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2016 Euroa Show and Shine backed by Shannons
Massive car show warming up for a big weekend
The grandly-titled Australian National Show and Shine is on at Euroa this coming weekend, just two hours north of Melbourne.
Typically it pulls a massive field of cars and trucks and bikes and is well worth a look, or even entering.
From the organisers: "We are proud to announce Shannons Insurance becoming the major sponsor for this year’s Show and Shine and we are looking forward to what Shannons can add to the event!
"It is with sadness that we announce the retirement of Mr Rob Asquith OAM, who has decided not to run the invitation only area this year. Rob started the Show and Shine back in 2000.
"With Rob’s exit we announce Mr Brian Tanti, one of the world’s most foremost experts in motor body fabrication, who will be hosting the Mothers Polish Invitation area."
Unique Cars will be up there doing a report – see you there?
General entry costs $5 and show car entry is $10. See the website at this link. It offers a wealth of resources including info on local attractions and accommodation.
Look for our event report and gallery.
We're giving away the last great Aussie Holden V8! Enter here for your chance to win!
Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for more unique car reviews and features plus see the latest unique and classic cars for sale.


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Travelocity is the most effective sponsored search advertiser in the US among the leading online travel agents, according to independent research.
The Sabre-owned company has the lowest number of sponsored ad impressions (31 million in April) against Expedia, Orbitz and Cheaptickets.com, but had a 6.5% click through rate, ComScore MediaMetrix said.
Expedia, Orbitz and Cheaptickets had click through rates of 4.9%, 4.4% and 4% respectively.
ComScore Media Metrix president and chief executive, Peter Daboll, said: “With search advertising accounting for roughly 40 percent of total online spending, it’s clear that advertisers view the medium as a critical component of the advertising mix.
“This is particularly true for the leading online travel agencies, which receive nearly two-thirds of their search-generated click-throughs from sponsored ads.
“This high volume of advertising makes it even more important for advertisers to focus on the search terms that have the most relevance to their target audience.”
The research was carried out by ComScore to coincide with the launch of a new tool, Competitive Search Marketing Reports.
The study also revealed Yahoo! was the preferred search channel in the US, with 46% of travel sponsored ads, but Google had a 35% sponsored click-through rate for travel products, with Yahoo! and MSN achieving rates of 32% and 22%.

domain: news


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Last Build Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2017 06:10:48 EDTCopyright: copyright © 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 13:28:21 EDTVerizon was losing wireless subscribers at a big clip, until it began offering an unlimited plan.
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 12:40:10 EDTElon Musk said his company plans to unveil a big truck in September. Why that’s potentially bad news for the existing truck makers.
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:08:12 EDTWhen is good not enough? When you’re Schwab and deliver terrific results yet see your stock fall.
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 12:22:40 EDTParnassus Core Equity has topped the index over 10 years. Here’s what it’s buying now.
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 01:24:20 EDTRegeneron and Vertex could be winners as the biotech industry grapples with soaring prices.
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:36:36 EDTWhile financials faded the past two months, tech held firm and consumer stocks neared new highs.
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 01:22:55 EDTMaybe, just this once, a bell will actually ring as the market nears a top.
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 02:25:01 EDTDespite some negatives, including a recent earnings warning for the first quarter, the stock looks inexpensive.
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 12:53:53 EDTMost customers go to the big-box retailer for groceries, an area where Amazon has had limited success.
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 10:21:56 EDTOn Monday, Goldman Sachs said investors should sell GoPro’s stock. This, even with the shares down 90% since October 2014.
Mon, 06 Mar 2017 15:53:33 EST
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 17:41:25 EDTInvestors have gotten hooked on a sale, but, so far, no one is stepping up. Tuesday’s disappointing results probably won’t help.
Sat, 28 Jan 2017 02:44:24 ESTScott Black, Jeffrey Gundlach, Meryl Witmer, and Mario Gabelli offer investment picks for the new year.
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 01:12:18 EDTAfter a postelection run-up, bank stocks have fallen back to earth. Bank of America and others look like buys.
Sat, 21 Jan 2017 01:41:05 ESTGoogle plays catchup in cloud services, helped by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Sat, 21 Jan 2017 01:38:01 ESTFacing weak videogame sales, the company diversifies by selling AT&T phones and Apple products.
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 14:30:04 EDTShort-term pessimism in BofA is as cloudy as its long-term prospects are bright. Also, XLF option trades.
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 14:34:15 EDTInvestors have a few weeks to wait for Apple’s second-quarter earnings report, but Wall Street already has a wish list.
Sun, 16 Apr 2017 20:40:26 EDTStocks stumble as the president keeps shifting policy positions. Also, March economic reports aren’t bullish.
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 14:02:41 EDTAn analyst says investors will stay the course, even if the next iPhone ends up being a few months late.
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 17:52:08 EDTGlobal tensions combine to push the precious metal higher. But the rally may be short-lived.
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 18:12:22 EDTTesla has pioneered the market for long-range electric vehicles, but it has a whole new challenge when it comes to selling 18-wheelers.
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 19:08:26 EDTOur winners are dealing with mood swings among clients, as things heat up in Washington.
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 18:32:47 EDTInvestors are increasingly confident that AT&T’s purchase of Time Warner will be approved.
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 07:40:06 EDTMKM Partners expects Alibaba shares will reach $130, further lifting Yahoo’s stock.
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 15:34:31 EDTThe high-end grocer is facing increasing competition, but could fetch a nice premium if another company like Kroger tries to buy it.
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 11:50:15 EDTInvestors should expect a sharp rally if and when U.S.-led hostilities begin—if history is a reliable guide.
Mon, 13 Feb 2017 11:39:33 ESTBy offering an unlimited wireless data plan, Verizon is matching its rivals. But it might not be all good news for the company.
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 17:43:47 EDTThe chatter on social media suggests weakened subscriber trends for the first-quarter. But things are looking up from there, thanks to popular new shows.
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 13:30:03 EDTBig Blue shares are in the red and poised to fall further as “gross margins continue to deteriorate.”
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 01:43:51 EDTBarron’s ranks the top consultants to institutional investors and profiles three firms.
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 02:03:15 EDTThe REIT is signing on new tenants who pay substantially more rent than did the closing Sears stores.
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 12:59:57 EDTThe retailer will introduce new bras, upgrade its website, and roll out a global advertising campaign, an analyst notes.
Thu, 06 Apr 2017 15:15:54 EDTChris Davis once asked his grandfather to buy him lunch. Grandpa said no and told him how he could turn the missed lunch into $1,000.
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 16:29:26 EDTCan the fund-ratings firm remain impartial as it launches mutual funds?
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 17:07:14 EDTThe burrito chain has been raising prices, a far cry from the days when it gave away free food to encourage customers to return.
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:49:17 EDTGoldman Sachs adds the alcoholic beverage firm to its Conviction Buy list and expects shares to reach $200.
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:56:30 EDTAlibaba’s strategic bets in multiple emerging segments, such as internet finance, and logistics, should pay off longer term, say analysts at Benchmark.
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 02:00:09 EDTSarepta’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug could attract a deep-pocketed acquirer.
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 12:25:09 EDTAs market gets shakier, passive funds might not be the best bets.
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 11:24:36 EDTAT&T and Verizon, meanwhile, spent far less at the incentive auctions than anticipated. Comcast also went lower.
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:18:40 EDTWith tensions building around the world, should investors react? History provides answers.
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 11:44:09 EDTElon Musk recently said the company would unveil its first big truck in September. An analyst sees $2.5 billion in annual revenue.
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 00:06:16 EDTBets on Tencent and Chinese insurers are paying off for BNP Paribas Investment Partner’s Arthur Kwong.
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 02:10:33 EDTDavid Brown’s stakes in Ferrari, Fogo de Chão, and Aaron’s have helped put it in the top tier in performance.
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 17:41:42 EDTIn-game purchases and downloadable content are a big part of the future for console games, says an analyst.
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 01:32:51 EDTA snapback rally could produce a 25% return as profits rebound at the storied brand.
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 02:02:33 EDTBespoke’s founders recall the financial crisis and the bull market. Hanging in until the market breaks down.
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 21:05:53 EDTMarket breaks out of two-week losing streak, driven by a small number of large stocks.
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 00:20:26 EDTThe tech giant finds itself caught between Wall Street and its fan base. Disney would provide a jolt, but the pair are pursuing different missions.
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 15:35:59 EDTData points suggest Super Micro is better positioned as an enterprise-hardware vendor.
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 14:58:41 EDTIf the airline demonstrates earnings consistency and growth, its stock could move a lot higher.
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 10:57:25 EDTBank of America Merrill Lynch’s chief investment strategist thinks the stock rally could take the S&P 500 to 2500.
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 16:30:07 EDTAnalysts are expecting the best quarter of growth since 2011. Here are five companies worth watching as earnings season kicks into gear.
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:23:21 EDTIMF expectations for economic growth in China imply a $20 billion-plus cloud market by 2022.
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 01:26:03 EDTShares of railroad-equipment supplier Wabtec seem poised to rebound as governments invest in mass transit.
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 01:13:54 EDTLamar Advertising and Outfront Media look underpriced; plus 5 promising regional banks.
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 01:56:39 EDTAs worries mount, long-term investors can use short-term options strategies to their advantage.
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 12:52:44 EDTEquities “are priced for too much hope,” junk bonds “for too much growth,” writes the fund manager.
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 07:20:13 EDTThe William Blair Small-Mid Cap Growth fund has outstripped peers over the past decade by finding durable franchises.
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 14:04:35 EDTA Model S in China starts at $103,000, versus $68,000 in the U.S. Here’s why.
Mon, 20 Jun 2016 16:56:44 EDTOur ranking of the top-performing funds.
Tue, 21 Jun 2016 15:58:46 EDTDavid Tepper’s Appaloosa and Ken Griffin’s Citadel return this year but No. 1 on the Barron’s Penta list is a very big surprise.
Tue, 11 Apr 2017 12:35:46 EDTRoger Ferguson is rebuilding the pension-plan giant from the ground up and aims to expand its reach.
Thu, 13 Oct 2016 13:06:53 EDTAnnuities are about to get a makeover with new rules, low interest rates, and longer lives. Our annual ranking will point you to the best choices.
Tue, 28 Mar 2017 13:28:16 EDTOne analyst thinks that sales of the Model S and Model X are slumping, and that’s a bigger deal than the market seems to realize.
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 10:17:29 EDTInvestors are growing impatient with Apple’s pile of cash. An analyst speculates on why buying Disney makes sense.
Fri, 31 Mar 2017 15:25:38 EDTWe applaud attempts at humor, but T-Mobile’s April Fools’ Day joke is more revealing than funny.
Wed, 29 Mar 2017 17:07:37 EDTThe apparel company plunged more than 15% after projecting declining same-store sales.
Fri, 23 Sep 2016 14:32:35 EDTBarron’s annual list shows that the top 10 firms have acquired 82% of assets in accounts over $5 million.
Tue, 11 Apr 2017 16:50:57 EDTWhen it comes to getting a haircut or finding a place to eat, Yelp still shines.
Tue, 21 Mar 2017 12:00:23 EDTFidelity takes the top spot, with Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade right on its heels
Thu, 26 Jan 2017 14:25:29 ESTInterest rates have risen much further and faster than expected since November. But don’t expect them to keep climbing in a straight line.
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 11:15:22 EDTSnapchat’s parent company will report earnings for the first time next month. Here’s what investors will be watching.
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 11:24:21 EDTThe latest version of the game disappointed, but the video game maker is thinking big and small for the game franchise: movies and mobile games.
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 18:53:20 EDTCEO Elon Musk was busy on Twitter Thursday afternoon. He confirmed new Tesla trucks, a convertible, and a final July unveiling for the Model 3.
Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:05:12 EDTInvestors are realizing what academics have long preached: Fixed-income annuities outshine all retirement income options.
Mon, 10 Apr 2017 13:50:39 EDTAfter stints in bankruptcy, these E&P companies have emerged with stronger balance sheets.
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 18:59:28 EDT“If I had to buy one stock and put it in a box for three years, this would be it,” says a T. Rowe Price analyst.
Thu, 26 Jan 2017 13:32:27 ESTAlphabet, Apple, Citigroup, Deutsche Telekom, Disney, Toll Brothers, and Unilever are among the best bets.
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 11:51:08 EDTConsumers have new choices when it comes to athleisure apparel and the rival offerings are more fashionable.
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 12:34:46 EDTChina also isn’t a currency manipulator but the dollar still is too high. Another term for Yellen?
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 13:25:56 EDTCohen has been buying Match Group, Build-A-Bear and Grubhub this year after a disappointing 2016.
Sat, 01 Apr 2017 01:48:55 EDTIt’s gone from one of the hottest names to the S&P 500’s biggest loser. How it can rise 30% in a year.
Tue, 04 Apr 2017 15:32:54 EDTThe company offered a rare bit of insight into its plans for the Mac Pro and iMac.
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 12:22:26 EDTGM’s Mary Barra and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella join this year’s roster of 30 outstanding corporate leaders.
Sat, 01 Apr 2017 02:09:43 EDTEnergy experts see oil rising to $55-$60 a barrel. Why they like EOG, Baker Hughes and MLPs.
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 18:31:10 EDTAfter months of lagging performance, value stocks are starting to look better; consider CVS Health and Expedia.
Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:08:36 EDTThe MacBook no longer holds the top spot in Laptop Mag’s annual ranking. In the magazine’s new ranking, MacBooks fall all the way to fifth place.
Thu, 06 Apr 2017 15:39:57 EDTGoldman Sachs initiates coverage of Advanced Micro Devices in dramatic fashion, sending shares tumbling.
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 17:03:40 EDTSpotify is finally going to come out with an app for the Apple Watch. Get ready for phone-free streaming.
Tue, 04 Apr 2017 14:14:09 EDTInformation revealed late on Monday shows that the brand continues to slip, and one analyst commented that it’s hard to see a near-term comeback.
Thu, 06 Apr 2017 13:26:52 EDTThe maker of chips used in computer hard drives should benefit from new management and growth initiatives.
Mon, 10 Apr 2017 13:32:57 EDTSome 60% of Amazon Prime users also have Netflix, according to a new survey.
Mon, 10 Apr 2017 13:23:27 EDTAlcoa trades at a 31% discount to the estimated private market value and that gap could close in an acquisition.
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 02:02:55 EDTThey’re lower-risk than their corporate counterparts, and their tax advantages now look more secure.
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 15:25:31 EDTThe SEC is prosecuting online stock fraud, but Seeking Alpha and other platforms aren’t the targets.
Mon, 10 Apr 2017 15:51:34 EDTThe ClearBridge exec built a career on dividend stocks. Today he spots value in Merck and Schlumberger.
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 00:03:21 EDTBoth European companies offer strong cash flow, good dividend yields, and promising prospects.


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Silicon Valley has recently seen major leadership changes in its tech industry giants, causing a significant shift in the landscape. Tim Cook stepped down as CEO of Apple, passing the baton to a new leader. Larry Page and Sergey Brin also stepped down from their roles at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, allowing for new leadership. Microsoft has undergone its own transformation under Satya Nadella’s leadership, emphasizing cloud computing and open-source technologies. These shake-ups have led to new management styles focused on diversity, employee well-being, and environmental sustainability. Overall, the industry is recognizing the need for fresh perspectives to navigate the complex technology landscape, fostering greater diversity and innovation.
Tech Giants Leadership Shake-up Rocks Silicon Valley
Over the past few months, Silicon Valley has been abuzz with leadership shake-ups in some of the tech industry’s biggest giants. Companies that once seemed invincible are now facing significant changes at the top, causing ripples throughout the industry. The dynamics among these tech giants are redefining the landscape of Silicon Valley as we know it.
Apple’s Transition of Power
One of the most significant leadership shake-ups occurred at Apple, where Tim Cook relinquished his position as CEO after an extraordinary decade at the helm. Cook’s contributions to the company’s success are indisputable, but the time for change had come. He passed the baton to a new leader with fresh ideas and perspectives, breathing new life into the company’s future directions.
The Departure of Google’s Founders
Another seismic shift in Silicon Valley was witnessed when Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped down from their roles at Google’s parent company, Alphabet. These visionary founders decided to focus on other ventures while paving the way for a new era of leadership at the tech giant. Sundar Pichai stepped into the spotlight as Alphabet’s CEO, bringing his own vision to the table.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has been undergoing its own transformation under the leadership of Satya Nadella, who took the reins from Steve Ballmer in 2014. Nadella’s vision rejuvenated the tech giant, propelling it to new heights. His emphasis on cloud computing and embracing open-source technologies has repositioned Microsoft as a driving force in the industry.
Innovations in Leadership Styles
These leadership shake-ups have led to the rise of new management styles within tech giants. CEOs today are not only focused on delivering innovative products and services but also on building sustainable, inclusive, and socially responsible organizations. They understand the importance of diversity, employee well-being, and environmental sustainability.
What Does This Mean for the Industry?
The leadership shake-ups in Silicon Valley are indicative of a broader shift in the tech industry. Companies are recognizing the need for fresh perspectives and approaches to navigate the increasingly complex technology landscape. These changes pave the way for greater diversity and innovation, which ultimately benefits consumers and the industry as a whole.
Q: How do leadership shake-ups impact the tech industry?
A: Leadership shake-ups bring new ideas, perspectives, and strategies to the industry. This can spur innovation, drive growth, and foster healthy competition.
Q: What qualities are tech giants looking for in their new leaders?
A: Tech giants seek leaders who are visionary, adaptable, and capable of embracing change. They value individuals who prioritize diversity, sustainability, and social responsibility.
Q: How do these shake-ups affect employees?
A: Employees may experience uncertainty during leadership transitions. However, they also have an opportunity to benefit from fresh perspectives, new strategic directions, and potential growth opportunities.


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Apple has introduced the new 4G-enabled iPhone 5 with iOS 6 in San Francisco.
The new device is 18% thinner, 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S and crafted out of (what else?) glass and aluminum. It also has a bigger 4 inch Retina display.
The new Retina display runs at a resolution of 1136-by-640 resolution which is a total of 18 per cent more pixels than the iPhone 4S’s Retina display. That gives the display a PPI of 326, which is so high that your eyes can’t make out the individual pixels.
The phone’s A6 CPU has been designed by Apple to maximise performance and power efficiency, with twice the cpu and graphics performance of previous models. The 8megapixel iSight camera has also been completely re-designed to offer a new panorama feature that lets users capture images of up to 28megapixels.
Ok, so the phone is faster, lighter but how about its GPS functionality?
One of the most hyped additions to iOS 6 has been the Maps application, which includes turn-by-turn navigation, Siri, 3D building view, traffic, local search and business reviews and satellite imagery.
Wherever you need to go, your new iPhone will help you get there. You’ll enjoy interactive 3D views and the all-new flyover feature. The reports coming in from people who have used it say that the iPhone Maps application is the most beautiful and most powerful mapping service ever created.
Built by Apple from the ground up, Maps uses a vector-based engine that maintains a crisp appearance and seamless rendering, even as you zoom in and out. You know that lag that happens every time you try to zoom in on a Google map? That’s tile mapping, and it’s been frustrating users since the heyday of Mapquest.But with the new Map app from Apple that’s gone.
Vector-based type ensures that the fonts display as sharp as possible, regardless of the screen resolution or zoom level. This allows the use of smaller fonts, which further reduces clutter in the layout.
“The new 3D flyover feature is particularly impressive, and central London looks amazing, with Big Ben and other monuments in 3D you can ‘fly’ over.
The new ‘satnav’ feature also looked impressive, something which has been sorely lacking in previous versions of iOS.”
Turn-by-turn is capable of real-time traffic services as well, thanks to a crowd sourced data server that processes information received from other iPhone users in the area. Apple Maps will advise alternate routes to cut valuable minutes off of your commute.
Integration with BMW, Mercedes, Audi Honda and many more…
Among the deluge of new features Apple talked up in the keynote for WWDC, integrating Siri with cars, in conjunction with automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Honda, and GM, generated a lot of buzz.
Many automakers have already tried to persuade the big fruit to collaborate on in-car tech, but it was always rumored that Apple wasn’t interested.
But yes – Apple expects nine different carmakers to begin including a “Siri button” on their steering wheels within the next 12 months, the company announced last month.
The system will integrate Siri from the iPhone and iPad with Bluetooth voice command systems with the hands-free button on the steering wheel.
“Since Siri can talk back to you, you don’t need to light up the screen of the iPhone, so you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road,” Apple SVP Scott Forstall said.


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ALM Properties, Inc.
Page printed from: Corporate Counsel
Select 'Print' in your browser menu to print this document.
Mobile Phone and Tablet Users Getting Smart About App Privacy
A recent study by the Future of Privacy Forum found that developers of top-selling mobile apps were increasingly using privacy policies to cover how they use customer data. Now, the Federal Trade Commission is out with new guidance on what such policies should make clear to smartphone and tablet consumers.
57 percent of all app users have either uninstalled an app over concerns about having to share their personal information, or declined to install an app in the first place for similar reasons.
The FTC guidance, Marketing Your Mobile App: Get It Right from the Start, makes seven recommendations related to privacy. Among them:
Build privacy considerations in from the start. The FTC calls this privacy by design. What does it mean? Incorporating privacy protections into your practices, limiting the information you collect, securely storing what you hold on to, and safely disposing of what you no longer need.
Be transparent about your data practices. For example, if you share information with another company, tell your users and give them information about that companys data practices.
The guidance references several enforcement actions the FTC has taken with regard to company policies. In recommending that app makers issue disclosures that are clear and conspicuous, the agency notes:
Generally, the law doesnt dictate a specific font or type size, but the FTC has taken action against companies that have buried important terms and conditions in long licensing agreements, in dense blocks of legal mumbo jumbo, or behind vague hyperlinks.
The agency also warns companies against breaking their privacy promises. It has gone after businesses that made broad statements about their privacy practices, but then failed to disclose the extent to which they collected or shared information with otherslike advertisers or other app developers, according to the guidance.
See also: "Mobile App Companies Posting More Privacy Policies," CorpCounsel, July 2012.


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Montreal, December 13th, 2023 – After protracted negotiations, the Joint Producers’ Association (APC) and the Union des artistes (UDA) have reached an agreement in principle for the production of advertising. The agreement both modernizes and amalgamates the TV-radio and Internet/New media collective agreements. The entire industry will benefit from fair conditions, flexibility in the use of different advertising formats, and an agreement better adapted to the development of Canadian media.
Despite the scope of the issues presented on both sides, made all more complex by the economic slowdown, the two negotiating committees worked hard to find the trade-offs needed to reach an agreement that would benefit the advertising production industry as a whole.
“This agreement is important for the entire advertising ecosystem, as it is the 2nd largest source of revenue for UDA artists. The modernization of the agreement will enable us to continue working collaboratively to not only keep but increase commercial production in Quebec, for the benefit of all. With the current media crisis, this agreement provides production stability for the entire industry,” says Dominique Villeneuve, President and CEO of the Association of Creative Communications Agencies (A2C)
“After years of negotiations and difficult discussions, we are proud of the work accomplished. It was through the determination of the parties in tackling the issue of modernizing and simplifying the agreement that resulted in the flexibility and principles needed to maintain a healthy advertising ecosystem in Quebec,” adds Patrick Hotte, Vice-President, Quebec, Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA).
The agreement will take effect within four months. Training sessions will be held in 2024 to explain the details of the new agreement.
About the APC
The Joint Producers Association (APC) is made up of the Association of Creative Communications Agencies (A2C), the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA). It negotiates minimum working conditions for the hiring of artists in the production of commercials.
About the A2C
Founded in 1988, A2C is dedicated to fostering excellence, promoting and advocating for its 100 member agencies. Its ambition is to make the strategic and creative communications industry a key player in the creation of economic, social and cultural value. For more information, visit a2c.quebec.
About the ACA
The Association of Canadian Advertisers, founded in 1914, is the only organization in the country exclusively dedicated to defending the interests of companies that advertise the goods, products and services they market and sell in Canada (“Advertisers”). Its members include more than 300 flagship companies and subsidiaries in Canada, nearly a third of which have their head office in Quebec. Close to 20 billion dollars is invested by Advertisers in Canadian media, a good portion in Quebec. This directly supports artists, content creators, journalists, and innovation across the media ecosystem. To learn more, please visit www.acaweb.ca.
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Adam Rachidi Alaoui
Communications and Public Relations Advisor
Association of Creative Communications Agencies


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Shining a Light on the Value of Solar Power
Beyond the environmental benefits and lower electric bills, it turns out installing solar panels on your house actually benefits your whole community.
For years some utility companies have worried that solar panels drive up electric costs for people without panels.
Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) and graduate student Koami Soulemane Hayibo (ECE) have shown the opposite is actually true — grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) owners are actually subsidizing their non-PV neighbors.
Read more at mtu.edu/news.


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HMV and Xtra-vision's parent company Hilco Capital has announced it will open a new HMV store in the old A Wear premises on Grafton Street.
The new store will create 35 jobs and bring the total number of people employed by HMV and Xtra-vision in Ireland to over 1,000.
An opening date will be announced in the coming weeks.
Larry Howard, CEO of Hilco Capital Ireland, said: "HMV returning to Grafton Street has been a priority for Hilco Capital, and we're delighted to have secured this [sic] premises.
"We're looking forward to bringing this iconic brand back to its spiritual home in Ireland."


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On our recent trip to Plettenberg Bay, my friend from Paris and I tried to visit as many of the better restaurants in the town as we could fit in. Given the disappointing visits to SeaFood/Sand at The Plettenberg in the past five years, it was not on my list of restaurants to eat at, but as it was on my friend’s list, I obliged, holding thumbs that things have improved! Sadly the service and food left much to be desired, despite it being under the guardianship of Eat Out Top 10 Group Executive Chef Peter Tempelhoff! Continue reading →
A Facebook post shared yesterday by leading hotels in Cape Town informs tourists about the water shortage in Cape Town and surrounding towns, and reassures them that they are welcome in the Cape and can still enjoy their holiday, despite a potential Day Zero scenario. Continue reading →
I was recently asked if I would be leaving the country on Day Zero, projected to be 16 April currently, something that had never crossed my mind! It appears that a large number of locals are making plans to leave Cape Town, and reside elsewhere in our country or internationally, where they will have access to water! Quite frankly, I wouldn’t miss Day Zero for anything, as Cape Town will be making world history in being the first city in the world to run out of water! Continue reading →
For the second time Chefs who share – the ART of Giving is calling for entries for the Young Chef Award. A total of 77 restaurants throughout the country has been invited to participate in the 2016 competition to find our country’s most promising young chef. Continue reading →
Traveller24 has compared accommodation prices in Cape Town and Johannesburg for hotels, Bed & Breakfasts, as well as Airbnb, and found that Johannesburg generally offers more affordable accommodation. Continue reading →
Airbnb is on an amazing growth trajectory, set to double the number of bed nights booked this year to 80 million, after seven years of operation. The sharing accommodation platform claims to have 1,5 million rental listings around the world .
A lot has been written already about the effect that Airbnb has on the hotel industry, Continue reading →
*. Noma owner Chef René Redzepi has announced that he is closing down the tasting menu Noma on 31 December 2016, moving to the Christiania suburb in Copenhagen, where he will build a glass house over a derelict skating park for a new restaurant, and create an urban farm. The produce served as well as the place settings will change as the seasons change. In January next year Noma sets up a pop-up restaurant in Sydney for 10 weeks.
* The Western Cape Government’s Tourism department has made a detailed analysis of the new visa regulations, and their Continue reading →
*. Sun International has won the bid to run the Blue Train on behalf of Transnet, the two hospitality services sharing similar guest profiles. More trains and new routes are planned.
* Our economy is struggling, business confidence having fallen to its lowest level in 16 years. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Confidence Index fell from 88 in July to 84 in August! This scenario may cost the country’s workers 60000 jobs.
* Given that the 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held in Durban, Continue reading →
* NATIVE Media has launched a full-channel media service, that goes beyond the traditional ad agency media channels, to start with digital channels and building traditional channels on top of that. The media planning and buying service will be headed up by Gordon Muller and Trish Guildford.


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If ever reliable Android Police is reliable in its reporting once again, the device that you’re seeing above is Google Pixel 2 XL, due for a launch in October. For those of you who keep tracking our updates regarding this device, it’s the Taimen codename device. The image, first published by Android Police, has come from some of their extremely trusted sources, and AP has ranked it 8 out of 10 on its confidence scale. So there’s a good chance that this year’s Google flagship smartphone is going to look like this.
Look at it carefully. It’s in-line with XDA specs leak of Pixel 2 XL a few weeks ago, and it is a stark departure from last year’s Pixel XL despite having certain elements in common. The first major difference is a stunningly gorgeous, almost bezel-less 6-inch display, which makes the device externally as appealing as major LG and Samsung flagships available in the market right now. Above the screen there’s a wide speaker grille along with front-facing camera, which may be used in tandem with a rear-facing speaker to produce stereo sound effect.
Next major change that’s visible in the image is location of fingerprint sensor. The sensor is now located below the top glass area rather than inside it, and the glass area also seems smaller than that of last year’s Pixel XL. The camera lens doesn’t seem to be perfectly in-line with glass area due to a silver ring around it, but it’s not very clear in the image. If that ring is slightly protruded then the device may not lie perfectly flat on any surface, but that’s not a deal breaker.
The deal breaker, however, is lack of a dual-camera setup. It’s unclear why Google is not including such a camera setup in its flagship smartphone at a time when almost all major flagships are coming with such setups. The only two major flagship smartphone makers that didn’t include dual cameras in any of their products till now are Samsung and Google. And Samsung is going to bring its first dual-camera device next month in form of Galaxy Note 8. Why not Google?
Anyways, whatever the reason behind exclusion of dual-camera, one thing is certain after this image: Pixel 2 XL won’t age as quickly as its predecessor did! At least not visually. Last year’s Pixel XL started feeling “something from 3-4 years in the past” pretty quickly, thanks to phenomenal rise of edge-to-edge displays. Hopefully that won’t happen this time.
According to AP, LG is the manufacturer of this gorgeous device. And as far as its younger sibling Pixel 2 is concerned, there’s no image or additional detail about it as of now. However, based on the information that we’ve already received, it’s unlikely to be very different from its predecessor. There may be some internal differences, but major changes in its design are unlikely.
The name of this year’s Pixel XL is also not known yet. I’m calling it Pixel 2 XL mainly for the sake of clarity – don’t think it finalized yet. Google may give it any name of its choice, especially because nothing related to name is printed on the device yet. There’s only a Google logo on the back.
In the end, Android Police also believes that this device will come with a squeezable frame similar to Edge Sense feature of HTC U11. The feature will allow users to interact with Google Assistant simply by squeezing the frame of their smartphone in their hands. Various levels of pressure can be used for various types of commands. It remains to be be seen how Google will implement this feature.
So what do you think about Google Pixel 2 XL now? Will you like to buy it if it looks like this and comes without a dual primary camera? Share your thoughts in comments.
I am highly confused between pixel 2xl and Samsung s9+?
I actually prefer the ‘Boosted’ colour profile. The colours are muted but feel more natural. Saturated mode is overdone.
I find myself going back to this phone. Awesome camera, best Android experience, and panda model


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FAQ - Start-Up India Initiative
- What is Start-Up India initiative?
On 69th Independence Day of India, the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi proposed a programme called Start-Up India to encourage entrepreneurship in the country. Later on January 16, 2016, the Government of India formally launched the Start-Up India initiative celebrating the entrepreneurship spirit of country's youth to unveil the Start-Up Action Plan.
Start-Up India programme ensures government's support to the people who want to revolutionize India's massive consumer industry with creative ideas and products promoting Make in India policy of the government. The programme will promote bank financing for start-ups in order to boost entrepreneurship and job creation.
- What's the Purpose of This Initiative?
The Start-Up India initiative aims at promoting entrepreneurship in the country by offering an enabling environment for new start-ups and entrepreneurs. The sole purpose is to transform job seekers into job creators.
- What Are the Tax Benefits for New Start-Ups Under This Scheme?
To promote growth of new start-ups, start-ups that would be set up after April, 1, 2016, will be exempted from income tax for initial three years. Besides, exemptions will also be given in case capital gains are invested in the fund of funds recognised by the government. Additionally, existing tax exemptions for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will be extended to new start-ups.
- What Kind of Legal Support Would Be Provided to The Start-Ups?
There will a panel of facilitators that would provide legal support to the start-ups and help them in filing applications related to patents, design, trademark etc. under proper Acts. The government will bear the fees of these facilitators for start-ups.
- How will It Promote Entrepreneurship in the Field of Biotechnology?
To promote entrepreneurship in biotechnology, five new bio clusters, 150 technology transfer units/offices, 20 bio-connect offices and 50 bio incubators shall be established by the government under Start-Up India scheme.
- What are the Key Announcements for Start-Ups in Star-Up India Initiative?
The highlights of the initiative are as follow:
- Self-certification compliance with labor and environment laws. There will be no labor inspection for three years.
- Single window clearance with the help of a mobile app and hence simplifying the start-up process.
- Modified and entrepreneur-friendly Bankruptcy Code to ensure 90-day exit window, in case a start-up fails.
- Promoting entrepreneurship among women and SC/ST people.
- Making Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) procedure transparent and simple for start-ups.
- Legal support to start-ups.
- 80 per cent rebate on filing patent applications by start-ups.
- To provide funding support to new enterprises the government will set up a fund with an initial amount of Rs 2,500 crore and a total corpus of Rs 10,000 crore over a period of four years.
- Exemption from capital gains for start-ups.
- Tax exemption for start-ups for initial three years.
- Government shall set-up seven new research parks: six in IITs, one in IISc with an investment of Rs 100 crore each.
- The government will also create credit guarantee scheme for start-ups through National Credit Guarantee Trust Company/SIDBI with a budget corpus of 500 crore over a period of four years.
- Under Atal Innovation Mission, pre incubation training and seeds fund will be given to new start-ups/innovations.
- What's the Funding Mechanism for New Start-Ups in This Scheme?
With an aim to promote development and innovation driven start-ups, the government will provide funding support to new enterprises and for that it will set up a fund with an initial amount of Rs 2,500 crore and a total corpus of Rs 10,000 crore over a period of four years.
- What if A Start-Up Fails? What's The Easy-Exit Policy?
In case a start-up fails, the government will assist the entrepreneurs in finding proper solutions to their problems. If they fail again, the government will also provide an easy way out as per Start-Up India programme's easy-exit policy. For this purpose, the government is working hard on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2015, which aims at providing an easy exit option for insolvent and sick companies.
- Does the Scheme Cover Small and Medium Enterprises (Smes) Also?


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Veganuary 2022 sees the largest number of participants ever
Over 600,000 people have been recorded to be taking part in Veganuary this year, the annual challenge to go vegan for one month in January.
This figure marks an increase of over 3% since the 2021 edition of the challenge, when 580,000 people took part.
As we reach the halfway mark in January, signups continue to increase, suggesting the number of participants will have grown more by the end of the month.
In response to this news, Head of Communications at Veganuary, Toni Vernelli said: “It is incredibly exciting to be marking the biggest Veganuary on record with two weeks of January still to go, but it is not surprising. As more people become aware of the incredible impact our food choices have on the health of our planet, attitudes towards eating vegan are changing and so are our diets.”
Prior to the start of this year’s challenge a range of celebrities showed their support for the campaign including Joanna Lumley, Benjamin Zephaniah, Dr Jane Goodall, and Peter Egan, who is currently starring in the third series of Ricky Gervais’s much acclaimed Netflix series After Life.
These stars have been encouraging others to sign up by sharing some of their favourite vegan recipes.
Another celebrity who joined the cause was Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden. She commented: “Taking part in Veganuary helped me change how I eat, and now my diet is the best for animals, the planet and for me. If the climate crisis, animal suffering or the loss of wild places and species concerns you, sign up, take part and let Veganuary help you, too.”
New vegan products have also hit the shelves this month, coinciding with Veganuary, including a plant based Babybel, and Philadelphia cream cheese spread.
Several major food brands, such as Harrods, M&S and Quorn have also encouraged their employees to go vegan for January in a Veganuary Workplace Challenge and have promised to provide more vegan options for their employees in the future.
Vernelli added: “Making planet-friendly food choices is also becoming much easier thanks to the businesses embracing Veganuary and providing delicious and accessible plant-based alternatives to familiar foods. Together we are making an enormous difference for animals and the planet.”
A poll conducted last month by YouGov in collaboration with Veganuary revealed that 34% of adults in the UK would try a plant-based diet, with 8% of them already following a vegan diet, and 35% of them saying their view of a plant-based diet was more positive now than it was two years ago.
Veganuary has had over 2 million people sign up to take part since the campaign first launched in 2014.


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Capcom announced last month how they would be opening a Resident Evil restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo. It was officially opened at the weekend for the general public. The new Resident Evil themed restaurant known as the ‘Biohazard Cafe and Grill’ features a Resident Evil themed food, props and dancing girls.
What caught our attention was the life-size monument of Tyrant designed by the Toei Company. Using 3D projection mapping technology, the Tyrant statue will come to life and scare the living daylights out of you. The staff, also known as S.T.A.R.S ANGELIQUE, will then shoot at the the seemingly-live Tyrant figure to simulate a real Resident Evil experience. The restaurant will only be open for one year as it will be a limited time only establishment.


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Recore series games disappointed a lot of fans, not because the games were bad but because of the unpleasantness while downloading the games via Windows Store. Well, to cope with this problem once and for all, Recore: Definitive Edition and four other windows exclusives made their way to Steam.
Well, you’ve heard it right, you can now download all these games for PC via Steam. The other windows store exclusives include Tale, Disneyland Adventures, Rush: A Disney – Pixar Adventure, and Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection. All these games are available now on Steam and you can download them without any hassle.
This amazing news surfaced just after the recent collaboration between THQ Nordic and Microsoft. The announcement came out in August at Gamescom. According to the announcement, THQ Nordic has now the right to distribute games that have been previously published by Microsoft. However, they have a right to distribute all the Microsoft games only on Steam and in physical formats as well.
In addition, as most of the reports suggest, it isn’t yet confirmed that how many games will be coming to steam. But until now, other than the titles mentioned above, no other Windows Store exclusives are lined up for a release on Steam.
It’s a good news for all the fans of these windows store exclusives, as they can now download hassle free. It’ll definitely offer more speed and less downloading time with a variety of new titles to come.
Hopefully, in the near future, fans will be able to download more Microsoft Windows Store exclusives via Steam. What are your views on this latest development? Do you want to see more Microsoft Windows Store exclusives on Steam? Want to share your favorites with us? Do let us know by dropping a comment or two below.


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Tourism Australia kicked off its annual Greater China Showcase yesterday with a hybrid event bringing together key customers from Greater China and Australia’s business events industry.
A flagship annual event for Tourism Australia, the Business Events Australia Greater China Showcase provides Australian industry with an opportunity to meet and do business with qualified incentive planners and corporate decision makers from across Greater China.
Held over the next three days, Australian sellers will meet virtually with key agents and corporate customers, who will attend the physical event in Shanghai. Over 80 incentive decision makers from Greater China will connect with 60 of Australia’s business events industry.
“Greater China remains one of Australia’s most important markets for incentive travel and this activity will help keep Australia in mind for future opportunities,” said Penny Lion, executive general manager events at Tourism Australia.
“Each Australian region has new developments and infrastructure updates to share with our partners in Greater China. The event also serves as a regular opportunity for both markets to connect with one another, forge new relationships and build on existing ones.”
For the physical component of the event in Shanghai, buyers will be invited to a destination showcase to enjoy a taste of the Australian lifestyle with a nature-based picnic theme, including a selection of Australian food and drinks.


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- Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin closed a deal to buy the most expensive home ever sold in the U.S., paying around $238 million for a New York penthouse overlooking Central Park.
- The deal is the latest in Griffin's unprecedented global shopping spree for real estate.
Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin closed a deal to buy the most expensive home ever sold in the U.S., paying around $238 million for a New York penthouse overlooking Central Park.
The deal is the largest in Griffin's recent $700 million global real estate shopping spree, believed to be the largest ever for a U.S. billionaire. Over the past few years, the founder and CEO of Citadel has purchased the most expensive homes in Chicago, Miami and New York. He has spent more than $200 million to buy land in Palm Beach, Florida, for a home he plans to build there. And this week, news broke that he purchased a $122 million property in London, which was the most expensive sale in that city in a decade.
A spokeswoman for Citadel couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
The New York purchase, first reported by CNBC in 2015 when it went into contract, covers several floors of the new 79-story condo tower known as 220 Central Park South. The apartment covers four full floors and is around 24,000 square feet with stunning views of Central Park, according to real estate experts. Griffin bought the space raw, which means that even after paying $238 million, Griffin will likely spend millions more to design, build and furnish the home.
The deal eclipses the current record for the most expensive home sold in the U.S. — the $147 million paid by hedge fund manager Barry Rosenstein for an estate in East Hampton, New York, in 2014.
With new condo towers, like 220 Central Park South, buyers sign a contract while the building is under construction, and officially close on the deal when the building is finished.
The Alexander Team at Douglas Elliman represented Griffin in the sale and Deborah Kern of the Corcoran Group represented Vornado Realty Trust, the building's developer.


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Permira Funds, a private equity firm that owns Hugo Boss and New Look, has bought R Griggs Group, the parent company and licensee of the Dr Martens brand, for £300 million (U.S. $486 mm).
The deal is set to complete in January 2014.
R Griggs Group chief executive David Suddens said: “Permira was the chosen partner to acquire the Dr Martens business because they share the current owners’ passion for the brand and want to respect and nurture its heritage.”
Cheryl Potter, head of the consumer team at Permira, added: “Dr Martens is an iconic brand with a solid fan base of followers. The Permira Funds have extensive expertise in backing global brands, as demonstrated with Hugo Boss and Valentino, and we are looking forward to supporting the management team in this exciting next phase of the company’s development.”


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Fort Collins, Colo. — Online merchants are getting behind a new promotion to encourage last-minute Christmas shoppers to place their orders by Thursday.
“Free Shipping Day,” a marketing concept developed by Luke Knowles, founder of FreeShipping.org, marks the last day that online purchases at participating retailers are guaranteed to be delivered by Christmas Eve.
“We are a nation of procrastinators, so I think that Free Shipping Day will become a popular annual event,” said Knowles, whose Web site, www.freeshipping.org, lists e-tailers with free shipping deals.
Participating merchants number about 250 and include Circuit City, JCPenney, Kmart, Macy’s, Sears and Target, Knowles said.
“Numbers show that online shopping dramatically slows after Dec. 12,” Knowles said. “Free Shipping Day [Dec. 18] will encourage people to continue buying items online later into the month of December,” and has the potential to increase pre-Christmas online sales by hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years, he noted.
Free Shipping Day was conceived as an adjunct to “Cyber Monday,” the e-tail equivalent to Black Friday that was created by the National Retail Federation trade association to encourage online sales.
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Watch List - May 23, 2019
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Consumer-Direct Sales Dominate The Charts - May 22, 2019
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Best Buy Keeps The CE Crown, But Barely - May 21, 2019


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Throughout 2023, supply chains will continue to experience challenges and delays, affecting production and shipments worldwide.
According to PR Newswire, Coupa Software found that 82% of supply chain leaders believe that these problems will remain the same or become even worse over the next 6-12 months.
During 2022, four out of five organizations experienced one notable supply chain issue and 50% experienced three or more setbacks.
Is this starting to sound familiar?
Do you feel like we are living in a strange, recurring Groundhog Day?
If so, Dr. Madhav Durbha, Vice President of Supply Chain Innovation at Coupa agrees with you. He believes that, “with climate change and geopolitical tensions expected to impact food and cause disruptions, now is the time for supply chain leaders to take initiative and be creative as to how they can invest and improve their operations.”
So how can we resolve these supply chain delays?
By utilizing additive manufacturing, companies can control output and will no longer have to rely on the supply chain.
Cheaper and quicker prototypes
Additive manufacturing enables businesses to prototype products and designs faster, resulting in greater cost-efficiency. After utilizing the Stratasys J55 Prime 3D printer, SEONG YUN TECH decreased the cost of prototyping from KRW 10 million to KRW 100,000.
Since their manufacturing schedule was shortened from a month to a few days, SEONG YUN TECH implemented design changes immediately. With this quick turnaround, the semi-permanent makeup machine models were ready within two to three days.
According to the CEO of SEONG YUN TECH, Dongmin Lee, “using Stratasys’ 3D printers delivered tremendous synergy in product development, and these printers have been essential for the company’s development. We experienced that expanding into additive manufacturing enhances the agility of product planning and manufacturing.”
Overcome part shortages
When Stratasys first began producing the H350™ 3D printers, the PCB Stepper Controller Board was discontinued due to COVID-19 delays. Since this was vital for the printer to operate correctly, the team replaced the part with a different electronics board. The only drawback was that this new board required air cooling.
In order to solve this problem, the H350 Production team used the H350 3D printer to produce a circuit board bracket. This part easily secures a fan to the electronics board. The bracket doesn’t need any tools or screws, streamlining product assembly. By printing this optimized part in-house, production for the H350 could continue and was no longer affected by supply chain delays.
Another instance when the H350 effectively resolved shipping issues was in March 2021. Eighty large housing parts were stuck on the Ever Given container ship in the Suez Canal. Philipp Götz, CEO of Götz Maschinenbau, a mechanical engineering company, was asked by one of his customers for assistance. With the H350, Götz was able to finish this order in only two weeks, enabling his customer to complete their machines and meet required deadlines.
Instantly print replacement parts
Each month, at Siemens Mobility’s flagship site RRX Rail Service Center, a hundred trains enter and leave the depot. In order to be equipped for issues and maintain flexibility, Siemens utilizes the Stratasys Fortus 450mc 3D printer.
As a Siemens representative stated, “this is where FDM additive manufacturing fits in perfectly. [It provides] us with the capability to rapidly and cost-effectively produce one-off, customized production parts.”
Parts print within hours, as compared to the weeks or months it may take with casting. According to Tina Eufinger, Siemens Mobility Division, “within a week, we can iterate and optimize the design. [And] then 3D print a final, customized production-grade part. This has [allowed] us to reduce the manufacturing time of each part by up to 95%. [This] has significantly sped up our ability to respond to customers.” This is essential in the railway industry since repairs are constantly required, typically after an accident.
Taking matters into their own hands
Additive manufacturing allows suppliers to break free from their reliance on supply chains and finally end this Groundhog Day-esque cycle.
By printing in-house and on-demand, companies can gain control over their operations and production.
Whether it be prototypes, acquiring that last part, or repairs, additive manufacturing enables companies to be self-sufficient.


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updated 10:50 am EDT, Wed August 30, 2006
Quad-core desktop chips
Intel will release its first quad-core desktop chips in November, according to a new report. The company had initially planned their rollout for early next year; however, Santa Clara, Calif., company will now release "Kentsfield" quad-core desktop chip as part of its Core Extreme family in early November, according to eWEEK: "However, it's now expected to introduce the quad-core processor as part of its Core Extreme family in early November, sources familiar with its plans said. The Core Extreme, which is targeted mainly at PC enthusiasts who are into gaming as well as certain corporate users whose jobs involve creating online content or editing videos, represents the pinnacle of Intel's desktops processor line. Right now, the chip maker offers a dual-core Core 2 Extreme chip, based on its Core 2 Duo for desktops."
The new quad-core chips will be only be available in limited high-end consumer gaming and computer enthusiast system. The company currently offers a Core 2 Duo Extreme for the same audience, but the new chip can process four threads simultaneously, nearly doubling the number tasks that can be completed within the same time period.
The chips, however, are unlikely to appear in Apple's systems, as they target a different demographic than Apple's current offerings: Apple's consumer-based iMac and Mac mini currently use previous-generation "Yonah" Core Duo chips, but are expected to be upgraded to the 64-bit Core 2 Duo chips in the coming months. high-end Mac Pro for professionals use dual-core "Xeon" Woodcrest processors.


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They are expressing strong support for the plan as “a much-needed catalyst for the economy, consumer spending and business growth,” Hammonds said, adding that “the plan comes at a time when our nation needs it most.”
The delegation includes Richard H. Niemann, Sr., chairman and CEO of Niemann Foods, Inc., in Quincy, IL; Steve Smith, president and COO of K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc., in Abingdon, VA; Christy Spoa, Sr., president of Ellwood City Save-A-Lot in Ellwood City, PA; and William Sumas, executive vice president of Village Super Markets, Inc., in Springfield, NJ.
At the meeting with President Bush, they are discussing the importance of repealing the estate tax — both as “an economic stimulus and much-needed relief for family businesses,” Hammonds said. The FMI members are emphasizing the need for complete repeal, citing Institute-sponsored research showing that accelerating the timetable for repeal would provide the nation a greater economic stimulus.
They also are focusing on how the across-the-board cuts would benefit supermarkets by increasing consumer spending and by reducing taxes for the many family businesses that pay business income taxes at personal tax rates, not corporate rates. Two-thirds of FMI’s member companies pay income taxes at the personal rates.
FMI is playing a leading role in promoting the tax-relief plan as it moves through Congress. The Institute is represented on the Managing and Steering Committees of the Tax Relief Coalition. Tim Hammonds serves as co-chairman of Americans Against Unfair Family Taxation, a group of associations for the food and other businesses whose mission is to repeal the federal estate tax.


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Jinjiang Inn, one of China’s largest budget hotel chains, said it will open a new hotel under a separate brand name, Bestay, to capture the growing number of business travelers with ever tightening budgets.
Jinjiang said that it has plans to open at least 30 Bestay hotels in 2009, with the first one to be launched in Beijing early this year.
Like many other large hotel chains around the world, Jinjiang Inn has been hit hard by the global economic downturn as shrinking profits are forcing many corporations to cut their travel budgets. The traditional budget hotels occupy the segment of the market that has taken the most severe blow.
In December 2008, Jinjiang Inn, which manages 350 budget hotels in 95 Chinese cities, reported a 30% drop in sales from a year earlier.
The average daily room rate at Bestay’s hotels, at RMB150 ($22), will be about 30% lower than that of Jinjiang Inn.
Source: China Daily


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SMALL businesses are less likely to ask for help managing down their costs, according to research.
Motoring journalist Ralph Morton, writing for PeterboroughBusiness.co.uk, has uncovered evidence that small businesses are not as willing as big businesses to seek help with cost control.
In his July column (click here to read it), Mr Morton discusses why this might be and offers some good advice to owners of small companies.
This month’s column also lists the top 20 driver distractions. How many of them do your drivers fall victim to.
Click here to read Ralph Morton’s business motoring column.


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Cable company Tratos has joined Made in Britain, a community of more than 1,000 based manufacturers that sell goods, manufactured in the UK. Tratos joins a diverse group of manufacturers making hundreds of different products across the country.
Tratos, an innovation-led cabling company, develops and manufactures its cable locally and exports globally. Earlier this year the company completed a multi-million-pound investment at its UK manufacturing base in Knowsley, Merseyside including structural expansion work at the plant which extended the factory four-fold. The investment has resulted in 40 new jobs.
A business and consumer campaign, Made in Britain promotes manufacturing in the UK and overseas. It was originally conceived by Merseyside company Stoves – a British cooker manufacturer in 2011, before evolving into an independent, not-for-profit organisation in June 2013.
Commenting upon its membership, Maurizio Bragagni, CEO of Tratos UK said: “We are proud to be members of this very important group and we value the opportunities that Made in Britain presents. Working with and supporting other like-minded British businesses, as we head towards Brexit is vitally important. We believe that big businesses come from small businesses, and small businesses that are home-grown tend to hold on to their roots. In short, they stay in the UK.”
Made in Britain works to unite, support and promote all manufacturers and the entire British manufacturing sector within the UK and around the world. The Made in Britain marque is accredited to businesses that sell goods that have been manufactured or have undergone a final substantial change in the United Kingdom before sale.


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e-Strategy Trends’ continually-updated collection of mobile marketing research, statistics and trends for marketing, public relations, advertising and strategic communications professionals.
via marketingprofs.com growing share of seniors own a cell phone, according to separate research from Pew. Nearly seven in ten (69%) adults ages 65 and older say they have a mobile phone, up from 57% in May 2010. Even among those now age 76 and older, 56% report owning a cell phone of some kind,…Read More
via marketingcharts.com 4 in 10 tablet users (defined as owners or regular users of a tablet) are between the ages of 35 and 64, per June 2012 survey results [pdf] from the Online Publishers Association. And that user base will only solidify over time: further data from the report indicates that 46% of new buyers…Read More
via marketingcharts.com Parents are showing healthy levels of new media and technology adoption, according to June 2012 Ipsos MediaCT survey results. Among parents of children aged 6-12, 69% own a cell phone that can access the internet, while 37% own a tablet, and 26% an e-reader. To put those latter numbers in perspective, January 2012…Read More
via emarketer.com The report found that tablet users were taking full advantage of the larger screens offered by the devices, with 53% reporting that they had watched videos or TV programming on a tablet at least once in the past month. comScore also found that more than one-quarter of tablet owners who watched videos at…Read More
via emarketer.com Those with smartphones are showing themselves to be eager adopters of tablets, according to a report on US smart device users by comScore. According to the research, 24% of smartphone users had used a tablet in the three-month period ending April 2012, an increase from 10% recorded a year earlier. Read the rest…Read More
via emarketer.com A 2011 study by Booz & Company and National Analysts Worldwide found that pharma executives in the US and EU put programs aimed at healthcare providers—as well as unpaid forms of internet promotion—high on their list of planned budget increases. Read the rest at eMarketer. 0.0 00Read More


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Driverless Transportation Hub
Self-Driving Cars: No, Detroit Isn’t Beating Silicon Valley
A new self-driving car report says Ford and GM are leading the way. Saying Ford and GM are ahead of Waymo smacks of old-school car industry thinking. Ford and GM might feel good reading this report, but they should not.
Latest in Driverless Transportation Self-Driving Cars: No, Detroit Isn’t Beating Silicon Valley
By Brad Templeton · 5 April, 2017 • A new self-driving car report says Ford and GM are leading the way. Saying Ford and GM are ahead of Waymo smacks of old-school car industry thinking. Ford and GM might feel good reading this report, but they should not.AutoX Self-Driving Car Uses $50 Off-the-Shelf Cameras
By Steve Crowe · 21 March, 2017 • AutoX is a self-driving car startup that has flown under the radar. Until now. AutoX released the first video of its self-driving Lincoln MKZ that uses $50 off-the-shelf cameras from Best Buy to navigate the streets of California.Best Robot Videos of the Week: Handle Robot, Minitaur Outdoors, Autolivery
By RT Staff · 5 March, 2017 • A look at the week's best robotics videos for your weekend viewing pleasure.Evolution of Self-Driving Cars: Infographic
By RT Staff · 4 March, 2017 • The self-driving car market is seeing exponential growth. But the development of self-driving cars started more than 80 years ago. This infographic provides a good look at how the far the self-driving car industry has come and where it's headed.Starsky Robotics Self-Driving Truck Solves Last-Mile Delivery
By Steve Crowe · 28 February, 2017 • Starsky Robotics is the second self-driving truck startup to come out of the woodwork in less than one week, but it's approach is unlike any self-driving truck we've seen to date.Tesla Autopilot 2.0 Fails Epicly on Windy Road
By Steve Crowe · 27 February, 2017 • Watch a Tesla Model S with Autopilot 2.0 engaged repeatedly fail to stay in its lane on a windy road. The incident serves as a good remember that Autopilot users always need to keep their hands on the wheel.Embark Self-Driving Trucks Take on Otto
By Steve Crowe · 24 February, 2017 • Embark's self-driving trucks use deep neural networks to teach themselves how to drive on highways. Once they enter city limits, Embark's self-driving trucks hand control over the the human driver to drive through the city streets to the final destination.Gill Pratt, Daniela Rus Win Engelberger Robotics Awards
By Steve Crowe · 23 February, 2017 • Dr. Gill Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), and Dr. Daniela Rus, professor of electrical engineering and computer science and director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the recipients of the 2017 Engelberger Robotics Awards. Pratt won the 2017 Engelberger Robotics Awards for Leadership, while Rus takes home the 2017 Engelberger Robotics Awards for Education.Drive.ai Self-Driving Car Handles Rainy Calif. Streets at Night
By Steve Crowe · 14 February, 2017 • Watch Drive.ai's self-driving car drive through the dark, rainy streets of Mountain View, California, flawlessly handling a busy four-way stop sign, a car that cuts it off, and a broken red light.Argo AI: Ford’s $1 Billion Bet on AI
By RT Staff · 13 February, 2017 • Founded by former Google and Uber leaders, Argo AI will include roboticists and engineers from inside and outside of Ford working to develop a new software platform for Ford’s fully autonomous vehicle coming in 2021.Self-Driving Car Conquers Busy San Francisco Streets
By Steve Crowe · 9 February, 2017 • A GM self-driving car recently conquered the busy streets of San Francisco. With no pre-planning involved, the self-driving car handled four-way stop signs, busy intersections, bikers and more.Comparing California’s Self-Driving Cars
By RT Staff · 3 February, 2017 • We compare how self-driving cars from BMW, Bosch, Delphi, Ford, GM, Nissan, Tesla and Waymo have performed on public roads in California. See which company is crushing the competition.Tesla Crashes Down 40% with Autopilot, Feds Say
By Steve Crowe · 19 January, 2017 • The US government exonerates Tesla for the May 2016 fatal accident that killed Joshua Brown. In fact, the NHTSA crash report found Tesla’s crash rate has dropped 40 percent after the company installed its semi-autonomous Autopilot software.Sophia the Robot Rides in a Self-Driving Car
By Steve Crowe · 16 January, 2017 • Sophia, the incredibly life-like humanoid robot from Hanson Robotics, took a ride in an Audi A7 self-driving car. Watch the ride and hear Sophia's opinion on autonomous driving.10 Best Robots & Drones of CES 2017
By Steve Crowe · 13 January, 2017 • Here are the best robots and drones from CES 2017.
TurtleBot 2i: New Chassis, Robot Arm Support, Intel Joule
The TurtleBot 2i, a modular ROS-based robot powered by Intel Joule, enables...
Dancing Robot Teapot Brings Mrs. Potts to Life
This 3D-printed robot teapot includes four servos, two in its hips and...
Mini Robot Cheetah Could Give Legged Robots Smoother Gait
The University of Twente has built a mini robot cheetah in hope...
FAA Faces Second Drone Audit
The audit, which will begin in April 2017, will assess both the processes...


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Taobao and Tmall Record Impressive Growth During 11.11 Shopping Festival in 2023
The 15th annual 11.11 Shopping Festival, hosted by Taobao and Tmall Group, has concluded with positive outcomes. Throughout the entire campaign period, Taobao and Tmall achieved noteworthy year-on-year growth in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), order numbers, and the participation of merchants compared to the corresponding period last year.
“Taobao and Tmall's solid performance reflects the success of our user-first strategy, which is focused on competitive pricing, diverse content offerings, and AI-driven technologies that further optimized consumer and merchant experiences during the campaign,” said Trudy Dai, Chief Executive Officer of Taobao and Tmall Group. “Brand membership programs continued to play a pivotal role in this year's 11.11, highlighting our capabilities in supporting merchants to nurture sustainable, long-term consumer loyalty and business opportunities.”
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The arrival of spring in South Dakota means warmer weather and more outdoor activities. However, it also brings an increase in tick activity.
There have been questions regarding spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 through drinking water.
Farmers markets are a very important sector in South Dakota. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised a great deal of concern on trying to keep these markets open, while providing a safe environment for consumers to shop. This article is a guide to help farmers markets set up their operation in a manner that will best protect consumers and allow for continuation of operations.
This article is intended to provide guidance on the proper techniques for packaging meat and storing meat at home.
Outdoor activities seem extra inviting this time of year, and many people are already enjoying the long days and warmer temperatures. Ticks and mosquitoes share the outdoors with us, but there are things you can do to prevent bites from both.
Now more than ever, we are seeing food processors and entrepreneurs in South Dakota bringing their food products, not only to farmers markets, but also to retail stores. This article provides regulatory guidance and outlines the necessary steps required to allow for the sale of foods to retail stores.
Growers in South Dakota who are looking for an inexpensive way to cool their produce may want to consider a technology adapted by North Carolina State University (NCSU) Researchers.
Fall is the best time to start scheduling your bedding plant production. Start planning early for next year’s production.
Food production and farming are issues that operate at the complex pivot point of where ecology and nature meet the marketplace and political systems. The way agriculturalists and communities handle their resources, both individually, and collectively, depends on their collective vision for the future.


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On 15 October 2021, Pennsylvania-based Inframark announced its acquisition of ESG Operations, a municipal and industrial operations & maintenance services company. The new company will be renamed Inframark-ESG.
In this Research Note:
- Inframark expands geographic reach via ESG, additional M&A
- Volume-based Inframark strategy stands out among peer group
- Industrial vertical penetration still absent for new firm


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Most potential owners of electric vehicles (EVs) worry about the convenience of charging, so Nissan is developing ways to charge EVs without plugging them in, the Guardian reports.
The idea is to make special charging bays that use the same inductive-charging mechanisms used to charge electric toothbrushes or the new Palm Pre phone. Drivers won’t have to remember to plug the car in when they get out. Eventually, a series of these chargers embedded in roadways could charge cars as they drive along, according to the article. But though that may be technically feasible, it would waste energy because it’s less efficient than plugging in a car. It’s also not clear that it would be worth the cost.
Inductive charging works only at very close range (with the Pre, the phone is in physical contact with the charger). Researchers at MIT are developing wireless charging that works at the range of a couple of meters. You could charge up a phone merely by being in the same room as the charger.
10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024
Every year, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. Here are the advances that we think matter most right now.
AI for everything: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT reached mass adoption in record time, and reset the course of an entire industry.
Scientists are finding signals of long covid in blood. They could lead to new treatments.
Faults in a certain part of the immune system might be at the root of some long covid cases, new research suggests.
What’s next for AI in 2024
Our writers look at the four hot trends to watch out for this year
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Credit rating agency Scope has developed a methodology for scoring companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts that it claims represents an “innovative and disruptive approach”.
Dubbed ‘ESG Impact Review’, the tool – aimed at investors and issuers – bypasses corporate sustainability reports to instead draw on macro-level data, incorporates analysis of supply chains’ impact on the environment, society and governance, and assigns specific monetary values to a company’s ESG impacts.
According to Scope, the new product addresses three major challenges facing investors wanting to assess businesses’ sustainability.
“First, existing sustainability scores primarily rely on non-standardised self-disclosure by companies,” said Diane Melville, who recently joined Scope Group as head of ESG from the World Bank, in a statement.
“Second, a key part of environmental and social impact stems from supply chains, but corporate sustainability reports cannot integrate the entire supply chain.
“Third, selecting different sustainability indicators and uneven weighting makes it difficult to compare the results.”
The new assessment is based on data produced by institutions like the OECD, World Bank, and ILO.
On the topic of it incorporating analysis of supply chains, Scope said this addressed “one of the big bugbears for investors”, namely measuring all the ESG externalities resulting from a company’s economic activities.
“Integrating the supply chain into ESG analysis also helps all entities involved feel collectively responsible for the externalities they create,” added Scope.
To assign a monetary value to companies’ impacts, Scope said it uses “the latest available scientific results on environmental and social costs of economic activities, such as the calculated economic price on society for polluting one litre of clean water”.
Scope’s ESG Impact Review is not a risk measure in the sense that it does not directly analyse the risks borne by a corporate that could affect its financial performance.
However, Scope said the output of its model provided an external cost per euro of revenue that gave a good estimate of the maximum exposure of a corporate’s revenue to transition risk.
The model currently covers the 1,600 constituents of the MSCI World Index.


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If video killed the radio star, music videos’ days aren’t numbered just yet! Thanks to our friends at Vevo – the world-leading, all-premium music video platform – there’s a standalone app for music videos coming to Telstra TV.
From today, Telstra TV users will be able to watch content from the biggest stars on the planet across all genres of music as they navigate the 450,000 videos on offer from Vevo.
2020 has been a hard year for the media industry, with some long-loved music-video channels departing from our screens, and with live music at a standstill, there is something reassuring that the medium that shows the creativity of artists and filmmakers will have a dedicated home on one of Australia’s most popular SVOD devices.
In this ‘new normal’, fans are increasingly turning to premium music videos to discover new artists, keep up with their current favorites, and reminisce with their past.
Vevo connects artists with their audience globally via music videos and original content, working directly with them to find unique ways to bring their music to life. Vevo also works with emerging artists, providing them with a platform of global scale and reach.
We’re delighted to be bringing Vevo to our Telstra TV users, and know how much they love and enjoy the range of music content already available. The addition of Vevo will only enrich that experience, and further extend on our ambition to become the best aggregator of entertainment for our customers.
Telstra TV goes from strength to strength
The addition of Vevo to Telstra TV further bolsters the sport and entertainment offering of one of Australia’s most popular SVOD devices – with over 1.65m devices shipped to customers to-date.
With over forty apps now available for download, the selection for users since the introduction of the third-generation device has expanded to include Kayo, Binge, Spotify, Amazon Prime Video, Plex, and Kanopy – among others.
2020 has had a marked impact for obvious reasons on audience viewing habits due to national lockdowns. A new free-to-air audience record for the device was set at the conclusion of this year’s Australian Open tennis, before jumping again to 20% above the average and remaining constant since.
Telstra TV Box Office’s Movies and TV store have also proved a hit, with a record month in April with sales up 78% from the previous year.


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Israeli income-producing real estate company Melisron Ltd. (TASE: MLSR) is in advanced negotiations to enter the data centers sector, sources inform "Globes." Melisron is in talks with investment firm Chirisa Capital Management, whicxh specializes in digital infrastructures, to build several data centers in Israel, Greece and Cyprus for NIS 500 million.
The data centers market (server farms) is seeing surging demand as cloud computing services proliferate and the process has accelerated since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dublin-based Chirisa last month sold California-based 365 Data Centers, which it bought in 2017 for $100 million, for an estimated $500 million.
"Globes" reported earlier this month that Melisron's big rival in the shopping mall sector Azrieli Group Ltd. (TASE: AZRG) had bought land for NIS 118 million for the construction of data centers for Amazon. Last year Azrieli acquired 20% of a US data centers company.
Entering the data centers sector will provide Melisron with an opportunity to diversify its revenue sources, especially during a period when malls are being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, Melisron's controlling shareholder Lior Ofer, chairperson of Ofer Investments said, "The company needs to be ready to identify opportunities in this period and is examining options to diversify its holdings, for example by acquiring server farms and logistics centers."
Melisron said, "The company examines from time to time its investments and is examining new channels of investment."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 24, 2020
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2020


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Amazon smartphone to launch in 2014 with 3D gesture control features
Talk of an Amazon smartphone has been coming and going for over a year now, with the online giant recently launching its second wave of Kindle Fire tablets and no smartphone in sight.
Now, AppleInsider, a site with a good track record for Amazon rumours, reports that the phone will arrive between April and June of 2014. Furthermore, it says that Amazon will mimic Samsung’s success with the Galaxy S4 by offering eye tracking and 3D gesture controls in its first smartphone.
The report suggests that Amazon is currently working with compact camera manufacturers out in Asia in an attempt to get the perfect camera sensors in its phone, with LiteOn and Primax already said to be involved.
The front facing camera will not only take pictures and record video but will also track eye motion and hand gestures which take place in front of it. However, it sounds as though Amazon will take things up a notch in terms of hardware and we could see something similar to the Galaxy S4’s Air Gesture and Smart Scroll features but on a bigger scale.
Amazon is apparently trying to cram no fewer than six camera modules into its smartphone – the usual front and back cameras and four VGA cameras which will each sit at a corner of the phone’s front face. Where the Galaxy S4 uses a single front facing camera for eye and gesture tracking, Amazon’s will have four, effectively creating a much larger catchment area for gestures which will allow for a higher degree of accuracy. This could mean no more tilting the phone to get the front camera to see you properly, which we’ve no doubt most S4 owners have done in an attempt to get Smart Scroll to work!
The front and rear cameras are said to be pretty impressive, too: A 13-megapixel sensor will sit on the back, whilst a frankly ludicrous-sounding 12-megapixel sensor will sit up front. We have a feeling somebody might have missed the decimal point between the 1 and the 2, but if not there’s bound to be a meteoric rise in high quality selfies.
Details on the phone’s cameras are strong and although the four corner camera arrangement is something we’ve not yet seen on a smartphone, we feel inclined to believe AppleInsider’s report. Unnamed sources have also claimed that the phone will rock a 4.7-inch HD display and Qualcomm’s nippy Snapdragon 800 processor and whilst these are now becoming fairly standard components in high end smartphones, we’re taking these suggestions with a pinch of salt.
Amazon is expected to launch this phone alongside a more affordable model, both based on Android, in the middle of next year.


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She’s baaaaaaack! After recently announcing that she was going to sit this fashion week out, Betsey Johnson has changed her tune. The designer announced today that she’s returning to Lincoln Center to show her collection on February 11th. Wouldn’t feel like NYFW without a Betsey cartwheel or two.
How should you behave sitting front row? Cover’s fashion director Carola Niemann brushes us up on FASHION ETIQUETTE 101! Whatâ€™s the proper time to arrive at a fashion show?
To be on time, someone should show up 10 or 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
Just over two weeks until the whirlwind of the Fall 2011 collections begin. Time to start organizing the hours of fashion week frenzy, whether you rely on a Filofax, your iCalendar or your assistant to keep you sane and on time—or fashionably late, if you’re like some designers hot enough to keep the masses waiting season after seaso
Editor Du Jour [Vogue UK] Rumor has it, Anna Wintour will be fÃªted this year with France’s plummiest title, the Legion d’Honneur
H&M teams up with fashion blogger [Daily Telegraph] A line designed by Swedish fashion blogger Elin Kling will launch February 3 in her homeland. Next up, Tavi for Target?
‘Visionary’ Lady Gaga Unveils Her Polaroid Collection [People StyleWatch] Gaga, the brand’s creative director, goes high tech with the release of her Grey Label collection
Right Now: Neiman Marcus is Hosting an Online Fashion Week [Racked] Finally, a fashion week you can don skivvies for, as the retailer showcases its spring collections via virtual shows
Kelly Cutrone is Casting Her New MTV Show [Fashionista] Life coaching by this fashion PR power player is up for grabs, young chicettes!
The beginning of 2011 means much more than the start of the new fashion calendar: itâ€™s also a chance to brush up on the intriguing French fashion terminology that may have already started creeping into the vocabulary of your globetrotting Franglais fluent friends. Being understood by the masses is so 2010!


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Insurtech company Wrisk has partnered with the RAC to launch Pay by Mile, a monthly subscription-based car insurance product allowing policyholders to only pay for the miles they drive.
Wrisk and the RAC believe this is the first product that combines genuine subscription policies, where customers can make changes or cancel anytime and without penalty, with ‘pay by mile’ pricing powered by a simple device that, in combination with a smartphone, derives actual mileage driven and offers rates that reflect that usage.
Pay by Mile is aimed at drivers who drive fewer than 6,000 miles per year and have been poorly served by the insurance market so far.
These customers will benefit from Wrisk’s focus on the single, simple signal that is the number of miles they drive per month. This has the potential to be enhanced later on with other signals such as where they drive, when they drive, or even weather conditions.
Nimeshh Patel, chief executive officer of Wrisk, said: “We are excited to be working with the RAC to launch such an innovative product. UK drivers have been covering fewer and fewer miles over the past years, and Covid restrictions have only accelerated this trend with a significant number of people expected to work from home at least a day or two each week. This means there has never been a more urgent need for a flexible insurance that adapts to people’s lives.”
“We’re proud of this collaboration with the RAC and see it as another step in our mission to create a new standard for insurance that makes simplicity, transparency and customer ownership the norm. With new mobility trends like autonomous driving, electric vehicles and different ownership models gaining momentum, we want to always be thinking ahead of evolving protection needs—in partnership with both the insurance and automotive industry.”
Mark Godfrey, managing director of RAC Insurance, added: “Car insurance is a market that’s been ripe for a shake-up for some time, so we’re thrilled to introduce a truly pioneering mobile-first subscription-based product which is ideally suited to drivers who don’t do that many miles.”
“Wrisk’s technology is ideally suited to creating a platform that allows our customers to easily access and monitor their car usage and monthly payments. The fast and hassle-free online quote process they developed also makes it easy for drivers to see if they could start saving money with Pay by Mile, and also provides an experience that feels similar to other digital-first services they might use”.


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Stocks of chip equipment suppliers rise
On June 25, Micron Technology (MU) reported better-than-expected earnings results for the third quarter of fiscal 2019, which sent the stock up 13.3% a day after its earnings release. However, the company reported weaker-than-expected guidance as a result of the US-China trade war.
Micron has cut its fiscal 2019 capex from its originally planned $10.5 billion to $9 billion. It plans to make material cuts to its fiscal 2020 capital spending, which indicates that its capex will be below $9 billion. Despite these cuts, the stocks of semiconductor equipment suppliers Applied Materials (AMAT), Lam Research (LRCX), and KLA Corporation (KLAC) rose 3.8%, 3.1%, and 3.3%, respectively, on June 26. They earn 43%, 79%, and 61% of their revenues, respectively, from the memory market. Let’s see why.
The key takeaway from Micron’s earnings was the demand forecast for the NAND (negative-AND) and DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) markets.
Micron earns 64% of its revenue from the DRAM market. In its previous quarter’s earnings in March, Micron estimated that its DRAM industry bit demand would grow in the low to mid-teens in 2019. In its latest earnings results, it revised this estimate to the mid-teens, as it sees DRAM inventories normalizing for cloud and graphics customers and Intel’s CPU (central processing unit) supply shortage easing.
Moreover, Micron’s DRAM shipments remained sequentially flat, and DRAM average selling price declines slowed to 20% from 25% in the previous quarter. All these signs show that DRAM demand is improving. Hence, Micron has made no further production cuts in DRAM—good news for equipment suppliers, as investors were expecting the worst.
Micron earns 30% of its revenue from NAND. The company maintained its estimate for NAND industry bit demand growth in the mid-30% range in 2019. However, it’s reducing its NAND capacity by 10%, greater than its previous capacity reduction of 5%, in order to bring supply in line with demand.
This reduction came as welcoming news to NAND chip supplier Western Digital (WDC), sending its stock up 7.3%. Analysts believe that capacity reduction by Micron will slow NAND price declines and help Western Digital remain profitable.
Signs of improvement in demand and supply in the memory market have sent semiconductor equipment suppliers’ stocks up.


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Enigma Interconnect Now AS9100 Aerospace CertifiedJune 9, 2015 | Enigma Interconnect
Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Enigma Interconnect is pleased to announce that it is now fully certified to the AS9100 Aerospace Standards. Enigma’s consistent implementation of best business practices in quality assurance, major investments in technology and exceptional customer service have been recognized as reaching the high standards demanded by such organizations as the Department of Defense, NASA, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Enigma, which has also held an ISO9001 certification since 1992, has always been a major supplier of bare printed circuit boards to companies serving the aerospace industry. When tier-one aircraft manufacturers challenged their avionics providers and key-component supply chain partners to attain the more stringent AS9100 certification, Engima seized the opportunity to institute further improvements to its quality management system.
“Our AS9100 certification comes at a time when many PCB manufacturing companies in North America find themselves at a crossroads”, says Mark Pillon, P.Eng, President of Enigma Interconnect. “While some companies chose to downsize or outsource work off-shore, at Enigma we are proud to strive for manufacturing excellence domestically, and have expanded upon the unique strengths that have driven our company’s growth over the past forty years. Following our AS9100 certification, we are already seeing results not only for our avionics customers, but also for customers in every other market sector who seek exceptional products at competitive pricing through improved yield and automation, better quality assurance, higher technology capabilities, and faster response times.”
Now that Enigma has achieved this major milestone, the company is planning many other new and exciting improvements to meet the changing needs of both its current and future customers.
About Enigma Interconnect
Enigma Interconnect, a privately held company since 1973, is the largest and most technically advanced manufacturer of bare printed circuit boards in Western Canada, and operates a 35,000 sq.ft. manufacturing facility located in beautiful Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. For more information, call 604-420-3313, email email@example.com, or check out their website at www.enigmacorp.com.
KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally friendly cleaning chemistries, is thrilled to announce the premier of a new online video series “Ask Dr. Adam.”
I-Connect007 has just released the latest episode of its podcast series, On the Line with..., which focuses on designing for reality in the electronics industry. In this episode, host Nolan Johnson talks with ASC Sunstone VP/Manager Matt Stevenson about CAD tool features and data formats that help designers make better decisions and transfer better designs to manufacturing.
TT Electronics, a leading provider of global manufacturing solutions and engineered technologies, proudly announces the grand opening of its newest manufacturing facility located in Mexicali, Mexico.
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) released the following statement from SIA President and CEO John Neuffer in response to the semiconductor manufacturing incentives announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce and GlobalFoundries.
One of my great joys as a grandfather of eight is spending time with them at the park. It doesn't take too long until I'm getting stuck on a slide that is too small for me or on the seesaw, with me on one side and them trying to lift me. At that point, they learn some harsh lessons in physics and how heavy Grandpa really is. A seesaw is a relatively simple device, but it’s a great way to explain a rather complex concept in PCB design: design tradeoffs. Each decision made throughout a design comes with inherent pros and cons.


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Kodak is due to launch its second smartphone, named Ektra. This news follows Kodak’s 2015 release of the IM5 and its surprise collaboration with Opening Ceremony. The phone derives its name from the company’s 1941 rangefinder and is designed to look similar to a camera, with a curved DSLR-like grip and a shutter button placed on the top of the device.
The camera has a 21-megapixel Sony IMX230 sensor and comes with several options to make it photographer-friendly, such as different shooting modes and a host of pre-downloaded photography apps including Snapseed, Adobe Lightroom, VSCO and Prisma. Elsewhere the phone has a deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, room for a microSD card of up to 128GB, and a five inch 1080p display. The phone will launch this December in Europe for €499 EUR (approximately $547 USD), however there are no plans to release it in the US as of right now.