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By Mimosa Spencer
PARIS—French retailer Casino Guichard Perrachon /zigman2/quotes/203038848/delayed FR:CO +2.27% SA Wednesday reported a 0.7% increase in third-quarter sales from continuing operations, lifted by growth in Latin America. Improvement at its French chains Leader Price and Géant helped temper weak consumption in Casino's home market.
France's second-largest listed retailer after Carrefour SA reported third-quarter sales of €7.18 billion ($9.99 billion), up from €7.12 billion a year earlier, beating the €7.13 billion expected by analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires.
In France, the company's most important market, sales rose 1.1% to €4.54 billion as business improved at discount chain Leader Price. The company has been renovating the chain's stores and adding national-brand products to its primarily private-label assortment. France accounts for more than half of the company's group sales.
Casino's largest stores in France, the Géant hypermarket chain, posted a 0.3% decline in sales, but Casino said it is seeing early signs of improvement. It said efforts to cut prices and simplify the range of merchandise at the sprawling stores has slowed a decline in sales and store traffic from levels seen in the previous quarter.
Casino's larger rival Carrefour recently made public broad plans to revive its hypermarkets chain by reorganizing the stores into distinct categories and organizing events, such as wine tastings, to draw in customers. The retailers are struggling to regain business lost to specialty stores and smaller convenience stores.
Sales of Casino's international operations rose 17% to €2.6 billion, with double-digit organic growth from its key markets Brazil, Colombia, Thailand and Vietnam. Organic growth excludes the effect of acquisitions and currency fluctuations.
On Wednesday Casino reiterated its goal of a ratio of net debt to earnings before interest tax and amortization, or Ebita, of less than 2.2 times by the end of 2010, through its continuing €1 billion asset-disposal program.
Casino shares have risen 2.8% over the past six months, outperforming the 5.6% decline in the Paris CAC-40 index over the same period. While Casino has been applauded for its focus on convenience formats and discount stores, efforts by larger rival Carrefour to rejuvenate sales could pressure its business.
Casino shares finished Paris trading up 0.8% at €67.28 Wednesday.
Write to Mimosa Spencer at firstname.lastname@example.org


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(Roto-Rooters Wire Report) -- NEW YORK - Scientists at the Nothing-Better-To-Study Research Institute have announced that popular internet auction website eBay really is a source of anything imaginable.
"We were finally able to afford good, quality lab equipment to do actually do research," said Dr. Morton Wu, 41. He added "We're putting naming rights to the Institute for sale on there."
By the time their lab equipment arrived by DSL, the scientists had already conducted preliminary research. Previous items to have appeared on eBay include an air guitar, the German language, New Zealand, an aircraft carrier--the HMS Vengeance, a car once owned by Pope Benedict XVI when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, and several California towns.
Unfortunately, the person selling New Zealand had no right to do so and the aircraft carrier was deemed "ordnance," so the sales were closed.
Nevertheless, Dr. Wu reports, one can still find just about anything on eBay. As of this writing they are still investigating the purchasing of German.

domain: news


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Business briefs, May 1
Scynexis raises proposed initial offering price to $10
DURHAM -- Drug development company Scynexis Inc., which first announced plans to sell shares on the stock market in March, has increased its proposed maximum initial public offering price to $10, up from $8.
Previously, the Durham-based company had announced a plan to sell its shares for an initial price of $12 to $14. But then it later lowered the initial price to $8 and increased the number of shares it planned to sell.
Now it’s raised the price to $10 and again cut the number of shares it plans to register. According to a regulatory filing Wednesday, the company plans to offer 6.2 million shares for sale at that price, plus an option for the underwriters to buy another 930,000 shares.
The company expects to raise about $55.1 million from the offering, or $63.8 million if the underwriters use their option.
Square 1 profits up 136%
DURHAM -- Square 1 Financial Inc.’s first-quarter earnings grew 136 percent to $7.8 million, the Durham-based bank holding company announced Wednesday.
The company, which is the parent company for the commercial bank Square 1, reported that its earnings grew on higher net interest income and noninterest income.
The company said it saw a $5.8 million increase in net interest income and the $3.1 million increase in noninterest income that offset a $2.6 million increase in non-interest expense.
Square 1 went public for the first time earlier this year, selling shares on the stock market in order to help fuel its long-term growth.
The company was founded in 2005 to provide banking services to venture-backed companies and their investors.


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If two chefs are better than one, Laura Zaino and Melanie Rosenberger are off to a good start.
The duo considered what was missing from the local food scene about a year ago and agreed it was prepared meal services. Fine-tuning their business model and beta testing lasted through the summer until they felt ready to launch Feel Goodery Foods in the fall.
The new business relies on customers pre-ordering food online and picking it up from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays at Good Shepherd Church in Grays Woods. The menu varies week to week and has seasonal, vegetarian and vegan options. Feel Goodery Foods also offers catering.
Their sweet spot has been made-from-scratch traditional dishes with some flair.
“We have been chefs for a long time and have been involved in the local farming community for quite a long time, and this service used local produce, meats and dairy,” Zaino said. “You can order online for pickup once a week for your convenience and to eat healthy in State College.”
Most of the business’ customer base has been parents who do not have time to cook or retirees who don’t to prepare meals, and they’re open to ideas.
“Customers are telling us what they like and are giving us suggestions of what they want,” Rosenberger said. “It’s becoming almost like a family, and everyone has their favorites. It’s kind of cool that they’re not only supporting us financially, but they’re also coming up with ideas.”
Zaino and Rosenberger hope they will open their next pick-up location in downtown State College.
For more information, visit www.feelgooderyfoods.com.


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Brazilian Patent Documents Show the 2024 Toyota Tacoma Design—Check Them Out!
We know that the fourth-generation Toyota Tacoma, which is completely new, is on its way.
However, recent patent photos may have offered us a sneak peek at its design.
Now, instead of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website, these surfaced on the Brazilian Patent Registration Office website.
Trademark Office website, via which we previously disseminated information about trucks that haven't been exposed yet.
Earlier on Tuesday, someone posted in the Tacoma 4G Forum, saying, "That was a bit of a curious one for me, but it does actually check out."
In conclusion, this car bears a striking resemblance to the Tacoma EV Concept, which was revealed in late 2021.
It's unclear what further official information is available, including the exact release date.


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Sarah Ferguson was pictured swinging around a lamp post in the flooded Italian city with fashion model Jodie Kidd. Jodie Kidd wore a matching pair of black boots, pairing the shoes with a tan coat with pink and navy details.
In a moment straight out of the hit-musical Singin’ in the Rain, Sarah Ferguson, also affectionately known as Fergie, posed in the rain as she visited victims of the floods.
The Italian tourist hotspot has been devastated by rain and flooding in recent days and today was hit by another exceptionally high tide, submerging 70 percent of the city underwater.
Local authorities said today’s high tide peaked at 154 cm (5.05 ft) lower than the 187 cm level reached on Tuesday, which was the second highest tide ever recorded in Venice.
The government declared a state of emergency for Venice on Thursday, allocating £17million (€20million) to address the immediate damage.
Following Friday’s high waters, forecasters predict tides of up to 110-120 cm during the weekend. In normal conditions, tides of 80-90cm are generally seen as high but manageable.
Earlier today the Duchess attended the Geox Dragon Formula E car launch in Mestre.
Ms Ferguson’s visit to the Venice floods comes after the Duchess travelled to Riyadh, Saudia Arabia for Misk Global Forum.
The Duchess, wearing a modest pink headscarf, shared two posts on Instagram from the visit.


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Exploring value-add opportunities for Australian red meat in supermarkets beyond the fresh meat cabinet is delivering profitable new avenues for the industry.
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), through its CoMarketing Program and MLA Donor Company (MDC) High Value Food Frontiers Program, has helped companies seek out new usages and occasions for red meat and develop new product initiatives for supermarkets.
MLA Manager High Value Food Frontiers, Michael Lee, said there is scope for red meat to capture greater market share in the growing convenience segment, particularly supermarket delicatessens, which are dominated by pork and chicken value-added products.
“Australian beef has been taking a bite out of the lucrative barbecue chicken market since the launch of ‘grab-and-go’ traditional hot roast beef and corned beef products in Woolworths supermarkets in 2016,” Mr Lee said.
“This project was the result of a collaboration between MDC, Teys Australia and the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC).
“The hot, ready-to-eat ‘Cedric Walter’ brand beef products have now been rolled out to 900 Woolworths stores nationally.
“Analysis of the Woolworths/Teys lines on the market has determined the annual use of 800 tonnes of lesser value outside flats lifts the value of 2.3 million head of cattle, delivering $5.5 million per year in new profit for the red meat industry, of which close to 20% is returned to producers and processor suppliers.Read More at www.mla.com.au


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GM, Ford auto sales slip from last year; Chrysler up
By Earle Eldridge, USA TODAY
Despite generous incentives, General Motors (GM) and Ford Motor (F) saw sales fall in October from a year ago.
The 2005 Ford Five Hundred Sedan.
Most other automakers had sales increases. Overall, sales grew 2.2% in October from a year ago, according to numbers tracker Autodata. That's a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 16.8 million, slightly ahead of the 16.7 million sales last year.
October auto sales
U.S. light vehicle sales in October:
Chg. from 2003
GM, the world's largest automaker, sold 4.9% fewer vehicles than a year ago, including 5.5% fewer cars and 4.6% fewer trucks, Autodata says.
"October sales results were not as strong as we had expected, but not entirely surprising, given our exceptionally strong sales in September," said John Smith, GM's vice president of North American sales, service and marketing.
Smith said GM expects stronger sales in coming months as production reaches full speed for the recently introduced Pontiac G6 sedan, Buick LaCrosse sedan and Chevrolet Cobalt compact car, putting larger numbers on dealer lots.
Ford's sales fell 5.0%, according to Autodata. The automaker says it expects sales to improve as more of the Five Hundred sedan, Mustang sports car, Freestyle crossover sport-utility vehicle and Escape hybrid SUV arrive in showrooms.
"We're very encouraged by the early dealer and consumer response to our new products," said Jim O'Connor, Ford group vice president for North American marketing, sales and service. "We have our sights set on stronger retail sales in the months ahead."
Unlike its Detroit rivals, DaimlerChrysler's (DCX) Chrysler Group recorded a 1.6% increase in sales from last October.
"We were led by the strength of the Chrysler brand and strong products like the Chrysler 300, the repositioned Chrysler Pacifica and our minivans," said Gary Dilts, senior vice president for sales. Chrysler Group also includes the Dodge and Jeep brands.
Japanese automakers Honda (HMC), Nissan (NSANY) and Toyota (TM) each posted double-digit gains.
Particularly impressive was Nissan's 27.3% increase.
"Not only did Nissan North America have a very strong month, it was the best October in our company's history for both the Nissan and Infiniti divisions," said Jed Connelly, North American senior vice president of sales and marketing.
But the news was grim for another Japanese automaker, Mitsubishi. Sales fell 43.7% in October.


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French court orders Twitter to change smallprint after privacy case
Twitter was also fined €30,000 by a Paris court, a sum UFC-Que Choisir said was “insignificant for the social network”
A Paris court on Thursday ordered Twitter to change its smallprint, according to a consumer group which accused the tech giant of having “abusive” clauses in its terms and conditions.
UFC-Que Choisir claimed victory in its case against the US social media platform, saying “the conviction has a gigantic scope for the protection of users’ personal data”.
The consumer association had called on the high court “to recognise the abusive or illegal nature” of 256 clauses contained in Twitter’s terms and conditions that it said breached users’ privacy.
In particular, UFC-Que Choisir said the court’s decision guarantees Twitter users that their photos and tweets can no longer be “commercially exploited” if they have not given their consent.
“By ticking a small box to accept the terms of service, the consumer has not expressly accepted their data can be exploited,” the group said.
Twitter was also fined €30,000, a sum UFC-Que Choisir said was “insignificant for the social network which generated in 2017 a global turnover of $2.1 billion”.
The social network has one month to appeal. But “whatever his decision, this victory bodes well for similar procedures against Facebook and Google, still in progress,” the group said.
Those judgments are expected in “the coming months”, according to UFC-Que Choisir.
Editor's Picks »
- Policy rethink and higher volumes to aid container shippers
- DCB Bank delivers a strong Q2 but pressure on margins foreseen
- Havells India: Rising costs give a jolt to profitability in September quarter
- All’s well at Mindtree, except for high client concentration risk
- India’s rising steel demand is making companies starry-eyed


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Cosmopack and Cosmoprof Asia 2020 originally due to take place 11-13 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) are replaced by a virtual event. The trade fair plans to make its physical return in November 2021, announced BolognaFiere Group and Informa Markets, co-organizers of the event, yesterday.
The decision follows recent development of COVID-19 globally and its continued impact on travel restrictions as well as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s announcement noting continued travel restrictions into and out of Hong Kong through December 2020.
“Following discussions with business leaders, exhibitors and partners who make up the event, it has become clear that rescheduling to 2021 is the best option,” said Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere. “Particularly for our large composition of overseas participants, traveling to this international event would be impossible. Therefore, Cosmopack and Cosmoprof Asia’s face-to-face event will return in November 2021 when we expect that international trade and business will return to a much more normal state.”
In the meanwhile, the organizers dedicate full resources on the first-ever Cosmoprof Asia Digital Week which will take place online from 9 to 13 November 2020 via cosmoprof-asia.com.
Cosmoprof Asia Digital Week will try to offer companies and professionals a vehicle to continue business, view products, meet clients and potential customers in the region, and stay up to date on beauty trends and technology in 2020. The digital event will encompass a business matching platform with online product showroom featuring the latest offerings in cosmetics and packaging, tailor-made virtual meeting, meeting planner, live chat and instant video conferencing.
“Though nothing can replace the spirit and magic of attending Cosmopack and Cosmoprof Asia in person, we aim to provide an extraordinary digital experience in November,” said David Bondi, Senior Vice President - Asia of Informa Markets and Director of Cosmoprof Asia Ltd. “We have a responsibility to the worldwide beauty industry to help companies and professional survive and thrive amidst this time.”
Visitors who already pre-registered to Cosmoprof Asia 2020 will receive a new registration link to the Digital Week.


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Mid way through its product cycle the 2013 GLK has received a nip-tuck from the styling department at Mercedes-Benz. It has also receive one very major change.
While the 3.5-liter V6 engine does now boast a slight increase in power, Mercedes announced at the car’s unveiling at the New York Auto Show that it will offer a diesel engine option in the compact crossover.
For more on the GLK250 BlueTEC diesel, watch AutoGuide’s first look video below.
GALLERY: 2013 Mercedes GLK
Watch the video below:
Get the Flash Player to see this player.


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So my yesterday went something like this. “Oh, hey, Dirty Bomb is in open beta! Nobody is talking about this game, but the people who made Brink are behind it, and the art looks cool, so what the hell, I’ll give it a shot”. Thirty seconds later I’d quit to desktop. »
Not every shitty Kickstarter story has to have a sad ending. Dimension Driver, the game that was so cruelly cheated of its funding by a troll a few weeks back, has hit its goal second time around. »
I’ve spent a couple of hours in Lego Worlds this week, and I am absolutely loving it. The main reason? There are a ton of things and creatures lying around, all of which you can ride with the press of a button. »
If you bought The Witcher 3 digitally on Xbox One, there’s a chance you can’t play the game right now. There’s a licensing issue—error “0x87de2726”—that’s preventing the game from booting up, but Microsoft is aware of the problem and working on it. »
On today’s episode of Highlight Reel we have Destiny triple kills, mayhem from above, ship-to-ship combat, mosh pits, and much more! »
A question debated by geeks for decades gets answered in this week’s issue of Secret Wars. Spoilers ahead.
Team Fortress 2 has languished a bit in recent times. Truly outstanding updates have been few and far between. Thankfully, Valve just gave the game a new injection of life.
Perception, where you play a blind person who taps a cane to see around them, was revealed last week. Soon, an email went around indie studio Tiny Bull. “Panic started to spread among the team,” said CEO Matteo Lana. Why? Tiny Bull had been making Blind, a game with the same premise, for more than a year. »
A Man of Steel who can’t fly. No heat vision. Cape torn to shreds. Yup, Action Comics #41 is the best Superman comic to come out in years.


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The 2012 Macworld Expo isn’t what it was five or six years ago but it still pulled in the Apple faithful to ogle the latest Apple-related products and knick-knacks.
The show is redefining itself as iWorld to promote a focus on iOS devices iPhone and iPad – and the Macintosh itself was certainly relegated to the periphery despite its continuing rise in traditional computing market share.
Anything to do with Apple is popular right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a revival of the Lisa in the coming months.
In the old days the Macworld show would kick off with a bang and a clutch of booms, during the keynote address by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Queues for the prized tickets to these grandstand announcements would start to form in the early hours of the morning, and media would scramble for VIP tickets to get the best views of whatever Apple was showing off for the first time there.
Even in the dark days of Apple’s depression every January Macworld Expo would be squeezed into the two giant North and South Halls of the San Francisco Moscone Center. And there’d be enough for a second Expo on the East Coast that summer.
After Apple pulled out of the show a few years back Macworld Expo has trimmed itself to just one of those halls, and later to the smaller Moscone West – where it remains today.
The bigger Moscone halls were home to the Photonics show, an expo based around lasers and biomedical optics. Comparing both shows you’d think that it was lasers that dominated 21st century tech, not Apple.
While the show itself is much smaller the booths at the 2012 Macworld and iWorld Expo were crowded on Day One.
Apple, of course, was not there, and nor were old Expo stalwarts such as Adobe, Canon, Epson and Quark. But HP had a stand up front, and Xerox had a few tables at the back.
The demographic of the show goers doesn’t seem to have changed much. Among the throngs of casually dressed Mac fans and iPhone-toting newbies were the usual mobility scooters, wide bottoms and pony tails.
If Apple had sneaked into the show to see what was going on it would have been pleased with the interest these attendees showed in just about every booth. People were out there buying real product, not just gazing at the unattainable.
Head of Apple design Jony Ive would have hated it, though. Every one of his lovingly designed products was covered, wrapped up and generally disguised with a raft of snap on, seal-up cases and covers. Nothing was missed.
iPhone and iPad cases were available in every hue and skin. There was even a choice of sports balls to disguise the Apple tablet.
You could attach the iPhone to any form of transport.
And there were some vehicles parked inside.
How to charge your iPhones, and other iOS devices.
Don't get your iPad or iPhone wet, the Apple Genius said. But there were several exhibitors showing off waterproffing solutions.
How about an iPhone case with a built-in bottle opener?
Check out these speakers. They look expensive, don't they?
They are - but that's the price for the uniqueness, isn't it?
They made the stuff at Bang & Olufsen look quite reasonable.
At the other end of the scale were these cute Star Wars USB flash memory sticks.
Hey, HP were exhibiting at Macworld, too. Good for them.
And, er, a trampoline - for people in skis, and iPod headphones.
We liked the new Zagg keyboards and cases for the iPad.
And the iPro Lens attachments for the iPhone, including this fisheye lens.
Some of the product names were a bit off-putting though. Here's Andy Shalat's Willy WIlly iPhone charger case...
... which could be attached to the iDangle or iPole.
Macworld iWorld returns to San Francisco next year, January 31 – February 2, 2013. More of the same expected.


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Parents hold key to keeping their young driver safe
Today’s busy parents seem to be under increasing pressure to give their teens vehicles as soon as they’ve passed their driver’s tests. This urgency is often for the sake of convenience -- for kids and parents alike.
“I don’t like to admit it, but it’s true,” says Kathy Dirkins, co-president of Westlake High School’s PTSA. Hectic work and family schedules make it impossible for many parents to chauffeur their teenagers to activities or jobs.
A nationwide study last year by Teen Research Unlimited found that 18% of teenagers 16-19 owned new cars and 75% owned used cars. In 1998, only 13% of teens had new cars and 68% had used vehicles.
The study surveyed 2,000 teens, according to Michael Wood, vice president of the Northbrook, Ill., research firm (www.TeenResearch.com).
Not all parents want to rush out and purchase a vehicle for their young driver, or can afford to. Some parents worry that once a teen has his or her own vehicle the parents lose control over what the teen is doing.
That seems like a valid concern. I’ve had friends complain that once they handed the keys over to their teen, grades dropped and keeping track of their whereabouts became increasingly difficult.
“I’ve heard too many stories over the years about kids getting a brand-new BMW, crashing it and then getting another one,” says Erin Powell, a counselor for the Las Virgenes Unified School District.
Take a spin around many student high school parking lots, and you’ll see teens driving everything from Volvos and BMWs to giant SUVs. The pressure on many parents isn’t just to provide a car, it’s to provide a status symbol.
If you are considering purchasing a first vehicle for your teen, here are some tips:
Before you even set foot in a dealership, make sure your teen has the skills and training to safely drive a vehicle, says Candysse Miller, executive director of the Insurance Information Network of California.
Miller says to keep in mind that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among young people.
Also, don’t let your teens dictate the kind of vehicle you choose, no matter how much they whine or browbeat you. Surveys show kids aren’t concerned about safety -- they’re more interested in what’s flashy and trendy, of course. So mom and dad need to be vigilant on that issue, Wood advises.
Don’t rely on the word of a car salesman, who may steer you to a vehicle that’s inappropriate. Do your own research. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a website that assesses vehicle safety: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap
One big misconception parents often have is that a large truck or SUV is the safest vehicle for their teen. Pairing a teenage driver with an SUV could be a fatal combination, says Miller. These big vehicles can be difficult to handle even for experienced drivers. .
Mid-size vehicles, particularly sedans, are considered a good choice for new drivers by Consumer Reports and other auto safety advocates. Miller says Volkswagen bugs have become popular with teens and their parents because of their high crash-test ratings, affordability and low gas mileage. Wood says his company’s research shows that the Honda Civic is the No. 1 practical choice among teens.
Though teens are interested in customizing, or “tricking out,” their vehicles, safety advocates warn parents not to allow their teens to jeopardize their safety by raising the height of a vehicle, adding oversize tires or even adding a monster sound system that shakes the vehicles around you and can distract drivers.
Make a contract with your teenager, says Powell, the school counselor, who helps organize programs to help curb reckless driving. She urges parents to set time and distance limits on driving. If they break the rules, take away the car keys, she says.
Some parents require good grades in exchange for getting a vehicle. If the grades drop, the teenager loses driving privileges.
One way to keep tabs on your teen drivers is to check mileage, says Powell. Some anxious parents have even hired private detectives to check on teens who they feared were involved in risky behavior. Others have turned to technology.
Electronic vehicle-monitoring devices can record speed, distances traveled, acceleration rates and whether seat belts are worn. Road Safety International in Thousand Oaks and SmartDriver of Houston market these products.
Dirkins worries that some parents are too lax on safety with their teen drivers. “There are parents who automatically give kids cars who haven’t even spent much time behind the wheel with their parents.”
Under California’s new-license procedures, young drivers are required to spend 50 hours behind the wheel with their parents. “I think a lot of parents can’t be bothered with that,” says Dirkins, whose son, Sean, 17, drives a 1999 Jeep Cherokee.
A car represents so many things to a teenager, cautions Wood. “When they they get their license a whole world opens up to them because they no longer have to depend on parents for transportation. It can be intoxicating.”


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Genie Works is mainly engaged in advertising / e-commerce and automotive O2O field related business. It is reported that it obtains Samsung venture investment and NAU IB Capital investment for 2 billion Korean won.
Genie Works provides game based AD / E – commerce services “buy chance ” and provides intelligent agent parking, agent driving, car wash and other integrated services – “Parking On”.
Genie Works Website Homepage
Representative of Genie works Leon (transliteration) said. “We will take the opportunity of investment, to optimize advertising / e-commerce platform, strengthen project cooperation with large enterprises and other cooperative enterprises, strengthen car O2O service coverage and improve quality, committed to provide customers with better service.”
NAU IB capital investment minister said, “the reason we decided to invest in Genie works is because in the area of car O2O project, it is leading the market to the new concept of parking agent service. We look forward to it’s continuously development “.


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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to offer all necessary resources to the Sandy Pond Channel Maintenance Association (SPCMA) to help stop further buildup of sand in the channel connecting Sandy Pond to Lake Ontario. The accumulation of sand in the channel has prevented boaters from entering and exiting Sandy Pond, causing a decline in the tourism and recreation industries, and costing revenue to local retail businesses that operate around the pond, including restaurants, marinas, sporting goods stores, gift and antique shops, camp grounds, motels and other small businesses.
“The buildup of sand in the channel is coming at a major cost to the local economy of Oswego County,” Senator Gillibrand said. “When boats can’t travel through the channel and reach Sandy Pond, it robs us of a thriving tourism and recreational industry, and holds a whole range of local businesses back – costing us revenue and risking local jobs. It’s time for the Army Corps of Engineers to step in, and offer any resource available so we can get Oswego County’s economy back on the move.”
On top of the cost to the local economy, the buildup is also raising concerns about the effect on public safety. The Coast Guard, Sheriff’s Department and Sandy Creek Fire Department all rely on Sandy Pond to access Lake Ontario. The accumulation of sand makes navigating the channel into Lake Ontario more difficult, which puts the local communities at potential risk in the case of an emergency.
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter is below:
Dear Lt. General Bostick,
It has come to my attention that Sandy Pond, a small lake in Oswego County, is experiencing large amounts of sand filling its channel entrance, which threatens to effectively close down the access point for boaters between the Pond and Lake Ontario. Even after dredging this year, the channel currently is not in a safe condition for boaters. This has caused alarm because boaters are not being allowed entrance into or out of Sandy Pond due to safety concerns, resulting in a notable impact on the economy of Sandy Pond and Oswego County.
My office has heard from Cathy Goodnough, President of the Sandy Pond Channel Maintenance Association (SPCMA), who has informed us that there are several year-round large restaurants, a large golf course, many smaller seasonal restaurants, marinas, sporting goods stores, gift and antique shops, camp grounds, motels and other small businesses in the area that are affected by this situation. The tourism and recreation industry is a major economic driver in this region and due to the closed channel, a significant decline in tourist activity has severely impacted the business community. This is evidenced by the relocation of twenty charter fishing businesses that previously operated out of Sandy Pond. Additionally, the New York State 2007 Fisheries Report showed Oswego County benefitted from $42,623,006 in revenues from fishermen who visited the area, however, this year fishing tourism decreased with the entrance closed off and many of the summer residences sat empty because they could not navigate their boats out to Lake Ontario.
I am also concerned about the effect that this closure will have on public safety. The Coast Guard, Sheriff’s Department and Sandy Creek Fire Department all launch their rescue equipment at Sandy Pond to access Lake Ontario. These agencies have faced difficulties this year in safely navigating through the channel, which poses a grave danger to the local community.
I am writing to ask you to work with the SPCMA and offer any resources available to address this issue. The SPCMA is holding a meeting on October 11, 2012 to discuss this issue, and I urge someone from the Army Corps of Engineers to attend. If it is not possible for a representative of the Corps to make that meeting, my staff would be happy to assist in setting up another meeting at a more convenient time.
Thank you for your attention to this issue, which is urgent to the residents of Oswego County. Please do not hesitate to contact Jordan Baugh, of my staff, at 202-224-4451, if you have any concerns or would like to further discuss this matter.


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|English: The Microsoft Kinect peripheral for the Xbox 360. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Intel Says Laptops and Tablets with 3-D Vision Are Coming Soon
Laptops with 3-D sensors in place of conventional webcams will go on sale before the end of this year ...... Partners already working with Intel include Microsoft’s Skype unit, the movie and gaming studio Dreamworks, and the 3-D design company Autodesk ....... a startup called Volumental, lets you snap a 3-D photo of your foot to get an accurate shoe size measurement—something that could help with online shopping. ..... data from a tablet’s 3-D sensor can be used to build very accurate augmented reality games, where a virtual character viewed on a device’s screen integrates into the real environment. In one demo, a flying robot appeared on-screen and selected a landing spot on top of a box on a cluttered table. As the tablet showing the character was moved, it stayed perched on the tabletop, and even disappeared behind occluding objects. ...... the front-facing 3-D sensors can be used to recognize gestures to play games on a laptop, or take control of some features of Windows. ...... reminiscent of Microsoft’s Kinect sensor for its Xbox gaming console, which introduced gamers to depth sensing and gesture control in 2010. Microsoft launched a version of Kinect aimed at Windows PCs in 2012, and significantly upgraded its depth-sensing technology in 2013, but Kinect devices are too large to fit inside a laptop or tablet.


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What started as a booth at an anime convention five years ago has blossomed into a bricks and mortar store for sisters Toni and Jo Thomas in downtown Hamilton.
Cosplay-FTW (for the win) has finally opened its doors on King Street East after moving from its small Mountain location.
“Though there was high traffic in terms of cars and vehicles (on the Mountain), there wasn’t too many people walking in from the streets,” explained Toni Thomas. “The store itself was also really small, it was like a closet. Four people would be in there and it would be packed like a tiny elevator. We thought it was about time to expand to a bigger location.”
The store focuses on selling cosplay accessories, which is short for ‘costume play’ where people dress up as their favourite fictional/animated characters, and anime merchandise, including plush toys, pillows and figurines.
The idea of starting their own booth during an anime convention began when the pair started looking for circle lenses, which changes the colours of one’s eyes. It turned out their friends were also looking for Sharingan lenses (eyes from a character from Naruto).
“My mom actually managed to hook us up with a contact in Korea and they pushed us to Geo Contact Lens and we started buying lenses from them,” said Thomas, noting anime characters generally have large, bright or unique eyes, and it was very difficult to find special effects lenses at the time.
“We thought, if we were looking to get these lenses, there were probably a lot more people looking them too, as well as cosplay supplies and other cute Japanese items.”
Cosplay-FTW finally opened its own store on the Mountain three years later after much pushing from customers, which was aided by the large cosplaying community in Hamilton, she added.
“We were kind of pushed into it from our customers; they would ask if we had a location and we initially said no, but then thought, we may as well,” Thomas added. “So we started with the little place on the Mountain and then it grew from there. We built up a clientele – even though there wasn’t a lot of walk-ins, people would outright search for us and come down to visit us.”
When the pair noticed a vacant storefront beside Gameopolis, Hamilton’s newest board game and café, they jumped at the chance to move to a bigger location.
“We thought this would be the perfect location: it’s a bigger place and it’s right by another store that would have a similar target market,” said Thomas. “We thought the stores would complement each other.”
The sisters have already noticed more walk-ins at their downtown location and business has definitely grown since they first started out with simply a table.
In the near future, Thomas hopes they will be able to venture into providing cosplayers with prosthetic ears and fangs.
Cosplay-FTW is looking to set up a booth at Hamilton’s newest convention, the Hammer Town Comic Con to be held in October.
The store will celebrate its grand opening on Aug. 3 and Aug. 4.
Originally posted in Your Hamilton Biz.
This is an awesome Anime Store. You have to check it out and get your Anime fix. Yes, they have a ton of cosplay, and K-Pop stuff…You have got to check it out.


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Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event unwrapped a slew of products in its first keynote of 2021. Apple’s latest event roughly touches each category of the company’s product lineup. To name a few, Apple recently has launched its new iPad Pro, redesigned iMacs, and plenty of company-related products at the event.
1. Apple iPad Pro with M1 Chip
Apple’s new iPad Pro comes with the same Apple-designed M1 chip in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, along with the newly announced iMac. Apple calls this upgraded display the Liquid Retina XDR display. With its 12.9-inch display, 10,000 Mini LEDs provide a more vibrant experience. Each iPad Pro features a new 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with automatic tracking, so you can be tracked during video chats.
Also read: What to expect from Apple’s WWDC21 event
Orders for the tablets will be accepted on April 30th, with an expected delivery date of mid-May. Starting at $799 for the 11-inch model and $1,099.00 for the 12.9-inch model.
2. Redesigned Apple iMac with M1 Chip
Apple has introduced the redesigned iMac, which features Apple’s very own M1 silicon chip after a year of speculation. The redesigned iMac was expected to arrive at last year’s WWDC. The company itself touted its new iMac lineup as “You have never seen a computer like this before.” This is Apple’s first iMac powered by Apple’s in-house designed M1 silicon chip.
The 11.5 mm thinner iMac has a 24-inch and 4.5K Retina display. The new iMac comes in seven vibrant colors, blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange, and purple. iMac with seven-core GPU is starting from $1,299 with some reserved colors and an eight-core GPU priced at $1,499 as well. These iMacs will be available from the second half of May, and orders will be starting from April 30th.
3. Apple AirTag Item Tracker
Finally, Apple unveiled its long-rumored AirTag item trackers, which you can track via the Find My app. Additionally, you can add emoji to your AirTag. These AirTags let you track things and not people (for preserving privacy) at a reasonable cost. They will be available on April 30th for $29 when preorder begins on Friday. For $99. you can also get a four-pack.
4. Apple TV 4K with A12 Bionic Chip
Apple also introduced its new Apple TV 4K, which packs the same A12 Bionic chip used on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. It can now play HDR videos and videos with high frame rates. It will start at $179 for 32GB. Using the same color balance processing that Apple uses for its iPhones and the new Apple TV 4K, which works in sync with your iPhone and Apple TV 4K, each piece of equipment may display the right colors correctly.
A preorder will begin on the 30th of April and will be available within the past two weeks.
Redesigned Apple TV Remote
Apple unveiled the new Apple TV remote, which features a click pad and is made of aluminum. The phone also has a Siri button on the side.
5. iPhone 12 in purple
Apple is releasing a new purple iPhone 12 and 12 mini. It will be available for preorder on Friday, and it launches on April 30th. It has everything that an iPhone has, nothing new.
6. Apple Podcasts
Apple is also redesigning its podcast app. The company revealed that in the coming days, owing to the iOS 14.5, after the subscriptions to its podcast app, the users will be able to enjoy ad-free listening. This update will impart a fresh interface outlook to the app as well. The service will be made available to 170 countries from the next month.
If you want to support your favorite podcasts or just not have to listen to any more ads from companies, you’ll now have the option to subscribe to individual shows. Each one will set its own price and perks.
7. Apple Family Card
CEO Tim Cook also announced Apple Card Family at Tuesday’s Spring Loaded Apple event. The company is giving an update to its family card.
Couples will be able to combine and share credit lines, have equal rights on their accounts, and build credit equally through the new feature, Cook said, adding that the solution helps deliver financial equity.


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Brazil: Rains favour citrus quality, but are not able to reverse all the damages caused by the drought
Orange prices increased in the Brazilian in natura market in the first fortnight of February. According to Cepea collaborators, frequent rains in the citrus belt (São Paulo State) favoured the quality (majorly the size) of oranges, making them suitable for sale in the in natura segment …
Orange prices increased in the Brazilian in natura market in the first fortnight of February. According to Cepea collaborators, frequent rains in the citrus belt (São Paulo State) favoured the quality (majorly the size) of oranges, making them suitable for sale in the in natura segment and allowing farmers to raise asking prices. Besides, rainfall also hampered the harvesting, limiting supply. In that scenario, values remained firm.
Usually, orange availability is not high in February – a month that may even be considered offseason –, however, as the 2021/22 season is late, supply is currently higher. Still, there is not an orange surplus in the domestic market, since processing at industries has been faster than usual this month.
So far, the number of early varieties to be harvested is not high – activities are expected to step up only from March onwards. However, supply may be constrained by the low flower set in the first blooming. Thus, the oranges currently available in the in natura market are mostly late varieties and pear oranges out of the ideal period.
TAHITI LIME – The production of tahiti lime is also being favoured by rains, however, farmers reported difficulties to harvest the fruits, which underpinned prices in the first fortnight of February, although it is currently the peak of harvest for tahiti lime in Brazil.
Despite the recent valuations for oranges and tahiti lime, Cepea collaborators have reported that the current economic scenario in Brazil is still constraining higher price rises. With high unemployment and inflation rates and lower income, the purchase power of many consumers is weak.
ESTIMATES – Although rains have favoured the quality of part of the fruits in orchards, they have not been enough to reverse all the damages caused by the drought to the oranges from the 2021/22 season.
According to data from Fundecitrus released on Feb. 10, the orange output (São Paulo + Triângulo Mineiro) in the 2021/22 season is still estimated at 264.14 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms, the same as that estimated in December, but 10 % below that forecast at the beginning of the season.
According to Somar/Climatempo (weather forecast agency), rainfall in SP between May/21 and Jan/22 was 25 % below the average for the period. In the Triângulo Mineiro, rains were 5 % higher than the average. Thus, orange growth was hampered, and the average fruit weight decreased. However, it is important to consider that the oranges harvested in February and in March 2022 are expected to be slightly larger, since they have been favoured by recent rains.
The volume harvested is still enough to replenish ending stocks at the processing plants in SP. According to CitrusBR, by the end of the 2021/22 season (in June 2022), the volume of Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (Equivalent) stocked is expected to total 170 – 190 thousand tons, lower than the strategic level (250 thousand tons). It is important to consider that new estimates are supposed to be released until the end of February.
In this scenario, the harvest in 2022/23 needs to be large enough to raise stocks at least to the strategic level and thus prevent a world shortage of orange juice. Cepea calculations show that the orange output next season needs to total, at least, 330 million boxes in order to raise juice stocks to 250 thousand tons.
PROGRESS OF THE 2021/22 HARVESTING – According to Fundecitrus’ report, 82 % of the orange orchards had been harvested by mid-January/22, similar to that in the same period last season (81 %).


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|By PR Newswire||
|January 12, 2017 09:03 AM EST|
BEIJING, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 14 startups from Microsoft Accelerator Beijing 8th batch program have presented their innovations during the Demo Day stage. After 4.5 years of deep engagement with the Chinese innovation ecosystem, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has gained strong recognition by empowering Chinese startups to achieve more.
At Chinese National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week last October, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing's booth was the only multinational company's accelerator program among the 4,600 attending incubation and accelerator programs represented and received visits from the Vice-Premier of China. Microsoft Accelerator Beijing also received visit from the Vice-Minister of Science and Technology of China, who once again recognized Microsoft Accelerator Beijing's efforts and achievements.
"The past four and a half years have witnessed the strong growth of Microsoft Accelerator Beijing, as well as the Microsoft Accelerator globally, since its beginning in 2012 in Israel. The goal of the Microsoft Accelerator initiative is to empower entrepreneurs around the world on their journey to build great companies," said Tzahi (Zack) Weisfeld, General Manager, Microsoft Accelerators. "Microsoft Accelerator has rolled out globally to 6 countries with 7 accelerators in operation. A total of 534 startups have passed through and 82% of them have received funding totaling US$2.1 billion, plus 3 IPOs and 38 acquisitions."
"Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has gained strong recognition among the startup and innovation ecosystem in China," said Bin Luo, CEO in Residence, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing. "Now we are not only one of the best accelerators in China but the connecting and sharing platform for startups and the innovation ecosystem in China. We are pushing the boundaries of the traditional accelerator model to include business development and leads generation, marketing and sales support, operations efficiency, and more. By integrating tightly into the business operation of startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing is empowering Chinese entrepreneurs to build great companies."
For the past four and a half years, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has accelerated 140 startups in China with 93% of them successfully raising funding during the enrolled period with total valuation reached of over 40 billion RMB and a growth rate of over 600%. 20% of the alumni have acquired new customers with the support of Microsoft Accelerator Beijing.
During the 5 months of the 8th batch program, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing hosted over 100 events including resource matching with multiple Chinese government organizations and associations, marketing and sales lead generation events targeting large enterprises and corporations, and joint marketing promotions with other accelerators in addition to training, media promotion and alumni events.
Microsoft now can accelerate Chinese startups faster by offering more internal resources.
To speed up the business of the 8th batch of startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has brought in more resources such as those offered by overseas funds including Sequoia, IDG, Fidelity International and Temasek. And for the first time, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing organized business development programs that directly engaged with global 500 companies as well as large enterprises in China, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, IBM, Intel, Foxconn, Accenture, Pactera, China Development Bank, and more.
By building strategic partnerships and flagship customers for startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing enables startups to expand both domestically and globally. And to be better prepared for IPOs, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing also invited KPMG for a special training on auditing for publish listing and full entrepreneurship skills.
With the 8th batch program, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has focused more on cloud computing, big data, IoT, artificial intelligence, VR/AR and information security in the enterprise and business sector. Microsoft Azure has become the world top cloud computing platform for building intelligent, cross-platform apps and services. And graduates from Microsoft Accelerator Beijing have grown into the Microsoft Azure cloud ecosystem as well. Together, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing will be able to empower the Chinese digital economy in the long run.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microsoft-achieves-strong-recognition-in-chinese-startup-and-innovation-ecosystem-300390143.html
SOURCE Microsoft Accelerator Beijing
SYS-CON Events announced today that Grape Up will exhibit at SYS-CON's 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on Oct. 31 – Nov 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Grape Up is a software company specializing in cloud native application development and professional services related to Cloud Foundry PaaS. With five expert teams that operate in various sectors of the market across the U.S. and Europe, Grape Up works with a variety of customers from emergi...
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While some vendors scramble to create and sell you a fancy solution for monitoring your spanking new Amazon Lambdas, hear how you can do it on the cheap using just built-in Java APIs yourself. By exploiting a little-known fact that Lambdas aren’t exactly single threaded, you can effectively identify hot spots in your serverless code. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, David Martin, Principal Product Owner at CA Technologies, will give a live demonstration and code walkthrough, showing how to o...
Apr. 25, 2017 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 253
SYS-CON Events announced today that T-Mobile will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc., is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 67.4 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on ...
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In his keynote at 19th Cloud Expo, Sheng Liang, co-founder and CEO of Rancher Labs, discussed the technological advances and new business opportunities created by the rapid adoption of containers. With the success of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and various open source technologies used to build private clouds, cloud computing has become an essential component of IT strategy. However, users continue to face challenges in implementing clouds, as older technologies evolve and newer ones like Docker c...
Apr. 25, 2017 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,593
Multiple data types are pouring into IoT deployments. Data is coming in small packages as well as enormous files and data streams of many sizes. Widespread use of mobile devices adds to the total. In this power panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, panelists will look at the tools and environments that are being put to use in IoT deployments, as well as the team skills a modern enterprise IT shop needs to keep things running, get a handle on all this data, and deli...
Apr. 25, 2017 03:15 PM EDT Reads: 2,278
SYS-CON Events announced today that Hitachi Data Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi LTD., will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City. Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) will be featuring the Hitachi Content Platform (HCP) portfolio. This is the industry’s only offering that allows organizations to bring together object storage, file sync and share, cloud storage gateways, and sophisticated search an...
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Developers want to create better apps faster. Static clouds are giving way to scalable systems, with dynamic resource allocation and application monitoring. You won't hear that chant from users on any picket line, but helping developers to create better apps faster is the mission of Lee Atchison, principal cloud architect and advocate at New Relic Inc., based in San Francisco. His singular job is to understand and drive the industry in the areas of cloud architecture, microservices, scalability ...
Apr. 25, 2017 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,400
SYS-CON Events announced today that CollabNet, a global leader in enterprise software development, release automation and DevOps solutions, will be a Bronze Sponsor of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, taking place from June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. CollabNet offers a broad range of solutions with the mission of helping modern organizations deliver quality software at speed. The company’s latest innovation, the DevOps Lifecycle Manager (DLM), supports Value S...
Apr. 25, 2017 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 422
With billions of sensors deployed worldwide, the amount of machine-generated data will soon exceed what our networks can handle. But consumers and businesses will expect seamless experiences and real-time responsiveness. What does this mean for IoT devices and the infrastructure that supports them? More of the data will need to be handled at - or closer to - the devices themselves.
Apr. 25, 2017 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 498
Bert Loomis was a visionary. This general session will highlight how Bert Loomis and people like him inspire us to build great things with small inventions. In their general session at 19th Cloud Expo, Harold Hannon, Architect at IBM Bluemix, and Michael O'Neill, Strategic Business Development at Nvidia, discussed the accelerating pace of AI development and how IBM Cloud and NVIDIA are partnering to bring AI capabilities to "every day," on-demand. They also reviewed two "free infrastructure" pr...
Apr. 25, 2017 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,243
Blockchain is a shared, secure record of exchange that establishes trust, accountability and transparency across supply chain networks. Supported by the Linux Foundation's open source, open-standards based Hyperledger Project, Blockchain has the potential to improve regulatory compliance, reduce cost and time for product recall as well as advance trade. Are you curious about Blockchain and how it can provide you with new opportunities for innovation and growth? In her session at 20th Cloud Exp...
Apr. 25, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,760
DevOps is often described as a combination of technology and culture. Without both, DevOps isn't complete. However, applying the culture to outdated technology is a recipe for disaster; as response times grow and connections between teams are delayed by technology, the culture will die. A Nutanix Enterprise Cloud has many benefits that provide the needed base for a true DevOps paradigm.
Apr. 25, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 502
Most technology leaders, contemporary and from the hardware era, are reshaping their businesses to do software in the hope of capturing value in IoT. Although IoT is relatively new in the market, it has already gone through many promotional terms such as IoE, IoX, SDX, Edge/Fog, Mist Compute, etc. Ultimately, irrespective of the name, it is about deriving value from independent software assets participating in an ecosystem as one comprehensive solution.
Apr. 25, 2017 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 307
DevOps is often described as a combination of technology and culture. Without both, DevOps isn't complete. However, applying the culture to outdated technology is a recipe for disaster; as response times grow and connections between teams are delayed by technology, the culture will die. A Nutanix Enterprise Cloud has many benefits that provide the needed base for a true DevOps paradigm. In his Day 3 Keynote at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Brown, a Solutions Marketing Manager at Nutanix, will explore t...
Apr. 25, 2017 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 413
SYS-CON Events announced today that CA Technologies has been named "Platinum Sponsor" of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York, and 21st International Cloud Expo, which will take place in November in Silicon Valley, California.
Apr. 25, 2017 01:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,248


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Laws may be changed to scrap the 10% cap on voting rights in private banks and allow holding companies to own banks. This will help business houses lobbying for a banking licence. The FM also hinted at tabling the Bill to allow 49% FDI in insurance firms, but few think it will happen in a hurry.
High premium, less bonus for policyholders
Premium on life insurance policies will rise. For every Rs 100 premium, there will be a tax of 15 paise. This will mean that policyholders will receive less bonus — the return that policyholders receive. The new rule applies to all endowment policies.
High DDT for money market, debt funds
Money market and debt funds will pay a higher dividend distribution tax (DDT) for investments made by firms. DDT will rise to 30% from 25%, but stay unchanged at 12% for individual investors. Banks will be happy as a higher DDT will place these MF plans on par with fixed deposits.
Easier to meet priority sector targets
Banks will find it easier to meet priority sector targets as home loans up to Rs 25 lakh (as against Rs 20 lakh) will qualify for this. Also, lending to farmers is expected to go up as borrowers with a good repayment record will be charged 3% (as against 2%) lower than the floor rate.
Excise levy on food mixes
An excise levy of 1% will be imposed on items such as coffee and tea pre-mixes, sauces, ketchup, soups and broths, fruit pulp, fruit juice-based drinks, food mixes, ready-to-eat packaged foods and toothpowders. Since the levy is small, it will not trigger price increases.
Hospital, medical bills to rise
Medical bills, including diagnostic tests, will be 5% higher at private hospitals as the government brings these under the service tax net.
Now pay more for air travel
Passengers to pay Rs 50 more on domestic air travel and Rs 250 on foreign travel because of a 2% increase in service tax.
Branded garments to cost more
Branded garments to cost a tenth more as retailers plan to pass on the 10% excise levy on such clothes to consumers.
Food bills, hotel tariffs slither up
Eating out in restaurants serving liquor will become 3% costlier. Staying in hotels with room rents higher than Rs 1,000 will become 5% more expensive.
Excise on sanitary napkins slashed
Excise on sanitary napkins and diapers cut to 1% from 10%. Prices unlikely to come down.
Financial reforms get going
A big push for financial sector reforms, on hold for the last 6 years. Laws to raise overseas investment in insurance to 49% from 26%, hike the share capital of India’s largest life insurer, LIC, from Rs Rs Rs Rs 5 crore to Rs 100 crore are on the anvil. So are two new Bills to create a pension fund regulator and to reform archaic banking laws. Intentions are fine, but will the government have the majority in the Rajya Sabha to push these reforms through?
Divestment to boost revenue
The exchequer will end up with Rs 22,144 crore after selling stakes in PSUs this fiscal. While stake sales in ONGC and SAIL could happen this year, the proceeds from the SAIL sale could go on the government’s books next year. Next year’s target is Rs 40,000 crore, with stakes of several PSUs including PFC on the block. If successful, these sales could help the FM meet his tight deficit targets.
Towards a leaner debt profile
The government seems to be on track in its mission to reduce public debt as a percentage of GDP. It has set next year’s target at 44.2%, much lower that the 52.5% target of the 13th Finance Commission
PCs likely to cost more
The levy of 5% excise duty on microprocessors as well as DVD writers is likely to make PCs costlier. AMD said that instability in policy is not good for the industry. Intel says it’s still reading the fine print, but a marginal price rise may be imminent.
Sops on mobile phone parts to continue
No hike in customs duty of 5% on mobile phone parts, as was widely expected, will give local manufacturers some relief. Full exemption from special additional customs duty on handset components and accessories will help lower costs marginally.
Nokia to increase prices marginally
Phone maker Nokia is expected to pass on the 1% increase in central excise to customers, but other phone makers say it is too small a number and are not expected to do anything. Nokia phones may cost Rs 100-200 more.
Push for rural broadband, but will it work?
Rural broadband has got a big push, but earlier efforts have not clicked. The government planned to set up 2,50,000 citizen service centres in villages to drive e-governance. Many of the one lakh CSCs that were set up have shut down, raising questions about the model.
Cement prices will rise, say dealers
The government has added a fixed excise duty of Rs Rs 160 per tonne on cement and reduced Customs duty on petcoke and gypsum, key inputs for the sector. Cement dealers and stockists say the price of a 50 kg bag is likely to go up by Rs 5 from March 1.
Tax on iron ore exports to improve domestic supplies
Tax on iron ore exports increased to 20% from 15%. This is expected to improve domestic supplies and arrest rising input costs of steelmakers.
Full export duty exemption to iron ore pellets to encourage the value-addition process.
Foreign investors can now invest more
Big boost to infrastructure as more foreign funds allowed to invest in the sector. Allocation raised by nearly a quarter to Rs 2,14,000 crore. Further, government bodies can issue tax-free bonds adding up to Rs 30,000 crore.
No major cut, but some relief
The cut in surcharge on corporate tax for domestic firms will bring down their overall tax rate by 0.77%. Though this is not a major reduction, it is a welcome relief. Also, the minimum alternate tax has been raised marginally to off-set the reduction in surcharge, meant to be a temporary levy. Surcharge will end once the DTC kicks in by April 2012.
Lower tax on foreign dividends
With the aim of providing incentives to domestic firms to repatriate money from their overseas subsidiaries, the Budget has halved the rate of tax on dividends received by a company from its foreign subsidiary to 15%. This will encourage local companies to bring back cash from their overseas arms. Joint ventures, where an Indian company owns less than 50% equity, will not enjoy the concessions.
Transfer pricing norms tweaked
Multinational companies doing business in the country will find it tough to shift hefty profits to off-shore group firms to escape tax. The tax department will now have additional powers to clamp down on MNCs mis-pricing products or services. But disputes could come down once the government fixes a markup or acceptable deviation from the market price.
Tax break for cheaper foreign funds
Debt funds for financing infrastructure will get tax exemptions. The government is betting big on cheaper overseas funds, with FII investment cap in corporate bonds of infrastructure firms raised from $5 billion to $25 billion. NRIs and others investing in infrastructure funds will now enjoy a lower withholding tax of 5%, encouraging them to bring back the money they may be holding on behalf of residents.
Garment industry to take a hit
Branded readymade garments and textile made-ups now face a mandatory central excise rate of 10%. However, manufacturers can avail credit of tax paid on inputs, capital goods and input services. According to the industry the move will lead to increase in prices of branded retail garments and made-ups as there is no scope for a duty credit for the imposed duty.
FMCG, pharma firms to pay more taxes
Companies such as ITC, Hindustan Unilever and pharma companies will face pressure on the bottomlines because of imposition of excise duty. Packaged food to attract a 1% excise duty. Vaccine makers to also face 1% excise duty sans cenvat credit facility. Medicaments, intravenous fluids and surgical gloves manufacturers to face 5% excise duty.
A dampener for hospitality sector
Hotel accommodation above Rs 1,000 per night will now be charged a 5% service tax. Similarly, air-conditioned restaurants serving liquor will be charged 3% service tax as well. And while the brunt of both these tax changes will ultimately fall on the consumer, industry observers say the new rates could well turn away foreign tourists.
Not something the doctor ordered
All private air-conditioned hospitals with more than 25 beds will face 5% tax on their services. This will increase cost of health care in most corporate hospital chains. Health-care providers such as Apollo Hospitals, Fortis Healthcare, Manipal Healthcare, Super Religare Laboratories may have to bear the brunt of service tax or pass it on to consumers. Bottomline of these providers is likely to be impacted.


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Volvo Group, which is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment, industrial engines, and many more, has decided to respond to the increase in demand for electric vehicle batteries by establishing a large-scale battery factory in Sweden.
Over the past years, Volvo group vowed to sell over 500,000 electric vehicles worldwide by 2025 to provide customers with the freedom to move in a personal, sustainable, and safe way. Volvo has emerged as one of the market leaders in manufacturing electric trucks and buses such as VNR Electric, Volvo FL Electric, and many more.
Therefore to meet the increase in demand for electric vehicle batteries, the Volvo group has started the process to establish a large-scale production plant for battery cells in Sweden. The company president and chief executive office, Martin Lundstedt commented on this development saying:
“We aim to lead the transition to a decarbonized transport system and have the long-term ambition to offer our customers solutions that are 100% fossil free. There is a strong demand from our customers today, and by 2030, it is our ambition that at least 35% of the products we sell are electric. This ramp-up will require large volumes of high-performing batteries, produced using fossil-free energy. It is a logical next step for us to include battery production in our future industrial footprint. We aim to do this together with partners and the journey starts now”.
This development will help to solve the shortage expectations that Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares pointed out earlier this year saying ‘ He expects a shortage of EV batteries by 2024-2025, followed by a lack of raw materials for the vehicles that will slow availability and adoption of Electric Vehicles by 2027-2028’(CNBC, 2022).
As the establishment of the production site is yet to be approved by the relevant officials, this announcement of Volvo’s development will have benefits on national as well as international electromobility markets.


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Coca-Cola launches ‘Glaceau smartwater’
Coca-Cola is now selling its ‘Glaceau smartwater’ in Australia.
Already available in the UK and the US, Glaceau Smartwater is described as a “vapour distilled mineralised water”. It includes added calcium, magnesium and potassium minerals.
The water will be targeted at 18 – 34 year olds and it is positioned between ‘everyday’ bottled waters and ‘ultra-premium’ bottled waters.
Gloria Young, Brand Manager for Glaceau smartwater said the products success overseas promoted its introduction into the Australian market.
“It is designed to appeal to on-the-go, style-conscious consumers who are looking for something a little extra from their water and the vapour distillation process is a big point of difference for us,” said Young.
“We have an opportunity to make a big impact in the category with this premium yet functional offering and we are confident Australian consumers will respond positively to the sleek design and crisp taste of Glaceau smartwater, sustaining the brand’s international popularity,” she said.
The water enters Australia after Coca-Cola South Pacific launched Powerade and Pump branded ‘water enhancers’ into local stores in late December 2015.
Glaceau smartwater will be available in 12x700ml sports cap lid packs from a variety of retail stores including supermarkets and convenience stores.
Café owners and chefs will be saying Bon Appétit to customers with the revolutionary cooked and snap...
Dilmah is now selling a premium Ceylon Green Tea range in Australian supermarkets.
The 109-year-old Australian pie brand Herbert Adams has officially turned tradition on its head with...
Australian food producer SPC has received top recognition in the food category at the 2018 WorldStar...
Grill’d Burgers has partnered with award-winning chef, Darren Robertson, to create a new burger.
Impressed Juices is expanding its product range to include new flavours and larger product sizes.
The Byron Bay Cookie Company is using the Rosella flower to create a unique flavour offering for its...
KFC has a new Colonel Sanders with a famous sit-com actor playing the role for the fried chicken cha...


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Beijinger Sun Hao has owned his plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for three years. (Photo: CGTN/Sun Hao)
The future of driving, it seems, is electric.
Volvo has announced plans to make all its cars partially or fully battery-powered from 2019, while sales of petrol and diesel cars will be banned in Britain and France from 2040.
In China, the world's largest auto market, 507,000 all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) were sold in 2015, a 53 percent increase on 2015.
But while the environmental and money-saving benefits of driving electric cars have been well publicized, the issues with these vehicles are equally high-profile.
The biggest concern for drivers is how far they will be able to travel between charges – and the availability of charging stations.
Following closely behind in the traffic jam of worries about electric cars is their cost compared to regular vehicles. Most models are currently more expensive than their fuel-guzzling equivalents.
Authorities from China to Norway are racing to build enough charging stations to guarantee power and calm what has been dubbed "range anxiety".
Meanwhile, governments are offering subsidies and other perks to encourage people to choose more expensive, greener cars.
In these early days of the electric car revolution, the people already driving them have valuable insights into their pluses and minuses, and their chances of overtaking cars with internal combustion engines in motorists' hearts.
So what do Chinese electric car drivers have to say about their experiences?
"Electricity-driven engines produce so much less noise and vibration. I could never go back to combustion engines," said Sun Hao, a 44-year-old father and businessman in Beijing. He bought his first PHEV from Chinese carmaker BYD three years ago.
Unlike all-electric vehicles such as those made by Tesla, Sun's PHEV has a standard engine which he can switch to in case of low battery.
"A Tesla may be good in the city, but people start to worry about the battery once they go out of town because there are no charging stations on the expressway. It's like an adult toy for rich guys. A middle-class working family needs more stability," he believes.
Difficulties with charging even in the city help convince Sun that PHEVs are currently the only practical choice.
He explained that electric car producers provide a charging pole and the state grid will install it for free, but most Beijing residents don't have a fixed parking place at home.
Sun has to stretch a 25-meter cable out of the window of his apartment to charge his car. Parking spots are so hard to find in Chinese cities that drivers are usually forced to leave their cars by the roadside. That's no good for charging.
Consumer review website Smzdm.com is full of charging horror stories.
"Many parking lots in Shanghai are lax with management. Non-electric cars are allowed to occupy the parking places reserved for electric cars. It's a huge waste of resources. What's more, as the charging stations are placed inside parking lots, you face parking fees in addition to electricity fees," complained a reviewer with the screen name "Xiaoxiaozhi".
Nevertheless, the government's preferential treatment for electric car drivers makes these vehicles attractive to many.
According to "Sohoha" on Smzdm.com, government subsidies shaved 83,250 yuan (12,491 US dollars) off the 209,800-yuan price of the newest BYD model in 2014.
And they offer a good way around the bureaucratic hurdles to driving in China. The lottery system big Chinese cities use to dole out license plates keeps many would-be motorists off the roads. Electric cars are exempt from this system.
Nissan Leaf owner "Linshiguashi" said, "It's hopeless to try your luck with the Beijing plate lottery. I tried for four years before I lost patience and turned to a new energy car."
And the benefits don't stop once you have your car and are cleared to drive.
"Linshiguashi" marveled that electric cars can be driven seven days a week in Beijing, where other cars are barred from the roads on alternate days, according to their plate number.
"However, the policy is under savage attack from non-electric car owners. I predict this perk may be revoked soon," warned "Linshiguashi".
This is a perfect example of how, in China at least, there are many questions for governments and carmakers to answer before we can all be expected to go electric.


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Kenny Flowers reflects the festive nature of golf and offers matching golf shirts for men and women in unique prints. | Photos courtesy of Kenny Flowers
Golf clothing gets an upgrade. After years of standard polos and skirts, Kenny flowers, Calliope Golf and Renwick contribute to redesigning golf clothing with stylish, sporty and comfortable collections.
With the COVID-19 pandemic ending almost everything in 2020, golf was one of the few sports that could still be played safely. This realization led to an influx of new players and breathed new life into golf apparel.
Kenny Flowers – an upscale tropical clothing and lifestyle brand that brings a fresh twist to Hawaiian shirts, resort looks and swimwear for men and women – recently launched a trendy collection for men and women on the golf course.
“Golf started as a major socially distant activity in 2020 and I realized that Kenny Flowers could fill a void in the golf apparel industry by launching the first line of high quality matching golf shirts for men and women,” said Kenny Haisfield, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Kenny Flowers. “As a brand known for unique prints that make a statement – and that embodies the holiday feeling – we wanted to give our customers the opportunity to feel fresh on the fairway as well.”
The new line from Kenny Flowers includes stylish patterns, unique prints and colorful options. The Twilight Special is black with white palm trees, The Birdies of Paradise with colorful parrots and The Leopards of Leisure with fresh coconuts. The golf apparel line is currently available online for $ 88 per polo.
The shirts also have the very first integrated tea holder, environmentally friendly recycled fabric, coconut buttons, UPF 40+ as well as odor-inhibiting, moisture-wicking, quick-drying, antimicrobial and wrinkle-free properties.
“When shopping for golf shirts, it’s important to have versatility for any golf course or weather,” said Haisfield. “KF polos have a fun, upscale feel with athletic stretch so that you always stay at the top of your game. They are also made from sustainable materials and are as stylish as anything on the market.
Calliope Golf is designed for the modern golfer, offering upgrades to traditional pieces with stylish details as well as updated colors and patterns. | Photos courtesy Calliope Golf of Rachel French Photography
Calliope Golf, a Spokane, Washington fashion brand dedicated to the modern golfer, brings golf apparel to the fore with details like edgy leather, sporty-chic vibes and pretty pink patterns. To put it simply, Calliope Golf, like Kenny Flowers, mixes function with fashion.
“The change was relatively constant in the run-up to the pandemic, but I think we’ll see more newcomers to the golf apparel space after the pandemic as the sport continues to develop and grow,” said Calliope Golf CEO Cassy Isaaks. “More and more companies are recognizing the need to make golf clothing for women trendier and more fashionable. I think we’ll see a lot of really great trends in women’s golf fashion over the next few years. “
With a new target group of golfers, the result is clothing with newer cuts and fits as well as more technical fabrics with dynamic stretch and UV protection. Isaacs said women on the course want to be best dressed and want anything that is not out of date.
“Women are tired of wearing the same golf polos and horrific patterns that have stayed in women’s golf for years,” said Isaacs. “They want new, trendier designs and better fits. We want to look good on the golf course, just as we want to look good on a date. “
Calliope Golf offers belt bags, slim skirts in five different styles and medallions for a ball marker. The pieces cost $ 32 to $ 72.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to create products that are both stylish and functional,” said Isaacs. “We take a golf-leisure approach and try our best to develop products that women can wear or use both on and off the golf course – skirts and skorts with functional pockets, classic and urban polos that fit and flatter , and unique accessories such as magnetic locket bracelets and golf-specific belt pouches that contain all the essentials for women. “
Renwick, a Bedford, NY, golf apparel brand founded by sister entrepreneur duo Sarah and Pippa Renwick, was inspired by their mother and father’s 1970s collar golf polos, with the brand offering upscale classics for on and off the course. The collection ranges from sleeveless T-shirts to shirts and dresses with collars and is made from 100 percent Peruvian cotton.
The Renwick brand was started by sisters Sarah and Pippa Renwick, who took inspiration from their parents’ collared golf polo shirts from the 1970s. | Photos by Sarah and Pippa Renwick
“Starting a brand like Renwick has long been a dream of ours as the niche affects not only us, but also our mother and other friends and family,” said the Renwick sisters. “We are happy that the sport is making a comeback and that so many more women are playing. Renwick is for women, by women, and we want our collection to focus on and that’s what women actually need and want in their golf and sportswear. “
The brand’s short-sleeved polo in eight color variants was only recently launched, but has already become a hit. The casual fit, the three-button placket, the breast pocket, the cap sleeves and the shirt hem complement each other perfectly for an on-fleek look.
“We started a mission about four months ago to offer women a new range of golf apparel to wear on and off the course,” said the sisters. “The [Short Sleeve Polo] offers a sense of timelessness and sense to women who lead the lifestyle they travel in and goes well with anything. “
The pandemic was also an opportunity for designers and brands to step back and create new styles and colors to make their products stand out. The new demand has led to more sales and growth.
“Many courses have had a record number of rounds and a record number of first-time golfers, especially women,” said Isaacs. “This has been a huge boost for the sport and is likely to help keep the game growing for years to come. The hope is that the women who tried it during the pandemic will continue to be part of the game and make it grow over the years.


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The Kimberley Farmers’ Market starts up for the season next week, with the first market of the year on Thursday, June 20, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Howard Street.
As always, the markets will feature food from local farmers and food producers, crafts from local artisans, live music and food all summer long. The markets run from Thursday, June 20, 2019 to September 19, 2019.
Market Manager Alannah Leach says there are 14 new vendors this year with a range of items they are bringing to the market from fruits and vegetables, printed photography, frozen whole chickens, cheesecakes, air plants, pizza, jewelry, up cycled planters, home-made natural feminine pads and more.
“We have up to 45 vendors per week ranging from farm fresh eggs, berries, jams, pies, fresh bread, herbs, vegetables, fruit jewelry, photography and more,” she said. “This year there are 14 new vendors over the weeks so far, but I’m still receiving applications almost daily.”
Leach, who is new to the position in Kimberley, has a wide range of experience to bring to the table after working as an employee and vendor in other Farmers’ Markets.
“I’m looking forward to meeting all of the vendors and community members this market season as well as the unique goat walking tradition at the first market,” Leach said. “My favourite thing about Farmers’ Markets are the incredible produce, unique gift ideas and delicious food. It’s such a treat to have a variety of high quality items readily available every week.”
Wildsight and the Kimberley Farmers’ Market are also committed to reducing waste at the market, says Leach.
“Our vendors have altered their packaging to be backyard compostable [along with] reusable jars, paper straws, and encouraging visitors to bring their own cups and bags. Volunteers will also be on site to help visitors with recycling options and rinsing,” she explained.
Brooke Leyenhorst, who works for Wildsight as a summer student, is in charge of the Waste Wise station at the markets. She says she hopes the markets can make as little waste as possible with a few subtle changes.
“After seeking advice from Around the Mountain Fesitval, as their 2018 fesitval was nearly waste free, I knew it was possible. Last year I started a small station with a separate bin for each compost, recycling and garbage,” she explained. “This year I am planning on adding a washing station where all recyclables will be washed and dried on site – making it easier to deal with them at the end of the market.
“Volunteers will help to run this rinsing station throughout the season and educate the public on recycling options. All compost collected from the market will be taken to the Kimberley Community Garden on Rotary Drive and added to the compost bins there, while recyclables will be added to the yellow bins.”
“Overall we are very excited for the sixth annual Kimberley Farmers’ Market downtown on Howard Street!” said Leach.


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With more luxury hotels and resorts opening and planned for Greece to capitalize on record runs of tourism seasons, the Four Seasons will debut in Greece with its Astir Palace at the tip of the Vouliagmeni promontory, replacing the famous Asteras Vouliagmeni complex, which had been the country’s best known upscale accommodation.
The Four Seasons pumped 650-million euros ($730.05 million) in restoring the palace and announced it on the company’s site. Astir Palace CEO Stelios Koutsivitis told the business newspaper Naftemporiki it was the biggest tourism investment in Greece so far.
Multinational hotel brands increased their presence in Greece's hospitality sector in 2018 by 15 percent in room capacity, it was reported by Horwath HTL, which included the Greek hotel sector and most other European countries.
What’s also drawing them is the lack of rooms for the wealthy and super-wealthy, with only 1.7 percent of hotel units in the country operated by a major brand, Horwath Country Director for Greece Xenophontas Petropoulos earlier told the paper.
The report emphasized that 150 luxury hotels opened their doors in Greece last year, with the number of five-star hotels reaching 550and another; 1,581 four-star hotels, making up 21.6 percent of total hotel capacity, showing people are willing to pay big-time.
Earlier, the Israel-based Fattal Hotel company, known for its Leonardo brand name, reportedly secured the long-term lease of the one-time Esperia Palace property in central Athens, with the contract worth 1.15 million euros ($1.29 million) annually.
The property, where the Esperia operated for decades before closing in 2010, at the start of what would become a nine-year-long economic and austerity crisis , is owned by Greece's biggest pension and healthcare fund, EFKA.
A Lebanese group, Hasbek Hotel Establishment, as well as the owners of the Bazaar supermarket group, the Veroukas family, in cooperation with French chain Accor, were the other bidders in an international tender for the long-term lease of the property.
Fattal is the biggest hotel group in Israel, with 39 units and 16,700 rooms, with a presence in popular tourist sites in the country. It runs another 150 hotels in Europe under its Leonardo brand, the paper said.
The property in Athens lies across from the old Parliament building, within walking distance of Syntagma square.
The crisis hasn’t affected tourism, the country’s biggest revenue producer, with 71 hotels and 6,438 rooms added during the crisis, offsetting the closing of scores of others that went under, unable to draw customers.
There are now some 9,800 hotels in Greece, of all types and categories, but most in the 3-star sector and under. From 2012-2017, some 498 hotels opened in Greece, with 17,153 rooms added while 427 closed, losing 11,715 rooms.
Most of the new units are larger and more luxurious than the ones that closed. Every new hotel, on average, features 34.4 rooms, while 27.4 rooms was the average for the hotels that closed, the paper earlier reported.
The room average for an operating hotel in Greece is now 42 rooms, while one in two of the hotels that opened between 2012 and 2017 is billed as a five-star unit. One out of every two of the hotels that closed during the same period was in the one-or-two-star range.
In November, 2018, the world’s biggest tourism company, TUI group announced expansion of its international chain with the addition of 15 new units in the Mediterranean in 2019, including four in Greece, on the islands of Santorini, Zakynthos, and two on Crete.


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Nokia raises outlook on strong Q2
July 29, 2021
Nokia has reported a strong Q2 operating profit and raised its full-year outlook thanks to a turnaround of its business. The Finnish company’s April-June comparable operating profit rose to €682 million from €423 million a year earlier.
Nokia says it now expects full-year net sales of €21.7 billion to €22.7 billion, up from its prior estimate of €20.6 billion to €21.8 billion, with an operating profit margin of 10-12 per cent instead of the 7 per cent to 10 per cent expected previously.
Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia, commented: “I am delighted that our strong start to 2021 continued in the second quarter. Our constant currency sales growth of 9 per cent, combined with good cost control, enabled us to deliver a comparable operating margin of 12.8 per cent. Even excluding a one-time software deal in Mobile Networks, we saw good underlying progress in operating margin. We are already seeing the benefits of our new operating model which helped us to deliver such a strong financial performance.
The highlight of the second quarter was the Mobile Networks launch of our new AirScale baseband and radio products with up to 75 per cent better power efficiency helping to reduce our environmental footprint and the lightest 32TRX massive MIMO active antenna in the market. In Network Infrastructure we sustained double-digit growth and have a series of product launches ahead in the second half to further strengthen our differentiation. Cloud and Network Services is making good progress on its portfolio rebalancing and Nokia Technologies continues to scale with two licensing agreements with automotive manufacturers including Daimler.
Considering our robust start to 2021, we are revising upwards our full year Outlook. We now expect a comparable operating margin between 10-12 per cent for full year 2021, compared to our previous range of 7-10 per cent. We have executed faster than planned on our strategy in the first half which provides us with a good foundation for the full year. We still however expect to face the earlier communicated headwinds in the second half, particularly with market share loss and price erosion in North America. Therefore, we still expect our typical quarterly earnings seasonality to be less pronounced in 2021. In addition, we continue to accelerate R&D investments and monitor risks around component availability, considering the strong demand for our products. Overall, I am very happy with the progress made in the first half. I want to thank our entire team for their hard work and commitment.”


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This Week’s Top 5
Loads of D#cks
Search Results for:
The NEW 2013 much anticipated Landyachtz lineup is officially available for purchase. Check them all out!
Landyachtz 2013 Lineup officially Launched
Everyday until Launch day Landyachtz is giving you te chance to win one of their feature deck + a Dinghy. Today we take a look at the Battle Axe 40
Preview of the Landyachtz 2013 Battle Axe 40
Being released next friday along with the rest of the 2013 Landyachtz lineup is the new Drop Speed. New changes include sublimated fiberglass graphic and a shorter wheelbase
Preview of the Landyachtz 2013 Drop Speed
Our friends at SkateThe604 just send us a link to photos and review of the soon to be released 2013 WolfShark. Have a look . (more Landy decks at ISPO)
Landyachtz 2013 Wolfshark Preview/Review | SkateThe604
More sneak peek videos of what landyachz will be launching this March. New this year will be the Top Speed and the Rotor.
Video: Landyachtz 2013 Top Speed, Rotor, Switchblade, Wolfshark and Peacemaker
Australia: In April of this year we loaded up our boards, and wheels and headed across the Pacific to go visit the palm trees and pits of Australia.
Landyachtz Australia 2013 – Palm Trees & Pits Tour
Submitted by: Landyachtz
Summerland, BC: Giant’s Head is quickly becoming ‘the event’ to be at with the stoke and the banks/ramps getting bigger every year. Check out Landy’s awesome edit.
Landyachtz recap their Giants Head Freeride 2013
Vancouver, BC: Khatsahlano! Music + Art Festival gave Landyachtz an awesome opportunity to showcase the sport to the crowd not familiar to it.
Khatsalano Jam 2013 | Landyachtz
Today Landyachtz released a redesigned Tomahawk with beefier kicktails for a street-inspired pop. Check out the specs via LoadOfD#cks and if you haven’t yet take a look at Skatethe604’s review.
The NEW 2013 Landyachtz Tomahawk now available Worldwide
SkateThe604’s Thuan Dinh and Lisa Li give you their review of the soon to be released 2013 Landyachtz Tomahawk.
“Redesigned” 2013-5 Landyachtz Tomahawk Review | SkateThe604
Submitted by: SkateThe604
Let Wolfgang Coleman give you the low down on his new and improved jammed pack with features Wolfshark 2013. Impressive mullet
The 2013 Wolfshark | Landyachtz
The Dinghy is back for 2013 with some heavy updates to make it one of the best all-around ripper out there.
The NEW 2013 Dinghy in 6 flavors | Landyachtz Longboards
Submitted by: Landyachtz
Let Travis Craig give you a rundown of the 2013 Drop Speed. This deck has been in production for a while and, for its seventh year in the lineup, has gone through some big changes.
The 2013 Drop Speed | Landyachtz
Let Justen Ortiz tell you more about the brand new Landyachtz Top Speedwhich features a complex 3D molded maple core, sandwiched between fiberglass and composite plies.
The Brand new 2013 Top Speed | Landyachtz
The Peacemaker is back this year with a smaller little brother. And of course you can win yourself one thanks to the kind people of Landyachtz
Preview of the 2013 Landyachtz Peacemaker
Landyachtz 2013 Line up is launching March 22nd. To celebrate they are giving away a complete longboard and a dinghy a day for the next 7 days
Celebrate the 2013 Landyachtz line up launch by winning decks everyday
SkateThe604’s Tuan Dinh gives you his full review of the soon to be released 2013 Landyachtz Topspeed.
Review of the New 2013 Landyachtz Topspeed by Tuan Dinh | SkateThe604
Check out SkateThe604‘s orange kitchen wall and floral duvet cover. But more importantly find out more about the new for 2013 Landyachtz Topspeed with acute wheel wells/flairs.
2013 Landyachtz Topspeed | SkateThe604
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico: Eddie goes down the cheesiest run with the new wolfshark 2013, here is a quickclip of his first time on the board.
Edward Aviña On Landyachtz Wolfshark 2013
Submitted by: El Muchacho
SkateThe604 with a look at the what is supposed to be the 2013 Landyachtz Dinghy. New board, new design new wheels, new Polar Bear trucks and… Foam grip tape.
2013 Landyachtz Dinghy now with foam Grip Tape | SkateThe604
The new Landyachtz Peacemaker is coming in a smaller version for 2013
Landyachtz Peacemaker 2013 – Dropping Late February early March
Well if we are to believe facebook and Riley Harris‘ upload, this is a sneak peek at the 2013 Wolfshark. Seems at this point ot be a graphic update and maybe some extra wheel base combinations.
Landyachtz Wolfshark 2013 spotted
Skate X Shoot
Weekly Top 5
© 2012 longboardism


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WAUNAKEE, Wis. — Hellenbrand Inc. has announced the hiring of Andrea Hellenbrand as regional sales manager for the Southeast U.S. and Gerald Logan as regional sales manager for the Midwest, according to a press release.
Hellenbrand comes to the company after seven years with a multinational corporation, and grew up in the family water treatment business started by her grandparents Jim and Flo Hellenbrand, the release reported.
“We are very pleased to add Andrea to our sales team. She has an impressive background in business development and emerging markets and will undoubtedly lead our growth in the region,” said Pat Ford, national sales manager/partner.
Logan comes to Hellenbrand with two years of account management experience in the water treatment industry, noted the release.
“Gerald possesses a strong desire to continue to expand his technical knowledge regarding residential and commercial applications along with system designs. This will add tremendous value to Hellenbrand’s already strong presence in the Midwest market,” said Ford.
Visit www.hellenbrand.com for more information.


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When you're feeling blue, do you have an urge for a bite of chocolate? Well, you're certainly not alone.
New research, published this week, reveals that people suffering from depressive symptoms tend to eat more chocolate than those in a happier frame of mind.
"Our study confirms long-held suspicions that eating chocolate is something that people do when they are feeling down," said the paper's co-author, Beatrice Golomb of the University of California, San Diego's school of medicine.
The study participants - a total of 931 men and women - were asked how frequently they ate chocolate. The mood of each participant was assessed using a standardized psychological questionnaire. (People taking anti-depressant drugs were excluded from the study.)
Those who showed signs of moderate depression consumed an average of 8.4 servings of chocolate a month, compared with 5.4 servings for individuals relatively free of depressive symptoms, according to the findings published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
And those who appeared to be the grips a major depression gobbled down the most chocolate - 11.8 serving a month. (One serving equalled a small chocolate bar.)
The researchers looked at other dietary patterns, including the consumption of fats, carbohydrates and total calories. Only chocolate seemed to be clearly linked to depressive episodes.
However, the study was not designed to tease out the specific psychological effects of chocolate - if any. "We can't make any inferences about whether chocolate helps or hurts depression," Dr. Golomb said in an interview. "All we can say is that, over all, people who have more depressive symptoms eat more chocolate."
Even so, that didn't stop the researchers from speculating. In their paper, they suggest several different explanations. For instance, chocolate may be a mild mood booster - so depressed people are naturally drawn to it. Or consuming chocolate may somehow contribute to the mood disorder. One shortcoming of the study is that participants were not asked what type of chocolate they ate. Chocolate ingredients can vary greatly.
It's also possible that chocolate may act like a double-edged sword - similar to alcohol - "in which there is a short-term benefit and a long-term adverse effect," Dr. Golomb said. So it may provide depressed individuals with a fleeting lift and then drop them like a rock. Maybe thinking about the effect of the extra calories on the waistline is enough to put some people into a deeper funk.