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THE BIG STORY
1. Facebook’s antitrust headache gets worse: 47 attorneys general now investigating
An antitrust probe into Facebook that began earlier this year with the support of eight states’ attorneys general has grown to include the backing of 47 attorneys general — from 46 states and the District of Columbia. Each state will now be looking for reports from constituents that may constitute evidence against the company — both in terms of anti-competitive practices and data safety. In a statement, Letitia James, the attorney general leading the charge, said: “Facebook may have put consumer data at risk, reduced the quality of consumers’ choices, and increased the price of advertising.” Following the announcement, Facebook shares were trading down as much as 4.4 percent. — CNN
WE’RE KEEPING AN EYE ON
2. Phishing campaign targeting United Nations, Red Cross, UNICEF, and other charities
Researchers at Lookout Phishing AI have discovered an ongoing phishing campaign targeting various human rights organizations. Like other phishing campaigns, this particular campaign uses landing pages to impersonate Microsoft Office 365 login pages, but that’s where the similarities end. Unlike a vast majority of phishing sites, the phishing pages for this campaign are mobile-friendly and contain code that collects users’ password in real-time.
3. Avast confirms breach of internal network
In a blog post, antivirus maker — Avast — confirmed a breach of its internal network. The “extremely sophisticated” attack happened earlier this year when a malicious actor compromised an employees VPN credentials. Even more, the attacker seemed to target users of Avast’ CCleaner application. As a result, the company had to push back the release date for updates to the CCleaner software until it verified that no malicious alterations had been made.
4. NordVPN confirms hack
NordVPN, a virtual private network provider confirmed that it was hacked. The attack, occurred when a server at one of the company’s data center’s in Finland, which it was renting, “was accessed without authorization.” In the same statement, the company said that the attacker “gained access to the server by exploiting an insecure remote management system left by the datacenter provider.” However, NordVPN said it was unaware that such a system existed.
5. Lawmakers ask US intelligence chief to investigate if TikTok is a national security threat
This year, lawmakers have launched investigations into several tech companies — Google, Facebook, and Amazon, to name a few. However, this week, TikTok was added to the mix. According to this article from TechCrunch, two top lawmakers —Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) — have asked the government to investigate if TikTok is a national security threat. — TechCrunch


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Acer is currently the world’s second biggest PC manufacturer, but it’s looking to crank up its presence in Chinese markets within two years.
While Acer has seen strong results in Brazil, Russia, and India, the netbook maker has had more trouble in China where Lenovo is king. Acer tends to bounce between fifth and sixth place in China.
CEO Gianfranco Lanci explained to Reuters just why that’s not good enough:
“We don’t like being anything less than No.3 … You need scale, although of course it’s always a balance between market share and profit margins. Five years from now, China is going to be larger than the U.S.”
Acer plans to take extra market share by cutting selling prices by about 5%-10%. No word yet on whether those effects will be felt elsewhere, but at that outset that seems unlikely – manufacturers commonly practice price discrimination between different regions.

domain: news


text: BEAUTY EMPIRE: Diane von Furstenberg’s Diane fragrance launched in June and could be the start of something big. “They want me to do color, so this is just the beginning of me being back in the beauty business,” von Furstenberg said Tuesday afternoon at Sephora at NorthPark Center in Dallas. The designer has been on a whirlwind tour to promote Diane, greeting fans in Paris, Lisbon, Warsaw, Milan, Madrid, Seattle and South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif. She was in Miami Thursday. “I travel like Willy Loman the traveling salesman,” she said. “I’ve been everywhere — I don’t even know. We started in Europe.” Von Furstenberg’s U.S. appearances have been at Bloomingdale’s, Sephora and Nordstrom.


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From giving you exposure to new markets to increasing the commercial lifespan of your products or services, there are many benefits to exporting. Make sure that before you look to expand your operations overseas, you’ve read up on our top nine secrets to exporting success.
Making global markets local and simplifying trade abroad
Every company now has the potential to be an international one. It remains important, however, for businesses to not only access international markets but understand them, in order to truly break down global barriers.
As trade is found farther afield than ever before, businesses increasingly need knowledge of the local markets in which they operate or are seeking to enter. However, those who pay lip service to understanding international markets will soon trip themselves up, says Kate McNamee, director of global marketing and communications at Alliance Manchester Business School. “It is essential to build a rapport with target customers and to do that you need to know what makes them tick.” Local understanding is critical, says McNamee: “On a practical level, this could be as simple as cultural nuance about what language resonates with a particular audience – think of how diverse English-speaking nations are just for starters. For us, what attracts an Australian applicant is not the same thing that will attract students from Canada or the US.”
According to research from US tech firm PGI, there are some technical differences cross-culturally. For example, in Japan, the concept of web conferencing is still quite new and audio conferencing is not yet widely adopted, so conducting an in-person meeting is still the preferred way of doing business in Japan. The company also found that only 16% of global workers present business cards when meeting new contacts, yet in Japan, presenting a business card at the start of a meeting is an important part of proceedings.
Keep your eyes wide open, McNamee adds, “become an expert on the country’s regulators and business governance – what new legislation is on the horizon? And ask yourself whether your competitors have tried to enter this market before – what has worked and what hasn’t?” Moreover, she says, “Longevity helps build trust, signals to business leaders and potential customers in the new market that you know them and you’ve taken the time to adapt your approach.”
“An understanding of the subtleties of your target market can mean the difference between success and failure”, says Matthew Easter, managing director at school uniform and sportswear brand Trutex, which has 10 factories in China manufacturing more than 1.5 million garments (35% of its global output). “Whether it’s the custom of presenting a gift at the end of a business meeting in Japan, or scheduling meetings for the morning in Saudi Arabia, it is vital you have someone in place that can navigate these very individual markets and put you in the best possible position to secure or maintain your business relationships.”


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This week 30 years ago: Manzes family gone, but pie and mash lives on in Chapel Market
- Credit: Archant
Chapel Market without a pie and mash shop is not Chapel Market!
That was the Gazette’s view in a special report 30 years ago (and it rings true today with M. Manze still in business).
It first opened in Chapel Market in 1911, but closed after last family descendant Lydia Manze died in 1985.
But thanks to new owner Colin Hall, it re-opened for another generation to enjoy the Cockney delicacy of eel, pie and mash. The 47-year-old had a lot to live up to: previous owner Lydia had worked in the shop for 60 years.
But Colin, from the East End, already had plenty of experience in the pie and mash business. The only challenge, he said, was to not upset conservationists by changing the famous shop layout – while meeting health and safety rules.


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Pantech IM-U110 CDMA phone
Pantech has unveiled IM-U110 which is a CDMA phone and will be released in the end of January under the SKY brand in the Korean market. It is a clamshell music phone with a memory of 1 GB which is in-built and no extra slot for expanding memory. The music formats supported are AAC, AAC+ and MP3. The camera present is a 2 MP and the phone can store upto 1024 photos at high resolution. The phone also supports PictBridge technology. PictBridge allows the phone to send the images directly to the printer for printing. Its expected to be priced around $650.


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Next week I plan to be on the race track at Willow Springs in California, driving three racy new 2012 SRT brand vehicles: Dodge Charger SRT8, Chrysler 300 SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. The 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 will be there, too. All with the mother of all current Chrysler Group gas motors: a 6.4-litre HEMI V-8.
Yes, it's a tough job, and I have to do it. I'll share the experience, though.
And part of that experience will be taking the measure of Ralph Gilles, newly named President and CEO of the SRT brand, as well as the former CEO of the Dodge brand (for two years) and current head of all design at Chrysler. Gilles never makes a secret of how gasoline surges through his veins. He's a good choice to run SRT. At least I think so. And he is smart and talkative and often outspoken.
The truth is, Chrysler needs to put some effort into reviving SRT as it approaches its 10th year of existence. The SRT idea always has been to "design, engineer and build benchmark American high-performance vehicles for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge."
Now a little thing like bankruptcy got in the way of advancing the SRT cause. The revival of a lineup of SRT models suggests a growing confidence at the Chrysler Group - a willingness to chase movers and shakers and early adopters in the new vehicle market as a way to push sales and burnish Chrysler's overall image.
"We have the best chance we've ever had of conquesting some great customers here," Gilles recently told Automotive News, adding, "We know customers of the old SRTs were definitely the power seekers. They were looking for the horsepower. But the new cars offer more. The 2012s all have active suspensions. They will probably have the best sound systems we've ever put in any car."
Three questions for Gilles, a Canadian:
1. Which Chrysler models will get the SRT treatments going forward? Pickups, sedans, coupes, convertibles?
2. SRT stands for just "Street and Racing Technology which suggests powerful engines and tight suspensions. Is there anything else to the SRT brand?
3. What can we expect from the next Dodge Viper, once the flagship of the SRT brand? When will we see a new Viper?


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Try as a shot, spice up your beer or invent a new cocktail. According to spykeme.com “Spykes” is whatever you want it to be. Made by Anheuser-Busch, this 2 ounce malt beverage contains 12 percent alcohol content; equivalent to a bottle of wine. Infused with caffeine as well as the herbs ginseng and guarana, critics claim this beverage is directly aimed at teens.
For psychology professor Maria Hartke the idea of this beverage alone concerns her. “This beverage is seemingly very dangerous. When kids drink they make unwise decisions,” she said.
Spykes fills up a bottle the size of nail polish and comes in four flavors: spicy mango, hot melons, spicy lime and hot chocolate. According to spykeme.com, these flavors will “give your beer a kick, add flavor to your drink and are ideally perfect for a shot.”
Many concerns have been raised with the promotion of this drink and the upcoming prom season. Individuals believe some law enforcers and health advocates are only contributing to one more cause for parents to worry.
“This worries me because kids get into cars without thinking these days and I believe any adult would be against it,” Hartke said.
For Al Tompkins on Poynter.org, the promotional website for Spykes opens a night to experimentation and an opportunity for people to move outside the beverage “comfort zone.”
“This malt liquor sounds like a bad idea. People will abuse it and I believe there will be more instances of alcohol poisoning,” sophomore history and secondary education major Lauren Iannece said.
On the other hand, some Cabrini students tend to appear favorable to the idea of spykes; others feel this additive will have no effect on their lives what-so-ever.
“This really does not bother me, I personally would never drink an entire bottle of liquor,” senior graphic design major Mike Dignen said.
“I think this is a great idea; however, it does have the potential to be very dangerous,” sophomore business administration major Anthony Sessa said.
Spykes will be sold in 2 ounce bottles for roughly 75 cents to a dollar a piece. Lately, alcoholic drinks with caffeine in them appear to be the new thing. In addition to Spykes energy, drinks such as Sparks and Rock Star 21 have been introduced.
A vodka and red bull alternative called P.I.N.K. should be hitting the market soon enough.
To find out more information on the newest addition to the malt beverage department, visit www.spykeme.com.
“I have never heard of this drink, it sounds interesting and I would most definitely try it,” sophomore English and communication major Kirk Manion said.


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Wanna buy beer aged in Louisville Slugger bats?
The folks @CigarCityBeer announce Homefront IPA, a beer aged on Louisville Slugger maple bats.
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) May 20, 2014
All I know about Cigar City Beer is that I had a bunch of their stuff in Tampa when I was down at spring training and it was just wonderful, beautiful and phenomenal beer. All I know about Louisville Slugger maple bats is that, until about a year ago, we used to worry about them shattering a lot and writing think pieces about how we need to switch back to ash or make bat condoms to keep them from shattering. All I know about Operation Homefront is that supporting the families of deployed service members is an insanely worthy cause, and that that’s what they do.
But despite my limited expertise here, I am going to predict that this will be a win if, for no other reason, than it benefits said insanely worthy cause. And because I bet the bottles will be really cool.


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When Crecente shared tea and biscuits with Warhawk producer Dylan Jobe at GDC, he was told they were hoping to get the game's second expansion out by either the second half of March or the first half of April. Looking like it's the latter, as SCEA's John Hight told Gamasutra yesterday:
We just released an expansion on Warhawk in September, and we'll release another one in April.
April it is, then!
The State of PlayStation Network: John Hight Interviewed [Gamasutra]


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"As a result of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, beginning in January 2020, our suppliers in China have experienced some delays in the production and export of these ingredients," according to the company statement. "We have initiated contingency supply plans and do not foresee a short-term impact due to these delays. However, we may see tighter supplies of some of these ingredients in the longer term should production or export operations in China deteriorate."
Nigel Green, CEO of financial advisory company deVere Group, told Business Insider that the widespread economic implications of the virus would soon be apparent for international business entrepreneurs.
“Investors have largely been caught off guard by the serious and far-reaching economic consequence of the coronavirus," Green said. “Clearly, this will hit global supply chains, economies across the world and ultimately government coffers, too.”


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A Queensland man was sentenced in the Brisbane District Court on Friday to two years and 11 months jail with a non parole period of six months for illegal importation of food from Korea.
A company, which the man was a director of, was also convicted and fined $60,000.
The man and his company pleaded guilty to six offences of illegally importing meat products into Australia in 2010, totalling over 14 tonnes of product.
A biosecurity officer detected illegally imported frozen pork in December 2010 following an audit conducted in Brisbane.
The man and the company were charged with aggravated illegal importation offences under the Quarantine Act 1908 .
This is the second completed prosecution of the national ‘Operation Hayride’ compliance operation, initiated by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) which uncovered widespread and deliberate importation and distribution of prohibited food.
Investigations under Hayride are ongoing and are expected to lead to further prosecutions Australia wide.
First Assistant Secretary of DAFF’s Border Compliance Division, Tim Chapman, said DAFF treated incidents such as this seriously, as illegal imports pose unacceptable risk to Australia’s livestock industries and trade.
“The goods that were illegally imported were a very high risk to Australia as Korea has recently experienced an outbreak of foot and mouth disease,” Mr Chapman said.
“Australia’s enjoys freedom from many harmful pests and diseases that occur in other parts of the world. Our biosecurity system works to manage the risk of extremely harmful diseases such as foot and mouth disease.”
“The sentence illustrates that there is little tolerance for those who intentionally breach these laws and reflects the serious nature of the offence.”
Under the Quarantine Act illegal importation of prohibited goods can result in jail terms of up to 10 years and fines of $66,000 for individuals. In cases of aggravated illegal importation a fine of up to $1.1 million may be imposed on a company.
Anyone who witnesses suspicious behaviour or comes across any goods they believe to have been illegally imported can contact the Biosecurity Redline anonymously on 1800 803 006.
HAVE YOUR SAY


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Renault has given its tradie-trusted Trafic van a more family-friendly feel with a second row of seats that takes the new Crew variant capacity to six occupants including the driver, while leaving 4.0 cubic metres of cargo volume in the back and a 1060kg maximum payload.
The new version is based on the 103kW twin-turbo 1.6-litre diesel long-wheelbase Trafic but adds a second row of three individual seats with full three-point belts at a cost of 2.0 cubic meters of load bay volume for $42,990 before on-road costs – an increase of $3500 over the equivalent three-seater.
In addition to all of the three-seater’s gear, the Crew gets glazed sliding doors for second row occupants, a glazed bulkhead behind the extra seats, a pair of 49-litre storage boxes with extra pockets, a 12-volt socket and interior finishing to match the front row.
The French maker is offering an equipment-boosted Premium Pack for the base Crew that adds 17-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers and exterior mirrors, as well as deadlocks, an 800-amp battery, upgraded multimedia system with 7.0-inch touchscreen, navigation and Arkamys stereo and heated driver’s seat.
Like higher-grade versions of the Trafic van, the $2490 Premium package also adds the ‘mobile office’ features that include a tablet holder and premium dashboard with laptop storage, but not the folding middle seat that converts into a desktop.
The Trafic has been a great seller for Renault in Australia.
At the top of the Trafic Crew pile, a Lifestyle variant adds opening windows for the rear passengers, chrome grille highlights, a gloss black badge surround, a hands-free entry card (as found in many Renault passenger cars) and automatic climate control for $46,780.
With the extra seating and reduced load area, Crew variants can still accommodate items measuring up to 2423mm long, 1662mm wide and 1387mm in height.
All versions are sold with a standard six-speed manual gearbox with no automatic option at this stage, as is the case with the more strictly commercial van variants.
At the launch of the Trafic in May 2015, Renault said it would “work towards” an auto option, but the company is yet to reveal if it is making progress with an automatic that would doubtless appeal to a broader audience in Australia.
Despite its self-serve transmission, the Trafic performed well in the 2.5 to 3.5 tonne van segment during 2016, finding 1730 buyers and sitting in fourth place behind the Toyota HiAce (7478), Hyundai iLoad (5467), and Volkswagen’s Transporter that finished last year with a tally of 1960 sales.
Renault light commercial vehicles senior model line manager Lyndon Healey said the company had been pleased with the Trafic since its introduction, and the new Crew options would further broaden its appeal.
“The Trafic has been a great seller for Renault in Australia,” he said. “The Trafic Crew brings another level of functionality to what is already a highly capable and increasingly popular alternative to more mainstream mid-size van offerings."
Will Renault’s Trafic Crew sell without an automatic transmission? Tell us in the comments below.


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FORT WORTH Downtown Fort Worth residents who for years have clamored for a grocery store in the coming months will get their wish when the owner of Olivers Fine Foods in Mansfield opens up shop in the historic Sanger Building at Fourth and Throckmorton streets.
The 6,600-square-foot store will be more than twice the size of the Mansfield location, but offer the same deli counter with Boars Head meats, a butcher counter where theyll hand-cut meats and offer house-made sausages, fresh fish and seafood, and areas for fresh produce, cheese, wine and beer.
Owner Todd Bush said the store will be upscale, but likens it to neighborhood delis common throughout the northeast areas of the U.S. Its likely the store will open in the fall, the landlord, Sundance Square, said. It will have breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings.
Not only will the store serve the downtown residents, Bush said he sees a lot of the downtown workers running in and out to pick up items.
Were extremely excited about going downtown, Bush said. There is a tremendous need and opportunity with the growing base of residents living in the downtown area as well as the large number of people who drive into Sundance Square to work during the week.
Downtown has 926 owner-occupied residences and about 36,000 workers, according to Downtown Fort Worth Inc. figures. Among them, the top five floors of the Sanger Building house 59 loft-style apartments that opened in 1993. It is across the street from the 37-story The Tower, which has 294 condos.
About 69 percent of respondents to a Downtown Fort Worth Inc. survey three years ago said having a grocery store downtown was important. That continues to be the No. 1 wish of those residents, said Andy Taft, Downtown Fort Worth Inc. president.
It has been a longstanding desire and a retail proposal that downtown has tried to land for many years, Taft said.
Bush, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with an associate of arts degree and a certified executive chefs degree, opened Olivers in about 3,000 square feet on East Broad Street in Mansfield in 2008.
The downtown store will have more shelves for canned and bottled foods and a section of prepared foods.
Customers who order fresh cut meats can also have it cooked before leaving the store. A lot of the product line will depend on what our clients want, Bush said.
The store will also provide catering.
Construction should begin soon on the space, last occupied by the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau. Sundance Square executives said they have fielded numerous calls from potential tenants the past two years, but have held out for just the right fit. Executives said Olivers will round out the amenities downtown.
Olivers Fine Foods is going to fulfill this tremendous need, said Johnny Campbell, Sundances president and CEO.
Olivers features an extensive line of meats, including sausages, poultry, beef, lamb, veal, venison, shellfish and fish. The store will also offer prepared signature dishes to go and such things as spreads, salads, dressings, soups, cut fruit, and fresh chips and salsa.
The Sanger Building was built in 1929 to house the first air-conditioned department store west of the Mississippi River. The Circle Theater is located in the basement of the building. Leddys Ranch Western Store operates in an adjacent space at the corner of Fourth and Houston streets.
Sandra Baker, 817-390-7727
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/02/11/2842061/downtown-fort-worth-getting-olivers.html#ixzz1DgVSB01l


text: Samsung a30s update Samsung has finally started rolling out Android 10 update for its mid-range handset, the Galaxy A30s. The new update is based on Samsung's OneUl 2.0 custom skin, which adds new features to the device. The smartphone was launched back in 2019 with Android 9 Pie. Samsung Galaxy A30s is now receiving the new update in a few countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Laos, Libya, Philippines, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. A report by SamMobile suggests that users living in the aforementioned countries have started receiving the update with the firmware version A307FNXXU2BTD1.


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Chinese exports rebounded in June despite shipping delays
In June, China’s exports and imports showed unexpected growth just as massive disruptions rocked southern China. This could be a sign of recovery from an economic downturn caused by delays at the Yantian port, an effect that has spread globally.
China’s General Administration of Customs on Tuesday released data showing that Chinese exports rose 32 percent from a year earlier in dollar terms, even more than the 28 percent gain recorded in May. It exceeded the expectations of economists, who had predicted a slowdown due to lockdown restrictions in southern China. During the same period, imports increased by 37 percent, also reversing an earlier forecast of 30 percent. However, that figure was lower than the 51% increase recorded in May year-over-year. In total, China had a trade surplus of $ 52 billion for June, down from $ 46 billion in May.
“The development of foreign trade will face a number of uncertain and unstable factors in the second half of the year, as the coronavirus is still spreading to several places around the world and the pandemic situation remains complex,” said Li Kuiwen, customs. administrative spokesperson.
However, Beijing still believes that the global macroeconomic situation is very volatile. Deputy Minister of Commerce Ren Hongbin said on Monday that the ministry would redouble its efforts to stabilize foreign trade and investment.
Some economists believe the trade rebound seen in June may have been caused by high commodity prices, as seen with iron ore prices and high freight rates passed on to consumers. In addition, the relentless appetite for Chinese products such as medical equipment and furniture could help explain the growth in exports.


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Mega.co.nz has today published an independent report which refutes claims that the site is a piracy haven. The analysis, carried out by Olswang, an international law firm that previously worked with the UK government on copyright issues, concludes that claims in a 2014 NetNames report have â€œno factual basis whatsoever.â€ In September 2014, NetNames published a report titled Behind The Cyberlocker Door: A Report How Shadowy Cyberlockers Use Credit Card Companies to Make Millions. It accused New Zealand-based cloud-storage site Mega of being a â€œcyberlockerâ€ and profiting from â€œcontent theftâ€. Mega reacted angrily to the report, branding it defamatory and warning of further action. This morning Mega revealed it had commissioned international law firm Olswang to critique the NetNames report, an interesting move considering the firmâ€™s pedigree. In 2014 Olswang worked with the UK governmentâ€™s IP advisor to publish a set of anti-piracy recommendations. They were later endorsed by the MPAA. The report â€œOlswang was asked to analyse the evidence and data used by NetNames in order to establish whether there was any factual basis for the claims. Olswang is renowned for its deep experience in the technology, media and telecoms sector,â€ Mega says. The result is a 42-page teardown of the NetNames report, clarifying Megaâ€™s business and legal practices while leaving the brand company with plenty of questions to answer. â€œThe NetNames report has been extremely damaging to Mega,â€ Oslwang begins. â€œMost notably, it has been relied upon by United States Senator Patrick Leahy to apply pressure to major payment providers and credit card companies to withdraw their services from those identified in the NetNames report.â€ Allegedly infringing content One of NetNamesâ€™ key claims is that the majority of the files stored on Mega are infringing. Olswang attacks both the claim and the companyâ€™s methodology. Describing the analysis file sample as â€œinherently biased towards finding infringing contentâ€, the law firm notes that only publicly available files were examined while the vast majority of files stored on Mega (encrypted and not publicly shared) were ignored. â€œIn September 2014, when the NetNames report was published, Mega had approximately 2.5 billion files stored on its servers. This means that the sample of files analysed represents just 0.00002% of the total number of overall files,â€ Olswang reports. The law firm adds that NetNames took no steps to determine whether content was actually infringing. Instead, filenames were used as the lone indicator of illegality. Business model After holding NetNames to its own definition of an â€œillegal cyberlockerâ€, Olswang found no similarities with Mega, noting that the companyâ€™s business model is â€œentirely at odds with NetNamesâ€™ own description of those used by cyberlockers.â€ Noting that Megaâ€™s basic service is similar to those provided by many other major legitimate cloud-hosting providers, Olswang addresses NetNamesâ€™ claims that rogue cyberlockers limit download speeds in order to encourage users to pay to upgrade to higher speeds. â€œMega operates a bandwidth limit in the same way as other legitimate storage providers and does not limit download speeds,â€ the law firm notes. And then to advertising. â€œThe NetNames report acknowledges that Mega does not host advertising and is therefore an â€˜exceptionâ€™ to the other 29 cyberlocker companies named. However it still categorizes Mega as a cyberlocker despite it being clear that Megaâ€™s primary sources of revenue do not share any of the characteristics ascribed to cyberlockers. We therefore see no possible basis on which such a conclusion can be drawn,â€ the report adds. Aggressive affiliate programs, which are considered by some to be one of the hallmarks of a rogue file-hosting site, are also tackled by Olswang in the clearest possible terms. â€œThe NetNames report estimates that Mega pays out $66,789 per month to affiliates. The source of this figure is unexplained, and it is entirely false. To date, Mega has not finalized any affiliate relationships and therefore has never paid any commission or retainer to any affiliate,â€ the law firm notes. Legal Of primary importance is whether Mega complies with the law, both locally in New Zealand and elsewhere internationally. The Olswang report highlights no deficiencies while noting that Megaâ€™s policies are â€œfully compliant with the New Zealand Copyright Act 1994 and the equivalent intermediary liability regimes provided for in the US DMCA and European ECommerce Directive.â€ The company takes down infringing content on demand and reports deleting 131,377 files in the first quarter of 2015, a figure representing just 0.003% of all files stored on Mega. Site users are subjected to a â€œ5 strikesâ€ regime, meaning that after five reports of infringement accounts are suspended. â€œAt the time of writing 29,290 user accounts had been suspended by Mega for this reason, comprising less than 0.16% of total Mega users,â€ Olswang notes. Conclusion â€œHaving reviewed the NetNames report and undertaken analysis of Megaâ€™s service, Olswang has found no evidence to conclude that Mega can be considered a cyberlocker, or that it knowingly, willingly or even passively assists in or condones wide scale copyright or other infringement,â€ the law firm writes. â€œIn summary, Olswang has concluded that the allegations in the NetNames report are highly defamatory of Mega and appear to have no factual basis whatsoever. The NetNames report contains numerous factual inaccuracies and methodological errors and draws conclusions that are entirely wrong. â€œ[All] of Megaâ€™s characteristics are consistent with those of a legitimate cloud storage provider in the same way as Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, Dropbox and many other similar providers,â€ Olswang concludes. Mega says it is pleased with the findings of the report and is now considering its legal position. â€œIt is quite clear from the comprehensive review conducted by Olswang that the assertions about Mega in the NetNames report are totally without foundation and are defamatory. We are now taking legal advice on this serious attack against Mega,â€ says Mega CEO Graham Gaylard. â€œOlswangâ€™s credentials on anti-piracy issues are impeccable, and their conclusions totally refute the allegations made in the NetNames report.â€ Thus far NetNames has ignored requests for comment on the inclusion of Mega in its report. With pressure building as it now is, the company could soon be left with little choice. The full report can be downloaded here (pdf). https://torrentfreak.com/mega-rolls-out-legal-heavyweights-to-refute-piracy-claims-150515/
Lionel Richie has dismissed claims he's Khloe Kardashian's birth father. The reality TV star has been dogged by claims her late father Robert Kardashian isn't her real dad and most recently Lionel became the focus of paternity rumours. But the All Night Long singer insists the reports have no basis in truth. While noting the Kardashian sisters often visited his home, Lionel, who is father to reality TV star Nicole Richie, insists he's 'not the dad'. "No! Of course not," he told Celebuzz. "But you know what, they are my kids. I mean, they grew up in my house,' he added, clarifying: 'But no I'm not the dad." Rumours about Khloe's birth father first surfaced after she discussed her doubts about her biological parents on her family's show Keeping Up With the Kardashians. While she threatened mother Kris Jenner she would have a paternity test conducted, the star never followed through. Khloe dismissed claims linking her to Lionel earlier this month. "I've had so many dads my head is spinning," she mused to Gossip Cop. She has previously entertained the rumours with humour. In one incident in 2012, she laughed that Tracy Morgan was actually her father after the comedian poked fun at the speculation while on Conan O'Brien's late night talk show in the US. 'Its been really tough keeping it quiet but thank goodness he said something. Tracy Morgan is my father... Maury we no longer need you. LOL (sic),' she tweeted. She's also said she's grown tired of the speculation, particularly from photographers following her every move. 'I learn so much from the paparazzi. LOL Apparently they know who my dad is.... Laughter is the best medicine (sic),' she wrote on the micro-blog. Add Rep and Leave a feedback Reputation is the green button in the down right corner on my post
Attendees will also get to see "a bunch of stuff that maybe we shouldn't show you yet," Sony says. Sony's upcoming PlayStation Experience event--a two-day community-focused gathering in Las Vegas meant to celebrate all things PlayStation--is going be like nothing you've ever seen. That's according to PlayStation boss Scott Rohde, who labeled the event "unprecedented," and even teased that it will include some special announcements or reveals. "This event that we're gonna hold; this is pretty unprecedented," Rohde said during the latest PlayStation Blogcast. "This is an event for the fans, and I am so incredibly geeked about it. We're gonna show you a bunch of stuff that maybe we shouldn't show you yet." Overall, Rohde said PlayStation Experience aims to be a "celebration of the [PlayStation 4] and all the fans that made it as great as it is today." Sony announced PlayStation Experience earlier this month. Attendees will get to sit in on panels, meet developers, and go hands-on with upcoming PlayStation games. They'll also have a chance to get free swag and buy rare collectibles directly from game studios. The show will also feature an "exclusive first look" at PlayStation's 2015 software slate, which includes games such as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Bloodborne, among others. The event will be held December 6 and 7 in Las Vegas at a "huge" venue. One-day passes will sell for $50, while two-day tickets will go for $90. More details regarding the show are expected to be announced today, October 20. Add Rep and Leave a feedback Reputation is the green button in the down right corner on my post
Restoration process now underway; Imminent patch will help activate more online features; No update on PS Plus edition. Driveclub servers are "building a steady increase in performance", according to its developer. The performance increases follow a string of connection problems that affected players after the game shipped last week. Evolution Studios, the developer responsible for Driveclub's buggy netcode, has been persistently communicative during its disastrous week of connection problems and server timeouts. But late on Monday, the studio appeared to have turned a corner, claiming that an increasing number of players are now able to access the title. "Continual upgrades to the Driveclub servers are building a steady increase in performance, meaning that we're getting more and more players connected," the studio wrote. As an immediate response to the online problems last week, Evolution closed some of Driveclub's online features and postponed the free PS Plus edition. While there is still no new release date announced for the PS Plus version, the developer said another server update would arrive by Wednesday that would begin the process of switching on more online features. "We are sorry that we don't have more concrete news to share right now, but please be patient. We will have more information for you tomorrow," the studio added. Throughout the past seven days, Driveclub director Paul Rustchynsky has been actively addressing fans on Twitter, explaining that it was the game's buggy netcode that resulted in the server woes. He added that the team has not ruled out compensating those affected by the connection problems. Add Rep and Leave a feedback Reputation is the green button in the down right corner on my post
Cloud technology could bring Xbox One and 360 games to web browsers. Microsoft could be close to releasing a consumer version of its internally tested cloud games service, according to one report, which would allow Xbox games to be played in web browsers. According to at least two purported inside sources speaking to Neowin, the unannounced service allows people to play both Xbox One and Xbox 360 games in certain web browsers, including Google's Chrome. One person supposedly familiar with Microsoft's plans claims that the streaming service can remotely display games at 60FPS. The Xbox 360 dashboard can also be streamed, offering access to an additional range of console features. Microsoft said "we do not comment on rumors or speculation" when approached by GameSpot. In July, the software giant's new chief executive, Satya Nadella, emphisised Microsoft's new direction by stating "we live in a mobile-first and cloud-first world". Game streaming technology works by running hardware and software at sophisticated server farms and streaming the data to customers remotely. Companies such as OnLive have bet their business on the viability of the technology, while Sony has invested in the area too by purchasing rival firm Gaikai and using its tech to establish the PlayStation Now service. Microsoft, which insists it still has a PC games strategy despite the general winding down of Games For Windows Live, could use the cloud service to reinvigorate its business in that area. Whether the internally tested Xbox streaming service is given clearance for commercial release is unclear. Neowin's report claimed "the product, as it stands right now, has Xbox branding and works outside the walls of Microsoft". However, it added that licensing issues with games publishers could become a challenge. Last year, Microsoft demonstrated Halo 4 running in the cloud on various devices at the companyâ€™s all-employee meeting. "This project is the on-going work from that demo to bring it to more users," Neowin's repot claimed. "Our understanding is that significant progress has been made from that demo and it is now being rolled out to more users." Add Rep and Leave a feedback Reputation is the green button in the down right corner on my post


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Canadian on-demand grocery delivery service Inabuggy has announced that it will launch in Montreal and the Greater Montreal Area on November 5th. This follows launches Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa, bringing the company’s number of areas of operation over the 40 mark.
I’m in this predicament now. We’ve invited our family over for Thanksgiving this weekend and the thought of braving the crowd to gather everything we need at the grocery store the day of cooking is overwhelming. Not only that, we’ve got to think about all the side dishes. We’ve just learned that INABUGGY, the grocery-delivery service has a meal kit ready to be delivered even for last minute cooks like us.


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Mass Effect on hold
Posted: Posted May 13th, 2017 by Moonray
So apparently EA has put development of any new games on hold. No word on if this affects planned story DLC (though they did confirm multiplayer DLC will still be made).
They've moved a bunch of staff from the team to help with other projects (like the new Bioware IP and Battlefront 2).
Speaking of the new IP, apparently that has been delayed to April 2018 at the earliest (but probably later). Hopefully we'll get to see something of it at E3 this year.
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[Now confirmed – see update at the end!] German website Mein MMO has a Gamescom interview up that seemingly announces the launch date for Astellia Online. “The release of the western version of Astellia will take place on September 27th,” Barunson reportedly told the website. “There will be no beta tests before, but a headstart for pre-orderers is planned.” MMO players will recall that the company originally suggested the game would launch here in the west this summer, and it appears it will miss that technical window by only a few days.
Most of the interview rehashes what our readers will already know, though it does appear the studio will be making some specific changes for the game ahead of launch, specifically the addition of new skills, an adjustable and more intuitive UI, a better tutorial, improvements to the in-game help journal, and more achievements. Post-launch, players can expect the requisite Halloween and Christmas events, the opening of specific endgame dungeons and PvP, advanced classes, and the last few gender-unlocked toons.
We took a look at Astellia during its first closed beta test, finding it to be a surprisingly respectable fun romp, though it didn’t wholly astonish us. “My first impression wasn’t that this is the Next Big Thing to hit the market or that it’s going to blow people away who never would have believed in it before or anything of the sort,” MOP’s Eliot Lefebvre opined. “It is a solidly designed game of its subgenre that does a few things differently and a lot in a familiar fashion, and it is ultimately notable as much because of the care taken in its design as anything else.”
“Barunson E&A is pleased to announce that Astellia is heading for launch on September 27, 2019! Those who preorder Astellia will be able to participate in a headstart event that begins as early as September 20th. Best not tarry, however, as pre-orders end on September 19th! Players with eligible packages will be able to reserve their character names and pre-download the game client starting September 12th. All these activities pave the way for a successful start to Astellia on launch day! Launch day will come with a number of new additions to Astellia that have been made since the end of beta testing. Players will be able to create female Warrior and Assassin characters as part of Barunson’s commitment to a tailor-made version of Astellia for western audiences. In addition, players will find a number of in-game events with GMs actively participating with the community for tons of fun.”


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In April, 130 Orange County businesses were sold, a 26.2 percent increase from a year earlier, although sales were down more than 15 percent from March, according to the BizBen.com website, which specializes in sales of California businesses.
March had seen the strongest sales of businesses in a year at 153.
Business sales have been erratic over the past year, up six months and down six months and never a trend one way or the other. Sales have not been strong since the recession began in 2007 because the downturn was accompanied by collapse of the real estate market. Many buyers typically tap equity in their homes to finance business purchases.
Also, businesses themselves struggled with revenues and profits, lowering their value.
Orange County's April pattern of business sales was similar to that of surrounding counties and statewide. Year-over-year sales were higher in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties and in California overall. But March-to-April sales declined.
San Diego had the largest year-over-year hike at almost 60 percent. The Inland Empire counties also had strong rebound of sales – 49 percent in Riverside County and 50 percent in San Bernardino County, where the real estate crash hit hardest.
- Gaza's Hamas hands out land hoping to avoid financial crisis
- Video: More than 10,000 watch first Rams practice at UC Irvine
- Fans celebrate the release of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'
- Did you know there's a warehouse full of fossils in Orange County?
- Hector Santiago does just enough to lead Angels past Boston


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The European Union and India held their first ministerial meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Brussels last week.
The TTC is a forum that delves into the strategic partnership on topics such as trade and technology between the two partners. Geostrategic challenges have strengthened the common interest of the EU and India in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development based on shared values. The TTC will help boost EU-India bilateral trade, which is at an all-time high, with €120 billion of goods traded in 2022. In 2022, €17 billion of digital products and services were traded.
Chairing the ministerial meeting was jointly chaired by Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis from the EU side and the Indian side by Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Piyush Goyal, Minister of Trade and Industry; and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology. They were joined by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.
TTC will address major challenges in trade, trusted technology and security as a coordination platform. The ministerial meeting was based on the work of three working groups: Strategic technologies, digital governance and digital connectivity; Green and clean energy technologies; Trade, investment and resilient value chains.


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Apple’s got its eye on you, the consumer gadget behemoth is watching you as you wander about it’s store. Armed with the power to push you toward product, iBeacon – Apples instore location technology – will feed you all the information you need to make your Apple Store experience much more efficient, and much more… well, Applesh
Apple demonstrated the technology to journalists at it’s Fifth Avenue store in New York City on Friday. And while Apple isn’t the first to offer instore mapping – Macy’s teamed up with Shopkick last month to deliver the first retail-based iBeacons in it’s new York and San Francisco stores – Apple’s foray into this fast evolving technology is expected to boost uptake.
Apple first introduced iBeacon at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June this year, though the technology isn’t new, however the introduction of Bluetooth 4.0 has revolutionised it’s use.
iBeacons can be adjusted to highlight specific products as they allow for extremely precise indoor positioning, distinguishing between locations or items that are less than a metre apart, which isn’t possible with traditional GPS ::::
Apple’s store integration of iBeacon marks the company’s large-scale entry into this superhot emerging technology. Known as micro-location or place-based marketing field, it’s set to revolutionise not only how consumers shop, but how detailed data is deliver. Apple said iBeacon will provide consumers with “A new level of micro-location awareness, just like trail markers in a park, exhibits in a museum, or product displays in stores.”
The implications of iBeacon go far beyond Apple stores, indeed Apple is late to this party, as a legacy to the technology iBeacon is built on, the app also allows customers to scan and pay for some items, get customer service help, pick-up items and reserve products using a smartphone or tablet.
In-store location technology does raise a few privacy concerns, though a majority of customers have shown a willingness to be tracked if there’s something in it for them. Apple has always been solid at getting people to use it’s new technologies, Google, Microsoft and other tech companies will likely follow suit with their own location technology.
The future of the technology is broad, from marketing campaigns, retail, public transport, the uses are endless. Beaming detailed information to subscribing users goes well beyond pushing a product or service.
Over the past couple of years a slurry of smaller startups have sprung up offering services designed to gather more information about shoppers, serving up hyper-targeted deals to entice and excite. The idea is to improve a traditional stores’ ability to compete against e-commerce giants like Amazon, which already know bucket-loads about their users’ digital shopping habits.
Within the Apple Store, as well as shopping cues, users can be notified when the computer they ordered is ready for pickup, flash your order number at a Genius Bar team member via your mobile device and your order’s fetched without paperwork. The services are neat, but lets be honest, Apple is all about the sell, stroll by an iPhone table? You might get a message asking if you want to upgrade, check your upgrade availability and see if you can get money for trading in your old phone.
The transmitting beacons are super flexible, they can be adjusted to a specific distances, so you might get some notifications regardless of where you are within the store, others are received only when your standing a specific distance from the beacon.
The new technology has been rolled out to all 254 of the company’s US stores. The iBeacon software was included in Apple’s recent iOS 7 update for the company’s mobile devices, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Apple isn’t the first to offer in-store location technology. An app called Shopkick, has been running iBeacon for a little over a month in Macy’s New York and San Francisco stores.
Shopkick started life in 2010 as an instore promotion tool – picked up by Target in the US – it’s quickly developed to include a full suite of location-based customer experiences.
Shopkick is currently streets ahead of iBeacon, it offers comprehensive retail marketing that is entirely scaleable, from customer rewards, themed shopping, shopping lists, sharing gift ideas and a fully integrated payment system. Shopkick also has a list of participating US stores that goes beyond impressive, including: Target, Macy’s, best By, Old Navy, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Bath and Body Works and Urban Outfitters.
“Shopping happens when you feel like it, whether in store or at home on the couch. We want to make sure Shopkick is there, wherever and whenever.” Cyriac Toeding, CEO and co-founder of Shopkick said. “We’re working towar integrating discovery, payment, loyalty and promotions into one app across mobile platforms. Retailers want to be relevant to shoppers’ and Shopkick delivers tyhe right touch-points at the right moments in a shoppers journey from couch to cash register.
Shoppers are spending more time shopping online, apps like iBeacon and Shopkick are crucial to the integration of traditional retail into the online world, as well as increasing the shoppers experience while in-store. Shoppers are spending more and more time online via mobile devices – 70 minutes a day on PC vs 127 minutes a day on mobile devices – according to a recent survey by Adobe, the shoppers experience was amplified even more between devices, with Tablet users viewing 70 percent more pages than smartphone users.
Shopkick says that in the 12 months since it’s launch, users have viewed over 1 billion products in it’s iPad App alone.
The upside of Apple’s entry into micro-location, is that it puts the technology into the hands of thousands of developers and broadens its reach considerably, the app is also available for android devices via Google Play.
Who’s Watching You Now?
Location tracking does raise privacy concerns, shoppers may not want their every move tracked and recorded inside a store. Apple said in a statement that it “does not collect information about shoppers inside its stores.” The company said notices are triggered when the app senses a location beacon nearby, without Apple’s beacon needing to even know you’re there.
That’s not to say the technology can’t be abused, privacy advocates have raised concerns about the various ways that retailers track shoppers, whether it’s their location, purchase history or how often they visit a store. But consumers often agree to be tracked in exchange for discounts.
Earlier this year Nordstrom had to suspend a Wi-Fi-based tracking program after it was revealed the shopping habits of users were being tracked. A Nordstrom spokesperson, Tara Darrow, told CBS that “Sensors within stores collected data from customers smartphones as the attempted to connect to Wi-Fi services. The sensors monitored which department customers visited and how much time they spent there.” Ms Darrow said that the sensors were not able to track customers once they had exited the Nordstrom store, nor did the tracking giveaway any personal information.
Apple confirmed it does not store any personal information through iBeacon. The technology is designed to only work one way, from the hardware to the phone. The hardware component emits a signal and the phone recognizes it, but nothing is sent back to the hardware, an Apple spokesperson said.
Beyond improving the bottom line for its own stores, Apple hopes its iBeacon technology will usher in all sorts of innovative new applications.
More creative features are likely on the way, an explosion of users is likely. America’s nation pastime – MLB -Major League Baseball has plans to rollout iBeacon next year to customise fans’ experiences at its ballparks. Almost 80,000,000 fans are expected to attend an MLB game next year, and the league hopes that through its “At The Ballpark” app, fans will become even more besotted by the game. In a demo earlier this year, MLB officials showed how the app can offer special features based on users’ location in a stadium, such as coupons in the souvenir shop or a video that plays near landmarks.
A Boost to Australian Retailers
Alex Topaloski from location-based marketing powerhouse Proximiti says retailers are likely to pick up this technology with vigor.
“Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen a significant shift in companies’ appetite to trial new technologies,” Mr Topaloski said. “iBeacon and similar BLE – Bluetooth Low Energy – technology is currently a bit ‘green’ but the technology will mature and be proven in market.”
Mr Topaloski said a number of retailers are already tinkering with iBeacon sensors. But the opportunity is much broader than the retail segment. We see significant opportunities in other segments like banking, auto, entertainment and even mining.
Mr Topaloski believes there are two distinct opportunities on how retailers will be using this technology:
- A step-change in being able to engaging users with personalised marketing interactions around real-world locations like shops, landmarks and sporting venues.
- The technology opens a new dimension in how customers are being serviced inside shops, branches and dealerships. This will unleash a new wave of innovation that will enrich ‘the shopping experience’. It’s exactly what the doctor ordered for ‘bricks and mortar’ operators.
Mr Topaloski says that this new technology is a very elegant solution to a big, but often ignored, problem facing the digital industry. “How do you link the offline and online worlds? We hold a contentious view about the digital industry. All hype aside, it actually has a poor track record in translating digital ‘engagement’ to real-world consumer actions.”
With tradition retailers feeling the pinch from online sales, iBeacon and similar technologies might be the driver that levels out the playing field, clearly shoppers prefer the tactility of the in-store experience. Mr Topaloski believes the technology might be that bridge.
“Do businesses have a plan on how to get a customer from their website or mobile app to a nearby shop or cash register? This is the ‘last mile’ of the customer journey that digital advertisers don’t usually talk about. We have a lot of strong views about this. We happen to think iBeacon will help a long way in solving these challenges.” he said.
Like all new technologies however, businesses thinking about experimenting with iBeacon technology need to get some solid advice and plan carefully.
“Along with its benefits, these customer interactions introduce new challenges and layers of complexities,” Mr Topaloski said. ” Once businesses start working with iBeacon, they will also start appreciating how rich and powerful the data and insights are.”
He advises businesses to look hard at who they work with on implementing the technology.
Apple Australia says they have no official roll-out date for the technology – within it’s Australian Apple Stores – however, if history is a reliable measure, we can expect to see the technology beaming out of stores in around six months.
Facebook has become a social media behemoth with an insane reach, more than a billion users around the planet, the majority logging into the site several times daily, it’s hard to see how advertisers can go wrong.
When it comes to advertising on the world’s biggest social media network it isn’t simply the mass of users that Facebook push, the huge amount of data the company keeps on each user is it’s major draw, advertisers are coaxed with the opportunity to target exactly the audience they want.
Among mainstream advertisers there’s still apprehension, a bunch of discussion on whether Facebook advertising is affective.
Clearly the argument isn’t simple, Facebook offers advertisers several layers, from sponsored posts, full pages and mobile feeds to tradition button ads. And with multiple formats within its 10 categories, the offer is extensive.
With such a long reach, a massive combination of placement options, sidled up to metrics that are more measurable than almost any other platform, why wouldn’t you advertise on Facebook? :: Read the full article »»»»
RELATED! Gal Gadot to Debut as Wonder Woman in Zack Snyder’s 2015 Batman vs Superman
The rumours surrounding Wonder Woman have been swishing around the Hollywood vine for almost a decade, everyone from Megan Fox to Olivia Munn to my fave, Angelina Jolie have been peddled as the new Linda Carter.
Rumours End NOW! Wonder Woman will debut in Batman vs Superman, and the star spangled babe is being played by Israeli born actress and model Gal Gadot. Ms Gadot’s other claims to fame are as 2004 Miss Universe contestant from Israel, she’s also starred in 3 Fast & Furious franchise films, including the latest Fast & Furious 6, she’s also had supporting roles in Knight & Day, and Date Night.
Warner Brothers Pictures confirmed yesterday that Gadot, 28, has been cast to play Diana Prince in director Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel follow-up. The as-yet-untitled movie, scheduled for release July 17, 2015, features Henry Cavill in his second stint as Superman and Ben Affleck, who’s making his debut as Bruce Wayne :: Read the full article »»»»
RELATED! Omer Haciomeroglu’s Clean Concrete Recycling Robot
Concrete has been used in construction for almost 3,000 years, it is THE most versatile building material on the planet, it’s also the least green. Our use of concrete in building is beyond extensive, by weight you’d need every other building material combined, then doubled to get even close to our reliance on this versatile composite.
The next most used substance on the planet is water, of which concrete also consumes an unhealthy amount of.
The main component of concrete is cement, the manufacture of which is one of the major contributors of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Cutting back on our use of cement and concrete is a hardship, the stuff is tough and relatively cheap compared with alternatives.
Recycling concrete is becoming much more common, in of itself however, it’s not such a green practice. Concrete demolition usually ends up with as much discarded landfill as recyclable product, and once concrete reaches the recycling yard it’s reprocessing takes almost as much energy as making the stuff from scratch.
Imagine a machine, a robot that could recycle concrete structures without all the heavy machinery, a single deconstruction process. World meet Omer Haciomeroglu’s ERO Concrete De-construction Robot :: Read the full article »»»»
RELATED! Windows Device Chief Killing RT Tablet OS
Microsoft’s head of Devices, Julie Larson-Green has caused a stir in the tablet market, unofficially announcing that the Tech-behemoth would only be running with two – of three – operating systems for mobile devices.
Microsoft currently runs Windows Phone, RT and Windows 8 on tablets and phones. Punters are betting large on RT being the odd OS out.
RT was developed solely to take advantage of ARMs 32-bit architecture, giving devices like Surface super thinness and power efficiency.
RT is a cutdown version of Windows 8, sitting smack in the middle of Phone and 8, with more functionality than Phone but less functionality of 8.
Devices currently running Windows RT have a selection of scaled back, bundled programs – MS Office 2013 – however, it’s inherently incompatible with previous versions of Windows.
Punters it seems are flexing their purchasing power, choosing full-blown Windows 8 rather than the OEM only RT as their tablet OS :: Read the full article »»»»
RELATED! More Proof Apple SmartTV is Close? Apple Picks Up 3D Sensing Tech-co PrimeSense
Consumer tech-behemoth Apple Inc, has acquired 3D developer PrimeSense, it hasn’t however disclosed how it intends to use the new acquisition. PrimeSense is a developer who’s technologie allow devices to respond to their environment in three dimensions.
Apple purchased the Israel based company yesterday, tech-analysts believe the move indicates a shift toward more sophisticated gesture-control in Apples mobile devices, iPhone and iPad.
An Apple spokesman confirmed the purchase, however declined to say how much it spent or what the technology will be used for.
Israeli media said Apple paid about $350 million for PrimeSense, whose technology powers the gesture control in Microsoft Corp’s Xbox Kinect gaming system :: Read the full article »»»»
RELATED! Startup pushes Newsstand publication samples to iOS devices through Apple’s iBeacons
Publishers can now promote their magazine apps for iOS by making them available to view for free at specific locations, thanks to a new use for Apple’s wireless iBeacon technology created by a digital publishing startup company.
Using iBeacons, publishers can give readers the same ability to browse a magazine that they would at a real, live newsstand. The concept of magazine promotion by iBeacons was created by Exact Editions, which is calling its service for publishers “ByPlace.”
With ByPlace, an iBeacon can serve as an “unlocking device” for appropriate applications to connected iOS devices in the vicinity. Using a tiny, battery-powered iBeacon accessory, a publisher could offer free content access to users located within 15 meters.
According to Exact Editions, publishers and developers can attach several applications to a specific ByPlace iBeacon, and that accessible content can be altered remotely when needed :: Read the full Appleinsider article »»»»


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Mon, Mar 24 2014 09:00am PDT
FreeOnes.com announced today that the 5th annual Miss FreeOnes contest will begin at 2 a.m. EDT on Sept. 1.
Mon, Mar 24 2014 08:15am PDT
The Adult Performer Advocacy Committee (APAC) announced it will hold a "Newbie Orientation" panel at 7 p.m. on April 6 in Silver Lake.
Mon, Mar 24 2014 08:00am PDT
ManicaMoney.com has announced the launch of DeepThroat.xxx.
Mon, Mar 24 2014 07:00am PDT
Entrenue has introduced the “Eternal Swan” by BMS Factory, a dual-ended vibrating dildo designed for couples that want mutual stimulation without the hindrance of a harness.
Sun, Mar 23 2014 10:45am PDT
NakedSword Chief Executive Tim Valenti, featured in a piece on DailyDot.com, says that adult film studios' dabbling in the independent film industry is “not common at all, but maybe it should be.”
Sun, Mar 23 2014 07:00am PDT
XBIZ Award-winning studio Trans 500 has announced the release of the fifth installment of its “Trans at Play” series.
Sat, Mar 22 2014 12:00pm PDT
Hot House Entertainment has announced the release of its "Hard Time," prison fantasy film.
Sat, Mar 22 2014 06:00am PDT
The Puba network of porn star sites will celebrate the birthdays of managing partners Ivan and Ben this Wednesday with a party doubling as a toy drive at Page 71 nightclub in Studio City.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 05:00pm PDT
Veteran distributor Williams Trading Co. announced that the full Coco-Licious line from CalExotics is in stock and ready for immediate shipment.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 04:30pm PDT
An adult retail chain based in Minnesota and North Dakota that did business under the name Fantasys has changed its brand name as part of a lawsuit brought on by rival Fantasy Gifts.


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I’m sure you’re well aware of the price hikes that are seemingly taking place on a monthly basis.
Right now we’re all experiencing inflation the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades.
Inflation itself is bad enough, but there’s also something else going on that’s making the situation even worse…
In case you haven’t noticed, the quantities of many of the products we use on a regular basis are shrinking while their prices either stay the same, or even go up.
This is what’s known as “shrinkflation”, inflation’s closely-related, but extremely deceitful cousin. [Read more…]


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CHINA’S poultrymeat sector will post positive growth this year despite the coronavirus pandemic – but it will not match expansion seen in recent years that was driven by African Swine Fever (ASF).
Analysts expect China’s pork production to recover to 80%-90% of pre-ASF levels by the end of 2021, which will mean that the poultry sector should return to more traditional growth patterns, according to a recent USDA Gain report.
In 2021 chicken meat production is forecast at 15.3 million metric tons, 3% up on the estimated total for 2020.
Last year the country’s poultry sector grew 18% as prices were driven up by ASF.
Coronavirus hit the market at the beginning of the year – both disrupting production and hampering demand, slowing expansion.
There have also been six outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza so far in 2020.
White-feather broilers account for 50% of the chicken meat market, and this is expanding as larger companies invest in modern production.
Chinese companies have invested in white-feathered bird genetics to meet this growth. Imports of Grandparent stock were up 42% in 2019 when compared with a year earlier.
The country is also reportedly breeding its own white broiler.
Pork prices and coronavirus will both influence Chinese poultry consumption, which is forecast to grow 2%, to 15.7 MMT in 2021.
Last year, poultrymeat consumption grew 20% y-o-y as the demand for pork dropped.
The way shoppers buy meat is also changing. The traditional, yellow broilers were more commonly sold in live markets – many of which are disappearing.
A number never reopened after the avian influenza outbreaks in the 2016-2017 season, while Chinese authorities have closed many wet markets down and banned live bird sales because of COVID-19.
“Even as the immediate COVID-19 outbreak is controlled in China, more consumers will tend to buy chilled chicken meat at supermarkets or modernized wet markets,” says the report.


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Blog: Four more beers!
James Wilmore | 17 August 2012
Beer, it appears, is playing a leading role in this year's US presidential election campaign.
Barack Obama was recently caught on camera (see video below) at the 'Bud Tent', during the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Ever the cool customer, Obama was not caught out by one wag asking him to buy a round. It then prompted calls of "four more beers!" But the good old president put his hand in his pocket.
Meanwhile, presidential VP candidate, Paul Ryan, seems to be more a Miller man, after it was reported he told a crowd in Milwaukee suburb, Waukesha: "My veins run with cheese, bratwurst, and a little Spotted Cow, Leine's, and some Miller."
Does that mean Mitt Romney is a craft beer drinker?
Heineken is gearing up for a product launch in Australia this month. But exactly what the product is, the brewer is not saying....
It's Summer in the northern hemisphere and the beer festivals are in full swing. Even the famously secluded North Korea is letting its regulation-cut hair down with the Taedonggang Beer Festival, name...
Drinks companies that use celebrities and influencers to endorse products via social media could be in line for some rule changes....
A couple of months ago, US-based Saltwater Brewery developed 'edible six-pack rings' in an effort to curb threats to wildlife....
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- Interview- Veltins export manager Udo Bruns
- How Treasury is rewriting the rule book - Comment
- Diageo revamps Gordon's gin bottle in UK
- Craft Brew Alliance poised for AB InBev takeover?
- Pernod deal rescues Corby's FY
- Diageo's Guinness Rye Pale Ale - NPD
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- Carlsberg AS (CARL B) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review
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Israeli and Aussie experts talk ransomware
If you pay the ransom, your data will be free, though the hacker will still have access to it and can hold it for ransom again, even after you've patched the vulnerability.
Artificial Intelligence solutions like ChatGPT will help ransomware hackers by creating more sophisticated phishing attempt emails, Israeli Retired Brigadier General Asaf Kochan told an Australian audience last week.
Kochan, who was in charge of the elite 8200 Unit – the Military Intelligence Directorate’s main information gathering unit – went on to co-found Israeli cybersecurity company Sentra.
He participated in a Zoom briefing last week with one of Australia’s top cyber experts, Alastair MacGibbon, a former adviser to the Prime Minister who is now chief strategy officer for CyberCX.
MacGibbon asked Kochan about the success of Israel’s cyber ecosystem over the years, new threats on the cyber horizon and Israel’s role in managing evolving cyber challenges. They also discussed global preparedness and awareness of cyber threats in the wider community, the business model of cyber crime and the difference between international crime groups and nation state threats.
The issue for mainstream Australians and New Zealanders, Kochan said, is knowing what to do when dealing with a ransomware threat.
If you pay the ransom, your data will be free, though the hacker will still have access to it and can hold it for ransom again, even after you’ve patched the vulnerability. Other hackers may also see you as a target for future attacks because they can gain something monetarily.
If you don’t pay the ransom, you will lose the data. The hacker may also share your company’s vulnerabilities on the dark web, making your business ripe for further attacks. This can weaken your business until you have no choice but to pay after all, which might by then be an even higher amount.
In short, he said, there is no one answer. Each hack needs to be assessed case-by-case.
The discussion was the launch event for the Israel Trade Commission (ITC) and Trans-Tasman Business Circle’s Israel Cyber Study Tour, which will coincide with Israel Cyber Week in late June.
“Israel’s military and cyber capabilities are intertwined; Australia and New Zealand could not be further away from this sentiment, meaning there is much to learn on a trade delegation to Israel,” ITC senior trade officer Jeremy Ungar said.
“All-in-all, Israeli cyber is the cream of the crop.”
The ITC provided a panel of vendors after the presentations to showcase what to expect at Israel Cyber Week – a synergy of professional panel discussions and a vendor exhibition.
One panellist joined from an Israeli/American Team8 founded company called Sygnia. They provide consulting at the highest level, sharing war stories about dealing with hackers. Another panellist was from a company with identity protection solutions.
There are spots for SME and corporate Australian and New Zealanders to join the June delegation to Tel Aviv.
Watch the panel:
Israel Cyber Week registration:


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A Target Corp. official told a congressional panel that Hormel Foods and Cargill are close to putting a label on meat to let consumers know when it’s been treated with a gas to make it look fresher.
Target divisional merchandise manager Danielle Lachman said federal officials have approved language that Hormel and Cargill will use on the packaging. The label will say “Color is not an accurate indicator of freshness. Refer to use or freeze by” date, Lachman told members of a House Energy and Commerce investigative subcommittee looking into food safety Wednesday. The label will go into use as soon as this month, Lachman said.
Hormel and Cargill use carbon monoxide technology in a joint venture called Precept Foods to help meat retain its red color.
Last fall, officials from the three Minnesota companies appeared before the same subcommittee. The panel’s chairman, Bart Stupak, D-Mich., opposes the carbon monoxide treatment, arguing its sole purpose is to fool consumers about the freshness of the product.
H.B. Fuller Co.: Monica Moretti, vice president, sold 18,822 shares March 7 at $20.42-$20.43 per share, option related; holds 3,378 shares.
Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.: Mary Twinem, chief financial officer, sold 12,816 shares March 10 at $20.10-$21.00 per share, 10(b) 5-1 Plan; holds 97,430 shares.
Patterson Cos.: Lynn Askew, vice president, sold 1,500 shares March 10 at $33.98 per share, option related; holds 9,505 shares.
Rimage Corp.: James Reissner, chairman, sold 2,000 shares March 10 at $22.65-$22.83 per share; holds 11,157 shares; David Suden, director, sold 8,000 shares March 10-11 at $22.21-$22.70 per share, option related; no further holdings.
— From wire reports


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KABUL (Pajhwok): Minister for Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Aziz during a meeting with industrialists has stressed over the high quality of production and said low
GHAZNI (Pajhwok): Industrialists and factory owners in southern Ghazni province say they are forced to reduce the number of workers and the volume of production
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Carpet exporters say only six of 40 carpet weaving and exporting companies are operational in the country’s north due . . .
KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Traders and industrialists in southern Kandahar province say they are struggling with numerous problems and the government instead of facilitating them .
KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): With their number reaching 13 after inauguration of an advanced egg producing farm, the layer chicken industry in southern Kandahar province .
KABUL called the government’s decision as cruel. A month ago, Da
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Today has been a pretty intense day on the Android battlefield. With Google’s announcements of Android 4.2, the LG Nexus 4, Samsung Nexus 10, and new variants of the Nexus 7, it only makes sense that we would do a special edition show tonight, to discuss it all.
At 6:00PM Pacific (9:00PM Eastern), we’ll have the show up and live right here, so that you can get our opinions and thoughts on all that was announced. Also, this will likely be our only show this week, because Wednesday is Halloween and the team has other events taking place.
Come join us live in just a few hours!
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Legal Aid Western Australia (WA) has selected software company OpenText Extended ECM platform to improve client service delivery through better information management and enhanced collaboration.
The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), Citigroup Global Markets Australia, Deutsche Bank and six senior banking executives have all been committed to the Federal Court of Australia for trial on criminal cartel charges.
Facebook is trying to shift the responsibility to domain name registrars to take an active policing role, according to a Brisbane-based intellectual property and domain name lawyer Sandy Zhang, commenting on Facebook’s lawsuit against an American name registrar Namecheap and its proxy service Whoisguard.
Chinese telcom giant Huawei Technologies is suing US telco Verizon for patent infringement after previously failing to get an agreement through negotiations on license terms over a “significant period of time".
Foxtel has chosen not to take legal action against two men who illegally streamed the Danny Green v Anthony Mundine fight live on Facebook on 3 February, choosing instead to give them a rap over the knuckles and force publication of a formal apology.
Telstra’s deal to sell down the majority of its stake in China online auto sales company Autohome to Chinese insurer Ping An for $2.1 billion is under a cloud, with a court action against the telco in the Cayman Island tax haven taken by some minority shareholders of Autohome.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has started an action in the Federal Court against a group of companies over alleged unconscionable conduct in the supply of telecommunications services and undue harassment, in breach of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
An online trader has been fined, restrained and ordered to pay costs after the ACCC won a case against him in the Federal Court.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is considering what sanctions it should apply to Sydney radio station Today FM for its airing of a prank call by two of its presenters made in 2012 to the British hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, was being treated during her first pregnancy.
Here we go again. On top of the long running legal battle between Samsung and Apple over iPhone designs, now Microsoft is suing the Korean giant.
Apple has suffered a massive legal defeat in the US, being forced to refund US$32.5 million ($36.5 million) to American parents whose children racked up huge bills from in-app purchases.
The Canadian mobile maker Blackberry is suing iPhone accessory maker, Typo, claiming the newly launched startup has copied the “distinctive design” of the keyboard found on many of its mobile phone handsets. Typo has said it will 'vigorously defend' the charges.
Facebook looks to be heading for the courts as users have launched a class-action lawsuit alleging the social network extracts information from private messages to use for itsw own purposes. Facebook says it will defend the allegations and that they have “no merit.”
NBN Co says its CPI-linked payments to Telstra should be indexed from the start of this year. Telstra says they should be indexed from last year.
Federal watchdog ACCC is taking ISP Netspeed to the Federal Court over alleged breaches of consumer law.
So says the latest world-wide survey by Unisys that takes a bi-annual look at the security attitudes of people around the world.
A new variant of click fraud has been identified by Microsoft, and the company has filed two lawsuits alleging fraudulent activity.
According to court papers, Apple officials told police that the publication of photos of a 'lost' next-generation iPhone was "immensely damaging" to the company. Was that the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Good ad concise overview!
Daldry's B Corp certification is neither the first nor the only such certification in Australia. This fact is readily verified,[…]
.....But there not reliable..and they wherever will beWe keep saying it should be treated like water, but if you don't[…]
Thx Ken!It would be excellent to get a followup article in the interest of journalistic insight,specifically on the actual trending[…]
With so many jobs in the IT sector, I'm pretty sure that if someone wanted a job they'd have one,[…]


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Christmas came early at the Springfield Museums Friday night.
“We actually have snow pants, snow jackets, hats and mittens we’re good to go, It’s New England right?”
Despite another cold night in western Massachusetts, people made their way to downtown Springfield Friday for the annual Christmas tree lighting at the Springfield Museums.
“It’s exciting, it’s so much fun it’s colorful, Dr. Suess is everywhere, it’s really fun,” said Tanne Plummer of Ontario, Canada.
Tanne Plummer and her family came down from Canada to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family and made it a point to stop at the Springfield Museums.
And she said it’s still much warmer here than up north.
“Compared to Canada, this is like fall spring weather,” Plummer added.
Although you had to bundle up from head to toe, the celebration featured appearances by Santa Claus and the Grinch and of course the illumination of the Quadrangle Christmas tree.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno also made an appearance to help kick off the celebration.
“It’s something new just to kick off the holiday festivities for the kids,” said Sue Afonso of Springfield. “We saw it online so we decided to come out and check it out.”
There were also performances by the Sci-Tech Band which featured members from the Springfield High School of Science and Technology Band Program.
And to help people stay warm on this frigid night, Dunkin Donuts gave away free hot chocolate.


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The April-June quarter typically accounts for nearly 45% of annual beer sales in the warm, tropical country. "One of the key factors is the steep rise in consumer prices on account of exceptionally high special taxes that have been imposed by most states," said Shekhar Ramamurthy, managing director of United Breweries that controls more than half the country’s beer market.
Many state governments, which saw their revenues plummet amid the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic even as their expenses shot up, have increased tax on alcohol by up to 75% of maximum retail price to boost their coffers since the Centre allowed reopening of liquor shops in the first week of May. “We do hope that states are able to roll back some of the tax increases so that the beer business can sustain itself,” Ramamurthy said.
Brewers fear the additional tax would damage the category already impacted by the lockdown, and a cutback in discretionary spends. AB InBev, the second-largest brewer, said existing taxation structure for beer at the same rate as hard spirits is short-sighted and the resulting drop in sales for the industry will require considerable time for recovery. “Summer is the peak season for beer and the introduction of additional tax with an oversized impact on beer will lead to missed revenue opportunities for the states and cause distress across several segments of the economy including farmers,” said Kartikeya Sharma, president – South Asia at AB InBev.
In India, several state governments control liquor retailing or wholesale distribution or both, and taxes form a major source of their revenues. More than 50% of the retail price of liquor goes to state and central governments by way of VAT and excise duty. Price tag of a 650 ml bottle of mainstream beer brand increased to Rs 190 from Rs 110 in Delhi after the state imposed 70% ‘Corona cess’ while it went up to Rs 170 from Rs 125 in West Bengal that increased tax by 30%. Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana opted for flat price increases of between Rs 5 and Rs 30. The hike was steepest in Andhra Pradesh where retail price surged to Rs 220 from Rs 130 earlier.
Last year, the Indian Premiere League twenty20 tournament and summer months, which have both historically boosted demand for beer, failed to revive the segment which was hurt by the general elections and consequent dry days.
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- Bills Pending, 13 States Barred from Power Exchanges
The Centre on Thursday barred 13 states from buying or selling electricity on power exchanges until they clear their current bills from power plants, sending a clear signal that they will have to clear accumulated dues and pay regular bills on time.Indus Towers Stake Sale: Vodafone, CDPQ on Call
Canadian pension fund Caisse dedépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is in talks with Vodafone Plc to buy the residual 21% stake the UK telecom major owns in Indus Towers, India’s largest mobile tower installation company,said multiple people aware of the negotiations.Mahindra Weighs Acquisition of GM’s Talegaon Factory
Mahindra & Mahindra is exploring the possibility of acquiring US carmaker General Motors’ factory at Talegaon in Maharashtra, soon after another Indian automaker, Tata Motors, agreed to take over Ford’s plant in Gujarat.
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WALTHAM, Mass. & HILLSBORO, Ore.—Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., along with FEI Company, has announced that it will be acquiring FEI for $107.50 per share, for a total purchase price of approximately $4.2 billion. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction, and after it goes through, FEI will become part of Thermo Fisher's Analytical Instruments Segment. This transaction is expected to close by early 2017, subject to FEI shareholder approval and customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals.
“We are pleased to reach this agreement with Thermo Fisher, which offers a number of important benefits to FEI shareholders, customers and employees,” Don Kania, president and CEO of FEI, said in a press release. “Our shareholders will see substantial and immediate value through the terms of this transaction. Our customers will benefit from the shared commitment Thermo Fisher and FEI have to innovation and customer service. And our employees will see new opportunities as our development and market expansion plans accelerate by being part of Thermo Fisher, a large and growing company. Fundamentally, this transaction bolsters our already strong position in the marketplace and allows us to play an increasing role in enabling our customers to accelerate breakthrough discoveries, increase productivity and provide solutions to global challenges.”
FEI brings with it expertise in electron microscopy, boosting Thermo Fisher's own portfolio of mass spectrometry systems. FEI saw revenues of $930 million in 2015, and the company currently employs more than 3,000 people, with R&D, sales and manufacturing operations primarily in the United States and Europe. Thermo Fisher expects the deal to be accretive to its adjusted earnings per share by 30 cents in the first full year after close. In addition, the company expects to see total synergies of approximately $80 million by the third year following the deal's closing, comprised of $55 million in cost synergies and roughly $25 million in adjusted operating income benefit from revenue-related synergies.
“The addition of FEI’s leading electron microscopy platform is an outstanding strategic fit with our company and will create significant value for our customers and our shareholders,” Marc N. Casper, president and CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific, commented regarding the deal. “In life sciences, there is growing adoption of electron microscopy to study the structure of proteins. The technologies we gain with FEI will complement our mass spectrometry leadership, putting Thermo Fisher in the best position to capitalize on this important trend. As the unrivaled leader in life sciences, we will also be able to leverage our global scale and commercial reach to extend the use of FEI’s products within our large biopharma customer base. Finally, the transaction will be immediately accretive to our earnings and will create value for our shareholders through cost and revenue synergies.”
“We are very excited to welcome our new colleagues from FEI to the Thermo Fisher team and look forward to realizing the significant benefits of the transaction for all our key stakeholders. FEI’s commitment to R&D, strong IP foundation, and excellent services and software offerings are a great fit with our Analytical Instruments business and will create exciting new opportunities to drive growth,” he added.
Thermo Fisher has engaged JP Morgan as its financial advisor for this transaction, with Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz serving as legal counsel. For its part, FEI has brought on Goldman, Sachs & Co. for financial advisor and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as its legal counsel.
SOURCE: Thermo Fisher press release


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Business Affairs Correspondent
BWG, the operator of the Spar and Mace retail brands, has wiped more than €70 million from its debts by buying back loans at a discount from Ulster Bank and Lloyds, using fresh investment from a listed South African group.
Spar South Africa (SSA), a wholesaler with extensive operations across southern Africa, yesterday told the stock exchange in Johannesburg it had agreed to pay €55 million for an 80 per cent stake in BWG, which has a network of more than 900 stores in Ireland and about 280 in Britain.
BWG's existing shareholders, comprising its chief executive Leo Crawford, property director John Clohisey and finance director John O'Donnell, will retain a 20 per cent stake in the business, which has sales of €1.2 billion.
They will continue to run BWG for at least the next five years, after which they are obliged to begin selling down their remaining stake to SSA using a pricing formula calculated upon the group’s future profitability.
SSA told the stock market that BWG, which is unlimited so does not file detailed accounts, made underlying profits in 2013 of more than €11 million.
AIB, Bank of Ireland and Blackstone will remain on board as lenders to the BWG group, but AIB and BoI will relinquish warrants they held over the group's equity.
The warrants held by the two Irish banks were granted as part of a restructuring last November that reduced BWG’s property-related borrowings by €100 million to about €200 million.
Following the impending deal with SSA, BWG’s net debt would be reduced further to €130.6 million, the South African group told its shareholders, and those debts would be consolidated into the listed group’s balance sheet.
AIB and Bank of Ireland will step in to replace BWG’s working capital facilities that were previously provided by the exiting banks, Lloyds and Ulster, which are both rapidly reducing their exposure to the Irish market.
Investec Corporate Finance in Dublin advised BWG on the deal, while Investec's South African banking arm is providing loans to SSA.
The restructuring following the cash injection will free up about €100 million of BWG’s earnings over the next five years to plough into a major expansion.
It is understood that BWG, which in 2012 bought the €30 million-a-year Morris Brothers wholesaling group, wants to acquire other retail wholesaling businesses.
SSA's entry into the Irish retail market will also bring a new competitive dimension to the cut-throat Irish convenience store market, where BWG's main rival is Musgrave, the owner of the Centra brand.
Following the latest deal, SSA’s network of stores will have global sales of close to €5 billion, making it, overnight, one of the biggest players in the Irish grocery and convenience retail market.
SSA also told its shareholders that it saw a long-term opportunity to help BWG “migrate its offering from the convenience retail segment into larger store formats”.
“This announcement is a great vote of confidence in BWG’s business, our brands and our wider management team,” Mr Crawford said.
Graham O’Connor, SSA’s chief executive, said its involvement in the Irish company would “bolster BWG’s purchasing power”. The South African group will also assume a controlling majority of BWG’s board of directors.