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Intryst Creates Safer Communication Tool for Buyers and SellersBy Mayra Monroy on August 19th, 2015 /
In recent years, there has been an increase in online transactions and “Craigslist sales.” With this new way of purchasing items, the convenience is a plus, but danger has also become prominent in this new way of selling. An emerging startup from the Emerge Xcelerate accelerator, Intryst, exists in order to provide secure and safe transactions for all through their anonymous phone number system.
Intryst sets up a user with an anonymous number that is used in contacting the seller. Through this anonymous phone number, users will never be asked to reveal their personal phone number and are able to do a variety of commands, including setting up a safe meeting spot, terminating contact, and much more.
“Intryst actually started out as a dating application designed to stop the abuse associated with giving out your phone number to new people,” says Erik Alburg, co-founder of Intryst. “While that is still very a strong use case, we have found significant traction in peer-to-peer marketplaces. There’s an ‘offline’ component to selling ‘online’ locally that has been neglected. We wanted to bridge that gap as communications go from online listings to offline meetups.”
“We offer you complete control of your identifying information so you can communicate with confidence,” adds Bryce Kaiser, co-founder. “If you feel uncomfortable with the person you’re communicating with, you can destroy the connection at anytime. No more annoying follow up calls and texts!”
With the key demographic of users in the Craigslist market, Alburg and Kaiser have prospered in the Emerge Xcelerate accelerator that launched in April. With a “graduation” set for September, Intryst is participating in Emerge’s Demo Day.
“Emerge Xcelerate has been such a great experience and there are so many valuable lessons that we have learned along the way,” says Alburg. “ We must have talked to over 2000 people in a span of 10 weeks that really helped us focus on specific markets and feature sets that we offer. Our current product looks nothing like it did before the start of the accelerator and I am sure it will continue to change as we learn more the needs of our market.”
With a promising future, Kaiser and Alburg have seen the Intryst growth through rewarding experiences and challenges to overcome.
“The most rewarding part for us is empowering people to make better decisions when it comes to disclosing their personal information. In an age where people are keeping the same cell phone numbers for sometime a decade or more it is becoming as much as an identifiable piece of information as your social security number is,” explains Alburg “So when having conversations with new people, whether that be on Craigslist or meeting someone on [online dating app] Tinder, Intryst is there to allow people to communicate freely without exposing your sensitive information. That is pretty cool.
The most challenging part of our business is addressing a market where people are already skeptical and apprehensive of scams and fraud. Therefore we have put a lot of effort in making the experience on our platform as easy, seamless, and transparent as possible. Unlike many other platforms, Intryst requires only one user to be a member so the other person doesn’t even know they are on a secure platform.”
“Some people will be drawn to it for its identity management capabilities, while others will love the fresh twist on communication. We’re also targeting a traditionally neglected space of bridging the gap between online and offline communications,” adds Kaiser.
Kaiser encourages startups to pursue their ideas and to continue to build.
“Reach out to those around you for feedback as much as possible,” advises Kaiser. “A lot of entrepreneurs end up on an island when they’re building their business and that’s very dangerous. Build a team of people that believe in you. Start with one person. Then work on your second. Continue this process with your customers. Work hard. If you think you’re working hard, work harder. There’s no secret formula for success of an entrepreneur; there’s just some people refusing to give up.”
For more information on this up and coming startup, please visit their website.


text: 60M Windows 8 licenses have now been sold, Microsoft (MSFT) announces. That's up from the 40M the software giant had sold as of late November. Microsoft notes this figure includes "both upgrades and sales to OEMs for new devices" - the latter could include licenses being held as inventory by OEMs. Figures from Net Applications, NPD, and others have tempered hopes that Win. 8's revival would stoke a rebound in PC demand.

domain: news


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It seems as though Home Depot's latest entry is into the fashion market. According to Paper Magazine, the hardware giant's signature orange tote bag is quickly becoming a bit of a statement piece among the young and hip.
The evidence? Cameos on Instagram and sightings around New York City (namely in "hipster party photos"). Fashion icons have even been spotted wearing Home Depot jacket patches and t-shirts sporting the logo.
The $2.99 bag, which is currently sold out, is apparently going for as much as $41 on eBay, according to Yahoo! Shine.


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As of the end of August, with the deadline a month away, no cryptocurrency exchanges had been approved by the FSA.The value of a cryptocurrency is solely determined by supply and. trade on the exchange or get into.Once you have BTC or LTC, yo can transfer to HitBTC, Bithumb, YoBit or one of many others to find your desired pairs.There are quite a few cryptocurrency exchanges in the world,. even though there are quite a few of them active in the country.Beijing cryptocurrency exchanges told to announce trading halt: source. By Reuters.
Even if China shuts down cryptocurrency exchanges, bitcoinBitPrime is a New Zealand-based company that promises to take all the hassle out of buying and selling bitcoins.All major crypto-currency exchanges are supported for both backtesting.The New Currency August 31,. is a cause for concern noted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.The answer is no, OK only trades in BTC and LTC, but accepts many forms of fiat deposits.
China is not Suspending Cryptocurrency Exchange Activity
Fourth largest Bitcoin exchange. Bithumb, hacked forBitstamp is a Luxembourg-based bitcoin exchange that promises to be a safe, simple, and licensed way to trade bitcoin.
After asking a lot, I could afford a BTC, I am from Iraq, I want to imvest in other cryptocurrencies as well, I want to access an Exchange website.ExchangeMyCoins is the one thing missing from the cryptocurrency world - easy, fast and secure exchanges of the most popular cryptocurrencies.Considerable price volatility was accentuated by reactions to commentary (some constructive and.
Beijing orders cryptocurrency exchanges to halt tradingUnlike a free capitalist country like America where James Dimon can only compare bitcoins to tulip bulbs, communist capitalist China has the power bring.Cryptocurrency exchanges are not that difficult to come by these days.
[Review] Changelly VS ShapeShift - The "InstantBitcoin and cryptocurrency exchanges as they are backed by. in the country,.
Cambridge University: Cryptocurrency Use SeeingSouth Korea to Soon Legalize Bitcoin and Ethereum, Protect Traders.
Hackers believed to be connected with North Korea have been targeting crypto-currency exchanges to obtain.Japan is quite an interesting country when it comes to cryptocurrency.Coinbase is available in 32 countries and currently supports selling in 30 of those countries.Ethereum just got a boost in Mexico, with local cryptocurrency exchange Bitso adding the ability to buy.Another one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges based in the USA.X-Crypto is online crypto-currency exchange where you can sell bitcoins instantly and receive money to Paypal.The bump up in the price was due to countries like Australia and Japan making Bitcoins a legal.
Notarised P2P Cryptocurrency Exchange - NotaryTRADE.IOChina plans to ban trading of bitcoin and other virtual currencies on domestic exchanges,. billion cryptocurrency market after the country outlawed.Cryptocurrency markets are down today following new. and a new document revealed this morning suggests that all other exchanges in the country will have.
China wants to regulate Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency ExchangesIf you never will use this account, it will be erased after 60 days.These PayPal and Credit Card bitcoin exchanges accept cryptocurrency, USD,.
Japan is quite an interesting country when it comes to cryptocurrency. Financial Services Agency will now work on further regulating cryptocurrency exchanges.September 18th, 2017 South Africa Pick n Pay Online Retailer to Accept Bitcoin - CoinTelegraph In what is called one of the largest wins for Bitcoin in the country, the Pick n Pay in Cape Town will accept the cryptocurrency for payments starting today.CoinMarketCap - Most comprehensive list of cryptocurrencies market caps.
As a result, several cryptocurrency exchanges that provide tools for traders and investors to trade in cryptocurrency have been developed.
How two countries helped drive the recent rise inA cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange using cryptography to secure the transactions and to control the.Meme submissions are prohibited until the weekends but will still be permitted in the daily thread.China Officially Shutting Down Bitcoin Exchanges Cryptocurrency.
The Top 30 Crypto-Currency Market Capitalizations In One. com provides a real time view of the latest crypto-currency market capitalizations.Authorities in China have reportedly ordered cryptocurrency exchanges in the country to halt trading.
International cryptocurrency exchange BitBay to open IndiaA temporary account will be created based on entered name, email and your password.
Crypto exchanges are platforms that let you trade your traditional currency to cryptocurrency.Trade volume rankings for all cryptocurrency exchanges in the last 24 hours.Poloniex - ( CAUTION: Currently experiencing withdraw issues.).


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General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the next few weeks are crucial for the automaker to rebuild the van inventory, keep workers healthy and apply “laser-like focus on our structure of costs ”.
Barra made the comments in a virtual fireside chat with Credit Suisse on Tuesday. GM CFO Dhivya Suryadevara joined her on the chat.
GM restarted most of its US factories on May 18 and this week added second and third shifts to most of them. Barra said suppliers are accelerating and GM will continue to add changes to all of its factories.
GM’s underlying fundamentals also remain solid, said Barra, despite the coronavirus pandemic that forced Detroit Three automakers to idle all of their North American assembly plants in late March. GM ended the first quarter with $ 33.4 billion in automotive cash.
But when it comes to having cars on dealership grounds, GM is struggling to catch up.
“The inventory is definitely tighter, especially when it comes to trucks,” said chief financial officer Suryadevara. “The way to mitigate it … is to speed up installations. The focus will be on vans and SUVs. Then get them to the dealers as quickly as possible. ”
GM is working to prioritize the construction of the fastest trim levels to help fill the inventory pipeline. The pickups are a “priority order,” said Barra.
GM’s pickup accelerated last month derailed because it couldn’t get the parts flow it needed from Mexican suppliers to support the return of second-quarter workers to the Flint Assembly and Fort factories Wayne Assembly of GM. GM builds its heavy trucks in Flint and its light vehicles in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Vehicles are already facing below normal supply due to the UAW’s 40-day strike against GM last fall. Vans, which have large profit margins, are crucial to GM’s bottom line.
“If there is a supply problem, we will prioritize the trucks,” said Barra. GM is ready to make production changes if necessary, she said.
More: Thousands of GM UAW members said to stay at home, production of pickups stalled
GM is also monitoring the coming weeks for a possible second wave of the coronavirus, said Barra. She said GM is paying attention to the costs as the country gets closer to business as usual.
“GM will come out with a cheaper overall system based on what we have learned and found ways to cut costs,” said Barra.
These include eliminating the complexity of vehicle production to build only the trim levels that customers will buy without the need for large discounts. Barra said, “There has been a lot of work there. “
Barra did not mention planned layoffs as a cost-cutting measure.
She added that the coronavirus pandemic “really requires you to watch every single thing you do and watch every line item. We have found things that we do not need to do and found things that we can do more effectively. ”
Another way to save money is to more aggressively promote the GM Shop website, Click & Drive, which can perform most vehicle transactions online. GM said it was a very effective way to match customers, vehicles, dealers and inventory.
To survive the pandemic, GM withdrew its 2020 forecast and suspended quarterly share buybacks and dividends during the quarter, saving $ 2 billion. GM also said it would withdraw $ 16 billion from its line of credit to increase liquidity in its war chest.
GM said that its 69,000 employees were required to defer 20% of their cash compensation for six months starting April 1. GM executives will benefit from an additional 5% pay cut in addition to the 20% cash compensation deferral for a total of 25% pay deferral and reduction with top executives such as CEO Mary Barra, taking an additional 10% pay cut for a total of 30% deferral and pay cut.
More: General Motors posted net income of $ 294 million in the first quarter, down 87%
More: GM suspends dividend and takes other measures to store cash during a pandemic
Contact Jamie L. LaReau at 313-222-2149 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Learn more about General Motors and sign up for our automotive newsletter.
Read or share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2020/06/02/gm-leaner-company-post-coronavirus-ceo-said/3125278001/


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When the third floor of the Ascension St. Vincent's parking garage collapsed, people evacuating the building got a look at a Tesla left lying on its side. The cause of the collapse is still under investigation, but there are already theories circulating.
After First Coast News shared the story on social media, one comment from a viewer summed up the concern of many:
"So sad. Unfortunately, this will continue to be a problem in the future with the weight of electric vehicles."
Are electric vehicles too heavy for parking garages?
Structural Engineer Consultant Ron Woods
The Florida Building Code
No, electric vehicle are not too heavy for parking garages built to required standards.
WHAT WE FOUND
The first thing we need to establish is that electric vehicles are typically heavier than their gas-powered counterparts.
The 2022 EPA Automotive Trends Report says "due to the weight of battery packs, electric vehicles are likely to weigh more than comparable internal combustion engine vehicles."
Using a Hyundai Kona as an example, the baseline gas-powered 2024 Kona weighs about 3,200 pounds, while the electric version is 3,700 pounds, around 500 pounds heavier.
However, even with that additional weight, Ron Woods says a parking garage should be able to carry it in stride.
"A typical 40 pounds per square foot on a 200 square foot parking space that's 10 feet wide and 20 feet long, would be about 8,000 pounds," said Woods.
The Florida Building Code requires every part of a parking garage be built to that standard of 40 pounds per square foot.
Older parking garages should be able to handle even more weight, because prior to 2010, garages were required to support 50 pounds per square foot.
"The 50 PSF was considered through a lot of research and testing to be overly conservative, so it increased the cost of the building."
2022 EPA Automotive Trends Report shows in 2022, the average car in America clocked in at 4,289 pounds.
Even the heaviest Tesla is only 5,200 pounds, leaving nearly 3,000 pounds of wiggle room.
Woods says EV drivers should feel just fine parking a few floors up and other drivers should feel safe parking below them.
"I would feel just as safe driving an electric vehicle into a parking garage as any other vehicle," said Woods.
First Coast News pulled the permit for the partially collapsed garage at Ascension St. Vincent's Hospital. It was built in 2005. Since it's older than 2010, it was built to the previous and stricter standard, meaning it should be even sturdier than a newer parking garage.
That, of course, did not prevent the collapse, which will be the focus of investigators for some time to come.


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Starting today, fans who pre-order “Gears of War: Judgment” at participating retailers will receive an exclusive in-game multiplayer weapon at launch, the Classic Hammerburst, along with potential retailer-specific content.
The Classic Hammerburst was the standard-issue assault rifle of the Locust Army during their E-Day onslaught. Highly accurate with a six-round burst, the Classic Hammerburst helped give the Locust a decisive advantage.
Additional incentives will be available from participating retailers in the coming weeks, including exclusive multiplayer character skins Young Marcus, Young Dom, Anya and Alex Brand. Please visit Xbox.com and your favorite game retailer’s site for more information, and stay tuned in the coming months for more news on “Gears of War: Judgment.”


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Blockchain technology could one day disrupt almost the entire.January 09,. businesses collect and store a large amount of data on individuals,.
Insider email. Blockchain is attractive to a number of different constituencies for a variety of reasons, including the following.
Banks should slow down to get blockchain right | AmericanIs there a google like search engine which can search for any text that is included with a bitcoin transaction.
Search the block chain. block hash, block number, or wallet name. Read more about what makes this block explorer different here.
CIO Explainer: What Is Blockchain? - CIO Journal. - WSJ
Blockchain and Bitcoin Fundamentals | Udemy
Recreating Google’s PageRank on The Bitcoin BlockchainYou go to the BitClave app, search for the car of your dreams and opt in to.Taxi not accepting payment by credit card (although advertised).Number of people. 1 2. A computer keyboard, the search button. search engine, Blockchain, cryptocurrency, distributed database, transitions. 3d rendering.Search Search: Confused. the blockchain records information such as the time and amount of each.
Search Results for "Blockchain" - Business StandardFor instance, in case of a net lease structure, the tenant pays a base rent amount.This could all change under blockchain-based platforms. and could track who was paying what amount for which right and who. FORTUNE. Share.Widely known as the technology underpinning the digital currency bitcoin, blockchain has acquired a new identity in the enterprise.For the first time ever, anyone can send or receive any amount of money with anyone else.
Search | MEDICI
What’s next for blockchain and cryptocurrency | TechCrunchThis article explains what a Bitcoin transaction is, its purpose and outcome.Deloitte blockchain survey 2017 Blockchain reaching beyond financial. and accounts for a significant amount of investment and.
A blockchain is a public ledger of all Bitcoin transactions that have ever been. Search. Search. There is a countless number of such blocks in the blockchain.Bitcoin is one of the most important inventions in all of human history.
Category: Blockchain News - Cryptocoins News – BlockchainOthers in search of blockchain without bitcoin will be sifting the river finding.
Search by address, block number or hash, transaction or public key hash, or chain name.Ubiq is a decentralized platform that facilitates the creation and implementation of smart contracts and decentralized applications.


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Blizzard Entertainment today confirmed that World of Warcraft has broken day-one sales records in North America, making it the most successful PC game launch ever. World of Warcraft, the company's subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), sold through to over 240,000 customers at retailers in North America on Tuesday, November 23, selling more in its first 24 hours than any other PC game in history.
In addition to shattering sales records, World of Warcraft also broke peak concurrency and account creation records for a MMORPG. Within the first day, over 200,000 players created World of Warcraft accounts. By 5:00 p.m. PST, over 100,000 were playing the game concurrently. These two record-breaking numbers made World of Warcraft the fastest-growing MMORPG in history. Within a single day, all original 40+ World of Warcraft servers were filled to capacity, and by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, more than 40 additional servers were deployed to meet the rapidly growing player base, as the number of new accounts and concurrent users continued to grow.
"We were all extremely pleased with the success of World of Warcraft on its first day of launch," said Mike Morhaime, president of Blizzard Entertainment. "Once we saw the numbers for the first day, we knew that we had to immediately increase capacity to accommodate the huge numbers of players joining our game. We’re glad so many people are enjoying World of Warcraft, and we are dedicated to supporting a fun and smooth game experience for everyone."
Retailers across North America reported that the World of Warcraft launch was unequivocally their biggest day-one sales in PC gaming history. Leading industry retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, EB, and GameStop, all reported that hundreds of their stores sold out of World of Warcraft within the first day.
"World of Warcraft has once again shown that Blizzard consistently delivers the best games in the industry," said Robert McKenzie, vice president of merchandising at GameStop. "It sold better than any other PC game this year – in fact, World of Warcraft enjoyed the best day-one sell-through GameStop has ever seen on a PC title!"
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, players continued to buy World of Warcraft in record numbers, with a total of over 350,000* copies of the game selling through. Blizzard Entertainment and its retail partners expect the remaining supplies of World of Warcraft to sell out soon. Blizzard is currently evaluating its ability to ship additional games to retailers, given the unexpectedly high demand on the servers. The company continues to increase server capacity to accommodate the growing number of players connecting to the game. As the additional servers are brought online and proven stable, additional copies of World of Warcraft will be made available at retail. Blizzard will announce the availability of those additional games as soon as they are on shelves.


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TUCSON, Ariz. - Maybe you're digesting Thanksgiving dinner by now. Maybe it's about to land on your plate. But take a moment to remember those intrepid shoppers -- who rushed to the grocery store on a mission -- to find those missing ingredients -- and save Thanksgiving dinner.
Those shoppers know Thanksgiving is the high stakes meal of the year and when the cooks in the kitchen realize some ingredient's missing--- the pressure to preserve that perfect meal is on them.
In 25 years selling groceries Basha’s store manager Tom Royston has seen Thanksgiving shoppers with desperation in their eyes.
"Every year, it's every year grabbing that last minute, whether it's poultry seasonings, sage, the turkey bag someone forgot or the marshmallows but it's always last minute.”
KGUN9 Reporter Craig Smith says, “They're on a mission to save dinner.”
Tom: “Yes, they are they got it they got to make grandma's recipe is what I call it."
He's been prepping the Tucson Basha's at Sunrise and Kolb to be sure shoppers can get what they need.
"Jeffrey Martin laughs as he says, “The very last things we forgot were the mayonnaise for the deviled eggs and the paprika and of course... “
Stwade Martin says, “:A breadstick and dates and figs for the hors d'oeuvres"
Kelly Griffin told us, “Our dad sent us for gin.”
The meat department is one of the quietest places because if your turkey's not already in the oven, you're not going to be eating today. And if your turkey's still frozen.you're really out of luck."
A lot of modern day shopping would bewilder the pilgrims. Terese Kaptur and her daughter Lauren Houlik are shopping while they check out other daughter Nicole Ross holiday spread in Pennsylvania---by video phone.
Showing the phone screen, Terese Kaptur says, “They made pizza. There's her turkey...asparagus..."
And Vanessa Coelho is getting recipe notes from back home in Brazil.
"I'm doing some Brazilian recipes for American Thanksgiving”
Craig Smith asked: “What would that be?”
Vanessa: “It's gonna be like a dipped bread with cheese.”
And some shoppers are going for a low stress package deal. Everything pre-made, ready to heat up.


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Disclosure: Some links on this page are monetized by the Skimlinks, Amazon, Rakuten Advertising, and eBay, affiliate programs, and Liliputing may earn a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on those links. All prices are subject to change, and this article only reflects the prices available at time of publication.
Nubia’s REDMAGIC line of smartphones are meant for gaming. But the company has also branched out into PC and mobile accessories, and the REDMAGIC VC Cooler 5 Pro is a gadget that snaps onto the back of a wide range of phones (not just those made by Nubia) to provide extra cooling power.
It does that thanks to a liquid-cooled VC radiator and a spinning fan. The smartphone accessory will be available starting April 15 for $59 in North America, or €59/£49 in the EU and UK, 999 MXN in Mexico, or $88 in Singapore.
The VC Cooler 5 Pro features a magnetic design, allowing it to snap into place on the iPhone 12 or later or some other phones that support MagSafe-like accessories.
You can also pay an extra $5 for a bundle that includes a clip-on attachment that should expand the number of supported devices. Android users also get extra control over the fan’s performance thanks to an Android-only mobile app with a “REDMAGIC AI Thermal Control” feature.
The cooler itself measures 66 x 59 x 28mm and weighs 100 grams, and features a 7-blade, 5500 RPM fan and a thermoelectric cooler.
While this isn’t the first smartphone cooler to hit the streets, the company says the addition of liquid cooling improves performance by 50%. The new cooler is said to be able to lower a smartphone’s temperature by as much as 35 degrees Celsius to temperatures as low as -12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit).
REDMAGIC says it can also drop a phone’s temperature from 28 degrees Celsius to 0 in just 30 seconds.
While I’m not sure how much demand there is for smartphone cooling accessories like the VC Cooler 5 Pro, I can say that there are times when my smartphone has gotten hot to the touch while recording 4K video… and then ended up stopping or corrupting the video due to overheating. I sure wouldn’t have minded having a cooler at that point… but sticking a spinning fan near my smartphone’s microphone probably wouldn’t have been the best idea if the goal is to record reliable audio and video.
That said, I can easily imagine overheating phones causing similar problems for gamers. And spending $59 on a cooler is probably a cheaper solution than buying a new phone.


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January 22, 2016 - Make a monthly gift during the months of January, February and March to help warm up the winter for Boston’s homeless men and women.
December 18, 2015 - Every man and woman in Pine Street’s shelters, as well as those on the streets seen by our outreach teams, will receive a warm and practical gift this holiday season.
September 2, 2015 - Send a holiday greeting to your friends, family and clients, and help homeless men and women get back on their feet. Proceeds from Pine Street's Holiday Cards fund the programs that help people rebuild their lives.
November 27, 2015 - What if you could help change the world with just a click? On December 1, 2015, Giving Tuesday allows you to do just that.
November 19, 2015 - National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week is held each year the week before Thanksgiving--we consider the entire month an opportunity to spread awareness of the issue of homelessness. Here are a few things you can do to help with this effort.
November 12, 2015 - On Tuesday, November 17, three Boston Whole Foods Market stores will donate 5% of the net proceeds from the day to Pine Street Inn.


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Publicis boosts MSL with more acquisitions
Regional - Publicis Groupe has made two new acquisitions to further expand its MSLGROUP strategic communications network with the addition of Luminous EMC and King Harvests.
Independent agency Luminous, established in 2005, provides live marketing events for companies such as Cathay Pacific, Prudential, Audi and CSL and is led by Antony Spanbrook. It currently has offices in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore and works with partners in Sydney, Bangkok and China.
King Harvests, started up on 2002 by Laura Lee provides 360-degree marketing capabilities across tier one and two cities in China, with a strong expertise in events and experiential marketing. It has worked with clients such as Bosch, Haier, Sanyo and Siemens.
Both the entities will be integrated into MSLGROUP and Spanbrook and Lee will report to Isabelle Chouvet, founder of Emotion, MSLGROUP's luxury events communication agency.
The two new additions will broaden MSL's scope in experiential marketing expertise.
Chouvet said people want to experience the brand promise for themselves and experiential marketing has a huge growth potential globally.
"Experiential marketing is today viewed by both agencies and clients as one of the biggest marketing opportunities for the next few years alongside social and digital marketing," Olivier Fleurot (pictured), CEO of MSLGROUP, said.
Follow @MarketingEds on Twitter for breaking news throughout the day.
- Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe Related Stories:
- Publicis Groupe acquires Convonix
- Publicis restructures global digital arm
- Publicis Groupe buys digital agency LBi
- Publicis Groupe snaps up Resultrix
- BBH now a Publicis Groupe agency
- Publicis buys Longtuo to boost e-commerce
- Publicis Groupe acquires digital capabilities
- New Publicis acquisition as audit continues
- MSLGROUP sets up crisis network
- Publicis Events loses GM after 10 year stint
- Publicis acquires fifth Chinese ad group
- Publicis eyes CRM market
- Publicis buys out Schwartz Communications
- Performics debuts in India
- Publicis continues China acquisition spree
- Publicis acquires Rosetta
- Publicis Groupe sees strong first quarter
- Pinder suddenly out of Publicis Worldwide
- Publicis acquires Taiwan PR firm ICL
- Publicis acquires Chinese PR firm Eastwei


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Qualcomm has entered into an agreement to purchase chip maker Atheros for $US3.1 billion, or $45 per share, in cash, the company said on Wednesday.
Wireless technology provider Qualcomm is in advanced talks to acquire Atheros Communications, a major vendor of Wi-Fi chips, according to news reports on Tuesday.
The war is over and USB has won ... or has it? At CES this week a new wireless SATA interface will try to dethrone SuperSpeed USB by offering speeds of up to 6Gbps vs. USB 3.0's max of 5Gbps.
As we close out 2010 and welcome 2011 it is clear we're at an interesting juncture in IT, with new opportunities stretching out before us. The key will be what we make of the opportunities and how we position our efforts to capitalize on them.
The 802.11n standard was ratified in 2009 and WiFi really took off in 2010, with support showing up in an array of consumer electronic devices. Unfortunately security related issues escalated right along with growing acceptance. Here’s a look back a...
Diversity is key in Duke University's MBA-Cross-Continent program, which brings together students from around the world and sends them to several continents to learn. But when it comes to tools for linking the students and faculty in that program, a ...
Vodafone Hutchison Australia (ASX: VHA) has apologised to customers for recent problems with its 3G network upgrade.
The Federal Government this morning released the long-awaited corporate plan outlining how NBN Co plans to build and operate its planned fibre network over the next decade and more, including tantalising details such as the promise of a uniform natio...
Jailbreaking a smartphone means fiddling with its OS so you can load the applications of your choice, bypassing the requirement to download digitally signed apps only from, say, Apple’s iTunes App Store. Opinions tend to be binary: Either jailbreakin...
Not long after being criticized for not knowing how to make money, Facebook is looking to reel in more than $2 billion in sales in 2010.
Notify Technology has announced a new hosted management service aimed at enterprise deployments of different mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS, webOS and Windows Mobile.
A new survey of business IT buyers shows demand for the new-style tablets is exploding in the enterprise. One big surprise is the willingness of enterprises to use tablets such as the iPad to replace laptops, for years the main mobile computing platf...
There are basically two ways to cut WAN costs: reduce the amount of bandwidth used or find somebody who sells cheaper bandwidth.
Which American city will receive Google's experimental fiber network? We'll have to wait a while longer to find out, it seems.
Android and the iPhone OS remain deadlocked in a heated battle for market share in the realm of mobile advertising.
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NEXUS STARTUP HUB
Facebook opens applications for India Innovation Accelerator Program 2019
Second edition of the accelerator program will empower AI-focused startups working to create social impact
Work-from-home gains ground as call centres run pilots
This will enable them to provide services that are cheaper and one that can be dialled...
Countries must dismantle terror hubs: India, France
Both nations plan a project for reinforcing assets to combat piracy and all other maritim...
T-Hub announces its second batch of innovative startups for its Incubation Programme Lab32
These startups offer technology innovations for developing solutions for Digital India in industries such as healthtech, fintech, and ed-tech, amongst others.
Xiaomi in talks to back bike taxi app Rapido
Rapido was founded by Aravind Sanka, Rishikesh S R and Pavan Guntupalli in 2015 and also counts Hero MotoCorp MD Pawan Munjal among its investors.
AgriTech startup Intello Labs raises $2mn seed round from Nexus Venture Partners and Omnivore
The company aims to become the de-facto quality platform across agribusiness value chains for trading, procurement, grading, pricing, marketing, and traceability.
Season Two Ventures looks to raise $100 million
Season Two Ventures will make about 30 investments from this fund, starting with an initial cheque size of $500,000 to $1 million, and invest about $1 million in additional capital later on, to scale up the ventures.
Everyone's favourite startup Oyo is hit hard by hyper growth, a supposed toxic work culture. Can it hit refresh?
When Oyo was everyone’s favourite startup, there would be regular reports of the company aggressively entering newer markets. In the last three to four months, the story has changed and this year may be turn out to be pivotal for it.
US-based start-up expands in India, Southeast Asia and China
The US-based building intelligence solutions provider is opening office in Delhi soon, its fourth office in India. Currently, the firm has an engineering, product development and sales hub in Bengaluru, as well as sales and support services offices in Chennai and Mumbai.
India's science and tech centres double up as startup ideation hubs
India’s science and technology institutions have become fertile grounds for startups, having built ecosystems that will help convert research projects quickly into commercial ventures.
Anuranjita Kumar announces exit from the Royal Bank Of Scotland
Anuranjita Kumar joined the bank in September 2017 after a 22-year stint at Citi in September 2017. Here she spearheaded a variety of initiatives, especially in the D&I space including a medical cover for LGBT couples and creating an industry cohort for improved growth prospects for women in the technology space through the ‘Women In Tech Forum’ amongst others.
IT services, tech startups put India on route to AI: ETILC
For artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to run on big data, Indian companies require technology that will digitise and store data. Industry is now increasingly adopting this infrastructure. Since legacy systems are slow to change, they are the laggards.
Unusual Insurance: How startups are changing the insurance game
A number of tech startups are selling micro insurance covers — for broken spectacles and a missed flight.
Women Inc's Budget wishlist: Tax relief for new businesses, facilitating startup economy
The shepreneurs hope to see reforms in education, startup and fintech industry.
For Krimanshi Technologies, 1.3 billion tonnes of global food waste offers great business opportunity
Nikhil Bohra led agritech Krimanshi aims to revolutionise the innovation-stagnant Indian feed sector by creating a new value chain around unconventional feed resources by utilizing the food waste being generated to produce natural high nutrition feeds.


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October 25, 2004 3:23 PM PDT
Want a Treo 650? Better Sprint
Sprint has cornered the market for this year, scooping up all of PalmOne's capacity until sometime in 2005. The company did not announce exact pricing, but said the device will be available nationwide in mid-November and costs under $500 with some service contracts.
"We will be the only ones with these phones for a while," said John Garcia, senior vice president of sales and distribution for Sprint PCS, speaking at a press conference at the CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment trade show. "We are very excited about buying a very large quantity of these."
Earlier Monday, Palm officially launched the Treo 650, which boasts a design similar to the Treo 600, but adds improved Web browsing, a higher-resolution screen, removable battery and an improved camera.
PalmOne has sold more than 660,000 Treo 600s since its launch, and Garcia said in an interview that Sprint has accounted for more than half of those. Over time, Garcia said, Sprint expects to sell more Treo 650s than that. He declined to say how large the initial order was, but said it was less than the number of Treo 600s that Sprint has sold to date. He also said the carrier should have enough to meet holiday demand for the device.
The Treo has been an important product for Sprint, Garcia said, noting that it is the most popular of the combination PDA/phone devices that Sprint sells. It is also the device that produces the highest monthly revenue per subscriber--a key benchmark in the wireless industry.


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Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume, is expanding its operations to the U.S.
state of Texas. The move comes as the exchange looks to capitalize on the growing demand for digital assets in the country.
The exchange will allow users in Texas to trade a variety of digital assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Binance Coin (BNB). The platform will also offer a variety of fiat-to-crypto pairs, such as USD/BTC and EUR/BTC.
Binance first announced its plans to enter the U. market back in June of 2018.
Since then, the exchange has been working to obtain the necessary licenses and approvals from regulators. The expansion into Texas is a significant step forward for the company’s plans to establish a presence in the country.
Texas is home to a number of major businesses and organizations that are actively involved in the cryptocurrency space. These include companies like Bitmain, which operates one of the largest Bitcoin mining facilities in North America, and the University of Texas, which offers a course on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
The launch of Binance’s U.
operations is part of the company’s wider strategy to expand its reach globally. The exchange is already available in over 180 countries and supports a variety of languages, including English, Mandarin, Japanese, and Russian.
The move into Texas is likely to be welcomed by many cryptocurrency enthusiasts in the state. The launch of Binance’s U.
S.-based platform will provide them with access to a wider range of digital assets and make it easier to convert their fiat currency into cryptocurrency.
Yes, Binance is allowed in Texas as they have obtained all necessary licenses and approvals from regulators.


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TalkTalk, a low-cost ISP in the UK, has asked the government to help encourage consumers to upgrade to newer, higher speed networks. The ISP is hoping that a government-sponsored awareness campaign highlighting the benefits of these networks will motivate consumers to make the switch.
The request is in response to a Frontier Economics study, sponsored by TalkTalk, which demonstrated that even in areas where high-speed fiber networks are widespread, approximately 20% of those who could upgrade still have not done so.
One reason posited for consumers reluctance to upgrade is the hassle of switching providers, which is sometimes required to access a high-speed network. In addition, the increased cost of high-speed connections offering an increase in speed that, for the average consumer, would be imperceptible, also contributes to their hesitation.
Considering the vast amounts ISPs are investing in high-speed networks, consumer reticence to switch is particularly worrisome. According to the Frontier Economics study, high-speed FTTH providers need to capture a 40% market share in a given location in order for the investment to be profitable. But if, for the average UK consumer, 10-12Mbps (the current average internet speed for ADSL in the UK) is sufficient for their basic needs (basic internet browsing, email and some streaming), upgrading to a costlier service, even if it is faster, may not seem worthwhile to them.
This is a situation that is quite similar to the problem currently facing 5G networks: how to get consumers to believe that faster is better, when the network speeds they are currently using appear to suffice. And similar to mobile providers, this is likely to remain one of the major challenges facing high-speed ISPs going forward. Even if they are successful at convincing enough consumers to switch to a high-speed internet connection to make their investment worthwhile, the lower tier connections, at 50, 60 or 70Mbps, are likely to be adequate for most users’ needs. The higher tier connection speeds, at 300, 500 or even 900Mbps, may seem gratuitous to consumers, who, given their most common internet uses, wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.


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In a world dominated by technology the latest and fastest growing gaming trend can surprisingly not be found on PS4 or XBOX One. That’s right, the biggest world-wide boom in gaming right now is not happening on your flat screen, but on your dining room table!
Over the past few years board-, card-, miniature- and collectible games have taken the world by storm. Gone are the days of staring solo at a screen, or talking to your friends over a headset, this time round it’s face-to-face, across a board, from behind a hand of cards or staring each other down across a landscape of painted miniatures or coloured dice.
It’s gaming redefined, gaming that reinvents the platform it all started on and does so in a way that unites every human’s need for social interaction with every gamer’s need for full immersion into another world – a world where you are the marine, the warrior, the detective , the wizard, the general or even the villainous mastermind.
In South Africa three companies have worked tirelessly to bring about awareness and growth in the table top gaming culture – Blowfish Entertainment, Boardgames SA and Skycastle Games – and with great success to boot. This year, at rAge 2015, for the first time, these three companies are officially announcing their synergy and intent to partner in various ways to promote and grow table top gaming in South Africa.
The first of many initiatives is the UNPLUG YOURSELF Campaign, with its official launch at rAge 2015 – a campaign that will form the bedrock upon which these three companies intend to build awareness for this exciting gaming phenomenon. The campaign will build into the future with a dedicated website, a Facebook page and various initiatives at conventions and events nationwide that are geared at getting people all over the country to play more games – unplugged.
Part of the future campaign will also be geared at working with eligible retailers to enhance in-store experience of table top gaming, with incentives that will draw gamers into stores to have unique social and competitive experiences. With a philosophy of “but is it fun?” UNPLUG YOURSELF aims to leave a trail of enjoyment wherever it goes!
At rAge 2015 UNPLUG YOURSELF will provide you with tons of demo space to try out a wide variety of new and old games, take part in tournaments, get special deals, buy the latest games and even get free stuff!
The campaign hopes to tear down the misconception that table top gaming is boring, difficult or somehow sub-par to electronic gaming:
“UNPLUG YOURSELF is all about a gaming revolution, redefining perceptions and bringing change – about opening people’s eyes to a new world and a fresh way of gaming,” says Skycastle Director Eugene Vermeulen.
“It’s not a substitute for electronic gaming, but an addition, a completion even, and many electronic gamers are embracing its unique flavour into their gaming culture. Whether it’s Settlers of Catan, Magic: The Gathering, Heroclix, X-Wing, Ticket To Ride, Ascension, Dice Masters or a host of other games that are currently taking the world, and South Africa, by storm; the fact is, table top gaming is here to stay and it’s no longer a second rate substitute, but a platform where some of the most innovative advances in gaming in the world are currently being made.”
It’s fitting that the UNPLUG YOURSELF Campaign is situated right at the heart of the rAge exhibition space, because table top gaming has always been where gaming life originated, and where the UNPLUG YOURSELF collaborators believe it’s returning to.
So what exactly does UNPLUGYOURSELF hold for the future? The three collaborators remain tight-lipped with a “watch-and-see” glint in their eyes, but if rAge 2015 is anything to go by the future is looking bright for UNPLUG YOURSELF and table top gaming in South Africa.
Why not try something different at rAge this year? Play some games. Unplugged.


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Netbooks powered by Nvidia’s second generation Ion graphics platform could arrive even sooner than first expected. Acer has reportedly placed a large order for the latest Nvidia Ion 2 chips, which will be paired with the latest Atom Pineview processors.
Netbooks with the current Ion graphics are in high demand, and the second generation will push the speed to 2x than of the original.
Not only will it be twice as fast, as the next generation Pineview CPU features an integrated memory controller the Ion 2 will perform much more like a discrete GPU (graphical processing unit) than the current model.
There have also been reports of the Ion 2 supporting switching graphics, which can provide both high performance graphics and also power saving features.
Hopefully we will be an Ion 2 powered Acer netbook at this coming CES in January!


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Hotel News Now
PHOENIX — With plans to add nearly 300 hotels to its global portfolio by the end of 2022, BWH Hotel Group — the parent company of Best Western and its various related brands — is focusing on international growth as its primary driver heading into 2023.
Speaking with Hotel News Now during the 2022 Lodging Conference, President and CEO Larry Cuculic said the company has built out a solid foundation for future growth, and he hopes that will help propel it into new countries and markets.
"I think there's a tremendous responsibility for the brand to grow internationally," he said. "It's important to our North American hoteliers to have international travel — international inbound. We're very fortunate that we have terrific partnerships throughout Europe and Asia, and we're going to leverage those relationships and their knowledge of their markets."
Cuculic said he couldn't "pick one territory" as the place where Best Western executives have seen the best growth potential.
"Where we have seen growth is Scandinavia, Asia — the Vietnam market, surprisingly," he said. "That was not on my radar, but the Asia team has been able to build out some terrific opportunities and projects."
Brad LeBlanc, senior vice president and chief development officer, said Best Western remains "an iconic name around the globe," which aids in development efforts.
"As you step into Europe, as you step into Australia, as you step into East Asia, people desire it," he said. "They want it. It's kind of a breath of fresh air as they come in and say, 'This is what I want to do.'"
As of late September, BWH had opened roughly 200 new hotels across the globe since the start of 2022, and plans to add another 90 before the end of the year.
LeBlanc said an international expansion has been boosted by the company's acquisition of WorldHotels, a collection of luxury hotels that spans the globe. But Cuculic said it's also important not to lose track of how the company has been able to drive organic growth.
"If you take Italy as an example, we have more branded hotels in Italy than any other brand," he said. "We have that international reputation that we think is so important, and we've got great partners throughout Europe and Asia that have had a renewed emphasis post-pandemic."
Best Western's key international openings so far in 2022 include branded hotels in England, Austria, Ukraine, France, Germany and Thailand, along with hotels in Italy and Sweden joining the company's various soft-brand collections.
Cuculic said the company's unique structure — being a membership organization rather than a typical brand franchiser — has helped immensely in the current environment.
"We are responsive to our members," he said. "We listen to our membership, but at the same time, I think they recognize the importance of maintaining the brand reputation and good will."
Cuculic took over as chief executive of the company late in 2021, taking over from the outgoing David Kong after working as the company's general counsel. Cuculic said his existing experience with the company helped ease that transition, particularly due to the uniqueness of its membership structure.
"I had [members'] trust, which I think is tremendously important when you start a position like this," he said.
Cuculic said the next steps for the company will be to continue to adapt its offerings for a new generation of hotel owners and developers.
"As we evolve as an organization, we're very fortunate that we have a tremendously strong foundation of Best Western, Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier hotels," he said. "We've got that foundation now, and we're going to continue to build it out to build upward into those other segments and types of hotels."
Return to the Hotel News Now homepage.
Let’s travel to the French Alps for the winter. Elliot Barnes designed a contemporary chalet …


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Category: Computer Crimes
With the popularity of computers, smartphones, and social media, a new crime has emerged in this century that Texans aren’t taking lightly: cyberstalking. It’s a crime that is only become more common.
Cyberstalking is so common, in fact, it has permeated even the highest levels of government. In October of [...]
Coronavirus has disrupted everyday life on a large scale, but the Department of Justice has recently warned of even more disruptions in the form of criminals exploiting COVID-19 in order to scam the public.
They say that crimes perpetrated over the computer (such as credit card fraud, identity [...]
From dropping apparatuses into gas pump card swipers to big bank security breaches, when you hear the word “cybercrime” in this day and age, easily, a number of images probably come to mind.
Cybercrime can have farther-reaching affects than what we may imagine, though. In 2016, for instance, an 18-year-old [...]


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Kathmandu: Nepal Airlines (NA) has unveiled the new revised airfare for its regular flights resuming from September 2 for various destinations.
In a press statement released on Thursday, NA said its attention was drawn towards rumors that NA was charging exorbitant air fare for its regular flights.
NA’s new revised airfare is given below.
|Y||MYR 2003||AED 2120||HKD 4198||JPY 76300|
|M||MYR 1803||AED 1820|
|N||MYR 1628||AED 1720|
|O||MYR 1458||AED 1440|
The NA also clarified that the above mentioned fares are inclusive of taxes and urged the travelers not to pay additional charges while purchasing the ticket.
Nepal is not just a paradise for trekkers and adventurers; it is also a spiritual haven fo…


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Over the past couple of years, a new robotic hospital cleaning system that resembles R2D2 has been gaining popularity in hospitals around the country. A number of facilities are finding that they are able to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections by including the device in their hospital cleaning programs.
The device is called Xenex, and it is a mobile device that can eliminate disease-causing germs from hospital rooms and surfaces. The device moves around a room, and uses strobe light pulses to zap dangerous bacteria. The device runs on pulsed xenon UV, a kind of ultraviolet light that eliminates micro organisms. The device has been developed by epidemiologists in Houston who then expanded the technology for commercial purposes.
According to its manufacturers, the device can disinfect a hospital room in less than 10 minutes. All surfaces inside the room, including table surfaces, tray tables, telephones, bed rails and other surfaces that are contaminated can be sterilized in minutes. Housekeepers first finish cleaning the room, and then set the device into operation by letting it loose inside the room. Hospital staff finds that the device is easy to handle and operate, and operating costs are low.
Hospitals that have begun using the device have recorded a significant drop in the number of hospital-acquired infections. One hospital in Massachusetts found a 67% drop in c-diff infections from the use of the device.
The device comes with a price tag of $80,000, which might seem steep. However, when you consider the annual costs of hospital-acquired infections every year, the device seems more than worth its price tag to an Arizona medical malpractice lawyers.


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Apple's latest big cat, Mountain Lion, continues the iOS-ification of OS X. While some Mac fans feel that Apple is slowly making the Mac into another iDevice, it's a logical move and might be pointing to a new device category from Cupertino.
HTC is very prolific. They have more smartphones on the market than the rest of the players combined. But being first to market with a 4G handset, on Telstra's network with the Velocity, gives them an edge. We look at whether 4G is enough.
Like your computer the best way to give your system a performance boost is to take it back to bare metal. In smartphone terms, that means performaing a hard reset. Here's our guide on performing a hard reset on the most popular smartphone platforms.
This junk delivers 30ms latencies and gets blocked by trees. What a massive scam. How about these mafia stop keeping[…]
A company providing such an essential service should have never moved to remote-only anyway. I guess this is just another[…]
You put a lot of faith into USA being a staunch ally of Australia. Think about the scant regard the[…]
Your either with us or against us! Victoria was doing and endrun around the Federal government for Chinese investment (they[…]
"But China's actions during the pandemic appear to have sparked a rethink in the UK about Huawei's involvement in its[…]


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Family bonds are the core of business at Micky’s Jewelry Studio in La Verne. Owner Micky Rehm and her children, Sarah and Jon Rehm, run the store together and hosted a charity event Dec. 27 for the David and Margaret Youth and Family Services.
Tag Archives | local businesses
Butter Café and Bakery in San Dimas offers an extensive menu and promotes high-quality food and coffee to the surrounding communities.
Kinetik Performance is a new fitness studio in Upland that not only focuses on physical exercise but also specializes in personal nutritional guidance.
Fiamma Naturals began as a candle company in the kitchen of a Claremont home, and while it has been nearly eight years, the business continues its endeavor to remain eco-friendly with its soy candles and all-natural spa products.
While other pizza chains advertise their businesses with commercials, coupons and social media, Warehouse Pizza, located on D Street in downtown La Verne, brings in business with its customer service and food keeping customers coming back for more.
The drought has forced Californians to conserve water, which has affected local businesses, especially the Coiner Nursery in La Verne, which is surviving by selling more succulents.
Local breweries are delivering big flavors to La Verne, San Dimas and Claremont residents, enticing community members to come back for more of their favorite ales.
Recent national polls suggest that a majority of small business owners support increased minimum wages, but a few downtown La Verne business owners are saying otherwise.
Recent discussions of a possible Walmart Neighborhood Market opening in La Verne brought up controversial topics focusing on the type of customers the store would attract.
La Verne residents packed into the La Verne Community Center Monday to voice their opinions about a proposed Walmart coming to town.


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10 days ago
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy says the company has reached a deal with British Treasury chief George Osborne to make "Star Wars: Episode VII" in the U.K.
79 days ago
The news is likely to set off a new round of speculation about what's in store for the Lucasfilm franchise.
105 days ago
Having recently purchased the "Star Wars" franchise from Lucasfilm for $4 billion, the Walt Disney Co. is shifting the films into hyperdrive.
116 days ago
Disney bought "Star Wars" maker Lucasfilm last month for $4.06 billion.
126 days ago
The Walt Disney Co. also cited Iger's leadership in the $4.06 billion acquisition of "Star Wars" creator Lucasfilm, along with the launch of theme park additions, cruise ships and the expansion...
154 days ago
Disney says it has completed its acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.06 billion in cash and stock.
171 days ago
Federal antitrust regulators have cleared Disney's $4 billion deal to buy Lucasfilm, the filmmaking empire behind the "Star Wars" franchise.


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» Cherry Mobile Snap Hard Reset
Cherry Mobile Snap Hard Reset
Cherry Mobile Snap Hard Reset on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Thursday, April 17, 2014
Apacer has been officially recognized as “Famous Trademark”, again awarded the Taiwan Excellence Awards 21.
Taiwan Excellence Awards event-21 which was attended by more than 483 manufacturers with 1221 products give awards to Apacer for 2 [...]
After the release of the game Grand Theft Auto III in the mobile version, Rockstar Games is back doing the same thing for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Quoted from Slashgear, Saturday (27/10), the presence of iOS and Android version marks the 10th anniversary [...]
As a gift to the loyal fans of the game ‘Angry Birds’.
In the third birthday, Rovio as a manufacturer of world’s most famous game, Angry Birds, released the latest level for the loyal fans.
Games featuring the ‘Angry Birds’ [...]
Detailed smartphone from Nexus 4 owned by Google and produced by LG leaked by British mobile phone retailer websites, Carphone Warehouse’s.
At Carphone Warehouse’s website it is mentioned clearly that they offer LG Nexus 4 with a contract [...]
Enjoying the music for some of us to be one of necessity. No exception for you an adventurer who likes to do outdoor activities.
For that, we need gadgets that can facilitate your needs for music, which of course must have toughness in all terrains.
Samsung claims to have sold three million units since the smartphone Galaxy Note II or smart mobile phone was introduced in late September. Giant technology, from South Korean said sales of Galaxy Note II, which are sold in 100 countries, is rising faster [...]
Sony seems keen to use Firefox operating system that was released recently.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Friday (3/1), one of the latest series of Xperia, Xperia E, used as the test material to adopt the OS.
“At Sony Mobile, we continue to evaluate [...]
This time AdmaTechology try to give a brief review of the latest security system from Symantec, Norton Internet Security 2013. What are the advantages? Consider the following reviews.
The main features
Norton Internet Security (NIS) 2013 already have [...]
Among users of Android smartphones again got good news. This time, an application that has been available only on devices with iOS platform, will also be present on the platform bearing the green robot.
Snapchat, an application that allows you to transmit [...]
This service there will be in January next year.
Applications in the console Nintendo Wii U will be more complete. After YouTube, now the Wii U scheduled to get other superior service.
When Nintendo Direct presentation Wednesday (12/05), Satoru Iwata [...]
Stylish phone with a sleek body parts excellence and performance backed-powered phones.
Continuing the successful launch of the previous series, the LG Optimus L3, LG Optimus L5 and LG Optimus L7, LG Mobile Indonesia is taking the stylish range of phones [...]


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The Illinois economy continues to grow, but for the moment, that growth is not accelerating. This is according to the University of Illinois Flash Index, a monthly assessment of the state’s economy, which now stands at 106.5, the same reading as a month ago. Economist Fred Giertz says that stagnation not necessarily a bad thing.
Click here for summary
“Staying the same doesn’t mean the economy is not changing. It means the economy is changing in the same fashion and the same rate as previously, so in a way, then, this is relatively good news. It means the economy continues to expand,” he said. It will take more expansion though, Giertz says, to make a dent in Illinois’ unemployment rate. When the index hit 106.5 last month, it was the highest reading since a 106.7 figure in July 2007, pre-recession. Numbers over 100 indicate economic growth.


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Chinese technology company Gowild has designed a robot that presumably functions as some sort of smart home hub—according to a Google translation of their website, the robot is a "little robot partner ... for users to create a simple, comfortable, convenient and fun smart lifestyle." And the hook of this robot is that it has eyes, and it can turn its robot head to look at you while you are talking "the way a human would turn their head to listen to a friend," according to PSFK. In addition, "Two oval-like eyes can create 10 different expressions that echo facial features found in humans." We are not sure who on earth was asking for this, but now it exists. At least Gowild has a male robot in addition to the obligatory female one.
This Company Thinks We Want Smart Home Hubs to Look at Us With Creepy Little Robot Eyes
The robots turn their heads toward you when you're talking


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The multistar Welcome Home concert honoring America's Vietnam veterans and scheduled for July 4 at RFK Stadium has been moved to a new location because of poor ticket sales. As of yesterday, two weeks after tickets went on sale, fewer than 9,000 seats out of 52,000 had been sold for the afternoon concert featuring Crosby, Stills and Nash, Anita Baker, Linda Ronstadt, John Fogerty, the Four Tops and others.
The new site is the 20,000-seat Capital Centre in Landover. The concert will still be shown on a same-day, tape-delay basis by HBO, which paid $1.5 million to the nonprofit Welcome Home Inc. for the rights to the concert. According to an HBO spokesman, there will be no changes in the talent lineup.
There will probably be some complaints from ticket holders, however. Ticket sales policies to date have been unorthodox, at best. At first, all tickets were scheduled to be purchased for Vietnam veterans and their families by various corporate sponsors, but after fewer than a thousand were sold that way, tickets were put on sale to the public at $35 for the infield and $20 for the stadium. Then last week, a "limited number" of seats, including many in the infield, were put on sale for $10. Now, individuals who purchased tickets for the RFK show will have to return them for a refund and buy new tickets for the Capital Centre show. This time, the price is $15; tickets go on sale tomorrow.
"It's no secret that the ticket sales hadn't been going that well," HBO spokesperson Quentin Schaffer said yesterday. "And if you don't have a full house, there's not going to be any energy. It became clear we were not going to sell enough seats to justify using RFK Stadium, so we switched."


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Kitsap sees first drop in legal marijuana sales
Kitsap County's first recreational marijuana store opened in August of 2014 and sales soared for the next 14 months.
That trend changed abruptly in November, when the county saw its first month-to-month decline in retail marijuana sales.
Gross sales dipped by nearly 9 percent between October to November, according to numbers posted by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board:
The decline in sales wasn't limited to Kitsap. Washington recorded its first statewide drop in retail marijuana revenue back in July, following a restructuring of the excise tax, and sales slipped again in November:
A one-month falloff in sales is far from a trend, but the decline does come at an interesting time for the industry.
The Liquor and Cannabis Board announced plans last week to lift the cap on retail licenses, as the state prepares to roll the marginally-regulated medical marijuana system into the tightly-controlled recreational marijuana system. The number of stores allowed in Kitsap would increase from 10 to 20.
Some legal marijuana sellers believe the market is already becoming saturated in Bremerton and Port Orchard, pointing to a plateau in per-store sales this fall.
You can wave your mouse over the store names to highlight their sales:


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"Television is a chewing gum for the eyes." —Frank Lloyd Wright
If you weren’t watching, then you probably missed it. Last week was National TV Turnoff Week, an event sponsored by TV-Free America.
It’s a group dedicated to the crazy belief that somehow we have the power to determine what role television plays in our lives. Rather than waiting for others to make "better" TV, the group says, we can just turn it all off and a do something novel like spend some time with our families, our friends, or simply ourselves.
Joining the anti-TV group were some one million erstwhile viewers. Like the 24 million others that have come before them since 1995, they did the unthinkable–they shut down their tubes for a full seven days. Miraculously, there were no fatalities.
Of course, I would’ve joined those brave few, but the truth is that they picked a really bad week for me.
The Dow cracked the 13,000 mark for the first time and Jack Bauer was still on the prowl chasing down bad guys. Besides, what football fan in his right mind could skip a full 12 hours of wall-to-wall draft coverage?
Not many, including me.
In fact, like most fans, I spent the better part of the day on Saturday listening to Mel Kiper Jr. and watching Brady Quinn drop down the boards (GO IRISH!)–which when you think about was kind of pathetic. It was a beautiful day, or so I heard.
But at least I can take some solace in the fact that I was hardly alone. The latest Nielsen statistics reveal that in the average American home, the television is on for well over eight hours a day. The average American now watches four hours and 35 minutes of television each day.
Even more troubling is this: U.S. surveys indicate that by the time a young American graduates from high school, he or she will have spent more hours in front of the TV than in school.
TVs even outnumber us now. There are 2.73 sets in the average household compared to the 2.55 people that live there.
But despite these troubling figures, we party on, surfing the dial, watching everything from Sponge Bob Square Pants to grainy black-and-white documentaries about the Battle of Stalingrad.
It’s a weird cycle that never seems to end. Because let’s face it, we love our TVs, and we need them on that wall–even if there is nothing on.
The flatter, of course, the better. Those fat old cathode ray tube (CTR) sets just don’t cut it anymore.
At least that what Sony (SNE:NYSE) believes. It’ll stop shipping the bulky CTR sets entirely this year. Instead, the company plans to begin selling a line of ultra-thin TVs using organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, hoping to be the first to market with the promising next-generation display.
The new set wowed them at the Consumer Electronic Show in January and has been on the fast track ever since. In TV land, it simply stole the show
And for good reason. Sony’s 27-inch set was a mere ten millimeters thick, while its eleven-inch version was a wispy three millimeters–that’s as thin as the cardboard box your big set came in. You could practically paste it to the wall.
On top of that, the picture quality is off the charts. The sets feature a contrast ratio of 1,000,000 to 1, which means that unlike other flat panel TVs the blacks are quite black and the whites are brilliant.
The remarkably vivid picture can even be watched at an angle without losing its image quality. By comparison, plasma and LCD displays look faded.
What makes all of this wizardy possible is the OLED screen. It uses the self-luminescent properties of organic materials and requires no backlight. Before now these screens have been found mainly in smaller devices like MP3 players and cell phones.
The Nikkei business daily reported last month that Sony would begin mass-producing the sets along with its partner Toyota Industries in a joint venture called ST Liquid Crystal Display. Only about 1,000 of the 11-inch OLED sets will be manufactured per month.
That means that besides being very expensive, they won’t exactly be flying off the shelves of your local Best Buy this year.
But industry analysts predict that by 2012 sales of OLED sets will generate $690 million as they increasingly begin to take their share of the current $35 billion market in flat screens.
"It won’t be easy for OLED TVs to replace LCD TVs," said Sony Executive Katsumi Ihara, "but we would like to turn it into a big new business."
It all means, of course, that TV-Free America will have its work cut out for it again next year. Those sets are going to be working overtime, no matter what’s on.
Maybe they could pick a better week.
Wishing you happiness, health, and wealth,
Steve Christ, Editor


text: Take a gander through the comment section of any gaming-related article here on Engadget, and you're all but guaranteed to find at least one person espousing how much better playing games on a PC is compared to doing so on, say, a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. But just who are those people? Joystiq has spotted a new report from The NPD Group that should shed some light on the situation. Understanding PC Gaming: 2014 calls them "heavy core" gamers. They spend five or more hours each week playing the likes of shooters and strategy titles, and have dropped about twice as much cash on games in the past three months compared to casual gamers. They, perhaps surprisingly, make up the smallest group surveyed: 20 percent compared to casual players' 56 percent, while light core (the same demographic as heavy core, but spends less time gaming on a weekly basis) sits at 24 percent of those 6,225 people questioned.


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Second quarter slowdown at Cramo
By Murray Pollok08 August 2012
Cramo's growth rate slowed in the second quarter of the year and it is now expecting flat sales for the year rather than the growth forecast previously.
The company said the revision reflected "high uncertainty" in the economic outlook as well as the sale of its portable accommodation business in Finland earlier this year.
Rental demand continued to grow in the second quarter in Norway (+10%), Eastern Europe (+11.4%) and Sweden (+4.6%), but elsewhere demand has slowed. Sales in Denmark were down -6% and in Central Europe (the former Theisen business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland) fell by 8.6%.
Vesa Koivula, president and CEO of Cramo, said the problems in Southern Europe during the Spring had affected the economic climate throughout Europe; "Cramo does not operate in Southern Europe, but the general uncertainty has meant customers holding back their investment decisions.
"Also Central and Northern Europe have been affected. However, in some of our markets, in particular in Norway, the Baltic countries and Russia, demand is growing."
Sales for the second quarter were €161.4 million, which represents year-on-year growth of 3.2% after accounting for the divestment of the Finnish portable accommodation business in March. Profits after tax rose by 36.8% to €4.7 million for the second quarter.
Cramo said economic uncertainty had impacted on construction demand in German and Austria. The company closed its small Swiss business during the first half of the year.
Russia is a bright spot for the company. Residential construction is growing and Cramo signed several significant rental contracts in the period, including modular space rental agreements with Nokian Tyres in St Petersburg, at the Volvo factory in Kaluga and an Alstom power plant site in Narva.
It also opened a new depot in Rostov-on-don in support of projects being undertaken by contractor YIT in the area.
The company has slightly scaled back its fleet investment, spending €65.1 million in the first half of this year compared to €71.2 million in the same period in 2011.


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NEW YORK • Harley-Davidson Inc’s profit topped estimates even as tariffs that Europe implemented in retaliation to US President Donald Trump’s levies on steel and aluminium raised costs.
Earnings per share on a GAAP basis dropped to 80 US cents (RM3.30) in the first quarter, the Milwaukee-based manufacturer said in a statement yesterday.
Excluding restructuring and tariff costs, profit slumped to 98 cents a share, though that exceeded analysts’ average estimate for 85 cents.
While motorcycle revenue was down and operating income slumped due in part to tariffs brought about by Trump’s trade policies, expenses and restructuring charges fell.
Harley is moving some US production overseas to sidestep European Union (EU) tariffs that jumped to 31% from 6%.
Last year, this sparked the ire of Trump, who said he’d back a boycott of the company’s bikes.
Tariffs will cost the company between US$100 million and US$120 million in 2019, executives said in January.
In a tweet shortly after Harley reported results yesterday, Trump said the tariffs were “so unfair” to the US and that he’ll reciprocate.
US retail sales fell 4.2% in the first three months of the year, the ninth consecutive quarterly drop.
Harley is struggling to attract younger riders as consumer tastes shift away from pricey, heavyweight motorcycles.
It debuted its first electric motorcycle, LiveWire, in January and acquired an e-bike company in March.
Sales in Europe and Asia — regions CEO Matt Levatich has pinned hopes for growth on — fell 0.6% and 4% respectively.
Levatich wants to derive 50% of revenue from outside the US by 2027, according to a turnaround plan he presented last summer.
A new plant in Thailand is supposed to help Harley avoid tariffs, but it’s still unclear whether the EU will exempt Harley’s Asia-made bikes from levies, according to Wells Fargo & Co.
Harley shares rose 2.2% to US$40.60 as of 7:01am in New York yesterday, before the start of regular trading.
The stock has rallied 16% this year, in line with broader market gains, after closing at an eight-year low on Dec 24.
Harley is still investing in the US — it committed to put US$65 million into its Milwaukee facility and US$10 million into its Tomahawk, Wisconsin, plant as part of a five-year contract with the United Steelworkers that was ratified this month. — Bloomberg


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Wegmans puts the freeze on prices this winter
Wegmans says it blew through more than $8 million last year, keeping the lid on prices of some 40 items that families often buy. So now the Rochester, N.Y.-based grocery chain is at it again, this time adjusting its list for seasonal shopping patterns.
The company unveiled plans today to freeze prices on more than 50 frequently-purchased products (almost all of them are Wegmans private label brands) through April 28. There are 27 items that carried over from last year’s list, and 25 new items.


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COUNCIL bosses have moved to allay fears that horse meat could have got into school meals in Burton and South Derbyshire after the Government announced that ‘immediate’ checks would be carried out.
Both Staffordshire and Derbyshire County Council insist they are on top of the situation and that checks have already taken place to ensure there is no risk to children.
The scandal has been making national headlines for weeks with a number of supermarkets being affected after horse meat was found to have leaked into the food supply.
Chains such as Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Lidl have all been victims of the scandal, with a number of beef products being found to contain horse meat.
With more revelations emerging by the day, it has sparked fears that the meat could have got into schools with the Government announcing that meat is to be tested across the country.
Staffordshire County Council confirmed that as soon as the scandal broke it requested assurances that all meat heading to schools in the county was safe.
Mark Winnington, cabinet member for environment, said: “People should have absolute confidence in what they are eating. As soon as we saw stories about contaminated meat, we contacted our suppliers to ensure that the county council’s catering services were not affected.
“We have had assurances from all of our suppliers that neither they, nor their own suppliers buy beef products from those companies implicated in recent reports.
“However, we will continue to seek a cast-iron guarantee on the quality and origin of the food we buy.”
Councillor Winnington added that wherever possible the council tries to source its meat from Staffordshire to ensure they know where it comes from and also to support local businesses.
Mike Longden, of Derbyshire County Council, also moved to reassure parents in the county, adding: “I’m keen to pre-empt any worries parents might have by making it clear our school meals meet the very highest standards.
“We have a supplier who provides our fresh mince and they are subject to regular checks.”


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WIN Semi reports August revenue, drops Q3 guidance
Smartphone transition creates "wait-and-see" conservatism
WIN Semiconductors dropped its fiscal Q3 revenue outlook to a low single-digit decline from Q2, compared to the previous outlook of a single-digit increase. In a release reporting August revenue, WIN said that customer demand has become “more conservative” due to smartphone product transitions and a “wait-and-see market atmosphere.” Appreciation of the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) created additional headwinds.
WIN reported August revenue of NT$ 1.2 billion ($38 million), a 24 percent increase from the prior year and down 1.7 percent from the prior quarter. Year-to-date revenue (January through August) was NT$ 9.3 billion ($293 million), 19 percent above the prior year period.


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We are committed to reporting the facts and in all situations avoid the use of emotive terms.
KARACHI: Pakistan has witnessed a negative growth in tax collection during the last fiscal year, first time in more than half a century due to dismal performance in revenue mobilisation, official data showed on Friday.
The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Year Book 2018/19 showed that the FBR collected Rs3.828 trillion during the last fiscal year and failed to reach numbers of Rs3.844 trillion in the preceding fiscal year. Tax collection declined 0.4 per cent or Rs15.3 billion year-over-year.
Last time, the negative growth of 2.6 per cent was recorded in 1967/68 in the FBR revenue collection, according to the annual year book.
The FBR faced Rs607 billion of shortfall against actual revenue collection target of Rs4.435 trillion during the fiscal year of 2018/19. The tax collecting agency further admitted that it had missed the second revised target of Rs4.150 trillion by Rs321.5 billion and collected Rs3.828 trillion.
The FBR attributed the revenue shortfall to suspension of withholding tax on telecom sector by the Supreme Court, reduction in government spending, cut in tax rates on salaried income and import compression.
Tax losses included Rs96 billion from petroleum, Rs55 billion from telecom, Rs80 billion on account of reduced government spending, Rs16 billion due to import compression, Rs50 billion due to reduced rates for salaried individuals, and Rs50 billion due to reduction in customs duty.
The FBR said the overall growth in net tax collection declined Rs15.3 billion in FY2019 when compared with the collection of the preceding fiscal year.
The collection of federal excise duty grew around 11.6 per cent and custom duties 12.7 per cent during the last fiscal year, whereas the sales tax and direct taxes recorded negative growth of 1.8 per cent and 5.9 per cent, respectively.
In 2018-19, the sales tax was the top revenue generator with 38.1 per cent share in total tax collection, followed by direct taxes (37.8 per cent), custom duties (17.9 per cent) and federal excise duty (6.2 per cent).
During the last fiscal year, the share of customs duty and federal excise duty increased, whereas the share of direct taxes and sales tax decreased.
The FBR said the last quarter (April-June) of 2018/19 was the worst in terms of tax revenue collection. Monthly growth trend indicated a very good increase in July 2018 and May 2019, but during the remaining ten months either growth was below the double digit or negative.
Negative growth in revenue collection was recorded during five months as compared to corresponding months of the previous year, which was in fact very unusual.
“The revenue performance during April and June was very poor with around — 30.7 per cent and — 8.9 per cent growth,” the FBR said.
Moreover, the FBR released refunds of around Rs121.6 billion last fiscal compared to around Rs154.7 billion cleared in the preceding fiscal year. The refund amount paid during FY2019 was Rs33.1 billion lower compared to the preceding fiscal year.
UNN News Agency. All Right Resered. 2018.


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Google will end its Google Reader RSS service July 1, citing declining usage.
Fans of the news and information aggregation service, however, were quick to criticize Google’s decision, with at least one online petition collecting almost 50,000 signatures within 24 hours of its creation on Change.org. Several other petitions also were created and are gaining signatures by the hour.
Google unveiled the move to end Reader in a March 13 post about an assortment of service cuts that the company is making in the next few months as part of a house cleaning project it began in 2011, according to Urs Hölzle, senior vice president of technical infrastructure and a Google Fellow.
“We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite Websites,” Hölzle wrote. “While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months.”
Interestingly, the news of the demise of Reader was buried in the sixth paragraph of the 10-paragraph blog post, among several lesser services that also will be ending soon, including Google Building Maker, Google Cloud Connect and Google Voice App for BlackBerry.
“These changes are never easy,” wrote Hölzle. “But by focusing our efforts, we can concentrate on building great products that really help in [users’] lives.”
In a separate post on the Google Reader Blog, Alan Green, a Google software engineer, wrote March 13: “We know Reader has a devoted following who will be very sad to see it go. We’re sad too.”
The move is being made for two key reasons, Green wrote, including that the use of Google Reader has declined over time and that “as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products. We think that kind of focus will make for a better user experience.”
The July 1 shutdown date will give users three months to find alternatives, wrote Green.
Users will be able to retain and transfer their Reader data, including subscriptions, to other services using Google Takeout, he wrote.
Reached March 14 via email, a Google spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the company’s plans.
“We’ve given an overview of our reasoning and plans in our posts yesterday on the Google Official Blog and the Google Reader Blog,” she wrote. “There are a number of non-Google alternatives for RSS users, and you can export your Reader data, including your subscriptions, in three steps.”
Google Is Dropping Google Reader July 1
Upon hearing the news, one ardent Google Reader user, Dan Lewis of New York City, who describes himself on his Website as a lawyer and director of new media for a nonprofit organization, started a petition March 13 on Change.org’s Website opposing the move. By 11 a.m. ET March 14, more than 50,000 people had signed the document. By 1 p.m., more than 60,000 signatures were tallied. Contacted by email, Lewis declined to discuss the matter.
In his petition, Google: Keep Google Reader Running, Lewis wrote that the service is a core part of his Internet use.
“Our confidence in Google’s other products—Gmail, YouTube, and yes, even Plus—requires that we trust you in respecting how and why we use your other products,” Lewis wrote in the petition. “This isn’t just about our data in Reader. This is about us using your product because we love it, because it makes our lives better, and because we trust you not to nuke it.”
Charlotte Hill, communications manager for Change.org, said in a statement that Lewis’ petition was the most popular Google Reader petition on Change.org’s Website March 14, making up 24 percent of the site’s total traffic. “At any given moment, approximately 1,500 people were viewing the petition simultaneously,” she wrote.
Several other petitions asking Google to maintain Google Reader were also created on Change.org, including “Google Inc: Please do not shut down Google Reader,” “Google: Please Don’t Kill Reader!” and “Google: Do not remove Google Reader on July 1, 2013.”
The planned obsolescence of Google Reader even quickly spawned a comical protest Website, which includes an animated image of a woman with disdain on her face, along with a caption: “Dear Google, You should bring back Google Reader.”
There has been lots of discussion on the topic on Twitter, as well.
Tim O’Reilly, of O’Reilly Media, suggested that Google pass Reader over to the open-source community where it can be continued and maintained. “My thoughts on petition to keep Google Reader alive. They should ‘recycle’ the service to someone who wants it,” he wrote.
Other replacements are out there for getting the news and blog feeds that are provided by Google Reader, but they may not satisfy users who love the simple and easy-to-use format of Reader.
Now, the question is, will Google respond to the petitioners and change its planned action to end Google Reader? Only Google knows what will happen next.


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Should McDonalds Happy Meals be made into Healthy Meals?
Back on April 27, 2010, the Santa Clara County (California) Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance banning the use of toys to encourage children to eat unhealthy meals offered by restaurants. This was the first move by a government body to try to address the obesity epidemic that is plaguing America’s children. Then on Nov. 2, 2010, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to require that kids’ meals meet certain nutritional standards before they can be sold with toys. This law sets the bar for healthy children’s meals as those “that have less than 600 calories, contain fruits and vegetables, and include beverages without excessive fat or sugar.”
A year later and apparently feeling the pressure from these and other government regulations, the McDonald’s organization is beginning to make concessions. It recently announced its “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices.” This announcement included the decision to do the following:
- By March 2012: provide apples in every Happy Meal (with a smaller serving of French fries)
- By 2015: “reduce sodium an average of 15 percent overall across its national menu of food choices”
- By 2020: “reduce added sugars, saturated fat and calories through varied portion sizes, reformulations and innovations.”
“[Increase] customers’ and employees’ access to nutrition information.”
A review of the current McDonald’s kids’ meals menu reveals that of the current 24 meal combinations offered, five still exceed 600 calories; specifically some of the meals with cheeseburgers and a hamburger, fries and low-fat chocolate-milk meal. The nutritional information for the new menu that includes meals with apples and fewer fries is not out yet. But the company seems to be moving in the right direction. One source suggests that the new Happy Meals will have 6 fewer grams of fat and between 110 and 120 fewer calories.
Important note: It’s no secret what a healthy meal should include. The high sugar content, lack of whole grains and lack of meaningful vegetables in most kids’ meals are still at issue. As a food source for millions of children, McDonald’s cannot ignore its responsibility to offer healthier meals to children, regardless of what children will eat or parents will buy.


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Loa Janan, a small town located in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, has recently experienced a significant transformation in its economy. The town’s newfound prosperity can be attributed to the introduction of internet connectivity, which has opened up new opportunities for businesses and individuals alike.
Before the arrival of the internet, Loa Janan’s economy was largely based on agriculture and fishing. The town’s remote location and lack of infrastructure made it difficult for businesses to thrive. However, with the introduction of internet connectivity, the town has been able to overcome these challenges and develop a thriving economy.
One of the most significant impacts of internet connectivity on Loa Janan’s economy has been the growth of e-commerce. Online marketplaces such as Tokopedia and Bukalapak have made it possible for small businesses in Loa Janan to reach customers all over Indonesia. This has allowed local businesses to expand their customer base and increase their revenue.
In addition to e-commerce, the internet has also opened up new opportunities for education and training. Online courses and tutorials have made it possible for individuals in Loa Janan to learn new skills and improve their job prospects. This has led to a more skilled workforce, which has attracted new businesses to the town.
Another way in which the internet has impacted Loa Janan’s economy is through the growth of tourism. The town’s natural beauty and unique culture have always been a draw for tourists, but the internet has made it easier for people to discover Loa Janan and plan their trips. Social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have allowed visitors to share their experiences in the town, which has led to increased interest in the area.
The internet has also had a positive impact on the town’s infrastructure. With the help of online platforms, the local government has been able to improve public services such as healthcare and education. Online communication has made it easier for residents to access these services, which has led to a higher quality of life for everyone in the town.
Despite these positive impacts, there are also some challenges that come with internet connectivity. One of the biggest challenges is the digital divide between urban and rural areas. While Loa Janan has been able to benefit from internet connectivity, many other rural areas in Indonesia still lack access to the internet. This has created a gap in economic development between urban and rural areas.
Another challenge is the issue of online security. As more businesses and individuals in Loa Janan rely on the internet for their livelihoods, there is a growing need for cybersecurity measures to protect against online threats such as hacking and identity theft.
In conclusion, the introduction of internet connectivity has had a significant impact on Loa Janan’s economy. The growth of e-commerce, tourism, and education has led to increased revenue and a more skilled workforce. However, there are also challenges that come with internet connectivity, such as the digital divide and online security. It is important for the local government and businesses to work together to address these challenges and ensure that the benefits of internet connectivity are shared by everyone in the town.


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Avis Budget Group, Inc. and Avis Europe plc announced today that they have reached agreement on the terms of the acquisition by Avis Budget of all outstanding shares of Avis Europe in exchange for £3.15 in cash per Avis Europe share. The acquisition is scheduled to close in October 2011, subject to Avis Europe shareholder approval, court approval and regulatory clearances, according to a press statement.
Avis Europe is an independent, publicly traded company that operates the Avis brand via a network of over 3,100 locations in 112 countries, through wholly-owned subsidiaries in 13 countries and through license arrangement in an additional 99 countries. Avis Europe also operates the Budget brand through 950 locations in 59 countries.
The terms of the transaction value Avis Europe's ordinary equity at approximately £635 million, or approximately $1.0 billion. According to the press statement, several of Avis Europe's shareholders have already committed to support the transaction. Avis Budget has received 'hard' irrevocable commitments from Avis Europe's majority shareholder, D'Ieteren, whose holdings represent approximately 60 percent of the share capital of Avis Europe as well as from the directors on Avis Europe's board.
"This transaction represents an outstanding opportunity for Avis Budget, and the acquisition of a business that we have long sought to own," said Ronald L. Nelson, Avis Budget Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The transaction re-unites the global operation of the Avis and Budget brands under one corporate umbrella, and is both financially and strategically compelling. We expect the combination of our two companies will allow us to more effectively serve vehicle-rental customers worldwide, and to achieve operating synergies of more than $30 million a year. In addition, the acquisition will give Avis Budget an increased presence in rapidly-growing international markets, including India and China.
"From a financial perspective, we expect the acquisition of Avis Europe to be accretive to Avis Budget's earnings per share on a pro-forma basis with synergies, excluding any integration and other one-time costs and the non-cash effects of purchase accounting. Because Avis Europe and Avis Budget generally do not have operations in the same jurisdiction, the acquisition is not expected to face significant antitrust obstacles."
Upon the acquisition becoming effective, the combined Avis Budget and Avis Europe businesses will have annual revenues of approximately $7 billion and owned or licensed operations in more than 150 countries. Avis Budget expects to fund the acquisition using a combination of its own cash resources, equity funding through the potential issuance of up to $250 million of Avis Budget common stock, and debt financing which has been arranged by a syndicate of banks and/or proceeds from the issuance of debt securities.
Avis Budget noted that it has made progress in its discussions with the Federal Trade Commission regarding its potential acquisition of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.
While Avis Budget will continue to monitor the Dollar Thrifty situation, the Company's focus squarely will be on completing and integrating the significant acquisition of Avis Europe, according to the press statement.
"We believe this news will be negative for Dollar Thrifty Group (DTG, Neutral, $79.87, $70 FV) as it introduces uncertainty with respect to CAR's commitment and ability to pursue its interest in DTG," writes Christopher Agnew, managing director of MKM Partners. Agnew writes that "Although the FT noted that sources 'familiar with the matter said the company [CAR] was not planning to walk away definitively,' we [MKM Partners] believe this acquisition would restrict CAR's ability to compete in a bidding war with HTZ for DTG.
"We believe this news, if confirmed, is positive for Hertz (HTZ, Buy, $14.12, $20 PT) as it increases the likelihood that HTZ's recent exchange offer of approximately $72/share cash and stock offer is successful, subject to regulatory approval," Agnew continues. "We believe the highly strategic acquisition of DTG would be accretive at the current exchange offer."