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On April 1st (of all days) just before dinner time, Jay Georgiou and an unidentified assailant broke into the flat of three men based in Tenterden Close, Eastbourne. The pair of criminals had weapons, tying up the residents of the flat, demanding drugs and money.
19-year-old Georgiou had enough class during this time to take a call from his probation officer, discussing a missed appointment. The victims kept quite during the phone call, but the criminal pair didn't notice that the residents of the flat they broke into were playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 online with a friend in Brighton at the time.
The friend was able to hear everything that was happening in his friends flat, so he contacted the authorities. Less than two hours after Georgiou broke into the flat, he was arrested by police. The second assailant has yet to have been apprehended, but is said to be a white male between the ages of 20 and 25, with ginger hair. He was wearing a ski mask or balaclava at the time of the incident. Georgiou was sentenced to eight years in prison, and was ordered to pay £120, or $204 in damages.
Crytek is really bleeding talent right now, with the Producer of both Ryse: Son of Rome on the Xbox One and Crysis 3 leaving the studio, according to The Escapist.
The Escapist is reporting that Read's updated LinkedIn profile doesn't list Crysis as his current employer, and his Twitter bio also points to the same fact, stating that he is a "former producer" at Crytek. This isn't the only talent the studio has lost lately, with the Lead R&D Graphics Engineer of Crytek leaving for id Software not long ago.
Not only that, but the studio has reportedly not been paying its staff on time, with some of Crytek's UK-based staff no longer going to work. The director of Homefront has also resigned, which is leaving the studio in a very vulnerable position.
Facebook has just posted its second quarter earnings and the company trounced Wall Street expectations by boosting revenues 61 percent, strengthened by its mobile advertising business.
Mobile ad revenue made up a stonking 62 percent of all ad revenue in the three months quarter ended June 30. That's up from 41 percent from the same time last year, and steady growth from 59 percent in the company's prior quarter. Total revenue was at 2.91 billion dollars, topping the Thomson Reuters expectation of 2.81 billion. Its income was posted at 791 million dollars, up enormously from 333 million for the second quarter of 2013.
"We had a good second quarter," Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, said in a statement. "Our community has continued to grow, and we see a lot of opportunity ahead as we connect the rest of the world." Since going public, Facebook had some trouble monetizing despite it being by far the world's largest social network, now putting its users at the 1.32 billion mark. Clearly mobile has an even bigger role to play in the future of Zuckerberg's once fledgling social media project.
Google is offering a new prize for anyone who can build a better power inverter. The price is a cool $1 million and it is being offered as part of the little box challenge. To win designers need to build a better small-scale power inverter than is available today.
What Google and the other firms backing the prize are looking for is a kW-scale power inverter with a density of at least 50W per cubic inch. Some believe that a power inverter of this type will allow the unlocking of billions of dollars of commercial value from the electric grid.
Google says, "We believe that inverters will become increasingly important to our economy and environment as solar PV, batteries, and similar power sources continue their rapid growth. More broadly, similar forms of power electronics are everywhere: in laptops, phones, motors drives, electric vehicles, wind turbines, to give just a few examples. We expect that the innovations inspired by this prize will have wide applicability across these areas, increasing efficiency, driving down costs, and opening up new uses cases that we can't imagine today. It also doesn't hurt that many of these improvements could make our data centers run more safely and efficiently."
Electronic Arts posted its results for the first quarter of the fiscal 2015 year (the three-month period that ended on June 30) where the company saw a net revenue of $1.21 billion. This is an 8% increase compared to EA's revenue in the previous quarter, which was $1.12 billion.
When comparing to year-over-year results, it's an increase of 27.9%. The company has also increased its digital revenue by a little over 9% in the last three months too, increasing this revenue from $491 million to $536 million. EA's net income dropped 8.7% for the last quarter, dropping from $367 million in Q4 of fiscal 2014 to $335 million.
If we compare it to the same quarter of last year, EA's net income has increased by a whopping 50.9%. The company took the time to announce two delays for two of its biggest franchises, with Dragon Age: Inquisition being pushed back a month into November, and delaying Battlefield: Hardline into 2015.
Starting next year, the British government will decriminalize online video game, music and movie piracy, as well as totally removing harsher punishment plans after it has considered them unworkable. In 2015, file sharers will be sent four warning letters telling them of their activity being illegal, but after the fourth letter, no more correspondence will take place.
The British government has called this new scheme the Voluntary Copyright Alert Programme (VCAP), and has arrived after many years of discussions between ISPs, British politicians, and the movie and music industries. This has involved the UK's biggest providers - BT, TalkTalk, Virgin and Sky - with each of them signing up for VCAP, leading the way for the smaller providers to soon join them.
The newly installed scheme will replace anti-piracy measures that are already in place across the country, which included cutting users' Internet connections, as well as creating an ever-growing database of known file sharers. Chief Executive of the BPI, Geoff Taylor talked about VCAP, where he said that: "persuading the persuadable, such as parents who do not know what is going on with their net connection". He added: "VCAP is not about denying access to the internet. It's about changing attitudes and raising awareness so people can make the right choice".
That infamous hawker of hype and high-price handsets, Apple Corporation, has just posted its quarterly profits - of 7.75 billion dollars, up a very respectable 12 percent compared to the same time last year.
It claimed the runaway success of its latest iPhone models is to thank for the strong growth, as well as a swelling of its business in China, where revenue was boosted 28 percent to reach 5.9 billion dollars. The company brought in over 10.3 billion in operational cash flow, it said. "Our record June quarter revenue was fueled by strong sales of iPhone and Mac and the continued growth of revenue from the Apple ecosystem, driving our highest EPS growth rate in seven quarters," Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said in a statement. "We are incredibly excited about the upcoming releases of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as well as other new products and services that we can't wait to introduce."
For now it looks like the hype train is showing no signs of stopping, as the entire blogosphere speculates on what's next for the iconic iPhone. What's a little less on everyone's lips, though, is the iPad - sales of which happened to plummet for a second quarter in a row, down by a pretty substantial nine percent to 13.3 million.
Microsoft has announced its fiscal fourth quarter earnings, and although it's in profit, the company claims it took a hit from Nokia's handset business.
Quarterly profit was $4.61 billion, down from $4.96 billion for the same quarter last year. That leaves it at 55 cents per share, quite a touch short of Wall Street's expectations of 60 cents per share on average. And while the acquisition of Nokia's handset business may have impacted on Microsoft's quarterly profits, revenues reached $23.38 billion, beating estimates of $23 billion, with the company largely having Nokia sales to thank for this. Enterprise also performed well.
"We are driving growth with disciplined decisions, bold innovation, and focused execution," Satya Nadella, new-ish Microsoft CEO said. "I'm proud that our aggressive move to the cloud is paying off - our commercial cloud revenue doubled again this year to a $4.4 billion annual run rate." Executive veep Amy Hood said in a statement that as the company enters fiscal 2015, it's "focused on aligning" its resources towards strategic investments - perhaps referring to Microsoft's recent decision to make one of the largest job cuts in the history of the tech industry - of a staggering 18,000 people.
Consumers for electronic goods outside America pay hundreds more than their US counterparts, according to a new report.
British consumer rights magazine Which? found that manufacturers and stores are pushing up the price for tech in the country, including almost 1,000 dollars more for a Samsung TV. Americans buying an Apple Macbook Pro 13in will get their models 600 dollars cheaper than on the other side of the Atlantic, the report claims. Sony's PS4 or Microsoft's Xbox One were 160 dollars cheaper in the States.
Which exec director Richard Lloyd pushed manufacturers to explain why their prices are hiked so much abroad. "UK consumers are getting a raw deal by paying up to hundreds of pounds more for the same tech products on sale in the US," he said. "Manufacturers should play fair and explain why consumers are paying more for buying in the UK."
Gift cards are the go to gifts for many people around the world for birthdays and holidays. Gift cards might be impersonal, but many people like to get and give them. Word has surfaced that Netflix is gearing up to sell gift cards in stores in 40 different countries around the world where it operates.
The gift cards will be available in select stores in the US, Germany, Mexico, Canada, and other places. The gift cards will allow users to pay for Netflix service without having to use a credit card for sign up. A note from Netflix about its gift card plans included an image of a $30 gift card; the service starts at $7.99 monthly.
"In mature markets, gift cards will extend our brand presence and make it easier to access Netflix," the company said in its letter. "In newer markets, gift cards help build the brand and provide an easier alternative for consumers to join Netflix in markets with developing online payments."


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A court-enforceable undertaking has been accepted by The Australian Competition and Consumers Commission (ACCC) against ZeniMax Media.
Announced in a statement by the ACCC, Bethesda’s parent company admitted that it likely misled customers in Australia, breaching the country’s consumer laws.
“ZeniMax has acknowledged that they are likely to have misled certain Australian consumers about their rights to a refund when they experienced faults with their Fallout 76 game,” ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said.
Complaints began coming into The ACCC after ZeniMax refused to give consumers refunds, claiming that they were not entitled to one. Despite users having various issues with the game such as lag, graphics and visual problems.
The enforced refunds are being offered to those who contacted the company between November 24th 2018 and June 1st 2019.
On top of this, ZeniMax will amend its customer service documents and scripts to address the concerns expressed by The ACCC.
Court continued: “When a consumer buys a product it comes with automatic consumer guarantees, and retailers must ensure their refunds and returns policies do not misrepresent what the Australian Consumer Law provides.”
“When a consumer has purchased a product that has a fault which amounts to a major failure, the Australian Consumer Law provides them with the right to ask for their choice of either a repair, replacement or refund.”

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The supermarket chain Aldi has withdrawn Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book Revolting Rhymes from its Australian stores following a complaint on its Facebook page.
An Aldi spokeswoman said the book had been pulled after “comments by a limited number of concerned customers regarding the language used in this particular book”. Other books by the legendary British children’s author will continue to be stocked, she said.
So a few customers complain on Aldi Australia’s Facebook page and the company pulls a book from its shelves? Okay then.
Fortunately, novels have long been mostly exempt from the perennial argument that media can induce young people into dangerous behaviors. In fact, more often than not, you see books held up as a counter-example to those concerned about negative influences (mostly violence) in video games, movies or music. Last year, when Jim Carrey “distanced himself” from the violent Kick-Ass 2 in the wake of Sandy Hook, executive producer Mark Millar said he “never quite bought the notion that violence in fiction leads to violence in real life any more than Harry Potter casting a spell creates more boy wizards in real life.” Shakespeare is another one that gets held up a lot — Shakespeare is violent! Is he causing school shootings? Well, of course not — in part because literature is less visceral in some ways than film and video games and even music, so the arguments tend to be less visceral too. Books sometimes get mentioned as part of the list of media that could be a “risk factor,” but have mostly been off the hook. And that’s a good thing. If we start banning books with violence and sex in them (er, again), we’ll lose more than if we ban violent video games. Not that we should ban either, mind you.
It is interesting to me that this particular study offered no pre-reading measurements for control and that it focused exclusively on women. Flavorwire’s takedown on why books can’t be faulted for dangerous behavior is solid.
He says some of his favorite stores have been in buildings converted from other uses. Examples include Elliot Bay Books in Seattle, Washington, which used to be an auto repair shop, and the Tattered Cover in Denver, Colorado, which has a location in a former theater.
“You can see, OK, here’s the lobby, the theater boxes, the pit orchestra, the stage,” Manson says. “You can just see the theater, and now it’s filled with books.”
He’s also visited many bookstores not on his original list — shop owners keep telling him of other stores they love.
Bob Manson is living the book lover’s dream: visiting independent bookstores all across America.
Great examples of street art and murals about reading, books, and libraries.
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Photo - Serene Chan, Information and Communication Technologies Industry Manager, Frost & Sullivan.
The Internet of Things (IoT) wave offers opportunities for Malaysian ICT companies to diversify and speed up slowing growth, said analyst firm Frost & Sullivan.
Serene Chan, Frost & Sullivan's Information and Communication Technologies industry manager, recently presented new findings from the Connected Industries Insight study, which included the impact of the emerging IoT landscape in the Asia Pacific region.
Chan said the ICT sector in Malaysia was nearing maturity and revenue growth from core sectors was slowing down.
However, (IoT) was opening up new forms of business services, she said. Communications service providers (CSPs) especially should leverage their core competencies to capture horizontal revenue streams stemming from IoT, such as managed services and security, and cloud computing and storage.
The new analysis found that the IoT market in Asia-Pacific was expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35.1 percent between 2014 and 2020.
Chan said that In Malaysia, the deployment of IoT will gain traction in the transportation, logistics and connected consumer sectors such as wearables, connected homes and home automation.
"Readily accessible and cost-effective storage, computing and programmable networking systems are fuelling novel business applications and IT delivery models, thus facilitating a distributed intelligent network," she said.
"Embedded systems will provide the crucial link between cloud solutions and fully autonomous end devices, speeding up the transition to IoT," said Chan.
She said that finding value in 'the vast array of unstructured machine and connected device data available will be critical to support IoT-based services for a variety of industries.' Currently, less than one percent of the data captured by sensors is used for analytics and optimisation.
In addition, Chan said Malaysian CSPs 'struggle to offer IoT services due to market fragmentation as well as security and privacy concerns. These challenges are organisational rather than technical in nature, as CSPs still focus on selling connectivity instead of solutions and services. '
"Entering into the IoT space requires industry players to acquire capabilities beyond their core functions. The CSPs in Malaysia must collaborate with a variety of partners to deliver relevant end-to-end services in specific industries," she said. "Thus, evolving from a cost-optimized connectivity provider to an IoT service provider will drive business objectives and enable innovations in the changing ICT domain."
Internet of Things is a Market Insight that is part of the Connected Industries Insight outlines opportunities for Malaysian CSPs stemming from the advent of IoT. The insight also includes case studies and examples of IoT best practices employed by CSPs.
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Facebook became the latest American technology company to face antitrust hurdles in Europe after the German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt), a competition authority, opened an investigation into whether Facebook Inc., USA, Facebook Ireland Limited and Facebook Germany GmbH abused their alleged dominant position in social networking by violating data protection laws.
Earlier this month, a judge from the Northern District of California allowed a putative class action suit to proceed against Facebook.
News broke a few days ago on Gizmodo that former Facebook workers allegedly suppressed news stories of interest to conservative readers from the social network’s “Trending Topics” section.
A federal district court in California recently rejected Facebook’s request to dismiss a class action lawsuit related to Facebook’s biometric facial recognition database.
There’s been plenty of buzz this week about Facebook’s reported “censoring” of conservative news and sites in their trending news section. And apparently that buzz has reached Capitol Hill.
Facebook, Inc. (“Facebook”) recently filed a motion to dismiss class action claims alleging that Facebook sent unsolicited text messages to users containing birthday announcements in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”).
On April 25, 2016, Facebook Inc. (Facebook) pled with a California federal judge, asking that the court dismiss the claims filed against the social media giant for its alleged Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) violations.
With the new features announced at Facebook’s annual developer conference earlier this month, it is clear that Facebook is becoming much more business-friendly.
Every year, Facebook holds an annual developer conference to roll out new products and features.


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GearNuke: "Location and Information about the latest set of free DLCs for The Witcher 3."
aww damm, i thought we were getting new cards. They should really make a full version of gwent, addicting as hell
I think they did. Xbox One collector's edition includes two decks. It caused a bit of a stink back when it was announced because CDPR said all platforms would treated equally, but then had to say they meant in terms of the game.
well, this specific DLC doesnt include (at least according to the article), it says its just new "skins" for some of the cards
fools gold is a level 10 quest.........great - I'm level 40. I'd rather they release paid quests that are level 35+ so players at higher levels would have new challenges.
Wait for the expansions, they already gave too much content in the game.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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In their quest to find new ways of marketing their smartphones, brands can come up with fabulous ideas. Samsung is doing it with its Samsung Galaxy A8s FE. The FE here is supposed to be Female Edition. To make the product more attractive to the female users, the rear panel on the original phone has been given a gradient color motif. This is official information and the CEO of the company had displayed the device to the media very recently.
Launch to be Limited to the China Market?
Reports indicate the South Korean giant is launching this phone in China on February 14, to mark the Valentine’s Day and this launch may be restricted just to the China market. This means Samsung is taking on some of its fiercest rivals in their own home market. There are some who believe the Samsung Galaxy A8s, which is still to be launched outside of the Chinese market, could be launched in the company’s home country South Korea by the end of this month. But this may be the first time a complete model is being dedicated to the female buyers. There are models, where some colors are meant to preferred by women, based on their tastes and past customer behavior.
Quite Decent Specifications
Samsung has packed the Galaxy A8s and by default the A8S with some impressive features starting with a 6.4-inch full HD+ display. And there is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 Soc processor and a healthy 8 GB RAM support. The onboard storage is 128 GB and the phone will run on the Android Pie version 9.0 OS. There is the triple camera setup in the rear and a 24 MP sensor in the front for selfies. A 3400 mAh battery powers the device. Galaxy A8s is also the first phone from the company with a punch-hole camera.
Smartphone marketers are resorting to all those tricks that consumer products employ to boost up the sales. The regular models are tweaked a bit and given some special names and released close to important events like the Chinese New Year or Friendship Day or other similar occasions. It helps with some advertising messages too for the companies in pushing the smartphones in the marketplace.
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Now, a formula to glow flowers!
London: In what`s said to be the world`s first, scientists claim to have created the secret formula to make flowers and plants fluorescent.
A team, led by Professor Mark Tester in Australia, says that it has created the special formula which can be used on plants and flowers, making them glow in the dark. A battery pack is also needed for the flowers to fluoresce.
"They look like a galaxy of stars. They look like glistening jewels," the `Herald Sun` online quoted Prof Tester as saying.
A simple spritz of Galassia Flowers can be sprayed onto foliage which is then placed next to a luminescent device, instantly making them fluorescent, British newspaper `Daily
The effect is astonishing and can transform even the most dull foliage into something spectacular. It is bound to be a hit with potential brides who might want to add a splash of
glamour to weddings or could be used to brighten up a party.
The product is non-toxic and can be washed out of clothes with warm water and soap should any accidents occur, say the scientists.
More from India
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- Pakistan's brutality exposed; `Black Day` protesters thrashed in PoK - Video goes viral
- Pakistan High Commission staffer, briefly detained for espionage, asked to leave India in 48 hours
- National Geographic's famed ''Afghan Girl'' arrested in Pakistan for forgery
- India vs New Zealand, 4th ODI: As it happened...
- Hrithik Roshan, Yami Gautam's 'Kaabil' trailer shocks Rakesh Roshan


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A mystery woman has been thanked after a lovely gesture for an elderly woman while shopping in a Dunnes in Cork city/
The hunt is on for our hero who jumped in to save the day after a lady was getting her shopping at the Dunnes Stores in Blackpool on Thursday.
The elderly lady was reportedly at the top of the queue trying to pay but got panicky as she couldn't remember her pin and people behind her started to build up.
Fearing she might have to leave her bagged shopping at the belt, the mystery person jumped in and generously paid for it all.
The lady went home with her shopping and told her neighbour Laura Morrissey about what happened and now Laura's posted online to say a big thanks.
All we know about our generous person is that she's getting married in a week with Laura saying she "deserves all the happiness in the world.
Taking to the brilliant Ballyvolane Notice Board she said: "Whoever paid for my elderly friends shopping today in Dunnes Blackpool. Thank you.
"My friend couldn't think of her pin no and she was panicking with the queue behind her.
"This lovely young girl stepped in to help. The same girl is getting married in a week. She deserves all the happiness in the world"
Speaking to CorkBeo Laura added that she'd love to find her so she can get her some flowers.
The post put people on a high, with one describing it as "awesome" adding: "God there still some great people out .Congratulations to the couple that are getting there next week .all the happiness in the world to both."
Another said: "Lovely thing to do hope your kindness comes back 100 times over. "
- First look at Carrigaline's stunning new €4m bar Mabel Lane as it's all set for big opening
- Cork's newest coffee shop replaces Cork's oldest sex shop


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LAS VEGAS — Wholesale tire distributor Penn Tires is focusing its new Transporter TBR line of commercial tires on the U.S. market.
The Transporter TBR — built by third-party manufacturers in Turkey and Vietnam — was designed for U.S. fleets driving on U.S. roads, according to Penn Tires President David Penn.
While commercial tires designed for a global market must place a greater emphasis on how a tire handles overloaded freight, building one specifically for the U.S. market creates a good avenue for growth, especially on the Tier 3 market, Mr. Penn said.
"We have created a tire line that has two great aspects," Mr. Penn said. "First, it's a product designed by Americans for Americans. Second, people who buy tires don't often get input on how they are made."
Not so with the Transporter TBR, Mr. Penn added.
The company focused on maximizing value, specifically original tire tread wear, retreadability and fuel efficiency. Even treadwear is the point where they add the most value to consumers, the company said.
"Once a tire is worn down in just one point, it has to be removed. If the tread wear isn't even, you're leaving money on the table by not wearing out all of the rubber," said Mark Mineur, vice president in charge of tire technology at Penn Tires. "We constructed the tire to wear even from shoulder to shoulder so all the grooves will wear at the same time."


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Diva's Den synthetic drug trafficker pleads guilty
A WOMAN who sold illegal synthetic drugs at her adult shop has been released from custody after pleading guilty to trafficking and other drug crimes.
The owner of Diva's Den on Wood St in Mackay, 43-year-old Melinda Ann Slingsby, pleaded guilty to trafficking, three counts of supplying and one count of possessing drugs in the Supreme Court in Mackay.
Crown prosecutor Michael Cowen said yesterday that Slingsby had sold synthetic marijuana at the store from June 4, 2014 to March 2 last year.
Justice Duncan McMeekin noted one of Slingsby's employees told police the store would take $2500 in sales of the drug daily.
Defence barrister Harvey Walters said Slingsby had sold the drug prior to it becoming illegal in 2013.
He said Slingsby opened the adult shop in 2005. He said the Internet had caused a downturn in sales and the business had become reliant on the sale of synthetic drugs at a time when it was legal.
Mr Cowen said police had raided the store on June 5, 2014 and that would have made Slingsby aware it was no longer legal.
He said an undercover police officer had posed as a customer and purchased the drugs from her.
On November 24, 2014, Slingsby and the officer met and he had asked for advice on sourcing and selling.
"She said that she'd been selling three different types at her shop. She acknowledged that she's considered stopping, that she knew people were hurting themselves," Mr Cowen said. "However she admitted to making a considerable profit selling the synthetic cannabis."
Slingsby had given the officer advice on pricing and sold him samples of the three blends for $1000.
The counts of supply related to occasions when Slingsby had helped to arrange drug purchases between the officer and her ex-partner. In two of those occasions, her ex-partner had sold 1000 ecstasy pills to the officer for $16,000.
Mr Walters said Slingsby had not made a profit.
He said if Slingsby was released she'd live with her parents in Gatton. Her father is currently managing the store's staff.
Slingsby was sentenced to three years in prison. As she'd already served 338 days, the sentence was suspended immediately.


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to connectVideoFox News Flash, the top of entertainment headlines for Feb. 29
Fox News Flash to the top of entertainment and famous faces for the Nov. 29, are here. Check out what to click on in today’s entertainment.
Become a fashion blogger and hack it to go with a thick sweater over a dress is such a genius move, he does not dress the same way again.
Jess, With a Less appalled her more than 84,000 Instagram followers and when they are told its easy, but it is apparently a little-known trick on how to rock it with a great knit top, without a messy result.
First, make sure you pick up the belt and put it on your shirt. Then you pull the top up until it is almost, but not quite all. Fashion hack-provides the illusion of a perfectly positioned in a sweater and a top.
In this video, Jess gives you a step-by-step hair how-to-approach-for a clean crop.
MEGHAN MARKLE WAS CROWNED AS THE MOST POWERFUL OF THE CHEST OF DRAWERS BY 2019 AT THE LATEST, BY THE FASHION SEARCH ENGINE
“You want to pick up a strap – grab, which is kind of similar to the color of the sweater,” she says. “Then tie it. A bit of a squeeze, but not too tight because you need room to breathe.”
“Then I’ll just have to pull it out and up,” she added. “Pretty much as close as you can get without a trek to a lot of it, because of course you don’t want to go out of the way.”
The final result will be every fashionista’s dream come true.
The smart-fashion-hack can also be used for sweaters, or even turn a summer dress in winter-ish clothing.
PLEASE FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR FOX, LIFESTYLE, NEWS
Jess’ belt, was a hit with her followers.
“Wow, this is genius!!” one Instagram follower commented. “I recently moved from FLORIDA to new YORK and are looking for ways to get my warm clothes back to work out in the cold.”
“Mind blowing”! In total this will have to do it,” another person said. “That’s why the pieces in my wardrobe so many more possibilities.”
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FOX NEWS APP
Another fan called her a ” fashion magician.”
“I needed this. So far,” she said.


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T-Mobile announced today that its 600MHz 5G network is available in the U.S., bringing 5G network services to more compatible device users, such as the one plus 7T 5G McLaren Custom Edition and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G model. The company says its 5G network covers more than a million square miles (more than 200 million users). While there is no t-Mobile 5G-style iPhone, Apple plans to release its first 5G-enabled 5G-enabled iPhone by 2020.
(Pictured: T-Mobile, via MacRumors)
Speed is not the biggest advantage of the T-Mobile 600MHz 5G network over the millimeter wave technology of AT?amp;T and Verizon. The former is affected by obstacles such as buildings and trees, while the latter has a stronger penetration capability.
T-Mobile Nationwide 5G Coverage – It’s On (via)
That’s why mmwave technology is better suited for use in densely populated urban areas, while the sub-6GHz band is better suited for rural and suburban signal coverage.
John Legere, t-Mobile’s chief executive, said: ‘5G has been rolled out across the country, which is an important step towards universal service, but it’s just the beginning.
Its critics are forcing customers to develop expensive packages, but T-Mobile is committed to building a wide range of 5G services across the country that will allow ordinary people and corporate customers to save on additional expenses.
After the merger with Sprint, T-Mobile will further expand its 5G network.


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Elon Musk’s Tesla blew past Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in market value during the pandemic. Now it’s less than $100 billion ahead.
Tesla surpassed Berkshire in market value for the first time in November 2020, and was worth twice as much a year later, but has now
Meta is trialing NFTs as Facebook posts with a small group of US creators despite NFT sales plunging to its lowest levels in a year.
Spirit Airlines CEO says the proposed acquisition with Frontier Air would ‘lower fares for consumers by nearly $1,000,000,000 annually.’ Joining Yahoo Finance on June 29,
Tesla is still recruiting despite Elon Musk telling managers to pause hiring and cut the workforce by 10%
Tesla employees have expressed their disappointment about being let go on LinkedIn, while the latest recruits are sharing their new roles.
Investors should prepare for ongoing supply chain issues with component shortages and labor issues at the forefront. Pricing power is critical.
The rapid rise of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers is apparently posing a threat to German luxury automakers. Meanwhile, on.
NEW DELHI , July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Azure Power (NYSE: AZRE) (“Azure” or “the Company”), a leading sustainable energy solutions provider and renewable power
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 1, 2022 / Traders News Source, a leading independent equity research and corporate access firm focused on small


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Home > News > Nation
Friday May 23, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Friday May 23, 2014 MYT 7:14:46 AM
JOHOR BARU: Concerns over the rising cost of living and a lack of understanding on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) are the main reasons why many are protesting against its implementation next year, said Customs senior assistant director Azmi Shahid.
He said many people did not understand that they were already paying taxes under the Sales and Service Tax (SST) system.
“Very few realise that GST is a new tax structure which will be replacing SST, which has been implemented for many years now.”
“It is not an additional tax meant to burden the people. It is merely a switch from SST to GST and people should take this into account,” he told reporters after a briefing on GST here yesterday.
Azmi advised consumers not to panic over the implementation of GST but rather to look at the bigger picture and learn its structure before criticising it.
“The GST structure shows that the prices of goods will drop in time and not increase as assumed by many.
“This (drop in prices of goods), however, is subject to the enforcement of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry,” he added.
Azmi said the ministry would play a major role in ensuring business entities would not take advantage of the profit margin through the GST system.
The Customs Department, he said, had been going all out to educate the public, including civil servants and business owners, about the GST structure through similar briefings.
“The department will continue holding briefings until GST is implemented in April next year,” he said.
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As part of their brand & business plans for 2017, the foodservices buying group will be modernising their company logo accompanied by a confident new strapline.
‘Bringing more to the table’ will be the new company ethos and is a clever twist referring to the high standards set as well as their determination to offer customers that little something extra.
Group Marketing Manager, Lucy Allen says ‘The Caterforce brand is already strong and established but as we, as a business, explore new ventures we wanted to update our image & company statement. We want to reiterate our company values of commitment, reliability & quality and this re-brand gives us the opportunity to position ourselves as a group with increased confidence.’
There are significant plans in the pipeline this year to expand their reach by launching National Sales and a re-brand for their own label range, Chefs’ Selections by Caterforce is currently underway.
Managing Director, Nick Redford says ‘Over the coming months we will be continuing with our ambitious growth plans. We want to lead the way in terms of service & innovation as we move from largely a supplier facing business to include a customer facing environment and I believe our re-brand is an essential and exciting part of the project.’
For more information about the Caterforce Group and it's members, visit their webiste: www.caterforce.co.uk


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McDonald's Denmark Opens World's First HFC-Free Restaurant
Vejle, Denmark (January 16, 2003) – McDonald’s Denmark today opened the world’s first HFC-free restaurant. The restaurant in Denmark is part of a new initiative to help reduce the potential effects of climate change on the environment. This McDonald’s is equipped with state-of-the-art refrigeration and ventilation systems using environmentally innovative refrigerants that do not contain freon, or HFCs (hydroflurocarbons). This pilot program is the first of its kind in the quick service restaurant industry.
The new restaurant officially opened today by the Danish Environmental Minister, Hans Chr. Schmidt, in the town of Vejle, uses 100% HFC-free technology in all its refrigeration and ventilation equipment, including refrigerators, refrigerating rooms, freezing rooms, air conditioning equipment, and soda, juice and ice-cream machines.
"We have a shared responsibility for the future. Companies play a key-role in modern environment politics alongside consumers and governments. Today McDonald’s is showing us how companies can make a difference by setting new standards for environmental performance, and I hope that this will accelerate the use of HFC-free refrigeration and ventilation equipment. It’s a good day for the environment", the Minister for the Environment Hans Chr. Schmidt stated in his speech at the opening.
McDonald’s creating a market demand for innovative, sustainable refrigerants
The project first began two years ago following an international “Refrigeration Summit” hosted by McDonald’s and the United Nations Environmental Programme and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. McDonald’s was joined by a number of other companies and NGOs, including Greenpeace. As a result of what McDonald’s learned, McDonald’s decided to accelerate ways to find sustainable refrigerant technologies.
“This restaurant is an important stepping stone toward establishing a market demand for innovative, sustainable refrigerants,” stated Bill Hallett, Vice-President, Worldwide Equipment and Operations, McDonald’s Corporation.
Support from Danish government, experts and suppliers
Denmark was chosen as the ideal country in which to locate the test restaurant, since it had already started initiatives to phase out HFC refrigerants. McDonald’s then set to work in close collaboration with the Danish Ministry of the Environment, the Danish Technological Institute, and four Danish companies in order to find the most efficient solution.
”When an internationally renowned company like McDonald’s shows an interest in employing harmless refrigerants, it is an extremely important political and environmental message to other companies. The commercial incentive is equally important as all legislations in the field,” said Kim Gardø Christensen, manager at the Danish Technological Institute. “The new restaurant is particularly interesting, because never before have so many different kinds of refrigeration equipment in one place been converted to the new refrigerants”, he added.
The HFC-free McDonald’s met with solid approval from environmental organisations, commending McDonald’s for its leadership actions toward finding better environmental alternatives. HFCs are currently the predominant refrigerant used by virtually all companies in the food service business.
“Bold step” says Greenpeace
“Greenpeace welcomes the bold step McDonald’s has taken in opening this first-ever HFC/HCFC-free restaurant. We hope it is the first of many for the company and that it sparks more sustainable innovation from the refrigeration industry and others in the food service sector”, said János Maté from Greenpeace International.
Future expansion dependent on pilot program
McDonald's will use the findings from this pilot program to determine future applications and expansion. The pilot program will analyse impacts on energy consumption, safety, performance, maintenance reliability, serviceability, and cost.
McDonald’s continuing its commitment to social responsibility
The establishment of an HFC-free test restaurant is part of McDonald's overall commitment to social responsibility. McDonald’s published its first-ever global Social Responsibility Report in April, 2002. It is available at www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/social.
McDonald's is the world's leading local food service retailer, with restaurants more than 70% locally owned and operated by franchisees and partners.
LastUpdate: 2015-04-09 15:30:45


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The recall was issued because the tires, size 11R22.5, may have been manufactured with an improperly manufactured belt cushion splice.
Certain Agilis CrossClimate C-Metric tires will be recalled due to irregular traction performance.
Voluntary recall from Yokohama Tire impacts certain commercial tires.
Michelin North America, Inc. is recalling certain X, XWX, Pilote X, XVS, TRX, MXV, XAS, TB 15, XDX, ZX, VHC, TB 5, XM+ and PB 20 specialty tires, sold for use on certain vintage and antique vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the DOT certification symbol is missing from the tire
Yokohama Tire Corporation has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) it is voluntarily recalling two sizes of commercial tires. The 295/75R22.5 TY517 MC² and BluEarth 109L in the same size were manufactured at Yokohama’s plant in West Point, Mississippi between May 29, 2022, and June 4, 2022. A total of 68 TY517 MC²
Bridgestone is recalling 12,615 units across three different tire lines – the Firestone Destination LE2, Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S and Bridgestone Turanza EL440. According to Bridgestone, the tires may have sustained cuts and tears during the sorting process, which can result in tire damage. The company says this type of damage can lead to a
Yokohama Off-Highway Tires is recalling approximately 119 units across five different tire lines. The lines effected include the Alliance High Speed Rib Implement Tire, Primex Highway R-550 Steer and Trailer, Alliance 317 Implement and Alliance Stubble Proof 319 SPH. According to the manufacturer, the recall stems from a date code portion of the Tire Identification
Sumitomo Rubber USA (Sumitomo) announced it is recalling 5,814 Falken Pro G5 CSV tires. An inadequate sulfur level in the tread base compound prevented proper curing of the tread base rubber which the manufacturer says may lead to the tread separating from the tire, causing vehicle instability – increasing the risk of a crash. See
Shandong New Continent Tire (SNC) announced it is recalling 2,045 Rolling Big Power Repulsor M/T Tires. Due to a manufacturing issue, SNC says the sidewall may separate from the tire. These tires fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 139, “New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles.” Sidewall separation
Elangperdana Tyre Industry (EP Tyre) is recalling 31,500 Zeetex AT 1000 and 126/123R Zeetex AT1000 tires. See the recall report for a complete list of affected tire sizes and DOT date codes. EP Tyre says the sidewall may prematurely separate near the bead area of the tire – meaning these tires fail to comply with
Zhaoquing it is recalling certain Antares Comfort A5 tires, size LT265/75R16 10PR 123/120S. Zhaoquing says the belt may separate from the tire. As such, these tires fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 139, “New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles.” Belt separation may lead to loss of vehicle
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is recalling certain Kelly Armorsteel KDM I tires, size 11R22.5 with DOT date code 3419. The company says the potential number of units affected is 76. The date code in the tire identification number (TIN) was incorrectly embossed on the tire, which may make it illegible. As such, these tires


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- Taboola Blog
“Native advertising” has been a buzzword for over a year, as journalists, marketers, agencies, and publishers continue to be mesmerized by its power to drive brand awareness and engagement. So, we decided to ask a couple of experts in the publishing industry for their take on native advertising.
Starting with the early days of the web, articles featured on a publisher site were handpicked by editors
Mr. Kriegers reported that Taboola’s personalized video recommendations have increased video traffic and revenue by 290% within the first 3 months.


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Bank branch closures and staff cuts aren’t new to the financial services industry as it adjusts to customer demands for more online and mobile services, and competition from fintech rivals.
But Laurentian Bank’s announcement late Thursday that 50 branches will be merged, eliminating around 300 employees in the process, was particularly bold, says Rob Sedran, an analyst at CIBC World Markets.
“Banking is not typically an industry that sees bold moves … and we see this as a bold move,” Sedran wrote in a note to clients. “There is no question that branches are being de-emphasized in the industry, but we did not think we were quite at the point at which tumbleweeds were blowing across the teller aisle.”
Laurentian’s significant shift in retail banking strategy is likely to draw the attention of other banks, Sedran said, adding that they will be watching closely to see how it unfolds in coming quarters even if they don’t share some of the specific challenges facing the Montreal-based bank.
Laurentian has 148 branches, and the jobs cuts will hit about eight per cent of the bank’s staff on a full-time basis. The bank previously took a $72.2 million impairment charge in the fourth quarter of last year relating to the value of the retail services business, along with a restructuring charge of $6.2 million.


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After last year's elections swept in a bevy of fresh faces in the state legislature, supporters of wine sales in grocery stores thought that this year might finally be their chance to get such legislation passed - or, as we wrote back in February, "proponents of the change are cautiously optimistic this time that it might actually stick around long enough for a committee vote, at least."
For the fifth year in a row, the legislation died in committee in the House on Wednesday, two weeks after a committee in the Senate had delayed a vote on the legislation. However, for the first time ever, there was indeed a vote - if not on the legislation itself, on an amendment to it. "It's somewhat historic," says Jarron Springer, the head of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Stores Association, which is the main lobbying force behind the legislation. "It's a little bit of a victory."
Make no mistake - Springer is disappointed that grocery stores across the state will not be able to sell wine alongside the beer on their shelves, something he says polls have shown 70 percent of Tennessee wine-drinkers want. (It's also something that would be a large moneymaker for the members of his association.) But he says the fact that the legislation didn't die for lack of a second when a sponsoring member made the motion to bring it up is a huge step in itself. (If this is confusing, you can brush up on how the legislature works here.)
Red, White, and Food, the marketing/lobbying campaign behind the effort, has posted several videos from Wednesday's hearing on their blog, if you're so inclined to immerse yourself in what actually happened. But basically what happened is that the committee never actually voted on HB 406 itself, only on an amendment that would provide for local referendums for wine sales in grocery stores - i.e., every municipality would have to approve the measure on its own. Voting against the measure were Knoxville's own Rep. Ryan Haynes, Maryville's Rep. Bob Ramsey, both Republicans, along with Reps. Kent Williams (R-Elizabethton), Curry Todd (R-Collierville), and Mike Turner (D-Old Hickory). Rep. Larry Miller (D-Memphis) seconded the motion that allowed discussion of the amendment but abstained from voting. In favor of the legislation were Reps. Gerald McCormick and Jim Cobb, both Republicans, and Democrat Rep. Tommie Brown.
(Interestingly, all three who voted in favor of the amendment represent Chattanooga and/or Hamilton County. One can only wonder if their support came from having lived so close to the Georgia state line and having seen the absolutely non-dramatic effects of wine sales in grocery stores just a few blocks away from their fair city - that, or they're still bitter about losing the tax dollars from the new Costco that opened just over the state line in order to sell wine.)
"It's incomprehensible to me that the legislature voted down the opportunity to let the voters decide," Springer says. But when you think how complicated such referendums could actually be - for example, Knoxville voters could pass a law to allow wine sales in grocery stores, while voters in Knox County might not - it seems like waiting another year for a whole state option wouldn't be the worse thing in the world.
Of course, waiting just one more year might prove unrealistic. Next year, 2012, is an election year, which means legislators are notoriously loathe to even introduce bills that might cost them votes. And, it should also be noted, HB 406 isn't technically dead - action has just been deferred on the bill. To July 4, 2012. By which date, even if it weren't a holiday, the legislature would be finished. "That's a little dirt in your eye," Springer says. "There's a feeling by the public that we're being treated like children by the legislature, that they've made a mockery of this." (Of course the part of the public opposed to the bill - religious groups and liquor store owners - is quite gleeful.)
Could this become a hot-topic issue in 2012 legislative campaigns? Only time - and next year's session - will tell. But disappointed supporters of the bill should just look southward to Georgia for inspiration: After years and years and years of proposed legislation that went nowhere whatsoever, the state legislature this week finally passed a bill to allow local municipalities to vote on whether to allow retail alcohol sales on Sundays. So take heart, Tennessee. Dreams do come true. And until then, at least be content knowing that while you can't buy wine in grocery stores, you've been able to buy beer on Sundays for decades, unlike those poor, sad Georgians.


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“Transparent??? Car Promises Greater Safety
Statistics show that nearly 840,000 car accidents are caused by drivers failing to see other vehicles or pedestrians in their blind spots. Now, Japanese researchers have developed a system that affords drivers a 360-degree view of the world around them, virtually eliminating dangerous blind spots.
But if you’ve got visions of a road-worthy version of Wonder Woman’s invisible jet, you’re a little off base. A project of the Graduate School of Media Design at Keio University, the “transparent” Toyota Prius isn’t a see-thru ride, but instead employs a projection system that makes the car’s backseat and side panels appear completely transparent to the driver.
The system involves cameras mounted to the outside of the car that sends images to an onboard computer and displays them via a projector. The projector also features a lens array, half-mirror and retro-reflective screen. The system lends the driver a straight view of everything going on around the car. This innovative technology allows a driver to see through passengers in the back seat to the road behind them and to see multiple angles around the car simultaneously – a factor that could significantly reduce the number of automobile accidents.
Designers say the technology can be used in other modes of transportation, including airplanes. And, it has other potential uses, too. Potential examples include projecting MRI scans onto patients during surgery or giving interior rooms an outside view without windows.
We here at E3 Spark Plus consider this technology one of the coolest and most promising we’ve seen yet. What do you think? Would you install the system in your ride? Post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.


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Thousands of merchants and buyers will descend in Utah tomorrow at the official start of the Outdoor Retailers Summer Market held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake and the Outdoor Retailer Market’s eighteen year relationship has been very symbiotic. Salt Lake and Utah’s outdoor culture have made the city a compatible host for the Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter Markets held every January and August at the Salt Palace Convention Center. As the OR Market has grown so has the city and its convention center, and now Salt Lake may have its new tallest building partially due to the success of the OR market.
The economic impact of the biannual market has long been noticed by local leaders. The threat of moving the OR market out of Utah inspired an expansion of the convention center in 2006. Leaders were very vocal about the retailer’s influence on the decision to expand the Salt Palace to include more meeting rooms and convention space. Beginning in 2011, the OR Market became the go to reason for the need for a convention center hotel.
The OR, produced by the Nielsen Expo Outdoor Group, attracts over 40,000 attendees each year and has brought in over $468 million into Utah’s economy. The market is secured to stay in Utah until 2016, but now that a new convention center hotel is in the works, their will be an added incentive for the OR to stay in Salt Lake.
Legislation was approved this winter that would allow a developer to construct a 1,000 room hotel built over expanded convention space. The legislation provides sales tax rebates up to $75 million over 20 years to the hotel operator for the construction of the added convention. The hotel portion will not be subsidized. At 1,000 rooms the convention center hotel could very much be Salt Lake’s next tallest skyscraper.
A site and developer for the new hotel have yet to be chosen, but the OR has proven to be the dangling carrot needed to help Salt Lake and local leaders take the next step in becoming more competitive in the lucrative convention market. Hopefully construction of the convention center hotel begins soon. As the OR continues to grow and if Salt Lake isn’t ready to accommodate that growth the state’s largest convention may find a new home.


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- News tagged "fitbit"
Tuesday, 30 Aug 2016
Fitbit has just announced two new activity trackers. The Charge 2 with heart-rate monitoring, and the "swim-proof" Flex 2.
Friday, 20 May 2016
Fitbit recently acquired mobile payment firm Coin and plans to accelerate its development of an active NFC payment solution for its future wearables.
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
International Data Corporation (IDC) released its Q1 2016 report for the global wearables market which shows Fitbit still taking the lead ahead of Xiaomi, Apple and Samsung.
Thursday, 24 Mar 2016
The smartwatch startup will be laying off 40 employees this week. Pebble's CEO attributes the decision to slower fundraising response.
Thursday, 14 Jan 2016
It seems that even fitness trackers aren't safe from being pirated.
Wednesday, 6 Jan 2016
Announced at CES 2016, the Fitbit Blaze is a stylish-looking fitness tracking smartwatch with an activity tracking focus to its functionalities.
Monday, 28 Dec 2015
Fitbit's app jumped 20 spots to the top of the Apple App Store on Christmas Day, which suggests that many people received a Fitbit wearable as a gift. Is that enough to keep Apple and Xiaomi at bay?
Monday, 7 Dec 2015
Research firm IDC's Q3 2015 report reveals that Fitbit is still leading the wearable market with Samsung dropping out of the top five. Hit the link to find out which newcomer did that!
Thursday, 28 May 2015
Ahead of Fitbit's planned initial public offering, one of its biggest competitor has sued the company for stealing information by poaching employees.
Friday, 13 Feb 2015
Keeping track of your daily activities with a wearable device requires you to keep it in close contact with your skin, 24-7. However, for the sake of healthy skin, it may be wise to take a break from wearing the tracker all the time.


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A New York investor that’s recently been on an industrial building buying binge in Texas has inked a deal to sell warehouses in Dallas, Houston and 10 other U.S. cities.
KKR says it has agreed to sell 14.5 million square feet of industrial buildings for $2.2 billion to Canadian investor Oxford Properties.
The deal includes 149 industrial properties and is expected to close in the next few months.
Along with buildings in Dallas and Houston, the sale includes warehouses in Southern California, Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Tampa, Fla., Orlando, Fla., Baltimore and the Washington, D.C., area.
“Four years ago, we set out to create a large, stabilized portfolio that would benefit from secular changes in the logistics sector largely driven by e-commerce and consumer preference changes,” KKR’s Roger Morales said in a statement. “Today’s transaction not only demonstrates how this strategy is performing for our investors but also reflects the tremendous market opportunity we continue to see in industrial real estate.”
KKR hasn’t disclosed exactly which North Texas buildings are included in the sale.
The investor recently bought several Dallas-area industrial buildings.
In December the investor purchased a more than 1-million-square-foot distribution building in Southern Dallas that’s leased long-term to e-commerce giant Amazon. In January, KKR purchased a 460,000-square-foot warehouse in Grapevine. And in May of this year, KKR acquired two new industrial buildings in Mesquite’s Urban District 30 business park.
Canada-based Oxford Properties is a pension fund investor with more than $70 billion in assets worldwide.
“High-quality, infill, consumption-driven industrial portfolios of scale trade infrequently, so this transaction is an important next step for Oxford to build a large-scale industrial business in the U.S.,” Ankit Bhatt of Oxford Properties said in a statement. “Growing our U.S. industrial business is one of Oxford’s highest conviction global investment strategies as we continue to build, buy and invest in the physical infrastructure that serves the digital economy.”


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Walt Disney Co. raised the cost of attending its California theme parks during peak times by more than 10 percent ahead of the opening of a new “Star Wars” land.
The cost for a one-day ticket during peak times, typically summers, weekends and holidays, rose 10.4 percent to $149 from $135. The least-expensive daily ticket rose 7.2 percent to $104. The prices apply to both the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and its sister park, California Adventure.
Discounts will be available for multi-day purchases, military personnel and Southern California residents.
Disney has been investing billions of dollars in its resort division over the past few years, taking characters from its Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm brands and turning them into attractions that have lured guests. Attendance at the company’s parks worldwide rose 4 percent last year, while spending per guest increased 6 percent.
Crowd control will be even more of a challenge with the introduction of the “Star Wars” lands this summer.
“We continue to provide our guests with a variety of ticket offerings to meet their needs, while helping us to spread visitation, better manage demand and deliver a great experience,” Disney said in a statement.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, an attraction based on the long-running science fiction series, is scheduled at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios park in Orlando, Florida. The attractions, the largest single lands ever added to the resorts, will include a ride on the Millennium Falcon space ship, simulated intergalactic combat and a cantina where patrons can interact with staff pouring cocktails in creature costumes.
Disney took a big step toward controlling demand three years ago by launching a three-tier pricing system. The world’s largest theme-park operator has also increased prices and created options for guests to enter early, reserve rides in advance and even buy tickets for just evening events.
Disneyland annual passes now come in six varieties, with the one with the most days blacked-out costing $399 and the highest-level of access costing $1,949. Monthly payments for the season passes can run as high as $103, not including the down payment. Parking rates at Disneyland rose 25 percent to $25 a day. The cost of a MaxPass, which includes ride reservations and photos, rose 50 percent to $15.
Disneyland attracted 18.3 million guests in 2017, making it the second-most visited theme park in the world after the company’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando.
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


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Top engineer quits Amazon in protest over firings of Covid-19 whistleblower employees
“I quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of Covid-19,” Bray wrote in an open letter titled ‘Bye, Amazon’ which he posted on his personal blog. His last day at the company was May 1.
Bray admitted working with Amazon was the “best job” he ever had, and said he will likely be losing “over a million (pre-tax) dollars” by leaving his position, but he took issue with the company’s firings of employees who complained about safety conditions and fears in warehouses, which continue to operate during the current pandemic.
“The justifications [from the company] were laughable; it was clear to any reasonable observer that they were turfed for whistleblowing,” Bray wrote of the axed employees, noting that the firings seem focused on minority workers.Also on rt.com Bezos ordered to testify in Congress, as Amazon accused of 'possibly criminally false' statements on business practices
“I’m sure it’s a coincidence that every one of them is a person of color, a woman, or both. Right?” he wrote.
He called the firings “chickens**t” and said they were done to “create a climate of fear.” Amazon has not yet publicly commented on Bray’s accusations.
Two employees — user-experience designer Emily Cunningham and her colleague Maren Costa — were fired “on the spot,” according to Bray, after trying to set up a video call to discuss work conditions and concerns last month. Cunningham tweeted Bray on Monday and thanked him for his support.
Amazon VP, @timbray resigns over #covid firings of me, @marencosta and others. Says Amazon “firing whistleblowers” is “evidence of a vein of toxicity running through the company culture. I choose neither to serve nor drink that poison.”Thank you, Tim.https://t.co/oShy4TQisN— Emily Cunningham (@emahlee) May 4, 2020
Other employees were reportedly fired after signing a petition asking for more workplace protections. Demands in the petition included hazard pay and warehouse closures if any employee tested positive for coronavirus.
Amazon has been quick to crack down on any employee organization at the warehouses, which have been working full steam during the pandemic to deliver both essential goods and consumer merchandise unavailable at physical stores shuttered by the lockdowns.Also on rt.com Amazon executives conspired to smear fired worker who led protest over Covid-19 safety conditions
Leaked notes from an internal Amazon meeting in early April showed top executives at the company — including CEO Jeff Bezos — conspiring to smear a worker at a Staten Island warehouse who was fired for organizing a walkout over safety conditions. Chris Smalls, an African-American employee, was described as “not smart” or “articulate” in a bid to divert away from any controversy about Amazon itself.
Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky, who was behind the strategy, argued for “strongly laying out the case for why the organizer’s conduct was immoral, unacceptable, and arguably illegal, in detail, and only then follow with our usual talking points about worker safety.”
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Other forms of automation, such as self-checkout stations at grocery stores, are becoming increasingly popular. Depending on your level of comfort with technology, you either love the self-checkout option or hate it. The same could happen for these self-driving Dominos cars, but we'll have to wait and see!
Domino's Pizza and Ford have unveiled a new self-driving car.
Domino's plans to introduce their “delivery bots” to the American public in a 6-week test later this month.
Certain customers in Ann Arbor, Michigan will have the choice to let a robot deliver their food or to do things the old fashioned way. Customers can track the car using GPS, and the vehicle will send them a text message once it's outside their house.
But you will have to walk to the end of your driveway for the pizza, which is stored in a heated compartment in the car's back seat. You also need to enter a 4-digit pin code (based on your phone number) to get your food.
There are other problems customers might run into during the test: like how the delivery car is no good for pizza parties, because it can only carry 4 pies and 5 sides at a time. And while a driver and engineer will be inside the car, they're ordered not to help the customer with any problems.
“We’re still focused on the last 50 feet,” Domino’s spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre admits. “That’s a big challenge – getting (the pizza) from the curb to the door.”
Would you choose to have your pizza delivered by a self-driving car?
Article Source: Shared


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posted on Apr, 24 2005 @ 10:24 AM
Now if we quote mister Sharon:
"We are not pleased with the sales of weapons to Syria, particularly sophisticated weapons that Russia intends to sell to Syria," Sharon
Well mister Sharon, Syria is Not pleased with sales of weapons from USA to Isreal also! - many, Many sophisticated weapon systems! In fact so much
money goes to the Isreal, that the American economy is suffering because of that.
But you are right people - its an Old Game, selling weapons to your enemies. And Middle East has always been a "Testing Ground" for western and
eastern weapon systems.
So, do the United States and Isreal really have anything to say about Russia selling weapon systems to Syria - since they are basicly doing that same
thing. But we are used to that stuff; most of the international laws and declarations do not apply to USA and Isreal.


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Google TV Aims to 'Make it Delightful' with 2.0 Release
Despite positive early attention, Google TV wasn't a hit when it debuted in October, 2010. Surrounded by less expensive and easier set-top box competitors, the Google TV interface looked complicated and not worth the price. Google is aiming to change that perception with its recent update to the platform, called Honeycomb for Google TV (or just Google TV 2.0, if you prefer).
At the recent Streaming Media West conference in Los Angeles, Shanna Prevé, business development lead for Google TV, sat down for a red carpet interview to discuss the platform's changes. This interview preceded Logitech's crippled release of the software update.
Prevé noted that Google still has a long way to go in improving the Google TV experience, but sees this software update as an important first step. The company listened to candid feedback from its users, learning that it didn't just have to make the user interface simpler, it had to make Google TV delightful.
"What we're trying to do is bring additional functionality without making it too hard to use," said Prevé.
Google's hardware partners are in charge of bringing the Google TV platform update to consumers. Sony was first to deliver it, while Logitech delivered the update later (read "Logitech Updates the Revue (Sort Of)" for much more on that).
Besides spurring viewer interest, Google is trying to entice software developers and online content providers with this release. It's now easy for developers to create for the Google TV platform, Prevé said, and get their videos in front of Google TV viewers.
"The key takeaway is that it is finally a platform for people to be able to use," Prevé said.
Connected TVs promise to be a big trend for 2012 (and should play out better than 2011's big trend, 3D TVs). The industry is seeing hardware makers and developers try a variety of products and make a dizzying amount of content deals. What will click with the average consumer is still anyone's guess.
"We just don't know how it's going to play out. We're all kind of experimenting right now and it's so early. It took 80 years for the television market to get where it is today. It's certainly not going to be figured out by 2012," noted Prevé.
Besides pointing out what Google is doing to improve the Google TV experience, Prevé also noted what it isn't doing. It isn't looking to other platforms and trying to compete with them. Instead, it's focusing on making its own platform better. And it isn't pursuing original content deals, preferring a more open approach.
For more from Prevé on the future of Google TV (and why people love a certain high-quality fireplace app) view the full interview below:
These Streaming Media Red Carpet Interviews are sponsored by Front Porch Digital.
At the Streaming Media West conference, attendees got a look at the new Google TV software.
On the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show, Google makes a splash with key partnerships that promise a strong year for the battered connected TV platform.
The long-awaited firmware update eliminates basic features from the Google TV 2.0 feature set. Why is Logitech hamstringing its own device?


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Examining the big issues facing the global economy, Business Daily demystifies the world of money.…
Play now 18 mins
Jobs are being lost as publishers move from paper to online. Business Daily talks to Nancy McKinstry of publishing company Wolters Kluwer. She's a veteran of the publishing industry and one of a small number of women at the top of that sector. We talk to her about the changes she's made and about how the internet has changed the publishing business.
And look closely at that innocent tissue box on the corner of your desk - it could be secretly recording your every word. We visit the Spymaster shop in London and talk to its director, Julia Wing about industrial espionage.
On 9 July 2011 South Sudan will become the world's newest country. The vote for independence was overwhelming with Southern Sudanese citizens hopeful of a peaceful, and prosperous, future as a result. But they're not the only ones who are optimistic about new opportunities. Our regular commentator Wycliffe Muga reckons other countries can see economic benefits too.


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Car hire companies are lining their deep pockets with a 'winterisation' charge at many European ski destinations this winter.
Holidaymakers in Europe’s winter hotspots this November could be paying significantly more for their excess waiver policies.
If you’re hiring a car in popular European sun spots this half term, be prepared to pay up to double the standard rate.
Almost a third (32%) of car hirers are unaware that if they damage their hire car they must pay the first part of the claim; an excess of up to £2000*.
Extensive research carried out by the team here at iCarhireinsurance has revealed that people who have hired cars this summer are on average £120 worse off.
39% of Brits said they are nervous about driving on the wrong side of the road and encountering “crazy” locals.
Paying for damage to a rental vehicle is an issue that is regularly brought to our attention by our customers.
Global study shows USA is the cheapest place to hire a car whilst Portugal is the most expensive.
All prices within this section were correct at time of publication.


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The BM Container Depot at Sitakunda, Chattogram, which saw a deadly fire and subsequent explosion causing 41 deaths and over 200 injuries on Saturday night, has been operating, flouting local and international guidelines.
Supervisory agencies are now pointing fingers to one another for its non-compliance.
Although flouting rules can lead to the cancellation of ICD licences on papers, no ICD licence has ever been cancelled.
ICDs are supposed to fulfil the custom bonded area regulation and secure a licence from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) before they are cleared to operate. A deputy or assistant commissioner and other customs officials are also responsible for overseeing operations at the ICDs.
Sources say the container depots are storing hazardous products including chemicals without following proper safety measures. ICD owners do not even train their employees in safety protocols.
Besides, setting up an ICD requires adhering to the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, and regulations from the fire service, but none is followed at the ICDs.
According to the rules, dangerous products should be kept in separate containers with product details written on the containers. These containers also should be labelled as dangerous products. In addition, these products have to be stored at a certain distance.
The authorities of BM Container Depot at Sitakunda violated the principles of the IMDG Code for storing hydrogen peroxide.
Al-Amin, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Customs House, told The Business Standard that the port authorities inform us through a letter about the quantity of chemical products in the port. However, the customs authorities have no information on what kind of dangerous products are in the ICDs. This information is available at the depots.
The Department of Explosives was also unaware of the information. According to the agency, the BM Container Depot authorities did not have the necessary infrastructure to store the chemicals.
Tofazzal Hossain, an inspector at the Department of Explosives in Chattogram, told The Business Standard, "Special kind of infrastructure is required to store such products. But the depot did not have that arrangement."
Mohammad Monir Hossain, director (training) of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, echoed the inspector's comment and said, "The BM Container Depot was not equipped at all to store chemicals. Usually, there should be a list of what is kept in a container. The chemicals are supposed to be kept isolated. But none of these were maintained."
The BM container depot did not even have any fire extinguisher, said Faruk Hossain Sikder, assistant director at Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence
"Besides, the depot also has a fuel station inside. It is very risky," he added.
The ICD licensing policy requires the installation of a fire extinguishing system facility as directed by the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Faruk Hossain claimed that the fire service authority regularly visits depots and asks the facilities to set up proper safety measures.
"BM Container Depot was also told [to set up safety measures] but they did not listen," he said.
"We will inspect all 19 depots in Chattogram," Faruk said, adding that the director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence has directed to take strict measures for the implementation of necessary safety measures.
Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), the owners association of container depots, said, "The ICDs are governed by domestic and international policies and any compliance errors are rectified as directed by the inspection team."
According to IMDG Code, for storing and transporting hazardous goods, the containers need to use hazard warning labels and other identifying marks to identify dangerous goods; requires standard documentation when dangerous goods are transported, and ensuring that incompatible dangerous goods are kept apart.
The NBR issues the ICD licence to a private company after an eight-step process that includes inspection in several stages as well as permissions from the port authority and the shipping ministry.
Despite violations of ICD licensing policy, customs and port authorities have not yet taken action against a single company. As a result, the owners are managing the ICDs at will without heeding the rules and regulations causing accidents.
In 2020, four workers were killed in an explosion at Incontrade depot in Chattogram's Patenga area.
Last Saturday, a fire broke out at the large ICD BM container depot in Chattogram claiming at least 41 people, including firefighters. More than two hundred people were injured.
Only after the deadly fire incident, various mismanagement and non-compliance of ICDs are surfacing. At the same time, there is evidence of lack of coordination in monitoring the activities of ICDs. The ICD licensing authorities and the customs have no idea how many chemical products are stored in the ICDs.
Abdullah Al Shakib Mubarat, Chittagong Deputy Inspector General of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, told The Business Standard, "We give approval after applicants show necessary papers and licences from the fire service. Then our inspector visits the site and instructs them to take necessary action."
He also said that a total of 19 depots in Chattogram have taken licences from them and they have already written to all the depots asking them to send a list of containers and items being stored.
"Bida has formed a committee and we will visit all the depots," he said.
Former director general of the fire service Brigadier General (retd) Ali Ahmed Khan told The Business Standard, "The containers should not have been kept in the open space and at a high temperature. While sorting the containers, the depot authorities should have addressed this."
According to Chattogram Custom House sources, 33 containers contained 850 tonnes of hydrogen peroxide at the BM container depot in Sitakunda where the fire broke out. These containers are kept in the depot yard.
According to the ICD's governing policy, a seven-member committee will evaluate the ICD activities. The Additional Commissioner of the concerned Custom House will act as the convener of the committee, the assistant of the Custom House or the Deputy Commissioner as the Member Secretary. Other members of the committee include the Joint Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Deputy or Assistant Director of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, members of the port authority and BICDA, the private depot owners' association.
But, so far no activities of the evaluation committee have been reported since the incident.
Kazi Mustafizur Rahman, commissioner of customs bond commissionerate, Dkaha, told The Business Standard that depot licence is issued by the customs authority. But the depot authority is responsible for overseeing it.
"If it was in the port, then the responsibility would be with the port authority," he added.
In Bangladesh, there are 19 Inland Container Depots (ICD) also known as off-docks which handle almost 95% of export goods for shipments and 38 types of import goods – including food items like rice, wheat, and mustard seed, chickpeas, pulse, scraps. The ICDs work to help ease congestion at Chattogram port and facilitate the quick clearance of FCL (Full Container Load) cargo by allowing unloading or delivery from outside the port area.


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Medtronic announced a large voluntary recall of its Shiley neonatal and pediatric tracheostomy tubes is underway due to a wider angle bend among affected models than in those manufactured after Nov. 29, 2012. It has suspended shipments of the faulty tubes.
Analysts said Edwards Lifesciences widened the lead over Medtronic with the FDA approval its Sapien 3 TAVR, but Minnesota's industry bigwig struck back just days later, receiving approval of a third-generation version of its own TAVR, the CoreValve Evolut R.
Medtronic reports early pivotal data for tiny leadless pacemaker with U.S. launch slated in a year or so
Cardiac Rhythm & Heart Failure is one of Medtronic's faster growing businesses, driven in part by the launch of tiny subcutaneous heart monitor Reveal Linq. The medical device giant expects that the launch of supersmall leadless pacemaker Micra Transcatheter Pacing System could help it to keep that revenue growth momentum going.
Medtronic continued its shopping spree, acquiring Aptus Endosystems for $110 million to get its hands on aortic aneurysm repair technology. The June 19 move comes one day after it obtained the rights to acquire another aortic aneurysm player, as well as cardiology company CardioInsight for $93 million. So that's three transactions over two days for the medical device behemoth.
Undisputed medical device heavyweight Medtronic has been busily wheeling and dealing with tiny startups this year--perhaps putting to rest industry concern that the merger with Covidien would put a damper on strategic backing for private med tech companies as a key player was eliminated.
Germany's Biotronik announced the publication of a study in HeartRhythm that shows the MRI compatibility of its implantable cardioverter defibrillators, as it races with Medtronic to be the first to get an MRI-safe version of the cardiology device to market. The company said it has submitted the study to the FDA in support of the approval of the Iforia ProMRI ICD system.
Medtronic announced the U.S. launch of its Fortrex balloon catheter, which performs angioplasty to physically disrupt blockages so that vessels can accept therapy via an arteriovenous access point.
Medtronic said in a regulatory filing that three shareholder lawsuits against current and former executives were voluntarily dismissed.
St. Jude Medical expects that gains in the neuromodulation market will undergird an improved revenue growth rate over the next few years. Key to that strategy is the Axium Neurostimulator System to treat chronic lower limb pain. In January, the company submitted to the FDA for a PMA approval for the device. Now it's released positive superiority data for Axium as compared to a traditional spinal cord stimulation device from competitor Medtronic.
The most common weight-loss surgery is the sleeve gastrectomy, in which two-thirds of the stomach is removed to create a pouch that is roughly the size and shape of a banana without touching the intestines. Medtronic has come out with a surgical tool, the GastriSail gastric positioning system, that it says will enable surgeons to consistently size the pouch, as well as to decompress the pouch and test for leaks.


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VisionWatch Restatement Conversation and Reports Available for Download
The Vision Council's market research team hosted an informational session yesterday, Wednesday, July 10, to delve into the restatement of VisionWatch's online eyeglasses sales, retailer eyeglasses sales and AR lens sales topline datapoints from 2013–2018. Thank you to all who participated and contributed.
To hear the full conversation, please click here.
The Q1 2019 member U.S. research reports and the Q1 2019 Canada overview report are available for download, here.
Questions can be directed to Greg Chavez, The Vision Council's executive vice president of operations and membership, at email@example.com.


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Irish airline retail technology company Datalex has warned that continued lockdowns in China will prevent annual revenues and profits from recovering to pre-Covid levels this year.
The Dublin-listed firm previously anticipated that the Chinese market would experience a material recovery in the second half of the year, but has now said that revenues and earnings in China for the second half will be "negatively impacted".
For the full year, the group expects to report revenues of $22.5m to $23.5m and adjusted earnings of $5m to $6m.
Elsewhere, Datalex said it has seen strong engagement with customers transitioning into digital retail, resulting in "enhanced opportunities" for the company, although planning for the delivery of said opportunities has hit services activity levels.
It is now expected that services activity levels will be lower than expected in H2 2022 as certain projects move out to 2023, Datalex said. This will negatively impact 2022 revenues but will positively contribute to growth in 2023.
Sean Corkery, CEO of Datalex, said: “While short term forecasting has continued to be difficult, we remain confident in the ability of our business to grow in the medium to long term.
"Airlines are focused on accelerating their digital offering and Datalex is very well placed to assist them. I am really encouraged by the strong engagement the team is having with current and prospective customers across the globe as we continue to execute on customer renewals and build on our robust pipeline of potential new customers.
"In addition, I am happy to report that the activation of our new customers, EasyJet and Virgin Australia is progressing well. All of which we expect to result in meaningful revenue growth in 2023 and beyond.”
Datalex announced it had secured EasyJet in September, describing the deal as an "important strategic milestone," after tying down Virgin Australia earlier in the year.
Revenues for the first half of the year fell 17% to $10.4m due to reduced transaction volumes in China, and the travel software company made an EBITDA loss of $2.1m after operating costs rose 13% to $13.8m.


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More Millennials are living at home, per recent research, and that could mean bad news for the pay-TV industry. That’s because 18-24-year-old broadband subscribers don’t show much of an interest in signing up for pay-TV services once they move into their own residences, according to new data from The Diffusion Group (TDG). Just 31.3% of this group said they’d be highly inclined to do so, suggesting that they might join the group of “cord-nevers.” That group could represent up to 6% of under-35 broadband subscribers in the US and Canada, according to a study released by the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council Americas.
Perhaps even more disturbingly for pay-TV providers, a significant 24.9% of 18-24-year-old broadband subscribers surveyed by TDG said they were highly disinclined (bottom-2 box score on a 7-point scale) to subscribe to a pay-TV service once they move into their own space. The remaining 43.8% are neutral.
It’s a different story for online subscription video services such as Netflix. 48.7% of the respondents said they’d be highly inclined to sign up to such a service when they left home, making them 56% more likely to subscribe to an over-the-top (OTT) service than pay-TV. Only 14.4% said they were highly disinclined to sign up for an OTT service.
The results – to some extent – are understandable. Moving out of the home entails a significant amount of financial pressures, and cost does tend to be a big factor for Millennials when considering pay-TV subscriptions. The researchers also note that “in the end, it will still be less about the conduit and more about the content and value the service provides.”
Nevertheless, the study results suggest that pay-TV is not seen as a “must-have” among young adults. Last year a study found that consumers overall view their cable TV subscriptions as more expendable than their mobile phone services, and that gap most likely has expanded since then.
About the Data: The TDG data is based on a survey of 1,004 18-24-year-old broadband users residing in their parents’ home.


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SEOUL, South Korea — Hankook Tire Co. Ltd.'s first quarter operating earnings fell 24.2 percent on 2.1-percent higher sales.
Hankook did not elaborate on the reasons for the earnings decline, to $124.5 million. Revenue rose to $1.46 billion despite a global auto industry slowdown, dropping the operating ratio three points to 8.5 percent.
Unit sales of larger-diameter passenger/SUV tires — 18-inch and larger — increased 3.3 percent, Hankook said, and now represent nearly 54 percent of overall sales.
Hankook, the No. 7 tire maker worldwide, said increasing sales of larger-diameter tires is part of its strategy to solidify its position as a premium brand and for strengthening its competitiveness in premium product categories.
The company also said it plans to diversify its original equipment portfolio to establish a stable growth structure and optimize distribution strategies for each region. Hankook did not disclose a regional sales breakdown for the quarter, which ended March 31.


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Salem to get another frozen yogurt shop
Last week, the Planning Board approved a 1,512-square foot frozen yogurt shop at 277 North Broadway.
When it opens later this year, Patel’s shop will be the fourth to open in town in just over a year. According to Planning Director Ross Moldoff, a fifth frozen yogurt shop is in the works.
Originally, the site was approved for a retail space, not a restaurant space, according to Patel’s engineer, David Jordan.
The yogurt shop will likely be open from about 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with peak hours coming in the afternoon and during the summer, Jordan said.
Derry Battalion Chief calls firefighter son a 'hero' for rescuing two boys from Hood Pond
Carpenter ready for break from baseball
Hillary stumps for Democrats in Nashua
Concealed carry fight looms in the state


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Hyundai sells 2000th car
Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, May 1:
Avco International Pvt Ltd, the sole distributor of Hyundai vehicles in Nepal today organised a programme to commemorate the sale of 2000th Hyundai car in the country.
Avco International, a subsidiary of SOI Group has been marketing Hyundai vehicles in Nepal for the last four years since 1999.
“A wide range of Hyundai vehicles equipped with a world class technology suiting road conditions in Nepal is the basic reason behind this success,
despite bleak political and economic scenario that prevailed in the country,” said Captain R P Pradhan, executive chairman of SOI Group.
W S Min, executive director — marketing sales, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said that Nepal has emerged as one of the largest importers of Hyundai vehicles in the SAARC region. “Besides providing cars with globally proven products and extensive service network, HMIL is committed to increase after sales service in Nepal,” he said.
On the occasion, Captain Pradhan and Min jointly handed over keys to Deep Lama, owner of the 2000th Hyundai car. Lama also received a Yingang motorbike YG 150-8 worth Rs 143,500 as a gift for being the lucky 2000th customer.


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Epic, the maker of the insanely popular, cross-platform first-person shooter online game Fortnite, has ‘fessed up to a gameplay misstep when it dropped a super powerful new weapon into the battle royale arena earlier this month — triggering a major fan backlash.
Complaints boiled down to it being unfair for the overpowered weapon to exist in standard game modes, given the massive advantage bestowed on whoever happened to be lucky enough to find it.
Earlier this month Epic had trailed the forthcoming Infinity Blade as “a weapon fit for a king”.
It went on to unleash the super-powered weapon, on December 11, shortly after releasing a Season 7 update — so presumably it had been intending to increase Fortnite fans’ gaming itch.
Instead it managed to drastically upset the balance of play. Without adequate counter weapons/strategies to prevail against the weapon Fortnite fans were rightly mad as hell.
But on Friday, three days after launching the blade, Epic pulled the “overpowered” weapon from the game — admitting it had failed to provide “good counters”, and was “re-evaluating our approach to Mythic items”.
Turns out even billions in funding and tens of millions of obsessively engaged fans can’t shield a games maker against making some piss-poor gameplay decisions.
A few days earlier Epic had posted a discussion thread on Reddit saying it wanted to provide “more context on item philosophy”, and trailing “upcoming changes to the Blade” — such as removing the ability of gamers to build and harvest when wielding the Blade so as to add some risk to holding it — so it was still hoping to win fans over at that point. And indeed appeared to be doubling down on its mythic items push.
Then it also wrote that its intention with adding a mythic tier of items to Fortnite is to provide “new and flavorful ways to interact with the map and generally shake up normal play across default modes”.
Which is of course another way of saying it doesn’t want its highly engaged fanbase to get bored and stop pouring cash into its coffers.
However Epic clearly failed to build in the necessary balance into the Infinity Blade from the start. So pulling the blade was the right move, and Fortnite fans should be happy it’s realized it needs to rethink and factor in their concerns.
It’s not clear whether Epic’s re-evaluation will result in mythic items being ditched entirely.
Although, with the right balancing characteristics — such as being time-limited and/or locked to certain game modes — there could still be a place for a little epic chaos in Fortnite to further up the fun. Just don’t go doing anything too crazy, alright?


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Google has made it official: the search engine giant will now penalise intrusive mobile interstitials. Back in August 2016, the company had already announced that it would prepare to down-rank websites that were not adjusting for mobile screens. This comes on the back of Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages project which aims to improve the mobile browsing experience.
The penalty will only impact intrusive interstitials which are opened from Google mobile search results. It will not affect interstitial pages that pop up after opening a website, i.e. later in a website’s click path.
According to Google, the interstitials that are going to be a problem are those that show up as pop-ups and cover main content. In addition, standalone interstitials which need to be manually dismissed by the user as well as interstitials that significantly cover up content will be affected.
Those types of interstitials that would not be affected include cookie or age notifications and verifications, login dialogs, but also app install banners by Safari and Chrome.
Google hopes that more website owners and marketers will adjust their advertising settings accordingly to match the company’s requirements and ensure a smoother experience for the mobile end user.


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Earlier this week there were rumors that Apple could be looking to cut jobs at Beats once the deal has been officially completed. Apple has confirmed that there would indeed be job cuts, but according to a report from Billboard, it seems that those cuts have not happened yet. In fact it seems that at the earliest, it will be three months before their jobs are cut.
According to Apple spokesman, Tom Neumayr, he mentioned that they will be offering jobs to all of Beats’ employees. However he also mentioned that due to the fact that some of these positions overlap with one another, there is a chance that some of the positions could be limited in their duration.
This sounds like what Billboard’s sources have informed them where they were told that positions could last anywhere between three months until a year. We guess in some ways this is good as Beats employees will still have a job while they try and search for a more permanent position outside the company. Last we heard, Apple expected to trim about 200 of Beats’ workforce of 700, meaning that almost a third of Beats’ employees will be let go.
Filed in Beats.. Read more about


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The Redlands Chamber of Commerce will ask the City Council to consider an amendment to the Sign Code that will allow businesses outside the downtown business arena for the opportunity to use A-frame signs. The current code does not allow businesses to use A-frame structures if located outside the geographic confines of the Downtown Business District.
During these extremely difficult economic times businesses are reinventing, recreating new and innovative ways to find new customers and clients and many are looking for unique and distinctive advertising opportunities. While A-frames have been banned in commercial areas outside of downtown many businesses have opted for using them attempting lure customers in, but have found themselves on the wrong side of the law and have been cited by code enforcement and forced to remove the violating sign.
While amendments have been suggested they come at enormous cost to the individual so the Chamber is seeking an Ordinance Text Amendment that would allow A-frame signs to be used by businesses that are not currently permitted to do so.
Size, construction and placement will all be considered in the amended language to minimize clutter and still allow businesses to advertise appropriately.
The amendment will be processed through the Planning Commission then on to City Council with adequate time for public input. With smooth sailing the amendment could be approved as early as the first of the year, 2012. Watch for updates on the website and via email and if needed be prepared to lobby council for quick and equitable action on behalf of all the businesses of Redlands.