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Almost 2,000 jobs saved at clothing company Adams
Childrens-wear chain Adams will remain on the high street after a rescue deal with its former owner that will preserve 1,900 jobs, administrators have said.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said the business was sold to Northern Ireland businessman John Shannon, who originally bought Adams from collapse in 2007.
PwC said the sale would preserve the Adam’s brand and save the jobs of the chain’s remaining 1,900 workers and 120 stores in Ireland and the UK.
The deal between PwC and Mr Shannon’s newly formed company, JS Childrenswear, comes just six weeks after administrators were called in to the ailing firm.
PwC has closed 147 stores and shed more than 1,100 jobs at the chain as a downturn in consumer spending battered the already struggling retailer.
Rob Hunt, joint administrator and partner at PwC, said: “We are delighted to be able to secure this business sale and provide some much needed stability for customers, suppliers and employees alike in these uncertain times...
“The new company will continue to trade under the Adams name, meaning this brand will not be one of the retail names disappearing from the high street in the current recession.
“This transaction also demonstrates that with the right business model, retailers can be rescued from administration in the current economic climate.”
He said the sale was the “best deal” for all concerned, adding that administrators had received “a number of expressions of interest” for the chain.
The firm sells babywear, school uniforms and clothes for children aged from two to 10 years.


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Technology: Target on Your Back
High-profile data breaches put retailers in public crosshairs
The real answer, he says, is in continued discussion involving all stakeholders. “We’re working hard not to get the short end of the stick,” he says. And while Visa Inc. a few months ago seemed ready to relax pending EMV deadlines, the Target revelation seems to have put pressure on them to keep the EMV momentum going. “Now it’s EMV now and EMV forever,” Taylor says.
A retailer in the Northeast, who spoke to CSP magazine on condition of anonymity, concurred, saying that technologies such as EMV will take years to implement at a tremendous cost, all the while giving hackers time to adapt. “It’s like trying to put a ladder to reach the top of a tree,” he says. “Every time you want to reach the top, the tree grows and you need a new ladder.”
Ultimately, Taylor does see a “multilayered” solution as the answer, with the specifics being what all stakeholders can agree upon, whether those steps require technology, processes or training.
One of the solutions called for by those speaking on the Hill is eliminating signature-based credit cards altogether.
A representative from the National Retail Federation in March told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that “it’s time for an overhaul of the nation’s fraud-prone credit- and debit-card system,” saying banks’ insistence on cards that use a signature instead of a PIN puts merchants and customers at risk.
Mallory Duncan, senior vice president and general counsel for NRF, in a release pointed out that the cardholder’s name and account number are clearly printed on each card, along with the expiration date and security code.
The idea sits well with Taylor of PCATS. However, he says, “It’s in the best interest of the credit-card companies not to do so. If you put a PIN on every card, Visa would lose 62% of its transaction volume. If I were Visa, I wouldn’t want to see that happen.”
When contacted by CSP, a Visa spokesperson would not comment on card volume based on authentication methods but addressed the issue of PIN-based solutions. Ellen Richey, chief enterprise risk officer and chief legal office, says Visa’s focus is moving to a chip-based system. “The chip creates a dynamic cryptogram—a one-time message with every transaction—so that if a thief gets into the retail store or systems and steals the data, they can’t make a usable counterfeit card,” she says.

domain: news


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Ultrahaptics lets you touch what you see in virtual and augmented reality, or even give a 2D poster 3D feeling. It uses small speaker-like ultrasound wave emitters to give the sensation of pressure and texture when you’re just waving your hands in the open air.
Ultrahaptics CTO Tom Carter demoed the technology onstage today at TechCrunch’s Disrupt Berlin conference. It feels like some combination of static electricity from laundry, a fan and heavy bass without the sound.
He showed how he could allow you to feel a movie poster you pass on the street. In his demo, you could wave your hands in front of a Star Wars: The Last Jedi poster, and touch “the force” — a tingly feeling synced to a lightsaber sound and animation of crackling energy on the poster’s screen.
The startup has raised around $38 million to bring the ultrasound technology to market. It could eventually be built into VR headsets or tabletop models.
Carter claims that the technology is totally safe, which you’d hope, considering ultrasound is how we do imaging of babies in the womb. The technology could compete with alternative ways to feel virtual reality, like Tactical Haptics’ Reactive Grip product — a controller with moving surfaces that rub against your hands to give the impression of a fish tugging on a line or you stretching a piece of rubber.
For now, Ultrahaptics can only let you feel a vague sensation of touch, but it’s working on letting you sense different textures, too. Unfortunately, ultrasound won’t ever be strong enough to make it seem like you’re actually holding a complex virtual object like a gun while playing a first-person shooter game. But it could still let you interact with virtual reality or augmented reality without the need for gloves or wearables.
Long-term, Carter imagines cars using the technology to deliver non-distracting information to a driver. And eventually, he believes ultrasound will be paired with voice technology. You’ll be able to sift through data or navigate interfaces with voice, but then touch or manipulate what you call up.
Virtual reality has taken a lot longer to “arrive” than many people expected. Headset penetration is pretty low, great experiences are somewhat scarce and augmented reality that better integrates into life is starting to eclipse VR. But as VR and AR mature, technology like Ultrahaptics could boost immersion and reduce the feeling that you’re divorced from the real world.
This article was originally published by TechCrunch.


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» Microsoft Streets And Trips 2014 Release
Microsoft Streets And Trips 2014 Release
Microsoft Streets And Trips 2014 Release on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Thursday, April 24, 2014
Apple has recently released iOS 6 operating system update to the new version, the iOS 6.1.4.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Friday (3/5), strangely this update is only intended for those users of the iPhone 5.
It is something that is not unusual for Apple to [...]
News of the warm coming from two future Samsung products mentioned in this release, the Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Note 3.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Thursday (21/3), both rumored to appear first on IT exhibition IFA 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
This event is scheduled [...]
“Microsoft chose HTC to be the first smartphone that shows a real Windows Phone.”
Mobile phone manufacturer HTC back innovate through the launch of Windows Phone distinctively, namely HTC Windows Phone 8X and HTC Windows Phone 8S.
There are interesting from Firefox OS related use HTML5 methods in the operating system.
According to Viking Karwur as Mozilla Indonesia Community Manager, an application was made for Firefox OS could run on all platforms, with a note, there are browser [...]
Map of Japan and Korea also did not show up.
Among users of Bing Maps in a number of countries, was shocked by the disappearance of the map of the three influential countries in the world, Japan, Korea and Israel from the map application.
If you like music, then you need to think of having mp3 downloader for pc since it can be a tool that you can use to pick any songs that you like the best. And there are many brands of mp3 downloader you will come across out there. With this condition, [...]
Temperature profile shows the dark and unstable material – which is a suitable climate for organic life
Institute antraiksa United States (NASA) managed to find evidence of water on Mercury, planet in our solar system that is closest to the Sun.
PT. Samsung Electronics will soon bring the Samsung Galaxy S4 in the Indonesian market.
And starting Thursday, pre-orders already open. Read Samsung Galaxy S4 Can Ordered Today.
Yesterday (18/04), in Publico, Senopati, Jakarta, the features found on [...]
Various monitors with lots of different sizes in the market at affordable prices. However, sometimes you are confused in choosing the size of the computer monitor widescreen or standard size.
Here are some comparisons of the size widescreen computer [...]
Apple is reportedly preparing a new MacBook Pro is equipped with Intel’s Haswell and will be introduced at the WWDC 2013, 10-14 June 2013 in the U.S..
Never heard about Intel Haswell? This is the latest generation of Intel processors, which will [...]
This feature can be used to create a reminder.
For the Pinterest users, now comes a new feature for the application of various writing and drawing.
Pinterest recently announced Secret Board, which allows the users to be able to make a writing board in [...]


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Costa has come under withering pressure since Costa Concordia hit the rocks off Giglio on Jan. 13 with the loss of 32 passengers and crew. Indeed, the criticism has been such that chief executive Pier Luigi Foschi has openly questioned the future of what has long been one of Italy’s most successful and respected brands. Last week’s misadventures aboard Costa Allegra, with an engine room fire leaving it adrift for days in the Indian Ocean, only further sullied the company’s previously pristine reputation.
In that context, the latest order, which will see Carnival Destiny substantially refurbished early next year and renamed Carnival Sunshine, provides Costa with the perfect opportunity to remind Italians of the company’s importance to the national economy. Indeed, there is speculation that Costa’s difficulties, particularly in its home market, made it considerably more likely that the order went to an Italian yard.
In arguing Costa’s case, Foschi noted that: ‘The refurbishment awarded today confirms that Carnival is one of the largest, if not the largest, foreign company investing in Italy. The investments made by Costa and other group companies have generated a substantial positive impact on the Italian economy in recent years, creating work for thousands of people and hundreds of Italian companies.’
A grateful Giuseppe Bono, chief executive at Fincantieri, which has been increasingly desperate for new orders, was similarly fulsome. He said the Destiny work ‘confirms our strategy of developing the activities of the refitting and refurbishment departments to position us for continued expansion.’ Stressing the company’s lengthy relationship with Carnival, for which it is all but the house shipbuilder, Bono noted that Destiny was built by Fincantieri and became the prototype ‘for another 20 ships that we created and produced later on.’
In a lengthy paean to Carnival’s contribution to the company’s success, and so to the Italian economy, Bono said its orders had helped turn Fincantieri into the world’s leading cruise shipbuilder with a direct and indirect workforce of more than 30,000 people and a dense web of specialised subcontractors. ‘Carnival’s investments are even more important for the country because they translate into work for Italy,’ he said.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited.
|Add Seatrade Cruise News to your Google News feed.


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|New York, NY (Top40 Charts)
Angel Sessions releases her hit single Your Love worldwide on all online stores and streaming services and it has reached over sixteen million in streams on SoundCloud and counting. Your Love is taking off in a big way and many of Angel
Sessions fans has shown support of her new single. It has reached over 60 thousand in Streaming on Spotify. Angel
performed her new hit single at the Oak Park Festival in Sacramento California and it turned out to be a great success.
The live performance was uploaded 3 days ago on Angel
Sessions YouTube channel with views over 1.4 thousand and counting showing that Angel
has a hit record on her hands. Playlist stations such as LHMPR Radio
added the song to their playlist. Atlas
Elite Entertainment team Rodney Crews and Demetrius Guidry are very excited for their first lady of AEE, Angel
Your Love was released on April 27th and can be purchased on ITunes, Amazon, Google Play, and more.
Your Love is also number one on Angel's top songs on I Heart
Radio, Apple Music
and Google Play.
For more infomation go to https://www.angelsessions.com/


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Supplemental Police uncovered and removed a fake ATM panelling device that was hiding a cellphone used to capture images of customers’ pin numbers at Scotiabank's Freeport ATM unit.
In a 58-second long video shared on social media late on Thursday night, an officer can be seen reaching into the alcove of the ATM and removing the fake panelling.
As he removes it, a Samsung cellphone is seen attached to the inside of the fake panel and takes a photo of the screen.
Police have arrested a Bulgarian national in connection with credit card fraud and card skimming.
The arrest was made by members of the Fraud Squad Unit last evening at a Maraval guest house.
According to reports, police executed a search warrant where they seized US$168,000 as well as an electronic device used to skim ATMs.
They also allegedly found several bank cards.
The 46-year-old man is now in custody and is being questioned about a series of card skimming offences.


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Recipe for restaurant survival in a pandemic
Tony Cecchini, who owns two bar-restaurants in Brooklyn, NY (and is incidentally credited with having invented the Cosmopolitan), says social distancing will be “a death sentence” to his business.
“That would give me four lonely seats across the entire run of each of my bars, with guests dotted here and there slipping their masks down to sip at a drink, and perhaps three of our five booths permitted to be occupied,” Mr Cecchini noted in The New York Times. “And all of this in a time of depressed economic activity, when most customers will already be leery of re-emerging and congregating, and have far less leisure income to spend”.
In London, Oliver Milburn, has been thinking along the same lines. Along with two business partners, Mr Milburn used to run Kitty Fisher’s and Cora Pearl, often described as “two of Britain’s coolest restaurants”. The pandemic and lockdown means “the scale of starting up again is going to be enormous,” Mr Milburn wrote in The Times, London in April.
Then he took to the airwaves to explain why the somewhat “louche” brand epitomised by his restaurants would probably be unable to operate in the age of social distancing.
“Our small restaurants have tables incredibly close together,” he said. Indeed, the scenario is so intimate that one restaurant critic explained the atmosphere as follows: you put your wine glass down and find it’s on someone else’s table. “Will that be allowed?” Mr Milburn asked anxiously in the age of the coronavirus. “Will anything be the same?”
One day, perhaps, when there’s a vaccine and a cure for Covid-19 and when people have the appetite (and the money) to sit jammed up together again, eating and drinking, laughing and talking (and sometimes sniffling without causing panic attacks all around).
But as of now, the outlook is doleful for restaurants, bars and pubs, as revealed by the latest predictions out of the UK and US.
According to a new survey of hospitality business owners by CGA AlixPartners market recovery monitor, more than 30,000 of Britain’s roughly 115,000 pubs and restaurants don’t expect to reopen when the hospitality sector is given the green light to resume operations in July.
In the US, it’s estimated that, 75 per cent of the restaurants that have closed because of the pandemic won’t be able to return to business.
Both Mr Cecchini and Mr Milburn call for bold measures to prop up the restaurant industry. Rent relief, they say, will be important. True.
But perhaps even more crucial, in the long bright months of summer in the western hemisphere, would be to take eating out literally outside. Pavements and city squares could be used for seating so that restaurants, cafes and bars could serve enough people — at a safe distance from each other — to stay in business.
Cities such as Madrid are already experimenting with this kind of workaround. Come winter, it may not be viable but by then the prognosis – for the pandemic and the hospitality sector – may have changed.


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A new report suggests tourism may be one bright spot in Southern California’s economy.
Cal Poly Pomona and L.A.-based PKF Consulting released the 2012 Southern California Lodging Forecast in Anaheim.
The report shows hotel occupancies and room rates are inching up in the Southland.
Southern California’s tourism industry has spent the past few years weathering the bad economy. As unemployment levels grew and consumer confidence fell, people started reeling in their spending.
That meant fewer hotel stays. But this year’s Southern California Lodging Forecast suggests that the worst is behind the local tourism industry.
"Lodging numbers are up over 5 percent increase in occupancy in the state this year through September," says Dan Mishell. He's with the California Travel and Tourism Commission. "Revenue per available room is up 11 percent. So tourism is actually outperforming the rest of the economy."
Mishell says that means more jobs. He says in California, leisure and hospitality employment grew by 2.7 percent through September of this year while non-farm employment’s up a little less than 2 percent.
Bruce Baltin of PKF Consulting helped compile the lodging forecast. He expects the occupancy rates and room prices to continue to increase. Baltin says Southern California’s been lucky because its tourism industry can’t add many more hotel rooms because there’s not enough space, so it’s not just about demand.
"We’ve always had very limited supply growth in Southern California because it’s hard to build in, it’s an area that’s, you know — it’s just tough to find sites," Baltin says. "And in the most desirable areas of Southern California, we’ve had limited supply growth in the last 20 years. And the demand fluctuations have been there, but we’re kind of insulated from the, let’s say, volatility of the national financial markets, because of the limited amount of supply."
Baltin says the other factor that’s helped Southern California’s tourism industry is the weak U.S. dollar, "and also the strength of some international economies. Australia, for example, is now the number one overseas arrival market in Southern California. That was never the case before. That was very much a surprise. And then you’ve got strong growth in China and Korea, which is not a surprise — but strong growth from a relatively low base."
Officials say the number of international visitors flying into California airports has been up double-digits for the last two years. The California Travel and Tourism Commission says international visitors spent $17 billion in the Golden State last year — more than the value of the state’s top four export categories combined.
Charles Ahlers of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau says his organization has been spending a lot of money on marketing to get people to come to Orange County. But he says Anaheim has its own ace in the hole when it comes to tourism: Disney.
"Disney’s a giant corporation with huge investments and they protect their investments by getting the word out," Ahlers says. "And with the billions of dollars that have been invested in California Adventure and the opening of World of Color and Cars Land coming in next summer, they’re going to spend a lot of money promoting those attractions and we get to ride on their coattails. We’re lucky."
But Ahlers says the competition between L.A., Orange County and San Diego for convention traffic is another matter. He says the recession has really hurt that.
"For the last three years, we’ve seen meetings start to get back to where they were, but the corporate spending at the meetings wasn’t as good — I mean, the parties and the meal functions just were smaller, so we were losing that part of the economy," Ahlers says. "And now it’s starting to change a little bit and we’re seeing people, companies like Microsoft come to town and actually spend, you know, a good amount of money on food and entertainment that they hadn’t done in a couple of years."
That's what Southern California’s travel and tourism experts expect to continue over the next year or two — filling hotel rooms and pumping more tourist dollars into the local economy.


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Despite the lack of a new Grand Theft Auto title on the market, Take-Two is reporting a grand win as the publisher’s revealed that Red Dead Redemption and NBA 2K11 helped drive the company back to profitability. Take-Two’s earnings reached $1.16 billion (USD) over the 12 months ending October 31 (an increase of 65 per cent), with profits of $42.6 million.
“We have achieved our goal of profitability in a year without a new release of Grand Theft Auto,” said CEO Ben Feder, adding that “our better-than-expected revenue growth and margin expansion were driven by strong demand for our diverse portfolio of games.”
Feder also mentioned that the 2K Sports division also brought profitability to the company.
While award-winning Red Dead Redemption, with “nearly 8 million units” shipped to retail, has evidently been the highest grossing title for Take-Two, it’s not without the help of NBA 2K11 – and EA, probably – Mafia II and Civilization V that the publisher will be enjoying these holidays with a smile on its face.


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Six pairs of the elusive Nike Mag were reportedly found in an abandoned storage unit in Albany, Oregon. Of the six pairs, three were bought by reseller West Coast Streetwear, who shared the unbelievable come up on Twitter.
All six pairs were apparently deadstock and had been placed in the storage unit, though it’s not clear for how long, before the unit was purchased for $75.
West Coast Streetwear told Complex: “I personally didn’t find the unit, I found the guy on OfferUp and I thought it was too good to be true but gave it a shot. I messaged him and he had three pairs left after selling the three others, so six total were in the unit.”
The reseller didn’t share how much he paid per pair but admitted to Complex he had already sold one pair on StockX for $10,000 (confirmed by the platform’s recent sale listings).
Perhaps because the story sounds so unbelievable, West Coast Streetwear also shared screenshots of a text message conversation with the apparent seller.
While the story is hard to verify, it true, it’s likely one of the biggest sneaker come ups we’ve seen.
The Nike Mag — made famous by its appearance in Back to the Future Part II — was first released in 2011 in highly-limited numbers before 89 self-lacing pairs were released in 2016.


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Foodbank and the RSPCA have teamed up to provide help
Two local RSPCA branches have come to an arrangement with their local Foodbank to help provide a regular supply of pet food to vulnerable owners during the Coronavirus outbreak.
RSPCA Wimbledon, Wandsworth & Sutton Branch, as well as the RSPCA Balham & Tooting Branch, have formed an RSPCA Pet Foodbank team. They will deliver pet food to those who need it and are calling on supporters to help fund the initiative. If any local pet owners are concerned that they may not be able to provide pet food if they become sick and need to self-isolate, cannot afford to buy pet food, or if there are on-going food shortages.
Over one million people have applied for Universal Credit since the Covid-19 lockdown began, and the RSPCA understands that people may be worried about continuing to care for their much-loved pets. By providing people with pet food, the local branches hope they can do their bit to help keep residents with their pets through this difficult time.
Ali Hellewell, RSPCA Trustee, Wimbledon, Wandsworth & Sutton Branch, said: “We know that this is a challenging time for everyone and that some pet owners are extremely worried about continuing to care for their pets through the Covid-19 crisis.
“We hope to ease some of that pressure by teaming up with the Wimbledon Foodbank to provide pet food for the pet owners who are most in need. Even in the midst of a pandemic we are a nation of animal lovers and the Foodbank has seen people in difficult times who have chosen to feed their pets over feeding themselves, which shows why this service is so important.
“We cannot do this alone, however, which is why we are asking animal lovers to donate to help us get pet food to those who need it the most.”
If you can support the RSPCA Pet Foodbank team visit this page.
If you need help with providing for your pet, let the Pet Foodbank know here.
Ali added: “The branches have already received generous donations of pet food from Pets at Home and we are in discussions with other businesses as well… with a view to expanding in various locations beyond South London over the next few weeks.”
May 20, 2020


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East County News Service
January 13, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Hamlett, Lemon Grove’s happening new gathering spot and coffeehouse. Opened six months ago, the start-up venture has weathered a pandemic, vandalisms, equipment failures and other financial set-backs. So now owner Shacole Hamlett is asking the public for help – and he has a detailed plan for long-term sustainability--with a little help from the community.
“Despite it all we have continued to serve our community, making amazing new connections and trying to bring joy, laughter, and love to each person who walks through our doors,” he says. “Our mission has never been about us, it's been about the community, creating space, and supporting local entrepreneurs!”
The Hamlett isn’t just a coffee shop serving up delicious fresh-brewed beverages. It’s a showplace for community events such as open mic and comedy nights, workshops and more. It’s also an outlet for local businesses to sell wares ranging from teapots to soaps and launch their own new enterprises.


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Official NVIDIA Tegra 3 teaser video leaked on YouTube
With that time frame, you would expect to see some official word coming from NVIDIA. While no press release has been released yet, it seems that an official video has been made and has been leaked on YouTube. Things are moving rapidly in the world of mobile communications. We just have seen an extremely thin LTE enabled Motorola DROID RAZR announced and of course, the first Ice Cream Sandwich loaded Android phone was also introduced last night. It seems like it was just yesterday that dual-core handsets were being released and now we are on the cusp of quad-core speed.
source: YouTube via AndroidCentral
1. squallz506 (banned) (Posts: 1075; Member since: 19 Oct 2011)
That boxer got knocked the F*@K OUT!!!
4. rican (Posts: 132; Member since: 02 Jul 2011)
is it me or does this video have a second meaning to it...like the guy is missing out on life because of the tablet.
7. remixfa (Posts: 14255; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)
i was like "man, this guy needs to put the tablet down..he's missing a lot of fun life stuff.
glad i wasnt the only one :)
the clear bezel is pretty cool, though that probably isnt ever gonna happen.
5. som (Posts: 768; Member since: 10 Nov 2009)
I just found out that Galaxy Nexus have no microSD slot which is no good for that giant body.
6. ardent1 (Posts: 2000; Member since: 16 Apr 2011)
The translucent design / bezel was interesting concept.
8. Firedrops (Posts: 233; Member since: 06 Sep 2011)
>: The video just says "This video is private".
10. rockstarlive (Posts: 307; Member since: 19 Oct 2011)
Latest rumor has the upcoming Sony Ericcson Xperia Play 2 to have this chip.


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Private Brand retailers face enormous hurdles succeeding with diverse customer bases unless they...Read More
Introducing Mondo Llama, a new Target private brand with nearly 400 colorful arts and crafts items...Read More
Ready to treat yourself to something decadently sweet or savory? Target is once again expanding...Read More
From their focus on serving first-generation students to their important work helping bridge the...Read More
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text:
FDA regulation holds part of the blame for high drug prices.
Increased competition is the remedy to skyrocketing drug prices.
Kourtney Kardashian spoke on Capitol Hill in an attempt to motivate the federal government to play a larger role in regulating cosmetics.
The FDA has granted MDMA breakthrough therapy status to expedite the approval process by making it easier for drugmakers to begin clinical trials.
On May 30, President Trump signed a bill into law allowing terminally ill patients access to potentially lifesaving drugs before they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
While Americans have every reason to be concerned about their healthcare, the belief that private medical companies will not develop and produce products that cure various conditions is unwarranted.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a mandatory recall for Triangle Pharmanaturals, a Las Vegas-based herbal supplements company.
The FDA released an order indicating its intent to restrict the sale of the contraceptive device Essure, the only FDA-approved nonsurgical permanent birth control method.
This past October, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Opternative, a company specializing in providing online eye-exams.
How likely are smokers to quit or cut back once nicotine levels decrease?


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This photo, purporting to show a pink iPhone 13 leak, went viral on Twitter.
It was only a matter of time before the great algorithm in the sky brought millennial pink and iPhone leaks together in capitalist matrimony. On May 5, a Twitter account called Peng Phones created a frenzy when it tweeted a photo of a pink iPhone 13 Pro Max render that looked like it was dreamed up by the same people who brought us “aesthetic” iPhone home screens.
The phone, its color referred to as “Rose Pink” in the tweet, is surrounded by what appears to be other pink Apple accessories: AirPods, AirPods Max, an iPhone case. Peng Phones teased a December 2021 release date for the color option, though subsequent tweets from the same account also mention November 2021 releases for “Pink,” “Rose Pink” and even “Rosegold Pink” iPhones.
iPhone 13 Pro Max Rose Pink coming soon in December 2021 pic.twitter.com/B4gPiO1MGC
— PENG STORE (@PengPhones)
May 5, 2021
The variation in color and release date wouldn’t be a complete surprise. Apple’s iPhone 12 release schedule was almost as complicated as its price structure, with the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro arriving earlier than the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Mini. And Apple’s Pro line, the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, come in different colors than the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini, too:
iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max colors:
- Pacific blue
iPhone 12 and 12 Mini colors:
- Product red
The veracity of this rumor is pretty hard to vouch for, not having originated or been corroborated by notable leakers with solid Apple-leak track records, and it’s certainly easy enough for anyone on Twitter to alter an image and call it a “leaked render.” A lot of the Twitter churn was of the skeptical variety:
what sick sick person edited a pink iphone and made it go viral like apple was actually selling it
— sweet thang (ω) (@s0fthunny)
May 7, 2021
But still, many Twitter reactions expressed hope (or at least a capitulation to capitalism that one could interpret as buying intent): “Capitalism is bad but the pink iphone is so sexy,” one person tweeted. Another just tweeted “manifesting” between two candle emoji with an image of not only a pink iPhone 13, but a pink Nintendo Switch, too.
Apple hasn’t officially said anything about either a release date or any color options for the iPhone 13 (if that’s even what it’s called), so right now we can only speculate. But the odds of a pink iPhone 13 coming out in 2021? They’re not terrible.
First, this wouldn’t be the first time Apple has released a pink iPhone. The iPhone 5C, released in 2013, was available in pink. 2018’s iPhone XR came in coral, and the iPhone 6S from 2015 was sold in rose gold. Pink has been a popular color for tech ever since. Just this past February, Samsung also released phantom pink and phantom violet models of its flagship Galaxy S21 phone, with a more metallic sheen than the iPhone 13 render.
Apple’s purple iPhone 12, unveiled in April alongside a colorful array of iMacs.
And second, Apple just released a new purple color option for the iPhone 12, another bone thrown to the ~aesthetic~ crowd. In fact, Apple also unveiled a redesigned iMac at an April virtual event available in a variety of throwback hues to match the company’s rainbow logo of yore. One of those iMac colors is, you guessed it, pink.
The pink iMac, unveiled at Apple’s Spring Loaded event in April.
Apple does usually swap out one iPhone color from generation to generation, leaving the rest consistent. So it’s possible that a candy-colored pop of pink could oust the iPhone 12’s deep blue or mint green (or even the new purple).
We won’t find out for sure until Apple announces the iPhone 13 (likely in September). Until then, follow along with all the juiciest iPhone 13 rumors here. And in the event that Apple doesn’t make our aesthetic dreams come true? You can always just buy a pink phone case.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news, reviews and advice on iPhones, iPads, Macs, services and software.
- iPhone 13 rumors so far
- We may have guessed the iPhone 13 release date
- How much will the iPhone 13 cost? Here’s what we know
- iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Rumored features, cameras and more compared
- iPhone 13 camera rumors: The specs and upgrades we’ll likely see
- Why we may never see an iPhone 13
- All the iPhone 13 design and color changes we’re expecting


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Maximum PC Editor Jimmy Thang talks about his experience walking the show floor as a zombie
I've been to many costume-friendly conventions like FanimeCon and Pax Prime, but have never cosplayed before. I don't have anything against dressing up, but I simply never felt compelled to do it. I was always the guy on the other end of the camera…until this past weekend.
Because our Comic Con booth was Walking Dead-themed, we were fortunate enough to have a "zombification booth" where makeup artists would turn ordinary civilians into the undead. Considering the makeover was free and professionally done, I figured I would give it a go on the last day of the convention. …The results were far more shocking than I could have ever expected.
Weezer, zombies, and pictures of celebrities at Future US's Walking Dead party!
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Walking Dead comic and the newly released chop shop app, Maximum PC parent company Future US teamed up with Hyundai to throw the most amazing Walking Dead party at San Diego Comic Con last night.


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Lawmakers desire ride-hailing business to discuss how they handle sexual attacks.
Nine members of Congress sent out a letter Monday to Uber, Lyft, Juno, Via and Curb asking the business to offer details on how they collect information on sexual attacks their chauffeurs supposedly devote, according to CNN. The legislators likewise wish to know what the business do to avoid them.
Ride- hailing business provide countless trips each day, however as these services have actually grown the business have actually come under fire amidst reports of chauffeurs attacking travelers. After evaluating authorities reports and court records throughout the United States, CNN discovered last month that a minimum of, by force touched or abducted travelers, to name a few criminal activities over the last 4 years.
“These reports are appalling,” the letter checks out. “We are horrified to think that our family, friends, and constituents may be subject to sexual assault while using your service.”
A handful of states, consisting of California, Colorado, Massachusetts and Texas, have formerly introduced examinations into Uber and Lyft, declaring they consistently stop working to evaluate chauffeurs effectively and have actually worked with chauffeurs with criminal histories.
Both Uber and Lyft have actually acknowledged the issue and state they’re working to make their service much safer. Uber introduced numerous brand-new security functions last month, consisting of an in-app emergency situation 911 button and harder chauffeur screenings that need yearly background checks. Both business likewise use real-time trip tracking and 24/ 7 consumer assistance.
Last week, in a significant turnaround of their policy, both Uber and Lyft revealed they’rethey had with riders, chauffeurs and workers over private claims of sexual attack or harassment. They likewise ended privacy arrangements that avoided victims from speaking up. In addition, they assured to launch– for the very first time– information on sexual attacks. The business stated this information will not be offered for numerous months.
“This is an incredibly important issue, and we look forward to responding to the letter sent to us this morning,” a Lyft spokesperson stated in an e-mail. “We take this issue very seriously and work closely with law enforcement when appropriate.”
An Uber spokesperson stated the business is likewise preparing to react to the legislators. A Via spokesperson stated guest and chauffeur security is of utmost issue to the business.
“We look forward to discussing our protocols and processes with members of Congress, and to working with other companies in the industry to ensure every individual choosing to ride or drive on our platforms is able to do so safely,” stated the Via spokesperson.
In the letter, the members of Congress ask the business if they share details with each other on chauffeurs who supposedly devote attacks– given that lots of chauffeurs work for several business. The legislators didn’t provide the ride-hailing business a due date for a reaction, however stated they anticipate a response within a sensible quantity of time, according to CNN.
“As ridesharing becomes more ubiquitous, it should be in our shared interest to ensure these spaces are measured by the highest standards in safety,” the members of Congress composed.
Curb and Juno didn’t react to ask for remark.Rep Joseph Crowley, the Democrat from New York who prepared the letter, likewise didn’t react to an ask for remark.
First released May 21, 1: 34 p.m. PT.
Update, 2: 46 p.m.: Adds remark from Uber spokesperson and Via spokesperson.
iHate: CNET takes a look at how intolerance is taking control of the web.
Solving for XX: The market looks for to get rid of out-of-date concepts about “women in tech.”


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Grolsch is set to embark on a three-month roadshow at the end of July inviting people in Brighton, London and Bristol to take part in a ‘Swingtop Challenge’ to win prizes in the brand’s biggest campaign this year.
On tour will be a 2.1sqm interactive game cube in which players have to open as many virtual bottles of Grolsch as they can in a minute to be in with a chance of winning. Prizes include a trip to Amsterdam for two and Beats by Dre Headphones.
The campaign was created by the newly created experiential division of marketing agency Life, Life Experience, and social media activity will include issuing branded wristbands to players at each event which will link up to their personal Facebook account and share their scores on the site. The tour will begin after a launch event in Brighton on 31 July.
Sophie Erskine, brand manager at Grolsch, said: “We’re putting consumers to the test with a fun and interactive game, and the challenge to perfect three of the most famous Swingtop opening techniques: The Swingtop Chop, The Slice and The Booty Pop.”
Life managing director David Poole added: “We have seen a significant increase in dedicated experiential briefs from clients, so commercially it made sense to formalise our experiential offer with the launch of a new division, Life Experience.
“We are talking to all of our clients about new experiential briefs and Grolsch is the first of several major pieces of work in development under the Life Experience banner.”
The campaign will be supported on on-trade activity to engage bar owners stocking the brand.


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Too many fish in the sea online dating
“There can be more regret when they know there are other options,” D’Angelo said to the university.It’s the result of choice overload, an economic theory that we touched on a bit with Rice University professor Utpal Dholakia in the context of arranged marriage.But things get frustrating on the other end of the spectrum, too.It turns out that online daters with too many cuties to choose from also end up unsatisfied.(Proof that online dating is maybe just an unpleasant experience for everyone?) Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that a glut of options on online dating sites can give online daters grief.With so many choices, the researchers posit, online daters will make a selection—then immediately start wondering about the merits of the people they didn’t choose.All that wondering leads to them being dissatisfied with the choice they made.
“Sifting through choices is potentially problematic in that it can create the perception that the grass is always greener.” Toma and fellow researcher Jonathan D’Angelo asked 152 undergrads to make selections from pools of potential dates.
And then it’s back online to start the process all over again with the next selection.
And, let’s face it—unless you’re in that tiny town I mentioned earlier, there’s always someone else to check out online.
Browse our massive database of single men and women from all over the UK or let our matching algorithm do it for you by creating your easy unique dating profile, totally free.
There are loads of fish all over the UK, so if you are recently single or even a long term singleton; don't worry because as the old saying goes: there are "many more fish in the sea" Dating in the UK has never been easier, with the advent of online dating you no longer have to worry about whether or not the person you like the look of across the bar is single or not.They were more likely to change their mind about their choice, too.


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Crimean food industry enterprises will soon start working on the trading floors of the People’s Republic of China. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Republic of Crimea. At the moment, work is underway to enter the trading floors of Turkey and Asian countries.
We are talking about food industry products: cookies, waffles, snacks, as well as Crimean cosmetics , the message says.
A key feature of trade in China is the speed of delivery, sales of Crimean products will be carried out from warehouses.
It should be noted that the volume of bilateral trade between China and Russia has grown significantly in the first four months of this year, and the annual turnover of mutual trade may rise to 200 billion dollars.
The trade turnover between Russia and China in January-April increased by 259%, reaching 30 billion dollars. Exports from China to Russia increased by %, while imports of Russian goods and services increased by almost 38%. The positive balance of Russia in January-April reached $ 30 billion. This is a very good indicator, it speaks of the strength of our economy , — said Pavel Danilin, director of the Center for Political Analysis in Thursday in Moscow at a meeting of an expert round table.
Approximately 38% of the cost of goods imported from Russia to China falls on resources — oil, natural gas and coal.
But we export copper, copper ore, wood, seafood. China exports a wide range of products — industrial, specialized equipment, toys, shoes, vehicles, air conditioners and computers , — the analyst notes.
Danilin noted that Russia and China, under Western sanctions, could reach annual turnover of 200 billion dollars much earlier than previously planned.


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Microchip SoC Simplifies Design of Portable Products
Product News 9/30/2013 7 comments Microchip's new system-on-chip family could speed development of blood pressure monitors, lab instruments, power meters, and myriad other products by combining a 16-bit microcontroller with high-precision analog components.
Slideshow: Apple iPhone 5c Teardown
Product News 9/27/2013 30 comments The folks at iFixit.com are at it again. This time, they are tearing into the Apple Iphone 5c to let us know if and/or why we should care about it. Take a look inside.
Linear Introduces Multi-source Energy-Harvesting Chip
Product News 9/16/2013 9 comments Linear Technology, a provider of circuits and power-management technology, has released a new multi-source energy-harvesting chip, the LTC3330, which can deliver up to 50mA of continuous output current to extend battery life when harvestable energy is available.
Memory Plastic Reverses Shape 250 Times
News 9/11/2013 11 comments A new material developed by researchers at the German Institute of Biomaterial Science can change shape and return to the original one 250 times, something new in the world of temperature-controlled shape memory plastics.
Digital healthcare devices and wearable electronic products need to be thoroughly tested, lest they live short, ignominious lives, an expert will tell attendees at UBM’s upcoming Designers of Things conference in San Jose, Calif.
Designers of electronic interfaces will need to be prepared to incorporate haptics in next generation products, an expert will tell attendees at the upcoming Designers of Things conference in San Jose, Calif.
The company says it anticipates high-definition video for home security and other uses will be the next mature technology integrated into the IoT domain, hence the introduction of its MatrixCam devkit.
Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.


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Cooper Encourages Staycationers to Inflate Tyres Correctly
Cooper Tire Europe has urged motorists to check tyre pressures at least monthly and before long trips, and to refer to the vehicle manufacturer’s handbook for the correct pressure when travelling fully laden, with the trend for overseas holidays down 15 per cent amongst Britons last year. The company suggests the average family car carrying a full family on holiday will have to transport an additional 201kg in passengers and luggage, compared to the typical ‘driver-only’ car journey. Cooper says many do not realise they need to set their tyre pressures to compensate for the additional load being placed on the tyres in order to reduce the risk of accidents and premature tyre wear.
Car manufacturers specify the tyre pressures needed for heavily-laden vehicles. To find the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure, check the tyre information placard label or handbook for your specific vehicle.
Research carried out by fitment centres selling Cooper tyres on behalf of the Rubber Manufacturers Association estimates that as many as 95 per cent of motorists are already driving with tyres that are below the standard required pressure, which can result in tyre failure, increased braking distances, unpredictable handling and add to fuel bills. Cooper states a tyre underinflated by 10 per cent increases stopping distances and also raises fuel consumption by at least 2.5 percent.
“Apart from the potential danger to the occupants of the car, driving with underinflated tyres can land you with a fine and points on your licence,” explains Cooper Tire Europe managing director, Julian Baldwin. “In addition to tyre failures resulting from under-inflation, braking distances can also be greatly affected by underinflated tyres and even more so when combined with a car full to capacity with all the family and their luggage on board.”


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Microsoft and Blackberry have reduced prices of their flagship products, including Surface and Z10 devices respectively, as part of their efforts to boost sales.
The US software giant dropped the price of its 32GB Surface RT to £279 from £400, with the 64GB model priced at £359.
Similarly, Blackberry trimmed down the price of the Z10 phone to as low as $49 with a contract, a drop from $199 four months before, according to BBC.
Sporting their latest software, both firms have tried to compete with other tech firms including Apple, Google and Samsung on smartphones and tablets.
Microsoft claims that the company is witnessing great success with pricing and cover promotions over the past several months on Surface RT in the US and other markets.
Recently, Microsoft revealed plans to sell the devices to major organisations via resellers, in a bid to sales by targeting corporate customers.
During the initial three months of 2013, Blackberry shipped one million Z10s, while Microsoft reported sales of 900,000 Surfaces tablets during the same period.
This article is from the CBROnline archive: some formatting and images may not be present.
CBR Online legacy content.


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OPPO Kenya has launched a mobile photography competition to support revival of local tourism by encouraging more Kenyans to visit the national parks and game reserves.
The Reno6 5G wildlife mobile photography challenge will see top three contestants walk away with Shs200,000 for the winner, Sh100,000 for the 1st runners-up and Sh50,000 for the 2nd runners-up.
The competition will put the contestant’s photography skills into action, tasked to capture images of the beautiful Kenyan wildlife using a mobile phone.
OPPO Kenya PR Manager Muthoni Wachira said the challenge will among other things highlight OPPO Reno Series innovation in camera features and capability.
“OPPO continues to innovate further to enable customers to record every precious moment as professional-looking portrait images and videos,” she said.


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An Ambergate plant hire company has invested £380,000 in new heavy goods vehicles to help them complete a prestigious industry contract.
J.C.Balls & Sons, which also specialises in excavation, has purchased three new HGVs as part of a deal with leading construction material supplier Aggregate Industries.
Aggregate Industries, one of the UK’s top construction materials companies, are currently resurfacing roads and footpaths in Sheffield, and are contracting out some of J.C.Balls & Sons fleet of JCBs and HGVs.
To help get the job done J.C.Balls & Sons has invested in three new Renault Kerax trucks from local Renault trucks distributor RH Commercial Vehicles (RHCV) .
Chris Balls, Partner at J.C.Balls & Sons, said: “We have been using Renault’s trucks for the past 15 years, and we have always had them from RHCV.
“We stayed with Renault as they are all well-built, robust machines - which in our industry is a must!
“The investment in the three new HGVs is part of a strategic growth plan, and we have a fourth truck fitted with a mixer arriving in March. We employ RHCV to service and repair all of our Renault trucks, and with its new Alfreton-base, we will certainly be saving on mileage to and from RHCV’s site in Nottingham that we previously used.”
J.C.Balls & Sons was established 50 years ago on the Midland Industrial Estate in Ambergate, has a staff of around 100 people and runs a plant and lorry fleet of over 40 HGVs, which mainly consists of eight-wheeled tippers and grabbers.
Mr Balls added: “J.C.Balls & Sons has been working with Aggregate Industries for over 30 years.
“The work that is being done in Sheffield is just one job in a long line of contacts we have supplied vehicles for. It’s a working relationship we hope will continue for many years to come.”
J.C.Balls & Sons is located less than 15 minutes away from RHCV’s 64,000 sq ft site in Alfreton.
Formed in 1977, RHCV has been a Renault Trucks dealer since 1986 and turnover was £17m last year.
Paul Pearson, Director at RHCV, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with J.C.Balls & Sons, especially as they celebrate their 50th year.
“Expanding our footprint with the Alfreton branch was a great decision as it has really opened up a whole new customer base to us, as well as bringing us closer to our current customers.”


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Everybody from carmakers to smartphone firms are having the identical downside: they’ll’t get sufficient semiconductors to put into their merchandise. And don’t simply assume this implies laptops and smartphones. This lack of chips has resulted in some main firms having to pause the manufacture of merchandise you won’t essentially consider when it comes to semiconductors–like vehicles. Each GM and Ford, for instance, have had to shut down the manufacturing of a few of their fashions lately as a result of they didn’t have the pc chips the vehicles required.
And this lack of semiconductors isn’t simply a downside for producers. The Biden administration is so fearful about it that the president has signed an government order calling for a evaluation of the semiconductor provide chain.
So simply what is the issue? It comes down to there most important factors, according to MarketWatch:
- The COVID-19 pandemic: It ought to be no shock the pandemic is concerned in some way. The difficulty is the pandemic lead to lockdowns and a rise in distant work. This lead to an explosion of individuals shopping for new devices to get work performed or simply assist cross the time. Devices have semiconductors and…nicely you get the thought. Provide simply couldn’t sustain with demand.
- Restricted manufacturing: Talking of provide and demand, the capabilities to create semiconductors additionally slowed thanks to factories that had to shut down or restrict the variety of staff in a plant at anyone time over COVID considerations. In order the pandemic was inflicting folks to purchase extra devices than ever, it was additionally decreasing the capability of producers to make the semiconductors that energy these devices.
- The U.S.-China commerce battle: Trump’s commerce battle with China is the ultimate issue. And it’s one the Biden administration has inherited. Simply earlier than Christmas, the U.S. Commerce Division blacklisted the most important Chinese language semiconductor producer, SMIC, from buying U.S.-based elements and tech that are required to produce chips that are 10-nanometer and smaller. As most smartphones and devices use 10-nanometer and smaller semiconductors, this provide chain constriction meant firms misplaced quick access to merchandise from one of many greatest semiconductor producers in Asia.
When will the semiconductor provide chain enhance? Analysts informed MarketWatch that the chip scarcity will most likely final, not less than, till the tip of the yr.


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Billie Eilish’s unique approach to self-expression balances a progressive contemporary perspective with a heartfelt respect for the classics. Given a chance to work on some of her favorite Nike silhouettes — including the Air Force 1 — she’s reimagined them with an eye to environmentally preferred materials and a universal color palette.
“The challenge and opportunity with this collection was to respect the originals, but make them my own,” says Eilish. “It was also important for me to mix in environmentally preferred materials where we could and present them in a way that felt fresh.”
For the AF1, Eilish chose a synthetic nubuck material, which uses 80% recycled materials, for a super soft look and feel. Her signature oversized style is emphasized through the shoe’s chunky midfoot straps, an element inspired by two other Nike classics, the Alpha Force Low and Air Trainer 3. These straps cover the shoe’s laces and are finished with tabs that mirror the Nike Grind midsole. The full package is complete with a striking but simple tonal mushroom color.
The mushroom color scheme extends to the Nike x Billie Apparel Collection — hoodie, sweatpants and T-shirt. All three garments follow Eilish’s signature oversized style and are embellished with subtle silicone “Billie Eilish” graphics.
The Nike Air Force 1 Billie and related apparel release April 25 globally on SNKRS.
For many years Nike and Kobe Bryant worked together to inspire fans around the globe. With Nike, Bryant left a game-changing lineage of basketball shoes and embraced opportunities to spread his love of sport from Greater China to North America. More than two years after Bryant’s passing, his legacy, on and off the court, continues to resonate.
Today, Nike is pleased to announce a new chapter of collaborating with the Bryant family. In partnership with Vanessa Bryant, the collaboration will inspire a new generation of athletes and encourage youth participation in sport.
“Kobe Bryant means so much to so many of us, not just NBA fans but globally beyond the game,” says John Donahoe, President & CEO, NIKE, Inc. “His impact in growing the sport, particularly encouraging women and young people to pick it up, endures as one of his deepest, lasting legacies. Together with Vanessa, we hope to honor Kobe and Gigi by championing a new generation for many years to come.”
The first new Kobe release, the Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita Sweet 16” will honor Gigi Bryant. All proceeds from the shoe will benefit the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. Release information will be shared at a later date.
“I am happy to announce that we will continue my husband’s legacy with Nike and look forward to expanding his and Gigi’s global impact by sharing the Mamba Mentality with youth athletes for generations to come,” says Vanessa Bryant.
As part of the new partnership, Vanessa and Nike will work together to establish a youth basketball center in Southern California and Nike and the Bryant family will continue to outfit the NBA and WNBA athletes who carry the legacy of the Mamba Mentality.
Nike has always been honored to partner with athletes who share its belief that sport can break barriers, push limits, spark change and contribute to creating a more equitable future. Now, Nike’s U.S.–based partnerships include college student athletes, beginning with Reilyn Turner.
Turner, a sophomore forward on the UCLA women’s soccer team, is last year’s Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and a top scorer for the Bruins, finishing this season with 10 goals, including a hat trick in September. Her skills on the field are matched by her passion to give back off the pitch. Turner acknowledges the doors that soccer has opened for her, and she wants to give those same opportunities to local girls and boys, helping them get active, pursue their dreams and reach their highest potential. That’s Nike’s mission too. As part of Turner’s sponsorship, Nike and Turner will team up to work with Los Angeles–based community partners.
“As a Black woman and Mexican American, I think about those who have paved the way for me and how they used their platforms to create so much change, even beyond sport,” says Turner. “I hope to be a role model for those around me and those after me, and I’m so excited to be a part of what Nike is bringing to the future of women’s sport.”
Nike’s agreements with college student athletes in the United States will include an element that connects back to their local communities. Because the impact of sport goes beyond competition and success — it’s also about the changes you can make to give everyone an opportunity for a more level playing field. Or, as Turner puts it, “Whether it’s the community you grow up with or the community you grow into, there’s so much positive impact that can come from how they influence you and how you influence them.”
In 2019, Nike and Serena Williams partnered to create the Serena Williams Design Crew (SWDC), an apprenticeship program to promote diversity in design. It brought together 10 talented designers from New York City, each specializing in their own discipline, and tasked them with creating a Serena-inspired women’s performance and lifestyle collection spanning footwear, apparel and accessories — which they’re now ready to unveil.
While the product is the culmination of a six-month design curriculum at Nike, the vision proposed by SWDC — that diversity fosters creativity and inclusion goes hand in hand with innovation — is just beginning. A second year of the program, this time with 11 Chicago-area apprentices, is currently underway.
Below, four Nike leaders dive into SWDC’s unique and foundational principles for the brand. They explain how SWDC was born in collaboration with Serena, why curiosity and empathy are integral to design, and how this program illustrates the ways in which Nike is advancing diversity across the industry and beyond.
Sparking Design Innovation through Diversity
John Hoke: How would I describe the program? It’s another step forward that Nike is taking to make the world a better place. It’s a plan to make the composition of our company more closely reflect that of our athletes and the communities we serve.
Jonathan Johnsongriffin: I think the program is an innovation platform. Diversity creates more thoughtful solutions. It’s the catalyst to innovation in fostering creativity and inclusion for all athletes. And I think, working back with Jarvis, with Tania, with John, and specifically Serena Williams, this is an opportunity for us to be innovative in new spaces.
Jarvis Sam: Two words you said, JJG: catalyst and innovation. What SWDC has taught us is, how can we incubate game-changing ideas for the industry? From a talent-innovation perspective, it forces us, and then other companies in similarly situated industries, to rethink where talent pipelines come from. And as a catalyst for the company, it inspires us to work with great talent from all walks of life.
Jonathan Johnsongriffin: I’d echo what Jarvis said around the industry. This is industry-defining. I remember a conversation I had with Serena, and she asked, “Has anyone done this?” And I said, “Quite honestly, no.” You could feel the spirit, the energy coming from Serena in that conversation.
Tania Flynn: We tend to say that diversity creates empathy, empathy creates curiosity, curiosity leads to innovation. When you gather a diverse group — a team of creatives who bring their talent, their stories, their experiences to the table — it creates a unique experience not only for the designers, but for everyone they interact with.
Creating Authentic Collaboration
Jonathan Johnsongriffin: Serena has been so committed to the program. She wants to meet each apprentice. She wants to see their portfolios. She wants to be a part of the briefing of the product. She wants to be a part of the design reviews.
Tania Flynn: When you talk about her being involved in every part of the process — even her design vocabulary is sharp. She’s like, “We don’t have enough silhouette differentiation. Can we go back and think about something else?” That shows where her head is at, how invested she is in the success of the team and the line.
Jarvis Sam: “Authenticity” is not a buzzword here. When you think about Serena Williams as a person and a player, you think resilience, grit, perseverance. Those are the same characteristics that we see in the apprentices.
John Hoke: And those words were the principles that shaped the program. When our first cohort graduated, we told them how proud we were of their creative resilience. They proved they could do this while navigating sweeping social justice movements along with a pandemic. It reminded me how much the human spirit is capable of overcoming, only to emerge reflecting a ton of grace, a ton of resilience. I feel like that is a principle of the program that only grows sharper as we head into year two.
Building a Stronger Community
John Hoke: Sports are a conduit to attributes that make the world better. Sports fuel self-empowerment, confidence, kindness and connection. That means every program we create, whether SWDC or Women in Nike, and every product we create, like Nike GO FlyEase and Victory Swim, are all connected in their nature of empathy. That’s a way we can open the aperture up and have an even deeper impact when it comes to designing for all athletes.
Tania Flynn: In where we are as a society right now, the unrest has brought to the forefront important conversations for creatives. The power of sport can make the world a better place. When you’re driven by that hope, you start to see programs like SWDC and the products we create in the same light.
Jonathan Johnsongriffin: And you start to see the value when the spirit of programs and the spirit of design are expressed in each other. That’s why I’m excited about the SWDC capsule as a community builder — it brings us into closer community with athletes, with designers, with retailers who are passionate about this, and with the industry, period.
John Hoke: Designers have a social contract to apply their creativity to solve another human being’s problem. You have to empathically put yourself in somebody else’s shoes and understand their needs first. As we start year two of the program, we’re seeing that thoughtful application of design firsthand. Empowering Future Designers
Tania Flynn: A few of us started at Nike around the same time. We’re talking about what building the bench looks like here at the company, bringing the next generation forward in the design space. And that challenges us to think about diversity in all forms. It’s not just across race, gender or sexual orientation. It’s important to have diversity of experience, tenure and age too. Who’s better equipped to speak to those issues of a new generation and come up with fresh solutions than that generation themselves?
Jarvis Sam: To create a program that’s authentic requires having leaders who share similar stories with the apprentices. Leaders and emerging talent need to see themselves in one another. The connections the apprentices create here are strong, not just with their cohort, but also with leaders like JJG and Tania.
Jonathan Johnsongriffin: At the same time, Tania and I are very different people. We both bring diverse perspectives from our backgrounds, influences and inspirations. And that’s kind of the point. Giving everyone a voice, especially those who have been excluded from speaking up, is what unlocks creativity, which helps us solve problems.
Jarvis Sam: One of the great things that the apprenticeship has reminded us is that the creative experiences of BIPOC groups are not a monolith. We’re challenged to think about the nuanced differences within those populations and cohorts so that we can create an opportunity that has a real infrastructure to it, one that focuses on retention and development as much as we do acquisition.
Jonathan Johnsongriffin: The Nike Design community is more than 1,000 designers strong. SWDC has been a beacon of light for our community. The health of a community is always made better when you bring diversity, when you have candid conversations about what design looks like now and what it’s going to look like in the future and how we create together.
John Hoke: Really good design requires a diversity of thought. Really good design invites more people in. That’s true now, and it will continue to be true in the future. When I think about Nike’s advantage 50 years ago and 50 years from now, that advantage is bringing new ideas and innovations to athletes everywhere. And those new ideas captivate the essence and the spirit of a time, and they captivate an ambition yet to be unfolded by an athlete. This program is lifting our creativity and helping us imagine even better, more innovative solutions. It represents a giant leap forward that is indelible and important, but it’s a pursuit we’ll never be done with.
The lawyer who represented Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against former president Trump was given two and a half years in prison by a federal judge in a New York court on Thursday. Avenatti was convicted for trying to extort more than $20 million from Nike in February 2020. He is currently awaiting two more federal criminal trials for allegedly defrauding clients in California and New York. One trial is set to begin next week, while the other will commence next year.


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This auction is going to generate some B.I.G. bucks.
Notorious B.I.G’s iconic crown, Tupac’s love letters and Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” jackets will be up for sale Tuesday at a Sotheby’s first-ever hip hop auction in New York this week.
The crown was featured in the Brooklyn rapper’s “King of New York” photoshoot with Barron Claiborne in 1997, just days before he was shot and killed.
The autographed headwear, which will come with three unique prints from the shoot and the contact sheet, is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000.
The famed piece is among more than 120 items up for grabs, spanning hip-hop history from the late-1970s origins to the mid-1990s “Golden Age” and present-day on auction, Sotheby’s said.
There will also be teenage love letters on auction from Tupac Shukur, Biggie’s West Coast rival.
Written between March 1987 and April 1988, the letters chronicle Tupac’s relationship with Kathy Loy, a high school sweetheart and fellow student at the Baltimore School for the Arts.
“I love you now more than ever, want you now more than before, No one compares to you, the one that I adore,” he wrote on in one of the letters, which are expected to go for between $60,000 and $80,000.
Meanwhile, Salt-N-Pepa’s polychrome leather jackets are recreations made by the original designer for a 2015 Geico commercial starring the female duo after their 1980s versions were stolen — but are still expected to fetch $12,000 to $18,000.
The items are on display for would-be buyers in Manhattan, and the auction will take place online at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Cassandra Hatton, a Sotheby’s senior specialist in a statement, said the auction will reflect hip hop as a “global cultural force” that shapes music, fashion, design, art, film and more.
“This sale is a celebration of the origins and early eras of that influence,” Hatton said in a statement.


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Carrefour Readies Customers For July 1 With A Wide Variety Of Reusable Bags
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 30 June, 2022: In line with government guidelines, Carrefour – owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in the UAE – will begin enforcing the required 25 fils tariff on plastic bags from July 1st. The leading retailer offers a wide variety of alternatives including reusable bags for 50 fils, woven bags for AED 2.50 and heavy-duty, juco options for AED 11.50. The brand encourages customers to bring their own bags from home to manage their spending and mitigate excessive plastic consumption.
Bernardo Perloiro, Chief Operating Officer of GCC at Majid Al Futtaim Retail: “Carrefour commends the decision of the Dubai government to limit the use of single-use plastic bags and raise awareness about eco-friendly alternatives. We are working hard to encourage sustainable shopping behaviours and provide our customers with convenient options for an easy switch. The new government direction will take us a step closer to achieving Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to becoming Net Positive in carbon and water by 2040. It marks another step in our journey to create a lasting impact on the environment as we work together with our customers and the support of the government.”
Posted by : DubaiPRNetwork.com Editorial Team Viewed 14817 times PR Category :Real Estate & Retail Posted on : Thursday, June 30, 2022 12:27:00 PM UAE local time (GMT+4)
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection received permission from the State Department to add representatives in nine locations to build and strengthen partnerships with foreign governments.
Alaska Air Group was not required to divest any assets in order to get clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice for its acquisition of Virgin America.
Supply chain innovation teams, created by the Federal Maritime Commission, say a national portal could improve port performance and increase American economic competitiveness.
Registration takes less than 1 minute.
Electronics manufacturer Samsung said in court filings that "cargo owners are being held hostage," while Maher Terminals said it "is not required to extend free credit to Hanjin, and should not be forced to."
Peak season capacity took a major hit in third quarter 2016 as carriers scrambled to replace services interrupted by Hanjin Shipping’s Aug. 31 bankruptcy announcement.
Donald Trump used harsh anti-trade rhetoric during his campaign, leaving many to wonder if tariffs and other trade barriers will be implemented at the expense of export and logistics jobs.


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Ford Q2 Profit Down, But Beats Estimates
Ford Motor Company (F) reported a profit in the second quarter that decreased on Tuesday despite better revenue. Both revenue and earnings managed to beat analyst estimates.
The company said that the net income was $561 million or $0.14 per share down from $1.17 billion or $0.28 per share last year. Excluding special items, the earnings were $0.13, compared to a loss of $0.35 in the same quarter last year.
Seventeen analysts polled by Thomson Reuters predicted the loss of $0.10 per share.
The revenue for the company increased to $26.80 billion from $19.40 billion last year. Ten analysts estimated revenues of $23.8 billion.
The company attributed the drop in income to the global semiconductor shortage. It expected a 50% drop in production. The loss in production was partially mitigated by a $1.1 billion increase to $15 billion in revenue in North America year-over-year.
Another positive in the quarter was the 12 million reservations of the F-150 Lightning electric vehicle which was launched in May.
Jim Farley, the president and CEO of the company said, “*Ford+ is about creating distinctive products and services, always-on customer relationships and user experiences that keep improving. And It’s already happening-there are great examples everywhere you tum at Ford, and the benefits for our customers and company will really stack up over time.”
The company has raised its guidance for earnings before tax on an adjusted basis by $3.5 billion to $9 billion to $10 billion for the full year. It also expects a cash flow between $4 billion to $5 billion.
The shares are currently trading at $14.39, up $0.55 or 3.82% in the after-hours market. Ford closed regular trading at $13.86, up $0.07 or 0.51%.
Source: Read Full Article


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Picture by K Manley
With all the activity by fast food workers to increase their salary, one fast food restaurant located in Dearborn Heights (just outside of Detroit) and north of 94 on Telegraph is leading the way with increased hourly wages for its workers. Presently at $12.00/hour, “Moo Cluck Moo” is planning to increase its worker’s salaries to $15.00 starting October 1. Daniel Gross (hi Daniel) reports on the planned increase at The Daily Beast:
“In August, I spoke with the owners of Moo Cluck Moo, a Detroit-area burger and chicken fast-food joint that is aiming to do something revolutionary: pay far more than the minimum wage. In an industry that treats labor as a commodity, co-owners Brian Parker and Harry Moorhouse decided to turn the conventional wisdom on its head. They’d start workers at $12 an hour, and design their business so that it could run profitably at those wages. Rather than take advantage of the epic slack in the Detroit-area labor market, they’d aim to set a slightly higher standard.Now, Moo Cluck Moo is doubling down on its high-wage strategy. Brian Parker says that beginning October 1, the company will start employees at $15 an hour. That’s a 25 percent increase from $12, and it represents the living wage level that workers are demanding and that many critics regard as foolish.”
Moo burger combo meal (fries and a drink) is $6.00 and not that much more than McDonalds Quarter Pounder with similar sides. Lettuce, Tomato, and Cheese come free with the Moo burger while McDonalds will charge for the extras. It sounds like improved throughput to me which would negate the increase in Labor cost. I would love to get a hold of the breakdown of Labor, Materials, and Overhead for Moo Cluck Moo to see cost impact on the ratios. I suspect it is not much greater than what it is today.
“Moo Cluck Moo” plans to open another restaurant in Fall.


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Among Us has managed to break the record for the most popular game in history with the number of active players per month.
Among US, one of the most remarkable productions of recent times, continues to dominate the gaming industry. Now Among Us has set a historic record with the number of players per month.
According to the latest published data, we see that the number of monthly active users of Among Us reached approximately 500 million as of November. In this section, it is also stated that Among Us managed to be the most popular game in the history of the game.
In addition, the research firm SuperData draws attention to the fact that although the game in question reached 500 million active players per month, its revenues are quite low. In this section, he underlines that there is not much to spend money on the research firm Among Us.
As you know, Among Us was first released for free for iOS and Android devices in June 2018. Later, in November 2018, the production, which was sold for PC with a price tag of $ 5, was discovered by popular content producers on Twitch and YouTube in the summer of 2020.
According to Sensor Tower data, the iOS and Android version of the game was downloaded 42 million times between August 1 and September 14, 2020. In addition, it was announced that the production, which came to Nintendo Switch and Xbox Game Pass as of this month, will also come to Xbox consoles in 2021.


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ZF, a company whose gearboxes are in many of our cars including that sweet new fast shifting quick locking 6-speed auto in modern BMWs has unveiled a new 8-speed automatic gearbox and presented it at the 28th International Vienna Motor Symposium.
Though some of you may think ZF is yet another automakers who wants to lead in the cog race, which is currently led by Lexus with their 8-speed auto, but ZF says number of gears was not a priority when designing this unit.
“Our main development target was to find a transmission concept which allows for significant additional fuel consumption reduction and thus offers tangible added value to our customers and drivers without making any compromises in terms of performance”, explains Dr. Michael Paul, ZF Executive Vice President, Technology and Group Executive of the Car Driveline Technology division. It just so happened that to achieve those targets, 8 gears was needed.
The new gearbox can also handle larger input torque with the same weight as compared to the previous model, the second generation 6-speed that’s found in the 335i. It was also designed to be modular, which means it can be used in all-wheel drive systems without much modification. The torque converter can be replaced by new clutches or could be omitted completely when an integrated starting clutch is used.
The new ZF 8-speed automatic transmission will be used in the F01/F02 2009 BMW 7-Series in the flagship V12 model, and possibly the Rolls Royce RR4 later.


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Streaming services are gaining traction like never before. According to Nielsen’s latest Total Audience Report, as of this year’s second quarter, streaming accounts for one-fourth of all television minutes viewed.
In a way the pandemic has been working miracles for the streaming industry. Users — with fewer entertainment choices at home — have been increasing and companies have been raking in revenues in the form of increased subscriptions.
Streaming Gains Traction
According to Nielsen’s latest Total Audience Report, streaming now accounts for 25% of all television minutes viewed. That’s quite a leap from the 19% share of TV minutes that streaming accounted for in fourth-quarter 2019.
Overall, Americans watched an average 142.5 billion weekly streaming minutes in the last quarter compared with 81.7 million hours in the second quarter of 2019. Netflix, Inc. NFLX continued to lead the streaming market with 34% share, followed by Alphabet, Inc.’s GOOGL YouTube with 20%, Hulu with 11%, Amazon.com, Inc.’s AMZN Amazon Prime with 8%, and The Walt Disney Company’s DIS eight-month old Disney+ with 4%.
Interestingly, streaming is gaining popularity among all age groups. Those in the 55 and above cohort accounted for 26% of streaming TV minutes viewed in the second quarter, up from 19% a year ago.
Streaming Services Poised to Grow
With strict restriction on public gatherings and entertainment hubs like parks, gaming zones and theaters still closed, there isn’t much to do except for relying on video and music streaming services. Luckily, the launch of several streaming services coincided with the pandemic. This has increased the willingness of subscribes to avail of services. According to the survey, among those who subscribe to at least one paid subscription video service, 25% are willing to add more such services, 73% said the number was unchanged and only 2% want to reduce the number.
According to a report from market research firm Grand View Research, the global video streaming market size was valued at $42.60 billion in 2019 and is projected to witness a CAGR of 20.4% from 2020 to 2027. The major factors that are driving the growth of the video streaming services market around the globe include the rising penetration of Internet, especially in the developing economies, and increasing penetration of smartphones and smart TVs.
Stocks in Focus
Streaming services are one of the rare few to be benefiting from the coronavirus pandemic, which has kept billions of people at home with nothing to do but stream. This thus makes an opportune time to invest in video and music streaming stocks.
Apple, Inc, AAPL, which launched Apple TV+ last year, has gained a healthy number of subscribers in less than a year. The company is reportedly planning to offer a bundled service to lure more subscribers. A basic package will include just Apple Music and Apple TV+, while a more expensive variation will add Apple Arcade.
The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 8.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 4.9% over the past 60 days. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Netflix, Inc. is considered a pioneer in the streaming space. It has been spending aggressively on building an original show portfolio. The company added more than 10 million paid subscribers in the second quarter.
The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 52.1%. Its shares have gained 11.2% over the past three months. Netflix currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Amazon.com, Inc.,besides being an e-commerce giant, offers several other services. Its Amazon Prime, a membership program, provides access to streaming of movies and TV episodes among other services and is one of the market leaders in the streaming space.
The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 39.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 59.3% over the past 60 days. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Comcast Corporation’s CMCSA Peacock video streaming service has gained more than 10 million paid subscribers in less than a month after its launch. Peacock has three tiers of service: Free, Premium and Premium Plus. Peacock also offers a lineup of around 25 curated digital linear channels, featuring long-form and digital-originated programming content from NBCUniversal's broadcast and cable properties as well as third-party content providers.
The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the next year is 21.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 2.1% over the past 60 days. It carries a Zacks Rank #3.
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Fowlers has been voted the Wholesaler of the Year by British motorcycle dealers for the second time in three years. Trade magazine British Dealer News, which is distributed to 9,745 people employed in the motorcycle industry, invited readers to vote in the annual poll and presented awards based on the results. Parts & Contact Centre Manager, Pete Aitkenhead, who has worked at Fowlers for 35 years, collected the award from TV presenter Steve Parrish and current MotoGP racer Scott Redding, in front of a packed audience of 350 motorcycle industry personnel at a ceremony held during Motorcycle Expo, the UK’s biggest trade event.
Following an agreement with BSA, Fowlers began distributing motorcycle parts in 1959 and the team of 25 parts advisors working with Pete shares approximately 300 years’ experience. Today, Fowlers is the official UK parts distributor for Yamaha, Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera and Derbi. The company also supplies spares for Honda, Suzuki, KTM, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia and Triumph and carries substantial stocks of Kawasaki parts, plus clothing and accessories for all Piaggio Group brands too.
Fowlers has recently invested in an Electronic Parts Catalogue system [EPC], which trade customers can use to look up parts, check whether they are in stock and place orders. The EPC also highlights low stock, out of stock and discontinued lines. Trade customers can find out more by calling Fowlers Wholesale on 0117 977 8899 or visiting www.fowlerswholesale.co.uk.
Picture shows (left to right) Steve Parrish, Pete Aitkenhead and Scott Redding.


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Dyson vacuum cleaners 'worst for reliability'
Thursday, 2nd June 2005, 07:28
LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - Dyson vacuum cleaners have come bottom for reliability in a new consumer survey.
And Hoover came bottom among owners of washer driers, tumble driers, and fridge freezers.
The iconic Dyson brand, famous for its bagless technology, came out worst in a survey of owners carried out by the Consumers' Association's Which? magazine.
More than 4,500 people different brands of upright cleaner and over 2,700 with cylinder models were questioned about their reliability.
Overall, 77 per cent of upright vacuum cleaners and 90 per cent of cylinder models up to six years old had not needed to be repaired.
But among owners of Dyson cleaners, almost three in ten with upright models and more than two in ten with cylinder versions said their machines have had to be repaired.
The best performing upright makes were Bosch, Electrolux, Panasonic and Sebo, while Miele and Numatic came top among owners of cylinder cleaners.
On upright cleaners, Which? said: "In our surveys over the last six years, Dyson has been unreliable - and our latest results show that it is getting worse.
"In 2002, 21 per cent of Dyson vacs up to six years old needed repair. That figure is now a dreadful 29 per cent."
On cylinders, the report said the findings were "depressing" for Dyson owners, with the company languishing at the bottom of the pile for the third year running.
It added: "And things are getting worse. In 2001, 14 per cent of Dysons up to six years old needed mending - now that figure is 22 per cent. A Dyson was more than five times more likely to go wrong than a Miele."
Meanwhile, almost two in three of Dyson's washing machines needed a repair, although it has since announced it has stopped making these.
With Hoover, a staggering 42 per cent of its washer driers have played up over the past six years, while 24 per cent of their tumble drier models needed repair, along with 17 per cent of their fridge freezers.
On the other hand, the report said you cannot go wrong with a Bosch or Miele appliance, with Bosch in the top group for dishwashers and washing machines, while Miele makes trustworthy washing machines and is in the elite group fro cylinder vacuums.
Which? editor Malcolm Coles said: "You have to know when to give up. James Dyson recently packed in his Contrarotator washing machine because it is making a loss. It is just as well. Our latest reliability survey shows Dyson washing machines know a thing or two about giving up themselves.
"Almost two thirds of the 31 machines up to three years old you told us about broke down. It is a similar story with his vacuum cleaners.
"They are languishing at the bottom of our reliability tables - and getting worse. For example, Dyson's cylinder vacs were over five times more likely to go wrong than Miele's.
"This is a shame because, reliability aside, Dyson makes some of the best products around. That puts it one rung up from Hoover.


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POPEYES CHICKEN AND HILL HOLLIDAY SPLIT
Agency Had $22.3 Million Account for Seven Years
Ann Stone left her post July 2, the company confirmed. A marketing veteran of Coca-Cola Co. and Pizza Hut, she joined the No. 4 chicken chain two years ago. At the time, the company was unveiling a brand relaunch that replaced its 50-year-old tagline, "Big Pieces Little Prices," with "Full Flavor, Full Pockets, Full Life."
Franchisees criticized that effort, which included ads showing cartoon characters without heads. In a July 1 story in The New York Times, Church's President Hala Modelmogg said the chain was evaluating the campaign "head to toe." Already, Church's had shifted most of its creative assignments from Omnicom Group's BaylessCronin, Atlanta, to a South African agency, Gecko Motion, Johannesburg.
AFC's other chicken chain, No. 3 Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, has seen its own
|Church's ad campaign focus on headless characters experiencing 'Full Flavor, Full Pockets, Full Life.'
Popeyes has since elevated Tom Whitley to chief marketing officer, from vice president of advertising, according to executives close to the company. He is conducting an agency review through Agency I.D., Atlanta. Popeyes spent $22.3 million in 2002 in measured media, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR.
AFC's Cinnabon chain earlier experienced its own executive changes. In February, Cinnabon named Chris Elliott its president, a post he had held on an interim basis since June 2002. Chief Marketing Officer Steve McMahon left the chain earlier this year.
Offer for Cinnabon
A well-capitalized franchisee group is said to have made an offer for Cinnabon, according to one executive with knowledge of the situation. AFC did not respond for comment.
AFC is in the process of selling its Seattle's Best Coffee and Torrefazione coffee chains to Starbucks Coffee Co. Frank Belatti, AFC's chairman-CEO, on July 8 presented a 100-day plan to turn around the company's three remaining brands. He blamed marketing for woes at Popeyes and Church's at an earlier investment conference, telling analysts that executive and agency shakeouts were "called for."
Same-store sales for the combined chains fell 5% during the first quarter at Church's, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, Cinnabon and Seattle's Best Coffee, compared to a 2.3% gain in the earlier year period.
On March 24, AFC said it would restate its financials for fiscal year 2001 and the first three quarters of 2002. AFC stock plunged 20% in very heavy trading. Shortly after, investors began filing lawsuits. A month later the $2.6 billion company said it would also restate results for fiscal 2000, and that it was threatened with being delisted by Nasdaq for failing to file its annual report.
A week later, AFC's executive vice president and chief financial officer, Gerald Wilkins, resigned.
Court filings to the U.S. District Court in Atlanta allege securities fraud by "failing to reveal that AFC had inflated its operating results" by improperly accounting for sales of company-owned stores to franchisees, value of long-lived assets and inventory at Seattle's Best, as well as understating advertising costs.
The suit also alleges that by restating its financials the company "has admitted that its prior financial statements were materially false and misleading when issued."
Their filings include an accusation that some executives capitalized on the overstated figures by selling their stock.
AFC said it's policy is not to comment on pending lawsuits.


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Barely a week ago, Apple and EMI announced that EMI’s music catalog (Beatles excluded) would become available free of digital rights management protection on the iTunes Store next month. Computerworld now quotes Microsoft as saying that it, too, will soon sell DRM-free music—presumably from its Zune Marketplace online music store.
“The EMI announcement on Monday was not exclusive to Apple,” said Katy Asher, a Microsoft spokeswoman on the Zune team, in an e-mail to the IDG News Service today. She said Microsoft has been talking with EMI and other record labels “for some time now” about offering unprotected music on its Zune players in an effort to meet the needs of its customers.
“Consumers have made it clear that unprotected music is something they want,” Asher said. “We plan on offering it to them as soon as our label partners are comfortable with it.”
Interestingly, Computerworld notes that Microsoft responded harshly to Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ open letter advocating the death of DRM in February. “A Zune spokesman called [the letter] naive and irresponsible,” the site says.


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America wants Harriet Tubman on $20 bill
America has spoken, loud and clear. They wantHarriet Tubman to be the face of our $20 bill, USA TODAY reports.
Right now, our currency is very male and very white. A grassroots campaign called Women on 20s hopes to change that, and started an online petition to replace Andrew... Read More
Everyone hates the IRS, so Michael Bolton wrote them a love song
Wednesday is Tax Day in the United States, which means that countless Americans are currently freaking out and taking out their frustrations on the IRS. John Oliver would like to remind the country that, while no one likes the IRS, most people can agree that taxes are a necessary evil in the U.S. — and an... Read More
Square refuses to lose ground to Facebook in payments
Square, the startup that helped heat up the tech world's interest in mobile payments, seems determined not to lose ground to giant rivals like Facebook and Google, which are posing direct threats, Mashable reports.
In a move that could help improve its profitability, Square, the six-year-old... Read More
Burger King drops soft drinks from kids' meals
It's getting tougher for kids to get soft drinks at the fast-food joint, USA TODAY reports.
Burger King has dropped fountain drinks from its kids' menu boards and they are no longer merchandised as part of Burger King Kids Meals. The stealth, unannounced move late last month by Burger King – under pressures... Read More


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A number one blockchain analytics agency says merchants are shifting Ethereum (ETH) out of centralized crypto exchanges en masse.
In a brand new report, IntoTheBlock says it’s taking a look at Ethereum’s alternate netflows, which tracks the ETH shifting out and in of centralized crypto exchanges by subtracting the quantity of a coin’s withdrawals from its deposits.
In keeping with the intelligence agency, Ethereum witnessed $320 million in outflows final week, bringing the full quantity of outflows to $1 billion in simply three weeks.
At time of writing, Ethereum is buying and selling for $2,007, up 1.75% within the final 24 hours.
Taking a look at Bitcoin (BTC), IntoTheBlock says that the crypto king is flashing bullish indicators on-chain as recent capital seems to movement into BTC.
“There are [growing] indicators of latest entrants shopping for Bitcoin. The share of energetic addresses which are newly created, as tracked by the New Adoption Fee indicator, reached a yearly excessive of 67.62% this week.
Bitcoin’s worth has additionally held up strongly whereas smaller cap crypto-assets rise greater, suggesting inflows into each.”
IntoTheBlock additionally notes that the quantity of Bitcoin held by long-term holders set a brand new all-time excessive final week.
“Addresses holding Bitcoin for over one yr have traditionally been a bellwether for the progress in Bitcoin cycles. Hodlers have a tendency to extend their Bitcoin holdings by bear markets and the start of bull markets and reduce them close to earlier all-time highs
With hodlers’ steadiness persevering with to rise, it seems that traders in mixture count on Bitcoin to push greater.”
At time of writing, Bitcoin is price $37,326, up 1.70% up to now day.
Generated Picture: Midjourney