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Celebrities, fashion designers and even people in your neighbourhood take on the codes of cultures – but how does one objectively define the boundary between cultural appreciation and appropriation when the answer is so grey and big names in the industry are dismissing it?
The very concept of creativity is to be inspired, to sample, and then to refine into something new. Artists from all walks of life start their humble beginnings by using pre-existing objects and nothings around them to be inspired, and with fashion designers, there’s absolutely no doubt that one must be inspired by everything and nothing to come up with a collection of eye-catching clothes. Culture is one of the many inspirations that designers come too when they need new ideas, and of course it can be done well but the industry itself is known for being conversational and outrageous. So the fact that fashion has blurred the boundaries of cultural appreciation and appropriation is no newsflash.
The industry is well known for its elitist and exploitative nature, from workers to the individuals outside of the industry who feel that their heritage and culture have been used for capitalism in an inappropriate manner. From magazine editorials to runways to even phrases of an ‘African-inspired collection’, many are slamming several designers, and the industry itself for being uneducated and too narrow-minded about the complications of appropriation.
Valentino is one of the many names in the industry who have received backlash for their appropriation of their African-inspired collection from their Spring/Summer 2016 collection. The clothing, which may or may not have been inspired, respectively of course, by the traditional African dress, was not so much the issue – rather it was the use of the cornrow braids styled into the hair of models who – wait for it, were predominantly white. Not one model of colour on the runway. To add fuel to the fire, Valentino continued to anger online social media by putting forth a campaign for that very collection that again, using white models, had them in cornrows, posing in Africa surrounded by local villagers. There was debate that the campaign itself surpassed appropriation into clear racism of white superiority.
Other designers like London-based KTZ, have also been blasted with backlash for using sacred symbolism from Inuit culture in their Winter/Fall 2015 collection, where a number of garments had patterns based on the traditional designs without consent. Salome Awa, a Nunavut native, had gone ahead with a complaint letter addressing the issue of appropriation to the brand and after apologising, the collection was pulled off retailers.
Some names in the industry have argued that fashion is about bringing individuals together with a sense of style, and that by “mixing” together cultures with traditional attire, hairstyles, music and even mannerism, that the industry and society will become better adjusted to cultural diversity. After all, the industry with its mass diversity from insiders to consumers outside (with Asia leading the way for consumerism in the luxury area), isn’t it best as for a melting pot of cultures?
The damage of cultural appropriation is rather hard to comprehend when one doesn’t have an understanding of white supremacy. Historical black hairstyles (cornrows, twists, locs) have always, and admittedly still are stigmatised and deemed unprofessional by many businesses with many individuals losing jobs because of their hair. It becomes an eye-twitching moment to then see a white celebrity figure (See: Lena Dunham) wearing cornrows, suddenly turn the once-dismissed hairstyle into a trend that pulls away at centuries of black history. There’s more to it too – from bindis to henna to even the native headdress piece, all of which hold significant value to their respective cultures, it becomes unsettling and even upsetting to see white supremacy at it’s worst to adopt parts of oppressed and minority cultures while actual individuals of said cultures are being demonised.
The issue of cultural appropriation will never come to a conclusion because it’s an issue that will always have answers floating in the grey zone. Perhaps the best way to see it is that cultural appreciation comes down to the simple recognition of and respect for culture that inspires said acts of the arts. At the end of the day, it comes down to one’s social privilege to prioritise the respect of a culture. Cultural appreciation is more than just a fashion accessory for a music festival, and it definitely brings more to light in the industry motto of “expressing yourself through clothes.”


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Netscape Heats Up Browser War
Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, September 10, 1997
Netscape Communications isn't about to raise the white flag in its "browser war" with Microsoft.
The Mountain View company said it is stepping up sales to corporate America and expects to get commitments from 500 more companies to use its software this year. Netscape said each company will represent 500 or more users, although it declined to provide revenue projections for the sales.
Netscape currently has deals with 200 organizations whose employees use its software to e-mail each other, share documents and organize schedules. Yesterday's announcement was made by Chief Executive Jim Barksdale at a two- day corporate strategy briefing in Mountain View for analysts and the press.
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The company said it intends to use its "Netscape Everywhere" marketing campaign to defend its 70-percent share of the corporate market. Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft has gained market share in the past two years with its own Internet software, and plans to increase the pressure at the end of this month with the release of its latest Web browser.
The goal of Netscape's campaign: To push distribution of Navigator copies worldwide from 65 million today to 100 million by the end of the year. Netscape has also taken positive steps beyond its Navigator browser, analysts said. The company announced a partnership with Silicon Graphics to develop a speedy Web server for Internet service providers and large entertainment and media companies that run Web sites.

domain: news


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On the market for an iPhone? Here's a breakdown of all the currently shipping iPhones from Apple.
'Mighty Mouse' Trademark Awarded to Peripherals Manufacturer Man & Machine
Man & Machine has offered several generations of its Mighty Mouse product, claiming a priority date in its trademark application of March 16th, 2004 as the company's first use of the term in commerce. Apple introduced its original Mighty Mouse in August 2005.
The company has a press release for the trademark decision; clearly, they are jazzed about the win.
And they should be. Though they never mention Apple by name, they do say that "Others have used the name Mighty Mouse for their computer mice and have sought registration of that trademark, but now the United States government has spoken."


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President Biden says he wants to “revitalize” IRS enforcement to target wealthy Americans who “aggressively plan to avoid the tax laws.” No doubt tax avoiders exist. But a lot less money is likely to be found under the sofa cushions than Mr. Biden and progressives think.
The White House is hoping to use this sleight-of-math to help finance its $2 trillion cradle-to-grave entitlement plan. It projects that giving the IRS an extra $80 billion to hunt down tax dodgers will generate $700 billion in revenue over 10 years, citing a National Bureau of Economic Research study that estimates the top 1% of earners fail to pay $175 billion a year in tax they owe.
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VISHAL MEGA MART
Why click and mortar must happily coexist
The jury is still out about super apps working in India the way they have in China and southeast Asia. But many (Reliance, Paytm, PhonePe) are still at it, although, so far, specialised platforms have worked better than oneapp-fits-all.
Why this smallcap IT stock rallied 40% rise in 6 sessions!
The smallcap IT player has attracted highlights lately after the company bagged to orders recently, aggregating to Rs 16.62 crore from multiple clients.
Bumper Nykaa listing sees biggest payday for TPG, eclipses PE firm’s Silicon Valley bets Uber, AirBnB
Starting 2019, TPG Growth has made a cumulative investment of Rs 191 crore in Nykaa at an entry price of Rs 118/share, as part of the beauty e-tailer’s Series E round of capital raise. Upon listing, Nykaa or FSN Ecommerce Ltd shares opened at Rs 2,001 apiece and closed the day at Rs 2,206/share, with a market capitalization of Rs 1.04 lakh crore.
Purplle valuation jumps 4x in Kedaara-led funding round
The Mumbai-based company's valuation has jumped more than four-fold to $630 million following the new round, cofounder and CEO Manish Taneja said.
Partners Group buys broadband service provider ACT for Rs6750 cr
True North's investment arm Argan will exit its entire shareholding in ACT, while TA will partially divest its shareholding. Both funds together held about 95% stake in ACT. Post transaction, Partners will hold 75% stake, TA will hold about 20% and the rest of the stake will be held by the management, said people aware of the development.
India-focussed Kedaara set to close $1 billion fundLikely to be first domestic PE firm to manage a $1 billion fund; announcement soon
Swiss PE firm Partners Group in fray to acquire ACT BroadbandTrue North and TA Associates, which own 95% of ACT Broadband (ACT Fibernet), are eyeing $1.4-1.6 billion valuation for the company against their investment of $500 million in 2015.
Digital learning, upskilling to ready supply chain workforce at Flipkart for upcoming festive seasonThe lockdown meant businesses and employees had to embrace several changes. For Flipkart, customer centricity has always been at the core and this meant prioritising delivery of essentials.
Flipkart preparing to start hyperlocal delivery services: SourcesThe service will be available via the Flipkart app, and initially, deliveries will be done from local warehouses and select shops.
Lockdown, Day 56: 100 to 1 lakh in 64 daysIn some good news, a vaccine test in the US has everyone excited, after Moderna's experimental vaccine produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers.
Flipkart partners Vishal Mega Mart for home delivery of essentialsIn wake of the nationwide lockdown (that started on March 25), many people have turned to e-commerce platforms to place orders for essential goods, including food and grocery, to stay away from crowds and to practice social distancing.
Swiggy expands essential services to over 125 citiesSwiggy, which has partnered with supermarket chains, local retailers and drug maker Cipla, said it would deliver essentials from neighbourhood stores and distribution centres of large brands.
Meesho, Shopclues, NoBroker, others enter online grocery space for survivalThe foray into grocery and delivery of essentials have also been pushed by local governments and allows these businesses to get curfew passes to stay operational during the lockdown period.
Kedaara eyes Lenskart stake at $1b valuationPremjiInvest, Chiratae Ventures among those looking to partially sell their holdings.
Perpule raises $4.7 million from Prime Venture, Kalaari, Venture HighwayPerpule, which offers consumers with a self checkout option at retail outlets, intends to use the funds for expansion into more outlets across 10 cities in the next year.
TPG Growth names Shailesh Rao as its new head for India and SE AsiaPrior to that Rao, a University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School and Kellogg School of Management alum, spent seven years with Google, where he led YouTube in Asia.
PEs, VCs pump in $3.2 billion investments in May: ReportThe the PE/VC investments crossed USD 3 billion in May for the second time this year, EY said.
Kedaara, Partners confirm deal to buy Vishal Mega Mart from TPG, ShriramKedaara and Partners have agreed to buy Vishal Mega Mart (VMM) for about Rs 5,000-5,500 crore.
Private equities to buy Vishal Mega Mart for Rs 5,000 croreA definitive agreement was signed on Saturday and an official announcement is due as early as Tuesday, these people told ET.
Kedaara-Partners may cart away Vishal Mart in Rs 5,300-crore dealSwiss PE investor Partners Group is one of the largest backers of privately held companies worldwide with over $74 billion in assets under management.
Kedaara-Partners, Carlyle in fray to put Vishal Mega Mart in cartVishal Mega Mart is “positioned uniquely in the retail segment driven by its favourable product mix and target segment,” according to a Crisil report on the company.
7 years on, TPG plans to sell Vishal Mega MartTPG owns the wholesale unit of Vishal Mega Mart, while the front-end stores are run by the Chennai-based Shriram Group.
Visa issues more than a million contactless cardsVisa has issued over one million Visa payWave contactless cards issued in the market and acceptance at more than 1,00,000 merchant locations across the country, said Visa in a statement to the media.
UP Food safety officials raid Vishal Mega Mart, seize productsDuring the inspection, the team found that 20 packets of a sweet dish. A video of the items was also taken by FDA team as evidence.
Social entreprises H3F gain business by training uneducated youth for organised industriesH3F, founded by entrepreneurs Madan Padaki, Rajesh Bhat, Samik Ghosh and Sunil Savara, creates skilled talent pool in villages.
BBD University organises management festival 'UDGAM 2011'The Babu Banarasi Das University in Lucknow organised its first management festival 'UDGAM 2011' here today.
AB Group arm picks up 25% in V Mart RetailThe private equity arm of the diversified Aditya Birla group has acquired a 25% stake in V Mart Retail, a value-retailer owned by the New Delhi-based Lalit Agarwal.Load More
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From their origin in the mid 18th century, electric vehicles or EVs have seen several changes including the development of the first electric car in the 1830s, the introduction of the first mass-produced electric cars in the 1900s, advancements in lithium-ion batteries and the possible introduction of solid-state batteries expected in 2020.
Traditional vehicles using internal-combustion engines are posing several environmental and economic concerns. The obvious advantages EVs offer over the traditional vehicles getting more relevant by the day.
In the last decade, the demand for electric vehicles has been constantly rising and the current trend is expected to accelerate in the coming decade.
With the future of fossil fuels looking bleak, it becomes important to explore what the future holds for heavy vehicles in an electric future.
For several years now, the commercial heavy vehicles segment has been dominated by multinational giants. These companies have hardly invested in electric vehicles.
The few electric vehicles in this segment were produced mainly by startups. However, one can see substantial changes in this trend over the last few years.
Frequent advancements in battery technology have brought down the production costs for electric vehicles. Consequently, larger companies are making more and more attempts to enter this market.
The larger players in the market such as Volvo, Daimler and Ford have reported that they are investing up to 500 million dollars in electric vehicles owing to a surprising increase in demand from their consumers.
There are also other companies such as Rivian and XL who deal with the conversion of diesel-powered trucks to hybrid and fully battery-powered trucks.
Tesla has introduced a model of semi-electric truck and is expected to launch an electric pickup truck shortly. It is safe to say that the big truck makers are taking electric vehicles seriously.
Another reason for the companies to venture into the market for EVs is the number of individuals and authorities voicing their concerns against traditional vehicles.
Although there have been steady improvements in the engine technology to minimize emission, it is true that emission can never be completely eliminated.
Heavy vehicles are designed to have longer active lives than lighter vehicles like cars. Thus, an increase in heavy electric vehicles is expected to make a substantial positive impact on the levels of pollution.
In the US, while only 7% of all vehicles are heavy vehicles, they make up nearly one-fourth of the fuel consumption in the country.
With a future that shows little promise for conventional sources of energy, electric vehicles are bound to become a popular choice in the years to come.
Dedicated efforts are being made by several institutions to conduct research in the field of battery technology. However, breakthroughs in this field are few and far between.
The advancements in this technology are often expensive. This means a greater expenditure for the end-users who are often discouraged by the higher costs.
An important development in the research concerning electric vehicles is in the direction of Regenerative Braking. It refers to the conversion of the kinetic energy into chemical energy to be stored in the battery which can be used to move the vehicle.
This technique prevents the kinetic energy of the vehicle from being wasted as heat and is used efficiently.
Regenerative Braking System (RBS) can be used to improve the range of the vehicles by 8-25% thereby improving the durability of the vehicles.
Regenerative Braking is more efficient with bigger vehicles. Hence, efforts are being made to incorporate this technique into heavy vehicles in the future. It is estimated that 90% of the heavy electric vehicles will be using RBS by 2024.
Governments in all major countries, however, are encouraging people to shift to EVs by offering tax credits and subsidies on the use of electric vehicles.
Tax credits are available to $7500 in the US per electric vehicle purchased. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in India too had announced a subsidy of 950 million rupees on electric vehicles in November 2010.
The highest subsidy (₹ 4,00,000) has been allowed on heavy vehicles such as electric mini-buses. As per the Union Budget of 2019, the GST on electric vehicles has been lowered from 12% to 5%, coupled with a total tax exemption of ₹1,50,000.
According to a report by Niti Ayog (the think-tank of the Indian government), more than 60 million electric vehicles are expected to be sold by 2030.
The awareness among the consumers has been rising steadily. Many people are coming to prefer electric vehicles over petrol and diesel-powered vehicles owing to maintenance and other financial benefits.
The manufacturers of heavy-duty vehicles are slowly but definitely embracing the shift in paradigm. Environmentalists who have constantly opposed the use of traditional vehicles have come to be staunch supporters of the new wave of electric vehicles.
The benefits offered by the governing bodies are adding a certain impetus for electric vehicles. With such developments, the growth environment looks extremely favorable for heavy electric vehicles in the near future.


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Mexican domestic and international air traffic growth look quite strong, and we think Pacifico is a compelling opportunity.
With the market trading at a premium valuation, communication services is the cheapest sector.
Jon Hale says the language and the field have evolved from the early days of "socially responsible investing."
Morningstar research finds that fund sponsors that align their economic interest with the fundholders' have offered better results.
We think L Brands and TJX look attractive ahead of the crucial holiday sales weekend.
Vanguard's Fran Kinniry sees good news in flows data that points to investors focused on asset allocation and rebalancing instead of chasing performance.
We boosted Baron Small Cap's rating to Silver due to the strength of both its manager and its long-term investment approach.
Fed Ex's narrow moat is widening, thanks to improvements in its ground shipping segment.
The e-commerce giant's moves this year point to a focus on engaging Prime members and selling more third-party goods, says R.J. Hottovy.
Deere also reports this week. Plus, existing home sales, unemployment claims, and durable goods orders.
We analyze the reports from GE and Wal-Mart this week; Christine Benz overhauls five investors' portfolios; Russ Kinnel suggests DIY screens; and Aron Szapiro talks tax reform.
A provision in the Senate's bill limits fund managers' ability to use specific share identification, which could lead to higher distributions.


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HALIFAX, NS, April 8, 2013 /CNW/ - President's Choice® Children's Charity announces that its two-week Your Small Change Can Make a Big One customer campaign held at participating Loblaw banner grocery stores in the region, like Atlantic Superstore®, nofrills®, Cash & Carry, Dominion® and SaveEasy® has raised $470,000. All money raised will go toward supporting Atlantic Canadian families whose children have physical or developmental disabilities, as well as nutrition programs aimed at fighting childhood hunger. Nationally, the campaign raised $2.64 million.
"The support from our customers across Atlantic Canada has always been tremendous, but this year's spring campaign has been the best one so far," said Colin Nicolle, member of President's Choice® Children's Charity Board of Directors and vice-president at Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) in Atlantic Canada.
Monies raised through campaigns like this help children like Hayden Astel, who recently needed assistance with a guide dog.
Hayden' mother Corrie says that the guide dog has been life changing for Hayden. "Hayden wouldn't be doing as well as he is without the help from President's Choice® Children's Charity," says Corrie. "We can do more things as a family. We can go out in the public. Before, someone would stay home with Hayden and we would have to take turns going out. Now, Hayden can participate in the community."
Funds raised also go towards fighting childhood hunger through nutrition programs at local schools like Cunard Junior High School, located in Halifax.
"The support received from President's Choice® Children's Charity through their sponsorship of Breakfast for Learning is an important contribution to the students at Cunard Junior High School breakfast program. Being able to provide healthy food options to the students has a positive impact on our students' daily performance. When students are well nourished they are better able to engage in their learning. We are very grateful for the difference they are making for our students," says Karyn Cooling, principal, Cunard Junior High School, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
In Atlantic Canada, Atlantic Superstore®, nofrills®, Cash & Carry, Dominion®(in Newfoundland and Labrador) and SaveEasy®are Loblaw Companies banner stores. The Your Small Change Can Make a Big One customer campaign is just one of many initiatives that Loblaw banner stores have in place to raise funds for President's Choice® Children's Charity. To date in 2013, thanks to the generosity of customers, donors and the support of colleagues, President's Choice® Children's Charity has awarded $52,000 to 8 families and another $920,000 to 518 nutrition programs that serve over 53,000 students across the region.
About President's Choice® Children's Charity
President's Choice® Children's Charity is committed to helping children across Canada, with a focus on supporting children with disabilities and fighting childhood hunger. The cost of administration and operations of the Charity is funded by Loblaw Companies Limited, ensuring that 100 per cent of every dollar donated goes to helping kids and their families. The Charity offers funding across Canada and dollars are granted in the region in which they are raised. Since 1989, the Charity has awarded more than $86 million, reaching more than 15,500 families. For more information on the President's Choice®Children's Charity or to donate online, visit pc.ca/charity.
About Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX: L)
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ more than134,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial® services and offers the PC®points loyalty program.
SOURCE: President's Choice Children's Charity
For further information:
or to schedule an interview:
Loblaw Public Relations on behalf of President's Choice®Children's Charity
Mark Boudreau, Director, Corporate Affairs
[email protected] or (902) 468-5522 ext. 4063


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Now, a spanish people troupe is bringing a breast-feeding doll for kids to the United States. The meet Milk young lady building complex by production motions and infant sounds once a sensing element in its mouth gets close together to a flowery hackamore top the minor wears piece “breast-feeding.” The doll has already seen success in Europe, generating many more than $2 a million in sale for its maker, Berjuan Toys, since the doll was first released in european nation four period ago. spokesman, Dennis Lewis, told Blog Post on mon that reactions to the wench mortal been 75 to 80 percent undeniable stateside. But the receipt in the cohesive States has been mixed. “Once group sit down and think around it, there’s nothing controversial about it,” adventurer said.
Bosom buddy: Breast Milk Baby doll teaches young girls how to breastfeed - NY Daily News
Is there such a statement as being too little to learn to breast-feed? The tit nutrition Baby doll, from Berjuan Toys, is specifically designed to buccaneer elfin girls how to breast-feed an infant and learn around the bond between mother and child. on with the miss doll, the body part Milk Baby comes with a extraordinary cloth top for the youngster to wear.
Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding Accessories | Babies R Us
Bébé au Lait proudly noted their 10-year anniversary in 2014! Bébé au Lait products remain a favorite for moms worldwide, helping them to nurse in public, in style, and sail the joys of parenthood.


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Indonesia will subsidise 1.2 bln litres of cooking oil to cool prices
Indonesia will offer 1.2 billion litres of cooking oil at a subsidised price to consumers, the government said on Wednesday, in a bid to rein in inflation that hit a high last month on the back of a commodity boom.
The government will spend 3.6 trillion rupiah ($250.78 million) on the subsidy that will be funded from a levy on palm oil exports, chief economics minister Airlangga Hartarto and trade minister Muhammad Lutfi told a joint news conference.
Cooking oil prices have jumped significantly, due to an uptrend in palm oil prices.
Under the subsidy plan, the government will sell cooking oil at 14,000 rupiah a litre, Hartarto said. Branded cooking oil is priced more than 20,000 rupiah a litre.
High cooking oil prices, along with rising prices of eggs and chillies, were the main drivers of inflation. December’s 1.87% inflation rate was the highest in 18 months, albeit still below the central bank’s 2% to 4% target range.
The government is concerned rising prices could disrupt an economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lutfi said 70 cooking oil producers will be involved in the cooking oil subsidy programme. He did not name them.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe and Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)


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Non-combustible alternatives: what’s in it for a smoker?
Smokers have been at the center of attention of public health experts and policymakers for the longest time.
According to the WHO, with more than 8 million people losing their lives every year around the world due to smoking, it is only right to take immediate action against the crisis and devise a robust strategy to address this public health threat. .
From 1964 report of the Surgeon General that first identified the impact of cigarettes on human health at length to studies identifying the specific elements of a cigarette behind each of the impact, all these findings have proven to be a turning point in the history of smoking as it helped understand the pressing issue at hand, consequently setting the groundwork for the adequate response.
While at all times, the most effective response against the smoking epidemic has been to quit cigarettes completely, the prevalent global trend of smoking shows that only 3–12% of smokers areactually able to quit smoking completely. Thus, for the adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, the latest breakthrough in the field has now emerged in the form of a new category of products that are smoke-free and provide a less-harmful alternativ e to smokers who are unable to quit cigarettes. These alternatives, commonly known as non-combustible alternatives, are designed as such that they reduce the negative health impacts otherwise inflicted by cigarettes while giving smokers the same sense of ritual and feel so they can easily switch from cigarettes to these reduced-risk alternatives.
The specific constituents of a cigarette that are harmful to human health are found in the smoke that is emitted from cigarettes upon the burning of tobacco. Around 6000 chemicals are released through this burning process, out of which, around 100 chemicals have been identified as potential causes of smoking-related diseases including lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The same smoke also contains nicotine which is associated with the pleasure smokers experience in smoking. However, while nicotine is not risk-free, it is not the main villain public health experts are after, instead, it is the burning of tobacco that produces smoke and related toxins that cause majority of diseases.. Keeping this in mind, the non-combustible alternatives eliminate the process of burning, thus eliminating the emission of smoke and consequently eliminating the release of toxic chemicals contained within.
A recent study conducted by the University of Dundee for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) on e-cigarettes, a type of non-combustible alternative, showed that people who switched to these alternatives from cigarettes showed a remarkable improvement in their blood vessel health within one month compared to those who continued to smoke cigarettes. It also highlighted that the group who switched to e-cigarettes were halfway towards achieving the blood vessel health of healthy non-smokers!
Recently, the US FDA has also authorized the sale of one type of e-cigarette in the US for its potential to help smokers switch to less harmful alternative. Heated Tobacco Product (HTP), another type of smokeless alternative, has also been authorized to be marketed as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product, citing that it can help adult smokers transition away from cigarettes and reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals, but only if they switch completely.
Quoting independent researches on Heated-Tobacco Products, Dave Cross, physicist and a writer associated with the Planet of the Vapes (UK), said, “HTPs reduce the exposure to toxicants and carcinogens when compared to cigarette smoking.” –
In light of these scientifically substantiated findings supporting the reduced-risk aspect of these products and science based evidence from countries like the US, UK, and Japanshow a marked decline in cigarette sales with the introduction of non-combustible alternatives in the market, cigarette substitution with low-risk products appears to be a promising path. By ensuring adequate consumer awareness through providing scientifically-backed information from credible sourcesand regulating non-combustible alternatives as potentially less harmful alternatives, Pakistan can also enable its smokers to opt for better health.


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At 0700 AEDT on Thursday, the local currency was trading at 92.42 US cents, virtually unchanged from 92.44 cents on Wednesday.
It’s a big week for economic news and data with the European Central Bank policy decision on Thursday night and the US non-farm payrolls on Friday.
Locally, all eyes on Thursday would be on February retail sales and trade figures being released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics at 1130 AEDT, Arab Bank treasury dealer, David Scutt said.
“(It was) a quite session for the Australian/US dollar overnight with the pair operating in a relatively thin band between 92.32 and 92.63 US cents,” Scutt said.
“All attention today will be on the retail sales and trade figures.
“While strong readings will see the Aussie push higher initially, with the US data starting to strengthen and March non-farm payrolls released tomorrow evening, we expect that any initial surge will be faded as investors look to book profits following the Aussie’s stellar run of late.
“Conversely, should the data miss, expect the pair to give back ground, albeit modestly, given Asia’s insatiable appetite of late.”
Investors will then turn their attention to Brisbane where Mr Stevens will address the Australia-American Chamber of Commerce.


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Chillicothe Farmers Market Opens Saturday
The Chillicothe Farmers Market traditionally opens the first Saturday in May, but this year, they will open a week earlier on April 27th. Former Market Master Tonya Tiemeyer says that is not the only change this year.
The Mid Week Market will be Tuesdays on the south side of the Livingston County Courthouse, that will be on Jackson Street.
Tiemeyer says they will have a few programs again this year, including on cutting up poultry.
The Chillicothe Farmers Market will open this Saturday, APRIL 27th, at 8:00 am on the west side of the Livingston County Courthouse. The market hours are from 8:00 am to Noon and they invite you to come and check out the market.


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Bloomberg:"Sony Corp. (6758) will cut the salaries of Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai and directors after Japan’s biggest exporter of consumer electronics lost 856 billion yen during the past four years."
Good, there gettin paid to much anyway
Most CEOs and executives make too much anyways. It's sickening how they can make hundreds of thousands to millions a year while the other employees make <80K.
They'll be fine.
The losses this year were from the way their accounting department handled various assets. There's no "loss" per se. But still the PS3 and PS Vita should be a doing a lot better than they are right now. Cutting the executives' pay is a good incentive to boost performance.
Hmm, it looks like kazumao1 was indeed right about the N4G bias all along. He got spammed after I posted THIS: http://n4g.com/news/1013172... Let's see how long this lasts...
Sony's gaming division is one of the reasons Sony is still kickin'. Don't be confused with the bad TV sales the haters like to pretend are PS3 losses. Remember that Sony even prints its own discs -- and those expenditures are reported as expenses in SCE, even though they are gains in other divisions. They also don't see the royalty profits from BD drives or discs in SCE, despite the fact that every PS3 made causes a couple $ in royalties to be sent back to a different division, and those same $ to be reported as expenses on SCEs report. Those royalties, just from PS3s and PS3 games, are in the hundreds of millions by now. Sony would be completely screwed without SCE.
I rather would see those Japanese executive who created such a mess within Sony's culture be fired permanently and not get re-hired on another department.
Gaming division equals http://www.gamersdailynews.... Gaming division is one of the shining stars in Sonys otherwise poor choices. Sony gaming division is here to stay so get used to it haters!!!!!
i have no idea why you got disagrees when you posted facts
Because ppl love to hate the ps3 the system tht time and time again caters to their fans and pumps out thee best games in the industry by far. They rather seeva company like tht fail, but promote thngs lije COD elite or companies tht dont prroduce any new ips and love monotony.
Management should keep their bonuses and sack some lower and middle end workers and call it a company restructure. Managers bonuses are more important than thousands of jobs of lower/middle end workers. Managers get higher pay and bonuses regardless of the companies performance and well the losses are shared by cutting the lower end workers and delaying or cancelling projects.
rofl I love how all these prepubescent children here pretend to know anything about economics and business. Sony going bankrupt and dropping out of the console business? You must be a GREAT analyst. Please... tell me how many other companies you predicted actually went down? Idiots.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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The Western Australian government has been campaigning to change the way the GST is distributed for years, and this week all its efforts finally paid off.
On Thursday, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison revealed a plan designed – a cynic might say – pretty much exclusively to shut up the WA government.
If you’re like most Australians, the chances are the details of this convoluted and confusing saga have gone completely over your head.
So given Thursday’s announcement was such big news, The New Daily thought it was worth explaining exactly how the GST is distributed, the thinking behind it, and why the Treasurer decided it needed to change.
How the GST is distributed
The goods and services tax is a 10 per cent tax on – that’s right – goods and services. Every time you buy a coffee or a haircut or a smartphone or whatever, 10 per cent of the price goes to the federal government coffers.
This adds up to a lot of money. This year, the government expects to rake in around $70 billion through the GST.
But unlike income tax and company tax, revenue from GST is basically of no use to the federal Treasury, because every cent of it goes back to state governments, to be spent on things like health, infrastructure and education.
And this is where it gets complicated.
The federal government needs to distribute this $70 billion in a way that is fair.
And to do this, it has devised an incredibly complicated formula to decide who gets what.
The system it came up with is called the horizontal fiscal equalisation (HFE), and it works something like this. Reader, brace yourself.
Every state raises its own taxes, through channels like stamp duty, land tax, payroll tax and mining royalties.
Some states raise more taxes through these means than others, which is another way of saying some states are wealthier than others.
Now the federal government – through a non-political body called the Commonwealth Grants Commission – measures how much tax each state government raises per person. And the state government that raises the most taxes per person becomes the ‘benchmark’.
Traditionally the benchmark state has been either New South Wales or Victoria.
For argument’s sake let’s say NSW is the wealthiest state, and it manages to raise $5000 per person. The federal government must distribute the GST in such a way that every state’s tax revenue is topped up to $5000 per person.
So if the Victorian government raises $4500 per person, it receives an extra $500 per person in GST revenue.
And if Queensland raises $3000 per person, then it receives an extra $2000 per person.
And if the Northern Territory raises $500 per person, it receives an extra $4500 per person.
And so it goes, until every state government has $5000 per person. Whatever is left over in GST revenue, the federal government distributes between the states and territories equally.
How the mining boom mucked this system up
The HFE system of distribution was concocted in 2000, before the mining boom, when either Victoria or NSW were consistently the wealthiest states.
But then China started buying up shiploads and shiploads of Western Australian iron ore to fuel its rampant economic growth, and everything changed.
WA suddenly and unexpectedly became by far the wealthiest state per capita, forcing the federal government to pour much more money into Australia’s poorer states than it had previously had to.
The result was that WA, which had previously received about $1 for every dollar it put in, suddenly found itself receiving just 30 cents for every dollar contributed.
And because the HFE formula is based on past tax revenue, this became a serious problem for WA when the mining boom suddenly ended, and the property market slumped.
Its tax revenue fell by billions, but its GST revenue did not rise. The result was a gaping hole in the state budget, an angry electorate and a panicking government.
When this problem first presented itself three years ago, the WA government – then under premier Colin Barnett – was blamed for failing to prepare for the inevitable end of the mining boom.
But since then, WA’s complaints have slowly gained traction. A recent Productivity Commission report lent legitimacy to the cause.
Thursday’s announcement addresses WA’s grievances in two ways.
First, from now on only the stable economies of New South Wales and Victoria will be used as the benchmark for GST distribution. WA has been deemed too volatile to be used.
And second, from the mid-2020s no state government will receive less than 75 cents for every dollar of GST its residents contribute to the GST pool in Canberra.
And the losers? Well, according to Scott Morrison, no states will be worse off as a result of this. But the federal coffers will be worse off – to the tune of $5.2 billion over the next eight years – most of which will go to topping up Western Australia’s GST shortfall.


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Newhouse Named ‘Hero of Main Street’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) today announced that he has received the “Hero of Main Street” award from the National Retail Federation for his support of legislation critical to the retail industry. Rep. Newhouse is part of a bi-partisan group honored for their support of a wide range of issues including international trade, infrastructure investment, tax reform and labor issues.
“I am honored to be named a ‘Hero of Main Street’ and to accept this award,” said Rep. Newhouse. “As a third-generation farmer and small businessman myself, I understand the importance of pro-growth policies that encourage small businesses to hire more workers. Top-down regulations from D.C. and a complex tax code stifle innovation and job creation, and I am committed to improving conditions for entrepreneurs and businesses across our country and in Central Washington.”
“Congressman Newhouse has shown through his support that he cares about retailers big and small, and values the role these businesses play in communities across the country,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Congressman Newhouse is an advocate for his thriving Main Street and to the long-term growth the retail industry – our nation’s largest job creators and the catalyst for continued growth and opportunity for our nation’s economy.”
Rep. Newhouse receives the ‘Hero of Main Street’ Award from Mark Johnson, VP Government Affairs, Washington Retail Association
The Hero of Main Street award was created by NRF in 2013 to recognize members of Congress for support of the retail industry’s public policy priorities. Eligibility is based on NRF’s Retail Opportunity Index, bill sponsorship and advocacy to advance the industry’s priorities. The “heroes” have supported policies and initiatives defined by NRF that recognize the contributions of the retail industry, and have worked to encourage a “vibrant, sustained and healthy” retail sector.
NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.


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Wal-mart said it is currently focussing on expanding its wholesale retail business in the country and awaits further clarity on rules for entering the multi-brand retail business. "We are excited about India and we continue to be so. We see the potential of the country and we have a long-term view. At the moment, we are focussed on cash- and-carry business under our Best Price brand," Wal-mart president and CEO Doug McMillon said here. "We will continue to serve the shopkeepers, kiranas and farmers using that format and grow that business in India," he said.
Renault-Nissan eyes 10% of passenger vehicles market
Describing India as a "sophisticated country", Renault-Nissan Alliance chief Carlos Ghosn has said the auto major aims to have 10% share of the Indian passenger vehicles market. The company is also planning to launch a slew of new models from its stable. Ghosn, who is Renault-Nissan Alliance's Chairman and CEO, said 2013 was disappointing for the industry in India but 2014 should see slow recovery. "We will obviously move up in terms of market share because we are moving from a very low level. We are today practically insignificant in the Indian market. But our target is a 10% share of the Indian market," he said. "In 2014, you are going to see a lot of new products coming from Renault & Nissan," Ghosn added.
UK proud Indian company is driving JLR success: Cameron
Pitching Britain as an attractive destination for investors, PM David Cameron said he was proud that Indian investments were driving the success story of Jaguar Land rover. "I am proud that it is an Indian investment that is driving the JLR success story. I am proud of Chinese investments in our country. Britain today is open for investments from across the world," Cameron said. UK-based auto maker Jaguar Land Rover is owned by Indian business conglomerate Tata group, which acquired it from Ford in 2008. While initially there was opposition to Tatas acquiring these marquee British brands, the company has since then scripted a turnaround.


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Saudi Arabia eases visa rules for Indian tourists
In September Saudi Arabia announced that it will offer tourist visas for the first time, opening up the ultra-conservative kingdom to holiday makers as part of a push to diversify its economy away from oil.
Kickstarting tourism is one of the centre pieces of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform programme to prepare the biggest Arab economy for a post-oil era. “Opening Saudi Arabia to global tourists is a historic moment for our country,” tourism chief Ahmed al-Khateeb said. “Visitors will be surprised, by the treasures we have to share – five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a vibrant local culture and breathtaking natural beauty.”
Published On: January 4, 2020


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By Ashley Reyes
The 2024 SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Media Trade Conference is confirmed for January 30-February 1, at the Embassy Suites - Anaheim South in Garden Grove, California. By connecting motorsports parts manufacturers with journalists and content creators, the council's iconic event helps manufacturers generate coverage and raise brand awareness while providing media with a quick, easy and efficient method of gathering content.
Unlike traditional trade shows or conferences, the Media Trade Conference consists of private, uninterrupted meetings where media members can interview and learn about a company's product and news. As a result, manufacturers are able to build strong, long-lasting relationships with individuals who can reach millions of their target audiences.
Read more about the event in the May issue of SEMA News Magazine here.
Manufacturers and media are encouraged to mark their calendars now for the MPMC Media Trade Conference taking place January 30-February 1, 2024. Manufacturer registration will open in mid-June. Go here to learn more about the Media Trade Conference.


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This Cobblestone Hotel & Suites, a Wisconsin-based lodging chain and growing franchise, will be a 55-room, four-story hotel located near the waterfront in the heart of historic downtown Two Rivers. The location will offer guests close access to the area’s restaurants, bars, retail shops, bike and pedestrian trials, Lake Michigan beaches and marinas. This project represents Two Rivers’ ongoing efforts to redevelop a downtown waterfront once dominated by industrial facilities.
“Two Rivers is a historical manufacturing-focused community that has lost much of that identity in the past 20 years,” said Rick Carey of Two Rivers Hotel Group LLC. “Investing in downtown redevelopment will result in a healthier mix of local economics through increased tourism, and the new Cobblestone Hotel overlooking Lake Michigan will be a catalyst for achieving that goal.”
The new hotel will bring more visitors to Two Rivers, create a more vibrant, attractive downtown and benefit many local businesses, leading to the community’s economic success and changing identity, he added.
Hotel construction is set to begin this summer with an expected opening in May 2020.


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Matching Dollar Incentives, Local Entertainment, and Summer Meals for Kids Planned for Season
The Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market will reopen for its third season as the safe and inviting community gathering place for residents to have access to healthy, affordable food options, health screenings, and summer fun. Located at 427 Greenwood Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08609 (behind the Trenton Transit Center), the farmers market will be open every Monday, starting June 12 through October 23, 2017, 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm (except holidays).
Each week, the market will feature Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables, tropical fruits, meat, eggs, and bakery items. For the first time this year, the market will offer seafood products, fruit smoothies and ready-to-eat meals from local food trucks. Matching dollars will be provided for residents using SNAP, WIC and SFMNP vouchers. Health screenings, nutrition education, cooking demonstrations and live music will also be included in the weekly activities.
“We are excited to bring locally grown produce and health resources to our Trenton families for our third season,” said Marissa Davis, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton Project Director.
The Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market will provide free meals for children ages three to 18 as part of the USDA Summer Food Service meal site every Monday beginning July 10, 2017. “Our goal is to ensure once again our children don’t go hungry when the school year ends,” stated Sam Frisby, chief executive officer, YMCA of Trenton.
Opening day for the market will be a fun-filled, community day with health screenings, games, healthy tasting demonstrations, music by Miss Sue Miss Sue, and more.
The market will host various special community events during the last Monday of each month – Water Fest (July 31 & August 28), Bike Fest (September 25) and Fall Fest (October 23).
Food Vendors participating in the market:
Health Service providers:


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Just three and a half months after the company launched to the public, proximity-based photo sharing mega-startup Color has lost a second of its three high-profile initial team members, Michael Arrington reported this morning. Arrington said DJ Patil, who was LinkedIn’s chief scientist until this Spring, has resigned. Co-founder Peter Pham, previously a leader at very successful startups Photobucket and Billshrink, left Color last month. That leaves co-founder Bill Nguyen, who sold music service Lala to Apple, as the last of the three rock stars that launched the year’s most ambitious startup with more than $40 million in high-profile venture capital.
The reasons why Color appears to be imploding can’t be known for sure, but the whole thing looks like a lesson in the Lean Startup philosophy. Perhaps best articulated by consultant and author Eric Ries, the Lean Startup philosophy says the last thing you want to do is raise a whole lot of money, build a product in secret, then spring it on a world that may not want what you’ve built at all.
Just after it launched, to widespread criticism because the user experience was so confusing and unfulfilling, we did an in-depth interview with CEO Bill Nguyen. He told us that Color sees itself as “much more of a research company and a data mining company than a photo sharing site.”
Indeed the technology does sound very, very interesting. But in order for the company’s technology to capture the data that it wants to analyze, it first has to capture users. Design community leader Kathy Sierra says that great user experience design helps users “kick more ass.” Unfortunately, the initial user experience with Color at launch was more likely to inspire frustration and confusion than triumph.
Lean Startup advocate Ries says that he had a similar experience with one of his startups, an avatar-based chat plug-in called IMVU. That company built a powerful technology that fell flat on its face as soon as real users were asked to install a plug-in.
Instead, Ries says, startups should co-create their products with their users or customers. Those IMVU users didn’t want to use a plug-in across existing IM networks, they were more comfortable with another new IM client, and they wanted to meet new people, not connect with old contacts in a new avatar-based system. Those were lessons learned through customer contact that lead to a dramatic reshaping of the product.
That didn’t look like something Color had done when it launched. Instead, it became a morass of ostentatious founder resumes, a huge coffer of funding, lots of hand waving about the technology behind the scenes and terrible reviews from users.
The product also suffered from one of the classic challenges of social networking: the cold start problem. Color was actually compelling and fun when you were using it in a place where a number of other people were, too. Once network effects were available, the offering was much stronger – but that’s a chicken and egg situation. Why be one of the first users when there was no one else around? That was a frustrating experience.
And now what have they got? A Hollywood launch in March and two of three leaders out the door by early July. A big pile of other peoples’ money and a bunch of technology that hasn’t found “product market fit,” as people say.
The Lean Startup philosophy isn’t the only way to do a startup, but its advocates argue that it’s a better way for many tech products to be built and brought to market. Unless evidence emerges that indicates otherwise, Color looks like it’s fast becoming the latest data point that Lean Startup advocates will be pointing to as an example of what not to do.


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Oneplus will launch its most affordable phone OnePlus Nord today. The discussion of OnePlus Nord has been going on for a long time. After the launch of OnePlus 8 series, the discussion of cheap OnePlus phones was intensified. Now today this phone company will officially launch. Most of the features of this phone have now been revealed. The first discussion was that this phone can be launched under the name OnePlus 8 Lite. Later the name OnePlus Z was also discussed. Now this phone named OnePlus Nord will be launched at 7.30 pm today.
How much will cost
OnePlus Nord is the most affordable phone of the company. However, the price of the phone has not been revealed yet. But it is believed that the price of the phone can be around $ 500 i.e. around Rs 37,000.
OnePlus Nord confirmed features
The company has already clarified on its different platforms what features will be given in the upcoming 5G OnePlus phones. Looking at the teasers, the OnePlus Nord will be the most affordable 5G phone to be launched in the country. Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 5G processor will be given in the device. The company has informed about the Amoled display in OnePlus Nord and a pill-shape cutout on the front. Explain that for the first time in a device of OnePlus, an ultra-wide angle camera will be provided with a 32 megapixel front camera.
Phone is camera
Talking about the camera specifications of OnePlus Nord, it will get a 48 megapixel Sony IMX586 primary camera sensor. Along with this, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera, a 5-megapixel depth camera and a fourth macro sensor will also be given on the back panel. At the same time, 32 megapixel primary sensor and second secondary sensor will also be given in the phone for selfie and video calling. In this way, there will be a quad camera on the rear and dual camera setup on the front panel. In a blog post shared on the forum, Lew said, 'Both front facing cameras of Nord will come with an algorithm that brightens up selfies with the help of AI and long exposure technology and also reduces noise in low light. is.' He said that the AI face detection feature support found in OnePlus Nord's front camera will make every selfie sharp and clear. The phone will get Snapdragon 765G processor and up to 12 GB of RAM. It will have 4115mAh battery with 30W warp charge support.
|The camera||48 + 8 + 5 + 2 MP|
|The battery||4300 mAh|
|The display||6.55 “(16.64 cm)|


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Yingli Loss Doubles Estimates as Solar Shipments Rise 43%Ehren Goossens
Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., a Chinese solar manufacturer, reported a fourth quarter loss that was more than double expectations.
Yingli’s American depositary receipts were unchanged at $2.40 at the close in New York. Each ADR is worth one ordinary share.
Shipments last year surged 43 percent from 2011 to 2.3 gigawatts. That puts Yingli on track to become the biggest solar manufacturer. Suntech Power Holdings Co., the largest panel maker in 2011, forecast 2012 shipments of 1.8 gigawatts to 2 gigawatts. Yingli expects to ship between 3.2 gigawatts and 3.3 gigawatts of solar panels this year.
The company’s loss narrowed to 1.25 billion yuan ($200 million) from 3.8 billion yuan a year earlier, the Baoding, China-based company said in a statement today. The per-ADR loss was $1.28, compared with 57 cents, the average of nine analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Revenue increased 13 percent to 2.9 billion yuan, driven by growth in China, Yingli’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Miao Liansheng said in the statement.
“Demand in China continued to expand strongly,” Miao said. Increasing installations will probably “catapult China to become the largest solar market in 2013.”


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Yahoo users have been complaining for the last few days about a surge in spam in their Yahoo mail accounts. It goes without saying that Gmail’s spam filtering is now best among the other mail services, but Yahoo mail was not poor either. Unfortunately, Yahoo users are getting lot of spam mails for the last couple of days. The most funny thing is, Yahoo has been certified by DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). This means, in future Yahoo services are supposed to be heavily protected against phishing attacks and spam.
In single word, DMARC is a protocol/policy that ensures all listed members exchange experiences among themselves to fight spam. Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, PayPal, AOL, Microsoft are proud members. So, it is expected that Yahoo mail would be efficient in filtering spam. But, it seems to be doing the opposite.
Lot of users have share their experiences about this issue on Twitter. You can check that what people are discussing on Twitter about this issue.


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After word of an impending deal between the Services Employees International Union and home-rental website Airbnb, city unions representing hotel and building-service workers clashed online Tuesday.
SEIU 32BJ president Héctor Figueroa and the Hotel Trades Council sparred on Twitter, with the hotel workers' union decrying 32BJ's "betrayal" and Figueroa calling for "solidarity."
The two unions worked together on the "Fight for 15" minimum-wage campaign and pushed for city zoning changes to require affordable housing. But news that 32BJ might work with Airbnb to unionize cleaners of its rental properties shook the previously solid relationship.
The hotel workers' union charges that Airbnb fosters illegal hotels, diverting business from legitimate hotels where its members work.
"It doesn’t strengthen workers, and in fact undercuts the standards we’ve fought so hard to build for housekeepers in the hospitality industry," said Annemarie Strassel, a spokeswoman for UNITE HERE, another union representing hotel workers. Labor leaders and affordable-housing advocates also argue that Airbnb depletes the city's already-insufficient housing stock by brokering rentals to tourists.
But SEIU contends that workers in Airbnb rentals should be unionized in any event.
"Progressives want labor to organize Wal-Mart regardless of its business model. Why would it be different with Airbnb?" Figueroa asked on Twitter.
The national leadership of both unions are in talks on the issue, according to 32BJ spokeswoman Elaine Kim.


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Not only has Jeff Bezos just been named the richest person in the history of the world.
Not only has Jeff Bezos combined with Warren Buffet and Jamie Dimon to recreate health care
(and their yet to be named company just hired well known writer/physician Atul Gawande to give up his practice and head the operation)
Now Jeff and Amazon have entered the online pharmacy market by buying startup Pill Pack
While there are doubters, and Pill Pack is new, what they are doing makes sense for those who have had to wait in line at a pharmacy, get incorrect information, have claim filing problems, etc.
Stay tuned…there are sure to be more acqusitions. We are still awaiting the day when we can get a checkup while shopping at Whole Foods.


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When AirTag is placed in Lost Mode, all NFC-capable devices — including those running Android — can read the locator's preprogrammed discovery message, a small but potentially important feature that could assist in the return of lost items.
The NFC functionality was somewhat glossed over during Tuesday's "Spring Loaded" event, but a new support document offers additional detail on the feature.
According to Apple, picking up and tapping the white portion of a lost AirTag to an NFC-capable device redirects to a webpage that can display an owner's phone number. Additional information like the AirTag's serial number is also offered.
AirTag users need to provide their contact information during the setup process and place the device in Lost Mode for the feature to work.
Apple in its support document points out that Android devices can also interact with an AirTag in Lost Mode.
"You can view a Lost Mode message on any NFC-capable smartphone, such as an iPhone or Android phone," Apple says.
It should come as no surprise that Apple included support for NFC, a widely adopted communications protocol, in the diminutive tracker. Beyond Android, a host of other common computing devices incorporate NFC support, greatly increasing AirTag's effectiveness.
AirTag's main mode of communication is an Ultra Wideband radio, deployed in Apple's U1 chip, that sends pulses for other U1-equipped hardware like iPhone. The tracker's precision finding feature is powered by UWB and currently exclusive to the iOS platform. It also utilizes Bluetooth for communicating with Apple devices, which subsequently send information about nearby AirTags and their associated location data to the Find My network.


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MySpace is about take the crown from Google for being the biggest privacy-invader on the Internet. It's about to mine all its users personal information as a way to target ads at them. But that may be just the beginning. Will sales of that data be far behind? The New York Times reports
that MySpace has launched a massive data mining operation, with 100 employees, to grab every piece of personal information it can about its users, and then use that to finely target ads.
The goal, of course, is increased revenue. The company may be able to almost double its revenue, from $40 million a month to $70 million a month, thanks to the data mining, the paper reports.
But what happens to that treasure trove of sometimes exceedingly personal information about MySpace users? If the government issues subpoenas for it, will MySpace turn it over? Will MySpace turn it over without a subpoena? What about selling that personal information to the highest bidder?
Remember, MySpace is owned by Rupert Murdoch, a man not well-known for the niceties of things like privacy, when there's money to be made.
Privacy advocates are not pleased by MySpace's actions. Jeff Chester, executive director at the Center for Digital Democracy in Washington, told the Times, "People should be able to congregate online with their friends without thinking that big brother, whether it is Rupert Murdoch or Mark Zuckerberg, are stealthily peering in."
He plans to ask the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate whether social networks such as MySpace use deceptive and unfair practices when it comes to privacy. He wants the issue to be discussed during the FTC's planned hearings about Internet privacy in November.
There's nothing inherently wrong with targeted advertising. But there should be an opt out for it. And there should be strict regulations about how that information can be used, and who has access to it. Right now, it's the Wild West when it comes to Internet privacy, and it's time to tame it.


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Autoblog Minute is a short-form video series covering the hottest news in automotive and transportation. You'll find segments on everything from the latest vehicle concepts, to autonomous drones, to viral videos. This bite-size content will get you quickly caught up with what's going on in the industry.
The 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS has come, and glory with it. The engine is a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six now good for 520 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque. That's 20 hp above the last GT3 RS and the current GT3, making this motor the most powerful naturally aspirated powerplant ever slipped inside a road-legal 911.


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The boating season is upon us in Orlando, Florida. This means that more and more people will be out on their watercraft on the rivers, lakes, and ponds. Planning a day trip to go fishing? Want to spend a few hours water skiing? If so, you need to protect yourself as much as possible while on the water. Below, you will find the most common Orlando boating accident injuries.
Personal injury cases are based on claims of negligence of a party who had a duty to do (or not do) something to keep others safe. This can come up in a variety of places, including accidents involving cars and things like slip-and-fall incidents. All of these kinds of accidents have one thing in common: They cause injuries to someone and the victim has to deal with monetary losses.
No matter who you are, you have the potential to become drowsy when driving. If this happens, you should immediately pull to safety and then consider your options.
Two Texas teens are now back home recovering from head injuries that they suffered while visiting Disney World earlier this month.
Orlando is a beautiful city that is conducive to outdoor sports, including bicycling. For individuals who choose this physical activity, remaining safe is a top priority. They do still have to count on motorists to help keep them safe by practicing safe driving skills. Unfortunately, there are times when bicyclists are struck. This can lead to very serious injuries for them.
The Magic Kingdom has a scooter problem. People on scooters are plowing into pedestrians and those riding the scooters are also getting hurt. Just last year, there were 11 or more lawsuits filed against the "happiest place on Earth" regarding injuries allegedly arising from scooter mishaps at Disney's Florida properties.
As a pedestrian, there are several key steps you can take to protect yourself against being injured by a motor vehicle. With the right approach, you'll feel better every time you're walking, jogging or riding your bike.
When discussing the concept of “premises liability,” many lawyers use grocery store spills as an example because it is a hazard familiar to all of us. Broken jars, freshly mopped floors and vegetables that fall on the floor create the perfect conditions for slip-and-fall accidents. If grocery store employees fail to notice and or address the hazardous conditions, the store can be held liable for injuries suffered by customers.


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Kraft outlines ambitions for snacks arm Mondelez
The US food group, set to split in two next month, told investors its plans for the global snacks giant it will create, Mondelez International, which will own Trident gum, Cadbury chocolate and Oreo gum.
Kraft Foods has said earnings from Mondelez International, the global snacks business the split of the US food giant will create next month, will be affected by currency headwinds in 2013.
A year on from an announcement that stunned the industry, Kraft Foods has revealed the formal split of its business in two will take place this autumn. There have been concerns over the performance of the company that will focus on the North American grocery sector but Kraft's first-half results indicated some resilience.
The chief executive of Kraft Foods has asserted that the planned split of the company into two separate units is vital to face the “new reality” of the food industry.
Kraft Foods' decision to split itself in two has surprised industry watchers, not least because the US food giant believes the two companies - a North American grocery business and a global snacks maker - will benefit from greater focus. However, as Dean Best writes, we have had that argument before - when Cadbury tried to fend off Kraft's takeover bid in 2009.
- What Grexit could mean for the food industry
- just-food's pick: Top trends at Fancy Food Show
- Focus: ConAgra own-label exit plan is about growth
- Focus: Can General Mills improve US retail sales?
- IRI – The opportunity of range optimisation
- Hovis "mulls Irish Pride Bakeries takeover"
- JBS acquires Cargill's US pork unit
- North Castle acquires stake in Sprout
- ABF's Kingsmill returns to Tesco
- US performance weighs on General Mills


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Bitcoin Cash is a cryptocurrency that is a fork of Bitcoin. Bitcoin Cash is a spin-off or altcoin that.
This push came to a head in July 2017 when some members of the bitcoin.
This push by some to increase the block size met a resistance.
Bitcoin Cash on December 19, 2017 and the coinbase platform experienced price.
Investing results to May 31 offer vindication to all well-diversified investors who thought they somehow blew it because.
8 Apr 2020.
As Bitcoin Cash underwent its first block reward halving on Wednesday.
Bitcoin Cash Halving Met with 11% Price Surge; BSV Follows with 19%.
Both Bitcoin forks were the only cryptocurrencies glowing green in the market.
Bitcoin SV's block reward halving is set to go ahead in approximately 38 hours.
7 Apr 2020.
bitcoin, bitcoin price, bitcoin halving, crypto, bitcoin cash, bitcoin SV, Bitcoin has seen a surge in interest over the last month as the.
Later this week, bitcoin SV, a further fork of bitcoin cash, will go through a similar token halving.
now, with the cryptocurrency community already looking forward to what's.
Cardano’s release of its Shelley hard fork timeline has created a buzz in the crypto community and an upward move for price.
Bitcoin Racket 15 Jul 2019. Bitcoin or cryptocurrency doesn't have government sanction and its transactions are, therefore, illegal. Last month, a Bitcoin fraud was unearthed. 29 Aug 2019. The Ethereum issuance of Tether (USDT) is quickly becoming the most utilized version of the stablecoin – and pushing Bitcoin and Omni out of. 22 Jul 2019. Police on
2 Aug 2017.
Bitcoin has split into two in an event known as a “hard fork” that has.
after some of its leading backers disagreed on the best way to take it forward.
to cope with a recent surge in popularity that has seen its price jump from.
Bitcoin Hack Generator New Bitcoin Free 2018 Jan 17, 2018 – This generator allows you to add free Bitcoins to your wallet. Freebitcoin.win | New Free Bitcoin MINING Site 2019 | Earn Daily 30$ in Urdu/ Hindi. Hack The Bitcoin, Bitcoin Hack Wsp, Bitcoin Generator Raw Transaction . 14 Nov 2019. So today i want to share with you how to get
25 Jul 2017.
Bitcoin's price is taking a beating today as fresh fork talk appears returning fear.
The rise of Bitcoin Cash over the past few days could present an.
of which demand a fork of the Bitcoin Blockchain, could well go ahead next.
29 Oct 2019.
Bitcoin ABC/Cash continues to use the BCH price ticker while Bitcoin SV uses BSV. As you might expect, given its close relationship to the OG.


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Olympic sprint legend Derval O’Rourke cut the ribbon to officially open the 32,000sq ft outlet in Ballincollig, Co Cork. But nine-year-old Bob Murphy, from the town’s Westcourt estate had the honour of being the first person through the door.
Bob trains with his autism assistance dog, Polly, in Tesco’s Douglas branch but his mother, Joanne said he had been watching closely the construction of the Ballincollig outlet over the last few months.
“He doesn’t talk very much but he knew it was finished and ready to open,” she said.
“He is very brand-orientated and Tesco is his brand, and I just thought he would really like to be first in, so I wrote to Tesco, and they were so accommodating.”
They ensured that Bob and Polly were first through the doors when the store opened for business at 8am.
“He was really looking forward to it. And we had a good look around. The store is brilliant for children with autism — it has low-key natural light,” Joanne said.
The new store employs 125 people — 60% of whom are local — with 39 people drawn from the live register, including 11 graduates from the Tesco Positive2Work Programme.
Today we opened our new store in Ballincollig Co. Cork, check out which Olympic athlete came along to open it for us… pic.twitter.com/LfaCj0J8uB— Tesco Ireland (@TescoIrl) October 24, 2014
After the opening, Derval O’Rourke kick-started the ‘Tread-milling for Temple Street’ fundraiser — Tesco’s new charity of the year.
The chain announced a new community fund, which it said would help local charities, and confirmed that the Ballincollig store would feed in to its surplus food diversion project which uses cloud technology at the end of every day to tag surplus food which can then be diverted to charities in need of food.
Sean Quish, managing director of nearby Quish’s SuperValu, said he wasn’t really worried about the increased competition.
“Once competition arrives, you can get obsessed with opposition, and lose sight of what you’re trying to do yourself and that is to offer the best offering you can,” he said.
Emer Cassidy, chairman of Ballincollig Business Association, welcomed Tesco’s arrival and said it would benefit the whole town.
“We would obviously be sensitive of the fact that there are concerns amongst some retailers in the same sector but if we can embrace it, it will help us showcase Ballincollig as a great town for retail choice,” she said. It is the fourth Tesco store to open in Ireland so far this year, after the new Park Pointe in Dublin, the Dundalk Extra store and a revamped Edenderry store in Co Offaly.
Tesco plans to open two more new stores before the end of the year — in Aungier Street and Pearse Street in Dublin.


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A man who parked a loaded a shopping trolley next to a rack of children's clothing at Kmart Bethlehem and set it on fire before calmly walking out of the store has narrowly avoided jail.
Hirama Tawhirimatea Heke, 25, appeared in the Tauranga District Court before Judge John Macdonald this week for sentencing on charges, including arson, six theft charges, failing to stop for police, driving while forbidden, breaching a prison release condition, receiving stolen property, and undertaking non-essential travel during the Covid-19 lockdown.
The charges, which Heke admitted at an earlier court appearance, relate to incidents in December last year and January this year.
The court heard that at 9.27pm last December 9, Heke parked at Bethlehem Shopping Centre before entering Kmart and loading multiple items of clothing into a metal shopping trolley.
He then parked the trolley next to a rack of children's clothing and set the clothing alight before calmly walking out of the store.
According to the police summary of facts, the staff managed to put the blaze out before it could spread but the store was evacuated and subsequently closed for the rest of the night.
The clothing was destroyed and the metal rack was damaged.
He also stole various items including perfume, glasses, clothing and shoes valued at $1925 from local stores between December 12 last year and January 18.
This included Adidas-branded shoes and clothing from the Rebel Sports store in Chapel St valued at $645, after twice visiting the store on Boxing Day and on December 28.
Lawyer Jeremy Sparrow urged Judge Macdonald to impose home detention, submitting that his client had previously served such a sentence without incident.
Sparrow said Heke's crimes were drug-related and he was genuinely motivated to undertake any counselling offered to him to address the causes of his offending.
Heke had been in custody since May 8, and his letter of apology showed he was remorseful for his actions, he said.
Judge Macdonald urged Heke to explain to him the reason for committing the arson in particular, but despite several requests, Heke struggled to do so.
Judge Macdonald said the starting point for Heke's "rather bizarre behaviour" relating to the arson and offending had to be imprisonment, particularly given his "extensive criminal history" that included 19 prior convictions for theft and three breaches of community work.
Judge Macdonald told Heke that by the narrowest of margins he was prepared to impose eight-months home detention, with 6-months of prison release conditions.
He warned Heke to strictly adhere to the terms of his sentence and urged him to take full advantage of the opportunity to try and turn his life around.
Judge Macdonald said he hoped Heke was motivated to do so, but given his past criminal behaviour, he would not be "holding his breath".
Heke was ordered to pay $4425 reparation and disqualified from driving for six months.


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The United States will release the weekly Unemployment Claims on October 21, at 15:30 MT time (GMT+3).
What are the details of the FOMC meeting?
What will happen?
FOMC will share its Meeting Minutes on April 7, at 21:00 MT time.
The Fed Chairman Jerome Powell informed that if the situation in the US evolves as per the current dynamic, no rate hike is expected until 2023 – that’s when the US economy is expected to fully recover. While the inflation rate target is 2%, it is currently at 1.7%, and Mr. Powell made it clear they want to see the actual rate not just reach the target but be steadily slightly above it. Noting the difficulties of the labor market and the overall situation, it will take a while to manifest, too.
How to trade the Meeting Minutes?
The bulk of the rate-related information has been already released in the last session. Therefore, investors will be looking for details of what the US Fed has, and possibly, for some new additions – especially if the latter change the overall tone of the Fed’s comment. Generally, any positive data that point to a strong US domestic recovery would support the USD.
- If the Fed’s tone is optimistic about the recovery dynamics, the USD may be boosted;
- If the Fed shares dimmer points, the USD will get pressed.
Instruments to trade: GBP/USD, EUR/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CAD
The Fed is ready to start tapering in November. Since the markets were expecting this and it wasn’t a surprise, the USD slumped allowing risk-on currencies and gold to rally up.
US Retail Sales will be out on October 15 at 15:30 MetaTrader time (GMT+3).
Last week was full of surprises! Stock indices have shown significant growth…
The US dollar is heading to close the seventh day in the red as it remains under selling pressure. The US data at 15:30 GMT+3 (jobless claims and Philly Fed Manufacturing Index) may support the greenback if it's strong.
Canada will publish the Retail Sales and Core Retail Sales on October 22, at 15:30 MT time (GMT+3).


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“In 2015, the cosmic adventures of Luke, Han, Leia and Chewbacca will make the lightspeed jump back to Marvel, to begin a new age of adventures within the Star Wars universe,” said a press release from Disney recently. It’s been big news here on MajorSpoilers.com as well as other comics news sources on the Internet.
The question is, based on past performance, will that be a good thing?
MARVEL REMAINS A BIG DOG IN THE COMICS ARENA
In my opinion, DC Comics has been giving Marvel more of a fight since the debut of the New 52 initiative back a couple of years ago. Personally, I think that’s very good for comics. I feel both companies are creating better product as a result. I also think other companies are also stepping up the quality of their books. Image Comics leaps to mind right away, but others aren’t far behind.
Of course Disney is going to want Marvel to have access to their newest franchise because they now own that company. I’m sorry to see it leave Dark Horse who, for over 20 years, has changed the way TV and movie properties have been handled in comics. They’ve taken Star Wars where no comic has gone before, to turn a phrase.
DISNEY IS NOW A MULTI-MEGA MEDIA CORPORATION
I’ve often heard people complain about how Warner Bros. is a HUGE company, and that DC benefits too much from being a part of it. Oddly enough, I don’t hear those same concerns expressed now that Disney owns Marvel, The Muppets and Star Wars, just to name a few.
Disney owns several cable channels, influences the ABC “broadcast” network and has a huge Internet presence. And from what I hear, they’re not done yet.
As Disney continues to gobble up more and more media franchises, will there be a time when it’s finally “too big” for even fans of the House of Mouse (and the House of Ideas)? Time will tell.
I’m suspicious of what Disney is doing and has in mind. I’d rather see smaller companies in charge of media than the House of Mouse because that offers more opportunities to things NOT owned by that corporation. And in my mind, that’s a very good thing!
MARVEL’S HISTORY WITH ACQUISITIONS
No comics company is blameless in this, but I’ve been very upset with how Marvel has treated its obtained properties over the years.
For instance, has anyone seen an issue with any of the Disney cartoon characters since that franchise was taken away from BOOM! Studios, who was doing a terrific job? Besides the occasional Toy Story miniseries, I think the last time I saw one of these books was like a year ago when Marvel reprinted product BOOM! had already created. Will they ever make any more? As I keep checking the PREVIEWS, I don’t see any new titles featuring Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse or any other Disney favorites coming. And they have long been good sellers in the comics industry.
Then too, what happened to Hedge Knight and the Anita Blake comics? Marvel did a great follow-up to the first HK tale, then it vanished. Also, Anita Blake’s conversion from novels to comics did well, but then it suddenly stopped. Maybe folks out there know more than I do, but I’d like to know what happened. Were the sales too low to continue?
I also remember when Marvel bought Malibu in order to gain their excellent in-house coloring studio. They did some books with the Malibu Ultraverse heroes, but they also have faded away into obscurity.
This last deal I can actually find something out about. On Wikipedia, Joe Quesada is reportedly quoted as saying, “I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way, but the way that the deal was initially structured, it’s next to impossible to go back and publish these books. … While this is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured, it’s not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters. There is a bigger one, but I really don’t feel like it’s my place to make that dirty laundry public.”
The article goes on to say, “In May 2012, Steve Englehart suggested in a podcast interview that the reason Marvel will not presently publish the Ultraverse characters is because five percent of the profits from those books would have to go to the Malibu creators that are still alive. Marvel Editor Tom Breevort later denied that the five percent was what was holding Marvel back, but was unable to give a real explanation due to a non-disclosure agreement.”
I understand the desire to keep certain business transactions private, but if Marvel doesn’t want to use these heroes, why not let someone else have a go at them? Or do they own them forever?
Marvel also had the rights to the aforementioned Star Trek universe, and did a good job on several of these incarnations, but not so much on others. I’d still like to see some of the Trek books come back besides the ones produced by IDW based on the current films.
I also understand that when you use characters from a franchise like Star Wars, you have to pay for that privilege. It’s my understanding that’s why the Trek comics have ceased. Paramount wants too big a piece of the pie, I hear.
WILL MARVEL LIVE UP TO THE DISNEY HYPE?
Will Marvel truly create new Star Wars at “lightspeed?” I certainly hope so. While the past is the past, those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it, to trot out some competing old cliches.
I like to point out that it’s called show business for a reason. For instance, DC tried to resurrect the Red Circle heroes a while back, but the sales weren’t strong enough for that to continue. I’m glad some of them are rising up again via Archie Comics/Red Circle.
There were a lot of rumors when Disney obtained Marvel that Spider-Man would meet Mickey Mouse, for example. Now I keep hearing that Luke Skywalker will appear in Guardians of the Galaxy or Nova. It’ll be interesting to see if Disney keeps these parts of its conglomerate as separate as they have so far.
Marvel has big shoes to fill moving forward. I believe that the changes that have happened to the House of Ideas over the last several years will make this move more likely to succeed. And more great Star Wars comics in 2015 would make so many of my friends very happy, after all!


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Saatchi & Saatchi has been awarded ad duties for two new clients: wine and beer retailer Beverages & More and online cooking supplies retailer and information resource Cooking.com.
Saatchi picked up the $5 million Beverages & More work without a review. Based in Concord, Calif., the company operates nearly 20 stores in California and Florida, and is expanding this year into Chicago. In the past, the retailer has had small ad agencies and design shops work on projects, but is now ready for more aggressive branding, according to Saatchi general manager Julie Bauer.
"Initially, we will be focused on creating retail-oriented newspaper and radio," said Bauer. "However, we are also in creative development on a TV test for this spring, as [the client] realizes that TV is the medium for branding."
Saatchi won Cooking.
com's $3 million business following a review of Bay Area shops, said Bauer.
"We think this is a neat brand. You can buy everything from pots and pans to exotic spices on this site, plan your kitchen, get recipes and so on," she said.
The agency will create some ads for Cooking.com this spring, followed by a big fourth-quarter push involving print and TV, Bauer said.


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By DAVE GUSSOW, Times Technology Editor
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 30, 1999
"We're trying not to talk about megahertz and gigabytes," said Danner, president of Jacksonville-based Compu-DAWN. "We think it's irrelevant. If someone wants to write a letter, they want to write a letter. They don't care about clock speed or mass storage (size) or so forth."
Tampa Bay area consumers will be among the first to see the GlobalPC this fall when it shows up on shelves at area Kmart and Wal-mart stores. It is the latest entry in the mushrooming market for low-end computers.
In the world of computer prices today, PC means pretty cheap -- with cheaper still to come. The average price of a personal computer using Windows and an Intel microprocessor is $890 (without a monitor that can add another $100 or more) -- and is expected to drop to less than $800 by December, according to PC Data, a market research firm. That is down from $1,123 about a year ago.
Seven of every 10 computers sold cost less than $1,000, up from 13 percent of the market in January 1997. Computers that cost less than $600 make up about a quarter of PC sales.
Consider eMachines Inc. (www.e4me.com), which last fall made a splash when it introduced a $500 computer -- including monitor. It shipped its first computer in November and its 1-millionth in July. It was ranked the No. 3 company for U.S. desktop sales in June with almost 12 percent of the market, and it had two of the five top-selling computers.
"What we've started is the repricing of the whole business," boasted Stephen Dukker, eMachines president and chief executive. "Machines at the low end are becoming so powerful that you don't give up much anymore" in performance.
Dukker, a veteran of PC retailing at Computer City and CompUSA, says growth in the home PC market stagnated in 1997, with sales coming from people upgrading to newer systems, not new customers.
"The issue was simple," he said. "People couldn't afford them."
Dukker teamed with partners at Korea Data Systems and TriGem Computer Inc. of Korea to create eMachines last year at a time when he said demand for low-cost PCs was rising and "the technology was there so you could make computers at these price zones."' He would not comment on whether the company, with headquarters in Irvine, Calif., has turned a profit.
Harry McCracken, a senior writer at PC World magazine (www.pcworld.com), says the low-end machines meet a need.
"The very low-cost systems are basic, and for a lot of people they are all that they need" for surfing the Web, balancing a checking or playing a game, McCracken said.
Consumers give up some features for the low-end computers, McCracken said. Microprocessors are a bit slower than the latest chips and can be made by Intel, AMD or Cyrix; machines generally have less random access memory; hard drives are smaller -- but those aren't major issues for most people.
"Today's $500 system is more powerful than a $1,000 system from a couple of years ago," McCracken said. "Even as they've gotten cheaper, they have gotten more powerful."
For those who are into 3-D games, who want to watch movies or who are into graphics, animation and advanced photo editing, they may need a more expensive system.
Even then it probably won't cost as much as a couple of years ago. For years, $2,000 was the target for a machine that would handle everything for a home user. Now, McCracken says, that mark is in the $1,000 to $1,200 range for what he calls a pretty loaded system, again minus the monitor.
In its September issue, PC World's monthly top 20 chart of best budget desktop computers lists only one model less than $1,000 (a $915 system from Axis Systems Metropolis), with another seven costing less than $1,300.
Apple Computer's (www.apple.com) lowest-priced computer, the iMac, enjoyed a huge sales year and a lot of publicity about its unique look, ease of use and its contribution to Apple's revival. It was the top-selling desktop computer in June, but retailing at about $1,199 with a built-in monitor, it doesn't compete with the low-end market.
"Being priced at $1,199 effectively means that these products are priced out of the reach for consumers who are price-conscious," said Stephen Baker, director of hardware services and analysis at PC Data.
Now eMachines has come up with an iMac style computer (so similar in its translucent blue box that Apple has sued for trademark infringement) that runs Windows. It is retailing for $799 and, unlike some other bargain-price computers, it meets the specifications recommended for most home users.
Consumers shopping for a low-end machine need to be aware of other issues, McCracken says: Some companies that make them have had trouble keeping up with demand. When Microworkz offered its Webzter Jr. for $299, it couldn't keep up with orders, bringing a flood of consumer complaints that still are being sorted out, according to PC World.
Also, warranties on low-end systems may be short and phone support may not be available or may come with fees of $20 or more a call.
"You can get a very inexpensive system and still go with a company you've heard of and that's more likely to be around for the long haul," said McCracken, noting that most major PCmakers offer low-end systems.
Compu-DAWN's Danner hopes to avoid problems others have faced. He expects the supply to be plentiful, based on his partners' expertise in distribution and retail. The company has not decided on its warranty, which Danner expects to be "industry standard." The phone support issue also has not been finalized, though Danner expects to have free support for at least some time after the purchase.
The $299 price is feasible because it doesn't use Windows and depends on "older but reliable hardware." Compu-DAWN's research showed the top concern among people who don't have a PC is ease of use, second was the ability to buy where they shop often and third was cost.
"If you've used Windows, you know there are challenges," Danner said. The GlobalPC will use an operating system called GEOS, which he said has been around for 10 years but has not been widely used. (It will include software applications the company says are compatible with Microsoft products.)
"It runs in an equivalent manner to what you would expect from a higher-end Pentium machine," he said, and includes on-screen tutorials to help new users learn the ropes. Speaking of on-screen: The GlobalPC can be connected to a TV if the user doesn't want to buy a monitor, Danner said.
Kmart and Wal-Mart will give the computers access to mainstream shoppers, and the computers will have a longer shelf life because they won't be outdated by frequent hardware upgrades, which helps the retailers, Danner said. The Tampa Bay area was chosen as a test site because of its number of senior citizens, which Compu-DAWN sees as a lucrative market.
Prices have fallen so far that some companies are offering "free" computers for people who sign Internet service contracts, promotions that have captured the public's interest.
"It has helped accelerate demand for the low-end products," PC Data's Baker said. "Most retailers are reporting that consumers who are accepting the ISP rebates are purchasing the below-$600 products. PCs above this price point have seen very little sales bump from this promotion."
EMachines' Dukker thinks $399 is a bottom price for Windows-based computers, but expects consumers to continue getting more for their dollar.
© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.


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By Chris BrownByChris BrownPosted November 11, 2016 07:25:30New Jersey’s charter communications company Charter Communications, which is part of Alphabet, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States on Tuesday, just hours after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.
Charter’s tax shelter was valued at $1.3 billion at the end of 2016.
It was the largest tax shelter in the country.
The company, which was founded in 2013 by the founders of the internet-enabled messaging app WhatsApp, has faced several regulatory investigations over the past few years.
Its financial position has been threatened by the U.S. Justice Department, which recently filed a lawsuit accusing Charter of unlawfully collecting and transferring user data in the name of its own advertising program.
Charters tax shelter, which would enable it to continue operating as an independent company, would also allow it to avoid any potential liabilities from a government crackdown on its ad business.
The bankruptcy filing comes a day after the Department of Justice said it was considering filing a civil lawsuit against Charter, arguing that the company is breaking federal laws by selling information about its users to advertisers and collecting personal information for the sole purpose of promoting its own ads.
Charm also faces multiple lawsuits, including one in New Jersey, over its business practices.
The department filed a suit in March against Charter for failing to comply with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, a law designed to protect users from government surveillance.