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Regarding the Sept. 19 news article “US attorneys focus on prescription opioid and heroin abuse”: I am weary of articles blaming the opium (opioids/opiates) epidemic on our physicians. When opium products became rampant on our streets again, officials had difficulty explaining this epidemic to the public. Our government faced similar problems in the 1960s when our military troops were sent to Vietnam and the Golden (opium) Triangle.
Let’s follow the money trail. According to the United Nations, almost two-thirds of illegal street opium is cultivated in Afghanistan, but not processed there. Most opium is processed into pills, powders, patches and heroin in factories in other foreign countries. The vast majority of opium products sold on the streets is not processed in U.S. factories, not at any time ordered by our physicians or dispensed by our pharmacies. According to the U.N., most opium products used illegally in the U.S. are believed to be processed in Mexican and other factories in Central and Latin America. It is estimated the illegal opium trade is a $69 billion to $79 billion a year business.
While some bad apples exist, U.S. physicians didn’t start and don’t maintain the illegal opium epidemic, so stop the scapegoating. There is a better question. Why are we still in Afghanistan?


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- Uber teams up with Wolff Olins for a new identityNearly two years since its last redesign, Uber has decided to change its identity once again. It has teamed up with brand agency Wolff Olins to give the brand a fresh start.
- The New Creatives: creating cultures and experiences that have deep-rooted human valueIje Nwokorie, CEO of Wolff Olins, is an accomplished professional, acutely aware of the creative landscape and the influences that shape it. As president of the Design Jury at Dubai Lynx 2015, Ije provided an insightful, presentation on “The New Creatives.”
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domain: news


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DUSSELDORF, GERMANY - Aoki Technical Laboratory Inc. claimed a number of blow molding firsts with the five machines it ran on its stand at K'95. But the Nagano, Japan-based maker of injection-stretch blow molding machinery not only demonstrated its technology in Dusseldorf, but also was looking for U.S. sales representatives since it split with its longtime U.S. distributor, Formex Inc. of Dayton, Ohio, at the end of June.
At the moment, Aoki is relying on Aoki America SA de CV, the five-person sales office it set up a few months ago in Monterrey, Mexico, to represent it in North America, but the firm recognizes it will need up to 10 regional sales representatives to properly cover the United States.
``We're looking for reps to cover regions of the United States,'' and some are being tried out now,'' said Kohei Tsugami, managing director for marketing. However, he noted, ``In the long term, Aoki America may handle all of the Americas.''
Tsugami and company president Shigeto Aoki preferred in an interview at K'95 to discuss the 19-year-old firm's recent technical advances. They claimed their company is the first to injection-stretch blow mold high density polyethylene bottles. On the stand, the firm also ran three 100LL-model machines molding identical, widemouth, 500-milliliter mineral-water bottles made of PET, amorphous PET (A-PET), and a blend of PET and the new polyethylene naphthalate resin.
PE bottles typically have been extrusion blow molded, since removal of the HDPE preform from the core could prove difficult. Aoki officials say they have modified the mold used to make the high-temperature preform, thereby making feasible the stretch blowing of bottles and containers with capacities exceeding 1 liter.
They claim that use of this process eliminates the need for finishing operations, since the molding precision of the bottle mouth is high and the seal properties are good. Stretching the preform also improves its mechanical properties, according to the company.
At K'95, Aoki introduced machine model SBIII-250P-40N, a mass-production unit with 12 cavities able to mold HDPE detergent bottles in a 12-second cycle time.
Aoki has vented the screw on the machine it uses to run A-PET resin, which helps remove the moisture, gas and unreacted monomer and eliminate the need for a large dryer. It also uses a longer screw to improve mixing.
The company said it has been trying for the past three years to develop a machine to mold PEN resin - which offers high heat resistance and barrier properties superior to PET's - and finally succeeded in molding bottles with various blended ratios of PEN and PET.


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Capital Bank of Jordan has selected Temenos T24 to support its expansion into the retail banking market. The bank offers corporate and personal banking services to its customers across 11 branches in Jordan. It plans to increase the number of branches to 35 in the next three to four years, as well as seeking new business opportunities in neighbouring countries.
For the past 12 years the bank has used several systems to run its operations, which were heavily focused on the corporate banking sector. Lack of scalability in the existing system meant that the bank had to acquire and integrate multiple systems into its core banking infrastructure resulting in high, untenable maintenance costs. With a new strategic focus on the retail banking market, Capital Bank of Jordan required a more flexible and scalable system that could meet both local and international regulatory requirements as well as providing the rapid delivery of new products and services to enable the bank to differentiate its offerings in a very competitive market.
After a rigorous selection process involving numerous international vendors, Capital Bank of Jordan selected T24 to support its corporate and retail banking businesses on a single platform. By replacing the existing legacy systems and various sub-systems, T24 will reduce ongoing maintenance costs considerably and generate significant cost savings for the bank.
“To achieve our goals in the retail banking market we needed to significantly improve the range of products and services that we were offering. Developing new products in the existing system was a lengthy process therefore a quick time to market for new products and multi-channel delivery capabilities were among our top priorities in the selection of a new core banking system. In addition, we wanted to automate as many processes as possible to improve operational efficiency and increase customer satisfaction through consistent service delivery,” said Haytham Kamhiyah, general manager, Capital Bank of Jordan.
UK firms investment in training and development will increase, on average, by a fifth in the next year, claims Robert Half recruitment after interviewing 100 financial services (FS) executives.
A report by broking group Marsh examines the repercussions from the administration of the South Korean company, which filed for bankruptcy protection at the end of August.
Global research by C2FO suggests that smaller businesses are less concerned with the repercussions of Brexit and the upcoming US presidential election.
A squeeze on skilled talent means it now takes an average of seven weeks to fill open permanent roles in finance in the UK according to new research from financial services recruitment firm Robert Half.


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German ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd’s first quarter net loss widened to 132.4 million euros ($172 million) from 22.1 million euros ($28.7 million) a year ago as lower freight rates and higher fuel
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Oct 11, 2011
Kim Burrell to perform in Birmingham, Nov. 19th
Kim Burrell will be performing at Trinity C.M.E. Church, Nov. 19th 2011, 7pm for their Black and White Ball. Tickets are $50 or $90 a couple. The event tickets canbe purchased from Desirable Fashions, Harbert Plaza or online at trinitycmebirmingham.org.


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Almost one-in-three British consumers shopped online in the last three months, outpacing their French and German counterparts, according to research from Hermes.
With 27% of British shoppers placing orders online (compared to 14% in France and just 10% in Germany), the growing importance of multichannel offerings and better delivery services are cited by the research as key contributory factors.
Hermes’ 2014 Parcel Deliveries Usage and Attitude Survey found that 42% of British consumers plan to shop online even more over the next year, compared to 30% of French and 28% of Germans.
Around two thirds of the survey’s respondents have had to change delivery details for goods ordered online, making flexible and responsive deliveries a key element.
The use of smartphones and tablets is doubling when it comes to placing orders. More than twice as many Brits are now buying regularly via these devices (23%), compared to Germany (11%) and France (9%). Although laptops are still the most popular way of buying across all three countries.
A free and reliable returns service was cited by shoppers in all three countries as the “most appealing feature” when it came to delivery services (around 25%). Almost half of British shoppers (44%) blamed retailers for unclear product information, leading to high levels of returns.


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Bitcoin greece news
Bitcoin Talk Radio. News. Bitcoin Price Corrects on China News,. exchanges Finance fintech funding GAMING gold Greece Hack India Japan Mining New York Payment.CNNMoney says Bitcoin exchanges have been registering more interest from Greece than ever before.
Greece arrests Russian suspected of running $4 billion
With its volatile currency and dysfunctional banks, the country is the perfect place to experiment with a new digital currency.Think inside the box with these tricked-out shipping container homes.Bitcoin ATMs could spring up across Greece as soon as October as citizens and businesses become increasingly desperate to move their money despite capital controls.A man demonstrates the use of a Bitcoin ATM at a bookstore in Acharnai in northern Athens, Greece, on June 30.
Bitcoin fraud suspect arrested in Greece – Updated News
In March-April 2013, when Cyprus clamped down on bank withdrawals, bitcoin rocketed almost 700 percent.Bitcoin fraud suspect arrested in Greece - BBC News He is said to be part of a gang accused of laundering billions of dollars using the digital currency.Then, a similar message to that received when the source card does not have any funds, or has expired is shown.Police sources identified him as Alexander Vinnik, 38, who was arrested after a tip-off in a small beachside village in northern Greece on a US warrant.
Greece plans to roll out Bitcoin ATMs across the countryBitcoin evangelists are seeing the opportunity in the Greek situation.Blockchain and Bitcoin bringing you the latest news and analyses on the future of money.
Greece will see the rollout of 1,000 bitcoin ATMs beginning this year.
Virtual currency Bitcoin has seen a rally as the Greek financial crisis has deepened.Get started with Bitcoin: find a wallet, buy bitcoin, shop with bitcoin, read bitcoin news, and get involved on the forum.Online payments halted in Greece, citizens eye Bitcoin to protect savings.
Bitcoin Price Hits 4-month High as Greece Votes 'NoATHENS (Reuters) - A Russian national suspected of masterminding a money-laundering operation using bitcoin was transferred to prison in Greece on Friday, while the.The timing has led some to speculate that the former is due.Digital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.
Bitcoin fraud suspect arrested in Greece - BBC NewsThat said, the value of a bitcoin, a web-based digital currency invented six years ago that floats freely and is not backed by a government or central bank, has been highly volatile.A Russian arrested in Greece on suspicion of running a money laundering operation through a bitcoin platform is 38 year old.Buy Bitcoin, Create Bitcoin Wallets, Read Bitcoin News, and more, at Bitcoin.com.
Greece, Europe and Bitcoin. - News, Price, Events
PayPal Halted In Greece As Bitcoin Surges | PYMNTS.com
About Bitcoin School in Greece | Blockchain NewsIn a world filled with debt-ridden countries in danger of financial collapse, Greece has become the latest poster child for bad monetary policy and politic.He is said to be part of a gang accused of laundering billions of dollars using the digital currency. (from BBC News).Bitcoin is not affected by the current trends in Greece, meaning it is a relatively safe option to invest savings into.Bitcoin has gained about 3 percent over the past week and nearly 10 percent since the beginning of June.MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian national arrested in Greece on Wednesday on suspicion of laundering criminal funds by switching them into bitcoins is a key person behind.
Interest in the digital currency has grown in Greece in recent weeks as some concluded that adopting the digital.
Bitcoin and the Collapse of Greece - Wealth Daily
Bitcoin News – Greece to Get 1,000 Digital Cash ATMs toGreece Referendum: Expected Outcomes For Bitcoin and. with greater adoption and positive news,. may curb a flight to bitcoin.The same online payment restrictions mean Greek cards cannot be used for purchases on Amazon, or any other e-retailer that has previously served Greek customers.However, those with Greek iTunes accounts located outside Greece can still use the service, and transfer money using PayPal.
With no way to withdraw more than 60 euros and online payment systems blocked, some tech-savvy Greeks are looking at alternative ways to protect savings, or even adopt their own new currency free from the clutches of the Greek government or the EU.
Alleged Bitcoin Fraud 'Mastermind' Sought by U.S. Held inBitcoin rate had been tracking merely listed below its 1-hour 200-period moving standard for days.We aim to continue serving our valued customers in Greece in full,.The first 2-way bitcoin ATM in Greece will be inaugurated in downtown Athens.
Bitcoin May Be Too Late for Greece, But Not Other
A Russian national suspected of masterminding a money-laundering operation using bitcoin was transferred to prison in Greece on.This week was by no means the first time the mainstream media has.
Greece to receive 1,000 bitcoin ATMs | Mobile Payments TodayWith coming challenges to the banking sector in Greece and Italy,.
Bitcoin – What Next? | Armstrong EconomicsSome Greeks are converting euros into bitcoin to evade currency controls and guard against the prospect that they might be devalued into drachmas.Greek debit and credit cards linked to international stores online have been blocked.It said the average daily sign-ups from euro zone countries had increased 350 percent since the start of June.Bitcoin has exploded since the Greek crisis has gotten worse, and it may be too much for the currency to handle.
Cryptocurrency reddit investing | Investment bitcoin 2017 | Getting started bitcoin mining | Cryptocurrency trading market | Buy bitcoin with stolen cc | Who created bitcoin | Introduction to bitcoin youtube | How to setup a bitcoin atm | Where to sell bitcoins for usd |


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Motorola and Verizon on Tuesday unveiled their newest additions to the Droid lineup: The Android-powered Droid Turbo 2 and the Droid Maxx 2. Motorola claims the Droid Turbo 2 is shatterproof, meaning you can drop it face down on the ground without cracking its screen.
That extra screen protection comes by way of a technology Motorola calls “Shatter Shield.” The Droid Turbo 2 has a flexible 5.4-inch screen that absorbs shock and an extra protective layer that prevents the touchscreen from disabling after a bad drop. Motorola President Rick Osterloh demonstrated the feature during a press event Tuesday, dropping the phone face-down on a concrete block before showing off the lack of damage.
The Turbo 2 lasts for 48 hours on a single charge, according to Motorola. It supports fast-charging tech that allows users to get 13 hours of battery life after charging the phone for 15 minutes, the company claims. Meanwhile, the Maxx 2’s battery also lasts for 48 hours, but Motorola says users will get eight hours of battery life after re-charging for 15 minutes it versus 13 with the Turbo 2.
Both phones also have 21-megapixel main cameras and 5-megapixel front-facing cameras. To put that in perspective, the Samsung Galaxy S6 features a 16-megapixel camera, while the iPhone 6S comes with a 12-megapixel camera. On paper, this means the Droid Turbo 2 and Maxx 2 should capture better photos, but it’s impossible to tell for sure without testing the cameras side-by-side.
Motorola wants to make its new Droid phones just as customizable as its Moto X phones, as well. The company’s Moto Maker feature is now available for the Droid Maxx and Droid Turbo, meaning shoppers will be able to choose from various color combinations and textures for the phone’s back shell. If customers change their mind about their design, they can choose a new look for their Droid after two years.
The new devices look and feel similar to Motorola’s Moto X Pure, which debuted back in July. The overall design is the nearly the same, but the new Droids feel a bit lighter and less bulky. One key difference, however, is that the new Droids are exclusive to Verizon since it’s the carrier’s branding. Verizon has been working with companies such as Motorola and HTC to make Droid phones that run on Android since as far back as 2009.
The Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx launch on Thursday, with the Turbo 2 launching at $624 full price ($20/month under Verizon’s payment plan) and the Maxx 2 costing $384 full price ($16/month under that plan). Customers trading in a phone with a cracked screen get a $300 credit towards the Turbo 2.
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Troy coworking space to expand into Albany
Nardacci created and opened the Troy Innovation Garage on Fourth Street in downtown Troy last year for creative entrepreneurs to cowork.
“I think that things are going really well here in Troy. We’ve been finalizing the physical improvements in the building and now we are now focused on the exterior improvements here,” explained Nardacci. “We will have a new awning installed and our lighting and things like that to just maintain the historical character of the building and that is probably about $150,000 worth of improvements.”
Click to read full article on The Record


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Brian Tong delivers everything happening around Google with his high-energy style, covering the late
The company's plans for the wireless transfer technology start with USB adaptors, but the ultimate goal is embedding TransferJet into smartphones.
Google is seeking permission to test a high-speed Internet service that could be in your home before Fiber.
The company's Project Link aims to deliver reliable broadband connections to areas where the Internet infrastructure is inadequate.
Sprint's brand of ultra-fast LTE will launch with four smartphones, but the carrier says two more are on the way.
Internet service providers are getting a new option called G.fast that can extend the lifespan of existing copper phone lines yet again.
With its massive satellite spectrum, Dish is given the go-ahead by the U.S. government to put those airwaves to wireless use.
Years after the FCC agreed to open up white-space spectrum for unlicensed use in the U.S., California's rural Gold Country tries out the first commercial version of the service.
The Mac laptop and desktop business takes over as Apple's second-biggest revenue generator, as iPad sales struggle.
The most important things to know when shopping for a new laptop, hybrid, or Windows tablet.
Too bad it's only in a lab. Mass deployment of such technology isn't expected until at least 2020.


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Apple has released some new impressive features for its upcoming iOS 9 mobile operating system, will be new News interface, the latest and enhanced applications enable users to catch up with latest news and articles. As per Apple this applications will likely be introduced with iOS 9.
It is interesting to notice that the News is quiet similar to almost all successful Flipboard magazine-style news reader app. It reveals news in a visually interesting magazine-like layout, and curates stories over one million topics depending on the interest of the users. The applications is powered by the new Apple News Format and a digital publishing format that enables publishers to make detailed layouts.
“News seamlessly delivers the articles you want to read in a beautiful and uncluttered format, while respecting your privacy, because Apple doesn’t share your personal data,” sated by Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We already have nearly 20 publishers representing more than 50 titles joining us, including Condé Nast, ESPN, The New York Times, Hearst, Time Inc., CNN, and Bloomberg.”
The Apple News app, which switch the old Newsstand app on release, may help publishers to make visually interesting content exclusively for the platform. Content including photographs and galleries, audio, video, maps and rich interactions like parallax and animations, and also publishers are able to use this to offer users to dedicated stories and articles.
Apple has opened the registrations for publishers already, though extra publishing tools will be provided later on this year, nearer to the release of iOS 9. The new mobile operating system would probably roll out around September 2015, to keep available for iPhone 4S and later on, iPod touch ( 5th Generation ), iPad 2 and later on, and iPad mini and afterwards.


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Speaking to VnExpress, a Yeah1 executive confirmed that the Vietnamese digital media company had been unable to convince YouTube not to cancel its content-hosting service agreements (CHSA) licenses. Yeah1 and its subsidiaries will no longer be multi channel network (MCN) partners. With 6.9 billion monthly views Yeah1 had been the third largest MCN in the world, according to Bloomberg. An MCN acts as an intermediary connecting creators of video content and YouTube. Content creators in return receive benefits such as copyright protection, income tax support, access to IP licensed contents to develop new products, and optimized advertising. A CHSA is the license for a partner media company to earn from third-party businesses that run ads on channels. Yeah1 recently notified the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange that it was prepared for termination, and would focus on its organic channels on YouTube. Nguyen Anh Nhuong Tong, Yeah1 chairman, reassured shareholders that termination of the … [Read more...] about Yeah1 unable to salvage content-hosting contracts with YouTube
Pac 12 network youtube tv
The Hanoitimes - No longer having the Content Hosting Agreement from YouTube means that Yeah1 will not be able to aggregate third party channels and share passive advertising revenue on YouTube, according to Viet Dragon Securities Company (VDSC)’s latest report. Vietnam’s Yeah1 to offload US-based ScaleLab after two months of acquisition Youtube incident sends Yeah1 shares plummeting for fifth consecutive day The recent incident about YouTube terminating the Content Hosting Service Agreement (CHSA) with Vietnam’s media group Yeah1 will cause the company to lose its revenue share from its YouTube third party/partners’ channels, leaving the company to rely on its remaining businesses. Youtube: Yeah1 Network This segment is mostly based on advertising on YouTube platform, contributing 28% of revenue and 51% of net profit after tax (NPTA) for Yeah1 in 2018, including three revenue sources: Ads revenue received from YouTube by displaying ads on … [Read more...] about What would Yeah1 have left following YouTube’s incident?
The incident arose after YouTube claimed SPRINGme Pte. Ltd, a Thailand-based company, indirectly owned by Yeah1 (16.93 percent), had violated its policies with some of its channel management activities, according to YouTube. While a series of stocks surged in Monday’s trading session, YEG was one of the few the lost out the most, down seven percent by the end of the session. This was equivalent to a drop of VND17,100 ($0.74) per share, down to VND227,900 ($9.82), bringing YEG’s market capitalization down by VND520 billion ($22.42 million). YEG shares plummeted in response to YouTube announcing it was terminating all Content Hosting Services Agreements (CHSA) after March 31 with all YEG’s subsidiaries or investment companies with business activities related to YouTube Adsense, the program that allows publishers on the video channel to serve advertisements by third parties, which in turn generate revenue for the content provider. The termination would apply to several … [Read more...] about Blue chip stock plummets after YouTube ‘incident’
ScaleLab is expected to receive $12 million upfront and another $8 million later if business targets are achieved two years after the merger. ScaleLab executives have said the company agreed to the sale because it requires an infusion of funds to expand operations and desired to integrate with Yeah1’s media ecosystem. ScaleLab plans to expand into Asia, where Yeah1 connect Asian talents and influencers with the international market. Tri Dao Phuc, CEO of Yeah1, said the strategy over the next three years is to "acquire premium social media brands, optimize our existing channels to boost viewership and performance." Headquartered in Hollywood, the U.S. ScaleLab is best known as the Youtube partner of Jake Paul, Jimmy Donaldson, Mariale Marrero, Erika Costell, Katie Angel, and many other YouTube stars. It has a roster of 1,750 influencers and 400 million subscribers, and gets three billion Youtube views a month. The five-year-old company was recognized as the … [Read more...] about Vietnam digital media giant acquires US network
YouTube says looking into reports of user access issuesThe Saigon Times Daily Silhouettes of mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of Youtube logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS NEW YORK (REUTERS) - YouTube, the Google-owned streaming service, said it was looking into reports of issues with its services after several people took to Twitter to complain about broadcasting issues. "Thanks for your reports about YouTube, YouTube TV and YouTube Music access issues. We're working on resolving this and will let you know once fixed," YouTube said in a tweet. … [Read more...] about YouTube says looking into reports of user access issues


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- Friday's tariff hike to 25% on a bulk of U.S. imports from China will cost the American economy $62 billion by next year, according to data from Oxford Economics.
- That total translates to $490 per household. More extreme protectionist policies would cost $800 per household.
- “While negotiations are ongoing, and the possibility of a deal remains significant, a further escalation of trade tensions would have dire consequences for both protagonists and the rest of the world,” says Gregory Daco, Oxford Economics chief U.S. economist.
The ongoing trade war with China could cost the average American family hundreds of dollars.
It all depends on how extreme the White House gets with protectionist policies. But Oxford Economics laid out various scenarios that, at the high end, could cost U.S. households as much as $800.
On the lower end, if the 25% tariffs that went into effect Friday are permanent and China retaliates, the U.S. economy could lose $62 billion in economic output by next year, according to Oxford Economics. That total translates to an equivalent loss of $490 per American household.
In a more extreme example, the firm considered the administration imposing 25% tariffs on all imports from China — not just the current $200 billion. Should China retaliate, Oxford Economics estimates that the U.S. economy would be about $100 billion smaller by 2020. That would translate to an $800 cost per household.
"While negotiations are ongoing, and the possibility of a deal remains significant, a further escalation of trade tensions would have dire consequences for both protagonists and the rest of the world," Gregory Daco, Oxford Economics chief U.S. economist, said in a note to clients Friday.
Stocks extended a week-long sell-off Friday after President Donald Trump said there's "absolutely no need to rush" on a trade agreement. He also said tariffs will make the United States "much stronger." Major averages fell near their lows of the day after Chinese Vice Premier Liu He left the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said China trade talks are done for week but were "constructive."
The job market could also take a hit thanks to trade turmoil. The current tariff rise could result in 200,000 fewer jobs, with growth falling below 2% in early 2020, according to Oxford Economics. The more extreme scenario with tariffs on all imports, and Chinese retaliation, would lead to 360,000 fewer jobs being created.
In a CNBC interview Friday morning, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said while the average American might not care about the Dow's triple-digit losses, they do pay attention to the job market.
"They're not thinking about the stock market every day," Scott told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday. "Look at this job market — that's what people are thinking about."
Low unemployment and a strong economy have been a strong point for the Trump administration heading into a 2020 election. In April, the unemployment rate hit its lowest level in 50 years. In the first quarter, gross domestic product increased 3.2%, far exceeding analysts' expectations. Productivity during the quarter saw its biggest gain in five years.
"The average person says: Do I have a job, and are my wages going up? That's what they care about," Scott said. "We'd all like the stock market to go up every day, but reality is, for the typical American, they want a good job."
— CNBC's Yun Li contributed reporting.


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U.S. businesses and diplomats are pressing India to cut tariffs, sources said, after New Delhi’s move to increase customs duties to help its flagship Make-in-India drive aggravated differences over trade.
Maybe it’s all the talk and tweets about who has the biggest nuclear button between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un? For one overriding trend in London Fashion Week Men's (LFWM) this season was Survivalist Chic.
Sidney Toledano is to resign from his position as CEO of Christian Dior and be replaced by Pietro Beccari, CEO of Fendi, in a significant change of management within LVMH. And more changes are in the pipeline.
China is pressing foreign payment card companies to form local joint ventures for onshore operations, said three people familiar with the matter, a move that would counter Beijing's pledge to the US on market access.
Hip Cuban clothing brand Clandestina is not waiting to see how tighter U.S. restrictions on travel to the Caribbean island affect visits of Americans shoppers but rather taking its line stateside through e-commerce.
Business leaders attending a U.S.-Mexico CEO conference said on Wednesday that no NAFTA would be better than a bad deal, as industry braces for the end of a treaty that drives $1 trillion in annual trade.


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Contributed by NAMPA / AFP.
Octopus skin inspires versatile new camouflage material
Miami, Oct 12, 2017 (AFP) - The octopus is a master of disguise because it can stretch, bend and make its skin take on new shapes. Inspired by these intelligent cephalopods, researchers said Thursday they have invented a new kind of material that can act similarly.
US engineers described their product -- a silicon-based skin that has a stretchable surface capable of programmed, three-dimensional texture morphing -- in the journal Science.


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It's official: EMC acquires flash storage startup XtremIO
EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) has acquired Israeli flash storage startup XtremIO, the data storage giant confirmed, Thursday, without disclosing a price.
An Israeli business publication, Globes, first reported in late April that the XtremIO acquisition was "close," and attached a $400 million to $450 million price tag to the deal. According to Globes, executives from EMC subsidiary VMWare (NYSE: VMW) were closely involved with the deal, as was EMC chief executive Joseph Tucci.
As the Boston Business Journal reported in April, XtremIO's chief technology officer is Robin Ren, a former director of research and development at VMWare, in its Cloud Application and Services Business Unit.
According to a news release from Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC, the all-cash XtremIO acquisition will not have a material impact on the company.
"The addition of XtremIO complements the range of EMC Flash-based systems and software stemming from EMC's early entry into the Flash storage market in 2008 when it became the first to integrate Flash drives into enterprise storage arrays. In 2011, EMC shipped to customers over 24 PBs of Flash drive capacity," EMC stated in the news release.
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In October 2016, Microsoft revealed that it believes 3D graphic data should be part of an integrated platform and accessible to everyone. At the time, the company unveiled Paint 3D to help promote the strategy. Windows Insiders recently due complained when Microsoft made Paint 3D the default Windows graphic application due to the application’s lackluster value and performance. Microsoft backed down and restored Windows defaults.
To continue its push into the 3D world, Microsoft and Simplygon have simultaneously announced that Microsoft will acquire the premier developer of automatic 3D data-optimization solutions.
Simplygon blog: https://www.simplygon.com/news/microsoft-acquires-simplygon/
Neither company makes mention of what will happen to Simplycon employees, except that the company will join forces with Microsoft and that the leadership team, led by CEO Matt Connors, founder and CTO Ulrik Lindahl and co-founder Koshi Hamedi, bring a depth of knowledge around 3D creation optimization, and we’re excited to welcome the team to Microsoft.
Looking for an awesome, no-nonsense technical conference for IT Pros, Devs, and DevOps? IT/Dev Connections kicks off in San Francisco in 2017!


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Edible oil imports rise 16 pc in Q1
The edible oil imports to the country was 9.32 lakh tons in the November-January quarter of the 2006-07 oil year, Mumbai-based Solvent Extractors Association said in a release.
Oil year runs from November to October. The rise in imports during the first quarter is mainly due to quantum jump in January as the country bought 4.57 lakh tons of edible oil last month alone compared to 3.12 lakh tons in the year-ago month, SEA said.
India also imported a substantial quantity of non-edible oils estimated at 55,652 tons in January 2008 against 36,110 tons in the corresponding month in 2007.


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Starting on Saturday, only five customers per 1,000 square feet can enter a Walmart, which will be about 20 percent of each locale's listed capacity, according to a statement by Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith.
And in many stores next week, markers will be put down to direct shoppers to one-way foot traffic "so to help more customers avoid coming into close contact with others as they shop," according to Smith.
Huge swaths of America are now under state-mandated shutdowns in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Grocery stores and pharmacies are among services exempted in state and local closure orders that also call for social distancing.
"While many of our customers have been following the advice of the medical community regarding social distancing and safety, we have been concerned to still see some behaviors in our stores that put undue risk on our people," Smith wrote.
Download the TODAY app for the latest coverage on the coronavirus outbreak.
One-way traffic in grocery aisles is a rare, but not totally unheard of, layout in U.S. grocery stores, according to Elizabeth Peralta, executive director of the National Supermarket Association.
The group has been urging its members to institute one-way shopper traffic since early March, though Peralta concedes that could be difficult in urban settings where square footage is at a premium.
"I don't think it's as far fetched as it seems, it's just if you've never seen it before," she told NBC News.


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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is targetting the export of palm oil and palm-based products to the Philippines to increase by 50% to RM3bil by 2020, from RM1.99bil recorded in 2015.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said the Philippines, which was flourishing with infrastructure development and with a population of about 100 million, offered huge potential for Malaysian palm oil and palm-based products.
The minister, who returned from the Philippines on Wednesday, after leading a rubber and palm oil economic and promotion mission, said coconut oil was the favourite edible oil among Filipinos.
“But, due to insufficient production of coconut oil, food manufacturers in the Philippines are encouraged to adopt the use of palm oil as an alternative, which is affordable and in line with economic development,” said Mah who also met importers and traders of palm oil and rubber in the Philippines.
He held bilateral discussions with the Secretary of Energy, Philippines, Alfonso G. Cusi and the Secretary of Trade and Industry Philippines Ramon M. Lopez on export and investment opportunities in the Philippines palm oil and rubber sectors.
The bilateral discussion with Cusi focused on exploring possible collaboration in the area of renewable energy especially in biodiesel, bioethanol and second-generation biofuels between the two countries.
The Philippines is currently using B2 (2.0% biodiesel) and was looking to improve the mixture to B5 (5.0% biodiesel) using coco-methyl ester (CME).
If B5 policy is mandated by the Philippines government, it would require some 350 million litres or 323,494.5 tonnes of CME.
Mah said Malaysia had ample capacity to supply sustainable palm-based biodiesel and praised the Philippines’ commitment to increase the blend of biofuel in their biodiesel mandate.
Besides, the minister strongly recommended that the Philippines use high technology rubber products from Malaysia, especially seismic bearings in buildings to reduce seismic impact from earthquakes.
Seismic bearings are advanced aseismic products developed by the Malaysian Rubber Board, targeted specifically at the infrastructure markets of countries located in high seismic risk zones. - Bernama


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Czech e-commerce is booming with 2017 racking up over 10% of the total retail sales in the country. The domestic market is becoming too small for the over 40,000 existing e-commerce players in Czech Republic. So where can they go next? Into cross-border business of course.
According to an article by 150sec.com, reporting on research made by Acomware (a Czech e-commerce consultancy), 16% of online shops see expansion to foreign markets as their business goal this year, while 18% of them see it as an opportunity for investments (published by TyInternety magazine).
What The Industry Gurus Have To Say
“Czech e-commerce is among the most advanced in the world. It is due to a huge level of competition on the domestic market. The opportunities to expand are enormous,” said Jan Vohryzek, manager of Google for export and development, for economic daily E15.
“[The online stores] have an ideal chance to penetrate foreign markets. Alza or Zoot started this business trend two years ago, and now another wave of expansion is awaiting,” said Jan Kvasnička, an expert in enhancing the performance of online shops.
“We belong to the world’s top tier – we can personalize, segment, work with data. Whereas three years ago many companies failed while entering the Polish or German market, they are more mature now and able to analyze competition and local specifics,” Kvasnička added.
How The Big Players Play
Alza.cz is the largest player in Czech Republic and their largest foreign market is Hungary. They are also thinking about opening a branch in Germany whilst continuing to focus on the Austrian market.
Notino is also planning on expanding into a further two countries. The perfume and cosmetics seller is not sure into which markets they want to expand, but they are already active in 22 markets around the globe including the US.
Vemzu.cz is currently focusing on the consolidation of the Czech and Slovak markets but plans on expanding to another three countries next year. “We’re deciding between Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia. We want to establish ourselves through our brick-and-mortar shops. There will be one flagship store in each of these countries,” said Michal Do Viet, the company's founder.
These are just 3 of the 40,100 existing players, so it stands to reason that there are a lot more Czech companies that are ready to go cross-border. The future will most likely show many other players from Czech Republic expanding out of their domestic market.


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Caterpillar Inc. reported Monday that first-quarter profit rose 45 percent on stronger sales and relatively flat material costs, helping the maker of construction and agricultural equipment to beat Wall Street estimates.
Net income grew to $840 million, or $1.20 per share, from $581 million, or 81 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue rose 13 percent to $9.39 billion from $8.34 billion last year on higher prices and sales volume, the company said.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected earnings of $1.05 per share on sales of $8.7 billion.
The company raised its 2006 earnings per share forecast to a range of $4.85 to $5.20, from a previous range of $4.65 to $5, and kept its revenue forecast at about $40 billion.
Analysts estimate earnings of $4.99 per share on revenue of $38 billion.


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TikTok will partner with Atmosphere to bring TikTok TV to commercial venues for the first time. TikTok will launch and integrate TikTok TV initially with Amazon Fire TV, and later on Google TV and other Android TV OS devices, LG Smart TVs, and Samsung Smart TVs.
In a blog post, TikTok said, “We’re taking TikTok to the big screen in the living room, offering a new way to experience the joy and creativity of TikTok together at home. With our mobile app, we bring people little bursts of joy, and the big screen experience allows families and friends to easily enjoy TikTok together.”
TikTok will partner with Atmosphere, a startup that provides licensed and curated streamed video content for commercial venues like Westin, Taco Bell, and Texas Roadhouse. It also does the same for doctors’ offices, gyms, and other venues where people spend dwelling time.
Atmosphere in the first stage will develop a new channel on its platform dedicated to curated TikTok videos. TikTok content will for the first time be used for an out-of-home video service.
Dan Page, head of global business development in a statement said, “TikTok has become a destination for more than a billion people to be entertained, get inspired, and find community. By partnering with Atmosphere, we’re excited to make it easy for people to experience TikTok together by bringing the joy and creativity of our platform to new screens, venues, and audiences.”
Earlier Atmosphere has raised $100 million thanks to the strong growth last year. This resulted in an increase in the number of venues using its ad-supported streaming services to 19,000, covering some 20 million monthly unique users.
TikTok in its blog post mentioned, “The TikTok TV app is built for a TV home-viewing experience, making it easy to watch content from our ‘For You’ and ‘Following’ feeds on the big screen. This includes the most liked and viewed videos across a huge range of categories, from gaming and comedy to food and animals. To get started, people can login to the TikTok TV app with their existing account. There is also a ‘Discover’ page, which lets you find more of your favorite content, creators, and categories on TikTok.”


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More than 20,000 people register for new Porsche Taycan EV
All-new electric car is expected to launch in September
Porsche has revealed that more than 20,000 people have registered interest in its upcoming Taycan electric sports car.
The figure was revealed at the recent Geneva Motor Show, and each person who expressed interest in the model had to put down a payment of €2,500 (£2,154) in Europe.
The all-new Taycan is expected to make its full debut in September, with a full launch by the end of the year. It comes with a claimed 0-60mph time of 3.3 seconds, and is said to be able to cover 310 miles on a single charge. The all-new platform has been developed in partnership with fellow Volkswagen Group company Audi.
Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board for sales and marketing at Porsche AG “The overwhelming interest in the Taycan shows us that our customers and fans are just as excited about the first Porsche electric athlete as we are – and we’ve therefore increased our production capacities.
“The Taycan will be the most sporty (sic) and most technically advanced vehicle in its segment – a true Porsche.”
The Stuttgart-based sports car company has created an all-new facility to produce the Taycan, too.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated ‘InFinity Forum’, a thought leadership forum on Financial Technology (FinTech) through a video conference.
The forum aims at bringing together the leading minds of the world in policy, business, and technology to discuss and come up with actionable insight into how technology and innovation can be leveraged by the FinTech industry for inclusive growth and serving humanity at large.
Speaking at the inauguration Prime Minister Modi spoke about technology and its role in financial inclusion, especially during the pandemic.
PM Modi said that “From less than 50% of Indians having bank accounts in 2014, they have almost universalised with 430 million Jan Dhan accounts in the last 7 years, while 690 million RuPay cards clocking 1.3 billion transactions last year. Despite the pandemic, about 1.5 million railway tickets get booked online every day.”
The event was organised by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) under the aegis of the Government of India. Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) and Bloomberg were also part of the event.
Countries like Indonesia, South Africa, and the UK have partnered for the first edition of the Forum.
The agenda of the Forum is focusing on the theme of ‘Beyond’ with various sub-themes including FinTech beyond boundaries, with governments and businesses focussing beyond the geographical boundaries in the development of global stack to promote financial inclusiveness.


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Global equities to push higher through mid-2017Staff Writer | September 9, 2016
Global equities should push higher through mid-2017, Societe Generale said, thanks to stronger growth and a better inflation outlook, along with continued decent yields.
Equities To focus on the next recession in the U.S.
"In addition, even though overall upside may feel limited, there are opportunities for large equity returns on some focused segments of the market, as seen so far this year."
As far as the US is concerned, the French bank expects the S&P 500 to push higher still despite already hitting a new all-time high over the summer. It cited a still soft Fed, more fiscal easing, higher oil prices and accelerating M&A as catalysts.
The bank said it has raised its exposure to the consumer discretionary sector to better gear itself to the eurozone consumer as it pointed to a lower unemployment rate and better economic return for the region.
"The sector is lagging its U.S. peers and should benefit from rising consumer confidence."
The bank also said it was gearing up to fiscal easing. For the first time since the euro area crisis, the overall fiscal stance in the bloc should turn into easing in 2017, it said. ■


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Korea, the world’s third largest LNG importer behind Japan and China, paid a record average of $23.8/mn BTU for its 3.83mn tons of August imports. This included its most expensive ever cargo from Egypt at $178mn or $54.6/mn BTU. With Egypt’s gas market tight during the country’s summer demand peak, state firm Egas was able to export just four cargoes in June, five in July and two in August (MEES, 19 August). The record-breaking cargo loaded at the Damietta terminal on 29 June and arrived in Incheon, 2 August, Kpler data shows.
Korea’s overall import volumes, at 30.0mn tons for 8M 2022, were down fractionally year-on-year, whilst the country’s import bill exactly doubled to $28.4bn. The bill for Qatari supplies rose 31% to $4.81bn despite a 19% fall in volumes to 6.36mn tons as Qatar was overtaken by Australia (up 29% at 7.52mn tons) as Korea’s top supplier. (CONTINUED - 147 WORDS)


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Equipment finance confidence drops slightly in October
The equipment finance market's confidence dropped to 55.0 in October, as concerns about the economy's long-term health remain due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Confidence in the equipment finance market is 55.0, which is down slightly from the September index of 56.5 and steady with pre-COVID index levels, according to the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) released the October 2020 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI).
Bruce J. Winter, president, FSG Capital, Inc., said in a press release, “It’s now obvious that the economic fallout from this pandemic will continue for the foreseeable future and there will be no quick return to pre-COVID 19 economic metrics. While many of our clients have adapted to a new normal, others have spent their government stimulus and are at risk of closure without additional support. The resiliency of the equipment finance industry is without doubt, but as with other cycles, there will be winners and losers. In this cycle, those lucky enough to have little or no exposure to threatened industries will be the winners, while those with too much exposure to these same segments have no choice but to deal with significant stress.”
When asked to assess their business conditions over the next four months, 29.6% of executives responding said they believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, down from 35.7% in September. 51.9% believe business conditions will remain the same over the next four months, an increase from 46.4% the previous month. 18.5% believe business conditions will worsen, an increase from 17.9% in September.
More than 20% of the survey respondents believe demand for leases and loans to fund capital expenditures (capex) will increase over the next four months, down from 28.6% in September. 66.7% believe demand will “remain the same” during the same four-month time period, an increase from 64.3% the previous month. 11.1% believe demand will decline, an increase from 7.1% in September.
A third of the respondents expect more access to capital to fund equipment acquisitions over the next four months, up from 17.9% in September. 66.7% of executives indicate they expect the “same” access to capital to fund business, a decrease from 78.6% last month. None expect “less” access to capital, a decrease from 3.6% the previous month.
When asked, 25.9% of the executives report they expect to hire more employees over the next four months, up from 17.9% in September. 63% expect no change in headcount over the next four months, a decrease from 71.4% last month. 11.1% expect to hire fewer employees, up slightly from 10.7% the previous month.
None of the leadership evaluate the current U.S. economy as “excellent,” unchanged from the previous month. 55.6% of the leadership evaluate the current U.S. economy as “fair,” up from 46.4% in September. 44.4% evaluate it as “poor,” down from 53.6% last month.
A little over a quarter of the survey respondents believe that U.S. economic conditions will get “better” over the next six months, a decrease from 50% in September. More than half indicate they believe the U.S. economy will “stay the same” over the next six months, an increase from 39.3% last month. 14.8% believe economic conditions in the U.S. will worsen over the next six months, up from 10.7% the previous month.
In October, 22.2% of respondents indicate they believe their company will increase spending on business development activities during the next six months, a decrease from 28.6% last month.


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Plastic not fantastic; New York slated to become the second US state to ban single-use plastic bags.
The past 12 months proved to be an exciting time for green innovation, with new products and systems emerging and scaling amid a backdrop of climate protests. Here, edie scans the horizon for innovations that could transform sustainability in 2020.
Kingfisher has been one of the front runners in transforming its business into a more circular business. The focus? Smarter consumption and get ‘more from less’. Create less waste Retail Detail had an exclusive interview with Caroline Laurie, Head of Sustainability of Kingfisher plc.
I’ve been cooking professionally for 22 years. To be honest, I had never really thought about doing something else: Chris Van Hooydonk.
To further its sustainability efforts, UPM Raflatac has joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100 program. The Circular Economy 100 (CE 100) is a pre-competitive innovation program that enables organizations to develop new opportunities and realize their circular economy ambitions faster. It brings together corporations, governments and cities, academic institutions, emerging innovators and affiliates in a unique multi-stakeholder platform.


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For the global information and telecommunications technology expert, International Data Corporation, last year’s worldwide mobile phone market is mainly characterized by a stronger demand for smartphones and a heated competition among smartphone/mobile phone vendors.
According to IDC, there were more than 1.7 billion mobile phones which were shipped all over the world in 2012. Meanwhile, 712.6 million units sold globally comprised the worldwide smartphone market during the same year.
Last year’s top 5 smartphone vendors include: Samsung, currently the world’s leader with 215.8 million units sold. While Apple gets second place with 135.9 million units shipped globally. Nokia and HTC take third and fourth place with 35.1 and 32.6 million units sold respectively. Now named according to its signature product Blackberry, Research in Motion suffers an upsetting drop to fifth place with only 32.5 million units sold, a -36.4% year over year change compared to its 2011 market share.
The rising demand for smartphones has also propelled an increasing demand in mobile applications. In fact, in 2010 there were over 300,000 mobile apps which were downloaded 10.9 billion times, says IDC. Moreover, the Massachusetts-based telecom expert predicts that global app downloads will reach 76.9 billion in 2014, representing more than $35 billion in revenue.
Today, business professionals are among the largest consumers of smartphones and the most “appified” (those who use apps as an extension of their business lives) smartphone users as well. Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP has also become the mainstream communication platform for cost-cutting businesses.
More and more businesses are looking into ways of connecting their mobile workforce to their VoIP system via smartphones. Business elites and their workforce are also the biggest beneficiaries of business-oriented mobile apps.
Some of the most popular VoIP apps for business people include:
The VoIP app, purchased by Microsoft in 2011, now has over 280 million users globally. Skype is now considered among the best business VoIP solutions, offering its users services such as voice and video calling, instant messaging, conference calling, calls to/from phone networks and voicemail.
Skype recently introduced business tools such as TelyHD Business Edition, Skype Manager and Skype in the Workspace. These tools allow you to facilitate multi-party video calls/conferencing with up to six participants, manage your employees’ Skype accounts centrally and promote products and services by sending instant messages to current and potential clients.
BBM 7 supports VoIP calls called BBM Voice as well as instant messaging services. Although similar to Apple’s FaceTime and Microsoft’s Skype, voice calls through BBM 7 can only be made over Wi-Fi/broadband networks.
Plingm is a mobile VoIP app downloadable from Apple’s App Store. With Plingm, you can make phone calls to your Facebook friends for free using your iPhone.
Silent Circle is an innovation by two former Navy SEALs and some cryptographers. It is an iPhone, iPad and Android app that approximate military-quality encryption for VoIP calls, texts, emails and videos made via Silent Circle. What’s fascinating about the app is that it deletes mobile data as soon as one of the callers hangs up and maintains minimal data on your smartphone.
It is the pioneer and standalone VoIP app that can function on the iPhone utilizing 3G data networks. As a hosted cloud PBX phone system, it offers conference call functions for up to 10 participants and has unified business communication services such as a virtual receptionist, IM and call routing.


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TPG eyes $US1bn Olympus investmentPUBLISHED: 16 Jan 2012 07:04:00 | UPDATED: 16 Jan 2012 19:22:04PRINT EDITION: 16 Jan 2012
TPG Capital is weighing a potential investment in the Olympus Corporation of Japan, in which it would join with a strategic partner to invest as much as $US1 billion.
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SUPER BOWL LI: Business vs. Politics?
During this year’s Super Bowl, we saw a number of commercials that appeared to either explicitly or implicitly, take a political stance. A lumber company tackled immigration. An automobile company addressed gender equity. A tech company embraced diversity.
And while the uptick in political undertones was obvious on Sunday night, the truth is that the majority of companies have not taken strong public stances on social and political issues. While the assumption is that this uptick is in response to this President and the new political environment, the data shows that the public expectations for companies to weigh in has actually been growing for years.
Americans expect companies to do more. According to GSG’s annual Business & Politics study, 81% of Americans believe that businesses should take action to address important issues facing society. And 84% of Americans believe that businesses have a responsibility to bring social change on important issues, just behind the President (89%) and Congress (92%). The data shows that there are real reputational, and potentially bottom line, benefits for companies willing to jump into the political discourse.
Those companies that ran spots in one of the most high-profile advertising venues in America certainly got a lot of attention – regardless of whether or not they said their ads were intentionally aimed at the new administration.
What we know, and we bet they do too, is that the election of Donald Trump does not mean that Americans no longer care about values such as diversity and inclusion, the rights of immigrants, or environmental stewardship. Nearly 66 million Americans, more than half of the total electorate, chose to support Hillary Clinton, the candidate who promoted these values. And per exit polls, even Trump voters did not uniformly embrace all of his positions.
Given that, it seems foolish to assume that there is not room for companies to continue to engage on these issues, particularly those for whom these have been central brand values and part of their corporate culture.
As we saw, Super Bowl viewers were ready to engage with ads with political messages. As the New York Times reported “Almost half of the time YouTube users spent watching ads on the service on Sunday was devoted to commercials tied to social and political topics.”
This effect was not just true of the larger brands, but also the less well known. The conversation on Twitter over the course of Sunday evening shows that stepping out has an impact. While Budweiser, Audi, AirBnb and 84 Lumber all saw a large uptick in discussion, 84 Lumber, the least-discussed of the brands in advance of the Super Bowl, saw the second highest peak and the greatest continued discussion of its ad (depicting an immigrants journey) online.
And they continued to promote their message about opportunity and inclusion:
Be assured that other brands are watching, and now have a much clearer picture of the visibility they can gain by taking a position on a controversial issue. There will be more.
But, companies also need to keep in mind that increasingly, their communications will be viewed through partisan filters.
Ricardo Marques, a vice president at Budweiser, has said of the company’s ad: “This was not something we came up with at the last minute to make any sort of political statement.” However the online reaction shows that very little can exist outside the political climate these days.
GSG panels showed that viewers were more likely to engage with brands that echo their political beliefs. The most overtly political ad, 84 Lumber’s, had the most engagement from both sides.
As well as engaging more, viewers’ political beliefs governed how they felt about the ads. While Clinton voters were largely supportive of the positions taken, Trump voters responded angrily. The word cloud below shows the reaction on the night from Trump and Clinton voters to the immigration focused ad from 84 Lumber. The ads prompted Trump voters to discuss illegal immigrants and even prompted calls to #BoycottLumber84. For brands, choosing to engage in politics will provoke a political response – and navigating this with the public, especially existing customers, is a challenge.
We also saw that wading into political waters requires careful planning and should be inwardly focused and vetted, as much as advertised externally. For example, Audi’s message on gender equity was well received by many:
But outlets like the Huffington Post drew attention to the fact that, while Audi’s ad supported the message of gender equity, the company is far from progressive in the make-up of its leadership.
This distinction did not go unnoticed online. Discussion of Audi’s all white, all male board was an everpresent of conversation about the brand, as shown by the word cloud below. Super Bowl viewers were “fact-checking” the company’s credentials in real time through online research.
At a time when consumers have come to expect companies to engage in political and social issues, and are actively looking for brands that reflect their values, there is no bigger litmus test than advertising during the Super Bowl. What we saw on Sunday is a sign of things to come.
Julie Hootkin and Tanya Meck are executive communications strategists that have been advising corporations on taking political and social stances since the trend emerged. They co-lead Global Strategy Group’s Corporate Impact Practice, which helps corporations build and protect their brands, reframe their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, and manage business implications in the new political environment. Luke Partridge and Brooke Karanovich also contributed to this post.


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Investors pick up hotels in anticipation of tourism rebound
One of the economy's hardest hit sectors, commercial accommodation, has had a record level of transactions as investors prepare to take advantage of a rebound.
A report from commercial property firm Colliers showed more than $400 million of hotel deals have been done this year, a 33 percent increase on the previous highs of 2010 and 2015, and three times the annual average overt the past decade.
Colliers national director of hotels Dean Humphries said the pandemic has been a key factor, but there were various reasons for the record turnover.
"Whilst there have been very few distressed sales, some owners have been more motivated to sell compared with recent boom times, especially if a buyer presents a fair, non-distressed offer."
He said there had been 11 hotels selling for more than $5m, but there had been some notable big sales including the five-star Sofitel Queenstown, Rydges Wellington, and the luxury lifestyle hotel QT in Auckland.
More than 80 percent of the deals had been with New Zealand buyers, because closed borders had made it near impossible for foreign investors, who have dominated purchases in past years, to come into the country.
Most sales had been off-market and not been subject of heavily promoted marketing campaigns, with existing hotel investors the most active as they looked to enlarge existing portfolios geographically and in different market segments.
The emergence of NZ Hotel Holdings, a partnership between the NZ Super Fund, Russell Property Group, and Lockwood Property Group has been a driver of some of the big deals, as it picked up three strategic hotels worth more than $250m this year to become the fourth biggest hotel investor in just three years.
Humphries said other factors at play included owners cutting debt, rebalancing their portfolios, and small investors owning rooms in multi-ownership/strata titled hotels quitting because of low returns and offers of higher prices. Smaller hotels under $20m in regional centres such as Dunedin, Hamilton, New Plymouth, and Nelson had also been in demand.
He said investors seemed to be chasing 'counter cyclical opportunities'.
"In almost all cases, these investors predict tourism will rebound strongly post Covid-19 and so will investment returns."


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Hot Springs Village pair to cap 17 years of Tesla Coil gifts
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — A Hot Springs Village couple will conclude 17 years of Tesla Coil creations and donations to science museums with their 10th coil donation to the Greensboro Science Center in Greensboro, N.C., in late June.
In an effort to inspire, educate and entertain the public about Nikola Tesla, Richard Mathias and his wife, Mary Ellen, have donated the museum-quality Tesla Coil exhibits to science museums around the nation since 2002.
The donations began when he constructed and donated a 1.5 million volt Tesla Coil to Hot Springs’ Mid-America Science Museum in 2002. After receiving a grant from General Electric to fund half his efforts, Mathias was able to fund the remaining half, leading to the exhibit that would be known as “Caged Lightning.”
“Caged Lightning” sits in its own theater at Mid-America today, surrounded by a 2.5-ton steel cage designed by the museum’s director of design, Niles Ellis.
Each presentation of the exhibit provides a demonstration of the Tesla Coil, a look into Nikola Tesla’s life and an explanation of how the invention contributes to everyday life, The Sentinel-Record reported.
It has received approximately 3 million visitors.
In 2007, the coil was certified as the World’s Most Powerful Conical Coil on Earth by Guinness World Records.
From this point on, General Electric assisted in the partial funding of all the Tesla Coils Mathias created and donated to science museums.
Mathias went on to construct and donate two more Guinness World Record setting Tesla Coils. The World’s Most Powerful Bi-polar Musical Tesla Coil was donated to Hands On! Regional Museum in Johnson City, Tenn., in 2014, and the World’s Largest Bi-Polar Musical Tesla Coil was donated to Museum of Discovery in Little Rock in 2015.
Other museums Mathias has donated coils to include Discovery Museum in Texarkana, Texas, Insight Museum in El Paso, Texas, Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, KidSenses Children Interactive Museum in Rutherfordton, N.C., and Discovery Place in Charlotte, N.C.
After the first installation of a Tesla Coil at Mid-America, Mathias and his wife created a smaller, 400,000-volt Tesla Coil and began a traveling educational program titled “Sermon from Science.” The program, lasting from 2003-2009, traveled to 40 schools and civic organizations, reaching over 22,000 students.
In 2017, the coil was donated to the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe in Shoreham, N.Y. — the site where Tesla’s laboratory once sat.
As the end of his donations near, Mathias said it was time to conclude his series of Tesla Coil creations because of both his and his wife’s age and the funding from General Electric had declined immensely from the initial amount.
“We’ve come to realize there is a time and a season for everything, and our season is over with. It’s time to turn it over to the younger generation now,” Mary Ellen Mathias said.
Nikola Tesla was an inventor from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, responsible for inventing the first alternating current motor and developing AC generation and transmission technology, according to History.com.
Among his inventions, Tesla created the Tesla Coil — a resonant transformer circuit producing electricity.
According to Mid-America Science Museum, the Tesla Coil consists of two coils wound in a different manner than that of a traditional transformer, utilizing an air-core design rather than an iron-core design. The primary coil resonates with the secondary coil because they are tuned to be in step with each other electrically. This is accomplished by adjusting the number of turns in the primary coil winding and the total capacitance in the capacitor bank.
Mathias was first introduced to the Tesla Coil when he was 9, visiting the Griffith Park Observatory in Southern California. He was so enamored with the invention from that point on, he went on to pursue a career in electrical engineering.
He worked for Westinghouse Electric and General Electric before retiring and moving to Hot Springs Village with his wife, beginning a new adventure creating Tesla Coils.
Mathias said he wants the Tesla Coil Museum Exhibit Program to provide people with an interest in technology and science, along with an understanding of Tesla and his inventions.
Information from: The Sentinel-Record, http://www.hotsr.com


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Subscribe and receive the latest insights on the health and nutrition industry.
Join 37,000+ members. Yes, it's completely free.
November 12, 2010
While botanical ingredients and dietary supplements have an excellent safety profile and are a regulated class of products, continued misinformation reported in the media is posing increasing challenges to the nutraceutical industry. Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council (ABC), spoke with Heather Granato, Virgo Publishing, during SupplySide West in October 2010 regarding how the media is reporting on dietary and botanical supplements.
Blumenthal noted information from poison control center data and the required adverse events reported to FDA are showing this class of products has an excellent safety record. However, mainstream media and even scientific journal articles continue to generate misinformation about the class of products and their safety. Blumenthal specifically cited concerns with the Consumer Reports 2010 article on the "dirty dozen" supplementsand the supplements you should be taking, although the media didnt pick up on those substantiated, helpful products, he said.
Additionally, he acknowledged that some of the ingredients on the Consumer Reports list are ones that ABC and other organizations such as the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) would consider best sold only through health care practitioners and licensed outlets, rather than through the general market.
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SPAIN: Coke Espana names general manager
Coca-Cola Espana has appointed Fernando Amenedo as its new general manager.
Coca-Cola Co.'s Spanish subsidiary said Amenedo would replace Manuel Arroyo, who last October became the head of the group's operations in South-East Asia.
Amenedo re-joined Coca-Cola Espana in 2003 after a spell there twenty years ago. In between he had worked for Mars, Coors Brewing and Via Digital, before returning to Coca-Cola Co. four years ago as director of new drinks.
Amenedo will oversee the company's growth plans, which this year will include the launch of coffee-flavoured soft drink Coca-Cola Blak and Bitter Mare Rosso in Spain.
Coca-Cola could be about to acquire the Highland Spring brand to revive its presence in the UK bottled water market. And, writes Annette Farr, Highland Spring's recent decision to change its classific...
Cadbury Schweppes has delayed the sale process for its US drinks business due to the current "extreme volatility" of the debt markets....
Coca-Cola FEMSA has posted a strong lift in second quarter operating profit....
Groupe Danone has declined to comment over recent speculation that it is looking at potential acquisitions within the Indian bottled water market....
PepsiCo has agreed to provide more information on the label of its Aquafina water brand regarding its source....
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated has announced details of its next quarterly dividend....
The Coca-Cola Co. has refused to comment on reports that it is to buy a stake in Coca-Cola Amatil's South Korean operations....
The Coca-Cola Co. is set to join LG Household & Health Care in its move to acquire Coca-Cola Amatil's South Korean bottling arm, according to local reports....
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- Focus - Heineken's Q3 Performance by Region
- Moët Hennessy unveils first Travel Retail outlet
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- Beam Suntory, Edrington part ways in Travel Retail
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- Smirnoff Ice gets India launch


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How We Apologize Now
The iPhone app Notes has become the medium of choice for celebrity mea culpas. To be famous in 2019 one must possess (in addition to talent, or at least popularity) a patina of authenticity and a willingness to admit wrongdoing. Also: an iPhone.
from Pocket https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/style/notes-app-celebrity-statements.html
The Weather Channel app deceptively collected, shared and profited from the location information of millions of American consumers, the city attorney of Los Angeles said in a lawsuit filed on Thursday. from Pocket https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/technology/weather-channel-app-lawsuit.html via TV/a>
In a room full of stars, which one is the sun? That’s a thing your Carpetbagger often wonders as he wanders through a dense thicket of celebrities at an award-season party. from Pocket https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/06/movies/golden-globes-billy-porter.html via TV/a>
Tonight marks the second season premiere of the CBS reality series Celebrity Big Brother. The second season, which premieres tonight and runs until February 13, 2019, stars Anthony Scaramucci, Dina Logan, Joey Lawrence, Jonathan Bennett, Kandi Burruss, Kato Kaelin, Lolo Jones, Natalie Eva Marie, Ricky Williams, Ryan Lochte, Tamar Braxton, and Tom Green. Celebrity Big […]
Article and photos from hienalouca.com
Apple took a dig at the privacy issues plaguing other tech companies with a giant billboard.
The company purchased space on the side of the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Hotel, which overlooks the Las Vegas Convention Center where the Consumer Electronics Show will be held this week.
The billboard plays on the iconic slogan ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ and reads: ‘What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone’.
Next to the slogan is an outline of an iPhone XS and the web address of Apple’s <a target="_blank" class="class" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.app
First Look At The New Season Of ‘Carpool Karaoke: The Series’, Featuring Matthew McConaughey, The Muppets, And More
What began as a bit for James Corden’s “The Late Late Show” quickly became a viral sensation. Last year “Carpool Karaoke” spawned an Emmy-winning TV show for Apple TV in which Corden is largely absent (he appears occasionally) while assorted celebrities are paired up to put their unique spins on the singing-and-driving format. On Tuesday, […]
IT Su iPhone e Apple Watch Benvenuto in Track My Mushrooms ! Track My Mushrooms è un app che ti permette di creare il tuo database personale con i funghi trovati e tuoi percorsi preferiti. Scegli i tuoi funghi dalla tua libreria fotografica o scattandogli una foto e Track My Mushrooms aggiungerà […]
9to5Mac Best of CES 2019 Awards In our third annual 9to5Mac Best of CES Awards, we want to celebrate new technology for the Apple ecosystem in four categories: best entertainment tech, best iPad and Mac tech, best iPhone tech, and best HomeKit tech. Our picks celebrate new technology that will come to market throughout 2019 […]
As an old user of Microsoft and Google products, I never imagined I’d reach this point with Apple’s. I’ve been using MacBook Pro, iPhone, and Apple TV for a while now… I haven’t looked back yet.
Talk about unlikely bedfellows: Samsung has struck a deal with Apple to include an iTunes Movies and TV Shows app on its 2018 and 2019 smart TVs. The TVs will also support Airplay, making it easier for iPhone owners to beam music and videos to their TV sets. The iTunes app and Airplay update will […]
When do the 2019 Celebrity Big Brother live feeds begin? Get the details on how to watch the season 2 streaming online.
Image: Apple On the heel of CES 2019, Samsung Electronics announced today that it will begin offering iTunes and AirPlay 2 support on 2019 Smart TV models starting Spring 2019. Furthermore, it will also be available on some 2018 Samsung Smart TVs via a firmware update soon. Here’s what we know.


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Posted by Rahul Roy-chowdhury, VP Product Management, Chrome
What a difference a year makes. Last year at Google I/O, we shared that the mobile web was open for business. New technologies such as AMP and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) were bringing new capabilities, better performance, and a streamlined workflow to the mobile web.
Fast forward one year later: more than two billion AMP pages have been created and "PWA" has proved to be far more than a buzzword—it’s now the way that many businesses around the world are building for mobile devices. For more details, take a look at the video from Google I/O on the latest mobile web state of the union, or read below on how these technologies are making the modern mobile web mainstream.
Summing up all the great success stories from around the world in a single post is a tall order, but here are some highlights.
To improve the performance of Wego's mobile site, the company built AMP pages using amp-install-serviceworker to transition to a fast PWA experience. Average page load time decreased from 12 seconds to less than one second, and conversion rates increased by 95%.
When Forbes rebuilt their mobile website as a PWA, they began by re-thinking what their experience could look like on a phone. Instead of minimally updating their underlying site, Forbes integrated PWA technologies to provide an immersive, app-like experience. They saw immediate improvements and engagement rates have more than doubled since launch.
Ola, the leading cab aggregator in India, built a PWA and noticed that 20% of users who book using their PWA had previously uninstalled their app. By reducing the amount of storage space needed, the PWA allowed them to effectively re-engage with users that otherwise would have been lost.
Another success story is Twitter Lite, a PWA which minimizes data usage, is resilient on unreliable mobile networks, and is less than 1MB of space on a device. Twitter's new mobile experience is also optimized for speed, with up to 30% faster launch times as well as quicker navigation throughout the site. They've found that users are spending 2.7x more time on site, and as a result are seeing 76% more tweets on the new PWA than their previous mobile site. Twitter is seeing incredible re-engagement with 1 million sessions initiated a day from icons added to the Android homescreen.
Users expect a lot from their mobile devices, and we've added tons of APIs over the past year to meet that demand. The mobile web can support more use cases and get more done than ever before. A few highlights:
- Improved Add to Homescreen: Earlier this year we unveiled Improved Add to Homescreen, integrating PWAs much deeper into the Android operating system. Now, in addition to being displayed on the homescreen, PWAs are also displayed in the app launcher and Android settings alongside native apps, and can also open in response to users clicking links in Chrome or other apps.
- Payments: Checkout can be a complicated process. To improve payment flows on the web, we launched a one-tap payment API called Payment Request. Using this API allows web apps to support credit cards and Google payment mechanisms such as Android Pay. We also just announced that it is now possible to integrate this API with additional payment apps.
- Media Consumption: Over 70% of internet traffic is video. To allow great mobile web media experiences we have given the users more control over playback with the Media Session API, improved full screen playback with the Screen Orientation API, and we’re filling out features for offline with Background Fetch. To learn more, see our mobile web media best practices and see how the APIs can come together at our PWA for Media demo.
We’ve also been working hard to improve and extend the set of tools that let you build engaging experiences on the web.
Lighthouse is a new automated tool for measuring the quality of a web experience. It runs nearly 100 audits against your web app, checking everything from page performance, to byte efficiency, to accessibility, and gives you a summary score. New integration with Chrome's DevTools means you’ll be able to run Lighthouse audits without leaving the browser.
Polymer 2.0 is the next major release of the Polymer library, re-built from the ground up to take advantage of the best new features of the modern web platform. This release uses new Web Component API’s that have shipped in Chrome and Safari. It’s completely modular and best of all - it’s now 10% faster and 80% smaller.
Chrome is committed to making sure that you can develop easily, engage with your users, and build a thriving business around the web. For the latest news, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @ChromiumDev.


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Shares of HP (HPQ -1.56%) fell 10.3% through Thursday trading this week, after the tech hardware maker reported its fiscal third-quarter earnings.
It has been a brutal few months for virtually all computer makers, who are now experiencing a hangover after seeing surging demand during the height of the pandemic. HP's printing division also saw year-over-year declines, which didn't help matters. Furthermore, management guided for more profit declines in the current quarter.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway actually bought shares of HP in the first quarter of 2022. Given that shares are now well below where Buffett bought in, is HP a buy?
In its fiscal third quarter, ended July 31, HP's revenue declined 4.1% and net income declined 10%, but the company's earnings per share actually increased 4%, thanks to HP's enormous amount of share repurchases.
HP's enterprise-focused segment held up relatively well, with desktops and workstations up year over year; however, the consumer segment is in the dumps, with notebook revenue down 10%. The total computing segment was down 3% from last year, and printing fared even worse, down 6%, as printing appears in secular decline.
What really caused the sell-off was management's forward guidance, which forecast non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share to decline from $1.04 last quarter to between $0.79 and $0.89 in the current quarter -- a decline of nearly 20%. Given that HP continues to repurchase a lot of its own shares, its earnings power in dollar terms will likely fall even more.
Consumers loaded up on PCs during the pandemic, but that segment is now in a near-term decline as some workers return to the office. However, it now appears that the corporate segment may decline, too, as macroeconomic concerns over inflation and the potential for a recession take hold. With sentiment in the tech hardware sector as bad as it can get, it's no wonder the stock sold off this week.
Warren Buffett likely bought HP because the stock is, by most key metrics, very cheap. Now it's even cheaper than when Berkshire bought in, at just a little over five times earnings.
Of course, there are some reasons the stock is cheap. The printing segment is high-margin, but is in decline as individuals and businesses print fewer documents. Moreover, while the PC industry isn't in long-term decline, it's a low-growth industry, and subject to volatility year to year.
HP is trying to garner some growth, as it recently closed the acquisition of Poly, a provider of hybrid work peripheral devices and solutions, for $3.3 billion, including debt. Poly had about $1.7 billion in revenue in fiscal 2022, and operated at a slight operating loss, but HP thinks it can derive $500 million in revenue synergies, grow revenue by 15% over the next three years, and improve margins by cross-selling Poly's products through HP's sales channels.
While HP's growth prospects appear lackluster, the company does generate solid profits and cash flow. It remains to be seen if the computing industry can find its footing, as investors don't appear to have a lot of confidence in where the bottom is at the moment.
If there is a bad recession, it would certainly hurt. However, should the PC market stabilize and management achieve the synergies it expects from Poly, HP's stock could still do well. It should definitely be on the watch lists of value investors everywhere.


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PBS America now on Amazon UK
September 14, 2017
PBS America, the British TV channel from America’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), is launched PBS America On Demand as part of the Amazon Channels line-up in the UK.
The new, ad-free service from PBS America will give Amazon Prime members the chance to enjoy a wide spectrum of in-depth science, history and current affairs programming on demand including notable series like Ken Burns’s multi-award winning The Civil War – still the most watched TV series ever on American public television – and the Oscar-nominated feature documentary, Last Days in Vietnam, from American Experience.
Legendary filmmaker Ken Burns’s back catalogue of award-winning historical films will be available as part of the PBS America On Demand channel, including Prohibition, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History and The Dust Bowl, alongside other PBS documentaries, all accessible for the first time via the existing Prime Video app to watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on smart TVs, iOs and Android mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets and games consoles and through the web.
“We’re thrilled to be launching PBS America On Demand into the exciting OTT arena with Amazon Channels here in the UK. There are a lot of viewers out there without access to Freesat, Virgin or Sky who will now be able cherry-pick the best of the PBS America offerings to watch at their leisure. The online channel will include Ken Burns’s impressive back catalogue, which we expect will attract new fans after his latest epic The Vietnam War airs on BBC4 in a few weeks time,” says Richard Kingsbury, General Manager of PBS America.


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The decline in sales for the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz can be attributed to the fact that the segment of mid-size sedans has observed a drastic decline recently.
For the month of January 2019, Maruti Suzuki’s mid-size sedan Ciaz observed a drastic drop in its sales figures. The recently updated Nexa product clocked just 2,924 units last month in 2019 in comparison to its performance in January 2018 which stood at 5,062 units.
These figures indicate a decline of 42%. The decline in sales comes despite the fact that the Ciaz received a mid-life update last year where it came with a new design and improved equipment and safety kit.
The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz has been at the top of the mid-size sedan segment in India. Here it competes with the likes of Honda City, Hyundai Verna along with Volkswagen Vento, Skoda Rapid and the Toyota Yaris. The overall sales for Maruti Suzuki for the month of January 2019 stood at 142,150 units in the domestic market.
For the same month last year, the automaker clocked a monthly domestic sales figure of 140,600 units. This accounts for a 1.1% increase in sales, which is quite marginal for the country’s leading automobile manufacturer.
Despite the drastic fall in sales for the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, the reason why the overall sales remains almost flat for the automaker and not decline considerably was due to the enthusiastic response for its offering in the utility vehicle segment.
Maruti Suzuki’s current portfolio in the utility vehicle segment includes the likes of Vitara Brezza, S-Cross, Ertiga and the Gypsy. Cumulatively, Maruti Suzuki sold a total of 22,430 units in this segment during January 2019 in comparison to 20,693 units during the same month last year. This accounts for an 8.4% increase in sales.
The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz recently received its mid-life facelift in which one of the major talking ponts was the introduction of an all-new 1.5-litre petrol engine. Soon, the Indo-Japanese automaker has plans to introduce an all-new, in-house developed diesel engine for the Ciaz as well.


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Cygames is working on two Granblue Fantasy games for PS4, born from the developer’s popular mobile game. Granblue Fantasy Versus is a fighting game developed in collaboration with Arc System Works, while Granblue Fantasy Relink is an action-RPG.
Considering the nature of the games, both could benefit from high frame rate, so Twinfinite asked Director Tetsuya Fukuhara what we can expect during an interview at Cygames’ headquarters in Tokyo.
Fukuhara-san had reassuring words for fans of fighting games.
“For Versus, we’re definitely going to have 60 FPS. As a fighting game, we believe that’s a must.”
The goal for Relink is also 60 frames-per-second, but it isn’t finalized and might change depending on the tradeoff with visual fidelity.
“For Relink, at this point 60 FPS is our goal, but depending the final visuals, if we decide that 30 FPS will the best solution overall, it’s possible that we’ll choose 30 FPS.
That being said, as mentioned, our goal, for now, is to have it running at 60 FPS.”
Stay tuned for the full interview that will be published soon on Twinfinite, with a lot more information and juicy details.
For now, if you want to learn more about Granblue Fantasy Relink, you can enjoy a recent gallery of spectacular screenshots, some more intriguing details, the latest trailer, and gameplay.
If Granblue Fantasy Versus tickles your fancy, you can check out some more info about the game on top of the first trailer, and some really lovely screenshots. More characters will be revealed in March.
Versus will be released for PS4 at some point in 2019. Relink has also been announced only for PS4, and doesn’t have a release window for now. Yet, Cygames plans to release both games simultaneously worldwide.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Granblue Fantasy franchise and would like to know what it is and why it matters to you, you can read my recent article on the topic.


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Fred WilkinsonLucky’s Real Tomatoes
Lucian La Barba (from left), president of Dallas-based wholesaler FreshPoint Inc.; Alan Marcelli, president and CEO of New York-based Lucky’s Real Tomatoes; and Lucky Lee, vice president of sales. FreshPoint recently began offering Lucky’s Tasti-Lee vine-ripened, field-grown tomatoes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The new vertical asparagus bag from Mission Produce Inc., Oxnard, Calif. is a 1-pound breathable bag that holds full-sized spears and features 18-21 days shelf life, which is longer than asparagus that’s displayed in bulk or in bands at retail, says sales manager Cruz Carrera. He says the pack should retail for $2.49-2.99.
A new 1.5-pound pack design called Steakhouse Roasters features fingerling potatoes marketed by MoutainKing Potato, Houston. The pack features three varieties of fingerling potatoes, says Phil Baldwin, category development manager for the company. Consumer research showed a good number of consumers didn’t like the word “fingerling,” so the company marketed tied the fingerlings in with their Steakhouse Baker pack and called it a Steakhouse Roaster.
Mucci International Marketing Inc., Kingsville, Ontario, is a new United Fresh Produce Association member. Joe Spano, vice president of sales and marketing, said he was pleased with the traffic the greenhouse vegetable marketer received, especially with the expo following so soon after the Canadian Produce Marketing Association convention and the Northeast Produce Council expo. “We thought everyone would be ‘showed out,’” Spano said.
Naples, Fla.-based Naturipe Farms’ new Mighty Blues pack is a 9-ounce wash-and-go clamshell featuring large blueberries. It retails around two for $5 or $2.99 each, says Kyla Garnett, marketing coordinator. The company’s new organic berry packaging featuring Earthcycle palm fiber trays also garnered a United Fresh Best New Product award. Palm fiber packaging currently is available for raspberries and blackberries and should expand to strawberries and blueberries soon, Garnett says.


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We’ve been hearing about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy M12 handset for a while now and it seems the phone has already entered mass production in Samsung’s factory in Noida, India. As a result we are treated to several new images of the phone’s frame.
Samsung Galaxy M12 frame
The first one reveals the touchscreen component of the display inside the M12’s frame which also shows a cutout on the top to accommodate the V-shaped waterdrop cutout for the selfie camera. According to past rumors, the handset is expected to launch with a 6.7-inch Infinity-V AMOLED display and HD+ resolution. The other images reveal M12 markings on the plastic frame as well as the SIM tray placement.
Past spec leaks suggest the phone will be powered by the Exynos 850 chipset and 3GB RAM alongside a 6,000 mAh battery, four rear cameras and Android 11. The device will also house a USB-C port and headphone jack. Past renders give us a solid idea of what to expect from the device’s final design.
Samsung Galaxy M12/F12 body
In the meantime, the support page for the Galaxy F12 bearing the SM-M12FG/DS model number was spotted on Samsung India’s website. The Galaxy F12 is believed to be the global version of the Galaxy M12 which means we should be seeing both handsets go official soon.
Samsung Galaxy F12 support page
Source | Via