text:
China’s Weibo follows Twitter in dumping 140-character limit
Wed 20 Jan 2016
As Twitter considers extending its character limit for tweets, popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo has made the decision to remove its own 140-character feature.
From the 28th of January the site will remove the character limit, amid reports that U.S. platform Twitter, which is banned in China, is discussing the same controversial move.
Sina Weibo counts more than 200 million active users, according to the company’s financial report released last year. It was once the go-to online forum for expressing public concerns relating to various spheres such as the economy, politics and other social issues.
A snippet of a letter addressed to its community of developers from the Weibo Open Platform was widely distributed over the site today. The text read that the new format is expected to be tested by ‘VIP’ users as of the 28th January, and rolled out to all users by the 28th February.
“According to Weibo’s big data, only about 10 per cent of original posts surpass 120 Chinese characters,” a spokesperson for the company reported. “But we are extending the text limit to offer greater choice and a better user experience.”
The spokesman explained that during the pilot stages, only 140 characters will be displayed in feeds, with a link to show more content should the post exceed the character limit. During the announcement, it was suggested that users would be able to type anywhere up to 2,000 characters in one message.
While Twitter’s plans to remove its iconic character limit has been much disputed on social media, the microblogging giant has yet to confirm its decision either way. According to sources familiar with the company’s plans, it is currently testing a 10,000-character limit with a proposed launch date toward the end of Q1.
Twitter is also considering getting rid of a further established feature in the hope of attracting new users. It has discussed changing the chronological timeline format – giving priority to ‘better’ content.


text:
Only one day left, the craze and all hype around Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ launch is scaling immense proportions. As announced at the company’s MWC event, Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2017 – where the two smartphones will be unveiled – will be held on March 29 in New York, starting at 11am EDT (9:30pm IST). With the momentous Samsung Galaxy S8 launch at hand, the rumour mill has been working overtime, leaving very little we do not know about the upcoming two flagship smartphones ahead of the official event.
The event is set to be live streamed on the Galaxy webpage, and Samsung has not announced any limitations on devices or browsers, so it should presumably work on most devices and browsers worldwide. We have compiled all the information on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ that we know so far, and here’s everything you need to know ahead of the launch.
Samsung Galaxy S8 price
According to recent rumours, the Samsung Galaxy S8 price will start at EUR 799 (roughly Rs. 56,000), Galaxy S8+ at EUR 899 (roughly Rs. 63,300), new Gear VR will cost EUR 129 (roughly Rs. 9,000), new Gear 360 will be priced at EUR 229 (roughly Rs. 16,100), and an accessory that could provide a Continuum-like called DeX could be priced at EUR 150 (roughly Rs. 10,500).
However, a recent leak out of Italy claims that the Galaxy S8 will be even more expensive and will be sold at EUR 829 (roughly Rs. 58,500) while the bigger S8+ should be priced at EUR 929 (roughly Rs. 65,500). With these leaks, one thing is for sure, the Galaxy S8 will definitely be more expensive than the Galaxy S7 launched last year.
Samsung Galaxy S8 release date
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are confirmed to launch on March 29, and pre-orders are expected to begin on April 10. This time, Samsung will not prioritise South Korea this time, and will launch the handset globally across markets almost at the same time. Pre-orders are set to begin on April 10, and the handset may go on sale on April 28. However, all of this is based on rumours, and Samsung will throw light on official release dates day after tomorrow.
Samsung Galaxy S8 specifications
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are expected to sport 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch Super AMOLED pressure sensitive displays respectively, with QHD+ display resolutions (2400×2960 pixels . Samsung Galaxy S8 is pegged to have a dual-edged curved display with almost negligible bezel and 18:9 aspect ratio; the display may be named ‘Infinity Display’.
The two smartphones will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 835 SoC, but some markets will get the home-grown Exynos 8895 chip as well. They will be paired with 4GB of RAM, though China and South Korea are said to get 6GB of RAM variants. The devices will run on Android 7.0 Nougat, and support dual-SIM slots. In the camera department, there is expected to be a 12-megapixel dual pixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel front camera as well. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones will be IP68-rated for dust and water resistance, support an iris scanner, may sport some sort of facial recognition, and 3000mAh and 3500mAh batteries respectively.
Samsung Galaxy S8 design
As per recent render leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will ditch the Home Button and navigation buttons in the front, and sport a large display screen in the front. The fingerprint sensor is housed at the back right next to the camera sensor, and the logo is printed in the back centre. There is a dedicated Bixby button underneath the volume buttons on the left edge, which will be the first in-built AI assistant from Samsung. Bixby is expected to do a lot more that other competitive assistants, and even work exclusively with native apps like Camera and Messages. How this will help leverage them remains to be seen.
Samsung Galaxy S8 was leaked again today in hands-on images, courtesy AndroidMX. The images reiterate the same story, and also reveals onscreen navigation button, the Camera UI, and also a new shortcut that opens the camera app if you press the power button twice. A recent video leak from SlashLeaks also compares the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ with other phones like the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and the Honor 8 Pro.
Samsung Galaxy S8 variants
Unlike last year, there won’t be an Edge variant of the Galaxy S8. Instead, Samsung has decided to go the Apple route and make the Galaxy S8 available in two sizes, calling the larger size the Galaxy S8+. The only difference between the two is battery, and screen size (and probably a dual camera setup). The devices will be available in different storage options presumably, and that may vary depending on region. Both the smartphones will be launched in at least three colour variants as well – Orchid Grey, Black Sky, and Arctic Silver.
Samsung Galaxy S8 accessories
Samsung is expected to launch new earphones replacing the white rubber ones bundled in predecessors. The new earbuds are reportedly made by audio company AKG and will have a braided cable which means less tangling and less prone to attracting dust. The wired earphones have a volume remote control and microphone as well. Samsung is also expected to launch power banks alongside in Blue and Grey shades. The 5100mAh power banks are capable of quick charging, with a ceiling limit of 15W. The power bank carries the model number EB-PG950 and are priced at EUR 60 (roughly Rs. 4,200) each.
Separately, a Continuum-like device called DeX (short for desktop experience) is also rumoured to be launched, which is essentially a dock station that allows you to connect your Galaxy S8 to an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard, and use it on the big screen for improved productivity. The DeX station features two USB Type-A ports, one Ethernet port, one USB Type-C port, one HDMI port, and a built-in fan. The Ethernet port is rated for 100Mbps, while the USB Type-A ports use USB 2.0 speeds. It is reportedly priced at EUR 149 (roughly Rs. 10,500).
Visit our website daily for latest tech news. Follow Us on Instagram for awesome tech stuff. Also, Join our Telegram Group and connect directly with Admin.

domain: news


text:
Lara Dutta to launch own ethnic wear line
Lara Dutta attends the L'Oreal Paris Femina Women Awards 2012
Mumbai, Oct 17 — Former Miss Universe (2000) and actress
Lara Dutta i
s excited about launching her own fashion line, an ethnic Indian wear collection.
"Excited to launch my own line of ethnic Indian wear that will be available in stores this coming festive season! Have worked hard on it," tweeted Lara.
"It's my very first collection and I think it looks good," added the 34-year-old, who gave birth to her first child, a daughter, with tennis ace
, in January.
This is not her first foray as a business woman. She turned film producer with "Chalo Dilli" under her banner Bheegi Basanti Productions, in 2011.
Lara has also earlier launched fitness DVDs.
This article was distributed through the NewsCred Smartwire.
Original article © IANS / Daily News 2012)
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook
Share to Pinterest
MISS UNIVERSE 2000
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
HILO, Hawaii — The deputy attorney general prosecuting Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi on theft charges has accused the mayor of using his government-issued credit card to buy “exorbitant amounts of alcohol.”
Deputy Attorney General Kevin Takata filed court documents saying a majority of the 15 card receipts presented to jurors of Kenoi’s personal purchases were related to alcohol. He also says the alleged purchases made on his card weren’t reimbursed until media requests seeking copies of the mayor’s card records were filed.
A grand jury indicted Kenoi in March on charges of theft, tampering with public records and making a false statement under oath. The charges stem from the alleged misuse of his card from 2011 to 2015.
A yearlong investigation by the state Attorney General Office’s was launched in April 2015 after Kenoi acknowledged he used the credit card to cover personal expenses that included nearly $900 at a Honolulu bar. He was also accused of charging a $1,200 surfboard and nearly $2,000 worth of bicycle equipment to the card.
Other bar tab purchases included $400 at another Honolulu hostess bar and $700 at a Hilo karaoke bar, The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported (http://bit.ly/2c3dW6j).
The county followed with its own audit in July 2015 and found that 145 transactions totaling $23,683 from the mayor’s office were questionable, didn’t follow county policy or might have violated state law.
Kenoi reimbursed the county for $22,292 in charges between January 2009 and March 2015. He later paid back an additional $9,500.
Todd Eddin, Kenoi’s attorney, filed several motions on Aug. 8 to have the case dismissed. The motions claim a “violation of the defendant’s right to a fair and impartial grand jury proceedings” and a “violation of (Kenoi’s) due process rights.” One motion to dismiss two theft charges against Kenoi is “based on failure to provide adequate notice as to the terms of the charges,” according to court records.
In his response to the motions, Takata said the mayor “alleges that his status as a public figure entitles him to special consideration that has never been extended to any other criminal defendant.”
A judge will consider the motions at a Friday hearing.
Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/


text:
The number of companies adopting Ripple’s XRP cross border payment solution, xRapid is expanding. A total of 12 companies have now confirmed they have either implemented or plan to use xRapid in 2019.
So far, Ripple has confirmed crypto exchanges Bittrex, Bitso, Coins.ph and Bitstamp will use the software solution to boost payments between the US and the Philippines, and the US and Mexico.
Ripple also says payment platforms Cuallix, Mercury FX, and Catalyst Corporate Federal Credit Union will use xRapid to improve the speed of their customer’s cross-border payments.
Outside of that, eight additional companies have announced that they plan to implement xRapid in the future.
The companies that will be implementing xRapid are the following:
- SBI Virtual Currencies
xRapid was launched commercially back in October. xRapid eliminates the need for a pre-funded banking account when executing a cross-border payment. It sources liquidity from XRP on exchanges around the world. As a result, cross-border transactions occur in minutes and at a lower cost compared to traditional methods, which take days and incur high foreign exchange fees.
This could have been a reason that Ripple’s price spiked after the slight Christmas rally.


text:
Japanese car giant Honda Motor Company says its sales will grow by 8% across all global markets next year.
Ceo Takeo Fukui expects the number of vehicles sold in 2005 to reach 3.4 million, up from 3.16 million this year.
The company plans to boost sales by 5% in the US - where domestic competitors, General Motors and the Ford Motor Company, have struggled this year - and by 4% in its home market of Japan.
Sales in the expanding Chinese market are expected to increase by 25%, to 274,000 vehicles, a significant rise but not as large as the 73% growth Honda saw in China during 2004.
In Europe sales are expected to grow by 9%.
The car maker is launching a revamped version of its best-selling Civic brand in 2005 and aims to sell 600,000 units a year. It is also entering the popular pickup truck market in the US with its Ridgeline model.
Data sourced from Washington Post Online; additional information by WARC staff


text:
1. Tariff time?: President Donald Trump could formalize new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Thursday.
“The expectation is that the order enacting the tariffs will be signed by the end of the week, but the details remain elusive,” said Mike O’Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading.
The tariffs are expected to lead to retaliatory measures from other countries, raising concerns about an all-out trade war.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday that “in the event of a trade war — China will make a justified and necessary response.” The European Union is preparing tariffs on US products, including orange juice.
US stock futures were a bit soft.
2. Health care deal:Cigna( has announced plans to buy )Express Scripts( in a deal valued at $ 67 billion, including debt worth $ 15 billion. )
The Wall Street Journal first reported that the insurer and pharmacy-benefit manager were in talks.
Shares in Cigna were down 5% premarket, while Express Scripts stock added 17%.
It’s the latest in a series of major health care deals.
3. Earnings:Kroger(, )Embraer( and )American Eagle( will release earnings before the open. )El Pollo Loco( will follow after the close. )
Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the US, announced last week that it would stop selling guns and ammunition to customers under the age of 21. The chain sells weapons and ammunition at 45 Fred Meyer stores.
The grocer may face questions from investors about its decision on guns, and its reported talks with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba(. )
4. Economics: The European Central Bank will announce a decision on interest rates and hold a news conference on Thursday.
Investors will be watching to see if the central bank gives any hints about its plans to wind down its stimulus program. Concerns over weak inflation and a potential trade war could force the ECB to keep its foot on the gas.
5. Coming this week:
Thursday — International Women’s Day;Kroger( earnings; )Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement set to be signed in Santiago de Chile; Geneva Motor Show opens to the public
Friday — US monthly jobs report


text:
UFC featherweight contender and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is tired of not knowing what he’s putting in his body when using supplements. He’s also gambling that other athletes are as well, and he’s looking to do something about it. With that in mind, Edgar (21–5–1), who was last seen scoring a decision win over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 205, is launching a new supplement company: Iron Army. Edgar announced the news today via social media, including a video package released on his official Facebook page.
A website for the endeavor — http://theironarmy.com — was also unveiled. Interested parties are encouraged to sign up for more info.
Edgar released the following statement, explaining his reasoning in getting into the supplement market:
I’m launching a supplement brand this summer because it’s gotten to the point where I need to know exactly what I’m putting in my body. There’s not a lot of trustworthy brands out there so I commissioned the best formulator and marketing team to build products I can truly stand behind for REAL ATHLETES like you and me. Sign up at www.theironarmy.com to get more info.
Per the Iron Army website, the brand will go live Summer 2017.


text:
Barry Diller may be a media mogul no more — but he’s building a new and extremely cool Frank Gehry-designed headquarters in Gotham to house his fast-growing Internet company InterActive Corp.
Construction will start on the striking-looking nine-story frosted glass building early next year and be completed by the end of 2006. It will be located in Chelsea, across from the Chelsea Piers complex, on the West Side Highway between 18th and 19th Streets.
“As our need for space grew, we began to think it might be advantageous to create our own working environment. While much about the future is always unknown, we’re confident that InterActiveCorp is at its early growth in a business sector that is at its beginning… and we’re at a stage where it’s sensible to put down roots in a buoyant and exuberantly imaginative way,” Diller said in a statement Tuesday.
IAC’s businesses include travel Web sites Expedia and Hotels.com, Ticketmaster, CitySearch, Hotwire, Lending Tree and Home Shopping Network. The company has over 25,000 employees and 116 locations in 31 states and 20 countries. Operations in Manhattan are spread around the city.
Diller said the building will have public space and a restaurant on the ground floor “that will reflect and utilize all of the IAC brands and be as interactive as we and Frank Gehry can conjure.”
IAC is developing the building in partnership with the Georgetown Company, a private real estate firm in Manhattan.


text:
Dell/Equallogic continues its assault on the legacy storage market with the latest release of Gartner Group’s Q1C2008 stats for Open Systems Storage. We will find out the exact metrics for this report (Is it number of customers?) and update.
Equallogic supposedly has now surpassed all vendors and is in the #1 spot.
According to Gartner, the market share list is as follows:


text:
Operational intelligence as a value-add
IT operational intelligence opens up two new value add offerings for resellers to make to customers: improved IT management services and new business insights.
Bob Tarzey, Quocirca | 14th August 2014
Onwards and upwards for social customer service
The growth of customer service via social channels is still in its infancy. That said, it has made incredible strides over the last few years
Martin-Hill Wilson, NewVoiceMedia | 24th June 2014
Modern supply chains - how innovative sellers engage customers in entirely new ways
Speed of the supply chain, getting to market faster, so sellers can have more of their products into their customers' hands faster, is becoming a much bigger priority.
Dana Gardner, Interarbor Solutions | 20th May 2014
Rackspace's new Crawley campus: data centre services trump pharma
Rackspaces new data centres in Crawley will be the first built completely adhering to Open Compute standards
Bob Tarzey, Quocirca | 6th March 2014
How IT can keep up as working styles change
The employees of tomorrow are only going to become more tech-savvy and more demanding, so the onus is on IT departments to find a compromise by implementing collaborative solutions that meet both party's needs and help drive business growth
Martin Large, Steljes | 24th February 2014
Why would they DoS us?
The growth in the number and size of denial of service attacks is well reported. Less often discussed is why a given organisation might become a target in the first place.
Bob Tarzey, Quocirca | 18th February 2014
Business headlines from BBC News:
Published by: electronicdawn Ltd.


text:
Taiwan will find its own way, despite not being a part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said yesterday.
Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations — the 10 ASEAN members, as well as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea — signed the trade deal on Sunday. The members together account for about one-third of the world’s GDP.
Responding to media reports that Taiwan would be left “out in the cold” or “marginalized economically” after the signing of the RCEP, Wang said the effects of the deal would not be “overwhelming” or “immediate.”
“After going through the details it seems that the level of trade liberalization with the RCEP is relatively low,” Wang said. “We do not think it will have a large impact on Taiwanese businesses in the short term.”
“However, of course, we will communicate as soon as possible with business leaders in affected industries to figure out how to improve our competitiveness,” she said.
The local industries that are most likely to be affected are steel, petrochemicals, machinery and textiles, Wang said.
Although subsidies are not being considered, the ministry is open to “helping Taiwanese businesses with research and development,” she said.
The impact of the RCEP is lessened by the fact that many of the signatory nations already have free-trade agreements (FTAs) in place, and many “sensitive items” are not included in the list of goods affected by the deal, Wang said.
“Most of the ASEAN countries already have FTAs with Japan, South Korea and China, and the RCEP does not go far beyond those FTAs in terms of cutting tariffs,” she said. “The bigger deal is, with the RCEP, China and Japan now effectively have an FTA, as do South Korea and Japan.”
Wang said that some items “sensitive to Taiwan,” such as machine tools and upstream materials for nylon fabric, were not liberalized.
“Some of the items we find sensitive are also sensitive to China,” Wang added.
She said that it would have been politically insupportable for Taiwan to try and gain entry into the Beijing-driven RCEP.
“If we had pursued our inclusion in [the RCEP], we would have required the consent of all the countries, including China,” Wang said. “As a condition, China would have certainly demanded that Taiwan agree to the ‘1992 consensus.’ Is this something our people can live with?”
Citing the strength of Taiwanese manufacturers, Wang said Taiwan would strive to participate in other trade deals, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“We are still protected by the Informational Technology Agreement under the WTO, and this ensures that more than half of our exports are tariff-free,” she said.
“When one path is blocked off, we will find another way through,” Wang added.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Tesla Inc temporarily halted some production at its auto assembly plant in California because of problems with its supply chain, but work has begun to resume, CEO Elon Musk told employees in an e-mail on Thursday. “We are experiencing some parts supply issues, so took the opportunity to bring Fremont production down for a few days to do equipment upgrades and maintenance,” Musk said in an all-staff message seen by Bloomberg. The factory was “back up and running as of yesterday,” and would rapidly ramp up to full production of Model 3 and Model Y cars “over the next several days,”
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to post a 25 percent year-on-year increase in sales in the first quarter of this year to US$12.91 billion, up from US$10.31 billion a year earlier, as its production is at full capacity, market advisory firm TrendForce Corp said in a note last week. The increase would help TSMC cement its leadership in the industry by taking a 56 percent market share in the global pure wafer foundry business, TrendForce said. Its forecast was in line with TSMC’s estimate in January, which pointed to a range of US$12.7 billion to US$13 billion for the
MULTI-USE: The arrangement of seats in future vehicles would be different, allowing passengers to do everything they do at home, the CEO of the firm’s EV platform said Electric vehicles (EVs) developed on a Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) platform would be built like “a smartphone on a different platform,” Jack Cheng (鄭顯聰), chief executive officer of the Hon Hai-initiated MIH Open Platform Alliance, said on Saturday. It would be the ultimate goal to make vehicles built on the platform an extension of the driver’s home, he said during an online presentation. The alliance aims to provide resources to automakers and boost Taiwan’s EV development, with a vision to make an EV its owner’s “second home,” Cheng said. “Whatever they can do in their home, they will be able
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) was on Thursday set to sell local currency bonds, as it prepared for a spending blitz amid a global chip shortage. The world’s largest contract chipmaker planned to price about NT$16 billion (US$565.25 million) of notes in three parts in an auction, though the actual issuance size might change. The manufacturer would have to contend with a recent rise in rates globally that has sent many corporate bond yields up from record lows in the past few weeks. The debt offering comes at a promising time for the semiconductor industry as the world scrambles its way


text:
Blockchain Startup Aeron Announces Crowdsale for its Decentralized Aviation Record System.You can download or play Bitcoin Illegal In India What Is Truth In Hindi Urdu with best mp3.Bitcoin is an innovative payment network and a new kind of money.If the government declares Bitcoin to be illegal in India, then the exchanges will have to shutdown, the source said.
Bitcoin Latest News by Government of India LEGAL OR ILLEGAL
What Is Bitcoin? Is It Legal Money? What Could Happen To
Indian govment recently declare that the cryptocurrency bitcoin is Illegal in india.dont worry guys u should hold bitcoin in ur blockchain wallet. Thanks.
India Raises Concerns On Bitcoin’s Credibility, But Doesn
Indian MP Urges Govt to Declare Bitcoin Illegal - dcebrief.com
Bitcoin is assuming as future currency and many of the people our country wants bitcoin to a legal currency.While not explicitly stating that virtual currencies such as Bitcoin were therefore not legally sanctioned, reports suggested that such a message was implied.Similar to most countries in the world, there is no law against cryptocurrency or its usage in India, which can only be seen as a positive sign for now.Bitcoin is neither legal nor illegal in India, but the government has time and again raised alarms over its use.Use of Bitcoin illegal, can attract anti-money laundering law, says govt - The government clarified use of virtual currencies like Bitcoins is not authorised by RBI.Blockchain innovation is also active locally, with crypto investor Tim Draper in February announcing his return to the Indian market, injecting venture capital through the newly acquired Blume Ventures.
BitCoin illegal Currency in India | बिटकॉइन भारत मेंSome Indian Parliament members are working towards cracking down on illegal bitcoin activities. Bitcoin.com spoke with Zebpay co-founder to learn more.Use of Bitcoin illegal, can attract anti-money laundering law. PTI. virtual currencies including Bitcoins, for illicit and illegal activities in anonymous.How Ties.Network Aims to Help You Find Secure Partners and Make Deals.
Bitcoin - Wikipedia
Bitcoin Illegal In India What Is Truth In Hindi Urdu is popular Free Mp3.Belfrics Singapore launches Belrium ICO, a KYC Complaint Blockchain.Bitcoinist Recommends Payment Gateway Exchanges Casinos Advertising.The govt is inviting cutizen suggestions on it by 31 May 2017 to create a policy framework on c.
After initial momentum that saw several Bitcoin exchanges emerge in.
Bitcoin unlikely to be declared illegal in IndiaAfter Raising Over 3933 BTC From Token Sale, ICOBox Gears Up For Token Exchange.
Why bitcoin could thrive in a country like IndiaIndian IT giant Wipro is one of the Founding Members of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance.The Indian government is currently deciding whether to regulate Bitcoin.
Bitcoins are gaining worldwide acceptance among the digital communities and netizens.Verif-y, Blockchain-based Identity Platform Announces Token Sale.The government of India (Ministry of Finance) formed a Committee to decide fate of Virtual currencies in.Govt Could Declare Verdict in AprilAccording to a report, the Indian government could declare its position on the legality.India: Zebpay Refutes Reports Minister Said Bitcoin is Illegal.
Several news outlets have asserted that the popularity of bitcoins hinges on the ability to use them to purchase illegal.In the past week, many newspapers and TV channels carried out a story that Bitcoin has been declared illegal in India.Blockchain and Bitcoin in India present both opportunities and challenges.
After the demonetization drive in India, the demand for Bitcoin has more than doubled in less.The paper analyses the laws and regulations that apply to Bitcoin in India, and comes to the conclusion that the government has wide powers that it can exercise, if.Bitcoin and other digital currencies are unlikely to be declared illegal in India, but how they are to be regulated remains unclear, according to a report.
Zebpay bitcoin exchange is the fastest way to buy and sell bitcoins in India.


text:
Asia’s population boom presents big business opportunities for Australian manufacturing
Global growth through Asia
Asia’s middle class is experiencing explosive growth, according to a new report compiled by Telstra and the CSIRO.
Make for Asia identifies five megatrends shaping the demand and supply of manufactured goods. Since 2009, a dramatic demographic and economic shift has unfolded in the region, and it’s predicted it will soon become home for the majority of the world’s middle-class consumers.
The statistics alone are overwhelming – some 3.2 billion people, or 68 percent of the world’s middle class consumption, are expected to reside in Asia by 2030.
“The great news for manufacturers is that they are perfectly positioned to move up the value chain”
As this massive population becomes wealthier, it will drive demand for safe, responsibly produced goods such as clean, safe, high-nutrient foods, and high-quality, personalised manufactured products.
All this is happening against a backdrop of significant technological advances which not only make it possible to form closer ties with global markets and suppliers, but also to create production systems which are highly responsive to consumers.
“Australian manufacturing is seeing a massive ‘mega-niche’ market develop in its own backyard,” says Charlie Macdonald, Industry Executive, Manufacturing Transport and Logistics for Telstra. “This is opening up huge opportunities for sophisticated manufacturers that can offer products from a well-regulated, highly skilled market with high levels of integrity in their supply chain.”
IDEA IN BRIEF
By 2030 the majority of the world’s middle class will reside in Asia, creating huge new markets on Australia’s doorstep.
- There are significant opportunities for manufacturers in the areas of collaborating, resource-efficient manufacturing, business model innovation and connected manufacturing.
- Traditional industry burdens have become strengths, as Asian consumers seek products from highly regulated markets.
Identifying the opportunities
There are a number of cultural and demographic trends which will work in favour of Australian manufacturers, the report states. These include a strong middle-class preference for imported products, especially food, a healthy ongoing demand for primary mining equipment and technology, and a steadily aging population. These trends clearly create opportunities for manufacturers in sectors such as healthcare, mining technology, the food and beverage sector, and services associated with manufacturing.
The report also identifies four broad opportunities where manufacturers can use technology to boost their presence in Asian markets, by improving levels of connectivity with customers and suppliers, and boosting efficiencies generally.
1. Resource-efficient manufacturing
Australian manufacturers will benefit from embracing opportunities for mass customisation and emerging technologies such as 3D printing, Macdonald says.
Describing it as the antithesis of Henry Ford’s mass production, Macdonald says mass customisation requires a high level of customer engagement and agility in the manufacturing process.
“What we’re seeing is the servitisation of manufacturing, where consumers can pick the colour and style of their products and create something truly unique.”
2. Business model innovation
Another opportunity identified by the research lies in dedicating resources towards business model innovation to focus on these emerging mega-niches, rather than attempting to compete as a high-volume, low-cost producer.
Investment in R&D is already a strong trend, according to the Manufacturing Workforce Study 2014, compiled by the Australian Workforce Productivity Agency. The research shows that manufacturing employs 8.1 percent of the workforce, accounts for 6.6 percent of GDP, but also accounts for just under 25 percent of business expenditure on R&D.
“Australian manufacturers already invest proportionally more than other sectors in research and development and this leaves them well positioned to take advantage of new opportunities as they emerge,” says Macdonald.
“The great news for manufacturers is that they are perfectly positioned to move up the value chain.”
3. Industry collaboration
There is a significant opportunity to improve the efficiency of the Australian manufacturing sector overall, and to increase the amount of business it does into Asia, through increased levels of collaboration.
“The Australian manufacturing sector is in a position to work more closely together to position itself as an innovative producer,” says Macdonald. “It’s not just about making better widgets, it’s about promoting a supply chain with a high level of integrity which produces products of the highest possible standard.”
According to the report the entire manufacturing sector could benefit from a boosted reputation for responsiveness and quality throughout Asia, because it will enable Australian manufacturing generally to become associated with high-quality goods and service.
4. Connected manufacturing
The fourth opportunity identified by the report combines advancements in technology and connectivity, leading to the increased availability of low-cost intelligent robotics, automation, sensors and data-analytics.
“Thanks to fast secure networks it has become easier to work more closely on research and development projects to shorten production time frames and become more responsive to customers”
“Australia will never be a high- volume, low-cost producer, which is why it’s so important to take advantage of the technologies which currently exist and develop new innovative processes around them,” says Macdonald.
The unique opportunity for Australian manufacturers, according to Macdonald, lies in them being able to leverage aspects of the local economy which have traditionally been seen as burdens, such as high levels of regulation and quality control.
“An expanding Asian middle class is looking for exactly what Australia offers – a transparent supply chain, high-quality products and regulated markets,” says Macdonald.
“These are all strengths when it comes to developing new markets on our doorstep. We believe that businesses that are able ot collaborate and innovate will be the ones that can leverage this huge opportunity and Make For Asia”


text:
Mediterranean Yacht Show 2016 to Open in Nafplio on May 7
A fine selection of charter yachts will be showcased at the third edition of the Mediterranean Yacht Show that will take place on May 7-10 in the city of Nafplio in the Peloponnese.
Organised by the Greek Yachting Association (GYA), the event presents an opportunity for industry professionals to network and inspect an array of charter yachts available for cruising in Greece and the surrounding areas.
Over the past two years, the trade-only event has attracted a significant number of superyachts to the Peloponnese, with 57 attending in 2014 and 67 in 2015, offering foreign brokers the opportunity to inspect and appraise an outstanding fleet of commercial EU-flagged luxury yachts and the high caliber of services they provide.
According to GYA, the Mediterranean Yacht Show offers a glimpse of a brilliant future and of what Greece really has to offer: sailing itineraries with an unparalleled combination of destinations, ranging from total seclusion to top-notch clubbing within a few nautical miles.
“Greece is warm and welcoming, a yachting paradise where you can see the world”, GYA’s president, Michael Skoulikidis, says.
The 3rd Mediterranean Yacht Show is held with the support of the Municipality of Nafplio and under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism.


text:
Troubled TTP surges on Motorola offer
Friday 02 June 2006
The loss-making British mobile phone software developer TTP Communications has averted further financial turmoil by agreeing to a £103m takeover by the US giant Motorola.
Motorola has agreed to pay a significant premium to buy TTP in spite of its recent poor financial performance. TTP's sales fell 36 per cent to £37.2m in the year to 31 March, it announced yesterday, while recording a loss before tax of £27m compared to a £4m profit in the previous year. Its cash outflow of £20.7m contrasted with the £6.4m inflow the year before.
Dan Ridsdale of Bridgewell Securities advised investors to accept Motorola's 45p-a-share cash offer. It is worth more than three times the 13p closing price of TTP shares the day before the offer was announced.
Bruce Anderson, TTP's finance director, is confident the takeover will proceed, adding that a "leftfield" offer from another party would have to be significantly higher to be compelling.
Motorola, which unsuccessfully tried to buy the US operating system developer Palmsource last year, appears to attribute more value than the market to the Cambridge-based company's technology. Richard Windsor, an analyst at Nomura Securities, expects Motorola to use TTP's software as the platform for its low-end mobile phone range. He views TTP as a better acquisition for this purpose than Palmsource, and added that TTP will cost a third of the price.
Motorola pays TTP royalties to use its technology, so buying the supplier will potentially reduce its costs.
For TTP, the bid comes as a welcome relief after a disastrous year. In fiscal 2006, TTP spent 84 per cent of its sales on the research and development of products related to third-generation network technology and its AJAR applications platform. However, those products weren't rolled out during the year which exacerbated the effect of declining sales of handsets that use its older technology.
Mr Anderson said: "We were caught in the middle. That hindered our ability to do major deals. This takeover provides financial stability." He said TTP had already held talks with Cazenove, the investment bank, regarding a fundraising.
TTP shares leapt to 43.25p from 13p following the announcement of the offer.
- 1 The scientist who takes 100 drugs a day so he can live to 150
- 2 The Visit: Trailer for M Night Shyamalan's latest horror film is terrifying
- 3 Company breaks open Apple Watch to discover what it says is 'planned obsolescence'
- 4 The confessions of men who ordered mail-order brides
- 5 General Election 2015: Stephen Hawking says he will vote Labour
General Election 2015: Tories sack candidate who said she would never support 'the Jew' Ed Miliband
9/11: Iranian General accuses US of organising September 11 terror attacks
General Election 2015: Stephen Hawking says he will vote Labour
Yazidi sex slaves undergoing surgery to 'restore virginity' after being raped by Isis militants
Australian student Tommy Connolly, 23, adopts his pregnant, homeless 17-year-old cousin to give her a chance at 'a better life'
General Election 2015: Chuka Umunna on the benefits of immigration, humility – and his leader Ed Miliband
The sickening truth about food banks that the Tories don't want you to know
Aaron and Melissa Klein: Oregon anti-gay bakers ordered to pay $135,000 after refusing to make cake for same-sex wedding
Andrew Lloyd Webber: Phantom of the Opera writer mocked after issuing a warning about Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon
General election 2015: Labour will toughen hate crimes legislation surrounding Islamophobia
EU exit would hit UK economy much harder than neighbouring countries, study finds
iJobs Money & Business
£20000 - £60000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: Are you recently QCA Level 4 qu...
£20000 - £22500 per annum + OTE £30K: SThree: SThree Group have been well esta...
£25 - 30k: Guru Careers: We are seeking an Application Support Analyst / 1st L...
£45K - £55K (DOE) + Benefits: Guru Careers: We are seeking a full stack .NET D...


text:
BAA sells duty free shops to Autogrill
Autogrill, the Italian catering giant controlled by the Benetton family, today became the world's biggest operator of duty-free shops after it bought BAA's World Duty Free and Imperial Tobacco's 49.9% stake in Aldeasa in deals totalling &euro1.07bn (£813m).
BAA, now owned by Spain's Ferrovial, is selling World Duty Free for £546.6m, which will be used to cut the £10bn of debt created by the takeover.
World Duty Free operates out of seven UK airports and runs 58 stores employing 1900 people. It had sales of £445m last year.
BAA has agreed a new 12-year concession with Autogrill.
Imperial acquired its 49.9% stake in Aldeasa through its recent £12bn takeover of Franco-Spanish tobacco group Altadis.
Autogrill already owns the other 50% and will pay €275m for Imperial's stake and take on e80m of its debt.
Aldeasa, based in Spain, operates in 16 countries including North and South America and the Middle East. It has 273 shops in 44 airports and also runs 50 museum shops.
Autogrill already runs duty-free at London City Airport and last year took over British airline caterer Alpha Airports in £193m deal.
Most watched Money videos
- The stunning new Aston Martin Vantage AMR with a manual gearbox
- Trucker making mobile card payment among 3,000 caught by HGV supercabs
- McLaren's new GT sports car costs £163K with top speed of 203mph
- Invest in the world's best companies to beat inflation
- Rolls-Royce unveils £44,000 champagne chest for its luxurious cars
- Researchers show impact autonomous cars will have on traffic
- Brand new 'James Bond' Aston Martin costs a hefty £300,007
- Investing Show: Can UK shares shake off the Brexit hangover?
- Is President Trump's trade war a threat to UK investors?
- Richard Farleigh gives a few tips on investing in the stock market
- Supermodel David Gandy with newly restored classic Jaguar XK120
- Will the US stock market stumble or melt up? (May 2019)


text:
The data keeps coming, and its getting harder for the perma-bulls to rationalize the information. Earlier in the month, University of Michigan Consumer Confidence plummeted the lowest level since last October; the blame went to "Terrorism fears and higher gasoline prices;"
Since that August 18 report, gas prices have dropped significantly.
This morning, it was the Conference Board’s turn to release their data — and their confidence index dropped the most since last September post-Hurricane Katrina. Blame for the drop this time went to "Weak Housing and the War in Iraq, and Employment."
I have a different theory: Consumer Confidence is weak due to no real wage gains for more than 2 years; It is not Housing per se, but rather, the inability to extract equity via HELOCs that are to blame for the poor confidence showing.
Even the reconstituted Leading Economic Indicators have continued to weaken:
LEIs, Year-over-Year percentage change, 3 years
Indeed, when we look at the prime driver of this cycle’s inflation — commodity demand — is starting to cool off. Spurred by weakness in oil, the Reuters/Jeffries CRB index is testing key 5-year uptrend.
5 Year Chart — Commodities
Source: Michael Panzner, Collins Stewart
One possible interpretation of that is the commodities market is anticipating cooling demand — from the decrease in New Home construction, the slowing of the broader US economy, even a lessening of US purchases of goods made in China.
This is a chart worth watching over the short term as it could be the canary in the coal mine . . .
Consumer Confidence Tumbles
MICHAEL S. DERBY
WSJ, August 29, 2006 10:18 a.m.
U.S. Economy: Consumer Confidence Declines to Nine-Month Low
Bloomberg, Aug. 29, 2006


text:
New Small Business Grant Opportunity
8/31/2020 11:01 pm
The Collin County Commissioners Court has approved additional funding through the CARES Act for affected small businesses. Eligible businesses can apply to receive grants up to $25,000.
Application Dates: September 4-25th, 2020.
Application will be available at www.bit.ly/CollinCARESGrant
If you are a small business that has been affected by Covid-19, don't miss out on this opportunity!
Wilson PTA membership has its privileges... you, your child, and your community!
- Wednesday, September 30
- Thursday, October 1
- Tuesday, October 6
- Wednesday, October 7
- Friday, October 9
- Monday, October 12
- Tuesday, October 13


text:
TrueLayer unveils payments API
London-based developer TrueLayer has unveiled an open banking and PSD2 based payments API for consumers and businesses.
The API, which is in public beta, offers a new way to pay for goods and services or transfer money. It is an alternative to credit and debit card payments, bank transfers and traditional payments processors.
Francesco Simoneschi, CEO and co-founder of TrueLayer, says: “Companies often throw out clichés such as ‘game-changing’ or ‘disruptive’ when they launch a new product, but in this instance we are looking at a very meaningful and very important innovation. It puts the banks back at the centre of the payment process, allowing them to create competitive and differentiated payment experiences as well as enabling entirely new opportunities for deeper purchase flows into the banks’ mainstream digital channels.”
According to TrueLayer, the API works with all major UK banks, and more specifically, the CMA9. Namely, AIB Group (UK) trading as First Trust Bank in Northern Ireland, Bank of Ireland (UK), Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Nationwide Building Society, Northern Bank trading as Danske Bank, The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), and Santander.
The payments API began beta testing with a dozen companies including digital wealth manager Moneyfarm and “build your own fintech” platform Wealth Kernel.
Giovanni Dapra, CEO and co-founder of Moneyfarm, says: “[The API’s] potential to ease a lot of pain points by improving the security, speed and availability of transactions is very exciting. We have been anticipating a breakthrough like this from open banking which will directly benefit our clients and encourage further innovation in this space.”
TrueLayer expects to release an updated payments API later in 2019 which will add features such as future dated payments, standing orders and batch payments.
Today’s (29 January) launch follows on from earlier this month, when it unleashed a data API platform in Germany.


text:
Lenbrook International announced this week a major transition in their management team in what it said was a carefully thought-out “succession plan.” Lenbrook, parent company to the Bluesound, NAD, and PSB brands, will restructure their senior management team in the wake of a form of retirement of two of its most prominent leaders – Lenbrook Americas President & CEO Dean Miller; and Chief Brand Officer John Banks. It is not an overstatement to call this the end of one era and the beginning of a new one.
Bluesound, a division of Lenbrook America, has cut a deal with Best Buy that will result in a national roll-out of the company’s line of high-quality digital multi-room music systems through Best Buy’s Magnolia Design Center locations. The agreement will begin to take effect later this month in a phased introduction into the first 25 locations.
See more about this major development for Bluesound… [Read more…] about Bluesound Scores Deal for National Placement in Magnolia Design Centers
New Brand Hits Key Milestone – Launches ‘Generation 2’ Products
This week in New York City, executives from Lenbrook America and Bluesound conducted a media presentation informing them of a major update to the Bluesound brand, which is distributed in the U.S. by Lenbrook America along with NAD and PSB. It is the first major line update since the brand was first launched in 2013. With this update, called “Generation 2,” the Bluesound brand appears to have gained solid momentum – or at least enough traction for the company to justify a significant investment in further product development.
See more of what we learned, including both product and business updates… [Read more…] about Bluesound: Talkin’ ‘Bout Our Generation
NAD Electronics announced today that purchasers of select NAD audio/video receivers (AVRs) and preamp/processors (Pre/Pros) will receive a certificate for a free 4K upgrade module expected to be delivered later this year. The company says this is a $600 value and will ensure that customers can buy these products now with confidence that they won’t be left out of the latest technology revolution, 4K Ultra HD performance.
See more on this new program and learn about the upcoming module… [Read more…] about NAD Offers Buyers of Select AVR & Pre/Pro Models a Free 4K Ultra HD Upgrade
*See update note below…*
On Wednesday, Lenbrook America, the exclusive distributor of NAD in the U.S., held a press presentation in a suite at the upscale Andaz 5th Avenue Hotel in Manhattan. It was a cool but gray and curiously humid day…still able to create enhanced perspiration for those rushing to the event from assorted train/subway/bus stops. But those members of the press who chose to attend were well rewarded for their efforts, as NAD launched a significant update to their Masters Series line – an update designed to further target a new customer that the company calls “Audiophile 2.0.”
See more on this update, including more specifics on what NAD calls a new emerging market… [Read more…] about NAD Launches New Masters Series Models Targeted Squarely at ‘Audiophile 2.0’
Lenbrook America held a media event last week in Manhattan where they announced the birth of a new brand of multi-room wireless (and wired) music streaming systems called Bluesound. Bluesound is designed to be positioned above brands like Sonos in terms of price and performance…but tuck underneath some of the higher-end solutions such as those offered by NAD and others. The company hopes to create a profitable step-up market for higher priced, better performing solutions in the digital domain – as once existed in the analog realm years back.
Is Bluesound the new holy grail of quality digital music systems? Or will it miss the mark?… [Read more…] about Lenbrook Hopes This Line Will Make You Blue
Last week, I witnessed a miracle. The miracle was…a birth. It was a birth like no other, as every proud parent believes is the case with THEIR child. There was a proud Papa…and a large assembled family…brought together to celebrate the event.
This birth, like any birth, was wondrous. And…for the parents…this was an event full of hopes and dreams of what their “bundle of joy” will become. At this joyous event was a group of observers, like me. But not like me.
Was this birth – the birth of Bluesound – truly “miraculous”???… [Read more…] about The Miracle of…Birth – The Birth of the Bluesound Brand
On Tuesday last week, much like any other day, after arriving at my office I powered up my computer and began wading through the usual 100-150 emails that greet me every morning. Some of these are client-related emails, some are personal, but most are press releases or announcements. On that day, however, one in particular caught my attention – it was from Richard Glikes of Azione and it included a link to a video which was…remarkable.
This press release caught my attention not because it was from Azione, that is an common occurrence. Rather it caught my attention because it was from Azione on a topic that I am not used to dealer buying groups concerning themselves with – sales representative companies.
Little did I suspect that this would be the beginning of a strange turn of events… [Read more…] about Reps: Are They On the Right Track? Or Have They Run Off the Rails?
<April 25, 2012> Earlier this month Lenbrook America announced a new initiative it has launched in partnership with a select group of independent specialty retailers to roll out a stylish showroom optimized to display and demonstrate high quality digital audio solutions. Called the “Digital Music Experience Center,” the striking showrooms are designed to allow specialty retailers to tap into the burgeoning contemporary digital music phenomenon AND expose consumers to the wonderful (and probably unknown to them) world of higher resolution audio performance. [Read more…] about Lenbrook & Retailers Launch New Specialty Showroom Solution for Quality Digital Audio
<April 25, 2012> Almost exactly one year ago, the specialty electronics world was stunned to learn that Lenbrook America, the company that distributes NAD and PSB in the United States and often looked upon as a paragon of the specialty A/V community, had decided to fire its sales manager, public relations company, and independent specialty sales representative sales force to go factory direct. While not the first company – nor likely the last – to make such a decision…the company’s long time commitment to the specialty channel and abrupt announcement sent shock waves around the industry. [Read more…] about Taking Sales Factory Direct at Lenbrook – One Year Later


text:
Vaccination to prevent boar taint without having to castrate male piglets is likely to become available in the European Union within the next 12 months and in the U.S. about six months later, depending on registration processes. This is the forecast of an animal health company that has already launched its anti-taint vaccine in 12 other countries around the world.
Uses pig's immune system
Executives from Pfizer Animal Health made the remark in Switzerland, which has become the first country in Europe to register the company's Improvac vaccine. This product uses the pig's own immune system to temporarily block the function of the testes to reduce the level of boar taint compounds. Application to male piglets is claimed to improve the palatability of the pork as well as the feed conversion of the animal compared with castrates.
"We have found from extensive taste trials that this product improves meat quality," said Pfizer's US-based technical director Jim Allison at the vaccine's Swiss launch in Zurich. "For this reason as well as the fact it provides a practical, humane alternative to surgical castration, it is being welcomed across the supply chain from producers to retailers and consumers."
In fact, promoting the use of a new vaccine has led to the company including retailers and consumers in its marketing plans for the first time. Stephan Martin, director of swine product marketing in Europe and Africa, told the meeting about consultations with all stakeholders in the pork chain to describe how the product had been shown to improve both on-farm production results and eating quality.
Animal and consumer benefits
Mr Martin explained that these discussions encompassed retailers and consumers as well as producers and their advisers, in order to make clear that vaccination of male piglets gave tastier, more palatable pork, as well as have the welfare benefit of eliminating the need to castrate the pigs surgically. He said the improved taste came because although vaccinated pigs — also better than castrates at converting feed into meat — produced a leaner carcase that still showed some of the performance characteristics of an intact boar.
"Sales of the vaccine in countries where it is already available, such as Brazil, are being driven as much by its production benefits as welfare considerations," Mr Martin added. He also claimed that results from taste panels in a number of countries had consistently shown that consumers preferred meat from pigs treated with this vaccine to pork from castrates. What is more, he continued, producers are finding that treated boars are easier to manage in the late finishing period, because the vaccine reduces testosterone levels and limits male sexual and aggressive behaviour.
One possible drawback identified by some participants at the same Swiss meeting referred to the cost of processing carcases from vaccinated pigs. Slaughterhouse operators said their costs could rise because they would need to have an extra line for the removal and disposal of testes from intact boars.


text:
An insider in China has revealed to the Epoch Times that he helped build a database that is now being used to handle Americans’ personal information stolen in cyberattacks.
The FBI revealed on June 4, 2015, that a cyberattack, allegedly from China, stole personal information on close to 21.5 million U.S. federal employees after breaking into the computer files of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Subsequent Chinese cyberattacks have also targeted personal data on Americans, including the February 2015 breach of Anthem that stole close to 80 million records.
According to the insider, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has built the database needed to make use of the massive trove of stolen data. He said that to create the spy database, the CCP brought in a small group of independent software developers from the United States, who worked alongside Chinese security branches to implement the system.
The FTC wants companies to listen. More precisely, the FTC wants companies to pay attention to and promptly to respond to reports of security vulnerabilities. That’s a key takeaway from the Commission’s recent settlement with ASUSTek (“ASUS”). In its complaint against the Taiwanese router manufacturer, the FTC alleged that ASUS misrepresented its security practices and failed to reasonably secure its router software. The Commission cited the company’s alleged failure to address vulnerability reports as one of the its primary concerns. The settlement reiterates the warnings contained in the FTC’s recent Start with Security Guide and prior settlements with HTC America and Fandango: the FTC expects companies to implement adequate processes for receiving security vulnerability reports and addressing them within a reasonable time.


text:
High street landlords are gearing up for war with retailers, whom they accuse of railroading them into agreeing to rent cuts via increasingly controversial company voluntary arrangements (CVAs).
Struggling businesses including the department store chain House of Fraser, the children’s retailer Mothercare and the Carluccio’s Italian restaurant chain are all seeking CVAs, where property owners accept lower rents to help a tenant avoid financial collapse.
But they are meeting with growing resistance from major property companies, alarmed by the growing list of CVAs sought this year by chains including Prezzo, Jamie’s Italian, Byron, New Look and Carpetright.
Property companies Legal & General and Westfield are among about a dozen landlords plotting opposition to the imminent CVA by House of Fraser, owned by China’s Sanpower.
They are weighing up plans to make demands in return for their approval, such as detailed financial forecasts, an equity stake in the 169-year old department store chain or a cut of its future profits.
Restructuring experts from consultancies Begbies Traynor and JLL are advising the property companies, who can block the CVA and demand improved terms if more than a quarter of landlords rebel against the company’s proposed terms.
Begbies Traynor partner Mark Fry said: “Landlords represent pension funds, investment funds – they’re spending the ordinary man in the street’s money. So when rents aren’t paid, that affects the performance of these funds. It’s not just about rich property owners.”
The move by House of Fraser’s landlords is part of a broader seam of discontent in the property industry about the burden placed on landlords by CVAs.
Martin Greenslade, the chief financial officer of Land Securities, the UK’s largest commercial property owner, said CVAs should only be used an emergency option to prevent collapse.
“Where a business has genuine trading difficulties, a CVA can help provide the necessary breathing space to restructure and raise new funds to avoid administration,” he said. “In general, we are happy to support these agreements. Where the operating performance of a business is fine but its ownership structure has excessive debt or management simply wants to improve its operating profits by reducing rents, we do not believe that the CVA process is fair or appropriate.
“For some smaller landlords, the financial impact of a CVA-imposed rent reduction can be very significant. The CVA should not become a management tool to improve profitability at their expense.”
Some retailers have also become frustrated with the CVA system after watching rivals with weaker finances secure lower rents than them. Fashion chain Next is to insert a “CVA clause” into its lease agreements under which its own rents must also be reduced if any of its landlords’ other tenants agree a CVA.
Dan Simms, the head of retail agency at real estate business Colliers, said landlords were often railroaded into agreeing rent cuts because, in many cases, CVAs are voted on not just by landlords but by other creditors who won’t share the pain of rent cuts.
“If you’re all lined up and they say they’re only going to shoot the two on the end, the rest will say ‘fine thank you’,” said Simms. “The more it happens, the more other retailers think they should do it and dump 20% of property liabilities for little cost. It’s an opportunistic bandwagon.”
Simms said rent reductions should be accompanied by other measures to repair a company’s finances, such as debt restructuring and cost cuts, adding that the government would come under pressure to reform the system via legislation.
“Some landlords are grouping together to start to say this is not right and not equitable,” he said. “Resistance and pressure will really be ramping up over the next few weeks.”
Revo, which represents retail property companies, has written to the Commons housing, communities and local government select committee warning of a trend for CVAs.
In a letter to committee chair Clive Betts, Revo blamed financial advisers for recommending that retailers seek CVAs, warning of “grave concerns about the advice being given to parties seeking to enter into such arrangements”.
Betts responded with a promise to look into anything that “could lead to a proliferation of empty shops and a general look of dereliction on high streets up and down the country”.


text:
Blog: UK government speaks up for trade in food
Dean Best | 10 July 2007
A leading UK politician has joined the debate on the concept of food miles.
Lord Rooker, the UK’s minister for the environment, food and rural affairs, pointed to the country’s growing food and drink exports as proof of the benefits of trade.
“We can’t boast about that while at the same time putting barriers up to trade,” Lord Rooker told the UK’s Food and Drink Federation’s annual parliamentary reception at the Houses of Parliament in London yesterday (9 July).
The debate over food miles has proved a fierce one with proponents arguing that the use of the concept can help consumers gauge the impact of their food consumption on carbon emissions.
As argued in these pages, however, critics of the use of food miles believe that the concept promotes a protectionist agenda and threatens the livelihoods of food exporters in developing countries.
The concept of food miles remains easy for consumers to grasp but, in practice, it is too simplistic and we lose sight of a raft of wider sustainability issues. How does, for instance, the issue of Fair Trade fit into a concept of food miles?
It was heartening to hear a UK government minister espouse his belief in the importance of free trade.
The plethora of food manufacturing associations in the UK has been argued by some to be an impediment to the industry coming to a coherent position on the aftermath of Brexit and on what the sector sh...
An update on Amazon's plans for the grocery sector. The usually reticent retailer has this week poured cold water on claims it has plans for 2,000 physical grocery stores....
Ask any FMCG executive to list the trends shaking up the sector and digital and e-commerce will be pretty high on the list. Drill down into that and Amazon will be one of the subjects in the digital s...
Since Theresa May took over as UK Prime Minister in the wake of the country's referendum vote to quit the European Union, she and her ministers have been at pains not to divulge their negotiating posi...
- Wessanen's move for Spain's Biogran - analysis
- The key questions for digital strategists in 2017
- Unilever 2016 investor day - the top takeaways
- Burger King, Jollibee: foodservice focus, Nov 2016
- Whole Foods, Aldi, M&S - retail round-up, Nov 2016
- Verlinvest, China Resources invest in Oatly
- Hain Celestial appoints Nestle executive as US COO
- General Mills jobs to go in business revamp
- Chobani COO Burns to leave yogurt firm
- Freedom Foods Group nears M&A in Oz, North America
- How Brands Are Making Our Food Healthier
- Confectionery North America (NAFTA) Industry Guide_2016
- Processed Snacks (Savory Snacks) Market in the United States - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics
- Chocolate (Confectionery) Market in Belgium - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics
- Global Dried Processed Food Market 2016-2020


text:
Underground pipe work on Maynard Street closes sidewalk, road lane and Comet Coffee
Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com
The sidewalk and road lane is closed from the Maynard parking garage to the Nickels Arcade entrance.
An on-site worker said the pipe work is affecting the underground sewer system in Nickels Arcade. He said it should be repaired by the end of the day.
Jim Saborio, owner of Comet Coffee, said his coffee shop should reopen Friday morning.
“But we can be open today if someone wants to buy a bag of coffee,” Saborio said. “Just knock on our door.”
The other stores in Nickels Arcade are still open.


text:
Google Inc has expanded its mobile virtual network operator service Project Fi, which it launched in April 2015, to include data-only Nexus tablets and Apple iPads – albeit with some limitations. As previously reported by MVNO Monday, Google’s fledgling product is based on a model that charges users only for the data they actually use each month. Running on the networks of Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US, the search engine-turned telco is offering its MVNO customers the option to share data plans, plus other features including: flat rate over-usage fees on a per GB basis; ‘free’ voice calls and SMS in the US; and low-rate international calls, akin to the Google Voice service. Local press reports note, however, that unlike the network hopping provided between the host network providers for smartphone users, the tablet service is only supported by T-Mobile for the data-only SIMs. That said, the service is also ‘free’, with users paying only for the data they actually use. Google says that the new tablet service is being rolled out gradually and that customers should see the option to order the new SIM cards ‘in the next couple of days’.
Telekom Srbija is to target the Serbian diaspora elsewhere in Europe with a series of MVNO ventures under the M:tel brand name. According to local newspaper Danas, the Eastern European telco, which unveiled its M:tel Austria virtual unit on 1 October, seeks to expand to Switzerland and Germany in 2016. Both countries are home to a large number of Serbian expatriates.
Social media giant Facebook has teamed with MVNO Virgin Mobile Mexico for the latest launch of ‘Free Basics’, the product of its internet.org initiative, as it attempts to reach the half of the country’s population who are not online. Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch on his own Facebook page, commenting: ‘Now half of the population who are unconnected will have free access to internet services for education, health, jobs and communication on the Virgin Mobile network … I believe spreading internet access will not only create opportunities in Mexico, but also create more understanding of this great country and its people.’ According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Virgin Mobile launched its MVNO in Mexico in 2014 and uses the Movistar network to deliver its service.
Russian long-distance operator Multiregional Transit Telecom (MTT) has launched a new mobile reseller service in Finland, Aiva Mobile, specifically targeted at tourists and business travellers working in or visiting the two countries. The MVNO has been introduced in partnership with Finnish cellco DNA, and builds on the previous launch of a virtual operator by MTT in Tajikistan, where it has launched in partnership with network owner Babilon-Mobile. The brand is aimed at ethnic communities of the former Soviet Union, and could yet see MTT expand the operation into Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, reports suggest.
Privately-held Arterra Mobility, which operates as an MVNO from its base in McLean, Virginia, has announced the signing of a partnership agreement with ACN, which describes itself as one of the largest direct sellers of telecommunications, energy, and other essential services, concerning the recent launch of its new Flash Wireless 4G LTE MVNO service. Arterra claims that Flash Wireless provides users with a range of ‘affordable, flexible rate plans, including family plans, contract or no contract options’.
Discussing Carphone Warehouse’s UK virtual operator service iD with Mobile Today, Dixon Carphone Group CEO Sebastian James commented: ‘This has been a very good first half for Dixons Carphone. Against a broadly flat market overall and a very strong comparative period we have seen continued like-for-like growth driven by market share gains across all territories … It is also great to see iD, our new MVNO, hitting the milestone of 200,000 subscribers to date.’
UK MVNO The People’s Operator (TPO) is confident it is on course to hit its 69,000 subscribers target by the year end, a figure it hopes to double to 140,000 by the end of 2016. As a result, TPO said it expects revenues to be around GBP8.1 million (USD12.1 million) for the next financial year. In a recent trading update the group said: ‘The large scale investment required to establish the US operation has come to an end and the company is experiencing revenue growth in both the UK and US … While the pace of growth is slower than expected a year ago, the company is making steady progress and the directors remain confident of the long-term prospects for the company’. AIM-listed TPO is led by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. it is committed to achieving 2% market share across the US and UK by 2021.
We welcome your feedback about MVNO Monday. If you have any questions, topic suggestions, or corrections, please email firstname.lastname@example.org
TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database is now home to the telecoms industry’s fastest-growing collection of MVNO data, covering more than 60 countries and 100 virtual operators. If you would like to find out more, please email email@example.com


text:
In this week’s Solar News Roundup, Massachusetts moves forward with a new incentive structure for battery storage, and SunPower begins operations at an old SolarWorld facility.
Oregon’s governor pens an executive order mandating “solar ready” new homes within about three years, California expects to get 50 percent of its energy from renewables by 2020, and a next-generation solar panel method using living organisms in this week’s Solar News Roundup.
In this week’s Solar News Report, New Hampshire removes their solar net-metering cap for consumers, Oregon approves new rules for large community solar undertakings, and a new way to generate power from the sun using solar windows.
It was a wild week in the solar industry, full of unforeseen product releases and a controversial solar pricing report that was released by the government. An NREL report that confirmed price inflation by SolarCity and other top solar installers, Tesla’s big solar panel reveal and exciting growth in solar storage in certain states are the three stories we’re studying from this week’s Solar News Report.


text:
For the first time, visitors to the Rozhen National Assembly can make an accurate expense account during the event. The reason is that for the first time the organizers have set maximum prices on food and drink during the event.
For another year, guests and residents of Burgas will be able to enjoy sandy masterpieces during the specialized festival, which takes place in the sea town from July to October. The official opening is on July 5 at 6 pm. T
От 21 до 30 юни в пет смолянски села ще се проведе 7-то издание на Фестивала на дивите цветя.
From June 7th to June 9th, the National Palace of Culture will host a Balkan Wine Festival. In addition to tasting over 1,000 wines from over 100 cellars, visitors will have the chance to win different prizes. The biggest one is a wine weekend for
The best chef of Velingrad will be determined during a competition, part of the third edition of the Culinary Fest. The event will take place from 10 am to 6 pm on 8 June at Nikolay Gyaurov Square in the city.
On 7 June, at midnight will be officially opened the summer season in Sunny Beach.


text:
Public bookshelves – in NYC phone booths?
Architect John H. Locke has repurposed four New York City phone booths by installing bookshelves.
Public bookshelves have come to New York City, courtesy of architect John H. Locke.
Starting last year, Locke has repurposed four New York City phone booths by fitting them with bookshelves. Passers-by are free to borrow or take the books on the shelves as they like. Locke has an acquaintance in Brooklyn cut the shelves and he paints them, then installs them in the pay phone area.
Locke says the shelves remain there for a certain period of time, then vanish.
“It’s a spontaneous thing that just erupts at certain locations,” he said of the shelves in an interview with The New York Times. “People like it, people are inspired by it, but then it disappears again.”
He prefers early mornings for installing the shelves.
“There aren’t a lot of people out,” Locke said. “You can just go down, find a good booth, carry it out, latch it in. It takes seconds.”
Last October, Germany saw various public bookshelves spring up in cities all over the country.


text:
Beer sales rise after duty cuts
Beer sales have increased for the first time in a decade, but more booze is now sold in supermarkets and off-licences than in pubs for the first time on record.
There was a 1.3% rise in UK sales last year, driven by growth in supermarkets and off-licences, while beer sales in pubs fell by 0.8%, the smallest decline since 1996.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said the turnaround in beer sales followed the two cuts in beer duty announced in the last two Budgets.
The association said the two cuts of 1p each should be followed by a further reduction in the final Budget before the general election in March to give a further boost to the industry.
The 1.3% increase in sales last year followed nine years of decline, which saw beer sales slide by 24%.
The BBPA said under the "disastrous" beer tax escalator, which was abolished two years ago, duty including VAT increased from 42p to 65p on a typical pint, with an estimated 7,000 pubs closing and 58,000 jobs lost after the escalator was introduced in 2008.
BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds said: "British beer is back in growth - and we want to keep it that way. But with 70% of pub drink sales being beer, the picture for our much loved pubs is still fragile.
"That is why another duty cut from the Chancellor is vital. It will build on the success of two very popular tax cuts in the past two years, and boost jobs in an industry that employs 900,000 people, almost half of whom are 16-24 year olds."
A spokesman for the Campaign for Real Ale said: "It is fantastic to see overall beer sales back in growth for the first time in 10 years, but it is vitally important that beer sales in pubs move back into growth too.
"The 0.8% drop in pub beer sales is the smallest decline in sales since 1996, but if we want to see fewer pubs closing it is vital that number is pushed into positive growth.
"A third beer duty cut in next month's budget will help ensure that 2015 is the year when pub beer sales finally start growing again."


text:
Regulators Hear Diversity Of Opinions On Market Conduct Surveillance
Market conduct surveillance may be the right answer thats going at the wrong speed, regulators were told during the winter meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners here last month.
Both consumer and insurer representatives said there is a need to put out a regulatory product so it can be tested to see what works and what doesnt work.
During the course of market conduct sessions, it was suggested by Dave Reddick, a representative with the National Association of Mutual Companies, Indianapolis, that the different pieces of the market conduct puzzle be put together by September 2003, including a How-to Guide.
The guide is being developed to offer regulators a source describing effective market conduct tools. A catalogue of regulatory tools has been developed and a second phase of the guide would offer instruction in how to use these tools.
Linda Lanam, a spokesperson with the American Council of Life Insurers, Washington, said, “it is very important we use 2003 to take a look at what is being done and to make sure that it is working. The more we can do, the more it will give rise to new things.”
Birny Birnbaum, executive director of the Center for Economic Justice, Austin, Texas, suggested that rather than presenting status reports, it was important to put out a product.


text:
Apple first revealed macOS Catalina at its WWDC 2019 conference in San Jose, California earlier this year, during which the company showcased some of the exciting new features that macOS Catalina brings to the table, including its nifty capability to utilize an iPad as a secondary screen. So, after a wait that seemingly lasted forever, we can finally download the update. This is a huge update, too, as through a new feature called “Project Catalyst,” iOS 13 and iPadOS developers can easily port their work over to the macOS environment. This means if you update your Mac today – though, you may want to wait – you should have access to many more Mac apps.
There are some things going away though. For instance, iTunes, the media software that’s been around for almost two decades, has faded into that long night. In its place, however, we get a new Mac-flavored Apple Music app, along with Apple Podcasts and Apple TV. So, don’t fret, you can still listen to your music and watch the new season of The Good Place.
macOS Catalina compatibility
If you want to get your hands on the latest macOS update, you’re going to need to make sure your Mac actually supports it. Fortunately, if you already have macOS Mojave installed, you’ll likely be in the clear. Unless, of course, you circumvented Apple’s restrictions.
But, just to be on the safe side, we went ahead and listed every Mac with macOS 10.15 Catalina compatibility down below:
- 12-inch MacBook (2015 and later)
- MacBook Air (2012 and later)
- MacBook Pro (2012 and later)
- Mac mini (2012 and later)
- iMac (2012 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac Pro (2013 and later)


text:
While banks in India are no longer allowed to deal with crypto exchanges and the majority of them have been forced to go out of business, a few platforms are resisting as best they can by offering crypto services. – P2P trading, this is particularly the case of WazirX.
On its blog, Binance announced that following the acquisition of WazirX, a crypto-fiat gateway, allowing to buy and sell Tether (USDT) against Indian rupee, would be set up.
Although the amount of the transaction was not disclosed, according to the IndiaTimes, the platform would have been sold between 5 and 10 million dollars.
The number 1 exchange in terms of trading volume specifies that in addition to attacking the cryptocurrency market in India, it is also investing in the blockchain ecosystem with the financing of several local startups such as Matic Network , which recently raised funds on its Binance Launchpad platform.
Born in China, Binance fled its home country for Singapore and Malta following the tightening of Chinese cryptocurrency regulations in late 2017.
The company now offers services that offer the ability to exchange cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for fiat currency on almost every continent.
Last month, it introduced a P2P crypto-trading service in China that works through the country’s major mobile apps.


text:
Istanbul Airport opens second phase of duty free zone
Istanbul Airport will open fully on March 3, replacing the current Istanbul Atatürk Airport, which will be closed for scheduled passenger flights.
“We are all ready for the occasion,” said Kadri Samsunlu, Chief Executive Officer of İGA Airport Operations.
Istanbul Airport will be the biggest airport in the world, with an initial capacity to serve 90 million people, which will be expanded to 200 million once all phases are completed.
Istanbul Airport also overrides its competitors with its size. The airport is 3.5 times as big as Beijing Airport, which has an area of 23 million square meters. “Our challenge is to be the biggest and the best,” Samsunlu said.
As part of the airport’s first phase, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated the first duty free shop on October 29, 2018.
The second phase of Istanbul Airport’s duty free zone began trading on January 15 with five new shops covering an area of 8,000 square meters.
The total duty free retail space will cover 53,000 square meters and carry more than 1,000 international and national brands.
Unifree Dutyfree commissioned the second phase with its partner Gebr Heinemann.
One of the two main duty free flagships, consisting of different concept stores ranging from 4.2 square meters to 28 square meters, has opened in phase two.
These stores carry a wide range of products, specially made for Istanbul Airport.
The overall design of the duty free zone was inspired by the Bosphorus. The zone has seven different sections, consisting of the Fashion Garden, Family Palace, High&Lux Hills: Fashion, High&Lux Hills: Jewelry and Watch, High&Lux Hills: Fashion and Accessories, Style Beach, and Icon Gulf.
Each section welcomes passengers with concept-related selective domestic and international brands offering a variety of products.
Exclusive products for Istanbul Airport
Luxury brands will include Bottega Veneta, Bulgari, Celine, Christian Dior, Emporio Armani, Fendi, Ferragamo, Gucci, Hermes, Loro Piana, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Saint Laurent Paris.
In addition, the retail space will feature national brands D&R, Desa, Vakko, Mavi, Atasay, Zen Pırlanta, Yargıcı, Saat&Saat, Rue, Damat&Tween, D’s Damat, Luzdemia, Tamer Tanca and TNC Butik, Emnana, Guard Leather, İpekyol, Machka, US Polo, Pierre Cardin, Cacharel, Dogo, Lambend, Brandy’s and Penti.
In addition to the exclusive products offered by world-renowned brands for Istanbul Airport, many firsts will be achieved in terms of technology, the airport operator said.
Pushing the limits of a traditional duty free approach, Unifree will offer passengers the opportunity to experience the latest developments in technology before anybody else through the innovative products to be displayed in four different technology stores in the Arrivals floor at Istanbul Airport.
Products from the world's leading technology brands will be displayed in specially designed concept stores. Passengers will receive the best price advantage, said İGA.
Redefining duty free shopping
Through a pre-order system, passengers will be able to order products online for collection at the airport.
In addition, tablets will be put in certain lounge areas to enable passengers to use the pre-order system and connect to their personal VIP sales representatives.
An interactive area will feature digital applications where passengers can try on beauty products both physically and via Augmented Reality. This area will have a selfie point where pictures can be taken and shared on social media. Mirror screens will also differentiate the shopping experience at the airport.
Unifree’s stores will also carry special world-first launches.
In addition, passengers will be able to buy perfumes and spirits featuring their names and personalized world-renowned chocolate brands, while also experiencing new-generation shopping with holographic narrations and digital assistants.
World’s largest bazaar
The airport will feature the world's largest Bazaar store, located over 3,000 square meters and carrying products from over 100 domestic and national producers.
The Bazaar area, which will be operated by ATU Duty Free, will carry local products such as Turkish Delight and 365 tons of baklava, amounting up to 60% of Turkey's annual baklava export.
In his speech at the opening of the second phase, Ali Şenher, Unifree CEO, said: "We are delighted to commission the second phase of the duty free zones today, after the first opening simultaneous with the airport on October 29, 2018. The size of the area, the many significant domestic and international brands, as well as the concepts we have developed, have amounted to a hit project in the world, and we have established a duty free zone worthy of our pride at Istanbul Airport.
“In addition to the rich variety of products, quality service is one of our main values. Our sincere expert sales team, personalized for the needs of passengers, will serve 24/7 to provide unforgettable memories to passengers coming from across the world."
Kadri Samsunlu, Chairman of the Executive Board at İGA Airport Operations, said: "Today, we are commissioning the second phase of the duty free zone, which we describe as the soul of Istanbul Airport. We aim to provide an extraordinary and highly enjoyable travel experience to the passengers of Istanbul Airport. It is our pleasure to realize the first step of this process in cooperation with Unifree. We will not only provide a service at Istanbul Airport, but also promote our country and, most importantly, promote Istanbul. We are happy to gather strong domestic and international brands, and people across the world in our commercial space."