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If you loathe crowds, you might want to stay away from malls and other large retail outlets this weekend.
If you dislike crowds and also object to state government handing out politically tinged, special-interest tax favors, there’s even more reason to take a break from our consumer culture for the weekend.
Indeed, let the spectacle begin: When the clock ticks past midnight tonight, South Carolina’s 13th annual back-to-school sales tax holiday begins.
Tax-free shopping ends at midnight Sunday.
In mainstream media coverage of tax-free weekend, certain themes have developed around the event that go like this:
The back-to-school sales tax holiday saves consumers money, boosts retail sales and stimulates economic activity.
The S.C. Department of Revenue, where frequently asked questions about tax-free weekend tend to go, helps perpetuate these ideas.
“While providing taxpayers with an exemption on the 6% statewide sales tax as well as any applicable local taxes, the tax-free weekend also benefits in-state businesses by urging taxpayers to do their back-to-school shopping in South Carolina,” says a Department of Revenue news release.
The bottom-line reality of tax-free weekend, however, is that it’s not such a clear-cut win for taxpayers, businesses and the state’s economy as a whole, according to knowledgeable observers across the political spectrum.
In academia, for example, Marianne Bickle, Department of Retailing chairwoman at the University of South Carolina, told The Nerve for a story on last year’s sales tax holiday that she thinks the event is a wash for the state treasury.
In the political aisles, meanwhile, the Tax Foundation on the right called this week for replacing sales tax holidays (some 17 states have them) with permanent tax relief.
“Research has shown that the vast majority of consumer purchases during sales tax holidays are merely timed to coincide with the holiday period, rather than being stimulated by it, said the foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C.
“Thus, such programs have little or no effect on overall economic activity.”
And from the left, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, also a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization in the nation’s capital, had this to say in a November 2001 study on the idea of a national sales tax holiday:
“States that have implemented sales tax holidays have reported increases in sales during the holiday period. There is reason to suspect, however, that these increases in sales have not translated into overall improvements in state economies.
“Much of the reported increases can be attributed to consumers shifting the timing of their purchases from the weeks before or after the holiday ‘window’ to within it.”
As a practical matter, consider this basic proposition:
Would you rather have one weekend to shop tax free – or a lower sales tax all year long, and one that applies uniformly, rather than being Swiss-cheesed, as South Carolina’s is, with 78 categories of exemptions?
The carve-outs exclude everything from vacation timeshare leases to “materials necessary to assemble missiles used by the U.S. armed forces.”
A little math helps put things into perspective.
The National Retail Federation conducts an annual survey on average per-person, back-to-school spending by people with children in grades K-12.
This year, the federation says, that amount is $688 and change.
So, if one multiplies $688 by the average combined state and local sales tax in South Carolina – 7.12 percent, according to the Tax Foundation – it produces a savings of almost $49 for the typical parent on tax-free weekend.
That’s a tank of gas, right? Or maybe a decent dinner out for the family.
But what if, instead of tax-free weekend, the state sales tax was broadened to apply to more items and lowered by, say, 1 percent.
Doesn’t sound like much, perhaps, but ponder all the ways it would save.
Take cell phone bills. If they average $100 a month, that’s $12 a year right there.
How about that $50 dinner out? At once a week, that’s another $26 saved per year.
Go down the list: spirits, shoes and clothing, electronics, DVDs, and on and on.
Suffice it to say, a 1 percent cut in the state sales tax would yield a lot more savings for taxpayers than a once-a-year break from the levy for a single weekend.
Take it from another, homegrown group of experts – the S.C. Taxation Realignment Commission.
Known as TRAC, it was a panel created by the General Assembly to study and recommend reforms to the state tax code.
In its December 2010 final report, the commission noted that South Carolina’s state sales tax, 6 percent, is among the highest in the country. The Tax Foundation says it’s the 16th highest.
Yet, TRAC’s report said, “Incredible as it may seem, South Carolina now exempts more sales tax than it collects ($2.7 billion in exemptions vs. $2.19 billion in collections (General Fund portion)).”
The Legislature adds new exceptions now and then, as well.
Case in point: Boeing got a pass on state sales tax for the multibillion-dollar, multinational defense and aerospace corporation’s 787 Dreamliner assembly plant in North Charleston.
The TRAC panel recommended eliminating most of the exemptions and lowering the state rate by 1 percent.
But the Legislature gave that suggestion, like the rest of TRAC’s counsel, no audience, consigning it to a dusty State House shelf.
During this year’s legislative session, the House Republican Caucus did introduce a bill that would have gone a long way toward implementing the commission’s sales tax plan. But by the time the bill emerged from the House, it had been watered down to the point of only reducing the state sales tax by a tiny fraction of a percent.
And the Senate never acted on the measure, H. 4995, sponsored by Rep. Tommy Stringer, R-Greenville.
There’s a good explanation for such reticence among legislators to act on sales tax reform.
“That’s called political realities,” says Rep. Chip Limehouse, R-Charleston and author of the legislation that implemented the state’s first back-to-school sales tax holiday in 2000.
Limehouse says he proposed the idea to enhance education, which “is in the best interests of all the citizens of South Carolina.”
Asked about TRAC, Limehouse said, “I’d say many of their recommendations need to be heeded. The trouble is, every one (sales tax exemption) you take on, you take on a new constituency; and they tend to come out of the woodwork, and it tends to quash the legislation.”
“So the political reality is, reform’s going to be difficult,” Limehouse adds.
Well there you have it: Politicians in the Legislature, under pressure from special-interest groups with lobbyists, have given their ilk all kinds of permanent vacations from the state sales tax.
Those same politicians, meanwhile, have given regular old South Carolinians a “holiday” from the state sales tax – for one weekend.
Ready to roll out and do that shopping?
Reach Ward at (803) 254-4411 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Global brand teams need “real creativity” to devise stand-out marketing, and not just data and analytics skills, according to Philips marketer Eva Barrett.
Barrett, Philips’ global head of brand marketing communications, is set to speak at this Thursday’s (29 October) Newscred #ThinkContent Tour event in London.
She will outline Philips’ move to a content-driven marketing strategy, launched in late 2013 to promote its ‘Innovation That Matters To You’ brand positioning.
Known primarily as a consumer electronics brand, Philips has made a concerted effort to build awareness of its work in healthcare. It hosts a series of 50 films showing the impact of its innovations on a new digital platform, before distributing the content through media owners like Forbes, LinkedIn and the Washington Post. The brand has also partnered with The New York Times (NYT) to produce monthly brand ‘stories’ (see below).
More recently, it has embraced “even more engaging” content techniques, such as “living labs” – one in Uppsala, Sweden, tracked the impact on a community by lighting a public park during the dark winter days and nights.
So how did the brand get started on this path?
“’We’ve been in healthcare 100 years but we’re not known for the full suite of our solutions,” says Barrett, a former marketer at Adidas and Fosters. “My team’s role is to change that perception, and show the world that Philips is an innovative healthtech company.”
Barrett and her team reached out to Philips’ array of business units, across over 160 countries, in search of employees’ “authentic stories” showing how Philips is improving people’s lives. The result? “We were flooded,” she claims.
“We’re now in an age where people want engaging, emotional stories, and it doesn’t matter if it’s B2C or B2B,” she says.
“Our core audience is C-suite, key opinion leaders and influencers. Often, when you look at B2B communications, it’s often not very good. Yet healthcare is very emotional. For us it made sense to tell authentic, emotional, engaging stories. That is how we can get a real connection with people.”
More direct relationship
Philips has embraced a more direct relationship with media partners such as NYT, in an effort to ensure the content is as compelling and accurate as possible – which is changing the way it works with media agencies.
Each month, NYT branded content journalists spend time with the brand’s scientists and engineers, rather than relaying messages through agency contacts.
“In the past, you would create an integrated campaign [and then] brief your media agency. It was very much briefed on reach, frequency and impressions, which is no longer the case. We don’t want a bucket-load of impressions; we want engagement. That is what we discuss with our media agency,” says Barrett.
“From there, we work directly with our media partner in developing that content, as opposed to through the agency. With the NYT, every month we work directly with their team on producing articles, films and infographics. That’s a different model. We need our partners to understand our business. It is better if they understand what we do, so they can write better stories.”
While there is a need to create standout content, Barrett insists Philips would not abandon the use of traditional media to drive awareness and “eyeballs”. “It still enables us to reach our audience,” she adds.
However, there is a need for senior marketers to balance out the data and analytics capabilities with more editorial skills, she argues: “Before, from a marketing perspective, you would have a team comprising campaign managers, digital managers, social media managers. Now, you also need editorial skills, and there is a lot more legal and regulatory knowledge that needs to go behind it.
“When I’m hiring, I’m looking for real creativity. You can have analytical marketing, but just data and analytics isn’t going to make a difference nowadays. What makes a difference is having really creative people on your team.”

domain: news


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For the second year in a row, YouTube publishes the results of the platform’s Impact Report in Brazil, a study carried out in partnership with Oxford Economics, which shows the company’s direct and indirect contribution to the Brazilian economy. In 2021, YouTube contributed BRL 6 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Brazilian market — almost double the R$3.4 billion of the previous year.
The study also shows the importance of YouTube in job creation: more than 160 mil vacancies in full time – that are directly or indirectly related to the platform – since the opportunities go beyond the content creators themselves, encompassing investments in manpower, production, sound and editing technicians, among others.
In addition to the economic impact analysis, a survey was carried out with more than 7,000 people, 3,036 of whom were users, 3,804 creators and 516 companies, to understand how the platform is contributing to Brazilian society and culture. The data collected demonstrate the perennial importance of YouTube to the ecosystem of content creators, artists, entrepreneurs and brands.
Platform growth and opportunities
The increase in the share of GDP is also a result of the expansion of channels in Brazil. Growing up within the platform, the creators were able to reach new people and open horizons, beyond the traditional ones already known. No wonder, 86% of those who responded to the survey agree that YouTube provides opportunities to create content and earn revenue that they don’t find in traditional media.
The survey reaffirms YouTube’s place as a platform for digital content in multi-format – from video on demand, through short formats, lives and the vast universe of music – and to foster creators. Since the beginning of this digital content creation ecosystem in Brazil, 15 years ago, YouTube has helped content producers find their audiences and connect with brands, making it possible to generate revenue with a channel, through the 10 monetization tools , developed over the years.
The study also reveals that the platform continues to expand: in 2021, more than 20 thousand channels in Brazil had at least 100 thousand subscribers, a growth of 25% compared to 2020. And more than 2 thousand Brazilian channels surpassed the mark than 1 million subscribers in 2021, 20% more than the year before.
The report also brings up issues such as the representativeness of Brazilian culture gaining visibility and international audiences. It is possible to see a growing range of Brazilian artists succeeding in other countries and YouTube is often the platform to reach these international audiences, which many of the respondents say they would not have access to otherwise. Media and music companies also see the value: 86% of those with a YouTube channel agree that it is critical to releasing new artists and/or music.
When it comes to reaching new audiences, 83% of small and medium businesses agree that YouTube has played an important role in helping them grow their customer base by reaching new audiences. What’s more, there are clear signs of the platform’s impact: 78% of SMEs using YouTube agree that it is essential to growing their business. The platform has become a community that is also a space for entrepreneurship.
Social impact of creators on a daily basis
And it’s not just the creators who win. Users, through YouTube, are directly impacted, either to gain knowledge or to discover new skills that can help both in their personal and professional lives: 99% of users report using YouTube to gain knowledge and 94% said they learned to fix practical problems using the platform.
Want to know more about the news? Don’t forget to follow the ADNEWS on social media and stay on top of everything!
The YouTube post generated an impact of more than BRL 6 billion on the Brazilian economy appeared first on DNEWS.


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Decades-Old Craft And Sewing Store In PJ Will Soon Close Down For Good
An old school craft store and haberdashery in Sea Park, Petaling Jaya (PJ) will close down by the end of October
Malaysian miniature artist @tinypinc shared a recent video of her visiting Sam Trading Company in PJ, a craft store that she says is currently having a massive sale to clear out their stock before they shut down on 31 October.
In the video, she explains that the owner has been running the store for over four decades, while his daughter joined him 28 years ago.
They sell art and craft supplies, along with sewing items like cloth, threads, ribbons, beads, and buttons
Even if you're unable to pay them a visit, she encourages the public to support old school craft stores like these, as they have been slowly shutting down one by one.
"It's really sad to see stores like this go," she says, adding in the comments that they do not have enough manpower to sell the items online.
Malaysians, especially those who grew up visiting the store, also expressed their sadness in the comments
Sam Trading Company is located near the wet market and nasi lemak bumbung shop in Sea Park, PJ
You can find it on Waze or Google Maps. If you'd like to pay them one last visit, please maintain physical distancing and follow standard operating procedures.
3, Jalan 21/11b,
Sea Park, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor


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Uncle Ben’s is a rice company that has featured a kindly-looking, elderly black man called Uncle Ben as their mascot since the 1940s. Thought he has lasted for the best part of 80 years, Mars – the company who owns the rice brand – have decided that his time has come, as they endeavour to update their ‘visual brand identity’.
In a statement Mars said:
“As a global brand, we know we have a responsibility to take a stand in helping to put an end to racial bias and injustices.
“As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the black community, and to the voices of our associates worldwide, we recognise that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do.
“We don’t yet know what the exact changes or timing will be, but we are evaluating all possibilities.
“Racism has no place in society. We stand in solidarity with the black community, our associates and our partners in the fight for social justice.
“We know to make the systemic change needed, it’s going to take a collective effort from all of us – individuals, communities and organisations of all sizes around the world“.
According to the official website, the Uncle Ben’s logo and name are based on a black Texan rice farmer who was, unsurprisingly, known as ‘Uncle Ben’. The maitre d’ at a Chicago restaurant called Frank Brown was approached after the company chose its name and agreed to pose as the face of Uncle Ben and the rest, as they say, is history.
This isn’t the first instance of holdings companies changing their brand identities in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, as Quaker announced that their Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup products will also undergo a shift in identity.
Aunt Jemima is another food mascot portrayed as a black person, but this time as a “Mammy archetype,” who was usually a black woman in the South of the United States – essentially a live-in nanny – who would care for the children of rich white families.
In a statement, Quaker Foods North America said:
“We recognise Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype.
“As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations“.
Back in the day, white Americans would refer to older black people as “Aunt” or “Uncle” as, in general, they refused to give them the titles or mister or missus.
Neither brand has made it clear what their next step will be or when it will come into effect.
Images via Mars, Quaker
Alfie Powell joined as an apprentice and was probably hired because he was likely the only person who applied. He's been blagging his way through writing articles for four years now and he's definitely showing signs of slowing down. When not writing for The Hook, Alfie finds time to indulge in his favourite hobbies, such as drinking and sitting down.Follow


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More and more applications, especially social media, are starting to offer the "dark" mode, better known as Dark Mode, among the options available to users. After introducing it on Messenger, it seems that Facebook is moving to achieve the goal even within the main application, at least on Android.
Facebook for Android: here is the Dark Mode
The news was leaked by Jane Manchun Wong, a leaker known for being one of the first to divulge rumors about future news about smartphone apps. On Twitter, the tipster has also attached some screenshots to witness theactual existence of the Dark Mode within the application of Facebook for Android.
Facebook is working on Dark Mode for mobile
I wrote a blog about this: https://t.co/X5tAZuIlPz
– Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) August 12, 2019
Of course, it is a embryonic stage of the development of the new functionality, which at the moment is not accessible even in beta. We don't know when it could be released in the first one official release, but we are sure of one thing: Android Q soon it will arrive in the first stable version and will bring with it all the attention to the use of Dark Mode. So, the developers of Facebook they will certainly have to work hard to bring the dark theme to the official app within a reasonable time, by the end of the year.
We remind you that the dark theme is not to be considered a current fashion, which will soon no longer attract the attention of users. Using a dark theme on a smartphone has at least two advantages very important:
- allows you to fatigue your eyesight much less, especially when there is little ambient light around;
- guarantees a minimum consumption of energy resources on OLED display.


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On Sanders, Trump, Apple, Economies of Scale, and Global Poverty
Here’s how much your iPhone would actually cost under Sanders’ or Trump’s plans.
UPDATE April 8, 9:15am: There are two revisions to this piece to better elaborate the actual argument I’m making; first, a rephrased conclusion for the iPhone price calculation section, and then an extended part for the global poverty aspect.
I expressed my concern on Twitter over Sanders’ comments regarding Apple’s manufacturing, which displayed once again the candidate’s preference for seeing things in simplistic terms when the reality is much more complicated. In this case, it also made me question Sanders’ insight in both global logistics and economies of scale.
I delved into the matter further; perhaps I had misunderstood Sanders’s position or proposals, here. However, the more I did so, the more I discovered that the unintended consequences of his plans on free trade agreements are downright concerning.
But first a step back. Jonathan McIntosh defended Sanders’ comments on Apple (aside: note the last word in his tweet), and displayed similar ignorance of the complexities involved in bringing his shiny Mac or iPhone to his door. Now, that sounds harsh, so I want to stress this first: I firmly appreciate the underlying argument and concerns made by Sanders, McIntosh, and whoever else, so I’m writing this to elaborate on the manufacturing problem from all the angles, with the nuance and care it requires — something ill-afforded by Twitter.
Manufacturing In America™
American manufacturing played a huge role in building up the moral and industrial fabric of this nation. The post-WWII era slowly saw a decline in these kinds of jobs as they were gradually shifted overseas, leading to increasing (and perfectly understandable, if misplaced) resentment towards immigrants among the Americans who lost their jobs as a result. Eventually, that resentment came to encompass much of the idea of corporations as well, with many seeing these huge companies as gutting the American economy with their offshoring of jobs.
All of those are legit concerns. I’m not arguing that there isn’t a problem here that needs addressing. I’m arguing that Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump (yes), and their respective supporters are seeing the issue too simplistically, and it’s leading them to support proposals that are naïve and poorly thought-through.
Comparing Apples to Teslas
Let’s compare Apple’s manufacturing needs with a company that proudly manufactures as much as possible here in the USA: Tesla. Obviously, a car is incomparable to an iPhone in many ways, but some aspects can still be compared to help shed light on this.
First, there is scale: Tesla manufactured 50,000 cars in calendar year 2015. By contrast, Apple has to manufacture more than 500,000 iPhones every day (and still fails to meet demand at times). While iPhones may be much smaller, a lot of manual labor is involved in addition to the robotic assembly and processing: 200,000 Chinese workers are assembling iPhones, and that’s ignoring Apple’s other product lines. Overall, Apple says it indirectly employs 1,000,000 people in overseas assembly and related work, but we’ll use the 200K of the iPhone for this example.
Second is skill: Tesla’s manufacturing is in a field America has a long and skillful history for; Apple’s manufacturing needs are not. They require skills no longer so readily available in the U.S. But, let’s imagine for a moment that it does, or that America decides to rapidly train 200,000 people to be sufficiently skilled for Apple’s manufacturing to happen domestically. What would that do to the price of an iPhone?
The Federal minimum wage is $7.25. We’ll use 8 hours a day, even though that’s unrealistic since in China they work many more hours (Apple forces its supplier factories to limit hours for employees to avoid exploitation of human labor; but, yes, they can still do more). Realistically, Apple would need far more than 200K workers domestically to meet production demand, further driving up the price. But, we’ll ignore that and stick to 200K:
200,000 ✕ 7.25 / hour ✕ 8 hours a day = $11,600,000
The Foxconn hourly wage was between $1.50 and $2.20 in 2012, but it’s been raised somewhat so let’s say it’s currently $2.50. That means where Apple now spends $4MM on assembly wages (if we’re limiting it to 8 hours a day, we have to do that both ways), it would jump to $11.6MM done domestically. The iPhone price goes up little over $15 — not so bad, right?
$11.6 mil domestic — $4 mil Foxconn = $7.6 million
$7.6 mil divided by 500,000 phones / day = $15.20 / phone
However, that’s assuming Apple can hire 200,000 workers at minimum wage. The current mean hourly wage for that kind of worker is actually well above that, at $20.50 / hour. That raises our price increase to $57.60 per iPhone:
200,000 ✕ 20.5 / hour ✕ 8 hours a day = $32,800,000
$32.8 mil — $4 mil = $28.8 million
$28.8 mil divided by 500,000 phones / day = $57.60 / phone
Of course, we’re a country with increasingly good healthcare and benefits for employees (a strangely Capitalist approach to human health, but I digress), so we have to add 20% to that for what it’ll actually cost Apple, further raising the price to $70.72:
200,000 ✕ 20.5 / hour ✕ 8 hours a day = $32,800,000
+ 20% Health & Benefits = $39,360,000
$39.36 mil — $4 mil = $35.36 million
$35.36 mil divided by 500,000 phones / day = $70.72 / phone
So at a bare minimum iPhones would cost $70 more just to break even on this change, and that’s still ignoring the additional jobs for managers and what-not driving up the price even further. But we’re not done yet!
To move this manufacturing and assembly domestically, Apple would need to either ship the materials and components from east Asia to the USA for processing and manufacturing here as well, adding to that cost picture significantly while probably creating even greater environmental impact than it’s causing now.
So let’s say that, instead, Apple tries to source as much of the raw materials as possible domestically, too: this comes at the domestic rates for that, which are significantly higher than they are in Asia. Getting financial numbers on this is hard without a huge amount of insider knowledge, but let’s assume these costs are at most 30% of the manufacturing price of an iPhone itself, which is estimated at $236. That’s another $70.80 on top. Now your iPhone costs $141.52 more to make.
There are still other logistics costs and who-knows-what that I’m not including (who’s going to pay to build these new assembly & manufacturing factories? Who’s going to pay for the required training of 200,000 workers?), but for the sake of argument let’s say they don’t add up to that much more, and round this all up to a nice $150.
$150 dollar price increase on a $750 device. That’s 20%.
Oh, and add taxes to that, instead.
Now let’s imagine that a hypothetical President Sanders does cut these trade agreements, or a hypothetical President Trump raises tariffs on imports from China. This won’t affect just Apple, this will affect every product that is imported, included the resources, materials and components used in the domestic manufacturing and assembly (be it currently or under this hypothetical future where Apple assembles domestically).
You’re not just looking at your iPhone becoming a lot more expensive, you’re looking at almost everything becoming a lot more expensive, by at least 20%. And at there being a lot of angry nations unhappy with the USA. This protectionism would likely inspire similar protectionism in other countries, putting us back in the position we were in during the Great Depression — a position the United Nations was deliberately formed to prevent from happening again, as it played a role in leading to World War II.
Of course, the minimum wage increases and new jobs may be enough for the lower and middle class to compensate for this dramatic increase in costs of goods from domestic manufacturing. What is less clear is whether this new global protectionism will not lead to massive price hikes on other goods from Europe, which it likely will. There is also the concern for ripple effects on adjacent industries that rely on consumer markets to consume heavily, not just at the bare minimum rate it can just about afford.
And of course, having people making products be paid the fair wages they deserve is obviously a good thing. But the question is who do we actually pay fair wages to, why, how, and what are the consequences of moving all that work back to the U.S. for other countries?
Looking Beyond China (UPDATED)
A lot of manufacturing for the iPhone happens outside of China. Several of the components are already made in the USA, while others are made elsewhere in Asia, as well as Europe. This global trade is not a simple deliberate scheme by corporations to exploit cheap labor around the world, but rather a deliberate global partnership by governments who willingly and intentionally have added a level of economic dependence on each other in order to discourage war breaking out. This is why the United Nations exists.
So whether it’s Sanders’ plan to cut trade agreements or Trump’s plan to raise huge tariffs on imports from China, it would not “simply” make corporations manufacture here. It would take years to build up the new infrastructure and logistics that are needed for that, and it would make America play very much not nice to its allies all around the world. That has repercussions.
But that’s not even the most concerning impact. While it would indeed be great to bring a lot of new jobs and infrastructure investment back to the U.S., the costs to the rest of the world would be tremendous, as Zack Beauchamp points out over on Vox:
If Sanders wins, and is serious about implementing his trade agenda, he will impoverish millions of already-poor people.
The United Nations Millennium Development Goals Report of 2015 shows that:
Developing countries as a whole are playing a growing part in world trade. Their share of world merchandise exports increased from 31 per cent in 2000 to 44 per cent in 2014; their share of world trade in services grew from 24 per cent to 30 per cent over the same period.
The report also shows that global poverty worldwide, but especially in developing nations, has steadily decreased as a direct result of these trade agreements. There are, however, hundreds of millions of people around the world who live just above it, or even comfortably above it, whose incomes would disappear were these manufacturing jobs brought back to the U.S.
The member states of the G20 have specifically committed and agreed to reduce protectionist measures, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, but it’s important to note that they have not done this completely: there is still a 77% gap in measures introduced that have not yet been rolled back. This is an area where a Presidential candidate should focus on, but there’s more.
The choice seems like it comes down to this: help the American lower and middle class with a return to the manufacturing levels of the 1950’s while throwing the world’s poorest into economic disarray, with possibly huge costs to the entire global economy as a result? Zack Beauchamp is not convinced by Sanders’ vision for it:
Sanders’s war on trade might be aimed at helping the American working class. But if he were really serious about it, the damage to the world’s very poorest would be astronomical.
(This is one of the reasons why I support Hillary Clinton, the candidate who is consistently willing to look at such incredibly complex situations with nuance and restraint, who is unwilling to make the politically convenient, but realistically problematic, hardline promises that display more ignorance than foresight.)
The reality is that we should pay more for our iPhones and other goods, because the people making our goods are being paid sufficiently, but not well. We also should keep pushing for corporations to be less exploitative of cheap labor, and this is one area where Apple is leading the charge but can still do much, much more.
But more importantly, we should also find common-ground solutions to the problem Americans are facing, which is stagnant growth or even decline in a large number of jobs across various sectors. Government incentives to certain opportunities that are better suited here in the U.S. can play a role in that, such as the renewable energy sector (who donate most to Hillary Clinton, it should be noted). Some manufacturing can obviously move to the U.S. without impacting the world, but to do so we don’t need to cut trade agreements nor impose huge tariff spikes.
The reality requires a nuanced, carefully considered approach, and not the simplistic hardline stances Senator Sanders and Donald Trump like to take.


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35% of the software installed on personal computers worldwide was pirated in 2004, adding up to US$33 billion in losses for software companies like Apple Computer, Adobe Systems and Microsoft, according to a study released Wednesday.
Despite the percentage of piracy falling 1% from 2003, the value of the software pirated went up from $29 billion, primarily because of overall growth in the PC market and a weaker U.S. dollar resulting in a rise in dollar losses.
Spending on commercial package computer software rose to over $59 billion, up from $51 billion in 2003, according to the study carried out by the research firm IDC, on behalf of the Business Software Alliance trade group, which is a consortium of software companies worldwide. But over $90 billion worth of software was actually installed on computers globally, up $10 billion from the year before, the study revealed.
?Worldwide, one out of every three copies of software in use today has been obtained illegally,? said BSA President and CEO Robert Holleyman. ?These losses have a profound economic impact in countries around the world. Every copy of software used without proper licensing costs tax revenue, jobs, and growth opportunities for burgeoning software markets.?
For every two dollarsi worth of software purchased legitimately, one dollaris worth was obtained illegally, the study found.
Among the key findings:
- Although piracy rates decreased in 37 countries, they increased in 34 countries. They remained consistent in 16 countries.
- In more than half the 87 countries studied, the piracy rate exceeded 60%. In 24 countries, the piracy rate exceeded 75%. Just over a third of the countries studied had a piracy rate under 50%.
- The countries with the highest piracy rates were Vietnam (92%), Ukraine (91%), China (90%), Zimbabwe (90%) and Indonesia (87%).
- The countries with the lowest piracy rates were the United States (21%), New Zealand (23%), Austria (25%), Sweden (26%), and United Kingdom (27%).
- The emerging markets in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa account for over one-third of PC shipments today, but only a tenth of spending on PC software.
Despite the U.S. coming in with the lowest piracy rate, dollar losses in America were the highest at $6.6 billion given the size of the market. U.S. losses were nearly double those suffered by China, which had the second highest amount of dollar losses.
Without strong online copyright laws and enforcement of those laws, Internet piracy ? via warez sites, spam, auction sites and P2P systems ? will continue to grow alongside increases in Internet usage, the survey concluded. During 2004, an additional 75 million people began using the Internet, bringing the total number of global Internet users to almost 800 million, according to IDC. By the end of 2008, 1.2 billion people will be online. The fastest growing Internet populations are those in the emerging countries; China alone will add 100 million new Internet users over the next four years.
The adoption of policies designed to protect intellectual property rights is key to curbing piracy, the SBA said.
?BSA?s education programs, policy initiatives and enforcement efforts around the world continue to have an impact on the piracy problem,? said Mr. Holleyman. ?But the continued influx of new users in emerging markets, and the increased availability of pirated software primarily through the Internet and P2P networks, underscores that continued education is a must. BSA will continue its efforts to stem the growth of piracy and thus stimulate local economies, create jobs, generate tax revenue, and encourage investment in technological innovation for the future.?
IDC conducted over 7,000 interviews in 23 countries to carry out the study and its analysts in over 50 countries reviewed local market conditions.


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BOC profits jump before takeover
Air Liquide and Air Products, the Franco-US consortium taking over industrial gases giant BOC is striking just as the company turns a corner on profits, figures showed.
Unveiling a host of improvements to the business environment, BOC said even currency translations into sterling were set to work in its favour for the first time in three years.
A pick-up in the semiconductor industry, where BOC sells its vacuum technology to keep manufacturing environments dust-free, was the main driver for a jump in profits for the third quarter of the year.
Demand for its products from the steel industry in Britain and the US was also rising.
And while there was little growth seen in Britain, many other economies were improving, most notably the Pacific region outside Japan.
Stripping out exceptional items, pre-tax profits for the third quarter to June 30 jumped 4% to £106.6 million from £102.6 million on turnover of £826.8 million against £819 million before.
Chief executive Danny Rosenkranz said: 'More favourable market conditions in some territories, more favourable exchange rates and the increasing benefit of our restructuring and continuous improvement programmes are reflected in better margins and an improvement in underlying gases profit compared with a year ago.'
For the nine month period, pre-tax profits came in at £273 million, against £275.4 million for the same period the previous year.
Turnover was £2.18 billion, against £2.56 billion for the same three quarters of the previous year.
Air Liquide and Air Products are buying BOC for £7.2 billion.
Mr Rosenkranz said the bidders were confident of achieving clearance from the relevant competition authorities within six months.
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Posted by Dale Buss on February 7, 2013 08:57 AM
ABC sells out ads for Oscars.
AOL is constantly innovating but toward what end remains unclear.
American Airlines and U.S. Airways move closer to merger as U.S. Airways rises to top of customer-loyalty survey.
Banana Republic hooks up with Match.com for Valentine's mixers.
Boeing prepares redesign of troubled Dreamliner batteries.
Campbell Soup enlists celebrity chef in heart-health campaign.
Chipotle plans mid-year price increase.Continue reading...
social media watch
Posted by Sheila Shayon on January 16, 2013 11:44 AM
Will Facebook’s newly unveiled social graph feature soon bring the company profit and additional relevance?
Mixed reactions are meeting Graph Search, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg called "one of the coolest things we've done in a while" in announcing the feature on Tuesday.
Graph Search enables search using natural language and replaces links to answers with direct results. Sample searches include “Movies my friends in San Francisco like,” “Photos my friends took in the 1990s,” and “Languages my friends from college speak.”
"This is a beta product," Zuckerberg said at the company's rollout event in Menlo Park, Calif. "We focused on a few use cases that we think are good. Even as an early product, Graph Search is a completely new way for people to get information on Facebook."Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on April 19, 2011 09:00 AM
American Apparel seeks rescue financing to avert bankruptcy.
Apple revamps MobileMe, sues Samsung over Galaxy phone; Samsung vows to fight back.
McDonald's launches US hiring blitz today.
Asos could be forced to rebrand in Germany.
BMW's DesignworksUSA expands to China with Shanghai office.
Burger King settles with franchisees over Value Menu.
Dish Network will keep 600 Blockbuster locations open.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on January 18, 2011 05:30 PM
AT&T promotes its 4G network with a commercial that rewinds a football player's life back to the moment his dad first bought him tickets to a game, purchased (of course) with his AT&T phone.
Watch more new spots — from Audi, Coca-Cola, TurboTax, Intel and other brands — after the jump.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on May 24, 2010 01:00 PM
Comcast today unveiled Tunerfish, a social discovery platform for video content created by John McCrea at Plaxo, which Comcast acquired in 2008. It's now tweeting, and opens to the public next month in beta (sign up here), with iPhone and iPad apps in development. Robert Scoble, who calls it Foursquare for TV, shot the above video with McCrea.
Other brands in the news:
Apple may introduce new iPhone next month.
After delay, BP plans plug attempt as Gulf oil leak costs rise.
Coca-Cola is partnering with RecycleBank in the UK.
Dish Network and Weather Channel signed a new US TV pact.
Ford is investing $135M to boost electric car production.Continue reading...
Posted by Brandchannel Staff on April 28, 2010 06:31 PM
Hewlett-Packard confirmed rumors that it will acquire Palm for about $1 billion, and plans to "invest heavily in product development." The sale should be good news for mobile computing and Palm investor Bono. In personal branding news, Bruce Willis taped a spot (above) for his upcoming cologne launching in (Cologne?) Germany while David Letterman is launching his own music label. Also garnering buzz today:Continue reading...
Posted by Peter Feld on October 9, 2009 03:33 PM
What goes around comes around: In the '90s, Conde Nast's Internet branch CondeNet shut down the thriving dating and personals service it ran through its Swoon website, ceding the lucrative space to Match, Nerve and eHarmony.
Now the company (facing a brutal round of closures, layoffs and cutbacks) has decided to try again, with trulymadlydating.com, aimed at matching women who read Glamour with GQ's male audience. Gawker's sleuths note the site appears aimed at the British market and is operated by The Dating Lab.
Conde Nast (my former employer, I need to note) moved quickly onto the Internet in the mid-90s, though it was slow to evolve online for a while thereafter. Swoon was their early attempt to take content from print magazines like Glamour, Self, and Mademoiselle and package it under new stand-alone web brands. Swoon, focused on relationship content, and Phys, which was about health and fitness, are long gone, but Conde Nast's approach of separate web brands continues with Style.com (fashion content from Vogue and W), Epicurious for food and Concierge for travel.Continue reading...


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The very first Jewellery & Gem (J&G) World Digital event is scheduled to take place at the end of October, with four more events coming in 2021.
The new event serves as a digital extension of J&G World Hong Kong 2020.
Taking place 27-29 October, J&G World Digital will be live 24 hours a day during the
This will mean that exhibitors will have the freedom to choose what times they are available to virtually meet buyers.
The platform is in English for the pilot event, with a Chinese-language interface and other enhanced features slated for release next year.
Event organisers Informa Markets Jewellery and Atelier Technology revealed that while trade buyer registration has commenced, a strict validation process is in place to ensure that only qualified and motivated buyers gain access to the virtual show.
This, they hope, will enhance participants’ chances of networking success.
Thousands of buyers and more than 800 jewellery suppliers are expected to participate in the pilot programme.
David Bondi, senior vice president of Informa Markets in Asia, said: “As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve and the outlook for physical international trade shows remains uncertain, J&G World Hong Kong 2020, the world’s biggest B2B jewellery marketplace, is pivoting to an online format this year through J&G Digital World.
“This digital event is optimised to spark genuine conversations, facilitate efficient digital product meetings, and ultimately, build business relationships, regardless of time zones and distance.
“This is why we have zeroed in on what’s really important, which is to deliver a digital event that empowers attendees to have better product meetings via video, and create a digital experience that will remain valuable in a post-pandemic world.”
News Source : professionaljeweller


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A new mid-engine supercar will be developed by Porsche in Ferrari 458 Italia territory. This should not be confused with the range-topping Porsche because the new Porsche 960 supercar will sit between the new 918 hybrid hypercar and the 911 at his 2015 launch.
The model’s codename is 960, and this new supercar will most likely be based on the VW Mimo platform which will supersede the rear-engined 911 package.
Porsche scoped out the existing 9X1/991/911 hardware for its new 458 car, but they gave up on this plan. Because only a mid-engined architecture is deemed worthy of a car that will be priced around L200,000, why shouldn’t they twin the Porsche 960 supercar with the 918?
The project 960 has almost nothing to do with the 918 Spyder, because Porsche is trying to make 960 the lead car for the Mimo platform. This platform hasn’t been signed off because of political issues and a lack of a firm commitment from Audi.
The Mimo platform is now known as MSB-M, which is short for modular sports car matrix, mid-engined version. The Porsche 960 will go into production in September 2015, so it will be based on the same components set as the next 911 which will be released in 2018.
This is possible because this new components set incorporate a second bloodline labeled MSB-H, the H means Heckmotor which is German for rear-engined.
Mimo architecture: from VW Bluesport to supercars
Now, there isn’t much information about how much the new architecture differs from the MSS modular sports car system which is reserved for the next Gallardo (2013) and the new R8 (2015). The Architecture needs to be more flexible in order to make provision for two different engine installations. Also, it needs to encompass three different size and cost patterns to span the full line-up from the VW Bluesport over 991 and Gallardo to the Murcielago and the new Porsche 960.
To complicate matters even further, the MSB architecture must be RWD and AWD compatible, comply with various materials and bodystyles and be capable of accommodating inline engines, flat fours and sixes as well as the complete V6/V8/V10/V12 spectrum. Their engineers will definitely have to work hard!
Back when the Ferrari fighter from Zuffenhausen was known as 961, it was very likely to be powered by a twin-turbo V8, and it also superseded the 918 Spyder for inspiration in design and carbon fibre structure.
The beancounters weren’t satisfied by this, so Porsche offered a more mundane matrix with a 3.8-liter twin turbo boxer that develops 600bhp and 550lb-ft of torque.
A six-pot supercar: downsizing in action
Now why should you settle with a six-cylinder engine when the target car has a V8? Well, the V6 is more compact, and it lowers the centre of gravity, so it’s more efficient and cheaper to build. Also, it offers that unique Porsche touch.
With a high price of €200,000, the 2015 Porsche 960 will be available in coupé and roadster guise.


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One of Cheddar’s newest groups – Cheddar Walking – entered into the festive spirit before Christmas by dressing up and selling bunches of mistletoe to the crowds who flocked to the village’s Festive Shopping Night.
The idea behind the stall outside the National Trust Shop in the Gorge was twofold – to make some money for the group to fund its activities and to promote walking in and around the village. Earlier in the year, the group had succeeded in gaining national accreditation for Cheddar as a ‘Walkers Are Welcome’ destination.
On the night Cheddar Walking raised around £90 towards its publication of walking guides and events such as the free walking festival planned for the summer and it also introduced a number of people to its walks.
Chairman of Cheddar Walking, Huw Robson, who also doubled as Father Christmas for part of the night, said he was pleased with the evening’s work as the stall and mistletoe had cost nothing thanks to the generosity of others and it had allowed the group to introduce itself.
Huw Robson, chairman of Cheddar Walking, selling mistletoe.


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Comments on: Palm Pre Rumored to Hit O2 Oct 30th
Unsubstantiated rumors are spreading that the Palm Pre will see a release date of October 30th on the O2 network in the UK. Until now the company has only acknowledged that the smartphone will be available "in time for the holidays." O2/Movistar is also slated to offer the Pre in Ireland, Germany and Spain.
The source of this rumor appears to be an anonymous O2 employee, according to the UK site TechRadar. The site notes that the date occurs on a Friday, which is the traditional day of the week that O2 likes to release more high profile phones.


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The NCUA, the National Credit Union Administration, released a two-part video to help credit unions educate their members on how to recognize, avoid and report cyber fraud.
Good news! We have upgraded our Fraud Watch program for ATM and Debit Cards so we can take extra precautions in protecting your identity and your finances. Starting in November 2014, the CDC Federal Credit Union will begin to keep a close watch on all transactions made outside of your home state, so not only will you feel a sense of financial security while traveling outside of the U.S., but now you will have that same extra financial protection while traveling within the U.S. as well.
How much do you know about credit unions? Test yourself on these 10 myths. How many did you believe until today?
View All News & Announcements »
The IRS often warns consumers about tax scams this time of year. While it's important to be vigilant as you work with your tax preparer or do your own yearly tax filing, watch out for many of these scams that happen year-round. If you come across any of these, consider it a red flag.
Financially, many of us associate April with taxes – but we should also associate April with important IRA deadlines.
"Debit or credit" has become the refrain of retail transactions. After selecting your purchases, it's seemingly the biggest decision you have to make. For many people, the choice doesn't get a second thought. In this article, we'll look at three reasons why choosing your debit card for retail transactions is the smarter move.
View All Dollars & Sense Articles »


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PopCap’s rap, Green Monday shopping and Ben Huh is viral
- Anthony James
Crazy Dave (aka Cray-Z) from PopCap Games’ Plants vs. Zombies series has released a holiday-themed rap. The song, “Wabby Wabbo,” already has 560,000 views on YouTube. PopCap is donating the proceeds from sales on iTunes to Concern Worldwide, an organization working to eliminate poverty.
A new report from comScore found that more than $1.1 billion was spent online Monday. A list of the most popular products purchased online is led by digital subscriptions, jewelry, consumer electronics, video games and software. This week is traditionally the heaviest week for online shopping, led by Green Monday.
Cheezburger Network’s Ben Huh was named as one of the 25 most viral people on the internet by Gizmodo. In the list, Gizmodo notes that Huh has led Cheezburger to become an “end-to-end platform for Web popularity that lets people create things to go viral, point to web flotsam, track what's trending, and then explain how and why something has become popular. It's genius.” Recently, Huh wrote a tell-all blog about when he dealt with depression and contemplated suicide after his prior startup folded.
Azaleos has released the third edition of its SharePoint Calculator, which helps companies estimate storage, bandwidth, database sizing needs and content change (churn). The company says two years of experience was integrated to build the calculator. It is now available for Azaleos Managed Services subscribers.
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Kenya‘s sole power distributor, Kenya Power, aims to convert its 2,000 petrol and diesel-driven vehicles to electric over the next four years, it said on Tuesday, 7 February.
The move is part of a rising trend in the East African economy to take advantage of the abundant electricity supply from renewable sources, and switch vehicle and motorcycle engines to electric from fossil fuels.
Kenya Power will phase out its petrol and diesel vehicles by retrofitting electric engines and buying new electric vehicles.
Kenya has installed generation capacity of 3,321MW against a peak demand of 2,132MW and off-peak demand of about 1,100MW, according to Kenya Power.
“Charging electric vehicles especially at night would, therefore, help bridge the gap between off-peak load available generation capacity as well as raise the average demand to above 1,500MW,” it said in a statement.
The company distributes electricity to more than three-quarters of Kenya’s population.
Read Original Article on Biz Community


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The choice that the government-procured shares needs to be saved in WDRA-registered warehouses or these warehouses which have utilized for WDRA registration has resulted within the elevated registration, notably from State Warehousing Companies (SWCs), he added.
Talking at an occasion to commemorate the WDRA’s Basis Day, Kumar mentioned: “There had been a rise within the variety of warehouses registered with WDRA and its outreach with banks and farmers had improved exponentially.”
He mentioned State Financial institution of India (SBI) has launched a particular product for lending in opposition to e-NWRs (digital negotiable warehousing receipts) at lowered rate of interest and decrease charges. Karnataka Financial institution too has knowledgeable that it’s within the strategy of launching a brand new product on e-NWR pledge finance, an official assertion mentioned.
The pledge finance in the previous few years had been rising steadily, the WDRA chief mentioned, and appreciated the efforts of each private and non-private sector banks on this regard.
eNWRs have been launched in 2017 and made obligatory from August 2019. These devices enable the switch of possession of a commodity saved in a warehouse with out having to ship it bodily.
WDRA has introduced in main modifications to facilitate ease of doing warehousing enterprise.
Addressing the occasion earlier, Meals Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey mentioned warehousing and e-NWRs are going to play a important function within the transformation of India. The Centre has taken steps for rising registration of warehouses and selling the advantages of registration with WDRA.
These embrace encouraging all authorities shares to be stored within the WDRA registered warehouses and discount in value of insurance coverage, he mentioned, and added that e-NWRs have impressed all of the stakeholders and companions to proceed their collective strategy to learn the individuals of the nation.
In accordance with WDRA Joint Secretary Dheeraj Sahu, the pledge financing has elevated to Rs 1,492 crore in 2021-22 from Rs 732 crore in 2020-21.
Central Warehousing Company Managing Director Arun Kumar Shrivastava, NERL Managing Director and CEO Kedar Desh Pande, NCML Managing Director and CEO Sanjay Kumar Gupta have been amongst these current on the occasion.


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Netflix subscription plans are getting pricier in the U.S. and Canada a month after it slashed prices in India. Depending on your plan, you could be paying Netflix about $1 or $2 extra every month after the price increase. Likewise, the streaming service quietly increased prices, unlike what it did in India.
Watch your favorite anime for free with Funimation's 14-day free trial
The new Netflix price tags will immediately apply to new subscribers, according to the Netflix website. On the other hand, existing customers will see the effect in a while. “Current members will receive an email notification 30 days before their price changes, unless they change their plan,” said Netflix.
Netflix changing prices across the world
Netflix’s plans include a Basic plan with SD content, a Standard plan with HD content, and a Premium plan with FHD and 4K content. Here’s a quick comparison of the price changes in the U.S. and Canada compared to those in India.
|Plan (U.S. & Canada)||Previous Price (USD)||Changed Price (USD)|
|Plan (India)||Previous Price||Changed Price|
|Mobile||Rs 199 (~ $2.7)||Rs 149 (~ $1.99)|
|Basic||Rs 499 (~ $6.71)||Rs 199 (~ $2.7)|
|Standard||Rs 649 (~ $8.72)||Rs 499 (~ $6.71)|
|Premium||Rs 799 (~ $10.74)||Rs 649 (~ $8.72)|
Interestingly, Netflix increased prices in North America and Canada roughly by the same margin by which it slashed prices in India. The last time the streaming service raised prices in the U.S. was in October 2020. Hence, this is yet another price hike for Americans in less than two years.
“We understand people have more entertainment choices than ever and we’re committed to delivering an even better experience for our members,” said a Netflix spokesperson explaining the price hike. Meanwhile, the streaming service slashed prices in India “to attract more customers” and called them “Happy New Prices.”
It’s difficult to make out why Netflix is doing whatever it’s that it’s doing. However, these actions are profitable to some and bad for others. Notably, India is a growing market with high potential. That could be a contributing factor to the price increase. Amazon charges Rs 1499/year (roughly $1.6/month) for its streaming service and other Prime benefits.


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A 24-year-old Apple employee was charged with creating fraudulent credit and debit cards and using them to buy nearly $1 million in the store’s gift cards in Queens, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Ruben Profit, who had worked at Apple since 2013, was charged with second-degree grand larceny, first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, and third-degree criminal possession of stolen property. Profit was arraigned over the weekend and held in lieu of $20,000 bail.
“The defendant is accused of using his tech skills to rig the values on both American Express and Visa gift cards and then using them to purchase gift cards from his employer — The Apple Store,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. “The young man, a trusted employee who worked both as a salesperson and tech support, is accused of breaking that trust as well as the law.”
Profit, of Cambria Heights, was accused of purchasing the Apple gift cards with Visa or American Express gift, debit, or prepaid cards between Aug. 2 and Octob. 15, according to prosecutors.
Profit, who started working at the Queens Center Mall store when it opened in July, allegedly told police he sold the $2,000 gift cards for $200 each. He made about $997,700 in the process, according to prosecutors.
The tech company realized what he was doing earlier this month when they started getting notified of charge-backs, or purchases that weren’t paid by the credit card company because they were deemed fraudulent.
When he was arrested, Profit allegedly still had seven Apple gift cards on him.
Attorney information for Profit was not immediately available.
Profit’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 10.


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We have some disappointing news for consumers on T-Mobile now, as the carrier has announced that they will be introducing data caps for users who continue to use excessive amounts of data on their smartphones.
As reported from BGR, the data cap will commence this Saturday, October 16 and customers will suffer from an automatic drop in data speeds if they go over the usage limit of 5GB.
T-Mobile has said that they are enforcing this rule to make the browsing experience fair for everyone, by limiting those considered to be ‘extreme’ users. The carrier has issued a lengthy statement, advising customers how the new data caps will work. Below is the important part that you need to read:
”If a customer happens to reach the 5GB limit, they will receive a free text message informing them their data speed will be reduced. Customers will continue to have Web browsing capabilities but at slower speeds, which will be determined by their device type. Once their new billing cycle begins, data speeds will no longer be restricted.”
It sounds pretty fair to us. Even if you do go over the 5GB a month, you’ll go back to normal speeds on the next billing cycle. It will be interesting to see if any of you actually come close to churning out 5GB of usage.
For those of you on T-Mobile, does the new rules apply to you?
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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Yahoo’s data breach settlement website related to huge data breaches between 2013 and 2016 which affected all of its users (approximately 3 billion global Yahoo accounts) has gone live. The website says that most Yahoo users outside of the US and Israel won’t be eligible for compensation and warns that cash settlements for eligible users may be lower than expected.
The settlement was originally proposed in April and at the time, it was acknowledged that the settlement class would include “all US & Israeli residents and small businesses with Yahoo accounts at any time between 2012 and 2016” which included at most “approximately 896 million accounts and no more than 194 million individuals” – less than a third of the accounts said to be affected by these data breaches.
The breaches resulted in the names, email addresses, and passwords associated with the accounts being breached.
On the breach settlement website, Yahoo says that the settlement fund will provide settlement class members with “a minimum of two years of credit monitoring services” or “an alternative cash payment for those who verify they already have credit monitoring or identity protection” which they are keeping for at least one year.
Settlement class members who are eligible for the cash payment can submit a claim for $100 but Yahoo’s website warns that the actual payment may be less. It could also be more with the maximum payment set at $358.80 and the final payment dependent on how many people file claims.
The settlement fund will also provide cash payments of:
- Up to $25,000 to people who prove that they “suffered or are suffering” out-of-pocket losses, including loss of time, as a result of the Yahoo data breaches
- Up to 25% of the amount paid to Yahoo by premium account holders between 2012 and 2016
- Up to 25% of the amount paid to Yahoo by users of its small business email service between 2012 and 2016, with the maximum cap set at $500 per year
The settlement has not yet been finalized and the final approval hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2020. Those who want to object to or comment on the settlement must do so by March 2020. The deadline for those filing claims for credit monitoring services or cash payments is July 20, 2020.


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Maybe we’re actually meant to be dirty hippies after all. According to one doctor, we’re overdoing the soap big time, even during the time of a global pandemic. Here’s what you need to know soap and staying clean.
According to James Hamblin, Yale School of Public Health lecturer and podcast host for The Atlantic, soap destroys our skin’s microbiome. Hamblin is the author of the new book Clean: The New Science of Skin and the Beauty of Doing Less.
And while handwashing is critical for preventing the spread of disease, it’s not necessarily the best approach for the rest of your body, armpits and all, says Hamblin.
As Hamblin learned about the body’s external microbiome, he decided to forego the soap for a bit and never went back. That was five years ago. He queried the modern understanding and expectations around cleanliness. After all, humans survived millennia without Axe body wash. But by the 1920s, body odor was stigmatized. Advertising for soap further divorced us from our animal nature: you smell and you need to do something about it. (This same approach led to the shampoo industry and our habitual overwashing of hair.)
“We know from historical writings that certainly people smelled bad. We didn’t just accept all smells,” he told the Guardian. “Now, if someone smells sweaty or of anything less than soap, perfume or cologne, we think of that as being unclean.”
And that aversion has led to a rise in harmful chemical fragrances that permeate every aspect of our lives. From body care to laundry detergent to candles and air fresheners, we’re bombarding our lives with often toxic chemical fragrances. These synthetic fragrances often contain chemicals called phthalates that extend the life of a scent. It’s why you can smell someone’s laundry detergent on their clothes days after it came out of the dryer. Phthalates have been linked to numerous health issues including reproductive and developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, birth defects, respiratory problems, and some forms of cancer.
These fragrances can also exacerbate skin issues. And Hamblin suggests the rise in chronic skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne may also be the result of the constant prevention and removal of the skin’s microbiome. Scrubbing away the bacteria designed to protect the body and neutralize odors makes it come back stronger and more imbalanced, creating a cycle of skin issues and smells.
“As I gradually used less and less [soap], I started to need less and less,” Hamblin writes. “My skin slowly became less oily, and I got fewer patches of eczema. I didn’t smell like pine trees or lavender, but I also didn’t smell like the oniony body odour that I used to get when my armpits, used to being plastered with deodorant, suddenly went a day without it.” He smelled “like a person,” his girlfriend explained.
Antibiotic prescriptions have increased in recent decades. Most of us know taking a round of antibiotics can destroy healthy gut bacteria, and doctors often recommend replenishing with a probiotic supplement or foods (like yogurt or kraut). But antibiotics can also destroy the healthy bacteria on the skin as well.
Antibiotics have been prescribed for acne for years, but Hamblin says they “seem to play a part in causing and exacerbating autoimmune disease” and that “antibiotic overuse is likely to be a bigger threat to biomes than hygiene.”
Should you stop using soap?
The bottom line is a complicated one. Certainly handwashing is needed for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. It’s also necessary after using the bathroom and before preparing or eating food.
But as for the rest of it? That’s pretty optional. Foregoing soap doesn’t mean foregoing washing — water and elbow grease are important. But you may want to experiment with soap-skipping. Just like our scalp benefits with days (even weeks) without hair washing, you may begin to see benefits to your skin.
While most of us are still sheltering at home the majority of the time, leaving off the deodorant is easier than ever, too. No one on your Zoom call will ever know.


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- 5 updates
Apple's share price plummeted today after the company sold two million fewer iPhones over the holiday period than had been predicted.
Apple said it sold a record 47.8 million iPhones in the quarter ending in December, but the average analyst forecast was 50 million units.
Shares in technology giant Apple today slumped by 12 percent after poor sales figures were announced.
Shares plunged to $451 on the Nasdaq stock exchange following slow Christmas sales of the iPhone 5, wiping more than £30 billion from the company's market value.
- Apple shifted 47.8 million iPhones.
- A record 22.9 million iPads were sold between October 1 to December 31 last year.
- The tech company shifted 12.7 million iPod portable media players.
- Only 4.1 million Mac laptop and desktop computers were snapped up - down 1.1 million in the same period during 2011.
- The tech giant's sold 75 million devices using Apple's iOS operating system.
Apple shifted 47.8 million iPhones throughout the last three months of 2012, one million less than analysts had predicted.
The computer giant's shares fell 3% to $517 (£326) in extended trading after the release of the report.
Apple posted record revenues for the last three months of 2012 but still managed to fall short of market expectations.
The computer giant's rocket-like growth stalled with earnings of £8.2 billion remaining flat compared to the year before - marking the first time the technology company had not boasted double-digit increases in earnings for years.
Revenue from October 1 to December 31 last year came in at a record £34.4 billion ($54.5 billion) but fell short of the $55 billion forecast by Wall Street.


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BAR Vs VID | Match 40 Oct 15, 2019
VID 44/0 (15.0)
Latest News on Facebook Brands
Showing of 0 - 10 from 6 results
Facebook Brands - Total results - 6
Jul 30, 2013
Are hashtags on Facebook a failure already?It has been nearly two months since Facebook went the Twitter way and added clickable hashtags to its bouquet of features. The rule has always been “no
Sep 22, 2012
Facebook lets users view their searches in updated Activity LogFacebook has rolled out an update to its Activity Log. Now, alongside their Facebook activity, users can view their searches...
Sep 10, 2012
Facebook to check every user with 'suspicious' profileSocial networking giant Facebook is covering that extra base to curb the misuse of its platform.
Sep 07, 2012
Facebook fixes spam sent to users via emails from friendsFacebook reportedly has plugged a flaw that had been causing users receiving spam emails from supposedly ...
Sep 01, 2012
Facebook to remove fraudulent Likes on pagesFacebook affirms that it will be coming down strongly on fraudulent Likes on Pages. The social networking giant opines that when a page and a fan connect on...
May 12, 2012
Facebook tests new feature, 'Highlighted Posts'Facebook is testing a new product that is potentially a new source of revenue for the social networking giant.


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What are your thoughts on Mi A1 updates if you own this device? Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 Xl with the second developer preview of Android 8.1 Oreo shall receive the OTA (over-the-air) update. This will save your data and you can restore them back on your device once your device is upgraded with Android 8.1 update.
Samsung still hasn't confirmed the Galaxy Note 8's Oreo update so it's unclear when it plans to roll out the official version of Android 8.0. The device features a dual camera and other similar specifications as the Xiaomi Mi 5X that is available in China. In case you do not know, this is what described for nearly every Security patch update. Google and many other OEMs have already updated some of their smartphones with December patch.
Users now get Wi-Fi strength shown while connecting to any network, but the upcoming update will have labels, namely Slow, OK, Fast and Very Fast, to indicate the speed of an open Wi-Fi network. The same help page also points out how those less interested in this feature can opt out of seeing the information altogether - as it is enabled by default on Android 8.1. You can manually keep on checking for the update as well.
If the breach impacts at least 500 residents, the business must also notify the attorney general's office within 45 days. Regulators from Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom will also take part.
Auto parks that sat adjacent buildings will be moved underground to provide more space for buildings and recreational ground. That would enable Microsoft to raise the headcount at Redmond to a staggering 55,000 employees.
The i8 Roadster manages 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and the Coupe does it in 4.4 seconds, while both cars have a top speed of 155mph. The i8 Coupe, which was also showcased at the 2017 LA Auto Show, also gets a facelift for 2018 along with an increase in power.
His comments come ahead of the second quarter GDP data that will be released by the Central Statistics Economy later this evening. If it slows down, it is more towards 7 and if it paces up it is more towards 8 per cent growth.
He has denied all allegations and recently released polygraph test results in an attempt to prove his innocence. Jeremy Piven's CBS drama Wisdom of the Crowd will be canceled after 13 episodes, sources confirm.
Namco Bandai announced at The Game Awards 2017 that it is now working on Soulcalibur VI and the game will be out very soon. The fast and kinetic gameplay of Soul Calibur returns alongside new strategic battle mechanics like, Reversal Edge .
Copson was working with Flynn to promote a joint project with Russian Federation to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East. ACU was pushing a nuclear project in the Middle East that Flynn is said to have lobbied for while in the White House .
FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Stanley Meador said authorities spent days searching by foot, boat and in the water for any leads. The FBI says they have been sending "items of interest" to their lab in Quantico, Virginia, for priority testing in the case.
In addition, Starbucks has included an augmented reality or AR experience for people who visit Shanghai's Roastery. Same-store sales gained 8 percent in the country during the most recent quarter, compared with 2 percent globally.
However, they said Pompeo would need to resist the planned budget cuts and find a way to grapple with Trump's tweets. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop hopes Rex Tillerson stays on as the USA secretary of state.
Though, Fox News reports the role Strzok played in the Clinton investigation may now be under review at the Department of Justice. The agent, Peter Strzok , is considered one of the most experienced and trusted F.B.I. counterintelligence investigators.
In Crime against women , Delhi reported highest crime rate of 160.4 in comparison to national average rate of 55.2. Madhya Pradesh comes out top with 20.6% of the total number of cases in 2016 followed by Maharashtra - 18.4%.
It caused damage to public buildings, pipes and monuments, most notably the National Cathedral and the Washington Monument. An 4.4-magnitude quake centered near Dover, Delaware but could be felt for hundreds of miles along the East Coast.
He sought to clarify the comment, saying later-term abortions linked to pregnancies caused by rape are infrequent. Andy Biggs , R-Ariz. "We're trying to get that done before the holidays, over the next few weeks", Alderman said.
One month before we elected Donald Trump as our 45th president, Jared Kushner secured a $285 million loan from Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank is not the only Trump-related business interest that is attracting the attention of investigators.
Richard Hudson (R-NC), author of the bill , said . "Only the NRA could propose something so ill-considered, unsafe and vile". Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12), a New Jersey Democrat who has strongly opposed efforts to loosen gun restrictions.
Amazon kicked the Chromecast, Google's television player, off its retail website in 2015, along with Apple Inc's TV player. Streaming devices allow users to stream videos from platform such as Netflix, YouTube , Hulu, and Amazon Prime on its TV.
Files Go is globally available from today on the Google Play Store for all phones running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher. When it launched a year ago, the Google Assistant was an exclusive feature of Google Pixel devices.
By Friday morning , up to eight inches of snow has been forecast in the Scottish Highlands by STV weather presenter Sean Batty. Elsewhere lows in the middle to upper 30s will be felt as far south as the coastline.
The DUP has only 10 seats out of 650 in Britain's House of Commons, but without their support May's government would fall. However, unionists tend to view with scepticism any proposal for harmonisation of rules on either side of the border.
He also receives a speaking fee from a Russian government-run television network that US officials consider a propaganda outlet. Mueller's charging documents state bluntly that Flynn interfered with the FBI's inquiry into Trump-Russia collusion.
He pointed out that Zarate was a seven-time felon who had been deported from the US five times before the fatal shooting. So that is something that sanctuary cities including San Francisco have always said they would comply with.


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Refrigerated Protein Bar Company Perfect Snacks Acquired by a Multibillion-Dollar Food Giant
Financial terms for the deal were not disclosed, but its sibling founders will remain to lead the company.
Fourteen years ago, two of the 13 Keith siblings, Bill and Leigh (then 22 and 19) adapted their father's recipe for a refrigerated protein bar and created Perfect Snacks, a business that generated approximately $70 million in net revenue last year.
Now, the company that popularized refrigerated protein bars has been acquired by food giant Mondelēz International, owners of the Oreo, Cadbury, Milka, belVita and Tate's brands. Financial terms were not disclosed. The company said its net revenues in 2018 were approximately $26 billion.
"We believe Mondelēz International's purpose, to "empower people to snack right,' aligns very well with why we started this brand and this business," said Bill Keith, co-founder and CEO of Perfect Snacks, in a press release.
The press release said that refrigerated well-being snacks category generates around $7 billion in the U.S. and has been growing at around 8 percent a year over the past three years, so it's no wonder Mondelēz acquired Perfect Snacks.
"Well-being snacks in general, and refrigerated well-being snacks in particular, are a fast-growing segment," Glen Walter, executive vice President and president, North America, for Mondelēz International, said in the release, "and we look forward to working with and supporting the Keith family to help accelerate this brand's great momentum."
Perfect Snacks will maintain its independence under the deal, with Bill and Leigh, along with siblings Charisse, staying in their positions and retain a minority equity interest in the company. Mondelēz expects to expand the brand's distribution and fuel future innovation.
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One of the most reputable online casinos available.
European online gambling company Sportech revealed that it had managed to acquire an online gambling license in the US state of New Jersey. Sportech is the first European company to receive such a license.
Popular gambling company bwin.party revealed that it would from now on offer casino games developed by renowned Swedish game developer Net Entertainment.
A lucky casino player at a Microgaming-powered online casino managed to win a huge prize of EUR 5.3 million hitting the renowned Mega Moolah jackpot on a mobile casino game.


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Rare Medium Group, New York, has launched ChangeMusic.com Network, which incorporates recently acquired MP3place.com, MP3now.com, MP3park.com and Findsongs.com. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rare Medium intends to have the network be a top digital music destination on the Web. Rare Medium Group, the investing parent company of interactive agency Rare Medium, plans to acquire additional sites to integrate into the network, said CEO Glenn Meyers.
Copyright July 1999, Crain Communications Inc.


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RECENT POSTS IN ProRes
Nikon Z6 & Z7 Firmware Updates Add Blackmagic RAW & ISO/WB ProRes RAW Controls!
There’s some more great news for video shooters today as Nikon has released a new firmware update for the Nikon…
Apple Launches New ProRes RAW Video Codec | DJI Drone Users Set To Benefit Greatly
Exciting news for video shooters and DJI users.


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Online science-fiction game Project Entropia has taken the idea of in-game advertising further. Players have the tools to put up their own ads in the game.
The latest release of the game, created by MindArk PE AB of Sweden, features advertising billboards. Through a PowerPoint-like system, players create animated ads and buy time on the billboards.
So far, the ads have been promoting player-organized in-game events like fashion shows and hunting competitions, as well as businesses like stores and hunting grounds, said Marco Behrmann, MindArk's directory of player relations.
MindArk said it was the first player-oriented advertising tool built into a game.
In another virtual world, Second Life, players who master its tools can create almost anything they want, including advertising, and enterprising players have created their own ad-exchange program on a Web site.


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This led to the company filing for insolvency last August and ceasing production.
Fortunately, the arrival of a few new orders later saw Gumpert restart production while its management team, led by founder Roland Gumpert, searched for potential investors.
At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show this week, Gumpert confirmed that it has secured a new investor and will be launching in the coming years an expanded product range.
“Our distribution and dealer networks are being expanded worldwide and sister models will soon be added to the Apollo,” Roland Gumpert said.
The German exec went on to confirm that the first new models would be seen this year at a “major trade fair.”
In Geneva this week Gumpert presented its existing Apollo S, which in its latest state of tune develops 750 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V-8. The Apollo S, of course, is the car that was driven around the Nürburgring race track in a blistering time of 7:11.57 back in 2009.
Gumpert is keeping quiet on its future model plans, though at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show it previewed a new model in the form of the Tornante concept car. Not only did the Tornante look better than the Apollo, its full carbon fiber construction, both for the body and central monocoque structure, meant it was also around 220 pounds lighter.
Gumpert never announced production of the Tornante but just last December patent drawings showing the Tornante with an updated design emerged.
Stay tuned for an update.


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About this time every year, dedicated FIFA fans begin to think about next year’s game. EA Sports will release FIFA 16 later this year but they haven’t yet announced the exact date we should expect it.
Even without that, we are able to forecast the release date for FIFA 16 based on a lot of research and past history.
We know that all blockbuster video games are released on Tuesdays in North America. That has been an industry standard for decades. FIFA 16 will be no different.
Now let’s look at historic release dates for earlier versions of the game.
FIFA 15 – Released in North America on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014. Worldwide release on Friday, September 26th, 2014.
FIFA 14 – Released in North America on Tuesday, September 24th, 2013. Worldwide release on Friday, September 27th, 2013.
FIFA 13 – Released in North American on Tuesday, September 25th, 2012. Worldwide release on Friday, September 28th, 2012.
We could go on and on with this trend with previous FIFA games but at this point, you get the idea. It is always released towards the end of September on a Tuesday in North America and a Friday in Europe and worldwide.
With that in mind, we can say that FIFA 16 will be released on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015 in North America and Friday, September 25th, 2015 in other parts of the world.
This post is only referring to FIFA 16 on the XBOX One, PlayStation 4, XBOX 360, and PlayStation 3 consoles. FIFA 16 on other consoles, mobile games, etc will have different release dates.
Look for the official FIFA 16 release date announcement to come during the E3 conference in June. EA Sports typically also shows off a trailer and some new features in their upcoming FIFA game at E3.
Make sure to get your thoughts and suggestions on our FIFA 16 Wishlist.


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Mumbai: In a move to accelerate adoption of 4G smartphones at the entry level, Vodafone India has extended its association with Micromax. As a part of this association, Vodafone has rolled out exciting cashback offers on the entire range of entry level Micromax 4G Smartphone models.
Under this partnership, existing and new Vodafone customers can purchase any of the popular Micromax smartphones (Bharat 2 Plus, Bharat 3, Bharat 4and Canvas -1) and enjoy the cashback offers. To avail this special offer, customers have to simply do a recharge of at least Rs 150/- per month for 36 months (the recharges can be of any denomination totaling to a minimum of Rs. 150/- per month). At the end of 18 months, users will receive a cash back of Rs. 900/- and after another 18 months, a cash back of Rs. 1,300/- respectively, thus availing a total cashback of Rs 2200/-.The cash back will be credited to their Vodafone M-Pesa wallets.
Recently Vodafone and Micromax had introduced India’s lowest priced 4G Smartphone with Vodafone SuperNet 4G connection for just Rs.999/-. The smartphone ‘Bharat2 Ultra’ is a new Smartphone under Micromax’s successful 4G smartphone ‘Bharat series’ that aims to bring better camera, battery and display options for the new smartphone users in the most affordable category
Speaking about the offer, Avneesh Khosla, Associate Director – Consumer Business, Vodafone India said, “This is an initiative to democratize access to Vodafone SuperNet 4G. Recently through our partnership with Micromax we launched the most affordable smartphone in the country at a very attractive price of Rs 999/-. We are now giving more options to our customers to choose from by bringing four more entry level Micromax 4G smartphones within the special cash back offer. We hope that this will encourage and enable several million phone users to upgrade to a smartphone and enjoy a richer user experience with Vodafone SuperNet 4G. ”
Details of models and cash back offer extended
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Shown is an advertisement for Free Comic Book Day at Fat Jack’s Comicrypt, Friday, May 4, 2012, in Philadelphia. Like hundreds of other comic specialty shops in 46 countries, the store is participating in Free Comic Book day on Saturday, May 5, which sees shops give away free copies of new and reprinted comics from some 40 publishers, including Marvel, DC, Archie, Image, Dark Horse, Valiant and Dynamite, among others, to promote the growth of the medium and garner new readers, some of whom may have been exposed to heroes through television and films. Free Comic Book day started 11 years and continues to expand, said Joe Field, who helped organize the inaugural event. This year, some 3.5 million free comics will be handed out. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Buoyed by big-budget superhero films this summer, retailers and publishers are poised to give away more than 3.5 million free comics at events aimed at building communities among longtime fans and at capturing new readers.


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© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.
Have your people call my people
Pet owners with hospitalized pets at Associated Veterinary Specialists in Bridgeton, Mo., always know news about their pet's condition is just a phone call away.
Pet owners with hospitalized pets at Associated Veterinary Specialists in Bridgeton, Mo., always know news about their pet's condition is just a phone call away. That's because technicians give clients business cards with the hospital's phone number, reception hours, and the name of the technician assigned to their pet. Owners are encouraged to call their pet's technician during reception hours for updates on their pet's treatment and recovery. And the hospital promises the evening staff will notify owners of any significant change in their pet's condition overnight.
"We see many chronically ill patients, and we believe giving clients these cards when their pet is first admitted promotes the bond between pet owners, patients, and our technicians," says Tracey Cimmarusti, the hospital administrator at Associated Veterinary Specialists. "And the owners tell us they appreciate the gesture."


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Just last week:
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) said he stood-by a proposal he made last week that could result in the federal government providing an Ipad for every student in the nation, despite a barrage of criticism he has suffered from the media in recent days.
“Let me be clear about a few things,” Jackson said, brandishing both an Apple iPad and an Amazon Kindle on the House floor. “These devices are revolutionizing our country — and they will fundamentally alter how we will educate our children.”
And now this week:
“A few short weeks ago I came to the House floor after having purchased an iPad and said that I happened to believe, Mr. Speaker, that at some point in time this new device, which is now probably responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs. Now Borders is closing stores because, why do you need to go to Borders anymore? Why do you need to go to Barnes & Noble? Buy an iPad and download your newspaper, download your book, download your magazine,” Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL, Chicago) said on the House floor Friday afternoon.
Borders is closing because it was run into the ground by a moron Suit like you!
No wonder this country is doomed.
These idiots in office can’t recall what they say one week to the next!


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By Lisa Johnston
New products on display at the American International Toy Fair, held in N
BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Verizon Wireless joined Microsoft in launching a co-developed, co-branded, and jointly marketed wireless data service featuring content from Microsoft's MSN portal. The "VZW with MSN" service also features wireless MSN Messenger instant messaging service, which is available for the first time in the U.S. as a mobile service. The service is the default service for new Verizon Wireless customers who subscribe to it. The service lets consumers access popular MSN services from any Web-enabled Verizon digital phone. The services include MSN Hotmail, Microsoft .NET alerts, and MSN information services. The data-service marketing campaign features a nationwide advertising campaign, promotion on MSN, promotions in more than 1,200 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and thousands of retail outlets operated by retailers, and direct marketing to more than 100 million consumers annually. For enterprise users, Verizon is teaming up with Microsoft to market Microsoft's .NET Enterprise Server, which lets users take their Outlook functionality on the road.
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. — Audiovox has begun shipping a pair of CDMA 1X phones, the PocketPC-based Thera and the gpsOne-equipped 9155-GPX, to carriers. The dual-band Thera is already available through Verizon's national sales team, carrier-owned retail locations, and the company's web site at $799. The carrier didn't say when indirect retail channels would get the device. Audiovox's first gpsOne-equipped 1X phone is the CDMA trimode 9155-GPX, which also incorporates Bluetooth. The handset also features Web browser UP 4.1, two-way short message service (SMS)*, voice-activated dialing, vibrating alert, 11 melody ringer, four ringtone selections, and a two-way speakerphone at a suggested $299, although carrier subsidies will probably reduce actual pricing.
REDMOND, WASH. — AT&T Wireless began offering the industry's first GSM/TDMA phone, the Siemens S46 at $199, through its direct and indirect channels. The quad-band (800/900/1800/1900MHz) world phone, which incorporates GPRS, is available in the carrier's GSM markets. Distribution will expand to other markets where GSM service is inaugurated. It's bundled with two voice plans: a one-rate plan starting at $59.99 for 450 minutes, including all roaming and domestic long distance; another plan starting at $34.99 for 300 minutes includes long distance if the call is made on an AT&T GSM or TDMA network. Data is extra. The plans are priced competitively with plans available with other AT&T phones. GSM is available in 25 of AT&T's top 100 markets and will be in almost every AT&T market by the end of the year, except for small rural markets mainly in the Carolinas. The carrier's networks reach 98 percent of the U.S. population.
MIAMI — TracFone Wireless, the prepaid wireless-phone supplier, diversified its prepaid portfolio with the launch of prepaid roadside assistance. The service, called TracFone 24-Hour Roadside Assistance, is available through almost 2,600 Wal-Mart stores and Supercenters. Consumers buy a prepaid Roadside Assistance card for $49.74 to cover up to five family members in the U.S. and Canada. Consumers activate service via a toll-free phone call or visiting www.24roadside.com. The assistance provider is Road America, which has 3.5 million subscribers.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.— The global handset industry will grow from a factory-level $60 billion this year to more than $100 billion in 2006, in part because a growing de-emphasis on prepaid subscribers in many parts of the world will reduce demand for low-featured, low-margin handsets, according to In-Stat/MDR analyst Ray Jodoin. "While voice will continue to drive the worldwide market for the foreseeable future," he said, "data can help drive handset sales, not to mention margins, as well as carriers' Average Revenue per Users (ARPUs), upward. This is contingent, however, on whether the content and price are right, which they currently are not." In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com) and TWICE are owned by Reed Elsevier.
This TWICE webinar, hosted by senior editor Alan Wolf, will take a look at what may be the hottest CE products at retail that will be sold during the all-important fourth quarter. Top technologies, market strategies and industry trends will be discussed with industry analysts and executives.