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Wincor Nixdorf has unwrapped its new automated teller machine (ATM) on the market that enables customers to withdraw cash using a smart phone or a near-field communications (NFC) card. The system’s innovative design is intended to appeal especially to digital natives who have grown up with digital and mobile technologies.
Creditcall, the EMV-ready payment gateway and EMV migration specialist, has partnered with trusted credit card processing and financial services company Gravity Payments to simplify and speed up the EMV migration process for ISVs, VARs, and developers. With the October 1st Liability Shift looming, the integration of Creditcall’s ChipDNA EMV SDKs for iOS, Android, Windows, and…
Consumers across Southeast Asia and Greater China cited identity theft and ATM-related fraud as the top two security concerns when it comes to electronic payments. About 42% of consumers in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore Thailand, and Vietnam) were most concerned with ATM-related fraud such as a stolen card, card cloning or skimming. In the Greater China markets (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), this figure was 31%.
Beijing-based Bank of Ningbo has gone live with NCR Mobile Cash Withdrawal. The software-based solution allows customers to pre-stage a cash withdrawal using Bank of Ningbo’s mobile banking application and then completes the transaction by scanning a 2D barcode using their mobile phone’s camera.
NCR Corporation announced that Gibraltar International Bank has chosen NCR and local channel partner BSG Computer Systems to deliver the latest NCR intelligent deposit ATMs and NCR software solutions. The NCR solutions are expected to increase transactions through the more convenient ATM channel, available 24/7 in a range of locations in Gibraltar. This transition will improve customer experience by freeing bank staff to interact with customers on other high-value banking services.
When asked to select all the payment methods they will use this holiday season, credit cards emerged as “King”, not cash. Cash took second place and was preferred two-to-one over checks, debit cards, mobile payments or other means of payment.
The world’s first EMV secure ATM ‘Tap & PIN’ Near Field Communication (NFC) solution that reads card data without having to insert the card in the reader, which helps to increases defense against skimming is coming next year in Australia.
Payment cards gross dollar volume (GDV) in Belgium will likely top US$200 billion by 2018. GDV is expected to grow over the forecast period at a CAGR of 5.96%.
Diebold this week introduced its next generation of ATMs boasting lower total cost of ownership, best-in-class security features and advanced technologies that offer a comprehensive suite of solutions. The new 5500 series of ATMs includes Diebold’s ActivEdge, ActivDispense, ActivPower, and Concierge Video Services.
Researchers have recently discovered the Tyupkin malware used to infect ATMs and allow attackers to remove money via direct manipulation, stealing millions of dollars. The creators are very smart and clever and go to great lengths to disguise their successful ruse.
Discover Financial Services has issed D-PAS certification to Oberthur Technologies’ Cosmo RSA v5, for use throughout the Discover Global Network, which includes Discover, Diners Club International, PULSE and global network relationships.
Paytoo is the first Mobile Wallet to offer cardless options to the unbanked population. GENMEGA, PAYMENT ALLIANCE and PAYTOO Mobile Wallet improve customer convenience and provides new services such as money transfer or the ability to give a PIN to family members so they could have cash access in times of need. Once at the ATM, consumers can redeem a one-time pin generated from their PAYTOO® Wallet for a selected amount or they can just do a regular withdrawal by entering their phone number and security code. This technology provides an extra level of security to each account and account holder, as mobile phone verification is needed to make a transaction and the potential threat of card skimming is no longer an issue.


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According to a prolific insider, Apple is likely to cancel or postpone the iPhone SE 4 overhaul reportedly tipped for 2024.
Ming-Chi Kuo stated Wednesday "my latest survey indicates that Apple will likely cancel or postpone the mass production plan for the 2024 iPhone SE 4."
Kuo says that this is likely due to "the consistently lower-than-expected shipments of mid-to-low-end iPhones (e.g., SE 3, 13 mini, and iPhone 14 Plus)."
Kuo also says that Apple is likely concerned that the new full-screen design of the iPhone SE 4 will lead to higher costs and selling prices for what has historical been Apple's 'budget' offering, with Apple needing to reconsider the product positioning and return on investment. Kuo further notes that reducing unnecessary new product development expenses will help Apple navigate the 2023 recession.
This is hugely disappointing news considering the iPhone SE 4 was expected to be a major overhaul on the previous model, adopting the full-screen notch design of the iPhone XR.
That would have seen an end to the ageing chin and forehead design as well as the death of the Home Button on Apple's iPhones for good.
We can only hope that Apple is just indeed delaying this rather than canning it altogether, although Kuo doesn't sound optimistic.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Kuo's survey is also interesting in that it indicates sales of the iPhone SE 3, unveiled earlier this year, may also have been underwhelming. As the cost of living crisis bites, you might have expected customers to turn to cheaper iPhone upgrade options.
Kuo Ming-Chi is an extremely reliable insider with a long track record of accurately revealing Apple's upcoming plans.
As such, the news all-but confirms the iPhone SE 4 was slated for 2024, which means we aren't likely to see an upgrade in 2023. Instead, next year should herald the iPhone 15, which could adopt USB-C to fall in line with upcoming new EU regulations.
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.
Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9

domain: news


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Lava has finally announced that they will finally launch its “Made in India” smartphones on January 7, 2021. This will have “evolved and dynamic engineering”. This event will be live-streamed on Lava’s Youtube and Facebook channels and it will start at at 12 PM (noon). The company used hashtags like #AbDuniyaDekhegi and #ProudlyIndian.
“I invite you to witness something that has never happened in the smartphone industry before. Never before has smartphone engineering been so evolved and dynamic, thanks to our talented engineers. Tune in to the live webcast of history in the making. I promise what follows will make you feel proudly Indian,” Sunil Raina, President and Business Head, Lava India, said in a video tweet posted on December 28.
The company went on to post teasers of the upcoming devices. One of them comes with the caption “the game is about to change”. This could well mean that one of the phones in the lineup may be aimed at mobile gamers that are searching for a budget option.
Lava hopes to benefit from the anti-China sentiment in the country and people are looking for homegrown products. Before Lava, Micromax had also launched two devices in this same budget section that are looking to make a comeback in the market.
The company has already rolled out the BeU smartphone that aims to target the women buyers. The phone will have a 6.088-inch HD+ notch display and will have a 1560×720 pixels resolution and 2.5D curved screen.
This phone will be powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core processor that will be paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage and it can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. All these features will draw power by a 4,060 mAh battery.
The phone will chug along on Android 10 Go Edition and offers a stock experience. Flip the phone, it will have a dual-camera setup with a 13MP primary camera. As far as selfies are concerned, it comes with an 8MP camera. It is available in just Rose Pink colour.


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Also: San Jose wants to be the ultimate foil of Amazon’s HQ2 search, and what’s really happening to retail.
Keep up with the most pressing, interesting, and important city stories of the day. Sign up for the CityLab Daily newsletter here.
What We’re Following
Stalling for time: If you’ve ever seen a sofa in a public restroom, you have the Victorians to thank. You might wonder why it was ever common for women’s restrooms to have a lounge at all. Some of it has to do with the extra layers of clothing at the time, but there’s a lot more going on with these parlor rooms: That couch is rooted in a curious combination of Victorian culture, class and race divisions, retail marketing, and what men thought women needed when they ventured out in public.
“They were designed like living rooms—like parlors—as spaces to protect virtue,”said design historian Alessandra Wood. As women became more active participants in public spaces, architects of luxury buildings such as hotels, theaters, and department stores tipped their hat to the notion of separate spheres for men and women. The evolving uses of these lounges—and their disappearance—reveals a history of societal attitudes in the United States. Today on CityLab: The Glamorous, Sexist History of the Women’s Restroom Lounge
More on CityLab
See My Vest
French protests over rising gas and diesel taxes escalated dramatically over the weekend, with Paris demonstrations becoming the country’s most violent urban riot in a decade, the AP reports. The so-called Yellow Vest movement features drivers wearing the neon gear they’re required to carry in case of emergency, and while the full scope of the movement’s demands aren’t entirely clear, at its core is a belief that the fuel taxes represent a political leadership that’s out of touch with the needs of the lower and middle classes across the country. We’ll have more on the latest developments soon, and here’s what CityLab’s Feargus O’Sullivan wrote previously about why the “Yellow Vest” movement has taken to the streets and highways across France.
What We’re Reading
The mayor tasked with leading other mayors on housing (Next City)
China “is the only one in the race” to make electric buses, taxis, and trucks (Wall Street Journal)
The unprecedented plan to move an Arctic city (The Guardian)
Ikea’s first city-center store in the U.S. is coming to Manhattan (Curbed)


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Firm credits a move by consumers to supporting local during the pandemic as it topples the soft drink to become Scotland’s favourite.
It’s a prize the family has been eyeing for some time now – with even the children egging them on.
Now Graham’s The Family Dairy is celebrating becoming the number one Scottish food brand, overtaking Irn-Bru for the first time.
Its shift in status was calculated using Kantar’s ‘Brand Footprint’ metrics which rank businesses according to which products are chosen off the shelf most often and by the most shoppers.
In March, Robert Graham, managing director of the family firm, which is based in Bridge of Allan and has a second plant in Nairn, spoke of the challenges posed by the national lockdown in trying to meet surges in demand.
The firm has since reported that sales of butter alone doubled during lockdown, helping propel the brand to the number one spot.
Of today’s news, managing director Robert Graham said: “We are absolutely delighted to be named Scotland’s most chosen brand; both no. 1 Food Brand and no. 9 global brand in Scotland, it is an amazing achievement. We are grateful to all our wonderful customers, choosing to buy our locally produced Scottish dairy products from our family business, rather than our international competitors.
“People have increasingly sought our local, great tasting Scottish dairy products that they understand and trust. We believe that the consumer’s desire to support brands who are local and have the provenance they can trust, has further accelerated since Covid-19. This will continue to be increasingly important as we move forward.”
The news will be particularly welcomed by company chairman Robert Graham Snr, who revealed after the business celebrated its 80th birthday last year, that his granddaughter had chided him for drinking Irn-Bru, believing it was hampering the business in its bid for the top spot.
Speaking last year, he said: “We’ve worked our way up to being Scotland’s no. 2 brand. Irn-Bru is no. 1 and my granddaughter, Holly, told me, ‘Papa, you need to stop drinking Irn-Bru because if you keep drinking it we’ll never be no. 1.’ We’re not far away – we’re within touching distance and I’m so proud of that.”
He also credited his daughter Carol’s suggestion of changing the company name, just over decade ago, with helping strengthen the brand, adding: “At that time we were Graham’s Dairies Ltd and Carol didn’t think the name was right – she felt it sounded too big and was taking away from the family aspect. There was quite a discussion at the time but she wanted to change the name to Graham’s The Family Dairy. When we did sales rocketed; people responded to the name and our family values.”
The makings of a no. 1 brand
The business has come a long way since the early days when a young Robert Graham would do the milk deliveries around Bridge of Allan with his father on the back of a horse and cart.
The opening of Stirling University in 1967 brought an influx of people from all over the UK and beyond, and a new demand for pasteurised dairy products, prompting the family to invest in pasteurising equipment – which proved to be money well spent.
The machine put the business ahead of the curve in Scotland, positioning it perfectly for the arrival of the supermarkets.
A decade ago, Graham’s invested in a dairy plant in Nairn where local produce, including milk, cream and yoghurt, is prepared for market.
Today, the company is Scotland’s largest independent dairy business with annual sales of around £109 million.
The firm launched a new Kefir range, a cultured, fermented milk drink similar to yoghurt, earlier this year, in addition to their Skyr yoghurt, and Goodness ice cream ranges. It has also recently moved back to providing milk in glass bottles, along with doorstep deliveries in response to changing consumer demand.


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What you need to know
- Microsoft rolled out an optional update for Windows 10 that fixes multiple gaming issues.
- One of the addressed issues can cause performance problems and low framerates when playing games.
- You can search for the updates now through the Windows 10 Settings app.
Microsoft released an optional update for Windows 10 that addresses several issues affecting gamers. The update is labeled KB5004296, and it includes a fix for an issue that results in low framerates and reduced performance for games. It also fixes an issue that prevents gaming services from opening certain games.
This fix should be welcome news for gamers, some of which have had to deal with poor gaming performance and framerate issues since March 2021.
Here are Microsoft's highlights for the update:
- Updates an issue that prevents gaming services from opening certain games for desktop users.
- Updates an issue that prevents you from entering text using the Input Method Editor (IME). This might occur, for example, after startup if you have set the power options to shut down a laptop by closing its lid.
- Updates an issue that plays the sound for selecting something in a game loudly when you press the trigger button on a game controller.
- Updates an issue that prevents power plans and Game Mode from working as expected. This results in lower frame rates and reduced performance while gaming.
- Updates an issue that fails to detect that you are connected to the internet after you connect to a virtual private network (VPN).
- Updates an issue that causes printing to stop or prints the wrong output. This issue occurs when you print using a USB connection after updating to Windows 10, version 2004 or later.
You can search for the optional update in the Windows 10 Settings app. You can also grab it from the Microsoft Update Catalog. For anyone that doesn't seek it out now, the update should roll out as part of August's Patch Tuesday updates next month.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.


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Posted by Media Outrage on 31st October 2007
Seinfeld addressed the allegations that his wife is guilty of plagiarism in her new book “Deceptively Delicious”. Seinfeld says his wife did not plagiarize.
“So there’s another woman who had another cookbook — and it was a similar kind of thing, with the food and the vegetables in the food — and my wife never saw the book, read the book, used the book,”
“But the books came out at the same time. So this woman says, `I sense this could be my wacko moment.’ So she comes out … and she accuses my wife. She says, `You stole my mushed-up carrots. You can’t put mushed-up carrots in a casserole. I put mushed-up carrots in a casserole. It’s vegetable plagiarism,’” Seinfeld joked.
“I love the term `plagiarism’ for this little event,” he said. “Because it used to be you had to really take a theme from a major novel, some sort of literary narrative. Now, you’re in your kitchen making brownies, you sneak a little spinach in there, your name’s dragged through the mud.”
Both books are best sellers. “Deceptively Delicious” has more than 1 million copies in print, thanks largely to Jessica Seinfeld’s Oct. 8 appearance ontelevision program. Sales for “Sneaky Chef” have jumped since the allegations emerged against Seinfeld, with Running Press ordering a new printing of 60,000 copies, for a total of 150,000.
Funny isn’t this what rappers do? Now we have author beef and it really seems to beboosting book sales.


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A 5,955 sf Wawa convenience store is opening soon at 1331 Easton Road in the Roslyn Valley Shopping Center.
According to a Wawa manager, the existing Wawa at 2401 Susquehanna Road will be closing on August 24 at 8:00am, which will coincide with the 1331 Easton Road Wawa’s opening.
The manager indicated that a Grand Opening event with discounts, giveaways, and more will take place the morning of August 24. Details have not been released at the time of this writing.
The forthcoming convenience store will join a Pizza Hut “Delivery & Wings” which opened Monday, August 7.
Plans for the new store date back to 2020 when Bainbridge Roslyn, LLC and Peter Tiburzio, owners of the shopping center, applied to occupy 6,000 sf of the 2.65-acre property.
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.
Renderings courtesy of MSC


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MITI HAILS REGIONAL FREE-TRADE
AGREEMENTS, URGES JAPANESE PARTICIPATION
--- by Marc Castellano
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry's latest trade white paper urges Japan to pursue regional and bilateral trade agreements. According to the authors of the 2000 report, released May 16, such deals not only promote competition but also expand market opportunities. Moreover, the deepening economic integration of East Asia likely will benefit Japan and, thus, is a phenomenon that should be embraced.
Tokyo traditionally had shunned free-trade agreements, believing that they were detrimental to the development of the multilateral regime. The primary concern was that regional trade pacts, exclusionary by definition, would anger outsiders and lead to more protectionism, which, in turn, would hurt the growth of the world trading system. Last year, however, perspectives began to shift after MITI released its 1999 trade white paper. The report highlighted the benefits of regional free-trade agreements. In it, the ministry recommended that Japan seek potential partners in Northeast Asia. The document offered three main conclusions that led to the change in thinking (see JEI Report No. 21B, May 28, 1999).
First, such trading blocs as the North American Free Trade Agreement, the accord that liberalized trade among Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1994, and the European Union, the 15-nation economic grouping, had been successful in expanding trade and investment flows among participants. Second, it was apparent that countries that maintained low government and commercial barriers to trade would fare better in an era of rapid globalization. Finally, regional blocs had played a positive role in enhancing the development of the international trading system during the seven rounds of negotiations conducted under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the predecessor of the World Trade Organization. MITI reinforced these ideas in its 2000 white paper.
Against the background of a weakened multilateral regime, the ministry also reevaluated the outlook for global trade. Last December, preliminary talks aimed at launching a new round of WTO trade-liberalization negotiations collapsed in Seattle amid government intransigence and violent protests (see JEI Report No. 46B, December 10, 1999). This is one reason that the drafters of the latest MITI white paper advocated greater regional integration. In their words, such a development would "supplement the multilateral trade system under the World Trade Organization."
Japan, unlike most other industrial nations, is not part of any regional trade grouping. That status, however, may change in the near future. Tokyo and Seoul have been discussing a free-trade agreement since September 1998 and recently have made significant progress. The Institute of Developing Economies, part of the Japan External Trade Organization, and the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy issued a report earlier in May that concluded that a bilateral free-trade agreement would benefit both countries by raising economic output and stimulating trade and investment. South Korean researchers previously had forecast that their nation would record a dramatically higher bilateral trade deficit if its tariffs were reduced or eliminated. However, the authors of the joint study asserted that South Korea's global trade balance likely would improve due to an overall increase in exports and the effects of heightened competition and enhanced productivity. Still, Japanese businesses, especially in the electronics and metals industries, are expected to reap greater benefit than their counterparts in South Korea from any free-trade arrangement.
Japan and Singapore have been talking as well about a free-trade agreement. During a December 1999 visit to Tokyo, Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong proposed that the two sides begin to develop a framework. In March, Japanese and Singaporean delegates met to discuss a pact. They agreed to conduct a feasibility study and to propose possible areas of coverage. The two capitals also decided to schedule the start of their formal negotiations to coincide with the November informal meeting of the heads of government of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Both the Japanese and the Singaporean prime minister will attend the session.
Still another free-trade agreement is in the works, this one between Japan and Mexico (see JEI Report No. 15B, April 14, 2000). International Trade and Industry Minister Takashi Fukaya first indicated in April that MITI officials were interested in considering such an arrangement. His announcement followed the release the day before of the recommendations of separate studies commissioned by Mexico's Department of Commerce and JETRO. Negotiating an agreement may be tricky, however, due to resistance in some Japanese quarters, especially the agriculture sector. Official negotiations are not likely to begin any time soon, but support for some sort of Japan-Mexico trade agreement is growing steadily.
Besides praising free-trade agreements in its annual trade report, MITI highlighted the benefits of record levels of inward foreign direct investment. In 1999, some ¥1.4 trillion ($12.7 billion at ¥110=$1.00) flowed into Japan, more than double the previous year's total. According to MITI, foreign investment, which brings with it outside know-how, technology and management skills, is a boon to the Japanese economy. More broadly, embracing competition and opening up the country to foreign influences will help spur fundamental reforms. These are essential to getting the economy back on its feet.
The drafters of this year's trade white paper concluded in short that less-restrictive trade and investment policies will help bring about positive change. A key part of this strategy involves the active pursuit of regional free-trade agreements. Talks with Singapore, South Korea (see JEI Report No. 47A, December 17, 1999) and even Mexico indicate that Tokyo has started down this path, albeit slowly.


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How's The Economy? Federal Reserve Reports 'Ongoing Improvement'
As we've said before, to figure out what the Federal Reserve means when it reports about how the economy is doing and whether policymakers think it's doing better or worse, you need to carefully compare the central bank's latest words to what it has said in preceding months.
Today's "beige book" report from the Fed signals that the evidence the central bank is collecting points to some more improvement. In its opening paragraph, to which we've added some boldface for emphasis, the Fed says:
"Contact reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts suggest that national economic activity expanded at a modest to moderate pace during the reporting period of late November through the end of December. Seven Districts characterized growth as modest; of the remaining five, New York and Chicago noted a pickup in the pace of growth, Dallas and San Francisco reported moderate growth, and Richmond indicated that activity flattened or improved slightly. Compared with prior summaries, the reports on balance suggest ongoing improvement in economic conditions in recent months, with most Districts highlighting more favorable conditions than identified in reports from the late spring through early fall."
On Nov. 20, the Fed's beige book reported that:
"Overall economic activity increased at a slow to moderate pace since the previous report across all Federal Reserve Districts except St. Louis, which reported a decline in economic activity. District reports indicated that consumer spending rose modestly during the reporting period. ... Business service activity was flat to higher since the previous report. ..."
And on Oct. 19, the Fed wrote that:
"Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicate that overall economic activity continued to expand in September, although many Districts described the pace of growth as 'modest' or 'slight' and contacts generally noted weaker or less certain outlooks for business conditions. ..."
Beige books are produced eight times a year. They get their name from the color of their covers.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Mobile Moms Get Their Game On
Mobile moms—many of whom hold the purse strings in their households—can be a slippery, but very valuable, demographic.
In May 2013, Flurry analyzed iOS and Android app usage for almost 25,000 Americanowned smartphones and tablets and found that moms spend the majority of their smartphone and tablet time playing games. Between the iPad, iPhone, and Android tablets and smartphones, game playing took up 31% to 53% of mom’s app time.
Moms are also strongly represented over the general population for apps related to education, health and fitness, but games were the runaway favorite. Using AdAdapted’s unique marketplace, advertisers can now reach out to mommy gamers where they like best to blow off a little steam.


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Dell Expands Ubuntu Product Offerings
July 31, 2007 6:34 PM
comment(s) - last by
The Dell-Linux partnership continues to flourish
Dell plans to expand its Ubuntu PC and notebook offerings due to continued demand Dell has seen for the Ubuntu products, said Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu creator. Shuttleworth also founded Canonical, the company responsible for offering support for Ubuntu Linux users.
"What's been announced to date is not the full extent of what we will see over the next couple of weeks and months," Shuttleworth said during an interview. "There are additional offerings in the pipeline," he added.
Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden did not make an official statement to
about future products, but did say that Dell is happy with the
response the company has received for Linux
. Even though most of the products sold were likely to previous fans of Linux and open source technology, some first time customers also made purchases.
Dell currently offers five
products which run the Ubuntu operating system
. The company had egg on its face after Dell Ubuntu Linux customers discovered they apparently paid $225 more for an Inspiron 1420 notebook loaded with Ubuntu - Dell quickly fixed the error, changing the price so the Ubuntu version is now $50 cheaper.
Although the Microsoft Windows operating system still controls the PC operating system market, the Linux OS can be considered as Microsoft's biggest threat.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
8/3/2007 5:47:44 PM
Thankfully, programs like WINE, which emulate the Windows API completely independent of Windows coding, can easily make windows programs useable in Linux--many times just as useable and sometimes even faster. There's a lot that isn't supported, but as WINE advances, that's changing. Of course, as you put it, Linux isn't even close to being as polished as Windows, though Ubuntu is driving that effort apparently. Alot of work remains to be done before it can challenge windows--but once that work is complete, it really will be window's biggest threat.
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text:
The Australian company, as well as small and medium-sized companies, now want to expand the depreciation and argue that standard software has now been switched to cloud-based service models.
Cloud-based services are unlikely to be depreciable as they are viewed as services rather than assets. Government investment incentives target property, plant and equipment only, not services, and are therefore not effective in promoting cloud computing services.
Enter the Business Council. The BCA urges the government to change its mind about digital services as an asset.
“We want to make sure that tax settings recognize digital investments as well as physical ones,” said Tim Reed, President of the Business Council, last week as he released new models of the benefits of digitization.
The BCA provided models from EY that showed Australia could be $ 210 billion better off over the next 20 years if the transition to a digital economy accelerated.
“The BCA recommends driving digitally …


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Governor Bill Ritter is scheduled to sign the Sunday liquor sales bill into law on Monday.
The bill will take effect July 1st. Colorado will join 34 other states that permit Sunday alcohol sales at liquor stores.
The bill faced much opposition from grocery store owners because they believed it would hurt their beer sales on Sunday. Many of the liquor stores on the Western Slope say they are not in favor of the bill because Sunday is the only day off for many store owners and employees.
KKCO firmly believes in freedom of speech for all and we are happy to provide this forum for the community to share opinions and facts. We ask that commenters keep it clean, keep it truthful, stay on topic and be responsible. Comments left here do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of KKCO 11News.powered by Disqus


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In the future of Instagram, business accounts will be able to share shoppable reels; There will be new ads campaigns in the form of Instagram reels; Instagram reels turn out to be an excellent place for influencer marketing and getting sponsors; And there will be new editing tools on Instagram reels.
Instagram as a company won't die, your ability to reach people organically on it will. Let's get one thing clear… Instagram as a company and product isn't really dying. They are still growing, capturing our attention, and making money from it.
Instagram is slowly dying. A 2021 survey from financial services firm Piper Sandler found that only 22 percent of teenagers said Instagram was their favorite social media platform, coming in third after Snapchat and TikTok.
And it seems many other users agree – according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Instagram engagement is declining, with Reels, in particular, seeing a significant drop-off in user engagement of late.
That means to spam, fake accounts and other people and posts that don't follow our Community Guidelines may be removed from Instagram..


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LIVE: Tim Cook at the Goldman Sachs conference (AAPL)
We're at the conference to hear what Cook has to say.
Cook is flying high after Apple's last quarter, when the company sold more than 74 million iPhones and turned an $18 billion profit — the biggest profit by any company in history. But the investors in the audience will want to hear him explain how Apple can keep growing from such a massive base.
They'll probably be curious to hear about the Apple Watch, his plans to revitalize the iPad, and the Apple-IBM deal.
Cook's keynote will be moderated by Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn.
12:25 PT We're about to get started here. It's standing room only in the Palace Hotel ballroom.
12:35 PT We're getting started! Tim Cook and Gary Cohn just walked on stage.
12:36 PT Cohn is "lusting after" Cook's time as CEO. He's listing Cook's accomplishments: "Not a bad start, right?"
12:37 PT Cook is giving the boilerplate disclosure about forward-looking statements.
12:38 PT Cohn: What are some of Apple's biggest accomplishments last year?
Cook: "We're not focused on the numbers, we're focused on the things that produce the numbers."
Cook says Apple hit the ball out of the park with the iPhone 6 rollouts.
"The Mac has been growing and gaining share" even though the PC market is slugging along.
12:40 PT Cook: "You or I could write an app" with Swift, Apple's new developer language.
Cook is driving in how iOS has expanded to the home (HomeKit), the car (CarPlay), and to personal health.
"In emerging markets we saw phenomenal growth," Cook says. Calender year revenue for China was $38 billion. Unclear if that's China specifically or Apple's "Greater China" region.
12:44 PT Now Cook is talking up Apple's environmental initiatives: "We know at Apple that climate change is real," Cook said. "The time for action is now."
Cook is defending how caring for the environment is good for Apple's bottom line: "We're thrilled to continue on a course of doing things that make the world better than we found it."
Cook says Apple is opening up a solar farm south of San Francisco.
12:47 PT Cook says the Apple Watch is about changing people's lives. "We see the Apple Watch doing that. I'm wearing one right now.
Cook says people will be surprised with the breadth of what it will do.
"The customizable nature of the Apple Watch is incredible," said Cook.
"I see too many men in this audience," said Cook to applause.
Cook says looking at your watch is subtle, unlike looking at a phone.
12:50 PT "Everybody's gonna have their favorite thing [to do on the Apple Watch]" like when the App Store came out.
Cook says he uses the Apple Watch while working out to keep him active. Says the Watch will nudge you if you sit down for more than an hour, and that employees at will suddenly stand up because they're nudged by the Apple Watch.
12:52 PT Non-hardware growth: "I don't really think Apple was ever a hardware company." Cook says consumers are buying an experience, the integration of hardware, software, and services.
"The magic in Apple is that we do all of them. The real magic comes up when they integrate," said Cook.
12:53 PT Cohn asks Cook about Apple Pay
Cook: "It's going much faster than I thought it would. When you're going into the holiday retailers don't usually want to change" much at the point of sale.
Cook says retailers are consistently asking to sign up.
Cook says he walked around the hotel and says you can buy a coffee at Peets, lunch at McDonalds or Subway, or go to Bloomingdales, all nearby, all with Apple Pay.
12:57 PT "I think [Apple Pay] is truly profound," said Cook.
Cook says JetBlue just announced that they'll accept Apple Pay beginning at the middle of this month.
"This was only possible because we could control and design the hardware, the software, and the services," said Cook.
Cook makes a joke about Gary Cohn not having much hair left.
12:58 PT Cohn asks about Apple's data collection. Cook says customer's privacy is a value at Apple.
"You are not our product, that is our product," Cook says, pointing to an iPhone.
Cook says knowing what you're buying is "none of my business, frankly."
1:01 PT Cook says that privacy is important because of the personal data people don't realize is online.
Cook says his identity has been stolen three times!
"Panera bread told us that 80% of their mobile transactions are on Apple Pay," said Cook.
1:03 PT Now we're talking about Android-switchers.
"We've always believed that our role in life is to make the best, not the most," said Cook.
Cook says if Apple could make the best product at a lower price it would.
Cook called the idea that a bunch of people in developing countries won't buy iPhones because they're too expensive "a bunch of bull."
1:05 PT In terms of fighting competitors in the smartphone market (like Xiaomi), Cook says Apple has historically had stiff competition.
Now Cook is talking about Apple's success in China.
There are now 19 stores in greater China.
"I think we're still not too far from the surface," in terms of opportunity in China.


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Two of the big environmental problems that exist today – the high amount of waste we produce, and the vast amount of raw materials we consume – would appear to have a fairly straightforward, complementary solution. We need to re-use more stuff.
While this is easy to say, it is not so easy to do. Our products were not designed with re-use in mind. With a few exceptions, it is normally more profitable to let people throw away the old so they can purchase something new. Dismantling an old product to re-use the materials is often more costly than getting fresh raw materials for your manufacturing process.
Having said this, recycling of raw materials has become ever more prevalent due to a mixture of legislation and rising commodity prices. But environmentalists have long argued that we need to take matters to another level: instead of decomposing waste into raw materials that resemble our current commodity feedstock, why not design products in such a way that at the end of their lives they can be dismantled and the components re-used without extensive materials processing.
For example, you might want to dispose of a bicycle once the seat and gear mechanisms are worn out. On the one hand, you might take it to the tip, where the steel frame would be used as scrap to help manufacture fresh steel, and the rest would end up in landfill. On the other hand you might give it to a small business which would overhaul the bike, fitting a new seat, a new gear mechanism, giving it a new lick of paint, and then selling it on. In a world where raw materials and landfill space are increasingly scarce, it makes send to do the latter – and this is what the hypothetical ‘Circular Economy’ is all about.
Last week’s New Scientist contained a small but notable article highlighting the publishing of two high profile reports into the potential of the Circular Economy. The reports are well worth a read in their own right, but the most important message is that the idea of the Circular Economy is gaining traction.
Over the next few decades, the Circular Economy has clear potential to be a disruptive force in almost every manufacturing industry. Big companies need to ask themselves where they will fit in the circular value chains of the future. If they don’t take a lead in the move towards ‘remanufacturing’, they risk allowing a new generation of industrial entrepreneurs get a head start. Economies of scale should give established businesses a clear advantage in moving towards a new economic paradigm. But organisational inertia – the natural preference for maintaining the status quo – could hold back companies even when some of their managers understand the need for change. It has happened many times before and it could happen again. For entrepreneurs there are valuable opportunities for building businesses with the circular economy in mind.
It will be fascinating to watch the transition to a more circular economy. I expect it to occur gradually, and it may not even be complete in my lifetime, but the next 10 to 20 years should begin to reveal who will be the winners and who will be the losers.
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Will the Circular Economy be dominated by entrepreneurs or big business?
Posted by David R. Clough at 14:14
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BACKGROUND: According to the Swedish law, it's forbidden to export products that can be used by the military. Exporting this kind of equipment requires permission from the Inspectorate of Strategic Products (ISP). .
This has recently been a noticed sale of two Swedish companies, Imego and Norstel - to China. These two are developing advanced semiconductors. They are small and intelligent components that can be used in, for example, computers, mobile phones, missiles, robots, and satellites. China can't produce these semiconductors themselves. #weapons #export
PLOT: In Sweden, there are some interesting things that haven't been done before this sale to China: The ISP was not involved, nor was the Swedish Minister for Enterprise and Innovation, Mikael Damberg. Since it then was illegal to sell the technics within the company (Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscopes). Therefore, the buyers in China bought an empty company called Imego Navigation. Later, the desired technique is brought by a license through another company. @svd
NOW: Even tho China is now the owner of a company who has access to the technique, they are not allowed to use it. But, it's quite impossible to stop the information from being spread, used and shared. .
Click on the link in bio for full article and source.
#ellaworld #ellarevolution #ellachange #transparency


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Pro-Uber Cosmic Debris
Depending on where you are situated, at any given time, the insights you can gain from observing the political process can be amazing.
Consider Mayor Fred Eisenberger's claim, as reported several times on CHML the other day, that Hamilton's taxi industry "backs" the new amendments to the taxi bylaw, which exempt the Uber taxi company from almost all of the restrictions that are imposed upon the other two taxi companies in Hamilton.
As a member of Hamilton's taxi industry, I must admit that Fred Eisenberger's announcement came as quite a surprise to me because, frankly, my casual surveys of Hamilton cab drivers reveal that almost *NONE* of them "back" the idea of a two-tiered taxi regulatory regime.
Who, in the Hamilton taxi industry *would* back the idea that:
1 - they will still be forced to pay $100 a year to the City for a cab driver's license, while Uber cabbies pay nothing?
2 - that non-Uber cab drivers will still be required to piss their money away on a ridiculous cab driver training program, while Uber cabbies will be exempt?
3 - that Uber cab owners will only require a Safety Standards Certificate while, while non-exempt cab owners will still require a Safety Standards Certificate PLUS a redundant inspection at a City of Hamilton taxi inspection station, manned by a government employee, who's job security rests upon always finding *something wrong* with the cab that the Safety Standards Certificate missed?
4 - that non-exempt taxi operators must comply with the mandate that taxi transportation for the disabled is a "fundamental human right," regardless of how much of a burden it imposes upon certain taxi owners, while Uber cab owners are exempt from the same obligation?
5 - that, in order to have permission to make a living in the City of Hamilton, as cab operators, non-exempt cab owners must each pay about $600 a year (times 447 cabs) equals about $270,000 per year, at the same time as Uber taxi is given the right to operate an unlimited number of taxis for a flat fee of $60,000?
6 - that non-exempt taxi operators must install expensive cameras to monitor the goings on in their cabs, while Uber cab owners are exempt, on the ridiculous grounds that Uber lacks payment flexibility, and only serves customers who can qualify for credit card accounts? (Which rules out many of Hamilton's citizens, you know... like the poor, the unemployed, the mentally ill, the panhandlers, the Syrian refugees... you know... the people the politicians pretend to *care so much about?*)
Oh yeah. The amended taxi bylaw will ban the use of ex-cop cars for use as taxicabs. But, unless I am wrong, this will only apply to non-Uber taxis. As more and more Uber cabbies realize they are being financially skinned alive by Uber's ridiculous %25 income tax on their earnings, more and more of them will discover why non-Uber taxi operators have opted to employ used cop cars for, at least, the last fifty years.
According to information I have received recently, the use of ex-cop cars for Ubering has already been adopted in the city of Chicago.
Given what I have written above, do you really think that the Hamilton taxi industry backs the new two-tiered Hamilton taxi bylaw?
Or do you think that Mayor Fred Eisenberger is full of excrement?
He could have showed some balls. Instead he chose to cave in to political expediency. The people are getting fed up with this endless charade of unprincipled leadership.
And please don't forget what these politicians promised you, all along, as they pretended to do all that was within their power to, "level the playing field," and compare that promise with my earlier prediction that, when a politician makes a bold statement about his fundamental convictions, take his words and reverse the meaning?
I ask you. Do you think Hamilton's new taxi bylaw levels the playing field?
How do I know that the people are finally getting fed up with this BS?
Please comment below.


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Surging Markets for RFID and Internet of Things Propels Demand for Research and Insights
NEWTON, Mass – July 15, 2014 – – Industry analyst firm ChainLink Research announced today a new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Research Service to provide market analysis, advisory and research services to vendors and users of RFID products and services. RFID is experiencing rapid growth in several vertical markets, led by retail. ChainLink forecasts that users will consume over 150 billion RFID tags during this decade. To support the growing demand for RFID market analysis and data, ChainLink has appointed industry veteran Scot Stelter as Vice President for RFID and the Internet of Things.
RFID is spreading across other segments including healthcare, aerospace, manufacturing, government and IT asset management – introducing new business complexity for vendors and users. “With their new service, ChainLink addresses an urgent, growing need for analysis for players throughout the RFID ecosystem,” said Bill Colleran, CEO of Impinj. “End users want guidance on the capabilities of RFID and how to successfully deploy the technology. Vendors want to identify the next killer app to optimize product portfolio decisions. Investors want to predict financial outcomes. ChainLink’s data and analysis fulfills these needs."
The service will include these elements:
Biannual RFID market size/share and forecast research covering LF, HF, and UHF technology variants
Annual application/industry sector report, including size and growth estimates by application and industry sector, with commentary
Analysis of retail end-user plans, including over 100 retailers
Periodic RFID technology briefs and articles
Analyst calls and briefings, as needed
ChainLink will formally launch its new service on August 19, 2014 with a webinar entitled, RFID Renaissance – What Vendors, End Users and Investors Need to Know
As part of ChainLink’s RFID service expansion, Scot Stelter joins the ChainLink team. With over 10 years of experience at leading RFID firms, Stelter was most recently Senior Director of Product Marketing for Impinj, where his team managed the company’s complete product portfolio. “We’re delighted to add Scot’s expertise to our team.” said Ann Grackin, Founder of ChainLink Research, “As one of the most knowledgeable RFID experts in the industry, Scot’s technology and market proficiency gives us an advantage in developing the most comprehensive and prescient RFID analysis available anywhere.” Prior to Impinj, Mr. Stelter was the Director of Marketing for Alien Technology for six years. He holds BSEE and MBA degrees from the University of California.
About ChainLink Research
ChainLink Research is the most widely respected supply chain, RFID, and enterprise research and advisory firm. ChainLink’s team of supply chain leaders has created and transformed some of the world's most innovative and highly admired supply chains. Our research is designed to be forward-looking, thought provoking, and actionable. For more information: http://www.chainlinkresearch.com/rfid.


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Microsoft's latest 'Halo' video game aims to power up Xbox One system
The green-helmeted and golden-visored hero of the sci-fi Halo video game franchise is poised to deliver some timely real-world heroics for Microsoft's Xbox One game console.
The space warrior Master Chief makes his return in Halo 5: Guardians out Tuesday for Xbox One ($59.99). To celebrate the event, Microsoft has a six-hour live video event Wednesday on YouTube starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 PT and festivities tonight at Microsoft stores across the U.S.
Halo 5 is the first original game in the ongoing multibillion-dollar space saga to appear on the Xbox One, which Microsoft brought to market two years ago. Last year's Master Chief Collection included upgraded Xbox One versions of 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved and three sequels that appeared on previous Xbox consoles.
Powered by a custom-made software engine, Halo 5 brings "to life that epic feeling that we have always wanted to deliver with Halo but couldn't until the Xbox One," said Bonnie Ross, founder and head of 343 Industries, the Microsoft-owned studio that created the game. "You feel you really are this 900-pound super-soldier in this epic sci-fi world."
Microsoft has sold more than 65 million copies of Halo games, generating more than $4.6 billion in sales of games and merchandise including books. The software giant hopes that Halo 5's arrival will spur increased sales of the Xbox One, which is trailing competitor Sony's PlayStation 4 in the battle for living rooms.
"For us, Halo is one of those franchises that rises above the ‘this is another video game' release," said Phil Spencer, who heads Microsoft's Xbox division. "It's a pop culture event for our brand and franchise."
Microsoft stock is riding its highest stock prices in more than a decade after posting results that beat Wall Street expectations last week. But while monthly active users of its Xbox Live online network rose 28% to 39 million, Xbox One unit sales are trailing Sony's PlayStation 4.
Microsoft has sold about 14 million Xbox Ones globally, compared to about 25 million for Sony's PS4, estimates Michael Pachter, managing director of equity research for Wedbush Securities. Consumers will likely buy about 8 million copies of Halo 5, and the game could drive another 4-5 million in console sales by the end of the year. "The game is Microsoft’s highest-profile exclusive, so it’s the biggest reason to pick an Xbox One over a PS4," he said. "It’s important."
Microsoft hasn't announced any updated Xbox One sales figures since November 2014 when it had sold 10 million. But Spencer says that Xbox One sales are outpacing the Xbox 360 as the two-year mark approaches.
The 600-employee strong 343 Industries, which took over Halo after original creative studio Bungie left to begin work on Destiny in 2007, has been toiling on Halo 5 for four years. The project represents an investment of about $160 million, Pachter estimates.
The result, Ross says, is a leap forward in fidelity and storytelling. During the game, Master Chief is accompanied by three squad mates who he leads on an objective against the wishes of the United Nations Space Command. Players alternate missions between his Blue Team and another squad of super soldiers, Fireteam Osiris, whose team leader Spartan Locke is charged with tracking down the Chief.
For the Master Chief character, "you can look at this as the start of his own hero's journey," Ross said. But Locke and Team Osiris -- with a character Buck that sports the voice and likeness of actor Nathon Fillion (Castle) -- she says, "we are bringing in more characters to expand the universe so that we can tell bigger stories going forward."
As you play through the game's story mode, your AI-controlled squad members will resurrect you as needed. And you can replay missions with friends in cooperative fashion. You can also play four-player vs. four-player battles and a new 12 vs. 12 Warzone multiplayer mode.
The squad action "is a blast and a pretty neat twist," Digital World Research analyst P.J. McNealy said. Reviews have been favorable for the game, which sports a Metacritic rating of 86.
Halo 5 is "the anchor game for Microsoft for the Xbox One" and "a huge differentiator" between it and the PS4, he says. "It is important for Microsoft to keep punching, and this is the biggest straight right they have in their arsenal. I'm not sure they are going to close the gap (with the PS4) this holiday, but I expect (the Xbox One) to have a pretty good October and November as a result."
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider


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Rovio Mobile, the firm behind the hit game Angry Birds, has set a goal to seek an initial public offering (IPO) sometime during the next 2-3 years, Reuters is reporting. The firm raised $42 million in Series A funding earlier this year, and its Angry Birds franchise has spread across multiple platforms including Android, iOS, webOS — and you can even play it in your web browser. As such, Rovio has increased its staff from 12 employees to 100 employees this year. “I see that this is only beneficial for us in terms of making the company more structured and more focused on creating it into a proper large organization, having grown from a company of 12,” Rovio’s CEO Mikael Hed said during the Reuters Global Technology Summit in Paris. In May, Rovio’s board chairman expressed interest in seeking an IPO in New York.
If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.


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“Bah Humbug, now that’s too strong!
‘Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year’s been a busy blur
Don’t think I have the energy
To add to my already mad rush…” Listen HERE
Facts About Christmas Waste
- 300,000 tonnes of card packaging is used at Christmas; enough to cover London’s famous landmark, Big Ben, almost 260,000 times
- 1 billion cards end up in the bin, when they could be recycled
- The amount of wrapping paper used for presents is enough to wrap around the equator 9 times
- 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is thrown away
- 6 million Christmas trees are discarded every year
- 250 tonnes of Christmas trees are thrown away after Christmas, when they could be used for compost
- Approximately 2 million turkeys, 74 million mince pies and 17.2 million Brussel sprouts are thrown away every Christmas
- 13,350 tonnes of glass are thrown out in the UK after Christmas.
- Over the festive season the UK creates 30 per cent more waste than usual, including two million turkeys and six million Christmas trees


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Latest Amazon.com Stories
NEW YORK, April 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Tapinator, Inc.
With the unveiling of Dash Buttons, Amazon makes its Internet of Things strategy clear.
BUNKERVILLE, Nev., April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Book of Bundy, the Chronicles of a Welfare Cowboy, is now available from Amazon.com and through a link at its publisher
Do you like reading? Do you like Netflix? Do you like shellfish? Well then Oyster, the new subscription-based e-reading experience, should be on your radar.
SEATTLE, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Panopto, a leading video platform provider for enterprise and education markets, today
This press release is to announce to readers that eCommerce business broker, WebsiteClosers.com now offers advice on where to sell an Amazon business. Tampa,
Customers of furniture and appliance retailers can now track each step of their item's delivery thanks to this web app that provides live updates on computers, tablets, smartphones, and the new
NEW YORK, April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- RELLECIGA has been chosen as the top seller to take part in Lightning Deals again on Amazon.com
Newly launched program helps organizations select APN Partners with proven healthcare experience Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 06, 2015
The outstanding achievements of e-retailers and one B2B e-commerce company will be recognized with the presentation of 10 Awards, including Internet Retailer of the Year CHICAGO, April
The Kindle Fire HD is the second generation of Amazon’s Kindle Fire. It comes in three versions, the 7 inch, and the 8.9 inch touch screens, and a 4G version. They were released on September 14, 2012 in the 7-inch, November 16, 2012 in the 8.9-inch, and a 8.9-inch 4G enabled version released on November 18, 2012. The 7-inch and the 8.9-inch have 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage and the 8.9-inch 4G LTE has 32 GB or 64 GB of storage. It has a front facing camera for photo capture, and...
The Kindle Fire is a mini tablet computer that was released in the United States on November 15, 2011. On September 7, 2012, updates became available to areas where the Amazon website is accessible. The Kindle Fire has a color seven-inch multi-touch touchscreen; it can be used to stream movies and TV shows, read Kindle e-books, and includes access to the Amazon Appstore. Amazon’s tactic for offering the Kindle Fire at such a low cost, was to make their profits from the sale of the...
- Stoppage; cessation (of labor).
- A standing still or idling (of mills, factories, etc.).
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Senior royals may have been surprised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s announcement on Wednesday night – but the building blocks were laid as long ago as last summer.
Applications to trademark their brand “Sussex Royal” for a range of goods and activities were lodged with UK intellectual property authorities in late June by Natalie Campbell and Sara Latham, key advisers to the couple, before ownership was switched to the royal couple in December.
The manner of the application – trademarking goods and services ranging from books, stationery and clothing to promotional and public awareness campaigns – helped to add a layer of discretion, even if the couple had been expected to launch their foundation this year, and have been using “Sussex Royal” on Instagram for months.
One other, little noticed, development last year was a failed attempt in April to trademark hundreds of items from adhesive bras to energy drinks in the name of “Sussex Royal”. The application, which came from Malta in the name of John Burnett, appears to have been an attempt to “squat” on the couple’s name but fell foul of the special protection which “Royal” has in UK intellectual property law.
“It may have made the Sussexes think about the fact that people were trying to squat on their trademarks, and taken a step forward,” said Sally Britton, a partner at Mishcon de Reya and expert on intellectual property law.
But it was interesting, she added, that registers showed the couple only appeared to have filed in the UK. Anyone expecting a major brand launch might have expected an international filing programme, but that could change at any time.
In other ways, much of their approach was typical: “Filing a trademark application is recommended so that you can secure monopoly protection and that is what they have done here in the UK. What you are not seeing here is them filing for things like razors or beauty products. It’s quite a tight specification.”
One potentially interesting flashpoint could come, however, if the Queen refuses to give consent to the use of “Royal” in future trademark applications by the couple.
The involvement of Latham, the couple’s communications secretary who worked for the Clintons in the US, and Campbell, who last year became their director of insight and innovation after moving from the role as an aide to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, reflects the extent to which women have been central to their project.
Latham has been dubbed by sections of the press as one of the “wise women” around the couple – the others being private secretary Fiona Mcilwham, who has two decades of experience at the foreign office, and Heather Wong, their assistant private secretary who has experience of US government and politics.
But hard-nosed financial counsel will also be needed if they are to replace funding streams such as the £4.9m paid by Prince Charles to his sons from his Duchy of Cornwall estate. Harry’s share accounts for 95% of the couple’s income.
Other wealth includes his estimated £20m inheritance from his mother, some £7m which came from his great-grandmother, and Meghan’s own past earnings. Her net worth has been put at around £4m, having earned around £37,000 per episode as an actor in the legal drama, Suits.
The question of just how much the Sussexes could make “unshackled” from Buckingham Palace is hard to gauge, but one guide is the couple’s wedding. It generated £1bn for the British economy, including a tourist spend of £300m in travel and accommodation and £50m on merchandise, according to an estimate by the consultancy Brand Finance.
Two new appointed directors of their foundation in September were Stefan Paul Allesch-Taylor, a financier behind a number of coffee brands, and Steven Cooper, a former banker.
But it is within Meghan’s professional background on the other side of the Atlantic where the most intriguing possibilities lie. A hint of a potential future direction lies in a corner of the couple’s newly launched website via a link to MadebyArticle, a digital creative agency in Toronto, where she lived when filming Suits.
Previously responsible for her old lifestyle brand, Tig, the Sussexes are listed alongside other clients including menswear label Hypebeast and Tokyo Smoke – a lifestyle cannabis brand “helping Canada celebrate legalisation”.
Christine Ross, one of the founders of Effervescence Group, a content and consultancy business which has made a fortune out of building up the fashion blog Meghan’s Mirror in parallel with her rise, suggested that possible future ventures that combined commercial opportunities with their charitable projects could include Prince Harry’s Apple TV+ project with Oprah, spotlighting mental health.
She added: “I think that a charitably-based clothing line, perhaps with an emphasis on sustainability … would be an incredibly popular business venture that the Sussexes could undertake – similar to the Duchess of Sussex’s ‘Smart Set’ capsule collection for her patronage, SmartWorks.”
A return to television and film meanwhile is considered much less likely, however coveted she would be by Hollywood moguls.
“Personally, I would be amazed if she went back to film,” said Bumble Ward, a veteran publicist-turned-studio executive in Los Angeles.


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Industry chooses US over China and Japan to make chips: Biden
The global chipmaking industry is opting for the United States over countries like China and Japan to set up their factories, President Joe Biden said in announcing two major investments by such companies here.
China, Japan, South Korea, the European Union — all of these countries are investing tens of billions of dollars to attract chipmakers to their countries. But industry leaders choose us, the United States, because they see America is back and America is leading the way, Biden told Intel’s groundbreaking site on Friday. New Albany, Ohio.
Intel will build a workforce of the future right here in Ohio, he said in his speech to mark the grand opening of Intel’s new semiconductor manufacturing facility.
America invented this chip, he says.
America invented it. It powered NASA’s lunar mission. The federal investment helped reduce the cost of manufacturing these chips, creating a market and an entire industry. As a result, more than 30 years ago, America had more than 30% of the world’s chip production, the president claimed.
Then something happened. America’s manufacturing industry, the backbone of our economy, has emptied out. Companies moved jobs overseas, especially from the industrial Midwest. And as a result, today we produce barely 10% of the world’s chips, despite our lead in chip research and design, he said.
And as we’ve seen during the coronavirus pandemic, when the factories that make these chips shut down, the global economy shuts down, driving up costs for families and for everyone, not just here, but all over the world. In fact, a third of underlying inflation last year was due to rising auto prices due to shortages of the semiconductors needed to build those automobiles, he said.
Biden claimed that these chips must be made domestically.
My friends, we need to manufacture these chips here in America to reduce daily costs and create good jobs. Don’t take my word for it. Hear from business leaders across the country. They’re making decisions right now on where to invest and produce these chips, he said.
The president said after taking office that the US economy had created nearly 10 million new jobs and more than 668,000 manufacturing jobs.
Because I signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act, we are accelerating progress. This new law makes historic investments for companies to build state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in America, he added.
The American company Micron has announced that it will invest 40 billion dollars over the next 10 years to build factories, special chips called memory chips that store information on smartphones. It will create 40,000 well-paying jobs and increase the United States’ share of the memory chip market by 500 percent, he said.
Two other companies – GlobalFoundries and Qualcomm – have announced a $4 billion partnership to produce chips in America that would otherwise have been made overseas.
Qualcomm is one of the world’s largest chipmakers and plans to increase production by up to 50% over the next five years, he said.
Today in North Carolina, Wolfspeed is investing $5 billion to make chips for electric vehicles that will create 1,800 well-paying jobs over five years. My friends, the future of the chip industry will be made in America. People at home need to know that manufacturing these semiconductors connects countless small businesses and manufacturers to a supply chain that will thrive under this law, Biden added.
(Only the title and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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Mega-retailer Walmart has founded a financial services-focused fintech startup alongside Ribbit Capital, an investor of fintech firms, according to a Monday announcement.
The as-yet-unnamed startup will be centered around "modern, innovative and affordable financial solutions," according to a press statement.
The startup's board will include Ribbit managing partner Micky Malka, Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner and Walmart CFO Brett Biggs.
Walmart's press statement pointed to a future of acquiring other services, indicating that "growth may come through partnerships and acquisitions with leading fintech companies."
“When we combine our deep knowledge of technology-driven financial businesses and our ability to move with speed with Walmart’s mission and reach, we can create and deliver financial offerings that are second to none," Malka said in a statement. According to Crunchbase, Ribbit has raised a total of $1.3 billion across 11 different funds.
How cryptocurrencies or blockchain technology might potentially fit into the mixture remains to be seen. As previously reported, Walmart has sought patents related to use cases in the digital currency arena, including one that outlines a kind of USD-pegged stablecoin. Walmart has also taken part in pilot programs involving the use of blockchain for product tracing.


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- November 12, 2020
- Computer Crime
Innovative Devices Used to Invade Privacy
To claim that cutting-edge technology changed the world would be an understatement. Electronic devices that allowed people to reach out to others worldwide, combined with social media, have connected old and new friends in ways no one could have imagined 20 to 30 years ago.
As with anything, downsides exist. The ease of gathering information makes some connections unwelcome, particularly when the “bond” is not mutual, nor welcome. The more sophisticated the device, the more it can be abused, especially if it involves a remote control to make that “connection.”
Electronic “snooping” devices can take many forms. Illegally accessing a social media account and scrolling through someone’s web search history, installing keylogging software to track computer keystrokes, and secretly attaching a GPS device to a car represents an invasion of privacy that could carry serious criminal charges.
However, one device that has grown in popularity has attracted the attention of authorities at the local and federal level.
Taking to the Air
Once used exclusively for military applications and commercial use, drones have gained popularity in the consumer market, with many using it recreationally for various reasons. Powered by technology that continually learns, avoids obstacles, takes hi-def pictures and videos, the aerial transports intelligently track everything from objects to people.
The ease of operating these somewhat intrusive drones has resulted in misuse that comes close to criminal activity. Some people will abuse the benefits of this technology. Drones can serve as an intrusion of privacy, whether it involves a spurned ex or overly curious neighbor engaged in covert activity.
In many ways, devices used for illegal clandestine purposes have changed the definition of trespassing. Privacy invasion laws could come in to play where harassment offenses and restraining orders could be expanded beyond computer hacking and GPS tracking to include drones. The same principles should apply whether illegal surveillance occurs on the ground or in the air.


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Posts Tagged ‘valve’
5 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on September 15, 2014 under Software & Gaming
According to Intel, there are currently 711 million PC gamers in the world, which works out as one in every ten people on the planet. In addition, the desktop is "alive and well" with innovation thriv... more.
11 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on September 9, 2014 under Development
DayZ launched on Steam's early access program last year and since then, millions of excited fans have bought the game, dismissing the fact that it is far from being finished. As a result, users are st... more.
2 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on September 9, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Capcom will be bringing Resident Evil 5, Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, over to Steamworks early next year. The three games currently reside on Microsoft's widely unpopular Games for... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on September 5, 2014 under Software & Gaming
The latest Steam client beta update will bring better support for AMD graphics cards while using the Steam in-home streaming feature. These optimizations come shortly after N... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on September 4, 2014 under General Tech
Last week it was revealed that the Australian Consumer Rights Commission was planning to take Valve to court over its refund policy. At the time, Valve state... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on August 29, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Valve and Nvidia have teamed up to improve the performance of Steam's in-home streaming feature by adding in support for hardware encoding on Nvidia GeForce graphics cards. This new feature works in a... more.
2 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on August 29, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Planetary Annihilation, the Kickstarter success, is due to be fully released and come out of Early Access next week. The game raised $2.2 million on Kickstarter and now just under two years later, we'... more.
5 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on August 29, 2014 under General Tech
Valve has done a lot of great things for the PC platform over the years but consumer rights is unfortunately one of the company's short comings. Unlike Origin, Steam has a strict no refund policy, and... more.
2 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on August 20, 2014 under Development
According to a survey conducted by the Independent Game Developers Association, most game developers would rather work at Valve than any other company. This may not be all that surprising as Valve is... more.
6 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on August 18, 2014 under Software & Gaming
It turns out that digital downloads made up 92 per cent of all PC game sales worldwide in 2013, according to a new analyst report. In addition, that figure is supposed to grow over the next few years... more.
2 CommentsPosted by Jon Martindale on August 13, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Steam has grown up a lot over the past decade, going from a curious way to get hold of Valve games, to the dominant portal that we all experience our titles through on the PC, but it's not in its fina... more.
4 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on August 7, 2014 under Development
Valve may have sneakily given us our first look at the Source 2 engine as Dota 2's workshop tools, in-game assets and code all appear to have been ported over to the company's long awaited engine upda... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Jon Martindale on August 4, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Valve's recent Free to Play documentary showed us the hype and tragedy in the build up and aftermath of the 2011 DotA 2 International tournament and it did so in a way that was very inclusive for peop... more.
7 CommentsPosted by Jon Martindale on July 31, 2014 under Software & Gaming
One of our most popular stories this year, involved Pornography streaming site owners, Youporn, announcing that it was looking to sponsor an esports team. Unfortunat... more.
2 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on July 24, 2014 under Peripheral
Valve originally revealed the Steam controller last year but since then, it has gone through a lot of changes. In-fact, Valve has ... more.
2 CommentsPosted by Jon Martindale on July 16, 2014 under Software & Gaming
A new campaign for physics based puzzler Portal 2 has been released on Steam, licensed by Valve, making it about the most official update to the game in a long time. Featuring a new type of gun and a ... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on July 7, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Valve's International Dota 2 championship is right around the corner and plenty of people are going to be watching the tournament's live stream but what if you don't quite understand the game yet? Val... more.
3 CommentsPosted by Jon Martindale on June 30, 2014 under Software & Gaming
While we might not all be thrilled with the way Valve handled this year's Steam Summer Sale, in terms of getting people to play games,... more.
5 CommentsPosted by Jon Martindale on June 27, 2014 under Software & Gaming
If there's one thing PC gamers hate, it's those horrible, by-the-numbers, mobile gaming mechanics championed by the likes of King and Zynga. The micro-transactions, pay to win scenarios, games that be... more.
3 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on June 18, 2014 under Software & Gaming
The Steam summer sale creeps up on us every year, usually it just appears one day and PC gamers world wide reach for their wallets. However, this year we might have some time to prepare as rumors are ... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on June 17, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Valve's Early Access program has already helped some smaller developers get their games out but now bigger studios are starting to see the value in keeping the community involved throughout the develo... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on June 16, 2014 under Console, PC
The Steam Machine initiative is all about making PC gaming more accessible on smaller screens, smaller devices and lesser hardware. The Steamboy project is combining all of these elements by creating ... more.
3 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on June 10, 2014 under Console, PC
E3 isn't just about the game announcements, it's also about the hardware we play those games on so it's fitting that Alienware has finally revealed the specification for its Steam Machine, despite Val... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Anton Shilov on June 10, 2014 under Base Unit, General Purpose PC, HTPC, PC
Xi3 Corp., a company that is mostly known for its small form-factor (SFF) Piston systems and its partnership with Valve Software, and Intel Corp. on Monday said that they would jointly work on next-ge... more.
1 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on June 5, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Valve has now updated the Steam FAQ to clarify that Early Access games don't necessarily have to be finished as some development teams may run in to problems that hinder them from finishing the game. ... more.
1 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on June 4, 2014 under Peripheral
Valve recently showed off the latest version if its Virtual Reality headset at a VR event in Boston. We've heard plenty of good things about Valve's prototype so naturally, people at the event went ah... more.
2 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on June 3, 2014 under PC
Asus has just revealed two of its own Steam Machines at Computex, the new systems will release under the company's 'Republic of Gamers' brand. One of the upcoming Steam OS powered PC's will be a tiny,... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Jon Martindale on May 28, 2014 under Peripheral
While Valve's Steam Machine have generated a lot of interest in their own right, it's the controller that has people really excited, as it's something existing PC gamers can make use of. However, now ... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Jon Martindale on May 26, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Stoic Games has been talking about its indie success story, The Banner Saga and how it almost didn't go the Kickstarter route, but when it did, it promised backers that they would get Steam keys with ... more.
3 CommentsPosted by Matthew Wilson on May 23, 2014 under Software & Gaming
Usually Valve and its employees are pretty tight lipped on what the company might secretly be working on, however, one former Valve employee and Counter Strike creator, Minh Le, has shed some light o... more.
- Leading makers of display scalers to support Adaptive-Sync, FreeSync technologies... Filed under: Graphics, Monitors
- Samsung mass produces 6Gb LPDDR3 chips using 20nm process technology... Filed under: Memory, Mobile
- Toshiba to reorg PC business: to leave certain markets, focus on business PCs... Filed under: Channel, Laptop / Mobile, Mobile, Netbook, Notebook, PC, Tablet PC
- Core i7-4790K ‘Devil’s Canyon’ overclocked to 6GHz with all cores active... Filed under: APU, CPU
- Patent monetization firm sues Apple for patent infringement by FaceTime... Filed under: Apple, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Mac
- MSI X99S Gaming 7 (LGA 2011-v3... Filed under: Highlights, Motherboard
- Gigabyte X99 SOC Force (LGA 20... Filed under: Highlights V, Motherboard
- Asus X99 Deluxe (LGA 2011-v3) ... Filed under: Highlights 2, Motherboard
- Windows 9 preview could arrive... Filed under: Operating Systems
- Asus Z97-A Motherboard Preview... Filed under: Highlights-new, Motherboard
- Intel delays desktop, high-performance ‘Broadwell’ to mid-2015
- Intel delays higher-end ‘Broadwell’ chips to July – September, 2015
- Intel’s roadmap leaks: Broadwell-K, Broadwell-E and Skylake-K due in 2015
- Intel’s Broadwell and Skylake chips to coexist on the market – slide
- Wide availability of Intel’s ‘Broadwell’ chips slips to 2015
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Salt and Light food distribution ends early after food runs out
CHAMPAIGN – Salt and Light Ministry had to close its doors early on Wednesday because it completely ran out of food.
Salt and Light Ministry Assistant Melany Jackson said the organization's food distribution program, which usually runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, shut down at 3:20 p.m.
Jackson said 400 families came in to collect food.
"We went through $1,500 of groceries in 2 1/2 hours," Jackson said. "It is very difficult for us to turn people away who are counting on us for help. It broke our hearts to tell people we didn't have any more food."
Jackson said Salt and Light has been providing food to an average of 420 people, representing 1,500 people, over the last four weeks.
Jackson said those who want to help can send money to pay for more food.
"If you give us $10, we can use it to buy $100 of groceries from the food bank," Jackson said.
People can mail contributions to Salt and Light at 1512 W. Anthony Drive, Champaign, IL 61821. Financial contributions may also be made between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In addition, contributions made be made using PayPal at the organization's website.


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April 14th, 2014Product and Inspiration First in Dallas
Dallas Market Center today announced that its Summer Total Home & Gift Market, June 18-24, the first show of the season, will present unrivaled merchandise offerings, headliners to educate and entertain, special events and much more.
Dozens of Educational Opportunities
Jason Dorsey, a leading generational speaker, best-selling author and expert in Millennial strategy presents “Y-Size Your Business: How Gen Y Employees and Customers Can Grow Your Business” on Thursday, June 19 at noon in the World Trade Center (WTC) Hall of Nations. Known as “The Gen Y Guy®,” Jason has been featured on 60 Minutes, 20/20, CNBC, Fox News, The Today Show and dozens more, sharing his expertise in solving generational challenges for companies
Celebrity chef Blythe Beck, a native Texan who launched her career in Dallas, presents a cooking demonstration on Saturday, June 21 at noon at The Culinary Stage, WTC 1. Beck is currently executive chef at the Movie Lounge in Fort Smith, Ark. and was recently recognized as one of Dallas’ top chefs by Modern Luxury magazine’s “The Five Factor” award, as well as being named one of NBC DFW’s “25 Most Interesting People”
Chefs Tim Byres and Anthony Van Camp lead cooking demonstrations at The Culinary Stage, WTC 1. Byres, owner of Smoke in Dallas and dedicated to American cookery with soul and nostalgic ties, entertains on Thursday, June 19 at 2 p.m. Dallas-based Van Camp, executive chef at SĒR Steak+Spirits and locally-raised food prodigy renowned for his culinary precision and innovative dishes, demonstrates on Saturday, June 21 at 2 p.m.
New Temp Category and Expanded Locations in June
The Dallas Temp Show, June 19-22 (staggered opening dates) offers 24 different product categories in seven distinctive, easy-to-shop locations with more than 500,000 square feet of exhibits located on WTC 1, 6, 12 and 13, TM 1, Market Hall and the International Trade Plaza (The Plaza)
Luxury Home Temps (June 18-22), a juried category of home décor manufacturers, is new to June with a collection of high-style and high-end lighting, furniture, wall décor, textiles and accents located on TM 1
Garden & Outdoor Temps (June 18-22) debuts its new, convenient location on The Plaza 1st floor in Outdoor Living, The Plaza 1F201, showing a varied selection of planters and containers, tabletop, decorative outdoor accents, garden accessories, seasonal accessories and more to enhance the patio, deck and garden
Buyers are invited to shop late in Temporaries until 7 p.m. on Friday, June 20
Leader in Holiday
Dallas’ Total Home & Gift Market continues to expand its reach with Christmas HQ, recognizing Dallas as the Christmas Headquarters
Christmas HQ presents inspirational displays, product demonstrations and an all-market party in addition to its comprehensive collection of Christmas and holiday décor
Expert floral designer J Schwanke AIFD, PFCI, AAF and CEO of ubloom.com will host product demonstrations and walking tours throughout market
Additional information, including a preview video and photo gallery of offered products, is available at dallasmarketcenter.com/christmashq. Join the conversation on Twitter using #christmasHQ
About Dallas Market Center
Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of more than five million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men’s, western, women’s and children’s apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 85 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. The Dallas Market Center website is available at dallasmarketcenter.com.


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NEW YORK — It was difficult to be weary of the more than 30 New York Fashion Week shows that took place here on Monday, followed by another 30 on Tuesday, if for no other reason than the caliber of talent showing had the elixir-like quality of Red Bull.
You could almost hear “Absolutely Fabulous” character Edina Monsoon ticking off her famous line “Everybody’s there, everybody! Big names, you know, Chanel, Dior, Lagerfeld, Givenchy, Gaultier, darling. Names, names, names.” Only it wasn’t the French ateliers showing, but instead the biggest names in American fashion: Thom Browne, Rodarte, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang. Yes, names, names, names, darlings. Here’s a look at some of the names that made the start of the week exciting.
With little warning, Marc Jacobs moved his Monday night women’s wear show to Thursday, and bumped his Marc by Marc collection to fill the Monday night gap. He cited shipping delays for the last minute sleight-of-hand. There was grumbling, but the decidedly less theatrical Marc by Marc show still provided a satisfying air of excitement. There were subtle references to the 1970s sprinkled throughout his runway.
Men’s pants were wide, slouchy, and falling well below the ankle (beware skinny jean!). Women’s looks were influenced by the paintings of Otto Dix, and prints were plentiful. And leave it to Jacobs to be brazen enough to slip gauchos into his collection.
It didn’t matter what the clothes looked like. Betsey Johnson could have showed toilet paper dresses and her runway would still be a party. Her Monday night show was decidedly the kookiest and most joyful of the week. The 70-year-old designer showed her new line of active wear, called “BJ Kicks A,” as she led a cheeky exercise class of her models on the runway. Champagne bottles as dumbbells? Yes please. Perhaps it was all done for the sake of the reality show she’s now filming. But after filing for bankruptcy protection last year, it was comforting to still see her cartwheeling down the catwalk.
Was it “Downton Abbey” inspired? Were those prints William Morris? No, as it turns out, Tory Burch’s lovely presentation was inspired by the work of Gustav Klimt. Dragonflies and scarabs darted across her art nouveau dresses, and prints were piled upon textures. It was all insanely romantic. It did run the risk of falling into granny territory, but Burch skillfully updated her influences, paying tribute to the past through an entirely fresh perspective.
What was once an anomaly at New York Fashion Week — a mass market retailer presenting at Lincoln Center — has blossomed into a can’t-miss event, boosted no doubt by Michelle Obama. While other brands abandoned color for Fall/Winter 2013, J.Crew exploded with it. Women’s jackets and slacks in blaring blues, purples, oranges, and yellows felt as if they were ready to leapfrog clear over winter and go straight into spring. The men’s offerings were more in line with traditional J.Crew product, which made it all the more difficult to stop ogling over the women’s line.Christopher Muther can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him on Twitter @chris_muther.


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Bullitt Launches Its Own Two-Way Satellite Messaging Service
Updated: Corrected that NTN capability is not built in to a MediaTek SoC or chipset. Added billing, coverage, and technical details.
Phone maker Bullitt has teamed up with a number of partners to create its own two-way satellite messaging service. An upcoming Motorola Defy-series phone (made by Bullitt) will support the new service and launch in the US soon. Bullitt is offering the service to other manufacturers as well. The Motorola Defy phone will use a MediaTek add-on modem chip that supports NTN (non-terrestrial network) communications. Bullitt is relying on Skylo to provide the satellite service, with is powered by "existing licensed GEO satellite constellations, such as Inmarsat and others." Bullit has created it own messaging app for the service. The app will try using cellular or Wi-Fi networks when available, but fall back to satellite. An emergency SOS service will be free for the first year, and is backed by critical event response specialists FocusPoint International. Subscription plans start at $5/ month for 30 non-emergency messages. SOS messages do not count against the bucket, and shorter messages (including location check-ins) count as fractional messages. When texting other people for non-emergency use, the other person receives a standard text message, but must download a free app to reply and have it relayed by satellite. The app will be available for both Android and iOS. Only the user of the satellite-capable phone is charged for satellite messaging. The service is launching first in the US and Europe, and only provides coverage in launched regions. It reaches far offshore, but not in the middle of the oceans nor polar regions. When in satellite-only coverage, messages via the service are received automatically, unlike some competing solutions. Users should usually not be required to aim the phone to connect to a satellite.
Sep 7, 2022
Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 series, with new features, improved specs, and new size options. In place of a Mini option, the iPhone 14 will come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen size options as the Pro models.
Jan 5, 2023
Qualcomm has revealed Snapdragon Satellite , the company's solution for connecting Android phones directly to satellites for truly global coverage. The feature uses the Iridium network, a satellite constellation that has has been in operation for 25 years.
Apr 14, 2021
TCL today announced several new TCL-branded phones in its 20 series, including two models that will come to the US: the TCL 20 Pro 5G and the TCL 20S. The US launches will include major carrier partners.
Oct 25, 2021
Earlier this year, Motorola announced a partnership with Bullitt to make a new range of rugged phones. On the FCC web site, a new phone has become public that seems to be the first product of that relationship.
Nov 15, 2021
Samsung has completed the beta period of its One UI 4 software for Android and started rolling out the final version to its phones, starting with the Galaxy S21 series. One UI 4 is Samsung's customized version of Android 12, which was finalized and launched by Google last month.


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* See the Top 32 best-selling manufacturers and Top 230 All-models by clicking on the title *
The South African new car market continues to suffer from a degrading economic situation in the country at -6% in July to 54.112 registrations, with the year-to-date total now down 2.5% to 356.755 units. In contrast, and despite the recent striking movements in the industry, vehicle exports from South Africa surge 24% year-on-year in July to 28.291 units, with the industry on track to gain 20% overall in 2015 to reach a record 330.000 exports. Toyota remains the most popular manufacturer in the country at 20.8% share while Volkswagen Group is back above Ford despite sales down 14% to 15.7% share. Hyundai-Kia, General Motors-Isuzu and Nissan follow, with Renault the only passenger car manufacturer to post substantial year-on-year gains this month at +29%.
The battle between the two star “Bakkies” (South African for Pickup truck) continues this month, and the Toyota Hilux manages to edge past the Ford Ranger in the year-to-date ranking thanks to a very strong showing in July at 3.546 sales and 6.6% share vs. 2.618 and 4.8% for the Ranger. This puts the Hilux at 20.498 so far in 2015 vs. 20.321 for the Ford, and the battle will get more interesting as months come by with both nameplates entering runout mode before the launch of the respective new models. Further down, the Datsun GO is back up 15 spots to #17 – now totalling 8 months inside the South African Top 25, the Renault Captur is stable at #31, the Opel Mokka stays in the Top 50 at #46 and the Honda HR-V breaks into it at #50 for its 2nd appearance in the South African sales charts.
Previous month: South Africa June 2015: Ford Ranger resists in pole position
One year ago: South Africa July 2014: VW Polo confirms pole position
Full July 2015 Top 32 manufacturers and Top 230 All-models ranking below.


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As technology continues to advance, more and more people are cutting back on trips to the store and heading to the web to do their shopping.
Online retail giant Amazon has announced it will build five new distribution centers across the U.S. to make the shopping experience easier and even quicker, but will small businesses in our area still be able to compete?
Co-owner of Kick Shoes in La Crosse, Allison Krzych, said owning and maintaining a shoe store takes more than just keeping up with the latest trends in footwear.
“Being a small business owner, you have to flex with the times, and technology is always changing,” said Krzych.
Kick Shoes has called downtown La Crosse home for six years. Last year, they received an opportunity to sell their shoes with one of the biggest retail giants online.
“One day, Amazon called us and said, ‘Hey, you pick out great shoes, they're different shoes from what we're offering, why don't you sell your shoes on Amazon?’” said Krzych.
Since then, Krzych said their shoe sales on the site have grown every month. She sees Amazon's expansion as a step to even more business.
“We're a small business in the heart of the Midwest ran by two girls that are opening up to billions of users on Amazon,” said Krzych. “So that's good.”
Touch of Class on Main Street in La Crosse has been in business since 1976 -- “Long before we had to worry about the Internet,” said the store’s owner Kim Pretasky.
Over time, Pretasky has also tapped into online retail, but just through the store's website.
She's not too concerned she'll lose customers to Amazon's because it was never a competitor to begin with.
“Because of the scope of product they offer and the resources they have, we would not be in the ball park,” said Pretasky.
Pretasky said the store has seen double-digit increases every year thanks to the certain brands she carries and the personal customer service.
Even with Amazon's help, Krzych would also prefer the face-to-face contact.
“We are homeowners in this area,” said Krzych. “We conduct our business with small businesses and it’s all about community, which is why the brick and mortar small business ownership is better than Amazon, but Amazon is a slice.”
Even though both stores are providing some form of online retail, both see at least 80 percent of their profits coming from in-store customers.
Amazon already has 40 distribution centers nationwide. It plans to build the five distribution centers in California, New Jersey and Texas.