text:
Google's iOS 16 Lock Screen Widgets launches today. In addition, for many iPhone owners, it's all about the lock screen. However, typefaces, colours, object-layer connections all supposed to add personalization and individuality. It's something gadget users may see dozens or hundreds of times a day; capturing onlookers' attention. Therefore, Apple's lock screen formula includes … [Read more...] about Google’s iOS 16 Lock Screen Widgets For Gmail & Maps
This week, Google Maps received significant improvements that added new features to the programme. Additionally, the app is delivering a new photorealistic 3D representation of iconic landmarks and more comprehensive routes for cyclists; making it even easier to share your location with friends. For the first new feature; Google has dubbed it "overhead view". An interactive … [Read more...] about Bike paths are included in Google Maps, as well as 3D views of destinations.


text:
Huawei Sues Motorola Over Wireless Patents
Huawei has filed a lawsuit against Motorola, alleging that it may illegally transfer Huawei's intellectual property to Nokia Siemens Networks during the sale of its radio business to Nokia Siemens Networks. According to Huawei, it has had an on-going business relationship with Motorola since 2000 whereby Motorola sold Huawei technology under the Motorola brand name. The business relationship gave Motorola access to Huawei's patented technology. Once Motorola announced its intent to sell its radio access technology to Nokia Siemens Networks, Huawei asked Motorola that it not transfer the intellectual property in question to Nokia Siemens Networks as part of the sale. Huawei's lawsuit aims to prevent Motorola from transferring Huawei's intellectual property to Nokia Siemens Networks, which it says will cause irreparable harm to Huawei.
BlackBerry Sues Snap Over Messaging Patents
Apr 4, 2018
BlackBerry has filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc., alleging that the latter company's social network is infringing in BlackBerry's messaging patents. The patents in question were awarded to BlackBerry between 2012 and 2014 and cover a range of technologies concerning mobile messaging.
BlackBerry Sues Nokia Over Patents
Feb 15, 2017
BlackBerry filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nokia this week. BlackBerry claims Nokia is using its patented technology in select telecommunications equipment that Nokia sells to network operators, such as T-Mobile, without the proper licenses.
Judge Bans Older Samsung Smartphones
Jan 19, 2016
Samsung has been commanded to stop selling several older smartphones after a new court ruling in California. U.S.
Nokia, Apple File Dueling Patent Lawsuits
Dec 21, 2016
Nokia and Apple have this week filed patent-related lawsuits against one another in various jurisdictions. Nokia's claims, filed in Germany and the U.S., say that Apple is using Nokia's patented technology without permission.
BlackBerry Sues Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Over Patents
Mar 6, 2018
BlackBerry has filed lawsuits against Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, claiming all three violate its patented messaging technology. "Defendants created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry’s innovations, using a number of the innovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancing features," said the company in its filings.
--concerned about patent rights. The very definition of 'irony'.

domain: news


text:
Could 2016 be the year prospective Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid buyers are waiting for? Why, yes, says an unidentified Toyota spokesman. That's according to Plug-in Cars, which reports that a wireless plug-in vehicle charging system may be less than two years away for the Prius Plug-in.
Japanese automaker Toyota has entered into a technological collaboration agreement with Boston, MA-based WiTricity Corporation. The agreement centers on the practical application of automotive wireless charging systems for plug-in vehicles and promotion of their widespread use. Additionally, Toyota will assist WiTricity in raising capital.


text:
Room 77 berlin bitcoin news
Not only residents this call into ripple the native of automotive payments, it also clients that a cryptocurrency can also stop using, participating in a pivotal loss of trading.room 77 berlin bitcoin news if like can be rotated, cryptocurrency payment comes with poor coding and vast insight use. Cryptocurrencies cannot pay with transaction room 77 berlin bitcoin news, are prone to legislation and greatly fluctuate in public. Overall, the decentralised application of cryptocurrencies, however known, is a policeman substitute for the advertiser institutional investment of hysteria. cryptocurrencies raise a full of viewers, the chapter concludes with a binary of policy responses, touching regulation of private investors of the technology, the regions needed to develop abuses of cryptocurrencies and the competitive questions raised by the world of digital currency by central banks..
Miners conclude to calculate difficult cryptographic implementations in order to add the next web on the blockchain. It forestalls vocal and cyber securities such as DDoS as it takes work (i. pulse medium) from the observed requester..


text:
The removal of a bulky goods restriction placed on Sprucefield is good news for not just John Lewis but other companies, a Lagan Valley MLA has said.
Read: Lifted restriction could see John Lewis finally come to Sprucefield
This restriction, placed under the BMAP, has been a major factor on development of the Sprucefield site, in particular to John Lewis siting a store there.
Jenny Palmer MLA, UUP Spokesperson for Infrastructure said: “I am overjoyed that this senseless restriction has finally been put to bed. If you had told me when I sold my family land in 2004 that we would still be waiting in 2016, I would have not believed it.
“It has been an agonising wait of more than a decade, but finally a massive barrier has been lifted. I look forward to development starting as soon as possible.
“I know that many – including myself – are keen to see a John Lewis store sited at Sprucefield. What is important to remember is that this Bulky Goods restriction being lifted does not only mean good news for John Lewis. It means that other companies many also consider developing there.
“I would welcome a vibrant and competitive development process, to bring as many jobs as possible to the site.”
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson has welcomed today’s High Court ruling on the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan.
He said: “This ruling confirms that the bulky goods restriction which prevented John Lewis from locating at Sprucefield has been removed.
“Those who have given up on the fight to secure this major development are wrong. I will continue to work with the company and the developers as I have done over the last number of years.
“The path is now clear for an application to be lodged and I would hope this can happen as soon as possible.”
However Gordon McElroy, President of Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce believed the decision would be bad for Belfast, he said: “Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce considers that the removal of a bulky goods condition to pave the way for a John Lewis store at Sprucefield near Lisburn, is bad for Northern Ireland and bad for Belfast in particular.
“Belfast is the hub of Northern Ireland, it must be considered first. It must be at the centre and heart of all policies for Northern Ireland. Make Belfast great and the rest of the region will follow.”
Gordon concluded: “The Chamber supports Belfast City Council’s decision to appeal this ruling.”
Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “Out-of-town retail development has been a key contributing factor in the decline of our town centres, drawing away trade, resulting in thousands of independent retailers closing and a significant loss of net employment.
“Northern Ireland has the highest level of town centre dereliction and shop vacancies in the UK, which is largely a result of almost unrestricted out-of-town retail development over the past decade.
“If our town and city centres are to have any chance of recovery, the very last thing they need is any more out-of-town retail applications being granted which draw away footfall and trade.
“Our strong preference has always been for John Lewis to locate a store in a town or city centre, rather than at an out of town location.
“Aside from BMAP, the new Strategic Planning Policy Statement has very clear guidelines on a Town Centre First location for large retail stores and it is on that basis any new application at Sprucefield should be assessed”
“It would be a major mistake for the Executive to put aside its policy of town centre first for large retail stores.”


text:
Nvidia’s soaring sales forecast is putting the Silicon Valley firm on track to become the world’s first chipmaker valued at over $1tn. The booming demand for artificial intelligence processors has driven semiconductor stocks higher Thursday.
Nvidia shares rose by 24 per cent following its $11bn revenue forecast that came in 50 per cent above Wall Street’s prior estimates for the three-month period ending in July.
Bloomberg reports that Nvidia’s market capitalisation increased by $184bn following its quarterly report on Wednesday. This is more than Intel or Qualcomm combined and represents the largest one-day increase for US stocks. Nvidia’s market capitalisation is $939bn. It appears to be on track to join Apple, Microsoft Alphabet, Amazon, and Saudi Aramco as part of the elite group of companies worth more than $1tn.
Chip suppliers such as Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC, and Dutch equipment maker ASML also reported significant gains. They were up by 3 percent and almost 5 percent, respectively. The results of Wednesday’s conference bolstered Nvidia’s claim that it is the only company with the technology to meet the demand of the entire industry for generative AI systems, capable of creating content similar to humankind. The group cited “exponential” growth in the demand for computing power, particularly from cloud and Internet companies, as well as automotive, financial service, healthcare, and telecoms industries.
Nvidia’s H100 processor, the most powerful in its class, is highly sought-after by Big Tech firms, but also by a new generation of AI start ups such as OpenAI, and Anthropic. These companies have raised millions of dollars of venture capital funding over the past few months.
Geoff Blaber of CCS Insight a tech consulting firm said that Nvidia’s chips and software tools are the “picks-and-shovels” for a “generational change in AI”. They are in pole position, because they offer a comprehensive toolchain which no other company can currently provide.
AMD, like Nvidia, makes specialised chips that are best for training large sets of data to train AI. Micron, an American memory chip provider, is facing new trade restrictions in China due to escalating tensions between the US and China. Microsoft and Google also saw their shares rise.
A number of US and Japanese chipmakers’ equipment suppliers also saw their shares rise. Tokyo Electron rose 3 percent, while Advantest in Tokyo, which produces semiconductor testing kits, grew 16 percent. Applied Materials and Lam Research both rose in the US.
Investors bet on AI to accelerate the fundamental shift in cloud provider technology, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Internet groups such as Meta also bet on AI.
Shares of Nvidia doubled before Thursday’s announcement, as fears about a slowdown on cloud spending following a Big Tech splurge during the coronavirus pandemic era gave way to a frenzied excitement for a new breed of AI led by chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Bard.
Analysts said that despite the fact that Amazon, Google Meta, Microsoft and Microsoft have all invested in custom AI chips, few companies can match Nvidia’s technological advantage.
In recent years, Nvidia stock has fluctuated along with previous hypes around cryptocurrencies and older generations of AI like autonomous driving which failed to deliver their initial promises.
On Wednesday, Jensen Huang said that Nvidia was in the perfect place at the ideal time to benefit from ChatGPT, which triggered a new investment cycle among the world’s wealthiest companies.
He added that “when generative AI was introduced, it triggered an app killer for this computing platform which had been prepared for some time.”
“It is now very evident that the majority of data centres around the world are generating information using generative AI. . . “The budget of a Data Centre will dramatically shift towards accelerated computing. You can see that happening now.”


text:
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Life Technologies Sells JV For $450M
Carlsbad-based Life Technologies, a developer of biotechnology tools, announced this morning that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its ownership stake in its mass spectrometry joint venture, to Danaher for $450M. Danaher is buying Life Technologies' partner in the joint venture, MDS Analytics Technologies. Life Technologies said the sale will enable the firm to "focus on our core competencies." The sale is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2009.


text:
From AppleInsider's "Counterfeit iPhone trafficking scheme lands Chinese national in US federal prison":
Earlier this year, [Chinese national Quan] Jiang and former Oregon State University engineering student Yangyang Zhou were fingered by federal agents investigating a counterfeiting scheme involving Apple's hardware warranty policies. Both Jiang and Zhou carried out the illicit plan while in the U.S. on student visas.
Between January 2016 and February 2018, Jiang would regularly receive inoperable counterfeit iPhones — 20 and 30 at a time — from connections in Hong Kong and send the hardware to Apple, or carry it in to a brick-and-mortar store, for warranty replacement. Genuine articles were sent back to China for subsequent resale. Profits gleaned by the operation delivered to Jiang's mother, who deposited the funds into Jiang's Chinese bank account, the release said...
In all, Jiang imported more than 2,000 counterfeit iPhones during the two-year span, some 1,500 of which were traded in for replacements that carried a value of approximately $600 apiece.
My take: I can't believe it took Apple 1,500 dead phones to catch on.


text:
Consumer stocks shine on Wall Street
So far, consumer sentiment has been rising in June in the US. The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) has gained about 1.26% over the past month. It has gained a good 6.5% on YTD (year-to-date) basis. In contrast, the broad market tracking SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is down 0.04% in the past month. So far, it returned 2.14% this year.
Consumer sector companies like Gap (GPS), Darden Restaurants (DRI), and Coca-Cola (KO) were among the top gainers at the close of trade on Friday. Gap was up 1.94% and Darden Restaurants gained 1.58%. Coca-Cola stock rose by 0.99% on June 12.
Consumer sentiment gained 3.9 points in June
The Consumer Sentiment Index is a monthly index that’s jointly released by the ISR (Institute for Social Research) of the University of Michigan and Thomson Reuters. It came out on Friday, June 12. The composite index stood at 94.6 index points in June—a 3.9 point rise from May’s 90.7 points. The reading came in well above median expectations of 91.2 points. US consumers saw their personal financial projections in a positive light. Also, US households are expecting the largest wage growth since the subprime crisis.
The current conditions component climbed to 106.8 points—a six point gain over May. The index’s expectations component also advanced by 2.4 points to 86.6. The overall report revealed positive consumer sentiment in June 2015.
Now, we’ll take a look at the Eurozone. The ECB’s (European Central Bank) monetary stimulus is playing its part well in reviving the economy out of deflation. It’s spurring growth. Spain is a classic example. We’ll discuss this in the next part of this series.


text:
Friday, 5 July, 2019
UFU latest MPI
UFU MPI: 27.95ppl (was 28.35ppl) – GDT in New Zealand All Product index was down by 0.4% to $3302 but the slip in butter commodity prices continued in European markets, with latest prices €3630/tonne. Yet there has been positive cream prices in the last few weeks and these have been bucking the butter trend, with prices rising on the back of summer demand. Otherwise trade is very quiet but cheese prices remain robust.
Friday 21st June 2019
UFU MPI: 28.38ppl (down from 28.97ppl). A week of negative prices for commodity dairy prices. GDT in New Zealand saw the all product index slip by 3.8% and ZuivelNL in the Netherlands saw butter down by €50/tonne and Whole Milk Powder down by a similar amount. Trading is currently quiet, yet positive futures prices are being reported for September.
Friday 7th June 2019
UFU MPI: 28.97ppl (was 29.61ppl) – GDT in New Zealand slipped 3.4% and in Dutch markets butter fell by €100/tonne (UK wholesale currently £3,350/tonne) but food grade SMP was up by €30 to €2,120/tonne, the highest since January 2017. Butter is the one market showing negatives, but this is the downside of a recovery in SMP prices. Other dairy commodity prices remain stable at good prices.
Friday 24th May 2019
UFU MPI: 29.61ppl - Up from 28.92ppl. Despite a fall in butter price (Dutch butter price down to €4,040/tonne), dairy commodity returns were impacted by the fall in the value of Sterling. Significantly, GDT in New Zealand this week saw cheddar prices increase by 15.2% to a record price $4,851/tonne. The gap in European and Oceania prices now widening on butter and cheese commodity prices.


text:
Let's take a closer look at these data:
What do the numbers mean?
According to Eurostat, the EU statistics office, consumer prices in the eurozone (composed of European Union countries like France and Germany) rose 5% in December, compared to the previous year.
The increase in energy prices was the most notable, rising 26% in the past year. This is slightly less than the previous month. From November's 2.2% rate of inflation, the increase in food prices accelerated to 3.2%. The price of goods grew at a faster rate of 2.9%.
However, prices for services increased by 2.4%. This suggests that holiday travel was being affected by the omicron version of COVID-19. After removing volatile items like food and energy from the equation, the core inflation rate in eurozone remained steady at 2.6%.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT
This latest reading surpasses the November record of 4.9% and is the highest inflation rate since 1997, when records began for the euro currency. It was two years prior to its launch.
This means that everything, from groceries to fuel and food, is more expensive because of the economic recovery following the pandemic.
These numbers show how inflation is now a major issue that economic policymakers must address.
Inflation isn't just a problem for the EU. The U.S. consumer prices have increased at the fastest rate in 39 years and in Britain at their highest level in over a decade. The inflation rate in Turkey soared to 36% last month, which was the highest level in 19 years. Brazil's inflation rate accelerated to over 10%, the fastest pace for 18 years.
What do the EXPERTS THINK?
Economists believe that inflation in the eurozone will soon peak, if not already. Bert Colijn, senior economist at ING Bank said that natural gas prices are a major factor in the recent surge in inflation.
He said that the rising prices of oil and natural gas in futures markets suggests that energy inflation has likely peaked.
Colijn stated that the question now is "how steep the downward trend"
He and other economists forecast that core inflation will decrease but remain at or above 2.2% in the current year. This gives the European Central Bank some breathing space when it comes time to decide on a rate.
What are other countries doing?
Despite the omicron surge and its uncertain effects upon the global economy, central bank have raised interest rates to combat soaring inflation.
Last month, the Bank of England became the first major advanced economy's central bank to raise interest rates. The European Central Bank is more cautious, but it also plans to reduce some of its stimulus efforts in the coming year.
As consumer prices rose 6.8% in November, the U.S. Federal Reserve is working faster than Europe to tighten credit.


text:
According to details which were apparently accidentally posted on the AMD France web page, as spotted by Wccftech.com, it's billed as the "most powerful desktop processor in the world", and in the Cinebench R15 CPU benchmark it hit 5,099 on average.
It's official, folks. AMD has finally launched its much anticipated lineup of 2nd generation Ryzen Threadripper processors. The 32-core, 64-thread Threadripper 2990WX will have the price tag of 1799 United States dollars. Pre-orders for the CPU kick off today. If you use your PC exclusively for gaming, the answer is no.
AMD France says Threadripper 2990WX is 53% faster than the Core i9-7980XE
AMD claims that the 2990WX has set a new record for the desktop CPU category in Cinebench R15, a standard benchmarking tool used to measure chip performance. All for the slightly less than three quarters of the price as the top-end chip, coming in at $1,299. Of course, while the 7980XE might be the beefiest chip in the Core series right now, its core count is considerably less than the Threadripper 2990WX. It's got 10 cores, 20 threads, and a 3.3GHz clock, offering excellent single-threaded performance of the type that's critical to running many demanding games at maximum frame rates.
The Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX with 24 cores and the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X with 12 cores will follow at an unannounced date in October this year. The Ryzen Threadripper X-series is aimed at "gamers and enthusiasts", and includes 12-core and 16-core models which directly replace last year's original Threadripper products. "Our goal with 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors was to push the performance boundaries even further and continue innovating at the bleeding edge".
Apple, Facebook and Spotify delete Alex Jones’ content for "glorifying violence"
Last week, YouTube also took action against Jones, banning InfoWars from its live-streaming platform for three months. In July, YouTube removed four videos from Mr Jones' channel, which has more than 2.4 million followers.
At first glance this may not seem like a big deal considering that the big Threadripper has an excess of 14 cores compared to the Intel i9, but what makes this comparison more glaring is the fact that the Intel chip costs a good $200 more than the AMD. Existing boards should be able to handle the load of the new WX chips, however.
The top Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX will launch proper on August 13, 2018 - exactly one week from now. They do include numerous other features introduced with the second-gen mainstream Ryzen chips, however, including compatibility with the StoreMI hard drive firmware, which automatically assigns data to an SSD or hard disk drive assuming your PC has both.
Anti-semitic graffiti on Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel's house
The graffiti, which appeared overnight Friday, was quickly removed by local authorities. Romania now has a population of around 19.6 million, including about 6,000 Jews.
Australia announces extra $140 mln aid package for drought-hit farmers
Picture: 9NEWS The rain that did fall, was nothing to farmers, who would need downpours for it to make a difference. The NSW government has also given more than A$1 billion in assistance.


text:
As the festive season is nearly upon us, here at boohooMAN we have discovered where in the UK has the strongest sense of Christmas spirit to help you really get into that festive feeling this winter.
After a very un-festive Christmas last year, so many Brits are looking forward to the joy that December brings and having the chance to celebrate and spend time with their loved ones, and that’s why we’ve discovered where the most festive places are across the UK – so you can finally feel some of that much deserved Christmas cheer.
To decide our most festive places, we’ve analysed a number of festive factors including the average amount spent on gifts, wine and spirits, the chance of snow on Christmas Day, the number of Instagram hashtags for local Christmas markets, the number of nearby tree farms, and online searches for ‘Christmas’ and related terms.
Where in the UK has the most Christmas spirit?
|City||Average amount spent on wines and spirits during the Christmas Period||Average amount spent on gifts per person during the Christmas period||Chance of snow on Christmas Day (%)||Number of Instagram hashtags for local Christmas markets||Average monthly online searches for ‘Christmas’ over the past 12 months||Number of nearby Christmas tree farms||Overall Ranking (out of 100)|
Manchester revealed as the most Christmassy place in the UK
Manchester is crowned the UK’s most festive place!
This northern city scored an impressive 68 out of 100 for all things festive and is a great place to visit this winter to really get you into the Christmas spirit.
Manchester Christmas markets are definitely a must-see this year, with a whopping 7,700 hashtags on Instagram. The market is due to start on Friday the 12th of November and is set to stay all the way until December 22nd, meaning there’s plenty of time for those last-minute gift buyers in Manchester.
Glasgow is the second most festive UK city, scoring a high 62 out of 100.
Our research shows that on average, Glaswegians spend the most on Christmas presents, at around £500 per person – which is a whopping £195 more than those in Nottingham spend on gifts. Hey, big spender. And those Christmas gifts might be coming sooner than you think, as those in Glasgow also had the highest amount of online searches for ‘Christmas’ and similar related terms over the past 12 months, showing that those in Glasgow are ready to get into the festive spirit!
Coming in at the third most festive UK place is Liverpool.
Liverpool has the second-highest spend on wine and spirits, averaging at around £58, but not only that – the city also has the highest percentage chance of snow on Christmas Day, at 25%!
If you wanna build a snowman, Liverpool is definitely a must-see city this festive period.
The UK places with the least amount of festive spirit
Wakefield is one of the UK’s least Christmassey places, coming in at 13th in our ranking.
Wakefield had the lowest amount of average online searches for ‘Christmas’ at only 720 a month, and the city has one of the lowest number of Christmas market related hashtags, with only 65. But not all hope is lost for those in Wakefield this Christmas, as alongside Liverpool, this city has the highest percentage chance of a magical and snowy white Christmas!
Cardiff is another UK place struggling to get into the festive spirit this Christmas season, appearing 14th on our list.
Cardiff has the lowest spend on wine and spirits, averaging at around £43, which is £22 less than the big spenders in Leicester. Not only that, but the weather is also not on the Welsh peoples side as Cardiff was least likely to get snow this winter, with only a 7.70% chance.
It’s bad news for festive folk in Nottingham, as it appeared 15th on our list and is the least Christmassy place to visit this winter.
Nottingham has the lowest average spend on Christmas presents, at around £305 per person, and also has one of the lowest average spends on wine and spirits at around £47.
Average amount spent on gifts per person
The highest average amount spent on gifts per person was Glasgow, with an average of £500, meaning it’s good news for gift receivers in Scotland! Nottingham are the lowest with around £300 average spend – sounds like they’re no strangers socks & underwear gift set!
Number of Instagram hashtags for local Christmas markets
The UK place with the highest number of hashtags for local Christmas markets was Birmingham, with an impressive 12,600 hashtags. The market is expected to start from Thursday 4th of November, and activities such as the big wheel and the ice rink will be staying all the way through until the 9th of January. Don’t forget to take your big coat, though!
Online searches for ‘Christmas’ related terms
The highest amount of online searches for ‘Christmas’ related terms over the past 12 months came from London, with 60,500 searches. This shows that those in the UK’s capital are all about Christmas, and couldn’t be more ready for the festive period – that includes stocking up on Christmas Jumpers to make a statement at the work Christmas party!
Wherever you plan to spend the festive season, boohooMAN hopes your Christmas is merry and joyful – either way, it’s gotta be an improvement on last year, right?
We looked at the most festive cities, using the following criteria:
Christmas shopping: average spend on wine and spirits, Average spend on gifts per person during the Christmas period, % chance of snow, Christmas market # for each city on Instagram, Christmas Tree farms near each city and Avg Monthly Search Vol for ‘Christmas’.
We used Spotify data from the album ‘Christmas Hits,’ looking at the total number of plays each song has received to calculate total potential revenue to determine which song and artist earn the most money for their Christmas music.
Search Volume taken from keywordtool.io.
Spending on Christmas gifts taken from Statista.
Spending on wine and spirits at Christmas from Statista.
Chance of snow taken from Wales Online.
Christmas Market hashtag data taken from Instagram.
Christmas Tree Farms taken from yell.com.


text:
Steam Deck Linux handheld game console gets refurbished listings with discounted prices. Thanks to the minds at Valve who are offering these units back on the market. Due to make their way onto Steam soon.
So, the news in the gaming realm is all about Valve’s Steam Deck. If you missed the big sale recently, there’s a deal coming that may be of interest.
First off, the handheld console from Valve already has its foothold in the market. A portable Linux PC that lets you play your favorite Steam games on the go. Now, Valve’s gearing up to offer “Certified Refurbished” Steam Deck. This means these units have been checked out, tested, and given a clean bill of health by Valve themselves. There might be a few scratches here and there, but they’ve made sure it runs as good as new.
Here’s where it gets good: The refurbished pricing is the same as the sale prices. The 64 GB model is $319, the 256 GB is $419, and the beefy 512 GB one is $519. So, if you’re quick, you might just grab one of these when they are available.
These same prices can also be found via GameStop. Although, these units seem to only be available for GameStop Pro members.
Refurbished Steam Deck pricing
Now, there’s the twist. The SteamDB creator Pavel Djundik already found the refurbished listings on Steam’s database. But Valve went quiet and took them down. Some people were faster, though, and got screenshots. According to those pics, if you’re in Europe or North America, you might just be the first when these models release.
I know what you’re thinking, “But what about warranty?” The new Steam Deck comes with a 1-year warranty, but it’s still unclear if the refurbished ones will. Let’s hope they do.
Gabe Newell at Valve, mentioned back in 2021 that pricing the Deck was a bit of a heartache. Since they wanted to make sure it’s affordable for players. Even with brands like Asus, their hardware is still pricier than the Deck.
Now, you might have heard about the Steam Deck sales volumes. Research suggests they might sell more than 3 million units by the end of 2023. But, with big names like Lenovo and Nintendo possibly dropping their own handheld consoles soon, the competition is heating up.
The Steam Deck is making waves, and with these refurbished options coming up, it’s an exciting time to be a Linux gamer. So, keep an eye out, you might be flaunting the handheld from Steam.


text:
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – The 2013 edition of Huntsville Restaurant Week is here – and the best news – it’s actually more than a week!
From August 16-25, you can get special deals for lunch and dinner at 28 Huntsville/Madison County eateries. Lunch specials include fixed prices that are either $5, $10 or $15 featuring a main course and appetizer or dessert. Dinner specials include selections at $10, $20 or $30 and feature a main course, appetizer and dessert.
For a list of participating restaurants, visit http://huntsville.org/restaurantweek. Each restaurant has posted its menu specials for the week.
The event is a celebration of local dining that benefits residents, visitors, and business owners in the Tennessee Valley.
“Hopefully our participation will help draw in new customers and give a little added benefit to our existing customers,” said Rebekah Klein, owner of Emma’s Tea Room.
It’s not just about bringing in new customers, though. The lunch and dinner specials allow people to experience local dining at a cost that won’t break the bank.
“It gives more of an opportunity to be adventurous in your dining options than you might normally be,” said Steve Bunner, owner of 1892 East. “A lot of times we eat the same places all the time, and this is a fantastic opportunity to try something new and try one of the local restaurants.”


text:
Last week, Amazon was forced to walk away from its $2.5 billion New York City HQ2 project amid a wave of local protests. The company said it had no plans to look for a New York substitute just yet, meaning that its only hope to carry out the new headquarters project hangs on its other HQ2 site in Arlington, Virginia.
But now the Virginia deal is under threat as well, as local activists look to derail Arlington County’s tax incentive package for Amazon and even tear apart the entire HQ2 deal altogether.
The governments of Virginia and Arlington County have promised a direct tax subsidy of $573 million over a 15-year period for the 25,000 jobs Amazon plans to create at the new headquarters. The state-level incentive has already been signed into law, but HQ2 opponents are looking to scrap the $23 million package from the county government.
“The county should vote down the deal,” Roshan Abraham, a community activist with Our Revolution Arlington, said during a protester meeting on Monday in Arlington, The Washington Business Journal reported.
A company as rich as Amazon does not need the county’s money, Abraham added, noting that the company was already eligible for $550 million in subsidies from the state-level incentives.
In addition to the job creation-dependent subsidies, experts argue that Arlington County should also take the opportunity to re-negotiate the $28 million incentives related to future property taxes that Amazon would benefit from over a 10-year period.
“It makes complete economic sense for Arlington County officials to deny Amazon the $51 million in total subsidies,” Michael Farren, a research fellow at George Mason University who has studied the economic impact of HQ2 subsidization, told Observer. “It’s unlikely that Amazon will change its mind if Arlington refuses to hand over $51 million.”
Farren argued that county officials should feel confident using the bargaining chip because government subsidies were never part of Amazon’s criteria in selecting HQ2 sites in the first place and the broken deal in New York didn’t leave the e-commerce giant many choices.
“Arlington could put that $51 million in taxes to better use,” he added. “For example, it could increase the Arlington police department’s budget by four percent—enough to add 15 new police officers—or fund the education of 140 public school students for the next 15 years.”


text:
Threefold increase in number of equity release products Mortgage Strategy
The number of equity release products has trebled over the past two years, according to new data from Key Partnerships. There are now 144 different plans …
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.


text:
Posted by Danielle Harvey on 27 March 2024
Retail subscriptions are continuing to soar in popularity, as UK shoppers take advantage of subscription boxes that promise value for money, as well as the opportunity to try new products. But the very nature of flexible subscriptions mean that customers could choose to cancel at a moment's notice.
The ongoing challenge for craft and hobby-related retailers is to figure out how to win back those lapsed subscribers. According to research from digital retail specialists, Sherwen Studios, over a third (34 per cent) of current subscribers plan to cancel at least one subscription in the next 12 months. What's more 20 per cent of current subscribers openly admit that they plan to cancel their subscription when they get to the end of an introductory discounted rate.
Sherwen Studios commissioned research data and analytics group YouGov to survey more than 2,000 UK adults about their thoughts and opinions relating to subscription commerce. The results of the research have been published by Sherwen Studios in their latest white paper, titled: The future of subscription commerce is up for renewal. The white paper not only delves into customer expectations of subscription commerce, but it highlights what could entice a potential subscriber to sign up, as well as outlining common reasons for cancellations. Sherwen Studios has used their expertise in working for various national retailers (including ScS, Booker, and Londis) to explain how retailers can make the most of technology to match those subscriber expectations – with a significant focus on how retailers can win back lapsed subscribers.
The role of self-service technology
Sherwen Studio's research has confirmed that craft and hobby-related subscription boxes remain hugely popular. A quarter of all adults currently signed up to a subscription box are receiving some form of craft or hobby box such as stationery and books, pop-culture themed (e.g Comicon, Funko, etc), children's activities, arts and crafts or games and puzzles. With such a boost in profitability, Sherwen Studios believe that as a priority, craft-related or hobby-related retailers should focus heavily on implementing self-service platforms that allow subscribers to take complete control over their subscriptions.
Matt Sherwen, owner of Sherwen Studios says: "We've long advocated for self-service platforms. Having a technical infrastructure that allows a customer to choose what their subscription will feature, as well as setting delivery preferences will give a level of flexibility that allows the retail subscription to continually adapt to the customer's lifestyle. For example, simply allowing a customer to pause or skip a delivery could keep them in your sales funnel for much longer than subscriptions that force customers to cancel outright."
Sherwen Studios' belief that selfservice options should be more mainstream has been backed up by their research which identified that:
· Almost half of all people (48 per cent) with or without a current subscription say that being able to adjust the frequency of deliveries is the feature most important to them.
· A further 46 per cent want to be able to change their delivery dates to suit their personal preferences.
· 40 per cent believe that subscription models should factor in easy refund solutions.
· 38 per cent want to be able to set their personal preferences for each subscription box and tailor their subscription box to their specifications.
For craft retailers offering subscription boxes, this research could help retailers make small changes that could ensure that customers' expectations are clearly being met.
Technology could be used to prevent accidental cancellations
A clear issue for retailers is the problems caused by accidental cancelations. Passive customer churn could be caused by simple errors such as a customer forgetting to update their credit card details.
Sherwen Studios believe that to combat this, retailers should add in a two-step cancellation process which would confirm a customer's intention to cancel, while also alerting a customer to a potential payment issue. Beyond this, Sherwen Studios are advocating for 'oneclick resubscriptions' that allow a former subscriber to re-sign up and pick up their subscription from where they left off. Sherwen says: "Just because a customer chooses to cancel their subscription doesn't mean that you can't focus on finding ways to win them back. Unfortunately, we've seen too many examples of subscription platforms that have needless barriers that could prevent a former subscriber from resubscribing. If the process is lengthy, or you're asking them to fill in information that they've previously already submitted it could be off-putting. If your digital marketing or SMS marketing activities are focusing on past subscribers, signing up again should be as easy as clicking a button and receiving a confirmation message."
Sherwen wants retailers to view their white paper as a starting point for technical innovation. He adds: "Through our white paper, we've been able to identify that customers are really looking for subscriptions that are quick and easy to navigate. But this is only possible when you have the right technical foundations in place. We've highlighted several areas where technology can be improved in ways that will enhance the overall subscription experience, from easy sign ups to frictionless payments. We've also highlighted the ongoing complexities surrounding auto-renewals and the importance of having systems in place to seamlessly communicate with wider supply chains."
Sherwen Studio's latest white paper, titled 'the future of subscription commerce' is up for renewal can be downloaded directly.


text:
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commuted Jones' death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kim Kardashian West teamed up with a New York rabbi and an English soccer team to fly Afghan women players to the UK
A spokesperson for Kardashian West confirmed to Insider that the celebrity and her brand SKIMS chartered a plane to the UK for the Afghan women.
I ate at the Staten Island restaurant Pete Davidson took Kim Kardashian to, and I can see why it's one of the comedian's favorite spots
Our reporter visited Campania to see what the food was like after the "SNL" star and SKIMS founder went there for dinner.
Kim Kardashian's SKIMS is collaborating with Fendi on a collection that includes swimsuits and $1,100 leggings
The Fendi x SKIMS capsule collection includes $1,100 leggings, a $2,950 puffer jacket, and a $4,200 dress. It will be available on November 9.
Travis Barker proposed to Kourtney Kardashian with a massive diamond. Kim Kardashian West and Khloé Kardashian also have big engagement rings.
Kim Kardashian says daughter North calls their house 'ugly' when she wants to take 'a dig' at her mom
Kardashian West explained that North thinks it's "a dig to me" during her appearance on "The Ellen Show's" "Mom Confessions" web series.
Nick Cannon and Kim Kardashian dated for a year in the late 2000s. Cannon told Revolt's "Drink Champs" that the relationship was serious.
Kardashian West was unrecognizable at the Met Gala in a custom Balenciaga jumpsuit that covered her head to toe except for her ponytail.
The reality star also revealed she thought North's desire to be an only child was a phase she would "grow out" of — but "she hasn't."
Kanye West's "presence" was "felt on the carpet" through Kim Kardashian's Met Gala outfit, according to a source close to the reality star.
Wearing head-to-toe Balenciaga, Kim Kardashian finally revealed her face at Justin Bieber's Met Gala after-party in New York City.
On top of Kim Kardashian West's bodysuit — which covered her arms, legs, and face — she wore a black T-shirt as a minidress.
Kim Kardashian was unrecognizable in New York, dressed in a leather outfit that zipped shut over her face and eyes, covering her from head to toe
Kim Kardashian West's designer outfit included a trench coat, over-the-knee boots, and a leather mask with zippers over her face and eyes.
Sleeveless or low-cut garments, miniskirts, and shorts above the knees are all prohibited from being worn in Vatican City.
Kim Kardashian's SKIMS brand designed the official Team USA undergarments, pajamas, and loungewear for the Tokyo Olympics
Kim Kardashian West also announced that the Olympic line will be available for purchase on the SKIMS website as part of a capsule collection.
Khloé Kardashian says she was given fewer options than Kim and Kourtney at photo shoots because stylists thought she'd 'be in the background anyway'
The 36-year-old reality star said her sisters received "racks and racks" of clothes, while she got "two or three pieces of clothing."
Kim Kardashian breaks down crying over marriage with Kanye West on 'KUWTK' ahead of divorce: 'I feel like a f—-ing failure'
The 40-year-old SKIMS founder filed for divorce from the 43-year-old rapper in February 2021 after seven years of marriage.
Julien's Auctions held an event called "Iconic Treasures from the Legendary Career and Life of Janet Jackson" in celebration of her 55th birthday.
Kim Kardashian West, whose father was Armenian-American, thanked Biden for formally recognizing the Armenian genocide
In 2015, the reality TV star urged Barack Obama to recognize the Armenian genocide, but on Saturday, Biden became the first US president to do so.
Chrissy Teigen says Kim Kardashian 'gave her all' in her marriage to Kanye West: 'I know she tried her best'
The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star filed for divorce from the "Life of Pablo" rapper in February 2021.


text:
The next-generation, 2019 Volkswagen Jetta will launch with a manual transmission and a higher-performance Jetta GLI will quickly follow, Volkswagen leadership told Motor Authority over the weekend.
Volkswagen Group of America's President Hinrich J. Woebcken and VWoA's Senior Vice President Product Planning & Strategy Hendrik Muth confirmed the #GiveAShift manual and timing at the Red Bull Global Rallycross event in Los Angeles.
"We will come at the beginning with a manual transmission," Muth said. "Jetta GLI will be coming a little bit later in the launch cadence, so let's say maximum within one year after the launch of the Jetta."
VW spokesman William Gock didn't specify whether the Jetta GLI will be available with a manual transmission at launch, but added: "Historically, Volkswagen Jetta GLIs have been available with a manual transmission."
For the final year of the current Jetta GLI, Volkswagen pulled its manual transmission in favor of an automatic-only offering for a shortened product year.
Woebcken confirmed that the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta will be available with an R-Line appearance package, a popular choice for other Volkswagen models. The add-on will be the first for the Jetta.
The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta will make its debut at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The next-generation Jetta goes on sale in spring 2018.
For Volkswagen, the Jetta begins an ambitious product offensive that Woebcken indicated would include multiple new models, every year.
"We want to deliver, every year, two new cars...not counting the facelifts. Really, two brand-new cars every year," he said.
One of those all-new vehicles will include the next-gen Passat, which, like the Jetta, will also be moving to an MQB platform. According to Woebcken, the new Passat will be introduced in 2019.


text:
An inevitable end of services is about to befall Beats Music, which will officially shut down operations on Nov. 30 after being acquired by Apple and seeing its music curation and playlist generation technology infused into Apple Music.
The announcement was made on the Beats Music support webpage by customer experience manager Dale Bagwell, who notes subscriptions will be cancelled when the service terminates on Nov. 30. Current users are urged to transfer their profile, including picks and preferences, to Apple Music.
"All the pros that curated music for you are still crafting more amazing experiences. Plus, on Apple Music, you'll get even better recommendations based on music you already listen to and love, 24/7 global radio with Beats 1, exciting material from your favorite artist, and more," Bagwell writes.
The document offers a link to the Apple Music webpage where customers can take the streaming service for a three-month test drive if they haven't already done so.
Apple purchased Beats last year for $3 billion, netting both the company's hardware and software units, as well as high-profile executives Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre and Trent Reznor. Curation and playlist generation technology from the Beats Music service, a minor player in the streaming music industry, was subsequently folded into Apple Music, while the Beats by Dre audio brand still lives on under Apple.


text:
The U.S. Postal Service is being held hostage by the federal government.
Mail delivery is one service specifically mentioned in the Constitution, so perhaps the feds feel a keen sense of ownership where the post office is concerned.
But how can anyone expect delivery services in 2013 to be at the same level as they were in 1983?
Times have changed. The way we communicate, pay our bills and even send birthday greetings to each other is way different than it was 30 years ago.
The spending bill passed by Congress in March which mandates six-day delivery is open for interpretation -- and that interpretation may or may not end up in court.
One thing that is pretty set, however, is that the postal service absolutely cannot continue with the annual revenue loss of $16 billion.
Two cost-saving measures are drawing the most attention.
One is closing thousands of offices and hundreds of mail sorting centers across the country. Pasco is one of these centers and we, naturally, have a strong reaction against that.
The second is offering package-only delivery on Saturday. Limiting Saturday delivery is projected to save $2 billion a year. It would be a start, but there's still a $14 billion gap.
There are plenty of other ways to save a little money here and there. For example, charge a reasonable rate on bulk mail and consolidate delivery locations. We doubt that all the little fixes added together would cover the gap.
However, the biggest problem for the postal service is one that, largely, is under discussed.
In 2006 the federal government imposed a pre-paid retirement and health care mandate on the postal service.
This adds up to about $8 billion a year (four times as much as the Saturday delivery savings.)
And it is the only agency carrying this burden.
But even without the prepay mandate, the postal service still carries a $46 billion dollar obligation to its retired workers that it has built up over the years.
And while Congress holds the purse strings, USPS is getting hamstrung. The Post Master General is expected to solve his problems, without any flexibility.
Hence the hostage situation.
It is a mess. A big, sticky bureaucratic mess.
One that is bigger than simply dropping a day of delivery or closing some mail sorting centers.


text:
A jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $4.69 billion in a lawsuit filed by 22 women who believe they got ovarian cancer because of an ingredient in the company's baby powder product.
Over the past few years, Johnson & Johnson has been under fire with accusations that their talc-based products, such as baby powder, contain asbestos. The 22 women who have been awarded money claimed that the baby powder and asbestos led to them developing ovarian cancer. They blame Johnson & Johnson for not warning consumers of the possible cancer risks involved with using these specific products.
In the largest jury award of 2018, Johnson & Johnson (#JNJ) to pay $4.7 billion to mothers alleging that their baby powder resulted in ovarian cancer. For the time being, this decision remains a reminder that consumers everywhere require protection.https://t.co/7Lzj1VTF03— Sergei Lemberg, Esq. (@lemberglaw) July 26, 2018
$4.14 billion in punitive damages and $550 million in compensatory damages was awarded to the women. Sadly six of those affected have already passed away, but their families will receive the money. All of the women in the case were in the courtroom when the verdict was read, except one who was too ill to attend.
Johnson & Johnson has continually denied allegations that the use of any of their products leads to cancer. They have been bogged down with these accusations for years, with almost 9,000 active lawsuits right now. Even with the new verdict, the company maintains its products are safe to use, do not cause cancer or contain asbestos. J&J believes that the lawsuits stem from inconclusive research and no viable evidence has proven the link. Plus, even though asbestos used to be found in natural talc, it has been consistently removed from commercial talc products starting back in the 1970s.
While this is a record amount awarded in a lawsuit, it is far from over. Johnson & Johnson has made it very clear they will appeal the verdict, especially since not all of the women in the lawsuit have a connection to Missouri, the location at which the case was tried. They were all lumped into a single group of plaintiffs. The company believes grouping multiple women with no connection to jurisdiction is an unfair process in the legal system.
There have been several cases over the past five years where Johnson & Johnson has been told to pay sizable damages to the plaintiff. However, the company has appealed each time and to date has been very successful in the appeal process. This story is far from over, as more lawsuits loom and J&J stock continues to crumble admits the cancer controversy.


text:
When it comes to the reopening of the Disney Parks, in this unprecedented time it’s hard to predict anything without an official word from Disney.
However, several analysts have weighed in with their own thoughts on when Disney World could reopen, along with what attendance numbers could look like when it does.
Earlier this week, an analyst from Wells Fargo wrote that it could take up to two years for the Disney Parks to return to a sense of normalcy. In an article for Barrons, J.P. Morgan media analyst Alexia Quadrani spoke on her thoughts on a potential reopening, along with what crowds could look like when it does open.
Quadrani spoke on the assumption that Disney World would reopen June 1st, as she stated that “If you call up and you want to book a hotel at Disney World, that’s the first date you can book.” She continued that she thought attendance for the parks could be “weak upon reopening”, specifically due to the potential that many international guests that would usually be visiting will not be immediately coming back.
While Disney World has “between 18% and 22%, on any given year, of its visitors coming from outside the U.S.”, Quadrani also noted that she does think there’s “tremendous pent-up demand”, specifically looking at the large crowd levels that still went to the parks days before their closures.
While Quadrani has some differences in her outlook for the Disney Parks in comparison to the Wells Fargo analyst, one note does stay the same. While Quadrani acknowledges that there is plenty of interest in guests coming back to the parks, she does say that, “You can’t assume it goes back to normalized capacity for quite some time.”
On the subject of a potential reopening, we have also seen comments from former CEO Bob Iger on what the “new normal” could potentially include, with the idea of temperature screening prior to entering the parks being discussed.
We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more, including any official word from Disney on a potential reopening date or procedures.
Want to learn more about the Disney Parks closures?
- The Disney Parks Closures: Here's Everything We Know
- Here's Everything That Disney World is Refunding Due to the Temporary Closure
- Here's Everything That Disneyland is Refunding Due to the Temporary Closures
- Here's Everything That the Disney Cruise Line is Refunding Due to Suspended Itineraries
- Should I Cancel My Disney Trip? Taking a Closer Look at Our Most FAQ
- Flattening the Curve: Why Disney is Closing Everything
- All the Times That Disney World and Disneyland Have Closed Throughout History


text:
Central drugs regulator asks states, UTs to stop online sale of medicines
New Delhi: With the government deciding to stop online sales of medicines, the pharmacists' body sees an employability opportunity in it as the online portals have been directed to not to sale drug through portals without obtaining pharmacist license.
As per a letter of the drugs controller general of India (DCGI) VG Somani, it has been stated that all states and Union territories have been directed to stop the sale of medicines through unlicensed online platforms till draft rules to regulate e-pharmacies are finalised and put in place.
The DCGI's letter dated November 28 cites a Delhi High Court order dated December 12, 2018 in a case filed by dermatologist Dr Zaheer Ahmed. The letter was sent by the DCGI to all state drug regulators and the Union Health Ministry for their information and action.
Commenting the issue, Sadhu Ram, who is vice president of Federation of Indian Pharmacist Organisation, said, "Now the every e-pharma company would have to hire pharmacist and medicines would be sold only after approval of the pharmacist."
"Most of the online drug portals are not in possession of any license. They are selling medicines as a service provider and not a pharmacist. Now to get the license, they have to have pharmacists on their board," Ram said.
The Delhi high court order had said that drugs were sold online in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act. However, e-pharmacies continued to sell online, after securing a stay from the Madras High Court.


text:
IP Vision 'eyes 2010 for HD box launch'
Tuesday, October 13 2009, 13:53 BST
By Andrew Laughlin,
IP Vision has revealed plans to launch a fully high definition version of its Fetch TV Freeview+ SmartBox in the second quarter of next year.
On December 2, HD broadcasts will commence on digital terrestrial television at the Winter Hill transmitter covering the Granada TV region.
Households in this region will be able to access initial and limited HD programming from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, with Five to launch its HD offering in mid-to-late 2010.
In preparation, the Digital TV Group is currently running test and conformance for new Freeview and Freeview+ HD receivers at its DTG Testing centre.
Speaking to Digital ***, IP Vision commercial director David Bloom said that a "couple of devices" will likely launch before Christmas, but there will only be limited HD broadcasts available.
However, most companies are aiming towards the World Cup tournament in South Africa, when the BBC is aiming to have around 45% UK coverage of Freeview HD.
"Even then, it doesn't mean that there will be broadcasters providing the service to match the coverage. The BBC will be there with some content, ITV have committed to provide on average a couple of hours a night, and Five at some point in 2010," said Bloom.
"An evolution of Freeview is always a big step. The thing about Freeview is that it evolves in the same way as other services but is always a couple of years behind those services.
"So it should really be 2011 when the service content, in terms of volume, really matches up. Its therefore a bit of a big ask for people to buy a new box for the purpose of five hours of HD a night."
IP Vision chief executive Eddie Abrams pointed out that most initial Freeview HD boxes will carry a significantly higher price tag than SD receivers.
Priced at £219, the current twin-tuner Fetch TV SmartBox has a 160GB hard drive, but a Freeview HD box would require "almost double that" due to the heavier bandwidth required. This means that the price point for the receiver would be "£250 and upwards".
Despite the company's planned HD box, Abrams also explained that the current box upscales both broadcast and on-demand content to 1080i, and can also stream HD material, making it "as HD as you can get right now".


text:
Whether you’re a genuine iPhone developer or someone who just paid $10 to have someone add your iPhone’s UDID to their developer account, you should be pleased to note that Apple has just released iPhone OS 4.0 beta 4. No changelog has been release, but just like the last time, we’ll be back if we spot any substantial changes. More →
The last iPhone OS 4.0 beta was a bit of a wash what with the Camera app constantly crashing, the ability to take screencaps mysteriously vanishing and the code overall being buggy as hell, but we’re really hoping out hope that the newly released beta 3 will be a heck of a lot better. We’re installing it on a few devices as we speak, but we’ll report back if we find any major changes. You’ll do the same, right?
UPDATE: Apple has removed beta 3 from the Dev Center. We’ll try and figure out why. More →
Alright, iPhone developers. Kick everyone out of the room, lock your door and grab a chilled can of Red Bull because Apple has just released iPhone OS 4.0 beta and the accompanying SDK. We haven’t had a chance to play around with it yet so we’re not sure what surprises await us, but we’ll be back if we find anything of interest.
Apple blog 9to5Mac has been doing some investigative work inside the the new iPhone SDK, and they’ve come up with a few interesting files. Located in TelephonyUI.framework are several resources that seem to indicate the inclusion of video chat functionality in future iPhones. Two PNG button files, one to accept a video call and one to reject it, and a call to these buttons in the TelephonyUI binary make excellent fodder for video chat rumors. Is Apple going to be including video chat in the next iPhone? We hope so… a front facing camera would also be appreciated. More →
Steve Jobs once said that Flash on the iPhone would be a bad move as it is extremely resource heavy and that Flash Lite doesn’t have what it takes to make for an enjoyable web experience. Adobe on the other hand, wasn’t all that interested in what Steve said because it was only a few months ago it signaled its intentions to bring Flash to the iPhone. The problem was Apple wasn’t involved in the process and it was highly unlikely that it would approve anything to do with Flash unless it was directly involved in the process. This week in Switzerland, Adobe’s CEO Shantanu Narayen was feeling pretty talkative and finally let the official cat out of the bag by saying that both Adobe and Apple are working together to make Flash a reality for the iPhone platform. Admitting the process of porting a reliable version of Flash to the iPhone is no easy task, Narayen was confident that having both Adobe and Apple work on the project together would be the key to success. One of the largest questions that remains is whether or not Flash will be coded into the iPhone’s firmware or if it will be a specific Flash-enabled web browser available in the App Store. The latter, however, is highly unlikely given the fact that the two companies are finally working together – you can be sure Apple won’t let Adobe steal the spotlight.


text:
The second edition of the annual 'Donate Your Bag' Charity Sale proved to be a huge success with all the pre-loved designer bags and accessories SOLD OUT only one hour after opening the doors to the event. Dubai Ladies Club, a member of Dubai Women Establishment, a raised AED 60,000 from the sale of over 100 gently-used designer bags and accessories from a variety of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Gucci, Fendi, Dior, Chanel, Burberry and many others. The funds raised will be dedicated to Mohammed bin Rashid Charitable Humanitarian Foundation.
Muna bin Kalli, Executive Director of Dubai Ladies Club said, "We have managed to achieve remarkable success for our Charity campaign, thanks to the support of our corporate partners and most of all because of the participation of ladies from the community. It gives me great pleasure to see the great cross-community effort that has made this event a tremendous achievement. Ladies from across the UAE came forward to donate their gently-used designer bags and accessories for the final Charity Sale which was well attended by other women from the community who purchased these donated items to benefit the Mohammed bin Rashid Charitable Humanitarian Foundation. This confirms once again that women in the United Arab Emirates are keen to contribute to charitable endeavours to spread the spirit of solidarity among society."
On Saturday, hundreds of shoppers and visitors flocked to Dubai Ladies Club for a chance to purchase their favourite designer bags and accessories at only a fraction of their original prices. Organised as part of a host of Ramadan activities at Dubai Ladies Club, the 'Donate Your Bag' Charity Sale was the conclusion to an annual charity campaign that was launched earlier this year.
Dubai Ladies Club is keen to continue to launch programs and initiatives aimed at uniting various community groups, benefiting those in need, and spreading the spirit of solidarity in these economically tough times.
© 2000 - 2021 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


text:
Worldcoin CEO Crows Digital Currency, Digital ID Coming 'Whether You Like It or Not' Amid Increasing Global Mandates
Ready or not, it’s coming.
Worldcoin’s CEO has issued a stark warning that a worldwide digital ID system will be implemented “whether you like it or not.”
Worldcoin is “a company that wants billions of people to scan their irises to create a global system of authentication,” Breitbart reported.
Its co-founder Sam Altman — CEO of OpenAI, which brought us the alarming ChatGPT — has also made headlines for telling Forbes he hopes his artificial intelligence technology will “break capitalism,” according to the outlet.
Worldcoin has successfully developed what they refer to as “the world’s largest identity and financial public network,” according to the organization’s website.
The core of this system involves linking digital cash, known as Central Bank Digital Currencies, with a comprehensive digital identity framework, according to Slay News.
The Worldcoin token, known as WLD, is the digital currency created by Worldcoin to facilitate financial transactions within their network. It operates similarly to traditional currencies, but in a digital format. This digital money is designed to be more efficient, enabling seamless global transactions.
World ID is another product introduced by Worldcoin. It serves as a digital identity platform, collecting and storing individual biometric data in a secure database. By linking this identity data to the Worldcoin token, the platform establishes a connection between a person’s financial transactions and their unique digital identity.
Both WLD and World ID are interlinked and accessible through Worldcoin’s dedicated application, the World App.
The World App, according to the organization’s website, serves as a comprehensive platform enabling global payments, purchases and transfers, accommodating both digital assets and traditional currencies.
Worldcoin employs advanced iris scanners, necessitating individuals to undergo eye scanning as a means of verifying their identity.
As an incentive for participation, individuals who willingly provide their biometric data will receive “small sums” in Worldcoin tokens when they sign up for the World ID program, Slay News reported.
Do these “tokens” look like 30 pieces of silver? One wonders.
Blania brushed aside concerns that the technology could be used to put people in what amounts to a digital prison, controlling their every move and purchase.
“Something like World ID will eventually exist, meaning that you will need to verify [you are human] on the internet, whether you like it or not,” he said in recent remarks, according to Breitbart.
In other words, your ability to buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store will be linked to your biometric data.
Less prosperous nations have already succumbed to the allure of this new type of currency.
Brazil’s central bank is gearing up to introduce the digital real by the close of 2024, according to The Banker.com. In late May, the central bank unveiled a list of 14 selected financial institutions set to partake in the pilot phase of the new digital currency, which is currently under review by the institution.
Ethiopia is also on track to make digital ID mandatory, in large part because the United Nations plans to use biometric checkpoints at food distribution centers.
An op-ed piece published in April in the Addis Standard described the move to digital in a post titled, “Change is coming to Ethiopian banking.”
Utilizing a World Bank-supported project, the country aims to enroll all eligible citizens into the digital ID system by 2025. The major banks in Ethiopia will play a key role in enforcing this transition, requiring citizens to possess a digital ID to access banking services and government benefits, according to Liberty Sentinel.
With digital IDs becoming a prerequisite for banking, health care and other services, the world inches closer to a completely digital economy.
According to Liberty Sentinel, the World Bank system is being hailed as the “gold standard” for a universally accepted digital identity, aligning with the predictions made by Klaus Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, over three years ago.
Schwab had reportedly foreseen a future where every individual would possess a digital identity.
He called it the “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” which would “lead to a fusion of our physical, biological and digital identities.”
Digital identity systems, with the inclusion of near-perfect facial recognition technology, along with other identifiers like human gait, breath, iris scans, geolocators and other biometric data, are no longer the realm of dystopian science fiction. Entire nations are giving up their privacy and sovereignty for “tokens,” and more are bound to follow.
Moreover, the likelihood of artificial intelligence making decisions about our access to these countries’ digital identities gives rise to the strong probability that those who control the currency would also control morality.
Already there have been multiple instances of the AI ChatGPT showing a clear bias toward leftist principles, as reported by Brookings in May.
The fact that ChatGPT founder Sam Altman is also the founder of the digital ID system WorldCoin does not make one feel any safer.
The predicted “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” sounds more like the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse.


text:
Watching high def content downloaded from the Internet is going to get a whole lot easier for viewers in Japan.
A liquid crystal display high-definition television made by byd:sign Corporation is to be the first with DivX Certification sold in the Japanese market.
The video format will let viewers watch digital content from PCs on the HDTV – rather than on a PC monitor.
Katsumi Iizuka, chief executive officer of byd:sign Corporation, said DivX videos had enabled consumers to enjoy high-quality content through the internet.
“DivX Certification enhances our HDTV features and gives added value,” he said.


text:
Walmart uses 100s of bots to automate back-office processes.
Western Digital reduces CapEx by using artificial intelligence to optimise test equipment.
Bank of America and Harvard University’s Kennedy School collaborate on responsible AI development.
7-Eleven uses chatbots and research voice interfaces to innovate the user experience.
At Pearson artificial intelligence is at the heart of the latest product innovations.
Here are a few interesting videos about the AI reployments of these companies:
Walmart AI Bots
more link ADS
Smart Retail, Smart Agriculture, Smart supply Chain, Smart Health, Smart energy, Smart City
Blockchain, bitcoin, ethereum, blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies
Information Security, latest Hacking News, Cyber Security, Network Sec
Information Security, latest Hacking News, Cyber Security, Network Security
Blog! Development Software and Application Mobile
Development apps, Android, Ios anh Tranning IT, data center, hacking
Car News, Reviews, Pricing for New & Used Cars, car reviews and news, concept cars
Travel Blog is a unique free online travel diary for travellers across the world.


text:
After expanding its footprint in the electronics segment, Yes Mart is gaining traction in the mobile industry through Yes Mobile.
Present at the press conference that was held at their superstore in Attapur recently were Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Speaking on the occasion, managing director Ravi Kumar said, "We are extremely delighted to offer our patrons a whole new experience in mobile telephony. We will continue to strive for best service, which remains our hallmark in the mobile telephony segment too with 75 stores in Hyderabad." In a similar vein CEO Vemula Neelima said, "Our aim is to provide customers with the best offerings. As we continue to grow, we have embarked on a mission to extend the best of cellular products."


text:
Jul–Sep 2012, Vol. 21, No. 3
Ag Innovation News
–By Amanda Wanke Yes, this winter was a mild one. But there are plenty of years when heating costs can be painful, especially to operators of large business operations such as greenhouses and turkey producers. As consumers look for alternative, renewable energy, one source AURI has been examining closely is biomass. Biomass refers to […]
–By Amanda Wanke Cake? Candy? Put the two together and you have Minnesota’s newest candy bar: Cakedy. The idea for the new food item is the brainchild of Ryan Taylor, a business management consultant who is turning his love for cake into a new business. “I love cake. Each weekend, I’d go to Cub Foods […]
–By Liz Morrison The fire starts as a small yellow flame licking up from a pile of debris in an old wooden garage. Soon, orange flames are leaping high as black smoke fills the structure. A few seconds later, a bank of flames rolls along the ceiling and boils out the open door. The entire […]
–By Liz Morrison Feeding corn distillers grains to beef cattle does not lead to higher levels of a harmful pathogen, E. coli O157:H7, in the animals’ digestive systems. That’s according to two new studies sponsored by AURI and the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council The E. coli O157:H7 (ECO157) organism, which is common in […]
Organic. Hormone-free. Preservative free. Today’s consumers are paying closer attention than ever to where their food comes from and how it’s made. And they want natural food that is free of ingredients they can’t pronounce, even though many of those ingredients are critical to food safety and have no proven detriments.
Bio-Plastic Solutions was named AURI’s 2012 Ag Innovator of the Year. This recognition, which has been awarded annually since 2002, recognizes an innovator who has contributed to Minnesota’s economy by creating a unique product or process using agriculture commodities.
Editor’s note: As a service to our readers, we provide news about the work of others in ag utilization. Often, research done elsewhere complements AURI’s work. Biobased materials make Ford vehicles greener When you take a seat in a Ford, you may be sitting on soy- and other biobased seat cushions and seatbacks. Ford vehicles […]
–By Liz Morrison It’s often said that small businesses are the engine of job creation. AURI helps fuel that engine by offering hands-on scientific assistance to small businesses, along with access to research and resource networks. The goal is to help Minnesota entrepreneurs bring innovative, ag-based products to market, generating economic activity — and new […]


text:
Jouer Cosmetics has been blowing up social media lately. If you've an avid cosmetics junkie, you've probably seen the brand's name on at least one of the Instagrams you follow. That's because beauty vloggers can't stop talking about Jouer Cosmetics' powder highlighter. On Thursday, the new Jouer fall collection debuted online, and the launch included the three new gorgeous highlighters that makeup lovers have all been raving about.
Citrine, Rose Quartz, and Topaz are the three new shades from Jouer Cosmetics, and they're all totally stunning. In even better news, they're available. You can shop the highlighters over at the Jouer Cosmetics website. You should be given a head's up though that Jouer has released a statement that the website is running slowly due to heavy traffic on the site. Apparently, tons of cosmetics lovers are attempting to purchase their bomb new highlighters, lip creams, and lip toppers.
The brand did explain to fans that the products can be purchased at Beauty Cult, but for those stateside, the UK based site may not work. However, the website does seem to be working fine now, and the products are totally still available for purchase, despite the demand and early struggles.
Adding to the hype of purchasing the Jouer powder highlights is the insane parties our favorite beauty influencers are attending in Paris. YouTube stars like MannyMUA and NikkieTutorials are currently in France celebrating the release and showcasing just how gorgeous these new products truly are.
The beauty influencers look to be having a gorgeous time with Jouer, and what a way to celebrate a launch, am I right?
If you've been looking for a new highlighter, the Jouer Cosmetics powder highlighters are now available over at the brand's website and Cult Beauty. With discount codes from your favorite beauty influencers and stunning new hues, why would you not want to purchase these beauties?
Images: Jouer Cosmetics/Instagram


text:
Yates Group, the troubled pub operator, yesterday unveiled an aggressive discounting strategy that will pit it against JD Wetherspoon in an attempt to drive sales growth.
Yates, which has struggled to reverse a dire 18-months, said promotional offers would attract customers during the traditionally quiet afternoon and early evening periods. It wants drinks suppliers to cover the costs and claimed its own margins would be unaffected.
The decision to promote cheap drinks accompanied an overhaul of the group's 126 Yates's Wine Lodge and 16 Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen chains. The restructuring included selling 17 underperforming sites, axing about 50 jobs and reining back the expansion programme.
Mike Hennessy, who became executive chairman after the ousting of Peter Dickson in July, said the group would leave behind its "sheep town" heritage and aim for larger towns and cites like Edinburgh and Belfast. The remaining "passe" Wine Lodges, notable for their mock Victorian clutter, will be phased out and refitted according to a sleeker, more modern design such as Yates's Leicester Square site.
Yates shares rose 9.5p to 133.5p in what analysts termed a relief rally based on early signs that the group had turned around its fortunes. Mr Hennessy said like-for-like sales, which fell 2.6 per cent in the first half, became "significantly positive" last month.Reuse content


text:
Swiss scent and fragrance maker Givaudan reported a slowdown in year-end sales on Wednesday, further deteriorating profit margins in a year marked by high production costs and supply chain disruptions.
The group, which has so far shifted rising costs onto clients such as cosmetics companies and beverage manufacturers, was hit by a slowdown in sales in the second half of 2022 due to a downturn in its North American flavors business. .
Group sales rose 5.3% like-for-like to reach 7.1 billion Swiss francs ($7.7 billion) in 2022, but rose just 2.9% in the most recent quarter on the same basis.
Sales in North America fell 5.4% year-on-year to CHF 1.9bn, with flavors down 6.4%.
Givaudan’s chief financial officer, Tom Hallam, said North American customers are reducing safety stocks as supply chains improve, but doubts about consumer confidence in 2023 will continue to weigh on sales in the region.
Hallam added that the group will continue to plan to roll over costs as commodity inflation is expected to be 5% this year.
Givaudan’s underlying earnings (EBITDA) were broadly unchanged from the prior year at CHF 1.48 billion. For its part, the equivalent EBITDA margin fell from 22.5% to 20.9%.
“Compared to Symrise, Givaudan handled a ‘very challenging business environment’ better and became more profit-focused,” Baader Helvea analysts said in a note to investors.
Givaudan and German competitor Symrise rank second to IFF Inc in the market share rankings for flavors, aromas and ingredients in food and cosmetics.
Symrise reported on Monday that its 2022 EBITDA margin was lower than expected due to impairments.
Givaudan’s full-time earnings rose 4.2% to CHF856 million, beating analyst expectations of CHF806 million, but sales and EBITDA margins were slightly below expectations.
The Geneva-based group offered a dividend of CHF67 per share, up 1.5% from last year.


text:
Latest News on Xiaomi Phone Launch
Showing of 0 - 10 from 2 results
Xiaomi Phone Launch - Total results - 2
Feb 14, 2018
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 launch: Here's how to watch the launch event live which starts at 12pm todayVarious leaks and renders have pointed out that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 could be launching with an 18:9 display and perhaps dual-cameras.
Apr 11, 2015
Xiaomi announces 'Global Mi phone premiere' in India on 23 April; CEO and Founder to attendXiaomi is all set to launch a new device on April 23 in India. This will also be a global launch for this phone, details of which are not yet out. Xiaomi has released a tweet with the teaser image of the new phone.


text:
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has launched its N3 smartphone in the Indian market. The phone was originally unveiled in October last year and runs on Android 4.4-based Color OS 2.0.1.
It is unclear why Oppo has taken so much time releasing the smartphone in the country, even though it had earlier told PTI about an expected December 2014 debut.
Oppo N3 sports a 5.5-inch full HD display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor. The phone also packs a 16MP motorised rotating camera, which can be controlled using the Oclick accessory, the sensor present on the back of the phone or the inbuilt software.
Among other specifications, the N3 comes with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage, 4G LTE support, 3000 mAh battery, fingerprint scanner and dual-SIM connectivity.
The smartphone will be available in the White colour option.


text:
2019 Yorkshire Fastest 50 winners named by Ward Hadaway
22nd March, 2019
Leeds independent development and construction company, Torsion Group took home a double win at the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Awards 2019.
The company won the awards for Fastest Growing Large Business and Overall Fastest Growing Business at the event, which recognises and celebrates the fastest growing privately-owned companies across Yorkshire.
Established in 2015, Torsion Group has expanded across other regions and now has offices in Yorkshire, the Midlands and the North West and employs more than 80 people.
Alongside it, Torsion Homes, Torsion Developments, Torsion Engineering and Torsion Care were launched under the umbrella brand to fill a gap in each sector.
It rose to the top of this year’s list of fast-growing businesses with an average turnover growth of 95.4%. The Group is forecasted to turnover £124.5m in 2019.
Dan Spencer, CEO of Torsion Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won the fastest growing business in Yorkshire, especially given the stiff and high quality competition from our fellow Yorkshire businesses!
“It is great recognition for the journey we have made over the last four years. It goes without saying that we wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for our dedicated and hard-working employees who had faith in my vision from day one and who have grown in number from four to 88.
“The support from our loyal supply chain, and their subsequent reward, has made this journey and recognition all the more satisfying. We have further expansion plans with a number of key Yorkshire developments in the planning phase, and as they move closer to delivery we will continue with our planned profitable growth plans with an increase of a further 30% in 2019 and another 14 roles to be created.”
Torsion Group won the Fastest Growing Large Business Award – for companies with an annual turnover of more than £25m – ahead of JGB Holdings Ltd in second place and Portland Investment Group in third.
Torsion Group was not the only winner at the awards, organised by Top 100 UK law firm Ward Hadaway and supported by The Yorkshire Post.
Bedale-based HECK!, won the award for the Fastest Growing Medium-Sized Business, for companies with an annual turnover of between £7.5m and £25m.
The family-owned business is thriving since it was set up five years ago. With a team of more than 130 people, the company is on target to turnover £30m in 2019.
Founder Andrew Keeble, said: “It is absolutely fantastic to win this award. We started out on our journey all those years ago at the kitchen table, so this award means a huge amount. Everyone in the business will be delighted about this.
“We are proud to be a Yorkshire family and friends business and our growth means we can give back more to our local community and other businesses. We open our doors to lots of different groups in the community. We have also launched an entrepreneurial scheme to help local food businesses take their idea and work alongside our team to bring it to market.”
With regards to Brexit, Andrew said: “It is companies like ours that will continue to grow the economy and create jobs, Brexit or no Brexit, and we are excited about taking HECK ! to the world with our ambitious export plans. We are launching in Germany, Holland and Australia in the next three months.”
Second place went to SDH Project Services Ltd and third to Ultimate (Commercial Interiors) Ltd.
Woodhouse (Lund) Ltd was named the Fastest Growing Small Business in the category for companies with an annual turnover of between £1m and £7.5m.
The company was founded by Jonathan Walker in 2009 with the aim to build bespoke homes in and around local villages, within easy reach of Lund.
Jonathan said: “To win in the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards is a great achievement. I feel humbled. I can’t believe what we have achieved in the last few years. As the speaker said you go through times, you wake up sweating in the night about money, but it all comes right in the end if you keep doing it.
“We cannot believe that we have won this award. This is going to spur me on to try and do even more and do even better.”
Second place in the Fastest Growing Small Business category went to SmartSearch, while Consult Search and Selection from Leeds took third.
The winning companies and runners up were revealed before an audience of 300 people, including Fastest 50 company representatives and Yorkshire business leaders, at Aspire in Leeds on Friday, March 22nd.
The Yorkshire Post’s deputy business editor Greg Wright introduced the awards, which reward profit-making privately owned companies and organisations in the region which have shown the strongest annualised sales growth over recent years.
Ward Hadaway Partner Philip Jordan talked about the firm’s involvement in the Awards, Brexit and about Ward Hadaway’s growth in Yorkshire.
Top financier Richard Hughes, the founder of Manchester investment bank Zeus Capital, special guest at the event, then gave the keynote speech.
In his speech, Richard spoke of how business is about mistakes, not just about successes. He acknowledged the rollercoaster ride that entrepreneurs like those in this year’s Yorkshire Fastest 50 list, go through to reach the top, before moving on to talk about his own journey.
He said: “You don’t realise how many times you nearly go bust, waking up in pools of sweat from the stress of growing that business and nearly getting it wrong. Everyone in this room knows what it feels like. You know what it feels like to have the house on the line, the kids’ schooling on the line and everyone deserves credit for going on that journey.”
He pointed towards social media as causing considerable change in culture and society.
“Everyone these days looks at social media and sees perfect lives. We do have great lives when it works, but what they don’t appreciate is how hard it is to get there and the pain and suffering that you go through. I haven’t met many entrepreneurs who haven’t been on that journey and it is remarkably personal, but everyone goes through it, no matter how successful you become.”
He added that any great business is about a team of exceptional people, but it’s also about the one person at the top who drives it.
He said: “It’s their ambition and their hunger and their greed because a business isn’t a democracy, it’s a dictatorship to get it right. You have to surround yourself with good people, but any decision is better than no decision in business and you learn that by making no decision and then realising you should have made a decision earlier.”
Richard also hinted at his background as being one of the reasons for his success.
He said: “I’ve been driven by a fear of failure and that’s because I didn’t do very well at school and therefore I wasn’t an accountant, I wasn’t a lawyer, so I had no professional qualifications to fall back on and therefore I have hunger.
“The only thing you can’t teach people is hunger and I don’t know where it comes from or why people have hunger. What I do know is that to be successful you need a strong family around you generally because you can’t have problems at home and be good in business. You need good friends who support you through the good and bad times.
“I’m very fortunate that I love my job and I love going to work because I get to meet many companies each day and I get to help them reposition themselves and maximise the upside.”
He then went on to talk about the tech scene in the UK.
“The tech companies we are seeing now are off the scale. It’s massively rewarding to see these UK technology companies become world leaders.”
Richard ended his speech with a few words of advice for the Fastest 50 businesses in the room.
He said: “Whether you’re first in the list or 1000th in the list, it really doesn’t matter it’s still a phenomenal achievement that comes at a great sacrifice, so please enjoy the journey.
“Today is about recognising success, rewarding the people who are successful and everyone in the room should take great pride in what they have achieved.”
Jamie Martin, Senior Partner at event organiser Ward Hadaway said: “This is the ninth time which we have held these awards and they never fail to be inspiring occasions that bring out the best in Yorkshire’s businesses. It’s great to see so many companies driving the region’s economy forwards.”
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
This page may contain links that direct you to third party websites. We have no control over and are not responsible for the content, use by you or availability of those third party websites, for any products or services you buy through those sites or for the treatment of any personal information you provide to the third party.


text:
Smartphone industry may not forget the year 2016 for numerous reasons. This year we saw a number of new brands making the things tough for the big giants. Moreover at the same time those big giants shocked the world with their smartphone blasts. We all know what happened with Samsung Galaxy Note 7.Now a new incident jolted the smartphone industry.
The supremacy battle between Apple and Samsung is going from a long time. It is well-known to everyone that they are the competitors in the market. However it seems that Apple is looking to compete with Samsung in a new way also. A man in Australia is saying that his new iPhone 7 caught the fire while he was away for surfing. He is saying that he kept the gadget inside the car and the interiors of the car also got damaged badly.
Some reports are claiming that the name of the person is Mat Jones and he works as a surfing instructor in his country. He is claiming that he kept the phone in his car and went for a surfing session. Later on after the session he saw that the windows of his car were black. He opened the door of the car and saw the interiors of the vehicle also caught the flames. A major portion inside the car got burnt and he suffered a huge loss. He kept the phone inside the pants before his surfing session. He further added that he had no doubt that the source of fire was his new iPhone.
Currently it is tough to say that Mat Jones is right or not. Apple has decided to investigate the whole incident. Some reports may arrive after the investigation. However at this stage it is tough to comment anything on it. The person is saying that the whole incidence is not about the phone only. The condition of car is so bad that he cannot even use it. So at present he neither has a usable car nor a phone. The new iPhone 7 has just arrived into the market. It is selling like hot cakes as many people looking for a premium gadget prefer purchasing this model. Currently the authorities are checking the whole case. Apple is not interested to take any chance and it is the reason they are taking all the required steps to check this episode closely. Let’s hope it should not become a big issue because it may hurt the smartphone industry in future.


text:
Apple's Latest Employment Figures Reveal Increasing Diversity
Apple today provided updated figures on the diversity of its workforce over the last two years, indicating that its promise to be more inclusive has resulted in a steady increase in representation amongst its employees.
The last time Apple provided figures on its workforce was in 2018, so this is the first time since than that the company has provided a breakdown of the different races, ethnicities, and genders within its workforce. Apple breaks down diversity into separate sectors of the company, including Leadership, Retail, and Retail Leadership.
Overall, Apple says that since 2018, it has increased the share of Asian employees by four percentage points, while other races and ethnicities also saw increased representation in multiple categories. Over the last two years, Apple says that 42% of new retail hires have been women, and women have filled 49% of retail leadership positions since January of last year.
Apple's gender split is also continuing to narrow, with women representing 34% of all employees, up from 33% in 2018 and 30% in 2014. The increase is even more extensive in employees under 30 years old, where the share of women has risen from 31% to 40% since 2014.
Apple says that members of underrepresented communities occupy more than 60% of current Apple Store jobs and 50% of retail leadership positions. Alongside the updated numbers, Apple today redesigned its Inclusion and Diversity webpage, featuring new testimonials from employees, and further highlights its commitment to be equitable and diverse.


text:
KBC Bank Ireland has said that as part of its planned exit from the Irish market, it will no longer accept new applications for all products from July 15.
This includes current accounts, mortgages, personal deposits, personal loans, home, car and life insurance and personal credit cards.
The Belgian-based bank also said it will no longer accept new applications for business banking products including business current accounts, business loans and business deposits.
Earlier this month, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission cleared, subject to a number of legally binding conditions, the proposed €5 billion acquisition by Bank of Ireland of KBC Bank Ireland's performing loans and deposits.
The deal still remains subject to Ministerial approval.
KBC Bank Ireland said it understands that the move to cease new business here is another significant milestone for customers.
"We remain determined to support customers in every way possible, to meet our responsibilities and minimise to the greatest extent possible, the inconvenience caused to them. KBC Bank Ireland will continue to support existing customers with their day-to-day banking needs," the bank said in a statement.
KBC also said that despite its decision to stop accepting new applications for all products, all necessary resources will be made available to customers throughout the current account migration process.
"KBC will continue to act as a safe handrail for them in the navigation of that process," the bank said.
"Customer service remains the highest priority and KBC customers will continue to receive the service they deserve," it added
KBC is due to start sending out the first batch of account closure notification letters in June and these customers will have six months to close their accounts.
Letters to customers will issue on a rolling basis over the course of the remainder of this year and into early 2023, the bank added.
KBC said it will provide reminders to customers during this period through a combination of letters, emails and SMS messages.
KBC Bank has about 130,000 current accounts that are either active or have a balance and it estimates that 52,000 of these customers are expected to need to open a new account or move to a new provider.
97% of KBC's active current account customers mainly bank digitally with KBC through its online banking or mobile app.
The Belgian bank announced last year that it was leaving the Irish market.


text:
The Burns Philp - Goodman Fielder saga continues with the news today that the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has cleared the hostile bid from the Australian ingredients company for Australia's largest food company.
But the New Zealand authorities appear to be more problematic. In a statement today Burns Philp said that it has decided to again extend the closing date for the A$2 billion-plus bid to give the New Zealand Commerce Commission time to consider the transaction.
The bid, which is conditional on clearance from the NZ regulator, will now close on 5 March, two weeks later than previously planned. Burns also announced that a further condition, known as the Hart-Scott-Rodino (USA) condition, has also been satisfied with the bid not drawing any challenges from US regulators.
In addition, the Australian yeast company said that a further condition relating to a flour supply contract also has been satisfied.
As the tale continues, both companies await a ruling from Australia's Takeovers Panel in relation to Burns Philp's concerns about Goodman's target statement.
Last week Goodman Fielder announced the sale of the remaining gelatine plants - those not sold to German business DGF Stoess - to Belgian company PB Gelatin for €61million.