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In past years, Nokia had positioned itself as the champion of speedy Android updates, thanks to its commitment to Google’s Android One programme. But we are seeing Samsung run rings round them with Android 11 updates. The Android One project is designed to produce smartphones that run stock/pure Android and that receive speedy software updates similar to what Google Pixel phones get.
While Nokia adopted and ran with the Android One vision, software updates to their smartphones have been anything but speedy. Still, they got it done better than other brands. Last year, OnePlus gave a good showing of itself and pushed out Android updates to its phones quite fast. We were expecting a showdown between Nokia and OnePlus this year. We were wrong.
Samsung has taken the winds out of the sails of both Nokia and OnePlus and have successfully updated a long list of their phone models to Android 11 in the last few months. As a matter of fact, Samsung have made Nokia and OnePlus look really bad this time around.
Table of Contents
Samsung Phones That Have Received Android 11 Update
Here is a list of Samsung phones that have been updated to Android 11 till date.
Note that for Samsung phones, the Android 11 update comes packaged with version 3.1 of the company’s custom Android skin, One UI. As such, all these phones now run One UI 3.1.
- Samsung Galaxy S20
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Note20
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
- Samsung Galaxy S10
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S10e
- Samsung Galaxy Note10
- Samsung Galaxy Fold
- Samsung Galaxy A71
- Samsung Galaxy A51
- Samsung Galaxy A90
- Samsung Galaxy A80
- Samsung Galaxy A70
- Samsung Galaxy A50
- Samsung Galaxy F41
- Samsung Galaxy M31
- SamsungGalaxy M51
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
- Samsung Galaxy A51 5G
- Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
- Samsung Galaxy M31
- SamsungGalaxy S10 Lite
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
That makes at least 27 Samsung phone models that have been treated to the Android 11 update.
More and more Samsung smartphones are being updated to Android 11 day after day. It is such a marvellous sight to see.
Meanwhile, the only Nokia smartphone that has been updated to Android 11 is the Nokia 8.3 5G. That’s it. And it only just got updated in February 2021. On the 4th of February, HMD Global’s Chief Product Office tweeted that updates to other Nokia phones would follow “fast”. His exact words:
Counterpoint Research recognized us for fastest portfolio wide deployment of Android 9 & 10. Now we do a hat trick with Android 11 committing to latest Android experience even to our most affordable global handsets.
Nokia 8.3 5G opens flood gates, other products to fast follow.
Here we are over a month after that tweet, and nothing has happened yet. So much for fast. One has to ask, What is happening at HMD Global? The promise of fast updates was why I said in 2019 that my next smartphone might be a Pixel or a Nokia. In September 2020, HMD published an Android 11 update calendar for Nokia phones but quickly withdrew it, and it has been mostly silence from them since then. Strange.
Just last year, OnePlus was impressive with Android 10 updates. One only wonders why they are sleeping on Android 11 updates this time. Only OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro have been updated as at the time of writing this article. None of OnePlus 7, 7 Pro, 7T, and 7T Pro have received Android 11 as at February 2021. So far, it looks like when it comes to Android software updates, with the exception of Google, past performance is no indicator of future results.
Recently, Samsung committed to providing 3 years of software updates to its Galaxy S flagships, high-end Galaxy A phones, and Galaxy Z foldable devices. That is similar to what HMD Global promised for all Nokia phones.
Having vouched for Nokia and OnePlus in the past and having been left with a sour taste in the mouth, I am not vouching for any brand but Google going forward. I might change my mind and vouch for Samsung if they keep up this sterling performance for 3 consecutive years.
For now, if you want the speediest Android software updates, I recommend that you buy a Google Pixel. With the other brands, I will be cautious and say that for now, there are no guarantees. Who knows – when Android 12 arrives, TECNO might be the brand to deliver the speediest software updates while Samsung goes back to sleep again. At this rate, anything is possible.
Meanwhile, this unfolding Android 11 update drama reinforces something I said last year: Android One needs to die and go away. It has outlived its usefulness. Selah.
Samsung’s Android 13 Update Rollout
2022 Update: Almost two years after this article was first published, and Samsung has kept its promise of delivering Android updates. As a matter of fact, several Samsung galaxy phones have received One UI 5.0 based on Android 13, at the time of updating this article. The Korean brand has been on a blitz of updating their existing (and often years old) cell phones and tablets to Android 13.
Copyright Notice: Reproduction of this article on any website, eBook, book, newspaper, magazine or other media without express written permission from MobilityArena is a violation of copyright rules and will result in appropriate action being taken against violators.


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By Hyunjoo Jin
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday that "Tesla is on my mind 24/7," trying to soothe investor worries about him being distracted by a Twitter deal that has depressed stocks at the electric car company.
Posting a picture showing a woman (Tesla) who is upset by her boyfriend (Elon) checking out another woman (Twitter), he said, "So may seem like below, but not true."
"To be clear, I’m spending <5% (but actually) of my time on the Twitter acquisition. It ain’t rocket science!" he tweeted.
"Yesterday was Giga Texas, today is Starbase. Tesla is on my mind 24/7."
Tesla this year opened its new car factory in Texas, and Musk's rocket company SpaceX has a launch site known as Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.
Tesla shares have lost one third of their value since the billionaire disclosed his stake in Twitter in early April and sold $8.5 billion worth of Tesla stocks in a move seen to help finance his $44-billion Twitter deal.
Further hurting stocks are China lockdown measures that dampened Tesla's production and an exclusion of Tesla from a widely-followed S&P sustainability index.
Tesla bull Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, on Thursday cut the target share price of Tesla due to the China production disruption and warned of "distraction risks" from Musk's Twitter deal.
Leo KoGuan, a major individual investor in Tesla, on Thursday called on the electric carmaker to buy back shares.
"Tesla must announce immediately and buy back $5 billion of Tesla shares from its free cash flow this year and $10 billion from its free cash flow next year, without effecting its existing $18 billion cash reserves with ZERO debt," KoGuan said in a Twitter message to Tesla's head of investor relations, Martin Viecha.
Viecha was not immediately available for comment.
Last year, KoGuan, the third largest individual shareholder of Tesla, said he was investing billions in Tesla because he believes in Musk's "great mission that I share." He said in March that he was buying more Tesla shares, not selling during the stocks' dip.
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Chris Reese)
In the world of stock legends, Ken Fisher stands out. The legendary investor founded his private financial advisory firm, Fisher Investments, in 1979, with just $250 in seed money. Today, Fisher’s company manages over $195 billion in total assets, and his personal net work exceeds $5 billion. Fisher has cast his eye on current market conditions. In recent published note, Fisher points out the obvious headwinds in the current environment: “Fear of the impact of the tragic, grinding war in Ukraine
Energy prices are soaring. But bargain-hunter Buffett continues to bet on big oil.
The Dow Jones fell on strong jobs data. Tesla stock plunged on an Elon Musk move. Apple stock crumbled. Amazon fell after an executive quit.
Brave investors are trying to buy S&P 500 stocks on the dip. But they're not even crazy enough to touch some.
Don’t bail on stocks. Just choose them wisely.
The metaverse offers added opportunities for a variety of tech stocks. Grand View Research estimated a market size of $47 billion for the metaverse in 2022. It believes that the market will grow to $679 billion by 2030, a compound annual growth rate of 39%!
Falling stock prices are no reason to gut your portfolio.
See who joins Nvidia and GOOGL on this screen of Warren Buffett stocks based on the investing strategy of Berkshire Hathaway's CEO.
If higher oil production pushes crude prices and oil stocks lower, you'll want to pick up shares of these two energy companies.
Last week, the Nasdaq Composite index managed to end a seven-week losing streak, generating its first positive week of trading since early April. One stock that has tumbled in tandem with the Nasdaq is tech giant Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), the parent company of Google. Long-term investors looking for bargains tend to take closer looks at great companies trading in bear market territory.
Value stocks’ relative strength over growth over the past six months gives value investors a lot to cheer about, but the fact is that relative strength doesn’t necessarily tend to persist. As the chart also shows, value’s trailing-six-month relative strength does not tend to persist. If anything, the relative strength line plotted in the chart appears to be more mean-reverting than trend following.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk's "super bad feeling" about the economy could be the auto industry's "canary in the coal mine" moment, signaling a recession for an industry whose bosses have shown no signs of concern. Musk said the electric carmaker needed to cut about 10% of its workforce in an email to executives seen by Reuters. Musk's warning is the first loud and public dissent in a united stance by the auto industry that underlying demand for cars and trucks remains strong despite two years of global pandemic.
Stocks fell last week, but was it constructive? Tesla tumbled on Elon Musk's "super bad" warning. Apple WWDC is due.
If oil keeps rising, it would be great news for energy stocks—and oil exploration stocks in particular.
The crypto winter has left the crypto top ten in the deep red. Three look attractive at current price levels when considering their individual attributes.
All three major indexes finished the week lower. It’s the next 10 years that investors need to worry about.
It was a tough day for high-growth stocks, as a hot jobs number stoked inflation fears even as Elon Musk warned about the global economy.
Ahead of a new stock market uptrend, investors should be building watchlists of top-performing stocks. Five top stocks to watch include Ulta.
The stock market is down 14% so far this year. If you are an investor looking to earn regular income even in a volatile market, dividend stocks are the way to go. A record of consistently paying and increasing dividends is a sign of a stable company — implying regular income in the form of dividends.
Judging by the recent decisions announced by the big names in the sector, it is even logical to say that what industry sources call "crypto winter" will continue for several more weeks, at least, even if volatility is the key word in the space. Coinbase , the most popular of American digital currency trading platforms, has just announced new cost-saving measures. Worse, the firm will rescind certain job offers made to candidates.
By Hyunjoo Jin

domain: news


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Microsoft founder Bill Gates just slammed cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin.
He said, “It’d be good to get rid of that” while highlighting how cryptocurrency “allows for certain criminal activities” in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
With this, Gates joined the legendary investors and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett — who has publicly expressed his hatred for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the past. Before I discuss why the cryptocurrency market is extremely risky for small investors with a low-risk appetite, let’s explore what Gates and Buffett have to say about it.
Bill Gates slams Bitcoin
Gates is currently the world’s third wealthiest person. Bloomberg billionaires index estimates his net wealth to be around US$137 billion. In another interview with CNBC on Thursday, Gates revealed neither he doesn’t have any Bitcoin position — long or short. Last year, Buffett also criticized cryptocurrency calling it worthless. Back then, he clarified that he would never invest in cryptocurrency.
In his latest interview, Gates showered praIses on Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk.
He believes “What Elon’s done with Tesla is fantastic,” calling it “…the biggest single contribution to showing us that electric cars are part of how we solve climate change,” adding, “We need a lot of Elon Musks” and “he should be very proud of what he’s done.”
Tesla’s big Bitcoin bets
Tesla and its latest annual filing last week revealed that it invested US$1.5 billion in Bitcoin. The company also plans to start accepting Bitcoin as payment for its products soon. Tesla — which is now a part of the S&P 500 Index — made its surprising Bitcoin purchase in January.
As a result, investors who now own Tesla stock or S&P 500 funds indirectly have stakes in the cryptocurrency market — whether they like it or not.
After Tesla’s big bets on Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency market has recently seen a massive jump in its trade volume. Not many small investors know that the extremely volatile cryptocurrency market can ruin their years of saving in no time. The fact is you don’t need to buy Bitcoin to multiply your savings in the long term. You can do it the way Warren Buffett does it without taking unnecessary risks.
Invest money the Warren Buffett way
Buffett has made money consistently for decades from the stock market. He simply believes in buying good cheap stocks for the long-term to grow money. Buffett also prefers to invest his money in industries that have good future growth potential.
The demand for electric cars has surged in the last few years. Industry experts predict the 2020s to be the decade of electric and autonomous cars. That’s the reason even big tech companies like Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) are ready to jump into the automotive industry.
The iPhone maker has secretly been working on its car project for years. It has poached many engineers and auto industry experts from many companies — including Tesla — lately. So, it shouldn’t surprise you if you see Apple launching its branded electric and autonomous car in the coming years.
One great EV stock to buy today
That’s why I expect businesses focused on electric and autonomous car technology to witness a massive growth in the coming years. For example, BlackBerry (TSX:BB)(NYSE:BB) has been my favorite Canadian tech company with its increasing interest in electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous vehicle-related technology.
The company recently partnered with Amazon Web services to develop its integrated vehicle data platform. The platform would allow automakers to access and utilize vehicle sensor data in real-time. BlackBerry is also expanding its market share in China — the world’s largest car market. The company’s QNX Neutrino operating system — in partnership with Baidu — will soon be used in mass-produced EVs in the country.
The cryptocurrency market — at first — may look like an easy way to get rich. However, most retail investors with a small risk appetite tend to lose their money in cryptocurrency trading. That’s why it’s better to follow Buffett and stick to cheap high-growth stocks to multiply your hard-earned money.
The post Bill Gates Slams Bitcoin After Warren Buffett Praises Elon Musk and Tesla appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.


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Google announced search enhancements to its Google TV platform today. The new search functionality focuses on voice capabilities and better discovery of movie and TV content through what they are calling PrimeTime. The moves illustrate Google’s further attempts to leverage their core competency of search across the television viewing and discovery experience, creating what they hope is another screen (beyond the PC, tablet, and smartphone screens) for them to generate massive revenue and profits.
Google TV Voice Search
With voice search, subscribers can simply talk into their Google TV enabled remote control to find a TV show, movie, or OTT Internet video asset. In the below video, Google demonstrates how a subscriber can speak a show name, “Friday Night Lights” in their example, and search results will display on the TV where they can watch Friday Night Lights. It also demonstrates how you don’t need to remember a channel number – just speak the channel into your remote.
Google TV PrimeTime
With PrimeTime, Google is basically rebranding their earlier released TV & Movies app, which allows subscribers to browse “100,000+ movies and TV episodes available to watch.” Think of it as a Google interactive program guide, which leverages their search algorithms to find and display information about all the TV shows and movies available to subscribers at anytime. Watch the below video to get a much better explanation of this enhancement.
YouTube on Google TV
Google also announced an enhanced YouTube experience for the TV. “The world watches 4 billion hours of YouTube per month, but it’s not yet as easy to watch YouTube on your TV as it is on your computers, phones, and tablets. YouTube and Google TV are changing that,” says Google product managers Greg Funk and Eric Liu on the Google TV blog. The updated YouTube app automatically pairs and properly formats YouTube videos from your Android mobile device to your TV. You can pull up a YouTube video on your smartphone and instantly “move” it to your Google TV enabled television, with the proper resolution and formatting for the bigger screen.
These Google TV enhancements will first be made available on LG devices, with other Google TV platforms to follow in the coming months. Google TV has not quite caught fire. Actual penetration data for their platform is quite elusive. But their path is quite clear. Hopefully to get tens of millions of Google TV platforms out into the market with these types of search capabilities, and leverage the Google business models of advertising and data mining of TV viewing habits and behavior for revenue and profits. In essence, try to capture the TV screen, in much the same way they’ve captured the PC, smartphone, and to a somewhat lesser degree, the tablet screen.


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Will there be an Armored Core 6? Armored Core 6 appears to be in development following a series of leaks. Here’s everything we know. It would seem that From Software has been working on Armored Core 6, alongside massive RPG Elden Ring.
Will there be a new Armored Core? It was recently confirmed by Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki that the next From Software game is currently in the “final stages” of development and the most likely candidate is a new Armored Core game. Now, to add fuel to the fire, the official From Software website has received a rebrand – to ‘Armored Core. ‘
Will Armored Core ever come to PC? Considering how much has already been built, we imagine that the new Armored Core game could launch as soon as 2023, or 2024 the latest. If FromSoftware is consistent with its recent releases, Armored Core will likely launch on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC.
What happened to Armored Core series? Before there was Dark Souls, FromSoftware was known for a little mech series called Armored Core. It’s been dormant for a while while the developer moved on to greener pastures, but a recent leak seems to indicate Armored Core may be returning soon.


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HONG KONG: Great Wall names model launches for 2013
Great Wall has announced a global sales target of 700,000 vehicles for calendar 2013. The Hong Kong-based manufacturer also says it will launch 13 new vehicles this year, some of which are expected to be updates of existing models.
In 2012, Great Wall saw its global sales rise by 28% YoY to 620,000 vehicles, of which 96,500 were in markets outside China, a YoY rise of 16 percent.
The firm has named the following new models as being due for launch in 2013: Haval H2, Haval H8, Great Wall C50 2013, and Wingle 6. The first of these models are expected to be revealed at AutoShanghai in April.
Author: Glenn Brooks
Companies: Great Wall
More than half of China's listed auto companies enjoyed an improved first half performance in 2013 over last year with higher net profits compared with a year ago....
Pickup truck and SUV specialist Great Wall Motor said it expected its first half net profit to rise 73.7% year on year....
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TURIN – ItalDesign SpA’s Alfa Romeo Visconti concept car, to be unveiled in Geneva next month previews the front end of Alfa’s new 157, due in May 2005.
Designer Fabrizio Giugiaro says the Visconti – named after a famous Milanese family from whom Alfa borrowed its serpent badge – is another attempt (the most recent being the new Maserati Quattroporte) to create an Italian rival for the Mercedes S-Class and7-Series.
|Alfa Romeo Visconti concept car.|
The near 16-ft. (5-m) long, 6-ft. (1.9-m) wide sedan features a distinctive, sloping tail that produces a 2-volume profile.
The concept – displayed here as a plaster model – is intended to be built over Alfa’s new Premium platform that forms the basis for the 157, the new Spider/GTV and, potentially, the replacement for the 166.
A 408-hp bi-turbocharged V-6 drives all four wheels, and ItalDesign reveals the Visconti gets an all-wheel-drive steering system that Alfa currently is testing.


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WASHINGTON: El Salvador coffee exports rose 26 percent in November, the Salvadoran Coffee Council said last week, as plantations recovered from a fungal outbreak known as roya and a drought. El Salvador shipped 4,487 60-kilogram sacks in November, compared with 3,565 bags during the same month in the previous harvest. Exports during the first two months of the 2016/17 harvest totalled 15,084 bags, up 37.5 percent from the same period in the previous cycle.
The coffee season in Central America and Mexico, which together produce about a fifth of the world’s arabica beans, runs from October through September. El Salvador, one of Central America’s smaller coffee producers, has been one of the hardest hit by the spread of roya, also known as coffee leaf rust, over the past couple of seasons. The country has also struggled with the effects of a regional drought.


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UK to Investigate Apple Music and Spotify Over Fair Pay for Artists
The UK Department of Culture, Media, and Sport is launching an inquiry into music streaming services, including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube, to ascertain whether musicians are paid fairly (via BBC News).
The inquiry comes after complaints from artists that the payments they receive for their work are "negligible."
The growth of the streaming market "cannot come at the expense of talented and lesser-known artists," said Culture, Media, and Sport Committee chair Julian Knight MP.
The inquiry is set to begin next month, and will seek to gather evidence from industry experts, artists, record labels, and streaming services themselves.
Apple Music pays the most at £0.0059 per stream, followed by Spotify at £0.002 to £0.0038 per stream. The lowest paying service is YouTube, which pays about £0.00052 per stream. These funds are then divided between rights-holders, resulting in artists receiving just 13 percent of revenue on average.
It is reported that in May, violinist Tamsin Little received £12.34 for millions of streams over a period of six months, and electronic artist Jon Hopkins made just £8 for 90,000 plays on Spotify.
Algorithms might benefit platforms in maximizing income from streaming but they are a blunt tool to operate in a creative industry with emerging talent risking failing the first hurdle.
We're asking whether the business models used by major streaming platforms are fair to the writers and performers who provide the material. Longer-term we're looking at whether the economics of streaming could in future limit the range of artists and music that we're all able to enjoy today.
In addition to the matter of pay for artists, MPs will investigate how streaming services' playlists and algorithms can distort the music market, and whether new music is being suffocated by the dominance of popular artists such as Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, and Drake.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.


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Mazda has unveiled the refreshed Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV ahead of its debut at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show on October 18. The 2013 CX-9 will be launched in Australia later this year.
The 2013 Mazda CX-9 carries over the utility and dynamic driving performance of the current model while adopting Mazda’s “KODO – Soul of Motion” design theme at the front and rear for sportier styling and stronger presence.
As with the current model, the 2013 CX-9 features the MZI 3.7-liter V6 engine and a six-speed automatic transmission for powerful and refined driving pleasure.
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Your favourite band is touring and you are SO PUMPED. You go online as soon as tickets go on sale, but it doesn't matter how many times you refresh the page, you can't get any. You end up missing out. Later on, you find tickets on a resale site going for five times the original price.
The Smith Street Band is the latest in a string of artists to hit out at the resale market this week, sharing a post of a pass to a Melbourne show going for $299 - nearly six times the original selling price.
It's a scenario that our listeners tell us is SUPER common. Tickets sell out quickly only to be resold at inflated prices.
Earlier this week, a motion passed the Senate calling on the Government to do more to protect consumers. It was brought forward by Nick Xenophon, and passed with the help of Labor, the Greens, Jacqui Lambie and Derryn Hinch. That's a huge chunk of the Senate.
(A Senate motion isn't a law; it doesn't necessarily change anything. But it does put pressure on the Government to act and bring awareness to a gap in the existing law.)
So what - if anything - is the Government going to do about it? Hack spoke to the Small Business Minister, Michael McCormack - who looks after consumer affairs.
There's already a review in place
Minister McCormack told us that there's currently a review in place into consumer protections, and that takes into account ticket resales. It's being run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
"The ACCC is working on engaging with the entertainment and sports organisations which run these events and of course the ticket operators and agencies who sell these tickets for these events," he said.
"They're keeping me informed."
The Senate motion called on the Government to specifically look at how bots or websites buy loads of tickets. The US and UK have recently passed laws trying to stop this practice, and Minister McCormack indicated Australia may follow suit.
"It's just a bit rich that some of these scalpers, for want of a better term, are using sophisticated software to get bulk numbers of tickets," he said.
But don't expect broader change in the laws. The Minister reckons the existing laws are working well.
"Current law provisions do provide protection in regards to misleading and deceptive representations and that would include representations made by resellers of tickets," he said.
"Consumer guarantee provisions are absolutely in place in relation to on-selling of ticket... All of these things are already covered by existing laws."
So in short - don't expect too much change in the laws when it comes to ticket scalping.
Artists hit out at 'criminal' resale market
The Smith Street Band has hit out at the resale market - particularly, Ticketmaster Resale - calling the practice "criminal" and "obviously dodgy".
But Ticketmaster said their resale site provides a service for consumers, who are the ones who ultimately decide how much they are willing to pay.
"Tickets are underpriced on the primary market, and resale will remain rife until artists price their tickets at what the market is willing to pay," the company said in a statement issued to triple j.
"We estimate that the resale market is worth $8 billion globally, and as long as that kind of money is at stake and the use of bots is entirely legal, touts and bad actors will continue to be incentivised to cheat the system."
Review due to be published soon
The ACCC review into consumer protections is due at the end of this month, and will be published in mid-April.
Then the states and territories will get together with Minister McCormack later in the year and talk about how they can work together to change the laws.
(Consumer protection laws change from state to state, meaning it's not just the federal government that has a role to play when it comes to reforms.)
Minister McCormack wants angry consumers to use the existing laws against dodgy operators.
"If people have concerns, they should report it to the ACCC or their state fair trading websites because there are provisions in place," he said.
And as for those international resale sites? They're covered too, the Minister said.
"They still come under tax law, they still come under Australian law if they're operating in Australia... and penalties are imposed."


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In a move that is all but raising the white flag to the incoming flood of iOS and Android devices into businesses and government departments as part of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend, BlackBerry is pitching to its Australian customers to consider BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and its mobile device management capabilities that are now open to its device rivals.
It is no secret that the Canadian giant is in a rough patch. After ditching its CEO earlier this month, BlackBerry announced overnight that it would also be getting rid of its chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, and chief financial officer as the company aims to turn around its fortunes by mid-2015.
Australian managing director Matt Ball said that in Australia and New Zealand, starting that turnaround is about "shouting from the rooftops" that BlackBerry means more to enterprise and the SMB market than just the handsets, which businesses are increasingly moving away from as employees demand more traditional consumer devices like iPhones and Android handsets. Ball said that it is about recognising that the company has more to offer than just a handset.
"I think that it was a big change for BlackBerry. Historically, we were end-to-end line business, and didn't deviate from that, but I think in terms of lessons learned, we probably could have done that a bit earlier, in terms of opening it up to other platforms," he said.
"But we're here now, so we certainly invented the MDM space with BES [BlackBerry Enterprise Services]; we were just a little bit late or slow to opening up the platform."
He said that in approaching BlackBerry's existing customer base in Australia, it is already seeing "some really good results".
"I think a key part of that transition is moving to a slightly more humble place around what's happening in the market, and what a customer is actually wanting," he said.
"I think a key part of that was starting from the actual customer rather than starting from the technical capability."
Ball said that BlackBerry sees its future in the BES 10 platform.
"From the customer, whether it be SMB or enterprise, the feedback we were getting was absolutely, there are sections of the organisation that want to maintain and need full security in a BlackBerry end-to-end solution with BlackBerry hardware and the rest, but in other organisations, they had iOS and Android whether it was a BYO device or choose your own device," he said.
BES 10 would help close the divide between letting staff choose their own device and keeping the company's expected level of security, Ball said.
"MDM as a category isn't new, and BYOD isn't new, but I think what has always been the case is the desire or appetite for it to be secure."
The BlackBerry enterprise team has been approaching existing customers and talking to them about how their needs have changed, while for new customers, the approach has been focusing on what the company can offer businesses who may never have considered the company to be anything more than just the handset manufacturer.
"The lead isn't necessarily about rolling out a fleet of BlackBerry devices; it starts with 'tell us about your environment and what your needs are'," he said.
"It's something we're really having to scream from the rooftops, because BlackBerry talking about iOS and Android hasn't historically been something we've talked about, let alone advertised."
BlackBerry is also working with the Australian Signals Directorate to get its BES 10 software certified for use within the government, Ball said.
Despite the new-found love of all things Android and iOS, Ball said the company is still heartened by the slight jump in handset sales locally.
"According to Kantar research, we tripled our market share in that quarter, which is great. I'm pretty proud of the fact that the team were able to achieve that in a really rocky quarter for us," he said.
"For us, it was a bit of an anomaly to increase market share in a time when there was so much uncertainty with what was happening with the business."
In the quarter, BlackBerry almost tripled its market share in three months from 0.5 percent to 1.3 percent. The quarter ended just 10 days after the launch of the iPhone 5s and 5c.


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Rio Tinto’s Argyle Pink
Diamonds business Dec. 14 announced Firestone Diamond as its partner in India for the
signature pink diamonds from the Argyle Diamond Mine.
joins a group of master craftsmen known as Authorized Partners and Select
Ateliers who have been appointed to work with the iconic Argyle pinks.
previously acquired rare pink and blue diamonds from the Argyle mine and
showcased them in jewelry pieces, including the Golconda Lotus Necklace.
Nirav Modi, chairman
of Firestone Diamond, said in a statement, “The time is right for India to take
its place in the world of rare colored diamonds.”


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A number of Japanese businessmen will pay a visit to Uzbekistan from October 10 to 11, the visit is organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
The objective is to get acquainted with the potential of the Uzbek consumer market, the country’s investment climate and establishment of long-term relationships with local companies.
The delegation comprises a number of manufacturing companies specializing in building materials, electronics and home appliances, food, office supplies, and the Agency for export of consumer goods.
A matchmaking event and visit of local companies are also scheduled, with the matchmaking event to take place on October 11 in Tashkent. This is the second matchmaking event between the countries with the first been held back in 2014.
The Japanese businessmen will visit a number of local industrial and commercial enterprises, get familiar with the growing potential of Uzbek companies and also with the culture and traditions of the Uzbek people.


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The rated, listed, unsecured, redeemable non-convertible debentures (NCDs) have been rated ‘IND AAA’ with a stable outlook by rating agency India Ratings and Research. The NCDs will be listed on the BSE and offer a coupon rate of 6.65% per annum, according to an exchange filing.
Automakers are expected to be especially affected by the lockdown as demand for vehicles may be deferred by consumers as the economy takes a hit. Their supply chains are globally spread and rebuilding them will also take time.
During a recent ETAuto townhall video conferencing, Mahindra and Mahindra managing director Pawan Goenka said that re-establishing the entire value chain would be the biggest task ahead for the auto industry. "Nobody should undermine the enormity of that task. When we re-start, all the pieces have to come together. There are so many gears that are missing right now. The rhythm has to come back.”
He said, "It would be a big achievement if we are back to running normally in 2-3 months by putting our supply chain in order including the dealer dispatches post lockdown, that is not to say if customers will come back in 2-3 months. It might take even longer."
Liquidity was the biggest problem being faced by automakers, their dealers, and suppliers during the lockdown, he said, as they still had fixed costs like employee salaries to manage.
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- Insurance Bill may not be Introduced in Budget Session
The government is likely to put on hold the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022, following demands from the industry for major changes, including dropping the composite licence provision, which allows insurers to undertake general and health insurance via a single entity.Startups say Google Employing ‘Delaying Tactics’, Policy Tweaks ‘Cosmetic in Nature’
Startups say Google following Europe, South Korea 'playbook' and exploiting loopholes to show compliance.
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On Thursday, the Iowa House passed a bill that encourages more employee owned businesses. The bill would give current business owners up to $700,000 in tax breaks if they sold their business to their employees in the first year of the program.
Keywords: businesses, employee owned, tax breaks
Self-driving cars will be programmed to make a decision on who will live in a serious accident. What would you prefer?
call: (319) 653-2113


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When policy analysts consider the need to increase food production to feed a global population of over 9 billion people in 2050, change is usually thought of in terms of large-scale agriculture. According to a recent report by a group of international organizations including the UN, the World Bank and WTO, Sustainable Agricultural Productivity Growth and Bridging the Gap for Small Family Farms, “Half a billion small family farms produce most of the food consumed in developing countries and farm over 80% of the land in Asia and Africa, but their productivity is generally lagging.” The world’s population won’t be well fed in 2050 without a substantial transformation of agriculture on those farms.
Half way through the 89 page report in a section on market integration and increasing competitiveness, the authors make a critical observation, “This requires the development of markets and agricultural value chains so that farmers can participate competitively, obtain fair prices for their products, and invest on-farm.” Whether these farmers are feeding people in a village 50 miles away or a mega-city 500 miles away, they will need to be part of a competitively priced supply chain that provides them a fair return for their efforts so they can continue to invest in their farms to further increase output. Trade in agricultural products and farm inputs will play an important role in making that happen.
The authors note that sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations exert an ‘overarching influence’ on agricultural trade development. The final product has to be viewed by consumers as safe and nutritious or the value chain has failed to produce something of value. Science-based regulations have been shown to be the most effective and least market distorting. The use of ‘best practice’ based on private voluntary standards and government compulsory regulations in national practices should lead to harmonization towards best international standards. The WTO SPS agreement provides a framework for these new supply chains.
Protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) is a critical component in creating innovations that increase productivity to meet the growing demand for food, while also increasing farm profitability. Supply chains will move technological innovations across borders. The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) provides protection for most property rights. One exception is plant varieties which may be protected under the convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. Seeds have played a key role in increasing productivity in recent decades and have attracted increased private investments in seeds for further productivity gains.
Related to this, land tenure systems must also be strengthened. One-to-two billion people live on and use commonly held land to which they have no legal title, which limits their access to credit and insurance and prevents them from investing in environmental management. Secure tenure can double investments on a per acre basis, and well developed rental markets can increase productivity by 60 percent.
Many developing countries have had a history of taxing agriculture and using the money to support urban industrial policies, but that began to change in the 1990s.
That is critical because farmers are the main source of private investment in primary agriculture. Internally generated capital and effective lending programs will reduce problems associated with outside investors, private and government, developing agricultural production systems with little or no local support or control.
These new supply chains will accomplish little without market access in developed and developing countries. Urban population centers, over half of the world’s population is now classified as urban, and mega-cities with populations of 5 million or more are natural markets for these new supplies. For food supplies to flow from food surplus areas to deficit areas, market price signals have to match up the needs of consumers with the production capabilities of producers.
Despite their commitment to a market driven agriculture, the authors believe the most vulnerable developing countries should have flexibilities in their policies to deal with circumstances that threaten their agriculture. This would mean that these countries would not have incentives to make needed changes and would not be part of the new groups of suppliers that focus on profitability. Change would be constrained, not encouraged.
The authors also call for reductions in domestic supports in develop countries, less use of export subsidies, strengthening disciplines on export restrictions and expansion of official development assistance. Supply chains in developing countries need to move ahead, not wait for others to reform policies that have been delayed for years. With most national governments in developed countries short on money to fund such efforts, government programs are not a viable alternative to privately financed supply chains relying on market signals from consumers and production mostly self-financed by local farmers.
An overview like this would not be complete without comments about the vexing problems of transportation and storage on the farm and off-farm. In some land-locked countries in Africa, transportation can be 75 percent of the value of exports. Better transportation is needed to connect small farmers to supply chains and provide incentives to increase productivity. A third of the food produced globally for human consumption each year is wasted or lost some way and 40 percent of the losses in developing countries occur at the post-harvest and processing levels. Reducing these losses should be among the first targets of the new supply chains.
The report makes clear that high-value and market-oriented supply chains are emerging in developing countries. That is good news for consumers and the millions of small farmers who want to increase output to gain better incomes. Some farmers with the least amount of resources and living the furthest from transportation will not survive. The remaining ones will adapt to the changing markets and earn greater incomes. The ultimate questions are who will organize and finance these new supply chains and how big a role will small farmers have in financing and decision making about what to grow and how to grow it.
Ross Korves is an Economic Policy Analyst for Truth About Trade and Technology


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Uncertainty looms as Italian citizens gear up for a referendum on Dec. 4 to vote on a change in the country’s constitution.
December 2, 2016
• Luisa Zargani
Swimwear: Getting That ‘Computerized’ Fit
JUNO BEACH, Fla. -- Oh, those hips! Summer is coming, and the annual chorus of sighs is already issuing from fitting rooms as women search out swimsuits that make the most of their assets. But an innovative Florida company is using a computerized...
Fashion's most famous potato is coming to New York, as Paris' Caviar Kaspia is opening a TriBeCa pop-up for three delicious months, starting December 7...Better get your #NYFW reservation now. 📷: @caviarkaspia #wwdeye
Pragmatic, reality-based clothing that are also interesting and beautiful - @josephaltuzarra's pre-fall collection checked all the boxes of a pre-collection dream. See all the looks from @altuzarra's new collection on WWD.com.


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Indonesian avantgarde band Kekal offers you the download of the new track entitled "By Means Of Survival" for free here. This track is the 4th from the band's upcoming record Multilateral that is available for free download. You can get the other songs over here. If you prefer, you can also listen to the new track "By Means Of Survival" as well as the previous tracks on Bandcamp.
UK progressive death metallers De Profundis have recently released their new EP Frequencies which is currently available directly for free from the group's Bandcamp. You can listen to the entire piece if you still haven't and also download it for free.
Germans Downfall Of Gaia have announced that they will enter the studio and start with the recordings of the follow-up to Suffocating In The Swarm Of Cranes album. Additionally, the band also unveiled Aeon Unveils The Thrones Of Decay as the title for their upcoming new record, which shall be released sometime in the fall of 2014.
After releasing the new EP - Down IV - Part Two - yesterday, Down now present a brand new official video for the track "We Knew Him Well", taken from the new EP. Do not hesitate and check out the video clip now through the YouTube player below.
Down's new EP Down IV - Part Two has been made available for streaming via Soundcloud with the physical CD release scheduled for the 13th of May, 2014. Their new EP clocks at over 35 minutes and is available for streaming here or also here, in case the first link isn't available in your region.
Grindcore legends Napalm Death have announced two special projects that have been in the works recently. First of all, the British band is launching a special cover song of the track "To Go Off And Things" by the Cardiacs via their Bandcamp page as charity download. Furthermore, Napalm Death are also releasing a limited and exclusive vinyl 12" EP entitled Our Pain Is Their Power to commemorate their very special Roadburn Festival appearance on April 10th.
Every day, we get to hear new music and today it is Down's turn to debut a new track. In anticipation of their impending newest EP, the New Orleans sludge/stoner metallers revealed "We Knew Him Well" and you can stream the song right now on the Soundcloud player available below.
Behold, fresh news from the Down camp. The sequel to Down IV - Part One is finished and set for release. It will simply be called Down IV - Part Two and will be released on May 13th, 2014. The new EP was tracked at Nodferatu's Lair (vocalist Philip H. Anselmo's home studio) and produced by Michael Thompson. The rest of details - artwork and tracklist - can be checked out below.
After the departure of Johannes Stoltenburg, Germans Downfall Of Gaia are pleased to announce his replacement behind the drums - Michael Kadnar. Michael was touring alongside Downfall Of Gaia with his other band Black Table, last year across the United States. Check out the official statements of the band and Michael below.
The latest album of death/doom metallers Frequency Of Butterfly Wings called The Weight Of Existence has now been released despite the difficulties and impediments faced. The opus follows their debut release The Butterfly Effect.
Avantgarde metal band Kekal recently announced their new album's title and release date. The successor to Autonomy and the Unsung Division EP is to be called Multilateral and comes out in August 2015. For now, you can listen to the brand new tune "Token Discontentment" on their Bandcamp page and download the song for free as well.
After streaming a new song, Throwdown have just announced the streaming of their entire new album Intolerance online. The opus is due out next week on January 21st through eOne Music but luckily, you can already stream the entire piece through the player available below. Was it worth the wait?
Iranian brutal metallers ScoX have released a new single called "Absolution Is Near". The song was released independently, mastered and mixed by Loud Zombie. The song is available for download on their official website. They promised the single would be released on Christmas Eve, but due to some problems, it's ready today. Enjoy!
American progressive rising stars Jolly just decided to offer up their latest album, The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part 2), as a free download for everybody. Are you going to miss this opportunity to legally download an entire album? If you are not, you can have The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part 2) right here.


text: The Chinese economy is still growing. But the recovery is slowing In 2,019, 72% of masks and respirators imported by the United States came from China, according to research by Chad Bown at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. When the pandemic first hit China, the Chinese government nationalized the production of its equipment personal protective equipment, including masks, and reduced exports to other countries. The United States quickly discovered that it did not have sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand, which led to critical shortages and leaving American healthcare workers and others exposed. Learn More This is where Protective Health Gear and other US-based startups came in. Sanitary protection equipment is part of the American Mask Manufacturer 's Association (AMMA), a group of more than two dozen U.S.-based mask producers that started up during the pandemic to meet growing demand. But after China started exporting more PPE to the United States, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention then relaxed mask mandates for vaccinated Americans, the group has warned that its member companies may close their poryou are without government help. Lloyd Armbrust, the group's chairman, estimates that up to 10 of the group's 29 members have now stopped production, costing nearly 6,000 jobs. The group said it is working at the depot. a petition to the World Trade Organization and accused China of subsidizing the price of face masks at a fraction of the cost of production and undermining US producers. As US manufacturers have stepped up efforts to fill the void, China has cut prices and continues to sell masks in the US for $ 0.01 per mask, or less, continuing to undermine manufacturers' ability. Americans to produce high quality and reliable American products. made masks for the country, ' the group claimed in June . CNN has not independently verified this claim.Chinese Ministry of Commerce did not respond to a request for comment. As long as foreign masks are available , [hospitals and other US buyers] will continue to purchase them, said Mike Bowen, Texas-based mask vice president. Prestige Ameritech manufacturer. Bowen has warned for years that the United States 'dependence on cheaper foreign masks poses a national security concern. The solution, he said, is to stop all imports. Any government plan that allows foreign masks in the United States will fail to secure the supply chain, he said. He believes the US government should use all the tools at its disposal, including tariffs and subsidies, to achieve this goal. But he does not hope that the government risks this kind of upheaval with the spread of the Covid - 19. I think the pandemia will end without securing these supply chains, he said. Significant progress? In addition to the small producers who have entered the market, several large manufacturers have also stepped up production Significantly last year. Honeywell has increased its production capacity of N95 by 50 to one billion per year. 3M has tripled the production of N95 and other respirators in 2020 compared to 2019. And, in the same time, according to Bown's research, the amount the United States spent on imports of PPE from China more than tripled. How the pandemic turned the humble shipping containers into the hottest items vogue on the planet Soon after t Taking office earlier this year, President Joe Biden signed two executive orders calling on federal agencies to review the US PPE supply chain and identify potential gaps in domestic manufacturing capacity. We should not depend on a foreign country, especially a country that does not share our interests or values , in order to protect and provide for our people by national emergency, he told reporters in February. The White House told CNN that significant progress has been made in reducing imports and prioritizing domestic production of PPE. According to Tim Manning, the administration's national Covid-19 supply coordinator in the United States, [the] current estimate is that the manufacturing capacity is what we think is demand. unconstrained [in the United States]. A report from the government's accountability office in July confirmsthis, showing that by March of this year , the estimated production capacity for N95s in the United States had exceeded estimated domestic demand. In addition to the billions of dollars already committed to support manufacturing in the administration's US bailout, he said more money was coming and the administration was rethinking the way it creates its supplier contracts to focus on products made in the United States. He also has conversations with group buyers for hospitals and state and local government officials about purchasing PPE made in the US, he said. next pandemic The key question for the US government, however, is how much domestic production it should sustain in times of low demand to facilitate increased production when you have a pandemic, Bown said. Even thoughThe White House says there is enough manufacturing capacity in the United States to meet demand now, there is also a risk that it will disappear as the pandemic abates. Honeywell says it has already shut down manual production efforts for N95s at two facilities, although the company says it has maintained automated lines in other locations. Wolin said his business needs government support to be able to survive lean times and be there when it matters. When the CDC let go of its mask in May, demand fell off a cliff. Protective Health Gear has grown from 150 employees to 15. Now, as demand increases due to the spread of the Delta variant, they are down to 65 (hiring turns out to be another major challenge). Wolin said he is in talks with the government regarding the purchase of ses N95 for government agencies and the national strategic stock, but so far no agreement has been reached. We are not asking for documents. We know you need these particular supplies and we are just asking you to buy what we have, he said.


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For those of you hate minivans, we have some good news for you. Chrysler’s CEO Sergio Marchionne said at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show that the company will kill one of its two traditional minivans for the next-generation, scheduled to arrive in 2014. However, he said whichever brand gets rid of minivan would most likely get some kind of “people move,” maybe without sliding doors (probably hinting at a large crossover).
It is said that Dodge will most likely get to keep its Grand Caravan, since it has sold better than the outgoing Chrysler Town & Country. However, the Town & Country was the segment leader in 2010 and Marchionne say s that the Chrysler brand does not want to lose the model.
Which one would you rather see go? Let us know in the comments section.
– By: Omar Rana
Source: Automotive News


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According to a new report from International Business Times, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of Minecraft are getting new Minecraft Food-Based DLC.
According to the report, a fan asked 4J Studios whether there are any DLC planned for future. And in response, a representative from the Development Team stated that there are several new expansion packs in-development.
In addition to this, there is an Expansion Pack related to food items which might end up being called as, ‘Candy Saga Texture Pack.’
Yes, our art team is working on some. One is a confectionery type one. We think Candy Saga Texture Pack is a good name for it 😉
It seems kind of a mocking gesture since Candy is usually associated with the popular mobile-based game called Candy Crush Saga. Even the developer ‘King.com’ recently filed a trademark for ‘Candy’ word.
In other Minecraft news, Minecraft Snapshot 14w07a has gone live but it is strictly advised that only experienced users go ahead and download it since it can ruin a player’s world beyond repair. Have you tried it yet?


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Drivers who put water-contaminated diesel in cars at Applemore Tesco told to contact store
Motorists who put water-contaminated diesel in their cars at a supermarket petrol station have been told to get in touch with the store.
A raft of drivers took to social media this week to complain about problems with their cars after filling up with diesel at the Tesco station in Applemore.
One said: “Just went in there on way home from work, two [broken down] on right in front of tyre area, three cars’ bonnets up. One on way to roundabout broke down and three on bypass broke down. Awful for them all!”
A spokesperson for Tesco confirmed the contamination: “Some of the diesel pumps at the petrol filling Station at our Hythe superstore are currently closed whilst maintenance work is conducted after rain water leaked into one of the fuel storage tanks last weekend.
"We apologise for the inconvenience caused and ask any customers who have concerns after refuelling at this site to contact our customer services team.”
Those affected should ring Tesco on 0800 505555.


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Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS utterly dominated the smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2016 as Windows and BlackBerry continued to fade to black.
Engineers at Project Loon plan to send small teams of balloons to form a cluster over specific regions where people need internet, reducing operation costs.
Innovation will be crucial for operators looking to differentiate themselves in a brutal wireless market of unlimited data.
AT&T fully joined the unlimited-data battle, announcing that any customer will be able to sign on to its plan without a DirecTV subscription.
Blue Danube Systems said it has completed the first commercial trials of its massive MIMO technology in licensed FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) LTE spectrum…
HTC’s presence among major U.S. carriers is waning as the company is shifting its focus away from low-end smartphones to more expensive handsets.
Sprint lowered the price of its unlimited plan and added HD video and 10 GB of mobile tethering.
U.S. Cellular submitted bids for a minimum amount of $327 million during the FCC’s 600 MHz incentive auction of TV broadcasters’ unwanted spectrum.
Fixed wireless broadband is in for a big growth spurt thanks to 5G technology, according to ABI Research.
It’s no secret that the global transportation industry is in the midst of some major changes. In this mix sits the idea of V2X, or vehicle-to-everything.


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Santa is coming to Crossroads early
Santa Claus is coming to town. A little early. As in Friday.
Darcy Eigen, general manager for General Growth Properties, which owns Crossroads Center, said Santa Claus will have a "soft" opening at 11 a.m. Friday, officially starting the holiday shopping festivities at the mall.
"It's about a week earlier than we've usually had it, but that way hopefully the lines won't be so long," said Eigen, who has worked at Crossroads for 21 years. "We also heard from a lot of people who like to have their family photo cards made from the picture with Santa and, by having him here this soon, people can send those out by Thanksgiving if the want."
Thanksgiving shoppers also will be able to arrive earlier than ever. While Target and Macy's were open last year at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, this year, the entire mall will open at 6 p.m. Some retailers will remain open all night and through Black Friday, so-called because it is a busy shopping day that sometimes puts retailers in the "black" for the year.
Santa's throne is between JCPenney and Sears. Visits are free and, while supplies last, children will receive a free book "The Legend of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original TV program.
Santa's hours will be 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, with the exception of a break at 3 p.m., through Dec. 11. From Dec. 12-23, Santa's hours will extend from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
For more, visit www.crossroadscenter.com.
Vision-Ease names new CEO
Vision-Ease Lens on Thursday named former CooperVision Inc. president John Weber as its new chief executive officer. Doug Hepper will transition to the role of executive chairman after more than 12 years of leadership at Vision-Ease Lens. Vision-Ease Lens is an ophthalmic lens manufacturer headquartered in Ramsey. The company has a facility in St. Cloud.
Weber joins Vision-Ease Lens after serving for six years as president of global contact lens company CooperVision, a business unit of Cooper Companies, where he led all aspects of the organization, including acquisitions and business development. Prior to assuming that role, he was president of CooperVision Asia Pacific and served as executive vice president of worldwide operations for contact lens manufacturer Ocular Sciences.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in economics, Weber also holds an MBA from St. Mary's College in Moraga, California, and was a captain in the U.S. Army.
Vision-Ease Lens was acquired by the private equity investment firm Wind Point Partners in September.
For more, visit www.vision-ease.com.
Hospital earns honor
CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center at St. Cloud Hospital has been named one of the nation's 50 top cardiovascular hospitals by Truven Health Analytics, a health care data company.
Truven Health Analytics evaluated more than 1,000 U.S. hospitals and singled out 50 that achieved superior clinical outcomes for cardiovascular health. Top 50 heart hospitals had significantly higher survival rates, lower costs, fewer complications and shorter hospital stays.
Bob Johnson, executive director of the CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center, credited "advanced technology, expert physicians and wonderfully compassionate staff" with driving his organization's success.
According to Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and the 100 top hospitals program at Truven Health Analytics, the study shows 39 of the 50 winning hospitals in the study are facilities within a larger health system.
Award winners are categorized into peer groups. St. Cloud Hospital is categorized as a teaching hospital without a cardiovascular residency program.
The CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center at St. Cloud Hospital offers a full range of heart services and is one of the few sites in Minnesota with a heart research program.
Send business news to Times Business Reporter Kevin Allenspach at firstname.lastname@example.org. Get business news at www.sctimes.com/business, on Facebook at Kevin Allenspach — St. Cloud Times, and on Twitter @KevinAllenspach. Call him at 255-8745.


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Oh, if we only had an apartment in Maranello overlooking Ferrari's private Fiorano test track. We think we'd get used to the noise of V12 exotics and formula racecars screaming at all hours for the chance to see what the Prancing Horse was working on. This time, an intrepid photographer snapped some shots of a disguised test mule running development laps around the circuit, betraying what could be the anticipated entry-level 2+2 GT the factory's spokespeople have been denying so vehemently.
Rumor has it the car under all that body cladding is running a 450hp direct-injection V8 in a body about 20 inches shorter than the Nimitz-class 612 Scaglietti. The car is expected to be unveiled as the GT California at the Paris show later this year, but we have a feeling we'll be hearing more about it before then.
[Source: Quattroruote via Motor Authority]


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After a career educating students in Arizona about art, Yvonne Holland of Durango continues to make it, now selling it as the Fiddling Potter Studio.
“I was an art teacher for 33 years,” Holland said. “I’m a plein air painter and a stoneware, high-fire potter and photographer and fiddler.”
The majority of the items Holland brings to the Durango Farmers Market are functional stoneware dishes and utensils for cooking and eating. The stoneware has been fired up to 2,300 degrees, which makes it very sturdy and oven-, dishwasher- and microwave-proof, she said.
Holland also sells local plein air paintings – meaning they’re painted outdoors – around Durango. According to her website, the beauty of the mountains beckoned her to Durango.
When it comes to music, Holland specializes in Irish fiddling, she said. She can be found playing it every Sunday at the Irish Embassy Pub.


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PCR’s Christmas, Healthcare and Wearables November issue is out now, bringing you the latest top exec Q&A’s, features and industry opinions focused on Tech’s impact on Healthcare, Wearables and protecting personal data.
Don’t miss our Big Interview with Alessandra de Paula on China’s data savvy SMBs and the lessons they can offer in post-pandemic growth.
We have a whole host of insightful industry expert opinions from the likes of BenQ UK, discussing HealthCare technologies, Ontrack discussing protecting personnal data and Onfido investigating how tech and healthcare are merging to re-introduce ‘normality’ post pandemic, among others.
Find out why now is the time to win customer loyalty in our retail analysis plus more of your favourite regular features, like our Top 5 Tech with Trend Micro’s James Munroe and GEKKO’s Daniel Todaro, focusing on the growing trend in smart watches.
Plus we round up some of the latest Memory & Motherboards in our 12-days of Christmas gifting sector guides.
Read the latest edition of PCR’s monthly magazine below:
Like this content? Sign up for the free PCR Daily Digest email service to get the latest tech news straight to your inbox. You can also follow PCR on Twitter and Facebook.


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A number of geopolitical and financial risks are stalking the global economy, pointing to a possible recession in 2020. According to Nouriel Roubini, what is key among these risks is the US-China trade war and general protectionism in the global market. Izabella Kaminska talks to the economist and New York University Stern School of Business professor. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
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Finland all out to ban smoking
Marlboro Man lit up his last cigarette on Finnish TV screens in 1978. Soon, his smokes will be out of plain sight in stores and selling tobacco to Marlboro Jr may land the retailer in jail.
Finland will push tobacco sales under the counter in shops as a new law comes into effect in stages, starting Friday. The Nordic nation, one of the first to ban tobacco adverts, is the first to target an end to smoking through legal means.
“It’s a warning to the people who want to invest, or work in, or be a part of the tobacco industry,” said Ismo Tuominen, an official who helped draft the new law at the Helsinki-based Health Ministry. “This is a warning that we are trying to get rid of this business in Finland once and for all. Our issue is that no one has the right to kill people.” Smoking bans in public places go back as far as 1977 and the habit has been outlawed in bars and restaurants since 2007, excluding tiny booths. The tactic is working. One in five Finns smoke daily, down from one in four in the early 1990s, Statistics Finland says. In 1998, 25% of men between the ages of 15 and 24 smoked, falling to 18% in 2008. For young women, the number dropped to 14% from 23%.
Under the new measures, selling tobacco to under-18s is punishable by a fine or as long as six months in jail. Imports will become more heavily restricted and all sales of snus, moist tobacco placed in the mouth under the top lip, are forbidden.
Easy and Cheap
The display of tobacco products and brands, including Marlboro, will be banned starting in 2012, which will force shops to sell smokes from under the counter or from closed cupboards with opaque doors. Marlboro is sold in 160 countries, including Finland, by Philip Morris International Inc. and Altria Group Inc. owns the brand in the US.
“I think this is a very easy and cheap way to protect children,” Tuominen said. Cigarette vending machines aren’t widely used in Finland and are mostly found in bars with age limits on entry. The machines are already regulated and will be fully banned in 2015. “Maybe the biggest impact will be to stop the youngest kids from smoking, as they don’t see the cigarettes in the stores,” said Juhani Lehtonen, 18, a Helsinki high-school student. “t won’t impact adults’smoking at all.”
Not all agree the measures will stop kids smoking. “It’s wasted effort,” said Sandra Suominen, 14. “It’s going to be a new fad with the kids — smoking will become cool.” The new law also expands the ban to outdoor events, including football games and concerts, where smoking won’t be permitted by the audience. Hotels may designate one in 10 rooms for smokers and smoking will be prohibited in common areas of apartment buildings.
About 5 billion cigarettes are sold in Finland annually, almost a pack a week per citizen, according to the Finnish Grocery Trade Association, whose members sell about 95% of groceries in the country. Finns buy their smokes from supermarkets, kiosks and gas stations. Corner shops, like the Tabacs popular in France, are nowhere to be seen. Tobacco sales bring in about 1.15 billion euros ($1.57 billion) to retailers each year and passengers import about 150 million euros of tobacco products, the association said.
“Changing all the displays will require a lot of work and imply a lot of cost for us,” Ilkka Nieminen, director in charge of retail operations at the grocery association, said in an interview. “There will be a lot of unnecessary hassle at the cashier unless we find practical solutions for self-service to continue.”
Changing the tobacco display units will cost retailers as much as 30 million euros, the grocery association estimates.
“We don’t expect the retail display ban to reduce consumption or sales volumes,” Janne Mansukoski, managing director of British American Tobacco Plc’s Finnish unit, said in an interview on September 29. “We’ve not seen an impact in other countries where a similar ban has been implemented.” BAT, with net sales of 20 million euros in Finland last year, estimates it has about 15% of the market.
Philip Morris International, the world’s largest publicly-traded tobacco company, has taken legal action against display bans in Ireland and Norway and asked Finland’s Chancellor of Justice to examine the legality of the ban with a response expected within weeks, spokeswoman Anne Edwards said. The UK prohibited smoking in bars in 2007 and will implement a display ban in October 2011.
In New York, a smoking ban was instituted in 2003 and Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pushing to extend it from indoor workplaces to public parks and beaches. The mayor is founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent of Bloomberg News.
Smoking bans in New York and the UK led to a drop in the number of hospital admissions for heart attacks. Among the Nordic countries, Finland follows Norway and Iceland in prohibiting displays. “When we get from the present situation in which 20% of Finns smoke to 1 or 2%, it’s a success story,” Tuominen said.


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Yk Koo news
In an interview to Nabeel A Khan the managing director of Hyundai Motor India says the market growth will slow to 7-9% in fiscal 2018 as a result of the initial impact of GST, which though will be beneficial to the industry in the long term
Shah Rukh Khan has been associated with Hyundai since 19 years.
The company, which operates in India through a wholly- owned subsidiary, plans to introduce eight models by 2020, including three models catering to new segments, and hybrids.
The automaker said that Ganesh Mani S, Vice President-Production division has been promoted as Senior Vice President - Production, and Vikas Jain.
With pollution becoming a major issue in India, Hyundai, which is present through a 100 per cent arm HMIL here, plans to explore alternative fuel technologies and avail of benefit from government incentives for such vehicles.
Hyundai finished 2016 with sales of nearly 5 lakh units in India, and has decided to drive in eight products by 2020, including three new cars, while others will be upgrades and refreshments.
Recently, the company, under its 'The Dream Village Project', transformed Madhuramangalam village in the same district.
The week-long engagement camp from January 11-17, will have an objective to bring ‘Behavioural Change’ in the driving habits and will demonstrate the safety features of the vehicles.
Overall in the last financial year Hyundai Motor India sold over 1.26 lakh units of Grand i10 and managed to maintain an overall market share of 20 percent in the segment.
"The launch of All new Elantra and Tucson have created new benchmarks in their respective segments signifying Hyundai as a trendsetter brand in India. Hyundai brands have also scored top rankings in both quality and design parameters in IQS and APEAL studies."
This inter-dealership competition identifies skill & honors the best talents amongst dealer technicians nation-wide.
India is very important and a key market to Hyundai Motor Company's global strategy. India contributes 13 per cent to global volumes. At Hyundai Motor India we are aiming at 0.5 million in domestic sales and we are exporting almost 25 per cent of our production.
HMIL achieved the distinction of being the second best position amongst its overseas peers, only after China, in Hyundai Motor Group and the first auto manufacturer, in India to achieve this feat in a record time within 18 years of commercial operation, informed the company.
"We aim to launch an entry level SUV in the first half of 2019. It will be below Creta. So, we will have four SUVs in our product range," Hyundai Motor India Ltd MD & CEO YK Koo told reporters here.
The manual petrol variant is priced at Rs 18.99 lakh while the diesel versions are priced between Rs 21.59 lakh and Rs 23.48 lakh. The petrol automatic is priced at Rs 21.79 lakh while the one with diesel powertrain is priced at Rs 24.99 lakh.
Hyundai Motor India has currently 465 operational dealers across the country, and 32 such facilities in Delhi NCR only. The company has a market share of 19.4 percent in the Delhi NCR.
The All New Elantra has sold over 11.5 Million units across the globe since 1990 and has set forth new standards in its every generation.


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German food delivery giant Delivery Hero has sold a $150 million stake in its Latin American stake in Rappi, accounting for most of the investment it has made in the company, Reuters reported Monday (January 10).
Delivery Hero holds about 8% of Rappi, which is valued at $400 million, and will focus on other investments with the money it earns selling Rappi shares over time, according to the report.
Delivery Hero ended 2021 by announcing its takeover agreement to become the majority shareholder in Barcelona-based Unicorn Glovo, which values the latter at €2.3 billion ($2.6 billion), with the deal expected to close in mid-2022. Delivery Hero is 83.4% ownership in Glovo, up from 44%.
Read more: European giants unite in a competitive ultra-fast delivery space
Glovo bought delivery companies Lola Market in Spain and Mercadao of Portugal in September as part of plans to expand into Poland and Italy. This followed a $530 million Series F fundraising round by Glovo, which has 15 million active users in 1,300 cities in 25 countries in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EEMEA).
Delivery Hero operates in 50 countries across four continents. It promotes delivery of groceries and household goods to customers in less than an hour, sometimes as fast as 10 to 15 minutes. It bought an 8% stake in Berlin-based grocery delivery platform Gorillas with an investment of $235 million in September 2020.
Meanwhile, Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda unit is leaving six German cities — Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart — and selling Japan’s Foodpanda division in the first quarter of 2022. Just Eat Takeaway.com acquired Delivery Hero’s German operations in 2018.
See more: Delivery Hero leaves German cities and Japan, citing competition and lack of drivers
Delivery Hero returned to its home market in May and launched in Japan in September 2020. It will continue its operations in central Berlin, via an innovation center to test new features and technologies.


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Famed star class hotel located on the Golden Mile of Beruwela, Eden Resort & Spa (LOLC Leisure Group Hotel), made history when it created the Signature Cocktail for Sri Lanka Tourism for the Year 2012 at a ceremony held in Mount Lavinia Hotel earlier this month.This event was held during the launch of the “World Spice Food Festival 2011” organized and promoted by Sri Lanka Tourism -the apex body for Travel and Tourism promotion in Sri Lanka.
The victorious Signature Cocktail, presented by Mr Roshan Chaminda of Eden Resort & Spa, was formally presented at the event graced by a large and distinguished gathering which included well-known hoteliers, celebrity chefs, local sponsors as well as prominent officials representing Sri Lanka Tourism.
The competing event for Signature Cocktails saw a wide participation of members from 07 regions Island wide representing various establishments of the Sri Lankan leisure industry. Amidst tough competition, Eden Resort & Spa emerged winners.
Commenting on this significant achievement, Mr. Eksath Wijeratne, General Manager of Eden Resort & Spa said, “Eden Resort & Spa created yet another milestone when it earned the privilege of presenting the Signature Cocktail for Sri Lanka Tourism for the Year 2012. It was indeed a proud moment to witness the talents of the Eden team unveiled at a prestigious event aimed at promoting Sri Lanka as a hub for leisure and travel in South Asia. We commend the efforts taken by various establishments across the length and breadth of the industry to achieve this objective and develop the tourism sector of our country to its former glory”. He concluded.


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NEEDHAM, MA - May 3, 2004 - TripAdvisor, the leading travel research site, has expanded its worldwide geographic coverage for its award-winning site (www.tripadvisor.com) by adding South and Central America, Russia and Turkey to its travel destinations. Other geographies recently added to the site include South Pacific destinations such as Fiji and Tahiti as well as the Czech Republic, Poland, and Estonia in Eastern Europe.
Built to address the frustration experienced by travel consumers using traditional web search engines, TripAdvisor's specialized search technology scours the Internet to find only the most relevant travel articles and opinions available on the web. With its expanding worldwide coverage - encompassing more than 100 countries - TripAdvisor now offers travel research information to consumers traveling to many parts of the globe, from the Americas and Europe to the Caribbean and the South Pacific.
"As the busy summer travel season begins, TripAdvisor has added new regions such as South America, Central America, Russia and Turkey because they are becoming popular travel destinations for consumers," said Steve Kaufer, CEO of TripAdvisor. "We are adding comprehensive coverage of the most popular vacation areas so that Tripadvisor.com continues to be the best place to help consumers find unbiased travel research for planning upcoming vacations."


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Ethiopia should take urgent steps to curb animal smuggling to the Middle East that is cutting into export earnings worth tens of millions of dollars to the poor country every year, a senior official said.
Livestock exports are an important source of hard currency for the Horn of Africa nation, which boasts 50 million cattle, 50 million sheep and goats and more than half a million camels.
It made $53 million (R394 million) from exports last year, but Berhe Gebreigziabher, at a top official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said crime was slashing revenue.
“A significant number of live animals are being smuggled to neighbouring states to be re-exported to Middle Eastern countries,” he told Reuters last week.
“Our animal sector resources are being stolen and taken to other nations. The government must adopt strict policies and control mechanism to stop the illegal trade undermining us.”
Berhe, who heads the ministry’s Animal and Plant Regulatory Department, said the authorities should support economic growth by adding value to their exports, not just selling livestock.
The government has converted tens of thousands of acres in the Oromia, Amhara and Somali regions to rangeland for the leather goods sector, which it hopes will earn $200 million (R1484 million) from exports in 2009/10 (July-June), up from $100 million (R743 million) in 2008/09.
The country used to export mostly raw hides and skins to markets in Europe and Asia, generating about $30 million (R223 million) a year in the late 1990s. It has since built dozens of tanneries, shoe factories and other leather-working facilities.
Among the major buyers of Ethiopian-made shoes are Germany, Italy, China, India and the United States.


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(AUS) The planet’s biggest pop band, One Direction, continue to set the charts on fire with their brand new album Four, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Album charts after only an incredible 4 days since its global release on Monday November 17th.
Four becomes their fourth consecutive No.1 album in Australia, a first for an overseas act and making them third on a very exclusive list of ‘Consecutive No.1 Albums’. Leading that list is Jimmy Barnes, then Silverchair and now One Direction climb into third place, as their previous three chart-topping albums were Up All Night which spent five weeks at the top of the charts from 6-April-2012, then in November 2012 they spent two weeks at the top with Take Me Home, followed fifty-four weeks later by their third Midnight Memories. The only other act within this feat is Delta Goodrem. Four includes the brand new single, ‘Night Changes’.
[youtube id=”syFZfO_wfMQ” width=”620″ height=”360″]
One Direction hit Australian shores this week to perform their smash hit ‘Steal My Girl’ at this year’s 2014 ARIA Awards Connected by Telstra on Wednesday November 26th. On Thursday November 27th, fans can tune in to a very special episode of A Current Affair on the Nine Network to see the guys sit down with host, Tracey Grimshaw as well as perform both ‘Steal My Girl’ and their brand new single, ‘Night Changes’ in front of a very special studio audience.
It has also just been announced that great new seats are now available across all categories for all shows on their Telstra Thanks ‘On The Road Again’ 2015 Australian Tour. Australia will be the very first leg of the worldwide 2015 ‘On The Road Again’ tour, thus giving fans the chance to be the first to see a brand new show from the guys!
Telstra Thanks ‘On The Road Again’ 2015 Australian Tour:
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7TH – SYDNEY, ALLIANZ STADIUM – TICKETEK
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 8TH – SYDNEY, ALLIANZ STADIUM – TICKETEK
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11TH – BRISBANE, SUNCORP STADIUM – TICKETEK
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14TH – MELBOURNE, ETIHAD STADIUM – TICKETMASTER
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15TH – MELBOURNE, ETIHAD STADIUM – TICKETMASTER
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 17TH – ADELAIDE, AAMI STADIUM – TICKETEK
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 20TH – PERTH, PATERSONS STADIUM – TICKETMASTER


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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For many casual fans of sports car racing, it’s all about the Prototypes – sleek, built-from-the-ground-up racers that are, consequently, the fastest cars on the track.
There will be plenty of Prototypes in Saturday’s 65th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, but veteran fans know that the closest racing often comes in the GT classes, which are cars that look very much like the cars some may drive to the races – assuming your daily driver is, perhaps, a Lamborghini Huracán, a Chevrolet Corvette or a Ferrari 488.
While the more sophisticated GT Le Mans (GTLM) cars are faster, this year it’s the GT Daytona (GTD) class, the largest in the four-class field, that is getting considerable attention. That’s because last year, IMSA, the sanctioning body for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, adopted the global GT3 specifications for the GTD field.
Worldwide, there are dozens of series that use the GT3 specifications, and numbers as large as those have encouraged many manufacturers to build GT3 versions of their street cars. It makes excellent financial sense – companies can design and manufacture race cars that can be sold in multiple markets, bolstered by a readily available supply of parts. For the 2016 season, it helped bring about a significant increase in the GTD field, and for 2017, it drew three additional manufacturers to the WeatherTech Championship.
Those three are Mercedes-AMG, Lexus and Acura. While the sinister-looking Mercedes-AMG GT3 has raced elsewhere, it’s new this year to IMSA. There are three in the Sebring field sporting the familiar three-pointed star logo on the grille: The No. 75 SunEnergy Racing entry, the No. 50 Riley Motorsports/WeatherTech entry, and the No. 33 Riley Motorsports/Team AMG entry.
The No. 75 is brand new to the series. The No. 50 team competed last year in an Alex Job Racing Porsche, and the No. 33 Mercedes-AMG replaces the Dodge Viper that driver and team principal Ben Keating has raced since the inaugural WeatherTech Championship season.
Keating, owner of the world’s largest Viper dealership, had little choice but to make the change – his beloved Viper has ceased production. But after a promising debut at the season-opening 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona, Keating is pleased with the choice he made.
“We learned a lot about the car at Daytona, and we’re still learning,” said Keating, who will share the No. 33 with regular co-driver Jeroen Bleekemolen, and guest driver Mario Farnbacher. “But there’s a ton of potential in the Mercedes.”
Michael Shank Racing has a solid reputation as a Prototype team, but for 2017, Ohio-based Shank, a former overall winner of the Rolex 24, jumped at the chance to help develop a GT3 racing version of the brand-new Acura NSX.
He has two cars entered in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours – the No. 86, driven by Jeff Segal, Oswaldo Negri Jr. and Tom Dyer, and the No. 93 driven by Andy Lally, Katherine Legge and Mark Wilkins. Negri is a longtime Shank driver in the Prototype class; Lally is a former IMSA champion and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, and Legge has driven IndyCars, and spent the last couple of season driving the DeltaWing Prototype.


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How many visitors are enough?
This year the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show placed the spotlight on overtourism, a key topic at ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention
In recent years the number of people visiting cities has risen dramatically, whether because of cruise tourism, the sharing economy or low-cost airlines. In some cases these increases have been so massive that residents have formed groups to stem this influx. In addition to large cities such as Barcelona, Venice and Amsterdam, overtourism is affecting traditional holiday destinations such as Majorca, where during the summer the many rented cars are a problem for the environment and traffic. The island’s authorities are now demanding a sustained and verifiable increase in electric vehicles by car hire companies in order to protect the environment.
Overtourism is also a concern for the management of the Zion and Arches national parks in faraway Utah. The problem is made worse by the local road network which limits potential access, and cannot be randomly expanded in what is a mainly a nature reserve. Anyone wishing to visit the parks on a round trip should register in good time. Tourists in Europe are familiar with the phenomenon of limited access periods at the Alhambra in Granada in Andalusia, where a spontaneous late-morning visit is virtually impossible. And on the border of Utah and Arizona a lottery decides who gets to see the bizarre sandstone formation known as The Wave.
ITB Berlin was quick to recognise the global challenge of overtourism and made it one of the key topics at the leading think tank, this year’s ITB Berlin Convention. At panel discussions high-ranking representatives from Barcelona, Dubrovnik and Amsterdam debated the reasons for overtourism, problems and possible solutions. For tourism offices, managing tourist numbers always poses a problem. They have to take residents’ misgivings seriously while also presenting a welcoming image to visitors. As part of its master plan Berlin has announced it will no longer target ever-increasing visitor numbers and will focus on quality rather than quantity instead.
Amsterdam has already put some measures in place. It was one of the first cities to seek a dialogue with Airbnb in order to limit overnights and manage income from tourist taxes. At the ITB Berlin Convention Amsterdam also unveiled an advertising campaign aimed at raising visitor awareness for respectful behaviour. Since the end of May the city has been targeting stag party visitors from the Netherlands and the UK aged between 18 and 34 in particular. https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/05/stag-night-warning-amsterdam-launches-campaign-to-improve-tourist-behaviour/
”It is a great compliment to see so many people visiting Amsterdam. This also presents a number of challenges, and in order to meet them a number of related measures are required. Numerous parties including residents, visitors, companies and the government are all working together“, said Frans van der Avert, CEO of Amsterdam Marketing.
Barcelona also appears to be on the right track. Thus, for example, it recently discovered 2,000 illegally rented apartments. And following talks with the port authority the tourist board succeeded in getting cruise liners to moor further away from the city. According to the tourism board this frees up valuable space which above all benefits the locals.
Cruise liners are a big issue for the coastal town of Dubrovnik, Croatia. The authorities have successfully implemented a plan with measures to control visitor numbers as well as limiting berths for large ships. The city has also introduced a special app for day trippers that recommends off-peak periods for visiting certain parts of the city, for example.
Naturally, in order for long-term strategies to succeed it is vital to collaborate with the private tourism sector. Without engaging constantly with tour operators, transport companies and the hotel trade, no city in the world can adequately solve the issue of managing large visitor numbers. According to Joan Torrella, an expert and tourism director at the City Council of Barcelona, the industry has a vested interest here, as “overtourism makes a destination less competitive. Private sector involvement is crucial to making Barcelona a sustainable tourism destination. It not only benefits the destination but is in the interest of every company involved.“


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Kellogg's Launches Peeps Marshmallow CerealApril 4, 2019
Kellogg's says the cereal "provides an excellent source of 8 vitamins and minerals to help you get a great start." You can find the nutrition facts on kelloggs.com. There is plenty of sugar in it as you might expect. It has 110 calories, 13 grams of sugar and 120 mg of sodium per cup. That is without added milk.
The limited edition cereal recently started appearing on store shelves. You can find the product listing on Target.com, where it is available for shipping or pick-up.
Fart Ninja Toys Make Electronic Fart Sounds - posted April 22, 2019
Kellogg's Launches Peeps Marshmallow Cereal - posted April 4, 2019
GlassesUSA and Victorinox Launch Swiss Army Glasses - posted April 1, 2019
Royal Mint Launching Emoji Collection - posted April 1, 2019
ThinkGeek Announces The Mighty Mjolnir Mailbox - posted April 1, 2019


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CNET Car Tech brings you the latest news from the 2014 LA Auto Show.
Forget the big white whale, it's a big white car that Internet radio needs to slay. The top Web radio service hits a milestone of unique activations, but they're drops in the ocean until car tech is more accommodating.
Brian Cooley tells you about emerging technologies that could make watching TV in your car a reality.
After its recent exit from the high-end plasma TV market, Panasonic emphasizes how it will adapt its technology, including 4K camera and display expertise, for business customers.
In more than half the states, drivers are allowed to show proof of car insurance electronically. One driver, allegedly pulled over for playing "F--- Tha Police," says the cop who stopped him didn't know the law.
The Caped Crusader's car styled after the original Batman comics is going on the auction block. Own a piece of history starting at a mere $90,000.
When you stop by the global headquarters of two well-respected electronics giants, you learn a few things. Here are a CNET editor's stories from Seoul.
Google unveiled several new smartwatches, but it didn't stop there. At Google I/O, the tech titan also revealed plans to inject Google into your car and home. CNET.com's Kara Tsuboi has the latest on the push to connect your life to your devices.
The company's growth was driven largely by connected devices like the connected car, but there was also a healthy mix of smartphone and tablet growth.
Police in Marion County say two people were hurt after a Maverick flying car crashed and caught fire.
A driver is cited after he allegedly pulled a passenger out of his car and then smashed her phone.


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The owners of two Montello Street businesses shut down Monday by the city must clean up the site and meet other conditions before they can reopen.
The owners of two Montello Street auto businesses shut down Monday by the city must clean up the site and meet other conditions before they can reopen.
The city, saying the businesses are not properly licensed, closed the International Auto Workz and JD’s Auto Body.
Tow trucks lined Montello Street, waiting to get on the site and haul away dozens of vehicles — some wrecks, some operational. The owners and their supporters argued with authorities that they had met the conditions of the license, but the city disputed that.
Officer Scott Uhlman said the owners had been warned several times since January to clear the lot of cars and take care of other violations.
The city wants blighted areas cleaned up. Business leaders say they cannot bring new people into the city with rundown and littered sites like that at 456 Montello St., where the two businesses are located.
On June 23, 2008, the City Council approved the license based on the companies meeting conditions that included clearing debris from the site, limited parking and screening.
On Tuesday, Tony Amado and Joao DePina, the owners, said they had called Building Commissioner Joseph Vasapollo many times for a final inspection.
“The building inspector said when he gets a chance, he’d come by and he never did,” said DePina. He told the men they could continue working, DePina said.
Vasapollo is on sick leave and James Casieri is now the acting building commissioner. He and the mayor met with the business owners late Monday and advised them to meet the conditions of the license to reopen.
Meanwhile, fire Lt. Edward Williams, of the city’s code enforcement task force, said inspectors on Tuesday allowed the men to finish the work on the cars in the shop and to not bring any more cars in. They photographed the cars inside to make sure no new ones were brought in.
“We felt it was unfair to the people who own the vehicles to give them back in parts,” Williams said.
The owners must also clear the lot of cars.