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After months (if not years) of waiting, Acura has finally unveiled their next-generation NSX Supercar. Though still a concept, the it boasts the car’s future exterior design inspiration as well as what’s under the hood. Power comes from a mid-rear V6 engine that’s made to an electric motor to form a hybrid setup. The SH-AWD setup also features a dual-clutch transmission for added performance, while the two motors can instantly send negative or positive torque to the front wheels for improved handling. No word yet on horsepower figures but expect the power-to-weight ratio to be top-notch.
Yesterday at the 2011 NAIAS Detroit Auto Show, Porsche took the covers off their latest concept car, the 918 RSR Racing Lab. It looks magnificent but it’s really what makes it move and punch it’s packing that’s got our attention. The supercar is built on a stiff carbon fiber plastic monocoque and is gets power from a direct-injected V8 that dishes out 563-hp, the same found in the RS Spyder. There are actually two electric motors on the front wheels which contribute a burst of 150 kW bringing overall output to peak drive power of 767-hp. This additional spark is generated during braking and is stored in an optimized flywheel accumulator and is available for roughly 8 seconds when the system is fully charged.
The 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show isn’t until next month, but BMW’s letting some of its soon-to-be unveiled beauties out the bag. The 2010 ActiveHybrid 7 is fitted with a 4.4L V8 engine that has a max output of 440-hp and a peak torque of 475 lb-ft. When mated to a 3-phase synchronous electric motor, the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 produces a total of 455-hp with a maximum torque of 516 lb-ft. Power is driven to the wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission with the electric motor (powered by lithium-ion batteries) positioned between the engine and the torque converter.
Go 0-60 in 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 150mph, all while enjoying a 15 percent increase in fuel-economy over the 750i. Official EPA numbers as well pricing will be released closer to the release in Spring 2010.
More images after the jump. (more…)
This week, Range Rover’s set to unveil the Liberty Electric Range Rover that will get 200 miles on one full charge. Pretty good, right? It’s been designed by a team out of Oxford and could hit dealerships by next year. Pricing is looking at £95,000 to £125,000. Hefty price for going green, but if you’ve got it, then why not, right?
Zero emissions and a whole lot of overall savings will definitely entice consumers into getting in the driver seat of one of these. Most electric cars on the market are much cheaper, but they also don’t get 200 miles on charge.
Performance and luxurious details are trademarks for Range Rover, and the Liberty Electric will not sacrifice neither. It’s accepted to have “swift acceleration and a high top speed, while costing 80 percent less to run than a gasoline equivalent.
Other innovations include roof mounted solar panels, which will provide additional charge for the batteries as well as powering some of the car’s electrics while it is stopped. Some versions will also have technology designed to extend the car’s range even further.
California electric sports car-maker Tesla Motors has announced its plans to build a plant that will cost a whopping $250 million and be located in Silicon Valley. The plant produce sedans that will hopefully hit the highways by 2010.
The Tesla Roadster has grabbed everyone’s attention, even California’s Governor, the Arnold. The car’s got solid environmental credentials, and with the technological pioneering the brand resembles, we weren’t surprised that San Jose will be the place for its plant.
Tesla Chief Executive Ze’ev Drori said he expects manufacturing of the five-passenger, $60,000 Model S sedan to hit a rate of over 15,000 a year by the last quarter of 2011. Tesla will build the factory on its own. They definitely have the capital to do so, with money coming from private equity financing of $100 million, the U.S. Department of Energy approving $150 million in loan guarantees, and California offering significant tax breaks.
Let the building begin, Tesla, so that we can push out 225 miles off one charge. That’s pretty hefty, compared to the 40 miles the new Volt offers. Boy, do we love competition.
It looks better than we first suspected from all the spy shots. Heck, we can actually see ourselves buying one and popping a Por Homme banner on it. The Chevrolet Volt was revealed at GM’s 100th year celebration.
So what did you expect it to be? Well, the 2011 Chevy Volt is a 5-door front-wheel-drive sedan known as Extended-Range Electric Vehicle, or E-REV. It can go 40 miles on electric-power alone with its lithium-ion battery. And for all the miles you put on after the first 40, a gasoline/E85-powered engine kicks. No word on the efficiency of the E85-side of the engine. The Chevy Volt’s electric drive unit produces 150-hp and 273 lb-ft of torque and has a top speed of 100 mph.
Charging isn’t too difficult. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt can be plugged into a standard household 120v outlet or a 240v. The Volt’s battery will reach full charge in 8 hours when plugged into a 120v outlet and 3 hours when plugged into a 240v. GM is estimating a cost of 80 cents per day for a full charge and 40 miles of electric driving – not bad at all. The General is estimating a cost of two cents per mile compared to 12 cents per mile when using gas priced at $3.60.
The number’s are looking good and we hope that the Volt is as good on the road as it is in the showroom.
gallery after the jump
2011 Chevrolet Volt:
Head over to eGMCarTech to check out the full press release and more pics.


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Van Horn bringing fundraiser to Plymouth
From 4:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, Van Horn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram will partner with parents and teachers at Horizon Elementary, 411 South Highland Ave., for a Drive for the Kids fundraiser to raise money during the Parent/Student Halloween Party.
During the party, parents and guests will have the opportunity to earn a $10 contribution for the school from the Chrysler brand by taking a test drive in a new 2015 Town and Country Chrysler 200 or Chrysler 300. Any licensed driver 18 or older may drive and earn $10 on the school’s behalf.
Van Horn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram will provide 2015 model Chrysler brand vehicles, along with volunteers from the dealership, to help the school with the fundraising test drives.
All test-drive participants will also be entered into the 2015 National Giveaway for a chance to win $45,000 toward any eligible FCA US LLC Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Ram, FIAT or Alfa Romeo vehicle.

domain: news


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European regulators have given Google the green light to take over Motorola Mobility.
The US$12.5 billion deal faced strong opposition from open-source andconsumer rights advocates, but the European Commission announced onMonday that the acquisition could go ahead, without conditions.
By buying Motorola Mobility, Google will gain control of around17,000smartphone patents, including standard essential patents, but theCommission approved the transaction after its investigation showed thatit would not significantly change the market situation in respect ofoperating systems and patents for smartphones.
Essential patents, such as 3G or GSM (Global System forMobileCommunications), are those which are required in order for smartphonesto operate according to developed industry standards. Because they arecrucial for all market players, standard-setting organizations requirethe holders of standard essential patents to license them to anyinterested third parties on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory(FRAND) terms. The European Commission also expects strict adherence toFRAND principles.
In approving the merger, Competition Commissioner Joaquín Almuniawarned that the Commission “will continue to keep a close eye on thebehavior of all market players in the sector, particularly theincreasingly strategic use of patents.” Speaking in Paris on Friday, healso said that he was prepared to use all measures available, such asfines of up to 10 percent of a company’s global turnover, to enforcethe rules. The Commission is already involved in a formal investigationof Samsung Electronics for misuse of essential patents in its battlewith Apple.
U.S. Justice Department approvalstill pending
“Standardization processes must be fair and transparent, so that theyare not in the hands of established firms willing to impose theirtechnologies. But it is not enough. We must also ensure that, once theyhold standard essential patents, companies give effective access onfair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms,” said Almunia.
Google has pledged to license its newly acquired Motorola patents onFRAND terms. However, in a letter to 15 standards bodies, Google alsolisted the exceptions for when it would abandon this promise and wouldcontinue to pursue injunctions.
Patent expert Florian Mueller says the letter changes nothing: “Googleis basically saying that it will do exactly what Motorola is alreadydoing now.”
The approval news comes as mobile phone leaders Apple, Microsoft,Google and Samsung struggle for dominance with countless court casescurrently ongoing over alleged patent violations. Google’s Androidsmartphone operating system dominates the mobile market with a 38percent share compared to Apple iPhone’s 27 percent.
In its review, the Commission cooperated with a number of competitionauthorities, in particular with the U.S. Department of Justice, whichis expected to give its own approval later this week.


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Zomboy has been continuing his global assault since the release of "Here to Stay" earlier this year. Now comes his "Reanimated EP" a four-track feature which is released in two parts - one part will be released via longtime label Never Say Die Records, while second part will be released via No Tomorrow Recordings. Reanimated Pt.1 brings you "Terror Squad" full-throttle, monstrous-dancefloor dubstep, followed by "Braindead," making for a more jump-around, hard-stepping kind of party.
Beatport has a new store that's faster and more responsive than ever, built to adapt to your changing needs in these changing times. Enjoy a first look at the beta of Beatport Pro and let us know where you think it should go next. @Beatport #BeatportPro


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Peruvian Textile artist Maximo Laura bets on crowddfunding to publish the first two books
The pre-sale campaign seeks to summon art and Peruvian culture lovers. Buyers who contribute to the project will receive exclusive benefits.
By: Piedra Rosetta
Crowdfunding or micro-patronage has become a way of financing diverse projects: editorial, artistic, social, technology, etc. There are several platforms that offer this service to interest people to participate in a project with contributions defined by the author and in exchange for a product, in this case, two books, in addition to other benefits.
A campaign to support art
The call for "A magical journey through the work of Peruvian textile artist Máximo Laura" was launched on September 29 on the Indiegogo.com portal, a platform specializing in crowdfunding since 2008 and one of the most popular for this type of editorial product.
The goal is to print 300 packs; the buyer will get the first two volumes of the collection at a very special price, as part of the benefits of buying in this call. Another benefit is that each buyer will receive as a gift a serialized digital engraving signed by Máximo Laura, in addition to special discounts on shipping costs. "We have no limits, support for the project can be from anywhere in the world, because we have the international distribution system that allows the Amazon platform", says the textile artist.
The campaign runs until the end of October.
All the information about the pre-sale can be found here: t.ly/MANb
More benefits for those interested will be announced on the arista's social networks: https://www.facebook.com/


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“Delaying the return of international travel until at least mid-May, could mean the Travel & Tourism sector simply won’t survive.”
As tourism restarts around the world, Telefonica deepens its collaboration with the United Nations specialized agency to advance market intelligence in order to accelerate the sector’s recovery from the impact of COVID-19.
Member States from across Africa have shared their priorities for tourism against the backdrop of COVID-19. As with every other global region, African destinations have been hit hard by the restrictions on travel introduced in response to the pandemic. The sudden and unexpected drop in tourist arrivals has placed many millions of jobs at risk and threatened to roll back the progress made in sustainable development.


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Haier Chooses Savannah to Serve Southeast
Haier America has chosen Georgia as its logistics hub serving the Southeast U.S.
The global firm will move its home appliances and air conditioners through its distribution center located at the Interstate Centre in Black Creek, just outside of Savannah, Ga.
Larry Monaghan, Haier’s senior vice president of administration, said the Port of Savannah and its adjacent distribution center network were a good fit for the company’s needs.
“Haier’s projected growth pattern coincides with the already approved work on deepening the Savannah port and the opening of the new Panama Canal,” Monaghan said. “Once both of these major projects are completed, we believe that Savannah will become the destination port for distribution into the Eastern U.S.”
The company indicated that the flexibility offered by the number of shipping services calling on Savannah – more than any other port in the Southeast – also played a role in its decision to choose Georgia. Monaghan said Haier will move an annual volume of 4,500 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) through Savannah.
After an extensive request for proposal process, the appliance maker chose third-party logistics provider Kenco to run the Black Creek warehouse operation.
To service the new client, Kenco has taken 230,000 square feet at the Interstate Centre located at I-16 and US 280, 18 miles from the Georgia Ports Authority terminals. Kenco plans to employ over 50 people when the distribution center reaches full staff.
“Kenco is proud to have been selected by this market leader,” said David Caines, president, Kenco Logistic Services. “We leveraged our years of experience in managing appliance supply chains to develop a common sense solution that will deliver uncommon value to Haier.”
Kenco officials said they chose the distribution center’s location because of its proximity to the Port of Savannah and the area’s solid infrastructure. The Bryan County facility will be Kenco’s fourth in Georgia and first in the Savannah area
“This distribution center is the first of its kind in the U.S. for Haier, because it handles their complete product line. Previously, the company used dedicated distribution facilities for specific products,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “That makes an important statement about Haier’s trust in GPA’s reliable service and speed to market.”
Haier’s Monaghan said that beyond the area’s available warehouse space, Savannah’s geographic location – including its proximity to Interstates 16 and 95 – will help the company to better serve a major portion of its retailers and customer base in states ranging from Georgia and Florida to Texas.
Georgia leads the nation in warehouse and distribution center development, according to the latest figures available from global real estate firm Colliers International.
With 3.4 million square feet of warehouse space under construction by October 2012, Georgia nearly doubled Tennessee’s rate of increase, which ranked second at 1.8 million square feet. Ohio was third at 1.7 million square feet; California and Arizona rounded out the top five with each marking 1.5 million square feet of distribution center space under development.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.


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Last-minute Bestival 2011 tickets are becoming available at face value.
“Ethical ticket exchange” The Ticket Trust has intermittently had all ticket types – Early Bird Weekend, Student Weekend, Standard Weekend, Child and Campervan – for sale at its website for the last few days.
Tickets have sold quickly whenever they’ve been put up though, and those who still want tickets are advised to check back regularly, and also look for updates on The Ticket Trust Facebook page.
Those who wish to sell their tickets to the site at face value can do so here.
To sell tickets, people will have to register them on the site, then post them to the Trust.
Once verified, the ticket will then be made available for sale at face value, plus a 10% handling fee, and then sent out or held for collection at the box office.
Tickets bought for Bestival 2011 will now be box office collection only.
The Ticket Trust was set up by The Association Of Independent Festivals, which was co-founded by Bestival promoter Rob da Bank, who hopes that the Trust “can be a safe and secure place for honest ticket trading to take place.”
The Trust hopes to be open to “any festival or gig promoters who wish to enable their ticket buyers to sell unwanted tickets ethically” by later in the autumn.


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Photos: Tremont officially rebrands as Embassy Suites
Hotel completes $14 million in renovations
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Embassy Suites officially took over the former Tremont Suites Hotel on Monday, marking the end of a $14 million renovation to the property.
The changes include a revamped lobby, new restaurant and lounge and renovated bathrooms for the 300-room hotel at St. Paul and Saratoga streets. James LoBosco, the hotel’s managing director, said he thinks the refresh combined with the Embassy Suites name, a Hilton brand, will help drive business that the Tremont could never achieve. He said the independent Tremont struggled to draw guests because travelers didn’t recognize its name.
“It really opens it up to a new customer,” LoBosco said. “The brand is going to be the main attraction.”
LoBosco expects the hotel will reach occupancy rates in the mid-to-high 70 percent range — a significant jump, he said, though he declined to disclose the hotel’s current occupancy rate. Stays at the hotel start at about $160 per night.
The renovation includes a more open lobby, which lead upstairs to an entirely revamped bar, restaurant and lounge. An improved fitness center, revamped bathrooms, heated pool — it wasn’t heated before — and a new “e-lounge” are among other additions to the hotel.
The new restaurant, B’more Bistro and Lounge — formerly Tug’s Bar & Grille — will seat 225, whereas Tugs only sat about 40 guests. B’more Bistro will serve three meals a day from a Chesapeake Bay-inspired menu with more sophisticated options than Tug’s previously offered, LoBosco said.
LoBosco said the menu prices are approachable at B’more Bistro, and the restaurant is looking to cater to hotel guests as well as local customers from the neighborhood. The restaurant is currently working to develop a mobile app where customers can order their meals for carry-out or dine-in, LoBosco said.
B’more Bistro isn’t the only new eatery to join the Embassy Suites. A Starbucks will replace the Plaza Deli by the fall, LoBosco said, and Charm City Cupcakes is already leasing bakery space on the third floor. The hotel is looking for a tenant to fill the Tremont Grand Cafe space.
Within the next month, Van Landingham Design Studio, an Ellicott City event planning firm, will also join the first floor of the hotel.
When an Embassy Suites was initially proposed for the property, city officials raised concerns it would compete with the Hilton Baltimore.
“Since I’ve been here, I haven’t sensed any of that,” LoBosco said. “I think the Hilton brand thrives as one, and I think we’ll just continue to do that and thrive off one another.”
Sarah covers hospitality/tourism, minority business, marketing and new media
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In the result just released on the website of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, Guinness reported a significant drop in its gross revenue of NGN 69 billion compared to NGN 84 billion recorded in March of 2015, representing -21.7% growth. However, the company’s cost of sales within the period reduced at NGN 39 billion compared with NGN 45 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company has taken measure to reduce its marketing and distribution expenses. The company spent NGN 18 billion within the quarter under review as opposed to NGN 20 billion, representing -10% reduction.
Guinness has been under pressure to repair its badly beaten balance sheet. The company has in recent times launched newer brands to take on Nigeria Breweries, its bigger competitor. For the same period under review, NB reported revenue was NGN 77.5 billion compared to NGN 69.9 billion in Q1 2015 which is a percentage growth of +10.87%. Because of the fact the NB now control over 6 different breweries, the group’s cost of sales has also gone up by +11%. This is NGN 36 billion in Q1 2015 compared to NGN 40 billion in Q1 2016.
Guinness Stout, its flagship brand has not also performed in sales in recent times. Guinness has tried to extend it into other variants but it is not cutting it with beer drinkers. Nigeria is Africa’s second largest beer market after South Africa.
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By Choonsik Yoo and Joori Roh
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s annual inflation fell below zero for the first time on record in September, data showed on Tuesday, due to a plunge in farm products prices coupled with weak consumer demand.
The consumer price index slid 0.4% in September from a year earlier, the Statistics Korea data showed, just missing a 0.3% fall tipped in a Reuters survey and posting the first negative annual rate since data releases began in 1965.
The fall in consumer prices, although mostly due to plunges in farm products prices from unusually high levels last year, reinforces expectations the central bank will cut interest rates as early as later this month to support the slowing economy.
Policymakers have stressed the weak inflation was mostly due to the temporary farm products price declines and played down the risk of Asia’s fourth-largest economy falling into a broader period of deflation.
“We are not in a deflation situation, where the consumer price level persistently falls for a long period,” Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom told a scheduled meeting of senior officials from the economy-related ministries on Tuesday.
Prices rose 0.4% month-on-month in September, just shy of a 0.5% gain expected by economists.
The Bank of Korea, the central bank, cut the policy interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.50% in July for the first time in three years as the country’s trade-reliant economy was hit hard by cooling global demand.
Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.


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Two Major Hotels in Touristic Spanish City to Accept Crypto Payments in the Wake of Covid-19 Crisis
Seville is fast becoming a crypto city in Spain, with two well-known local hotels having announced that they will accept crypto payments. Hotel Becquer and Hotel Kivir have joined a crypto adoption group that allows guests to book rooms with digital assets.
Hotels receive 100% of the funds in Fiat Euro
According to Diario de Sevilla, the two hotels have signed a partnership agreement with local exchange Criptan to offer a crypto payment gateway to their guests. The Becquer is a 134-room hotel on the former grounds of the Marquis of Las Torres, while the 31-room Kivir Hotel is in the old town.
With the two four-star hotels joining the exchange, Criptan has expanded its portfolio of stores and even travel companies across the country that now accept cryptocurrencies like bitcoin (BTC) as payment.
Alejandro Rodriguez, general manager of both hotels, is optimistic about the spread of crypto in the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic:
It is of great importance that the tourism industry is one of the early adopters of this new payment method, with what this means for the economy internationally and domestically, as well as the potential for global use of cryptocurrencies.
As part of the agreement, Criptan will process these payments in cryptocurrencies, but both hotels will receive 100% of the money in fiat euros.
Pandemic manages hotel for Cryptotarget users
Representatives of Criptan told Diario de Sevilla that this integration in hotels like Bécquer and Kivir follows the European regulation PSD2 for electronic payment services, which aims to increase security in Europe, promote innovation and facilitate the adaptation of banking services to new technologies.
Rodriguez also mentioned restructuring the business model to accommodate new technologies, as the economic crisis caused by the pandemic got him thinking about focusing on new segments.
As Seville becomes more familiar with cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin.com News reported in December 2020 that the Seville City Council had launched its own cryptocurrency to encourage residents and traders to trade with it amid the impact of the Corona virus on the economy.
What do you think of this announcement? Let us know your comments in the section below.


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In 2011 scientists at the National Institutes of Health reported that research shows less than an hour of cellphone use can accelerate a person’s brain activity near the phone antenna, though scientists aren’t sure if that is harmful to users. Meanwhile, a San Francisco ordinance that would force vendors of mobile phones to caution customers that the devices could expose them to hazardous levels of radiation — vigorously opposed by the industry — is tied up in federal court.
Though mobile devices have been around for decades, there is still no evidence of an uptick in incidents of brain tumors around the world, said Paul Graham Fisher, professor of neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine.
“It’s not an unreasonable concern,” he said of worries about radiation from mobile devices. “But right now there really isn’t any evidence to say it’s a problem.”
While the science remains unsettled, cellphone users can take measures to blunt potential hazards – or at least give them peace of mind.
One group of electromagnetic radiation researchers recently developed a line of smartphone cases with the brand name Pong that redirect 95 percent of a smartphone’s radiation away from a user’s head. Their claims have been validated by Cetecom, a lab in Milpitas certified by the Federal Communications Commission to test cellphone radiation levels. While company executives do not assert that mobile-device radiation can lead to brain tumors, they say their own concerns about possible hazards led them to develop the Pong cases.
A Pong case “reduces your exposure to radiation by redirecting and redistributing the electromagnetic field that emits from cellphones,” said company chief technology officer Ryan McCaughey, who was doing research in cellphone radiation at UCLA before joining Pong. The company, which has six radiation-reducing patents and 13 patents pending, sells cases for the iPhone and iPad, as well as several Android and BlackBerry smartphones through its website,
“Things like tumors and cancer take a long time to develop,” McCaughey said. “It’s only recently that cellphone usage has become widespread. It could be 10, 15 years before you start seeing the effects of it in the general public. So we’d like to get ahead of it and reduce exposure before it’s too late.”
McCaughey also said he never holds a mobile phone to his head while the number he is calling continues to ring. “The highest radiation emission is at the start of a call,” he said.
Morgan advocates consumers changing their mobile-device behavior much like motorists over the years have embraced vehicle safety measures.
“We’ve learned to use cars in safer ways,” he said. “Imagine if you didn’t have safety belts, air bags, dual-cylinder brakes.”
While Morgan praises the Pong case as an effective safety tool, he cautions that it could give people a false sense of security. Whenever possible, he said, users should keep devices away from their bodies. When people talk on the phone with a headset, he suggests they place the phone as far away from their bodies as possible. And they should not wear phones on their bodies or let children sleep with them under their pillows, he said.


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Kayla Harris created a farmer's market for healthier campus eating. Photo courtesy N.C. A&T.
Freshman 15: The Challenge of Healthy Eating in College
By Maya Whitlow
JOMC Journal Contributor
Salad, salad, salad, wrap, salad… With the repetitive and limited selection of healthy food options in college dining halls, it is no wonder that freshmen gain those dreaded 15 pounds by the end of the school year.
Salad has been the most prevalent choice of healthy eating for years, but most college students will agree that eating salads everyday can become monotonous.
Madeline Keefer, a sophomore biological engineering student at North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T), says “Salads can get very boring. It has the same taste and doesn’t have much substance. I need variety.”
Variety brings excitement to life, and without a variety of healthy options, healthy eating is almost impossible to sustain in college. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, the prevalence rate of obesity in college students has doubled over the past 10 years. College campuses fail to provide the proper environment for students to eat and maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
At NCA&T, several students agree that campus does not provide many dining options are healthy, and the healthy choices are not appealing.
Wynton Johnson, a junior architectural engineering student, recently discussed the university’s food choices.
“A lot of the healthy food doesn’t taste good at all, so people go to the pizza line, the burger, or the Sit-In which isn’t very healthy,” said Johnson.
NCA&T provides salads, wraps, and sandwiches to go under the healthy foods category, but if one adds a calorie dense dressing or condiment, all the nutrition becomes null and void.
“To me, the salad bar isn’t that appealing,” says Jawari Boyd, a junior electrical engineering student. “The salad bar doesn’t have the options I want, and the dressings aren’t really tasty.”
Aside from the lack of healthy options on campus, college students often claim that they don’t have enough money to be spending on expensive, healthy food. For example, “Money often is an issue,” says James Brown, a junior supply chain management student at NCA&T. Being healthy costs money, and many college students don’t have the money to buy whole foods and healthy foods. It’s cheaper to be unhealthy.”
Students can typically purchase substantial meals for $1 to $3. However, students also maintain that buying groceries from the supermarket is more expensive. Cheese costs $2.99, and hamburger buns cost $1.87. Hamburgers cost $5.11.
So why do college students do instead? They make a quick and convenient decision and buy meals from fast food restaurants.
The proximity of fast food restaurants to campus also doesn’t help with college students’ decisions to eat healthy.
“We have Cook-out, Wendy’s, McDonalds, Taco Bell, and all these fast food restaurants on Summit,” says Maya Earle, a sophomore computer science student at NCA&T. “They are so delicious, and if you really feel like it, you can walk to these places. The proximity does affect my decision because if I know I have a chance of getting that, then I’m most likely not going to eat something that’s healthier in the café or in Simply.”
Rather than complain about the food options on campus, Kayla Harris decided to take action and make a change by creating the Farmer’s Market Initiative.
Kayla Harris, a sophomore biology student at NCA&T, became the first student to establish a Farmer’s Market at an HBCU in efforts to bring healthier foods to campus and awareness to the food services that students want a diverse and larger selection of healthier foods on campus.
“I started the Farmer’s Market so students would have no reason to say that they do not have access or were not provided with healthy organic food options,” says Harris. Her farmer’s market initiative idea started in the English classroom of former NCA&T professor Deborah Barnes in September of 2012, but the actual market did not open until September of 2013. “Getting students involved and to come out and physically support the Farmer’s Market has been the largest obstacle to overcome,” explains Harris. The faculty and staff of NCA&T support Harris’ initiative.
“I hope that the Farmer’s Market will one day be able to have more relationships with local markets near campus and also be able to sell produce that is grown on the university farm,” Harris says.
The Farmer’s Market initiative has been “very successful”, according to Harris. “A lot of people know about the markets and since it is getting closer to spring time people are very interested in coming out. My first Framer’s Market in Greensboro had about 100 people, so I am trying to continue to keep those numbers up.” NCA&T now has a farmer’s market that provides healthy, organic food options, so college students at NCA&T do not have an excuse to say there are no healthy alternatives.
Although the Farmer’s Market is not on campus, the market is close enough so for who students that want to eat healthier can do so.
“I eat a lot healthier since I started the farmer’s market,” Harris says. “I do not eat wheat, and I also do not eat pork or beef. Since starting the farmer’s market, I do more research on different foods and what benefits they have for your body.”
Cooperative Extension, an organization that works in partnership with North Carolina State University, is now collaborating with NCA&T to celebrate the annual Small Farms Week. Small Farms Week took place in late Marchand incorporated workshops, demonstrations, and the announcement of the 2014 Small Farmer of the Year. Some activities to bring awareness to agriculture included demonstrations at A&T’s University Farm for middle-school students, the screening of a film on urban agriculture, and a guest lecture by Robin Emmons, a young, successful urban farmer. Programs like Small Farms Week and Harris’ Farmer’s Market at NCA&T are just a couple ways to provide awareness to healthier food options on college campuses.


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In case you missed it in the news last week, online fitness tracker…
/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/NCS_modified20151223083557MaxW640MaxH427AR-151229586.jpg427427Support Flexinetshttps://www.flexinets.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/flexible-networks-nordic_logo-genomskinlig-300x77.pngSupport Flexinets2018-02-07 15:43:402018-06-04 10:39:19Threat Report: Strava’s privacy zones have been revealing users’ hidden locations
Last year brought a surge of sketchy online ads to the Internet…
/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/screenshot2-1280x2276-e1516775437595.png12341280Support Flexinetshttps://www.flexinets.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/flexible-networks-nordic_logo-genomskinlig-300x77.pngSupport Flexinets2018-01-23 07:17:372018-06-04 10:39:43Why the epidemic of malicious ads grew so much worse last year
Can you spot the fake app? Fake app on the left. Official…
/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/virus-shield-1.png263320Support Flexinetshttps://www.flexinets.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/flexible-networks-nordic_logo-genomskinlig-300x77.pngSupport Flexinets2017-11-15 14:44:392018-06-04 10:40:57How to protect your devices from fake apps
/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Skärmavbild-2017-11-09-kl.-16.07.04.png6281116Support Flexinetshttps://www.flexinets.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/flexible-networks-nordic_logo-genomskinlig-300x77.pngSupport Flexinets2017-11-09 08:10:152018-06-04 10:41:14Vidste du at din mobil er som en åben dør for hackere?
The recent key re-installation (KRACK) attacks have received…
/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Skärmavbild-2017-11-03-kl.-07.21.27.png466680Flexinetshttps://www.flexinets.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/flexible-networks-nordic_logo-genomskinlig-300x77.pngFlexinets2017-11-06 00:23:042018-06-04 10:41:25The krack attacks and iPass Global Wi-Fi security
This week, researchers published information on a serious weakness…
/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Skärmavbild-2017-10-18-kl.-15.57.50.png5601140Flexinetshttps://www.flexinets.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/flexible-networks-nordic_logo-genomskinlig-300x77.pngFlexinets2017-10-16 20:53:202018-06-04 10:42:41KRACK; all you need to know about the Wi-Fi vulnerability
You might hear about the dangerous leaks and mobile attacks that…
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Many people worry that eating healthy costs too much money. But here's some great, nutritious food for less than $1.
Many people want to eat healthy, but think it will be too expensive. But divinecaroline.com explains there are many nutritious items for less than $1.
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Casual shoes/sneakers ranked as the most popular shoe choice this Spring, among 53 percent of likely shoe buyers, according to a survey commissioned by the FDRA as part of its Spring 2021 Footwear Buying Trends report.
Running or gym shoes were the next most popular choice with 32 percent, followed by work shoes or other footwear with 9 percent and fashion-focused shoes with 5 percent.
Running or gym shoes are the most popular choice for ages 18-to-29 (49 percent), while ages 30-to-39 are split between running or gym shoes (43 percent) and casual shoes/sneakers (47 percent). The majority in every other age category of shoe buyers plans to purchase casual shoes or sneakers.
Other findings from the survey include:
- A majority (52 percent) of respondents are very likely to purchase new shoes this Spring. Twenty-six percent of respondents said they were somewhat likely to buy shoes this Spring and 22 percent said they were not likely to be.
- Younger respondents are more likely to be in the market for shoes, as 68 percent of those ages 18-to-29 and 61 percent of those ages 30-to-39 said they were very likely to purchase, compared to 50 percent of ages 40-to-49, 48 percent of those ages 50-to-59, and 42 percent of those ages 60-to-69 who are very likely to purchase.
- Shoppers were split on where they plan to purchase footwear this Spring, with 45 percent planning on shopping in-store, 44 percent buying online shipped to their home and 11 percent buying online for in-store or curbside pickup.
- Using data from this survey and a Spring 2018 survey conducted by FDRA and Emerson College polling, there is a noticeable increase in online shopping by age category. Shoppers who ordered online to pick up curbside this year were placed into the in-store category. While the youngest shoppers, those ages 18-to-29, are shopping online at a slightly lower rate in 2021 (58 percent) than in 2018 (64 percent), all other age categories have seen a shift to e-commerce.
- Among those who plan to shop online shipped to home, a plurality (31 percent) plan to use Amazon, while 28 percent said they would shop the shoe brand’s website. Nineteen percent (19 percent) will shop using a footwear-specific site such as Zappos or Shoes.com, and 14 percent plan to use a retailer’s website such as Nordstrom or Footlocker.
- For shoe shoppers that plan to purchase in-store, a plurality (39 percent) plan to shop at a local store such as DSW or Famous Footwear, while 27 percent plan to shop at a big-box retailer like Target, 15 percent plan to shop at a department store like Nordstrom and 19 percent plan to shop at a different in-store location.
- A plurality (34 percent) of respondents plan to purchase nearly 100 percent of their shoes in-store after the pandemic. Twenty-four percent said 60 percent of their shopping would be online, and 40 percent will be in-store, while 23 percent said nearly 100 percent of their shoe purchases would be online going forward, and 19 percent said 60 percent would be in-store, and 40 percent would be online.
The survey of 785 consumers was taken by Emerson College Polling on March 22 and March 23. The full report is here.
Photo courtesy Nike


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Jim Cramer sees trouble brewing for Apple’s earnings report next week. » Read More
BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins shrugged off a declining subscription base and said Blackberry is well-positioned for a profitable future.
Will the second quarter have automakers smiling? Will the housing recovery rev up? Here's a look at what to expect from some key sectors.
BlackBerry reported quarterly earnings and revenue on Thursday that outpaced market expectations.
The rally makes it crucial to pick cream-of-the-crop stocks, Laszlo Birinyi of Birinyi Associates says.
Richard Gordon, managing VP at Gartner, tells CNBC that the strength of the smartphone market is set to continue, particularly at the high end with companies like Apple and Samsung.
Jonathan Geller, founder & editor-in-chief of the Boy Genius Report, discusses the hurdles BlackBerry faces in trying to overtake the Apple iPhone and Google Android devices. The Z10's keyboard is a strong point, he says.
The "Fast Money Madness" Round of 16 wraps with Visa facing off against Citigroup.
Chinese electronics giant Foxconn is seeing a slowdown in orders, reports CNBC's Eunice Yoon. Colin Gillis, BGC Financial; Jez Frampton, Interbrand Group; and CNBC's Jon Fortt, discuss potential reasons and what it says about larger tech and electronics companies.
Technology, financial and industrials are most attractive stock sectors, Oakmark Fund's Bill Nygren says.
The integrity of BlackBerry's turnaround story is at stake as the company prepares to report fourth-quarter earnings.
Orders are slowing down at the FoxConn factory in Shenzen, China, which could mean trouble for the tech industry.
On Sunday, millions of real-time TV viewers will be faced with a difficult decision: watch the season finale of AMC's "The Walking Dead" or the season premiere of HBO's "Game of Thrones."
CNBC's Eunice Yoon reports that what happens at Foxconn is seen as a barometer for the tech industry.
Some traders are betting big that talk of a turnaround at Blackberry is over-hyped.
The "Fast Money Madness" Round of 16 kicks off with top-seeded Google and No. 4 Apple facing off.
Stocks ended near their best levels Tuesday, with the Dow posting a new high and S&P 500 finishing less than 2 points from its closing peak, lifted by a handful of encouraging economic reports that pointed to an improving economy and as investors seemed to temporarily overlook worries in the euro zone.
T-Mobile is getting rid of 2-year contracts, and that it will finally carry the iPhone. The "Street Signs" crew, weighs in.
CheapAir.com released the first-ever app allowing users to search for flights by simply speaking their request into an iPhone or iPad.
CNBC's Seema Mody reports on the highest performing stocks on the Nasdaq. Apple is currently the top dividend payer in technology.
T-Mobile USA will start selling Apple Inc's iPhone on April 12, making it the last of the national U.S. operators to sell the device.


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Celeb trainer and Zobha brand ambassador Michele Lovitt shares five moves for getting red carpet ready at home.
With the Oscars coming up on Sunday, you can be sure of one thing: Most of the celebs are getting ready with some great last-minute workouts to get their bodies perfect for the cameras and those gowns! And just how do A-listers like Courteney Cox, Julianne Moore, and David Arquette tone up before a big event like the Oscars? Well, they enlist the help of Michele Lovitt, celebrity trainer and Zobha's new brand ambassador, that's how!
Jennipher Walters is the CEO and co-founder of the healthy living websites FitBottomedGirls.com and FitBottomedMamas.com. A certified personal trainer, lifestyle and weight management coach and group exercise instructor, she also holds an MA in health journalism and regularly writes about all things fitness and wellness for various online publications.


text: I honestly thought all this Obama infatuation hoopla would die down after the election. My buddy just bought some Obama-SpiderMan Comic Book. Looks like Apple is spent on it too. They just denied an Obama Trampoline Game in which our 44th president and other political figures are depicted jumping on a trampoline. Sounds innocent enough. SwamiWare, the makers of the game have no idea exactly why their game was dumped, but it’s likely that Apple thought it crossed the line in terms of the contract that specifies that games cannot ridicule public figures. Last week Apple denied a game where you could throw shoes at George W. Bush. People would have been all over that one! What’s next? A Leisure Suit Larry game with Elliot Spitzer?


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Spike Chunsoft, Inc.’s AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA initiative gets character trailer
On May 18, Spike Chunsoft, Inc. unveiled a brand new trailer for their upcoming AI: SOMNIUM FILES – NirvanA Initiative. This trailer revealed a sample of the characters that would appear, including some returning from the developer’s previous title, AI: THE SOMNIUM DOSSIERS.
Characters featured include Mizuki, an ABIS special agent who investigates a series of strange deaths; Aiba, his investigative assistant; Ryuki, another ABIS special agent investigating the same case as Mizuki six years prior; Tama, his assistant investigator; Kizuna, a senior at Sekiba High and friend of Mizuki; Lien, a great locksmith with old dreams of becoming a pilot; Amame, who works as a mermaid maid at a maid cafe known as Sunfish Pocket; Gen, the owner of Brahman World Cuisine who wears a strange mascot mask; Komeji, a comedian who hosted the show the first strange body showed up on; Shoma, a 6th grader who solved a secret code; Tokiko, the president of the Japanese branch of the secret society NAIXATLOZ; Chikara, director of the Horadori Institute of Genetics; and a still unknown masked woman.
As a bonus, the trailer also mentions some limited-time DLCs. Available for three weeks after the game’s launch, the “3-Pattern T-Shirt Set” and “Hot Dog Costume Set” can unlock all-new outfits for Aiba and Tama to wear in-game.
Additionally, the game can now be pre-ordered on Nintendo.com, the Nintendo eShop and Xbox.com, with a wishlist also available on the PlayStation Store. AI: SOMNIUM FILES – NirvanA Initiative will be released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows on July 8, 2022 in Europe and Oceania and June 24, 2022 in North America.


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Inflation continues to drop but lingering high prices, particularly for groceries, have left consumers grumpy, says one economist (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images).
By Marsha Mercer
As inflation soared in the past year, families in some states suffered a double whammy — paying food sales taxes on top of higher-priced groceries.
At least five of the 13 states where groceries were taxed as of last Jan. 1 passed laws to reduce, eliminate or ease the pinch — Kansas, Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee and Idaho. Efforts failed in several other states.
Almost all states have seen their budget surpluses grow in the past two years, thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funds and increasing corporate tax revenues as the economy recovers from the pandemic.
State officials are weighing whether this time of plenty is the moment to toss out a regressive tax — even though it would be a stable source of revenue during a recession. The grocery tax is regressive because food is a necessity, and people with less means pay a larger share of their income on food than people who are better off.
Most states don’t tax groceries, Richard Auxier, senior policy associate with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, noted in an interview.
Grocery taxes that remain are “there for a reason. They’re needed as part of the revenue system, or because [elected officials] would rather cut other taxes,” such as the income tax, Auxier said.
Some states took relatively small steps last year. Tennessee, which dropped its grocery sales tax from 5% to 4% in 2017, lifted the tax for a month last August. Illinois paused its grocery tax for a year, starting last July 1, and Idaho increased the state tax credit for grocery purchases.
“The basic idea is the grocery tax on food is particularly problematic to lower-income households,” said Norbert Wilson, a professor of food, economics and community at the Duke Divinity School and director of Duke University’s World Food Policy Center. He has researched the correlation between grocery taxes and increased food insecurity.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a household with limited or uncertain access to adequate food as food insecure. In 2021, about 13.5 million or 10% of American households were food insecure and had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all members of the household.
Participants in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known as food stamps, generally are shielded from grocery tax collected separately at the point of sale, but in some areas, tax already is included in the shelf price of some items. So, SNAP participants do pay the tax on those items. Recipients also typically run out of benefits before the end of the month. Plus, not every household with a low income is eligible or signs up for SNAP, leaving gaps in coverage, Wilson said.
Cutting or repealing the grocery tax is generally seen as making the tax code fairer and helping families with low incomes afford the food they need to live healthier lives. But not everyone sees the issue that way.
“Quite simply, politicians haven’t understood who the grocery tax exemption helps most,” said Jared Walczak, vice president for state projects at the Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C.
Politicians may think families with low incomes benefit most, he said, but it’s actually the middle class that does. That’s because even though buyers are shielded from the tax when they pay with food stamps, those with low incomes often buy prepared foods — such as rotisserie chickens, deli items and fast food — that are taxed.
Walczak argued in a recent report that a more comprehensive approach would broaden sales taxes to include groceries and consumer services (which high earners use more), paired with a grocery tax credit and income tax reductions.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.


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Speaking at the Japanese Microsoft Developers Forum, Microsoft’s CEO confirmed that the next Windows Phone update, codenamed Mango, will add “over 500 new features” to the mobile operating system. The Redmond based company has an event scheduled for Tuesday, May 24th in New York City, during which it will unveil the new update (again) and discuss its features in greater detail. Earlier this month we heard rumors that the update will deliver Bing Audio, Bing Vision, turn-by-turn navigation in Bing Maps, a new native podcast player, speech recognition, and more. We’ll be reporting live on the update tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Hit the jump for a quick video clip of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer discussing Mango.
Several new features set to be introduced in Microsoft’s upcoming “Mango” update for Windows Phone were revealed this past weekend. We already knew that Mango is set to be a major update to the Windows Phone platform — perhaps the most anticipated new feature is improved multitasking support — but Microsoft had been keeping several upcoming additions under wraps. Newly revealed features include Bing Audio, which will identify songs by listening to music, a la Shazam; Bing Vision, which will provide barcode scanning along with a host of camera-assisted search functions; the addition of turn-by-turn navigation to Bing Maps; speech recognition support in the messaging app; and a new native podcast player. None of these new features have been confirmed by Microsoft at this point but considering the proven track record of the source, it looks like Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 update is going to be even more exciting than we thought. More →


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Gothamist notes Starbucks CEO Edward Schultz claimed Starbucks could handle the shortage without raising prices back in March, but after major competitors hiked their prices — Kraft, Folgers and Dunkin' Donuts raised prices by 10% — the popular coffee company followed suit.
The priciest change will come in grocery stores, where The Wall Street Journal reports packaged coffee will increase by "around $1 a bag." (Via Flickr / Randy Robertson)
But Starbucks says that increase essentially restores prices to those it held last year, when it dropped packaged coffee prices by 10% in April.
The Journal also quotes a a spokesperson, who says the increase will affect "fewer than 20 percent of Starbucks' customers."
So while it may have seemed a Starbucks price increase meant you were going to have to take out a second mortgage on your house, it's just not that drastic.
KIRO spoke with one Starbucks customer who said he's not too worried about the price increase. "I just can't see it having a big impact on my purchasing habits."


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According to Syed Asif Ahmed, general manager of MG Motors Pakistan, the company has a five-year plan that calls for the introduction of three completely knocked-down (CKD) automobile models, including the HS model, in Pakistan.
According to Ahmed’s comments to the Business Recorder, Pakistan is a “highly CKD-oriented market.”
As opposed to completely built units (CBUs), which need to be imported, CKD vehicles are put together locally.
“The Engineering Development Board and I are actively collaborating. Plant equipment has arrived in Pakistan despite global logistical challenges, particularly in China following Covid-19 closure and limitations. The general manager told Business Recorder, “We are working day and night to get it operational in the current fiscal year.
General Manager of MG Motors Pakistan Syed Asif Ahmed said Pakistan was a “very CKD-oriented market”https://t.co/oY1dKx4Kf4
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) August 12, 2022
He did not, however, specify the other two CKD models that the company would introduce.
“We want to provide multiple options and features in our vehicles to Pakistan customers,” he added.
The safety features in locally assembled cars, according to Ahmed, are “considerably weak,” and MG Motors Pakistan will adhere to global standards for its CKD models without any “extra charges.”
According to him, MG is “not in the race to become the biggest player” in Pakistan. “As in the rest of the world, each brand should have a 10% to 15% market share to ensure healthy competition.”
The general manager also urged Pakistan to use its geographical location to gain access to automobile markets in Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.
“We are not a particularly appealing local market for global automakers, but we can certainly become a vehicle-exporting nation,” he says.
Ahmed stated that the automobile industry should stop looking to the government for handouts, adding that the industry was “already overprotected.”
“The only long-term solution to the auto industry’s recurring crises is the export of made-in-Pakistan vehicles,” he said.
Ahmed stated that he would only ask the government to incentivize electric vehicles because it was a new avenue with a multiplier effect.


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The U.S. economy expanded at a healthy pace in the fourth quarter, though an extended salvo of Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes is seen jeopardizing growth prospects this year.
Gross domestic product increased at a 2.9% annualized rate in final three months of 2022 after a 3.2% gain in the third quarter, the Commerce Department’s initial estimate showed Thursday. Personal consumption, the biggest part of the economy, climbed at a less-than-forecast 2.1% pace.
Median projections in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 2.6% rise in GDP and a 2.9% advance in spending. About half of the GDP increase reflected inventory growth, while government spending matched the biggest gain since early 2021.
The report also showed some signs of stress for American consumers whose wages have failed to keep up with inflation and continued to encourage them to draw down savings accumulated from government pandemic-relief programs. The burden of elevated prices and higher borrowing costs is mounting, pointing to a tenuous outlook for the economy.
The latest Bloomberg monthly survey shows economists see the economy shrinking in the second and third quarters, putting 65% odds on a recession in the coming year.
Recent data show cracks are developing more broadly. Retail and motor vehicle sales data showed households are starting to retrench, the housing market continues to weaken and some businesses are reconsidering capital spending plans.
As the Fed continues to hike interest rates to ensure inflation is extinguished, housing and manufacturing have deteriorated quickly while industries including banking and technology are carrying out mass layoffs.
The GDP report showed the personal consumption expenditures price index, a key inflation metric for the Fed, rose at an annualized 3.2% rate in the fourth quarter, down from a 4.3% pace in the prior three months. The core index that excludes food and energy climbed at a 3.9% rate compared with 4.7% paces in the prior two quarters. Monthly data for December will be released Friday.
The moderation in price pressures is consistent with forecasts that the Fed will further scale back its tightening campaign next week, when it’s expected to raise rates by 25 basis points. Policymakers boosted the benchmark rate by 50 points in December after 75 basis-point hikes at their previous four meetings.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook had some choice words when asked about Facebook’s controversial blockchain project Libra, with the chief executive openly characterizing the company’s plans to launch a cryptocurrency as a blatant power grab. Speaking with the French newspaper Les Echos, Cook shot down any notion that Apple might be considering launching a digital currency of its own, given its recent investments in digital wallets, mobile payments, and consumer credit with the new Goldman Sachs-backed Apple Card.
“No. I really think that a currency should stay in the hands of countries. I’m not comfortable with the idea of a private group setting up a competing currency,” Cook told the publication in an interview published today. “A private company shouldn’t be looking to gain power this way.”
Cook’s comments were published just prior to PayPal announcing today that it was backing out of the Libra Association, the 28-member nonprofit group (of which Facebook is a part) that was formed to oversee the currency’s creation and the technical, financial, and regulatory hurdles it faces. The two events are unrelated, but PayPal’s withdrawal and its aftereffects will no doubt deal a significant blow to Libra’s ongoing development and the prospects of its regulatory approval.


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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Meditation seems to be the hot new thing. Why shouldn't it be?
New studies said the practice can reduce chocolate cravings and even make you more creative.
There's even research claiming meditation can actually make you nicer.
New science said compassionate people tend to be healthier, more popular and more successful.
The studies said you can effectively rewire your brain to be nicer. Basically, you build compassion like a muscle through meditation.


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The media hype related to virtual reality is now clearly visible, but reagarding the “stunning” possibilities of this technology there is still a lot of uncertainty among the experts. A confirmation has come from a television interview (you can watch it following this link) run by Emily Chang for Bloomberg Business to Ebbe Altberg, Linden Lab Ceo, and to Eric Bono, founder and Ceo of AltspaceVR, about the future growth of both the virtual reality and the augmented reality.
These days circulates indeed one more report which estimates from here to four years an explosion of the market of virtual reality which would rise from $ 6.7 billion in worldwide sales expected for 2016 to 70 billion in 2020. Ebbe Altberg (who between the lines pointed out that after more than 12 years Second Life continues to be profitable, so much that Linden Lab had sales of $ 60 million even this year through the sale of its services to Second Life users) and Eric Bono appeared optimistic, given that virtual reality is “a paradigm shift as were PCs or smartphones” and indeed the same growth in the number of startups involved in virtual reality (from 20 in 2008 up to 162 in 2015) would seem to confirm that efforts to make “the leap” are consistent.
Other analyzes such as those of Digi-Capital, of which Mondivirtuali already reported are less optimistic on the spread of virtual reality and focus more on growth of augmented reality, which by its nature seems to have more “mass-market” applications than virtual reality, for which Ebbe Altberg admitted that at least initially the aim is to niche markets, albeit important, like the gaming and professional applications (eg for designers, architects and engineers, or professionals who need to interact with objects and three-dimensional spaces).
Some SL bloggers like Inara Pey add that while the augmented reality does not isolate the user from the world around him/her (indeed he/she does interact with it), virtual reality ends with isolating the user, which could make augmented reality more attractive to a wide range of daily activities, thus creating a potential user base much wider than that of the virtual reality. We’ll see how things will go, btw if you want to keep informed of new developments in virtual reality and augmented reality you just have to continue to follow Mondivirtuali.it, even through our account on Twitter and our fanpage on Facebook (but remember: Mondivirtuali is also on Flickr, on Pinterest, on Scoop.it, on Paper.li and also on Youtube).


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MILANVILLE—Debuted in grand fashion to the general public with their Hoptoberfest gathering held October 14, Second District Vineyard and Hops Farm brings new life to the old home of Calkins Creek Vineyard.
Purchased by John Longacre roughly a year ago, the hop farm looks to establish farm-fresh beer-making ingredients for the Second District Brewing Company, located in south Philadelphia.
According to their website, the thriving brewery and restaurant has nine distinct brews on tap and an assortment of bar food for hungry patrons.
Since its purchase, the hop farm has devoted two acres to growing its first batch of hops plants which will take at least three years to reach full maturity, explained farm caretaker Scott Kurtain.
Planted in the field are eight different varieties of hop plant, each offering a different flavor pallet to the beers of which they will ultimately become a part.
“There's pretty much endless varieties of hops,” said Kurtain. “There are certain hops that are used for bittering of the beer and there are certain hops that are used for aroma.”
Kurtain said he is looking forward to the third or fourth year when the plants will reach their fullest bloom on the trellis ropes.
“Growing hops is not an easy thing,” he stated, “it takes trying to control pests, control weeds, making sure they have the proper nutrients and the right amount of water. It's all a delicate balancing act.”
Though growing hops is the main function of the farm, it also houses a small vineyard, a small chicken coop, a berry patch, vegetable garden and orchard.
“Everything here is ultimately going to be feeding the restaurant down in Philly,” said Kurtain.
He explained the hope is to expand the production capabilities to support Second District Brewing Company and its Philadelphia affiliates American Sardine Bar, South Philadelphia Tap Room, and Brew – a craft beer/gourmet coffee shop – with as much home-grown materials as possible.
Aside from industrious use of the land, Second District Vineyard and Hop Farm has also been making use of its ample space and rustic tasting room to host weddings and other events on the property.
“It's a huge thing that we're really trying to push for next year,” stated, Second District's wedding and event coordinator, as well as secondary farm caretaker.
The hop farm and vineyard hosted its first wedding early in October and the success of its Hoptoberfest celebration show promising use of the space as a gathering place.
The tasting room hall holds roughly 75 occupants, said Fisher.
With 68 acres of land in total, the grounds themselves hold other potential party nooks as well, including a serene little grove full of Adirondack chairs and large strip once used as an airplane runway.
Those interested in booking the space can do so by emailing Fisher at firstname.lastname@example.org.
The possibilities for the hop farm and vineyard will likely continue to grow as Second District finds new uses for the property.
The potential exists for more engagement with the local beer aficionados as well with Second District sponsored events similar to Hoptoberfest.
“There's a really big beer community here in Honesdale … so we're hoping to kinda tap into that,” said Kurtain.
Those interested can check in with Second District Vineyard and Hops Farm on Facebook.
Second District Brewing Company can be found online at www.seconddistrictbrewing.com.


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Red Hat announced the official 1.0 general availability release of CRI-O on Oct. 16, providing a competitive alternative to running the Docker runtime in Kubernetes deployments. The news comes as the DockerCon EU conference gets underway in Copenhagen, Denmark from Oct. 16-19.
CRI-O makes use the Container Runtime Interface (CRI) within Kubernetes that makes it easier for organizations to choose a container runtime, rather than just relying on Docker as a default.
Mrunal Patel, principal software engineer, Red Hat explained that CRI-O implements the CRI interface using Open Container Initiative (OCI)-based components such as runc. He added that Kubernetes can be run with CRI-O without running docker at all.
“It’s important to also note that Kubernetes does not cover the building of container images,” Patel said. “If customers want to create/build container images, they would still have to use a tool like Docker for this.”
To that end, Red Hat is also building a package called `buildah` to give users another option for developing container images that conform to the OCI standard.
In contrast to other container runtimes that can be called from CRI, Patel said that CRI-O is dedicated to being a Kubernetes container runtime.


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Cambodian, Indonesian ministries of tourism hold meeting to boost cooperation
Officials from the Cambodian and Indonesian Ministries of Tourism held a bilateral meeting to discuss measures to promote tourism between both countries and strengthen cooperation.
The meeting was held on the morning of June 22 between officials from the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Commerce at the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh. The officials met with Afifi Lubis, Representative of the Provincial Administration and relevant officials of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
During the meeting the officials studied tourism marketing and promotion of overseas tourism, to promote tourism cooperation between the two countries. The Indonesian officials were informed of the Covid-19 situation in Cambodia, as well as the entry requirements and issuance of visas.
Katoeu Mohammad Nossry, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism, also promoted and strengthened the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two countries, which was signed at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2022 (ATF) in Preah Sihanouk.
Nossry also promoted the promotion of Cambodian tourist destinations for Muslim tourists with the initiative of the Sister Provinces between Sumatra, Khangjing and Preah Sihanouk.
He also invited the administration of North Sumatra to attend the Sea Festival in December 2022 in Cambodia.
The sides also pledged to continue to promote tourism, as well as strengthen tourism cooperation between North Sumatra and Cambodia.


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18 June 2019
Jakarta. The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, or Seatca, on Monday called on members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, to follow the Indonesian government’s step to ban all cigarette advertisements on the internet.
Last week, Indonesian Communication and Informatics Ministry announced an outright ban on all online cigarette advertisements. The ban is intended to reduce the number of youth smokers after an official request from the Health Ministry.
A study last year by the Health Ministry showed the percentage of youth smokers between the ages of 10 and 18 had increased from 7.2 percent in 2013 to 9.1 percent in 2018.
The Communication and Informatics Ministry also found 114 links on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube that violated the 2009 Law on Health, which prohibits “cigarette promotions that display the act of smoking.”
“The internet is a new marketing frontier exploited by tobacco companies to promote their harmful products. Given that Indonesia has the fifth highest number of internet users in the world, the majority of whom are teens, [banning online cigarette ads] will help protect the youth, who are major targets of tobacco companies. All countries, especially in Asean, should establish and strongly enforce a ban on tobacco advertisements across all digital and social media platforms,” Seatca director Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo said in a statement.
According to a 2018 survey by Polling Indonesia and the Indonesian Internet Providers Association, the majority of Indonesia’s 177 million internet users are between 15 and 19 years of age.
According to Seatca, the tobacco industry invests billions of dollars annually on advertising, promotion and sponsorship efforts globally.
Meanwhile, tobacco use is still considered “a leading cause of preventable, premature death” that kills eight million people annually worldwide, the regional organization said. Tobacco use kills approximately 500,000 people in Asean countries every year, half of them in Indonesia.
Asean has 10 member countries; Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.


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Data breaches are the most costly in the U.S., with more records containing personal information compromised in this country than anywhere else, according to the recently released report “2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study: Global Overview” from IBM Security and the Ponemon Institute.
The global average cost of a data breach to a business is $3.86 million, and in the U.S. the average price tag swells to $7.91 million per breach, according to the report released in July 2018.
The report is based on interviews with 2,200 IT, data protection and compliance professionals from 477 companies that have had a data breach in the last 12 months. The results came from companies based in 15 countries, including 65 companies in the U.S., and 7% of the 477 companies were retailers.
The report factored the following into the cost of a data breach:
- Costs of discovery and response to data breach, such as forensics and investigation activities, audit services and crisis team management
- Notification of victims, such as emails, letters and phone calls
- Communication with regulators and engagement with outside experts
- Issuing new accounts or credit cards
- Product discounts, to appease shoppers after a breach
- Increases in help desk communication
- Legal fees
- Fixing root causes of the data breach
- Time to detect and contain the breach
- Cost of business disruption and revenue loss from downtime
- Cost of lost customers and acquiring new customers
- Reputation losses and diminished good will
The $3.86 million global average cost of a breach is up 6.6% from $3.62 million in the 2017 report.
Globally, the companies reported that the average size of a data breach was 24,615 stolen records, and for U.S. companies, the average was higher with 31,465 compromised records per breach.
The bigger the breach, the more costly it is for a business, because of the added resources needed and the lost business cost, the report finds. A breach of 1 million records on average costs businesses $40 million compared with a breach of 50 million records, which costs $350 million.
Criminal attacks were the most common type of data breach internationally. The study found:
- 48% of all breaches were caused by malicious or criminal attacks
- 27% were human error/negligence among employees or contractors
- 25% came from a system glitch
In the U.S., this breakdown was similar with 52% criminal, 25% human error and 23% system glitch.
What’s more, the global average cost per record to resolve the attack was the highest for criminal attacks:
- $157 per record for criminal attacks
- $131 per record for system glitches
- $128 per record for human error or negligence
The global median time to identify a breach was 197 days, and the median time to contain it was 69 days. The U.S. is near these medians of 201 days to identify and 52 days to contain.
Finding and fixing the data breach varies globally based on what type of attack it is:
- A malicious attack takes 221 days to identify and 81 days to contain, according to the global median
- A system glitch 177 days to identify and 60 days to contain
- A human error 174 days to identify and 57 days to contain
U.S. organizations pay the highest price for losing customers after a data breach, measured at $4.20 million in lost business per breach, which factors in abnormal turnover of customers, increased customer acquisition activities, reputation losses and diminished good will.
“U.S. companies have higher costs because customers have more options and their loyalty is harder to preserve,” according to the report. “With current notifications laws, customers have greater awareness of data breaches and have higher expectations regarding how companies should help them following the breach.”
Notification costs for a breach also are the highest in the U.S. at $740,000 on average. These costs include creating a contact database, determining all regulatory requirements, getting help from outside experts, postal feels for letter to consumers, email bounce-backs and inbound communication setups.Favorite


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Ma, according to the report, has been “lying low” amid several controversies between his companies and the Chinese government.
Several news outlets had reported that Ma hadn’t been seen in person since last October, when he spoke at a forum and criticized what he perceived as the government’s overly strict regulatory rules.
That led to the much-heralded double initial public offering (IPO) of Ma’s Ant Group, which would have been on both the Shanghai and Hong Kong listings and worth $37 billion, being torpedoed reportedly by President Xi Jinping over the slight.
Regulators in China have also been focusing on Ma’s companies and other tech giants, attempting to cut down on the power they have over the markets, PYMNTS reported. The regulators recommended that Ant Group focus primarily on payments instead of its other various interests.
China has also started an antitrust probe into Alibaba, which owns a controlling interest in Ant Group. Ant Group has now enacted a plan to put its online financial businesses in a holding company, which could satiate regulators’ wants, but could also cause the company’s valuation to take a hit. It could also force Ant to put billions in reserves and make it retain big shares of loans it currently sells off in the form of bonds.
In addition, Ma was reported to be replaced as a judge on the game show for entrepreneurs called “Africa’s Business Heroes.”
Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijing-based tech consultancy BDA China, said it was “a pretty unique situation, more linked to the sheer scale of Ant and the sensitivities over financial regulation.”
Alibaba and other big tech companies saw losses as fears of antitrust crackdowns arose due to regulator statements. Alibaba, along with Tencent, Meituan and JD.com, lost nearly $200 billion in Hong Kong.


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(CBS)- Malaysia Airlines is cutting about thirty percent of its staff. The airline announced it's slashing six thousand workers to try to revive its brand. Now the government will control all of the airline. It's all part of a re-structuring plan after two plane disasters this year. One plane disappeared over the Indian Ocean, another was shot down over Ukraine.
(CBS)- Ford Mustang is going global! For the first time in its 50 year history, the Mustang will be available to customers in more than 120 markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. Ford kicked-off the start of production yesterday. Ford marked the 50th anniversary of the original Mustang in April.
(CBS)- Mark your calendar Apple fans. The iPhone and iPad maker will show off its newest products on September 9th. This year's gathering is expected to unveil the release of an iPhone with a larger screen than the 4 inch one, that is currently used. Some speculate Apple may even showcase a smartwatch.


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Steve Boms is executive director of the Financial Data and Technology Association of North America and president of Allon Advocacy, a Washington-based public policy firm.
In May, Navdeep Bains, the federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced a Digital Charter that presents 10 principles for modernizing the rules that govern digital technology in Canada.
The third and sixth principles are particularly important for Canada’s move toward Open Banking. The third states “Canadians will have control over what data they are sharing” and the sixth that the government “will ensure fair competition in the online marketplace.”
While these principles sound straightforward, in practice they would be a game changer. That’s because in Canada today, banks control consumers’ information. They decide when – and if – they will share consumers’ data with competing providers. Even if a consumer gives his or her express consent to allow the bank to release information to another party, a Canadian bank is today within their rights to choose not to do so.
In fact, they are choosing not to do so every day. At least three of the Big Six financial institutions – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal and Bank of Nova Scotia – regularly override their customers’ request to have their data shared with other providers. And since the largest six banks in Canada control 96 per cent of the market, this obstruction regularly keeps millions of Canadians from accessing new and innovative financial products that could, for example, help them better manage their money, save for retirement or get a better interest rate when buying a home. This practice doesn’t just undermine the principles of the Digital Charter – it directly harms consumers. Concerns over this serious lack of competition prompted the Competition Bureau to conduct a market study in 2016 and is why the government launched consultation on the merits of Open Banking.
Data from the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) indicate consumers are hungry for more digital options. As the CBA notes, 76 per cent of Canadians are using digital channels, both online and mobile, to conduct most of their banking transactions and nearly nine in 10 have used online banking in the past year. Demand is also expected to grow. Thirty-six per cent of young people rely primarily on banking applications, 13 percentage points more than the population as a whole.
The financial institutions represented by the CBA will say consumers trust them (and only them) to provide these services, but Canadians are skeptical of traditional banks. A 2016 survey by the University of Victoria’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Business found Canadians are more likely to trust their toothpaste brand than any of the largest six banks. Things didn’t look much better in the 2019 survey. While Crest and Colgate were in the top 50 brands, not one of the largest six banks were. (The banks’ argument also ignores the fact the principles of the Digital Charter – and the principles the Financial Data and Technology Association of North America has outlined for Open Banking – seek to enhance consumers’ privacy and security.)
Consumers’ opinions about banks will wane even more when they begin to understand those same financial institutions are preventing them from accessing other tools in the marketplace.
In fact, there are some signs consumers are already voting with their feet. According to the J.D. Power 2019 Canada Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, younger customers are three times more likely to switch banks than older customers. Paul McAdam, senior director of banking intelligence at J.D. Power, advised, “Younger and digital-centric customers are vital to future business growth, but younger customers are more likely to receive inconsistent service levels. … Banks that don’t address the gaps in service expectations are at an increased risk of client departures.”
An Ernst & Young report issued earlier this year called for improved competition. It advised pto take three steps, including to “adopt an open approach to spur innovation at scale and provide a level playing field to all participants versus the current ‘walled garden’ approach.” The firm said these measures would enable financial institutions to “deliver greater value to consumers.”
When fully implemented, the Digital Charter should put an end to banks’ anti-competitive practices. But financial institutions should not wait until they are forced to comply with the government’s demands to let consumers be in control of their own data. They should start doing so now. Moving toward a system where all players in the ecosystem co-operate to respond to consumers’ demands is not only a matter of fairness, for banks it is a matter of self-preservation.
Canada’s Digital Charter recognizes that. Will banks?


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MEDICAL FAIR ASIA, a leading and established trade fair focused on equipment and supplies for the hospital, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, medical, and rehabilitation sectors, is scheduled to be held September 9 to 11.
Online exhibitor registration is open here
A news release from Messe Düsseldorf North America reports that the MEDICAL FAIR ASIA, International Exhibition on Hospital, Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical, Medical & Rehabilitation Equipment & Supplies, will be held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Center. Messe Düsseldorf in Germany’s subsidiary, Messe Düsseldorf Asia, organizes the event annually. According to the release, in 2012, MEDICAL FAIR ASIA saw 528 international and regional exhibitors from 31 countries and 8,821 professional visitors. Many visitors hailed from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Phillipines, and Vietnam.
The release also notes that MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA, The Manufacturing Process for Medical Technology Exhibition, will be held in tandem with MEDICAL FAIR ASIA 2014. Messe Düsseldorf Asia and the Singapore Precision Engineering & Tooling Association (SEPTA) will jointly organize the exhibition. Additionally, MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2014 is scheduled to feature new materials, components, intermediate products, packaging, and services, as well as micro and nanotechnology. The two trade fairs are intended to provide attendees with a comprehensive variety of technology and service solutions from the upstream and downstream medical sectors, the release says.
For more information, visit www.mdna.com
[Source: Messe Düsseldorf North America]


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Motorola is expected to bring a new affordable smartphone series named Capri. The upcoming lineup is said to comprise two models including the Capri and the Capri Plus. The former cleared its certification via FCC recently. Now, the Plus variant’s specification has been tipped via Geekbench. The benchmark listing reveals the processor and configuration details. Another leak has revealed the remaining aspects of the hardware.
Motorola Capri Plus Leaked Specifications
The Motorola Capri Plus has paid a visit to Geekbench with the Lenovo XT2129-3 model number. The benchmark database suggests this handset will be powered by the Snapdragon 662 processor. The octa-core Qualcomm processor will have a base frequency of 1.80GHz.
The listing further suggests this smartphone will come with 4GB RAM. It will ship with Android 11 OS as per the listing. The Motorola Capri Plus has managed to log 306 points in the single-core test and 1,258 points in the multi-core test.
Other features of the device including display and camera specifications have also been tipped. As per a report by Technik News, the Motorola Capri Plus will have a quad-camera setup for photography. The primary camera will be a 64MP lens. It will be paired up with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a pair of 2MP sensors. The last two sensors will likely function as depth and macro lens.
The report hints that the company will be packing the Capri Plus with an HD+ display. However, it will have a higher 90Hz refresh rate. The display size and panel type are yet to be disclosed. The device is expected to ship with a waterdrop notch.
The panel will be housing a 13MP camera for selfies. While the Geekbench listing has revealed a 4GB RAM configuration, the tipster has suggested another 6GB RAM option. The device is said to come with 64GB and 128GB storage option. The battery capacity is yet to be revealed. Motorola is likely to introduce the Capri series in Q1 2021. The exact launch date is yet to be specified.
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Take that, everyone else who's tried to gather the most electric vehicles in one place at one time. The 2014 edition of the World Advanced Vehicle Expedition (WAVE) has set a new world record with 507 EVs in one parking lot in Stuttgart, Germany over the weekend. The tally has been certified by Guinness World Records, so Montreal will have to try harder.
While you can't drive a Tesla from the US to Europe, Model S drivers on both sides of the pond are seeing a robust Supercharger network. Today, Tesla announced that enough stations exist in central Europe to get a Model S from Amsterdam to cities 500 or 600 miles away in the Alps. As in the US, using a Supercharger is free.
When Audi invited us to an ice driving event in Seefeld, Austria--a small, charming ski town nestled within the Alps--we imagined it would be easy. After all, we'd driven in the snow before. The icy conditions were meant to demonstrate the best of what Audi's Quattro four-wheel drive technology could do. But before we could take to the track to put the system through its paces, we had to survive an ice driving tutorial. We quickly found that we had a lesson or two to learn about winter-weather p
Financial concerns are one thing. No one ever said a Fisker Karma wouldn't look stunning cruising through the Swiss Alps.
Of the world's innumerable natural wonders, the French Alps are particularly spectacular. Stretching along the border between France and Italy, the mountain chain offers exceptional vistas and, for braver folk, incredibly challenging terrain. Freestyle trials rider Julien Dupont recently brought a few friends out for a day of playing in the mountains, and Ride the World Productions tagged along to film the whole event. The camera crew spent some time playing with its own toys, including a camera
e-miglia electric vehicle rally – Click above to watch video after the jump


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The U.S. airline industry, which likely won’t see passenger volumes resume to normal until 2023, has taken a huge hit from the ongoing pandemic. But one private travel company has seen an uptick in clientele since the start of the crisis.
With people inquiring more than ever about traveling while adhering to social distancing orders, VOMOS, a company that specializes in private jets, yacht charters and premium vacation rentals, is experiencing a surge in new requests.
“2 or three days after stay-at-home orders were lifted in Miami and other locations, there was a two-and-a-half day period where we received 300 requests from clients looking for aviation and vacation rentals as they looked to relocate and reunite with their family and friends,” VOMOS founder and CEO Mark McNeil tells For(bes) The Culture.
VOMOS has also played a role in reuniting players with family in the aftermath of the NBA season ending. The Philadelphia 76ers and VOMOS already had a multi-year partnership wherein VOMOS provided ground transportation for the team.
“Many people are still afraid to fly commercial,” McNeil says. “And as airline routes are being cut back, it is also more difficult to find space on available flights.”
McNeil founded VOMOS in 2016 after combining several years of resources and connections in different industries. With the rise of application-based transportation and tourism companies such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Wheels Up and Turo, McNeil wanted to take advantage of this trend in the digital space. Right now, prospective clients can book services via VOMOS’ website, but McNeil is also developing an app that’s currently in beta testing.
McNeil spoke to For(bes) The Culture about how he got into the premium travel business, how the need for private travel has increased during the pandemic and where he sees the industry going after the health crisis is resolved.
For(bes) The Culture: What made you get into the premium travel business in the first place?
Mark McNeil: I initially got into the entertainment business prior to being in the premier traveling industry, specifically nightlife. I was spending a lot of money. I could see that I was bringing in artists for $15,000 to perform a gig. When I looked at the rider and the ground transpiration taking them from New York and back, it was costing me a quarter of what I paid them.
So, I made the decision to purchase an SUV and a van to eliminate that cost of allocating money to a limo agency. I have always been a car fanatic; I would purchase an Escalade or a Mercedes S600 to transport these artists around. They began to inquire about possibly having these same cars in their music videos. That led to requests inquiring about using the cars for their weddings and prom nights. After that I thought to myself: this can turn into a business. After conducting some research to see if there were any other similar luxury businesses out there (this was back in 2003), there were maybe two or three in the country. That sparked the idea to get into the luxury and exotic rental car space.
Later I noticed that the same clients that were renting my cars also flew private and rented houses in the Hamptons. That all-in-one business model that I successfully ran for many years was called Premiere Luxury Rentals. We offered private jets, vacation homes, exotic cars, limousines and yacht charters.
For(bes) The Culture: How did your services at Premiere Luxury Rentals turn into your new business venture VOMOS?
McNeil: I ran Premiere Luxury Rentals from 2003 to 2018 and right around this time I started to see companies like Airbnb, Uber and VRBO popping up online and not owning any inventory, yet they were receiving these insane evaluations and I was sitting with $100,000 in monthly car payments. I started to research and discovered the digital space was the next big thing. You do not necessarily own any inventory, but it is about creating a platform where people can come from all over and use these types of services. I decided to take all my years of collecting contacts and turned it into what is now VOMOS. I called it the first U.S. solution that focuses solely on high-end luxury services. You have different companies like Airbnb, Uber, Wheels Up and Turo, and they are all market leaders in specific sectors. VOMOS brings all of these services under one roof.
For(bes) The Culture: Has there been any difference in bookings before and during Covid-19?
McNeil: Before Covid-19, we had a steady flow of business and as soon as Covid-19 hit, we saw a surge in clients. A lot of our clientele consisted of athletes, entertainers and business owners. The surge was [partly due to] NBA players looking to reunite with their families once the NBA season came to a halt back in March.
However, things started to slow down after the stay-at-home orders started being issued by governors around the country. That led to everyone quarantining, and everything in the travel industry was placed on hiatus in April. In May, we started to see an uptick in business when the stay-at-home orders started to be lifted.
For(bes) The Culture: What are some of the frequent vacation spots that your clientele has desired to visit over the past couple of weeks?
McNeil: Some of the most frequent destinations in the last couple of weeks for our clients have been Miami, Florida, Los Angeles, California and Cancun, as they are looking for a change in scenery from their primary houses during the season.
For(bes) The Culture: How do you anticipate business being affected by the NBA resuming the season in Orlando at the end of the month?
McNeil: We have already been getting players from their homes back to their teams at the practice facilities. It looks like a lot of the players are going to end up landing in Orlando and I cannot imagine we are going to be flying the players themselves. I can imagine an uptick in business in terms of housing for the players’ families. I see us doing a lot of business with vacation rental homes in Orlando and flying the families in private.
For(bes) The Culture: After the global health crisis has calmed down, where do you see the hospitality, travel and tourism industries in the next five years?
McNeil: I think people have cabin fever, and they are looking to get out and travel. However, I think they are looking to do it in a way where they can reduce their chances for exposure to coronavirus. With clients wanting to fly private to control the number of people around them, I personally believe that businesses such as mine that offer these premium private options will do extremely well.
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