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While off-site sales haven’t been as high as he would’ve hoped in its first year, the brewery has more than made up for it through sales at its taproom, 109 W. North St. He estimates it brewed between 600 and 700 barrels since it opened.
“It helps being the only one here (in Springfield),” Loftis said. “There’s a lot of great beer from Ohio that you can get anywhere you go. In that respect, it’s a good thing, but I don’t know if it’s sustainable or not.”
A new biennial economic impact study commissioned by the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Beer Institute shows that industry growth exploded in recent years, contributing more than $13.2 billion to Ohio’s economy in 2016. That’s a $2 billion increase from 2015.
In 2011, the state was home to 32 craft breweries. Now at least 220 call Ohio home — a more than 580 percent increase in six years.
Justin Hemminger, spokesman for the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, said the boom in craft breweries directly correlates toward an overall market trend of eating and drinking local.
“Most of the people opening craft breweries right now, they realize it’s a good climate to try it and to try and sell beer, but they’re more concerned about making excellent beer versus it being a strict dollars-and-cents proposition,” Hemminger said.
The $2.5 million Springfield brewery opened last year after major renovations to a large brick building that once was part of the old Metallic Casket Co. campus.
The downtown Springfield brewery — called a “game changer” by downtown officials when it was first announced in 2015 — will celebrate its one-year anniversary at noon Sunday. The event begins at noon with yoga, followed by performances by The Harvesters from 1 to 3 p.m. and progressive bluegrass band Trout Steak Revival at 5 p.m.
“It’s good to have one year behind us and be well-received and embraced by the community,” Loftis said.
The big markets in the larger urban areas are quickly becoming crowded, he said, especially at bar taps and on regional shelf space — which has made outside sales more challenging than he expected.
RELATED: Proposed brewery may move location in downtown Springfield
“I don’t know how much more it can hold,” Loftis said. “You have a certain amount of people in the country that drink craft. It has gone up, but I’m not sure if it’s fast enough to sustain the explosive growth in the number of breweries. It is getting crowded, no doubt.”
The taproom has supported the business more than Loftis ever imagined, he said. About 90 percent of its sales are done on-site, he said, proving Springfield can support its own brewery.
“It’s been a pleasant surprise and frankly, the lifeline,” he said. “Our crew has done an awesome job.”
The popularity of the taproom forced the brewery to focus more on its on-site events, including multiple concert series, food trucks and festivals, such as an annual Oktoberfest. The outdoor biergarten has also allowed parents to bring their children, Loftis said.
The bar has brought in more people from across the region, he said, and Mother Stewart’s will host several tap takeovers in Columbus this month as it works to establish its brand there and in Dayton.
RELATED: Ohio may increase beer cap
The Ohio Craft Brewers Association counts 147 members out of the 220 operating craft breweries in the state. It also has more than 160 Allied Members in a wide variety of fields, including packaging, insurance, mechanical systems, architecture and farming.
“The local economy around the craft brewing industry has very long arms,” Hemminger said.
The same can be said for Mother Stewart’s, which purchases hops from New Carlisle’s Hop-Acre Farm and South Solon’s OSHY Hops, as well as malt from Davidson Family Growers in New Carlisle.
“It’s a neat aspect of craft beer, the growing aspect,” Loftis said.
MORE LOCAL STORIES: Read the latest news from Michael Cooper
The brewery has been a pioneer in the rebirth of downtown business, said Mike McDorman, CEO and president of the Chamber of Greater Springfield.
“Their success proves downtown is a viable option,” he said.
The next step in downtown Springfield’s development is market-rate housing, McDorman said.
“Their success helps attract developers that might take a risk on downtown where before they wouldn’t … It’s been amazing to watch them take an old building and make it new again. It will be catalytic in what we’re going to see in the next year.”
The brewery will focus on off-site sales in its second year and provide more programming at its taproom, he said. It may also introduce a food component to allow it to sell wine.
They will also be adding new beers, Loftis said.
“I’m going to get a little crazier than I have been,” he said. “It’s been good to get this year under my belt.”
3 QUICK MUST READ STORIES
Drug epidemic wreaking havoc on Clark County businesses, economy
Springfield backs $24M hazardous dump cleanup near water source
Springfield to restore cuts to $2.68M court budget after court order
By the numbers
$2.5 million: Estimated cost of the downtown brewery project.
$1.3 million: Estimated cost of improvements to be made at 109 W. North St.
600-700: Estimated barrels brewed by Mother Stewart's in its first year.
Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun was first to report on the plans for a downtown microbrewery in 2015 and will continue to track business developments in downtown.


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Destiny 1080p Xbox One footage
A newly-released video showcases Destiny running at 1080p on Xbox One for the first time.
, the footage demonstrates what the final version of the upcoming first-person shooter will look like on Microsoft's latest gaming machine.
Looks rather nice indeed now just need a new console to play it on come September ohhhh
The game is currently doing the rounds in beta testing for both the PS4 and Xbox One.
Quake Live coming soon to Steam
For those Quake Live fans that have an aversion to standalone clients, QuakeCon has your needs met. This year's event opened up with the news that Quake Live would be coming to Steam.
No date has been given for Quake Live's upcoming Steam release. For those PC users that can't wait that long, the client is currently available through the
Quake Live website
If you don't know we were once a big Quake 3 Arena clan from many moons ago
we didn't do too bad
Doom 4 is an oldschool reboot
id Software has revealed its highly anticipated new game in the legendary Doom franchise and it's just called Doom.
That's right, it's one of those oh-so-popular reboots that are all the rage these days. And why not? It's been 21 years since Doom popularised the first-person shooter genre.
Details were revealed at QuakeCon today, but footage was only shown to attendees. According to an
on-site report by Polygon
, the game is being developed on id Tech 6 and will launch on PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Happy Birthday to us!
Well it is our
16th birthday this month.
So long and thanks for all the fish...
Below is a list of site fixes going back over a year or so, just forgot to add them to the news, oops
Updates: e107 core has been updated to v1.0.4, it was only a small update all seems fine so far. Added Pinterest button to "share" menu. Added a few more "avatar" pictures. Added Google AdSense adverts. Added Google Analytics for site statistics. Updated Links page with new site images. Slight updates to the "download page" layout. Removed our video page and linked it to the one on YouTube itself. Lots of small niggles.
As for what's next? not sure....
Alien: Isolation Origins Trailer
We have been burnt before well many times but lets hope England's own Creative Assembly can pull it off!
As Amanda Riply, you navigate through an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien.
Eurogamer have a decent
preview up as well.
Available in late 2014 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC.

domain: news


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Which segments offer the highest opportunity in Brazilian consumer goods market?
The market is diverse but competition is becoming more intense. And companies need to evaluate and discover the hidden value in this market.
How can consumer goods industry best seize the opportunities from emerging middle class in L. A.
Emerging classes now show a greater demand for consumer goods and they have the means to pay for it. Transformation in social classes should continue as governments maintain strong economic policies.


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The New iPhone 5s: Outsmarted by Other Smartphones?
Last week, Apple announced details of the iPhone 5s. With its new A7 chip, iPhone 5s is the first smartphone with 64-bit technology, providing faster performance when launching apps, editing photos, or playing graphic-intensive games. iPhone 5s features an all-new 8-megapixel iSight camera and introduces the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which allows users to securely unlock the phone with the touch of a finger.
“iPhone 5s is the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, delivering desktop-class architecture in the palm of your hand,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. iPhone 5s comes in gold, silver, or space gray, and will be available September 20 at the suggested retail price of $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model, and $399 for the 64GB model.
Industry experts weren’t surprised by the latest enhancements, news of which had been leaking all summer.
“I think the Apple announcement was a bit of a disappointment, because they didn’t go with a larger screen,” said John MacWilliams, principal of US Competitors LLC and a senior consultant and analyst with Bishop & Associates Inc. “A four-inch screen is no longer competitive with Samsung’s Galaxy S, Note, and Mega, which have 1080P screens that range from five to nearly seven inches. Apparently, Apple is trying to keep it simple by not offering a lot of different phones, now going from one to two phones with the whizzbang-cased and lower-priced 5c and the sleek aluminum-cased 5s. There may also be a display issue where Apple can’t yet get larger Retina screens; remember that Apple is not in the LCD display business and Samsung is.”
Apple also introduced iPhone 5c, featuring an all-new design in five colors — blue, green, pink, yellow, and white. iPhone 5c is built on a foundation of familiar features like the 4-inch Retina display, superfast performance of the A6 chip, and the 8 megapixel iSight camera and comes with more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world. It also provides a new FaceTime HD camera, and iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone. iPhone 5c will be available in the US on September 20 for a suggested retail price of $99 for the 16GB model and $199 for the 32GB model, and customers began pre-orders for the iPhone 5c on September 13.
The new iPhones will run iOS 7, available September 18 and the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone. iOS 7 has a completely redesigned user interface and hundreds of new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Siri, and more. Also, it introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music users listen to on iTunes. In addition, iOS 7 has been engineered with deep technical and design integration with both iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.
“iOS 7 is completely redesigned with an entirely new user interface and more than 200 new features, so it’s like getting a brand new device, but one that will still be instantly familiar to our users,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering.
“iOS 7 is assumed at this point to be a substantial upgrade of the best OS in the industry,” said MacWilliams. “So, you don’t get the larger screen but you do get Apple’s best display, now debatable in view of Samsung’s improvements in size, brightness, resolution, and color accuracy; and Apple has the best OS. Its camera is just okay at 8 megapixels, takes good pictures and videos, and doesn’t gum up your memory with huge files. But some will prefer the competitive Nokia 1020 Windows phone, which has a 41-megapixel camera. Camera enthusiasts will be attracted to that phone over all others.”
According to MacWilliams, people who want to do serious work on their phones will be attracted to Samsung’s “phablet”-sized designs that allow them to work on spreadsheets and draft and edit Microsoft Word documents and can be used in one-on-one sales presentations.
“The bottom line is this is a good-not-great upgrade from the iPhone 5, considering the fact that 4S and 5 can be upgraded to iOS 7, too,” said MacWilliams. “The real news here is the announcement of several new competitive phones from Samsung, LG, Nokia, and others, and Microsoft’s announcement that they are acquiring Nokia’s mobile phone business to beef up their late Windows phone entry. Thus the plot thickens in the smartphone arena…”
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If you want to prompt shock, stares, and gaped-mouths, tell people on Capitol Hill that you haven’t tried Marination yet.
Growing in Seattle-food-legend status, the Hawaiian-Korean-Mexican fusion started with just a food truck named Big Blue in the parking lot of the Shell Gas Station on Broadway, and has now grown to two brick-and-mortar restaurants – one on Capitol Hill and one in West Seattle.
Five years later, Big Blue is still going strong. Marination Station, located above the QFC at Pike and Broadway, just celebrated its third birthday in April. Marination has now sold more than a million tacos, has more than 50 employees, and won the title “Best Food Truck in America” from Good Morning America. Their new restaurant, Marination Ma Kai, has one of the most beautiful views in Seattle, sitting on Harbor Avenue on the Alki waterfront, staring directly at the downtown skyline.
But despite all of this amazing success, the owners of Marination, Kamala Saxton and Roz Edison, aren’t done.
“They’re always looking, always scoping out the next best opportunity. There’s always something in the works,” laughed John Beck, Marination’s stylish and friendly Social Media and Internet Marketing Manager. His new role is one more example of how the restaurant group has grown exponentially. “Every time we’ve opened something new, the staff has been ready and everyone agrees we can do it. They make sure we’re all on board, and then they make a move when it’s a really good opportunity.”
And one of those good opportunities presented itself earlier this year. Saxton and Edison decided to branch out from their usual curb-cuisine, Spam and taco fare, to open a bar and restaurant in Pioneer Square. They’re partnering with their former Head Chef, Josh Kelly, to open Good Bar in July.
Good Bar will be on the corner of 2nd and Main, in the historic Pacific Commercial Bank building. Inside, huge white columns dominate the space, and 100-year-old, original bank vaults will also be a focal point. At 2,000 square feet, it’s a big departure from their original, few-square-feet, tiny space inside of Big Blue.
Now that Josh Kelly, the inventor of Marination’s tasty Pork Katsu sandwich is working on the new project, a new Head Chef took over the reins at Marination. Chef Angie Roberts joined the team after spending years at fine dining restaurants around Seattle.
“She’s an overall whiz in plating and making everything beautiful. But she wanted something different. She wanted to do something that had aspects of a food truck, a brick-and-mortar store, and a fine-dining restaurant. She’s already looking at ways to change and expand the menu,” said Beck.
If you’ve visited Marination Station lately, you’ve probably noticed Roberts’ influence. All of the specials over the last two months have been her creations, and she’s looking to add another large-size item (maybe a burger!) to the menu, another dessert, and expand the breakfast choices.
“Oh, and we have pineapple now! We never actually used to use pineapple until she started with us,” Beck told me. “It was really popular on the Big Kahuna burger special with grilled Spam.”
I tried the Cold Soba Noodles special the day that I visited Marination. Served with house ginger-pickled cucumbers, it had less of the spicy POW of some of the other dishes, but was a nice balance to the strong and tangy, miso-mayo Nunya Sauce that’s found on the tacos and sliders (which, by the way, can now be bought online).
Now that Marination Station has reached its third birthday, I asked Beck what the key is to surviving and thriving as a restaurant on Capitol Hill. He told me that they try to make sure and individualize the customer by remembering names and orders. But, mostly, the magic sauce is not the Nunya, but the dedication of the owners.
“Roz and Kamala are both insane,” Beck said, smiling. “I don’t know how they do it. I don’t think they sleep. I’ll email them at two in the morning and they’ll answer. And then I’ll email at 6 a.m. and get a response again. Roz still mans the food truck and takes care of Big Blue, and she’s an education professional at the University of Washington. She also helps with a food truck startup that helps people starting their first food truck. And Kamala just got her Crossfit training certification. I try not to compare myself to them because then I feel completely lazy.”


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Duct Sealing a Logical Add-On to Duct Cleaning, Officials Say
At Aeroseal, we pride ourselves on the “1-2 punch” that cleaning and sealing duct work offers homeowners and business owners.
You probably already know the benefits of cleaning air duct systems in homes and buildings. Unfortunately, cleaning a duct system alone is only “fixing the symptom” (e.g. the ducts are dirty). It does not prevent the ducts from getting dirty AGAIN.
Good news! Aeroseal makes it extremely easy to effectively clean ducts AND prevent them from getting dirty again, leading to improved air quality (less dust and airborne allergens) in homes and buildings. See how Aeroseal works.
Furthermore, SNIPS magazine recently published Duct sealing a logical add-on service to cleaning, officials say by Michael McConnell.
In the article, McConnell writes, “For a growing number of duct cleaning companies, a project isn’t finished until that newly scrubbed ductwork and its HVAC system have been sealed. Sealing ductwork involves applying products such as tapes, coatings and sprays to the ductwork’s exterior or interior to ensure homeowners and building owners get all the HVAC performance they expect.”
NADCA Executive Director Kristy Cohen adds, “[Duct Sealing] is a service that’s growing in popularity.”
She points out, “We’re seeing an increase in the number of our NADCA members who are in that duct-sealing space. It’s something that they are looking at as a natural progression.”


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At the end of last year, the Garden Pancake House in Schofield closed down unexpectedly, even to its staff. Now a new restaurant opened in what was once a Perkin.
Josh and Dineen Gorski oversee the Rodzina Restaurant at 508 Grand Ave., open since the middle of February. The business – whose name means “family” in Polish – began with takeout, is now serving those who wish to dine in. Rodzina Restaurant is not tied to the Gorski’s restaurant in Mosinee and Josh Gorski says their available menu is widely diversified.
“We try to be different while throwing in some Polish stuff,” he says. “We have a Polish burger and just put pierogies in. We do not want to be just Polish, there’s comfort food for everyone.”
Rodzina — the menu
Indeed, the menu presently lists items like a patty melt and buffalo wrap alongside unique creations like the blackberry burger and apple pie chicken sandwich. The Gorskis credit this kind of twisting and turning of what people know to chef Martez Marshall.
Marshall says part of his intent is to blend sweet and savory together. Of all his items, the apple pie and chicken sandwich is a highlight – he adds the piece has a unique flavor and gets lots of praise.
“We use a special recipe for our apple filling,” Marshall says. “It goes with an apple-filled doughnut and then we deep fry or grill chicken and put apples on top of it with a squirt of caramel. The bun is a completely filled doughnut and people give us really good feedback.”
Reviews online say there is excellent service and good portions and, while the business is coming in on the heels of another which left staff out in the cold, such a thing is not happening here. No one from Garden Pancake House has come in looking for work. Existing staff gel well and are so tight-knit the Gorskis hope they stay for a while.
“This is such an exciting adventure,” Dineen Gorski says.
The Rodzina Restaurant is always taking applications for part-time work in the back and front of the house. Those wanting more information can contact them through the Rodzina Restaurant Facebook page or by calling 715-907-1085. They are open from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Monday and Sunday as of this story’s filing. This may change later.
Evan J. Pretzer is a contributor to City Pages. He can be reached at [email protected].


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Pocket.watch and Mattel Inks Ad-Sale Partnership
Pocket.watch has clinched the exclusive advertising inventory sales rights for a portfolio of over 90 Mattel YouTube brand channels, featuring renowned names like Barbie, Hot Wheels, and American Girl. By: Theng Min Yee
Prominent kids and family creator content and IP company, pocket.watch, and the leading global toy company, Mattel, have launched a partnership granting pocket.watch the exclusive rights to sell advertising inventory across over 90 of Mattel’s popular YouTube brand channels. The collaboration between pocket.watch and Mattel builds on a longstanding partnership between pocket.watch and Mattel, which initially began in 2018, focusing on influencer content and strategic media campaigns.
Previously, Mattel utilised pocket.watch’s network of creators and media expertise to execute large-scale campaigns across YouTube. Pocket.watch boasts a creator network comprising 47 of the most prominent kids and family creators globally, amassing a staggering 771 million subscribers and over 500 billion lifetime views.
Julia Moonves, Senior VP of Advertising Sales and Brand Partnerships at pocket.watch, expressed enthusiasm for deepening their ties with Mattel. She emphasized the extensive fan bases of Mattel's IPs, citing brands like Barbie and Thomas & Friends, which enjoy dedicated followers worldwide.
Moonves further highlighted the importance of curated premium inventory, especially in the face of the daily influx of content on digital platforms. The Mattel brands, she affirmed, provide a secure and engaging environment for both kids and creators.
Jason Horowitz, Global Head of Marketing and Media at Mattel, underscored their meticulous approach to cultivating substantial audiences across leading YouTube channels. He expressed eagerness to expand their enduring partnership with pocket.watch, a trusted player in the kids' media sphere. Horowitz emphasized how this collaboration amplifies the value they offer to advertisers by leveraging YouTube as a content platform.
To never miss a story — sign up for Viral Weekly free newsletter to stay up-to-date with compelling TV and Film news and views.


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Daimler faces a recall of more than 600,000 diesel-engine vehicles including Mercedes C-class and G-class models because of suspected emissions manipulation, a German magazine reported.
The freshened 2019 Mercedes C300 and C300 4MATIC will go on sale in the U.S. in late 2018 with new front and rear styling, interior upgrades and a new 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine.
Mercedes-Benz USA's effort to capitalize on the Super Bowl via a smartphone game stalled out Sunday as too many people tried to play the Mercedes-Benz Last Fan Standing game.
After Mercedes-Benz begins assembling electric vehicles at its plant in Vance, Ala., it could move production of the C-class sedan out of the country.
At Geneva: VW, Daimler keep faith in diesels; Tariff talk; FCA boss: We talked to Geely; Gran return for BMW 8 series; Benz C class; Polestar plug-in; A Range Rover not for the masses.
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Readying intended for a good Crypto Various currencies Entire world: Tiongkok Copy
Chinese government. The particular market got the visits like a warrior, although the combos took their toll in a lot of cryptocurrency investors. The market poor performance in 2018 mat in comparison to the stellar thousand-percent gains around 2017.
What has occured?
Since 2013, the Chinese language government have taken measures in order to regulate cryptocurrency, but nothing to as opposed to what was enforced in 2017. (Check away this post for a detailed analysis in the established notice issued by Oriental government)
2017 was obviously a the flag year for the cryptocurrency market with all typically the attention plus growth that has achieved. The extreme value unpredictability forced the Main bank to adopt even more extreme measures, including often the sanction of initial endroit products (ICOs) and clampdowns upon domestic cryptocurrency transactions. Soon after, mining industrial facilities in China were obligated to close up down, citing too much electrical energy consumption. Several exchanges plus factories include relocated overseas to steer clear of regulations but continued attainable to Chinese investors. However, they still fail to break free the claws from the Oriental Dragon.
In the hottest series of government-led work in order to and ban cryptocurrency buying and selling among Chinese investors, Tiongkok extended its “Eagle Eye” to monitor overseas cryptocurrency deals. Companies plus bank accounts suspected associated with carrying out transactions using foreign crypto-exchanges and associated activities are subjected to methods from limiting resignation limitations to freezing connected with balances. There have even been recently continuous rumors among the Chinese community associated with more serious measures to be enforced with unusual platforms that allow buying and selling among Chinese investors.
“As for whether you will see further more regulatory measures, you will have to wait for instructions through the higher authorities. very well Excerpts from an appointment with group leader associated with the China’s Public Information Network Safety Supervision business within the Ministry of General public Protection, 28th February
EXACTLY WHY PRECISELY WHY WHY!?
Imagine your own baby investing his or maybe her discounts to devote in a digital merchandise (in this case, cryptocurrency) that he or the woman is without way of confirming its authenticity and benefits. He or she might get lucky and strike this rich, or lose all this when the crypto-bubble break open. Now scale that to help numerous Chinese citizens and we will be talking about billions of Chinese Yuan.
The market is whole of scams in addition to pointless ICOs. (I’m be certain to now have heard news of men and women transmitting coins to random contact information with the assurance of duplicity their purchases and ICOs that just don’t help to make sense). Many unsavvy option traders are throughout it for the money and would care less regarding the technology and innovation to it. The value involving many cryptocurrencies comes from marketplace speculation. During the crypto-boom in 2017, participate inside virtually any ICO with possibly a famous advisor on the machine, an encouraging team or even the decent nonsense and anyone are guaranteed in lowest 3X your purchases.
An absence of understanding of the company as well as the technology behind it, with the spreading of ICOs, is usually the recipe intended for problem. Participants of typically the Central lender reports the fact that almost 90% of the particular ICOs are bogus or perhaps involves outlawed fund-collecting. Inside of my viewpoint, the Chinese language government wants to make sure that cryptocurrency remains ‘controllable’ and not necessarily too massive to fall short in the Chinese community. China is taking the right steps towards the safer, more regulated cryptocurrency world, albeit aggressive together with controversial. In fact, it could possibly be the best approach the country has taken inside decades.
Will Cina challenge an ultimatum create cryptocurrency against the law? I highly hesitation so since it is pretty pointless to do and so. Currently, banking institutions are prohibited from holding any crypto assets even though individuals usually are allowed to nonetheless are usually barred from taking out any forms of dealing.
A State-run Cryptocurrency Change?
In the annual “Two Sessions” (Named because two important parties- National People’s The legislature (NPC) and the Country specific Committee with the Chinese People’s Electoral Consultative Conference (CPCC) both be a part of the forum�?held on the first week of March, commanders gather together to discuss about the best and newest difficulties and make fundamental law changes.
Wang Pengjie, a member of the NPCC dabbled into the potential customers of a state-run electronic tool trading platform while well as initiate educative projects on blockchain in addition to cryptocurrency in China and taiwan. On the other hand, the proposed system might require a authenticated account to allow trading.
“With the establishment of connected regulations and the co-operation with the People’s Bank associated with The far east (PBoC) and The far east Stock options Regulatory Commission(CSRC), a good licensed and efficient cryptocurrency exchange platform would assist as an official way to get companies to raise money (through ICOs) and shareholders to hold their digital possessions and attain investment appreciation” Excerpts of Wang Pengjie presentation with the Two Lessons.
The Walk towards the Blockchain Land
Governments and central banking companies worldwide have battled to help grapple with the raising popularity of cryptocurrencies; although the one thing is sure, just about all have embraced blockchain.
Despite the cryptocurrency attack, blockchain has also been gaining popularity and even re-homing in various degrees. The Chinese government have also been supporting blockchain attempts and embracing the technologies. In fact, the Peoples’ Lender of China (PBoC) are actually working on a digital foreign currency and have got conducted mock purchases with some of the nation’s industrial banks. It can be still unconfirmed if the particular digital currency will likely be decentralized and offer features involving cryptocurrency like invisiblity in addition to immutability. It wouldn’t occur as a surprise if this turns out to be just some sort of electronic digital Oriental Yuan given that invisiblity is the last thing that Tiongkok wants in their nation. Nevertheless , produced as a good close up alternative of the Chinese Yuan, the online currency will be subjected to existing budgetary guidelines and laws.
Householder’s Bank of China Chief of the servants, Zhou Xiaochuan. Source: CNBC
“Lots of cryptocurrencies have got noticed explosive growth which can deliver significant depressing impact on people and retail investors. All of us have a tendency like (cryptocurrency) products that will make use of the big opportunity for questions that gives people the picture of getting rich overnight” Excerpts from Zhou Xiaochuan employment interview on Friday, ninth Mar.
On a multimedia appearance in Friday, ninth March, Texas chief of Individuals Bank involving China, Zhou Xiaochuan belittled cryptocurrency assignments that leveraged on this crypto-boom to cash in and even fuel market supposition. This individual also noted the fact that growth of the electronic foreign currency is ‘technologically inevitable’
Over a regional level, many Chinese language cities have are traveling blockchain initiatives to market progress in their area. Hangzhou, well known for staying the headquarters regarding Alibaba, have stated blockchain engineering to be one involving the city’s top focus in 2018. The nearby government in Chengdu town have as well been suggested the building of a great incubation center to advance often the adoption of blockchain technologies in the city’s financial services.
Localized conglomerates such Tencent plus Alibaba have as well shaped alliance with blockchain firms or initiated projects independently. Blockchain firms such as VeChain have also secured various partnerships with Chinese corporations to enhance supply chain visibility inside China.
All hints indicate the fact of which China is working toward a blockchain nation. China has often had a good available thinking to developing technological innovation such as cellular payment and even Artificial Intelligence. Henceforth, the idea is with out a doubt that China is definitely the first blockchain-enabled nation. Can exchangecoin24.com/exchange/1_10/Bitcoin_BTC-to-Card_USD see the particular Chinese government backing along and let the individuals trade again? Almost certainly, if the market has grown up and is less unpredictable yet definitely not in 2018.Others


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KAILUA-KONA — Avocado industry officials say shipments of Sharwil avocados from Hawaii and their resulting profits could expand exponentially in coming years.
West Hawaii Today reports Hawaii’s avocado industry opened in early December with weekly shipments of about 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) to two Seattle-based wholesale produce companies.
Hawaii Avocado Association board member Billy Wakefield says hundreds of acres of avocados could “very easily” be sent to the mainland. He says each acre could produce about 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms) of avocados each year.
Mike Scharf, an officer in charge for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, says 32 states and the District of Columbia are allowed to import Sharwil avocados from Hawaii.
He says 12 Hawaii farms have either been certified or are preparing for a USDA site visit.
Information from: West Hawaii Today, http://www.westhawaiitoday.com


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|Ossii Sound has created a new pair of customisable bone conduction glasses which are currently in the final hours of their Kickstarter campaign and already raised over double the required pledge goal making sure the product makes the jump into production. “An eyewear that lets you connect with the world around, instead of distracting you […]|
The post Ossii Sound Bone Conduction Glasses appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|Apple has released their new iOS 12 beta 4 software, the software is now available for developers, it is also expected to be made available to Apple’s public beta testing program. The iOS 12 software brings a wide range of new features to the iPhone and iPad. The main focus of the software is performance […]|
The post Apple Releases iOS 12 Beta 4 appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|We are expecting to sew a number of new Apple iPads this year, these will include some new iPad Pro models with Apple’s Face ID. Now some details have been discovered on two other new iPad Models, these new devices were discovered at the Eurasian Economic Commission. Some Apple devices turned up at the Eurasian […]|
The post Details On Another Two Apple iPad Models Discovered appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|If like me you use the Affinity Designer and Photo applications on a daily basis, you may be interested to know that Serif has today launched Affinity Designer for iPad. To celebrate the launch of the new professional graphic design application iPad Affinity Designer, Serif is offering a 30 percent discount off everything for a […]|
The post Affinity Designer For iPad Launches With Special Introductory Price appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|We previously heard rumors about a new 10.5 inch iPad Pro with Apple’s Face ID, now according to a recent report there will be two new models this fall. The news comes from respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was has shared some details on what Apple is expected to launch before the end of the […]|
The post Two New iPad Pro Tablets With Face ID Coming This Fall appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|Apple introduced their new USB Restricted Mode with the release of their iOS 11.4.1 software update. The new mode is designed to make it harder for people to hack iOS devices. Apple is wanting to stop devices like the GrayKey Box from hacking their iPhones, these devices are used by law enforcement and the USB […]|
The post Apple’s iOS 11.4.1 USB Restricted Mode Can Be Easily Hacked appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|Apple recently released their new iOS 11.4.1 software update, the update mainly includes some bug fixes and also some performance improvements. Included in the iOS 11.4.1 software update is Apple’s new restricted USB mode which stops some hacking devices like the GrayKey Box breaking into the device, have a look at the video below. The […]|
The post Whats New In iOS 11.4.1 (Video) appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|Apple recently released their third beta of iOS 12 to developers and now they have also released iOS 12 Public Beta 2 to their public beta testing program. The new iOS 12 Public Beta 2 is basically the exact same software as the iOS 12 Beta 3 that has been released to developers. In order […]|
The post Apple iOS 12 Public Beta 2 Software Released appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|Apple has released their new iOS 12 beta 3 software, the software has so far been released to developers. In order to try out the third beta of Apple’s iOS 12 you will need to been a registered developers, the software has not been released to Apple’s public beta testing program as yet. The new […]|
The post Apple iOS 12 Beta 3 Released appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
|We have been hearing rumors about a new iPad Pro that will come with Apple’s Face ID for some time and now it looks like it could land soon. Some new references to face ID for the iPad and also Apple’s AvatarKit for the iPad has been discovered in the latest beta of Apple’siOS 12, […]|
The post New iPad Pro With Face ID Expected To Launch In September appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.


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At a time when families are grappling with less disposable income and consequently lesser buying power, these are considered key contributors to the cost of doing business in the country, along with the increase in gasoline costs.
The industry is now experiencing the most significant losses in manufacturing, and things may worsen if the taxes suggested in the Finance Bill 2023 come into force. Because of the weak shilling, importers and dealers have had to spend more to buy dollars to pay suppliers, passing the costs along to customers.
The economic climate (high inflation and the deteriorating Shilling) and the business environment (cost of doing business) were cited by respondents as domestic issues that might limit their development in the short term in the Central Bank CEO's Survey for May 2023.
The country's total inflation rate jumped to 8% in May from a 10-month low of 7.9% in April, mostly due to rising food and energy costs. Pump prices rose last month as a result of the removal of fuel subsidies, but the Kenyan shilling has remained weak against the US dollar.
Since January, when it was averaging 123.42 against the US dollar, the main trade currency, the shilling has lost roughly 12% of its value. Year to date, it has lost nearly 20%.
Banks were selling local currency to importers and dealers for above Sh142 when CBK set the exchange rate for it yesterday at 138.75 units to a dollar. As government receipts outweighed government payments during the week ending May 31, liquidity in the money market somewhat decreased.
Compared to the 4.25% cash reserves requirement (CRR), commercial banks have surplus reserves of Sh27.7 billion.
Businesses plan to reduce the constricting forces by diversifying their markets, increasing sales and marketing, and digitizing their processes, according to CBK. However, if any of the ideas in the Finance Bill 2023 are adopted, manufacturers in the nation have warned that the industry will be severely impacted, particularly because of the influx of less expensive imports from nearby nations.
In its Finance Bill, the National Treasury has proposed raising a variety of taxes and levies, which will raise the price of numerous commodities in Kenya in comparison to regional markets.


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Social media shares are not "liking" their stock price this morning, with both Facebook and Twitter under pressure, the former on a WSJ report that the company has been inflating the amount of time users spend watching video ads by 60-80%, the latter on an RCB downgrade to "underperform" with a $14 price target.
As the WSJ first reported, in what may be just the first cockroach surrounding the massively overhyped advertising platform "potential" of Facebook, which for years has been accused of abusing ad clickfarms to inflte its ad metrics, big ad buyers and marketers are upset with Facebook after learning the tech giant vastly overestimated average viewing time for video ads on its platform for two years.
Several weeks ago, Facebook disclosed in a post on its “Advertiser Help Center” that its metric for the average time users spent watching videos was artificially inflated because it was only factoring in video views of more than three seconds. For the past two years Facebook only counted video views of more than three seconds when calculating its “Average Duration of Video Viewed” metric. Video views of under three seconds were not factored in, thereby inflating the average. Facebook’s new metric, “Average Watch Time”, will reflect video views of any duration.
WSJ adds that ad buying agency Publicis Media was told by Facebook that the earlier counting method likely overestimated average time spent watching videos by between 60% and 80%. Publicis was responsible for purchasing roughly $77 billion in ads on behalf of marketers around the world in 2015, according to estimates from research firm RECMA. GroupM, the ad buying unit of WPP Plc, also was notified of the discrepancy by Facebook, another person familiar with the matter said.
“We recently discovered an error in the way we calculate one of our video metrics,” Facebook said in a statement. “This error has been fixed, it did not impact billing, and we have notified our partners both through our product dashboards and via sales and publisher outreach. We also renamed the metric to make it clearer what we measure. This metric is one of many our partners use to assess their video campaigns.”
According to WSJ, "the news is an embarrassment for Facebook, which has been touting the rapid growth of video consumption across its platform in recent years." Furthermore, due to the miscalculated data, marketers may have misjudged the performance of video advertising they have purchased from Facebook over the past two years. It also may have impacted their decisions about how much to spend on Facebook video versus other video ad sellers such as Google’s YouTube, Twitter, and even TV networks.
While the "error" is indeed embarrassing, follow up attention will focus on whether it was in fact intentional: after all Facebook stood to gain massively, while both advertisers and honest competitors were harmed. It is therefore feasible that Facebook will see significant litigation following the matter, from both former clients and peers.
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As for Twitter, the reason the stock is down in the pre-market is more mundane: RBC analyst Mark Mahaney said he is downgrading Twitter to "Underperform" with a $14 price target, as a result of "concerning advertiser survey data".
He justified the downgrade by saying that "this change is based on our belief that Twitter’s value proposition to advertisers could be waning, based on our recent advertiser survey data. We note that we still believe Twitter is a unique asset with a strong value proposition to core users."
It is ironic that this took place just as a far more serious decline in the "value proposition to advertisers" emerged for Facebook. One almost wonders if Facebook does not spend some of its "marketing" cash by "incentivizing" sellside analysts to write hit pieces at specific key stock inflection times, like today for example when anyone selling FB may have been buying TWTR, something today's RBC downgrade has made far less likely.
This is what else Mahaney said:
Our broad concerns remain: 1) It’s not clear when/if product/UI changes can stabilize or reaccelerate User & Usage. 2) Channel checks and our last 4 surveys (and particularly our most recent referenced above) don’t provide convincing evidence that a substantial number of advertisers will commit meaningful $s to TWTR. Twitter believes it can command premium ad pricing, but its dramatic ad revenue deceleration doesn’t support that. We have believed that Twitter’s lack of real-time commercial intent (a la Google) and detailed, authentic profiles (a la FB) will eventually limit growth. That said, we could become more positive on Twitter if it shows meaningful traction with advertisers. Note our $14 PT is based on 3x P/S on ’17E Sales and 10x EV/EBITDA on ’17E EBITDA.
While we would ignore the RBC hit piece on Twitter, the combination of these two reports suggests that not all is well with ad spending, and this otherwise relentless cashflow engine, which propelled social media and tech companies such as GOOG and FB to historic highs, may be finally starting to sputter.


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Target says that about 70 million credit and debit card accounts of customers may have been affected.
Target announced Friday that sensitive information, including customers’ names, mailing addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, was stolen from up to 70 million people in the US in the late November to early December data breach.
The company had previously reported that 40 million credit and debit card accounts were affected during the breach that took place during the first few weeks of the holiday shopping season.
Target said in its announcement Friday that the company uncovered that the mailing addresses, phone numbers and emails were taken as part of their ongoing investigation into the data breach.
Target is offering one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to anyone who shopped in their US stores.
Å“I know that it is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this,” Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel, said in a press release. Å“I also want our guests to know that understanding and sharing the facts related to this incident is important to me and the entire Target team.”
Comparable same-store sales, a key measure of retail store performance, dropped 2 to 6 percent during the fourth quarter after the company announced the data breach, Target said Friday. The Huffington Post
Source: Press TV


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Walmart has been testing autonomous floor-cleaning robots in five of its stores, LinkedIn reports. The floor scrubber, developed by Brain Corp., is equipped with cameras, sensors and LiDAR to help it maneuver down aisles and around obstacles. And it can largely navigate itself after first being driven by a person in order to learn its path.
Phil Duffy, VP of innovation and marketing for Brain Corp., told Fox Business that the company's technology is in approximately 50 malls and retailers nationwide. "We are also in airports, educational campuses, corporate campuses and industrial sites. In addition, we will be launching in Japan, through our partner, SoftBank Robotics, by summer 2018," he said.
Of course, this type of technology leads some to wonder how many jobs will be on the line if it's adopted more widely. Walmart is also testing shelf-scanning robots that can look for misplaced items, check prices and note inventory levels. However, the company insists that both are meant to complement its workforce, not replace it, and their use would allow Walmart staff to focus on other aspects of their jobs. A Walmart spokesperson told Fox, "The maintenance team is actually quite excited to work with new technology like this." But that doesn't seem to apply to everyone. As one Walmart employee told LinkedIn, "Nobody in my store likes it."


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With the removal of most if not all travel restrictions after the COVID pandemic U.S. airlines are expecting the busiest…
Brussels Airlines Shows off New Airbus A330 Cabin as It Continues Goal of Becoming Boutique Carrier
Brussels Airlines is moving forward on its plans to be the boutique carrier of Europe through a complete revamp of its offerings. The airline doesn’t typically get much attention as one of the smaller members of the Lufthansa Group; however, the airline is using its small size to its advantage moving forward by segmenting itself as a boutique carrier that’s different than the standard industrialized airlines of Europe
With a small fleet of less than 70 aircraft, Brussels Airlines has much more room to customize and create a consistent product across the board compared to a larger airline such as Lufthansa which has a fleet size five times larger. Often, airlines will unveil new onboard products or liveries that take years to implement across the fleet, but a small fleet means quicker implementation and increased customer satisfaction.
Just one of many European airlines operating the same hub-and-spoke system, the onus is on Brussels Airlines to stand out as it can easily fall prey to its neighboring competitors. With Brussels Airlines connecting many of the same cities as its counterparts, something has to stand out for the customer to choose the Belgian option over say the French, Dutch or British option, hence the need for rebranding.
The new boutique aspect of Brussels Airlines will be primarily derived from Belgian culture, which has roots in French and German history, and the airline seeks to offer a product that harmonizes with its country. Aesthetic finishes are designed by top Belgian designers and a lot of the onboard styles are derived from the works of Henry van de Velde, one of the most instrumental figures in the development of modern style art.
The Belgian influences don’t stop at the design as the onboard catering is flush with Belgian heritage. Meals are carefully prepared to reflect some of the best Belgium has to offer, and most importantly 8 Belgian beers will be offered on flights to highlight the importance of beer in Belgian culture. There is even a partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev to develop custom small-sized Stella Artois chalices to ensure that the uniquely Belgian beer can be enjoyed properly.
The airline has also revamped its long-haul Airbus A330 aircraft to match, including a recently debuted premium economy class. On the refreshed A330s, the new three-class configuration consists of 30 business class seats, 21 premium economy seats and 244 economy seats.
AirlineGeeks was invited to tour one of the retrofitted A330-300s at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, where the airline operates a daily service to Brussels connecting New York with Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The business class seats are Thompson Aero Vantage seats in a staggered configuration offering direct aisle access to most business class passengers. This is a similar product to other Lufthansa Group members such as Swiss and could be a move to create relatively uniform hard products across the group.
30 seats across 7 rows make up the product, complete with fully lie-flat seats. While most of the seats are paired, the highlight of the cabin is the throne seat, of which 10 can be found in the cabin. The single-seat offers the most privacy, equidistant access to the aisle and window and more storage space.
The Vantage seat is a competitive product, featuring the standard business class seat products.
The aircraft also features a “Belgian walk-up bar” behind the business class cabin that will be stocked with all sorts of Belgian offerings like chocolates and beer. The self-serve offering complements the standard business class meal service for snacks and drinks in between the main meals.
A real premium economy now exists on Brussels Airlines aircraft whereas, previously, the premium economy section was economy seats with extra legroom. Premium economy is situated in it’s own cabin with seats that feature large 13.3-inch in-flight entertainment screens along with USB ports and dedicated 110v AC power outlets at each seat.
The small cabin features 21 seats spread across three rows, typical for the premium economy cabins on Airbus A330s. Additional seat features include adjustable headrests, leg rests and footrests.
Economy is the standard 2-4-2 configuration seen on A330 aircraft, though some of the last seats in economy are in a 2-3-2 configuration to accommodate narrowing of the fuselage. The seats feature a solid amount of padding and have adjustable headrests.
The 244 seats feature a generous 32 inches of pitch with an average 17.5 inches of width. Economy privilege seats, the extra legroom section, features an extra two inches of pitch.
The in-flight entertainment screens at each are large and USB charging ports are standard throughout. Unlike business class and premium economy, there are no 110v AC power outlets in economy.
The Future for Belgium’s National Airline
All in all, Brussels Airlines is making a hearty attempt at differentiating itself in the competitive transatlantic market and beyond. One shortcoming, however, is in-flight WiFi, but it is an understandable shortcoming.
Brussels Airlines has extensive operations in Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, that are roughly 90 percent of its long-haul operations. In-flight internet coverage has yet to expand to the continent and, therefore, WiFi is not offered on Brussels Airlines’ A330s since there are only a handful of routes where it is actually feasible.
In-flight WiFi continues to be considered for the future as connectivity expands to Africa. Right now, however, there is no rational business need.
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During the last few years, more and more manufacturers have created electric motors for better mobility. For example, consumers can now choose electric bikes that can either fold up, transform smog, or be completely customizable. One company is even letting customers swap their car for an electric bike. Electric scooters have become just as important in the shift towards eco-conscious transportation. Never one to be left behind with new trends, Vespa has recently released their latest model: the Vespa Elettrica.
Vespas have been around for over 70 years and have become an iconic Italian signature on the road. Throughout different generations, the company has evolved its style while staying true to its classic look. After producing millions of scooters, the company has finally created an electric one that is equipped with modern technology while designed in the iconic Vespa image.
The new Vespa will have all the bells and whistles of the classic version but with some significant tech upgrades. Interestingly, Vespa Elettrica isn’t just another electric scooter. Its Power Unit or electric motor will deliver continuous power of 2 kW and a peak power of 4 kW. It’s an improvement on traditional scooters which offer 50cc.
As an added bonus, the modern lithium-ion battery doesn’t need any maintenance and is considered a safe motor alternative. Vespa also claims that the acceleration is significantly better than other scooters. More importantly, the Vespa Elettrica is completely silent so drivers can zip around the city without adding to the cacophony of urban noise.
To fully charge the battery, users just need to locate a standard electrical outlet, plug in the cable from the seat compartment and they’ll be back on the road again in four hours. A public electric charging station will also work to charge the battery.
When people think of electric vehicles, the product's range is often a primary concern. Once on the road, the Vespa Elettrica will be able to hit a maximum of 100 kilometers (62 miles). For those who prefer to be eco-conscious but want the ability to go longer distances once in awhile, Vespa has them covered with an "X" version. This model has a generator in addition to the electric motor and can double the scooter’s range.
In addition to the eco-friendly, quiet motor, the new Vespa’s tech also allows users to stay connected via its multimedia system which can hook up a smartphone to the scooter. The 4.3 inch TFT color screen between the handlebars will allow riders to see essential information such as range and charge level. To make things easier on drivers, Vespa created an app to let users connect with the scooter via Bluetooth so they can listen to music and control phone calls.
All in all, the Vespa Elettrica seems to be the greener and quieter way of getting around without sacrificing style. The Piaggio Group, the motor vehicle manufacturer which makes Vespas, will produce the Vespa Elettrica in Pontedera, Italy. The Vespa Elettrica will be available in a chrome grey finish with metallic reflections, and buyers can tailor the trim color from seven different options. While it's price is yet to be released, this new scooter is scheduled to hit streets around the world in 2018.


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Chinese Firm Denies Sending Faulty Covid-19 Test Kits to the Czech Republic
What’s new: A Chinese maker of reportedly faulty Covid-19 test kits sent to the Czech Republic stressed (link in Chinese) the importance of following instructions properly when using the products.
Innovita Biological Technology Co. Ltd. added that its test kits are meant as a supplement for more widely-used nucleic acid tests that have returned negative results.
The company has been in recent headlines since a local news site in the European country claimed that up to 80% of Innovita’s Covid-19 test kits were not working properly.
What’s the controversy: The story, reported by Czech news site iRozhlas based on claims from a local hygienist, also drew in the local Chinese embassy, which issued a statement Friday calling the 80% inaccuracy rate claim wrong.
The kits, which were ordered by the Czech Republic government, are just one of many medical supply shipments recently sent from China to other countries battling local outbreaks, which some have likened to a form of soft power.
Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. To read the full Caixin article in Chinese, click here.
Contact reporter Mo Yelin (firstname.lastname@example.org)
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The world's largest personal-computer maker also provided an earnings and revenue outlook for its current quarter that is ahead of analysts' expectations.
HP shares rose about 2 percent Friday.
Net income in its fiscal third quarter rose to $1.78 billion, or 66 cents per share, from $1.38 billion, or 48 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, HP earnings came in at 71 cents per share.
Revenue in the quarter rose to $25.4 billion from $21.9 billion a year earlier.
Analysts, on average, expected earnings per share before certain items of 66 cents and revenue of $24.1 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
"HP had an unbelievable quarter. They generated $1 billion in upside in revenues in an environment of nervous consumer spending," said Brent Bracelin, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities. "Very positive results."
HP has benefited along with competitors including Dell and Apple from sharp price declines for computer memory, disk drives and microprocessors this year amid a supply glut, analysts say. HP also has cut 15,000 jobs in the past two years, and is consolidating data centers and selling real estate to cut costs.
For its fiscal fourth quarter, HP forecast net income per share of 75 cents to 76 cents, profit before items of 80 cents to 81 cents per share, and revenue of $27 billion to $27.2 billion.
Analysts, on average, expect profit before items of 78 cents per share and revenue of $26.5 billion.
"HP is beginning to show signs of realizing its full potential," Chief Executive Mark Hurd said on a conference call with reporters. "We've improved our cost structure over the last two-and-a-half years."
Third-quarter revenue in HP's personal systems group, which includes PCs, rose 29 percent to $8.9 billion, while operating profit was $519 million, or 5.8 percent of revenue compared with 4.0 percent a year earlier.
In imaging and printing, one of HP's biggest profit drivers, revenue rose 8 percent to $6.8 billion. The unit's operating profit was $981 million, or 14.5 percent of revenue, up from 14.2 percent a year ago.
Enterprise storage and server revenue climbed 10 percent to $4.5 billion and operating profit was $464 million, or 10.2 percent of revenue, up from 7.2 percent a year earlier.
HP's services revenue climbed 8 percent to $4.2 billion and operating profit in the business was $430 million, or 10.3 percent of revenue, up from 9.4 percent.
In software, revenue rose 74 percent to $554 million and operating profit was $81 million, helped by last year's $4.9 billion acquisition of Mercury Interactive.
HP, based in Palo Alto, Calif., said in July it planned to buy software company Opsware Inc for $1.6 billion to bolster its business of helping corporate customers manage computer systems.
Shares of HP trade at 17 times expected 2007 earnings per share, compared with 16 for IBMand Dell's 20.


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Bangla Store, a grocery shop on the Rockingham Estate, has been fined £6,000 for multiple breaches of food hygiene regulations.
During a routine food hygiene inspection of the Harper Road store on 22 February, Southwark Councils's food safety team identified a catalogue of failings including signs of mouse activity and overall poor cleanliness.
Officers found that there was a "heavy infestation" of mice and that the shop sold food that was "unfit for human consumption for reasons of contamination by mouse droppings".
The management of the establishment was also found to be substandard and officers used their powers to close the shop to protect the public from likely harm.
At Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court, owner Zarar Ahmed Mir pleaded guilty to all eight charges under Regulation 17 (1) of the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006.
Mr Mir was fined £6,000 for the eight offences. The court required him to pay a victim surcharge of £15 and costs of £1,215 payable in instalments of £500 per month.
Cllr Richard Livingstone, cabinet member for finance, resources and community safety, said: "We routinely see a good standard of food preparation maintained by food outlets across Southwark.
"Unfortunately, instances like this show us that we need to continue to be proactive whilst maintaining a tough stance on offenders who put the health of our residents at risk."
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Associated Materials LLC, the parent company of exterior building products supplier Alside, has opened three new Alside supply centers throughout the country to support sales of vinyl windows and cladding, metal siding and trim, the company announced.
The new locations include a 20,000-sq.-ft. palletized warehouse in Conway, SC. a 63,200-sq.-ft. building in Greensboro, NC, and a 20,000-sq.-ft. supply center in San Antonio, TX, the company said.
“We are excited to expand our distribution in these three cities to provide greater convenience, material offerings and better customer service to remodelers and builders in these markets,” said Dan Watkoske, division president–Alside. “Alside continues to see increased demand for our best-in-class products, and the supply center openings will allow us to continue to support our customer’s needs.”


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North Dakota Finally Votes to Lift Ridiculous Ban
Article from Fox News by James MacPherson.
BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota’s Republican-led Legislature on Tuesday repealed the nation’s toughest Sunday business restrictions — rules that are rooted in religious tradition and that have been in place since statehood.
Senators voted 25-21 on the House bill repealing the ban on Sunday morning shopping. Republican Gov. Doug Burgum has supported the repeal and is expected to sign the bill. The repeal would take effect Aug. 1.
North Dakota has had “blue laws” restricting business on Sunday since it became a state in 1889. They stemmed from fears that visiting a retail store on Sunday morning would compete with church and leave little time for rest.
Fargo Republican Rep. Shannon Roers Jones, the bill’s primary sponsor, had made a push through social media to have constituents urge their senators, including her father, Fargo GOP Sen. Jim Roers, to vote for the bill. Jim Roers voted against the repeal in 2017 when it failed by just two votes. He said he personally didn’t like the idea of repealing the law but that he voted in favor of the bill Tuesday “because of my constituents, as well as my daughter.”
Read the entire article at Fox News.
Image Credit: By Marlith [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons
old age mentality,
I remember back when we couldnt buy meat at a grocery store after the butcher went home…
either it was a butcher rule or Butchers Union..
either way it was dumb and no need for it… 9 words for it.. Loss of retail and in some places tax revenue..
same with Blue state Liquor laws, cant buy it in state but you can across the state line and bring it back.. 8 words for that.. Dumb and Loss of retail and Tax Revenue..
I grew up in Kansas. ‘Nuff said.
This is nothing new! People rebelling against Gods law to not violate HIs day !
Awe the good old days!
PLEASE !!! It has NOTHING to do with going shopping interfering with Church attendance & EVERYTHING to do with COLLECTION PLATE INTERFERENCE, just like places with Sunday bans on Alcohol sales or Bars being open on Sunday. I wonder if they could look back & see how many Legislators were also Clergymen, or had close Family members who were when this 1st became Law. Nothing against Churches or God (I’m actually a Christian myself) or specific Denominations, just sayin’……….
Years ago Texas had the blue laws; certain things had to be covered up on Sundays from sale. Finally someone woke up and figured out they were losing sales, and the stopped. That was back in the 70’s.
Yeah, I was in the army at fort bliss, el paso….On Sundays, we would go over to Mexico to shop (for everything) This was in 1965…
Stores that are open at that time may not get business. People may sleep in on Sunday or go to church etc. They may just be wasting their money being open even if the laws change.
Just goes to show you how difficult it really is to get the (any) government to repeal a law; something we desperately need a great deal more of.
Sad day. One more step away from our maker.


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Pivotal Payments CEO Philip Fayer Named One of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 for 2009
CEO of Canada’s fastest growing payment processing provider is honoured in prestigious entrepreneurial award program
MONTREAL – June 21, 2010. Pivotal Payments is pleased to announce that Philip Fayer, the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, has been named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40TM for 2009.
“It’s truly an honour to have made this list, and to be considered among the country’s best and brightest,” said Mr. Fayer. “I see it as a tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit that we’ve established here at Pivotal Payments, and the exceptional job that our employees have done in growing this company and making it what it is today.”
Canada’s Top 40 Under 40TM is a prestigious national award program that annually honours 40 Canadians in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors under the age of 40. Now in its 15th year, the program is managed by founding sponsor The Caldwell Partners International. Other national sponsors include Deloitte, National Bank Financial, The Globe and Mail and WestJet.
Philip Fayer and his peers were selected from over 1,200 nominees by an independent advisory board comprised of 25 business leaders from across Canada. Honourees were chosen on five key criteria: vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; community involvement and contribution; and strategy for growth.
The 2009 recipients of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40TM were featured in the June 7 edition of The Globe and Mail. They also attended a series of celebratory events in Toronto in early June, including an awards ceremony held at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre at noon on Tuesday, June 8, where they were presented with their Top 40 Crystal Cube.
About Pivotal Payments
Pivotal Payments is a leading provider of merchant services such as credit and debit card processing, electronic check conversion, merchant cash-advance programs, loyalty/gift card programs, and terminal management solutions. The company provides these services to small and mid-sized retail businesses, mail order/telephone order merchants, e-commerce, chain stores, franchises, restaurants and dealerships. With offices across North America and seven acquisitions since 2007, Pivotal Payments has grown to over 300 employees and over 600 agents. It has customers in the USA and Canada and processes over $7 billion in annual volume. Goldman Sachs is the company’s primary financial partner. Pivotal Payments is a privately held company.
Company and product information are available at www.pivotalpayments.com.
Contact: Johnny Evangelista, Pivotal Payments, 514-227-6620, firstname.lastname@example.org


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Wednesday, 01 April 2015
The Athens Xclusive Designers Week, was held for the 17th time, from 28th till 30 of March, where 31 greek designers took part of, along with international fashion brands like TOP SHOP by SOTRIS and MARKS&SPENCER.
Athens Xclusive Designers Week remains loyal to the greek fashion industry once more, supporting and promoting abroad the greek designers!
We, as trully supporters of the greek fashion, -there are so many great talents out there- couldn't miss it and we surely enjoyed the shows we attended to...
Till next time..


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Stabenow, Peters urge support for business loan bill
The owner of Edibles Rex expects to expand her catering company by using a $1.8 million small business loan to open a new cooperative kitchen and hire more workers.
With a vacant, graffiti-covered building in the Eastern Market district as a backdrop, Michigan's two senators -- Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters -- touted legislation today they introduced that would send millions in federal funding to Michigan to benefit small businesses and create jobs.
The senators, both Democrats, are seeking to reauthorize the State Small Business Credit Initiative that has funded efforts through the Michigan Economic Development Corp., and other state-lending programs that leverage private loans, to provide access to capital for small business owners, such as Tammy Tedesco.
Tedesco, the owner of Edibles Rex, expects to expand her 100-employee catering company by using a $1.8 million small business loan she got through the federal program to opening a new cooperative kitchen in the 65,000 square-foot building off Mack Avenue and hire six more workers.
"Without the program, we wouldn't get the loan," she said.
Stabenow and Peters joined Tedesco to urge support for the legislation, dubbed the Small Business Access to Capital Act of 2015. They said it would provide an additional $500 million to states based on similar formulas used in the Small Business Jobs Act, passed in 2010.
Of that amount, Michigan would receive more than $26 million in new formula funding — more than every state except Florida and California.
The bill also would provide an additional $1 billion for states to compete for to help businesses.
"This is another shout out to small businesses and Detroit and Michigan -- and entrepreneurs who take and run with it and create jobs," Stabenow said. "For every dollar in federal funds that we put in nationally, there has been $7.36 in private funds that are available."
Peters said that the new legislation reinforces existing programs.
"It is always great when you announce new legislation, but even better when you are able to announce legislation that's built on success," he said.
While the senators stressed that the the legislation reinforces a program that they believe has been successful and that they they expect there will be some bipartisan support, they added that it was unclear where Congress stood this time.
The economy seems to be in a stronger position than it was in 2010 and there might not be as much support for setting aside federal dollars to back private loans.
Still, small business has become a key issue in politics as middle-class workers turned to starting their own enterprises to survive after losing corporate and factory positions during the recession.
Small businesses also -- as the politicians are keen to point out -- don't all stay small and become big businesses, employing hundreds and thousands of people.
Hillary Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2016 presidential race, made a stop last week at a Detroit eatery to declare -- as she has several times on the campaign trail -- she wanted to be "the small-business president," and was making a point to identify and visit "small businesses that are successful."
Republican candidates Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul also have talked up helping small businesses while stumping.
The Michigan senators said the state has used all its funding authorized from the small business credit initiative, and the investment has helped create or retain more than 9,000 jobs.
Todesco -- who began in business in 1992 by starting a small restaurant, the Silver Spoon Carry-out Cafe in Grosse Pointe Woods -- opened Edibles Rex in 1994. Since then, she's grown the business, catering events for Detroit automakers as well presidential visits to Michigan -- Bill Clinton's to Roseville and George W. Bush's to Sterling Heights.
"It's taken a long time for people to see why they should invest in Detroit," she said. "If we don't have this we can't take our businesses to the next level."


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Citing breach of contract, Zer01 today announced that it has dissolved its business partnership with Buzzirk Mobile and Global Verge. Zer01 first announced its plan to offer unlimited mobile voice and data services to smartphone owners early this year. It later teamed with Buzzirk and Global Verge to distribute its services. Eventually, investigative reports revealed that Buzzirk and Global Verge were led by people with criminal records and histories of running pyramid schemes. Zer01 claims that Buzzirk and Global Verge violated the terms of their contract with Zer01, and have ended their business relationship. Buzzirk Mobile will no longer be able to market Zer01 Mobile services to its partners, including Global Verge.
(Las Vegas, NV) â€“ Zer01 Mobile, the new mobile virtual network enabler offering unlimited voice, data and Web services nationwide for one, low monthly fee, announced today that it has severed its business relationship with Buzzirk Mobile for distribution services based upon breach of contract. The agreement for distribution services was originally announced in May 2009. However, due to violations of the agreement made by Buzzirk Mobile, Zer01 Mobile has concluded as of today its relationship with Buzzirk Mobile.
"The Zer01 Mobile team wishes Buzzirk Mobile the best of luck for all future endeavors. However, Zer01 Mobile has decided to formally sever our business relationship due to the breach of contract by Buzzirk Mobile," explain... (continues)
I'm not sure why this supposed end of the relationship with buzzirk and global verge is even an issue. The fact remains that everything zero1 was about was a Mirage . The have no agreement with any gsm providers in USA that can give them their supposed coverage. T-mob and Att both denied any business arrangement with zero1. What else do people need to know to figure out that is was a fake company to start out.
also note that it seemed shady to me cause one of their reps or sales guy approached me while I was at work. Asked me if I wanted to make money on the side selling their service. I never accepted and glad I did not.


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- FCA saw sales weaken in its critical US market.
- The US auto market has been running hot for four straight years, but is finally showing signs of a downturn.
- FCA missed analysts expectations for profits.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) said on Friday its adjusted operating profit fell 29 percent in the first quarter as sales slowed in its North American profit center and Europe.
Adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) stood at 1.07 billion euros ($1.19 billion) in the January-March period, short of analysts expectations of 1.31 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll.
Milan-listed shares in the Italo-American automaker fell 2.8 percent after the number first came out, before pairing losses. They were up 1.15 percent by 1053 GMT.
On the New York Stock Exchange, FCA shares rose 3% in pre-market trading, to $15.50. The stock has climbed about 5% year-to-date.
(Reuters reporting by Giulio Piovaccari.)
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The Siri voice recognition software set the tech world all a-flutter when Apple released it with the iPhone 4S and Google is set to release a voice controlled personal assistant for Android system soon. When TrekMovie.com reported Google’s acquisition of a voice recognition software company last year, the company’s Mike Cohen said it was part of Google’s attempts “move a little faster towards that Star Trek future” where people aren’t tethered to mice and keyboards. The project has been under tight wraps, but reports are now coming out that Google is continuing its association with the Star Trek world. According to AndroidandMe, people at Google are calling the project is “Majel”. As in, Majel Barett-Roddenberry, wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and voice of the computers on the Enterprise all the way up through the 2009 reboot.
If the reports are true, “Majel” will be a system slightly more difficult to use but more powerful than Siri. It will be an evolution of Google’s existing Voice Actions, but users will be able to use more natural commands (like Siri) instead of the specific commands in the current Voice Actions system. Apparently, several different stages in the project’s development included an option for users to activate “Majel” by saying “Computer…” just like in Star Trek, but there’s no word on whether that will be an option in the finished product. There’s also no word on whether “Majel” will be the official name for the voice controlled assistant or if it is just the internal code word for the project.


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Several VMA members are among this year’s
Product of the Year finalists. Emerson has products nominated in four different categories, while Siemens has several products nominated in a total of three different categories. Chesterton and Hunt Valve have products up for awards the...
The Manufacturers Standardization Society (MSS) announces that the substantially revised Standard Practice, SP-44-2016, Steel Pipeline Flanges, has
by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a Revised American National Standard (ANS).
Moving into 2017, the U.S. Chemical Processing Industry continues to enjoy optimism about future investment, according to Industrial Info's
2017 Global Industrial Outlook
. Much of this activity stems from the continued low cost of natural gas liquids (NGLs), a primary feedstock for building-block che...
The Hydraulic Institute (HI) will celebrate its centennial in 2017 with a new logo as part of a larger initiative to position HI for the next 100 years of service to the pump industry. The
is a key element of HI’s overall brand refresh and redesign process.
The unemployment rate declined 0.3% to 4.6% in November, and total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 178,000, the Department of Labor
today. Employment gains occurred in professional and business services and in health care.
Employment in construction continued on its recent upward trend...
Gross domestic product (GDP) in the U.S. increased at an annual rate of 3.2% in the third quarter of 2016, according to the second estimate released by the Department of Commerce. In the second quarter, real GDP increased 1.4%.
Less people applied for unemployment last week according to the Labor Department, the number dropping by 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 391,000. Orders for durable goods also increased in January, according to government data released Thursday.


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With any threat of inclement weather, people race to the grocery store for those last minute necessities. This week's storm is no different.
We talked with some shoppers and workers at the Piggly Wiggly in Kinston.
The store manager tells us he's seen more people come through his doors compared to the snow from last week.
People were emptying the shelves of storm staples like bread, eggs, and milk in case of a prolonged stay indoors.
A store stocker said milk shelves were full earlier today and had to re-stock them around lunchtime.
Store manager Patrick Delaney says people have taken more precaution as this storm comes through the area. He says everyone's getting out. They want to be proactive. If we get that much snow around here it kind of cripples the town and they don't want to be on the roads.
We also checked out one of the Food Lion stores in Washington. It's bread shelf needed restocked as well Monday night, wiped out from shoppers getting storm ready.
Delaney says not to worry about running out of bread, milk, and eggs. He says the Piggly Wiggly is well stocked in anticipation of the storm.


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Uber Carshare teams up with F1’s Valtteri Bottas to create ultimate car for an Aussie road trip
Uber Carshare has tapped race car driver Valtteri Bottas for the second edition of its ‘Australia’s Second Car’ campaign, created in partnership with indie creative and PR shop, Poem.
The Formula 1 driver, campaign features a fully customised classic Ute that has been revamped with features designed to make it the perfect second car for an Australian road trip, including a meat pie warmer, a bike rack, fishing rod holder, freshwater shower, and in-built sunscreen and bug repellent dispensers.
“We know Australians love to get away during their Easter holidays but their everyday car may not fit the bill. This campaign is another major step in our journey to drive awareness of Uber Carshare. Our agency village of Poem, Hello Social and EssenceMediaCom have come together to deliver something truly impactful,” said Director of Marketing for Uber APAC, Andy Morley.
Other cars on the Uber Carshare platform have been given the ‘VB road-trip worthy seal of approval’ and will be stocked with a VB road trip kit.
“Uber Carshare is a relatively new and disruptive product to the traditional rental car category. The challenge has been to create an idea that’s simple, human and culturally relevant. Together, I believe we’ve been able to create something really special that explains what Uber Carshare is whilst carving it a place within Aussie culture,” said Founder of Poem, Rob Lowe.
The campaign is supported by a targeted influencer campaign developed by Hello Social, and social content will be supported by media spend via EssenceMediaCom.
Uber Carshare is a peer-to-peer platform that matches people who need a vehicle with cars, vans, and utes available for rent in their neighbourhood. The campaign is under embargo until 12pm 20/03/24.