text:
Productivity software used to be all business, controlled by a centralized IT department that abided by certain dictums. Employees would follow workflow dictums, use certain spreadsheets, and never, ever color outside the digital lines. No longer. The cloud makes it too easy for consumers to handle work anywhere, and thereby choose their own productivity tools.
Many are choosing Evernote, archiving software that purports to act like an extension of your brain. The company recently announced $85 million in new venture funding Enough, management says, to take the business to an IPO several years from now.
Don't be surprised if we see bigger bets on productivity tools in the meantime. Jive Software (NASDAQ: JIVE ) recently purchased Producteev. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) has an Evernote alternative called OneNote What other companies can we expect to make a bigger play in this market? I answer this question and more in the video below.
It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who've watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in cloud computing over the past decade. However, with the release of its own tablet, along with the widely anticipated Windows 8 operating system, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In this brand-new premium report on Microsoft, our analyst explains that while the opportunity is huge, the challenges are many. He's also providing regular updates as key events occur, so make sure to claim a copy of this report now by clicking here.


text:
Executive Chairman of Ant Group: Blockchain Is the New Infrastructure of Trust In the Digital Age
[ChainDD report] October 27 (ChainDD) According to the Securities Times, Jing Xiandong, the executive chairman of Ant Group, said on October 27 that Ant Group firmly believed that blockchain was the new infrastructure of trust in the digital age.
In his opinion, the core value of blockchain includes the reconstruction of a multi-party trust system, allowing the efficient circulation of digital assets, and realizing the transition from the Internet of Information to the Internet of Value.
AntChain has not only ranked first in the world in the number of blockchain patent applications for 4 consecutive years, but also achieved platform capabilities that support 1 billion accounts, 1 billion daily transactions, and 100,000 cross-chain information processing capabilities per second.
At the same time, AntChain is committed to using these technologies to truly promote the solution of real business problems and realize more commercial value.

domain: news


text:
NEW DELHI: Hero Cycles
may well be looking to scoop up the struggling operations of Atlas Cycles.
Atlas Cycles, one of the country’s oldest cycle brands, had recently shut its last manufacturing unit in the country, citing lack of funds.
The situation may soon change with Hero Cycles, run by the Munjal family, developing interest in the business. Pankaj Munjal
, chairman of Hero Cycles – the country’s biggest cycle company that has a 43% market share – has initiated talks with promoters of the Atlas brand after the latter stopped production.
“Hero is aggressively looking at buying brands globally, and we are a zero net-debt company with cash reserves
of over Rs 1,000 crore. If anyone wants to sell, we are open... We need to buy brands,” Munjal told TOI. Asked about Atlas, he said, “We are looking at it. Nothing concrete has been firmed up as yet.”
Atlas, which started making losses since 2014, had shut its Sahibabad factory on June 3, which ironically also happened to be the World Bicycle Day. The plant had started in 1989, and it was the last operational plant of Atlas Cycle with a monthly production of over two lakh bicycles.
Acquisitions are not new for Hero Cycles, that had purchased the business of FireFox Bikes in India in 2015 for an undisclosed amount in an all-cash deal. In 2016, it had also purchased 60% equity in Sri Lanka’s bicycle manufacturer BSH Ventures, within months of acquiring a stake in UK-based Avocet Sports.
In January this year, the company had acquired stake in German premium e-bike maker HNF Nicolai as part of its move to have a greater say in global cycle markets.
Munjal said Hero is witnessing a strong traction in the domestic market despite the tough economic situation. “We are looking at a surge in commuter cycling category in states such as Bihar and Odisha where the migrant labour is returning. The demand remains highly robust for cycles meant for children or for lifestyle as many people are purchasing them.”
The company has a global production capacity of six million bicycles (nearly 5 million in India), which it is expanding to 10 million by the first quarter of next year by fresh investments of around Rs 400 crore. Munjal said he expects business to grow internationally as there can be a backlash against Chinese companies globally after coronavirus
outbreak. “People all over world are looking to de-risk from China. They want another manufacturing source and hub. Hero can fit in there, and thus we are expanding.”


text:
Enjoyment: Uber asks forgiveness after giant calls consumer racial slur
Uber said sorry after a web giant impersonated a firm agent, as well as responded to a customer grievance with a racial slur.
The troubling case can be found in feedback to a consumer’s grievance regarding a flight reimbursement. A phony consumer agent said sorry, promised to check out the case, and afterwards called the consumer the n-word.
LEARN MORE: Peabo Bryson ‘awake as well as receptive’ after moderate cardiovascular disease at Georgia residence
Uber fasted to deal with the issue after the representative’s feedback went viral, guaranteeing customers of the system that they do not make use of repellent as well as offending language when reacting to grievances as well as various other worries.
” We excuse this offending tweet as well as are let down our procedure to avoid something such as this from occurring was ineffective below,” an Uber agent informed Mashable “Our assistance group is taking added actions to aid guarantee this does not occur once more.”
As it ends up, a giant making use of the Twitter deal with @realTheeCheney triggered the conflict by utilizing the racist slur as his display screen name and afterwards transforming it after obtaining the robot reply from @Uber_Support. The giant is a wild Trump advocate that retweets racist remarks as well as responds from various other right-leaning customers, Complicated records.
Back in October, Uber put on hold a chauffeur after starlets Tara Solid as well as Rena Sofer charged him of spoken misuse as well as coming to be unpredictable upon finding out that they were Democrats, according to Yahoo
A video clip of the case apparently reveals the motorist claiming to the females, “You are racist. The lefties have a mental illness.” He additionally informed them that they “messed up America.”
LEARN MORE: KEEPING IN MIND A TALE: 5 renowned movies from John Singleton
In a declaration to a Yahoo Way Of Life, an Uber representative stated motorist’s accessibility to the solution had actually been momentarily obstructed while the scenario is being explored.
At The Same Time, Uber as well as Lyft are no more approving brand-new vehicle drivers in New york city City after regulations were lately passed to suppress the development of ride-sharing business, Politician records.


text:
For example, it is easier for single women to find living accommodations in cities like Kolkata. The main disagreement was over opening up agricultural and industrial markets in various countries and how to cut rich nation farm subsidies. It is said that when such strong regional agreement TPP and RCEP will emerge reflecting different positions taken by different countries, negotiations will start among these two groups and over time they will be subsumed under WTO.
During the seven and a half years of the Uruguay Round, over 60 of these countries implemented trade liberalization programmes autonomously. Import of mobile phones fell by half in fiscal Current dismal state of Indian electronic industry is often attributed to ITA of Negotiations led by US are underway for a similar treaty with European countries, dubbed as Trans-Atlantic partnership.
Chronological list of cases in WTO can be accessed here. Is WTO a friend or foe of India. West is pushing hard to move from positive list approach to negative list approach.
However, consistent with Appellate Body jurisprudence, it was not necessary in order to find a violation under Article III: In its view, the changes were more restrictive and caused further harm.
Besides reductions in the high levels of farm subsidies, developing countries seeking market access have been seeking reductions in tariffs on agricultural commodities. America and other European powers who were once top players in the international market are now getting competition from countries like India, which is experiencing tremendous economic growth.
India is against this concept as it will throw open almost whole Indian services sector to western multinational giants. But this results in perpetual dependence on foreign grain in recipient countries and destroys their domestic agriculture. Sometimes countries tax imports at rates that are lower than the bound rates.
On 21 Decemberthe Chairman of the panel informed the DSB that it would not be able to issue its report within six months. They also claim that they have not realized certain benefits that they expected from the Round, such as increased access for their textiles and apparel in developed-country markets.
His position seems to be that the US would be better off acting unilaterally and bilaterally. The Arbitrator concluded, therefore, that, in accordance with Article The group became an important third force in the farm talks and remains in operation.
Canada considers that the cited measures appear to be inconsistent with the United States' obligations under the WTO Agreement, including: The WTO and multilateral trade are not favoured. Thus, the SCM Agreement applies not only to measures of national governments, but also to measures of sub-national governments and of such public bodies as state-owned companies.
Four aspects of global education that universities in India might focus on are a global curriculum, global facultyglobal degrees, and global interaction.
Breaking the silence on the sanitation crisis is at the heart of what we do. Indian scientists have undertaken plant breeding and multiplication is in the hands of National and State Seed Corporations.
Govt Undeterred by lobbying against mandatory data localisation for all global companies operating in India, the Ministry of Information Technology IT and Electronics plans to go ahead with the norms as announced in the In developed countries the rates actually charged and the bound rates tend to be the same.
India is the largest user of H1B visas A trade war has been initiated as the exporting countries are retaliating by imposing billions of dollars of tariffs on a range of US goods. Subsequently, Australia, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico reserved their third-party rights. Over the years, the US has employed various trade remedies, including anti-dumping and countervailing duties and general tariffs.
They seek a clarification of language relating to their interests in existing agreements. America's trading partners retaliated, imposing tariffs on US exports.
New partnership with Emaan Foundation in Cambodia This month, four WTO staff members, along with representatives from philanthropic foundation Transparent Fish Fund and sanitary equipment specialist Wirquin, returned to the floating villages in Tonle Sap, Cambodia.
The United States appealed both findings. Additionally, the compliance panel reviewed four alternative measures proposed by the complainants and concluded that either they would not make an equivalent contribution to the relevant objective as the amended COOL measure would, or they were not adequately identified so as to enable meaningful comparison with the amended COOL measure.
India would do well to reorganize its Protective Agricultural policy in name of rural poverty and Food security and try to capitalize on globalization of agriculture markets. We intend to make India hub for exports to South Asia, West Asia, Africa: Manish Sharma, President & CEO, Panasonic India and South Asia.
Japanese consumer electronics major Panasonic has invested Rs crore in expanding its manufacturing facilities in India in the last three years under the ‘Make in India’ programme and intends to make the countr. WTO and its Impact It is observed that some imoprtant sectors of India hit by WTO agreement.
The specific impact on some sectors are discuss below. The appeal concerned primarily the COOL measure (the US statutory provisions and implementing regulations setting out the United States' mandatory country of origin labelling regime for beef and pork), and the Panel's findings that this measure is inconsistent with Articles and of the TBT Agreement.
The WTO is the only international body dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, the legal ground-rules for international commerce and for trade policy.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates international douglasishere.com WTO officially commenced on 1 January under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by nations on 15 Aprilreplacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in It is the largest international economic organization in the world.
What is the impact of WTO on the Indian economy? WTO Has both positive impact for india where it domestic players got an opportunity to go out and explore.Wto and impact on india


text:
“Among the many amazing things about Apple is how scrutinized it is. Rarely have a company, its products, and its top executive — the late Steve Jobs — been so thoroughly examined,” Adam Lashinsky reports for Fortune.
“And yet, for a corporation so frequently discussed, Apple is poorly understood,” Lashinsky reports. “Its products are ubiquitous, but information about the institution is scarce — which is exactly how Apple wants it.”
“Apple steers the conversation to its gadgets — for sale at an Apple store near you! — not its modus operandi,” Lashinsky reports. “In Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired–and Secretive–Company Really Works, I hope to shine a light on how this company labors to keep the world from knowing what’s going on inside its walls, with secrecy, both external and internal, being one of Apple’s key tools.”
Lashinsky reports, “It’s ironic, really. The business world keeps nattering on about the importance of corporate transparency, yet the most successful company in the world is beyond opaque. Born from a feature I wrote for Fortune last year, Inside Apple dissects Apple’s covert ways and provides a road map for less-buttoned-up companies to follow.”


text:
The gaming community is in a frenzy once again, following leaked gameplay snippets of the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). Originally revealed by Twitter/X user @RockstarGTAVl, the account has since faced suspension.
In the midst of its developmental phase, the revealed content provides a snapshot of three distinct scenarios in the game: an underwater sequence, a bustling nightclub environment, and an intense police chase. The underwater clip, which features a character wielding a pistol, has led to speculations of underwater gunfights—a potential fresh dimension in the GTA universe.
The revamped nightlife in GTA 6 is evident from a 50-second snippet which exhibited sophisticated lighting nuances, mirroring the dim and vibrant atmospheres of real-world clubs. A multitude of character models and improved collision dynamics indicates Rockstar Games’ intent to exploit the capabilities of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
A significant revamp seems to be in store for police chases. The leaked footage portrayed a nail-biting chase with two police cars in pursuit, one of which dramatically crashes against a rock. The realism embedded in the AI behavior and a truck filled with cargo hint towards a more layered narrative in GTA 6.
The leaks, while thrilling for fans, are undoubtedly a source of concern for Rockstar Games. They had previously expressed their frustration following a substantial GTA 6 leak in September 2022, emphasising their disappointment in such unauthorised revelations.
To contextualize, GTA 5, about to mark its 10th anniversary this coming September, has achieved monumental success, boasting sales of an impressive 185 million copies across three console eras. Its tenacity is clear, with fans continuing their escapades in GTA 5 Online while eagerly awaiting its successor.
With the recent leaks further fuelling anticipation and the consequential suspension of the Twitter account, it’s evident that GTA 6 remains at the forefront of gaming conversations. How has this recent revelation affected your expectations for the game? Share your thoughts with us!


text:
ASUS launched the new TUF Gaming Gold power supply, designed to provide reliable, stable power to gaming PCs for years to come.
ASUS says the new TUF Gaming power supplies are available in 750W, 850W, 1000W and 1200W models and all support the ATX 3.0 standard with a 16-pin graphics power connector to power NVIDIA’s newly launched GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards.
The new TUF Gaming power supplies feature a modular design that allows users to use them with fewer unnecessary cables. Like the previous generation TUF Gaming series power supplies, the top-end 1200W model is built with military-grade components and features a protective coating on its PCB to prevent short circuits caused by moisture and dust. The power supply is equipped with a low-noise 135mm fan that keeps the power supply cooler and extends the life of the power supply.
The new TUF Gaming power supply’s warranty has been upgraded from six years to ten years. At the moment, ASUS has not yet announced the launch time and price of the new TUF Gaming power supply.


text:
Nearly 1 in 6 Americans go hungry. Most at risk: children and the elderly. Companies are rushing to help during the holidays.» Read More
Once these stocks were considered reliable and consistent. But Jim Cramer says business has changed and changed for the worse.
Cramer thinks many of the nation’s largest companies are grappling with slow growth and the challenges it presents. What now?
Aug 6- Kellogg Co has hired an adviser to evaluate a bid for cookies and snacks maker United Biscuits Ltd, a source familiar with the matter said. Sky News reported earlier on Wednesday that Kellogg was working with investment bankers from Barclays on a possible 2 billion pound bid for United Biscuits.
Aug 6- The owners of UK- based United Biscuits Ltd are not in sale talks with Kellogg Co, a source familiar with the matter said, responding to a report that the cereal company was considering making an offer for the maker of McVitie's biscuits.
Aug 6- Kellogg Co is considering a 2 billion pound offer for United Biscuits, the UK- based maker of McVitie's, Sky News reported. Sky News said Kellogg was working with investment bank Barclays on a possible deal.
Some of Thursday's midday movers:
July 31- Kellogg Co, the world's largest maker of breakfast cereal, cut its full-year adjusted sales and profit forecasts as demand for its Corn Flakes and Special K cereals continued to wane in the United States, its biggest market.
July 31- Kellogg Co, the world's largest maker of breakfast cereal, reported its fifth straight decline in quarterly U.S. cereal sales and said it no longer expects full-year internal sales to rise. The company cut its adjusted earnings forecast for the year ending December to between $3.81 and $3.89 per share from between $3.89 and $3.97.
Are you finding it next to impossible to anticipate this market? There’s a reason. In fact, Cramer says there are five of them.
A crush of big cap earnings and arguably the most important economic reports until September make next week the busiest of the summer for markets.
Food industry M&A is ramping up, and pros say there's a lot more action ahead. Who's next?
Dennis Gartman of "The Gartman Letter" says a large grain crop is bullish for food stocks.
Here are three ways Americans are taking a different approach to breakfast. Who may be the winners and losers of the shift?
*Stakeholders include private equity firms CVC Capital and CD&R. Univar sources chemicals from over 8,800 producers worldwide, including Dow Chemical Co, Exxon Mobil Corp and Eastman Chemical Co.. The company, which gets more than half of its revenue from the United States, listed Akzo Nobel, Kellogg Co, Ecolab Inc and FMC Corp among its customers.
Before you put your next dollar in stocks, Cramer would like a word about cyclical versus secular stocks.
June 25- General Mills Inc, maker of Cheerios cereal and Betty Crocker baking products, said it would launch healthier products and revamp and promote its existing ones to revive sales that have slipped for three straight quarters.
General Mills reported a 10.4 percent rise in quarterly profit, helped by lower costs.
Hampton Creek Foods plans to crack the caged-egg industry, replacing an unhealthy, inhumane agricultural system with plant-based 'eggs.'
TV spots for detergents and cars may be a thing of the past if BrightRoll connects more websites and companies in deals for digital ads.
Get out your Walkman! Cramer thinks a money making trend popular in the 1980s is about to surface again.


text:
Verizon Wireless has a long history of making phone repairs and replacing screen, camera and microphone components.
But when it comes to rooting the phone, Verizon is now asking the public for help.
The company says the issue is a bug in the firmware of the Verizon Wireless device.
It’s not yet clear whether Verizon Wireless will address the bug before a firmware update to address it is released, or if it’s too late to fix it.
A company spokesperson told the New York Times that the company was working on a firmware patch and expects it to be available this month.
The Times says Verizon Wireless was the first major wireless carrier to offer a smartphone rooting app, and has since expanded its offerings.
The update will wipe the device’s system and erase the data on it, according to the New Jersey State Police, and reset the phone’s settings.
Users who want to root the device will have to go to the Verizon web site and enter their PIN and password.
The app will then send a new, signed copy of the Android firmware to the device.
If that fails, users can try the official Verizon rooting app or the unofficial RootMe app from the Google Play store.
Verizon Wireless is one of the companies that makes and sells the popular iPhone and Android phones.
It launched its own Android phone last year, and also has an Android tablet.
Verizon has been rolling out firmware updates to its flagship phone since 2012.
The first major Android firmware update came in 2016, but Verizon Wireless stopped updating the software in 2017.
The latest firmware update is rolling out on Verizon’s flagship phones in 2018.


text:
The Belgian economy is expected to fall into recession this year as a result of high inflation and global economic uncertainty, according to new data released by the Institute of Economic and Social Research (IRES) at UCLouvain and reported on by l'Echo and Sud Info.
IRES estimates that, after declining 0.3% between September and December 2022, the Belgian economy will shrink a further 0.1% in the first quarter of this year – technically pushing the Belgian economy into recession, which is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth.
"At the end of 2022, many obstacles to growth persist: high inflation, tighter financing conditions, low confidence and high uncertainty and slowing global economic growth," IRES wrote. "As a result of these, Belgian economic activity should continue to contract at the beginning of 2023."
IRES further predicted that the Belgian economy will grow a paltry 0.2% over the whole of this year, while – more promisingly – it forecast that inflation, which is currently at 10.35%, will fall to around 3% by the end of 2023.
A pessimistic outlook
IRES's forecast is more pessimistic than that of the National of Bank of Belgium (BNB), which recently estimated that Belgium would narrowly avoid a recession by experiencing a tiny but positive growth in the first quarter of this year.
The BNB predicted that Belgium would experience three times the growth this year than that predicted by IRES (0.6%), and also estimated that its economy grew slightly more than IRES believes it did last year (3.1% instead of 3.0%).
Whatever the correct estimates might be, there is no doubt that the economic outlook is becoming increasingly dismal not just for Belgium, but for Europe and, indeed, most of the world.
- 'Tough year': IMF predicts half of EU to be in recession in 2023
- World Bank: Global recession 'perilously close'
Earlier this week, the World Bank warned that the world is "perilously close to falling into recession" and forecast that global GDP will increase a mere 1.7% in 2023, down from the 3% it had predicted in June last year.
In particular, the Bank noted that soaring inflation, high interest rates, declining investment, and the continuing impact of Russia's war in Ukraine have left the world economy in a "fragile" condition such that "any new adverse development – such as higher-than-expected inflation, abrupt rises in interest rates to contain it, a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic, or escalating geopolitical tensions – could push the global economy into recession."
The Bank's warnings about the dire state of the global economy were recently echoed by the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, who predicted a "tough year, tougher than the year we leave behind" in 2023, and forecast that one-third of the world's economy will be in recession this year, including half of all EU Member States.


text:
Cara Delevingne makes us green with envy with her cool new wig while stepping out on Friday evening (May 30) in London, England.
The 21-year-old model spent the entire day at a studio for a photo shoot, where she was pictured wearing a white wig. Perhaps she is getting some inspiration from her good friend Rihanna, who has also been seen wearing a wig lately?
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Cara Delevingne
Cara posted a photo of herself at the photo shoot on her pet bunny Cecil‘s Instagram account with the caption, “Serious bunny love.” So, so cute!
Zoe Kravitz keeps it cool in sunglasses and a beanie while out and about on Wednesday afternoon (May 28) in New York City.
According to the L.A. Times, he 25-year-old actress’ upcoming film, the Divergent sequel Insurgent, just started production in Atlanta and she should be headed there soon!
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Zoe Kravitz
Here’s the Insurgent synopsis: Beatrice Prior(Shailene Woodley) must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart.
The film is set to hit theaters on March 20, 2015!
Vanessa Marano gets cozy with Cinnamon the guinea pig in this new shot from Cruelty Free International.
The 21-year-old Switched At Birth actress has teamed up to campaign for cruelty free cosmetics in the United States.
“I am proud to join Cruelty Free International in urging the United States to end cosmetics testing on animals. Their goal is to encourage compassionate consumers to choose from certified cruelty free brands in order to help save animals from cruel and unnecessary tests. Each and every conscious shift to cruelty free products makes a huge difference,” Vanessa shared in a statement.
Find out more about the cause at CrueltyFreeInternational.org.
Ed Sheeran gets real in the new Beats by Dre commercial, promoting their newest line of Solo headphones.
“Happy to say my song ‘Don’t’ will be featured in the new @beatsbydre campaign, I also feature in the advert,” the 23-year-old musician tweeted. “you’re gonna be seeing the advert on TV from next week right through to the end of the year i think. happy days.”
Ed previews the newest peek off of his upcoming album, X, out June 23rd.
“The story in ‘Don’t’ is 100 percent true,” he recently told Billboard. “I could have gotten nastier – there was more shit that I didn’t put in. I was seeing someone for a bit of time, and then they ended up physically involved with one of my friends in the same hotel that we were staying in, while I was downstairs. And I feel like: Treat people how you want to be treated.”
Check it out below!
Beats by Dre x Ed Sheeran Commercial
Rita Ora greets the photographers with a wave while leaving a recording studio in Hollywood on Friday afternoon (May 30).
The 23-year-old singer is back in the states after appearing on Le Before du Grand Journal in Europe this past weekend, where she did an acoustic version of Beyonce‘s song “Drunk in Love.”
“honouring the queen @Beyonce we love you! Thank you @grandjournalmx #BEFORE #IWILLNEVERLETYOUDOWN #FrenchBots love U!” Rita tweeted along with a link to the video. We are in love with her version of the song!
Rita Ora Performs Beyonce’s “Drunk in Love”
15+ pics inside… More Here »
Camilla Belle looks super chic in her light green dress while checking out the In Conversation with Gucci Director Frida Giannini event at the MAR Museum in Rio de Janerio, Brazil on Friday afternoon (May 30).
The 27-year-old actress and fashionista was spotted the night before wearing a leather jacket and a purple dress while doing some retail therapy at the Nike store in Rio.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Camilla Belle
Camilla has been touring around Brazil this week with Gucci while attending several events for the brand. Make sure to see her glam red carpet look from a couple of days ago!
30+ pics inside… More Here »
Nikki Reed picks up a food delivery outside of Derek Hough‘s apartment in Los Angeles last week.
The 25-year-old actress ordered a few coffees and bites before Derek, 29, was spotted taking one of his many mirrored-ball trophies from DWTS out to his car.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Derek Hough
“Excited to announce that my film ‘Think Normal’ will be premiering at this years Los Angeles Film Festival as a part of the ‘Power of Women’ series!” Nikki excitedly tweeted the news.
She continued, “My directorial debut is part of a collection of short films for ESPN’s 9 for IX series that will air this July! Our screening for the festival is on June 17th at 4pm at the Regal Cinemas 11.”
15+ pics inside… More Here »


text:
Early last year, Perak state EXCO for Education, Environment and Green Technology. Dato’ Dr Muhammad Amin Zakaria stated that Perak will ban the usage of plastic and polystyrene material from cafeterias in government buildings.
According to him, this is an effort made by the government to encourage cafes to start using biodegradable containers. With the state aiming to ban both plastic and polystyrene usage in all sectors and fields in Perak, Dr Amin said the final stage of the programme scheduled to start in June 2017 is to ban these items especially in supermarkets, hypermarkets and sundry stores.
Dr Amin then added that local authorities can take action under the by-laws against those who failed to adhere to the ruling.
However, when asked, Mayor of Ipoh, Dato’ Zamri Man gave an opposite answer, “Ipoh City Council (MBI) is doing our very best, through campaigning, to ban the usage of styrofoam especially among food vendors and restaurants. We can’t fine them yet as we are still waiting for the official orders,” said Zamri when interviewed.
With two months left, have Ipohites changed? Or are we still using styrofoam and plastic because it is more convenient for us?
“I feel like it is our responsibility to stop using styrofoam. It is a little bit more expensive, of course. But it is for a better cause,” said Amar Asyraf, co-founder of Nasi Lemak Lah who has been using biodegradable food containers since the first day of selling nasi lemak. Amar also added that the polystyrene food container is not suitable for hot food as the container might shrink as well as leach chemicals onto the food.
As for Wong Wai Har, a local food vendor selling chee cheong fun at New Hollywood Restaurant, she decided to change to biodegradable casings to avoid getting fined in the future, “I can still remember the order made by the authorities. Either we have to change to biodegradable or we will be fined. It is better to make the change now,” said Wong who also admits that although it is safer, these biodegradable containers are slightly more expensive than the usual plastic food case.
While Amar and Wong are among those who have changed to a safer option, my visits to other restaurants; especially 24-hour restaurants, saw that some are still using plastic and polystyrene to pack and wrap their food.
It is important to know that the reason why the change must be made is because plastic and styrofoam cannot be composted. In addition, when change is made, food vendors must make sure that their biodegradable containers have passed the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Material) D6400 Test for Compostability, EN (European Union) 13432 standard test or the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). Only containers that have met these tests can be composted.
Although MBI is carrying out their campaign, perhaps more needs to be done. Food vendors are not the only ones that need to be encouraged, but so do the customers. Instead of using containers provided, customers can start bringing their own tiffin carriers and bottles. Everyone must play their part to ensure zero tolerance towards the usage of plastic and polystyrene.


text:
Last 7 days were extremely positive for VeChain (VET) as during volatile markets VET soared 54.67% up with current price of $0.014 with a marketcap of $782,437,104.00. Also extraordinary gains in number of transactions on VeChain blockchain is visible.
On June 30 VeChain launched their mainnet starting the migration from Ethereum VeScan, which is the first online block explorer for VeChain.
Number of transactions soared from 6973 to 86 515 on august 20th and even 97 689 transactions were carried on august 22nd. It is 14 times gain and there might various reasons for this event.
One of the reason might be announcement about Oceanex (OCE) becoming the first ecosystem token minted on the VeChainThor Blockchain.
We are excited to witness the first ecosystem token – OCE is now minted on the VeChainThor blockchain! The power of VeChainThor is only just starting to show. https://t.co/UVWFovqmTI
— VeChain Foundation (@vechainofficial) August 20, 2018
Another reason migh be Sunny Lu mentioning huge improvements and partnerships in September, 2018.
During live Q&A session (video below) on august 20th Sunny said that semptember will bring much anticipated improvements and partnerships for VeChain and its community.
He announced mystery partnership between automobile giant which is very aggressive green energy and connecting cars. Also mentioned collaboration with major insurance company (name undisclosed) and Government-level deployments between two more countries.
As Sunny Lu said “looks like we never rest“. September might be a VeChain month.
It seems that since partnership between VeChain THOR and BMW VET team does not plan to lower the gear and keeps moving forward.


text: With Christmas only a week and a half away, some Mississippians who’ve been gift shopping online are getting panicky. They’re finding out they’ve been dealing with fake websites. John O’Hara with the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi says those who paid with credit cards may be able to get their money back but will need to make sure they’re dealing with legitimate online retailers next time. Or, O’Hara says, shop local. The BBB says it has a lot of accredited small businesses in the Kosciusko, Carthage and Philadelphia areas who would appreciate the patronage as they continue recovering from the impact of the COVID pandemic.


text:
Inventor’s Circle, an often overlooked element of Future World West, has received a new coat of paint recently. The Inventor’s Circle is an art installation that celebrates important inventions of mankind through the ages. It’s been showing some wear as thousands of guests walk over it each and every day at Epcot, and it looks like Disney has decided to try and restore the area with some (literal) fresh paint.
Here’s a comparison of what it use to look like vs what it looks like today!
This isn’t the only new work taking place in Future World West today. We just spotted some new, sleek light fixtures too!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to cover the Epcot overhaul project!


text:
VIENTIANE, Aug. 6 (Xinhua ) -- After 25 years of fruitful dialogue relationship, China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are looking forward to fostering stronger ties especially in economic and trade fields in a time of global economic uncertainties and instabilities.
As ASEAN economic ministers met in the Lao capital this week for the 48th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) as well as talks with their partners, China and ASEAN took the opportunity to reiterate their will to further boost cooperation.
The China-ASEAN relations have grown to a level that exceeds the expectations 25 years ago, said Chinese Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng after meeting with his ASEAN counterparts.
"Our developments, from economic to social fields, are tightly bound to one another," he told reporters on the sidelines of the AEM meeting.
Chinese leaders have vowed to build a community of common destiny with ASEAN as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relationship. Bilateral trade reached 472 billion U.S. dollars last year, up from 7.96 billion U.S. dollars in 1991, with an annual growth rate of 18.5 percent.
Despite the uncertainty in the global economy, China maintains its position as ASEAN's largest trading partner while ASEAN is China's third biggest. By the end of May, their two-way investment exceeded 160 billion U.S. dollars.
The two sides, which signed an agreement to upgrade their free trade area (FTA) late last year, are targeting bilateral trade at 1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2020.
It is timely to further strengthen ASEAN-China trade and economic cooperation, economic ministers from both sides said in a statement issued after their meeting.
Gao said participants at the meeting shared the same concern over the slow recovery of global economy and the increasing emergence of new challenges, who jointly called for more attention on global cooperation and warned against excessive trade protectionism.
In a move to enhance bilateral cooperation, ministers from both sides also agreed to recommend the adoption of a joint statement between ASEAN and China on industrial capacity cooperation as a deliverable of the commemorative summit marking the 25th anniversary for China-ASEAN dialogue relationship in September.
This is in line with a five-point proposal raised by the Chinese side, who also vowed to work with ASEAN on the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, enhance regional integration and expand new cooperation areas.
The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, is aimed at reviving ancient trade routes which span Asia, Africa and Europe.
Ministers from both sides agreed that China's cooperation proposal is in the right direction for jointly combating economic downside pressure and pushing forward regional cooperation, according to Gao.
"We all agree that globalization is still a trend that benefits all countries and brings them closer ... only prosperity and close relations would make this world a safer place," he said.


text:
(WHTM) — Family budgets are strained and hundreds of thousands of neighbors are forced to choose between paying for groceries or paying for other critical expenses. This spring, abc27, and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank have teamed up with Midstate businesses t fee families throughout the Midstate. Weis Markets is one such business working with the campaign.
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.


text:
There are as yet no headline-grabbing numbers, but Asia's troubles are affecting imports and exports, direct investment and the property market. The Confederation of British Industry and the Department of Trade and Industry estimate the crisis will trim up to 1 per cent from GDP growth this year.
On imports and exports, the picture is only just starting to become clear. The DTI reports that first-quarter exports to South Korea - the only market offering full data - fell 50 per cent to pounds 50m compared with the same period last year. Exports also fell significantly to Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong, according to the DTI.
The decline in UK exports to the region can be explained by the collapse of local currencies there. Asian companies are finding they no longer have the funds to pay for goods ordered, which in local currency terms have doubled or tripled in price, leaving export credit insurance companies to pick up the tab.
The Dutch company NCM Credit Insurance last year imposed a Dfl34.8m (pounds 11m) provision for defaults on payments for exports to Asia on a total net profit of Dfl30.2m. The company last year covered world trade worth pounds 80bn.
"There are areas of concern such as Japan which may require cover on tougher terms and possibly higher rates," said NCM spokesman Gary Hicks. Another company source said there were increasing numbers of cases where buyers for exports in South-east Asia were unable to pay because of the currency devaluations, which have pushed up prices of foreign goods. "We're bearing the brunt of that because we have to shell out for contracts not being paid for," said the source.
A spokesman for the DTI said: "Imports have not yet been affected by the crisis." But signs of a dramatic rise in cheap imports from the region can be gleaned from the shipping companies that carry the goods over here. Last week the Far Eastern Freight Conference, a group of shipping companies that together account for 65 per cent of all trade between Asia and Europe, increased its freight
rates from the region by 15 per cent because there is a shortage of shipping containers in South-east Asian ports as fewer goods are carried to the regions and more are being sent here. "Imports are growing very fast. All the shipping lines have space problems coming in to Europe and are obviously suffering going out," said an employee of APL UK.
City economists agree. "Imports from Asia are picking up sharply in volume terms," said David Owen, UK economist with Kleinwort Benson. "Asian companies do seem to be exporting their way out of difficulties."
Mr Owen said the increase in imports is not yet showing up on import data calculated in terms of value because the goods coming in are so cheap..
Further evidence can found in government figures on relative trade volumes from non-European Union states to the EU (see graph on page 1). Although the country of origin of the imports is not stated, there has been a flood of imports from outside the EU in terms of volume, with no other possible explanation other than the Asian effect.
Asian government figures also show a significant rise in exports from the region, with Malaysian exports growing 43 per cent in the first four months of the year, Vietnamese exports up 13 per cent in the first five months and Thai exports up 8.3 per cent in March on February.
The bad trade news on the import and export front follows the drying up of Asian capital injected into the British economy. Direct investment from the Far East in Britain was the first economic activity to suffer and has now virtually stopped, jeopardising the creation of up to 100,000 jobs over the next decade in investment according to some of the most pessimistic estimates.
A number of big investments are being postponed, including the pounds 2bn second phase of Hyundai's semiconductor plant in Scotland and LG's semiconductor plant in Wales.
The UK property market is also feeling the impact, although the buoyant economy has so far managed to cushion the housing market from a resultant fall in prices.
"Of particular relevance has been the withdrawal of Asian purchasers from the London residential market and the upper end of provincial and country markets," said Steve Mallen, partner and head of research at the international estate agents Knight Frank
"Asian investors have withdrawn from the commercial property market as well, not yet by enough to destabilise it, although the real question is: is it going to get any worse?" Mr Mallen added.
Uppermost in his mind is a possible collapse in the Japanese stock market which could trigger falls in other markets. "There are significant pieces of London property still owned by Asian, particularly Japanese, institutions. A continuing crisis might force them into distress sale positions" said Mr Mallen.


text:
THE first new-build Pullman in the UK has been officially opened in Liverpool by Mayor Joe Anderson at a ribbon-cutting event attended by VIP guests and business leaders from the city.
Situated at King’s Dock on Liverpool’s world-famous waterfront and adjoining ACC Liverpool, the newly-built hotel will open as one of the city’s most stylish hotels, featuring 216 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant called Dukes and a bar and lounge with views of the River Mersey.
Mayor Joe Anderson was met by General Manager Neil Brailsford at the towering hotel that looks over to city, with stunning panoramic views spanning all the way from Moel Fammau in North Wales to Liverpool FC’s new Main Stand development.
Guests enjoyed Champagne and canapes in the chic lobby of the Pullman Hotel and took a guided tour around the four-star hotel, which offers a range of ensuite room types including Superior, Deluxe and Executive, one Executive Suite and one Junior Suite.
After the ribbon-cutting event, Mr Brailsford said: “We are extremely proud the Pullman has chosen Liverpool to open its first UK new build hotel. Liverpool is the perfect home for the Pullman, with its vibrant atmosphere, unique character and excellent location right on the waterfront.
“We have had some excellent feedback from guests attending the launch, and we look forward to welcoming guests from all over the world in the coming months.”
All room types offer guests a range of amentities including mini bar, 40” flat screen TV with free movies on demand, complimentary Wi-Fi, indulgent Co. Bigelow toiletries, tea and coffee making facilities, spacious wardrobe and safe.
Deluxe and Executive rooms include a Nespresso machine and Bose docking station. Twenty-six rooms are inter-connecting, ideal for families.
Pullman Liverpool is part of the on-going investment on Liverpool waterfront and is the latest addition to the ACC Liverpool campus, which is home to BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena and Exhibition Centre Liverpool. It will be operated by Branded Hotel Management under a franchisee agreement from Accor Hotels & Resorts.
As the ‘headquarters’ hotel for conferences and exhibitions taking place at the arena, convention and exhibition centre, Pullman Liverpool has been designed with the business executive in mind.
Liverpool has a strong representation within the hotel and all but seven of its 60 staff are from Merseyside.
Mayor Joe Anderson said: “This magnificent hotel is the latest chapter in the continued investment on Liverpool’s waterfront maintaining the city’s drive to be not only be a key regional destination for leisure, conferences, exhibitions and events but also a ‘City of Choice’ across Europe and the wider markets.
“I wish everyone involved in bringing the brand to our city the best of luck and visitors to Liverpool who are guests of the hotel a memorable time.”
Inspired by the iconic dock and the city’s maritime history, Dukes is a brasserie-style restaurant with open plan kitchen that seats 125. The restaurant uses Pullman’s CuisineINmotion food concept to offer guests an innovative, seasonal menu in an atmospheric waterside setting.
Pioneered by home-grown Head Chef, Chris Jones, Dukes’ menu champions local, fresh ingredients taking inspiration from the world’s finest restaurants.
The Chef’s table – comfortably seating 14 people – offers a unique dining experience for guests looking to celebrate a special occasion. A private dining room is also available that seats up to 20 people. The restaurant offers the opportunity for pre-show dining thanks to its location next to the Echo Arena.
Jonathan Sheard, Senior Vice President Luxury, Upscale and Midscale brands, AccorHotels said, “The opening of Pullman Liverpool marks a significant step for the brand in opening its second hotel in the UK.
“As our first new build Pullman hotel, guests can expect to see the same high spec design and cosmopolitan vibe that is synonymous with our hotels. It is very exciting to be on the same site as ACC Liverpool and we are looking forward to welcoming guests, delegates and local residents.”


text:
24/7-365. Basketball Lives Here.
When it comes to Nike Basketball, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are the leaders in basketball sneakers. However, last year a fourth name/brand was added to that prestigious list: Kyrie Irving.
The Kyrie 1 had huge success and was considered by many the nicest sneaker out of all four of the above. Though he is still out due to that injury he suffered in the NBA Finals, Kyrie remains one of the most popular names in the league and everyone is anticipating his return to the court this month.
On Wednesday, Nike officially unveiled “Uncle Drew’s” second signature sneaker, the Kyrie 2. The new sneaker will be out on December 15, 2015 which is right around the time he is expected to return. Check out all the details and photos below.
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) December 9, 2015


text:
Ratos, the Stockholm-based private equity firm, has acquired further stakes in portfolio companies Arcorus, Gadelius and Haendig worth a total SEK250m (€27m) from co-investor 3i.
Ratos is paying SEK135 million for 3i’s 23 percent in Arcorus; approximately SEK65 million for its 50 percent of Gadelius; and SEK50 million for its 24 percent stake in Haendig. In addition, it is paying SEK58 million for a 27 percent stake in Haendig held by Gaia, the investment company controlled by billionaire ship owner Knut Kloster. The deals give Ratos 100 percent ownership of all three companies.
The positions held by Ratos and 3i in the three firms were acquired when they bought Swedish private equity firm Atle in May 2001 in a £580 million deal. The deal saw 3i acquire 85 directly held investments and a 50 percent interest in a further portfolio of 19 investments held jointly with Ratos.
“Follow-on investments in our portfolio companies are among the best investments we can make,” said Ratos CEO Arne Karlsson. “We have already developed in-depth knowledge in both the sector and the specific company. Furthermore, we have already built up relationships and drawn up plans for the years ahead.”
Arcorus is a provider of advanced hydraulic systems and products for the industrial, marine and offshore sectors; Gadelius is a distributor of high-tech products for professional niche markets in Japan and Europe; while Haendig is an owner of small and medium-sized wholesalers focusing on the DIY market and professional sector in the Nordic region.
Last month, Ratos and Lehman Brothers agreed to acquire an 81 percent stake in listed Swedish property group Tornet after failing to acquire the 90 percent stake required to de-list the company. It followed this with the €41 million purchase of Norwegian human resources management (HRM) firm ErgoBluegarden later in the month.


text:
CFPB and FTC Take Actions Against TransUnion for Illegal Rental Background Check and Credit Reporting Practices
October 15, 2023 / Source: CFPB
Credit reporting conglomerate to pay $23 million for tenant screening and security freeze failures
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against a rental screening subsidiary of the TransUnion conglomerate for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The TransUnion company failed to take steps to ensure the rental background checks that landlords use to decide who gets housing were accurate. The company also withheld, from renters, the names of third parties that were providing the inaccurate information. The CFPB and FTC requested a federal court to order the TransUnion company to pay $15 million for its lawbreaking behavior and to make significant improvements to how it reports evictions.
Separately, the CFPB is ordering TransUnion to pay $8 million for lying to consumers about timely placing or removing security freezes and locks on the credit reports of tens of thousands of consumers. The company told consumers the requests were completed when, in reality, the requests were dumped into its yearslong backlog. TransUnion also failed to keep active-duty members of the military from pre-screened solicitation lists – a simple step which protects servicemembers from identity theft. In 2018, Congress enacted legislation to require TransUnion and other credit reporting conglomerates to offer free security freezes to the public, as well as the enhanced protections for active-duty members of the military. The Fair Credit Reporting Act also now requires that companies respond timely to consumer requests to place or remove security freezes – a tool which, along with credit locks, helps prevent potential identity theft by blocking many third parties from accessing consumers’ credit reports.
“Americans across the country were put at risk of wrongful housing denials because TransUnion failed to follow the law,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “We are ordering TransUnion to cease its yearslong illegal activity, clean up its broken business practices, redress its victims, and pay penalties.”
“Consumers struggling to find housing shouldn’t be shut out by tenant screening reports that are ridden with errors and based on data from secret sources,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Protecting consumers looking for housing is critical to a fair economy, and we are proud to partner with the CFPB in obtaining this record-breaking order.”
TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) is a Delaware company with its principal places of business in Chicago. TransUnion operates one of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. TransUnion had annual revenue in excess of $3.7 billion in 2022, and collects information on more than 200 million Americans, including information on their payment histories, debt loads, maximum credit limits, names and addresses of current creditors, and other elements of their credit relationships. As a nationwide consumer reporting company, it provides security freezes and security locks of individuals’ consumer reports. While locks are a feature of certain paid products, starting in September 2018, the Fair Credit Reporting Act has required nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide security freezes as a free service.
TransUnion also provides rental background check reports that may include information about individuals’ credit, criminal, and eviction histories through its subsidiary TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions.
TransUnion’s Pattern of Misconduct
In the last seven years, the TransUnion conglomerate has been subject to four CFPB law enforcement actions across various products. In addition to today’s two actions for rental background check and security freezes failures, the CFPB has taken repeated actions against TransUnion for its subscription plans.
In 2017, the CFPB issued an order against TransUnion for luring consumers into costly subscription plans. TransUnion had deceptively misstated the cost and usefulness of its credit scores and credit-related products. These actions lured in consumers and trapped them in costly recurring payment plans.
In a lawsuit filed in April 2022, the CFPB alleges that, instead of following the order, TransUnion continued to dupe Americans into its costly subscription plans. In that action, the CFPB alleges the company, along with a longtime former executive, violated the order and other federal consumer financial laws by tricking consumers into signing up for subscription products with costly recurring payments.
CFPB and FTC Enforcement Action Against TransUnion for Its Rental Background Check Reports
The CFPB has previously highlighted widespread problems in the use of rental background check reports. These reports increasingly use black box algorithms, relying too often on inaccurate or misleading information, to produce a renter’s “risk score” or to make a recommendation to landlords. This score or recommendation can conceal false information from scrutiny by either landlords or renters and make it difficult to impossible to correct inaccurate information. As a result, people are denied housing, charged more for housing, spend longer finding housing, and incur more housing search costs.
In today’s joint complaint, the CFPB and the FTC allege that the company:
- Failed to take steps to produce accurate reports: The company violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by failing in numerous instances to take steps to assure the maximum possible accuracy of eviction records in its rental background check reports. For example, the company failed to assure that its reports reflected the current status of public records. This included failing to share information showing that an eviction was dismissed and not preventing the inclusion of sealed records or multiple entries about the same eviction case. As eviction data is often weighed heavily in assessing rental risk, inclusion of inaccurate and duplicative eviction information is particularly harmful to renters and their families.
- Failed to identify who provided inaccurate information: When the company obtained criminal and eviction records from third-party vendors, it failed to identify the third-party vendors in its disclosures to consumers. Instead, the company told people that criminal and eviction records were taken only from the jurisdictions where the proceedings took place. People trying to find a place to live did not know it was a third-party vendor that they needed to contact to correct inaccurate information.
If entered by the court, the agencies’ proposed order on rental background checks would require the company to:
- Pay $11 million to consumers.
- Stop illegal tenant screening practices: The company would have to take certain actions to ensure reasonable procedures are followed to assure maximum possible accuracy of eviction records and to provide complete disclosures to consumers who request them. This includes developing procedures to stop reporting multiple filings for a single eviction case and to not report eviction cases absent a final outcome.
- Pay a $4 million penalty: The penalty will be deposited into the CFPB’s victims relief fund.
CFPB Enforcement Action Against TransUnion for Failing to Honor Security Freeze and Lock Requests
TransUnion, by mid-2018, had a backlog of thousands of requests for security freezes and locks. The backlog lasted for years, and it was only after the CFPB informed TransUnion that the agency was going to conduct an exam of its security freezes that it cleared the backlog of nearly 40,000 unfulfilled requests. Specifically, TransUnion:
- Failed to timely place or remove security freezes and locks: For tens of thousands of individuals, since at least 2003, the company failed to timely place or remove security freezes and locks on tens of thousands of credit reports. Despite these failures, TransUnion falsely represented to consumers that their requests were processed when they were not.
- Failed to protect certain populations from pre-screened solicitation lists: TransUnion unlawfully failed to exclude thousands of individuals, including active-duty members of the military and other potential victims of identity theft, from pre-screened solicitation lists.
The CFPB’s order requires TransUnion to:
- Pay $3 million to consumers.
- Clean up its business practices: The company must identify and solve technology problems before they cause harm to consumers. It also must address the cause of the problems with freeze and lock requests.
- Pay a $5 million penalty: The penalty will be deposited into the CFPB’s victims relief fund.
Consumers can submit complaints about financial products and services by visiting the CFPB’s website or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372).
Employees who believe their companies have violated federal consumer financial protection laws are encouraged to send information about what they know to [email protected]. To learn more about reporting potential industry misconduct, visit the CFPB’s website.


text:
Incrediwear, a manufacturer of wearable anti-inflammatory accessories, announced its first partnership with the EF Education First Pro Cycling Team (EF Pro Cycling). The year-long partnership as the official recovery wear supplier will provide riders from the international pro team access to Incrediwear’s sleeves, braces and wraps.
“Maximizing performance is all about recovery. Incrediwear’s innovative technology helps minimize the inflammatory process, allowing the riders to feel fresh, loose and without the expected DOMS,” said Incrediwear Founder, Jackson Corley. “Helping one of the best cycling teams in the world to be even better is what we’re all about. I, and Incrediwear, are excited to be part of the EF team.”
The 29 EF Pro Cycling riders will represent 16 nationalities in 2020 and will compete in the UCI WorldTour circuit participating in races such as the Tour de France, Tour of Yorkshire, Tour de Suisse, as well as popular amateur cycling events around the world.
“Having known about Incrediwear for a few years and seen and understood their tech up close, I think it’s fantastic we have them on board as a recovery partner this year and look forward to working with them,” said Matt Rabin, Head of Physical Therapy for EF Pro Cycling.
Unlike compression devices, Incrediwear material is embedded with carbon and germanium, semiconductor elements that release negative ions when stimulated by body heat. The negative ions activate cellular vibrations that increase blood flow and speed. Increasing circulation helps bring more oxygen and nutrients to the target area, which optimizes the body’s natural healing process and accelerates recovery, said the brand.
Photo courtesy @edergarces and @fedeciclismocolombia


text:
Although he acknowledged advertisers' own efforts--"We're spending a lot of time on advertising and working with a lot of companies right now who are exploring new advertising models... All the big agencies have new media divisions trying to figure out how to do this"--Browning ultimately pointed to coming mergers and acquisitions among tech and media firms as the main drivers.
Browning made these predictions while discussing a new PwC report released on Tuesday titled "Technology Executive Connections," in which Bill Cobourn, PwC's global technology industry leader, stated: "Executives see M&A as a means of capturing entire beachheads. To be a player in today's integrated technology landscape, they must quickly take advantage of others' core competencies." On the question of what convergence exactly is, the PwC report says "convergence" is "the effort to bring together computer, phone, recording and broadcast technologies within an all-digital environment enabling new, flexible uses of products and services."
"The results of our recent studies are telling, because they're pointing to a lot of M&A activity over the next few years," Browning said. "We're looking at a world where telecoms are getting into paid television, and software companies are making sure their content is on the devices, and content companies are strategically choosing to distribute and sell their content through all these different channels." Overall, Browning painted a picture of an inevitable revolution: "Broadband is finally of a quality, speed, and penetration, particularly here in the U.S., that people are now able to do what they were talking about 5 or 10 years ago."
Meanwhile, ad execs hope the prevailing subscription service model will soon wane in favor of free, ad-supported media--perhaps because of customer discontent. "People are going through subscription burnout," asserted Andy Lipset, managing partner of Ronning Lipset Radio, speaking at an event hosted by Banc of America and Interep at the Grand Hyatt in New York City on May 10th. "The telephone company's looking for X amount of dollars; the cable company's looking for more--you've got all these things coming after you. And eventually, as everyone is reaching in their pocket for five dollars, it gets to the point where the consumer says, 'enough is enough.'"


text:
Nintendo gaming devices have made a huge ground and is one of the pioneers which made gaming extremely popular. This popularity caught the attention of hackers who have now turned towards hacking of gaming devices to grant exclusive authority to run any game which is otherwise protected by the manufacturer.
This SNES hack requires just two simple and easily available tools: USB link to a computer and a freeware tool. The guide of this SNES hack has been posted by NeoGAF. The SNES hack works by flashing the original system of Nintendo and giving exclusive right to the system for installing up to 63 games in its internal memory.
An exclusive spreadsheet has been released titled “Super NES Classic Edition ROM Compatibility List” which keeps track of the compatibility of the list of games which are compatible after SNES hack. The list amounts to more than 500 games.
This news came as a great frustration to Nintendo as this hack has been made extremely easy and it is not patchable by Nintendo i.e. once hacked, Nintendo have no control on the device.


text:
As millions of UK consumers struggle to become debt free, a new study has revealed that people in the south-east of England are the more likely than those in any other region to borrow via a credit card.
Figures from the UK’s payments association Apacs show that three in every four adults in the south-east has faced credit card debts at some point, which is a greater percentage than anywhere else in the UK.
Meanwhile, Apacs’ latest research also reveals that consumers in the north-west of England are the most frequent users of cash machines and that those in the north-east are those most likely to make payments using a cheque.
Sandra Quinn, director of communications at Apacs, commented: “While the national statistics show that as a nation we are generally comfortable with the many types of payment methods available and good at managing our finances, there is always room for improvement.
“We should all be taking advantage of the wealth of payment options out there, so managing our finances is as easy, secure and convenient as possible.”
Figures released recently by Apacs show that record amounts were spent using plastic cards over the course of last year.


text:
SEOUL Samsung Electronics Co(005930.KS) is developing a wearable digital device similar to a wristwatch, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said, joining rival Apple Inc(AAPL.O) in creating new products as growth of smartphone sales slows.
The Samsung device will perform many of the tasks of a smartphone, the source said on Tuesday, without giving further details.
The source declined to be identified because Samsung did not want to reveal to the public any information about its new product line at this time.
Samsung would not discuss its detailed product pipeline. "We are constantly exploring new technologies and developing various form factors," said company spokeswoman Chenny Kim.
Last month, the New York Times reported that Apple was experimenting with the design of a device similar to a wristwatch that would operate on the same platform as the iPhone and would be made with curved glass.
Shares in both Samsung and Apple have taken a hit as the world's top two mobile device manufacturers keep underwhelming consumers with their latest smartphone models.
Samsung shares dropped nearly 5 percent, or around $10 billion, in just two trading sessions after it launched its latest Galaxy S smartphone late on Thursday, partly hit by concerns that its flagship product lacks the 'wow factor' and may not live up to expectations.
The Galaxy S4, unwrapped to much fanfare in New York to challenge Apple's iPhone on its home turf, offered some incremental evolutionary improvements, but media reports have since suggested these features may not be sufficient to excite buyers in an industry that lives and dies by innovation.
(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; editing by Miral Fahmy)
Trending On Reuters
Tesla Motors Inc told U.S. Senate Commerce Committee staff it is considering two theories that may help explain what led to the May 7 fatal crash that killed a Florida man who was using the car's "Autopilot" system, a person familiar with the meeting told Reuters on Friday. Full Article | Related Story
- Democratic fund-raising group for U.S. Congress candidates confirms hack
- Apple asks U.S. Supreme Court to rule against Samsung over patents
- Hackers hit Vietnam airports with South China Sea messages
- Video: Blind athlete runs desert marathon unassisted using smartphone app
- Alphabet and Amazon wind up stellar quarter for big tech


text:
A few months back Atari made the announcement that they would be rejoining the Video Game Hardware arms race, and left with little information after that. This week, Atari has finally pulled back the curtain on the mysterious Ataribox and their intentions with the new console.
The Ataribox will be clocking in somewhere between $249-$299, and will have a crowdfunding campaign this fall on IndieGoGo. After the campaign, they will be shooting for the Spring 2018 window for release. Atari is clearly kicking things into motion fast, and if things go to plan, the console will be on shelves in the next half-year.
On the technical side, the Ataribox is starting to look a lot like a Steam Box. Atari is aiming for an open system, running off of a Linux OS, and the freedom to play anything that runs on Linux. The OS is reportedly customizable, allowing users to easily mod their consoles to their pleasing. Along with a Linux OS, the box will have a customized AMD processor made specifically for the Ataribox.
Atari has clearly been listening to market trends, and is aiming to create a platform with console simplicity, PC flexibility, and plenty of open-sourced customization. It certainly will be interesting to see where the development of this hardware goes as the release window approaches.
For more info, check out the Ataribox website.


text:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — New year, same sky-high used car prices.
The average price of a used vehicle in the United States in November, which is the most recent available data, was $29,011— 39% more than just a year ago, according to Edmonds.com.
“It’s the same thing that’s going on with cottage cheese and houses and everything right now. I mean, it’s inflation and we’ve seen it in the car market,” said Jay Leonard, the owner of Preferred Automotive Group. “When you’ve got new cars that are not being built, and the only thing out there are used cars, the price is going to go up.”
These soaring prices are causing the cost of used cars to edge closer to what it would be to buy a new one. Since the pandemic started, used vehicle prices have jumped 42%— more than double the increase for new ones. Last month, the average used vehicle price was 63% of the average new vehicle cost. Before the pandemic, it was 54%.
To show how high the prices have skyrocketed, Leonard gave the example of a woman that bought a used Chevrolet Impala LTZ for $23,000 two and half years ago. The woman traded the same car in last week and the dealership gave her $20,000, which is only a $3,000 loss.
“Normally, you drive it off the lot and you lose $3,000,” said Leonard. “So, you know the cars are are worth a lot of money right now.”
He also said in some instances, used car prices are exceeding new car prices.
However, according to Leonard, there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
“We haven’t seen a huge increase [in prices] in the last 60 days and I don’t foresee them going up anymore,” said Leonard. “We’re seeing more new cars coming onto the lots which is helping us in the used car industry. We’re seeing a lot more cars coming off lease now. So that’s helping us with pricing.”
He said his best guess is that prices stay steadily as high as they currently are for another year, without increasing. This will continue until the supply and demand changes, and new cars can be built faster.
“I think the biggest thing that people have to understand is that we’ve gone through the worst,” said Leonard. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in February or March, but the cars are starting to loosen up and I think that that hopefully, by this time next year, this will all be in the past.”


text:
Kids these days aren't chugging the cheap stuff. Budweiser is facing some hard facts as it rebrands its image yet again in an effort to gain and sustain fans. According to a new Wall Street Journal report, Budweiser is abandoning its usual multi-demographic advertising campaign — which typically includes purebred horses and Fleetwood Mac — and putting all of its boozy eggs in one fickle basket: drinkers ages 21 to 27. Says the WSJ: "It means less baseball and more raves with DJ group Cash Cash." Jay-Z is in, majestic horses are out.
Brian Perkins, AB InBev's vice president of marketing (Budweiser's parent company) explains, "This is a very considered, long-term view of what will turn around the brand." Beer Marketer's Insights, an industry group, reports that Budweiser's market share is down from 10 percent five years ago to 7.6 percent. In the 2000s, Bud had nearly 15 percent of the market, but today those drinkers are reaching their mid-thirties. Meanwhile, it's no secret that America's youngest drinkers are reaching for craft beers from smaller breweries like Stone, Hops & Grain, and the newly acquired 10 Barrel instead of big brand brews. Craft beer's market percentage grows every year. Take-home sales account for 15 percent of all beer sales in the U.S.
This is good news for the little guys, but can they keep up with demand? Or will beer's secret black market spiral out of control?


text:
Companywide responsible-sourcing goals pushed Elior North America to make the switch to sustainably fished salmon recently. Working with Seafood Watch, a recognized organization in the fight for aquaculture, Elior is adding frozen wild-caught salmon, and in 2020 plans to add responsibly sourced canned tuna and shrimp.
With all the new salmon headed for about 800 Elior accounts, Guy Kellner, senior VP of culinary development for Elior, got to work visualizing menu items to showcase the sustainable salmon in on-trend ways.
But first, “Seafood Watch conducted an analysis of our annual seafood purchasing to identify opportunities for improvement,” Kellner says. The program has been aligned with the Elior Group Positive Foodprint Plan, an outline toward more sustainable ingredients overall.
“We sent them our entire seafood purchasing info from 14 distributors, then Seafood Watch finds out the source—which vessel did this come off of and getting information to verify that it’s actually accurate,” Kellner says.
Next, Seafood Watch helped Elior develop a three-step plan, which will begin with frozen sustainable salmon (happening right now) and canned sustainable tuna and shrimp (in the planning phases now). Wild-caught salmon in frozen form was decided on as the best choice. While there are sustainable ways to farm salmon, “this is the direction we’re going in, and I think wild-caught salmon is a better product,” Kellner says.
Seafood sourcing is a complex topic, with more than just our oceans at stake; it’s also a human rights issue, something the Monterey Bay Aquarium spotlights with education and research.
all the more reason to pay attention to where that shrimp comes from.
“Human trafficking on fishing vessels is horrendous,” Kellner says. “They [workers] don’t know what they’re getting into, and they can be on a boat for three or four years without ever leaving. It’s inhumane.”
“I’ve never met a chef who doesn’t want to get more sustainable, responsible seafood,” Kellner says, “but the problem often is, they don’t know how…they don’t know what’s right or what’s wrong.”
That’s where an organization like Monterey Bay Aquarium comes in, the standard in letting foodservice professionals know which species of seafood is currently “green, yellow or red” in their ratings system.
“The goal is to get more species out of the red,” Kellner says, something a company like Elior is poised to do with the sheer volume of seafood purchasing they do. But that’s also what makes sourcing sustainable seafood trickier for Elior than, say, a 50-seat independent restaurant, which can make last-minute adjustments on menu and price.
“The issue in foodservice is the volume,” Kellner says, adding that Elior operators will definitely be impacted by the new purchasing program, but it’s something the company is committed to.
“Sustainable seafood does not come free, and the cost is going up. But, as an organization, you make decisions. We can’t just bump our prices overnight, but we want to have strong corporate responsibility. So, we do it over time so the impact to our operators is less painful.”
Communication of the new salmon plan has been done with Elior operators through culinary road shows and quarterly webinars.
“Most chef are delighted,” Kellner says. “Don’t we all want to do right?”
At the culinary road shows, the salmon was featured in chef demos then used as the main ingredient in a cooking competition, providing the first answers to the question of what to do with all this great, responsibly sourced salmon? For Kellner and his team, just adding barbecue sauce has become a little too basic, he says, and he’s looking for more nuance.
“We use barbecue sauce a great deal with salmon in our units, but it’s been somewhat overused in recent years,” says Paul Basciano, corporate chef with Elior. “One of the first dishes I enjoyed preparing early in my career was seared salmon filet with a mango-coconut sauce…very simple, but elegant.”
Basciano (left) says he’s also thinking about teriyaki glazes with strong ginger component for a salty-sweet flavor combo for salmon. Technique-wise, most accounts will sear salmon on cast-iron skillets, and a few have started using the Spanish la plancha technique for salmon. In Spanish cooking, a la plancha means “grilled on a metal plate,” which some consider the world’s first flattop grill.
Another great use for salmon is in Asian broths like pho, which was the focus of one of the culinary road shows. “When you think about Vietnamese food and broths, there’s many ways to use salmon,” Kellner says. “And there’s also a bunch of cold applications; smoked salmon is one thing, but you also have cured salmon. Just put it in raw with salt and maybe parsley in the fridge for three days. And that’s lox and bagels for breakfast.”
As for the upcoming canned tuna and shrimp, Kellner envisions those items as more of a pantry ingredient, although currently “we do offer a French tinned sardine appetizer tableside,” a trend that’s popping up at trendy white-tablecloth restaurants around the country.


text:
Total company sales increased by 25 percent.. Mortgage Applications Rebound in rebuilding after HurricaneTop Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Overseas Shipholding Group is bankrupt, Beware the penny stocksWalmart Returns the GoodiesThe Xbox platform continues to benefit boost for Microsoft, as the company faces Apple Inc. for shares of the PC and mobile operating system markets. Microsoft said last week that net income for the quarter ended 30 September 51 percent rose over the previous year, partly because Xbox products sales grew in the company entertainment devices division by 27 percent.
Tagged: International Data Corp, Microsoft, Xbox, technology, video game, video games, video games, Xbox 360, Xbox 360Microsoft Corp. ‘s motion controller for the Xbox video game. Console , which launches this week, will Sony Corp. ‘s published new PlayStation controller during the holiday period outsell, according to a report on Monday.
Co. Ists Political ContributionsGeneral Motors Co. Is 61 percent of the U.S. Government, again for political donations after a 18 – month break.The company’s political action donated a total of $ 48 to the Republicans and Democrats, with contributions personalities as Sen. Charles Schumer, D – NY , and Rep. Dave Camp, R – Midland, The Detroit News reported will.The new standards for about 50 of the one hundred and thirty-eight banking can lead the rating by S & P downgrades reception, the of them ever downcast a minimum two notches that obtain that Journal reported, citing documents a proposal S & P. About 30 of the rated banks upgrades. S & P acceptance public comments on the proposed review by March, reports the Journal.
Long-term New credit system rating system is can trade political for banking lead reviews have services intends banking sector review more similar to the ones use it in other sectors, that southeast & P’s efforts his assessment of have make them better to factors that one played such great roll in recent banking crises to the newspaper. Profits and capital and risk management, and the capacity to to treat liquidity be among criteria is measuring to the new rating system.