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Three years ago little known Smile Identity started with an ambitious mission — to “solve identity” in Africa by making it easy for anyone to prove their identity regardless of the origin of their ID card or their IP address.
They spent their first year building a face recognition system for the African demographic. Historically most face recognition systems had been built at Universities in the US with algorithms trained on American and Eurocentric datasets that did not perform well on faces with darker skin tones.
Smile ID recruited a diverse team from 6 African countries and the US with major contributions from Davy Uwizera, a Ph.D. candidate in Machine Learning at Carnegie Mellon Kigali and Catalin Voss, a computer vision specialist from Stanford University. The company did early research in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria and focused on making it easy for people to prove their identity just by being themselves. In the words of CEO, Mark Straub, “we built technology that could work with whatever you had on you: a smartphone, your face, and maybe an ID number. We even built solutions for people who had no ID at all.”
Last week marked Smile Identity’s third birthday. Since its founding, the company has invested nearly $4 million into building an identity platform that does not only face recognition but also ID Validation for over 200M identities across Africa. To date, Smile Identity has done 300,000 registrations and verifications for a dozen African enterprise clients, from financial services to security guards to motorcycle taxis.
ID validation is commonly called “KYC” or “Know Your Customer” in the financial services industry. It is often required by banks and telecoms or regulators as part of an on-boarding process.
With just an ID number, Smile Identity makes it possible to confirm the identity of any adult in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana or Tanzania — four markets where they have integrations into ID issuing Authorities.
As Straub describes it, “The first year was all about building technology. Face recognition is hard.
It’s particularly hard when you have to make it work on a wide range of handsets from Android phones that are more than five years old to the latest iPhone, all running on different operating systems and often with intermittent connectivity.”
“After that,” says their Kenyan Country Director Thuku wa Thuku, “it was all about getting ID integrations done. This also takes a very long time, because there are extensive compliance, security, and local incorporation requirements that banks, telcos, and other financial institutions have to undergo to access this information, and we had to do the same.” Smile Identity is locally incorporated in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa and is a licensed data processor in Ghana and Nigeria with plans to register in Kenya under the new Data Protection Act.
Smile Identity combined all of this work into their first product, the SmartSelfie™ mobile SDK which incorporates ID validation, face recognition and anti-spoof checks. Over time the company added APIs that allow any verified Fintech to validate an ID, or compare a face to the photo on an ID card or the photo on file at a government ID authority. They also built a web portal that allows a risk manager at a bank to confirm someone’s identity in seconds and perform a face recognition check without writing a single line of code.
Among the companies, they provide KYC solutions for are fintech giant Cellulant and the new digital bank Kuda. Behind the platform is a diverse, mission-driven team. Smile’s team comes from the US, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Botswana and most team members had experienced problems trying to prove their identity. One of their South African team members was arrested due to a case of mistaken identity. Other members of their team have been blocked from traveling within Africa due to Visa restrictions. And their CEO, an American, regularly had his airline tickets cancelled because he used a credit card to purchase them online in Nigeria. They have experienced the anxiety and frustration that can come from living in low-trust societies.
“When we started the company, says Straub, "Netflix still blocked all African IP addresses, simply because they were African.” Today, Cellulant’s new Tingg app uses Smile Identity to do robust identity checks prior to issuing Kenyans with virtual Mastercards.
“Last week I asked the Cellulant team what people like to use their Mastercards for. I smiled when I heard their answer: Netflix.” This is a small example of change, but it reflects the ambition of Smile Identity team, which in their words, is to ensure that all Africans have access to a modern digital lifestyle.
Last month Smile Identity hosted town hall events in Lagos and Nairobi with TechPoint and the LawyersHub to showcase their solutions and to engage with local entrepreneurs and executives in a dialogue about changing data protection laws and the increasing global investment interest in African Fintech.
Both events sold out and the discussions continued into the night after the power-points were put away and the food and beverages were gone. Smile Identity’s Nigerian Country Director Shile Owoka attributes the robust interest in online identity solutions to a new wave of companies that are digitally savvy from the start and use technology to solve problems.
“It used to be that if you had a problem you solved it by hiring someone or putting more pain on the customer to solve it for you — now there is technology. There are APIs and SDKs. And there is a new generation of African developers and entrepreneurs who are comfortable using software to solve problems faster than anything their parents ever saw.” He added, ”We’ve focused on making Identity Validation and KYC easy and providing it at the widest scale possible in Africa. If you are building a new company and need your solution to meet KYC compliance standards across Africa, we want you to think of Smile ID as the best, most trusted solution to do that.”
Watch Mark Straub, CEO Smile Identity give a short talk at the Lagos TownHall event, discussing KYC compliance in the fast-growing fintech industry and the tools we have built to identify your customers online. This talk is aimed at product managers, executives, and developers who have a need for a digital KYC compliance solution.


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With EVs quickly catching on, Kia announces its fastest car yet, and it is all electric.
Kia unveiled the newest version of its EV6 electric car during Monterey Car Week on Friday. The EV6 was already available with 320 horsepower in the GT-Line AWD, but the new GT offers a lot more—577 horsepower, with a zero to 60 time of 3.4 seconds.
“The EV6 is an important car for Kia, and on the design side it opened up some possibilities,” says Kia Design Center head Karim Habib. “With the GT, we are improving and modifying the base model. There’s some history with that approach at Kia, including the Stinger GT.”
Dimensionally and visually, the GT is similar to upmarket GT-Line models. The GT has larger 21-inch alloy wheels with neon yellow brake calipers, a special steering wheel with a button to select the new GT Drive Mode, and suede-faced racing-type seats. The bumpers sport minor changes, and a rear aero spoiler has been added, says Barron’s.
“The changes are very subtle,” Habib says. “For a brand like ours, we wanted to do performance that isn’t overly aggressive, but is about the elevated driving experience. The car doesn’t have to shout—we just want to communicate a sense of fun.”
Why it’s news
The number of people wanting EVs has hit a tipping point, more than half of car buyers worldwide want EVs.The latest EY Mobility Consumer Index shows that 52% of people looking to buy a car want to buy an EV. This is the first time the number has exceeded 50%, representing a rise of 11 percentage points since last year.
Due to the rise in demand for EVs, the amount of companies making them is going to skyrocket over the next few years making competition fierce.
This new car is a big step for Kia to stay in the competition. The car comes with features that really make it stand out. Not only is it Kia’s fastest car, but it also comes with an Integrated Charging Control Unit that can be used to charge up another EV.
The car can also be fast-charged at up to 240 kilowatts. Add a DC fast charger, the EV6 GT can go from 10% to 80% full in less than 18 minutes. Other EV6 models have up to 310-mile range. The EV6 GT gets a 214-horsepower front motor and a 362-horsepower rear unit. Pressing the GT Drive button sends more power to the rear wheels and enables drift mode, allowing the driver to make controlled skids via oversteer and light up the tires, says Barron’s.
The GT is scheduled to be in showrooms during the fourth quarter of 2022 and pricing will be announced later this year.

domain: news


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New authorized agent for Maks International in Saudi Arabia
Maks International and Sawahel Al-Jazeera Advertising and Media have signed an agreement that grants the latter representation rights of Maks International in Saudi Arabia, as one of its authorized agents.
Sawahel Al-Jazeera's Riyadh office will act as the local hub to market Maks International's products and services to the advertisers and the businesswomen sector in the Kingdom, according to a press release.
This agreement comes as a part of the franchising program that Maks International launched in 2003. The program is built to serve 250 business specializations in the Middle East and North Africa region, and is dedicated to organizations wishing to immediately access a market intelligence infrastructure of more than 1.5 million worldwide corporate profiles, and 100,000+ top organizations in Middle East.
Combining this infrastructure with experienced human resources to carry out sales, marketing, and business development projects in 150 languages helps clients to access new revenue channels and business opportunities locally and internationally.
Maks International has active operations that span from Canada to Malaysia; with clients including Oracle, Grey Worldwide, and Detecon (T-Systems). Latest project include establishing and managing branches in 23 countries simultaneously to handle sales and business development tasks. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
- Chipworks signs alliance With Micon for sales representation in Israel
- New authorized agent for Maks International in Lebanon
- Maks International offers Services Exchange Program
- Saudi agent showcases Panasonic new audio video line up
- LG Electronics appoints Tronix authorized customer service agent in KSA for IT Products (Notebooks, Monitors & Projectors)


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Levi and JoJo Benton are the owners of Vursa Limited
A once online-only store has now opened a brick-and-mortar shop located in Cincinnati on Vine Street. Vursa Limited was launched in 2010 by owners Levi and JoJo Benton who have been dreaming of the day when they would open a physical store. Today, that store is located at 2722 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio, 45219.
Levi and Jojo started Vursa Limited while they were still in high school as a back-up plan for the two owners when Levi decided to tour with his band. The concept launched with only a $500 investment and two designs. The duo was surprised when the store took off with little marketing and no advertising. They saw the potential and decided to continue building it as long as they could keep up with it.
As of right now, Vursa Limited is slowly making its way to selling women’s wear but primarily focused on men’s street wear at their flagship store. They’re also making sure that everything is affordably priced making most t-shirts and hats under $25.
As for carrying other brands, they only carry different brands if the company is associated with a specific product Vursa Limited does not make. For example, Vursa Limited carries an exclusive backpack brand that you can only get at the store. The same goes for shoes and jeans.
“The best way I can describe it is as an ‘Underground Street Wear Boutique,'” JoJo says. Vursa Limited has many items that are available in limited quantities to keep their inventory and designs exclusive for clients.
For more information, visit Vursa Limited’s website vursalimited.com.


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Run as fast as you can because Sackzilla is coming to terrorize a PlayStation 3 near you! Little Big Planet can't possibly get here soon enough and in this new trailer we get a pretty humorous look at the creation of the giant green monster. The game will be hitting stores just in time for the holidays in October.
Little Big Planet Video Makes Us Fear SackZilla!
Trending Stories Right Now
Hopefully, it'll be something a fraction better than this.
Game developer Patricia Pizer was arrested in Rock Hill, South Carolina yesterday on charges that she assaulted a police officer while filming the officers with her phone. According to The Herald, the Rock Hill police department’s report states that Pizer assaulted an officer. Pizer’s husband, who says he has seen a surveillance video of the arrest, has come forward with a very different recounting of the events.


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Like many consumers, Ottawa hotel executive Moira McNaney says that she prefers to carry only small amounts of cash. She also tries to limit her use of credit cards because of the high interest rates charged on outstanding balances. Last year, the 29-year-old McNaney finally discovered an alternative form of paying for her shopping—a local pilot project that allows consumers to pay for their purchases without using credit cards, cheques or cash. Now, when McNaney goes shopping at participating stores, she merely hands her bank card to the merchant and punches her confidential personal identification number—the same number she uses to withdraw cash from automated banking machines— into a computer located near the store’s cash register. The money needed to pay for her purchase is then automatically deducted from McNaney’s bank account and deposited into the account of the retailer—at about the cost of a daily newspaper. Says McNaney: ‘T use it in the liquor store, grocery stores and boutiques. I use it all the time I’m out. I just love it.”
Consumers in other parts of the country will soon have an opportunity to judge the directpayment system for themselves. Interac, a Toronto-based organization that represents most of Canada’s financial institutions, last week announced that it plans to extend the Ottawa pilot project to consumers in British Columbia and Quebec next September, and to shoppers throughout the rest of Canada over the following two years. But some retailers caution that the system will bolster bank profits at the expense of consumers and retailers, all of whom must pay fees to use the service. Such fees will likely range up to about 25 cenfs for each transaction, with additional charges to retailers for the use of computer terminals and telephone lines. Critics also charge that the direct-payment system could be used by banks to gather sensitive information on consumers and their spending habits. “I think there’s a privacy issue here,” says Harry Campbell, a Canadian Tire store manager in downtown Ottawa who has decided not to take part in the direct-payment system. “They can get an awful lot of information with this thing.”
Despite such reservations, Interac president Derek Fry insists that the system is both popular with consumers and a boon for retailers. Nearly 100,000 of the 490,000 bank-card holders in the Ottawa region have used it regularly since Interac launched the project in October, 1990. And the number of retailers who participate in the network has doubled to 2,100 this month from about 1,000 a year ago. Those businesses range from fast-food restaurants to grocers, liquor stores and hairstylists.
Consumers benefit from the network, Fry says, because it is “as confidential as cash, and quicker than cheques.” Retailers, he adds, gain the advantages of “same-day deposit of funds, less handling of cash, no time wasted taking customer identification and no more cheques that bounce.” In fact, without adequate funds in a customer’s account, transactions will be declined by the system.
For their part, consumer advocates are largely supportive of the new service. Says Doreen Guthrie, a project director for the Consumers Association of Canada: “An additional payment option is a good thing, provided that it is in addition to, and not a replacement for, cheques, credit cards or cash.”
Some retailers in the Ottawa area have high praise for the new service. Declares Timothy Hodgson, manager of Fishin’ Buddies, a fishing-tackle store in west-end Ottawa: “It is worth its weight in platinum.” Adds Hodgson: “It is faster than any other card that I have used and it is very convenient—especially for end-of-day balancing.” For his part, Ottawa jeweller Bill Thompson says: “With this system, we do not have to spend any time on the phone checking card balances. It is working very well.”
Still, others contend that banks and trust companies will reap the most benefit from the service. By 1994, nearly all of Canada’s 13.5 million bank-card holders will be able to use the system. While the charge to consumers will be less than current service fees for writing cheques, retailers will face the cost of renting a terminal—as much as $40 a month—and a telephone line for data transmission. Says Mel Fruitman, vice-president of the Retail Council of Canada: “As far as we can see, the main beneficiaries are the financial institutions.”
Fry acknowledges that the banks, which have been the targets of widespread criticism in recent years because of rising service fees, are not pursuing the project “out of the goodness of our hearts.” But he adds that Interac members have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the Ottawa pilot project and that the fees for using the service are reasonable given the banks’ costs. Fry also says that concerns about invasion of privacy are unfounded. The personal identification number—which consumers enter themselves on a hand-held numeric keypad—as well as all other information about customers, is regarded as private and is supposed to be kept confidential by financial institutions, he says.
Direct-payment service is already available in France, Belgium and parts of the United States, such as California, where it has proven to be popular. But in spite of its growing success, few analysts expect that it will lead directly to a cash-free society. Says the retail council’s Fruitman: “We may ultimately see cheques disappear. But cash? Not likely.” That prediction should reassure the many Canadians who still value the crisp feel of cold, hard cash.
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A committee of the city council of San Francisco is recommending the city of San Francisco institute a total pet ban. The group is recommending that no person in one of the United States’ most esteemed cities be allowed to either buy or sell a pet.
City council scrambles to combat scourge of goldfish
If San Francisco’s recently recommended ban on pet sales, stores and ownership takes place, residents in the Bay Area can bid farewell to ambitions of keeping even an innocuous goldfish, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Commission of Animal Control and Welfare, a small committee that is part of the city government of San Francisco, is issuing a statement to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, recommending that all pet sales be banned from the city. The statement, entitled “The Humane Pet Acquisition Proposal,” recommends that all sales of animals be halted, except for a few small breeders and adoption agencies. Those who plan to eat the animal in question would also be allowed to purchase.
According to CBS, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors isn’t likely to proceed with the anti-pet recommendation.
Intent was to shut down puppy mills
The Commission of Animal Control and Welfare conceived the anti-pet recommendation to prevent people from buying dogs or cats from “puppy mills” or “kitten mills.” The practice, according to the ASPCA, includes keeping female dogs pregnant in perpetuity, which is often very painful. Adults and juvenile dogs and cats are often kept in filthy, cramped conditions with the intent of selling juveniles en masse to stores or private buyers. Puppy mills also perpetuate genetic defects such as hip dysplasia, as standard breeding guidelines intended to limit potential debilitating disorders are not followed.
Last year, San Francisco legislators attempted to pass a rule to ban puppy and kitten mills specifically, but it was tabled. The current proposal simply extends the proposal to all pets, with the noted exceptions. According to the Chicago Sun Times, only four stores in the city actually sell dogs.
Not the only city
Though San Francisco seems to have expanded to banning inhumane breeding of all pets, the City by the Bay is by no means the first to look into banning puppy mills. The East Texas Review reports that Governor Rick Perry recently signed HB 1451 into law, establishing minimum standards for pet breeders aimed at preventing puppy and kitten mills. The city of Glendale, Calif., is also mulling its own ban on dog or cat sales to curb “mill”-style breeding, according to the Los Angeles Times. The United States House of Representatives is also considering anti-puppy mill legislation, according to WXPI, an NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-goldfish-20110627,0,6881137.story
Chicago Sun Times: http://www.suntimes.com/opinions/6160284-474/san-franciscos-pet-cause-is-for-the-dogs.html
East Texas Review: http://www.easttexasreview.com/2011/06/canine-victory/
Los Angeles Times: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/06/glendale-moves-to-ban-all-cat-and-dog-retail-sales.html
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The EM HOTELS commercial team's agenda began on November 4 in the cities of Cartagena and Barranquilla.
Launching events for the new EM HOTELS Hotel Chain continue in the big cities of the country. This time the opportunity was for the city of Bogotá, calling on agents and tour operators to learn about their new packages and the properties that the new hotel chain is marketing.
Full capacity in Bogotá
Tourism professionals in the Colombian capital shared with the commercial team of Hotel Andes Plaza at the launch lunch organized by EM HOTELS. About 40 local agents and businessmen from the tourism sector met this Friday, November 26, to learn about the news of the new chain.
"From the Andes Plaza Hotel, and all its management team, we welcome with joy the arrival of this new brand that was born with us and our sister hotel Cartagena Plaza. On our part, we are putting all our efforts in the marketing objectives that we have planned from the beginning. start of the pandemic. It has been a difficult road loaded with many challenges, but we have strengthened and stood up with much more enthusiasm and commitment for the reactivation of our sector. " During the event, Patricia Argote, Sales Director of Hotel Andes Plaza, declared.
Events calendar in Medellín, Cali and Pereira
The commercial conferences and brand launch events led by the Marketing Manager of EM HOTELS, Gustavo Pinedo Polo, will continue in the coming days in the cities of Medellín (December 3); Cali (December 10) and Pereira (December 17). "The reactivation of the tourism sector at a national and international level is already a reality. It has driven and motivated us to take unimaginable paths for the growth and strengthening of our brand. Today we can say with great confidence that we continue to bet on our product, on experiences that the traveler, be it business or vacation, will be able to find in the destinations we operate ". Gustavo Pinedo manifests.
EM Hotels is present at workshops and international fairs
Simultaneously with the launch events, the hotel chain has spared no effort to boost its brand and begin to position itself in new markets. This is how throughout the months of September, October and November it has fulfilled commercial agendas in Mexico, Italy, the United States and recently in Peru, building new alliances and adding allies in the most attractive destinations for tourism in Latin America and around. of the world.


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More than an exhibition, it brings the aviation industry to the next level. EBACE 2018 is the premier event and the annual meeting place for the European business aviation community.
Every year key players flock to Geneva for the most anticipated business aviation event of the year, the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE). This year is no different as more than 13,000 business aviation professionals are set to attend while hundreds of exhibitors, over 400, will be showcasing their products and services. 55 business aircraft will be in a special 18,000 square meter static display.
Novelties of major brands such as Boeing Business Jets, Airbus Business Aviation, Embraer, Dassault, Honda Aircraft Company, Lufthansa Technik, Bombardier, Gulfstream will be unveiled in front of thousands of business leaders, government officials, manufacturers involved in every aspect of business aviation the commercial aviation industry, with the clear objective of satisfying the most demanding demands of the luxury industry, providing the best service with the highest excellence.


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Club Car has unveiled its new entry level utility vehicle, which is a new version of its existing Carryall line.
The Carryall 242 is replacing the Carryall 232. Club Car is marketing the vehicle to college and medical campuses, and some apartment complexes.
The improvements over the old model seem to be style and comfort related. There’s more leg room, its got a pedal start, more colors and more lighting options.
Kurt Meyer, Club Car commercial/industrial marketing manager, said the refinements come from customer feedback on the 232 model.
The light duty vehicle is useful for maintenance and landscaping employees.
Price tag? The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $6,071.
LAND FOR SALE: Club Car is selling some its land over by the manufacturing complex in Columbia County.
Club Car is moving its used golf car inventory and storage facility to the main plant on Washington Road and is selling 12 acres at 791 Industrial Park Drive in Evans, according to company spokesman Brian Formato.
Formato said the move should promote efficiency in streamlined operations.
The building is about 13,000 square feet. The asking price that I’ve seen is $1.3 million.
TIRES: The used car dealership at the corner of Washington Road and Bobby Jones Expressway has been leveled. The land at 3869 Washington Road is being converted to a tire store.
Discount Tire is building a new 7,000 square foot store there, according to company spokeswoman Kendra States.
It should open in December.
Discount Tire currently owns more than 800 stores across the country, and there are several stores in the Atlanta and Columbia.
MORE GOLD: Yes, a Windsor Jewelers’ We Buy Gold location is coming to the intersection of Wrightsboro and Marks Church roads.
PORK CHOPS NOW BULLCHICKS: The restaurant that was the former home of Pork Chops and Carl’s Best BBQ on East Martintown Road in North Augusta is almost ready to be the second BullChicks in the metro area.
Ali Kassam, a representative from True Story Entertainment, BullChicks’ marketing and advertising agency, said the franchise owners are still getting permits and making it look like the restaurant chain. There’s no specified opening date, though.
This will be the second Texas-based BullChicks restaurant in the Augusta area. The first restaurant opened at 503 Highland Ave. in Augusta.


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Olympic heroine's hair hankers some
Published: Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Updated: Monday, March 25, 2013 11:03
The 2012 Olympics introduced the underdog tale of Gabrielle Douglas. An African-American gymnast, Douglas flipped and somersaulted her way into history at the summer games. She won gold medals in both the all-around and team competitions. Her vibrant smile graced news outlets nationwide, but as her fame grew, focus shifted from what was around her neck to what was on her head.
“Pink hair lotion should sign Gabby Douglas, if they fix that head they are miracle workers,” wrote twitter user @ItsKJLEE.
“Gabby Douglas hair looked a [GD] mess, I don’t care how you slice it and dice it,” wrote twitter user @FLYPersonified.
The 16 year-old brushed off the comments, but recently donned a sleek and smooth hairdo courtesy of celebrity stylist Ted Gibson. Still, the backhanded remarks did not cease.
“Gabby Douglas finally got her hair done!! It’s about time. Can’t go on Oprah with your hair a mess,” wrote Twitter user @Ariel_R_E_L.
The spectacle surrounding Douglas’ simple ponytail took precedence over her triumph.
Despite how far African-American women have come in society, natural hair – for some odd reason – continues to be an issue. In the case of Douglas and many other famous black women, success and credibility seem linked with their hair texture. Millions of black women suffer burns and hair loss for the sake of coiffed tresses.
On the surface, this issue is nothing more than an argument about what is and isn’t appropriate, but at its core, the racial connotations are glaring. To categorize hair texture – an emblem of African Americans – with trivial discussions such as whether pajamas or flip-flops are professional, belittles black culture.
N.C. Central University psychology sophomore Dante’ Johnson, who wore dreads in the past, sees natural hair as neither professional nor unprofessional.
“I think it’s just freedom from society,” said Johnson.
Johnson said the stigma mainly stems from slavery.
“If you can make a society forget about its history then you can create a new history,” said Johnson.
According to Ayana Bryd and Lori Tharps in their 2001 book “Hair Story,” African civilizations placed great significance on their crowning glory. Hair was used to denote rank, marital status and wealth among other aspects. It was also considered to have mystical abilities.
As the 15th century slave trade arose, Africans were stripped of their pride and identity. Harsh treatment amounted to tangled, damaged and disease ridden tresses. With the introduction of Madam C.J. Walker’s pioneering hair products, blacks were able to blend in with their European oppressors and achieve “good hair” – an ideal that still persists.
For accounting junior Ebony Watson good hair has nothing to do with its style.
“Good hair is healthy whether it’s bleached, cut, natural or permed,” said Watson.
Watson has been on her natural hair journey for two years and has received some negative reactions towards her kinky tresses. Several men have stated that they prefer straight hair while others have told her she’ll never get a job.
“I take it with a grain of salt. You either like it or you don’t,” said Watson.
Mass communication junior Jamila Johnson has experienced a smoother ride. After cutting her hair, or taking the “big chop,” she noticed that she received more compliments from men. Still, she feels that men’s perception of hair is narrow-minded.
“The way the media portrays women, men feel like they have to like women with straight, long hair,” said Johnson.
The scrutiny of Gabby Douglas along with Michelle Obama and Condoleezza Rice – to name a few – came largely from their own demographic.
“We are our own worst enemy. It’s been engrained in us from generation to generation that nappy hair is bad,” said Watson.
Despite the disapproval many women of color are finding their roots, so to speak.
Two months into her three-year hair journey, Chanel Laguna, a mass communication senior at NCCU, realized that her wild and curly hair had more to do with empowerment than appearance.
“Becoming natural is like taking off a mask that society wants you to wear,” said Laguna.
Altering one’s hair is not necessarily a condemnable act. The strands that adorn a person’s head are a versatile tool for self-expression.
When the reason for change is caused by shame rather than expression, and a young girl’s hair sours her glory, society must reconsider its definition of beauty and the lingering effects of racial intolerance.


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After Cyberpunk 2077 debuted to the world and set off a trash fire of rage and disappointment, the clock starting ticking. Many wondered when that anger would manifest itself into a lawsuit to take the game’s publisher, CD Projekt Red, to court. It happened on Christmas Eve.
On Thursday, the Rosen Law Firm filed a class action lawsuit in the central California district court on behalf of investor Andrew Trampe and others who bought CDPR securities—for example, stock—between Jan. 16 and Dec. 17 of this year. The company, joint CEO Adam Kicinski, CFO Piotr Nielubowicz, and vice president of business development Michał Nowakowski are all named as defendants. The firm alleges that the company either willfully omitted information and lied about the game’s development or acted with “reckless disregard for the truth,” which consequently inflated the market price of those securities.
These sorts of falsehoods all came to light when the game was finally launched on Dec. 10. Over the next few days, some players began to realize that the game they had waited years for was basically unplayable, and the company’s stock plunged. As of this week, CDPR shares had dropped by 42% since their close on Dec. 4, according to Barron’s.
The unfolding of this disaster ultimately damaged CDPR’s investors, the Rosen Law Firm argues.
“Had Plaintiff and the other members of the Class been aware that the market price [...] had been artificially and falsely inflated by the Company’s and the Individual Defendants’ misleading statements [...], they would not have purchased the Company’s securities at the artificially inflated prices that they did, or at all,” the firm wrote in its court filing.
The lawsuit includes a long list of statements about the game’s development and launch from the company, which knowing what we know now, look pretty bad. According to the suit, the lies began on Jan. 16, when CDPR released a statement announcing that Cyberpunk 2077 was “complete and playable.” However, the release date would be moved from April 17 to Sept. 7 because the company “needed more time to finish playtesting, fixing and polishing.”
This was the first of many delays announced by the company. On Sept. 4, the suit cites a conference call where Kicinski stated that the company was preparing for final certification and that it was “very close.” On that call, Kicinski stated that the company was planning to launch the game on Nov. 19—another delay.
“[T]he current version, which will be released in November, will be playable from the beginning when next-gen consoles are released,” Kicinski said, per the suit. “[Y]ou will be able to play the current-gen version on next-gen from day 1.”
Again, he was wrong on the release date.
In hindsight, the craziest declarations probably came on a Nov. 25 call. Per the suit, with two weeks left to go until the game’s release, Kicinski said that the company believed “the game is performing great on every platform.” When asked about bugs, Kicinski acknowledged that there were some, but they were minimal enough not to get noticed by players.
As we all know, Kicinski would end up being wrong again—a point that was hammered home on a conference call in the days following Cyberpunk 2077’s release where Kicinski said the current-generation console versions of the game were way below the company’s expectations.
“After 3 delays, we as the Management Board were too focused on releasing the game. We underestimated the scale and complexity of the issues,” Kicinski said, according to the suit. “It was the wrong approach and against our business philosophy.”
The class action, which the suit states could have hundreds or thousands of affected parties, has not yet been certified, the Rosen Law Firm said in a press release. The firm is asking the court to approve the class action and is asking people who are interested in joining to contact it.
Gizmodo has reached out to CDPR and the Rosen Law Firm for a comment on the case. We’ll make sure to update this post if we hear back.
Since its release, Cyberpunk 2077 and CDPR have been tumbling from grace. Sony pulled the game from its online store and is offering full refunds to anyone who bought it via its store. Microsoft is offering refunds of its own. To its credit, CDPR has apologized and also came out and said it will refund unhappy players. Ironically, CDPR is back to its old habits, promising quick fixes and improvements to its busted product by a particular date.
“[W]e will fix bugs and crashes, and improve the overall experience,” the company said in a Twitter statement on Dec. 14. “The first round of updates has just been released and the next one is coming within the next 7 days. Expect more, as we will update frequently whenever new improvements are ready. After the holidays, we’ll continue working—we’ll release two large patches starting with Patch #1 in January. This will be followed by Patch #2 in February.”
Since that statement, the company has been releasing fixes. Yet, there’s still time left before the purported release of Patch #1 and Patch #2. We’ll see if the company keeps its word this time.
Update 12/27/2020, 1:00 p.m. ET: This post has been updated to clarify that some, but not all, players considered Cyberpunk 2077 unplayable. We have also clarified the sentence after Adam Kicinski’s Sept. 4 comment. That sentence referred to the announced Nov. 19 release date.


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The first teaser trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 also included a secret message about The Witcher 3. These secret message was uncovered by the eagle eyes at NeoGAF.
“We are about to reveal our other project which is much closer to being completed, and it will also be a fully open world game with an intense story,” read the message. “You can probably guess the game we’re talking about. On the 5th February, it will all be clear.”
CD Projekt Red has confirmed that it is working on two major project right now, one releasing in 2014 and the other releasing 2015. While the company has not formally announced The Witcher 3, everyone expects that they will continue their popular fantasy RPG series.


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Official Audi RS5 Images and DetailsAudi is out the change the game, of course, with the new RS5. So, let’s take a look at the specifications that have been taken from the “accidentally leaked” brochure of the upcoming Ingolstadt warrior. The wide-bodied two door is anticipated to sport a modified version of the V8 of the now defunct RS4. So, the car will be powered by a 4.2L V8 pushing out approximately 450HP – a full 30HP over the B7 RS4 and the V8 model of the R8 sportscar – coincidentally, about 30 horsepower over the 4.0L V8 of the M3.
This boosted power figure, in part, has been created by the two enormous air boxes sitting just behind the front air dam. In terms of a redline, the RS5 runs out of juice at 8,200 RPMs and is regulated by a dual clutch transmission with 7 forward gears. Rumor has it that the RS5 will not have the option for a traditional 6-speed manual – though this has yet to be confirmed.


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Minnesotans started more new businesses in 2012 than all but one year in the state's history. Filings in 2012 of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited liability partnerships and nonprofit corporations were up 18 percent on the year, the secretary of state's office reported Tuesday.Now, to be fair, these are 2012 numbers and it could be as simply as the unemployed centuring out on their own. 2009, in the deepest of the Great recession, was another major uptick. But the point is still valid, if folks thought the business climate was going to be as hostile as some would like you to believe, we wouldn't be seeing these numbers.
The new Lege has their hands full, and a rebounding economy will give them a surge in revenues without modifying the tax code. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about what lies ahead.


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Spinnaker creates social campaign for Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce
Spinnaker has created a social media campaign for Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce.
The agency was appointed last month and briefed to create social media activity around the brand's first ever TV commercial, which has been created by JWT in conjunction with Aardman, and airs for the first time tomorrow.
Spinnaker’s activity includes building anticipation ahead of the TV ad's launch by using Facebook and Twitter to drive views of the ad on YouTube and encourage online seeding.
Social media activity will then continue throughout the summer and into the BBQ season. A Facebook app, created by Spinnaker, launches on 4 May and will give fans the chance to win a BBQ and music goodies including an acoustic guitar.
Shah Khan, Levi Roots' marketing manager, said: “Spinnaker has added real value to our digital offering - we are delighted that our TV ad has already been viewed in excess of 60,000 times on YouTube, and excited to see how the app drives Facebook engagement when it launches at the end of the week.”
Sophie Crossley, senior account director at Spinnaker, added: “Levi Roots is a fantastic brand to work on and the Aardman creative has given us some great content for online.
"The app mechanic ensures that it will have wide reach, aligning Reggae Reggae Sauce to BBQ season and encouraging participants to tell all their friends.”


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R&B singer Tyrese Gibson recently got the boot from a Delaware radio station after voicing his opinion about liquor stores in the inner city.
According to Delaware Online, Gibson appeared on Wilmington’s WJKS (KISS) 101.7 FM to promote his new album. He explained that he had just visited East Side Charter School in the city and was displeased that there were liquor stores close to the institution.
“Get them cats out of here selling alcohol right across from your kid’ school,” Gibson said on-air. “Y’all know how to put pressure on cats selling in your hood.”
The station’s manager Tony Quartarone was out of the office, but was listening to the broadcast. He said he thought the singer’s tone sounded condescending and had him removed off the show during a commercial break.
“These liquor stores got zoning from somebody and a liquor license,” Quartarone told Delaware Online. “If these liquor stores have been there for years and parents haven’t done anything about it, I don’t expect him to be a politician and talk down to my audience that it’s up to them to stop this from happening.”
Quartarone added that the singer was trying to rile everyone up before he mentioned his book deal and appearance at a local university, which was not approved before the show.
Shortly after Gibson was removed from the show, the singer Tweeted about the incident, which later spawned a string of national news stories.
Quartarone said Gibson’s music will not receive any airplay until he receives an apology. But the singer told gossip site TMZ that he didn’t care if his music was taken out of rotation.
Yourblackworld.com commentator Dr. Boyce Watkins sided with Gibson on a recent post and called for the station’s closure.
“Unfortunately, too many famous Black men are enslaved by the corporate machine and made to believe that ignorance is the key to success,” Watkins wrote. “Let’s go shut down these liquor stores, and I’d love to see an end to WJKS.”


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The Huawei Nova 5T is all set to launch in Malaysia tomorrow, August 27 and the company has also announced that it’s launching the new Nova phones in the Philippines on August 29. Ahead of the official launch, it made a brief appearance at the KL Fashion Week 2019. The smartphone comes with quad cameras at the back and will be available in three gradient color options of Blue, Purple and Green. Here is all you need to know about the upcoming Huawei phone.
Huawei Nova 5T specifications and features (expected)
The Nova 5T was spotted on Google Enterprise listing, which did reveal some crucial details. But the latest report has some contradicting specifications. The Nova 5T will come with a 6.39-inch display with a dewdrop style notch. It will likely be a FHD+ panel with 2340 x 1080pixels resolution. The smartphone will draw its power from a 7nm Kirin 810 SoC, which will be paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. An expandable storage option using microSD card up to 256GB is also likely to be in tow.
The highlight of the Nova 5T will be its quad-camera setup at the back. This will include a 48-megapixel (f/1.8) primary snapper. There will be a 16-megapixel (f/2.2) wide-angle secondary lens, a 2-megapixel (f/2.4) macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Upfront, a 32-megapixel selfie snapper is likely to be present. On the software front, it will run Android Pie wrapped under EMUI 9 skin.


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By Madison Fisler Lewis
Nov. 21, 2014. Last night, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a special Business After Hours event at the Blue Ridge ArtSpace in Boone. At this month’s meeting, aside from the live music provided by Almost High Standards, food provided by Red Onion, artist demonstrations and the awesome giveaways, the organization announced Boone Bike and Touring and U.S. Buildings as the winners of this year’s Business of the Year Award.
Each year, the chamber of commerce seeks nominations from the community to consider for recognition of outstanding local businesses. This year, there were so many submissions that the committee decided to give out two awards, one to a large businesss and one to a small business.
The winners were chosen based on the following criteria:
- Staying power
- Growth and number of employees
- Increase in sales and unit volume
- Innovations of products or services offered
- Response to adversity
- Evidence of contributions by nominee to community oriented projects through the use of employee time or resources
- Use of local resources
“For 35 years, people have enjoyed the selection and service of Boone Bike and Touring,” said Dan Meyer, president and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
“November 2014 marks the Browns’ 10 year anniversary as Boone Bike’s shopkeepers…Congratulations to Shaw and Sarah Brown of Boone Bike and Touring – 2014 Watauga Business of the Year, sponsored by the Watauga Economic Development Commission. Homegrown is always better!”
In addition to the Business of the Year award, another business was awarded the Large Watauga Business of the Year award, which is awarded to a homegrown company which has expanded to national prominence.
“Who would have thought that a young ASU student who operated a sub shop could rise to the top?” Meyer said. “As a sophomore, he opened Yogi’s Sub Shop which operated for 14 years- selling it and then moving to the next logical step – a steel building manufacturing!”
U.S. Buildings has expanded into multiple companies including U.S. Buildings (manufacturing steel arch buildings), U.S. Chemical Storage (manufacturing safety compliant and explosive storage facilities), Commercial Real Estate, Elephant Structures (straight wall garage, barn and commercial buildings), Harmony Timberworks (dedicated to award-winning mortise and tenon manufacturing, design and construction) and U.S. Safe Rooms (above and below ground tornado shelters, bunkers and community shelters).
“Tommy Sofield has come a long way since Yogi’s Sub Shop!” said Meyer. “The Sofeilds are active members of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church and huge supporters of ASU athletics – remember the Sofield Indoor Practice Facility? Congratulations to Tommy and Debbie Sofield and family for their leadership in manufacturing in the High Country – winners of the 2014 Watauga Business of the Year Award, sponsored by the Watauga Economic Development Commission.
Photos by Ken Ketchie
Boone Bike and Touring


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Digitally Influenced Spending to Reach $4 tn by 2022: BCG
According to Boston Consulting Group, the spending on digitally influenced markets will reach upto $4 tn by 2022.
The value of digitally influenced spending in emerging markets will approach $4 trillion by 2022, amounting to about 50 percent of all retail spending in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. But the dynamics will vary widely between markets, requiring B2C companies to ‘de-average’ their offerings in order to succeed, according to a report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) that is being presented today at the World Economic Forum. The report is titled Digital Consumers, Emerging Markets and the $4 trillion future.
Half of the population in emerging markets worldwide is now connected to the internet, the report says—a stunning increase from 2010, when fewer than a quarter of those in emerging markets were online. In addition, by 2022, nearly 900 million more emerging-market consumers will be online, versus just 80 million new internet users in developed markets. That means that more than 90 percent of all internet newcomers during the next four years will be from emerging markets.
Smartphone penetration doubled in emerging markets between 2013 and 2017, from 22 percent to 44 percent, and smartphones are the preferred way for people in these markets to access the internet. The report was led by BCG’s Center for Customer Insights (CCI) and is based on a survey of more than 15,000 urban internet users in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, the Philippines, and South Africa.
“Emerging markets are on the brink of a major digital revolution,” said Nimisha Jain, a BCG partner in New Delhi, who leads CCI in emerging markets. “The share of digitally influenced retail in total retail spending will surge from 33 percent in 2017 to 47 percent by 2022. There are major differences across emerging markets, however—and in order to succeed in those markets, B2C companies will have to approach each one differently.”
China is leading other emerging-market countries in internet usage, with 20 percent of its retail sales already coming from e-commerce. But e-commerce is advancing in other emerging economies, too. Overall, e-commerce in emerging markets will grow from about 15 percent of all retail sales in 2017 to 20 percent of all retail sales in 2022. The online portion of retail in China already exceeds that of the UK (16 percent), the United States (13 percent), and Germany and France (11 percent each).


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Sacrebleu: Armed robbers hit Paris Apple Store13
According to police, the four crooks left the scene of the crime driving a van in which they carted away their take consisting of Apple iPhones, Apple iPads and Macs. The quartet overpowered a security guard and left the janitor "slightly injured" during the commission of the crime ,which took 40 minutes to complete. The robbers avoided display items and instead, went for boxed devices. The theft took place at 9pm local time, three hours after the store had closed for the night.


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Aiken, SC (WJBF)- Because Augusta can’t always handle the tens of thousands who visit for the Masters, patrons frequently stay in towns outside of the Garden City.
Hotel Aiken has been in business for 118 years, and it has Masters to thank.
“If we didn’t have Masters week, I mean it would be tough to survive all year,” said Paul Volz, the hotel’s general manager.
Aiken, SC, a sleepy hamlet of around 30,00 is known for its equestrian events, but it gets a huge economic boost from the Masters every year.
Volz attributes the extra business in Aiken to the traffic in Augusta.
As Masters week overwhelms the city of Augusta every year, many travelers find it more convenient to stay in smaller towns nearby such as Aiken.
“It’s just outside of Augusta, so when we’re finished with the tournament, come back, we can relax, we can get back to hotel quick,” said Hotel Aiken guest Tom Guilfoil.
Another thing guests love about staying in Aiken is that it’s easy to get to bars and restaurants without the hassle you might experience in Augusta.
“They can still go out to the restaurants, they can still get in at night,” said Volz. “Wheras Augusta’s a little tougher.”
Patrons aren’t the only ones benefitting.
“We can pull in 18 to 20 thousand dollars a day during Masters week so it’s a huge difference,” said Volz.
Guests are are also able to enjoy a new locale that they might not have been their original destination.
“It’s a nice little town and the hotel’s a great little place,” Guilfoil said.
As Augusta’s economy welcomes tens of thousands, towns miles away are also feeling the impact.
“We always have a strong Masters crowd,” Volz said. “It’s always a big money maker for us.”


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To the Editor:
''G.M. Displays the Impact, an Advanced Electric Car'' (Business Day, Jan. 4) reminds me, I am sorry to say, of similar recent events.
In the late 1970's, the General Motors Corporation announced, with great fanfare, it would produce 100,000 electric cars by 1984. This turned out to be somewhat misleading. I was then editor of EV Focus, the leading international newsletter on electric cars and trucks. Most of the electric vehicle companies I wrote about have gone bankrupt because few consumers will buy battery-powered vehicles when petroleum is available at a relatively low price.
No manufacturer will build an electric road car until a market exists for a limited-range, expensive vehicle. The only way to make the electric car competitive with vehicles in use today is to find a vastly improved electric storage medium. This is unlikely.
Lead-acid batteries, which have been around more than 100 years, have been improved only marginally despite enormous expenditures of time and money all over the world. Lead batteries are heavy, filled with corrosive acid, require slow charging and have power densities ridiculously small compared with gasoline.
Short-range electric trucks and buses make much greater economic sense than passenger vehicles. They can compete for stop-and-go runs of less than 50 miles a day. But they will come into being in the United States only when political leaders create markets for them - as is being done in a few, better managed parts of the world.
CYRUS A. ADLER
New York, Jan. 6, 1990Continue reading the main story


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After you stuff yourself with turkey and stuffing and pie and more, walk it off by heading to the mall.
Or catch a nap to the sounds of the Thursday night NFL game, and then head to the mall.
Whatever you decide, know that North Point Mall in Alpharetta is open for business on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, with sales galore.
READ: New roundabout in north Fulton now fully operational
READ: ‘Elf’ musical coming to North Fulton in December
According to the mall’s website, most stores open on Thanksgiving at 6 p.m. All stores will then close at midnight and some will reopen at 6 a.m. on Friday. That’s when you can catch another nap.
Some bigger anchor stores will open earlier on Thanksgiving. Macy’s will open at 5 p.m. and JCPenney will open at 2 p.m.
A few stores won’t be open on Thanksgiving though. They include American Girl, Ann Taylor, AT&T, Aveda, bareMinerals, The Cheesecake Factory, Chick-Fil-A, Dillard’s, Famous Footwear, Forever 21, GNC, J. Crew, Master Jewelers, Mayors, Merle Norman, Mori Luggage & Gifts, Peek, Regis Salon, Sleep Number, Test American, Toni & Guy, and Von Maur.
For the complete listing of hours, visit northpointmall.com.
Like North Fulton County News Now on Facebook and follow on Twitter
MORE LOCAL NEWS...
The 200,000-square foot building is under construction and is slated to open in March 2018.


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Although pharmaceuticals are the main treatment route, medical devices are needed to fight the disease on a new level.
The need is growing for life-saving treatments.
In the quest for faster, more accurate results, these products will have a tremendous impact on diagnosing infectious diseases.
Changes in financial reporting can be an annual disruption for medical device companies. But the impact of recent changes to financial accounting standards is likely the most sweeping since the passage of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002.
Access to the IVD market in China is lengthy and complicated.
When applicable, the process provides novel products with a speedier route to market.
No longer just the domain of bitcoin pundits and tech cowboys, blockchain technology has very real implications for the healthcare ecosystem—if we’re willing to give it a go.
Although healthcare industry tends to be slow to adopt new technologies, device companies should seriously consider the potential of blockchain.
The president’s tariffs on imports, especially steel and aluminum, could increase input production costs, making products more expensive.
The agency wants to make sure that all patients receive information about the risks of the female contraception device prior to implantation.


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The United States’ Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has recently won a major victory against major bitcoin exchange Coinbase. The US government’s tax authority was able to successfully get a court order asking Coinbase to provide information (name, birth date, address and taxpayer identification number) for users who have accumulated transactions worth more than $20,000 on its platform between 2013 and 2015.
This means that the IRS can cross-reference user information with the tax returns filed by US taxpayers who purchased and sold bitcoins. The IRS currently treats bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies as “properties” which means gains (income) from the disposal of bitcoins should be taxed.
Given that many of their citizens have made huge amounts of money from bitcoin transactions, it is expected that governments would sooner or later take action in order to get what they perceive as the their fair share on this new found source of wealth.
Tax on bitcoin transactions
In many jurisdictions, bitcoin is not treated as currency. In Canada and Australia, bitcoin transactions that are done at market prices are considered as barter exchanges. However, a new legislation in Australia aims to remove the “double” imposition of sales tax on cryptocurrency transactions – first when buying the cryptocurrencies then later when using it to buy goods and services. Canada currently requires reporting of capital gains and losses on bitcoin and other virtual currency transactions in their tax returns.
In Japan, bitcoins are considered a special type of asset and bitcoin transactions resulting to gains are subject to capital gains tax.
Potential tax on bitcoin transactions
The Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has not yet issued clear guidelines on the tax treatment of bitcoin transactions. However, it is clearly written in the internal revenue laws that any type of income earned by a Filipino citizen shall be taxed unless expressly exempted.
Given the government’s ambitious infrastructure program that requires massive funding, the BIR may sooner or later run after taxpayers who made money from bitcoin-related activities. This may cover profit generated from bitcoin speculation and mining. The BIR may also require local bitcoin exchanges to provide the information about their users just like what the IRS did in the US.
The tax that may potentially be collected by the BIR depends on how it will classify bitcoins. If bitcoins are classified as properties, then capital gains tax may be imposed on bitcoin transactions. If bitcoin transactions are taxed similarly as stocks, a fixed percentage tax may also be imposed. Income from bitcoin (or other cryptocurrency) mining can also be subject to regular income tax and other business taxes.
Just like the IRS, the BIR must find ways to monitor bitcoin-related transactions and they can do so with the help of local bitcoin exchanges. Legal challenges would undoubtedly happen. Given the backlog in the local courts, it may take time before we see a resolution on how bitcoin and other cryptocurrency transactions will be taxed.


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Salesfloor E-Commerce Platform Raised a $3 Million in Seed Funding
Salesfloor the e-commerce platform closed $3 million seed fund, led by BDC Capital IT Venture Fund and two London-based angel investors Jamie True and Jon Claydon. Salesfloor will use the fund to enter global market.
The company created a platform that enable associates in retail ecommerce site to fully personalize their online store. Up to now, ecommerce site only provide a little personalized service. Salesfloor provide a customization in a Saas (software-as-a-service) platform for retail web stores to create their personalized storefront.
Salesfloor CEO Oscar Sachs told PE Hub Network regarding the technology ,"We call it People Powered Ecommerce." He further explained "We are redefining the role of today's retail associate so they can drive online business. That's how online shopping will grow to the next level and make retail jobs more exciting and rewarding than ever. "
Up to now, Salesfloor has been used by some of the big retailers such as Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Stuart Weitzman and Harry Rosen. Even Toys "R" Us uses Salesfloor in its desktop and mobile products to create a unique environment for its shoppers. It is reported that with Salesfloor, retailers experienced a ten times increase in conversions and a 75% surge in average order value (AOV).
Saks Senior Vice President Digital Retail Joe Milano told Business Wire regarding the improvement it has with the customers service, "Today's all-channel customer wants a high level of service, regardless of channel." Saks is one of prominent client of Salesfloor and mr. Milano said, "Salesfloor helped us address that opportunity and our associates are seeing real success."
On Tuesday, BDC Capital IT Venture Fund and two London-based angels Jamie True and Jon Claydon raised a $3 million seed fund to Salesfloor. Jamie True is the founder of Work Angel Technology, a social network platform for companies that integrate all communications within the companies in one place. While Jon Claydon is the chairman of Work Angel Technology, and also chairman in Havas Work Club, a digital marketing agency and YunoJuno, a freelancer talent platform and marketplace.
Venture Beat reported that the investment will be used to enhance the product, penetrate the global market and hires aces for its team. Product enhancement will be done by developing new features and module that cater specific industry needs.
In order to prepare the company to enter global market, Salesfloor hired Alistair Crane as Chief Revenue Officer, and leading the company's global sales. He was a former Chief Sales Officer of Monitise, the London-based online payment service provider.
With the $3 million seed funding from BDC Capital IT Venture Fund and two angel investors, Salesforce prepares to enter the global market. The company has also formulated its global sales team and hiring a new leader for leading the team.


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Microsoft’s next budget smartphone effort can’t be too far off, after a picture of the rumoured device leaked alongside some pretty informative specifications last week.
Coming in a step behind the recently announced Lumia 535, don’t expect the 435 to blow you away on the technical side of things, however if you’re after a lower cost handset then it could be ideal.
On the specs front we find a Snapdragon 200 chipset, 5 megapixel camera and a 4” WVGA display, giving the 435 a budget feel as expected.
There will be a dual-sim variant of the device, something which is markedly more popular in foreign markets, like India and other Asian countries.
Don’t expect to see any break out specs sneak into the handset, with a dual-core processor and 4GB storage expected to fit the bill.
MicroSD card support is also expected, meaning that you won’t be forced into using the limited internal storage.
A BV-5J battery is exclusively featuring in the Lumia 435, the battery is also reportedly in testing in India, meaning that the handset itself will also be in testing there as well.
There’s no word on the possibility of a front camera, which could mean that one is still being decided upon, or that one isn’t included at all.
4G won’t be included for sure, whilst the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system is expected to feature, with a rumoured release of the next system not coming until later on in 2015.
The Lumia 435 itself won’t be hitting the market until early on in 2015, possibly with an MWC release for western markets.
This would follow up the trend of Nokia and Microsoft’s budget offerings from last year’s event in Barcelona, where we saw the now discontinued Nokia X along with several other cheaper devices.
On a financial front, you can expect the Lumia 435 to price up at just £40 sim-free, with contract deals probably avoided altogether.
Retailers may offer the handset with a sim-only plan to make monthly deals worthwhile, but it’s likely that most consumers will purchase the Microsoft device on a pay as you go basis.
Microsoft has several smartphones on the horizon for next year, with follow-up devices like the Lumia 1030, 940 and 840 all set to appear over the course of 2015.
The Windows 10 operating system is also expected next year, offering a joint experience with all of its devices, whilst a design change isn’t off the cards either.
Of course all of this information has come from a leak, meaning it might not be correct. But with handsets like this, leaks are few and far between, so it’s unlikely to be wind up.
Written by Luke Hatfield


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Check Point, one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the world, had recently conducted research using ‘Game of Thrones’ phishing sites, explaining how to avoid phishing scams.
While there have been many such deceptions, from malware via pirate torrent sites to phishing scams, Check Point Research recently came across the latest in this line of malicious activities bent on taking advantage of unsuspecting fans. Below is an example of such a site that uses the official branding of ‘Game of Thrones’ that poses a legitimate competition for fans to win a special gift pack of GoT merchandise. There is, however, no such prize and the site instead collects as many emails and mobile phone details as possible that could possibly be used in the future spamming campaign.
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New Jersey Gambling License Renewal Deadline Approaching [...]
Three Casinos Approved for Online Poker in Pennsylvania
- August 20, 2018 By Oliver Young -
Last week, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) officially announced that three licensees have been approved to offer online poker in the state, over a year after the first online gambling bill was passed in the State Senate. Following a months-long application window that began in the middle of April this year and initially seemed to draw little interest, the first three out of nine applicants for online gambling licenses have been approved, and more are expected to be given a green light in the upcoming months.
Early Birds Get the Worm
According to the official update from the PGCB, the three approved operators were Mount Airy Resort Casino, Harrah’s Casino Philadelphia, and Parx Casino. Having received a licensing approval, the operators will now be able to provide not only online poker but also table games and slot machines for online gameplay. However, an official date as to when the casinos will begin offering online poker rooms is yet to be revealed.
As the PGCB regulations state, any approved operator will not be able to keep its licenses dormant. The regulations clearly indicate that any licensed operator will have to begin operating on a date established by the PGCB, unless an extension is granted based on exhibited “good cause”. Such an extension could delay the launch up to 12 months from the original given date. Failure to comply to these rules could lead to a license suspension or sanctions by the Board.
With the big money invested in each license, industry experts believe that the approved operators already have plans in place as to how they will use their licenses. News reports speculate that Harrah’s online poker room will likely be associated with 888/WSOP while Mount Airy has already announced its partnership with the Stars Group’s PokerStars brand. As for Parx, the casino has chosen GAN to help it set up its online slot and table games operations but no information is available as to who will help it realize its online poker license.
Millions Spent for Licenses
Each operator that applied for all three licenses in Pennsylvania (slots, poker, and table games) had to pay a total of $10 million in fees. By the official deadline, July 16th 2018, a total of nine operators had submitted their applications, the other six being Hollywood Casino, Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Rivers Casino, Sugarhouse Casino, Live! Hotel and Casino Philadelphia, and Valley Forge Casino Resort.
The three remaining casinos in Pennsylvania can still apply for a license but they will have to pay $4 million for each, rounding up to a more expensive total of $12 million for all three licenses. When the fees were first announced, concerns were voiced as to whether operators will be interested considering the price asked by the state was quite steep. The 54% tax rate on online slot games was particularly concerning, since that’s the same amount asked from land-based casinos who have other ways of generating revenue like shops or restaurants, which online casinos lack.
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Xiaomi has launched Redmi K50i 5G and Redmi Buds 3 Lite in India. The Redmi K50i handset will be available for sale across online and offline stores (including Mi.com and Amazon.in) from July 23, and the Redmi Buds 3 Lite will be up from July 30.
The Redmi K50i 5G smartphone is packed with MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset, 144Hz FFS AdaptiveSync Display, 67W Turbocharge and a triple camera set-up. The 6.6-inch handset comes with a 64MP main sensor, backed by an 8MP ultrawide sensor. It comes in three colour variants: Quick Silver, Stealth Black, and Phantom Blue. Redmi K50i 5G comes in two configurations: 6GB RAM coupled with 128GB storage (priced at ₹25,999) and 8GB RAM coupled with 256GB storage (priced at ₹28,999).
The company unveiled its Redmi Buds 3 Lite, priced at ₹1,999. It comes with Advanced Bluetooth 5.2, a 6mm dynamic driver, a USB Type C connectivity and environmental noise cancellation (ENC). According to the company, both buds and the case have LED indicators showcasing connectivity and battery status.


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Havana, May 8 (RHC-PL)-- Cuba's forthcoming 11th International Eco Tourism Seminar (TURNAT) in the province of Holguín, will provide an ideal opportunity for industry experts and professionals to exchange views and to promote Cuba as an attractive destination.
The biennial gathering will take place from September 26-30 2017. Holguin, in the eastern region of Cuba and other provinces nationwide, are increasingly focused on a viable and sustainable eco tourism model, based on environmental protection and conservation.
Nature, adventure and rural tourism, are modalities that make a considerable contribution to the travel industry, both in Cuba and other countries.
It is a growing sector on the Caribbean island that the TURNAT events highlight, including the endeavors of the Ecotur Travel Agency that specializes in the field.
Cuba has a comprehensive National System of Protected Areas (SNAP) that control tourism developments in important national and local areas and so-called Special Regions for Sustainable Development, that include 77 National Protected Areas and 134 Local Areas as the result of a program that will continue until 2020.
Initially an annual event, TURNAT now is held every two years at a different location to promote Cuba's stunning natural beauty.
- RHC's Arts Roundup
- Cuba ratifies its unwavering support for Nicaragua
- Cuba renews its solidarity with Nicaragua
- RHC's Caribbean Outlook Show
- Cuban lawmakers studying draft of new Constitution
- Machado Ventura: Unity among the left and progressive forces is urgently needed these days
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Latest Ticket News
Ticket Update For Blackpool Home Game20 March 2023
Tickets for the upcoming home game against Blackpool are no longer limited to one per account.
Ticket Details For Queens Park Rangers Confirmed16 March 2023
Tickets for the upcoming away game against Queens Park Rangers will go on sale at 9am on Friday 17th March.
Tickets On General Sale For Gentry Day At Middlesbrough16 March 2023
Tickets for our Gentry Day trip to Middlesbrough are now on general sale.


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Stay informed of breaking news throughout your day with senior editor John Wordock of The Wall Street Journal. Listen to critical news and engaging interviews, featuring executives, economists and notable WSJ editors discuss business, markets, politics and more.
May 16th, 2016
Episode 488 of 1266 episodes
Housing starts, home sales and Fed minutes are on this week's economic calendar. But Diane Swonk of DS Economics says the key report could be the April consumer price index, which could rise enough to adjust the Fed's thinking on inflation and the direction of interest rates.


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The latest news from academia, regulators
research labs and other things of interest
Posted: September 29, 2008
Energy-Efficient 32nm and 28nm Systems-on-Chip Goal of Collaboration Between ARM, IBM, Chartered and Samsung
(Nanowerk News) IBM, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd., and ARM today announced they will develop a comprehensive 32 nanometer (nm) and 28nm Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs) design platform based on high-k metal-gate (HKMG) technology from the IBM-led joint-development alliance.
Under this multi-year collaboration, ARM will develop and license a design platform of physical intellectual property (IP) including logic, memory and interface products for the Common Platform technology alliance of IBM, Chartered and Samsung for distribution to their customers.
ARM also announced its intent to develop customized physical IP targeted at achieving optimal power, performance, and area for their current and future Cortex™ processor family leveraging the unique attributes of the Common Platform HKMG 32nm/28nm technology. The HKMG technology breaks down the historical barrier of scaling, allowing significant power and performance advantage by utilizing new material science innovations. This technology targets a broad range of embedded segments, including mobile, portable and consumer electronics.
The early parallel development work between ARM and the Common Platform alliance leverages their respective industry-leading expertise in processor IP, physical IP and technology development. This combination will facilitate design scaling and accelerate the market availability of next generation mobile devices with unmatched performance, outstanding battery life and reduced cost.
"Through this early engagement, we are creating the foundation for designing power efficient ARM SoCs for customers of the Common Platform," said Warren East, CEO, ARM . "By utilizing the strength of our advanced microprocessors, our leadership in Physical IP design and advanced technology supported by the Common Platform, customers can accelerate the release of products for electronic devices that service a broad range of consumer applications."
The Common Platform partners expect to continue to expand the eco-system in this collaborative initiative to include more members in the near future. These additional partners will expand the offering of EDA support, services and IP offerings to enable customers to accelerate their time to market on these advanced technologies.
"IBM remains convinced collaborative innovation in an open ecosystem of partners is the key to technology leadership, both now and in the years to come," said Mike Cadigan, general manager, Semiconductor Solutions, IBM. "Today's announcement with ARM extends that strategy to the next level, from IBM research through Common Platform manufacturing to the leading consumer application architecture. With the extensions of our agreements to the 32nm generation, IBM is working together with its alliance partners to deliver leading-edge technology that promises to dramatically change the way we live, work and play."
"Today, customers require a new level of ecosystem interdepency to address the complexity of total system solutions. ARM's collaboration with the Common Platform partners will drive a new level of optimized, power-efficient SoCs," said Chia Song Hwee, president & CEO of Chartered. "The Common Platform's joint development and ecosystem collaboration is the leading model for moving invention to open industry access."
"This collaboration provides our mutual customers with leading design solutions that combine our HKMG breakthroughs in 32nm process technology and ARM's optimized low-power, high-performance cores and libraries," said Dr. Chang Sik Choi, Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. "With high volume manufacturing in our Common Platform fabs, customers will benefit with time to volume advantages critical to success in the fast moving consumer electronics market."
About the Common Platform
IBM, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing and Samsung Electronics have forged a unique manufacturing collaboration featuring bulk CMOS 32nm, 45nm, 65nm and 90nm process technologies. By combining the expertise and research resources of all three companies and leveraging advances such as high-k metal gate technology, 193nm immersion lithography and ultralow-k dielectrics, the Common Platform™ technology collaboration is able to accelerate the availability of leading-edge technology to foundry customers. The Common Platform model is supported by a comprehensive design-enablement ecosystem, enabling foundry customers to easily source their chip designs to multiple 300-mm foundries with minimal design work and with unprecedented flexibility and choice.


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BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- China's consumer inflation eased further in April on falling food prices as the country fast-tracks restoration of economic activities, while factory-gate prices continued to be bogged down by epidemic-dented demand, official data showed Tuesday.
China's consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, grew 3.3 percent year on year last month, moderating from the 4.3-percent gain in March, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
On a monthly basis, consumer prices went down 0.9 percent. Food prices, which account for nearly one-third of weighting in China's CPI, dropped 3 percent last month.
In breakdown, vegetable prices fell 8 percent from March over rising supplies as the weather warms, and pork prices continued to retreat amid recovering hog production. Prices of the staple meat in China dropped 7.6 percent in April from a month earlier.
Compared with the same period last year, food prices remained the main driver of consumer inflation in April, while its growth rate tapered from March to 14.8 percent.
Excluding food and energy, the core CPI rose 1.1 percent over last year, down from 1.2 percent in March, according to Dong Lijuan, a senior statistician with the NBS.
Zhao Xijun, a finance professor with Renmin University of China, said the recovery of market supply under the stepped-up resumption of production and business activities helped moderate consumer inflation.
Smooth logistics, as well as reduced transportation costs due to falling oil prices, will also help keep prices down, said Zhao.
In the first four months of this year, CPI went up 4.5 percent year on year on average.
Tuesday's data also showed China's producer price index, which measures inflation at the factory gates, fell 3.1 percent year on year last month.
The reading deepened from the 1.5-percent drop in March, with price declines widening in major industries.
Aside from the epidemic's negative impact on demand, the rout in the global oil market and retreating commodities prices, which delivered big shocks to the industrial chain, were other key drivers for the price deflation.
Prices for oil and natural gas extraction saw the biggest drop last month, plunging 51.4 percent year on year, while those for the processing of oil, coal and other fuel went down 19.8 percent.
Wen Bin, chief analyst at China Minsheng Bank, said in a co-authored research note that the CPI will continue to retreat in the coming months to allow policymakers more leeway to stimulate the real economy as the focus should be tilted toward growth and employment.
Meanwhile, further efforts should be made to spur recovery on the demand side and boost business confidence as producer prices hinge on both domestic and external factors, he said.
China's central bank said in its first-quarter monetary policy report that despite short-term price disruptions caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, there was no foundation for persistent inflation or deflation in the country.
It vowed to step up counter-cyclical adjustments to support the real economy, make the prudent monetary policy more flexible and appropriate, and continue to deepen the reforms of the market-oriented interest rate and the yuan exchange rate formation system. Enditem


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Trex is now the world's largest manufacturer of alternative wood products.
The Washington Post reports the Winchester, Virginia-based company posted a 23 percent increase in sales over the past three months for a record $121.3 million. The company, started in 1996, offers faux-wood products sold in more than 6,700 stores around the world, including Lowe's and The Home Depot.
Trex Chairman and CEO Ronald Kaplan credits one reason for its success: A recovering economy that has unleashed pent-up demand for outdoor decks. He tells the Post a growing distributorship and new marketing campaign are also having an impact.
“One production line is installed and operational,” Kaplan said, while “others are in the pipeline.” Kaplan says he expects sales this quarter to hit $92 million.


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The Volkswagens are the vehicles the German automaker has been forced to buy back from customers following its diesel emissions scandal.
The Silverdome lost its main tenant when the Lions moved to Ford Field in 2002
the family of Canadian developer Andreas Apostolopoulos, bought the Silverdome in 2009 at auction from the City of Pontiac for $583,000.
A Volkswagen spokesman said Wednesday that the automaker is storing its repurchased diesels at sites across the country including the Silverdome. The plan is to keep the cars at those sites until a vehicle modification is available that could allow them to be resold. If such a modification isn't possible, the cars would then be sent out and recycled.


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"Mr. Toikkanen largely avoided calling the Nokia X device an Android device, instead introducing the phone as a device that is "able to run Android applications." Still, its operating system, which Nokia calls the "X Software Platform," is based on the Android open source code, although Nokia has modified the user interface to resemble that found on Microsoft's Windows Phone.Nokia Unveils Its First Android Phone - MarketWatch
Also, Nokia has opted out of Google's Android Compatibility Program, an initiative that gives Android phone makers access to Google's software services like the Play application store, Google Maps and the Drive cloud storage service. Instead, the Nokia X comes preinstalled with software developed by Nokia and Microsoft, including Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage, integration with Microsoft's Bing search engine, Skype, and Nokia's own HERE maps application."
Monday, February 24, 2014
Nokia Unveils Its First Android Phone - MarketWatch


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OLD Mission Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mylan (NASDAQ:MYL) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 5,070 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $215,000.
Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in shares of Mylan by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 791,463 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,828,000 after purchasing an additional 53,154 shares during the period. Hexavest Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mylan by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Hexavest Inc. now owns 1,435,251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,725,000 after purchasing an additional 23,353 shares during the period. AMP Capital Investors Ltd raised its stake in shares of Mylan by 82.0% during the 3rd quarter. AMP Capital Investors Ltd now owns 642,574 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,158,000 after purchasing an additional 289,485 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Mylan by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 30,921 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,309,000 after purchasing an additional 2,045 shares during the period. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP raised its stake in shares of Mylan by 90.0% during the 3rd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 57,136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,792,000 after purchasing an additional 27,071 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.51% of the company’s stock.
Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $34.00 target price on Mylan and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 30th. ValuEngine upgraded Mylan from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 1st. UBS set a $46.00 target price on Mylan and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 4th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on Mylan in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $59.00 target price for the company. Finally, BidaskClub upgraded Mylan from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 19th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.62.
Shares of Mylan stock opened at $41.73 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $21,481.84, a PE ratio of 9.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.35. Mylan has a fifty-two week low of $29.39 and a fifty-two week high of $47.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.
Mylan (NASDAQ:MYL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 28th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $3.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.29 billion. Mylan had a return on equity of 19.14% and a net margin of 5.84%. Mylan’s quarterly revenue was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. equities analysts predict that Mylan will post 5.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
In related news, Director Robert J. Coury sold 150,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.10, for a total transaction of $6,015,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Heather M. Bresch sold 75,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total value of $3,375,000.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 344,287 shares of company stock valued at $14,409,960 over the last 90 days. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Mylan N.V. is a global pharmaceutical company. The Company develops, licenses, manufactures, markets and distributes generic and branded generic products for resale by others; specialty pharmaceuticals, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). It operates through two segments: Generics and Specialty.
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MYL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mylan (NASDAQ:MYL).
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07 April 2017
Below are our top reads from the last seven days of industry news*. Every Friday we'll publish our picks from industry developments, stories and announcements right here so you can keep up to date with what's happening in payments here and overseas.
If you'd like to have our top reads emailed to you every Friday, let us know by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org
ACCC says ‘no’ to collective bargaining with Apple
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has made a final ruling and denied permission for four Australian banks to collectively bargain with Apple to allow iPhone users to make payments from their digital wallets, instead of Apple Pay. ACCC chairman Rod Sims said they were concerned the proposed move would likely "reduce or distort competition" in several markets.
ANZ rolling out voice payments
ANZ has announced that it will be introducing voice biometrics to their Australian customers from the middle of this year. The voice-activated payments system has been designed to improve security on mobile devices for higher value transactions. Their customers will be able to use their voice to authorise payments over $1,000 through the bank’s mobile apps.
RegTech driving FinTech innovation?
This article looks at what effect upcoming regulation in the UK and Europe could have on innovation and the banking industry. The second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) in Europe and Open Banking in the UK are both seeking to enable Fintech innovators while also regulating the sector.
WhatsApp moves from emojis to digital payments in India
WhatsApp is looking at offering Indian users the ability to pay through the popular mobile messaging app. Mobile payments have become increasingly popular in India after the government banned 500 and 1,000 rupee notes late last year. That, combined with the fact that about one fifth of all WhatsApp users live in India, makes the country a perfect testing ground for WhatsApp’s foray into digital payments.
Amazon cash for ‘unbanked’ customers
Amazon has introduced Amazon Cash in the US to appeal to the 27% of consumers who are paid in cash, don’t have a bank account or debit card, and who don’t use credit cards. Customers can add cash to their Amazon.com account by scanning a barcode at participating retailers. The new service has zero fees and will give these cash customers an option to purchase online goods.
Oxford researchers crack quantum cryptography for mobile payment security
Researchers at Oxford University have developed a system that uses quantum cryptography to encrypt and transmit payment information even more securely between a smartphone and the PoS payment terminal. In its simplest form, and like traditional cryptography, you need to have the secret key to decrypt the data. The system also monitors for hack attempts and if detected it shuts down communication between the mobile device and the payment terminal immediately.
*These articles cover a range of topics from broad payments industry news here and overseas. They do not represent the views of Payments NZ and are not endorsements.


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The company announced that in just over the last three years, they have paid more than $30 billion to creators, artists, and media companies.
YouTube chief business officer, Robert Kyncl stated that one thing he admired about creators is their incredible range of talents and skills.
"They’re storytellers, directors, editors, marketers, and entrepreneurs — all in one."
The YouTube Shorts Funds was launched on Tuesday with the promise of $100M funds to be distributed over 2021-2022. Every month, YouTube will reach out to thousands of eligible creators to claim a payment. From the fund, creators can make anywhere from $100 to $10,000 based on viewership and engagement on their Shorts. The Shorts Fund is the first step to the company’s journey to build a monetisation model for Shorts on YouTube and it is not limited to just creators in YPP. Check out all the details here.
Ads have been at the core of creators’ revenue streams, and continue to be the main way that creators can earn money on YouTube. Creators receive the majority of the revenue generated from ads on YouTube.
YouTube Premium is a paid subscription option that enables members to enjoy ad-free content, background playback, downloads, and premium access to the YouTube Music app. The majority of subscription revenue goes to YouTube partners.
With channel memberships, creators can offer exclusive perks and content to viewers who join their channel as monthly paying members at prices set by the creator.
Super Chat is a highlighted message in the chat stream that stands out from the crowd to get even more of their favorite creator’s attention for fans watching live streams and premieres.
Now viewers can give thanks and appreciation on uploaded videos as well through Super Thanks. As an added bonus, fans will get a distinct, colorful comment to highlight the purchase, which creators can respond to.
Another way followers can show support during live streams and Premieres is with Super Stickers, which allows fans to purchase a fun sticker that stands out.
The merch shelf allows channels to showcase their official branded merchandise right on their watch page on YouTube. Creators can choose from 30 different retailers globally.
Music fans can learn about upcoming concert listings and with a simple click, go directly to our ticketing partners’ sites to purchase tickets.
YouTube has been making it easier for creators and brands through YouTube BrandConnect (previously known as FameBit) to create branded content that is both authentic and effective. BrandConnect brings insights, measurement, and industry expertise to the influencer marketing landscape -- seamlessly connecting brands, creators, and fans.
Learn Africa plc formerly known as Longman Nigeria was established in 1961...LEARN MORE
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The first quarter of this year is proving to be a boom for China’s textile and apparel industry with exports increasing 43.8 per cent to reach $65.1 billion, reveals China Customs Statistics Express statistics. As per China Textile, though China reduced its export projection for the year due to the pandemic, apparel exports have registered strong growth owning to robust demand in markets such as the United States.
Apparel exports grow 42.1 per cent
Compared to March 2020, China’s apparel exports grew by 42.1 per cent to reach $9.25 billion in March 2021. However, compared to March 2019, this growth was restricted to 6.8 per cent. In the first two months of this year, China’s apparel exports to the US surged 35.3 per cent. Its market share rose nearly 7 percentage points year-on-year to 29.8 percent. Similarly, China’s apparel exports to Japan also increased by 22.3 per cent.
Textile export growth rate declines
Since March last year, China’s textile exports too have increased significantly; though the growth rate is lower than apparel exports. Textile exports have increased by 40.3 per cent year-on-year, however, their growth rate has declined to 8.4 per cent due to a decrease in international demand. These exports are expected to register larger year-on-year decline in the second quarter of this year. Apparel and textile capacities of developing countries are slowly being restored, though full recovery may take some time. The industry needs to be patient and explore new opportunities being presented to it.


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Prepaid cell phone info
YOKNAPATAWPHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
Investigating Officer(s): Det. S. Murphy. Det. T. Armstrong
Incident No.: 000229-12A-2018
Case Description: Veronica Smith Homicide
This ID number was traced to a Samsung SGH-t105g from the TracFone company, who sold the phone to the Walmart company.
Walmart officials identified Tupelo as the point of sale and provided a copy of the purchase receipt (right).


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Americans spent a whopping $52.4 billion over the weekend, setting a record during Black Friday. That’s a 16.4% jump from a year ago.
Overall, a record 226 million shoppers visited stores or online shopping sites from Thursday through Sunday, up from 212 million last year, according to a survey from retail industry trade group the National Retail Federation. The survey was conducted by online research firm BIGresearch.
Each of the top five retail websites saw double-digit gains in visitors versus last year, led by Amazon.com. Wal-Mart ranked second, followed by Best Buy, Target and Apple, comScore said.