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There have been plenty of rumors lately about the iPhone launching on Verizon within the next several months. Looking at Verizon’s incredibly successful history with Android and the Droid brand, it seems unlikely; and in case you thought that Verizon might be giving up on Android, think again. A Verizon roadmap leaked by Boy Genius Report shows that the Big Red has plenty of new Android goodies in store for us over the course of the next year.
A blurrycam shot of an unnamed HTC Android device running Android 2.2 (presumably... my Chinese is a little rusty) has been spotted over on the Android Hong-Kong forums (the irony is not lost on me: the picture was taken with an iPhone).
Although the device doesn’t seem to have any physical HTC branding, there is an “HTC Confidential” watermark on the screen of the device, and it’s running an HTC kernel.
When Google closed up shop at their now ghost-town of a webstore, Nexus One owners were left without an outlet for official accessories, particularly the elusive HTC Nexus One Car Phone Holder (aka car dock).
With eBay sellers demanding upwards of $200 (and that’s used) for a device that once retailed for $59.99, it seemed Google and HTC had hung Nexus One owners out to dry. But now, HTC’s US online store (run by LetsTalk.com) and its UK sister site are offering up Nexus One goodies, Car Phone Holders included, once again.
Well, the last few days have been pretty crazy, haven't they? Froyo OTAs hit on 2 major phones, one by one. First, on Monday, the final Froyo version came out for the EVO 4G, and today we saw Verizon's 2.2 show up as well.
Now that the dust has settled a bit, I'd like to take a step back and describe some of the EVO 4G specific Froyo fixes and features we've been seeing on our EVOs.
While the Nexus One has officially been discontinued stateside on Google’s website, it seems Google’s first (and probably only) phone will be headed to the cluttered desks of more Android developers as Android’s newest official developer phone.
The Nexus One has clearly enjoyed preferential treatment from the Android team since its release, but the decision to dethrone the Google Ion (aka ADP 2, HTC Magic, MyTouch 3G) is more than anything a statement to third-party developers: Get away from previous generation phones.
Yesterday we brought news of an on-phone one click root for the Samsung Galaxy S line of phones - which itself was based off of a similar root for the HTC Droid Eris (as mentioned in the post). Turns out we didn’t mention the Eris root the first time around - so here it is.
Android user/coder jcase has come up with an App to root any Eclair-running Droid Eris’. The process is nearly as simple as it gets:
Step 1) download and install this apk
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8699733/erisone010.apk - VERSION 0.1.0
Step 2) Run, read disclaimer, press button
Step 3) Reboot, once rebooted your phone should have Amon's recovery.
The wizards at xda-developers have woven their magic once again and solved the woes of those EVO 4G owners who upgraded their handsets to HTC's leaked 3.26.651.3 version of Froyo last Friday.
If you remember, shortly after the .3 leak was posted, HTC announced that it wasn't the final Froyo release. Indeed, a few days later, on Monday, the world saw a new, this time official, OTA with the version number ending in .6.
Damageless and TrevE have been hard at work for the past few weeks porting Froyo to the EVO. On July 24th, they released the first DC 3.5 (Froyo) beta. Today (in the wee hours of the morning) they released their final build - and users seem to be loving it. The guys have also set up a Google Code page for DC, which provides a wiki and bug database, in addition to the usual news/latest version page.
This is exactly why I love Android so much and the awesome developer community around it. Case in point: the official Android 2.2 update for the EVO 4G has already been rooted by netarchy over at XDA-Devs. Yea – the update that was just released yesterday… pretty impressive stuff. Be forewarned, though – the update may not play nice with the previous (non-final) update that was released.
No longer should Nexus One owners be jealous of their HTC Desire brethren. We’ve seen High-Def on the N1 before, and thanks to the continued hard work of Charan Singh and Cyanogen over at XDA-Developers, 1280 x 720 recording has finally come to an AOSP version of Froyo 2.2. The update.zip will only work for CyanogenMod versions greater than RC2, but it is expected to be ported to the popular LeoFroyo ROM and, who knows, maybe even the stock version of N1 Froyo in the future.


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“We are very excited about teaming up with Video Secrets, a company respected by both the industry and consumers,” SwankDollars CEO Rob said. “Swank’s brand loyalty and decades of experience in the adult industry coupled with Video Secrets’ knowledge and expertise are a sure fire winner. SwankLive brings consumers the best girls, hottest action and freshest new faces along with proven fan favorites.”
Using Video Secrets technology, the site will feature various levels of online chat sessions with live models. Viewers can access free public chats or upgrade into pay-per-minute formats including one-on-one private sessions with the model. No registration is needed for users to access the public chat rooms.
The SwankDollars.com affiliate program hosts several sites for its roster of online publications, including SwankPass.com, SwankMag.com, VelvetMag.com, GentsOnline.com, Dcup.com, LegAction.com and Genesis.com. All the sites feature exclusive content and offer webmasters 50 percent payouts and hosted video and photo galleries.
Video Secrets has partnered with several adult content producers to power their exclusive web chat sites, including PlayboyLive.com, Homegrowncams.com, HustlerLive.com and FalconLive.com, as well as the Video Secrets flagship site, Flirt4Free.com.
“The partnership between SwankLive and Video Secrets is one of the latest skin deals powered by Video Secrets,” Video Secrets Co-owner and President Gregory Clayman said. “Our company is enthusiastic about working with SwankDollars CEO Rob and all of the people at SwankLive.”

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The UK’s first dedicated Euro 6 gas-powered Scania tractor unit has now entered service with leading UK digital retailer, Argos, with four more being commissioned later this month.
In addition to meeting the Euro 6 exhaust emissions standard when operated on biomethane carbon dioxide, reductions of up to 70 per cent can be achieved. The vehicles are also extremely quiet, meaning they are particularly suitable for use in rural areas.
David Landy, Argos Fleet Manager, said: “The ultra-low emissions and environmental benefits of these trucks makes them an extremely attractive proposition.
“The trucks are a unique manufacturer’s offer, opposed to an aftermarket adaption, which made our purchasing decision easy. The research and development process Scania has undertaken in the product, along with a ten year duty-differential promise from the government, gives us a great deal of confidence in gas powered operation.
“The final part of the equation is the growing gas filling station infrastructure. These trucks will be based at our Magna Park, Lutterworth distribution centre, just a few miles from the Gasrec refuelling station at the DIRFT in Daventry. With an expected range of up to 450 kilometres, the vehicles will run initially on daily return-to-base operations, but in the future this could change as the UK gas refuelling infrastructure continues to develop and grow.”
Plated at 40-tonnes gross train weight, each vehicle will be equipped with Scania’s OC09 102, nine-litre, Euro 6 engine. Delivering 340hp (250kW) at 1,900 rpm and 1,600Nm of torque between 1,100 and 1,400 rpm, this engine is designed to operate solely on gas (compressed or liquified) and offers a high thermal efficiency of 40 percent.
Martin Hay, UK Truck Sales Director for Scania (Great Britain) Limited comments, “We are delighted that Argos has become the first UK operator to put our dedicated gas-powered trucks into operation. Today, there are approaching 4,000 gas-powered Scania vehicles in service around the world. This, together with an ever-developing fuel-supply infrastructure, represents a major step forward in terms of combating emissions of greenhouse gas.”
The introduction into service of these vehicles also represents a major milestone in a project created by Innovate UK (formerly Technology Strategy Board) to assess the benefits of gas to the UK haulage industry.
“A key aim of the project has been to introduce gas-powered vehicles into service at Magna Park in the run-up to a publicly-accessible gas refuelling station scheduled to open on site later this year,” says John Baldwin, Managing Director of CNG Services, which leads the project in collaboration with Gasrec, Argos, DHL Supply Chain, Culina Logistics and Eddie Stobart.
“In our view, the introduction of Argos’s new gas-powered Scania trucks will be transformational in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and their impact upon air quality in the coming years.”


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We all need to plan time off from work to spend quality time alone or with family and friends and recharge our minds. However, taking paid vacation time is something not every American worker is doing. According to the U.S. Travel Association, American workers left an average of 33% of their paid time on the table last year.
National Plan a Vacation Day, which is the last Tuesday in January (this year, it’s January 26), reminds us to plan our vacation at the start of the year for the rest of the year. The earlier you plan a vacation, the more ready and relaxed you’ll be when your vacation time gets here.


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304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Apple Arcade, a tech giant gaming registration service has recently introduced a load of new games. New titles include Fantasian, NBA 2K, The Oregon Trail and World of Demons, among others. The new Apple Arcade update also divides new games into two categories. This will be called ‘Outdated Classics’ and ‘App Store Greats’.
The games under Timeless Classics will feature titles such as backgammon, solitaire, chess and sudoku. Meanwhile, the App Store Greats will feature titles such as Third, Monument Valley, Mini Metro, and a remaster of Cut the Rope.
Unlike most arcade games, new titles in Apple Arcade will not be played on most Apple devices. Instead, they will be available on Apple iPhones and iPads only. With new updates and more than 30 games, Apple Arcade now hosts more than 180 games.
What is the Apple Arcade and how much does it cost?
Apple Arcade is a premium video game registration service for iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod Touch, and Apple TV. In India, the service was launched in September 2020 and is now available for Rs 99 a month or Rs 999 a year. Games in Apple Arcade will also be free of ads and microtransaction. Users even get the support of One Box and PlayStation 4 controllers.
Apple Arcade strategy change
Launched early in 2019, Apple Arcade was supposed to be a new place different from premium and special games. However, Apple has had a strategic change since then and the product is reportedly unhappy with Apple Arcade involvement.
As a result, Apple reportedly canceled several game contracts that would later be launched on Arcade. A Bloomberg report suggested that instead Apple would focus on games that would keep players back.


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Publix issues recall of 45 various cakes | News
Lakeland, Florida -- Publix Super Markets has issued a voluntary recall for 45 various cake products due to the fact that they may contain the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.
Publix says it received a notification of the contamination from their supplier, Maplehurst, and that the recall is precautionary.
The company says the cake products were distributed to stores between Nov. 11 through Nov. 15 to the following counties: Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Flagler, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia.
Consumption of the bacterium can cause serious and sometimes fatal infection in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
For a full list of the affected cakes, click here.


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BioLogics ruling will follow factsKorea’s financial regulator said Thursday it will make a final ruling on a suspected accounting breach of Samsung BioLogics without prejudice, based on facts and international accounting standards.
Kim Yong-beom, vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), made the remarks as he opened a session that aims to confirm the alleged breach and measures it could take against Samsung BioLogics.
“All decisions and judgment will be made without prejudice, based on objective facts and international accounting standards,” Kim told the session.
Financial authorities gave a preliminary notice earlier last month to Samsung BioLogics that it broke accounting rules in 2015, a charge strongly denied by the unit of Samsung Electronics.
Since then, financial authorities had held three rounds of reviews about the alleged accounting breach, but the review apparently failed to reach a consensus as FSC officials said there were some “majority and minority opinions” about the case.
A ruling is unlikely Thursday, and financial authorities are expected to hold more sessions later this month and early next month, FSC officials said.
Shares of Samsung BioLogics rose 0.21 percent to 421,500 won ($394.5) at one point in morning trading, underperforming a 0.74 percent gain in the Kospi.
The regulatory probe centered on questions about Samsung BioLogics’ sudden profits in 2015.
After years of losses, Samsung BioLogics posted a net profit of 1.9 trillion won in 2015 after it changed the method used to calculate the value of its affiliate, Samsung Bioepis.
Samsung BioLogics has claimed that the change was in line with international accounting standards.
Before Samsung BioLogics went public in 2016, Samsung Electronics and Cheil Industries owned 40 percent stakes in the biosimilar maker.
The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, an influential South Korean civic group, has argued that Samsung BioLogics may have inflated its profit to raise the value of the company for the benefit of Samsung Group’s heir apparent Lee Jae-yong.
The civic group has said the suspected accounting breaches at Samsung BioLogics may have helped the controversial takeover of Samsung C&T by Cheil Industries in 2015.
The merger of two Samsung units was widely seen as a step to enhance Lee’s control of Samsung Group, as his father Lee Kun-hee suffered a heart attack in 2014 and has been hospitalized since.


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Samsung Galaxy F13 can be brought home from Flipkart at a low price.
A discount of Rs 1,000 will be available on purchases made with HDFC or ICICI bank cards.
As a camera, a 50-megapixel triple rear camera is available in the Samsung Galaxy F13.
More than one offer is given to the customers on Flipkart. Along with old phones, customers can also get discounts and deals on the purchase of latest phones from here. Meanwhile, talking about another latest phone, Samsung Galaxy F13 can be brought home from Flipkart at a low price. According to the information received from Flipkart, this phone has been made available at an initial price of Rs 10,999.
But if you buy with HDFC or ICICI bank card, then you will get a discount of Rs 1,000. Apart from this, the phone can also be purchased at No Cost EMI, which has been kept at just Rs 1,834 per.
Samsung Galaxy F13 has a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD display, which can turn your screen into a silver screen. For glass protection, its screen gets the protection of Gorilla Glass 5, so that there will be no drops and scratches on the phone.
The smartphone is equipped with Exynos 850 chipset, which has been introduced with up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. RAM can be expanded up to 8GB virtually. Up to 8 GB of RAM is available in this phone. This phone will be made available in three color options – Waterfall Blue, Sunrise Copper and Nightsky Green.
Will get 50 megapixel camera
As a camera, a 50-megapixel triple rear camera is available in the Samsung Galaxy F13. It includes a 5-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfie, this phone has a 5 megapixel ultra-wide lens.
For power, the phone has a 6000mAh battery, which comes with 15W fast charging. For better connectivity, auto data switching mode is available in it, which will be the first time in the phone of this segment.


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Global markets rebounded overnight as strong economic news from the U.S. showed that the world’s leading economy is on the rise.
European stocks climbed from a six-month low as the People’s Bank of China dispelled concern over a cash crunch in China, and as U.S. data on durable goods, new-home sales and confidence increased more than economists had projected.
The Stoxx 600 increased by 1.5% to 279.7 at the close of trading, its biggest gain in two months. In London, the FTSE 100 added 73 points (+1.2%) to close at 6,102 while the German DAX gained 119 points (+1.6%) to settle at 7,811.
U.S. stocks rose, as the S&P 500 rebounded from a nine-week low, after data showed durable-goods orders and home sales increased more than forecast and consumer confidence climbed.
The S&P 500 added 15 points (+1%) to 1,588 in New York. The Dow Jones rose 101 points (+0.7%) to settle at 14,760.
The Conference Board’s index of U.S. consumer confidence increased to 81.4 in June from 74.3 a month earlier. Another report showed bookings for U.S. goods meant to last at least three years climbed 3.6% for a second month, topping economist forecasts.
In addition, new U.S. homes climbed more than forecast in May to the highest level in almost five years, while home prices increased more than forecast in the 12 months through April.
Crude oil rose for a second session as U.S. durable goods orders gained more than forecast in May and on expectations that crude stockpiles fell last week.
Oil for August delivery settled at $95.32 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Gold slid for a second straight session as signs of improving U.S. economic growth boosted speculation that the Federal Reserve will end its stimulus program. Gold futures for August delivery slipped 0.2% to settle at $1,275.10 an ounce on the Comex in New York.
The yen strengthened from near a two-week low against the US dollar as speculation a cash crunch in China will curb the nation’s economic growth supported demand for the relative safety of the Japanese currency.
There is no major local economic data slated for release today.


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Virgin Voyages has unveiled health and safety measures for passengers embarking on the ‘Scarlet Lady’ when she sails on her delayed maiden voyage in October.
The ship, the first of two, will be adults only with a minimum age of 18, and will include new protocols on board.
These will feature – pre-boarding health screenings, coupled with thermal camera technology to monitor crew temperatures in terminals; the fogging of every piece of luggage and delivery that is loaded onto the ship; the fogging of all cabins; new cleaning protocol and cleanliness standards incorporating the latest hygiene initiatives; the frequent disinfection of high touch areas.
In addition, HVAC systems are designed to bring 100% fresh air into all the cabins; an air filtration system that has been shown“to kill 99.9% of viruses will be used; and the keeping additional ventilators, oxygen tanks and PPE on board.
Virgin also said that guests will also be encouraged to follow best practices concerning social distancing, which the company will instigate by significantly reducing the overall ship capacity for the start-up sailing period.
Passengers will be encouraged to leverage the digital on board experience to limit contact with staff by paying, chatting, ordering food or securing space in ‘virtual queues’ for any on board experiences.
“For masks, we follow the same guidance as is recommended on land – so if people are advised to wear masks there, we will do so at sea, as well,” Virgin Voyages said.
These new protocols will also extend to shore excursions. In addition, Virgin Voyages is setting up a ‘post-voyage notification process’ for customers to report any symptoms experienced after the trip.
“We’ll be updating these as the science and technology evolves, and we’ll continue to keep you posted as we evolve right along with it,” Virgin Voyages added.
‘Scarlet Lady’ is due to sail from Miami to the Dominican Republic and Bimini on 16th October this year.


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TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Twenty years ago today, the first customer-ready M-Class SUVs began rolling off the Mercedes-Benz auto assembly line in Tuscaloosa County, launching new eras for both the automaker and the state of Alabama.
For Mercedes, the M-Class was the first mass market SUV, and its success helped spin off a full range of similar models for the premium German automaker while also influencing the offerings from competitors.
For Alabama, the start of M-Class production was also the start of the modern auto industry. Minivans, sedans, pickups and more SUVs have followed, as Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and hundreds of suppliers set up shop in the state.
“In the 20 years since Mercedes began producing vehicles in Alabama, our partnership with the company has grown stronger today than ever before,” Governor Robert Bentley said.
“The confidence that Mercedes has shown in our workforce and in the positive business climate we have created in the state has allowed the auto industry to continue to grow in the city of Vance and beyond, making Alabama one of the top auto-producing states in the country.”
Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the impact of Mercedes on Alabama’s auto industry cannot be overstated.
“It was this company’s vision, to build an entirely new kind of vehicle in its first U.S. manufacturing plant, that led to the growing, innovative automotive operations we have throughout the state today,” Secretary Canfield said.
“Last year, for the second year in a row, workers at our three auto assembly plants combined to produce more than 1 million vehicles, and that all started on Feb. 14, 1997, with the first Mercedes-Benz M-Class made in Alabama.”
2.5 MILLION+ VEHICLES
After multiple expansions, the Mercedes plant, known as Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., has seen investment valued at more than $4.5 billion. There are 3,500 team members who continue to produce the M-Class, which was renamed the GLE two years ago; they also build the GLS full-size SUV, C-Class sedan and GLE Coupé.
“Our local economy now has a decidedly international focus and the experience has taught us to embrace international trade, not fear it.”
MBUSI is responsible for more than 24,500 direct and indirect jobs in the region, with an estimated $1.5 billion annual economic impact on the state. It is consistently Alabama’s largest exporter, and in 2015 alone, shipped more than $5 billion in products to 135 markets around the globe.
Roughly two-thirds of the components in MBUSI-built vehicles come from North American suppliers, 30 of which are now located in Alabama. Since that first M-Class rolled off the line, more than 2.5 million vehicles have followed it.
And more growth is on the horizon. MBUSI is in the middle of a $1.3 billion, 300-job expansion that is setting the stage for the production of its next-generation vehicles.
The plant has changed the trajectory of the surrounding economy, said Dara Longgrear, executive director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority.
“Our local economy now has a decidedly international focus and the experience has taught us to embrace international trade, not fear it,” he said. “Tuscaloosa County and our region of Alabama enjoy a prominent place in the world’s luxury automotive sector as a primary contributor to our state’s No. 1 export by dollar volume, automobiles.”
Longgrear added that the local supplier network which has grown over the past 20 years includes companies from the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, China, India and Mexico.
The GLE/M-Class will be celebrated by Mercedes officials and Alabama workers with a series of events over the next six months.
They’ll recognize several 20-year milestones, including the SUV’s production startup and market debut, as well as the grand opening of the Tuscaloosa County plant.
MBUSI President and CEO Jason Hoff said the first-generation M-Class represented a new direction for the automaker’s lineup, which is now heavily populated with SUVs. (The company did have the G-Wagen back then, but it was a very small niche model.)
“The M-Class at that time was our entrance to the SUV market, and if you look at how SUVs in general have exploded since then, it was obviously a key milestone and a huge step for our product portfolio. Now we have the GLA all the way up to the GLS,” he said.
“It was this company’s vision … that led to the growing, innovative automotive operations we have throughout the state today.”
The GLE remains a key player in that lineup, even two decades later, Hoff continued. It’s one of the company’s larger volume vehicles, holding its own among popular sedans such as the E-Class and C-Class.
Last year, U.S. sales of the GLE/M-Class model line topped 51,000, making it Mercedes’ No. 2 seller in the market, trailing only the C-Class.
“It continues to meet customer demands from multiple aspects, from size to features,” Hoff said. “It’s still a true off-roader, and I think that’s one of the things a lot of people forget. It also has an off-road option that gives it even more capability.”
The GLE continues to be the flagship vehicle of Mercedes’ growing Alabama operations.
Hoff said the current expansion is going well, and everything is on schedule.
The project includes a new Body Shop, major enhancements to the SUV Assembly Shop and upgraded logistics and IT systems that will make the plant one of the “smartest” automotive facilities in the world.
“We are coming to the close of building construction, and the next step is installation of the equipment,” he said. The facility is expected to be put into full production in 2019.
While the plant’s annual capacity will remain at 300,000 vehicles, the new additions will allow the company to better prepare for future generations of its SUVs, which are gaining popularity worldwide.
In 2016, Mercedes won the global luxury sales crown, topping rival BMW. Mercedes’ overall sales rose 11.3 percent to more than 2 million, while sales of its SUVs alone grew 34 percent.
At the launch of the redesigned and renamed GLE two years ago, Mercedes officials in Germany emphasized what the model has meant to the brand.
“State-of-the-art and efficient drive technology, combined with superior ride quality and the versatility and robustness typical for SUVs — the new GLE has all the ingredients to continue the success story of our best-seller,” said Ola Kaellenius, member of the Board of Management of Mercedes parent Daimler AG and a former head of MBUSI.
“Often copied, rarely equaled — the M-Class established the segment of premium SUVs in 1997 and since then has been one of the most successful models in the world,” he said.


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Food fraud, or the act of defrauding buyers of food or ingredients for economic gain, has plagued the food industry throughout history. Although it is not known conclusively how widespread food fraud is in the United States or worldwide, it is now estimated to be a $50 billion industry for the total food market --about the same size as the entire 2017 U.S. organic market.
Today’s organic farmers, like all farmers, are consummate problem solvers and masters of many skills. However, reliable assistance and educational tools to successfully deal with the daily challenges of their operations are often lacking.
Two individuals and a farming couple receiving Organic Leadership Awards from the Organic Trade Association in September have the drive to make a difference, a strong belief that organic practices are the way to go, and a commitment to mentoring others.
Successful farming requires careful planning and the right tools. A new crop budgeting tool developed by the U.S. Organic Grain Collaboration enables organic farmers—and those producers interested in transitioning to organic—to zero in on their specific operations and provides a new resource to help improve their current organic operation or to make the choice to go organic.
The CCOF Foundation is launching “Roadmap to an Organic California,” a new project for 2018 that will make the case for increasing certified organic land in California and recommend state policies to achieve 10 percent certified organic agricultural land by 2030.


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Yet another title is getting a next gen re-release. With The Last of Us and Walking Dead both scheduled for next gen consoles this summer, Bioware appear to want to cash in on the action with a re-release of the Mass Effect Trilogy.
Chilean retailer Zmart Games has listed the trilogy as available to pre-order on both the Xbox One and PS4. Although no date or price has been set we expect to see a majority of the previously released DLC to be bundled with all three Mass Effect Games.
So far Bioware have failed to confirm whether this is a legitimate listing however, General Manager of Bioware Aaryn Flynn declared on Twitter that the possibility had been “discussed.” Subsequently both versions of the game have been removed from the Zmart Games’ website.
With Mass Effect 4 penned in and an announcement expected anytime soon, Bioware will be keen to invite all next gen user to the franchise, possibly, for the first time with this re-release. Stay tuned with Twinstickgaming for any further developments.


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It’s nine years since Meat & Livestock Australia last held its annual general meeting in Western Australia, and while many things have changed since then, one that has remained very much as it was a decade ago is livestock prices.
During his address to MLA members at yesterday’s annual general meeting in Fremantle, managing director Scott Hansen touched on the sensitive issue of livestock prices, which he conceded had changed little in real terms, despite the millions of dollars invested on the industry’s behalf by MLA since then.
“So what are you getting for your levy investment?” he asked the AGM producer audience.
In 2003, the average price paid for saleyards cattle was 349c/kg, dressed weight, while in today’s terms, they average 390c.
“It’s clear that cattle prices are really not that much higher than they were a decade ago,” Mr Hansen said.
“But it’s equally important that we look at the price that the customer is paying for the product,” he said.
Within the domestic market, still the single largest marketplace for Australian beef, there is only a 1pc difference between the volume of beef consumed in 2003, versus this year. The figure for 2012 was 706,000 tonnes, carcase weight.
“But over the same timeframe, Australian consumer expenditure on beef increased by 16pc, or $850 million,” he said.
This growth in value raised the question of what the producers’ share is of that retail consumer dollar. During the next week, MLA will be releasing annual tracking of that measurement, partly in response to earlier calls from lobby groups like the Australian Beef Association. The figure had grown from around 30pc in 2003, to 36.5pc today (see separate story later on Beef Central).
A similar trend had occurred in export markets. Mr Hansen said in 2003, consumers around the world paid US$2.3billion for Australian beef. Nine years later, global consumers paid 111pc more – $4.8 billion.
“So why is it that your global customers who are paying more than double for your beef than they were ten years ago, yet you are still receiving the same price?” he asked.
“The obvious answer and the most significant reason is that since 2003, there has been a 75pc increase in the value of the Australian dollar, versus the US dollar. Imagine this industry with the current level of demand – consumers around the globe paying an extra 111pc for your beef – with an A$ back at the 2003 average of US59c.”
“Conversely, imagine what shape we would be in if the demand from our global customers was the same as what it was back in 2003.”
Mr Hansen then outlined what MLA is doing to address these challenges, across the investments in programs and activities in areas like maintaining and improving market access, growing demand, improving productivity across the supply chain, promoting industry integrity and sustainability, and increasing industry and people capability.
During his chairman’s address to the AGM, Rob Anderson said the past 12 months had been very challenging for the industry, and for MLA.
“However the challenges we’ve faced have also provided a great opportunity to take stock of how we are doing as an industry,” he said.
“As the industry’s service company, MLA has made the most of this opportunity by listening to producers, to peak industry councils and to government, as we sought to clarify our own role in helping producers tackle current and future challenges.”
“And the message we heard was loud and clear. MLA needed to concentrate on the core business it was originally set up to do, and that is, marketing and R&D,” Mr Anderson said.
During the past 18 months, the MLA board had worked with managing director Scott Hansen and his executive team to help sharpen the company’s focus.
“We drew on the messages our stakeholders were giving us and used these to revamp our strategic imperatives and zero-in on a clear mission – to deliver marketing and R&D programs that create opportunities across the cattle supply chains by optimising the return on collective investment in marketing and R&D,” Mr Anderson said.
“And while the company refocussed on this core business, the MLA board had a shift in focus too. Together we made the conscious decision to lift ourselves away from the day-to-day running of the company – leaving that to those who do it best: the MD and the general managers.”
“We also reaffirmed that the role of the MLA Board, in addition to guiding the strategic direction of the company, is to focus on risk management, corporate governance, and investment criteria to ensure your levies are utilised effectively and in the right strategic areas.”
One particular area the Board had worked at further strengthening over the past year was corporate governance.
“While it may not make headlines, we have looked at best practice governance models from around Australia to deliver more for our stakeholders whilst ensuring proper company diligence,” Mr Anderson said.
“Good governance ensures MLA is responsive to the reasonable expectations of all stakeholders. It means complying with a range of legal frameworks and having robust systems and accountabilities in place. Without good governance, a company can fail to meet its objectives, and in doing so, those of its stakeholders, and the law.”
“We’re continuing to focus on the potential risks that may affect MLA’s ability to deliver on its strategic objectives and have put controls and strategies in place to manage those risks,” he said.
“As part of this process we’ve interrogated MLA’s systems and commenced a new audit regime in our overseas offices thus ensuring investment in appropriate programs.”
Mr Anderson said his main role as chairman was to ensure that the board operated effectively.
“Above all, I see my main job as being to listen. I particularly enjoy getting out and talking with my fellow producers. These conversations give me a clear understanding of what’s important to grassroots livestock producers and, by extension, to the board and management of MLA.”
“I’m always reminded that while individual circumstances may differ, these same pressures are felt by producers right around the country – they’re no different to the issues I face as a producer each day as well,” he said.
“Despite these shared challenges, I also get the sense from my conversations with producers and others around the country, that there is a quiet optimism about the future of our industry.”
“There is widespread recognition that livestock producers play an important role in future food security. Global cattle herds are shrinking – the US herd is back to 1950s numbers. The middle class in emerging markets is growing exponentially and is not showing any signs of slowing.”
“It is the stories I hear from producers that reinforce to me how important it is that the MLA board keeps this company focused on its core business, and continues to deliver benefits to producers using their collective investment to create opportunities they can’t always create on their own,” Mr Anderson said.


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Home > News > Altair Nanotechnologies' New Thermal Spray Product
April 28th, 2004
Altair Nanotechnologies' New Thermal Spray Product
Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. today announced that its novel nanomaterials thermal spray grade powder, TiNano Coat™, demonstrated significantly superior mechanical properties in a competitive study performed by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada. The study was performed at NRC's state-of-the-art Industrial Materials Institute facilities in Boucherville, Quebec, from November 2003 through February 2004.
QuantuMDx announce prototype handheld lab for 15 minute malaria diagnosis and drug resistance testing April 23rd, 2014
Nanovations Sets new Benchmark in Automotive Windscreen Coating Durability: Nanovations new automotive glass coating Vision Protect, sets new benchmark in glass coating durability March 23rd, 2014
Tawada CleanTech to show fabric duct and eco cool coating in MegaBuild March 21st, 2014
NEI Introduces Self-healing Anti-corrosion Coating for Zinc-Plated and Galvanized Steel March 14th, 2014


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Tag Archives: QTech Games
- QTech Games reports ramping success across Asia in Q3
6 November 2019
QTech Games, Asia’s number-one games distributor, has announced stellar growth and success in Q3 after a series of sustained incremental gains throughout 2019.
- QTech Games delivers tournament-winning product for reliable retention
2 October 2019
QTech Games has announced its next network slot tournament, powered by the sustained success of its market-leading rewards tool, QT Tournament.
- QTech Games heads to Juegos Miami to broaden its LatAm influence
21 May 2019
Leading distributor bound for Miami, emboldened by success of its gaming tournament tool.
- QTech Games enhances portfolio with Patagonia content to boost global expansion
17 May 2019
QTech Games has now bolstered its position near the forefront of the LatAm market after partnering with Patagonia Entertainment.
- QTech Games heads to G2E to expand its Asian footprint
10 May 2019
QTech launched an industry-first for a platform, whereby any operator can create their own tournaments across the entire QTech portfolio of products.
- QTech Games breaks new ground with The Vault
28 March 2019
QTech Games, Asia’s number-one games distributor, signed off a successful ASEAN Gaming Summit with the launch of its new in-house game, The Vault.


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The Metropolitan Utilities District received reports Friday of scammers contacting customers and threatening to shut off services if they do not provide a credit card number or cash.
As of Friday afternoon, the utility company had received reports from two people who had been contacted by scammers threatening to shut off their gas and water service, said Mark Doyle, a senior vice president at MUD. The scammers asked for cash and wanted to meet up with the customers in person.
Omaha restaurateur Greg Cutchall of Cutchall Management Co. said an Old Market restaurant he operates was a target of the scam. The caller threatened to shut off the restaurant’s water service by the end of the day if a credit card number was not provided.
“We’ve heard quite a few scams in our day, but this is a new one,” Cutchall said.
Jennie Warren, executive director of the Omaha Restaurant Association, said she had not heard any reports of other restaurants being targeted.
Doyle said MUD received reports of the scam Friday. “We’re getting calls that say the phone number is an 800 number, and one particular customer said that (scammers) told him he owes some money on a bill, but couldn’t give the account number or total amount due.”
Doyle advised all customers who receive similar calls to contact the utility’s customer service line at 402-554-6666, and to notify the Better Business Bureau and Omaha Police.
“Our employees will always give their name and their employee number, and they will identify themselves. They will never hold back information from a customer based on their inquiry,” he said.
He added that, generally, MUD does not contact customers by phone regarding service shut-off.
“If we were going to shut somebody off for non-payment, they would get a notice with their bill and to call customer service,” Doyle said. “The only time we would be asking for a credit card number, that would be a payment conversation that was initiated by the customer.”
Contact the writer: 402-444-1414, email@example.com
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Unanimous adoption of the motion moved by a member of the House, Jimoh Olajide, titled, ‘Urgent Need to Regulate the Point of Sale Business Operations in Nigeria.’
Moving the motion, Olajide noted that the POS is where customers make payments for products or services rendered, but due to many factors, “the POS has been turned into a lucrative business in Nigeria and has provided jobs for millions of unemployed Nigerians that see it as a good alternative to white-collar jobs in the country.”
He said, “While many Nigerians are making legal money from this lucrative business, some are using it for fraudulent acts to create fake credit alerts to defraud innocent customers hence the need for government intervention to rescue the rising business sector in the country.”
Olajide said, “The House is worried that the POS merchants in Nigeria are not only licensed by commercial banks, other private companies are currently in the business of giving out POS for business purposes, thus making the business to be more porous and ambiguous.
“The House is concerned that presently, no financial regulatory bodies in Nigeria can precisely ascertain the total number of POS machines and their operators in the country.”
The lawmaker made reference to a report by The PUNCH on December 21, 2021, of the allegation by the residents of Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State that members of staff of Union Bank and First Bank, Aniocha branches, deliberately sabotaged the banks Automated Teller Machines on non-availability of cash, thus leaving customers with no choice to patronise the alleged banks staff-owned POS centres around the banks.
He noted that in exercising the powers conferred on the Central Bank of Nigeria by the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 (as amended) to issue guidelines, rules and standards for financial services to the public and to ensure good conduct and management of the financial system, the apex bank had released ATM guidelines and regulations.
He added that the guidelines and regulations include, among other things, that any institution operating an ATM shall file an updated list of such ATMs, including the detailed location of their addresses with the Banking and Payments System Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria for compliance and monitoring.
Olajide said, “The House is worried that some of the POS operators fraudulently charge exorbitant amounts of money from their customers’ bank accounts, while some retain vital information from customer’s ATM cards in the course of making the financial transactions.”


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The crossover gets a better driving experience, too.
Recently, we heard about Mazda's plans for its lineup that included the new Mazda CX-5. We already knew the crossover would be coming with a new platform and new engines. Earlier this month, we got a sneak preview of the new CX-5 thanks to leaked images coming out of China.
Now the 2022 CX-5 has been officially revealed for America, and it's got quite a bit for us to talk about. Let's get started.
Mazda says this CX-5 drives better than ever. Thanks to the standard inclusion of all-wheel drive across the lineup, as well as styling updates, the new CX-5 will surely appeal to more buyers than ever before. The updated vehicle offers "considerable improvements to the design and dynamic performance".
Designers focused mainly on updating the front and rear fascias, with the former featuring a new signature wing extending outwards from the front grille. That grille has been updated too, now boasting a "three-dimensional texture" instead of mesh. The headlights and taillights have been redesigned with rectangular LED lighting accents while new aluminum alloy wheels also help set the 2022 model apart from its predecessor.
On turbocharged models, additional design changes are implemented. On the new 2.5 Turbo (formerly the Grand Touring Reserve), gloss black accents adorn the exterior while the cabin gets red accents and stitching. Body-color exterior cladding and bright silver wheels, as well as Nappa leather and genuine woodgrain further elevate this model's appeal.
The new CX-5 gets changes under the skin too, with intelligent Drive Select, or Mi-Drive offering various drive modes. Redesigned seats have been fitted too, bolstering comfort while a redesigned six-speed automatic transmission is said to be smoother and more responsive. The suspension gets reworked too, promising a reduction in vibrations, road noise, and discomfort thanks to an improved dampening control structure and increased frame rigidity.
Finally, i-Active AWD is now standard for all Mazda CX models from the 2022 model year. With the ability to continually monitor weight transfer and shift power to the appropriate wheels, Mazda is promising enhanced turn-in response and control along with improved safety. Pricing and time of availability haven't been announced just yet.


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New Areas To Explore On WTM London Exhibition Floor
World Travel Market London 2023 will have three exciting new areas on the exhibition floor this year – Accommodation & Wholesalers, Experiences and Transportation.
The new areas will replace the International Hub and predominantly showcase private-sector and non-destination exhibitors.
The Accommodation & Wholesalers, Experiences and Transportation areas have been launched following extensive research carried out by World Travel Market earlier this year, which identified a trend towards travel purchasing decisions based upon experiences, as opposed to purely destination, particularly among younger generations.
WTM’s behavioural research highlighted the changing habits of the traveller, with Millennials and Gen Z increasingly making travel choices based on experience or bucket lists, as opposed to just the city, country, or region they want to visit.
Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director at World Travel Market London, said: “While Gen X might go to Spain, New York or Paris, the newer generations want to visit a wellness retreat, go white-water rafting, or learn to cook in a local community.”
Losardo continued: “This year we’ve seen an increase in the number of non-destination exhibitors signing up to WTM London, in response to the shift in requirements of younger travellers, who make travel choices based on what they want to do and experience.”
She pointed out that: “The new Accommodation & Wholesalers, Transportation & Experience areas of the show tap into this cultural shift, offering a place where buyers can come and see what is new and exciting on offer, all in one place.”
For more on World Travel Market London, just CLICK HERE.


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Skyworld is available now on Steam for HTC vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality devices.
Skyworld launches next week for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
Vertigo Games is conducting a beta release which players can sign up to.
The campaign will teach you the game, and prepare you for battles.
For VR and the new mixed reality headsets.
Invite somebody you know and take them down a peg.
It's one of the first to be announced for the Windows headset.
A chaperone system has now been added.
They want it to be exactly the same game you play on the PC.
Vertigo Games’ VR zombie apocalypse comes to PlayStation VR on good form.


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Baltimore Restaurant Week at Phillips Seafood
Inner Harbor | Website
This event occurred in the past.
From Monday, February 16 through Saturday February 28, Phillips is offering a $15 two-course lunch menu and a $30 three-course dinner menu. For lunch, diners have the option of Maryland vegetable crab soup or a mixed greens salad for an appetizer and a fried seafood platter, fish tacos, or roasted salmon for an entree. For dinner, diners will have the option of Maryland vegetable crab soup or caesar salad for an appetizer, a crab cake, steak and cake, or roasted salmon and crab for an entree, and cheesecake or chocolate cake for dessert.


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German luxury carmaker Audi has announced an increase in price of its model range available in India. The increase would be up to 5 percent across its model range from January 1, 2013.
“The overall market scenario is challenging. The rise in input cost, depreciating rupee as well as continuous increase in fuel prices have made us re-evaluate our pricing strategy in India and increase the prices of the entire range. However, we are offering the customers customised and innovative finance options from Audi Finance which will make their purchase more attractive,” said Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India.
The Audi model range in India consists of 12 models ranging from the A4 to the R8 Spyder available in 23 dealerships across the country.
Audi India registered a total sale of 850 units in October this year, a 76 percent growth over the same period last year (October 2011: 482 units). The brand recorded a 55 percent growth rate YTD with 7,267 vehicles sold from January to October 2012. (January-October 2011: 4,692 units).
Meanwhile, arch rival BMW is also set to hike prices. The company recently said that the price hike could be up to 10 percent.


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Business sentiment among large manufacturers improved only slightly in the three months through September, underlining the fragility of the nation’s export-led recovery, a quarterly Bank of Japan survey showed Tuesday.
Among large manufacturers, the diffusion index — the percentage of companies that believe business conditions are good minus the percentage that say the opposite — inched up 4 points from the previous quarter to minus 14. It was the second consecutive increase, according to the BOJ’s “tankan” survey of companies nationwide.
The small gain, far short of the record 20-point rise reported in the previous quarter, suggests that one of the main engines behind the nation’s economic recovery is already petering out, as exporters keep a wary eye on growing uncertainty over the course of the U.S. economy.
“Corporate profitability is stalling due to falling prices, domestic demand remains weak and companies are becoming worried about future funding,” said Hideo Kumano, a senior economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. “Businesses are saying: ‘things look OK right now, but we’re extremely skeptical about things getting better in the future.’ “
Slow growth in profits is feeding pessimism among large and small businesses alike and is offsetting improved sentiment among the few bright spots in the economy — such as automakers, which saw sales recover from a temporary dip in the summer, and the petroleum industry, which saw profits rise in tandem with oil prices.
Manufacturers and nonmanufacturers alike forecast that profits for fiscal 2002, which runs through March 2003, would be lower than projections made three months earlier.
Large manufacturers said they expected a 31 percent rise in year-on-year profits, down 2.3 percent from the previous quarter. Profits per sales volume remained stalled among manufacturers and nonmanufacturers alike, as prices of goods continued to slide.
Optimism for the next quarter remains guarded. Exporters said they expect overseas demand to level off in the next quarter, reversing their expectations of rising demand they had maintained over the previous three quarters.
“The economy is at a difficult spot, even as it regains its footing,” newly appointed Financial Affairs Minister Heizo Takenaka said. “The problem is not future risk — businesses can measure and guard against that. The problem is uncertainty — businesses feel they don’t have any idea where the world economy is going.”
Tokyo stocks lost ground in trading Tuesday, as market players nervously watched falls in U.S. stocks and somber economic news overseas, with the key Nikkei average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange falling 221.03 to 9,162.26.
The Japanese government has responded to market fears with a conspicuous lack of concrete measures.
It’s no wonder that businesses are refusing to spend.
Large manufacturers — the aces of the economy — actually trimmed their spending forecasts for the fiscal year to a year-on-year 9.2 percent reduction. The cut was for the second consecutive quarter. Large nonmanufacturers also said they expect capital expenditures to fall 6.2 percent from the previous year.
The economy continues to be saddled with debt and deflation, and manufacturers and nonmanufacturers are slashing domestic capital expenditures, using profits to pay off their debts, bolster finances or build factories abroad.
That means that gains made in exports are unlikely to bring more business for smaller companies and companies whose business lies at home. They are also unlikely to trigger a surge in domestic demand — the missing ingredient in Japan’s hesitant recovery.
Meanwhile, fears about the state of the nation’s financial system persist and are likely to provide ammunition for the Bank of Japan and central government policymakers pushing for a cleanup of banks’ bad loans with the help of public funds.
While large and small businesses said their financial standing remained the same or improved slightly in the current quarter, they forecast that things would worsen in the next quarter.
The diffusion index on small enterprises’ assessments of their financial position declined 8 points to minus 24. More small companies also predicted that banks’ lending attitudes would worsen in the next quarter, tipping the relevant DI down 7 points to minus 17.
Banks, burdened by bad loans and unrealized losses on their massive shareholdings, have been unable to take on additional risks in their lending activities.
The data will heap more pressure on the government and the central bank to eradicate banks’ bad loans and help boost lending, while simultaneously injecting public funds to prevent a credit crunch, said Kumano.
The BOJ surveyed 8,500 companies for the tankan. between Aug. 28 and Sept. 30.


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Although not in the Eurozone, the Romanian banking community has adopted SEPA standards (SCT and SCT Inst) even for payments in local currency. Financial inclusion in Romania has seen an increase from 57.64% in 2017 to 69.12% in 2021 (statistics refer to bank account ownership among people over the age of 15).
In the last years we have seen major banks migrate to instant payments (IP), and new additional services for IP arise: Alias Pay (a centralised proxy service) to enable payments initiation using a mobile number, and SANB (Confirmation of Payee) to strengthen trust in IP and online payments in general, said Radu Gratian Ghetea – currently serving as the Chairman of the Board of Libra Internet Bank and as Honorary Chairman of the Romanian Association of Banks – in an interview with The European Payments Council.
What are the main developments in the Romanian payments sector since its launch?
Since the launch of IP in 2019 ten banks have joined, namely Banca Transilvania, CEC Bank, Libra Internet Bank, Banca Comercială Română, Patria Bank, Vista Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, BRD Groupe Société Générale, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, and ING Bank. The combination of these PSPs today cover more than 70% of the Romanian retail payments market.
In terms of IP transaction volumes, at the end of 2021 there was an increase of 27% compared to the previous year, from 1.113 billion transactions to almost 1.5 billion. These include cards, credit transfers, direct debits and other payment instruments.
In terms of volumes, we notice a high increase in the rate of IP: this year the volume of IP is expected to be ten times higher than in 2022, while the share of IP in total interbank payments will increase to more than 35%.
How have electronic payments evolved in Romania since the introduction of the IP System?
The IP System was introduced a few months before the influences of the pandemic became visible in statistics. For example, in Romania the total number of electronic payments (EP) increased by 21,87% between 2020 and 2021, much more than the growth rate of 14,71% in the previous year (2019/2020). Meanwhile, the number of instant payments increased 4,5 times due to the gradual implementation by banks operating in Romania. This ratio is the same for 2021 to 2022.
At the end of September 2023 we observe promising trends in both electronic- and instant payments; between September 2022 and September 2023 the total number of EP increased by 22,83%, the total number of IP increased by 7.9 times, while the total number of non-IP declined by 8,84%. For the end of this year, we expect similar trends considering the decrease of non-IP and parallel increase of IP volumes.
What developments can we expect to see in the payments sector over the coming five years?
The Romanian Association of Banks and TRANSFOND are now focused on developing a new service based on a new national scheme (RoPay). As defined in the common vision of the Banking industry, RoPay is intended to unleash the potential of Instant Payments and create a new payment ecosystem around IP as an alternative to cash and card. Simply speaking, RoPay will enable people to pay easier, instantly, using their mobile banking apps in all day situations: peer to peer, in eCommerce, in small and big shops, while using transport services, for parking services, invoices and so on… making all parties benefit from the advantages of instant payments.
Banking 4.0 – „how was the experience for you”
„So many people are coming here to Bucharest, people that I see and interact on linkedin and now I get the change to meet them in person. It was like being to the Football World Cup but this was the World Cup on linkedin in payments and open banking.”
Many more interesting quotes in the video below:


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Oppo showcases new smartphone with retractable rear camera.
Oppo has now released a new video that showcases the camera prowess of one of its smartphones. The company has posted a short teaser video on both its official Twitter account and on Facebook Watch.
The company has not confirmed the name of the smartphone as of now. The video primarily showcases the rear camera module of the device in question. As per the teaser, the primary shooter is housed on a retractable camera module located at the rear end of the device. The company calls the feature the ‘OPPO Retractable Camera,’ which it says is a self-developed camera technology.
The video reveals the large image sensor being raised out of its camera module. The company has stated that the camera can be raised and retracted.


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Bitcoin futures and options trading volumes reached all-time highs in March
April 5, 2021, 5:28PM EDT
1 min read
Monthly volumes for bitcoin futures and options both broke all-time highs in March, according to data compiled by The Block Research.
Bitcoin futures volume reached $2.13 trillion last month, or 1.90% larger than the previous high, which was recorded in January. The top players accounting for March’s bitcoin future volumes were Binance with 33.84% of the volume, Huobi with 22.32%, and OKEx with 13.75%.
Meanwhile, bitcoin options rose 16.19% from February to March, reaching a total volume of $28.63 billion last month. Of that volume, 96.26% was from Deribit, 3.37% was from OKEx, and 2.02% was from CME.
Recently Huobi Wallet has made waves around the industry for launching HClaimer, a new feature that enables users to collect their staking rewards from multiple DeFi projects through just one easy click.
Brazil-based BTG Pactual, Latin America’s biggest investment bank, is launching its own crypto asset platform that will initially support bitcoin and ether trading. The platform will be called Mynt and allow customers to purchase bitcoin and ether, BTG Pactual’s Head of Digital Assets André Portilho tells The Block. Eventually, the platform will support other digital […]
Delivering on a vision for an interoperable global standard for dollar digital currency, Circle and TRON have partnered to make USD Coin (USDC) available on the TRON blockchain, which has grown to more than 56 million accounts and nearly 2.5 billion transactions since its founding just four years ago. TRON is home to a broad ecosystem for digital assets in Asia and around the world, and the TRON community can now benefit from easy access to the world's fastest-growing, regulated dollar digital currency.


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Earth Day, An Important Call To Action
Earth Day is a call to action.
A call to action to people everywhere to direct their attention to the ecological challenges facing our environment. To use this day as an opportunity to adopt new behaviors and habits that benefit our planet, and to ensure that those actions become part of our daily routine moving forward.
No action is too small. No action is insignificant. It is our collective responsibility as humans to be advocates for the protection of our environment, to continue to push the dialogue, and to commit to lifestyle changes that ensure the safety of our planet.
Brands, too, share this responsibility. With large audiences and the ability to captivate, influence, and inspire movements, it is vital that brands create purposeful actions to raise awareness around the many challenges facing our environment, and to implement alternative eco-friendly methods to help solve these issues, in all aspects of their business.
Here are some brands that inspired us by stepping up to the plate on Earth Day this year, reaffirming their commitment to make this planet a better place.
Apple debuted Daisy, a robot that can disassemble iPhones to recover valuable materials, getting one step closer to its goal of making products with only renewable or recyclable materials. Apple is one of the most innovative companies of our time, and inspiring action with inventions like Daisy further stamps their commitment to use technology toward protecting our world’s resources.
Republic Services, the industry-leading sustainable waste disposal company, encouraged its staff, the communities it serves, and its customers to commit to “#1More” action each day to become better at recycling. They released a series of tips to help educate, build awareness, and inspire action in people to recycle properly.
Staples expanded its Electronic Recycling Program to include coffee brewers, and for this entire week, Staples Rewards members who recycle an old coffee brewer at the national retailer can get a $10 coupon for any purchase above $30. Since starting its Electronic Recycling Program, Staples has collected more than 400 million pounds of electronic waste, including ink and toner, which is the weight of roughly 13 Brooklyn Bridges.
Popular outerwear brand The North Face partnered with the National Park Foundation to clean up waste in parks by pulling over 160,000 pounds of single-use plastic bottles and recycling them into “The Bottle Source Collection.” One dollar of every purchase made will be donated back to the parks.
With its new campaign, “Earth Day Every Day,” 1 Hotels announced a year-long initiative that will include activations across all properties focused on raising awareness of environmental issues, specifically around saving our shores.
Though not yet an action, ride-sharing service Lyft announced its plans to become completely carbon neutral. If the direct-economy brand can follow through on its promise, millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide can be offset, which would be the equivalent of planting tens of millions of trees or taking hundreds of thousands of cars off the road. It’s a lofty goal, but one that would protect the environment and prevent the continuation of mass pollution dramatically if achieved.
As reported by CNET, home automation producer Nest used Earth Day to make an inspiring promise: to install one million smart thermostats at little or no cost to low-income homes over the next five years. The pledge is part of Nest’s “Power Project,” an initiative aimed toward raising awareness around energy efficiency and consumption.
Now that’s #InspiringAction.


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South Korea is still the development hub of OLED in Asia.
Glenn young, South Korea's managing director of Merck, the mainstream provider of OLED display materials, said that despite the huge challenges brought by the rapid development of Chinese competitors, South Korea will still be an Asian market with strategic significance for such issues as low industry concentration
at the press conference held a few days ago, young pointed out: "in order to understand how major customers use the materials we provide, we plan to maintain close contact with major customers and need to keep them strictly confidential."
with the support of the government, Chinese display manufacturers BOE, Tianma microelectronics and vicino have continuously expanded their share in the global display market in the past few years, and increased their investment in OLEDs. In the LCD field, it is said that Chinese manufacturers have surpassed South Korea's Samsung and LG display. Due to fierce competition, LG display achieved an operating loss in the leading quarter, and the loss is expected to continue to expand
Merck also recently opened an OLED technology center in Shanghai to provide better services to Chinese customers. Some market observers believe that the fact that Merck recently opened an OLED technology center in China shows that the German company is trying to transfer its strategic OLED center from South Korea to China
in the past few years, Samsung has been absolutely dominant in the field of mobile OLED, while LGD has always been a leading enterprise in the field of large-scale television. Samsung has a market share of more than 90% in the smart OELD market
in the face of the changing business environment, young actually said that Merck recently established a new Department to adjust the business structure, which is responsible for supervising the business of LCD, OLED and other types of displays
young said that although Korean display manufacturers, including LGD, are still facing some difficulties due to the fierce competition from Chinese manufacturers, with the continuous growth of non polyurethane thermosetting organic thermal insulation materials in the new market, new opportunities will appear in the market, including flexible products and automotive products
Copyright © 2011 JIN SHI


text: Gov. DeWine Announces Curfew for Ohio11/19/2020 The Coronavirus Curfew is underway for our friends in Ohio. Governor Mike DeWine has announced a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew beginning tonight to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The three-week curfew contains multiple exceptions, including for pharmacies, grocery stores and restaurants offering take-out or delivery service. The order also allows exceptions for people going to work or with a medical emergency. But DeWine says the curfew combined with increased mask wearing can reduce people's contacts with others by 20% to 25%. Ohio's seven-day rolling average of daily new cases jumped to 7,199 new cases per day on Nov. 16.


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By Lt. Rudy Diaz, Jr.
While on-duty, Correctional Officer Fred Moss can usually be found working at Central California Women’s Facility. But one recent morning the off-duty officer was checking off items from his grocery shopping list when he answered the call for help.
On March 6, Officer Moss was shopping at a grocery store in Fresno. With his cart loaded and ready to check-out, he spotted an unconscious woman lying on the ground, a pool a blood forming on the floor around her neck.
“She was bleeding profusely out of her neck,” Moss reported. The officer acted quickly, grabbing rags and gloves. To help stop the bleeding, he applied direct pressure to the victim’s wounds.
Witnesses said the woman was attacked by a man who stabbed in her throat multiple times. The suspect fled the scene but was later arrested at a nearby apartment complex. The suspect is facing multiple charges including assault with a deadly weapon.
Thanks to the quick-thinking of Officer Moss, the woman was rushed to the local hospital where she was treated. The victim survived the attack.


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Top award for Lavenham’s Weavers’ House Spa
Boutique spa Weavers’ House Spa at The Swan in Lavenham has received two top accolades from the Good Spa Guide.
The spa, which opened in February 2015, was named as one of the country’s top three facilities for excellence in 2016.
This award was based on votes from the Good Spa readers.
It was also a finalist in the regional category for Best Spa in the East selected by the guide’s ‘Spa Spies’.
The spa has also received a top five ‘bubble’ rating for the past two consecutive years and in 2015 was rated Best Spa for Serenity by the guide.
Spa director Alex Hurt said: “To be placed with the larger more recognised spas in the country for wellness is a true indicator that our team is dedicated to make our guests feel amazing.”
“Everyone at Weavers’ loves what they do and that’s why the magic happens.”
In 2015 Weavers House introduced its Touch Therapies for those affected by cancer and it also launched the Tea Tox - a guilt free alternative to aftrenoon tea with gluten, sugar and lactose free offerings.


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The announcement comes fresh off the back of raised awareness around single-use plastic in Australia. Last week Starbucks announced it would be eliminating plastic straws from all its store within two years, and Woolworths has pledged to stop selling plastic straws by the end of 2018. Australians use around 10 million straws every day, according to environmental groups, so this announcement is a win for the environment.
McDonald’s director of supply chain Robert Sexton issued a statement on July 19, 2018 confirming the burger chain’s commitment to ridding its operations of plastic straws, which comes ahead of the ABC’s anti-garbage programme War on Waste episode featuring McDonalds in a particularly unflattering light.
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Latest Event Updates
It is always nice to hear about something new, which is supposed to improve and refresh the existing systems. The newest edition of the Lumia Cyan Software will certainly strengthen our positive impressions about the Windows Phone. However, the real question is, what is happening with the Microsoft itself?
Why we ask this question? What made us to question recent mobile related Microsoft’s decisions? Well, you cannot fight the feeling that Microsoft goes one step forward and then one step back in different directions when trying to find its proper mobile rhythm. First, we had a fantastic takeover of Nokia.
Now, we are facing one of the worst firing waves in the Microsoft’s modern history, which is very likely to hit Nokia’s employees the most. On the other hand, Microsoft announces the introduction of Android on its models. Then, as soon as the first models hit the market, it cancels the whole thing with Android.
We wish the best of luck to Microsoft on its mobile quest. However, the obvious disorientation in this field strongly damages Microsoft’s efforts to catch up with Apple and Android in the merciless smartphone race. We sure hope that they will be able to find the right move as soon as possible.
That is the trouble when you are trying to write up to date stuff about smartphones. It is the mission impossible, literally. The things are changing and developing so fast that is so hard to keep a track of it or even to dare to predict something. Before you start writing a new post there is a new development, which makes your previous writing ridiculous and ancient.
Look what the Microsoft has done to us. We were so excited about the bold combination of Microsoft smartphone and the Android OS that we could not help ourselves writing about it immediately. Unfortunately, in a matter of days the Microsoft spoiled our fun with an announcement that we can forget about the Android thing on its smartphones.
Why? What happened in the meantime? Well, this is not technology related in any way. Microsoft plans to let go almost 20,000 of its employees, most of them working in Nokia. The Nokia X models, which run on Android, will still have the adequate support, but you will not be able to get the new ones.
It is not a secret that Microsoft plans to hit hard the developing markets of South America and Asia with the affordable smartphones. This undoubtedly a huge blow for once ambitious plans and profit expectations. Now, the Nokia itself is in a serious threat of a complete business disappearance. What a sad story for once a proud mobile technology pioneer.
Well, it is about time for Amazon to introduce something like this. A monthly subscription, which allows you access to literally hundreds of thousands of books and audio-books. What about the price? You will have to pay $9,99 for this intriguing opportunity. So, what can we expect in return?
More than 600,000 titles, that is for sure. And, we are talking about the Harry Potter series, Hunger Games, The Lord of The Rings, and many others. As you can see, this is a fair game on behalf of Amazon. They are not giving you access to books that no one reads, but rather to some of the most wanted titles of all times.
Each of the books on Amazon will include an appropriate Unlimited notification. This is a nice opportunity for you to examine what exactly you can expect from the newly introduced feature. In addition, you are granted to the one month free trial. From the business perspective, how are we to interpret this Amazon’s decision?
The business has gone good or bad since you have decided to introduce a monthly subscription? Hard to tell, but we are certain that Amazon is quite good when it comes to math calculations and profit forecast. This one will definitely be a success for Amazon. The question is, what kind of a success is acceptable for Amazon?


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An iconic hotdog stand in West Hollywood is getting ready to make its return after it closed in 2005. Tail o’ the Pup first opened in 1946 by Frank Veloz and Yolanda Casazza, who were celebrity ballroom dancers. It quickly became a popular spot, mostly because it is a giant hot dog.
“Even if you didn't ever get a hot dog — let's say your entire life — you knew Tail o’ the Pup. You would turn the corner and see the building, and it would make you smile or laugh,” says Bobby Green, co-owner and lead designer of Tail o’ the Pup.
Green is also one of the owners of the 1933 Group, which restored and reopened other iconic LA spots, including Tail o’ the Pup. Its new location is on La Cienega Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, just streets away from its original location.
The hot dog stand has an updated menu, Food offerings include classics served over the years, in addition to new items.
Tail o’ the Pup plans to open on July 20, also known as National Hot Dog Day.


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The transaction with 69,369 BTC - at the time of publication of the article $ 1,033,931,071 - has been done in the last 24 hours. Alon Gal,
“Incredible,” he wrote. "Someone was able to crack the bitcoin wallet password that I reported recently and spend the $ 1,000,000,000 that was there!" Gal also stated that it remains unclear if the person responsible for this transfer was the original owner of the wallet, or if it was someone who managed to crack the password.
UNBELIEVABLE - Someone was able to crack thepassword of the Bitcoin wallet I reported on only a short time ago and spend the $ 1,000,000,000 that was inside it! https: //t.co/cEcdGcYzfI pic.twitter.com/XfBbkj1mHJ
- Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) November 3, 2020
Tom Robinson, co-founder and chief scientistan employee of blockchain analytics company Elliptic said on Twitter that the bitcoin wallet is the fourth largest in the world. The funds came from the sale of illegal goods on Silk Road, a clandestine market that sold drugs, contract killings and other illegal goods and services, before it collapsed in 2013, he said.
According to Robinson, when in 2013 bitcoinswere withdrawn from Silk Road, their value was about $ 350,000. Over the years, the skyrocketing price of bitcoins has resulted in their value soaring to more than $ 955 million. The account has remained dormant since 2015, when someone transferred 101 BTC in BTC-E. This is a now closed online trading platform for fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies in real time, primarily aimed at Russian-speaking users. The founder of BTC-E was arrested in 2017 on charges of $ 4 billion in bitcoin laundering.
Who "cleaned out" the bitcoin wallet so farremains a mystery. Perhaps it was either someone associated with the founder of Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, or one of the users of the online criminal market. But there is another possibility: in an article published two months ago by Vice, it was said that hackers traded an encrypted wallet on forums and underground marketplaces in the hope of recovering cryptocurrency, which at that time was worth about $ 690 million.
Many believed that the chances of a successful hackthe password to unlock the wallet is very small. Passwords are usually long and the encryption is very complex. Moreover, you can never be sure that the transmitted wallet.dat file is a real Bitcoin wallet or just a fake.
For now, the quasi-anonymous nature of bitcoin transactions hides the identity of the person or party who transferred more than $ 1 billion in digital currency.
Physicists have figured out the trajectory of the cough drops. Dangerous distance - more than 6 meters
The annual mission in the Arctic has ended and the data are disappointing. What awaits humanity?
Scientists are trying to understand how long a neutron lives. Why is it so difficult and important?


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CHENNAI: TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS) has announced that its dedicated warehouse facility in Hosur (Tamil Nadu) has achieved a milestone of clocking 100,000 CKD (Complete Knock-Down) kits for client TVS Motor
TVS SCS’s facility is spread over 1,50,000 square feet and is backed by a technology platform that ensures defect-free dispatches and no part mismatch to the destination. The collaboration between TVS Motor and TVS SCS has resulted in an automated concept design to view the manufacturing and supply chain market.
TVS SCS’s facility can cater to all the markets of TVS Motor Company in India and across the globe. To augment the global export capacity, this partnership drives the CKD assembly targeting zero defects.
Ravi Viswanathan, MD, TVS Supply Chain Solutions, said, “It’s an important occasion as we cross 100,000 CKD kits from this state-of-the-art facility and an opportunity to play a support role in helping TVS Motor in its journey to global leadership. Our relationship with TVS Motor goes back two decades and we are committed to bringing the best technology and high standards of automation. We look forward to building on this capability in our other geographies.”
K N Radhakrishnan, director & CEO, TVS Motor, said, “TVS SCS will continue to be the preferred supply chain solutions partner for TVS Motor. This milestone signifies the ability of the team to quickly adapt our processes and provide defect-free products through adopting technology and adhering to supply chain best practices. With TVS SCS providing clear product output visibility, we could better plan our production and supply chain.”


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As businesses endure many challenges ahead in these unprecedented times, the Australian Government have been working around the clock to provide individuals and businesses support to help see them through to the other side of this pandemic.
Since the 12th March 2020, the Australian Government have announced multiple stimulus and relief packages, designed to sustain small businesses and keep employees in work. The government has stated that the measures are temporary, targeted and scalable.
Below is a concise list of Government supports that you or your business may be eligible for.
Businesses impacted by the coronavirus (turnover reduced by more than 30 per cent relative to a comparable period a year ago, of at least a month) will be eligible for a subsidy from the Government to continue paying their employees.
Fortnightly payments of $1,500 will be available for employees to claim from March 30th 2020, for a maximum period of 6 months. This includes eligible employees that have been stood down or re-hired.
Businesses without employees that meet turnover tests, such as the self-employed, can also register their interest in applying for the JobKeeper Payment.
Expanded eligibility for job seeker payment for sole traders
Eligible sole traders will be granted access to the job seeker allowance, which now includes an additional coronavirus supplement of $550 per fortnight for the next six months.
The standard waiting periods and asset tests will be waived to allow quicker access to these payments. Individuals will still be able to keep operating their businesses and earn up to $1,075 per fortnight before their payments are affected. On 30 March, it was announced that the income test for partners of jobseekers will be increased from $48,000 to $79,762 to provide greater access.
Who is eligible?
Sole traders that meet the job seeker allowance income test.
After your application has been approved via the Services Australia website.
Early access to superannuation
The Government is also allowing sole traders who have seen their hours of work or income fall by 20 per cent or more as a result of the pandemic to access their superannuation. This is capped at $10,000 this financial year and a further $10,000 next financial year. The withdrawals will be tax free.
On successful application via the myGov website when applications open in April 2020.
Additional payments for employers to retain staff
Not-for-profits and small businesses with a turnover under $50 million will receive a tax-free cash payment of from $20,000 up to $100,000 to help them retain staff and continue operating.
Eligible entities will receive an additional payment equal to the total of all of the ‘boosting cash flow for employers’ payments received.
The Government expects 690,000 businesses employing 7.8 million people and 30,000 not-for-profits will be eligible for measures in the stimulus package. The payments are tax free, there will be no new forms and payments will flow automatically through the ATO.
Who is eligible?
Small and medium business entities with aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million and that employ workers are eligible. The payment will be available from 28 April 2020. An additional payment is also being made from 28 July 2020.
SME Guarantee Scheme
The Government will provide a guarantee of 50 per cent to small and medium enterprise (SME) lenders for new unsecured loans to be used for working capital for small to medium businesses, to enable them to access additional funding to help support them through the upcoming months.
Businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million will be eligible to receive these loans, up to $250,000 per borrower. The loans will be up to three years, with an initial six month repayment holiday and will be in the form of unsecured finance.
Who is eligible?
Businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million that pass the lenders’ credit assessment processes. The scheme will commence by early April 2020 and be available for new loans made by participating lenders until 30 September 2020.
Wage subsidy for apprentices and trainees
Eligible employers can apply for a wage subsidy of 50 per cent of an apprentice’s or trainee’s wage for up to 9 months from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020. Businesses can be reimbursed up to a maximum of $21,000 per eligible apprentice, (which is $7,000 per quarter for the first three quarters of 2020).
Who is eligible?
Small businesses with fewer than 20 full time employees who retain an apprentice or trainee. The apprentice must have been in training with the small business as at 1 March 2020.
You will be able to register for the subsidy from early April 2020. For more information on how to apply, including eligibility criteria, contact an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider. Please note: Claims for this subsidy must be lodged by 31 December 2020.
Increase in the instant asset write-off threshold
The instant asset write-off threshold has been increased from $30,000 to $150,000. The higher threshold is in place from 12th March until 30th June 2020 and applies to new or second-hand assets installed in businesses during these dates.
Who is eligible?
Businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $500 million (up from $50 million).The instant asset write-off is claimed back via your business tax return.
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) will also consider relief for certain tax obligations to eligible businesses, including deferring tax payments up to four months.
If disruption to your business operations causes you to fall behind with your tax and super obligations, read the ATO's information on COVID-19, call them on 1800 806 218 or speak to your tax professional so that they can work with you to find a solution.
A number of other measures designed to support households and boost the economy are also included in the package:
- Two tax-free $750 stimulus payments to individual income support recipients and eligible concession card holders. The first payment will be rolled out from 31 March 2020 and the second from 13 July 2020.
- Targeted regional and community support aimed at businesses and communities particularly affected by the economic downturn due to coronavirus, for example those in the tourism, agriculture and education industries. This support will include waiving fees and charges for tourism businesses operating in national parks, plus assistance in identifying new export markets and supply chains.
More information about the Government support can be found here.


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Private labels contribute about 10% of total sales for Amazon and Flipkart.
India allows 51% FDI in multi-brand retail, while 100% FDI is allowed in the marketplace model of ecommerce and cash-and-carry wholesale ventures
February 1 deadline may not be enough as new norms likely to require sweeping changes
Centre tries to calm nerves, says it acted as there were complaints of cos violating policy
The company emailed an undisclosed number of customers to report that their emails and names were inadvertently shared due to a technical error that has since been fixed.
The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao on November 19.
The All India Online Vendors Association, a body representing over 2000 online merchants, had filed a petition in May alleging preferential treatment by Flipkart to certain sellers.
Apart from Visa and MasterCard, senior representatives from American Express, Amazon, Western Union, Discover and MoneyGram, among others, attended the RBI meeting.
The central bank could also initiate action against those which do not comply with the instructions that were announced in April.
“AWIPL will sell the goods to sellers like Rocket Commerce, Green Mobiles, Appario, Cloudtail etc. at a discount and will book the resultant loss in its books,” according to the petition.
Washington, Sep 4 () America's online shopping giant Amazon, which has a sizeable presence in India, on Tuesday became the second US company to hit USD 1 trillion in stock market value.
Increasing demand from sectors such as ecommerce, third-party logistics, consumer durables, fast-moving consumer goods and manufacturing, coupled with the requirement for larger-sized warehouses, have opened up the field for more organised players.
The company already has a revenue sharing partnership with Future Retail and now it is set to forge a partnership with BigBasket.
The US company is also in talks with the Aditya Birla Group on buying stakes in its More chain of stores and is likely to partner with Samara Capital and other investors to fully acquire the business.
Delivery-by-drone services delay ecommerce companies' liftoff plans after the new drone policy rules
The machines can be deployed for commercial purposes but only within the line of sight of remote pilot, says aviation ministry.
The Google-Paytm Mall consortium will be pitted against Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, which submitted a term sheet to pick up a similar stake in Future Retail Ltd recently.
This consortium will be pitted against Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, which submitted a term sheet to pick up a similar stake in FRL recently.


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Moran, Klobuchar, Leahy introduce Cuba trade bill
Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., last week introduced bipartisan legislation to lift the Cuba trade embargo.
The Freedom to Export to Cuba Act would repeal the current legal restrictions against doing business with Cuba, including the original 1961 authorization for establishing the trade embargo; subsequent laws that required enforcement of the embargo; and other restrictive statutes that prohibit transactions between U.S.-owned or controlled firms and Cuba and limitations on direct shipping between U.S. and Cuban ports. It would not repeal portions of law that address human rights or property claims against the Cuban government.
“The unilateral trade embargo on Cuba blocks our own farmers, ranchers and manufacturers from selling into a market only 90 miles from our shoreline, while foreign competitors such as China benefit at our expense,” said Moran.
“This legislation will expand market opportunities for U.S. producers by allowing them to compete on a level playing field with other countries. It is time to amend our own laws to give U.S. producers fair access to market to consumers in Cuba.”
“Instead of looking to the future, U.S.-Cuba policy has been defined for far too long by conflicts of the past,” said Klobuchar. “As we work to rebuild our economy following the pandemic, lifting the trade embargo will open the door to a large export market and create jobs in the U.S. It’s time to turn the page on the failed policy of isolation by passing our bipartisan legislation to end the embargo once and for all.”
“This bill would do away with a misguided, failed policy of unilateral sanctions that harms the Cuban people and shortchanges American companies and American workers,” said Leahy. “It would never pass Congress today, but a tiny, vocal minority stubbornly opposes its demise. The consequence, besides blocking U.S. exports and income for America’s farmers and manufacturers, is that our competitors are reaping the benefits of our shortsightedness. It should be debated and voted on in the Senate.”
The senators noted that U.S. International Trade Commission found that if restrictions on trade with Cuba had been lifted, exports like wheat, rice, corn and soybeans could increase by 166 percent within five years to a total of about $800 million.
The National Farmers Union noted this week that it has long supported efforts to normalize the United State’s relationship with Cuba, since doing so would create new markets for American farmers and ranchers.
When the previous administration reversed progress towards eliminating trade barriers, the organization said the decision “sets us in a backwards trajectory, moving away from increasing market share in a country of 11 million people just 90 miles away from U.S. shores.”
The legislation has also been endorsed by Engage Cuba, the Washington Office on Latin America, and the Latin America Working Group, the senators said.
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Smartphones in China – Influence in the Mobile Industry is Growing
Smartphones in China is becoming a big topic in the mobile industry. It is undoubtedly the country with the biggest population in the world, with its population reaching up to 1.35 billion. And from this huge population, Flurry Analytics claims that at least 24% of all the wireless devices in the world have been purchased by Chinese consumers. According to Flurry Analytics, of the 1.35 billion, at least 260 million are smartphone and tablets. That is a surprising figure coming from a 50 billion-figure of active users in China way back in 2010. That only shows how the Chinese population is so into smartphones and tablets that the rate of mobile usage greatly increased over the last three years.
Nielsen Global Smartphone Insights data also shows that 66% of the mobile user population in China are using smart phones. At least 25% are feature phone users and only 9% of the population use using multimedia phones. This only shows how smart phones are enjoyed and widely used in China.
On the other hand, according to Nielsen Global Smartphone Insights, it is most likely the youth that is into smart phone usage. According to their survey, 82% of the entire smart phone user population is 16 to 24 years old, which only proves that the younger generation enjoys their smart phones more than the older population, with all the applications they can download and use that suit their interests.
Profiling Smartphones in China
Nielsen found out that the Chinese mobile user has value for money paid as their top consideration when choosing a smart phone. The next most important criteria is how effective the operating system is and the variety of applications that they can choose from and download from the market. Lastly, they also consider if the gadget is stylish and easy to use. Of the consumer population, Nielsen also notes that at least 77% are subscribed to a data plan which makes them enjoy their smart phones and tablets more with consistent Internet connection.
The Chinese are also more into using smart phones than using tablets, just like in other countries. In China, iPad users are only 21% percent of the total iOS market. On the other hand, Android tablets are only 4% of the total in the Android market. One possible reason for this is that smart phones are handier and lighter compared to tablets, which tend to be heavy and bulky. Smart phones are easier to bring along anywhere and anytime since they can be kept conveniently inside the pockets. Another reason is that smart phones are considerably more affordable than tablets. This trend is not only reflected in China but in other countries as well.
What Do the Chinese Do With Their Devices?
According to the study made by Nielsen, when it comes to usage of mobile applications, at least 14% of Chinese smart phone users use apps for gaming, 13% use apps for maps and navigation, 12% find applications effective for social networking and checking the weather, 11% use these apps to gather news and watch or download movies and other videos, 10% use smart phones for banking and finance, 9% use them for shopping, and 8% use them for apps connected to productivity.
Given the data above, it is clear that most Chinese users are into gaming, and they download more gaming apps than social networking apps. This is also reflected in the study of Flurry Analytics which says that 56% of the time Chinese users spend on their Android smart phones and tablets is used for gaming. For iOS devices, meanwhile, at least 47% of the time is dedicated to gaming. Compared to US consumers, Chinese are more into gaming, since US smart phone and tablet users spend only 32% of their time in gaming. Browsing social networking sites such as Facebook constitutes 18% of US mobile usage.
Chinese Mobile Device Brand Preferences
You would probably think that it is the two big giants in the mobile industry that dominate the market of smartphones in China. Yes, they are dominating the market with Apple owning at least 35% of market shares, while Samsung is taking up 15%, but neither is truly monopolizing the industry. Neither Apple nor Android has dominated the entire market significantly. In fact, one mobile manufacturer is quietly making its name in China, and that is Xiaomi. Xiaomi is powered by Android and is made in China. Now, it is taking up 6% of the market share, while 44% of the market share is distributed to other Android devices such as Lenovo, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Sony, HTC, ZTE, Sony Ericson, K-Touch and Apec.
The Influence of Chinese Company Xiaomi
Now, the entire mobile industry in anticipating whether Xiaomi can grow bigger and bigger in the market and can keep up with mobile giants such as Apple and Samsung.
“It will be interesting to see if Xiaomi can continue to gain share in China – possibly by mopping up share from smaller manufacturers of Android devices – and also if they can begin making gains in other markets outside of China to become more of a global player,” Even Flurry Analytics’ executive, Mary Ellen Gordon looks forward to it.
There are even rumors that Xiaomi is expanding from manufacturing only smart phones to tablets, which will certainly boost the performance of Xiaomi in the market. This will also prove if the Chinese mobile users are ready to set aside their smart phones and give way to tablets. This will definitely increase the usage of tablets across China.
China Will Play a Role in the Future of the Mobile Market
China is, indeed, a big country and given that it’s large mobile user population means that the mobile industry is doing well. This shows that there is potential in the Chinese mobile industry and companies are very much encouraged to invest. Meanwhile, local manufacturers are encouraged to keep up with the innovation and the competition in the worldwide market, especially now that Xiaomi as a local brand that is is doing well. Who knows? Local mobile brands in China might just take over the market and surpass the demand for giants such as Apple and Samsung. Xiaomi is definitely one to watch in smart phones and tablet industry.