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Which cryptocurrency is legal tender? The Central African Republic declared Bitcoin, the world’s largest and most popular cyrptocurrency, an official currency, Bloomberg reported. It is only the second nation in the world to accept the cryptocurrency as legal tender.
Which countries have Bitcoin as an official currency? El Salvador is the only other country that officially uses bitcoin as legal tender in the world.
Is Bitcoin a Legal currency? The US Federal Government accepts Bitcoin as a form of payment. You can use bitcoins to pay for goods and services in the US. Bitcoin mining is legal in the US. The Federal Government taxes virtual currencies.
Is crypto trading legal in dubai? Is Cryptocurrency Legal in Dubai? The Central Bank of UAE has not licensed cryptocurrencies or recognized them as legal tenders. However, there are no prohibitions against crypto assets and they can be traded on crypto exchange platforms. UAE citizens can own cryptocurrencies, deposit and trade them.


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Auditor general Nancy Gathungu has flagged supplies worth Ksh281 million to the National Youth Service (NYS), raising eyebrows at the already tainted image of the government body.
In her latest audit report, Gathungu flagged the supplies for 20,000 woolen blankets, 126,000 metres of digital camouflage material, 10,000 pairs of high-ankle military boots, canned beef and pineapples, uniform materials, and gumboots.
The supply of camouflage material would cost Ksh74.97 million, woolen blankets Ksh51.4 million, olive green jerseys Ksh49.5 million, canned beef and pineapples Ksh31.74 million, high-ankle military boots Ksh29.8 million, uniforms materials Ksh20.16 million, gumboots Ksh0.95 million and police uniform Ksh23.4 million.
Read: Auditor General Reveals Possible Collusion Between Kemsa Bosses, Suppliers
Gathungu discovered several anomalies in the transactions including rejection of discounts by suppliers, payment for goods without confirming delivery and placing orders without approval.
Some suppliers, it was revealed, made supplies before being approved by means of authority to incur expenditure (AIE), in line with Public Finance Management Regulations of 2015. The Regulations prohibit public officers from spending or committing funds before approval through AIE.
For instance, in the supply of canned beef and pineapples, a local purchase order (LPO) was issued on December 4, 2018, over a month before the AIE was approved on January 11, 2019.
To add salt to injury, the voucher for payment was issued on March 22, 2019, a fortnight before an invoice was issued on April 5, 2019. Under normal circumstances in any procurement, the payment voucher is processed based on the invoice, hence it is not clear how the voucher was processed without an invoice.
Read: Trader Receives Ksh3.7 Million From NYS For Supplying Nothing, Reports To EACC
The Ksh20.16 million was paid days before delivery, the auditor general found. The AIE and authorisation to make payments for the supply were made on June 29 and 30, 2019, respectively, while the payment had already been made on June 27, 2019.
NYS also paid an exorbitant cost of Ksh49.5 million for the purchase of olive-green ribbed jerseys, an amount which was made prematurely. The amount, according to the audit findings, was paid on June 27, 2019, two days before the goods were delivered.
The AIE was granted on June 29, 2019 while the authorisation to make payment was made on June 30, 2019, long after the payment was made. The contract for supply was exaggerated by Ksh3.75 million, with a unit costing Ksh1,750 as compared to prices quoted by other suppliers which were as low as Ksh1,500.
The tender was requisitioned and paid by an official who sat in the tender committee.
The tender for supply of woolen blankets (costing Ksh51.4 million) was flawed, since only six firms participated instead of seven as required, as per the Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015, Section 114(1) (C).
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Shares of Apple (AAPL) are rising after a report from Bloomberg revealed that the company was nearing production on its M4 processors which will have AI processing capabilities. The company plans on updating all Mac models with the processors. Furthermore, according to the report, the company will highlight the new chips' AI capabilities by integrating it with the next version of the macOS (operating system). Yahoo Finance Anchors Josh Lipton and Julie Hyman break down the latest development for Apple and what it could mean for the iPhone maker moving forward. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino
Technology stocks are holding steady after taking a knock earlier this week. The index dropped on Wednesday, when hot inflation data lowered the chances of Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts coming soon. Lower interest rates tend to boost tech stocks, and the prospect of rates staying higher tends to hurt them.
The company is aiming to release the updated computers late this year and early next year, and they would include new iMacs, a low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and Mac minis, the report said. The industry has pinned its hopes of a revival on a new generation of laptops and desktops with more powerful chips that can handle artificial intelligence tasks such as summarizing documents without having to send data to the cloud. Intel is preparing such chips, as are rivals including Qualcomm.


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The $2 trillion stimulus deal within the U.S. wasn’t sufficient to maintain many cryptocurrencies from taking a dip Wednesday. Bitcoin (BTC) was down a greater than 1 p.c over the previous 24 hours as of 20:00 UTC, and solely NEO (NEO) was a gainer, up by lower than 1 p.c.
Ether (ETH) is down 2 p.c. Different cryptocurrencies flashing purple on the Fintech Zoom digital asset board embody dogecoin (DOGE) within the doghouse by three p.c and Sprint (DASH) additionally within the purple by three p.c.
International fairness markets, nevertheless, had a sunnier outlook. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index closed its buying and selling session up a stable eight p.c. The Tokyo market has been optimistic all week as a result of the Financial institution of Japan is buying document quantities of debt, injecting money into the economic system.
Money injections had been additionally the subject of the day as U.S. policymakers attempt to cope with the coronavirus risk to the economic system. After figuring out a deal on the place the cash will go, the complete Senate is predicted to vote later Wednesday on the invoice to supply $2 trillion in aid to People. The S&P 500 index closed over 1 p.c at 20:00 UTC.
Markets are lastly holding regular after panic promoting erased years of S&P 500 positive aspects that had topped out on Feb. 20.
“In 2008, when Lehman filed for chapter, the speedy affect to monetary markets was similar to the response that we now have witnessed on account of COVID-19. Each occasions brought on important sell-offs in international fairness markets and a flight to security from traders, which was predominantly into USD,” stated Jon Deane, CEO of InfiniGold, which has issued a digital gold token on a public blockchain.
Gold is down barely on the day as of 20:00 UTC. “A devaluation of world currencies and long-term unfavorable charges are each very optimistic for gold,” InfiniGold’s Deane famous. Cryptocurrency merchants monitor gold intently, and watching different treasured metals reminiscent of silver has additionally changing into a preferred exercise.
“Goldman got here out and stated gold was a purchase. But, if you happen to take a look at the value of silver it is telling a really totally different story. Silver both has to make an enormous catchup or gold is headed decrease,” stated Rupert Douglas, head of Enterprise Improvement, Institutional Gross sales at Koine.
Silver is making positive aspects, and it’s up 1 p.c on the day as of 20:00 UTC.
Regardless of markets fairing effectively, they’re nonetheless on shaky floor given uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus’ impacts on the economic system. Worries in regards to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s coverage of limitless quantitative easing (QE) worries merchants in regards to the future prospects of the greenback.
“Limitless QE makes money questionable as a haven, when all this calms down,” stated Henrik Kugelberg, a Sweden-based over-the-counter crypto dealer.
Disclosure Learn Extra
The chief in blockchain information, Fintech Zoom is a media outlet that strives for the very best journalistic requirements and abides by a strict set of editorial insurance policies. Fintech Zoom is an unbiased working subsidiary of Digital Foreign money Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.


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Have you ever gone into a store, found a product you wanted to buy and then pulled out your smartphone to check reviews or search for a better price online? It might feel like you’re cheating the system, but you’re not alone. This is the way people shop today -- and it’s called showrooming.
Google published research in May 2013 on how mobile is transforming the shopping experience in stores. It found that “84 percent of shoppers use their phones while in a physical store.”
Flipping Your Perspective
Showrooming impacted the shopping experience on Black Friday. A November 2013 report titled Holiday Shopper Profile: Offline Insights into Thanksgiving and Black Friday Shoppers by Placed, provider of location-driven insights and mobile ad intelligence, revealed that “43 percent of shoppers plan to compare prices online while they are in a physical retail store.” While some retailers may see showrooming as a threat -- perhaps it could also be an opportunity?
By examining the myriad ways that consumers can showroom, it’s possible to determine what poses a threat and what serves as a potential opportunity for retailers.
Seize the Moment
Let’s look at the different opportunities and threats:


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Having become an independent brand, Realme is working hard to expand its portfolio across markets. The company recently announced that it will launch eight new products in China on May 25. Realme India has now confirmed that the long-rumored Realme TV will also be launched on the same day.
In detail, the company officially confirmed this with a poster. The poster bears the slogan "Leap to Next" with the start date May 25th at 12.30 p.m. Indian time. In addition, the poster says "Watch the TV" with a picture of a display and a clock in silhouette under the poster, teasing the Realme Watch, which plays on the same day.
The Realme TV has been leaked several times. The company started teasing the TV for the alleged MWC 2020, but the event was canceled due to the current pandemic. After a series of speculations, Realme seems to have put all the rumors in the dust by confirming the start of the TV.
As we recall, the company's CEO, Madhav Sheth, emphasized the fact that Realme wants to be complete Tech lifestyle brand in the future. The arrival of TV, Smartwatches further confirms the direction the company is likely to move.
Regarding the upcoming Realme TV, we have no information on the specs except for some certifications and a screen size that leaked from a warehouse yesterday. Smart TVs are the next big thing in the industry due to their greater experience with content. At a time when people are working from home, the global hype about smart TVs, including China, is suddenly increasing.
India has recently been a potential market for smart TVs. Last year companies like Nokia and Motorola also entered the smart TV industry to convince leading companies like Samsung, TCL, Xiaomi and Oneplus that dominate in different price segments. Realme would definitely aim to join the mix in the future. But now, with the arrival of Realme TV in China, we have to wait and see how things develop for the company as they expand their horizons in China.


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February 27, 2013
Monterey County wines share in export trend
"We are seeing a globalization of the wine market," said Steve McIntyre, president of Monterrey Pacific in Soledad, a wine grape management company.
© 2014 Wine Communications Group - all rights reserved.
privacy & terms


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|Lunch-time event gives PHS students glimpse of prom dresses available to borrow|
|Wednesday, April 24, 2019|
With prom coming up on May 3, Pattonville High School students got a glimpse of prom dresses they can borrow for the big event.
Students staged a short prom fashion show in the school cafeteria during lunchtime to model dresses available at Pirate Pete's Closet. This is a room at the high school where students can pick up and keep donated items such as coats, shoes and shirts as needed. Prom dresses are only available to borrow, but there are approximately 100 dresses in stock.
Students in Mary Favazza's Clothing and Textiles and Advanced Clothing and Textiles classes emceed the fashion show and modeled the dresses on a red carpet while upbeat music played in the background.
Pirate Pete's Closet is organized by Special School District (SSD) teacher Lynn Wynen Chamberlain. Chamberlain worked with Favazza and her students on the special event to make sure students knew the dresses were available.
Find out more.


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Nintendo’s released a new Iwata Asks feature, in which company boss Satoru Iwata sits down with the developers of a new Nintendo title. While some previous features have focused on internal projects such as Ocarina of Time 3D, this time the CEO shared time with emissaries from third-party superstar Capcom to discuss the company’s upcoming 3DS title, Resident Evil: Revelations.
Revelations took technical cues from The Mercenaries and Resident Evil 5, reveals Producer Masachika Kawata, with the latter ported internally to the 3DS’ hardware to test the system’s capabilities. Out of that came The Mercenaries, which Kawata describes as “the one that’s really pushing it hardware-wise:” By the time work began on Revelations, the team had already learned enough about the 3DS to ensure a smoother development on the all-new title.
But it was two older sources that would provide the game’s stylistic foundations. “Whereas Resident Evil 4 had changed the model for the series of the numbering titles, I wanted to get back to the origin,” says Kawata: “Many people still say that Resident Evil for the Nintendo GameCube system was the best game in the series. So this time, we wanted the fans to enjoy the fear element.”
The team also worked to give the game a pace similar to that of televised drama, with an episodic storyline whose rhythm was dictated by cliffhanger events. “Capcom is always like that,” laughs planning head Tsukasa Takanaka: “We make the main events interesting and then fill in the gaps.”
Resident Evil: Revelations is due for North American release on Feb 7.


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Rihanna announced back in February that she was joining forces with MAC Cosmetics to unleash multiple collections this year. Her first product, RiRi Woo lipstick, arrives in stores on May 4, so MAC is giving the Rihanna Navy a peek at her new creation.
Each tube of Rihanna's signature rouge comes in sleek, black packaging and features her autograph imprinted on the lipstick. The RiRi Woo shade is inspired by Rihanna's favorite MAC red, Ruby Woo, and she'll be wearing it throughout her Diamonds world tour, according to E!
The RiRi Woo lipstick will retail for $16, E! reports.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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US shoppers had splurged more than $1.52 billion online by Thanksgiving evening, and more bargain hunters turned up at stores this year after two weak holiday seasons as retailers opened their doors early on the eve of Black Friday. From opting to get their hands on silverware for the holidays from a professional silver antique shop to thronging malls in a bid to buy off of the Black Friday sale, the average expenditure of a customer tends to go up drastically. Because of the incredible amount of people going online to purchase items, there is a need to streamline these operations for businesses to take on board and use. For example, by utilizing resources such as a Salesforce Einstein Chatbot to communicate with customers and provide a positive experience, businesses are able to note how people interact and what they can do to make this better as time goes on.
At the start of the holiday season consumer spending rose 16.8 per cent year-over-year until 5 pm ET on Thursday, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracked 80 per cent of online transactions at the top 100 US retailers.
Surging online sales and a shift away from store shopping have thinned the crowds typically seen at stores on Thanksgiving evening and the day after, Black Friday, for the past two years. But a strong labor market, rising home prices and stock markets at record highs have improved shopper appetite this year. Notwithstanding that, it has been observed that approximately 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before a purchase is completed. One of the reasons for such failed transactions is an overly complicated checkout process. Websites that have established simple and easy payment procedures, on the other hand, are quite successful. Whether anyone is just getting started as an e-commerce retailer or looking to boost existing sales, choosing the right payment gateway provider, like Easy Pay Direct – https://www.easypaydirect.com/online-gateway/ – can have a significant impact on both the bottom line and customer satisfaction.
Crowds at stores in many locations around the country were reported to be strong, according to analysts and retail consultants monitoring shopper traffic across the US.
“The turnout is clearly better than the last couple of years,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners. “The parking lots are full and the outlet malls are busy.”
The retail consultancy has 20 members studying customer traffic in different parts of the country.
Moody’s retail analyst Charlie O’ Shea, who was in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, reported healthy traffic at local stores including consumer electronics chain Best Buy, clothing store Old Navy and retailer Kohl’s.
“The weather is cooperating and people here are out,” he said.
The National Retail Federation is projecting that sales for November and December will rise 3.6 per cent to 4 per cent this year, versus a 4 per cent increase last year. Non-store sales, which include online sales and those from kiosks, are expected to rise 11 per cent-15 per cent to about $140 billion.
In New Jersey, around 50 people lined up a Macy’s at the Westfield Garden State Plaza mall before it opened and around 200 people stood outside the Best Buy store, many to pick up their online orders.
“Me and my husband have a bigger place and we need a bigger TV for the living room,” said Jenipher Gomes, who bought a 50-inch Samsung TV at Best Buy for $399.99. Shopper Hammad Farooq said he waited at the store for an hour to shop for laptops and monitors.
In Chicago, shoppers appeared to be slightly less enthusiastic to emerge from their turkey slumber and crowds were thin along the city’s popular shopping destination, State Street.
“There’s a few more people than normal but I wouldn’t call this crowded at all,” Deloitte auditor Eugenia Liew said as she shopped at discount retailer Target. “I expected a lot more people.”
The holiday season spanning November and December is crucial for retailers because it can account for as much as 40 per cent of annual sales. Retailers try to attract shoppers with deep discounts.
Average discounts ranged between 10 and 16 per cent with the best deals online on Thanksgiving evening available for computers, sporting goods, apparel and video games, according to data from Adobe. Cyber Monday is becoming increasingly popular as more and more online retailers get on board. Amazon leads the way, with delays expected on many high-traffic websites. Further savings can be made with vouchers from https://www.raise.com/coupons/amazon, meaning huge discounts can be found if you know where to look!
The number of customers shopping on their smartphones surged, accounting for 46 per cent of the traffic on retail websites, while traffic from desktop and laptop computers declined 11 per cent and nearly 6 per cent respectively, according to the data.___Tribune.com


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Today, it was announced from crypto exchange, Bitstamp, the launch of its own Lightning Network node. Bitstamp “believes Lightning may be the next big step for bitcoin and wants to do its part to foster adoption of this amazing technology.”
A Lightning Network node is software that connects to the Lightning Network to send and receive bitcoin from other nodes. The network is made up uniquely from these nodes connecting to each other.
By running its own Lightning Network node, the exchange company wants to help the network grow and encourage other companies to start working with Lightning as well.
The Lightning Network has great potential to unlock new use cases for bitcoin. It opens up a range of options for commerce and micropayments, which can greatly improve the utility of bitcoin as a medium of exchange.


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The share price of FTSE 100 drinks giant Diageo (LSE:DGE) has fallen 23% this year. It has suffered as the coronavirus has caused bars to shut globally. However, as the world’s economies begin to recover, I believe it will not be long before revenues and profits rise again. This could be the perfect to time invest.
Diageo is the fifth biggest company in the FTSE 100. It is famous for popular drinks brands, such as Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, Baileys and Captain Morgan. Regardless of the state of the economy, consumers will still purchase their favourite tipple.
Consumer brand loyalty enables Diageo to charge a premium for its products without affecting sales. This pricing power contributes towards its impressive profit margins. This year, organic operating profit before exceptional items was just under 20%. This is impressive considering the trading challenges it has had to overcome. Prior to this year, pre-tax profits were up 40% since 2006.
Large share price falls are rare for a company with such an established track record of increasing profits. This is why I believe this could be the perfect time to invest.
While pubs and restaurant chains have been closed in the UK, the FTSE 100 drinks giant has benefited from an increase in drinking at home. Supermarket sales of alcohol shot up by two thirds in preparation for lockdown. But revenues will begin to return to normal now the pubs and service industry has re-opened.
Beyond the UK, DGE products are enjoyed around the globe. Prior to lockdown, revenues had risen in North America and Europe. And long term the company is well positioned to benefit from the growing middle classes in China and India. I do not think the depressed share price reflects this vast potential and this could be an excellent opportunity to invest.
Companies in the FTSE 100 have been quick to suspend or cancel this year’s dividend payments in response to the coronavirus. However, Diageo has continued its commitment to paying a dividend despite these challenges. This maintains a dividend growth record that goes back to 1990. Free cash flow of circa £1.6bn is more than sufficient to sustain the dividend payment at its current level.
Despite its impressive dividend growth record, Diageo has had a relatively low dividend yield of 2% in the past few year. However, due to the depressed share price, this yield has risen to nearly 3%. As an income investor I have previously not invested in Diageo due to its low yield. However, the enhanced yield is enticing and this could be the perfect time to invest for income seekers.
Fund manager’s favourite
It would appear my enthusiasm to invest in Diageo is shared by star fund manager Nick Train. Despite the falling share price, it became the top holding in his UK Investment fund in July. This implies that he sees that falling share price as an opportunity to top-up his holding and not a reason to be fearful.
Diageo is a permanent fixture on my watchlist. Global diversity, strong brands, good profit margins and secure dividends are exactly what I look for when I invest in a company. I think the current depressed share price is an excellent opportunity to invest.


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May 5, 2020
UF veterinary college faculty thank co-workers while supporting local businesses
Parallel efforts by large and small animal faculty at the UF Veterinary Hospitals and UF College of Veterinary Medicine resulted in faculty donating lunches to thank coworkers for keeping the hospital running during the pandemic while simultaneously supporting two of their favorite restaurants.
Read more in this UF Health News story.
Find Florida agricultural and seafood commodities available for purchase or donation
In light of recent market disruptions caused by COVID-19 and in hopes of assisting producers and those looking for agricultural and seafood commodities, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has created a webpage where producers can post information regarding available produce to be accessed by the public.
Find Florida agricultural and seafood commodities available for purchase or donation here.
A free resource for UF’s French-speaking community
RetroNews, the press site of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, is providing unlimited free access through May 31. The site offers access to nearly 600 press titles published between 1631 and 1950.
Access the site here.
Gymnastic-based online lessons for faculty/staff with children
Need some inspiration for an at-home gym lesson with the little ones? The City of Gainesville recently recommended the Little Gym at-home videos, which feature gymnastics-based online lessons for babies and kids ages 4 months to 12 years.
Check out the YouTube channel here.
Create your own Yayoi Kusama-inspired dot art
“Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos. Polka dots are a way to infinity. When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environment.”
Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist who is famous for her use of polka dots. Kusama creates paintings, sculptures and even entire rooms filled with dots. The process of creating hundreds of dots becomes meditative for Kusama.
The Harn Museum is home to one of Kusama’s paintings in its Infinity-Nets (TWOS) collection. You can learn how Kusama created this painting and attempt your own version here.


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May 8, 2015 - Industry News
OEM powertrain integration will ultimately positively disrupt the telematics industry, according to Matthew Pfaffenback, director of telematics, Daimler Trucks North America, speaking at the ALK Transportation Technology Summit.
Tags: OEM, ALK Transportation Technology Summit, Telematics, Daimler Trucks North America, Diagnostics
January 22, 2014 - Industry News
Daimler Trucks North America announced that Mark Lampert, senior vice president of sales and marketing, will retire March 31. Richard Howard will assume the position of Daimler Trucks North America sales and marketing senior vice president on April 1.
Tags: OEM, Daimler Trucks, Daimler AG, Daimler Trucks North America, Freightliner, Detroit Diesel, People
We offer e-newsletters that deliver targeted news and information for the entire fleet industry.
The expert, Mark Betner from CITGO, will answer your questions
The expert, Rence Oliphant from Hendrickson, will answer your questions
ArcticPro Uses Smart Tech to Diagnose A/C Problems
Commercial Vehicle Group Launches Corsair Seat
Loading Ramp Swivels Internally and Externally
Visi-Chek Shows Out of Compliance Brake Strokes


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New York City, Alaïa is officially back. Since closing the doors of its Soho store in 1991, the city was left without a retail outpost of the French house but last night, Alaïa officially cut the ribbon on a new Soho location—which is located a few doors down from the original flagship. To celebrate the grand opening, fashion veterans, models, and many friends gathered in the boutique on Thursday evening. From Joan Smalls, who donned a sleek bodysuit and hosiery by the maison, to Eve Jobs, who slithered around the shop in a hooded number, it was an undeniably chic gathering.
We are so thrilled to be back in Soho with the opening of our new flagship store at 149 Mercer street,” Myriam Serrano, Alaïa’s chief executive officer, told Vogue. “New York has a special place in the heart of Alaïa, this is where his worldwide success started in the 1980s. I am very happy to celebrate this strong connection 40 years later and at a location that represents the Alaïa spirit so well.”
When guests first walked into the story, to the left, they were greeted by a museum-worthy display of Alaïa’s coveted Le Papa handbags. Smack dab in the center of the store, guests were able to peruse a rack of ready-to-wear, which included one of the crocodile jacquard knit skirts worn earlier that day by Rihanna during a Super Bowl press conference. To say the newly opened boutique is a fashion lover’s paradise would be an understatement.


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Financial scams targeting older Americans quadrupled in 4 years
People between the ages of 70 and 79 took the biggest hit
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT/WOIO) - A new report finds financial scams targeting older Americans quadrupled in just a four-year period.
The data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found older Americans lost more than $6 billion to theft and fraud between just 2013 and 2017.
Americans between the ages of 70 and 79 took the biggest hit, with an average loss of more than $45,000.
Even sadder, perhaps: The average loss jumped to $50,000 when the theft was committed by someone they knew.
And one third of those fraud and theft victims were over the age of 80.
Seniors are more vulnerable to financial crimes, because they may be experiencing cognitive decline, or may be dependent on family members or a caregiver with access to their money.
So how do you protect seniors?
We recommend at least two other sets of eyes on the books. And it can help to get a professional involved, whether it’s a trusted accountant or financial planner.
It’s also a good idea to help your parents check their credit reports regularly for fraud. You can pull three free reports per year here.
Copyright 2019 WWBT. All rights reserved.


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Source: Shanghai Securities News·China Securities
It is learned on April 6 from Shanghai Securities that in the past three years, the compound growth rate of the export business of the toy industry on Alibaba International Station has reached 15%.
In 2022, the intelligent toy market has reached 14.1 billion US dollars, and it is expected to increase to 16.5 billion US dollars in 2023. Among them, smart toys embedded with artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can realize custom programming are widely welcomed by users of different age groups.
The cross-border index of Alibaba International Station shows that the overall trend of the global toy market is positive. In 2022, the sales revenue of the global toy industry increased by 12% year-on-year, and the average sales price increased by 8%. In terms of categories, driven by the two major needs of raising babies scientifically and cross-age kidults (generally referring to the new generation of fun-loving adults aged 20 to 40), the growth of intelligent interactive toys is particularly rapid.
Recently, Alibaba International Station and Shantou Toy Association have joined hands to open the “Shantou Chenghai” toy channel to create a never-ending toy exhibition, and promote the transformation and upgrading of Chenghai toy industry belt through full-link digital foreign trade services.
Chenghai District, Shantou is known as the “Toy Capital of China”, contracting 70% of the world’s toy manufacturing. In the local area, there are 43,000 toy merchants, with an annual output value of 58.79 billion yuan. In Shantou City’s “three new, two special and one big” new industry layout, the toy creative industry is listed as one of the two characteristic industries, and it is clear that Chenghai District will be the focus of implementing the digital transformation pilot of industrial clusters. More and more local foreign trade manufacturing companies have begun to move to cross-border e-commerce.
Wu Yun, head of Maternal and Baby Toys Operations at Alibaba International Station, believes that under the sluggish growth in European and American markets, toy consumption is extending to emerging markets represented by Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa. The huge number of children, low per capita consumption and good economic development prospects make the emerging toy market an important growth point for the global toy industry in the future.
The data shows that in 2022, educational toys achieved a year-on-year growth of 12.7%, and shifted from traditional educational toys to scientific and educational STEM toys, such as programmable robots, scientific research and excavation toys, and 3D printing assembly toys. In addition to intelligence, green and low-carbonization is another significant trend. Major toy brands are increasing their investment in environmentally friendly materials.


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Online directory connects Coloradans to local black-owned businesses
Mention a black-owned business and BJ Joyce’s eyes light up.
The Denverite native and East High School graduate is the CEO of Black Biz Colorado, a searchable online directory of black businesses based in the state. Joyce, who now lives in Aurora, has long believed that economic empowerment is integral to helping the black community overcome the many inequalities they face.
In 2020, Joyce came across the Black Biz Colorado Facebook page and immediately saw great potential. As social justice protests swept the country following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, interest in the page increased dramatically. Joyce saw that people were looking for ways to support black businesses.
By September 2021, Joyce had become a Facebook page administrator and he helped design and launch the Black Biz Colorado website. To date, the site has registered 900 businesses across Colorado and the Facebook page has nearly 19,000 members.
“This is an opportunity for black-owned businesses to be found by the masses throughout Colorado,” he said, noting the wide variety of businesses represented by the two directories. “From engineering to telephone and communications to food service and beauty products and everything in between.”
Marlon Wells, owner of Artistic Apparel, Graphics & Signs in Aurora, said getting his business listed in the directory has helped him attract new customers.
“Historically for us as black business owners, it’s been harder to get the support we need to thrive and continue doing business,” Wells said. “There were barriers in place that black businesses had to jump through.”
Gaining visibility is one of the biggest challenges facing black businesses, Joyce said. This is especially true in Colorado, which has a smaller black population than many other states. He spends most of his time encouraging people to register their business and promoting the site to potential users.
The goal, Joyce said, is to make the directory the “go-to source” for those who want to support Black-owned businesses in Colorado. “Black businesses have a great opportunity to provide products and services across a wide range of industries, so everyone can participate and get quality products and services themselves,” he said.
After nationwide protests for social justice ended, Joyce said interest in supporting black-owned businesses waned, but he was working to build momentum. “We want to make sure people understand that support is continually needed,” he said. “For example, you don’t eat just once a day and never eat again; you are constantly eating to fuel the body. This is what needs to happen in the black business community; they constantly need an influx of people buying from them, their products, their services, to maintain themselves and survive.


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One untold story behind YouTube's success Five years after Google’s acquisition of YouTube there’s no doubt it was a great move. At 4+ billion views a day, YouTube is the first global living room. And if you’re looking for businesses with headroom, it doesn’t hurt to be playing in the $500 billion tv ads+VOD+subscription market.
Are teens in the South watching the same videos as middle-aged folks in New England? Now with the YouTube Trends Map (youtube.com/trendsmap), you can see today’s most popular videos in major markets across the U.S. You can also see what’s popular with women or men, as well as by different age groups. The Trends Map is the result of all the great feedback you’ve given us from the Trends Dashboard, as we keep working to help you find great videos and channels on YouTube. Introducing the YouTube Trends Map
Statistics show that we are watching fewer videos on YouTube. However, we are watching longer videos and subsequently spending more time on the site. YouTube is changing. But it's also looking over its shoulder at Facebook, which looms as a big threat should it acquire Viddy or Socialcam. To celebrate its seventh birthday, YouTube boasts that 72 hours of video is being uploaded to the site every minute. That figure was 48 hours one year ago, meaning YouTube is experiencing strong growth in video uploads. YouTube's Big Transition: Moving From The Amateur to Professional Era of Online Video
YouTube Is Looking For The Next Vlogging Star YouTube is announcing a new program to nurture the next generation of video bloggers. The Next Vlogger initiative is part of YouTube Next Creator — where, as the name implies, the site tries to find and mentor future YouTube stars. It already held similar programs for cooking and fitness, as well as nonprofits. Creative program manager Austin Lau says he’s looking for vloggers who have already “put in some time trying to make YouTube work” and built a following, but who aren’t quite top-tier stars.
YouTube Finds a Way Off Schools’ Banned List
Science and Technology News and Commentary: Aardvark Daily 21 February 2012 The recording industry is whining long and hard about how piracy and file-sharing is crippling them. They're losing billions of dollars every year because people keep "stealing" their intellectual property -- or so they tell us. As a result, they've convinced various governments around the world to act like a bunch of thugs and introduce incredible penalties for the most modest of crimes. Well it's about time the recording industry pulled its head in because they're trying to "steal" my intellectual property (and that of thousands of others) and by doing so, they're depriving *me* of revenues.
At the D:Dive Into Media conference Tuesday, YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar gave his views on how the video marketplace is evolving both online and off. While much of the company’s efforts have been based on advertising — with some small portion of video-on-demand sales, Kamangar said his company could potentially create a service that could enable content providers to create their own subscription-based video offerings on the YouTube platform. In laying out the current marketplace, Kamangar estimated that about 20 percent of all video revenues — both online and off — come from sales or rentals, with 40 percent coming from subscriptions and the final 40 percent coming from advertising. It’s his belief that the amount of ad spend will grow as a percentage compared to some of the other business models. YouTube could introduce a subscription service of its own — Online Video News
YouTube has unveiled a gorgeous experimental new design which it’s called Cosmic Panda. As you can see in the screenshot below, it looks gorgeous. To get yourself switched over to the new design click here. Although it hasn’t been officially announced, the experiment has been tweeted about by a couple of YouTubers (here and here). UPDATE: Official announcement here. Billed as “A New Experience for Videos, Playlists, and Channels,” Cosmic Panda offers features like comments that update without you needing to refresh the page, and a gorgeous, slick design that gives YouTube a much-needed refresh in the style department. YouTube's got a great new look, and you can try it NOW
Yup, YouTube Counts Video Ads As Regular Views Movie trailers are among the most popular videos on YouTube. A typical movie trailer gets millions of views, but how many of those views are natural and who many are pushed as paid-for ads? Yes, movie trailers are all ads in a sense. But people seek them out just like any other 2-minute video. That is not what I am talking about.
For years the top record label executives have been claiming that it's impossible to compete with free, but YouTube is proving them wrong. With billions of views every month the major record labels are making millions by sharing their music for free. For many people YouTube takes away the incentive to 'pirate,' but at the same time it may also cannibalise legal music sales. The music industry has witnessed some dramatic changes in recent years, even when piracy is left out of the picture.
YouTube's Legal issues
Why YouTube Adopting Creative Commons Is a Big Deal Online Video News YouTube's new Creative Commons remix feature in its video editor. Making legal YouTube mashups just got a whole lot easier. The site’s video editor is now allowing its users to remix existing YouTube videos without violating anyone’s copyright. This is made possible by YouTube adopting Creative Commons licenses, offering users the chance to publish any video under the liberal CC-BY license. It’s a big step forward for YouTube, and a giant leap for Creative Commons, which previously hasn’t played a big role in the web video world. Here is how the new mashup feature, which is slated to go live at 9 a.m.


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Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) January 18, 2013
LYFE Kitchen Restaurant, a socially responsible lifestyle brand, is pleased to announce that Stacy Soderstrom has joined the team as the director of franchise development. Soderstrom will lead the charge of identifying and recruiting passionate franchisee candidates who wish to bring LYFE to their communities.
In late 2012, LYFE launched the application process for potential franchisees, seeking operators who embrace its mission and goal of making great-tasting, good-for-you food available to consumers throughout the country.
Prior to joining LYFE, Soderstrom served as the director of franchise development for Quiznos. Managing West Coast operations, she helped lead regional growth resulting in a 60 percent rise in store locations. With more than 10 years of experience in facilitating company growth through franchises, Soderstrom’s background and knowledge will help LYFE achieve its aggressive growth strategy.
“To see what the company has already accomplished is awe-inspiring,” said Soderstrom. “LYFE Kitchen has a strong vision and commitment already being executed in Palo Alto for the past year. As someone with a longstanding personal interest in staying active and living well, I’m passionate about the lifestyle this brand embodies.”
Soderstrom graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business with an emphasis in Advertising and Marketing.
LYFE works with renowned chefs, a proven and experienced leadership team, aims for best-in-class sourcing as well as strict sustainability standards, and Soderstrom will assist the team in finding equally committed industry leaders to join its world-class roster.
For more information about LYFE Kitchen, visit http://www.LYFEKitchen.com and for more information about franchise opportunities, visit franchise.LYFEKitchen.com or email Soderstrom at stacy.soderstrom(at)lyfekitchen(dot)com
About LYFE Kitchen Restaurant
LYFE Kitchen’s menu is filled with great-tasting, locally sourced, sustainable ingredients expertly designed by celebrity Chef Art Smith and vegan culinary sensation Tal Ronnen. The founders of LYFE Kitchen include Mike Roberts, former global president and COO of McDonald’s Corporation, former investment banker Steve Sidwell and Mike Donahue former Chief Communications and External Relations Officer McDonald’s USA.
LYFE, Love Your Food Everyday, is a lifestyle restaurant. LYFE Kitchen combines natural ingredients with sustainable practices and delicious flavor profiles enhanced with spices and herbs to fuel and satisfy. All dishes are preservative and additive free and contain less than 600 calories and less than 1,000 mg of sodium. We aim to fulfill the need for delicious food that is convenient, affordable, and as important, good for you. LYFE Kitchen is located at 167 Hamilton Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301. For additional information, visit http://www.lyfekitchen.com or call 650-325-LYFE(5933).
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Recap: Red Carpet Revue Fashion Show 2017
Plus the 2018 Trends in Fine Jewelry
Le Vian brought star power to the 18th edition of its Red Carpet Revue fashion show, fine jewelry trend forecast and benefit event in June. The bejeweled soiree was broadcast on Facebook LIVE and created a social media storm across multiple channels garnering over half a million viewers around the world. From the paparazzi-lined red carpet to the main program emceed by television personality, host and national bestselling author Ross Mathews to the exciting musical performance by film, TV and Tony Award-winning actress Jane Krakowski, the memorable affair raised over half a million dollars to benefit Jewelers for Children with a major portion going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.


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China said Australia’s ”discriminatory” ban on TikTok from all federal government-owned devices harmed the interests of Australian businesses and the public, urging Canberra to treat all firms fairly, a commerce ministry statement said on Friday.
”Australia treated TikTok differently from other social media platforms and adopted discriminatory restrictive measures, which are not conducive to maintaining Australia’s national security,” the statement said.
China also urged Australia to create a favourable environment for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
Meanwhile, facing a nationwide ban in the US, Chinese short-form video making platform TikTok still have access to “troves of personal data of Indian citizens" who once used the app before it was banned in June 2020 by the Indian government over national security concerns along with several other Chinese apps.
Tech Talk | If US Can Pressure Tech Companies to Keep America's Data Inside Borders, Why Can't We?
Australia Bans TikTok for Govt Workers, Politicians, Following US, UK
According to a report in Forbes, the data of Indian users “remain widely accessible to employees at the company and its Beijing-based parent ByteDance".
Before the ban, TikTok had about 150 million monthly active users in the country. “I don’t think Indians are aware of how much of their data is exposed to China right now, even with the ban in place," a current TikTok employee told Forbes.
Almost anyone at the companies with basic access to their tools can retrieve and analyse granular data about past TikTok users in India, “including everyone from prominent public figures to the average person".
ByteDance has more than 110,000 employees around the world, including in China, the US and Russia. In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson said they “have steadfastly complied, and continue to remain in full compliance, with the government of India order since it was implemented". “All user data is subject to our robust internal policy controls surrounding access, retention, and deletion," the company spokesperson was quoted as saying.


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As the world’s leading trade fair for quality assurance, Control brings together users from all over the world with the international market leaders and innovative suppliers of all QA related technologies, products, subsystems and complete solutions in hard and software.
The Baden-Württemberg competence prize for innovation and quality is an initiative of trade fair company P.E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG and the Steinbeis Transfer Centre – TQU. The patron is the Steinbeis Stiftung für Wirtschaftsförderung (economic development foundation), Stuttgart.
For the first time with roughly 30% foreign exhibitors, Control 2015 is once again pointing the way. Exhibitors from 32 countries all over the world will present their companies at the Control international trade fair for quality...
Control 2015 breaks the 900 mark for exhibitor participation! The Control international trade fair for quality assurance is firming up its globally recognised position as a leading international trade fair for its 29th...
Once again this year, the Control international trade fair for quality assurance will offer a comprehensive supplementary programme for you as an expert visitor. One of the highlights will be the renowned Exhibitor Forum, at...
Trade fair newspaper


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Sprint Nextel certainly isn't acting like a company that is backing away from WiMax.
At the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas, the company made several announcements related to its nascent Xohm service, which already is being used by employees in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Chicago. Sprint said SwapDrive will run its consumer portal, eTelecare Global Solutions will provide voice and online customer care services, McAfee will head security and Soho Square will be the advertising agency for the launch.
Four equipment vendors will work with Sprint: OQO will embed WiMax in an ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), Zyxel and Sequans will collaborate on voice and data modems and ASUSTek will release WiMax-embedded devices that will work on the network.
As this Washington Post story points out, the departure of Gary Foresee and the decision to not go forward with an agreement to create a nationwide WiMax network with Clearwire led to speculation -- and some assumptions -- that the company was backing away from WiMax.
The story describes a presentation at CES apparently designed to put the speculation to rest. Executives laid out the reasons the company still thinks WiMax is a good bet and why it is moving forward aggressively. In short, the reasons that it still is excited about WiMax:
- A strong move will give it first-to-market advantages.
- To move to higher frequencies, Sprint would have to update its Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology. However, the company says the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) approach used by WiMax is less complex than the newer version of CMDA.
- The ability to offer services of any length (by the day, week, year, etc.) to anyone with the proper gear is far more flexible than the current cellular scenario in which service providers subsidize a small number of devices in exchange for long-term agreements and the opportunity to sell other products and services to subscribers.
Sprint, of course, is not the only company betting big on WiMax. This Reuters story, posted at Baseline, reports on a trial in Sderot, Israel, being launched by Intel, Alvarion and 012 Smile.Communications. In the commentary, the story says that high-end notebooks will embed WiMax this year and that WiMax cards will be available for other devices.
While Sprint gets most of the WiMax attention, it is likely that the most important single player in the segment is Intel. In a bit of good news for proponents, the microprocessor giant said this week that it may make it an option for ultra-mobile devices outfitted with the Menlow platform. The company, according to PC World, plans to include WiMax in Montevina, the upgrade of Centrino due in the second half of the year.


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Caterpillar recently reported that it saw worldwide dealer sales fall 4 percent in the three months ending January 31.
According to a Securites and Exchange Report reviewed by the Chicago Tribune, the company saw sales decline 11 percent in North America and 12 percent in the Asia/Pacific Region. Sales in Latin America were up 3 percent while sales in Europe, Africa and the Middle East rose 1 percent.
The company has said it expects dealers to cut inventory by $1 billion this year which would decrease sales by $2 billion. Caterpillar began slowing production last year as dealer orders decreased.
Recently, the company reported record sales, revenues and profits in 2012. However, the outlook in that report contained a great deal of caution for 2013. The company expects to see profit per share of $7.00 to $9.00 on sales and revenues within a range of $60 billion to $68 billion.
Caterpillar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Oberhelman said he expects a weaker first half of 2013 when compared to 2012, but hopes for a stronger second half.


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EasyTickets, an e-ticketing platform, celebrated the first anniversary of its operations by organizing a gathering featuring a musical event.
The event was attended by attended by over 300 high-profile guests. During the event, it was disclosed that EasyTickets has over 50,000 registered users and has sold over 10,000 tickets during the past year which also was, in fact, its first year of operations. Now, it integrates the largest number of screens in 15 cinemas across 12 different cities of Pakistan. The startup gained signups at a 41% monthly increase, that too without any paid promotions.
EasyTickets, headed by Monis Rahman of Naseeb Networks, is an application which lets you easily and instantly buy tickets to movies and events from your smartphone. Downloading the application and signing up is all that is required. For buying of the tickets, EasyTickets has a unique mobile wallet solution, a reserve which can be topped up through various ways including services like CreditCard transfers, EasyPaisa, UBL Omni, JazzCash, and traditional bank transfers. After buying, the users just need to go to the designated Kiosk and scan the QR code which processes the booking electronically, with a minimum human intervention.
“I love watching movies in the cinema, and before EasyTickets, I would get lazy about buying movie tickets,” says Farrukh Hamid, an active user of the service. “EasyTickets has made my life easier. I’m more excited to watch upcoming movies with this simple and quick app.”
During past 12 months, the application saw a constant increase in the rate of subscribers. The highest number of user sign-ups were seen during May of this year, when over 3500 users signed up for EasyTickets services. The lowest number being 71, during the first month of this year. Last month, a total of 1542 users signed up for EasyTickets.
Likewise, the growth in number of tickets sold also appears inclining. The Compound Monthly Growth Rate in the number of tickets sold is about 42%. The highest number of tickets being sold in a month were 1439 during the past month. The lowest number of 30 was witnessed during the first month, September 2015.
The application can be downloaded from here.


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Source: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Government Office head affirms facilitating U.S. enterprises’ investment in agriculture
09:31 | 12/07/2018
VGP – Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung on July 11 held a working session with a business delegation from the US-ASEAN Business Council, led by Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director Michael Michalak.
Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung holds a working session with a business delegation from the US-ASEAN Business Council, led by Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director Michael Michalak, Ha Noi, July 11, 2018 – Photo: VGP
At the meeting, Mr. Dung highlighted PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s determinations to establishing a Government of creativity, discipline, action and serving the people.
Viet Nam is actively improving its business environment, completing institutions, enhancing administrative reform and competitiveness to become an attractive destination for foreign and domestic business community, including those from the U.S.
The Vietnamese Government encourages enterprises to invest in high-tech agriculture and coordinate with other partners and local people to enhance consumption of agricultural products, he said, appraising the U.S. investors to pour more investment in agriculture in Viet Nam.
Mr. Michael Michalak said that the U.S. businesses see Viet Nam as an attractive destination, adding that nine enterprises from the USABC to Viet Nam this time are operating in agriculture.
Representatives of the U.S. businesses expressed their hope to invest and expand operation in Viet Nam in fields of production and distribution of animal feed, food processing, production of veterinary drugs and pesticides.
The same occasion, they thanked the Vietnamese Government and relevant functional agencies for facilitating them to expand operation and distribution network in Viet Nam, committing to closely obeying Viet Nam’s laws and fully implementing social responsibility and community activities.
Mr. Dung asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to work with the business community in general and the U.S. enterprises in particular to establish a strategy on development of agriculture value chain, the trademark of Vietnamese agricultural products and attract more investment to develop agricultural economy in the way of applying high technology.
He suggested the USABC support more U.S. enterprises to visit Viet Nam to seek for further investment opportunities.
By Thuy Dung


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It's officially engagement season, according to the wedding experts over at Zola who determined that 40% of couples get engaged between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. In an effort to help the many newly engaged couples plan their weddings, the registry site surveyed over 750 newly married couples to identify their top spending wishes and regrets.
Interestingly enough, 35% of the couples surveyed wished they had hired a videographer for their big day. "Your wedding day can go by so quickly that the best way to savor everything is to hire a videographer," said Jennifer Spector, Zola's Newlywed-at-Large, of the survey results. "Your photographer might already have a videographer on their team or recommend someone they like working with to help capture the big day without getting in the way. That way you can focus on the celebration and relive the details for years to come!"
What's more is that 20% of couples wished they'd hired a wedding planner, while 17% wishes they'd stressed less about hiring the "perfect" vendors for the event. Additionally, most couples felt they had overspent on flowers, décor, hair and makeup, catering, day-of wedding attire, and invitations, while the band/DJ, photographer and videographer, and day-of wedding coordinator were well worth the funds.
Married couples: What would you add to this list of wedding planning wishes and regrets? Sound off in the comments!


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Chicagoland rapidly-informal food stuff chain Portillo’s — which is regarded for its scorching pet dogs, Italian beef, and decadent chocolate cake and shakes — is generating its Michigan debut this spring. On March 15, the corporation designs to open up its initially Mitten Point out cafe in Sterling Heights.
“We generally look ahead to opening Portillo’s in new marketplaces,” suggests CEO Michael Osanloo in a press launch. “Fans in Michigan have been inquiring for a Portillo’s for yrs, so we’re quite enthusiastic to bring our unrivaled Chicago road food stuff and the signature Portillo’s expertise to the community of Sterling Heights.”
Located at 14425 Lakeside Circle, the cafe will serve Portillo’s signature menu products, together with Chicago-design and style hot puppies, which are topped with mustard, relish, celery salt, freshly chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, a kosher pickle, and peppers. Italian beef sandwiches, char-grilled burgers, French fries, pasta, salads, shakes, and double-layer chocolate cake — baked contemporary every early morning at the restaurant with 2 lbs . of chocolate frosting — are also on the menu.
The almost 8,000-sq.-foot restaurant will have double drive-thru lanes, and seat additional than 180 company inside of and 50 far more friends on an outdoor patio. As an ode to Detroit’s vehicle background, the Sterling Heights location will aspect a garage topic with décor like a absolutely restored 1931 Ford Wrecker on show in the cafe.
Portillo’s is giving locals a style of what’s to come in advance of the spring launch. The Beef Bus, a cellular eatery that serves a selection of the restaurant’s menu items, will get started operating in Sterling Heights on Feb. 17. Locals can keep track of its site and hrs of procedure on Twitter and Instagram.
Portillo’s, which is presently employing hourly and change chief positions for the new Michigan eatery, is also supplying prospects the possibility to practical experience the cafe prior to its opening all through a schooling food (you can indicator up listed here). And locals are welcome to signal up for the the company’s Birthday Club to obtain a restricted-version t-shirt on opening working day.
For additional facts, stop by portillos.com.


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MIAMI – Miami area police arrested more than 50 suspected looters during Hurricane Irma, including 26 people who were accused of breaking into a single Wal-Mart store, authorities said on Tuesday.
City officials on Tuesday lifted a local 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew that had been in place since Sunday. As normality began to return, police commanders said officers will work 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day, to discourage any more criminality.
“I said we would not tolerate criminal activity or looting or anybody who takes advantage of our residents,” Deputy Chief of Police Luis Cabrera said at a news conference. “I was not joking.”
The Wal-Mart incident took place on Saturday night at a store on the north side of the City of Miami, said Miami-Dade Police Department spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta.
Among others suspected of looting were six men arrested on Monday and accused of breaking into stores at the Midtown Miami shopping complex, near the fashionable Wynwood district, before making off with merchandise that included shoes, bags and laptops.


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"So long as the field remains divided, Donald Trump's path to the nomination remains more likely, and that would be a disaster for Republicans, for conservatives and for the nation," Cruz told supporters. BaronJanuary 28th, 2016 17:13 Just to put a smile on your face, this excerpt of a newly released song could do it. Now, as a 40+ year Independence supporter I personally think that will encourage people to think "yes, we can be Independent, we can stand on our own two feet".
75 Kms) OR 2)From POSTOJNA (Slovenia) To IZOLA (Slovenia) 75 KMs OR AND 3)From RIJEKA (Croatia ) To VENICE (iTALY) Apprx. " It is understood key members of the administration have sounded out trade union bosses who represent council workers. MalfleurMarch 3rd, 2016 11:13 A caller to the Alex Jones Show on Wednesday called for electoral reform so that senators and representatives would remain in the districts from which they are elected.
ever closer union' is addressing issues of current not future relevance, and even there what he got isn't worth the paper it's written on. Cargo planes Boeing 767f and those who operate Amazon Boeing 767f and those who operate Amazon Alex Lennane on TheLoadstar, a specialized in distribution and logistics environment,published as Amazon had asked 60 767 cargo aircraft. This forum is supported by: TSR Moderator sr90 Lyrical Prodigy Nirgilis James A randdom Gofre Start your own threads and post replies.


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University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist said it's hard to imagine a lot of Canadians agreeing to have their cellphone usage tracked and sold to advertisers unless they receive some tangible benefit.
"I don't think a lot of people would want to opt-in unless Bell provides real incentives for doing so," he said in an interview Tuesday.
Bell vowed Monday to reintroduce its ad program after accepting the Privacy Commissioner's recommendation to obtain the explicit consent of customers to allow their cellphone use to be tracked and the information sold to advertisers.
However, the telecom giant declined to provide any details on when that will take place or whether it will offer incentives.
American telecom provider AT&T offers $5 off per month off its broadband service if customers agree to be tracked.
Under Bell's old program it only tracked the activities of cellphone clients, but has indicated it would extend that to landlines and to TV viewing habits.
Geist foresees Bell linking its discount to the number of services a customer uses.
"A lot of people would say that their privacy is worth more than $5 per month but there may be some that say, 'well you want to pay me $60 a year to track me that's something I'm willing to do,'" said Geist, Canada research chair in Internet and e-commerce law.
Digital advertising is a multibillion-dollar market that is growing as more spending shifts from traditional advertising.
Privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien has said there is no reason why Bell can't offer an incentive. He also accepted that Bell's goal of maximizing advertising revenue while improving the online experience of customers was a legitimate business objective.
But Geist said Bell is in unchartered territory with its program since it's not clear what price people put on their privacy. Some experiments suggest people may be willing to pay extra to avoid advertising when they search the Internet or use Facebook or Twitter.
Bell has said its program will deliver more relevant advertising to consumers based on their interests. It pointed to a U.S. survey that found 55 per cent of respondents said personalized ads would save them time and keep them from browsing irrelevant content. Younger respondents were more open to such ads.
Geist said he doesn't believe people put much value on these ads, but said other large Canadian telecom companies are watching Bell closely and may want to launch their own programs depending on the public reaction.
Meanwhile, Toronto firm Charney Lawyers says it will launch a class-action lawsuit against Bell Canada over the advertising program that attracted numerous complaints and saw 113,000 Bell customers opt out.
The firm says it plans to seek compensation for Bell cellphone customers with data plans after Nov. 16, 2013, according to a posting on its website.
Bell declined to comment on the threatened lawsuit.
Follow @RossMarowits on Twitter


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Today Hot Toys gave us a first preview of the ‘God of Thunder’ in his gladiator look, which will be featured in the upcoming Marvel Studios production Thor: Ragnarok.
What could be in the box?
- 1/6th scale movie masterpiece body and face
- New sculpted face with the new short haircut
- Shield and Thor’s hammer
- Blue and red armor with red cape made of soft goods
- Winged gladiator helmet
- Hidden elbow joints
With the preview came a lot of rumors and expectations if Hot Toys would also give us a preview of Hulk in his gladiator outfit.
Certainly we’ll see Hela from the same movie and maybe a new version of Loki.
It seems that Hot Toys is revealing more and more figures this week due to the beginning of this year’s SDCC (20. July 2017 – 23. July 2017) in an effort to fire up collectors worldwide.
For more from the Toy Industry including the latest news, original photoshoots and expert insights stay tuned to Exclu.
(Original imagery and information from Hot Toys Facebook)
Last modified: July 19, 2017


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LOUISVILLE, KY. — Inxeption, a Silicon Valley-based industrial commerce and supply chain digitization firm, has opened its new offices at PNC Tower in downtown Louisville. The firm, which supports software and several apps for the logistics industry, is occupying 18,000 square feet on the 29th floor. Inxeption says the new regional headquarters space will be able to accommodate up to 200 employees over the next five years. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer are scheduled to appear at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the office.
Inxeption’s operations, sales and technology employees at PNC Tower will have immediate access to the nearby Fourth Street Live! and Louisville Slugger Field, home of the Louisville Bats Minor League Baseball team.
“In the last two years, Inxeption has integrated itself into the business community in Louisville, a crucial logistics hub,” says Josh Allen, Inxeption’s chief compliance officer and first Louisville employee. “We continue to undergo substantial growth, so we have strategically renewed our commitment to the city by relocating to a space that can scale as we expand our supply chain operations in support of more industrial businesses.”
The new offices come on the heels of Inxeption’s latest financing round at a pre-money valuation of $3 billion.


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If you’re one of the members of the BTS military, you definitely know about McDonald’s special BTS food. The fast-food joint collaborated with the global K-pop sensation to bring its favorite food to all McDonald’s customers around the world. BTS-exclusive food was recently launched, and in no time, it became a hit globally and even in Indonesia. We found several photos and videos where we saw people flocking outside McDonald’s outlets in Indonesia to enjoy their icon’s favorite food. Since restaurants in Indonesia are still open for dine-in, we can also see people standing in long queues to get BTS food. So much so, that many outlets ran out of supply to meet the overwhelming demand. This special meal includes 10 chicken nuggets, chips, Coke, and two sauces — all wrapped up in a pretty purple package.
Read also: Covid-19: McDonald’s offers special deals to vaccinated
Let’s see how BTS fans from Indonesia reacted to BTS food:
Along with a video of the long queue, a Twitter user in Indonesian wrote, “Here’s the BTS food queue.”
nih antrion bts food pic.twitter.com/FUAe2QAVOC
— Jakarta Keras (@jakartaakeras) June 9, 2021
“BTS food sold out everywhere in Indonesia. I can’t even order it and the store was closed due to overloaded orders,” read another tweet.
bts food sold out everywhere in indonesia??????????????? I can’t even order it and the store was closed due to overloaded order??????????????? #BTSMeal#btsxmcd#IndomyTolongSisakanAkuStokBTSMeal#BTSARMY@McDonalds_ID@ McDonald’s@BTS_twtpic.twitter.com/BjHNt0ojTo– Have tea???? (@qistanbts) June 9, 2021
Another fan, who ordered a BTS meal, reviewed, “It’s so beautiful. They even handed out another paper bag for us to hold Thank you McDonald’s Indonesia @McDonalds @BTS_twt #BTSMeal.”
this is so beautiful ???? They even spared us another paper bag to keep???? Thank you McDonald’s Indonesia?????????@ McDonald’s@BTS_twt#BTSMealpic.twitter.com/Md9jHHmTXf– Micho???? (@HerBibillyHils) June 9, 2021
Reportedly, the shops became so crowded that Jakarta police had to temporarily close over 30 branches across the city due to the COVID-19 scare.
For those unaware, BTS food is also available in India from June 1, 2021. Click here to learn more.
About Somdutt SahuInvestigator- Somdutt likes to call this himself. In the matter of food, people or places, she only wants to know the unknown. A simple aglio oleo pasta or lentils and rice and a good movie can make his day.


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New Memphis restaurants: From burgers to sushi to coffee, 6 new spots to try
From locally owned establishments serving sushi, coffee and a gold-crusted Tomahawk steak to three national chain restaurants, here are six new Memphis-area restaurants that opened in August.
Sakura Japanese Restaurant
255 New Byhalia Road Suite #111, Collierville; (901) 316-5638; sakuramemphis.com
Sakura Japanese Restaurant opened its third Memphis-area restaurant Aug. 1. The new location is located at 255 New Byhalia Road in Collierville.
Sakura is known for its over-the-top sushi rolls. Sexy Lady, Volcano and Atomic — pretty crazy names, right? These are just a few of the specialty sushi rolls at Sakura Japanese Restaurant.
Order a signature sushi roll at Sakura and what comes to your table is more than just an everyday sushi roll — it’s a work of art that is just as tasty as it is beautiful. Each is as original as its outlandish name.
SAKURA JAPANESE RESTAURANT: Sakura takes sushi to an art form with creative specialty house rolls; here's how they do it
Sakura has been a Germantown favorite for sushi for almost two decades, earning a reputation for fresh sushi and friendly service. The restaurant’s first expansion was into East Memphis at 4840 Poplar Ave.
The new Collierville Sakura can seat just over 175 guests and is the only location that has outdoor seating.
"We've been seeing a lot of Collierville customers in the Germantown location, and a lot of people have been asking us to open a location in Collierville. So we listened and brought the best sushi experience to Collierville,” said Derek Wong, Sakura's marketing manager.
Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30-9:30 p.m. Friday; noon-10 p.m. Saturday; and noon-9 p.m. Sunday.
Beans & Leaves
5197 W.E. Ross Parkway, Southaven; (901) 830-8743; beansandleavessilosquare.com
The new location comes just eight months after the debut of its coffee shop in Southaven’s bustling Silo Square development.
Iced drinks such as their cold brew, Italian cream sodas made with Red Bull, fruit smoothies, Loaded Teas like the Purple Rain and Rebel Raspberry and various empanada offerings are some of the most popular menu items.
“We are extremely excited about expanding our footprint in DeSoto County by opening up our DeSoto Campus location which, while inside the Northwest DeSoto Campus, is open to both students and faculty as well as the general public," Beans & Leaves owners Margarita and Mark LeBlanc said in a statement.
"When we approached Northwest about taking over their café space on the second floor, we knew it would be a fantastic partnership and a great way to provide students and staff a place to enjoy quality beverages and food without having to leave campus.”
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Monday-Friday
Supper Club on 2nd
85 S. Second St.; (901) 453-6334; supperclubmemphis.com
Rich deep green velvet chairs, exposed brick, brass accents, art-deco light fixtures and an art projection system marry the old and the new at Supper Club on 2nd.
When the restaurant opened on Aug. 23, it brought Downtown Memphis a unique dining destination.
Owners AG Granderson, Joe Johnson, Devin Butler and Robert Higgins have designed a restaurant they say is a modern-day twist on a traditional supper club from the 1960s and 1970s.
DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS RESTAURANTS: A gold-crusted steak? Supper Club on 2nd brings hip vibe, unique dishes to Downtown
“It used to be when you went to a supper club, you would go to have a meal, then see a show,” said Butler, adding that at Supper Club on 2nd, the dining experience will be the show.
Chef Daris Leatherwood is in charge of the kitchen.
Dishes like a champagne-tempura battered Deep Sea Lobster Dawg, Grand Marnier-glazed French-boned Lamb Chops and an edible 24-karat gold-encrusted Golden Tomahawk Steak are sure to become much-talked-about dishes in town.
Hours: 4 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Wednesday; 4 p.m.-2 a.m. (kitchen closes at 1 a.m.) Thursday-Saturday; closed Monday. Saturday and Sunday brunch will begin in September and be served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
6829 Getwell Road North, Southaven; whataburger.com
Memphians now have two places to get their Whataburger fix. Whataburger opened its second Southaven restaurant at 6829 Getwell Road North on Aug. 24.
The first Whataburger in the Memphis area opened July 11 in Southaven at 176 Goodman Road East.
NEW MEMPHIS RESTAURANTS: Here are 11 new Memphis restaurants you won't want to miss
Whataburger, a Texas-based chain, is known for its burgers and breakfast taquitos.
The company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 850 locations across 14 states. The Southaven locations are the first of four Whataburgers planned in the Memphis area. Two others are set to open in Memphis and Cordova.
Hours: 6 a.m.-midnight daily
4170 Fountain Lane, Horn Lake; mcdonalds.com
McDonald’s opened a new restaurant at 4170 Fountain Lane in Horn Lake on Aug. 24. The new restaurant is owned by JRM Enterprises.
This location created 85 new jobs for the area.
McDonald’s has more than 36,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries.
Hours: Restaurant and lobby, 5 a.m.-midnight daily; drive-thru open 24 hours a day
4726 Summer Ave.; (901) 590-1839; chipotle.com
Chipotle opened its sixth Memphis-area location on Aug. 11. The new restaurant is located at 4726 Summer Ave. The Summer Avenue location is only the second in the area to have a “Chipotlane," a pickup lane for orders made through Chipotle's app or website but not for making orders like a traditional drive-thru.
MEMPHIS COCKTAILS: What are the best frozen cocktails in Memphis? Here are six of our favorites
The chain known for its burritos and bowls is one of the first national restaurant brands to commit to goals on local and organic produce, as well as to commit to using only responsibly raised meat.
Hours: 10:45 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining Reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at email@example.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.


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With the onset of winter, electric vehicle (EV) owners traditionally prepare for the inevitable range reduction caused by colder temperatures. However, recent advancements in EV technology are challenging this norm. A recent study conducted by Recurrent, a battery health data startup, has revealed that certain EVs, particularly from brands like Tesla, Audi, and Nissan, are experiencing minimal range loss even in cold weather conditions.
The study, which analyzed over 10,000 EVs during the winter of 2022-2023, found that the average winter range of these vehicles was approximately 70% of their normal range. This insight is crucial as it indicates a varied impact of cold weather on different EV models.
The reduced range in cold weather is primarily due to the chemistry of the batteries, which are less efficient at releasing energy in lower temperatures. Additionally, the energy consumed to heat the cabin further diminishes the range. However, the implementation of heat pumps, which repurpose waste heat from the battery and motors, has proven to be a significant innovation in countering this range loss.
Electric car giants are impressing with their winter performance
Audi's E-Tron, known as the Q8 E-Tron from the 2023 model year onwards, is a prime example of effective thermal management. It exhibits only a 16% drop in its winter range, thanks to its pioneering heat pump system that can reclaim up to 3 kilowatts of electricity from waste heat.
The 2019 Nissan Leaf also shows considerable improvement over its predecessors, with a 23% range reduction at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This improvement is attributed to its more advanced thermal management systems compared to the older models.
Tesla's models, especially the Model 3, Model Y, and Model X, demonstrate remarkable thermal efficiency as well, losing only 24% of their range on average in winter conditions. Tesla's introduction of an innovative heat pump in 2021, which includes features like a “super manifold” and an “octo valve,” significantly contributes to this efficiency.
These findings not only showcase the technological advancements in EVs but also underscore the increasing adaptability of electric vehicles to various climatic conditions.


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Almost everyone who owns a cell phone purchases a case to go along with their mobile device to protect it. But as one little girl painfully discovered, some cases can actually harm you.
Olivia Retter is a 9-year-old girl living in Hertfordshire, England. She recently fell asleep on top of her cell phone and woke in the middle of the night because her leg was hurting.
Her mother, Karly, explained that Olivia is not supposed to have her cell phone in her bedroom at night, but she sneaked it in and had it in her bed. She fell asleep with it touching her leg. When Karly looked at Olivia’s leg in the morning she was shocked with what she saw. Olivia had a burn in the shape on the phone on her leg!
It turns out it wasn’t the phone’s battery that caused the burn but Olivia’s cell phone case, which contains some kind of liquid and glitter and decorated with unicorns and rainbows. There did not appear to be a crack in the case, but the chemicals leaked out anyway and now Olivia has a scar for life.
Karly Retter posted, “Please share this as much as possible this case is full of acid and if it cracks it will cause 3rd-2nd degree burns this is the damage it has caused my daughter and she will be scarred for life! A lot of girls have these at the moment so just be careful.”
Karly is in horror imagining if it had leaked on her daughter’s face! That’s why she immediately posted a warning to her Facebook page to warn other parents about these types of cases.
Apparently, Karly’s message effectively removed this particular phone case from store shelves. This is important information for parents to know. Please share Karly’s caution with your friends and family!


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- Bloomingdale’s and Microsoft team up on in-store engagement
- Build-A-Bear Workshop unveils new, interactive store design
- Microsoft set to open in New Jersey; Boston in the works
- Target runs business-critical applications on Microsoft virtualization technologies
- Microsoft to open Windows in-store shops in Best Buy
New York -- Microsoft Corp. will open 32 pop-up stores in the United States and Canada in time for the holiday shopping season.
Although the company did not say when the stores would open, it did provide a list of the locations, which include Roosevelt Field Mall, Garden, City, N,Y.; Time Warner Center: The Shops at Columbus Circle, New York City; Perimeter Mall, Atlanta; Oakridge Centre, Vancouver, B.C.; Dadeland Mall, Miami; and San Francisco Centre, San Francisco, to name a few.


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The Thailand-Philippines Business Council (TPBC) donated 200 packs (1,000 kgs) of rice to the food drive “Bayanihan Sa Thailand”.
Mr. Sanan Angubolkul (Vice Chairman of the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking), Mr. Visit Limprana (Chairman of TPBC), and Mr. Kraisin Vongsurakrai (Executive Director, Thai Chamber of Commerce) turned over the donation on April 21, Tuesday to the Secretariat members of the Ateneo Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (ALSE) Program in Thailand at the Philippine Embassy grounds.
Mr. Angubolkul is Chairman of Srithai Superware and is also part of the Erawan Group that established the Hop Inn Hotels in the Philippines. Mr. Visit Limprana is Chairman and CEO of Nguansoon Group that produces the well known the Hand Brand No. 1 spices and operates the Spice Story shops in Siam Paragon and Icon Siam.
The ALSE Secretariat was represented by Ms. Sonia Soosot Nisa Zerrudo and Ms. Cherryl Lara Labadlabad.
The turnover was witnessed by Embassy officials Mr. Michael Lyndon B. Garcia, First Secretary and Consul, and Mr. Enrico Mariano, DTI Commercial Attaché.
Aside from rice, TPBC also donated 500 pieces of fabric masks. The donations will be distributed to Filipinos in distress in Bangkok and other provinces. So far, ALSE has already distributed more than 500 food packs (300baht / pack).
Thank you very much to Thailand-Philippines Business Council! Khàawp khun mâak!


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If there is one thing that gamers around the world might be jealous of gamers in Japan, it would be their access to pretty cool and limited edition devices, and sometimes even titles that are released in Japan first before being localized for their markets. That being said for our huge Pokemon fans, it seems that over in Japan they have launched limited edition versions of the Nintendo 2DS to celebrate the release of the Pokemon Red, Green, and Pikachu yellow remakes.
Note that these 2DS units aren’t new per se and they have actually been launched in Europe last year, but interestingly enough this is one of those instances where the rest of the world got their hands on it before Japan did. Prior to this, the Nintendo 2DS was available in other markets so essentially this would be the first time that the console has made their way over to Japan.
It will come bundled with a Pokemon game corresponding to their color, so for example the red version will come bundled with Pokemon Red, the blue for Pokemon Blue, and so on. There will also be special stickers and a code in which gamers can download Mew. No word on whether these consoles will make their way stateside, but in the past we have seen Nintendo limit their hardware to certain markets depending on the demand, so we guess we’ll just have to wait and see.


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Mindshare Retains Unilever's $1.38 Billion U.S. Business
Unilever will retain WPP's Mindshare as its media-buying agency in the U.S., Ad Age has learned.
The consumer packaged-goods giant made the decision not to review its buying account in the region as it continues its market-by -market evaluations. It is , however, close to a decision on its global media-planning review, which it began this January, according to executives familiar with the matter.
Unilever declined to comment for this story. At the beginning of the review, Senior VP-Global Media Luis Di Como said, "We want to make sure that we continue to have best-in-class agency partners to deliver Unilever's vision: to double the size of our business while reducing our environmental impact. We will be looking at strategic planning and in-market execution capabilities from our agency partners."
The company's U.S. ad spending in 2010 was $1.38 billion, according to the Ad Age DataCenter.
The company invited its worldwide incumbents, including Mindshare (North America and Western Europe); Interpublic Group of Cos.' Initiative (Latin America); and Omnicom's PHD (China, Central Europe); among other agencies to pitch for the global-planning business. It's understood that the company also asked some agencies to provide materials for its U.S. evaluation.
The U.S. retention is a boon for Mindshare and its relatively new CEO in the region, Antony Young. The move also shows consistency. Unilever's decision to retain the firm comes only two years after its last media review. At the time, Mindshare held onto its business in the region and the global assignments were left mostly unchanged.
It's not immediately clear whether the timing of the network TV upfront inspired the company's latest decision to retain its incumbent. Regardless, the decision likely dissolves any tension that a review might have caused throughout the annual negotiations this summer.
MediaLink is said to be assisting with the ongoing global review.


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In your interest.
Online Personal Finance Magazine
No beating about the bush.
The US has managed a peek into secret Swiss accounts to uncover tax havens or black money stashed there, while India has only got as far as round-table meetings to ask for its chance
A cash-starved global economy and determined political manoeuvring helped start uncover tax havens this year, but so far it is the US that has managed a peek into secret Swiss accounts while India only got as far as round-table meetings to ask for its chance, reports PTI.
The US-Swiss deal giving the Internal Revenue Service access to 4,450 secret accounts came after bitter wrangling that even put their bilateral ties in jeopardy. The deal created cracks in Switzerland\'s banking secrecy norms.
India too went to Switzerland hoping to chip away any loose concrete in the secrecy vault, but hasn\'t gone beyond round-table discussions in Geneva.
Tax havens are estimated to hold assets worth $11 trillion—more than twice the value of stimulus measures announced globally to combat the global financial crisis—and united leaders of G-20 countries in the quest to get this money out. In April this year, the leaders pledged to crack down on tax havens.
In India, black money, particularly the amounts stashed away in foreign accounts, became a poll issue with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties estimating that Indians have squirreled away assets worth up to $1.50 trillion in tax havens. However, the government told the Supreme Court, which is hearing a petition on black money, that there were no authentic figures available on this count.
Way back in 1999, a book \'Black Economy in India\' by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Professor Arun Kumar estimated the quantum of black money at Rs4,87,185 crore, which was 40% of gross domestic product (GDP) at that time.
India plans to comprehensively revise tax treaties with as many as 25 nations, including Switzerland and Mauritius, and re-negotiate with 51 others, to trace black money.
With countries beginning to push their case for revealing of account details, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which sets international tax norms, said the efforts against tax havens have seen tremendous progress.
A top OECD official said that so far this year, as many as 280 agreements have been signed between various countries bilaterally for exchange of information, especially those related to tax.
"This in itself shows the progress made by the OECD initiative. There has been tremendous progress (in cracking down on tax havens)," the OECD official told PTI from Paris.
The prominent among those countries which agreed for increased exchange of information with others are Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong.
"Last year, most of the offshore financial centres did not exchange tax information even though many had committed to do so. This year, we have seen the completion of hundreds of (bilateral) agreements," the official noted.
Hawkers and advertisers will feel the pinch due to the increase of their monthly hoarding and hawking charges, as MCGM gears up to usher in a new tariff regime
Hawkers and advertisers will feel the pinch with the increase of their monthly hoarding and hawking charges as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), which is reeling under a financial crisis, is likely to implement revised rates, reports PTI.
According to MCGM, the monthly advertisement and hoarding charges are likely to be increased by nearly 50%. At present MCGM charges for hoardings, billboards, wall paintings, balloon ads and street furniture are Rs300 per square meter (sq m) per month. This will be hiked to Rs550 per sq m.
"The civic body will hike charges to be collected from hawkers and those putting up hoardings as well. The increase in charges of both advertisements and hoardings have been approved by the law committee," a civic official from the license department said.
"The hoarding fees have been passed by a general body meeting as well, but (the proposed increase in) hawking charges still awaits a nod," the official added.
MCGM's finance division has instructed all departments to cut down on expenditure and revise rates of civic services to tide over the financial crisis.
Charges for neon signs and electronic scrollers along with other outdoor media vehicles will be increased from Rs450 to Rs800. Cost for billboards on top of buildings, government buses, and electricity poles will be increased from Rs120 to Rs200.
Hawking fees for both roving and sitting hawkers have been doubled. For roving hawkers, the charges will be increased from Rs25 per sq m to Rs50 per sq m and for sitting hawkers from Rs90 per sq m to Rs180 per sq m.
The city has nearly 4.5 lakh hawkers of which around 15,000 are authorised to carry out their business. There are 2,300 different kinds of hoardings in the city.
"The civic body earns Rs61 crore from hoardings and after implementation of revised rates it is likely to earn another Rs35 crore," the official said.
The MCGM had revised the license fee for hawkers and hoarding fees for advertisers in 1997 and 2003, respectively.
"Every year there will be a 10% increase in both the charges," the official said.
The prices for TVS Motor vehicles will not increase from next month. However, by April 2010, analysts believe that the consumer may have to spend more for TVS vehicles
India’s third largest two-wheeler maker TVS Motor Co Ltd has said that it is not going to increase prices despite rising steel costs. However, analysts believe that the company would increase prices from the next fiscal.
A senior official from TVS Motor said, “I don’t think that TVS Motors will increase the prices of its vehicles in January despite higher steel prices. However, the company may review prices in the next two-three months.”
Automakers are planning to go for price hikes in a phased manner—the first hike will be in January followed by another hike in April next year.
Analysts said that TVS Motor may not be affected by the current rise in steel prices because the company has contracts for steel supply till the first quarter of next year.
However, with the replacement of Bharat Stage Norms (BSN)-II by BSN-III in April 2010, the company may make the consumer spend more due to the improvement in its engines, the analyst said.
According to a PTI report, TVS Motor, which started exports of its three-wheelers a couple of months back, is also planning to venture into new markets like Bangladesh, Mexico, Peru and Guatemala.
"Our plan is to enter the diesel passenger market in the auto-rickshaw category of three-wheelers and we should be able to accomplish this within 18-24 months," HS Goindi, TVS Motor’s president for marketing told the media. The diesel three-wheeler will target the semi-urban and rural markets, he said, without disclosing details.
Mr Goindi said that the company had a presence in two-stroke and four-stroke engine segments in petrol, LPG and CNG variants.
According to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), TVS Motor sold 11,36,344 units of two-wheelers in the domestic market in 2008-09.


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Nissan Motor Co. announced Wednesday a record group operating profit of 737 billion yen for the year through March, up 50.7 percent from the previous year, thanks mainly to increased car sales at home and reduced purchasing costs.
Releasing its latest estimate for fiscal 2002, Nissan said its group pretax profit surged 71 percent from fiscal 2001 to 709 billion yen and net profit rose 33 percent to 495 billion yen.
Group sales are estimated to have reached 6.85 trillion yen, up 10.6 percent, with worldwide car sales of 2.77 million units, up 6.7 percent. Nissan plans to report its final earnings results next month.
The brisk performance has probably enabled the automaker to achieve at least two of the three objectives it set in its three-year plan through fiscal 2004: an 8 percent group operating profit margin and elimination of interest-bearing group debts in its automotive operations.
Nissan’s operating profit margin on a consolidated basis stood at an estimated 10.8 percent in fiscal 2002, up from just 1.4 percent three years ago, Nissan President Carlos Ghosn said.
He also said Nissan had completely eliminated its group debt by the end of fiscal 2002. The group debt had ballooned to 2.1 trillion yen in early 1999, shortly before Nissan signed a capital alliance with French carmaker Renault S.A.
“Three years ago, our business was in accelerated decline,” Ghosn said. “Today, we’re not only back in the global race, we’re among the pacesetters.”
In fiscal 2002, domestic sales rose 14.3 percent to 816,000 units, due largely to the company’s entry into the minicar market with the Moco as well as hit products, including the compact March and Cube models, the company said.
However, sales in the United States rose a meager 1 percent to 726,000 units and sales in Europe fell 3.8 percent to 474,000 units.
Ghosn said he is confident sales will rise by an additional 1 million units worldwide — the other goal of the three-year plan — with the introduction of more attractive models. Nissan will put a greater focus on the U.S. this year as part of its efforts to achieve that goal, he added.
For the current business year, Nissan predicts a group operating profit of 820 billion yen, a pretax profit of 781 billion yen, a net profit of 495 billion yen and sales of 7.45 trillion.
Daihatsu profit leaps
Daihatsu Motor Co. said Wednesday its consolidated net profit in fiscal 2002 jumped 58.7 percent from the previous year to 14.78 billion yen, thanks to thriving overseas sales.
The minivehicle maker’s consolidated pretax profit also rose 21 percent to 19.52 billion yen, while its consolidated operating profit increased 11.3 percent to 20.69 billion yen.
Group sales came to 969.57 billion yen, up 2.7 percent. Car sales totaled 792,061 units, including 611,949 minivehicles, which have engine displacements of up to 660cc.
Overseas sales tripled to 214,758 units while domestic sales fell 4 percent to 478,442 units. The number of vehicles sold under the brand of its parent company, Toyota Motor Corp., dropped 22.4 percent to 98,861 units.
On a parent-only basis, however, the firm, based in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, reported disappointing results for fiscal 2002 mainly due to dismal domestic sales.
Its net profit plummeted 42.7 percent from the previous year to 5.25 billion yen, while pretax profit dropped 32.6 percent to 9.73 billion yen. Operating profit fell 22.3 percent to 10.01 billion yen and sales came to 760.16 billion yen, down 7.2 percent from fiscal 2001.
For the current business year, the carmaker predicts a consolidated operating profit of 24 billion yen, a consolidated pretax profit of 21 billion yen, a consolidated net profit of 11 billion yen and group sales of 990 billion yen.
Hino’s Thai unit to go
Hino Motors Ltd., a truck manufacturer affiliated with Toyota Motor Corp., said Wednesday it will dissolve its subsidiary in Thailand, Thai Hino Motor Corp., by the end of March 2004.
The move is intended to streamline the company’s operations and simplify its capital alliances with other firms.
Thai Hino Motor, established in 1964, is currently owned 35 percent by Hino, 35 percent by Mitsui & Co., and 30 percent by Hino Motors (Thailand) Ltd., another Thai unit held by Hino.


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Business Secretary calls for new tech revolution in agriculture
Business Secretary Greg Clark announces £90 million for agri-tech in a keynote speech to the National Farmers’ Union Conference.
- new £90 million investment to bring together AI, robotics and earth observation to improve supply chain resilience in the agri-food sector
- UK agri-tech sector contributes £14.3 billion to UK economy, employing 500,000 people, with companies and researchers developing pioneering technologies from farming drones to 3D printing
- helping to fuel rural growth, create high-skilled jobs and open up new export opportunities as part of the Industrial Strategy
Read more here.