Tesla has changed its Autopilot options and pricing so many times, it has been hard to follow.
Finally, the automaker ended up making the Autopilot’s Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control standard on its vehicles and bundled the rest of the features into its ‘Full Self-Driving package’ (FSD).
The automaker started selling the FSD package for $5,000 and it has gradually increased the price to now $8,000 – following an update earlier this summer.
It is leaving Tesla owners with limited and expensive choices.
Now Tesla has reintroduced the option of an Enhanced Autopilot package for $4,000 – breaking down some of the features previously only available in the ‘Full Self-Driving’ package:
It’s the same Enhanced Autopilot package that Tesla used to offer and includes all the features that don’t require the automaker’s latest onboard self-driving computer.
Owners who decide to buy the more expensive ‘Full Self-Driving’ package will also receive a computer upgrade, which can be booked through Tesla’s app.
Interestingly, people who buy the Enhanced Autopilot package now see the price of the ‘Full Self-Driving’ package upgrade at $5,000 – making the latter $1,000 cheaper if bought directly.
I would assume that with the latest price increases to the ‘Full Self-Driving’ package, it is becoming harder for Tesla to sell the package.
The cheaper option will convince more people to upgrade at no ...
More on: electrek.co


text:
SAVE 49%: Unblock Facebook and Instagram news with ExpressVPN. A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a generous money-back guarantee.
Facebook and Instagram are blocking news links and content posted by news publishers to people in Canada. Meta has stated that this is in order to comply with the Online News Act.
The online world is full of restrictions and blockades just like this, but you don't need to put up with it. With a VPN, you can hide your real IP address and connect to a secure server in another location. This quick and easy process means you can bypass online restrictions to retain access to everything.
How to unblock Facebook and Instagram news for free
VPNs can unblock online platforms and services by running your data through an encrypted tunnel and hiding your IP address. Anyone in Canada can follow these simple steps to unblock Facebook and Instagram news for free:
- Sign up for a VPN
- Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
- Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports Facebook and Instagram news
- Visit Facebook and Instagram and access news links and content posted by news publishers
The best VPNs for this task are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can unblock Meta news and then recover your investment at a later date. No, this is not a long-term solution. But it does give you time to keep up with the latest news developments without spending anything.
What is the best VPN for bypassing online restrictions?
ExpressVPN is the top choice for bypassing online blockades. Users get plenty of premium features:
- Servers in 94 countries
- Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
- Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
- Fast connection speeds free from throttling
- Up to five simultaneous connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Unblock Meta news in Canada for free with ExpressVPN.


text:
The Tesla electric semi truck which needs no gas, has an autopilot, runs for 500 miles on a 30 min charge, blastproof windshield, luxury interiors and will go 0-60 in 5 seconds.
Elon Musk unveiled his latest project to the world at the Tesla press event – he rolled up to the stage in a Tesla electric semi-truck. Musk hinted at the semi in summer, and he’s been hyping it up on Twitter all week, assuring that the reveal would “blow your mind right out of your skull and into an alternate dimension.”
Tesla Semi Truck unveil to be webcast live on Thursday at 8pm! This will blow your mind clear out of your skull and into an alternate dimension. Just need to find my portal gun ...— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 12, 2017
The Tesla electric semi-truck is the latest addition to Musk’s vision for an electric-everything world, where homes, cars, and now trucks, are all powered by clean energy.
What is this electric truck?
For starters, it’s a semi-truck. Instead of a diesel tank & engine, it has a battery. It’s automatic with no combustion engine, so it should need less maintenance than a normal truck, theoretically.
“I have no idea how to drive a semi-truck and I can drive this thing,”
– Elon Musk.
Comparing it to your regular semi-trucks, Musk said: “We designed the Tesla semi to be more like a bullet”. The Tesla semi-truck has a 500-mile (800 km) range and can go from 0 to 60 MPH in 5 seconds, and 20 seconds while carrying a full load of 80,000 pounds. He did not reveal the truck’s price yet but claimed it would cost almost 20 percent less per mile than a standard diesel truck. The production of the truck will start in 2019.
What about the interiors & luxury of the truck?
As is with any kind of Tesla and their focus towards design, the interior of the truck is damn nice. The inner cab has a full standing room with the driver’s seat positioned in the center, which is supposed to provide better visibility flanked on both sides by touch screens that aid navigation and blind-spot monitoring.
“But if you’re going to make a product, make it beautiful. Even if it doesn’t affect sales, I want it to be beautiful,” he said when Rolling Stone magazine quoted the seating as being “a driver-comfort feature”.
But the truck’s interior isn’t only about driver’s comfort. The truck comes equipped with tracking functionalities useful to a fleet manager for monitoring, scheduling, and routing.
Tesla’s self-driving tech. Is it in there?
Of course. The truck obviously isn’t totally autonomous, but it includes Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot system, which comes with automatic emergency braking and lane detection & departure warnings along with a couple of automated safety features – Exterior cameras to help reduce blind spots and object detection, sensors that detect instability and adjust wheels individually to prevent jackknifing.
“Jackknifing is impossible. But the worst nightmare is gone with this truck,” said Musk.
‘What about.. nuclear explosion proofing?’
Lord of all things Elon Musk boasted about the truck’s reliability and durability by guaranteeing that the Tesla electric semi-truck will not break down for a million miles. Better yet, it will anticipate its maintenance cycle and inform you beforehand. On top of that, he added: “the armored glass will even withstand the force from a thermonuclear explosion” while hailing the durability of the windshield.
Testing a tow hitch against standard truck glass vs. Tesla armor glass pic.twitter.com/UoDkBs6OUD— Tesla (@Tesla) November 17, 2017
Will we see the Supercharger network expand?
Musk boasts that the semi will have a range of 500 miles after 30 mins of charging meaning that by the time the driver is done with his break, the truck will be ready to go. No waiting for the truck to charge.
But the biggest consumer question hanging over this launch announcement is how an entire fleet of thousands of new electric trucks would charge. This is considering Tesla currently has over 2,000 Supercharger stations across the country which currently has to support just the Model S, not a huge fleet of semi-trucks nationwide.
Thankfully, Tesla is currently working to expand its Supercharger network, so hopefully, there will be enough stations to accommodate the trucks by the time they roll out on the streets.


text:
Dan Murad, the CEO of The ChemQuest Group, recently delivered the Keynote address at Coatings Trends & Technologies, PCI’s annual coatings event in the Chicago area. Dan’s presentation was titled, Fundamentals to Ensure Sustainable Growth: Strategic Insights for Mid-Decade Business Planning. Are you Ready for 2025? Below are some key points from his presentation. If you would like to view the entire keynote address, simply click here. Registration is free.
PCI: Taking a look at the macro environment, what are some key takeaways for post-COVID U.S. and global growth?
Murad: Currently, the coatings industry is undergoing a face-change. Unfortunately, for those of us wishing it will go back to the old “normal,” I don’t think that is going to happen.
Globally, we saw a decline in real GDP through the 2020 period. The U.S. real GDP growth decreased by 3.5% in 2020 after 14 years of growth. Fortunately, coming off the 2020 trough we are seeing global GDP grow at greater than 6% in most regions, apart from Europe.
COVID vaccinations are increasing, but with the Delta variant raising concerns and restrictions, it is unclear just how much that might mute the economy. So far durable goods, housing and other sectors have not seen much of an impact.
Central banks have been using quantitative easing as part of their stimulus, but lately we’ve seen a slowdown in that easing. There is also a stimulus package coming from the infrastructure bill, but it’s yet to be seen how much of that bill will earmarked for infrastructure.
The good news is that the economy seems to be on a very steep, “v”-shaped recovery. As part of that recovery, M&A has returned with a huge fervor. It’s truly been demand outstripping supply, and as a result, the multiples on an EBITDA basis have skyrocketed. It’s made a liar out of me because in 2008 I said we would never see multiples as high as back then.
Heading into 2022 we have a huge tailwind of pent-up demand. But we are facing many interruptions with the supply chain.
PCI: What are the causes of the current supply chain interruptions? And how long will it take to recover?
Murad: There were supply chain issues prior to COVID. We had lots of constraints on trucks and truck drivers, as well as shipping delays and rising costs. When COVID hit, industry did what we do best – demand decreased, so we started to crank back inventory. In fact, refining capacity was at about 60%. Not just refining capacity decreased – all across the value chain inventory was pulled back.
Right after the June-July 2020 period of COVID, demand came back rapidly. So rapidly that demand outstripped supply, and the industry supply chain couldn’t keep up.
Then, winter storm Uri hit and became a catastrophe, starting with shipping constraints and disrupting the entire supply chain. Petrochemical and chemical facilities were devastated by ice damage and power outages. In terms of raw materials, nearly 60% of ethylene and propylene capacity went offline for about two months. Those chemicals are the heart blood of the coating and specialty chemical industries.
Shortly after Uri, I was in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, and could see ships for miles. In the port of Los Angeles only 40% of the container ships were able to dock. The situation has barely improved. In late September 2021, there were 85 ships waiting at anchor or drifting along the coastline, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California. The issue isn’t exclusive to California’s ports –there is a global back-up, with less than half of container ships arriving on time. Once they arrive, the problem is offloading and getting supply inland. The shortage of trucking and railcar shipping hasn’t helped with that. As a result, shipping costs have gone from $3.50 per mile to anywhere from $7 to $15.
PCI: What do you anticipate will happen with raw material costs in the near term and beyond?
Murad: Never in my 43 years in this industry have I experienced anything like this. Basically, the industry is saying, “We are out of stock.” Everything in terms of raw materials, from resins, epoxy resins, VAM and polyol, saw prices go up significantly.
At ChemQuest, we predict a 7% to 14% increase in raw material input costs. 14% for small to medium enterprises, and closer to 7% for the larger, multi-national coatings companies.
The main concern of the increasing costs of raw materials is inflation. It takes about 3-6 months for these shortages to get from the supply chain to the consumer.
PCI: What sectors have important demand drivers for the coatings industry? How were they affected by COVID and what is their outlook?
Murad: The three main sectors for the coatings industry are architectural, OEM and special purpose. We saw the industry decline 1.1% year over year in 2020 in terms of volume and 2.3% in value.
At ChemQuest, we are forecasting an increase across all three major market segments in 2021 — 4.2% for volume and 7% in value. Because of raw material constraints, there is pressure on gross margins. As I mentioned, that's 7% to 14%. On a weighted average basis, the increase is about a 9% increase in cost for the industry.
PCI: What are some important growth trends in the architectural coatings market?
Murad: The architectural industry fell by about 4% in both volume and value. At ChemQuest, we are forecasting that to go up by about 2.5% in volume and 5% in value for 2021.
Although inventory continues to be low, new and existing home sales are unexpectedly increasing. Household formation, which is a key demand driver for the coatings industry, is positive and increasing. That’s very good news, especially with the millennial generation, one of the largest generations, approaching its peak earnings period. Overall, demand for housing is high and supply is limited, which means pricing will increase. Over the last 12 months we’ve seen a 14% increase in home prices.
Real-estate construction was uneven through the COVID 2020 period. With stay-at-home and work-from-home orders shifting focus towards being comfortable at home, DIY repairs, remodels and maintenance saw a big jump, resulting in a large increase for architectural coatings. But we saw a decrease in the commercial sector — office spaces, entertainment complexes, stadiums, all sat unused and unmaintained.
Pro vs DIY was heavily shifted due to COVID. Before COVID, pro was at about 62% compared to 38% DIY. But during the pandemic, pro lost about 5% share. In the latter half of 2020 through 2021, pro has regained some of that market share and is up to 60%.
Overall, in the architectural sector, company-owned stores and big box stores were the real winners here. Within that, e-commerce saw a massive bump, increasing by 180% to 200%.
PCI: Similarly, what are the trends and opportunities in the OEM market?
Murad: In 2020, volume for the OEM industry decreased by 7.6% and value by 7%, but they’ve come roaring right back. ChemQuest forecasts a volume increase of 6.8% and a value increase of 8.6%.
One key trend in OEM is reshoring. Since 2010 there has be a significant amount of reshoring. As a result, more than 750,000 jobs have been created.
Along with new jobs, more opportunities are coming from technological advancements. Anything from automotive matte finishes, solar heat management, to self-healing coatings are helping to increase the OEM market.
PCI: What are the mega trends impacting the coatings industry today?
Murad: Everything from cyber-security to global health, reshoring, the electronic vehicle movement, biobased materials and climate change are all impacting the coatings industry.
One of the most exciting trends in coatings is smart coatings. These are coatings with unique functions beyond durability and aesthetics, based on external stimuli. There are many types, but to name a few there are self-cleaning, anti-icing, static-dissipative and even anti-microbial. This is the innovation that’s driving the coatings industry today.
Another innovative trend is using aerial robotics for the application of coatings. For example, a company called Apellix uses drones to reach unsafe or costly areas. The drones are equipped with different application and even cleaning features.
PCI: Can you comment on M&A activity since COVID? And what are the challenges for coatings companies as a result?
Murad: M&A has come screaming back. The primary challenge for coatings companies is the mature level of growth. In order to solve some of the challenges of this maturing growth, companies have turned towards M&A, increasing access to customers, new technologies, new regions of the world, and the synergies on the manufacturing and raw material side.
Since 2005 there have been 475 deals made in M&A, primarily dominated by Europe and North America. The top 10 coatings companies account for about 50% of those transactions.
2021 has seen an explosion in the number of deals. This is due to PE firms holding tremendous amounts of money on the sidelines, waiting to be invested. The stock market is staying relatively level, meaning investors can find higher returns in private funds, driving M&A to new and exciting heights. A case in point, EBITDA multiples are at an all-time high. I’ve seen numbers as high as 17 times. Not just in coatings, but adhesives as well.
PCI: What are some future trends as a result of COVID?
Murad: As a result of COVID, remote working/schooling from home has really shifted household formation away from urban areas towards the suburbs. Housing prices have started to appreciate significantly. With those two things, DIY projects have increased, including garages and basement finishing.
Another major trend is an accelerated movement away from brick and mortar. In my household, there isn’t a day that goes by without an Amazon package arriving. The popularity of e-commerce has had a positive impact on the coatings industry in terms of vehicle and warehouse application. Think about all the last-mile delivery vehicles that need to be painted.
COVID has been a catalyst for innovation and technology, particularly anti-viral and anti-microbial coatings.
The impact of COVID was uneven across economic sectors as well as in the coatings industry. But the good news is that sectors that underperformed in 2020 are among the best performers over the next 12 months.
PCI: What is required for companies to maintain future business growth?
Murad: The key to staying ahead here is seeking new opportunities and collaboration. For example, talking about global health, the National Science Foundation put an accelerated program in place to develop anti-viral technologies. Paint and coatings formulators submitted a record number of applications.
In terms of improving supply chain resilience, I see four key factors.
Firstly, increasing visibility and data sharing across the entire supply network.
Secondly, agility – increasing the speed at which the supply network can respond to challenges.
Thirdly, diversification of the supplier base.
Lastly, implementing a contingency plan allows for intelligent planning and maximum control.
As a concluding statement, if you think the current chaotic situation we are living in as a result of COVID and the supply constraints are going to go away any time soon, I have another message coming to you…that’s not going to happen.
For more information, visit www.chemquest.com.
Report Abusive Comment


text:
Brazilian agrochemicals sales reach $8.5 billion in 2011
May. 4, 2012
The Brazilian agrochemical industry ended the year with record sales of $8.5 billion in 2011, up 16.3% compared with 2010, according to the data from the Brazilian agrochemical industry association, the Andef and the Union of Agrochemical Industries (Sindag). Total trade value was $14.1 billion, with an increase of 11%.
The flagship crops of the industry-soybean, corn, cotton and sugar cane- still have good performances. Sales of pesticides for used on these crops accounted for some 80% of total sales in 2011.
Except for cotton, which is in decline in prices, the others did not have major changes. The price of soybean, which owns 44% of sales of pesticides, was high due to drought in South America and the reduction of area in the United States.
Brazil is characterized as a country between those who have one of the largest development potential in the use of pesticides. Eduardo Daher, Executive Director of Andef, says that the conditions of a tropical country force farmers to use more pesticides. Moreover, the country is two crops per year, which is not possible in cold countries.
The no-tillage and ban the burning of cane sugar also has demanded an increased use of pesticides to combat pests and insects in crops.
The use of pesticides in agriculture is undergoing a process of change. In early 2000, herbicides accounted for 50%. This season ending, the percentage dropped to 33%.
The use of fungicides, however, increased from 16% to 27% over the period, mainly due to changing conditions such as soybean rust.
After soybeans, cotton is the product that has the largest share of sales of pesticides in the domestic market, with 13% of the total. Sugar and corn are 12% and 9% respectively.
"For the outlook of 2012, it's too early for predictions, but current estimates are 3% to 5% growth.” Vice President of Sindag, José Roberto Da Ros says.
Source: Folha de S. Paulo
More from AgroNews
Subscribe to daily email alerts of AgroNews.


text:
The perks of Google's Nexus S
used to lie solely in its unadorned OS. Now, owners of its penultimate Android flagship are about to get some additional mileage out of their Gingerbread-bearing handsets, courtesy of that underused NFC chip. The recently awakened near field communication feature's already been put to public task by Google Wallet
and participating merchants, and will now add NJ Transit to its list of contactless payment partners. Select locations throughout the Garden State's transportation network, including Penn Station and Newark Airport's AirTrain, will let owners of Sprint's Nexus S 4G tap-to-pay for tickets at windows and vending machines. Unfortunately, the mobile payment system won't replace your need for an actual physical ticket or monthly pass just yet, and requires you opt-in with either Citi Mastercard
. Still, it's a definite boon for rushed commuters who'll no longer have to juggle their bags, bagels, coffee and phones in an effort to buy a ticket and make it to work on time. Not yet enabled via NFC? Tap-to-erase-spray tans, but that's coming in the Galaxy Nexus
NJ TRANSIT TO PARTNER WITH GOOGLE WALLET TO ENHANCE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE VIA SMARTPHONE
Contactless payment service now available at New York Penn Station, Newark Airport Station and on select bus routes
October 19, 2011
NEWARK, NJ - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today announced that NJ TRANSIT is the first public transportation agency to partner with Google Wallet, Google's recently released contactless payment system. With Google Wallet, NJ TRANSIT rail and bus customers have the option to use their smartphones to tap and pay for transportation tickets at select locations.
"Our partnership with Google demonstrates that NJ TRANSIT and the State are at the forefront of emerging technology, paving the way for further exploration of new customer service technologies," said Governor Christie. "I'm proud that New Jersey's public transportation system is the very first public transportation agency to partner with Google Wallet, joining thousands of retailers accepting Wallet across the nation."
"We are putting the latest technology to work for our customers and improve the overall customer experience, which is one of the areas of focus of our Scorecard initiative," said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. "By partnering with Google, we are leading the industry with emerging technologies that will streamline the way customers buy their transportation tickets."
"Transit has been a common element of every major successful NFC effort globally and is a critical component of Google Wallet's success," said Stephanie Tilenius, vice president of Commerce at Google. "Transit is the fastest way to accelerate adoption and reach usage density in major urban centers by habituating the behavior of tapping and paying with phones, and we're excited to launch our transit effort here with NJ TRANSIT."
Google Wallet is a free mobile app that transforms customers' smartphones into their wallets, making "tap and pay" transactions quick and convenient by storing virtual versions of users' credit cards on their phones. The technology uses "near field communication" (NFC), which enables wireless data transmission between two objects when they are brought in close proximity with one another. By making payments with a simple wave of their phone in front of a sensor, customers who use Google Wallet will no longer have to juggle cash or credit cards to make purchases.
Now, NJ TRANSIT customers can use Google Wallet to purchase transportation tickets at New York Penn Station ticket vending machines and ticket windows, Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station (AirTrain), on bus route nos. 6, 43, 80, 81, 87, and 120, and on some buses on the 126 line.
Currently, Google Wallet is available on Sprint's Nexus S 4G phone and supports Citi MasterCard credit cards and a Google Prepaid Card, with plans to support additional card companies and more Android devices with NFC capabilities in the future.
The public-private partnership with Google Inc. was developed at no cost to NJ TRANSIT.
For more information about Google Wallet, visit google.com/wallet.
For NJ TRANSIT schedules and fares, visit njtransit.com.


text:
Global brands and agencies have long complained about the difficulty of accessing data from China’s media platform trifecta of BAT (Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent). But Alibaba CMO Chris Tung suggests that view is changing.
In fact, in this video, Tung goes so far as to say a large part of his job is really working on behalf of brands to build their profiles on his platforms. “Essentially I’m part of their marketing team” he told Campaign Asia-Pacific.
He points to Alibaba's launch of Uni-Marketing, a suite of tools that lets marketers analyse live data to map customer behaviours and lifestyle patterns through their product journey in a more actionable way. Tung says to look no further than the recent 11.11 shopping festival, where brands could gather “a big data pool” about customers and potential customers and generate a wealth of leads.
Weighing in on a string of retail acquisitions from Alibaba, Tung hinted that this is only the beginning of an inevitable melding between online and offline in a new retail environment. “I expect more and more partners are going to jump on the bandwagon and work with us,” he said.
Tung also elaborated on how the 11.11 festival has evolved from marketing idea to a annual celebration, much closer to a holiday like Christmas than a B2C sales opportunity.
Watch out for Tung’s assessment of Alibaba’s Singles Day extravaganza this year, in another video coming soon.


text:
Mattel banks on keeping kids busy during the pandemic
Share Now on:
Early on during stay-at-home orders, people were looking for ways to stay busy. Toy industry analyst Chris Byrne said they reprioritized spending.
“Money that went into vacations or other types of entertainment for families is now really going into toys,” Byrne said.
Even people who are out of work are still shelling out cash for toys, said San Jose State University sociologist Elizabeth Sweet. “Parents were trying to buffer their children from the immediacy of the crisis,” Sweet said.
That worked out for some toy companies. People were buying puzzles and games families could play together. But toy analyst Richard Gottlieb said it didn’t work out for Mattel.
“The products they sold were not the products that were in demand,” Gottlieb said. That includes Barbie, American Girl dolls, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price — they were not flying off the shelves in the same way
Mattel pivoted during the pandemic, said Khaled Samirah, an analyst with Euromonitor, playing to the moment at hand with marketing that uses the phrase “play is never canceled.” The company filled its blog with do-it-yourself activities built around their brands that parents can use to educate their kids while they play.
“They are becoming more important now to parents, as they are now getting into the habit of teaching their kids at home,” Samirah said.
As the lockdown drags on, parents may be looking for toys that feel familiar like Mattel’s, Sweet said.
“What I see that toy industry doing is continuing to go back to old tried-and-true things instead of exploring new avenues,” she said.
But to fully regain the ground it lost early in the pandemic, Mattel needs movie theaters to reopen and Hollywood to get going again, said Kevin Sandler, a film and media studies professor at Arizona State University.
That’s because “movie franchises are essentially toy franchises,” Sandler said.
And without splashy opening days, like the one Universal Pictures postponed for its “Minions” movie this spring, those toys don’t have the big “gimme! gimme! I want!” push behind them.
We’re here to help you navigate this changed world and economy.
Our mission at Marketplace is to raise the economic intelligence of the country. It’s a tough task, but it’s never been more important.
In the past year, we’ve seen record unemployment, stimulus bills, and reddit users influencing the stock market. Marketplace helps you understand it all, will fact-based, approachable, and unbiased reporting.
Generous support from listeners and readers is what powers our nonprofit news—and your donation today will help provide this essential service. For just $5/month, you can sustain independent journalism that keeps you and thousands of others informed.


text: Many smokers are quitting cigarettes and converting to the option of smoking electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes still offer the satisfaction of nicotine in the form of vapor. This new generation of electronic cigarettes does reduce the exposure to toxic chemicals found in traditional cigarettes; however, chemicals are still being released thus contaminating the air. More California communities and college campuses are fighting to keep their environment clean with updated policies that ban traditional and electronic cigarettes. For example, UC Merced is progressing in the movement to ban electronic cigarettes.


text:
Looks like a rocky road ahead for delivery in Maine. Opposition appears to be building up a head of steam.. There have been a number of media reports over the last 48 hours Maine Public Radio reports A proposal to allow door-to-door delivery of recreational marijuana in Maine is sparking debate in the Legislature. While supporters say it is a logical expansion of a growing industry in Maine, municipal and public health officials are urging caution. It’s been more than 16 months since recreational marijuana became legal to buy in Maine. But you won’t find a “pot shop” in roughly 90% of the towns and cities across Maine because voters or local leaders have yet to embrace the cannabis industry. So segments of that industry want to bring marijuana directly to buyers — legally, that is. “The fact of the matter is cannabis delivery has been happening for as long as cannabis and cars have been around,” said Alex McMahan, a Lewiston resident who operates both a recreational marijuana store as well as a medical marijuana company. Like many other medical marijuana providers in Maine, McMahan is legally allowed to deliver the drug to his clients. But state law prohibits delivery of cannabis products intended for adult, recreational use. So he is among several marijuana entrepreneurs to back a bill that would allow delivery to adults throughout Maine, regardless of whether their town allows retail sales. “Allowing adult use delivery gives Maine’s small business who are pioneers in the cannabis industry the tools that they need to outcompete illicit market delivery services, thereby raising the bar on safety and reducing the presence of unregulated cannabis products,” McMahan told members of the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Retail pot delivery is not a new concept in Maine or…
Excerpt only …
READ MORE BELOW
Source : Will or Won’t Maine Expand Delivery Services – It’s Causing A DifferenceOf Opinion In The Legislature
reposted by Cannabis News World
You must log in to post a comment.


text:
TBILISI(BPI)- “Our chain sells high quality, natural and healthy, but at the same time inexpensive products. Our company is different from its direct or indirect competitors having a lot of advantages, ” Executive Director at the AgroHub chain Giorgi Janiashvili says.
According to Janiashvili, despite the pandemic and the lari’s devaluation, the number of clients has not decreased. 60% of the products sold in AgroHub are local that allowed to avoid a significant price hikes. Thus in the near future prices will not be revised.
“Our products are mainly aimed at people with middle and high incomes, but we also offer products to all segments,” he explains.
Pandemic has affected various segments of the population differently but during the lockdown, demand for AgroHub’s products not only did not decrease, but increased drastically.
“We’ve avoided price increases, and do not plan to revise prices in the nearest future, ” Giorgi Janiashvili notes.
Executive Director at AgroHub believes that 2021 will be a difficult due to a very high competition in the Georgian hypermarket market.
“We plan to actively develop, and it’s not excluded that new branches will be opened in 2021. We occupy our own niche in the market and have our own loyal consumers, ” Giorgi Janiashvili adds.
The company has its own farms, a milk processing enterprise where natural dairy products are produced, pastry shops, its own bakeries that creates advantages over other companies.


text:
Samsung Thinks They Can Convince You Buy One Of Its Foldable Phones In 100 Days
There is nothing wrong with the concept of foldable phones. A phone that transforms into a tablet on command? Sign us up! Unfortunately, the pricing of foldable phones is a bit too dear for many to even begin to consider, but what if you could try the phone out first before committing any money? Would that get you to buy one?
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2’s Hinge Proved To Be More Sturdy In Durability Test
One of the issues with the original Samsung Galaxy Fold was that it was discovered that dust and debris could get easily trapped in the hinge of the phone. This meant that if the debris was large enough, it could actually cause some interference when users tried to open or close the phone, which could also lead to damage.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Will Launch September 18
When Samsung announced their Note 20 handsets, they also kind of announced their next foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 which is the successor to the original Galaxy Fold. However, they stopped short of announcing a release date, but that mystery has since been cleared up.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Looks Like It Could Be Finally Worth The Price
At Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event today, the company announced their new flagship smartphone in the form of the Galaxy Note 20 series. For those who were hoping to hear more foldable news from the company, you will also be pleased to learn that Samsung has also announced the successor to the Galaxy Fold in the form of the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
High-Res Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G Renders Leaked
Next week it is expected that Samsung will be announcing their next-gen foldable smartphone. Thanks to leaked renders obtained by MySmartPrice, we now know what the phone could look like and what it could be called, where it seems that it will be known as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G.


text:
Pitch is all geared to recognise India’s Top Marketers at a special awards ceremony to be held on October 29, 2010, in conjunction with Pitch’s seventh anniversary celebrations. In its second year, the Awards would be given to 50 marketers, up from 25 last year.
While the theme last year was ‘Slowdown Superstars’, the Awards this year are being given across 10 categories – Resurgent Marketers, Rechargers, Social Marketers, Globetrotters, Bottom of Pyramid, Value for Money, Marketing Innovators, Impactful Launches, Staying Relevant and Buzz Marketers.
“The world of Marketing Thinking & Practice is undergoing deep-rooted changes. When information is available on-the-go and everyone is connected, ‘brand authenticity’ and relevance is at a high premium. While there are tens of thousands of brands wooing the India consumer, she ‘believes’ in just a handful,” said Amit Agnihotri, Editor, Pitch, & Co-founder, exchange4media Group. He added, “Those are the top-rate brands and their marketers, who will be felicitated at the second annual Pitch India’s Top 50 Marketers Awards.”
The objective is to honour 50 distinct achievers who have proved their mettle and sustained their market dominance in the face of challenges in the last 12 months on the back of innovative marketing strategies, new launches and even their potential of putting India on the global map.
“The last 12 months have seen a lot of action in the marketing world. At the brand level, there have been successful launches like Micromax. Many brands like Tata Swach have tried to create new markets, while brands like Videocon have undergone a makeover. At the macro level, ‘participation’ is the big idea that many brands have embraced. This makes Pitch India’s Top 50 Marketers. These marketers have been identified using a rigorous three-tier judging process,” Agnihotri added.
Three-tier judging process
Stage 1: The first step included internal shortlisting of brands and marketers in 10 broad themes by the Pitch editorial team. About 200 brands were selected initially. The number was brought down to 100, weighing the merits of the work done by these brands in the last 12 months.
Stage 2: The next step involved an online community poll on exchange4media.com on the shortlisted brands. The polls voted out 30 brands/ marketers; the remaining 70 went on to Stage 3.
Stage 3: The final and most crucial stage was to gather an external expert perspective on the entries by a jury panel comprising of four top market experts.
The jury comprised leading luminaries such as Anand Halve, Brand Consultant and Co-founder, Chlorophyll; Prafulla Y Agnihotri, Professor IIM-C; RV Rajan, Chairman, Anugraha Madison Advertising; and Shripad Nadkarni, Founder-Director, MarketGate Consulting.
The Awards night will be preceded by a day-long summit – the Pitch CMO Summit, where marketers will present case studies on the winning marketing mantras and the various strategies that made the brand and the marketer a winner. Another leg of the Pitch CMO Summit will be held on November 2, 2010 in Mumbai.
Watch this space for more updates on the Awards and the Pitch CMO Summit.


text:
Here is the good news lover for the whatsapp lovers, After much anticipation, WhatsApp for Jio Phone has officially arrived. The app, which was initially planned to debut on KaiOS-based Jio Phone on August 15, is now rolling out through the JioStore.
WhatsApp on late Monday confirmed the latest release and said that the app will be rolled out for all Jio Phone users by September 20. Users can download the specially-designed WhatsApp version on their Jio Phone and Jio Phone 2 handsets by visiting the JioStore.
JioPhone already has Facebook and Google Maps, which have been designed for KaiOS, the operating system that powers its device.
This is WhatsApp’s first step in entering the 4G feature phone market, which is important in a market like India where it dominates. Feature phones still continue to outsell smartphones in India. For Reliance, the addition of most popular messaging apps in India, will make its JioPhone acceptable to more customers.


text:
Meet Google's Next Generation Of Superstar Executives (GOOG)
Published 7:50 am, Sunday, April 7, 2013
There's been a big shakeup at Google, and we're still fathoming its implications. But one thing is clear: Change at the top means new opportunities for rising talent.
Two top executives who reported to CEO Larry Page—Jeff Huber, head of Google's Geo and Commerce group, and Android founder Andy Rubin—are on to new, unspecified assignments, with other leaders taking over their business units.
That means Page's team will be busier than ever—and their lieutenants will have more opportunities than ever.
It's a good thing Google keeps coming up with new challenges. Some of Google's up-and-comers, while not big names outside the company, have hit the radar of competitors. In the past, Google has fought fiercely to keep its best talent, but some have been lured away. So don't be surprised if you see these people in new, bigger jobs soon—inside or outside Google.
Brian Rakowski, VP, Google Chrome
LATEST BUSINESS VIDEOS
- Bon-Ton Is the Latest Retailer to Go Out of Business Fortune
- Science Says These Things May Help You Fall Asleep Buzz 60
- Stonyfield Expands Beyond Organic Yogurt...to Organic Fields Cheddar TV
- Apple Co-Founder Bashes Facebook Over Privacy Associated Press
- Analyst: Facebook Likely Pleased with Testimony Associated Press
- Some Amazon Workers Pee in Bottles to Make Work Deadlines:Report Veuer
- FBI probing Michael Cohen's 'personal business dealings' Fox5DC
- Facebook Users Deserve a Cut of Ad Money, Ex-Cambridge Analytica Employee Says Cheddar TV
- Stan Lee Denies Claims His Daughter Is Trying to 'Gain Control' of His Assets People
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall is Just as Good As It Was Ten Years Ago Buzz 60
At Google I/O, Rakowski was one of the stars of the company's big product-launch conference, showing off new versions of its Chrome browser for iPhones and iPads.
Rakowski was the first graduate of Google's associate product manager program, the incubator for in-house talent created by former Google executive Marissa Mayer. He now runs the APM program, plugging him into a network of proteges.
He works for Sundar Pichai, who just got responsibility for Android as well as Chrome and Google Apps. That could mean a bigger job for Rakowski—or a new gig elsewhere. He's already on the top of recruiters' lists, but as a longtime Googler, he'd be hard to pry away.
Shishir Mehrotra, VP, YouTube
If Salar Kamangar, the early Googler who's in charge of YouTube, ever decided to take a new assignment at the company—and that's a big if—a source tells us Mehrotra, YouTube's vice president of product management, would be a natural to step up. Mehrotra's steadily added to his responsibilities in recent years, and under him, YouTube has launched a host of new mobile products and revamped its service to emphasize channel subscriptions.
Hanke's startup Keyhole became Google Maps. But now Hanke is working on mixing the virtual and physical worlds through Niantic Labs, a startup-like "sphere of weirdness" within Google. So far, it's come out with travel-guide apps and an augmented-reality game, but there's surely more to come.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider


text:
There's no dispute that Texas trounced New York in last night's Grape Gridiron Classic, a Texas Department of Agriculture-sponsored competition featuring wines from both states. What's debatable is whether it was a fair fight.
"You guys killed us, and we deserved it," Albany Times-Union wine columnist Fred LeBrun said after a group of 40 winemakers, sellers and writers judged Texas the winner in eight out of 11 blind pairings. "I sided with you guys more than I sided with my own."
But other experts said New York's chances were seriously hobbled by arcane liquor laws and a roomful of Texans.
To avoid appearances of impropriety, the Department of Agriculture recruited local wine educator Jeff Siegel and wine blogger Russ Kane to design the contest. The men settled on 11 categories -- some of them varietally based, others not -- in which wines from two very different places could reasonably compete. Siegel and Kane nominated the Texas wines, while Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine and Grape Association, made the New York selections.
Guests weren't told which wines they were drinking, so even the most diehard Texas loyalists couldn't cheat when choosing a winner between 1A and 1B. Sam Clark, vice president and national sales manager for Messina Hof in Bryan, ended up casting a vote against his own Riesling.
Had New York lost in the Riesling division, it would have qualified as a major upset: the state's synonymous with the white grape. New York also met expectations in the dessert wine category, triumphing with a Vidal Blanc ice wine from Wagner Vineyards.
Still, the evening belonged to Texas. Wine consultant Richard Leahy -- a Virginian who was considered a member of the small New York contingent -- later wondered whether Texas had a home field advantage.
"The question is whether people unconsciously absorb a palette," Leahy said. "I like to look for acidity, but that's hard to find in Texas. It's worth pondering: The scientific thing to do would be to do this in New York."
There's already an encore edition on next year's calendar, although organizers aren't planning on serving the same line-up of wines. Texas and New York laws regulating wine shipping, distribution and service meant Trezise could only present wines already sold in Texas.
"You guys have 200 wineries," Trezise told the gloating crowd. "We have 298 wineries in New York, but I could only use wines from seven or eight of them."
Siegel, an enthusiastic Texas wine booster, said he couldn't take much satisfaction in beating an opponent fighting at a fraction of its strength.
"It's the worst of both systems," Siegel said of the legal hurdles.
But the event was terrifically successful in advancing the cause of regional wine, even if it didn't settle the question of state superiority.
"Wine is a wonderful, wonderful thing, and if we limit ourselves to drinking something because it's on the shelf at a grocery store, we're missing something," Siegel said. "These wines do not taste like Califonria wines, these wines do not taste like French wines. They don't taste like anything else, and that's the point."


text:
Facebook worth $105bn? Not if you believe the advertisers
General Motors says Facebook ads are ineffective as survey finds Google adverts are better
THE MASSIVE $105bn valuation of Facebook has been cast into doubt just days before its flotation on the stock market by suggestions that paid ads on the social network are ineffective.
A new survey suggests that advertising on Facebook is up to eight times less effective than advertising through Google – and the potential damage to Facebook’s balance sheet has been thrown into sharp relief by the separate announcement by General Motors that it will be pulling its paid advertising from the world's biggest social networking site.
The Los Angeles Times reports that GM, which accounts for about one out of every five auto sales in the US, says that it regularly reviews marketing and advertising spending, and that it did not find ads on Facebook effective.
"This happens as a regular course of business and it's not unusual for us to move our spending around various media outlets - especially with the growth of social and digital media outlets," said Tom Henderson, a GM spokesman.
GM spends $40 million annually to maintain a presence on Facebook, with a quarter of that in paid advertising. They will continue to create their own content for Facebook. Industry analysts have recently reported that companies are beginning to re-evaluate social media-based advertising.
"Companies in industries from consumer electronics to financial services tell us they're no longer sure Facebook is the best place to dedicate their social marketing budget - a shocking fact given the site's dominance among users," Melissa Parrish, an analyst with Forrester, wrote on Monday.
The Guardian says GM's withdrawal sends an awkward signal in a week when Facebook has been trying to convince investors that its advertising business underpins the massive valuation the company has received.
Sam Hamadeh, founder and chief executive of PrivCo, a business analysis company, said: "This is an embarrassment for Facebook, no question. They are one of the biggest advertisers in the world. You never want to see something like this come out, especially now."
Business Insider reports that Facebook has less reach, and its individual ads are less effective, than old-fashioned web advertising. More alarming for Facebook is that the average click-through rate for an ad on the internet generally is just 0.1 percent. At Facebook, it's even lower at 0.051 percent.
These figures come from search marketing company WordStream, which says that an advert bought through Google can count on a click through rate of 0.4 per cent - up to eight times more effective than on Facebook.
Larry Kim, founder and chief technology officer of WordStream, is doubtful of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment towards improving its ad offering.
"So far, Facebook's advertising platform hasn't kept pace with the explosive growth of its social network, and it remains to be seen if Zuckerberg even wants to focus on advertising as a source of revenue,” he said. “In his 2,500-plus word letter to shareholders this month, he mentioned advertising just once.”


text:
The Faces of Burning Man
The 29-year-old Davis graduate student hails from Mount Pleasant, Mich. At her first and only Burning Man festival, she said her best memory came from seeing thousands of people playing.
The 34-year-old San Francisco restaurant manager from Texas has been to three festivals. Society teaches us that we're not cool enough, but Burning Man makes us realize we are cool enough. .
The 19-year-old San Francisco organic grocery retailer and massage therapist from China has been to four festivals. Most unusual, she said, is the web of synchronicity that manifests at every turn. .
The 35-year-old San Francisco ER nurse from Fort Bragg said that at her first festival, I found that relating to my spouse through art, music, and community can absolutely deepen a couple's love. .
The 26-year-old San Francisco illustration student and import store manager hails from Indiana. At the first of her three festivals, she met people at a theme camp who have become her best friends. .
More photos at www.sfgate.com/burningman


text:
The&Partnership London has been named global lead creative agency for LG Electronic’s new TV range after an international pitch for the business. The agency’s first work for LG is a global campaign called “Light up your world,” which is running pretty much everywhere, from TV advertising to owned online channels.
LG recently scrapped its loss-making smartphone business to focus on consumer electronics – it’s the world’s second biggest TV brand after Samsung – and its burgeoning electric cars offer.
JS Lee, senior vice-president at LG Electronics, said: “The&Partnership impressed us with their emotional storytelling. We’re incredibly excited about the ‘Light up your world’ campaign and can’t wait to see it drive increased global awareness of our unrivalled OLED technology.”
Gary Simmons, MD at The&Partnership London, said: “LG’s OLED technology has led the industry for a number of years, and with this emotive campaign we want customers to truly feel and experience those technological benefits.”
It’s hard to stand out in this market, where many of the ads look pretty similar, but The&Partnership has done a good job implementing a global campaign, and skillfully brings it back to the TVs at the end.
MAA creative scale: 7


text:
Frustrated shopper & # 39; causes nearly $ 400,000 in damage to self-service kiosks at Coles after being pelted with GARLIC & # 39;
- Clement McRae is said to have thrown 19 jars of garlic paste into a Adelaide Coles store
- The alleged incident occurred Thursday and damaged five self-service kiosk screens
- Cash registers for self-service at the supermarket were covered with pasta and the man was arrested
Allegedly a shopper caused $ 375,000 in damage in a Coles supermarket after potting pots of garlic paste at the self-service checkout.
The police claim that Clement Alexander McRae, 51, around 7 p.m.
Five of the screens were damaged and the contents of the pots spilled on the machines and the floor.
Clement McRae reportedly threw 19 pots of garlic paste at the self-service counter & # 39; s at a Coles in Adelaide (file image of Coles self-service kiosk)
The 51-year-old was arrested and faced Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, The advertiser reported.
Witnesses said the entire store disappeared after the garlic incident.
McRae has been refused bail and will be tried again in February.
Five of the screens were damaged due to the rampage and the contents of the pasta fell to the floor (file image of Coles self-service checkout & # 39; s)
. (TagsToTranslate) Dailymail (t) news (t) Adelaide


text:
Taina Uitto is the SeaChoice Campaign Coordinator. Taina earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in natural resources conservation from the University of British Columbia. Before coming to work for SeaChoice in February 2007, she was involved with a wide variety of sustainability initiatives both in Canada and abroad, including communications and administration, policy and planning, education and outreach, as well as scientific research. This diverse background gives her pertinent experience to contribute to the varied program areas of SeaChoice.
Trader Joe's to stop buying Mexican shrimp United States
Grocery store chain Trader Joe’s, located in Monrovia, California, has declared it will stop buying shrimp from Mexico amid the pressure exercised by the Boycott Mexican Shrimp campaign launched earlier this year by more than 45 organizations.


text:
Basemark enables autonomous driving in the fast growing global market
Futuremark, Rightware and now Basemark – Tero Sarkkinen has been the dynamo behind the success stories of three Finnish software companies, managing computer graphics companies in Finland, the United States and China since 1999. Sarkkinen founded Basemark a few years before Chinese company Thundersoft acquired Rightware from him in 2017, which developed software for car user interfaces, graphical instrument clusters and entertainment systems.
– Rightware’s other owners asked if I would be interested in buying the same business out of Rightware, which I had originally bought out of Futuremark. It had done its job: the child had grown up and could run faster than the parent, says Sarkkinen, who is now chairman of the board at Basemark and the company’s largest shareholder.
Basemark’s Rocksolid Engine, a real-time graphics and compute software solution launched in 2017, is targeted for the automotive industry giants. The software processes all the smart car’s calculations from its different sensors, orchestrates and schedules the data, thereby optimizing the car performance.
– We make tools for customers who develop artificial intelligence – the algorithms that analyze the data – based on which the self-driving car makes the right decisions in traffic.
Rocksolid Engine is also suitable for machine vision processing in industrial robots and edge devices as well as AR and VR systems.
FOCUS ON THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
In the company’s early years, the 2015 founded Basemark invested the cashflow from consulting and different projects into developing its own product.
– We were looking for direction in the first three years e.g. with mobile device performance testing software. Then we decided to focus on the automotive industry because self-driving cars are a huge trend and I have an extensive personal network of companies and people in the industry, Sarkkinen recalls.
The clear focus and recruitment of top talent from Finland and around the world has quickly produced profitable growth. Basemark currently has about 40 employees in Helsinki and subsidiaries in Munich and Detroit. The company’s customer base includes the world’s leading automotive OEMs, semiconductor suppliers like AMD, Intel, Mediatek, NVIDIA and Qualcomm, as well as major companies in consumer electronics and other industries.
BUSINESS FINLAND ENABLED INDEPENDENT GROWTH
Basemark has used Business Finland’s product development loan funding to develop the Rocksolid Engine software as well as other projects.
– Business Finland’s support has been paramount, especially in the early stages of the company. Without the loans, moving forward so quickly would not have been possible, and we would have had to go to a private equity investor. We grew to a turnover of EUR 8 million without a venture capital investment, says Sarkkinen.
In July 2020, Environmental Technologies Fund (ETF) announced a EUR 7 million capital investment in Basemark. According to ETF, the introduction of autonomous vehicles can reduce transport emissions by as much as 80% through the introduction of Transport as a Service and improved asset utilisation.
– When cars can be shared, there is less need for private car ownership, and the amount of traffic is reduced. Someone can order a half-hour ride in the car while I go to the store, says Sarkkinen.
SAFETY REQUIRES MORE POWER FOR AI
Safety – and the real-time processing of the vast amount of data needed to deliver it – remain the most significant challenge that is holding back the long-predicted breakthrough of self-driving cars. When it comes to safety, 99% accuracy in the algorithms’ decision-making is not enough.
– The challenge increases exponentially when the accuracy has to be 99.999%. If you drive at 120 kilometres per hour, the car is moving more than three metres in a tenth of a second. At the same time, there can be a million data points generated by various sensors, LiDAR, radars and cameras. All that data must be processed in well under ten milliseconds, so the car also has time to think what it needs to do in that situation, Sarkkinen explains.
Even today’s top processors may not be powerful enough.
– Currently, even the high-end models consume so much power and produce so much heat that an electric car’s operating range can drop by two-thirds. When you brake, a wave of hot air comes from the trunk, as if you are in a sauna.
AIMING FOR POLE POSITION
According to Sarkkinen, the current premium car models are starting to reach Level 3 Conditional Automation, but even the step up to Level 4 High Automation is very demanding. There is plenty of work for Basemark as the automotive industry leaders compete towards Level 5 Full Automation.
– Nevertheless, these cars are now getting pretty close. Automatic parking, lane assist and highway pilot automation take care of most situations quite well. But urban driving, with its many intersections and unpredictable road users, is still especially challenging.
Basemark is using ETFs capital injection to accelerate product development as well as boosting its sales and marketing firepower.
– Our vision is to be the world’s most used brain in smart cars, says Sarkkinen.
Read the original case story on Business Finland’s webpage.


text:
Tourism businesses in the North East Fife area believe that a year on from the opening of the V&A Dundee, any economic spin-offs are a “work in progress”.
Dundee’s ambition to become the cruise capital of Scotland is about to receive another major boost, The Courier can reveal, with a team from Dundee Port owner Forth Ports heading to the cruise industry’s most significant worldwide event in the USA next month to promote Dundee as the “key” to accessing tourism in Scotland.
Burntisland could become the latest town to benefit from the lucrative cruise ship market if investigations prove positive.
VisitScotland says it’s too early to know what the impact of Brexit might be on Scottish tourism after March 29, 2019.
Two cruise ships have arrived in Dundee carrying over 1000 passengers to the city.
Cruise ships are increasingly setting a course for Scotland – and businesses in Fife, Tayside and Dundee are particularly well placed to benefit, writes Michael Alexander.
The largest cruise ship ever to visit the Forth dropped anchor in the shadow of the famous bridges on Tuesday.
In a vote of confidence for Rosyth’s burgeoning tourism industry, a major cruise ship company has announced more ships will be sailing from the Fife port than ever before.
Dundee “one of fastest growing cruise ports” after 600% rise in luxury ship visits in past three years
Dundee is making strides towards becoming the cruise capital of Scotland after experiencing a 600% surge in the number of luxury ships docking at the port in just three years.
This footage shows a five-star cruise ship making its way into the Port of Dundee this morning, ahead of its tour of the UK and Norway.