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Hyundai and Kia car makers are releasing an emergency software update to fix a flaw that can allow stealing a car with a USB cable.
Carmakers Hyundai and KIA are rolling out an emergency update for the software shipped with several car models. The update addresses a bug that can be exploited by thieves to steal the impacted vehicles.
The anti-theft software upgrade rolled out by the company aims at preventing the vehicles from starting during a method of theft that was shared on TikTok and other social media channels.
“In response to increasing thefts targeting its vehicles without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices in the United States, Hyundai is introducing a free anti-theft software upgrade to prevent the vehicles from starting during a method of theft popularized on TikTok and other social media channels.” reads the announcement published by Hyundai.
The videos shared on TikTok, known as “Kia Challenge,” show how to remove the steering column cover to access a USB-A slot that can be used to connect to the car. The access to the slot can allow attackers to exploit the flaw to bypass the immobilizer that validates the code in the key’s transponder to the car’s ECU.
The software update will be released as a service campaign for a total of almost 4 million vehicles beginning on February 14. The carmaker will first upgrade the software shipped with more than 1 million model year 2017-2020 Elantra, 2015-2019 Sonata and 2020-2021 Venue vehicles. The upgrade will be performed by Hyundai dealers, and the carmaker ensures that the process will take less than one hour to be completed.
The carmakers will reimburse the purchase of steering wheel locks, to the owners of some 2011-2022 model-year vehicles without engine immobilizers that cannot install the software upgrade.
While the Kia Challenge was becoming viral, law enforcement observed a surge in the theft of the impacted car models in the US. In Los Angeles, the thefts of these vehicles increased by 85% in 2022 compared to the previous year.
In September 2022, a national class action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Orange County, California, against the carmakers for this flaw. The lawsuit blames Kia and Hyundais for building vehicles without engine immobilizers allowing cars to be hot-wired and stolen. The complaint states that, unlike any other carmakers, Kia and Hyundai did not use this protection system over the last 20 years
“Hyundai is committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products through continuous improvement and is pleased to provide affected customers with an additional theft deterrent through this software upgrade,” said Randy Parker, CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “We have prioritized the upgrade’s availability for owners and lessees of our highest selling vehicles and those most targeted by thieves in order for dealers to service them first.”
According to the United States Department of Transportation approximately 3.8 million Hyundai vehicles and 4.5 million KIA vehicles are impacted by this flaw.
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(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Moshen Dragon)
The post Hyundai and Kia to patch a flaw that allows the theft of the cars with a USB cable appeared first on Security Affairs.


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What is gasoline direct injection and how is it different from traditional methods of getting fuel into your car's engine?
New Buick models with direct injection engines offer "beefy" performance and better fuel efficiency.
Automotive News reports on Mazda's new model plans.
Automotive news reports on Hyundai's plans for fuel-efficient engines.
Kia comes up with a new large sedan for the U.S., but not until 2011.
Hyundai shows off a new direct-injection engine for the 2011 Sonata.
At the 2015 New York auto show, Honda unveiled a concept version of the next-generation Civic, its performance and sport styling hinting at a much more engaging Civic model in the near future.
The 115th annual New York auto show starts next week -- we'll see new cars from McLaren and Cadillac, not to mention exciting updates, from a hybrid Toyota RAV4 to a new Nissan Maxima.
We know a lot about Cadillac's new CT6 model, including its driveline and some cabin tech features, but what it looks like will remain a mystery until its New York unveiling next week.

domain: news


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16:07 29th May, 2015
Google Launches Smart Lock Password Manager On Android
Smart Lock makes it easier for users to log in to third party apps.
Google has launched a new Smart Lock Passwords Manager with an aim to make it easier for users to sign in to third-party Android apps.
Speaking about Smart Lock, we can clearly sum up that the service basically does what Chrome already did on the web, but for apps.
This means that Smart Lock will eventually ask you whether you want to save the password when you login to any app.
Now, suppose you get a new device, then the Smart Lock feature will pre-fill the required credentials as it already knows what the password is for the particular app just as in Google Chrome.
It is being said that for now, Google has worked with apps like Eventbrite, Instacart, Orbitz, LinkedIn, Netflix and New York Times to pilot this project.
Well, it seems that the Smart Lock might definitely help apps and sites increase their sign up and sing in rates keeping in mind the annoying thing of entering passwords on mobile everytime.
- Xiaomi India launches new Mi Dual Driver In-Ear Earphones
- Xiaomi to bring NavIC technology from ISRO to several smartphones in 2020
- Bobble celebrates 'Namaste Trump" with new GIFs, and Stickers
- Fujifilm unveils the new X100V camera with high performance and advanced functions along with two new XC 35mm F2 and GF 45-100mm F4 lens
- boAt audio launches new range of earphones & speakers at the recently concluded Lakmé Fashion Week
- Sennheiser PXC 550-II Wireless, The Smarter Travel Companion, Launched in India
- Titan Company strengthens its technology and wearables play
- Xiaomi India launches Desh Ka Dumdaar Smartphone, Redmi 8A Dual
- HYPERX LAUNCHES FURY ULTRA RGB GAMING MOUSE PAD IN INDIA
- An initiative to create a Breathe Free space for the torch bearers of tomorrow


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By MICHAEL CHEANG
The ancient Greeks drank it. The Norse gods supposedly drank it. Ancient civilizations in Asia, Europe, Africa, and America drank it.
Mead is arguably THE oldest alcoholic beverage in the world, and no matter where you are from, there is a high chance that your ancestors were drinking mead, said Jeff Herbert of Superstition Meadery in the United States.
“From Asia to Europe to Africa, mead is known as the oldest fermented beverage. Mead is intertwined with history, religion and mythology, so one can drink with their ancestors and enjoying mead becomes an experience!” he said in an email interview.
However, although mead has a long, long history, it has fallen far, far behind beer and other beverages in these modern times. But that’s changing though. According to the American Mead Makers Association, there used to be only 30 commercial meaderies in the US, but that has increased to about 300 in 2016.
It’s a boom likened to that of craft beer in the 1990s, and Superstition Meadery is one of the meaderies at the forefront of this growing industry.
All the same, Herbert said that a majority of people have never heard of mead, so a lot of education is still needed to grow the industry. “We usually start by telling new customers that mead is a wine made from honey. This seems to set a point of reference, and this is quite legally accurate,” he says.
Full Story: Mead: The oldest alcoholic drink in the world


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|Bid||664.80 x 0|
|Ask||665.20 x 0|
|Day's Range||658.00 - 672.40|
|52 Week Range||519.20 - 833.14|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||1.34|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||114.86|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||N/A|
● Rentokil dipped on competition worries after US-listed peer ServiceMaster expanded its European operations with the purchase of Nomor, the continent’s fourth-biggest pest control company. ServiceMaster agreed to pay $200m for Nomor, which has operations in Norway that overlap Rentokil’s business. The US company has also agreed to buy some UK pest control assets from Rentokil that were for sale to appease the Competition and Markets Authority.
Eminence Capital, a New York hedge fund that holds 4.4% of Just Eat stock, said it would vote against the food-delivery app’s merger with rival Takeaway.com
Investment firm Cat Rock, however, said on Tuesday Just Eat shareholders should vote for the merger unless a more "compelling and credible" counter-offer emerges. "Voting against the Just Eat and Takeaway.com merger benefits no one but Just Eat's competitors," Cat Rock said in a statement https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c13f4c6e17ba3aca12b9686/t/5d6e5eef4f45fb00014f46f7/1567514352007/Cat+Rock+Capital+Press+Release+on+Just+Eat+plc+9-3-19+vFinal.pdf. Cat Rock had been pushing Just Eat to merge with a rival such as Takeaway and has also stepped up its campaign for changes at the company.
The FTSE 100 lost 0.1%, but still bagged weekly gains after a turbulent few sessions largely dominated by global trade relations. The FTSE 250 slipped 0.2%. Online takeaway service Just Eat tumbled 8.2%, its steepest one-day decline in more than a year, after rival Deliveroo said it had gained Amazon's backing in a $575 million funding round.
European stocks snapped a three-day winning streak on Friday amid global trade jitters after Beijing ratcheted up its war of words with Washington, while the end of Brexit talks between British political ...
Amazon has taken a stake in British online food delivery company Deliveroo, leading a $575 million fundraising to pit itself against Uber Eats in the global race to dominate the market for takeaway meals. The news the world's biggest online retailer had bought into one of Europe's fastest growing tech companies sent shockwaves through the sector, hitting shares in European rivals Just Eat, Takeaway.com and Delivery Hero. Deliveroo founder and CEO Will Shu said the fundraising would enable the loss-making group to increase its reach, develop technology and pursue innovations such as expanding its own kitchens that can be rented to restaurants to meet demand.
European shares dropped on Friday after three days of gains, as Beijing ratcheted up its war of words with Washington over trade, weighing on risk appetite. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.7% by 0720 GMT, though it was still looking at its best weekly performance since in 1-1/2 months. The Communist Party's People's Daily used a front page commentary to say the trade war would never bring China down, after telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd was put on a U.S. blacklist.
By Muvija M and Shashwat Awasthi (Reuters) - UK blue-chip stocks rose slightly on Friday, recouping the session's losses as mining stocks gave investors something to cheer about at the end of a largely ...
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Just...
The FTSE 100 ended 0.4 percent lower and the more domestically-focused FTSE 250 inched down 0.1 percent. Shell shed 1.4 percent to a month low and BP gave up 2.1 percent, as crude prices weakened after U.S. oil inventories rose more-than-expected with output reaching a new record of 12.3 million barrels per day. As sterling rose to multi-week highs with lingering hopes of progress in cross-party Brexit talks and ahead of Bank of England interest rate meeting on Thursday, exporter companies bore the brunt as much of their revenue is earned in dollars.
Both the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 ended 0.1 percent lower, although the blue-chips trimmed losses after data showed U.S. economic growth accelerated in the first quarter. Mining company Glencore fell 3.3 percent after saying that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission was investigating possible "corrupt practices" that may have broke some rules. Royal Bank of Scotland skidded 4 percent, its biggest fall in nearly five months, as it reported lower first-quarter profit that was hurt by intensifying competition and Brexit uncertainty.
British online takeaway service Just Eat said on Friday that the pace of order growth in its home market slowed in the first three months of the year, prompting activist shareholder Cat Rock to step up its campaign for changes at the company. The firm said UK orders increased 7.4 percent to 31.9 million over the three months to March 31 - a slowdown from growth of 13 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018. Just Eat said UK growth was impacted by a strong comparative number, unseasonably warm weather in February, and the Easter holiday falling in the second quarter this year.
Just Eat’s U.K. revenue increased 28 percent year-on-year over the first quarter, with its main U.K. orders growing just 7.4 percent. The company still expects full year revenue of between 1 billion to 1.1 billion pounds ($1.29 billion to $1.4 billion), which matched estimates according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Just Eat rejoined the FTSE 100 this year, but the company is battling against a growing Uber Eats, which is planning to launch a rival marketplace platform in the U.K., following Deliveroo’s entry in mid-2018.
While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'l...
By Shashwat Awasthi and Yadarisa Shabong (Reuters) - Financial stocks and housebuilders slipped after British Prime Minister Theresa May asked the European Union to delay Brexit and caused the FTSE 100 ...


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Until then uncertain, the reopening of the Time Out Market in Montreal is now confirmed.
The sign of restore international, which occupies only 40 000 ft2 of the Eaton Centre in downtown Montreal, will reopen on 8th July.
The food fair, on which relied greatly Ivanhoe Cambridge for the relaunch of the Eaton Centre of Montreal after its renovations, had been among the first to suspend its activities in march, in the wake of the spread of the COVID-19.
The direction of Time Out Market ensures make every effort to comply with the instructions of government and to allow its customers “to enjoy a dining experience pleasant and safe.”
Therefore, it announces the implementation of new ways of doing things as orders without a contact, the launch of a new cell phone app and the addition of new systems of air circulation. Partitions plexiglas have also been installed between the tables, as well as several stations of disinfectant.
A future linked to the vaccine
During an interview with The Journal, the CEO of Ivanhoe Cambridge, owner of the Eaton Centre, had been cautious on Thursday about the possibility that the restaurant concept operated by Time Out Market is to survive the pandemic.
“We were very optimistic at the time of launch, had said the president and CEO of the real estate subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. It is a bit early to know what will happen. The world is changing almost from one day to the other. This will depend on a lot of access to a vaccine. The model has always the sense, but it is very constrained by the conditions of health.”
For the moment, only six tenants have confirmed the re-opening of their counter. This is the case of the shop Signed Local and the cooking school.
Next to restaurants, chefs Paul Toussaint of the Agrikol and Phong Thach of the Red Tiger are on the short list of the booths that will be in service as early as 8 July.
– With the collaboration of Catherine Genest, 24 Hours


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Customers of Play.com have been notified that their personal details may have been compromised as a result of a data breach. According to an email sent to customers this morning, names and email addresses may have been leaked following a security incident at one of the online retailer’s marketing communications suppliers. This follows a media report yesterday that some customers had received spam at email accounts specifically linked to Play.com.
Ross Brewer, vice president and managing director for international markets, LogRhythm, has made the following comments:
"While Play.com reports that only customer names and emails are at risk – and that no credit card or other confidential information was compromised – this incident is a stark reminder that an organisation’s security and reputation is often dependent on the behaviour of third parties. To prevent these embarrassing and costly breaches from occurring, businesses need to prescribe stricter security policies for their outsourcers.
"Few firms monitor the internal workings of their IT infrastructures, so have little idea how hackers roam around the network in search of valuable information. By stipulating that suppliers must deploy log management solutions, organisations can not only gain forensics into how an attack spreads, they can also receive alerts about any suspicious behaviour, enabling them to prevent a damaging breach from happening in the first place.”
News of this incident comes hot on the heels of new research from The Ponemon Institute estimating that the average data breach now costs UK firms £1.9 million. In separate research, conducted by OnePoll in November 2010, 66 percent of UK consumers said they would try to avoid future interactions with companies which had lost their personal data.


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I’m writing this in regard to the article “5G Technology Revolution Has Many Concerned” by Don Corrigan (WKT, Sept. 6). I agree with the many concerns listed by the STL for Safe Technology group, and I’m glad more research will be done. How many more Gs until we are satisfied? And if 5G is 100 times faster than current technology but has health concerns, why not just go right to 6G?
I already have concerns about privacy and cyber security with our current technology. I am so afraid of someone gaining access to my webcam that I never use my laptop without wearing a ski mask. Last month, my computer was hacked into so I had to change my password. The man at the Apple store said the new password had two capital letters, numbers and a symbol so it is virtually impenetrable, but I’m not so sure.
I know today’s society is always in a rush with fast food, fast passes, instant messaging, quick pay and minute rice, but maybe we need to all take a deep breath and slow down. Faster does not always mean better. Citizens of Kirkwood and Webster Groves should not be the spot for the Gs.


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Ubisoft has announced another free weekend for Rainbow Six: Siege, giving people the chance to play the game at no cost for a couple of days. That period begins today, and runs until 13 November.
In addition, the next major update for Rainbow Six: Siege, ‘Red Crow‘, will launch on 17 November. This will add a free map (Skyscraper) to the game, along with a pair of new operators. Echo and Hibana will be available from 17 November onwards for Season Pass owners, and available to all from 24 November (to unlock with Renown or R6 Credits).
The first live demo of Operation Red Crow will be streamed on 13 November, at 4.45pm here. It’s an event held in Poland, so that should give you an idea of the time-zone.


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Conor reviews the last of 2015’s triple A shooters, Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
With the release of The Force Awakens creeping ever closer, Conor reviews Star Wars Battlefront.
Conor reviews the disappointing return of the Rainbow Six franchise.
This Week in Gaming (16/11/15-22/11/15) sees the release of the eagerly anticipated Star Wars Battlefront.
Thomas reviews the latest addition to the Assassin’s Creed series.
A new live-action trailer has been revealed ahead of the game’s upcoming release date on 10th November.
We give our impressions on the Star Wars: Battlefront open Beta.
Jack reviews the critically acclaimed Indie game Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, which has just made its way onto next-gen platforms.
In anticipation of the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Conor takes a look at the controversial prologue to the game, Ground Zeroes.
Evolution Studios have confirmed that the long-awaited Playstation Plus edition of Driveclub will be released tomorrow, June 25th.
The Edge live-blogs the Sony conference as it happens at E3.


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The respected Fitch Ratings agency in the United States has predicted that the gambling industry can expect a tough economic environment through to 2010, reports Business Wire.
“Following one of its most challenging years in recent history, the U.S. gaming industry will remain under significant pressure in 2009, with a recovery unlikely until 2010,” the publication reports.
Fitch forecasts that the current economic recession has triggered the steepest GDP (gross domestic product) decline in the major advanced economies since World War II. The financial profile of the U.S. consumer is expected to remain stressed in 2009, as weak employment trends coupled with depressed real estate and equity prices continue to undermine consumer confidence.
With net worth and personal income under pressure, and continued tight household credit conditions, Fitch predicts that U.S. consumer spending will dip by 1.6 percent in 2009 and remain depressed into 2010. And the decline in energy and commodity prices won’t outweigh this drag on the economy, says Fitch.
Fitch goes on to explain that the US gaming industry experienced a greater impact from the difficult financial conditions for consumers in 2008 than many investors expected. Generally, gaming spend per visit has been affected more than visitation levels, which can be bolstered by promotions. Considering the combined effect of recent declines in gas prices, and reductions in airline capacity and international demand, Fitch believes local markets will fare better than destination markets, such as the Las Vegas Strip.


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AGCO, a Duluth, Ga., manufacturer and distributor of tractors, combines, and a range of other agricultural equipment, plans to build a new factory this year to produce tractors. According to reports, the project carries an estimated capital cost of $50 million.
The company is the second-largest domestic manufacturer of agricultural equipment, and carries a full range of products that are sold and distributed. Its major brand names are Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra. AGCO’s U.S. manufacturing operations are at Hesston and Beloit, Kan., and Jackson, Minn.
The new plant will be located at an existing AGCO facility in Jackson. It will produce Massey-Ferguson and Challenger tractors at a rate of up to 2,000 units/year as early as 2012. Currently, these tractor products are imported from AGCO’s overseas plants for the North American market.
The new plant’s full capacity could reach 10,000-12,000 tractors annually in three to five years.


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Want to see the future and current projects that are transforming San Antonio’s central city? Check out this amazing new website that was recently launched. This is a comprehensive list with lots of wonderful information and photos. Thank you for your tremendous effort, Todd Morey and Lorenzo Gomez. Urbantonio.
Homes that are priced well and in good condition are flying off the shelves. Multiple offers and short days on the market are now the norm. This article was posted in Real Estate Newsline.
Housing inventory in San Antonio hit a six year low in September with just 4.6 months of inventory. Homes spent an average of only 70 days on market and 97 percent of homes sold for list price. According to the San Antonio Board of REALTORS (SABOR) Multiple Listing Service Report, a total of 2,031 homes were purchased during the month, which is a 20 percent increase from September 2012.
“We have seen our inventory getting smaller and smaller all year, making this more of a competitive market,” said Steven Gragg, 2013 Chairman of the Board. “Low inventory could result in sellers receiving multiple bids on homes located in prime locations or being able to sell closer to their asking price.”
According to the National Association of REALTORS, the Texas housing market largely avoided the crisis other states experienced over the past few years, crediting Texas’ vibrant job market and growing population. Texas has also seen substantial declines in foreclosure notices filed. In fact, according to Realty Trac, between July and September, Texas experienced a decline of 44.6 percent in foreclosure filings, compared to 29 percent nationwide.
The average price in San Antonio of a home sold in September 2013 was $205,728 and the median price was $168,700, both seven percent increases from the same month in 2012. Year-to-date the average also increased by seven percent to $207,103 and the median grew by six percent, to $169,900.
The price breakdowns showed a slight increase in September from previous months for homes sold in the low range (below $200,000), with those accounting for 62.24 percent. Homes price in the mid-range (between $200,000 and $500,000) made up 33.97 percent of sales and homes costing over $500,000 accounted for 3.69 percent of homes sold.
“Interest rates have been at historic lows for some time now allowing many people to take advantage of the opportunity. Although the rates have started to inch up, they still remain below five percent making home buying affordable for a wide range of people,” said Angela Shields, SABOR President and CEO.
This recent article was posted in the San Antonio Business Journal about the residential real estate market in San Antonio. While the article focuses mostly on Alamo Heights I can attest that the seller’s market discussed is also happening in the downtown and central city neighborhoods. It has been my experience recently both on the listing and buying side that desirable homes that are priced well will receive multiple offers. The title of the article says it best, “The pace is back.”
“The Pace is Back.”
By Shari L. Biediger for San Antonio Business Journal
A co-founder of the boutique firm Nix Realty, Kate Park recently showed a charming 4-3-2 on a tree-lined street in Alamo Heights, only to receive a text message from the listing agent while walking back to her car.
The house just received an offer from another buyer — one who had not yet seen the property.
“The pace is back,” says Park. “It is fun.
Turn down those thermostats. Local home sales are heating up faster than the patio furniture cushions on a sizzling, summer day. And not just in the popular pockets of the past. Some of the city’s sleeper markets are awakening.
“The number of days on the market continues to drop, average sales prices continue to increase, while months in inventory continue to decrease,” says Steven Gragg, chairman of the San Antonio Board of Realtors. “Last year was a really good year. And now, within the first quarter of 2013, we are 15 percent ahead of 2012.”
Ready to pounce
It’s a trend that began last summer, says Park.
“The pace was fast in 2012 for the same three months, March to May,” says Park. “But this year, it seems as though there are more properties selling with multiple offers, which usually equates to the seller getting closer to their asking price, or even more than their ask in a few cases.”
This nearly 100 year old Queen Anne Victorian beauty now has new owners.
This two story Queen Anne home sits on a double lot just steps away from the River Walk in Historic King William. Double wrap around porches provide the perfect vantage point to watch the Fiesta King William Fair & Parade. The home features high ceilings, tall windows, beautiful hardwood floors, space for attic expansion, & a grand entry with elegant stairway. The family room overlooks the spacious yard shaded by mature trees. The detached two car garage off S. Alamo has a second story studio & full bath.
Recently renovated historic home in the hip Lone Star Neighborhood. 3 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms. Renovations include refinished floors, new interior paint, electrical upgrades, updated bathrooms, HVAC, updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, washer & dryer, attic conversion, and a security system. Open floor plan flows into the sleek kitchen with breakfast bar. French doors open to a deck and a large back yard. Perfect for entertaining. Move-in ready and waiting for you.
Click on the photo for more pictures and information about the house.
Wonderful two bedroom and two bathroom home in Historic Lavaca. This home was renovated in 2007 to include foundation repairs, metal roof, and double pane windows throughout. An architecturally designed complementary addition was built to add modern amenities such as a master bath, dressing area with walk-in closet, laundry area, and a screen porch. Large lot includes a storage building. Great location in the neighborhood with easy access to Hwy 281.
Click on the photo for more pictures and information about the house.
The Express-News is reporting today that the rumored store at The Quarry will really open. Who’s planning on being there for opening day? I’m looking forward to checking it out although I’ll admit I don’t plan to camp out like the guy mentioned in the story.
Trader Joe’s to open Oct. 19
By Valentino Lucio
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Mark your calendars Trader Joe’s fans, the grocer plans to open its first location in San Antonio at 8 a.m. Oct. 19. And one fan already has planned to camp out to ensure he’s the first in line.
Chuck Hernandez, who is the owner of an organic catering service in San Antonio called Arugula Catering, said that he became familiar with Trader Joe’s while studying in California. He said that a tight-knit community exists among people who are familiar with the grocer.
“These are my people at Trader Joe’s. It’s what I grew up with. If you see people with a Trader Joe’s tote, you’re going to stop and talk to them. It’s a strong community of people.”
And when the store opens, Hernandez already has plans to be the first one there.
“I’m going to be the first in line with the first dollar,” he said. “I’m camping out.”
The 11,000-square-foot store will be located at the former West Elm furniture store at the Quarry Village and construction is expected to start sometime this month, said Alison Mochizuki, spokeswoman for the California-based grocery chain.
The San Antonio opening is part of the company’s aggressive expansion into Texas. Trader Joe’s signed the lease for the store at the Quarry Village in March. Other locations the grocer has announced for the Lone Star state are in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Plano and The Woodlands, according to the company’s website.
“Trader Joe’s is very excited to open a new location in San Antonio. It’s a wonderful community filled with foodies,” Mochizuki said.
The locations at The Woodlands and Fort Worth are slated to open Friday, according to the company’s website. The Austin location, which was the most recent store announced, is set to open in 2014.
Hiring for general staff at the San Antonio store is anticipated to start sometime closer to September. How many people the grocer is looking to hire hasn’t been released, but already Trader Joe’s is accepting applications for management positions for the San Antonio store.
Trader Joe’s got its start in 1958 and has more than 360 stores in 32 states. The chain is known for its specialty foods, private labels and quirky atmosphere, which includes employees who wear brightly colored Hawaiian shirts.
It has amassed a cult following, especially in areas where it’s absent. A Facebook group page called San Antonio Needs a Trader Joe’s has more than 620 members.
When it was reported that the grocer had plans for a store in the Alamo City several expressed pleasure about the news.
Some posted, “Yippee!” and “Hallelujah!” Others claimed to do the happy dance.
Contemporary construction in the center of the King William Historic District. This luxurious and spacious home has it all. A gourmet kitchen is at the heart of the open floor plan which allows for wonderful entertaining or simply spending a quiet evening in. The private master retreat features a dressing room wrapped with California Closets, two restful balconies, and a well appointed bath. The pool, yard, and patios provide great spaces for outdoor living. Impeccable condition and centrally located.
Click on the photo for more pictures and information about the home.
The recently cleared plot of land at the intersection of West Guenther and South Flores will soon feature an apartment development, The Viceroy. I drive by this intersection almost daily as my office is located just a few blocks south at the intersection of Cevallos and South Flores. I’ll enjoy watching this project go up as much as I’m enjoying watching Steel House Lofts going up now. The Viceroy, Steel House Lofts, and Cevallos Lofts will greatly increase the density in the area and bring with them new amenities for the neighborhood. The developer of The Viceroy, Landbridge Partners, recently successfully rezoned the old Lone Star Brewery. Keep your eyes on my post and I’ll update as I learn more about the plans for the brewery.
***UPDATE*** The new name for the location is The 1010. I’ve added them to my list of Places to Rent in Downtown and Southtown.
Below is the recent story run in The Express-News. The link to the story is also at the bottom of the post.
The Viceroy on the way to King William area
By Valentino Lucio Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Historically, every king needed a viceroy.
So it’s appropriate that the King William area welcomes The Viceroy, a mixed-used development in the Southtown neighborhood that broke ground on Tuesday at the corner of West Guenther and South Flores streets.
The 48,000-square-foot building will have about 5,800 square feet of commercial space on the first floor, which could be used as light office or retail space, said Sunshine Thacker, the owner of Landbridge Partners, the project’s developer.


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Transport insurance specialist, NTI, has launched an online Chain of Responsibility Health Check tool.
Newly developed to coincide with legislative reforms that came into effect last week, the self-assessment tool and resources for CoR compliance are said to reflect NTI’s commitment to creating a safer future for Australian industry.
Christopher Hogarty, NTI Chief Customer Officer said the company wanted to provide assurances for the transport and logistics industry and their livelihood.
“Our latest offering is about safety for all Australians from road users to operations managers, load handlers to business owners – everyone in the supply chain,” said Hogarty.
“We’re here to help organisations benchmark themselves within the transport and logistics industry and provide tools and solutions to progress their pathway to compliance,” he said.
On 1 October, changes to CoR laws were introduced through the Heavy Vehicle National Law to all states, Western Australia and Northern Territory, notwithstanding.
NTI Transport & Logistics Risk Engineer Adam Gibson, said online assessments, templates and checklists gave operators a benchmark of their performance and practical steps in which to improve their safety management.
“We took a highly collaborative approach to developing our CoR Health Check to ensure we captured a holistic view of the current industry environment, and where it needs to be as a result of the legislative reforms,” said Gibson.
“In simplest terms, it’s a ‘readiness’ assessment. We’re breaking down what can seem like an overwhelming, complex issue, to help businesses see where their compliance gaps are and how to navigate them,” he said.
“The CoR Health Check is our first resource of this type. We’re continuing to build additional resources to assist specific segments in the transport and logistics industry such as consignors and one to three truck businesses.”


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Watch the new promo which includes a sneak peek at the DVD’s extras:
Description: Video World is like other movie rental stores. It’s the best place in town to discover new films. It also went out of business. Documentary filmmaker Ben Churchill returns to his hometown of Woodbury, Connecticut to capture the store’s final weeks and celebrate the dying culture of local video stores.
The second season of Doing America is currently in post-production and will be available online by March 2015 on YouTube, Hulu, and Amazon. Doing America is a road-trip travel series featuring well-known places and unusual roadside attractions throughout the United States and the revelations one experiences as the explore the country by car.
There will be a total of six 15-20 minute episodes featuring a number of stops in a handful of places including San Francisco, Reno, and Death Valley. Look out for a teaser and trailer which will be released in February on YouTube and Facebook.
Watch the latest video I shot and edited for TV4 Entertainment… The Motorland team visit the LA Auto Show to see all of the new trends in performance, connected and hybrid cars, as well as explore the deep history of Los Angeles Racing. LA is a car town and this proves it! Hosted by Motorland co-founder Nick Turner.


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A new Facebook journalism project aims to strengthen the giant social network’s to tie up with media, by collaborating more on publishing tools and news products. Helping the advertising organization find new readers and train journalists to be more effectively use of the platform.
According to Justin Osofsky, the Face book Vice President of Global Operation and Media Partnership “We want to work with publishers to build products that enable them to tell better stories, connect with their audiences in richer ways and support emerging business models for publisher”
The Company increasingly is acknowledging its responsibility as a top provider of news to the world. The announcement comes within the analysis of the social network as fake news is spreading on Facebook, particularly during the conflict presidential campaign.
Facebook executives say the company is eager for its users to be more sensitive consumers of news. They conducted a survey that most users say that they get their news from Facebook. The rising of fake news creates significant confusion about current events.
“Facebook is quite cognizant of the fact that being bombarded by lies, fraud, deceit and hate is not a good user experience,” CUNY journalism professor Jeff Jarvis said. “Having more reliable, quality, authoritative content is good for users and thus good for Facebook.”
Facebook Users Are Fed Up With Fake News
Many of the initiatives Facebook announced have been previously discussed but the public push reflects its reliance on the media for a steady stream of content to keep its 1.8 billion users attached to their News Feed longer so Facebook can show them more ads.
Facebook took steps to stem the flow of fake news and brought in outside groups to help fact-check articles and label those that are false.
News organizations have for years collaborated with Facebook but now will gain greater and earlier access to the product. Facebook also plans a tour in the U.S. and Europe to make sure it’s building a new storytelling formats and advertising products such as ads that appear in the middle of videos that goose the fortune of news organizations.
You can read the full news here.


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If you or a friend live in Alabama and have bought one of those beer-making kits online — they run about $39.95 — and have brewed up a batch, you have committed a felony.
When powerful prohibitionists once roamed the halls on Goat Hill, the “drys” had the votes to outlaw the buying, selling and making of alcoholic beverages. Time passed and most of those laws fell by the wayside, leaving Alabama and Mississippi as the only states where home brewing is illegal.
Granted, the law did not stop the practice. There are those who can remember when most of Alabama’s “dry” grocery stores would display malt, sugar and yeast together, convenient for the home brewer. Today, this once-fugitive enterprise has become a pastime for many who treat home-brewing much like cooking — recreation enjoyed for the fun and creativity.
Yet, by law, those folks are still felons.
Past efforts to change or even repeal the homebrew law have failed. Now Rep. Mac McCutcheon, R-Huntsville, has filed a bill that would legalize home brewing of beer, wine and cider for non-commercial use.
McCutcheon’s concern comes from the fact that many of the people he represents, government workers who are in science and technology fields, like to experiment with home brewing. If they were arrested, they could lose their government-issued security clearance. He and others also point out that home brewing is how many people in the rapidly growing “craft beer” industry got their start. Making home brewing a crime stifles this enterprise and is a job killer.
The bill addresses many of the concerns of those who in the past have opposed home-brewing. It limits the amount that can be legally made, clarifies restrictions on transporting home brew to brewing competitions, and continues to prohibit people in dry counties from making their own.
Opponents of home brewing generally oppose the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages no matter how they are made. Their opposition is based primarily on religious grounds, though social concerns rank high, as well.
Supporters of home brewing cite the economic benefits and point out that there is little evidence to suggest that home brewers make their product to sell or to get drunk. With legal beer and wine readily available (distilling whiskey would still be outlawed), people who want to “tie one on” would hardly take the time and go to the expense to brew at home.
Although this page is not ignorant of the dangers that accompany alcohol consumption, we believe that changing the law so that home brewing would be legalized and better regulated is a good idea. McCutcheon’s bill is sound legislation and should be passed.


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Tesla Motors is planning to expand its brand to semis and heavy duty trucks in the future. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, posted the second part of the company’s “master plan” on his blog back in July.
The manifesto focuses on using the automaker’s income made from its electric Sedans to develop low volume cars, and ultimately, self-driving pick-ups, semi-trucks, and buses. Mr.Musk also expressed the ongoing need to provide solar power to Tesla’s vehicles, a primary goal of the company since 2006, according to the first part of the plan.
However, owners of utilitarian vehicles may not be interested in switching from diesel to an electric power source. Business Insider’s Technology Editor, Mathew DeBord, wrote an article addressing the possible odds of Tesla Motors to compete with well-known truck manufacturers like GMC, Ford, and Fiat.
And it doesn’t look good for the electric car company, according to Mr. DeBord.
The automaker has been targeting wealthy customers, but this may change
Elon Musk released the first part of Tesla Motor’s master plan in August 2006. The plan describes the researching and developing of a wide range of vehicles as the next step for the company, following its first electric sports car model, The Tesla Roadster.
Mr.Musk also addresses the intention behind the Roadster’s high price – $109,000 in the U.S -, stating that this was necessary to fund what would be the long-term plan and the goal of Tesla Motors: to build affordable products, including familiar and utilitarian vehicles.
— Motor1 Canada (@motor1canada) August 12, 2016
Tesla and SolarCity are joining forces
“Master Plan, Part Deux” continues this vision and touches the subject of solar power. This search for an alternative sustainable energy source led to a new partnership between Tesla Motors and California-Based energy provider, SolarCity. Elon Musk shared the news at the beginning of August.
“AS ONE COMPANY, TESLA (STORAGE) AND SOLARCITY (SOLAR) CAN CREATE FULLY INTEGRATED, COMMERCIAL AND GRID-SCALE PRODUCTS,” he wrote on Tesla’s blog.
Tesla trucks would need enormous battery power
On the other hand, Mathew DeBord is not optimistic about the automaker’s future in the high-volume car market, as he explained the segment Mr.Musk is trying to convince.
He said the vast majority of pickup truck buyers are located in the U.S and are extremely loyal to their brands. Truckers aren’t thinking about why they need an electric version of a vehicle that in gas or diesel-powered form is already completely satisfying, according to Mr.DeBord.
These allegations sum to a list of potential troubles for Tesla Motors as the energy required by heavy-duty trucks to achieve their routes is quite significant, and Tesla batteries only cover around 250 miles after an hour of recharging.
The new line of Tesla Motor’s semis and trucks is currently under development and would hit production at some point next year, according to Elon Musk’s blog. However, some renders of what could be Tesla’s pickup truck have been circulating the internet.


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Sustainable investment specialist secures approval for role as new chair at environmental watchdog
Emma Howard Boyd has been confirmed as chair of the Environment Agency, after the appointment was officially approved by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee. Howard Boyd took up...
Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change analysis suggests most UK sectors face stiff global competition for low carbon goods and services
US retail giant is now sourcing 26 per cent of its energy from renewables, according to 2017 Global Responsibility Report
BEIS department is looking for a contractor to manage the delivery of a major new project investigating the use of hydrogen gas as a source of clean heat
RenewableUK publishes study detailing how its members are taking advantage of massive export opportunities in the wind and marine energy market


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Along with announcing the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition, Apple had a few other small updates to show off. The smaller 4-inch iPhone SE, that was announced last March is getting a storage upgrade. Beginning this Friday, March 24th, the iPhone SE will now be available in a 32GB size and a 128GB size.
This means that there will be no iPhones currently available that feature 16GB of internal storage. And this is good news for customers all around and solves a large pain point. And unfortunately, there is no (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition variant coming to the iPhone SE.
Even better there is no price increase for the iPhone SE, the 32GB size is $399, and the 128GB size is $499 off-contract. The device can also be purchased through carrier payment plans, as well ass the iPhone Upgrade Program.
The newly updated iPhone SE will be available from Apple retail stores and the Apple Online Store on March 24th.


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Dubai: Etisalat has launched an international voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calling card in the UAE to compete with Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), the holding company of Du.
EITC launched the first VoIP calling card – Hello! – in April 2010. It is not marketed under Du’s brand name.
“Hello! cards are available only at select outlets and targeted at labourers,” a Du spokesperson said.
The big question is why do telco operators launch new services without any high-profile launch. Even the Hello! card is not known to many people despite being sold in the market for more than two years.
Etisalat’s Five calling card offers discounted call rates to Bangladesh, China, India, Kuwait, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka for as little as 40 fils per minute, plus users can make calls to other countries at normal rates.
When contacted by Gulf News, etisalat did not make any comment about the card, but a call centre person at etisalat said the cards are sold at all business centres.
“The card can be used for both mobile and landline and is approved by the TRA. The cards are sold at all etisalat business centres, major shopping malls and grocery stores in the UAE,” a call centre agent at Five told Gulf News.
“Etisalat was supposed to launch the VoIP card in 2011. Now they have launched the card to compete with Du and steal its market share,” an industry expert, on condition of anonymity, told Gulf News.
“At present there are two licensees which are legally entitled to engage in or conduct regulated activities in the State. It is not the TRA’s present intention to issue any further licences that would allow the holders of such licences to provide VoIP services,” TRA said on its website dated December 30, 2009.
TRA has the right to block any third party providing the VoIP service for violating the law and the offender can be fined or jailed. But many users in the UAE have been making illegal VoIP calls for many years despite the regulatory authorities’ strict rules. Many cards are unofficially sold in the UAE for Dh28-Dh35 which gives a talk time of 600 minutes.
The VoIP calls are not that cheap when compared to the normal calling rates in the UAE.
According to Bhanu Chaddha, senior research analyst (Telecommunications) at International Data Corporation (IDC), operators in the UAE are allowed to offer VoIP services in the country they operate and have the licence to do so. It is totally approved by the TRA.
“The telco operators are mainly targeting the bottom of the pyramid and the expatriates with these cards,” he said.
Even though Skype is officially banned in the UAE, end users make calls to India for 9.2 US cents per minute, which converts to 33 fils per second.
“We took only 10 cards initially and they sold like hot cakes. The big issue about VoIP card is the call quality,” a grocery owner in Sharjah said.
“We intend to take more stocks of Five calling cards and have been getting more queries about the card. We have been selling Hello! cards for more than a year and getting good response from end users,” he said.
Five said the card works on both etisalat and du handsets and landlines.
The Five cards have validity for 15 days and 30 days with denominations of Dh20 and Dh50 while Hello! have denominations of Dh15 and Dh30.
Both the telco operators have been offering VoIP calls to businesses in the UAE for quite some time.


text: Google's Keep note-taking app has improved drastically since its release in 2013, thanks to features like labeled to-do lists being added over time. It's also now available for iOS, which opened the gates to the large audience of people who own Apple devices and use Google cloud services. Now, the search company is adding support for drawings to the Android version of Keep, letting you start dropping in doodles to any of your notes. It's a nice addition to an application that's useful as it stands; when you consider that it supports audio, photo and text notes, as well as lists, drawings was arguably the only feature missing. The update via Google Play is said to be rolling out already, but you can grab the APK here (courtesy of Android Police) if you don't feel like waiting.


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Law360 (April 15, 2020, 2:01 PM EDT) -- Massachusetts residents and gun stores have asked a federal court to reverse Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's decision to shutter firearms shops during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the move violates the Second Amendment by barring legal avenues to obtain guns.
Six residents, four gun stores and three gun policy organizations on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock for a restraining order or preliminary injunction to keep Baker and other state and local officials from closing the retail locations during the outbreak.
The request mirrors similar legal battles underway in California, North Carolina and New Jersey, where other public health decisions have closed stores or halted the issuance of new firearm permits.
In Massachusetts, the residents and stores say it's unfair to close gun shops when retailers selling alcohol, hardware and office supplies remain open for business. While private sales of firearms can continue, people cannot buy ammunition during the shop closures, according to the group, which filed suit last week.
"It is now impossible for a private citizen to purchase ammunition, and it is effectively impossible for most people to purchase a handgun, rifle or shotgun," the group said.
Guns and ammunition are more closely akin to free speech or reading than are hardware products or office supplies, the group said, arguing that there is an essential right to own and to be able to buy them even during a pandemic.
"The Constitution imposes a floor the government cannot go beneath, and in crafting emergency orders to address threats, including very serious ones, the government cannot go too far," the group said.
In late March, Baker included gun shops as "essential" businesses that could stay open during the public health response to the pandemic. But by early April, the governor removed firearms dealers from that list.
That decision triggered the lawsuit by residents of Suffolk, Barnstable, Bristol and Middlesex counties, gun stores in Fall River, Woburn, Westport and Hyannis, as well as the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc., Commonwealth Second Amendment Inc. and the Second Amendment Foundation Inc.
In addition to Baker, the lawsuit names as defendants Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, Criminal Justice Information Services Commissioner Jamison Gagnon and the police chiefs in Fall River, Woburn, Westport and Barnstable.
In their request for a restraining order and preliminary injunction, the group said blanket restrictions on being able to buy guns are inherently unconstitutional.
"A flat prohibition on the exercise of an enumerated constitutional right is unconstitutional on its face. No amount of interest-balancing will remove a right from the Constitution," the group said.
There is also no harm in allowing the stores to open in a safe fashion by observing public health recommendations for social distancing, as other kinds of retailers have done and gun stores have been allowed to do in other states, the group said.
Litigation in other states seeking to keep gun shops open has yet to result in a court reopening the stores.
In New Jersey, shops are challenging Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's decision to keep them off the list of essential businesses.
In California, where state officials gave local officials power over closing gun shops, a similar request for a restraining order was denied by a federal judge after stores in Los Angeles County were reopened.
A federal judge in Northern California denied a request to immediately reopen the stores, contrary to the decision by officials in Santa Clara County. Still, the judge is allowing the sides to argue over a request for an injunction.
And in North Carolina, the Second Amendment Foundation and other groups are fighting a decision by the Wake Forest County sheriff to halt the issuance of new permits for pistols and concealed handguns until April 30, citing the outbreak of the virus.
Jason Guida, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the gun stores want to be able to operate safely observing social distancing like other industries, but they are being stopped from doing so by an administration that has rarely taken the side of the gun industry.
"This is just another example of an administration that is not, in fact, Second Amendment-friendly," Guida said. "It's important that when we're making these types of decisions that they are based on public safety and not on politics."
Baker's office declined to comment Wednesday.
The residents and gun stores are represented by David D. Jensen or David Jensen & Associates, J. Steven Foley, and Jason A. Guida of Principe & Strasnick PC.
Baker, Bharel and Gagnon are represented by Julia E. Kobick of the Office of the Attorney General.
The case is McCarthy et al. v. Baker et al., case number 1:20-cv-10701, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
--Additional reporting by& Jeannie O'Sullivan. Editing by Stephen Berg.
For a reprint of this article, please contact email@example.com.


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Six Flags Dubai is scheduled to open in 2019 near the Lapita Hotel and Riverland Dubai.
Grand Prairie,Texas: Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the world’s largest regional theme park company, today
Dubai, UAE: Almost 50% of the available units have been leased out to new names to Dubai such as Famous Dave’s barbecue whilst well-established brands including Irish Village, Shake Shack,
London, UK : Dubai Parks and Resorts makes its debut appearance at the World Travel Market 2015 exhibition, being held in London on 2-5 November 2015. Dubai Parks and Resorts
Copyright © Amusement Parks News 2014. All Rights Reserved


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THE Bahamas shone bright at this year’s World Travel Awards and North American gala ceremony.
Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma took a top spot as “Leading Conference Hotel”, making it the first resort in Sandals’ brand to ever clinch the category.
And, for the third consecutive year, Sandals Emerald Bay was named the “Caribbean’s Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort”. It also came away with the award for being the “Bahamas’ Leading Golf Resort”.
On New Providence, Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort and Offshore Island received awards for being the “Caribbean’s Leading Resort”, and for the third consecutive year and fifth time overall, grabbed top spot as the “Bahamas’ Leading Spa Resort”.
Sandals Resorts International (SRI) was honoured with prestigious recognition at this year’s WTAs held on September 14, 2013 at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa.
The company collected an unprecedented total of 14 awards.
In addition to this distinguished accomplishment, SRI once again received the notable recognition of Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand, earning this title for 20 consecutive years.
“We truly value the recognition we receive at the World Travel Awards,” said Gordon “Butch” Stewart, chairman of Sandals Resorts International. “These awards reflect our unwavering dedication to always providing our guests with the best possible experiences and maintaining top luxury standards within the travel industry.”
The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge and celebrate achievements in all areas of the world’s travel and tourism industry and are hailed as “the Oscars of the travel industry”.
This year’s voting campaign reached 348,325 travel professionals and consumers worldwide in more than 22 countries. Nominations for this year’s World Travel Awards were based on the previous year’s voting.


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LPL Financial Holdings Inc must pay $11.7 million for "widespread supervisory failures," including sales of a risky type of exchange traded fund and other complex securities, the Wall Street's industry-funded watchdog said on Wednesday.
The "supervisory breakdowns" also included the firm's lax surveillance of trading in customer accounts, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra) said.
LPL neither admitted nor denied Finra's allegations, the regulator said. The $11.7 million sanction includes repayment of $1.7 million to certain customers, Finra said.
Finra said LPL failed to supervise sales of some kinds of ETFs, variable annuities and non-traded REITs. The firm did not have a system to monitor the length of time that customers held non-traditional ETFs in their accounts, did not enforce its limits on the concentration of those products in customer accounts, and failed to ensure that all of its registered representatives were adequately trained on the risks of the products, Finra said.
"Also, LPL failed to supervise its sales of variable annuities, in some instances permitting sales without disclosing surrender fees, and in connection with certain mutual fund 'switch' transactions, it used an automated surveillance system that excluded these trades from supervisory review. Additionally, LPL failed to supervise non-traded REITs by, among other things, failing to identify accounts eligible for volume sales charge discounts," Finra said in a press release.
LPL Financial has already remedied, or is in the midst of working to remedy, these issues, the company said in a prepared statement.
"LPL has made a long-term commitment to rebuilding its risk management and compliance infrastructure, and this resolution is a significant step in that process," it said.
— Financial Advisor contributed to this article.


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Blog: Online ad spend trumps TV
Olly Wehring | 30 September 2009
For the first time, advertisers are spending more money online than on television in the UK, say the number crunchers.
Online ad spend reached a record GBP1.75bn (US$2.8bn) in the first six months of 2009, a rise of 4.6% year-on-year, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), with the aid of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
TV advertising spend, meanwhile, fell 17% to GBP1.6bn in the same period, making it the first time that internet ad spend has overtaken that of television.
Online's share of advertising spend in the UK stood at 23.5% for the first half of 2009, compared to 22% for television.
The interweb's rise to prominence in 2009 has doubtless been aided by a collapse in television advertising rates (you'll note that TV ad spend decline is significantly higher than the rise in online ad spend).
And, the IAB says that total UK advertising spend fell 16.6% in the first six months of this year, as the country battled against recession.
However, this day has surely been coming for some time.
In a nutshell, the internet provides a more targeted, more measurable method of advertising, not to mention the possibilities for interactive campaigns.
For the Full IAB report, click here.
Chris M, deputy ed.
just-drinks is in Berlin this week for Bar Convent Berlin. Here's the second and final part of Andy Morton's blog, which will keep you up-to-date at one of Europe's most important dates in the alcohol...
just-drinks is in Berlin this week for Bar Convent Berlin. Here's the first part of Andy Morton's daily blog, which will keep you up-to-date at one of Europe's most important dates in the alcohol indu...
Responding to criticism on social media is tough. You've got to engage the consumer without starting an argument and - ideally - get them on side....
Want to know how The Coca-Cola Co-backed Keurig Kold - released in the US yesterday - works?...
- AB InBev, SABMiller - Here's what'll happen next
- Is time right for TWE to move for Diageo's wines?
- Is Brown-Forman at the end of the SoCo road?
- Will a sexed-up SABMiller tempt AB InBev?
- Making consumers the centre of your business
- AB InBev makes formal offer for SABMiller
- Diageo secures Xerox Corp CFO as finance head
- Tesco pulls several Carlsberg SKUs in UK
- Diageo makes US$780.5m beer deal with Heineken
- SABMiller formally rejects AB InBev's offer
- The IWSR Duty Free/Travel Retail Summary Report 2015
- Future growth opportunities for global spirits
- Global gin insights - market data, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global non-Scotch whiskies insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global Scotch whisky insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research


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WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.
Intel 4th Gen Core vPro Ultrabook Built for Business. Video.
Intel launches new features for ultrabooks with the 4th Generation Core:
Apple sent email invitations for an educational event to take place in the Lane Tech College Prep. High School of Chicago, Illinois in ...


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The pork has been sold all over Sweden, but as of yet there have been no reports of anyone falling ill.
According to Axfood’s press manager Ingmar Kroon, the affected meat is pork imported mainly from Denmark, including chops, marinated loin and mince.
The products have been sold by supermarket chains Willys, Hemköp, Prisextra and Tempo.
“We’re recalling it from all over the country, but we don’t know how much has already been sold,” he said to the TT news agency, adding:
“But only some of the meat has been infected.”
Customers who’ve bought these products are encouraged to return them to stores, as they cannot be thrown in the trash. The infected meat must be sent to be destroyed.
It’s still uncertain whether anyone will fall ill from the infected meat.
“I haven’t had any reports about that, but it’ll take a few days before we know for sure,” said Kroon.
Two tonnes of meat is a large recall, but it isn’t unique.
There’s no cause for worry about buying imported meat rather than Swedish produce, according to Kroon.
“It’s happened twice this summer that we’ve had infected meat from Denmark, and that might look bad, but Denmark isn’t bad at handling. I definitely don’t want to point the blame at them,” he said.


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Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said growth of the ad business helped offset cost pressures—though not enough to keep margins from shrinking.
Walmart narrows growth gap with Amazon
Walmart’s grocery sales soared almost 10%, hearkening to Walmart’s growth heyday of the 1990s and its 9.2% comp store growth nearly caught up with the slowing pace of e-commerce giant Amazon, whose third-quarter North American retail sales rose only 10.8%. Walmart’s Sam’s Club sibling grew even faster, with comp sales up 13.2% and e-commerce sales up 32%.
Walmart is holding the line on prices
Though prices increased, they increased more slowly than costs, McMillon said, so higher ad revenue helped mitigate inflation for Walmart shoppers. As a result, Walmart increased price gaps with competitors and market share in grocery, he said. “We’re out there asking suppliers even now, do any of you want to get aggressive and swim upstream and take prices down while prices are going up to gain share.”
Forget efficiency, Walmart is buying ahead
Some consumers are loading their pantries in expectation of higher prices or product shortages. Walmart is doing the same thing, with its inventory levels last quarter up 11.5%, well ahead of sales and volume, in a break from years of squeezing inventory levels. Part of this owes to planning as far back as last year in expectation of supply chain kinks as the economy emerged from the pandemic, executives said. Part is the belief, apparently borne out by sales, that people are looking to do holiday shopping earlier. So Walmart began stocking Halloween merchandise earlier, selling out of it sooner, and reducing markdowns. The same scenario is unfolding for the year-end holidays.
Walmart’s gas price effect is over, at least for now
Historically when gas prices surged, Walmart was unduly affected compared to other retailers, because it has more budget-constrained lower-income shoppers than other retailers. Walmart also over-indexes in exurban and suburban markets where people drive more while under-indexing in big cities with better public transportation, amplifying the effect. But that impact wasn’t evident at all last quarter. Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner said Walmart’s positioning as a low-price leader may have offset the gas-price effect last quarter. Likely the growing role of e-commerce and Walmart+ delivery also played a role.


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Identical twins tried plant-based and omnivore diets — the vegans were biologically younger and healthier in just 8 weeks
Stanford researchers recruited more than 20 pairs of twins to test plant-based diets, and eating vegan was linked to better heart health, more weight loss, and a younger biological age.
Beyond Meat, the poster child of plant-based meat, saw sales tank as cash-strapped shoppers turn away from expensive alternative proteins
Consumers are financially squeezed and they're skeptical of the health benefits of plant-based meat, Beyond Meat execs said.
Beyond Meat's newest ad targets meat industry attacks about plant-based food being ultra-processed and unhealthy
Beyond Meat debuted an ad featuring a farmer. It counters meat industry criticisms that plant-based meats are unhealthy and highly processed.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said that the "Got Milk?" advert illegally took aim at plant-based milk.
Beyond Burgers are popping up at Dollar Tree at $1.25 a pack, as the plant-based meat giant tries to boost sales
Beyond Meat appears to be selling burgers and breakfast sausage at Dollar Tree stores. The plant-based meat brand has struggled to grow sales.
A mysterious website exposed Oatly conspiracies and scandals. It turns out, the company was behind it.
The website "F*ck Oatly" outlines Oatly's greatest missteps and PR disasters. And it's the work of the plant-based milk brand itself.
I tried Subway's new plant-based teriyaki-steak sandwich. The texture was great and it cost the same as the meat version.
Subway has added plant-based teriyaki steak sandwich are the days of limp lettuce and not much else: Subway UK and Ireland has rolled out plant-based teriyaki steak at all its stores.
Nepo babies like Myles O'Neal and Ella Bleu Travolta do a plant-based take on their parents' "Got Milk?" ads
The ads for Silk Nextmilk feature Sailor Brinkley Cook and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham with milk mustaches in a nod to the "Got Milk?" campaign.
Almond milk and other plant-based alternatives can be called "milk," the Food and Drug Administration said. It's a win for brands like Oatly and Silk.
Chick-fil-A just unveiled a fried cauliflower sandwich that took 4 years to develop — and it's nothing like the plant-based fast food at rivals like McDonald's
Chick-fil-A debuts the cauliflower sandwich Monday in Denver, Colorado, Charleston, South Carolina, and North Carolina's Greensboro-Triad region.
Plant-based brand Just Egg is running an ad declaring 'Plants don't get the flu' as chicken egg shortage continues
Just Egg is advertising its plant-based eggs in The New York Times as an alternative to chicken eggs, which have become expensive and hard to find.
I tried to buy a week's worth of groceries at Erewhon, a high-end grocery store in Los Angeles. I quickly blew through my budget, but I'd shop there again.
Armed with a limited budget, I set out to buy groceries at one of America's most expensive grocery stores.
Layoffs and declining investments in foodtech aren't spooking these new VCs. Here's where they're looking to make bets in 2023.
Despite the volatility in the foodtech space, two new VC funds, Redstick Ventures and Rethink Food, are backing food innovation in 2023. Here's why.
Impossible Foods' new CEO is pining for a Super Bowl ad and status as a household name. First, he'll have to win over employees.
Impossible Foods made Peter McGuinness its new CEO this year. Insiders say he's bringing a business-first approach to the plant-based-meat maker.
Impossible's layoffs affected 6% of employees at the plant-based company. It's part of a broader reorganization kicked off under CEO Peter McGuinness.
I tried Chipotle's entire vegan menu and found that it's not only delicious — it's often cheaper than meat
Chipotle has a selection of plant-based bowls and burritos. We taste-tested them all and were impressed by the big portions and relatively low costs.
Leaked email: Impossible Foods founder Pat Brown stepping down from c-suite role to lead new research arm as executive shake-up continues at the plant-based meat maker
Pat Brown will lead Impossible Labs, a new arm of Impossible Foods focused on research, per Brown and CEO Peter McGuinness.
Taco Bell is debuting meatless carne asada to select locations as part of its much anticipated partnership with Beyond Meat
The new option will be available as part of a quesadilla, but customers can also choose to substitute it for any protein on the menu at the same cost.
I went inside Taco Bell's California headquarters where new menu items are tested and the Live Mas flag flies
I tried the new vegetarian protein on my favorite Taco Bell items, visited the test kitchen, and even saw the very first restaurant.
I went to Taco Bell's test kitchen and tried its new plant-based protein. It was one of the best fast food meals I've ever had.
Taco Bell's plant-based meat substitute is made of pea and soy protein and can be added to any Taco Bell menu item.


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For the past three years, The Parkview has been pushing the bounds of oenophilic (that’s really a word!) creativity.
In 2014, Matt Coltrin took over the classy Park Ave. wine bar that was once the Winter Park outpost of downtown’s Eola Wine Company. He has since created a wine list that gently but persistently nudges patrons outside their comfort zones – and in a very smart way.
The Parkview continued Eola Wine Co’s popular program of flights, but Coltrin began sneaking a few lesser-known varietals into the lineups. A Uruguayan tannat could appear next to a Chilean cabernet and an Argentinian malbec. A picpoul de pinet might show up alongside a sauvignon blanc and a pinot grigio.
The strategy meant customers could gamble on a new wine without having to commit to a full glass.
After three years of training, The Parkview must now believe its patrons’ palates have significantly matured – because it’s just debuted two whole flights of some seriously unusual wines.


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The global wellness tourism market size is expected to reach USD 1.2 trillion by 2026 registering a CAGR of 7.1%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising number of health-conscious people is contributing to the increasing demand for wellness activities at popular travel destinations. Promotional campaigns arranged by various governments are also encouraging wellness tourism across the globe. Rising disposable income levels, especially in developing regions like China, India, and Mexico, have contributed to the increasing demand for wellness activities.
Key companies in the market offer various wellness services, such as spa services, mindfulness training, accommodation, and food & beverages. Preference for wellness activities along with vacation due to rising cases of various health issues associated with stress, such as insufficient sleep and physical inactivity, will drive the market further. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health (NCCDPHP), the productivity losses from absenteeism cost employers USD 225.8 billion or USD 1,685 per person, annually.
Europe was the dominant regional market in 2018 as it has been a popular travel destination for years. On the other hand, Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest CAGR from 2019 to 2026. China and India are the key markets in Asia Pacific region. In India, Heaven on Earth airport spa chain announced their merger with Serena Spa in January 2016. This merger helped Heaven on Earth become the largest spa company in India. Thus, such business strategies adopted by key companies in the region will augment the market growth further.
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Further key findings from the study suggest:
- The lodging services segment held the largest market share in 2018 and is projected to maintain its leading position throughout the forecast period
- Wellness activities segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR over the forecast period from 2019 to 2026 as these services focus on health and wellbeing while traveling
- Based on travel purpose, the market is segmented into primary and secondary wellness tourism. The secondary segment led the market, in terms of revenue, in 2018
- The domestic travel type segment held the largest market share in 2018 owing to increased expenditure by domestic tourists on wellness activities
- Some of the key companies in the global wellness tourism market are Accor Hotels, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels, InterContinental Group, Marriot International, Radisson Hospitality, and Rosewood Hotels
- In May 2018, Accor Hotels acquired Mantra Group to expand the geographical presence, especially in Asia Pacific. Accor also acquired Fairmont Raffles Hotels in July 2016
- These acquisitions helped enhance Accor’s brand portfolio and provided Accor with a significant position in the hospitality industry


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Jesup Kmart among 3 closing in Georgia
A Kmart that was once the biggest retail outlet in Jesup is one of three stores in Georgia that Sears Holdings announced it will close in early April.
Sears Holdings said it would close 103 unprofitable stores, 39 Sears in 22 states and 64 Kmarts in 29 states. The other two Georgia Kmarts that will be shut down are in Albany and Statesboro.
Jesup Mayor David Earl Keith said the store will be missed as will the jobs.
Keith, who has been in Jesup 55 years, said the store at Kmart Plaza on the west side of town has been a mainstay for as long as he could remember. “Before we had the Walmart, that was the big discount store,” he said. “It was the shopping center.”
Keith said he still shops at the store when he’s on that side of town because he can get in and out quickly.
That ease of shopping may be part of the problem because the store is seldom crowded with customers.
Keith said Kmart’s decline began with Walmart.
“When the big W came to town, it starting drying up a little bit,” but seemed to have recovered somewhat, Keith said.
The biggest loss will be for the employees, some of whom have spent all of their working years at the store, he said.
“I know some people who have worked out there a long time,” Keith said.
Candee Harris of the Wayne County Industrial Development Authority said Kmart has been a staple for her entire life.
At the same time Sears Holdings announced it was shutting some doors, Macy’s said it would begin a new round of store closings as more retail companies lose business to online shopping.
“We encourage our community to shop locally,” Harris said.
Local shopping is working at least in Jesup’s thriving downtown, where an entire block burned just a couple of years ago. The buildings were replaced and the new facilities are all occupied albeit mostly with professional offices, predominantly medical with a limited amount of retail, Harris said.
“It’s kind of gone professional, but it’s full,” she said.
Unlike most cities of its size, Jesup also has a downtown movie theater with three screens and a drive-in theater on the outskirts.
The mayor also said that the other shops in the Kmart Plaza may suffer some businesses losses because Kmart is no longer drawing customers. He expressed hope that a business could be found to occupy the store.
The Walmart opened in 1999 on the opposite side of Jesup from Kmart, and in subsequent years, others stores located nearby.
“That’s been a good area for growth,” Harris said.
Sears Holdings said it will begin clearance sales in the stores Jan. 12.
Terry Dickson: (912) 264-0405


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HealthPartners Eliminates Gym Reimbursements, Unveils Virtual Fitness Concept
For years, people with HealthPartners insurance could get a $20 reimbursement on their gym membership by going 12 times a month. But come Jan. 1, 2020, HealthPartners is doing away with its “Frequent Fitness” reimbursement program for the 110,000 people on its small group plan.
“On a month-to-month basis, five percent or fewer of our members actually received that reimbursement for Frequent Fitness,” said Trystan Hansen, HealthPartners’ well-being product manager. “We were missing a huge part of our population with our previous model.”
The Frequent Fitness program reimbursement was supposed to motivate people to exercise, but with such low participation, Hansen says it wasn’t working.
“When you have a busy week and your schedule gets out of control, three times a week seems like quite a bit, especially if people are having to drive to get to the gym,” Hansen said.
Bottom line, getting to the gym wasn’t convenient for everyone. Now, HealthPartners is replacing Frequent Fitness with a virtual fitness program that allows people to exercise from home.
HealthPartners Unveils Virtual Fitness Through Wellbeats
Wellbeats is an on-demand fitness provider based in St. Louis Park that brings hundreds of exercise routines to your smartphone or tablet.
“We have traditional fitness classes like yoga, pilates or cycling, or HIIT classes,” said Jen Zygmunt, Wellbeats senior VP of sales and marketing.
Come Jan. 1, many on HealthPartners insurance will be able to access Wellbeats’ 500-plus exercise videos free of charge.
“We’re really great at being able to reach a broad population with fitness solutions that really fit people’s lives, and so the partnership with HealthPartners was a natural fit,” Zygmunt said.
The hope is that it will also be a natural fit for those who couldn’t find the motivation to get to a traditional gym.
“If people are active, they’re going to be healthier in the long haul, which is beneficial for us as a health plan, and for our clinics as well,” Hansen said.
HealthPartners will also provide discounts for gym memberships through a program called GlobalFit. However, Life Time Fitness and the YMCA are not part of the GlobalFit network.


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Rugged mobile news - Shock-proof mobile phones could be useful to families
A recent report by telecoms regulator Ofcom has shown that there are now more than 76.4million active mobile phones, including shock-proof mobile phones, in Britain.
Apparently that means there are more mobile phone handsets than people in the UK, with some adults owning two or three phones in order to keep work and social-life calls and messages separate.
Understandably, some people who are employed in trades which might lead to their phone getting broken may want to own two handsets, but this is not necessary as many rugged mobile phones, which are shock resistant and dust tight, also come with dual-sim capabilities.
These tough phones, which are often also water-proof, may become popular with some families who do not have a landline.
Reportedly one in seven UK households rely on mobiles to make and receive calls, and one in fourteen rely on mobiles for internet browsing and to view emails, so purchasing handsets which can withstand drops, dust and spillages could be very useful.
Furthermore, any families or workers who do not want to replace the mobiles they currently have could purchase a shock-proof mobile phone as a back-up handset for when the others break.


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To talk about the potential release of Windows 2000 is to wade through the semantics and vagaries of the software industry.
Release Candidate 2 of Windows 2000 is due for release next week, and Microsoft officials are still publicly voicing optimism that the upgrade to Windows NT 4.0 will "ship" by the end of 1999.
Microsoft also plans to host its OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and ISV (independent software vendor) partners at a two-day conference on Windows 2000 in California, beginning September 14.
The sessions there on Windows 2000, the product -- as well as drill-downs on the marketing blitz for that product, which will dominate Microsoft's Comdex presence this November -- are aimed at getting the partners on board to help push the operating system into the enterprise.
Two sources, both Microsoft partners, said the company will formally launch Windows 2000 in January. One source said that Microsoft would make a "soft announcement" by the end of the year to cushion the public relations blow.
The other source said that by the time January rolls around -- when Microsoft will follow in Apple Computer's "1984" footsteps by launching the product during the Super Bowl -- Windows 2000 finally will be in the channel, but just barely.
Just last week, appearing at Dell Computer's user conference in Austin, Texas, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates said he was "pretty sure" Windows 2000 would be ready by the end of the year.
"We are very close to the final shipment," Gates said.
Despite this, exactly what the high-tech industry will see by the end of 1999 from Microsoft is still uncertain -- "gold code" released to manufacturing or boxes of Windows 2000 Server and Professional on shelves?
Released to manufacturing is likely; shelves full of Windows 2000 are not, according to observers and sources.
"I'm assuming Windows 2000 will release to manufacturing in October -- which isn't to say Microsoft doesn't still have a lot of work on its hands getting ISVs to commit to timetables for their Windows 2000-ready or -compliant apps," said Dwight Davis, an analyst at Summit Strategies in Washington.


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In this way, the country’s national lottery will launch a program This fall coupons to boost travel beyond the summer season. Participants will be able to redeem vouchers at tourist attractions across the UK between September 2021 and March 2022, the British executive said in a statement.
At the end of the year, a new train ticket will also be launched for travelers who stay at home, “which will make it easier and more sustainable for patriotic tourists to move around the country,” he explains.
This new pass will be based on BritRail, which is sold through VisitBritain and currently offers international visitors flexible travel across the country, along with discount tickets to attractions.
UK promotional image. Photo: VisitBritin.
“The Tourism Recovery Plan is our project for how the sector can recover better from the pandemic, even faster than expected. It has been a challenging year for the tourism sector, especially for our cities, But I know they are ready to welcome visitors and I encourage everyone to rediscover the great tourism offerings of the UKIt was defended by Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston.
£19m has also been earmarked for marketing campaigns to promote tourism in cities and towns across the country, and a £5.5m national campaign has already been launched.
The government influences how the sector is affected by the epidemic and indicates this in 2019, About 41 million international visitors came to the UK for business or leisure, spending over £28 billion مليارThis places the UK among the top five countries in the world in terms of inbound visitor spending.
On the other hand, the government announced that it will explore how tourism data collected at the border can support the sector and Progress has been made in establishing a tourism data center “To provide the sector with access to reliable, accessible and timely information.”
“This hub can track consumer travel trends such as the growth of active tourism, water sports, hiking and booking sustainable tourism experiences. The data collected will help develop our policy and marketing to improve the visitor experience,” details
Likewise, it will be developed Sustainable tourism plan by the end of this year “To put the UK at the forefront of the global debate on sustainability in travel.”
The plan would build on investments in sustainable tourism already underway, such as the completion of England’s National Coastal Route, the longest of its kind in the world, and an investment of nearly £1 billion. In electric vehicle charging centers at service stations.
The government will also launch consultations on Submit a tourist accommodation registration plan In England to study the rising prices of holiday rentals.
The plan also focuses on 2022: “a huge year for the UK that will show the nation on the world stage with a trio of major events”: The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, UK Festival 2022 and Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 “They will showcase the best of Britain at home and abroad.”


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The powersports market typically reaches its peak in value in the summertime, and this year is no exception, said Ricky Beggs, editorial director at Black Book.
Beggs, in his monthly podcast, said auction prices have increased nominally throughout the month of June for used motorcycles, ATVs, scooters and personal watercraft.
“The small percentage changes from last month indicate the market is most likely headed for a smooth landing in the next few weeks, before prices begin to start heading lower as the summer selling season winds down,” Beggs said.
Leading the way are off-road bikes, which saw a price increase of 0.6 percent. ATVs, personal watercraft, dual sports, cruisers, street bikes and scooters are each up 0.4 percent. Cruisers saw the largest increase by dollar amount, of roughly $33.
Utility vehicles and domestic V-twins are up 0.3 percent.
“Activity at the auctions continues to be solid overall, and we expect to see the market start to turn towards the more popular and active fall units, the ATVs and utility vehicles, very soon,” Beggs said.
Unsurprisingly, auction prices have dropped 1.1 percent for snowmobiles.
“Not too much should be read into this, as most snowmobiles are in storage at the moment, and auction volume is extremely limited,” Beggs said.


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HONOR Collaborates with Filmmaking Industry Leaders to Inspire Creative Talents
Nayla Al Khaja and Raindance Film School showcase HONOR’s Magic4 Pro’s latest features.
Dubai, UAE – 10 June 2022: HONOR’s on-going vision is to empower and encourage the masses. Inspiring creative talents to unleash their creativity through delivering extraordinary results in filmmaking. The global technology brand recently announced its collaboration with Nayla Al Khaja and Raindance Film School for a masterclass that showcased how to create a short film on HONOR Magic4 Pro. The groundbreaking features of the new HONOR Magic4 Pro 5G hosts a one-of-its-kind camera capabilities and a bundle of “World’s 1st technologies”.
The masterclass achieved huge success on the ground and gained a lot of praise as it was carefully curated to prepare the next generation of passionate filmmakers and talents to shoot masterpieces simply on a smartphone.
Commenting on the collaboration, Mr. Zhao Likun, CEO of HONOR Middle East said “Smartphones have become much more than just a device for voice calls. Mobile filmmaking and short-form videos on a smartphone became a creative medium for multi-media content creation in the industry. By collaborating with industry leaders in film-making such as Raindance Film School and Nayla Al Khaja, HONOR has proved its capability to push industry boundaries by bringing that delivers limitless opportunities”
The collaboration aligns with HONOR’s vision to playing a crucial part in driving innovation and creativity within filmmaking through the use of smartphones within the UAE and the Middle East region, aiming to help future generations to deliver exceptional multi-media content and create short films from their perspective.
Talking about HONOR Magic4 Pro, Nayla Al Khaja said “the concept of filmmaking on a smartphone has been changing dramatically over the years, how challenging for any creative talent is it to bring ideas to life and translate them for a video on a smartphone. With HONOR Magic4 Pro 5G, filmmaking and content creation become easier than ever, thanks to its powerful camera capabilities, cutting edge technologies, and advanced features”.
In line with its commitment to empower creativity, HONOR also announced the launch of its competition HONOR Magic Moment Rewards with a chance to win exciting prizes and rewards. The aim of the competition is to at break through the boundary of dynamic visual expression through innovative technology, and establishing a global exchange platform of mobile photography revolved around the experience and lens expression. Tapping into the creative inspiration of the public & new filmmakers, and shaping new forces to influence the culture through unique aesthetic and rich practical experience.
The HONOR Magic4 Pro pushes industry benchmarks with a powerful Triple Camera combination featuring a 50MP Wide Camera which packs a 1/1.56-inch color sensor, a 50MP 122o Ultra-Wide Camera, and a 64MP Periscope Telephoto Camera, all powered by best-in-class Ultra-Fusion Computational Photography which enables the device to produce high-definition images in impressive clarity. The lens supports up to 100x digital zoom as well as optical and electronic image stabilization, to clearly capture distant scenes.
Offering cinematic-level footage, the HONOR Magic4 Series features the HONOR Magic-Log Movie Master and AI Film Effects. With this, the HONOR Magic4 Series delivers the industry-first 10-bit Log 4K video recording in 60fps (frame per second), beating another industry benchmark.
The all-new HONOR Magic4 Pro will be available soon in the market and will be officially launched in the UAE on June 14 and will be available with preinstalled Google Mobile Services


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NPD has issued its annual report on game spending in the United States, and during 2013, new, used, rental and digital sales came in at $15.39 billion. While a rather hefty figure all things considered, it’s only a 1% jump over 2012. NPD also reported that physical sales declined 11% year-over-year, and that digital and mobile sales offset the decline. Hardware sales were up 5% year-over-year, maerking a 2% gain in overall spending. Thanks, Game Informer.
After watching this fan-made video for Midnight Club, we really want Rockstar, get started on another one.
Splatoon 2 players are being handed a new weapon.
Pokemon Go Fest is a bit of a mess and Niantic's CEO got booed - but you're getting $100 PokeCoins for your trouble
The first Pokemon Go Fest hasn’t gone off without a hitch. Or two. Or even three. But, there’s a silver lining for those at home.
Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy has been a smashing success, and so have a couple of games about smashing other people.
Nintendo has sent over its sales figures for April ahead of NPD’s full monthly report, and for the second month in a row, Switch was the best-selling console.
NPD 2013 Spend


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It's easy. Insert $5, pull the lever on the redesigned cigarette vending machine and ker-plunk — you get a tiny piece of original art, perhaps an animal person collage on a wooden block, a pewter cracker or a miniature cast bronze boot.
“It's very addictive,” said Gallagher, 56, a participating Northville artist, an “arto” collector, and host of the only two metro-Detroit machines at Detroit Comics in Ferndale, and Solid Grounds Coffee House in Northville. Addictive? Maybe — but much healthier than a pack of smokes.
In 1997, Clark Whittington, 43, a Winston-Salem, N.C., painter and conceptual artist, created the first Art-o-mat as a cool way to showcase his artwork just after cigarette vending machines were banned in Tobacco Town. Then he decided to get more artists involved.
Today more than 85 Art-o-mats have popped up in Whole Foods, coffee shops and art museums including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Nearly 350 artists representing 10 countries participate.
In Michigan, five artists contribute work and three Art-o-mat machines dispense tiny cigarette pack-sized pieces of art.
Detroit Comics owner Brian Kelly said, “Certain people only come in here for the Art-o-mat. They ask for change so they can use it.”
In addition to being a host for five years, Gallagher is one of the most active Art-o-mat artists, with 500 pieces to her credit. She has created Animal People collages, colored pencil drawings, and knit finger puppets. Her next series of 50 will be eraser carvings that double as ink stamps.
She also is one of many “arto” collectors who include enthusiasts of all ages. Whittington believes the limited edition artworks will appreciate in value. At a 10-year anniversary show in Winston-Salem, N.C., he priced rare pieces as high as $300 but none sold.
The best selling Art-o-mat artists are Dewitt Young, a Milan, Ill., folk artist who creates tiny robots from electrical components, and Herbert Hoover, a New York artist who makes pewter pretzels, sandwich cookies, and crackers, and keeps a Cracker Tracker blog to trace where his pieces go.
No one's going to get rich this way. Only about 10 artists make more than $600 a year. Half the $5 price of a piece of art goes to the artist, $1.50 goes to the host, and creator Whittington gets the rest. He refurbishes the cigarette machines and helps hosts get started.
Gallagher and Kalamazoo host Bonnie Pfingst started an Art-o-mat: Michigan Facebook fan page. It has 238 fans. Gallagher answers questions about Art-o-mat at Solid Grounds during Northville's monthly First Fridays, evening art walks promoted by the Northville Downtown Development Authority. In the spring, she'll hold information sessions at Solid Grounds and Detroit Comics for artists.
“I put a warning on mine: ‘Art can be addictive,' ” said Vagner Whitehead, a Ferndale new media artist and Oakland University art associate professor.