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Caterpillar Inc. will shift from producing trucks in Mexico in conjunction with Navistar and build them independently at Caterpillar's facility in Victoria, Texas. That's bringing jobs back to the United States, even if it is simply hopping across the border from Mexico to Texas.
Caterpillar will add 200 jobs to build the on-road dump trucks that it's produced with Navistar since 2011 in a plant that opened in 2012 to assemble excavators built in Japan, according to the Wall Street Journal.
"The Navistar-built, Caterpillar-branded trucks haven't been a big hit with truck buyers," noted WSJ. "Sales have averaged about 1,000 trucks annually for the past three years."
Caterpillar looks to expand sales by taking on the production duties, itself. The company looks to convert Caterpillar's construction-equipment customers into truck buyers with better customer service and faster production of trucks, stated the Journal.
The new Caterpillar trucks (production will start in 2016) will continue to use Navistar engines.


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It seems like Under Armour is taking over the sports world. Sure, they have a ways to go yet to be synonymous with Nike, but they’ve been stockpiling a horde of star athletes and teams under their brand over the last few years that is quite impressive.
Just take a look at a list of all the times we talk about them on this site:\
Last month we told you about Tom Brady using Under Armour sleepwear to help him rest and recover and keep his GOAT QB body in top notch shape.
Their biggest signing came a few years ago when they won the endorsement of Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. At the time of the signing, Curry wasn’t quite the MVP he became in the few years since, and it was and continues to be a huge money-getter for the UA brand.
In the entertainment industry, but with crossover into the sports world with his football and pro wrestling past (not to mention just generally being a workout beast), they signed a huge deal with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson last year with their Project Rock line of apparel.
So with endorsements in football and basketball and the entertainment and fitness arenas, it was time that UA made a splash in the world’s biggest sport – soccer. I found this article from Forbes.com recently and it looks like they’re about to bring their brand to one of the biggest clubs in the world with their talks with the first place team in La Liga (Spain), Real Madrid.
Real Madrid is currently wearing Adidas gear, with a contract running until 2020. It looks like Real is trying to get out of that and joining UA for a reported $160 million annually, with a 10-year deal in the works that should top $1 billion.
This is huge news in the world of sports sponsorship as Real is one of the most widely-known clubs in the world with hundreds of millions of supporters and one of the world’s top stars in Cristiano Ronaldo, and has a reported value of over $3.6 billion. Only the Dallas Cowboys surpass that value.
It is said that while Real has experienced unprecedented success, they have trailed in terms of team revenue to their competitors like Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and much of that is because of sponsorship revenue. Inking this deal with UA could go a long way to making one of the world’s most valuable clubs even more valuable, and for UA it can lead to exposure to a huge, new market of supporters.

domain: news


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China Mobile refused to disclose details of the discussions because of a confidentiality agreement. Apple's Beijing spokeswoman couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
The meeting at the Chinese carrier's Beijing headquarters will raise hopes the two companies are close to a deal that will allow the telecoms provider to sell its customers the iPhone.
China is a big market for Apple where its products are seen as aspirational by a growing middle class. Apple's China sales were $5.7 billion for the fiscal quarter through September--roughly 16% of the company's world-wide total.
iPhone 5 sales in China topped 2 million units over the weekend of its launch Dec. 14, Apple said recently.
China Mobile is the world's largest carrier by subscribers but any deal for it to offer the iPhone will likely come after it introduces next-generation wireless services. Analysts say Apple could offer a version that runs on China Mobile's homegrown technology standard, TD-SCDMA. The carrier has been testing its TD-LTE fourth-generation network in some cities.
The iPhone has been available in China since 2009 from China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd.
Apple has a Chinese version of App Store.
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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As temperatures continue to lower and COVID infection rates unfortunately rise across the United States, for many, future travel plans will likely take an international turn. Not to worry, we just so happen to know a great place to look.
Earlier this month, Cheap Caribbean officially launched its Turks & Caicos Beach Crawl Package in honor of its 21st birthday. Taking the stress out of trip planning, the package includes flights, a five-night hotel stay at Seven Stars Resort, airport transfers, and the type of excursions that make for a great vacation. And we’re not just saying that. We had a chance to experience the Beach Crawl for ourselves so that when the booking window opened — which is from now until January 31 — we could guarantee our readers would get their money’s worth.
Source: Read Full Article


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$400M in Additional Series C Funding Raised by Automotive AI Chip Vendor Horizon Robotics
Horizon Robotics, a Chinese automotive AI chip startup that is developing specialized, complex chips for use in autonomous vehicles, has raised another $400 million in its latest Series C round of funding.
That’s on top of $150 million in original Series C cash that it secured earlier in December, according to the company, bringing its total Series C money so far to $550 million. Horizon Robotics had announced late in 2020 that it was pursuing a total of $700 million in Series C financing.
The latest $400 million investment was jointly led by Baillie Gifford, Yunfeng Fund, CPE, and CATL, a Chinese battery maker, according to an announcement by the company. Other institutions participating in this round of investment include Aspex Investment, CloudAlpha Tech Fund, Hexuan Capital, Neumann Advisors, Japan ORIX Group, Shandong High Speed Capital, Yingcai Yuan Capital, Yuanti Evergreen Fund and CITIC Construction Investment.
The complete $700 million Series C funding round is called the Horizon Project by the company. The latest funding was unveiled on Jan. 7.
The goal of the Horizon Project investment money is to accelerate the development and commercialization of a new generation of chips for use in Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles and to build an open and successful partner ecosystem, according to the company.
Horizon Robotics says it is “the world's first automotive smart chip startup company based on deep learning technology,” and it claims to have achieved mass production of automotive-grade smart chips. So far, it has “formed a ‘smart driving and smart cockpit’ covering Level 2 to Level 3 autonomous vehicle” use, according to the company.
Karl Freund, senior analyst for machine learning and HPC for analyst firm Moor Insights & Strategy, told EnterpriseAI that the investments received by the company continue to grow.
“Horizon has received significant investments ($600 million) in the past when Kai Yu left Baidu to start the firm some five years ago,” said Freund. “Dr. Yu is highly respected, having published dozens of papers and was a professor at Stanford University. Yes, this is a lot of money, but less than Dr. Yu was seeking, according to media reports.”
Another analyst, Rob Enderle, principal of Enderle Group, said the challenges for Horizon Robotics are numerous.
“They are entering a market dominated by Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Intel, three of the most influential technology companies in the world,” said Enderle. “They are doing this when Chinese vendors are under a cloud due to government ownership, which is even more problematic because cars can’t pivot on technology quickly due to regulatory and design constraints.”
What Horizon will have to do to meet these challenges, said Enderle, is gain more arm’s length from the Chinese government and find ways to expand its business with Western Europe, South Korean and U.S. carmakers. Those goals may be severely limited, even if Horizon Robotics’ chips are competitive technically, he said.
“This restriction may change under the Biden administration, which is more likely to restrict countries than companies, compared to the Trump administration,” said Enderle. “Still, that upside may not emerge before year-end. Fortunately, this market is still young, but designs are being developed for cars due out mid-decade, so Horizon doesn’t have a great deal of time to address this problem.”
In addition, “both Intel and Nvidia are already showcasing Level 5 systems in trial and simulation, so Horizon talking about bringing to market a Level 2-3 solution makes them look obsolete,” said Enderle. “This may be a perception. Still, it is a dangerous one for any small emerging firm.”
Horizon Robotics said it will launch the industry's flagship Journey 5 chip for L3/L4 autonomous driving in the first half of 2021. The chip is based on the automotive functional safety (ISO 26262) product development process system certified by the authority SGS TÜV Saar. The chips include up to 96 TOPS of artificial intelligence computing power, while supporting 16-channel camera perception calculation, with performance exceeding the current world's leading mass-produced autopilot chip, Tesla FSD, according to the company.
Following that, Horizon plans to launch its Journey 6 chips, which are more powerful automotive smart chips that use a car-grade 7nm process, and artificial intelligence computing power exceeding 400 TOPS, according to the company.
It was a busy week for AI chip companies. Also on Jan. 7, Enflame Technology, a Chinese AI startup developing deep learning chips for AI training, announced that it had secured another $278.5 million in funding from government and industry investors.


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Scotland has taken a big stand against genetically modified foods, announcing earlier this week that it will formally prohibit the cultivation of any GMO crops within its borders.
“The Scottish Government will shortly submit a request that Scotland is excluded from any European consents for the cultivation of GM crops, including the variety of genetically modified maize already approved and six other GM crops that are awaiting authorization,” the Scottish Government said in a statement.
Richard Lochhead, Scotland’s environment secretary, cites protecting its “clean and green brand” and says there’s simply no evidence of high demand for GMOs among Scottish citizens. “There is no evidence of significant demand for GM products by Scottish consumers and I am concerned that allowing GM crops to be grown in Scotland would damage our clean and green brand, thereby gambling with the future of our £14bn food and drink sector,” he said.
“The move will reinforce a long-standing moratorium on planting GM crops in Scotland and allow the Scottish National party to further distance itself from the UK government,” reports the Guardian.
The move comes as England has taken steps to allow the commercial cultivation of GMO crops, including corn and canola, even despite consumer resistance and blowback from environmental and health groups.
Scotland officials say the ban doesn’t impact the nation’s scientific research on GMOs, which the nation is well-known for in the scientific community.
From the Organic Authority Files
The announcement earned praise from environmental group, Friends of the Earth Scotland. Richard Dixon, director, said of the decision: “The Scottish government has been making anti-GM noises for some time, but the new Tory government has been trying to take us in the direction of GM being used in the UK, so it is very good news that Scottish ministers are taking that stance.
“If you are a whisky producer or breeding high-quality beef, you ought to be worried if you don’t want GM but it is going to come to a field near you and you were worried that there was going to be some contamination. It is certainly in Scotland’s interests to keep GM out of Scotland.”
Related on Organic Authority
GMO image via Shutterstock


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STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Hennes & Mauritz AB reported its lowest first-quarter profit in 16 years as extreme and rapid weather swings made it even harder for the Swedish fashion retailer to sell a buildup of unsold garments.
Operating profit fell 62 percent to 1.2 billion kronor ($150 million) in the three months through February, the company said in a statement Tuesday. Analysts expected 1.4 billion kronor.
H&M’s already-downbeat forecast for the start of 2018 was exacerbated by unseasonably warm European weather in January followed by February’s cold snap, whipsawing the clothing retail industry. That forced the company to slash prices even more to clear its biggest inventory position in at least two decades.
Stock-in-trade increased 7 percent to 35 billion kronor at the end of the first quarter, amounting to 17.6 percent of sales.
Last month, H&M forecast sales in comparable stores to drop this year and return to growth in fiscal 2019.
By Anna Molin; editors: Christopher Kingdon, Thomas Mulier and John J. Edwards III.


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Get Your Dietary Fat From Plants, Cut Your Stroke Risk
People who get their dietary fat from olive oil rather than steak may help reduce their risk of suffering a stroke, a preliminary study suggests.
The study, of more than 100,000 health professionals, found that those who favored vegetable oils and other plant foods as their source of fat generally had a lower risk of stroke over the years.
Overall, the 20% of people with the highest intake of vegetable fats had a 12% lower risk of suffering a stroke over 27 years, compared to people with the lowest intake of those fats.
On the other end of the spectrum were people who got much of their dietary fat from meat. The 20% with the highest intake of those fats were 16% more likely to suffer a stroke, compared to the 20% with the lowest intake.
Many studies have looked at the relationship between dietary fat and stroke risk. This one focused on the food sources of that fat, said lead researcher Fenglei Wang, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
And the findings, he said, favor replacing beef fat with vegetable oils like olive, soybean or corn.
Wang will present the results Saturday at an online meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA). Studies released at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The findings do not imply that dietary fat is the whole story when it comes to cardiovascular health, said Alice Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition science at Tufts University in Boston.
Lichtenstein, who was not involved in the study, is lead author of the AHA's latest dietary advice, published earlier this week.
She said overall diet quality is the key, and not any single nutrient.
"People who eat a lot of vegetable fats are probably doing many other things, too -- like eating fruits and vegetables, exercising and not smoking," Lichtenstein said.
The study did account for many of those variables to arrive at its figures regarding dietary fat. And, Lichtenstein said, the negative health effects of saturated fat likely account for some of the higher stroke risk among red meat fans. (In contrast, people who favored plant-based fats probably ate little saturated fat.)
But the point remains that people should focus on their whole diet, Lichtenstein said.
"I think we still have a hangover from the 1990s," she noted, referring to the period when "low-fat" became the rage.
In its advice, the AHA encourages people to eat plenty of whole and "minimally processed" foods, and cut heavily processed foods like chips, crackers and other snack favorites.
That helps limit less-than-healthy fats, as well as sugar and sodium, Lichtenstein said. Just as important, a diet high in foods like fruits, vegetables, high-fiber grains and fish will supply the nutrients people need to support their cardiovascular health.
As for fat, the AHA recommends focusing on the source: Use liquid vegetable oils, like olive, canola and safflower oils, rather than butter. And go for foods like nuts, nut butters, seeds and avocado.
Meat is not off the table, according to Lichtenstein. But choose lean cuts, avoid processed meats, and replace some meat servings with fatty fish -- which is high in the omega-3 fatty acids that are linked to reduced risks of heart disease and stroke.
For the study, Wang's team used data from two long-running studies of U.S. health care professionals, involving more than 117,000 participants in all. At the outset, in the 1980s, and then every four years, they completed detailed diet questionnaires.
Over 27 years, nearly 6,200 participants had a stroke. That risk dipped as intake of plant-based fats increased. In contrast, the risk rose in tandem with consumption of fat from meat.
For each daily serving of red meat, the risk of stroke climbed 8%, and for each serving of processed meat, it rose by 12%.
That, Wang said, was after the researchers accounted for factors such as calorie intake, exercise habits, smoking and drinking, and conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
People switching to a more plant-rich diet do need some savvy. If you're buying packaged meat "alternatives," for example, check the label for things like sodium and sugar content, Lichtenstein said.
In general, she said, the less processed the food is, the better.
The American Heart Association has more information on dietary fats.
SOURCES: Fenglei Wang, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston; Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, MS, professor, nutrition science and policy, Tufts University, Boston; presentation, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Nov. 13, 2021, online


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Sara Evans posted a photograph of herself with no makeup on Instagram and Facebook a few days ago, and it's already gotten more than 43,000 likes on Facebook. Sara's never had anything blow up like this online before, and she has a good idea why fans are reacting so positively to the photo.
"It's been really, really interesting to see the reaction," Sara tells ABC News Radio. "I think that the reason it's gotten so much attention is that people really do love to see celebrities or maybe people that they look up to and see them just be real."
Sara posted the photo on a whim and never expected it to get such a huge response. Now that it's out there, female fans are bound to be curious about Sara's skin care regimen. Sara admits she doesn't do a lot to take care of her skin saying, "There are many nights after concerts that I will go to bed with all of my makeup still on or just put some moisturizer on."
The big reaction to Sara's makeup-free photo also opens up the door for her to talk to her daughters about the concept of beauty too. Of course, they see Sara without her makeup all the time.
She says, "I am excited to discuss this reaction with them and talk to them about how I can have tons and tons and tons of makeup on and all these fancy clothes, but the most reaction that I've gotten from anything that I've tweeted has been this picture of me without makeup."
Sara posted a new webisode on YouTube talking about the no-makeup photo too. Look for a new web video from Sara every Tuesday.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio


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Fastmarkets’ assessment of steel slab export, fob main port Brazil
, rose to $355-380 per tonne on Friday November 22, from $345-355 per tonne a week earlier.
The latest deals heard for Brazil-origin slab were settled to Asia and Turkey at $355-360 per tonne fob in the past two weeks. Mills are now said to be aiming for higher prices starting with shipments to Canada and the United States.
Brazilian semi-finished steel products can enter the US free of import tariffs introduced by Section 232...


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When there’s talk of widespread cryptocurrency or blockchain adoption, it tends to focus on the number of Bitcoin holders or enterprise use cases such as supply chain. But it could prove to be the gaming industry that sparks mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.
The sheer size of the global gaming market is staggering. Industry analysts at Newzoo estimate that by 2023, there will be over three billion gamers in the world - around 37% of the entire population. Gaming is currently growing at a rate of 9.3% year-on-year, and Newzoo believes that gaming is becoming “the new social media.”
Even with this impressive growth, blockchain technology can provide a further boost due to the various benefits it brings to the gaming experience. In-game assets can be ascribed real value through the use of tokens, and with non-fungible tokens, players can buy and sell unique assets such as skins.
Blockchain transactions are transparent, meaning that operators can demonstrate games are provably fair. And with outcomes and achievements recorded on a tamper-proof distributed ledger, nobody can manipulate results or cheat their way to victory.
Over recent years, there have been several notable attempts to innovate on blockchain-based gaming. For instance, Decentraland takes the concept of a “Second Life” game and adds in virtual reality combined with non-fungible tokens. Gamers can buy and sell land within the game, represented by LAND tokens, and participate in a virtual universe.
Tapping into Established Audiences
So far, so good – but if gamers aren’t used to the idea of cryptocurrencies and blockchain, it may take more than the idea of an innovative video game to get them involved. Many projects are now also recognizing that it may be easier to lure in gamers by giving them a blockchain-based platform to play their favorite games.
Swiss blockchain development firm Jelurida is one example, having spotted an opportunity to put the popular card game bridge on its Ardor blockchain platform. Hundreds of millions of people play bridge, all over the world, in clubs, in tournaments, and in their homes.
However, the advent of the COVID-19 crisis has left many people without the opportunity to participate due to social distancing measures. The online bridge market is dominated by a few big players, so the gameplay experience is generally substandard. No company currently offers a white label solution that makes it easy for new operators to set up.
Therefore, Jelurida is developing Bridge Champ, a customizable gaming platform purpose-built for bridge. It allows operators to set up competitions using the platform’s in-game economy, and players can “mine” bridge tokens based on proof of play and player achievements. All game results and achievements are recorded on the blockchain, and the platform uses blockchain for proven randomization.
Improving on the Gamer Experience
Along with the blockchain features, Jelurida is aiming to make Bridge Champ more player-friendly than existing online bridge platforms. It will use a state-of-the-art gaming engine with open APIs so operators can organize tournaments. Users will be able to communicate via video and audio, bringing the in-person bridge gameplay experience online.
The company is partnering with Bridge Online Academy, a specialist in online bridge training, to develop the gameplay and tournament design. The collaboration also allows Jelurida to gain access to the Academy’s extensive network in the bridge-playing world, providing a jumping-off point for adoption by players.
Removing Online Casinos Unfair Edge
Jelurida isn’t the first operator in the blockchain space to come up with the idea of putting established games onto the blockchain. Funfair has used a similar concept but with casino games using the Ethereum blockchain. Funfair is a white-label blockchain casino that operates a portfolio of casino games accessed via the native FUN token.
Of all types of gaming, gambling games are the most prone to corrupt operators and an unfair house edge. Funfair aims to level the playing field by using blockchain to create provably fair games and holding funds in escrow until the game is won or lost.
Fantasy Football Based on NFTs
The non-fungible token (NFT) gaming space is also starting to make significant traction. Sorare takes the concept of fantasy football and puts it onto the blockchain in the form of football players represented by non-fungible tokens. Gamers can take part by trading digital cards representing their favorite players to assemble their fantasy football teams. As games are played, points are assigned to players according to their performance, which can also increase or decrease the value of their corresponding NFT.
Sorare has signed up clubs from some of football’s biggest leagues, including the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A, Spanish LaLiga, and German Bundesliga.
While developing innovative blockchain-based gaming concepts is intriguing to those in the space, the key to mainstream adoption will be in onboarding established markets and audiences to blockchain games. If you can show players that they can play their favorite games with an enhanced experience, then they’ll start to make the shift.


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Furniture retailer, manufacturer and importer
The company’s profit after tax of $12.8 million was in line with that forecast by Foresight Securities.
Fantastic managing director
During the six months to December 31 2009, Fantastic opened eight stores across its range of operations, including four Original Mattress Factory stores. Five new stores are planned for the second half of 2009-10.
These initiatives should help the company in sustaining a strong level of growth. But, Tertini said, “ongoing retail performance continues to be very dependent upon sound employment, affordable interest rates and good consumer sentiment".
Based on full-year consensus forecasts for 2009-10, Fantastic’s price-earnings ratio is approximately 16. While this represents a premium to the industry group average multiple, analysts are forecasting annualised earnings per share growth of nearly 25 per cent in 2009-10 and 2010-11. This tends to justify Fantastic’s multiple and after its strong interim result is analysed, there is the potential for a share price rerating.
One other factor that needs to be considered is that Fantastic has the balance sheet strength to execute growth initiatives.
Since the company has launched new products that target a variety of markets, management may choose to accelerate its store expansion strategy, focusing on areas of its operations that should benefit from prevailing economic conditions.
The Australian Financial Review


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Corporate Twitter accounts try to be bae … and fail
Share Now on:
Bae, for those of you who don’t know, is a favorite word of kids these days. I had to ask my 23-year-old colleague for a definition. Basically, “bae” is a term of endearment.
Now brands are getting in on the bae action, trying to be bae with everyone on social media. In response, the Brands Saying Bae Twitter account makes fun of corporate accounts that try to act cool.
Accounts like Pizza Hut:
Basically this says that anyone who voluntarily follows Pizza Hut is too stupid to get a pun without an explanation. pic.twitter.com/RhMZzmD3aG
— Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 28, 2014
… and Whole Foods:
I wonder if Whole Foods CEO Walter E Robb IV tweeted this. pic.twitter.com/VNMHUhZ1db
— Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 29, 2014
Really, Whole Foods? We tweeted “bae” before it was cool:
Sequester cuts to squeeze BAE, overseas defense suppliers http://t.co/SwmYiHGmd2
— Marketplace (@Marketplace) February 21, 2013
We’re here to help you navigate this changed world and economy.
Our mission at Marketplace is to raise the economic intelligence of the country. It’s a tough task, but it’s never been more important.
In the past year, we’ve seen record unemployment, stimulus bills, and reddit users influencing the stock market. Marketplace helps you understand it all, will fact-based, approachable, and unbiased reporting.
Generous support from listeners and readers is what powers our nonprofit news—and your donation today will help provide this essential service. For just $5/month, you can sustain independent journalism that keeps you and thousands of others informed.


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Sehkraft Beer Garden and Haus, a new brewpub near Clarendon from the owners of the Westover Beer Garden, is looking to open its doors before baseball season is over.
The beer garden’s goal is to open its new location at 925 N. Garfield Street by the end of August, said owner Devin Hicks. The pub will definitely be open by mid-September “in time to watch the Nationals kill it in the playoffs and hopefully watch the Redskins be competitive,” he said.
Sehkraft’s 10-barrel brewing system is currently being installed in the establishment, Hicks said. Once open, the beer garden will have five beers flowing from the tanks and five house brews in kegs. The bar will also feature 30 “guest” beers from other breweries for its taps.
Sehkraft will collaborate with a number of local and national breweries, Hicks said. The first is a collaboration with Adroit Theory, a brewing company based in Purcellville, Virginia. The brew, an Imperial Gose, will be one of the first distributed at the bar.
“We definitely are excited to showcasing the several fantastic local breweries in the area,” Hicks said.
Head brewer John Peters also plans to collaborate with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Growlers will also be a big part of Sehkraft Beer Garden, and customers will receive discounts on growlers if they use the bar’s Portland Growlers, Hicks said.
The establishment will also be home to a butcher shop. Customers will be able to buy cuts of meat to take home from the shop, which will also serve as the bar’s kitchen.
In addition to the beer and food, the venue will be a home for live music. Hicks is working with a booking agent to attract local and regional bands to perform at the bar.
The bar received its entertainment permit from the county last November, but it does not allow the venue to open its windows or doors. Sehkraft plans to have outdoor seating but guests will have to stay indoors if they wish to hear the music.
“We’re gonna give Arlingtonians an unbelievable venue to help celebrate our great community, beer, music and food,” Hicks said.
The company is hiring staff to help it get ready for its opening. Those interested in joining can email [email protected] for general employment, [email protected] to apply for a kitchen position, [email protected] for the butcher shop and [email protected] to work in the brewery.
Photo courtesy Devin Hicks
Cali is the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week who loves treats, watching Netflix and nose boops.
A new restorative justice program launched last week in Arlington, aimed at diverting those under the age of 26 from the criminal justice system. The “Heart of Safety” program, part…
The caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) concept in real estate is discussed in the latest Ask Eli.
Hawkers, the Asian street food restaurant chain, is now aiming for a mid-August opening in Ballston. The eatery was initially supposed to open back in spring 2021 and, then, June…


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You might have a few dollars in your wallet, but chances are most of the money you spend is through your credit or debit card. The cashless system we’ve grown accustomed to across North America, offers consumers instant access to products and services—giving us the freedom to buy whatever we want whenever we want it. Much of the developing world still relies solely on cash and barter transactions.
But now entrepreneurs in Africa are pioneering a remote electronic money network for the continent’s “unbanked” rural people, allowing customers to use their cell phones like a debit card. Investing in this social entrepreneurship could bring prosperity to markets that need it most.
Over the past decade, cell phone use has increased fivefold in Africa. Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project traveled across sub-Saharan Africa over the last year, and has found that nearly everyone, from remote villagers in Ethiopia and Uganda to poor farmers in Niger, has a cell phone.
Farmers are using their phones to gain access to information and other things they didn’t have before. They can check crop prices before investing time in long trips to city markets, for example, giving them the option to wait until prices increase. Agricultural extension agents and development agencies use cell phones to inform farmers about changes in weather that could affect crops.
Thanks to the efforts of companies like Mobile Transactions in Lusaka, Zambia—which Worldwatch highlights in its recently released, State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet—Zambian cotton farmers without bank accounts can now electronically receive payments for their crop direct to their mobile phones. About 80 percent of Zambians, particularly in rural areas, don’t have bank accounts. By using mobile banking, farmers are not only able to get paid more quickly and transparently, but they can also use their mobile accounts to send money transfers, buy phone credit, pay school fees for their children, and order agriculture inputs such as fertilizer and seed. Electronic payments also allow them to build up a credit history over time, which will make getting loans easier in the future.
The cashless system has several benefits. First, money stored electronically is less likely to be stolen or misused. Second, electronic transactions can be instant—lowering transaction costs—whereas in-person cash transactions often mean investing time and money in transportation. Electronic money can benefit more marginalized people who often have to rely on middlemen to help them access markets.
But Mobile Transactions does not have the luxury of riding off of the coattails of highly successful ventures like Twitter and the iPhone. “We’ve faced similar challenges to any start-up of trying to do a lot with a little,” says the company’s CEO, Mike Quinn. “The investment funds are out there, but we are a new business in an emerging industry in a country that few people know much about.”
The investment needed to firmly establish mobile banking in Zambia is large, and even more is needed for it to go international. But the models are there. The technology is there. The expertise is there and growing daily. And according to Quinn, “There is no better place or time to be an entrepreneur in an emerging mobile payments industry.”
Matt Styslinger is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project.


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National Get Smart About Credit Day is coming up on October 18th. Yep, you heard right, and it’s one holiday that I think every nationality & religion should celebrate! Seriously, it’s a day that the American Bankers Association came up with to spread awareness about smart credit decisions and how to utilize credit wisely. And this year, Wells Fargo is contributing to the holiday fun by offering free credit scores to its customers as well as a nation-wide education campaign about credit. The South Florida Business Journal reports,
“The South Florida Business Journal reportsSouth Florida’s largest holder of deposits announced two initiatives that will encourage consumers to learn more about their credit situations.
First, the bank is offering free credit score reports. From Oct. 1 through Nov. 15, all Wells Fargo consumer customers have complimentary, no-obligation access to their credit score and credit report.
Second, a month-long campaign will reach out to communities across the country and talk about the importance of credit and how to use it responsibly.”
Click here to find out more about National Get Smart About Credit Day and Wells Fargo’s campaigns.
I don’t think it’s customary to exchange gifts on this holiday, but splurging for a credit score, checking your annual free score, or if you’re a lucky Wells Fargo customer getting a complimentary credit check is definitely appropriate. Use this as an opportunity to clean your financial house and get up to date on where your score stands.


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MONTPELIER — The same week Bo Muller-Moore raised nearly $90,000 to make a documentary about his trademark battle with a chicken sandwich company, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected his “Eat More Kale” trademark application.
It’s not a final rejection, but the trademark office lawyer said that “Eat More Kale” was confusing with Chick-fil-A’s “Eat Mor Chikin” trademark.
Muller-Moore said that when he heard the news Tuesday evening he was sick to his stomach.
The Georgia-based fast-food company formally challenged the “Eat More Kale” trademark application Muller-Moore submitted last year.
His lawyer, Daniel Richardson, said they have an opportunity to appeal the trademark office’s decision. This isn’t the end of the fight.
“It’s a setback, but it’s not the end of the case,” Richardson said.
However, if Muller-Moore loses the trademark appeal, does that mean he automatically has to comply with Chick-fil-A’s cease and desist?
That’s the bigger threat to Muller-Moore and his “Eat More Kale” T-shirt business.
Chick-fil-A is not only challenging Muller-Moore’s ability to trademark “Eat More Kale,” the company is also requesting that he stop printing those three words on T-shirts and stickers altogether.
“They don’t have to be right,” Richardson said of Chick-fil-A.
The company has deep pockets. In 2010, Chick-fil-A reported more than $3.5 billion in gross sales. Muller-Moore would need to sell 143 million T-shirts at $25 a pop to hit sales figures like that.
And Richardson, who is currently working on the case pro bono, said that the median trademark lawsuit costs $775,000.
The cease and desist request by Chick-fil-A, he said is a separate matter from the trademark application dispute.
And while the trademark fight with Chick-fil-A wends its way through the bureaucratic process, on Sunday, Muller-Moore’s online fundraising campaign raised $89,700 to make a documentary about his battle with Chick-fil-A.
There’s certainly a yin and a yang to everything that’s happened this week, Muller-Moore said Wednesday.
Richardson said that without a lot of money, Muller-Moore has to try and make his case by attracting public attention, hence the documentary titled “A Defiant Dude.”
Filmmaker Jim Lantz, of Burlington, said that last year he was kicking around several ideas for his next film and he kept coming back to Muller-Moore’s legal skirmish with Chick-fil-A.
He said that he met with Muller-Moore a couple of times, and concluded that his is a story that needs to be told right now.
It amounts to “corporate bullying,” Lantz said.
Muller-Moore’s case represents a microcosm for what’s happening, he said, all over the country.
Last year, Procter and Gamble settled out-of-court with a Connecticut housewife in the case of Willa v. Wella.
The company claimed that Christy Prunier’s pre-teen skin Willa product sounded too much like Procter and Gamble’s own Wella hair care brand.
It’s a war of attrition, Lantz said, and small businesses have a hard time lasting against companies like Chick-fil-A that reportedly sold 537 chicken sandwiches a minute in 2010.
“This is a large company bullying a T-shirt artist who works in his garage in Vermont,” Lantz said.
Lantz is hoping to have the film done by the end of the year. He said he’s already shot more than 20 hours of footage.
Making a full feature film, he said, is a bit of a lifelong dream, so he’s excited about the project.
Requests seeking comment by Chick-fil-A for this story went unanswered.


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- PROJECT HELP
- WHITE PAPERS
U.K.-based mobile POS solution SumUp is opening up. The company announced it's launching an API for its mobile point-of-sale solution that will let merchants and developers integrate payment processing functionality into their own apps.
Available for both iOS and Android apps, the SumUp API will allow access to a full payment solution and let businesses process credit and debit card payments using their own applications on a smartphone or tablet.
"The launch of our API is a logical next step for us on the way to making cashless payments in everyday life radically more simple," said SumUp CEO Daniel Klein. "More merchants than ever before are using mobile technology to engage with their customers. Unfortunately, until now a lot of them have had to stop short of actually taking payments through their apps as they haven't had access to the secure technology and know-how needed to do so. The release of our API means that this issue is solved. They can now boost the potential of their apps by accepting payments seamlessly and securely, even on the go."
Like fellow European mPOS solutions mPowa, iZettle and payleven, SumUp is hoping to replicate the success Square has seen in the United States. SumUp recently announced it had secured euro funding in the double-digit millions for its expansion throughout Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Austria.
For more stories like this, visit the POS research center.


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DR / TC
Information Security experts have warned hackers of exploitation to steal money from users on Android phones.
Trend Micro has reported that hackers have used "Currency Converter" and "BatterySyverMobie" apps in the Google Store to publish "Anibis" virus on Android phone phones and to publish bank card data for users.
Data collected by security information companies has shown that BatterySystemMobi has used more than 5000 such e-scams and in the leaking virus, the user copied bank card passwords after the user tried to enter each time, Internet hackers
As part of this, Google confirmed that he has removed these apps from the "Google Play" store and works for users to control the effects of "Anibis" virus.


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Bright Box included in leading companies growing aftermarket car telematics according to Berg Insight
The number of active aftermarket car telematics units will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20,6% from 58,7-million at the end of 2018 to 150-million at the end of 2023, according to a new research report by Berg Insight. A number of leading telematics companies, including Bright Box, were named as drivers of this growing market.
Berg Insight statements that the connected car is a major trend in the automotive industry. Over time, a growing number of aftermarket telematics services have become available for consumers and businesses that want to add services and connectivity to cars. Examples of aftermarket car telematics services available today include safety and security focused solutions and broader consumer telematics solutions offering a wide range of services. Aftermarket solutions still have a dominant position on the vehicle tracking market in many parts of the world. In Europe Bright Box named as one of the companies with the large installed bases of aftermarket telematics products. The report contains detailed information about Connected Car platform Remoto powered by Bright Box for the European market.
Bright Box mainly targets aftermarket solutions for importers and dealers and the customer base today comprises over 1,000 dealers across the globe. The company is selling its solutions based on a subscription-model for the telematics services and a one-time cost for the hardware. The company has agreements with several OEMs in different regions to retrofit vehicles that are not connected via factory-fitted telematics units. Bright Box provides services to OEMs and dealers in the Middle East, CIS, Europe and US. At year-end 2018, the company connected about 800,000 cars, out of which over 590,000 were aftermarket OBD-dongles.
'Inclusion in this report among the leading telematics vendors and suppliers in Europe indicates the success of the company and its recognition in this market. The number of users and customers of our platform is growing that also confirms the success position of the company and the growth of the market as a whole", said Denis Rastorguev Managing Director Europe at Bright Box.


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CMOs take note: Internet users surpass four billion globally
- 31 January, 2018 12:23
With 80 per cent of Australians spending more time on the Internet than they do watching television, CMOs must look beyond traditional channels and harness online if they are not to be left behind by an increasingly connected and digitalised consumer.
Following the release of Digital in 2018, a report on social media and digital trends around the world by Hootsuite and We Are Social, it seems seamless digital integration, audio visual content, and influencers are now key to meeting customers where they are in the digital age.
The report found nearly 90 per cent of Australians are online and spend more than five hours a day on the Internet, compared to only three hours watching TV. Ninety-three per cent use the Internet daily, and 36 per cent also use an ad-blocking tool.
In addition, six in 10 Australians watch online videos every day, and more than 12 million Australians purchased goods online, an increase of 4 per cent year-on-year. However, 28 per cent of Internet users identify TV as the channel to first introduce purchased products, followed by online at 16 per cent.
According to the report, the top four Australian websites are google.com.au, followed by YouTube, google.com, and Facebook.
Hootsuite also found two-thirds of the Australian population, or 17 million people, use social media each month, with Facebook the top social media platform, followed by YouTube. More than half a million people started using the Internet in the past 12 months, an increase of three per cent, and one million people started using social media for the first time in 2017, an increase of six per cent over 12 months. In addition, Australians spend almost 100 minutes using social media each day.
Globally, Internet user numbers increased seven per cent to more than four billion, or 53 per cent of the world’s population, who are estimated to spend more than one billion hours online this year alone. People are also spending more time using the Internet at around six hours each day. The report attributed this to more affordable smartphones and mobile data plans.
More than 200 million people got their first mobile device in 2017, and two-thirds of the world’s 7.6 billion inhabitants now have a mobile phone, with more than half of the handsets in use today ‘smart’ devices.
The Hootsuite report also looked into social media and found usage increased by 13 per cent to 3.2 billion users globally. Mobile social media usage rose by 14 per cent to 3 billion users, with 93 per cent of social media users accessing social from mobile. In fact, social media brings nearly 3.2 billion active users online, with Facebook leading the pack at 2.2 billion users, followed by You Tube at 1.5 billion users. Social media use increases by almost one million new users every day, or more than 11 new users every second.
Global growth of the Internet is also propelling ecommerce forward, with 1.77 billion Internet users purchasing consumer goods online in 2017, an increase of eight per cent year-on-year. Collectively, consumers spent a total of US$1.47 trillion on ecommerce platforms in the past 12 months, 16 per cent more than in 2016.
With Internet users projected to spend a combined total of one billion years online in 2018, of which 325 million years will be spent on social media, the customer journey, and the best way to connect with them, has forever been altered.
Hootsuite CMO, Penny Wilson, said the report highlights the continuing growth of the Internet and social media to individuals and businesses around the world.
“This dynamic has forever altered the customer journey as consumers and B2B professionals increasingly conduct research, make buying decisions, seek support, and recommend brands online. To achieve competitive advantage, all executives must dive deep into digital now, meeting their customers where they are to best market, sell and serve them,” she said.
Global consultant of We Are Social, Simon Kemp, predicted the sheer amount of people online will see changes to digital over the coming months.
“Audio-visual content will take priority over text, especially in social media and messaging apps, while voice commands and cameras will replace keyboards as our primary means of input. Social relationships and online communities will evolve to accommodate these new ways for people to interact with each other. This will result in rich new experiences for all of us, but businesses need to start preparing for these changes today," he said.
The seventh annual Digital in 2018 report covers 239 countries and territories.


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Could the tension get any higher than that? A few hours after iOS hackers working on the jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 announced that the release was imminent, we know have more details coming directly from pod2g.
In a blog post, the French hacker responsible for the upcoming jailbreak for A5 devices revealed the name of the tool that will be released by the Chronic Dev Team: Absinthe...
More updates from the jailbreak world this evening; as if the anticipation could possibly get any higher.
The app that contains the exploits used for the iPhone 4S jailbreak is essentially finished and the final touches are being placed on what we can only assume will be the latest version of GreenPois0n.
Earlier this evening, @planetbeing tweeted that fellow Chronic Dev Team member Nikias Bassen, better known as @pimskeks, has finished the majority of the app that will contain the heavily anticipated iPhone 4S and iPad 2 A5 exploit.
If your iPhone is jailbroken on iOS 5.0.1, and you use iBooks, chances are you've encountered the dreaded "Configuration Error".
No worries though, as both RedSn0w and Corona have been updated to remedy the issue.
Inside, we'll show you how to use the Corona package from the Chronic Dev Team to fix the iBooks issue on jailbroken 5.0.1 devices.
Several weeks ago we told you about the Chronic Dev Team's Crash Reporter desktop tool. Jailbreakers can download and install the package to redirect iOS crash reports from iTunes to the Chronic Dev Team hackers. The reports are then used to find exploits and help further jailbreak research.
A new Cydia tweak has surfaced that automatically sends crash reports to the Chronic Dev Team from your iOS device. CDevReporter is available for free can be installed on any jailbroken iOS device today.
After weeks of anticipation, the iOS 5.0.1 untethered jailbreak is finally here, compliments of pod2g, the Chronic Dev Team, and the Dev Team. As we explained a little earlier today, you currently have two ways to untether.
Depending on your situation, you can either run the latest version of RedSn0w, or if you're already jailbroken, you can use the Cydia package called Corona Untether 5.0.1 to do the job. The latter is what we'll focus on in this post...
Over the past few weeks, the entire jailbreak community has watched pod2g work diligently on the iOS 5 untethered jailbreak. All eyes have been on the infamous hacker as he has tested his exploit on device after device running iOS 5.0.1.
Tonight, it appears that all of his hard work has paid off. After waiting more than 2 months for an untethered iOS 5 jailbreak, it's finally here. You can now completely jailbreak any A4 device running iOS 5.0.1.
pod2g has handed over the keys to his iOS 5 untethered jailbreak for A4 devices (which includes the iPhone 4) to the Chronic Dev Team. In doing so, he hopes to focus primarily on the A5 jailbreak, which covers the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.
Since the untethered jailbreak for pre-A5 chip devices is basically finished, this will allow pod2g to get the iPhone 4S jailbreak back up to speed. This is very good news for owners of both A4 and A5 devices, because that means that both are being heavily worked on simultaneously...
It looks like the caching issues that jailbreak guru pod2g was facing are now a thing of the past.
Just a while ago, the iPhone hacker updated his blog acknowledging that he had solved the the A5 chip cache issue, which means we are even closer to the reality of an untethered iPhone 4S jailbreak.
pod2g also touched on a few other points of interest regarding the much anticipated release...
For those of you waiting for an iPhone 4S untethered jailbreak, we've got good news and bad news.
The good news is that skilled hacker pod2g is working hard and making definite progress on an iPhone 4S untether. The bad news is that he's hit a stumbling block on his way to finding a solution...
The entire jailbreak community has its eyes on pod2g right now. The Chronic Dev Team-affiliated iOS hacker has shown a lot of progress over the last few weeks in his efforts to create an untethered iOS 5 jailbreak.
Pod2g has demonstrated a working untethered jailbreak on a third-generation iPod touch running the latest iOS software, and recently confirmed it to work on the iPhone 4. Now he's added several more devices to the list.
We've been waiting for months to see evidence that an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5 is indeed ready for prime time, and pod2g of the Chronic Dev Team has just released a demo video of the iOS 5 untether to wet our appetites.
The simple video indicates that the highly-anticipated jailbreak is nearly ready. However, we don't have an exact ETA on when it will arrive.
Front man for the Chronic Dev Team, Joshua Hill (also known as p0sixninja), has announced a landmark number of crash reports that have already been submitted to his team. The Chronic Dev Team recently released an app that collects iOS crash reports in iTunes and sends them to the team's private servers to help find exploits for the future iOS 5 untethered jailbreak.
After only one week, the team of hackers has collected over 10 million crash reports from jailbreak supporters worldwide. Joshua and the rest of the Chronic Dev Team are working to parse the crash report data to help create a stable untethered jailbreak for Apple's iOS 5.


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This is how Ford will skirt the ongoing microchip shortage.
Some Explorers will do without rear climate controls.
Features will be made retrofitted at a later date.
You may have seen pictures on the web that show lots littered with brand new undelivered vehicles. For the most part, these vehicles are temporarily “stored” until the automaker can complete the build. The issue remains part supply shortages, namely microchips, but Ford’s decided to stop hoarding the vehicles and to ship them with missing accessories.
In this instance, Ford will send out new Explorers to its customers without any rear heating controls. The panel, at the end and rear of the centre console, will be fitted with a block-off plate. The latter, once parts become available, will be replaced by the control panel at the dealership.
In order to appease the customer, according to the Detroit Free Press, Ford will hand them over some form of credit as they did with F-150 owners who took delivery of their trucks without the star/stop function.
It’s unclear how many 2022 Ford Explorers will be sent to dealerships with the missing commands. Even more difficult to predict is when the global chip shortage will end and when these customers will get the feature installed.


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New opinions on the event come to light.
A little while back I told you about Sid Shuman’s (the Senior Manager of Social Media over at the PlayStation Blog) blog post that revealed the upcoming PlayStation Experience Event to the world. Well, if the PlayStation figurehead Scott Rhode is to be believe, the event is “unprecedented,” he then goes on to hint at the possibility of some special happenings at the event.
Speaking on the PlayStation Blogcast, Rhode’s said “This event that we’re gonna hold; this is pretty unprecedented. This is an event for the fans, and I am so incredibly geeked about it. We’re gonna show you a bunch of stuff that maybe we shouldn’t show you yet.”
The event is set to hit this December 6th and 7th in an currently undisclosed venue somewhere in Las Vegas. Getting in won’t come cheap though, a one day pass will skin you £50 whereas a two day pass reaches up to $90.


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Kenya’s online taxi-hailing firm Little has increased customer charges by Sh5 to Sh35 per kilometre, signalling a possible a wave of price increase by rivals Uber and Taxify that will see riders pay more to pacify hostile drivers.
Riders will, in addition, pay Sh4 per kilometre and Sh100 as base fare. Prices for shortest ride will go up from Sh150 to Sh250.
Little also revised cost per kilometre for its Comfort and Luxury categories to Sh45 and Sh50 per kilometre, respectively.
Little’s move comes barely a week after e-hailing app providers in Kenya signed an agreement with taxi drivers which recommended an increase in customer charges.
The agreement established the Automobile Association (AA) rates as the standard for the cab sector, automatically increasing the cost of rides.
The agreement was also signed by Little’s rivals Uber and Taxify.
The AA rates stand at Sh26 per kilometre for vehicles with engine capacity of between 850cc to 1050cc and Sh42 per kilometre for 1050cc to 1300cc cars.
“I don’t take our fellow drivers for granted. I humbly request you, our riders, to accept this minor price adjustment, which will go a long way in bridging the gap towards a better driver welfare,” said Kamal Budhabhatti, the CEO of Little’s parent firm Craft Silicon.
Digital Taxis Association of Kenya chairman David Muteru said its drivers were satisfied by Little’s effort to better their earnings.
The agreement also called for quarterly stakeholder meetings, conflict resolution and security measures that require taxi app providers to offer quick response to drivers in danger.
This followed claims that 18 drivers have been murdered in the line of duty and no immediate response was provided.
Uber Thursday announced a call-back service for its riders in critical need of help in a raft of measures employed to boost security for app users.
“We are always looking for ways to improve communication with our community and we are excited to be announcing this call-back line for riders for any safety-related matters they might have,” said Loic Amado, general manager for Uber East Africa.


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You have to give it to the chinese, they are the most rampant when comes to fake brands. Some would use the original brands and copy them exactly and others would copy the design and have their brands "renamed" but somehow you will get the idea of the new "renamed" brand.
Foreign companies have frequently complained of trademark violation and only recently USA has filed another official complaints to the WTO. China recently has also cracked down on fake brands by closing down business retailers in order to build a better positive image to outsiders. Check out some of the fake "renamed" brands below.


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Soon the long-awaited game Diablo 4 will be released, and gamers will be able to enjoy chic battles with the forces of evil. Many dangerous monsters are waiting to destroy! The release date of the game, unfortunately, is not soon. Developers must spend much time and effort before the game is completely ready. However, thankfully, fans have several options to play the game right now.
So, from now on, the beta is open to those with an early access code, which is excellent news for players. Developer Blizzard noted that the release of wonderful novelty would take a while because the video game has many different advanced combat capabilities and customization options, and development takes time and effort.
However, the release date of this interesting game has already been set. The release will occur this year in the summer, June 4 - 6.
The great novelty is expected to release for PS4 and 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox One, and PC. Recall that the pre-order collector's edition of new items was launched in December last year.
So there are two unique opportunities for fans to play the game before it releases this summer. Beta testing has already begun on March 4-17. The developers guarantee that all gamers' progress will be carried over from early access. So, the release date for the open beta is March 24 this year.
It is a chic action RPG where gamers are waiting for incredible battles with the forces of evil. We look forward to its release.
By confirming the delivery, you agree that the order has been received. This action cannot be reversed.


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10,000 More Seats Added to Norwich Airport Winter Flights
Holiday giant TUI has launched 10 and 11-night holiday packages from Norwich Airport to Tenerife for the winter of 2020, creating an extra 10,000 seats for the seasonal getaway. Tickets are already on sale for next winter, together with an additional weekly flight to the Canaries for more flexibility.
Richard Pace, the airport’s Managing Director, said: “We’re already proud to support TUI in providing a year-round service to Tenerife, and now we have the excellent news that 10 and 11-night holidays to Tenerife are being brought in for winter 2020, with the addition of a weekly flight operating every Saturday from Norwich.“This provides holidaymakers from the airport’s catchment in Norfolk, Suffolk and North Cambridgeshire with more flexibility.”
Wells-next-the-Sea is Norfolk’s Premier Staycation Spot
The county’s holiday industry is thriving as more people decide to holiday in Britain rather than go abroad. And now one of Norfolk’s premier holiday companies, Norfolk Cottages, has revealed which are the county hotspots.
According to general manager Matt Frost, 23% of its website searches in 2019 were for Wells-next-the-Sea, followed by Cromer, Sheringham, Holt and Blakeney.
Norfolk Cottages enjoyed a 10.5% year-on-year increase in bookings, and Matt revealed Norfolk holidaymakers were staying longer (5% up) and spending more (up 12%) while in the county.
Carole Scoops Norfolk Director of the Year Award
Carole Osborne has come a long way since launching her Norwich creative agency, borne. The business is now working with key national brands and Carole herself has been named Norfolk’s Director of the Year.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to work with some extraordinary people, and I spent years grafting and learning as much as I could from them,” Carole said. “And today, my agency is a blend of all of the best bits of the people and agencies I have worked at and a reflection of all the lessons I have learned.”
Carole insists a great agency culture is critical to fostering creativity, and she places that belief at the core of what borne does and the talent it employs.
“My objective is, as always, to maintain a steady and sustainable foundation for every one of the people I employ to flourish. We want to remain an active figure in the Norfolk business and creative community; our region is home to some of the most remarkable talent, and if we can give them a platform to be recognised, then we’ve done our job.”
borne is now based at St James Mill in Norwich, and Carole admits being named as Director of the Year at the Norfolk Business Awards, presented by TV star James Nesbitt, was the highlight of her career.
Electric Bus Manufacturer on Road to Success
Equipmake, the Norfolk electric bus manufacturer, has opened a new facility at Snetterton Business Park, from where it will build and ship over 700 new vehicles a year worldwide.
Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, who is MP for South West Norfolk, officially opened the new plant, which will send vehicles as far away as Brazil, Argentina and India.
Equipmake is expanding fast, and staffing has increased from 15 to 52 alongside the move to Snetterton from its previous base at Hethel.
Managing Director Ian Foley said: “There is a huge demand for clean, affordable electric buses with a worldwide market of around 300,000 vehicles per annum. That figure is only growing as cities strive to improve urban air quality
“Equipmake’s EBus chassis is efficient and cost-effective; within eight to 10 years it will be cheaper to run than conventional diesel.”
The company, which also makes components for supercars, moved to Snetterton with the backing of Breckland Council, the New Anglia LEP and the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
From Kitchen Table to Shop Chain
Aurina Lambert began her retail life on the kitchen table, designing and developing her home lifestyle range, but is now celebrating the opening of her third shop.
The new Aurina store in Holt, close to where she grew up, is the latest store to open alongside existing outlets in Bungay, Suffolk and Burnham Market.
Together with women’s clothing and accessories, the stores stock Aurina’s home-grown ranges of household items such as tea services, coasters and placemats themed around her creations of Nellie the elephant, Hetty the hare, Jemima duck, Lobster Thermidor and Gerald the giraffe.
Aurina said: “A lot of what I sell is my own label which you can’t buy anywhere else and we work hard to introduce different items. We’re not part of a big chain and I think people like the extra service we can provide.”
Broads Boating Business Sold Back to Founder
One of the largest boating companies on the Norfolk Broads has been sold back to the man who founded it almost 40 years ago. Len Funnell completed the purchase of Broads Tours and Norfolk Broads Direct from the couple he sold it to 16 years ago.
Mr Funnell, now 82, said he had been at a loose end since selling his Ferry Marina boatyard at Horning last year, so is looking forward to managing his original business again, assisted by his daughter and son-in-law, Ruth and James Knight, who ran the Waveney River Centre at Burgh St Peter for 16 years.
“Paul and Barbara Greasley have done a fabulous job of taking the business forward into the 21st century, and we’re thrilled to be involved again with this amazing business, its staff and customers.”
The company, based at Wroxham, grew under the Greasleys to operate 60 holiday hire cruisers, 49 day boats and day cruisers, five passenger trip boats and 14 self-catering holiday cottages.
Pork Exports Drive Cranswick Country Foods Profits
Exports of pork-based products like sausage and bacon to China have helped Watton-based Cranswick Country Foods increase six-monthly pre-tax profits by 11% to £47.4 million.
Overall, its exports were up 65%, but business boomed in China by 94% after the country was hit by African swine fever, which has decimated the local pig industry. Cranswick is responsible for around 60% of all UK pork sent to China, so was in prime position to benefit from rising prices.
CEO Adam Crouch said some of the firm’s success was thanks to investment closer to home, with the creation of a new £75 million poultry processing plant in Eye, Suffolk, which should launch this year with 900 people being recruited.
He added: “I remain confident that continued focus on the strengths of our business, which include long-standing customer relationships, breadth, quality and relevance of our products, robust financial position and industry-leading infrastructure, will support the further successful development of Cranswick.”
As a further sign of expansion, the business purchased the premium outdoor pig farming business Packington Pork in December.
Let’s B Positive is compiled by Simon Young of East Anglian copywriting agency Magic Word Media. Contact firstname.lastname@example.org


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"Wal-Mart. Save money. Live better," says the website of the world's largest retailer. But at least 112 victims of a recent fire in a Bangladesh garment factory paid with their lives for producing clothes for Wal-Mart and several other U.S. companies.
As thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers protested, Wal-Mart -- whose Faded Glory clothes were found inside the factory -- insists its hands are clean. It claims it cut ties to the factory after a safety audit last year showed it to be at "high risk." It said that one of its suppliers subcontracted there without authorization, and that it has now cut ties to that supplier, too.
But that claim is contradicted by a letter, purportedly from Wal-Mart, posted on the factory owner's website. Written after last May's audit, it merely threatens to suspend orders in the event of two more high-risk findings within two years. Wal-Mart hasn't commented on its authenticity.
There was no emergency exit in the factory, and the doors were reportedly locked to prevent workers from leaving or stealing. Some hurled themselves out of windows.
In 1911, 146 garment workers died in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York, where doors had also been locked to prevent employees from leaving or stealing, and some also jumped out of windows to escape. Workers there had been trying to organize a union but the company had refused to recognize it. It followed eight previous fires over nine years.
In Bangladesh, more than 500 people reportedly have been killed in garment factory fires in the last six or seven years. In 2001, Bangladesh's high court directed the government to create a committee to oversee the safety of garment workers but that was never implemented.
There is a haunting continuum from the New York fire to the Bangladesh one. As U.S. garment workers have demanded proper wages and working conditions, companies have turned to poor countries like Bangladesh, where entry-level workers earn as little as $37 a month. By subcontracting, companies are able to distance themselves from violations of workers' safety and rights.
But workers' groups in Bangladesh are asking companies that contract with suppliers there to enter binding agreements requiring independent factory inspections. It's so little to ask. If foreign governments won't protect their people, U.S. companies doing business there still can and should.
A petition on the change.org website -- started by a Bangladeshi who says she was permanently injured as a child laborer in a 2006 factory fire -- calls on Wal-Mart and other companies to "Fix Death-Trap Factories." She says that the factory in which she worked lacked any safety equipment or fire drills, and that "six years later, working conditions in Bangladesh have hardly changed." The Clean Clothes Campaign, an anti-sweatshop advocacy group in Holland, said in a statement, "These brands have known for years that many of the factories they choose to work with are death traps." In a prepared statement, Wal-Mart said it has been "working across the apparel industry to improve fire safety education and training in Bangladesh." Yet the owner of the burned factory said he didn't know he was even required to have a fire escape.
More than 3 million Bangladeshis, mostly women, work in the garment industry. Even if they're not legally culpable, U.S. companies have an ethical responsibility to those who subsidize their cheap goods. Wal-Mart buys $1 billion worth of the $20 billion in garments Bangladesh exports every year.
In the movie "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," we learned that the company pays its U.S. employees so little that many are eligible for taxpayer-subsidized health care. Ironically, just a day before the recent fire, Wal-Mart workers across America were out protesting their low wages and lack of benefits.
While there's nothing to prevent companies from going overseas for cheap labor, their presence should elevate life abroad, not debase it. When Apple is linked to a Chinese factory where multiple suicides are attributed to working conditions, and Wal-Mart, Sears and Disney are linked to a fatal fire eerily like one 101 years ago in America, it suggests a race to the bottom.
It is not only possible to realize savings while ensuring that workers are taken care of, it's a minimal obligation -- and American consumers should demand no less.
Basu is a syndicated columnist for the Scripps Howard News Service.


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Amid Boston Overdose Crisis, a Pair of Harvard Students Are Bringing Narcan to the Red Line
At First Cambridge City Council Election Forum, Candidates Clash Over Building Emissions
Harvard’s Updated Sustainability Plan Garners Optimistic Responses from Student Climate Activists
‘Sunroof’ Singer Nicky Youre Lights Up Harvard Yard at Crimson Jam
‘The Architect of the Whole Plan’: Harvard Law Graduate Ken Chesebro’s Path to Jan. 6
Pokéworks, a poke fast-food chain, opened its doors at 1440 Massachusetts Ave. for the first time last week on a stormy day when many stores closed in preparation for a nor’easter.
Poke, a raw fish salad native to Hawaiian cuisine, has in recent years spiked in popularity across the United States. As of 2018, multiple fast-casual restaurant chains specialize in the dish.
Originally a New-York based chain, Pokéworks now has 18 locations in the U.S. and one in Canada—as well as several new restaurants slated to open soon—according to its website. Pokéworks claims to be the largest and fastest-growing poke chain in North America.
The newest addition to Harvard Square offers up its namesake Hawaiian dish in a rice bowl, burrito, or salad with either chicken, tofu, or one of five types of seafood.
The Harvard Square Advisory Committee and Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals approved Pokéworks’s application for the space in July, and the company received its fast food permit on July 27, according to Cambridge Day.
At the time, Denise A. Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, said she thought the restaurant’s bid was “really impressive” given the chain quickly attained necessary approvals.
The Mass. Ave space was formerly occupied by Liquiteria, a smoothie company based in New York, but has sat vacant since that store closed last fall.
Some students welcomed Pokéworks as a refreshing shift away from other, more conventional square eateries. Emily Chen ’19 said she liked the change from Liquiteria to Pokéworks because the chain offers food she can easily pick up when she in a rush.
“It’s slightly different from the other types of food offered in the Square in that it’s really casual, and really easy to grab, and also customizable,” Chen said.
Jonathan V. Garzon ’21, a Crimson business comper, said he agreed with Chen.
“I had only had poke once before, and I thought that it was pretty adequate,” Garzon said. “For a quick meal, and for a change from the usual Jefe’s and Felipe’s, it was a good way to go.”
—Staff writer Henry W. Burnes can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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California Turkey Producers and Processors Offer Wide Variety to Consumers and Benefit From Steady High Prices
For the last two weeks, grocery store meat departments have been catering to consumers looking for the perfect turkey.
According to Bill Mattos, President of the Modesto-based California Poultry Federation, it has been a great year for California turkey producers:
“This is probably one of the best years for turkey in many, many years for the farmer and the processor. The consumer still gets a bargain every Thanksgiving even though prices this year are higher [as] there are less turkeys in the nation. California fresh turkey was sold out from our processors two weeks before Thanksgiving. So, we were urging everyone who wanted California fresh turkey to get their order in early, and they may still be able to do that. The California farmer is offering everything from fresh and natural to organic to free range; you can find just about everything in your supermarket. It will be a very good year for turkey, and it will be a good year for chickens coming up as well. We look forward to 2015 because we think it will be even better than 2014.”
Mattos said that the turkey industry was careful to avoid oversupply, “The turkey industry didn’t grow crazy, and prices stayed at a pretty good level. They didn’t all start growing like farmers do sometimes as they all get into the business when prices are good. Turkey farmers held back and kept their supply even; however, with very high beef, pork and other meat prices at this time of year, people look at turkey and even chicken as a bargain.”
As we all sit around the table with friends and family this Thanksgiving, we can be thankful for the California turkey producers and processors, as well as the farmers and farm workers who provide so much for the seasonal meals.


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An Australian Radio station company announced to its users that they have publicly disclosed user information. Users from 2009-2011 were affected, with the type of information stolen changing from user to user. The information ranged from physical addresses, dates of birth, usernames, and hashed passwords. The company made it clear that identification card copies and payment information were not disclosed. The company is working with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and other professionals to find out how many people have accessed the information.
By Anthony Zampino Introduction Leading up to the most recent Russian invasion of Ukraine in


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Crypto signals or crypto trading signals are trade suggestions or ideas to buy and/or sell a certain crypto coin at a specific time and value. Typically, the trade signals have included a take profit as well as a protective stop loss. You are then essentially protected from every side.
Because of the success of cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, many companies and industries ventured into the new era of digital currency while understanding crypto signals. For instance, when the interest of Facebook in cryptocurrency has become public, it set off a great deal of different reactions from the worldwide community.
Libra’s Effect on the Cryptocurrency Industry
Cryptocurrency has grown in popularity but has been silent for quite some time. And although many investors still continue their crypto dealings, it hasn’t drawn uncalled-for attention from third parties as well as the government.
But, when Facebook publicized its plan to release its own digital currency, political figures as well as powerful officials of the government have directed their attention to the industry of cryptocurrency and called for its regulation.
If favored, the regulation might generate a considerable impact on the crypto industry. There is an increasing concern though as legislators aren’t well-versed about cryptocurrency or digital currency. Then again, the present attention that the industry of crypto had gotten might gain digital currency bitter and strict regulations from government legislators.
Libra’s Impact on Politics and the Financial Industry
Similarly, there is a developing concern that cryptocurrency might take control over the financial industry. Numerous media have reported that Facebook’s digital currency, Libra, was made to provide a platform for payment for Facebook users. Furthermore, it was also created for other platforms as well like Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. It was also reported in the news that this will be available to about 2.7 billion active users.
As per Coinetelegraph, the plan attempts to target people who are unbanked, which makes up about 1.7 billion adults worldwide, with an emphasis on remittance that is cross-border. The latter feature places Libra in conjunction with the likes of Mastercard and Visa.
This feature of cryptocurrency has likewise gained undesirable comments as well as strong disapproval from numerous people. But, leaders worldwide are troubled about the probability of the digital currency to seize the financial market and industry as individuals perceive it as a practical and feasible alternate to fiat currency.
The attention that Facebook Libra is receiving is due to the size of social media platform, its resources, as well as its capacity to incorporate an efficient, economical payment network utilizing digital currency through numerous of its own platforms wherein it can fetch considerable adoption to the cryptocurrency space. Others haven’t gotten a similar degree of interest, primarily since they don’t have the capacity to hasten the acceptance and adoption of a stable coin, wherein Facebook has no difficulty achieving.


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Apple is reportedly considering opening dedicated Apple Watch retail stores.
Reports from France claim that the iPhone maker is currently building special displays for the upcoming wearable to go in high-end retailers such as Galeries Lafayette on Champs-Élysées.
9to5Mac suggests that dedicated Apple Watch outlets within other stores could be rolled out further if the plan performs well in France.
Apple may choose to run the operation similar to its Mac areas in Best Buy stores or could go all out with smaller-scale stores specifically for the Apple Watch.
At present, the obvious plan is to sell the devices in its existing Apple Stores which sell the company's entire range of products.
CEO Tim Cook recently confirmed that the wearable will begin shipping by April, although it's still not clear which countries will receive the device within this time frame.
Watch Digital Spy's hands-on video of the Apple Watch below:


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When Fiat ran crying from it’s joint venture with Nanjing Automotive in 2008 it sold the Palio and Siena platforms to small automaker Zotye. Earlier, Fiat sold Zotye the Multipla and Lancia Lybra platforms. The Multipla went into production last year and now the Palio and Siena are ready. Above the Langjun, Zotye’s take on the Siena with a brand new front and back.
FAW is not only one of the biggest passenger car makers in China but also one of the biggest in trucks and buses. Actually it all started with a truck at FAW, a beautifull machine called the Jiefang, which means Liberation, in 1956.
FAW brought a few trucks and buses to a boot outside the main hall and this schoolbus-concept looked very nice. It is meant to show that FAW can do more with a bus than just building the normal flat nosed vehicles. Children in China don’t go to school by bus but maybe one day FAW can export some to America.
ChinaDaily reports that Volkswagen will build two new factories in China, the factories are a part of a new 2.2 billion dollar expansion plan. ChinaDaily talks:
Volkswagen AG, Europe’s biggest automaker, will build two plants in China as part of a 1.6 billion euro ($2.2 billion) expansion plan to capture growth in the world’s most dynamic auto market. The German carmaker, which operates in China through two joint ventures, reiterated its long-term goal to sell 2 million vehicles a year in the world’s biggest car market.
“Growth in China has surpassed all expectations,” Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn said in a statement on Monday.
BAW’s new B40 will hit la market soon and to spice things up a bit BAW brought this ‘Special’ as well. It is a concept so far but with enough liking they might actually built it. The special is a roughed up version of the normal B40 with a winch and without real doors.
Geely’s sub-brand GLEagle broufht this very fine looking sportmachine to the show and HURRAY it was not a hybrid or a plug-in electric. The GS5, ‘GS’ stands for ‘Geely Star’, has a choice of two engines, a 1.3 and a 1.5. This is unusual for a concept car and means production will start soon, Geely states the GS5 will roll off the line from 2012.
The Green-i EV is a plug-in electric concept car from Chang’an Auto, better known as Chana outside China. It can be charged in only ten minutes at a special charger, strangely Chang’an didn’t say how many kilometer the Green-i could drive on that. Likely so, not very far. Size: 3230x1670x1650. And that is all the information Chang’an wished to share.
Voleex is Greatwall’s new brand name for sedans and other normal passenger cars. Haval is the new brandname for SUV’s and Wingle for commercial vehicles such as pick up trucks. The C50 is a medium sized sedan that’ll slot above the C30 and under a new large sedan which will likely look like the C70 Concept.
The L-DDC4 is a research project from students and scientist from Hunan University backed by an spin-off automotive research company called HNUSP which stands for Hunan University Science Park. The L-DCC4 is based on the same principle as HNUSP’s incrdible buses we saw earlier: two wheels on each side of the middle and one wheel in fron and one wheel at the back. Power goes trough the wheels in the middle, steering with the wheels at the front and back.
The new Roewe 550 XT is a sportyhorty 550. It comes with “F1 Paddle Shift Shifting” and a lot of extra kit like 16inch wheels and a Webaso sunroof. The engine however is the same as in the normal 550 so this XT will likely be slower than the normal car thanks to all that extra weight.


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Over the past 12 months of lockdown, our local shops and businesses have been there for the community more than ever, offering residents a lifeline with home deliveries and online events to tackle the lockdown blues. Now that schools have reopened, and we will be able to meet with one person outdoors from 29th March hopefully the gradual easing of lockdown measures will put a spring back into our step.
Some of our highlight this month include:
- Arnold Lodge has refurbished their ballroom, bar and restaurant ready for when they can host events again.
- Revelicious celebrated their fifth anniversary for their Churchside Arcade shop.
- The Annex Studios celebrated their second anniversary of their salon opening in Sheep Street.
- Rugby Art Gallery & Museum added the Rugby Open 2020 online and made original artworks from the exhibition available to purchase from the Visitor Centre shop.


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Last May it was discovered that the video game retail giant Gamestop was stepping into the world of non-fungible token (NFT) technology. Nine months later, Gamestop has revealed it is partnering with the layer two (L2) Ethereum scaling project, Immutable X. The two teams have also established a $100 million fund dedicated to NFT creator grants.
Gamestop Partners With Immutable X
Gamestop has finally revealed its blockchain partner on February 3, 2022, after the company hinted about the creation of a Gamestop NFT marketplace built on top of Ethereum. Gamestop’s announcement on Thursday says the video game retailer is collaborating with the Ethereum-based L2 project Immutable X.
Immutable X previously worked with the social media company Tiktok in September. The project’s website claims that it’s the “first layer two for NFTs on Ethereum” and Immutable X participants experience “zero gas fees, instant trades, and carbon-neutral NFTs for marketplaces, games, and applications without compromise.”
Gamestop and Sydney-based startup Immutable X are also launching a grant fund worth $100 million in IMX tokens that will be used for creator grants. “We seek to fund game changers,” Gamestop says about the $100 million grant fund. “We are calling on builders and creators to power the future of Web3 gaming. Apply for grant consideration.”
Captain Crypto Punish has been working in online media since 2004. He is a writer, music producer, life coach and investor.


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If you’re new to cycling and are taking it up as a hobby or to shake up your commute, taking your bike to the roads can be a little daunting. Whether you’ll be navigating the roads in a town or city or the winding ones in the countryside, it’s important never to forget that you’re sharing them with …
The year 2020 has been a year like no other, with a pandemic that changed the world, forcing the supply chains to collapse across businesses. Like almost every other industry that faced the consequences of the previous year, the automobile sector has been no exception. Sales chart, production, and revenues going down had been a …
FallCall Detect is a smart fall detection app designed to run on Apple Watch that could potentially save an elderly’s life. For those who are not aware, a fall can be deadly to an old person. Even more deadly if the victim happens to be alone.
You have heard of the airbag vests for motorcyclists. Now meet the Motorcycle Airbag Jeans by Airbag Inside Sweden AB. Just like the inflatable vests that has been around for decades, the Motorcycle Airbag Jeans leverage on airbags to protect the rider in the event of a fall.
Over time, cars are getting more and more upgraded to ensure the safety of their passengers. The latest in car accident prevention technology keeps both drivers and pedestrians safe by controlling the braking, steering, and driving of the vehicle. This article will cover different protection systems in more detail.
Almost every company knows how to make a face mask. Razer is no exception. However, the gaming lifestyle company has up the game with a concept smart mask, known as Project Hazel.
I am sure you have read about the COVID-19 scare onboard a United flight last December. Looks like a mask is not going help if someone is going to lie about his or her condition when flying. So, if you really have to fly, perhaps you should consider gearing up with the ViraShield.
This is Blanc. It is not Daft Punk’s helmet, though we have to admit that it does have the vibe. It lacks of fancy LED light show anyways. While it does look like a helmet from the front, it is really just a mask. Blanc is billed as the only full-face modular mask in the …
The primary function of a flashlight is to shine. Some has additional functions like window breaker, but Nextool has taken many steps further with its line of multi-purpose survival flashlight.
Face mask is the new normal if we are expected to return life to normal. That said, if you don’t trust anything other than N95 masks, well then, AirQueen.com has good news.


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Nearly 6 hours spent with video content finds Nielsen
For the first time Nielsen is reporting how consumers are engaging with video content on the web; as of May 2012 their research shows more than 160 million unique viewers (US) watched nearly six hours of content. Much of that was entertainment-based, but the number of ad views continues to increase, as well. Where are viewers engaging with ads?
The top ad-getters, from a YouTube standpoint, were Vevo, WMG and Machinima according to the Nielsen report. Vevo attracted more than 41 million viewers while WMG pulled in 22 million and Machinma had 17 million.
As for video destinations, NielsenWire reports YouTube remained the top video landing place with more than 136 million viewers. Yahoo, the closest competitor, received 45.3 million unique viewers comparatively. But stream-wise, Hulu entered the top five paces with 968 million total streams to YouTube's 16.5 billion.
What types of content were getting the most exposure? News/Current events. Just over 60 million Americans visited news hubs like the Yahoo-ABC News platform where visitors averaged 18 visits and spend nearly 90 minutes on-site.
Meanwhile, comScore research shows more than 180 million US online video watchers for the month of May, with video ads pushing past the 10 billion mark for the first time. Overall more than 36 billion streams were counted by comScore. Their top properties remained Google/YouTube (151 million viewers, 462 minutes per viewer), Yahoo (57 million viewers, 77 minutes per viewer) and VEVO (48.2 million viewers, 57 minutes per viewer).
The top ad property was Hulu with 725 total ad minutes, followed by BrightRoll (673 total ad minutes) and Adap.tv (556 total ad minutes).
- Retail Internet of Things spend forecast to reach $2.5 billion by 2020
- Vloggers under-utilized by brand marketers targeting Millennials
- Report: Mobile web use doubles
- Ad Roundup: Tools to improve experience
- Study finds customer service key for BTS success
- IAB/UKOM cuts through confusion with 'definitive' data on time Brits spend online
- Google pauses Flash and signals new ad age of HTML5
- Studies ID how Millennials are connecting
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LONDON: US-based taxi-hailing Corporation Uber has indicated which it Information Systems unlock to argue concessions with transport authorities to still operating in London , days after it lost its license to ply on the streets of the UK’s capital.Transport for London (TfL) had declared final 7 days which it would not be renewing Uber’s agreement after it expires on September thirty over security concerns.More than 625,000 people have ever signed a “Save Your Uber in London” petition calling on the mayor of London Sadiq Khan to reverse the decision as the Corporation prepares to appeal versus the decision.
“We’d such as to realize what we could do to get this right.
“By wanting to block our application from the capital Transport for London & the mayor have caved in to a small number of people that need to restrict user choice.
“I have every sympathy with Uber drivers & customers influenced with this decision however their anger truly ought be directed at Uber.
They have allow drop their drivers & customers with failing, in the view of TfL, to act as a fit & proper operator,” Khan told in his latest statement.
Petition · keep Your Uber in London #saveyouruber · Change.org
TfL & their chairman, the Mayor of London, this day declared which they have decided not to renew Uber’s Operator agreement the time it expires on 30th September.
This decision Information Systems affecting the real lives of a massive number of fair & hard-working drivers in London.
The 3.5 mn Londoners that rely on Uber to get a safe, reliable & affordable ride around the better town in the world going to be astounded with the decision to block Uber from the capital.
Safety Information Systems of the top importance & drivers that Utilize Uber are licensed with Transport for London & have been out of the same enhanced background checks as black cab drivers.
To defend the livelihoods of 40,000 drivers – & the user Selection of millions of Londoners – sign this petition asking to reverse the decision to block Uber in London.
Uber seeks talks by London mayor to renew licence
Transport for London said the ride-hailing application company it wasn’t fit to hold a private hire operator licence.
More than 630,000 people have signed an on-line petition in a bid to save Uber operating in London after its agreement expires on thirty September.
“Drivers that Utilize Uber in London are licensed with TfL & have been out of the same enhanced DBS [Disclosure & Barring Service] background checks as black cab drivers.
Estonian-based Taxify was forced to suspend services only days after relleasing in London earlier this 30 days because it did’nt have a TfL licence.
The meetings, detect in a Freedom of data request, don’t indicate which Lyft Information Systems preparing to release in London, however.
Why London Information Systems banning Uber from its streets
So When Uber drivers’ jobs are in jeopardy, they going to continue be enable to work for a while, and, in the status which Uber beats an appeal, perhaps never lose their ability to work at all.
London police investigated 32 Uber drivers for rape or sexist violate of a passenger among probably 2015 & probably 2016, according to Freedom of Information Act information obtained with the Sun.
Regulators too expressed worry over Uber drivers’ possibility Utilize of Greyball, a controversial Programming programme Uber has used as far back in 2014.
The city’s licensed taxi drivers have put Stress on officials to regulate Uber further heavily — & reveled in the city’s fresh decision.
This immoral Corporation has no place on London’s streets,” Steve McNamara, puplic secretary of London’s Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, said the Guardian.
collected by :John Locas


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TOKYO: Japanese retail sales beat expectations in May as households loosened their purse strings, but underlying trends in consumption remain hostage to COVID-19-linked pressures and suggest the economic recovery will take time to gather steam. With Tokyo set to host the Olympic Games next month, analysts expect Japan’s economy will barely grow in the second quarter after prolonged coronavirus emergency curbs hurt the growth outlook, report agencies.
As major global economies such as the United States rebound strongly from the COVID-19 slump, the weak growth rate in Japan is pressuring policymakers to take fresh supportive measures on top of the massive existing stimulus to boost demand.
Despite the better-than-expected rise in retail sales, the jump was not strong enough to mark a definite shift towards a brighter outlook for spending conditions, said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.
“Many elderly were unlikely to go out and spend money in April and May as there was still a state of emergency or quasi-emergency measures (in major areas),” said Minami.
“It’s hard to imagine that the Olympics will set off a spending rush,” he said, adding that risks remained that another resurgence in COVID-19 infections would weigh on consumption ahead.