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An Army of 1 Million Self-Driving Delivery Robots Could Flood the Streets By 2040 As Americans' Ferocious Appetite For On-Demand Delivery Surges
from Business Insider
Self-driving cars might allow you to get out of driving across town to Costco, but it doesn't mean fewer vehicles on the roads. According to a new study from the consulting firm KPMG, if shopping trips in personal vehicles decline even by half, one million autonomous delivery robots will need to take to the streets to fill the gap. For context, the firm estimates there are 300,000 taxis currently on U.S. streets, and about 1 million buses.
7701 Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063


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Retail Advisors Network™ quoted in CBC article. Reports Ivanka Trump's line is selling well could be considered surprising, says Toronto-based analyst Bruce Winder. But, he said, "it's not impossible."
Retail Advisors Network™ interviewed on CTV Newsnet regarding BCBG Max Azria closing.
Retail Advisors Network™ quoted in The Toronto Star. Bruce Winder, co-founder and partner, Retail Advisors Network, said the hr2 stores were competing with chains like Saks Off 5th, which benefit from greater economies of scale.
Retail Advisors Network™ quoted by Canadian Business. “Vinyl is still a niche market,” says Bruce Winder, co-founder and partner at Retail Advisors Network. “I get nervous when someone goes from 10 to 80 stores overnight in an industry that appears to be in decline,”
Retail Advisors Network™ quoted in Canadian Business. For every operating and capital cost, department managers have to present the business case for how much should be allocated. “That gets rid of a ton of cost,” says Bruce Winder, co-founder and partner of Retail Advisors Network.
Retail Advisors Network™ interviewed on BNN regarding Popeye's acquisition by 3G Capital.

domain: news


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Blog: Pressure for supply chain clean-up
Leonie Barrie | 26 November 2012
Pressure on fashion brands and retailers to clean up their supply chains resurfaced again last week with new evidence that they are continuing to sell clothing contaminated with toxic chemicals.
Research from environmental pressure group Greenpeace International tested 141 clothing items and claims to expose links between manufacturing plants using hazardous chemicals and their presence in consumer products. The highest concentrations were said to be found in clothing from Zara, Metersbonwe, Levi's, C&A, Mango, Calvin Klein, Jack & Jones and Marks & Spencer.
A number of major clothing brands have also been accused of "fuelling modern-day slavery" through their failure to address child and forced labour in their supply chains.
A report released by the Not For Sale campaign grades companies on the extent to which they have traced their suppliers and established systems throughout their supply chains to prevent and address the issue. Firms including Lacoste and Skechers received the lowest grades.
And around 250 garment workers from India's main production centres attended a trial-like event staged last week in a bid to draw attention to pay and working conditions in factories that make clothes for Western brands and retailers. A panel of international judges surveyed the evidence, which included input from H&M and Adidas.
As Xi Jinping assumes the leadership of China's ruling Communist Party and prepares to get down to business, Mike Flanagan pens him an open letter offering up a few home truths about China's textile and garment industry.
Likewise, a number of issues affecting clothing, textile and footwear trade are facing the re-elected US Administration, including the fiscal cliff and talks to expand the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.
As if retailers didn’t have enough to contend with as they try to get to grips with doing business in a digitally-connected omni-channel world, it seems the rise of the “selfie” is also beginning to i...
Britain’s Modern Slavery Act, which began coming into force at the end of July, sets new disclosure standards on an extraordinary number of garment businesses. But its legal niceties won’t really dete...
After the latest round of TPP talks failed to clinch a deal, the race is now on to secure an agreement before the US presidential elections halt progress. Trade ministers are scrambling to try and for...
More apparel retailers appear to be ramping up their sustainability efforts in a way that will get consumers involved, with initiatives such as clothing recycling becoming increasingly popular....
- Yuan devaluation impact mixed for garment firms
- Will Vietnam struggle with impending trade deals?
- The new age of disruption on apparel production
- China devaluation: what’s the big deal?
- Gap bullish on China growth opportunities
- US Q2 in brief: J Crew, Aeropostale, Bebe Stores
- Luen Thai to continue investment in Vietnam
- Gap restructuring weighs on Q2 as profit falls 34%
- Ralph Lauren debuts biometic smart shirt
- China market woes could hit consumer spending
- Global Database of the Top 1000 Apparel Producers - Company Names, Financial Performance, and Contact Details
- Myanmar's Garment Sector in 2015 - now with updated members' directory
- Ethiopia – the emerging textile and clothing industry
- Global market review of lingerie - forecasts to 2020
- Global market review of swimwear - forecasts to 2019


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And the hits just keep coming for Equifax, the once-trusted credit-monitoring firm that has been embroiled in one of the biggest corporate public-relations disasters in recent memory since disclosing that hackers had penetrated its cyber security defenses and absconded with sensitive personal and financial data belonging to 143 million Americans. Because of the types of data that were stolen, including drivers’ license, social security and credit-card numbers, experts have described the hack as possibly the most damaging corporate hack yet.
As if this weren’t enough to permanently sully the firm’s reputation (amid cries of “you had one job!”) – the staggering irony of a credit monitoring firm inadvertently divulging the sensitive information that it was supposed to safeguard hasn’t been lost on consumers) a series of subsequent disclosures have portrayed the firm’s executives as bungling, at best, and nefarious, at worst.
In the nearly two weeks since the story broke…
- It was revealed that three of the firm’s executives, including its CFO, cashed out of stocks and options worth some $2 million in the month between when the company first learned about the hack, and when it was disclosed to the public. A federal prosecutor in Atlanta has opened a criminal investigation into Equifax that will focus both on whether the firm was criminally negligent in failing to patch a hole in its cybersecurity systems, as well as whether the suspect stock sales constitute securities fraud.
- The company’s head of cyber security was revealed to have no background in computer science or security – a fact the company tried to hastily cover up by scrubbing her social-media profiles. Susan Mauldin, Equifax’s chief information security officer, has a bachelor’s degree in music composition and a master’s in fine arts from the University of Georgia.
- Several Congressional committees have asked the company to turn over information relating to the hack as multiple investigations appear to be getting under way. The attorneys general of a handful of states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have joined a probe into the company’s handling of the breach.
- The company has been hit with dozens of lawsuits from consumers alleging fraud, abuse and negligence.
- Equifax CEO Rick Smith has been called to testify before a special House panel early next month.
When Equifax first set up a website to allow consumers to check whether their information was compromised, it carried a waiver stating that by using the service consumers would forfeit the right to sue Equifax. The internet quickly exploded in outrage, and the company quickly clarified that the waiver didn’t apply to this hacking incident, which…sure. Now, The Verge, The New York Times and a handful of other media outlets are reporting that Equifax accidentally tweeted the link to an imposter website set up by a white-hat hacker hoping to expose gllaring errors that the firm had made in setting up its verification website. This happened not once, but three times. And in at least one instance, the tweet with the phony link was left up for a whole day.
Here’s The Verge:
“Today, Equifax ended up creating that exact situation on Twitter. In a tweet to a potential victim, the credit bureau linked to securityequifax2017.com, instead of equifaxsecurity2017.com. It was an easy mistake to make, but the result sent the user to a site with no connection to Equifax itself. Equifax deleted the tweet shortly after this article was published, but it remained live for nearly 24 hours.”
Luckily for consumers, the fake site wasn’t malicious. Instead, it was set up by developer Nick Sweeting to try and expose the glaring security vulnerabilities that the company had embedded in its recovery website, which it set up as a separate domain, rather than making it a subdomain of Equifax’s main website.
“Luckily, the alternate URL Equifax sent the victim to isn’t malicious. Full-stack developer Nick Sweeting set up the misspelled phishing site in order to expose vulnerabilities that existed in Equifax’s response page. “I made the site because Equifax made a huge mistake by using a domain that doesn’t have any trust attached to it [as opposed to hosting it on equifax.com],” Sweeting tells The Verge. “It makes it ridiculously easy for scammers to come in and build clones — they can buy up dozens of domains, and typo-squat to get people to type in their info.”
Sweeting says no data will leave his page and that he “removed any risk of leaking data via network requests by redirecting them back to the user’s own computer,” so hopefully data entered on his site is relatively safe. Still, Equifax’s team linked out to his page. That isn’t reassuring.”
— Nick Sweeting (@thesquashSH) September 20, 2017
Prior to Equifax customer service sharing the imposter site, Sweeting says he emailed the company’s support team and tweeted to Equifax that he spotted a potential vulnerability. By the time the site was taken down, Sweeting says it had received more than 200,000 hits. In the spirit of transparency, Sweeting included a disclaimer on his site warning consumers that it was a fake – and blasting Equifax for its sloppy security practices.
According to the NYT, phishers cannot create a page on the equifax.com domain, so if the website were hosted there instead, it would be easy for users to tell that the page was legitimate.
“Fortunately for the people who clicked, Mr. Sweeting’s website was upfront about what it was. The layout was the same as the real version, complete with an identical prompt at the top: “To enroll in complimentary identity theft protection and credit file monitoring, click here.” But a headline in large text differed: “Cybersecurity Incident & Important Consumer Information Which is Totally Fake, Why Did Equifax Use A Domain That’s So Easily Impersonated By Phishing Sites?”
The legitimate Equifax domain was securityequifax2017.com. Sweeting’s was equifaxsecurity2017.com. And as one cybersecurity expert told the NYT, even the legitimate website looks fake because it’s not a subdomain of the larger Equifax site.
“You would think that would be the obvious place to start,” said Rahul Telang, a professor of information systems at Carnegie Mellon University. “Create a subdomain so that if somebody tries to fake it, it becomes immediately obvious.”
The company’s actions, Telang told the NYT, suggest that it had never anticipated or planned for a breach.
This has become clear in the last few weeks. Now, the only thing left to be decided is whether the fact that the company was almost comically unprepared for a hack rises to the level of criminal negligence.


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iPhone 8 Pre-Orders Coming September 07 2017
- iPhone 5 (2012) - Sept. 12 event, Sept.14 pre-orders, Sept. 21 launch.
- iPhone 5s (2013) - Sept. 10 event, no pre-orders, Sept. 10 launch.
- iPhone 6/6 Plus (2014) - Sept. 9 event, Sept. 12 pre-orders, Sept. 19 launch.
- iPhone 6s/6s Plus (2015) - Sept. 9 event, Sept. 12 pre-orders, Sept. 25 launch.
- iPhone 7/7 Plus (2016) - Sept. 7 event, Sept. 9 pre-orders, Sept. 16 launch.
If Apple plans to follow this same formula -- and it looks like that's what's happening -- pre-orders for the new "iPhone 8" and its companion devices the iPhone 7s and the iPhone 7s Plus will take place on Friday, September 15 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Following pre-orders, the new devices will most likely see an official launch on Friday, September 22, with pre-order shipments going out to customers and in-store stock available.While Apple tends to follow a specific September formula, there have been deviations. In 2013, for example, Apple did not accept pre-orders for the iPhone 5s due to supply constraints, and in 2015, pre-orders took place early on a Saturday morning. Still, September 15 and September 22 are the most likely dates for pre-orders and launch, respectively.
Apple will unveil the new iPhone 8 at an event set to be held on Tuesday, September 12 at 10:00 a.m. PT at its Apple Park campus. An iPhone 7s, 7s Plus, LTE Apple Watch, and 4K Apple TV will also make an appearance at the event.


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The all-new 2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo is now as fun as it looks. It’s a solid platform that provides driving engagement and hatchback practicality.
The Hyundai Kona’s simple and intuitive cabin design paired with smart exterior styling that doesn’t compromise visibility put it high on the list of our favorite CUVs.
Fans of the hot hatch will be pleased to know that the performance-oriented Elantra Sport model is also available in GT form.
For 2018, Hyundai’s corporate grille design is bolder, larger and much more accented on the front of our Limited trim tester. Around back, a single square outlet exhaust to annoy anyone who prefers symmetry, and a new trunk and taillight design round out the changes.
With the launch of the all-new Elantra, Hyundai had a stiffer and lighter platform to build on. That paid great dividends in the handling department. And a host of technology and features, including Apple Car Play and Android Auto, give Hyundai’s #1 selling vehicle and upmarket feel. But […]
It’s been a little under a year since our first drive in the all-new 2017 Hyundai Elantra. In sunny southern California, the Elantra’s new looks were supported by numerous chassis, suspension, and engine improvements. A host of available technologies once reserved for luxury cars have begun tricking down […]
The new Hyundai Tuscon is bigger, stronger, and more efficient than before. Fully redesigned for 2016, the 3rd generation Tuscon brings much-needed enhancements to driving dynamics with an all-new drivetrain, fully revised suspension, and a stiffer body. There’s a lot riding on this new Tuscon. Not only is […]
The Elantra is Hyundai’s #1 selling vehicle. That means there’s a lot at stake when it comes time to update the platform. When Hyundai debuted the Elantra at the L.A. Auto Show last November, value and efficiency were the focus. This new Elantra packs class-leading technology into a […]
The market is filled with compact vehicles, leaving consumers with plenty of choices. Why choose the Hyundai Elantra? In today’s day and age, frequent restyling and a long list of standard features are required to maintain consumer interest. Although the current generation Elantra debuted in 2011, Hyundai has […]
Press access to the 2015 New York International Auto Show has finally been closed. Tonight, local dealer associations descend on the Javits Center to eat free food and gander at the new sheet metal they’ll be selling later this year. We’ve already escaped back to Limited Slip HQ, […]


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February 11, 2021
The Vice President led the turnover of bicycles and helmets from a wholesale and retail bike shop to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) as part of its COVID-19 response operations.
She also led the turnover of women livelihood subsidy to the second batch of women entrepreneurs. A collaboration between the OVP’s Angat Buhay Women and Sustainable Livelihood and Training Program made this possible. It aims to provide additional assistance to women entrepreneurs through livelihood subsidies.
The Vice President also led the turnover of donations from Marco Polo Ortigas Manila. They donated bed sheets and covers, pillowcases, bath robes, and towels for distribution under one of the OVP’s initiatives.
The Vice President was called on by the Nursing Service Employees of the Philippine Heart Center (NUSEPHC). The NUSEPHC donated assorted goods such as food items in support of the OVP’s relief operations.


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Privacy and the internet
Washington — republican senators moved thursday to dismantle landmark internet privacy protections for consumers in the first decisive strike against telecommunications and technology . The internet society works at the intersection of technology and policy supporting privacy standards (legal and technical) that are openly developed, transparent, globally-interoperable and user-centric. The future of online privacy is now in president trump's hands the house of representatives voted tuesday to repeal internet privacy protections that were approved by the federal communications . The internet offers access to a world of products and services, entertainment and information at the same time, it creates opportunities for scammers, hackers, and identity thieves learn how to protect your computer, your information, and your online files. Driver privacy can be compromised in usage-based insurance systems wednesday, april 5, 2017 73% of academics say access to research data helps them in their work.
In the internet era, consumers seem increasingly resigned to giving up fundamental aspects of their privacy for convenience in using their phones and computers, and have grudgingly accepted that being monitored by corporations and even governments is just a fact of modern life in fact, internet . Although there is no universal privacy or data protection law that applies across the internet, a number of international and national privacy frameworks have largely converged to form a set of core, baseline privacy principles. Internet privacy is the privacy and security level of personal data published via the internet it is a broad term that refers to a variety of factors, techniques and technologies used to protect sensitive and private data, communications, and preferences.
A review of common law privacy protection, the constitutional right to privacy, and privacy legislation. Internet privacy is a murky, complicated issue full of conflicting interests, misinformation, innuendo and technology snafus on the face of it, e-commerce companies and privacy advocates are . The internet is rapidly being transformed into a big brother control grid where privacy rights are being systematically strangled to death the control freaks that run things have become absolutely obsessed with watching, tracking, monitoring and recording virtually everything that you do on the internet. If your company designs, develops, or sells mobile apps, smartphones, or other tech tools, the ftc has resources to help you consider the privacy and security implications of your products and services. Protect your privacy online with these common sense tips that can help you stay safe on the web in internet explorer, you can .
Free internet privacy papers, essays, and research papers. President trump is expected to sign a bill to overturn new privacy rules for internet service providers an expert says there are steps you can take, though they won't deliver absolute privacy. If you access the internet with a phone or other mobile device, you may access the internet using a data plan tied to your cellular phone service if you have a data plan, your service provider (such as at&t, sprint, verizon, and t-mobile) collects data about your usage.
Privacy and the internet
President trump signed a bill on monday repealing internet privacy rules passed last year by the federal communications commission (fcc) that would have given internet users greater control over . Internet privacy involves the right or mandate of personal privacy concerning the storing, repurposing, provision to third parties, and displaying of . The internet and new technologies continually raise new policy questions about privacy state lawmakers have dealt with an array of privacy issues related to online activities this web page documents state laws in a limited number of areas: website privacy policies, privacy of online book downloads . Learn about pop-up blocker, protected mode, security zones, and other customizable security and privacy settings in internet explorer.
- The state of privacy in post-snowden america half of internet users said they worry about the amount of information available about them online, .
- Free services in exchange for personal information that’s the “privacy bargain” we all strike on the web it could be the worst deal ever here’s a story you’ve heard about the internet .
Irina raicu is the director of internet ethics at the markkula center for applied ethics views are her own when it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else. A growing number of software tools are available that provide some form of privacy (usually anonymity) for their users, such tools are commonly known as privacy enhancing technologies (danezis & gürses 2010, other internet resources). The pervasive network of sensors that captures data within our homes and cities is in the process of morphing – and that's where the privacy issue really gets personal.


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Jeep lovers abroad have long been aware of the Detroit company’s decision to reintroduce (to great fanfare) a new iteration of Jeep truck. If you weren’t aware of this awesome revelation, rejoice. Jeep has let the world know its new truck will harken back to the glory days of old, recalling the legendary Scrambler namesake for its new open-bed 4×4.
What’s more exciting, though, is another big first for the Willys reincarnation: The new Jeep truck will feature a 3.0L turbodiesel V6. Rock crawlers and 4×4 junkies also rejoice. You’re welcome. Some impressive sleuths over at the aptly named JeepScramblerForum managed to sniff out some leaked CAD files from Chryslyer. At first glance, the files confirmed the configuration of the new pickup’s frame and axle – but more importantly, it gave these two precious details we’re happy to announce ourselves.
The new model’s official code will keep in line with Jeep’s other model nomenclatures (two alpha codes), receiving the model code JT. But back to that whole frame and axle thing, because that’s huge news for a vehicle designed to tackle trails and stuff: The new JT Truck will not be lazy in design – it will not be a truck body slapped onto the existing Wrangler 4-door frame.
Instead, the new Jeep truck will feature its own elongated frame that’s a whopping 33” longer than the JK Unlimited. That’s 18% for your comparative folks. Beefier axles will get slapped underneath the body, likely helping the JT make claims as the most capable Jeep produced in this century once combined with that juicy, low-torque diesel.
Taking a quick and dirty peek at those axle CADs, we can see what appears to be a new and improved Dana 12-bolt differential housing and thicker axle housings that will bolster the truck’s performance over the Wrangler’s current Dana 44 axles.
Sleuths also found out the JT pickup will include an available 3-piece hard top in black or your body color of choice, as well as a factory sunrider soft top in traditional fashion. Fun Fact: This configuration will make the new Scrambler pickup the first convertible truck made in American since the quirky Chevy SSR.
The finished product is shaping up to be one badass truck. The profile of the reimagined Scrambler is extremely militaristic, more so than even the new Wranglers. With functionality harkening back to that same rugged Go Devil concept the original Willys became famous for, the new Scrambler is likely to cost a pretty penny.
In fact, Chrysler is injecting $700 million into their existing Toledo plant just to prepare for production of the Scrambler and new Wrangler model. Production was also delayed a whopping two years – if past makers’ missteps are any measure of prediction, that means costs will be higher than expected (as will final sale prices).
That’s all fine and dandy though, because we truly don’t care. The Scrambler is going to be The Jeep to own. Barring luxury saloon prices, we could see the Scrambler making its way overseas, performing militia and rescue duties in strangely named places. It will be a legend in the making, certainly, and we can’t wait to drive one.


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British Chicken Marketing (BCM) has identified a growing interest by consumers, and foodservice firms, in sourcing home-grown food.
“People are becoming increasingly interested about the provenance of the food they eat – and this is especially true of meat,” said BCM chairman, Charles Bourns.
“Many are wanting the reassurance of knowing it was reared and produced to the high standards of our own British farms.”
An increasing number of foodservice and restaurant businesses are recognising the importance of this trend, and are offering their customers UK-sourced chicken.
Sodexho, one of the UK’s biggest foodservice organisations, supplies a wide range of markets such as business and industry, schools, hospitals and corporate hospitality. It has noticed a growing demand for British produce in recent years. “We give our clients the option of having British versus imported chicken,” said Steve Jobson, Sodexho buying director.
“And even though the local chicken is priced at a premium above imported, most of our customers now opt for British.”
For restaurants and foodservice companies that commit to a 100% British sourcing policy – on chicken and/or other assured British farm produce – there is now also the option of applying for a licence from Assured Food Standards to carry the Red Tractor logo on their menu and marketing materials.
QMH UK Limited is one of the first big companies to take advantage of this new scheme. The company, which operates 19 hotels in the UK, has just launched a seven-month “Sunday Best” carvery special across its group of outlets, which provides customers with only UK-reared chicken, lamb and beef.
“It’s great to see that companies like Sodexho and QMH are recognising the importance of offering customers British-reared chicken,” said Mr Bourns.
“And, hopefully, as awareness grows we’ll see more food service businesses making the commitment to sourcing good quality, local produce and highlighting this to their customers.”


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For the first time ever, Amazon Go was made public for Seattle residents yesterday morning. The artificially intelligent design allows customers with the Amazon Go app to “shop and go” without any delay of stopping at a register for checkout purposes. Using AI tech and sensory tech, customers are able to walk in and out with their grocery items while the bill is simutaneously applied to one’s account immediately upon leaving the store.
While we love progressive technology, it should be noted that a technology that can produce a demand without use of potential employment (in this case ‘cashier’) isn’t always the most needed in our society. We aren’t saying Amazon Go is the problem, however, as more stores adopt to “self checkout” lines and now “self checkout” stores, where will more jobs be created for the new jobs now being replaced? Artificial Intelligence is our best friend and our worst enemy.
What do you think about new tech that is quickly replacing human labor?


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I for one am getting the latest system in Sony’s line on the day of launch at some point later this year. Now just because they are making a new console doesn’t mean that the titles will stop coming to the PS3 plus on top of that the PS4 isn’t backwards compatible.
So before you consider trading in your PS3 remember that your PS3 library can only be played on the PS3. Sony today has announced a new title in one of their huge hit series today. Ratchet and Clank will be returning as a PSN title this holiday season at a suggested rate of 30 bucks.
Instead of going with the multiplayer format from All 4 One to the tactical tower defense of Full Frontal Assault comes Ratchet and Clank Into the Nexus, which will be a traditional R+C game. So hopefully it will be as close to as awesome as the Future series was.


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The expiry of waiver on charges and fees on imported maize on Friday will see Kenyans dig deeper into their pockets to purchase the staple commodity.
The 90-day waiver which had been in place since July 1 was meant to caution consumers from the already hiked prices which saw maize flour retail at Sh230 ahead of the August polls.
The move follows an internal memo directive by Theophilus Mutui, Managing Director of Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) on Wednesday to notify his deputy directors to revert charges on maize effective yesterday.
“The gazette notice No. 7499 directive for waiver of fees and charges for maize with effect from July 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022 refers. Please note that the waiver period will lapse on September 30. You are hereby advised to resume charges for maize and animal feeds from October 1,” Mutui stated.
Following the directive, farmers claim that they have no option but to increase the prices despite expected poor harvests occasioned by change in climate with low rains.
A gazette notice waiver by outgoing Agriculture cabinet secretary Peter Munya in July in a move by the government to pull down the price of a 2kg packet of flour which was retailing at a standard price of Sh225 was followed by a failed subsidy on sifted maize flour meant to reduce prices to retail at Sh100 per 2 kg packet resulting to massive hoarding of the product in the market.
Latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) claimed that Kenyans are set to be impoverished further as inflation hit 9.2 per cent in September attributed to the increase in cost of food, fuel and housing. Maize flour prices contributed the largest to the raise of inflation rate from 8.5 per cent in August to 9.2 per cent in September.
According to April – June economic review observation by the Central Bank of Kenya, Agriculture sector contracted by 0.7 per cent resulting from inadequate rainfalls.
However, as majority had anticipated, taxes on bottled water, alcohol, cigarettes, fruit juice and chocolate among other excisable products did not change following yesterday’s notice as Kenya Revenue Authority announced to revise the tax amounts to be in tandem with the inflation rate.


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Just like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Bing is a web search engine owned and operated by Microsoft.
American multinational tech giant Microsoft said more than one million people have signed up to try out its new Bing search within 48 hours of its launch. The company last week unveiled a revamped version of its search engine Bing that ChatGPT powers.
“We’re humbled and energized by the number of people who want to test-drive the new AI-powered Bing! In 48 hours, more than 1 million people have joined the waitlist for our preview,” Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president, and consumer chief marketing officer at Microsoft Tweeted.
After integrating the technology used by OpenAI’s chatbot, Microsoft’s revamped search engine and browser will be able to provide more tailored, detailed, and contextual responses to queries. Microsoft introduced its overhauled product – Bing – just a day after rival Google announced Bard, the company’s experimental conversational artificial intelligence chatbot service similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Earlier in January, Microsoft announced a “multimillion-dollar investment” in OpenAI. While the actual amount and terms of the deal were unclear, some reports suggest that Microsoft will invest $10 billion in OpenAI.
Short for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, ChatGPT is a popular AI text generator and has been a center of attention since its release in November last year due to its human-like response. The AI-based text generator has even passed some of the toughest exams in the U.S., including the United States Medical Licensing Exam and an MBA core course – Operations Management offered by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Talking about Bard, Google unveiled its AI chatbot earlier this month. Bard will be powered by LaMDA, which is short for Language Model for Dialogue Applications that Google unveiled two years ago. The chief executive officer of Alphabet, the parent of Google, said that the company is opening the AI services testers before making it more widely available to the public in the coming weeks.


text: In what may be the most affordable notebook to be launched in the country, UK-based computer manufacturer ACi yesterday launched a notebook priced at just Rs. 4,999 in India. The laptops will be marketed in India by Allied Computers International (Asia) Ltd. The fully-functional ACi Icon 1100 is a 10.2-inch screen notebook weighing a mere 700 gm, which makes it really easy to carry around. "We have launched India's super low-cost laptop at Rs. 4,999.


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Nintendo shipped about 10.5 million amiibo since launching the little toys simultaneously with Super Smash Bros for Wii U in November, 5.7 million of which shipped by the end of 2014, but that hasn't been enough to meet demand, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced during a presentation early this morning.
Unfortunately, while the company is trying to fix the demand issue, Iwata says they can't promise a resolution anytime soon.
"Our consumers have been inconvenienced by stock shortages on some of the figures in our amiibo lineup," he said. "We have increased production for amiibo figures that have sold out very quickly after launch, that are indispensable to play a certain game and for which we have received strong demand from retailers and consumers.
"However, we are very sorry that we can't promise at what point we will likely be able to resolve the current situation because figures such as these require a considerable amount of time to produce, store shelf space is limited and it is difficult to precisely predict the exact amount of overall demand."
And the problem is likely only to get worse, with Iwata pointing out that the number of games compatible with the toys are increasing, as is the demand by customers who may not have been aware of the toys previously.
About 66 percent of all amiibo sales occur in the U.S. and Canada, according to the company.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday that he does not expect China to retaliate against additional tariffs on Chinese goods that U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday.
Asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” program if he expected retaliation, Kudlow said: “I do not. I think his was an action to respond to their action. So I doubt whether they’re going to take another step. I have not heard their official response yet. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Trump on Friday put an additional 5% duty on some $550 billion in targeted Chinese goods, hours after China unveiled retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods.
Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Lisa Shumaker
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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A new study by Edmunds.Com finds that some hybrid cars will pay for themselves in 2 years, because high gas prices and tax credits from the U.S. government on the more fuel efficient vehicles. The cost is even more quickly recovered when hybrids are compared to less efficient cars. Also, the study assumes that gas prices will remain at $3 per gallon in the coming years.
Edmunds says the average hybrid car costs $1,200 and $7,000 more than traditional versions of the same vehicles.
The shift is significant because analysts have said that higher sticker prices were constraining hybrid sales. Hybrids currently account for 1 percent of new car sales in the United States. The consumer-focused Web site said that assuming vehicles were driven 15,000 miles per year and gas was priced at $3 per gallon, owners of the Toyota Prius and Ford Motor's Escape Hybrid would break even within three years.
Buyers of the Saturn Vue Green Line from General Motors, the Toyota Camry and the Civic Hybrid from Honda Motor would break even within six years, Edmunds.com said. But federal tax credits for hybrid buyers are being phased out on the most popular models. Under a provision of the tax code, buyers of a Toyota hybrid after Sept. 30 will only qualify for half of the tax credit for which they would have previously qualified.
Tax incentives will also be cut on other hybrids after auto makers sell 60,000 of the vehicles--a sales threshold Toyota has reached. The tax credit on Toyota and Lexus hybrids is scheduled to drop to 25 percent in April 2007 and then be eliminated in October 2007.
:: Via CNet


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Stock of the week: Mondi
This week’s stock of the week is Mondi, an international packaging and paper group involved at every stage from growing the trees through to the final product. With operations across more than 30 countries, predominantly in central Europe, Russia and South Africa, the group enjoys a global reach. Its production in emerging markets generally leads to less pressure on costs.
A positive first quarter trading update in May reported a 15% increase in operating profit. Costs were higher this year than previously but this was offset by higher average selling prices for its key paper grades.
While recent mill maintenance closures have posed a cause for concern, the group has invested in new and existing plants which have led to improved efficiency. As a result, profit margins have improved and net debt has fallen.
Currency movements had a net negative impact on operating profit compared to the previous year, mainly owing to a weaker US dollar and Russian rouble relative to the euro. Inflationary cost pressures have also increased and conditions remain challenging for its consumer packaging division.
Nonetheless, demand for the majority of its products continues to increase around the world, on the back of online shopping and changing social trends, which should be viewed as a positive. The shares trade on a prospective P/E rating of around 134 and the company deserves to have a higher profile.
Due to its positive results and optimistic outlook, we recommend Mondi as a ‘buy’ for a medium risk balanced portfolio.


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Online scammers are attempting to cash in on
the death of Steve Jobs by offering fans pictures from his funeral,
free iPads in his memory and links to purported memorial sites that
actually contain malware.
One scam on Facebook purported to offer free iPads in memory of Jobs, and was posted just two hours after the Apple legend died on Wednesday, according to web security firm Sophos.
The company said at least 25,000 people from 100 countries had already clicked on the link, which took them to a survey site that they had to fill out in order to qualify for the non-existent prizes.
"Sickeningly, as with the deaths of other figures in the public eye, there are scammers waiting to take advantage of bad news," Graham Cluley, senior security consultant at Sophos, wrote on his blog.
Cluley warned users to expect more scams in the coming days, as cyber-criminals use social networking techniques to attract users onto pages where they can be duped into survey scams or may be subject to malware attacks.
"It wouldn't be a surprise" if there are scams trying to take advantage of people who want to make a tribute to Jobs and "donate to Steve's favourite charities," Cluley said.
Jobs' death sparked an incredible surge of comments on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, with Twitter alone generating some 2.5 million mourning tweets since Jobs' death.
Other scams include one that offers users exclusive photos from Jobs' funeral, and online ads enticing people to visit websites for a chance to win free MacBook Pros in memory of the late Apple leader.
No details of Jobs' funeral have yet been announced, but one group has already announced its intention to attend. The Westboro Baptist Church, notorious for protesting against gay rights at the funerals of US service people killed in combat, issued a statement that it will protest outside Jobs' funeral.
"Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory and taught sin," the group tweeted. "No peace for man who served self, not God. Westboro must picket."
Ironically the group communicated its intentions over one of Jobs' greatest inventions: an iPhone.
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WILDCATS SPIRIT WEEK
Wildcats show their school spirit as homecoming approaches.
The week of October 6 to October 10, Hammond High School shows their spirit as the students prepares for the big finale-
THE HOMECOMING GAME. WILDCATS vs.GLADIATORS (GAVIT)
On Monday October 6, 2014: The students wore purple shirts that stated "Wildcats Unite Against Bullying" to support the month of October which is national bully awareness month.
- On Tuesday October 7, 2014: The students got to wear their pajamas on “Pajama Day”.
On Wednesday October 8, 2014: The students got to wear all white for “White Day”
On Thursday October 9, 2014: The students got to wear jeans with any kind of sports team jersey on “Jersey Day”.
On Friday October 10, 2014: The students got to wear purple and white to show and support their WildCat Spirit!


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08 Jun 2018
Philips Kitchen Appliances has launched a mega initiative - Philips Fresh Express to draw people's attention towards the need for nutrition this summer, not just for themselves but also for those who are less privileged.
As a part of this initiative, the Philips Fresh Express - a mobile van equipped with Philips juicers and fresh fruits - will visit places like NGOs, senior citizen homes, urban slums and government schools to provide people with a glass of healthy juice. Radio Mirchi - a partner in this activity - will drive awareness through its popular shows and will engage with listeners to come up with the suggestions on the route that Philips Fresh Express should take.
This activity kick started today and will continue through the heat wave till June 16, 2018 and aims to directly reach and refresh thousands of people across 5 cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune and Bangalore. Philips Kitchen Appliances aims to reach millions of others through radio and spread awareness about the need for nutrition in this season.
Original story / news is published and owned by Philips and Radio Mirchi. Our aim is to consolidate all elderly related news at one place. We do not own any content, nor claim the accuracy of the news. Re-printed in good faith with our best effort.


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Slightly more Americans now say the United States makes better-quality vehicles than Asia does, with 38 percent saying U.S. cars are best and 33 percent naming autos made by Asian countries, according to an Associated Press-GfK Poll.
The survey suggests those numbers are largely fueled by a plunge in Toyota's reputation and an upsurge in Ford's. The poll was conducted in March, as Toyota was being roiled by nightmarish publicity over its recall of more than 8 million vehicles around the globe and allegations that it responded sluggishly to safety concerns.
Though the U.S. advantage is modest, it marks a significant turnabout for American automakers battered by recession and relentless competition from foreign manufacturers.RelatedGM pays back loans, will invest in 2 plantsChrysler is out $3.8 billion, but signs encourage CEO
When the same question was asked in a December 2006 AP-AOL poll, 46 percent said Asian countries made superior cars, while just 29 percent preferred American vehicles, reflecting a perception of U.S. automotive inferiority that began taking hold about three decades ago.
"Toyota's problems are not to be minimized here," David Williams, dean of the business administration school at Wayne State University in Detroit, said in explaining the attitude shift.
In both AP polls, Japan home to brands such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan was by far the dominant Asian nation volunteered as producing the best cars. European autos which include BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen were called top quality by 15 percent last month, about the same as four years ago.
Williams and others also cited a fresh look Americans are giving U.S. automakers, especially Ford and General Motors. GM has revamped its lineup with more fuel-efficient and crossover vehicles. Analysts say Ford revived its reputation by not accepting the taxpayer bailout and improving its vehicles' gasoline mileage.
Associated Press Polling Director Trevor Tompson, AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and AP writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.
Mortgage Rates Ease a Bit This WeekSweet incentives lift auto sales in March


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AOL eyes bigger pie of vernacular SMS mkt
Kolkata, June 7: US based Tegic, the wholly owned subsidiary of America Online Inc (AOL) LLC, is aiming at a bigger pie of the language short message services (SMS) market in India.
The company, developing embedded software that enhances communication in small mobile devices, is looking at the potential SMS market in the semi-urban and rural India.
'' With the increased mobile penetration in India, SMS market in India is poised to grow to Rs 180 billion by 2010 from Rs 12.3 billion in 2004. In value terms the market size is Rs 695 crore now.
The availability of vernacular SMS will help in faster growth of the market,'' AOL's wireless division's senior country manager (India) Mridul Srivastava said.
The company, which has already introduced the Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu version of T9 text inpur software, today launched the Bengali version of the 'T9 text input software', which would make SMS in Bengali easier. Tegic would launch the Gujarati and Kannada versions shortly.
''We are in talks with the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of the mobiles to include the software in their handsets.
There is huge opportunity since an industry study estimates that 29 million new handsets will be added in India in 2006,'' Srivastava said.
The company is working to develop a mobile search engine like the one in desktops to enable easier navigation of sites, he said.


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Chevron layoffs hit 925 in Bay Area
Published 4:00 am, Friday, May 14, 2010
Chevron announces 925 Bay Area layoffs
Chevron Corp. will cut 925 jobs in the Bay Area as part of a previously announced reorganization of its refining and marketing operations, the oil company reported Thursday.
The layoffs will hit Chevron's San Ramon headquarters hardest, with 620 positions cut, said company spokesman Sean Comey. Another 305 cuts will come from Chevron's offices in Concord. No layoffs have been announced at the company's Richmond refinery. Finally, 570 jobs will be lost in Houston.
Chevron announced in January that it would restructure its refining and marketing operations around the world, slashing jobs in the process. Although the company's overall profits have surged this year with the rising price of oil, its refining operations have struggled, losing money during some quarters.
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2 customers sue eBay, allege long hold on funds
Two eBay Inc. customers sued the company alleging that its PayPal payments unit improperly freezes sellers' funds for as long as 180 days without adequately explaining why customers can't access their money.
EBay tells customers that the holds are for security issues or suspicious activity, according to a complaint alleging unfair business practices that was filed Thursday in federal court in San Francisco.
Users have been unable to get the hold lifted after complaining and providing documentation and personal information, according to the complaint.
Cisco sales miss investors' outlook
Networking-equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. declined 4.5 percent in Nasdaq trading after its sales forecast failed to live up to investors' optimism for the technology recovery.
Chief Executive Officer John Chambers forecast sales of at least $10.7 billion in the current period after record revenue last quarter. While that beat the $10.6 billion average prediction of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, estimates ranged as high as $11 billion.
The San Jose company followed fellow technology bellwethers Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in exceeding most projections and yet coming up short in investors' eyes. The stock had climbed 43 percent in the past year.
Cisco declined $1.21 to $25.53 on the Nasdaq. The shares have advanced 6.6 percent this year.
More Google jobs as Russian market picks up
Google Inc. plans to recruit more direct sales and operations workers in Russia as the local market for Internet advertising rebounds, said Nikesh Arora, head of global sales operations.
The Mountain View company "will keep up with the pace of the market, and as the market evolves, we'll continue hiring people," Arora said in an interview in Moscow on Thursday. Google has seen "lots of interest from global advertisers who want to participate in the Russian economy," he said.
Russian advertising spending increased 5 percent to $1.53 billion in the first quarter, the Association of Communications Agencies said Wednesday.


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Mercedes-Benz Swansea turned back the clock this week to celebrate a timeless classic.
They hosted a celebration of the famous Mercedes-Benz W123 and commemorated its 40-year anniversary with the Wales launch of a book on the model
A former secretary of the MB Owners Club in South Wales, Mark has spent the last 25 years restoring the W123 series for international clients and Mercedes-Benz and uses only genuine replacement parts in his work.
As a result his fully restored models are the only ones in the UK to be given a MB quality check approval.
The event at the Swansea showroom saw a saloon, estate and coupe from the series brought together for the first time and a brief history of each was given to the audience of classic car fans who were able to buy signed copies of the book on the night.
Mercedes-Benz W123 The finest saloon car of the 20th century is available from http://www.w123world.com


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They shouldn't keep the lawn. Instead, they should replace it with an edible garden.
We doubt the lawn is getting pulled up anytime soon; however, we're starting to think that the veggie garden is on its way.
While checking out at the grocery store earlier this week, we saw that Michelle Obama is on the cover of Oprah magazine, but we didn't have a chance to read the interview. Now we wish we had. Apparently, in the article, Michelle Obama promises a White House vegetable garden.
Get the scoop over at Treehugger.
image via Shelley & Dave; Flickr.com


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Mobile phone carrier KDDI Corp. said Friday that it will launch a new low-cost mobile subsidiary specializing in online services.
KDDI also said that its mainstay au brand will not adopt low-cost mobile phone plans, at least for the time being.
The new subsidiary, KDDI Digital Life, will be established Monday, according to KDDI President Makoto Takahashi.
“We hope to reach a wider audience” through the new company, Takahashi told a news conference in Tokyo.
The subsidiary will be a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). MVNOs do not have their own wireless network infrastructure.
Users will be able to complete all procedures to sign up for KDDI Digital Life’s services online using a so-called eSIM that does not require a physical subscriber identity module (SIM) card.
KDDI has also partnered with Singaporean communications company Circles Asia Pte., which offers similar online services.
The new company’s pricing plans and other details will be decided around next spring.
Meanwhile, Takahashi said that KDDI has no plan to introduce to the au brand a cheaper plan similar to the one that will be newly adopted by its low-cost smartphone brand UQ mobile.
Also on Friday, KDDI reported a group net profit of ¥372.9 billion for April-September, up 7.3% from the year before, despite a sales drop. The bottom line was supported by the strength of its teleworking business.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


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Wild Game and Camp Cooking Feed Thousands at Oklahoma Wildlife Expo
How much wild game can 38,600 sportsmen consume in three days? The answer is at least 2,000 pounds of venison and catfish and well over 200 gallons of buffalo chili. That is how much food was sampled at the Taste of the Wild exhibit at last year’s Oklahoma Wildlife Expo, and that does not even include the near 7,000 samples of camp-style Dutch oven snacks served to Expo visitors. Sportsmen can sample wild game and camp food this year, too, at the fifth annual Wildlife Expo slated for Sept. 25-27.
Held at the Lazy E Arena, just north of Oklahoma City, the Wildlife Expo is Oklahoma’s largest outdoor recreation event, offering guests the chance to shoot shotguns and archery equipment, ride mountain bikes and ATVs, catch fish in a fully-stocked pond, experience kayaking, attend seminars and more for free.
At this year’s Expo, wild game meat will be served at the popular Taste of the Wildlife booth, where last year more than 1,000 pounds of fried catfish, more than 1,000 pounds of venison and about 220 gallons of buffalo chili were served to Expo visitors. Dutch oven demonstrators also served samples of deserts, stews and other delicious camp foods cooked right on site and provided seminars on the basics of Dutch oven cooking. Visitors were able to learn secrets of the trade, including what tools are needed to make camp cooking easier and how many coals to use when cooking with a Dutch oven.
“Visitors to the 2009 Wildlife Expo should make it a point to try each of the foods they can sample at the Taste of the Wild booth,” said Rhonda Hurst, Expo coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “They should also be sure to attend a Dutch oven seminar to learn a new recipe or even learn about this style of camp cooking for the first time.”
In addition to sampling game meat and camp food, visitors also can attend a cooking seminar with renowned chef, restaurant owner and wild game cook Michael Fusco. Owner of Michael Fusco’s Riverside Grill in Tulsa, Fusco shows the ins and outs of handling and preparing wild game with culinary expertise every year at the Expo.
“Michael Fusco has partnered with the Wildlife Expo from its beginning and has always been a favorite among Expo visitors,” Hurst said.
The Wildlife Expo is hosted by the Wildlife Department in partnership with a wide range of other state agencies, private individuals and outdoor-related companies to host Expo. The huge event is designed to provide hands-on learning opportunities for all types of outdoor enthusiasts while promoting and instilling an appreciation for Oklahoma’s wildlife and natural resources.
Whether catching a fish for the first time, designing a personal fishing lure, or building a birdhouse to take home with them for free, visitors to the Expo get the chance to soak up a full weekend of free outdoor knowledge, skills and experiences as hundreds of volunteers and Wildlife Department employees work to keep the event exciting, educational and entertaining.
“If you want to try over a hundred outdoor activities, then be at this year’s wildlife Expo Sept. 25-27,” said country music star and outdoorsman Blake Shelton of Ada, who has made an appearance at the Expo in the past. “If you love to hunt and fish like I do, then take someone to this year’s Wildlife Expo.”
The Wildlife Expo will be held at the Lazy E Arena, just north of Oklahoma City. Expo hours will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Sept. 25-27. Log on to wildlifedepartment.com regularly to stay up to date on this year’s Expo activities.
This year’s Expo will again feature “School Day” Sept. 25, when busloads of school students from across the state will arrive and enjoy a day at the event. For more information about School Day or the Wildlife Expo, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.


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The latest PhoCusWright U.S. Consumer Travel Report suggests that a significant generational shift in the travel market may be under way.
"When you break it down by age, boomers are declining pretty aggressively in the last three years when it comes to travel," said PhoCusWright analyst Marcello Gasdia. "In the 45-to-54 group, you have only 56% taking a trip in 2012 [down from 63% in 2010] and even fewer in the 55-to-64 segment. Those age groups show the lowest percentages in terms of taking a trip."
(PhoCusWright, a travel industry research firm, is owned by Northstar Travel Media, which publishes Travel Weekly.)
"Boomers have lost a lot of assets since the downturn," Gasdia said. "Also, they may still have dependents relying on them, and they have retirement on the horizon. It's a lot of financial pressure. Hopefully, we will see [their travel plans] pick up."
The decline in boomer travel was partly responsible for a decrease in average household travel spend for the general population of the U.S. Last year, it was down $235, to $2,874. However, there was a bright spot in the results for even older travelers: 59% of those ages 65 and older took trips in 2012, compared with 56% the previous year.
Other findings in the PhoCusWright survey were less favorable to travel agents, including the overall flatness in the number of people traveling and a decline in cruising.
However, there were also a number of bright spots for travel sellers, including a return to international travel, which has been recuperating postrecession; strength in upscale lodging products; an "explosion" in river cruising; and strength in dynamic, or custom, packaging.
"The very top-line data on leisure travel is that the number of adults traveling every year is stagnant," Gasdia said. "About four in 10 are taking a trip at all, and that's absolutely economy-related. Prerecession, that [percentage] was in the low 70s, but it took a big hit in 2009 and hasn't really recuperated. There is still some penny-pinching going on. "
However, the nature of those trips bodes well for agents, Gasdia said.
"While U.S. travelers are taking slightly fewer trips this year, down from three to 2.8, they continue to take longer trips," Gasdia said. "Holidays of seven nights or longer still represent 27% of all trips, and that's been a stable level. That is relevant for agents because those are more complex trips and will include hotels that are more relevant for the agency side."
On the international front, Gasdia said, "The percentage of all U.S. consumers who take one trip outside the U.S. has been recuperating. It went up from 24% in 2010 to 28% in 2011 and 30% in 2012. Those big trips are holding steady because consumers are concentrating their dollars to make them count. They are cutting out smaller trips, again boding well for the agency side."
There is also resilience in the business travel market, including business trips with a leisure extension. According to the survey, the number of respondents taking one to two business trips with a leisure extension increased from 17% to 18% last year. Those taking three to five such trips increased from 9% to 11%, and the number taking six or more such trips held steady at 7%.
Lodging is trending upscale
The frequency of travelers staying in hotels is holding steady, according to Gasdia.
"But we are seeing an increase in quality and in the use of all-inclusive properties, again good news for the agency side," he said. "Consumers are definitely moving upmarket."
In addition, the intention to purchase lodging in 2013 is high compared with other travel products, with 24% of respondents saying they planned to spend more nights in hotels this year, as compared with 15% who said they intended to spend fewer nights in a hotel.
For cruising, long many agents' bread-and-butter, the news is mixed.
"It's hard to see where all the bad press is taking this," Gasdia said. "A lot of tour operators are talking about an explosion in river cruising, but we are seeing an overall drop in cruising, from 10% of all vacations to 7%."
On packaged travel, Gasdia said that while prepackaged vacations are doing fairly well, the stronger position is held by dynamic or custom packaging, with about 14% of trips taking that form (compared with 8% for pre-packaged tours.)
"Another thing we've been hearing from the agency side is that there is shifting interest to consumers wanting to create their own experiences, and that is good for the agency side, as well," Gasdia said.
Research, shopping and purchasing
While in recent years there have been tremendous changes in how consumers behave online when it comes to purchasing travel, the numbers as related to the use of travel professionals held steady, PhoCusWright found.
The percentage of consumers researching a travel destination online climbed from 54% in 2010 to 66% in 2012, closing in on 75% who shop online in general. (PhoCusWright breaks down the online process into four phases: researching a destination, shopping, purchasing and sharing.)
The use of mobile devices in the travel arena continued to grow, with 14% of respondents shopping for travel on their phones and 13% doing so on tablets, despite the fact that far fewer consumers own tablets.
A significant development in online shopping involved airlines moving past online travel agencies when it comes to booking -- 36% vs. 33% -- breaking a longstanding lead for online retailers.
When it came to researching a destination, the use of travel professionals held steady at 7%, even as the use of guidebooks, ads and brochures declined fairly rapidly. The real growth in shopping options came with metasearch engines such as Kayak.com, which were used by 36% of respondents.
When it came to the shopping phase, the use of agents climbed from 8% in 2010 to 10% in 2011 and held steady there in 2012.
And for the all-important purchasing phase, 37% of respondents booked exclusively online in 2012, signaling strong growth in that phase, even as there was a decline in those who booked both online and offline. Even so, 25% of buyers still booked both online and offline.
As for demographics, one interesting result showed that while couples still represent the largest market, they are declining as more people, particularly young people, travel alone. In fact, one-third of travelers took at least one trip alone in 2012.
Read more from Travel Weekly's Consumer Trends survey here.
Photo of stressed couple going over finances courtesy of Shutterstock.com.


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Some TikTok users are saying the app automatically added beauty filters to their videos without their knowledge or permission, according to a report by MIT Technology Review.
Beauty filters, which make skin smoother, lips more plump, and can “feminize” facial features, are a Gordian knot of temporary ego boosts and thorny self-esteem issues that include everything from Snapchat dysmorphia to the perpetuation of Eurocentric beauty standards. But these filters are typically accessed by the user, not by an app automatically applying them.
The fitness influencer Tori Dawn was about to film a video when she noticed her face looked different. Instead, she made a video showing how a beauty filter was being automatically applied. “Honestly I don’t feel comfortable making videos right now as long as this,” Dawn says as she demonstrates how her jaw changes as she move her hand over her eyes, apparently blocking the filter from picking up a face. “I don’t feel comfortable presenting myself in a way that isn’t authentic. How do I fix this?”
Other users who had also experienced the change commented things like, “I’m surprised more people aren’t upset about it it’s really been screwing with my self-image,” and “I almost had a panic attack earlier because I didn’t recognize myself and I can’t turn it off lmao.”
Other TikTok users used Dawn’s video to call out the change, posting videos showing their face shapes shifting when they covered their eyes, demonstrating that the filter was being automatically applied.
According to MIT Technology Review, the glitch mainly affected Android users over the course of a few days in May 2020. TikTok said in a short statement that there had been an issue, but didn’t provide any other details.


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Truecaller announced today that they have acquired Chillr, which is an India-based payments startup. Chillr happens to be India’s first multi-bank payments app which was founded by Sony Joy, Mohamed Galib, Anoop Sankar and Lishoy Bhaskaran. The multi-bank payments app allows users to send money instantly from their Bank account to anyone in their phone book or to a beneficiary through the ‘Account number & IFSC code’ or ‘UPI ID’. Chillr also lets you buy recharges, split bills, pay bills or request money.
While Truecaller entered the digital payments industry in India with UPI last year, it also has a user base of 150 million in India. Truecaller has 300 partners in the country through which it will use its payments feature. Since launching Truecaller Pay in 2017, the company is leaving no stone unturned to make its app a one-stop solution for making all kind of payments.
“After spending a lot of time with their team, we’ve seen that we share a lot of synergies; values; culture; and thoughtfulness when it comes to paying attention to user experience. They have also a great foundation on the business side, establishing great partnerships and a good reputation in the industry. Their team of engineers and designers have a profound understanding of mobile payments, the social fabric of India, and a deep passion for products that they will now bring to Truecaller. We couldn’t be more excited,” said Truecaller in a statement.
By acquiring Chillr, Truecaller has reaffirmed its commitment towards mobile payments while planning to increase its adoption. The Chillr team will now be merged with the Truecaller Pay team which will together develop new features while making the payments app better for users, in its development center situated in Bengaluru. Chillr co-founder Sony Joy, on the other hand, will join as the Truecaller Pay VP. However, the Chillr app will be phased out in the coming months while the Truecaller Pay will soon get all the features available on Chillr.


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Lufthansa LHAG.DE is open to all options on a possible equity stake in Italy's ITA Airways if its potential bid led by shipping group MSC is successful, CEO Carsten Spohr has said.
"All options are open," he told reporters when asked whether Lufthansa envisaged taking an equity stake. Lufthansa would be an ideal partner in Alitalia's successor, he added.
Lufthansa has teamed up with MSC to express an interest in ITA and expects to be given access to its books in June after the Italian government detailed ways to sell the slimmed down airline.
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Early last month, Spohr said that Lufthansa had no plans to take a majority stake in ITA.
News by Reuters, edited by Hospitality Ireland. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.


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Governor Steve Beshear is considering legislation that bans stores from selling e-cigarettes to anyone under 18. Lawmakers approved the bill last night, just as the General Assembly wrapped up its sixty day session.
"It's not something to be played with," says Jennifer Jones of Custom Vapors in Owensboro.
At e-cig stores in Owensboro, if you're not 18, you can't buy.
"People understand, even the minors understand, that if they're not of age, they cannot purchase anything from this store," says Zach Hendley of Vapurz of Owensboro.
Even though some still get around it.
"Last time I was at a restaurant, up the road here at the Cadillac, there was, like, a 12-13 year old kid had one attached to her neck, puffing along on it," says John McElrath of Owensboro.
The General Assembly passed a bill this week, prohibiting people younger than eighteen from buying and using electronic cigarettes. It adds to the existing law blocking them from buying tobacco products.
"They should've done that a long time ago," Jones says.
She say they weren't waiting for lawmakers to make their move. They put signs up blocking sales to minors when they opened last year.
"We put those signs up right after we opened because when we first opened, they really tried to get us," Jones recalls. "I had a couple come in, and I asked him for his I.D., and it said he just turned 16."
Some customers say the ban's needed because like with cigarettes, minors may not know what they're getting involved with.
"It's pretty important. You got different nicotine levels in them, they could be harmful."
Copyright 2017 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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- General Motors announced that the automaker will stop producing cars at three North American plants and reduce its salaried workforce by 15%.
- According to some analysts, GM's move could convince President Donald Trump to move forward with tariffs on imported cars and trucks.
- But given Trump's fickle approach to trade policy, a swift reaction isn't guaranteed.
General Motors' announcement that the company would shutter three North American factories — two in the US —could help inspire President Donald Trump to move forward with tariffs on imported cars and trucks.
Chris Krueger, a policy analyst at Cowen Washington Research Group, told Business insider that GM's announcement on Monday could add more fuel to Trump's desire to impose a 25% tariff on all cars, trucks, and auto parts coming into the US.
"Perhaps he does a mea culpa on his steel tariffs, but what seems far more likely is that he doubles down with auto and auto parts tariffs," Krueger said in an email.
Trump has long wanted to slap import restrictions on cars coming from Europe, Japan, and other countries to provide a boost for American manufacturers. Gary Cohn, Trump's former top economic adviser, has said the president asked him why all cars couldn't be made in America.
The move would be economically devastating, economists say. A study from the Peterson Institute of International Economics found that a 25% auto tariff would cause auto production in the US to fall by 1.5% over the first three years and result in a net loss of 195,000 jobs.
Krueger's thinking goes that Trump could use the announcement as an example of why the US needs the tariffs — to protect the remaining auto manufacturing jobs in the US.
"Protectionist arguments tend to win the day with Trump," Krueger said.
But the president's fickle nature on trade policy makes the timing and exact reason for any move a guessing game, said Ed Mills, a policy analyst at Raymond James.
"Trying to figure out whether Trump will impose tariffs is a little bit of presidential game theory and a little bit of psychoanalysis," Mills said. "Will he see these headlines and try to reverse the job losses through tariffs? It's hard to tell."
Mills said that Trump has banked a lot on revitalizing the industrial sector in the US. Given that Trump has received the report necessary to impose the tariffs, Mills said, there's certainly a chance the tariffs could be on the way.
While tariffs were not directly mentioned in GM's announcement, GM recently reported that Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum will cost the company $1 billion this year. Given this soaring cost pressure, there is a good chance that the tariffs played a part in GM's decision, said Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
"I would guess that the import tariffs probably accelerated the move," Alden told Business Insider. "GM is eliminating its lower margin passenger vehicles to concentrate on higher-margin products, and the rising cost of steel probably made made those lower margin vehicles even less attractive than they already were."
But while Trump's tariffs may have made an indirect contribution to GM's decision, Alden said he doesn't think that GM's move will feed back to Trump's auto tariff decision.
"With the possible exception of the steel and aluminum tariffs, I don’t think the administration generally uses tariffs to 'protect' beleaguered US industries," Alden said. "The purpose is more to give the president a big club to try to force changes in the trading practices of other countries. So I don’t think this will make a difference."
For his part, Krueger was confident that regardless the impetus for the move, there is only one outcome in the end.
"Tariffs are coming," he said.


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Webinar: Chemical footprint of health care products
A new report released by Clean Production Action provides the first ever chemical footprint of products commonly used in pediatric patient rooms. Hazardous chemicals in products are catalyzing health care organizations to ask suppliers whether or not their products contain these chemicals. The report assessed the chemical footprint – the presence of hazardous chemicals – of over 250 products commonly found in a hospital pediatric patient room.
Listen as CPA and Dignity Health discuss the report.


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The infographic also covers a number of controversial subjects such as soda addiction, the use of soda as pesticides, and the use of debated ingredients in soda pop.
San Jose, CA (PRWEB) February 22, 2013
MapsofWorld.com’s launched their latest FryDay Poll infographic about the consumption and health hazards of soda across the globe. According to the Euromoniter International reports, the US has been the highest consumer of soda beverages in 2011, purchasing about 170 liters per person. Mexico came next with a consumption of 146 liters. Chile consumed 127 liters. Across the world apart from the steady increase in soda consumption, the health hazards of soft drink consumption are being researched and debated. This infographic presents comprehensive data from across the world and compares soda consumption in different countries.
Despite growing concerns about the health implications, major soda companies such as the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and the Dr Pepper-Snapple Group have engaged in a long war to capture the loyalties and market share in various regions. MapsofWorld’s infographic provides a snapshot of these corporations, their brands, revenues, and other information that could be useful for research purposes. The infographic also covers a number of controversial subjects such as soda addiction, the use of soda as pesticides, and the use of debated ingredients in soda pop.
Mapsofworld.com is one of the world’s largest mapping and content portals and has been an important research aid since 2003. The site has over 25 million map downloads to its credit and has drawn over 66 million visitors till date. Since 2011, MapsofWorld has introduced a series of infographics about topics of global or social concern.
About the company:
MapsofWorld.com is a multilingual portal offering high-quality maps and information across geographies and platforms. With special focus on educational content, the portal has thematic as well as interactive maps on all major platforms: Web, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Android. World Atlas and World Quiz are two highly successful educational apps. Other services offered are custom mapping, content digitization, and the online map store.
For more information, please contact:
10 S. Third Street, Suite 310,
San Jose, CA 95113


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We have been hearing reports of a new breed of affordable Windows notebooks for months. It is alleged that a number…
AMD has officially launched its first ever SSDs and all three are part of AMD’s AMD Radeon R7 SSD series.
Android 4.4 is now running on more than a fifth of Android devices, according to Google’s latest figures.
Aerocool is well known for its gamer cases with aggressive styling. However, the Dead Silence chassis offers consumers a new choice,…
Keeps the specifications under tight wraps
Asus, Asrock, Gigabyte and MSI motherboards
Celeron J1900 on board
Targeting second-tier vendors
Up to 67 percent faster than SATA 3
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The Mini-ITX Gaming motherboard and graphics card for it
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Always believe in your soul
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OTTAWA — Retail sales took an unexpected turn higher in May, led by purchases of building materials and garden equipment.
Statistics Canada said Friday sales rose 0.1% to $37.5 billion during the month, adding that “more favourable weather conditions stimulated sales of hardware and lawn and garden products.”
That offset declines at motor vehicle and parts dealers, and at food and beverage stores, the federal agency said.
Excluding autos, retail sales were up 0.5% in May.
Economists had expected overall sales to decline 0.3%.
Meanwhile, gasoline station sales rose 1.1% in May, the fourth straight monthly increase and the highest level since July 2008.


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Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone giant is now officially the number one smartphone vendor in India. This news comes after IDC published the report of smartphone sales in India in the Q3 2017.
Xiaomi has been competing hard with a giant like Samsung and now, with a market share of 23.5% and having shipped 9.2 million smartphones in the quarter, Xiaomi beats everyone else and becomes the top smartphone vendor. Along with that, it is now also the fastest growing smartphone brand with a year on year growth of around 300%, which is massive.
The Redmi Note 4 is right now the best selling smartphone from Xiaomi, following Redmi Note 4, the Redmi 4 and Redmi 4A are at the second and third highest selling phones from Xiaomi. With four million units shipped in the quarter, Redmi Note 4 continued its legacy of being the number one smartphone even after nine months and the secret of this success lies in the power and unmatched battery life that the Redmi Note 4 provides.
The company has also taken the strategy for expanding its offline business through Large Format Retailer partners, Mi Preferred Partner stores and Mi Homes, that led to doubling of the offline sales in Q3. Xiaomi continues to lead in the online market with a firm 51% market share and those four million units were sold between 20th Sep to 19th Oct.
Commenting on this record-breaking success, Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India said, “Within three years of our entry into the Indian market, we have been able to achieve a never-seen-before feat of market dominance. As far as we are aware, we are the first brand across all sectors to have become a market leader within such a short span of time. Xiaomi’s focus on providing innovation to everyone and our commitment to the Indian market have propelled us to success on this incredible journey. We have truly innovated across our products, business model, infrastructure, marketing methods and, combined with our efficient team of 350+ employees, we have been able to achieve this immensely significant milestone.”
Xiaomi entered India in July 2014 and has since disrupted the smartphone industry with a never-ending lineup of excellent value for money phones as well as flagships, that pack power, performance, innovation and excellent community support.


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Apple’s brave move to replace Google Maps with its own Maps app in iOS 6 backfired miserably and forced the company to issue an apology to its customers. But it has been almost 3 years since the launch of Apple Maps, and the company is yet to roll out any major new features or improvements for it.
In the meantime, Google has taken the lead by launching the Google Maps app for the iPhone, and has been improving it with major and minor updates.
Though Apple has been improving its mapping data, and adding new locations to the 3D Flyover feature, it trails Google Maps in every respect, from locating, to discovery, to navigation. We really hope that the Maps app gets a lot more attention in iOS 9.
Here are some of the new features and improvements we would like to see in the Maps app in iOS 9:
- Public transport in Maps – There were rumors that iOS 8 would include support for public transit directions and other improvements, but it reportedly got delayed due to planning, project management and internal politics issues.
- Offline maps – the Maps app currently needs an internet connection. Offline maps would allow you to use the Maps app in places such as a basement car park or in an area where there is poor or no network coverage.
- Street view – mystery Apple vehicles have sparked off speculations that the company will add a Google Maps-like Street view feature to its Maps app.
- Speed alerts – the ability to enable voice alerts when you exceed the speed limits.
- Indoor maps – e.g. shopping malls
- Dynamic re-routing – if Apple Maps identifies an incident along our route, it should give us an early warning with an option to select a faster route.
- Wider country support – add features such as turn-by-turn navigation, Traffic, local search, business reviews and photos in a lot more countries.
- Improved point of interest database
- Reliable turn-by-turn directions
Since you can’t change the default Maps app in iOS, these new features and improvements will go a long way to improving the user experience on the iPhone. Though it is not the point of discussion for this article, I think Apple needs to seriously look at the practice of releasing updates for built-in apps only with a platform software update. It should be more flexible, and release updates for built-in apps via the App Store.
How do you want Apple to change the Maps app in iOS 9? Let me know in the comments below.


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Just after Latinos became the most significant cultural minority class regarding You.S., comparing characterizations out of Latinas took off mythology. Just as with other label groups, these types of myths much more have a tendency to than just perhaps web dating.com not perpetuated from the news, assisted collectively because of the hefty-given, stereotypical or maybe just plain inaccurate depictions pass on widely using tv software, new music and you may motion picture.
If you were to accept everything you been aware of Latinas, you might think these were scheming and you may hypersexual, yet socially traditional lady whose “equivalent academic solutions” and “competitive purchasing power” denote the “arrival.”
That it contradictory photos away, it is important to not ever trust what you read on the internet (or discover on television, or hear off an effective politician).
In reality, the brand new lifestyle out-of U.S. Latinas are much even more nuanced and less sanitized than just pundits, advertisers and you can companies would like to persuade your. Listed below are simply seven of your own ruining lays regarding Latina girls common within the Western people today.
step one. He or she is anti-abortion, anti-birth prevention societal conservatives.
A good poll commissioned of the Federal Latina Institute getting Reproductive Fitness (NLIRH) unearthed that the majority of Latinas agree totally that female feel the straight to make own private, individual choices regarding abortion, countering common narratives out-of Latinas as being socially conservative and you will anti-abortion.
Furthermore, inside the an enthusiastic NBC Latino post, NLIRH exec director Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas says that “90% off partnered Catholic Latinas,” that are have a tendency to depicted due to the fact spiritual and you will anti-birth prevention, “have tried contraception blocked from the Vatican.”
2. It mix this new You.S.-Mexico border to provide delivery to “anchor babies.”
The picture out of a great barefoot Latin-Western lady running along side You.S.-Mexico border holding on so you can a curved stomach that households the lady soon-to-be-produced boy is a beneficial deception, popularized by proponents out-of a whole lot more limiting immigration principles.
While it is correct that some females get across the newest edging to send infants, comments like those of Republican South carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (just who this year told you towards Fox News one “[people] started here to decrease a young child. … They cross the fresh new edging, each goes into the emergency room, he has children, which children’s immediately an american citizen.”) misleadingly change a secondary effect of immigration towards a first objective.
Considering Jeff Passel, the brand new coauthor off an effective 2010 Pew Latina Heart statement quantifying simply how many youngsters are produced about U.S. in order to undocumented immigrants, more 80% of your births cited on the report took place several 12 months adopting the ladies found its way to new U.S., debunking the brand new misconception of the plotting, expecting edging-crosser.
3. They will not have problems with reduced self-value otherwise dinner disorders.
While Latinas have mostly already been omitted off search to your muscles photo and food issues, they are not immune from development disordered diet and you may mental ailments eg anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and you can binge eating diseases. On the contrary, even with scarcely being stated or diagnosed,previous studies show that Latinas has actually dining conditions and the entire body picture points within pricing like otherwise greater than non-Latina whites.
By and large, researchers features centered on Caucasian females and you may women of middle- to help you top-classification experiences, which have pair physicians actually equipped with the language and you can questions to ask Latina sufferers. However, regardless if experts and you can doctors apparently overwhelmingly disregard Latinas inside their really works, dinner disorders do not discriminate. A beneficial 2005 analysis thinking about nearly 2,000 Latinas varying within the many years out of 11 in order to 20 years old determined that eating disorders are common throughout subgroups, demonstrating these particular ailments clipped across the competition, ethnicity, group and you can age.
cuatro. He could be economically stable and you may socially cellular.
“Brand new Hispanic Stamina Change,” a 2013 Nielsen report, casts Latinas because decision-suppliers in home using and also as attractive consumers eager to end up being courted of the top reporters and advertisers the exact same so you can celebrate this new group’s the newest “powerful influence.”


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Shares in space tourism company Virgin Galactic fell below $ 11.75 in trading Thursday, below the level at which the stock debuted more than two years ago.
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic went public in October 2019 through a merger with a special acquisition company (SPAC) owned by Chamath Palihapitiya. The stock has seen volatile, speculative trading since then – it fell nearly $ 7 per share in the months following its debut, and climbed to $ 62.80 per share in February 2021.
While the space tourism company said on its debut it had planned to start flying customers in 2020, delays in spacecraft testing and development have steadily pushed back that schedule. After Branson and three other company employees went into space on a test flight in July 2021, further delays have postponed the start of Virgin Galactic’s commercial service until the end of this year.
The company is earnings before sales, and is losing approximately $ 55-65 million per quarter on an adjusted Ebitda basis.
Virgin Galactic stock plunged to a 52-week low of $ 11.30 Thursday morning before losses were offset.
In particular, Branson has continuously sold portions of its stake in Virgin Galactic since the company’s IPO. In four major stake sales, Branson recovered more than $ 1.25 billion despite remaining the largest single shareholder in Virgin Galactic.
Its global corporate conglomerate Virgin Group has stated in statements to CNBC that the proceeds from these share sales will be used to support Branson’s other leisure and travel companies affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.


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We see more men and younger women, even teenagers, opting for cosmetic surgery
," said Dr.
Complete report on cosmetic surgery
market covering product and services info spread across 275 pages, talking about 110+ companies, as well as supported with 60 tables and figures is now available at http://www.
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as well as middle aged people inquire about cosmetic surgery
and out of them most want a nose job, liposuction or scar removal and hair transplant treatments.
However, what surprised the investigators was that these clinics failed to explain the dangers, such as leakage and scarring linked with cosmetic surgery
The ground-breaking plastic and cosmetic surgery
training course has been launched by staff at the BUPA hospital in Leeds, but is being held at the city's St James's Hospital.
If you are considering cosmetic surgery
, it is important to know exactly what options are open to you.
Doctors say it is difficult at times to draw a line between a medical condition and elective cosmetic surgery
People are fascinated by that kind of thing, and Cosmetic Surgery
Live looks like it will be presented in a very responsible manner.
Americans are less inclined to hide the fact that they've had cosmetic surgery
and are having procedures earlier and more often than ever before.
Following the advice of an Ecuadoran friend who beat the signs of aging with cosmetic surgery
, Fernandez traveled to Quito from Miami for a long vacation and a short cosmetic procedure.
A nationwide survey released released at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' annual meeting revealed that cosmetic surgery
is gaining acceptance among Americans.
For our example, it asks the question: How easy is it for a plastic surgeon to start a cosmetic surgery
Many cosmetic surgery
practices approach patient care issues in an "assembly line" fashion.
I USUALLY warn anyone considering having cosmetic surgery
to think again.


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As seen on Gambling News
What’s driving the increase of slot developers introducing new brands alongside existing content to their RGS?
It is becoming increasingly hard for suppliers to stand out from the crowd, with new studios popping up every month to challenge the status quo. Both are looking for ways to differentiate themselves and offering a wide diversity of content from multiple studios is one way of doing so. We launched our Ignite programme in 2016 to support independent suppliers looking to take their content to the next level by utilising our technology, resources and expertise. The partnership is mutually beneficial, however as it provides us with exclusive content and creates a USP that we can leverage when talking to potential operator partners. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
For an operator, what’s the advantage of partnering with a developer which has a broad RGS offering, as opposed to working alongside a traditional content aggregator?
Operators can benefit from the more exclusive content that suppliers with a broad RGS offering can provide. These studios are often smaller with unique content that might not be available elsewhere. This will help operators differentiate. On the other hand, aggregation offers a lot of advantages and does a big part of the heavy lifting for both suppliers and operators, so there is no surprise that more and more operators opt to use them. Pariplay offers an aggregation platform, Fusion, as well as the Ignite programme, so we can combine the two products for even better distribution to the benefit of both suppliers and operators.
What does this emerging trend mean for the future of content aggregation?
The traditional aggregation model is here to stay. It removes a lot of headaches that suppliers and operators have had in the past, ensuring a streamlined and smooth process instead. However, we expect more slot developers will go down the route of offering content from multiple studios to be able to offer something unique and stand out. This industry is known for its innovation, and we constantly see disruptors entering the market and pushing the boundaries, so it will be exciting to see how content aggregation evolves over the next few years.


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Registration takes less than 1 minute.
Port of Los Angeles commissioner sees a need for more forklift drivers to work fruit ships.
DHS funding crisis means the agency will have to focus resources on border security, cargo clearance
A second berth at Fairview Container Terminal in British Columbia will grow capacity to 1.3 million TEUs.
The German ocean carrier said its financial results were impacted by costs from merger with Chilean liner CSAV.
ConAgra and Lululemon said they expect shipment delays for several more months as a result of West Coast port congestion.
The new container service will connect ports in China, Taiwan and South Korea with Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile.


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Glanbia Chairman, Martin Keane
Glanbia will pay its Member milk suppliers 28.62 cent per litre (cpl) (including VAT) for May creamery milk supplies at 3.6% butterfat and 3.3% protein. This includes a 0.2 cpl (including VAT) payment to reflect weather-related challenges on farms.
Glanbia Ireland (GI) will pay a base milk price for May of 28 cpl (including VAT) for creamery milk at 3.6% fat and 3.3% protein. This is unchanged from the April base price.
In addition, the Board of Glanbia Ireland has decided to make a payment of 0.2 cpl (including VAT) on all May milk volumes to reflect weather-related issues on farms. A Glanbia Ireland survey of over 500 milk suppliers found a significant decline in average grass growth rates, with 58% of milk suppliers in the four worst-affected counties currently feeding silage.
Farmer Members will also receive a 0.42 cpl (including VAT) payment from Glanbia Co-op on all milk supplied this month as their ‘Share of GI Profit’.
The Glanbia Ireland base price, the Share of GI Profit and the weather related payment will be adjusted to reflect the actual constituents of milk delivered by suppliers. The actual average price paid by Glanbia for May creamery milk, based on delivered constituents, will be 31.64 cpl.
Glanbia Chairman Martin Keane said, “Markets are delicately balanced at present. There has been a welcome recovery in butter and skim milk powder prices over the last month, albeit from a low base. Global milk supply and demand movements over the coming months will need to be closely monitored as economies gradually re-open.”
The Glanbia Chairman acknowledged the great efforts being made to overcome Coronavirus related challenges.
“Thank you to all of our employees, farmers and contractors who ensured that our facilities and our supply chain operated smoothly through peak. It is a great tribute to all involved that we processed a record 90 million litres per week at peak, despite Covid-related restrictions.”
Fixed Milk Price
Phase 16 of the Glanbia Fixed Milk Price scheme has been launched with a base price of 30 cpl (including VAT) at reference milk constituents of 3.6% butterfat and 3.3% protein. This voluntary scheme will run from 1 August, 2020 to 31 December 2022.
Any seasonality bonus payments or additional payments made by Glanbia Co-operative Society to Members, including the 0.42 cpl Share of GI Profit, would be paid on top of the fixed milk price.
The scheme will be open to all Republic of Ireland-based creamery milk supplies. In the event of over-subscription, allocations will be prioritised to GI customers.