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E-commerce in India is known for discounting and running loss-laden businesses. While the practice along with convenience and large assortments have been making consumers to drive 2 million e-commerce order volume every day, the consistent discounting element has always been a matter of contention for offline retailers.
Since the festive season around the corner, e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm Mall will be splurging about $1 billion on compelling deals to woo shoppers.
The upcoming discounting extravaganza has concerned traders bodies including Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Retailer Association of India (RAI). CAIT urged the government to bring Anti-Predatory Pricing Act for regulating e-commerce business in India.
The body believes that interest of traditional retailers must be protected by bringing Anti-Predatory Pricing Act. Acting on the request of CAIT, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has set constituted a 10 members panel to monitor the practice of deep discounting by e-commerce companies.
Besides monitoring discounts, the panel would also examine if online retailers are required to put a cap in their access to dealerships from manufacturers. Brick & mortar retailers are preparing recommendations to the panel for killing discounted sales organised by the likes of Amazon and Flipkart.
According to traders bodies, discounts offered by online retailers are actually predatory pricing and shouldn’t be treated as discounts. They will be requesting commerce ministry to put a complete ban on discounted sales by deep-pocketed e-commerce companies. The practice of deep discounting is creating an uneven playing field for brick & mortar and traditional retailers.
Importantly, the government is drafting a policy for e-commerce that recommends strict restrictions ranging from limiting discounts to protecting the interest of offline retailers. However, the government has been going slow with the draft as it is opposed vehemently by online retailers.
Of late, sellers bodies such as AIOVA have been piling up complaints against Amazon’s Cloudtail, Appario and Flipkart’s WS Retail for favoring their in-house merchants over independent sellers.
Given that the discount has been a major driver of e-commerce in India, it’s unlikely to face a blanket ban. While the government has begun drafting a policy framework for e-commerce in the country, several departments have differences over issues with the initial recommendations.
The development was reported by Mint.


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Richmond Night Market reveals its 2023 opening date
Mark-et on your 🗓!!! 😉
Closing time: It's your last weekend to hit up the Richmond Night Market
Only a few more days!!! 😱 🍢 🥥 🌮
Whistler's huge craft beer festival serves up great live music in September
The perfect combo of craft beers and concerts! 🎶🍺
A dazzling free festival is lighting up Vancouver's Chinatown in September
Rediscover Chinatown and celebrate Mid-Autumn Fest!
Magnifico! Italian Day returns to Commercial Drive this month
It's time to mangia bene! 😋🇮🇹
A craft beer and punk rock music festival is coming to the Fraser Valley this fall
Punk is dead, long live punk 🍻
Hocus focus: Wizard golf featuring tasty potions now open in Vancouver (PHOTOS)
It sounds wand-erful ⛳🧙🏾
Car-Free Day is holding its inaugural New West fest this summer
The event also includes the popular Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Fest.
Surrey Fusion Festival returns for massive FREE two-day event this summer
With tons of music, culture, and food to discover!
Receive direct access to our top content, contests and perks.
This massive Canada Day celebration will have a retro video dance party
Plus live music, food trucks and a beer garden, kids activities, and more!
The full lineup for this summer's Red Truck Concert Series has been revealed
Don't miss the diverse local and international talent! 🎤🎸🎶
Vancouver's most stylish day at the races returns this summer
Come get fancy! 🐎🥂
Vancouver's Vegan Night Market returns all summer long
Good times and vegan vibes ✌
Richmond Night Market to open for its 2022 season tonight
500+ international food items to try, people!!! 🍢 🍧 🍡 🦀
14 of the best brewery and brewpub patios in Vancouver
Your ultimate guide to drinking craft 🍺 in the ☀
Wand-erful wizard mini golf with tasty potions coming to Vancouver (PHOTOS)
Hocus focus ⛳
Richmond Night Market reveals its 2022 opening date
The countdown is on! 🍡 🦀 🚨
Richmond Night Market extends 2021 season once again
You still have a chance to enjoy this celebration 💃🏻

domain: news


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Democrats push for digital dollar to aid coronavirus fight
24 Mar 2020
Democrats within the U.S. House of Representatives are seeking to launch the digital dollar to simplify payments to U.S. citizens outside the traditional financial system.
The legislation, a draft version of which was unveiled on Monday, puts forward the creation of digital wallets for U.S. citizens within the so-called “Direct Stimulus Payments for Families” section, reports Cointelegraph.
The bill establishes a digital dollar, which it describes as “a balance expressed as a dollar value consisting of digital ledger entries that are recorded as liabilities in the accounts of any Federal Reserve Bank or ... an electronic unit of value, redeemable by an eligible financial institution (as determined by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System).”
Additionally, a digital dollar wallet is identified as “a digital wallet or account, maintained by a Federal reserve bank on behalf of any person, that represents holdings in an electronic device or service that is used to store digital dollars that may be tied to a digital or physical identity,” according to a Forbes report.
The “Direct Stimulus Payments for Families” section proposes monthly payments of $2,000 to each adult earning under $75,000 a year, when the payments would then reduce. These payments would continue until the economy recovers.
Federal reserve member banks would be required to maintain digital dollar wallets for all clients, even though the proposal does have the option of providing cheques.
The bill, reportedly originating from the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, purports to distribute over $1.8 trillion.
Daniel Gorfine, founder of fintech advisory firm Gattaca Horizons and founding director of the Digital Dollar Project told Forbes: “It is worth exploring, testing, and piloting a true USD CBDC and broader digital infrastructure in order to improve our future capabilities and resiliency, but it is also important that this effort not delay the government from deploying critical emergency funds using existing channels during this crisis.
“While the crisis underscores the importance of upgrading our financial infrastructure, broadly implementing a CBDC will require time and thoughtful coordination between the government and private sector stakeholders.”


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Making your brand offensive, whilst risky and potentially alienating, can offer that standout that marketers are desperately looking for. Here we take a look at three brands that have worked hard to wind people up but still come out smelling of roses. Ryanair Cream of the controversy crop is arguably Ryanair whose marketing strategy soars high with hazy hullabaloo. Mass media is array with rumours of Ryanair’s quest to push the boundaries of “no thrills”, whether that be reports of mid-flight toilet charges, or making customers stand during flights, allowing them to make the initial cost of the flight cheaper. The philosophy of “all publicity is good publicity” is widely encouraged by chief executive Michael O'Leary, the man who’s view on passengers who arrive at airports without printed boarding passes "We think [they] should pay 60 euros for being so stupid." However more recently Ryanair seems to have taken a different route by demonstrating a bit more 'love' for their customer and increasing prices. Let's see which direction generates more profit.
GBK Vegetarians beware, this next controversial campaign may be tough to swallow. Gourmet Burger Kitchen have recently received a grilling after a string of print advertisements in London which were deemed offensive to the vegetarian/vegan community. These ads housing slogans such as “They (cows) eat grass, so you don’t have to” and “You always remember the time you gave up being vegetarian” were pulled after just two days following a flurry of complaints to the Advertising Standards Agency and via social media. The parody #gourmetmurderkitchen also started trending on Twitter. This risky strategy, although alienating to none meat eaters, caused a degree of humour within GBK’s true target audience of the carnivore community and could ultimately attract new chompers. It may be a generalisation to suggest vegetarians wouldn’t go to GBK but those of a beefy persuasion certainly account for the majority of their business. Which side of the bun do you sit on?
Get Unhooked Anti-smoking Ads The NHS went off piste here with their take on controversial advertising and certainly hit the headlines. This campaign aimed to shock the audience into action - stop smoking! The campaign in May 2007 fromthe Department of Health’s “Get unhooked” anti smoking ads aimed to encourage a smokey boycott through the power of graphic ads. Featuring in magazines, television, online and on massive 48 sheet outdoor, the ads speak for themselves and do it very well... The DoH reported the campaign was largely successful despite a large amount of complaints from parents who deemed the ad disturbing and traumatising to their children. This however could have allowed the ad to nail its original remit, as not only did it visually show the “hook” of the habit (albeit in a graphic way), it also potentially warned of the addiction to young observers, who if “traumatised” may avoid smoking all together!
Time will tell whether controversy is a sustainable strategy, however one thing that can’t be argued is that the accessibility of discussion across social media has amplified the importance word of mouth holds on a marketing campaign. Tommy’s Top Tip – Get Naughty, Get Noticed!


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The Constant Spring will get new owners starting next week.
Owner Jason Oswald said Monday, June 10, that he’s selling the bar to Aaron and Kendra (Ellington) Nafziger.
Jason Oswald’s Facebook post about selling his business.
Oswald opened the bar in 2006 after seeing a need in Goshen. He had been in the construction business before that.
“I had no idea what to expect,” he said. “I’m obviously very proud of what it’s become.”
The restaurant and bar features local, organic food and a variety of craft beers. It’s a popular weekend spot, but also attracts large dinner crowds throughout the week and offers ethnic food on Wednesday nights.
He finished telling his staff on Monday evening about the ownership change. The Nafzigers will work there this week and then take over, Oswald said. Oswald will remain as the landlord of the building.
“I’m glad that Constant Spring is going to continue on with people who understand what it means to the community. I wouldn’t have sold it to just anybody,” he said.
He’s ready to do something else, but hasn’t settled on what that will be, he said.
“I like to build things,” Oswald said, noting that he gets excited when he gets to change something. He said he feels like he’s done a good thing with the Spring..
“I want it to continue,” he said.
I think it will and that it’ll continue to thrive. I hope so. I’ll post more as I know more about the change. What do you have to say about the change?


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YouTube a cappella group Pentatonix doesn’t need instruments to get to the top of the music charts. The Arlington, Texas-based singers with over 7 million subscribers saw their album That’s Christmas to Me reach the #1 spot on iTunes, passing up Taylor Swift’s 1989.
Pentatonix, which consists of members Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan, Kirstie Maldonado, and Kevin Olusola, released That’s Christmas to Me on October 21, 2014 through RCA Records. The album sold almost 100,000 copies in the U.S. within its first week, and managed to snag the #1 spot on Billboard’s U.S. Digital Albums chart and the Top Holiday Albums chart (where it sat for over six weeks). The Wall Street Journal reports Pentatonix’s album also managed to hit #1 on iTunes a few weeks ago, making the band one of very few groups that can claim a higher spot in the rankings–if only for a short time–than Taylor Swift (she’s back at the top now.)
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The YouTube a cappella group originally started on NBC’s The Sing-Off, where it won the third season and scored a record deal with Sony. But Pentatonix has really risen to fame off its YouTube presence. Since 2012, the band has released six EP and full-length albums, appeared on Sesame Street, and performed at the 2014 Streamy Awards (where it also won an award for their Daft Punk mashup video).
Pentatonix doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The band’s set to appear in Pitch Perfect 2 (along with fellow YouTuber DJ Flula) as rival performers to character Beca (Anna Kendrick) and her Barden Bellas group. Pentatonix will also get started on another album with RCA, but could have to battle it out with the label to prove instruments aren’t a requirement for getting the group’s music onto the radio. “We’re not really into that idea,” Hoying told WSJ. “The second you add instruments, what makes us so special is lost.”
He has a solid point, especially considering Pentatonix has already sold over 615,000 copies of That’s Christmas to Me since its release in October. If you want to help bump up that number even more (and perhaps make the group hit 1 million sales this year), you can purchase the album from iTunes, Amazon, or Google Play.


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It’s a classic, and has a sunroof
DURANGO, Colo. (AP) – For those longing for Durango of decades past, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has a fix in store: The railroad is replicating a classic passenger car that served Durangoans from 1947 to 1953.The Silver Vista, as it is called, was the only glass-topped gondola built in the history of narrow-gauge railroading, according to Al Harper, who owns the railroad with his wife, Carol.”There’s nothing like it,” Al Harper said. “We’re really excited about it.”The glass top gave passengers a spectacular view and plenty of sun, Harper said.”It was very unique and very unusual,” he said. “You got this panorama in all directions as you were going up the railroad tracks.”
The gondola is scheduled to hit the tracks in early May.The car served the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad until it was destroyed by fire on Sept. 30, 1953, in Alamosa, according to narrow-gauge enthusiast Mark Evans, who runs the Web site “The Narrow Gauge Circle.”Ever since, it has been an object of fancy for rail fans, said local enthusiast Philip Walters, who volunteers for the Durango railroad.”The car has been well-known among rail fans for many years and sort of has its own notoriety because it was one of a kind,” Walters said. A Japanese Web site even offers a model of the Silver Vista.During the Silver Vista’s day, the railroad charged riders $3.45 plus a 58-cent upgrade for the luxury car, Walters said. Modern tourists will pay $119 for the first-class ride, and must be at least 16 years old. Walters plans to ride it for his birthday this summer.The new car should be more comfortable than the original was for mid-century tourists. The Silver Vista’s glass top could make the car uncomfortably hot on sunny days, Harper said. Modern glass will deflect heat from the new car.
A few more subtle changes will distinguish the re-creation. For safety reasons, it will have doors at both ends, instead of at one end, as was the case in the original.The new car also will sport three aisles of seats instead of the original four, reducing the number of passengers from 36 to 28. The change will enable first-class service, Harper said.Other than that, Harper promises the new car will be a faithful re-creation of the original. Railroad workers even managed to find seats in storage identical to the originals.”My wife and I don’t consider ourselves just the owners of the railroad,” Harper said. “We consider ourselves guardians of its history. Every year, we try to do something new that tries to present its history in its best light.”Replicating the old car will end up costing $250,000 to $300,000, Harper said. The 45-foot-long car will feature a bar and limited dining.Melcher Brothers Inc. of Durango built the car’s frame. Workers used old pictures and even a scale model to re-create the Silver Vista, co-owner Jim Melcher said.
“It was a gas,” Melcher said. “We like doing things like this that are different.”If all goes according to plan, the new Silver Vista should roll out to pomp and ceremony May 5, with service to Silverton the next day.”We’re going to be lucky to have it by then, but that is the target date,” said Ray Ludwig, the railroad’s car shop foreman.The project has required an enormous amount of research, Harper said, and the car “is really turning out just spectacular.”This story came from the Durango Herald via the Associated Press. Vail Daily, Vail, Colorado
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industry there are still a lot of pain points, TV series, variety show copyright prices have been irrational rise. Tencent video subscriber number is 10% growth, the amount of over the growth of the play, but the cost of copyright price is doubled or even more than two times the growth, which is one of our biggest pain points.
2017 Chinese video subscribers will exceed 74 million, the market size will reach $14 billion.
video website has paid up the wind, the size of the market in the end how much? This will directly determine under high cost of copyright of the video website can get rid of "maishen buy drama" dilemma, even profitability.
September 21st, Iqiyi senior vice president Yang Xianghua in the 2016 Shanghai season "pay network audio-visual industry Salon" forecast, 2017 China video pay market size or will exceed 20 billion yuan. In June this year, first launched payment mode Iqiyi announced its effective VIP membership has exceeded 20 million, continue to occupy the largest market share Chinese video pay. Tencent video, Youku potatoes, LETV also openly said the number of paid users are growing rapidly.
iResearch 2015 China online video users pay market research report analysis data show that in 2017 China’s video subscribers will exceed 74 million of the size of the market or will reach $14 billion.
with the video site with homemade drama, further enrich the video content, and to effectively combat piracy, the rapid development of mobile payment for the favorable environment for the development of video Chinese membership services, including respect for copyright are willing to pay for quality content of group formation, promote the rapid growth of the market to pay.
Yang Xianghua said, is 1.8 times the cinema during the paid market in the United States and Britain after the cinema, Japan is as high as 3.3 times, and the data in the China market this year is expected to be around 20% movies in the cinema after Chinese income has great room for growth.
Iqiyi founder Gong Yu said that although the various video sites are not released to pay income, but by private situation estimate branch revenue this year paid is several times last year.
for the development of the market is the core reason is the public attention to the intellectual property rights, Gong Yu believes that in addition, behind this there are two specific reasons: first, the government and the judicial system, to crack down on piracy, and laid a very good foundation for our industry. The second is the popularity of mobile payment, so that the user experience of small payment is better, pay more convenient, so we entered the spring of small fees.
will pay what kind of business model will bring to the video industry
?The rapid development of video
membership services, but also makes the downstream industries accelerate the prosperity of movie theaters and network movie get split income and higher quality network drama to get more traffic and topic in video platform, users, and platform >


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While Texas is not suffering from the relentless heat that characterized 2011, the dog days of summer are definitely here. With the help of the ERCOT Energy Saver app, consumers in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region now know in real-time when soaring temperatures and tight grid conditions make it more important to reduce their electricity use.
According to a press release, by early August, nearly 11,000 consumers had downloaded the new ERCOT Energy Saver app on their iPhones or Android devices.
“Each time we see temperatures hit triple digits in much of the state, many people become more interested in electric grid conditions,” said ERCOT CEO Trip Doggett. “We believe the new app is the most convenient way for consumers to monitor power use on the grid and receive notifications when conservation is especially important.”
Consumers Receive Real-time Grid Condition Updates
ERCOT launched the mobile app in mid-June, not long before the first heat wave of 2012 brought high temperatures and record June demand to the ERCOT region. The app provides real-time grid conditions, conservation tips and, most notably, notifications when conservation is most important for users who enable the notification feature.
“Over time, we expect to add more features, but the primary goal of this app is to provide another tool ERCOT can use to communicate quickly and directly with consumers during times of high electric use or when we lose enough generation to create a potential problem,” said Doggett.
iPhone and Android users can find the free app by searching for ERCOT Energy Saver in the Apple App Store or Google Play according to the press release.


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From DailyBooth, which, thanks to the front facing cameras has become a quick way to share emotions and moods to Instagr.am, which has become a way to add pizzazz to one’s photos, the mobile photo revolution is unfolding around us. Not a day goes by when you don’t hear about yet another mobile photo sharing service-getting millions of dollars from investors, hoping to turn people’s life snaps into a business.
While it’s unclear if there is gold buried in these pixels, one thing is for sure: The mobile photos could be better – in fact, a lot better. Pelican Imaging, a Mountain View, Calif.-based technology start-up wants to change that, thanks to a radical new approach to mobile cameras and sensors, which depends more on software than megapixels.
The company was co-founded by Aman Jabbi (CEO) and Kartik Venkataraman (CTO), life long chip-heads and former colleagues at Micron Imaging (now a standalone company called Aptina) in May 2008. Since then, it has raised $17 million in two rounds of funding from the likes of Globespan Capital Partners, Granite Ventures, InterWest Partners and IQT. Jabbi says the company has a simple mission: bust the megapixel myth and make mobile imaging a radically new experience.
The MegaPixel Myth
First, let’s talk about the megapixel myth. Many of us believe the more megapixels we have on our mobile phone camera, the better our photos will be. Today, not a day goes by when some mobile phone manufacturer or the other boasts about the megapixels on the cameras crammed into its handsets. Yet, we all end up snapping pictures that are dark, blurry, somewhat discolored and, well, not very cool.
The reason for that is while the mobile cameras might have the megapixels, the overall capabilities aren’t enough for the camera to grab as much light and process the images effectively. At a certain point, more megapixels become counter productive, unless there are certain other capabilities. Let me explain.
The digital picture quality is determined by multiple factors: pixel count, sensor size, lens quality and how the pixels are organized. In case of cellular cameras, the lenses are fixed-focus and sensors are too small. Often, the resolution of the sensor sometimes exceeds the capabilities of the lens, which forces makers of cell-phones to use big lenses, which often leads to ungainly looking cameras on phones. And that’s not all.
Camera manufacturers are cramming more pixels onto a camera sensor without increasing the physical size of the sensor. Thus the physical size of the pixels and the distance between pixels is going down. With a reduction in the amount of light that hits each pixel and “bleeding over” of light from one pixel to an adjacent one, picture quality is impaired. Hence, the notion that more pixels equals better pictures isn’t always true. The obvious way to solve this problem is to use a large sensor and a large lens to capture more light, but unfortunately with this approach, you end up with a much thicker mobile phone.
Pelican has found a way to fix all those problems by using smart software and a new camera module design. Pelican solves this problem with its array camera, composed of multiple micro-cameras (about 25) which preserve the required form-factor of mobile phones. Images from the array camera can significantly benefit from the variety of data captured by the camera array, and it’s much thinner than the current generation of camera modules.
Software Is Sharp & Sexy
Pelican’s camera array takes the optical data and processes it using special software (also created by Pelican) to create high-quality images. Dual core processors and special media processors will turn tomorrow’s smartphones into screamers, and Pelican uses that processing power for its special software.
The software allows the camera module to do many cool things. New applications are also enabled by introducing features such as 3-D depth, gesture control, and the ability for users to interact with the image before and after capturing the shot. Think of it as a way to create more realistic visual experiences. It allows the module to add create post-photo processing effects, for example. Think of it as the more advanced version of Apple’s HDR technology (s aapl) – a way to process photos using software that enhances those pictures.
“What we are doing is changing how light is captured on the cameras and allowing the camera modules to capture a lot more raw data, and you can do a lot with this data which is processed by our software,” Jabbi says.
Pelican’s technology is going to enable the thinner and smaller phones to have high-quality cameras. In order to get its technology to the market, Pelican VP of Marketing and Business Development Oliver Gunasekara, formerly of ARM (s armh), tells me the company is going to adopt the approach adopted by ARM, the mobile processor technology company that licenses its intellectual property and designs to chipmakers such as Qualcomm (s QCOM) and Texas Instruments (s TXN). Pelican’s technology will be embedded into the camera modules by manufacturers and phone makers, which will pay the company a small fee in order to use its technology.
Getting a buy-in from a large and diverse ecosystem is not easy; ask ARM, which spent a lot of years in chip wilderness before finding a way to profits and superstardom. It’s a considerable challenge, but one thing Pelican has going for it is actually its technology. Some of the leading academics have signed on to advise and lend their expertise to the company. Professor Marc Levoy of Stanford University, a well-known authority in computational photography, is on Pelican’s technical board of advisers and noted:
“Pelican’s technology has the potential to upset the traditional tradeoff between the sensitivity and resolution of a camera and its thickness. It also brings new capabilities to cameras, including post-capture focusing, foveal imaging and programmable frame rates. We have been investigating these aspects of computational photography in our laboratory at Stanford for a number of years, through the Stanford Multi-Camera Array, which is big, slow and expensive. Pelican’s solution is small, fast and inexpensive – which makes it a very exciting technology.”
Today, if you asked me what would Pelican do for you, my answer would be, “take better pictures of you when you are misbehaving with a beer buzz.” In the future, it could help develop more realistic interactive visual experience in apps that would make today’s photo-sharing services simply primitive.
To sum it up, I would just say one thing: While it’s nice to see companies like Path and PicPlz get the attention, in reality, it’s technology innovators such as Pelican who really end up making the difference.
Related GigaOM Pro Research (sub req’d):


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WILMINGTON, MA — Here are highlights from the Wilmington Police Log for Tuesday, July 10, 2018:A Lockwood Road caller reported a tractor trailer pulled wires off of her house. Police notified Verizon. (7:48am)A 1-vehicle crash occurred on West Street involving an entrapment. Woburn Street at West Street was temporarily closed. No injuries noted. Vehicle towed. Landscaping damage down to home on West Street. (8:45am)Inbound train blocking Middlesex Avenue/Route 62 at North Wilmington station. (12:36pm)A walk-in party reported his truck was broken into sometime between June 24 and July 8 on Nassau Avenue. (1:49pm)Fire Department responded to a mulch fire at Market Basket on Main Street. (2:42pm)Police requested MassDOT be notified regarding lines on Main Street, near Wilmington Builders Supply. When road is wet, lines can’t be seen, causing traffic to drive on travel into wrong side of road. (9:39pm)A caller reported about 5 juveniles on the Yentile Farm soccer field with flashlights. Police responded. It was a group of adults on the field looking for a ring that was lost on the field during the evening game. The ring was silver with indents and symbols. (10:17pm)(DISCLAIMER: This information is public information. An arrest does not constitute a conviction. Any arrested person is innocent until proven guilty.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip?Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedPOLICE LOG for August 16: Man Pulled Over For Riding Lawn Mower Down Richmond St.; Grandchild Scam ReportedIn “Police Log”POLICE LOG for August 2: Vehicle Damages Roadway; Police Called Over Suspicious BehaviorIn “Police Log”POLICE LOG for August 5: Driver Throws Beer Bottles; Syringe Found; Woburn Man Issued Summons; Texting While DrivingIn “Police Log”
The IL&FS group is facing serious liquidity crisis and has defaulted on interest payments on various debt repayments since 27 August.ReutersThe Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) are now taking desperate measures to raise the funds. In the latest attempt, the IL&FS group has put high-end cars, office furniture, electrical appliances and other assets on sale.The Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) including its various group firms have invited bids to sell 36 luxury cars, including brands like Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Honda, Toyota and Skoda. The beleaguered firm has set a base price a little less than Rs.9 crore for these vehicles.Additionally, in another attempt to raise the capital, the group has also invited the bids for the lump sum sale of its used furniture and white goods on ‘as is where is’ basis at its properties in Mumbai and Kolkata.The IL&FS is going through a phase of a serious debt crisis and have defaulted on various debt repayment since late August. The IL&FS group burdened with a whopping Rs 90,000 crore debt and the default of the financial behemoth has sent cripple effect in the economy.Centre has sacked the existing board and has elected the renowned banker Uday Kotak to help the firm get out of the trouble. It is to be noted that, government-owned Life Insurance Cooperation of India (LIC) is the largest shareholder owning one-fourth of the firm’s equity, while the other shareholders include Orix Corporation of Japan, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Central Bank of India, and SBI.Recently, cash-strapped IL&FS’s move to divest renewable energy assets worth over Rs 8,000 crore has picked up pace as Uday Kotak-led board inviting expressions of interest. Multiple companies have shown their interest to take over these assets which includes Norway’s state-owned renewable energy producer Statkraft, I Squared Capital, Actis, Macquarie and the Hinduja Group.
Posted by Devin Kinasz Wednesday, June 21, 2017 TORONTO — ‘Try before you fly’ virtual reality (VR) technology is revolutionizing the travel industry and Travel Professionals International (TPI) is leading the pack. Hundreds of TPI travel advisors have implemented the VR technology and have successfully used it to offer consumers a preview of not only destinations but also new experiences and higher-margin product.Tim Morgan, TPI Vice President and member of Virtuoso’s technology committee, says virtual reality technology is meeting a growing need: “Travel is becoming more and more experiential every day. Travellers want unique experiences in unique destinations. Explor VR is able to provide as close to a real-life preview of this uniqueness as possible.”Explor VR technology allows clients a sneak peek of what awaits them in the world, no matter where they’re travelling. “This tool is incredible for retail environments and trade shows – basically anywhere that the travel advisor directly interacts with consumers,” says Morgan. “Not only does it have the ‘wow’ factor of being cutting edge, which draws people in, but once they try it their expectations are always exceeded. The tool allows travel advisors to show their professional value, and give clients that first class experience that makes it is harder for them to go back to economy.”More news: AMResorts has a new Sr. Dir. of Cdn. Sales & Consortia Rel’nsMorgan says he believes virtual reality will make consumers feel more comfortable in choosing destinations they’ve never been to before. “It will allow travel advisors to be seen as innovators and gatekeepers to the next generation of experiential travel. An important part of selling travel is to be able to craft a story for clients, as to how this isn’t just a trip, but rather an experience that they’ll never forget. Virtual reality only adds to that saleability.”One of TPI’s top performing travel advisors, Lois Barbour, has used the Explor VR app and headset at bridal shows to attract more clients. She finds that the VR experience creates buzz. “I like the fact that there are options available that put the client in the space of the resort experience. That is the next best thing to being there, and certainly better than photos. As we focus on Sandals Resorts, the pre-loaded Jamaica experience is one of the best ones for us so far. It is always better for clients to have the experience (even if it’s virtual) than listen to an explanation.”More news: CIE Tours launches first-ever River Cruise CollectionThe Explor VR technology was developed by Travelweek in an effort to help travel agencies meet their changing marketing needs. “We’re always thinking of ways to add value for travel agents, so we thought long and hard about the future of travel marketing, and created a suite of sales tools agents could use to capture the attention of consumers,” says Devin Kinasz, Director of Digital Strategy, Travelweek. “The result of our efforts is the industry-leading Explor VR, which puts fun virtual reality destination experiences into the hands of agents and their customers.”To get more information and download the free Explor virtual reality app, go to explorvr.com/. << Previous PostNext Post >> Share Tags: Explor VR, Technology, TPI, Virtual Reality, Xplr VR TPI using virtual reality technology to drive sales


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Symantec in for the long haul, CEO says
Symantec Corp.’s shares have slumped this year amid an internal accounting investigation and waning consumer interest in antivirus software for personal computers. Activist investor Starboard Value LP secured three board seats in a deal with the Mountain View, Californiabased company in September. Last week, the stock surged after a report that private equity firm Thoma Bravo had approached the cybersecurity company about a potential takeover.
Chief Executive Officer Greg Clark sat down with Bloomberg Television for an interview in San Francisco on Thursday.
“We take a long view at Symantec. We are here for the long haul and we invest in our technology and our employees and our customers and sometimes we get some headlines, rumors and speculation and our policy is not to comment.”
Brink’s has reached a multiyear agreement with Canopy Growth Corp. to provide “secure logistics and cash management services” for the cannabis company, including international shipments of weed, the companies announced Thursday.
This is likely to send Brink’s stock higher and maybe even qualify it for inclusion in cannabis-focused exchange-traded funds like the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF, according to James Clement, analyst at Buckingham Research Group, who gives Brink’s a buy rating and $110 price target.


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A recent news article highlighted a collaboration between Center of Creative Arts (COCA) and the St. Louis Fashion Incubator to provide a summer teen fashion intensive camp. The collaborators worked with Jo Flannery, a designer that has put together outfits for queens, princesses, and other members of the British royal family.
According to FOX, “Area high school students considering a college with a fashion program are getting hands-on experience with experts and St. Louis fashion incubator designers.”
“I'm making a linen flowery shirt,” says Kelsey Gibson, a future designer. “It's like a way to express yourself. That's the first thing you see when you see somebody is their clothes which is kind of the personality of what they're wearing.”
You can read the full article here.
About Center of Creative Arts (COCA)
COCA – Center of Creative Arts is the fourth largest multidisciplinary community arts center in the country, one of only 16 schools in the nation accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Precollegiate Arts Schools (ACCPAS), and a national leader in innovative arts education. With a mission to enrich lives and build community through the arts, COCA serves 50,000 people of all ages and skill levels, taught by a faculty of distinguished arts educators.
Published: July 24, 2018


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Data Breach News
Timehop’s data breach included more personal user information than originally announced
Timehop’s July 4th data breach was even worse than the company originally reported. More personal user data — including users’ dates of birth and genders — was compromised, according to a report from …
Data Breach News tracked by SVPN AI.


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punks not dead
Heosemys spinosa is an endangered species.
punks almost dead
That is not a Heosemys Spinosa,its a Graptemys nigrinoda.
they are in the low risk list, therefore, not endangered.
Punks not as almost dead as we thought.
Seems like IKEA are really shaking things up this year. In addition to the previously announced TV set, they’re also going to release a digital camera made of cardboard called Knäppa (“Snap”). It’ll hold 40 photographs at a time and plugs directly into your USB port. While it’s not the prettiest camera the world has ever seen, I do love the idea of a screen-less digital camera that brings people back to the wait-and-see days of film.
This is great.
- Carl Sagan (via tresrosasamarillas)


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Tauck CEO Dan Mahar has announced that longtime company executive Jeremy Palmer has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Palmer, a fourteen-year veteran of the company, had previously served as a Senior Vice President.
Since 2007, Palmer has served Tauck in a variety of operation and planning roles, most recently as SVP, overseeing the company’s Worldwide Operations, Brand Management and Tauck Director Management departments, as well as Tauck’s strategic planning and new business initiatives. Palmer has also been a member of the company’s Executive Team since 2015.
Upon announcing the promotion, Mahar said that “Jeremy has excelled in every responsibility he has taken on at Tauck, and has been a great partner to me, Jennifer (Tauck President Jennifer Tombaugh), and other members of our senior leadership team for well over a decade.”
According to Tauck, Palmer was key in the development of its small-group land tour departures, the addition of shore excursion choices to the company’s European river cruises and the expansion of small ship ocean cruising. Mahar added that Palmer helped the company “achieve our highest guest satisfaction scores and guest retention rates in Tauck’s history, while accelerating our go-to-market efforts that allow earlier bookings to better serve our guests and travel advisor partners.”
Upon news of the promotion, Palmer said: “I’m humbled by and grateful for this opportunity and thankful for the continued trust placed in me.”
“More than anything, I’m excited for our future. We’re already well along on our recovery, and I’m looking forward to helping Tauck emerge as a stronger, smarter company – one that’s even better at serving our guests and travel advisor partners while fulfilling our essential purpose of delivering life-changing travel experiences,” he continued.
Palmer is a graduate of Stanford University and has an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University. Prior to joining Tauck, he was COO for the AGX Corporation, and a vice president at Li & Fung USA.
For more information on Tauck, visit its web site.


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Allders goes into administration
Allders department store has been placed into administration following crisis talks this week. Geoff Bouchier, Matthew Bond and Philip Duffy of global financial advisory and investment banking firm Duff & Phelps, have been appointed as joint administrators. The Croydon-based department store's closure could mean the loss of hundreds of jobs.
Allders director, Andrew Mackenzie, is reported to have commented: “While our funders, shareholders and concession partners have been supportive throughout and the ongoing restructure was progressing, the tough market conditions in the UK retail sector have forced the board to appoint administrators in order to protect the business and its creditors.
"We will now work with the administrator to continue ongoing discussions with funders and other interested parties in the business. With the considerable support already given by Croydon Council and our landlord Minerva, I would hope that additional investment or a sale can be achieved.”
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- America's commercial trucks will soon get their first fuel economy regulations, President Barack Obama announced Friday.
The new rules, which the President directed the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to draw up, would take effect in 2014. and would apply to medium and heavy duty trucks.
"Just like the rule concerning cars this rule will spur growth," the President said. Truckmakers will have to rely on technology and innovation to meet the new rules, he said.
"This is going to bring the cost for transporting goods," the President said. Fuel savings would thereby reduce the costs of goods to consumers as well as reducing the amount of fuel burned.
One year ago, the President announced plans for new, stricter fuel economy rules for passenger vehicles that set goals for those vehicles through the 2016 model year. In his speech, the president also called for a new round of fuel economy requirement increases that would begin with the 2017 model year.
The final regulations for those vehicles require all passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States to get an overall average of 34.1 miles per gallon by model year 2016.
By the 2016 model year, cars will be expected to average about 39 mpg while light trucks, vehicles that include minivans and SUVs, are expected to get an average of 30 mpg.
Current fuel economy standards for new cars are 27.5 mpg for cars and 23.5 mpg for trucks. Currently, there is no requirement for a combined fuel economy average.
Specific fuel economy targets for big trucks have not yet been set, but NHTSA and the EPA will begin working on the new rules.
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More
Honda and General Motors are creating a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles. More
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More
Whether you hedge inflation or look for a return that outpaces inflation, here's how to prepare. More


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A near handful of technology leaders - IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Google - are all scheduled to report quarterly earnings Thursday with Apple planning to report Tuesday. Here are five things to watch when the numbers come out because they could indicate prospects for 2012.
Intel: What is the pace of new orders? The world's biggest semiconductor maker, whose chips power about 90 percent of PCs and laptops, as well as servers, is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings around 61 cents a share, up 3 percent from a year ago, on revenue of $13.7 billion.
Intel already warned earnings might be lower than earlier expected because Thailand's November floods hurt disk drive makers and slowed orders.
But watch what the Santa Clara, Calif.-based giant says about the pace of new orders, especially for the Ultrabook, second-generation Core chips that are the heart of its Ultrabook strategy to compete with Apple in the ultralight- and tablet sector.
Intel only started making these chips in its most advanced U.S. factories in the fourth quarter. At last week's Consumer Electronics Show, about a dozen of its top customers, including Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Samsung Electronics and Lenovo Group, unveiled new Ultrabook laptops.
IBM: What is the overall trend, especially from Europe? The world's No. 2 computer services supplier is expected to report fourth quarter earnings around $4.62 a share, up more than 10 percent, on revenue of $29.7 billion, bringing annual revenue above $100 billion again - a technology club whose only other members are Hewlett-Packard and Apple.
IBM, based in Armonk, N.Y., derives about a third of revenue from what it calls Europe-Middle East Africa, but it's really Europe that counts. Last quarter, that sector's sales rose 9 percent but were flat because of the dollar's fall. What happened in the fourth quarter, as the European recession grew?
Other multinationals in Europe, like HP and Cisco Systems, have fared relatively well because technology was relatively immune to hard times. Companies invest in technology to sustain profits.
On another note, IBM Microelectronics, its chipmaking unit, is one of the world's largest, although far from Intel's size (IBM once owned a minority stake in Intel). Senior executives told International Business Times last week at CES the unit is thriving, selling chips for internal use but also to others, including makers of electronic games like Nintendo.
Apple: What to do with the cash? Apple, scheduled to report Jan. 24, is expected to report first-quarter results of $9.95 a share, up 54 percent, on revenue expected to leap above 40 percent to $38.58 billion.
Obviously, the company will report exactly how many new iPhone 4S models it sold, as well as older iPhones, plus all other products, including iPad2s.
But a sticking point for the Cupertino, Calif.-based giant is its cash pile, which was $85.1 billion last quarter. Apple is under pressure to tap it for acquisitions, or perhaps a special dividend to shareholders, much like Microsoft in 2004.
Now that CEO Tim Cook is running Apple without Chairman Steve Jobs, he's free to implement his own policies. As well, Cook may announce dates for new product releases throughout 2012.
Microsoft: Where's the beef? The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is expected to report second-quarter earnings around 76 cents on revenue of $20.9 billion, a 5 percent boost from 2010.
Global PC sales for 2011 only inched up and Apple had about 75 percent market share in ultralight laptops and tablets. At CES, CEO Steve Ballmer said Microsoft is doing well with all products, including new Windows Phone sales to Nokia and other vendors using Qualcomm chips.
But how about growth forecasts for the rest of 2012? How is Microsoft tapping new customers whose use Skype? And how much cash is available? Surely it will exceed last quarter's $57.1 billion, which also might be used for another special dividend?
Google: What are expectations once the Motorola Mobility deal closes? The Mountain View, Calif.-based search engine and advertising company is expected to report net income rose nearly 16 percent to $9.03 a share on Thursday, as revenue rises 31 percent, to $8.4 billion.
Given troubles at Yahoo, Google's search hits have grown and its Google+ offering to battle Facebook may have exceeded 50 million signups. But what will CEO Larry Page say about strategy once its $12.5 billion takeover of Motorola Mobility closes, probably in the first quarter, putting Google into the hardware business for the first time?
That will set the stage for a battle royal with Apple for smartphones and tablets, the reason why Google targeted Motorola Mobility. Google also had $42.6 billion in cash last quarter, so plans for its use are key, especially after paying for Motorola. There may also be a legal battle ahead with the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission, which have been probing Google's overwhelming market share in search.


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Paul Vanags, PHH market manager for fuel, said: 'I think of the system as being an example of PHH practising what it preaches in terms of cutting down on paperwork and time spent on administration.'
The company has launched the service to meet a predicted growth in the number of fleets using fuel cards if EC proposals on the UK's pay and reclaim rules are changed. Currently UK companies can recover VAT on fuel paid for by employees using their own cash, cheque or credit card, but used for business journeys.
This right is covered in UK tax law, but does not comply with European legislation which insists that companies can only deduct VAT on goods which are supplied directly to the employer, not employee, and where the invoice is made out to the employer. The 'pay and reclaim' system meets neither of these criteria, but fuel cards do.


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CBIZ: 2Q Earnings Snapshot
CLEVELAND (AP) _ CBIZ Inc. (CBZ) on Wednesday reported second-quarter earnings of $16.6 million.
The Cleveland-based company said it had profit of 30 cents per share.
The provider of outsourced business services posted revenue of $235.5 million in the period.
CBIZ shares have risen 17% since the beginning of the year. The stock has increased 4.5% in the last 12 months.


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With no information coming in from the states on the number of missing children lodged in child protection units across the country, the Centre had... ...http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-just-2-states-submit-missing-children-stats-2552731
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that former President Pranab Mukherjee had every reason to "feel the grievance" that he was... ...http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-manmohan-singh-pranab-was-more-suited-to-be-pm-2552706
Xiaomi has finally launched their flagship Mi MIX 2 in India today at an event in New Delhi. It features a bezel-less, edge-to-edge display with... ...http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trakin/~3/drYqh5yC8PI/
This week Xiaomi launched 32GB version of Mi Max 2 in India, Sony launched Xperia XA1 Plus, LG launched G6+, Moto introduced Moto X4 Android One... ...http://www.fonearena.com/blog/230410/weekly-roundup-moto-x4-android-one-sony-xperia-xa1-plus-lg-q6-bose-qc-35-ii-and-more.html
Bose has officially unveiled QC 35 II noise-cancelling headphones that come with Google Assistant. Rumored earlier this month, QC35 are the... ...http://www.fonearena.com/blog/230271/bose-qc-35-ii-noise-cancelling-headphones-with-google-assistant-announced-for-349-95.html
Sanjary Education Academy provides...
Download Latest Version Of Qc ->...


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Top Mobile App Development Trends To Look Forward To In 2019
Mobile app development trends are constantly changing, and these days it seems like there is an app for virtually anything and everything! In the last few years, you may have noticed an increase in the amount of apps available to download, with some of the most popular being cutting edge and dynamic apps that bring something new to the table. Even just a few years ago, something like an artificial intelligence app would have seemed almost impossible, but the ever-changing mobile app landscape has proven that nothing is impossible. Here are some of the top mobile app development trends to look out for in 2019.
AI app development isn’t exactly a new concept, but it is something we are going to be seeing a lot more of in 2019. Apps like Facebook, Spotify, and even Netflix use artificial intelligence to filter what shows up in your feed and cater to things you may be interested in. Additional mobile features, such as facial recognition and GPS tracking, uses artificial intelligence as well, something that would have seemed like a radical concept just a few years ago. More uses of artificial intelligence is definitely going to be extremely prevalent in mobile app development in 2019.
Augmented reality is another mobile app development trend that isn’t necessarily new, but will become more common in 2019. Apps like Snapchat and Instagram have been using augmented reality for quite some time, as can be seen in the “filters” you can use on each app. These filters allow users to distort their faces to transform themselves into characters, like puppies, unicorns, and even food items, like tacos. A popular Snapchat feature is the “face swap” filter, which allows uses to essentially swap faces with the person sitting next to them. In 2019, you can expect to see more apps that utilize augmented reality, with gaming apps being among the apps to use it the most.
Since Apple launched the first smartwatch in 2014, wearable gadgets have become incredibly popular for their convenience and functionality. The most popular types of wearable apps cater towards the health and fitness market, specifically to monitor heart rate, eating habits, and step count. Apps like Facebook Messenger, Google Maps, and even Uber are commonly used on wearables, making the need for an actual cell phone less prevalent. Apple, Android, Fitbit, and LG all have their own versions of smart watches, and we will definitely be seeing a big advancement in the development of wearable technology in 2019.
With a new year comes new technological advancements, and it will be exciting to see what new mobile app developments emerge in 2019!


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Chevrolet Blames Low November Volt Sales on Lack of Inventory
December 4, 2012 1:13 PM
comment(s) - last by
Strong demand for the Volt partly to blame for inventory issues
Chevrolet has been doing surprisingly well with sales of its Volt extended range electric vehicle. In fact, Chevrolet has repeatedly set sales records for the Volt this year. Back in August, Chevrolet set a single month
for the Volt and then beat that record again in October.
In November of this year, Chevrolet sold 1,519 Volt vehicles, which represented a 33% increase over November of 2011. However, the number of cars sold in November was roughly half the number Chevrolet sold in October and September when the company sold 2,961 and 2,851 Volts respectively.
Chevrolet says that the problem with sales declining isn't that demand for the vehicle is waning; it's that demand is too high. Part of the reason sales declined so much in November was due to low inventory that was felt particularly hard in California.
According to Don Johnson, Chevrolet VP of Sales and Service, the California market where GM sells 34% of all the Volts it produces recently had only an 8-day supply the vehicle. General Motors has been able to up production of the vehicle and currently has up to 23 days supply for California and about 60 days across the US. According to Johnson, that volume level is ideal.
General Motors has sold 20,828 Volts so far this year.
Another potential issue that could have contributed to low supply of the Volt was that the assembly plant where the Volt is produced was idled to retool for production of 2014 Chevrolet Impala. That plant idling combined with stronger-than-expected sales led to problems with inventory.
While General Motors struggles with supplies for its popular Volt, competitor Ford is doing very well with its new C-Max plug-in hybrid. Ford reports that it has sold 8,999 C-Max hybrids and
C-Max Energi plug-in hybrids
in only two months. The most popular region for the car is Southern California according to Ford.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: 2 things
12/4/2012 3:00:59 PM
I would feel most uncool driving a prius and I don't feel the same way about the volt at all.
RE: 2 things
12/5/2012 3:33:13 AM
I'm seeing them more and more here in Chicago, and have never owned a GM product, but every time I see a Volt, the thought crosses my mind to plunk down on one for my next car.
You can spot their unique style alone a mile away and here in the city it makes more sense than any other personal transport.
Diesel is very hard to find and overpriced, hybrids have poor fuel economy on the highway (where their electric motors\batteries are dead weight) and any other regular car sitting in traffic is guzzling at idle. I ride a motorcycle as well but even then I'm lucky to get 50mpg.
The Volt is none of these things, and considering electricity is as low as $0.04/kwh here because we are mostly nuclear, it costs 40 cents to 'fill up' a Volt for your daily commute.
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The Barcelona edition of MWC 2021 is still scheduled for June, but Samsung and Lenovo have already informed that they will not attend the event in person. According to communiqués from both companies, obtained respectively by Reuters and The Verge, the manufacturers chose not to appear in order to preserve the health and safety of their exhibitors in the face of Covid-19 pandemic.
It is worth remembering, however, that MWC 2021 will still have both companies on a remote basis, even though neither of them has detailed how this will be done or even what they intend to exhibit. Other events, such as E3 2021 and the Game Developers Conference (GDC) must also be conducted remotely.
- Almost virtual: Tokio Game Show 2021 will be online, but will have a face-to-face component
- Understand the importance of taking the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine
- Covid-19 protective measures help prevent flu and other illnesses
The MWC (or “Mobile World Congress”) 2021 is held annually on three occasions, each in a city: although the Barcelona edition is the best known and usually the one that everyone thinks about when they hear the name of the event.
The GSMA, which controls its production, also extended the brand to Shanghai (China) and Los Angeles (USA). The event is the main meeting of technology companies operating in the mobile market, such as smartphone manufacturers, app developers and other resources.
In 2020, MWC was one of the first events to suffer from the Covid-19 pandemic. With the new coronavirus spreading around the world, the event scheduled for the first quarter of last year underwent several rescheduling, until it is strictly canceled after several previously confirmed manufacturers removed their support due to the preservation of employee health.
For the 2021 edition, MWC continues to fight to hold a face-to-face event, promising to follow advanced health control protocols, on-site testing and reduced public - although, with the exception of the USA, several other countries of origin of some participating companies facing difficulties in vaccination campaigns.
According to the Covid-19 map updated by Google, the region of Catalonia - where the city of Barcelona is located - registered 597.957 cases Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 14.409 deaths.
"The health and safety of our employees, partners and customers is our highest priority, so we made the decision to withdraw from this year's Mobile World Congress face-to-face exhibition," said Samsung, via email. To The Verge, Lenovo said it had informed the GSM group that it would remotely attend the occasion last Friday (7).
It is worth remembering that several companies have already chosen not to participate in this year's edition of the fair, remotely or not, such as Sony, Oracle, Ericsson and Nokia.
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On the Move Systems, a company focused on developing cutting-edge technology designed to reduce costs and increase convenience in the tourism and travel industry, today issued a recap of company milestones in 2013 and expectations for 2014.
With a new business plan in place, the company in 2013 worked toward capitalizing on the burgeoning and widespread growth of online travel and transportation booking. Much of the year was spent seeking out potential partners that were capable of providing niche services through On the Move Systems' new online portal now in development.
Efforts to seek out high-potential agreements in the sector resulted in a business development agreement with Florida-based air-travel provider the Naples Connection. On the Move Systems also strengthened its position by investing in travel and transportation innovators such as JetSet Car Service, an exclusive chauffeuring company, and opened negotiations with the Xperience, a company offering fantasy sports getaways.
In the New Year, On the Move Systems says it plans to complement these strategic partnerships by establishing business relationships with cutting-edge travel and transportation providers, and by building on the network of services that will soon comprise its online booking portal.
For more information, visit onthemovesystems.com
QualityStocks provides investor relations services to publicly traded companies in exchange for compensation. This article may be part of our efforts to widen a client's exposure. To read our full disclaimer, visit http://disclaimer.qualitystocks.net


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Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of ACCO Brands (NYSE:ACCO) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Friday, Zacks.com reports. They currently have $11.00 price target on the industrial products company’s stock.
According to Zacks, “ACCO Brands Corporation is a world leader in branded office products. Its industry-leading brands include Swingline, Kensington, Wilson Jones, Quartet, GBC, and Day-Timer, among others. Under the GBC brand, the Company is also a leader in the professional printing market. “
Several other brokerages have also issued reports on ACCO. ValuEngine raised ACCO Brands from a strong sell rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Noble Financial set a $14.00 target price on ACCO Brands and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $11.00 target price on shares of ACCO Brands in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $12.00.
ACCO Brands (NYSE:ACCO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $518.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $493.89 million. ACCO Brands had a return on equity of 16.06% and a net margin of 5.43%. ACCO Brands’s revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that ACCO Brands will post 1.19 EPS for the current year.
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 23rd will be paid a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.52%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 22nd. ACCO Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.05%.
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in ACCO Brands by 138.7% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,642 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 2,697 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. bought a new stake in ACCO Brands in the second quarter valued at approximately $83,000. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its position in ACCO Brands by 23.1% in the fourth quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 13,338 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $87,000 after purchasing an additional 2,507 shares during the last quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. bought a new stake in ACCO Brands in the first quarter valued at approximately $88,000. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in ACCO Brands by 24.8% in the first quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 17,359 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $149,000 after purchasing an additional 3,451 shares during the last quarter. 91.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
ACCO Brands Company Profile
ACCO Brands Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets consumer and business products. It operates through three segments: ACCO Brands North America, ACCO Brands EMEA, and ACCO Brands International. The company offers school notebooks, calendars, janitorial supplies, and whiteboards; storage and organization products, such as three-ring and lever-arch binders, sheet protectors, and indexes; laminating, binding, and shredding machines, as well as related consumable supplies; writing instruments; stapling and punching products; do-it-yourself tools; and computer accessories and others used in schools, homes, and businesses.
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Top 5 Crypto Performers Overview: Bitcoin Cash, IOTA, TRON …
Cryptocurrencies as an item category are sappy and figure out their possess niche. While the equity markets had their worst week in the past 10 years, the crypto markets have bounced neatly from their lows, display first signs of a recovery.
However, after the vast drop of resources this whole year, it will take more than a miscarry to endorse the start of a new uptrend. Though these bounces are a good event for short-term traders, the investors need to look for vast bottoming formations which vigilance the commencement of an uptrend.
After the initial bounce, the traders will look for signs of improving fundamentals before entrance in with new money. Therefore, nonetheless the miscarry is a certain sign, it is still not an all-clear signal. Let’s look at the tip 5 performers of this week.
Bitcoin Cash saw vast shopping over the week. It incited out to be the best behaving cryptocurrency by a outrageous margin. The swell helped it stand back to the fourth mark in terms of marketplace capitalization.
However, before the convene began, Bitcoin Cash’s cost was overtaken by Ethereum for the first time ever, which shows the kind of repairs the bear marketplace and the hard fork had on it. So, after the new upswing, what is in store for us in the nearby future? Let’s find out.
We shall cruise only the duration after the most new hard fork. From the intraday high of $451.35 on Nov. 15, the BCH/USD span plunged to an intraday low of $73.5 on Dec. 15. That’s a tumble of 83.71 percent in a month. As the crypto markets are hugely volatile, we always disciple trade with the use of stop losses.
The vital trend still stays down, but the short-term trend looks to be changing. The 20-day EMA is branch up, and the RSI is also in the certain territory, which validates our outlook.
Nonetheless, even after the new pullback, the cryptocurrency has only retraced tighten to 50 percent of the latest fall. We design a clever insurgency at $262.43, as the 50-day SMA is also located at this level.
If BCH doesn’t give up much belligerent in the successive integrate of days, it would advise clever shopping support at these levels. If the bulls means the cost above the 20-day EMA, it will boost the luck of a convene to $307.01, which is a 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement of the fall.
However, if the bears again pounce and penetrate the cost successive the 20-day EMA, it can unemployment back to the lows.
The teams of the IOTA substructure and Audi have presented the results of their five-month long plan to a name audience. The concentration was to find solutions for genuine universe problems in the area of mobility, internet of things and the automotive industry.
The IOTA substructure announced a new crush duty named “Troika,” grown by CYBERCRYPT. Though it has finished several rounds of review, the substructure has non-stop it to the open for evaluation. The group or particular that cracks it can travel divided with esteem income of €200,000.
The IOTA/USD span has given up a lot of belligerent from the all-time-high of $5.8 available in Dec of last year. From the peak, the cost fell to $0.2051 on Dec. 7, where shopping emerged.
Though the cost has rebounded about 77 percent from the lows, at the stream cost it is still down roughly 94 percent from the highs. This confirms that the categorical trend is down, but there are signs of a change in the short-term trend.
The 20-day EMA has started to spin up, and the RSI is in the certain territory, which suggests that the bulls have the tip palm in the nearby term. Currently, the liberation is confronting insurgency at the 50-day SMA, which is tilted down.
If the bulls mangle out of this, a pierce to $0.4037, followed by a convene to $0.5095 is probable. On the other hand, if the cost turns down from the stream levels, it might find support at the 20-day EMA. A mangle of this support can penetrate the practical banking to $0.25 and successive that to $0.2051.
Traders who are holding long positions from the reduce levels can book prejudiced increase and route their stops aloft on the remaining position. Others, who are watchful to buy, can wait for a aloft low to form before jumping in to buy.
The number of TRON mainnet accounts has surpassed 900,000, a poignant milestone. Its network continued to grow even in the bear marketplace and it has now processed more than 100 million transactions. Will the flourishing numbers outcome in a aloft price? Let’s find out by study the pair’s weekly chart.
The TRX/USD span has damaged out of the beyond insurgency and has again re-entered the operation of $0.01587681–$0.02990592. The cost had remained inside this operation since mid-August before violation down 4 weeks back.
However, the bears could not gain on the relapse and pull the cost lower. Aggressive shopping at reduce levels has pushed the cost back into the range. This confirms that the markets have deserted the reduce levels.
The digital banking can now convene to the successive beyond insurgency at $0.02990592. We design this spin to act as a vital roadblock for the bulls. However, once that line is crossed, the cryptocurrency should start a new uptrend.
On the downside, if the cost stays above $0.01587681, it can be a shopping opportunity. The downtrend will resume if the bears penetrate the span successive $0.01089965.
At one point, Bitcoin SV and Bitcoin Cash were trade just $10 apart. However, the successive liberation of both cryptocurrencies saw Bitcoin Cash swell ahead. Will Bitcoin SV play locate up, or have their performances diverged? Let’s find out.
The BSV/USD span has been trade inside the operation of $80.352–$123.98 since Nov. 26. The relapse of the operation on Dec. 13 valid to be a short-term affair, as the cost fast climbed back into it by Dec. 17. This shows that the markets have deserted the reduce levels.
The successive convene has carried the cost back to the tip of the range. Efforts to mangle out of the operation unsuccessful to means on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21. However, a certain pointer is that the practical banking has not given up much belligerent — that shows shopping support.
If the cost stays above $100, the bulls are expected to mangle out of the operation once again. If successful, the successive aim on the upside is $167.608.
Conversely, if the cryptocurrency fails to mangle out of the range, it might slip to the bottom. The supports on the downside are at $80.352 and $65.031.
Dash has made outrageous inroads into the Venezuelan economy. About 2,500 merchants in Venezuela accept Dash payments, which is more than half of the sum 4,500 merchants around the creation that accept it.
Recently, Church’s Chicken restaurants started usurpation Dash payments in Venezuela. With the recognition picking up, it is no warn that Dash’s partner Kriptomobile has managed to sell 53,000 KRIP phones in Venezuela so far.
The trend in the DASH/USD span is clearly down. It has been on a one-way pierce since commanding out at $1,625 in Dec 2017. This week, the cost had bounced to triple digits from a low of $56.214 last week. Though the miscarry is impressive, it can't be deliberate a trend change.
In sequence for the trend to change, the cost will have to stabilize, form a basing settlement and then vigilance a trend reversal. If the shopping continues, the pullback can strech $120, followed by a pierce to $160.805, the spin from where the stream leg of the downtrend started.
On the downside, the support is at $80 and successive that at $60. The downtrend will resume if the bears penetrate the practical banking successive $56.214. Though the short-term traders can float this pierce higher, the investors should wait for a new buy setup to form on the weekly draft before substantiating new long positions.


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The NTDA has revealed that it is taking action against a number of UK tyre retailers who are falsely claiming to be members of the Association, are displaying the NTDA logo on their recovery vehicles, websites and marketing collateral, or who are advertising that repair work carried out at their tyre depots is carried out to “the NTDA standard”.
Logos denoting membership of, or approval by, an organisation such as a trade association, may be legitimately used by businesses. However, their misuse, deliberate or otherwise, can result in a commercial advantage, enabling work to be acquired unfairly, and constitutes a breach of UK law.
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) specifically ban businesses from displaying any form of trust mark, quality mark or equivalent collective mark, if they are not authorised to do so. They also ban any form of claim that a business, or their service, has been approved, authorised or endorsed by a public or private body when it hasn’t, (thus, written claims that are untrue are also prohibited, as well as the use of logos). It is also a breach of the CPRs to provide false or deceptive information.
Commenting on the situation NTDA Chief Executive Stefan Hay said: “The NTDA membership logo is a Patent Office / Intellectual Property Office registered collective trade mark across a number of classifications. We have been staggered by the blatant abuse of the logo and the associated claims being made by unscrupulous tyre retailers. Incidents range from companies using the logo on their vans and websites, (including use of the NTDA Tyre Industry Awards logo inferring companies have achieved a level of excellence), to eBay traders claiming that their part worn tyres are repaired to the NTDA standard, a standard, which of course does not exist. We only know about some of these companies because consumers have complained about their poor service and shoddy workmanship!”
Failure to comply with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is a fine and two years’ imprisonment.
Stefan continued: “We have commenced action against a number of retailers. In the first instance we have sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to all of the companies that have breached the CPRs giving them 7 working days to confirm, in writing, that they have removed the NTDA and associated logos and all other reference to the NTDA from their premises, vehicles, marketing collateral, advertising and online trading portals. We hope that we will not have to further escalate matters, but will not hesitate to report these companies to Trading Standards with a view to pursuing full prosecution. We will not tolerate such companies bringing the NTDA and its legitimate members in to disrepute.”


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Swedish manufacturer of solar roofs Midsummer increased order intake of its discrete and sustainable solar roofs by 26.5 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year. Also in the quarter, long term agreements for the sale of solar panels worth more than EUR 100m were signed.
Order intake for the business area Solar Roofs in the first quarter of this year amounted to SEK 12.5 million, an increase of just over 26 percent from the same period last year. Invoicing of solar roofs for the quarter amounted to SEK 6.2 million, up 77 percent compared with the first quarter of 2021.
Midsummer manufactures and installs solar roofs of the SLIM, WAVE and BOLD models. The solar roofs consist of solar panels that are thin, light, discreet and with a minimal climate footprint compared to traditional solar panels.
In the first quarter, Midsummer also signed two deals worth a combined EUR 103.5 million (approximately SEK 1.07 billion) with the Italian roof manufacturers Unimetal and PugliAsfalti. Deliveries to these customers will be made from Midsummer's Italian factory, which is expected to start production at the turn of 22/23. The five-year deals are reported separately from order intake until these orders are assigned to specific projects.
Links to images and other press material: Press – Midsummer.
For additional information contact:
Head of Communications, Midsummer
Tel: + 46 70 341 46 53
Midsummer is a Swedish solar energy company that develops and markets equipment for the production of thin film solar cells and also manufactures, sells and installs solar roofs. The solar cells are of CIGS technology and thin, light, flexible, discreet and with a minimal carbon footprint compared with other solar panels.
The solar roofs are produced in Sweden using the company’s own unique DUO system which has taken the position as the most widespread manufacturing tool for flexible CIGS solar cells in the world. The Company’s shares (MIDS) are traded on Nasdaq First North Growth Market with G&W Fondkommission as Certified Adviser, phone: +46 (0)8-503 000 50, email: firstname.lastname@example.org. For more information, please visit: midsummer.se


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MasterCard Worldwide has signed a five-year Premium Debit MasterCard exclusivity agreement with Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), a MasterCard issuer.
As part of the latest multi-year MasterCard agreement, QIB will issue PIN based Premium Debit Cards to its VVIP and affluent client base. This agreement will add value in the form of lounge access, concierge service and many other privileged benefits.
According to MasterCard, the strategic agreement will streamline QIB’s Premium Debit MasterCard issuance, while offering more benefits and enhanced insight as the bank manages its premium debit portfolio.
Salah Jaidah, CEO at QIB, said: “This collaboration reflects the bank’s vision to offer innovative MasterCard payment solutions to its customers. We have worked with MasterCard since 2003, and have developed a strong, value-based relationship that meets the evolving needs of QIB MasterCard cardholders.”
Eyad Al-Kourdi, vice president and country manager for Southern Gulf – UAE, Qatar & Oman at MasterCard Worldwide, said: “This agreement underscores our commitment to work with our customers to develop products and solutions that are customized to cater to the diverse needs of consumers. MasterCard is delighted to cooperate with Qatar Islamic Bank to develop a payment solution tailored to appeal to the affluent consumer.”


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“We think the sweet spot is temporary. Investors appear to be ignoring a number of medium- to long-term risks, which could hit profits,” said HSBC’s analysts Achal Kumar, Andrew Lobbenberg and Parash Jain in a client note.
The challenges for the sector include the impact of new IFRS 16 accounting standards, China-US trade tensions, and an unfavourable currency outlook among others.
HSBC raised its target price on InterGlobe Aviation, which runs Indigo, to Rs 1,580 from Rs 1,100 and on SpiceJet to Rs 115.0 from Rs 79.50.
“We believe the industry is a long-term structural winner as Indian aviation is highly underpenetrated,” said the brokerage. “However, we think the market is getting ahead of itself.”
On Friday, Spicejet shares fell 2.2 per cent to Rs 143. InterGlobe Aviation shed 0.6 per cent to Rs 1,660.50. In the past three months, SpiceJet has risen roughly 85 per cent and Indigo has gained about 50 per cent.
HSBC said both airlines are now trading near their all-time high valuations.
The brokerages said airfares in India have risen 12-15 per cent over the past 4-5 months largely due to the suspension of Jet flights and the grounding of the 737 Max fleet, cutting industry capacity by almost 25 per cent. Consensus earnings forecasts have risen by 136 per cent for Indigo and 56 per cent for SpiceJet since the start of 2019, it said.
“Our forecasts are almost 40 per cent below consensus as we think the market is overly optimistic about the increase in airfares and is missing some of the key challenges facing the industry,” the brokerage said.
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India’s consumer inflation eased to a five-month low of 6.71% in July on the back of a moderation in food inflation, firming up expectations that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may go for a softer increase in policy rates at its end-September review.I am a Chinese, not a Terrorist: Huawei India CEO to Court
Huawei Telecommunications (India) chief executive officer Li Xiongwei told a Delhi court on Friday, “I am a Chinese (national) and not a terrorist,” apparently borrowing a line from a Shah Rukh Khan movie.Chip Shortage in the Rear-View Mirror, Auto Cos on Launchpad
Automobile companies are gearing up for a record number of launches in the coming months as the semiconductor shortage that has plagued the industry eases.
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Lively Debate Between UK and Indian Delegates Reveal Shared Hopes For the Future of India-UK Free Trade at the UK Trade Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that Make in India would play a major part in any cooperation between the UK and India at the India-UK Trade Summit in New Delhi with Theresa May. PM Modi discussed Britain benefiting from India’s FDI policy in aerospace, defense, and manufacturing sectors. Prime Minister Modi, in his speech, talked about cooperating in science and technology, including robotics and AI, and India’s expertise in creating Smart Cities and encouraging greater mobility for research and education. India also has a large pharmaceutical industry, benefiting both countries as they compete in the global healthcare and health products market. He made it very clear that there should be no restriction of labor between the two nations. Theresa May discussed a Registered Traveller Scheme for Indian business travelers that would give expedited clearance at British border controls and fewer barriers to trade and increased investment. She reiterated that Britain wants to advocate for free trade globally and that India and the UK had a special relationship with historical ties. There will also be cooperation in green energy projects, with PM Modi announcing a £10 million India-UK clean energy R&D center.
The India-UK Trade Summit featured panels on various topics such as ‘Technology-driven Businesses, Government & Society: What next for India?’ Other topics discussed were start-ups, Smart cities, and defense. Currently, start-ups in India are valued at $75 billion, with over 90,000 new businesses. The only time that the meeting got contentious was predictably when the conversation veered from free trade to the free movement of labor. Both sides were adamant about their position, with Amitabh Kant, the CEO, stating that free trade in manufacturing must be partnered with free trade in skilled manpower with the UK needing to let highly trained professionals into the UK work; otherwise, how could they develop as a great country if they do not hire the best workers in a particular field. There was much applause at this statement, and diplomatically Greg Hands, UK Minister of State for Trade & Investment, replied that Britain wanted to remain open for business and that they were listening to PM Modi.
The India UK trade summit ended with affirmations that the free trade group could do well in the future despite issues around Indian immigration to the UK. Watch this space.
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The Commission has put forward legislation requiring electronic device manufacturers to adopt a universal USB-C port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld videogame consoles.
While the majority of modern smartphones made by the likes of Google, Sony, and Samsung have switched from micro-USB chargers to USB-C in recent years due to its faster and more efficient charging capabilities, Apple’s iPhone requires its own proprietary lightning charger.
Apple has long resisted the change, claiming in January 2020 that forcing all manufacturers to adopt a common charger would “harm consumers in Europe and the economy as a whole”.
The Commission’s proposal will allow consumers to charge their devices with the same USB-C charger, regardless of brand, and to purchase phones and other devices without a new charger.
Removing chargers from inclusion with a new device would reduce production and disposal of unwanted new cables, it claimed, reducing the amount of generated electronic waste (e-waste) by an estimated approximate 11,000 tonnes annually.
Similarly, European consumers could save €250m on buying unnecessary chargers each year, it added.
The proposal will need to be approved and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council and would be followed by a 24 month transition period, meaning the directive would be unlikely to come into effect before 2024.
It’s unclear how the legislation, were it approved and came into force, would affect iPhones sold in the UK following its exit from the European Union.
Earbuds, smartwatches and fitness trackers will not be forced to adopt the USB-C charger because of concerns over their size and use condition.
Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, said that European consumers have been “frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers”.
“We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger,” she said.
“This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions”.
Apple said it remained “concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world”.
“We look forward to continued engagement with stakeholders to help find a solution that protects consumer interest, as well as the industry’s ability to innovate and bring exciting new technology to users,” the company said in a statement.
Apple said it shared the Commission’s commitment to protecting the environment and was working towards making all of its devices and their uses carbon neutral by 2030.
While it has been rumoured for many years that the Californian tech giant is planning to make the switch to USB-C under its own steam, the company’s latest raft of iPhones that still use lightning chargers are due to go on sale on Friday.
The majority of flagship smartphones also now support wireless charging, reducing reliance on cables to keep batteries topped up.
Apple was among the 11 technology companies that signed a memorandum of understanding pledging to work towards a common micro-USB charger in June 2009, but was allowed to continue making Apple-only cables under the condition it offered an adaptor.


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Airbus has closed its sole final assembly line in China, as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues its spread in and out of the country.
The airframer says the Tianjin final assembly line, which produces A320-family aircraft, is currently closed. Airbus did not say when it intended to reopen the facility.
The Tianjin facility is one of four A320 final assembly lines around the world, and the only one in Asia.
It began operations in 2008, and was the first final assembly line Airbus opened outside of Europe. Tianjin is also home to an A330 completion and delivery centre and a logistics centre, states Airbus.
“With regards to the business impact, China domestic and worldwide travel restrictions are posing some logistical challenges,” says Airbus, without elaborating.
Globally, a growing list of countries – such as Singapore, Australia and the United States – have imposed travel restrictions on individuals who have visited China recently.
In China, several cities - such as Wuhan, where the outbreak is thought to have originated - are currently on lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
The airframer says it is monitoring the situation closely, and that its China unit is following government requirements for all staff to work from home, and is facilitating this with the necessary IT equipment. Airbus employs about 500 people in Tianjin.
It adds: “Airbus is constantly evaluating the situation and monitoring any potential knock-on effects to production and deliveries and will try to mitigate via alternative plans where necessary.”
Airbus’s comment is the first response from a major airframer in recent days to the coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed close to 500 lives.