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As far as sales go, there werent many success stories in 2008. Subaru eked out a small year-over-year gain. And Daimlers Smart unit racked up sales of 24,622 in its first year in the United States.
Smart is turning into an improbable success here. Americans have never before bought into the idea of microcars. All the tiny cars that came here in years past -- the Subaru 360, the BMW Isetta, the Crosley and others -- failed. Even the original Mini Cooper never sold well in the United States and was pulled in 1967.
With Smart now heading into its second year, President David Schembri said Smart USA aims to maintain its momentum, add a few dealers, keep volume about the same and improve customer satisfaction. He recently spoke with Automotive News reporter Richard Truett.
Have Smart customers complained about the crudeness of the ForTwos automated manual transmission?
You might call it crude; most people call it fun. Thats one of defining differences of this vehicle that makes it the unique car that it is. It takes some getting used to, but what weve found is that once our owners get used to it, they love it. They would not trade it for a standard automatic transmission. About 95 percent of the cars are being bought with paddle shifters, so you are able to transition between driving in straight automatic mode or paddle shifters. Thats a heck of a lot of fun, and it adds a different dimension to driving.
How soon before Smart gets some competition?
Well, there is a clear expectation that based on the acceptance of the microcar concept in the United States, there will be competitors that come into the market. And we welcome that. That means there is a viable segment there. We think our car is different enough to set itself apart from any competitors.
What has Smart USA learned about how consumers are using the ForTwo?
For the most part, it is a second or third vehicle. What we anticipated is exactly what we are finding. This car appeals to four distinct groups of people. First-time buyers use it as their primary vehicle. Theyll buy it mainly because of its value. Urban dwellers will use it as their primary vehicle because of its maneuverability. Baby boomers, one of our largest segments of buyers, will have it as second or third car and use it as their commuter car. And then empty-nesters will have it as a second or third car. They are also using it to commute.
What volume are you expecting in 2009? Will it drop now that early demand has been filled?
The most optimistic forecast for 2009 indicates that the entire market could be off by about 25 percent over 2008. For us to be able to duplicate what we did in 2008 would be a huge success. Wed be very happy at 25,000.
Will Smart USA be profitable at that level?
Our business plan is very solid, and we are optimistic at those kinds of volumes that our business plan works for both us and our dealer organization.
From our vantage point, Smarts U.S. launch seemed to go very smoothly -- no recalls or other glitches.
Its one of those moments in your career that you hope for, that you have an opportunity to launch a car in the manner that we did. But thats not to say that we arent trying to get better. Every day we are trying to improve every aspect of our business.
What do dealers want from Smart USA? Are they asking for different body styles or a diesel engine?
I think the dealers would like us to sustain the momentum we have created. If we can do that, theyll be very happy. The diesel engine for the U.S. market would be too expensive to homologate.
What will we see on the Smart stand at the Detroit auto show next week?
We will be presenting the Brabus model, which is an appearance package with side skirts, front and rear aprons, dual chrome-tipped exhaust, different wheels and suspension. In addition to that, youll see an electric-drive Smart that is part of our future.
What are Smarts marketing plans for 2009?
This brand was founded on below-the-line marketing, doing things in nontraditional ways. And well continue to look at ways to do things in that same spirit.
Will Smart USA be adding dealers in 2009?
There may be two or three dealers added in markets that we are not in.


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Reggie Fils-Aimé, one of Nintendo’s most prolific public faces, recently discussed the discontinuation of one of his company’s products. Conversely, he also discussed the future of the Nintendo 3DS family.
REGGIE FILS-AIMÉ ON THE NINTENDO 3DS’S FUTURE
In a correspondence with IGN, Nintendo of America’s president acknowledged how the Nintendo 3DS line of handhelds will continue to enjoy software announcements. As previously noted, the 3DS will have a presence at E3 where new titles will be unveiled. Plus, more reveals will occur after E3 via the Nintendo Direct presentations.
When asked, Fils-Aimé verified that 3DS support will continue into 2018, ensuring the handhelds will continue to receive new content.
Given the presence of another upcoming revision, IGN asked if Nintendo would expand their Nintendo Selects discount banner with additional titles. Unfortunately, there are no current plans to announce anything of the sort.
IGN concluded their discussion by asking if more retro games would grace the 3DS family through the Virtual Console. Fils-Aimé responded by referencing their appreciation for the fervor in this field, although there’s “nothing to announce right now.”

domain: news


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Cyber-security is much more than a matter of IT.Stephane Nappo, 2018, Global Chief Information Security Officer of the year
According to official communications from Experian, a consumer, business and credit information services agency, an individual in South Africa claiming to represent a legitimate client fraudulently requested services from it and was simply given the personal information of clients including cell phone numbers; home phone numbers; work phone numbers; employment details; and identity numbers. Information was also leaked for 793,749 business entities and included: names of the companies; contact details; VAT numbers; and banking details. Experian said that the data had then been placed on a third-party data sharing site on the internet, but added that subsequently that third party had “disabled the links” and that the data had “been removed” after Experian was successful in obtaining and executing an Anton Piller order. This does not, however, mean that the danger is over.
Steps to take to protect yourself and your business
While the breach has been reported to authorities, and South African banks have been working with Experian and the South African Banking Risk Centre (Sabric) to identify which of their customers may have been exposed to the breach and to protect their personal information, the investigation has not yet been concluded. As a result businesses are advised to take numerous steps to prevent any damage that may result from the leak.
The first thing to do is to simply not panic. Despite how bad it sounds the breach does have one very clear silver-lining.
“The compromise of personal information can create opportunities for criminals to impersonate you but does not guarantee access to your banking profile or accounts,” said CEO of the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), Nischal Mewalall. “However, criminals can use this information to trick you into disclosing your confidential banking details.”
What this means is that you, and the staff who have access to your finances and accounts need to be extremely vigilant when it comes to dealing with phone calls from people claiming to be from banks and financial institutions, or who are eager to get additional details or sell you services that may require you to divulge any further personal information.
The Southern African Fraud Preventions Services (SAFPS) has advised companies and individuals to take the following precautionary measures:
- Do not disclose personal information such as passwords and PINs when asked to do so by anyone via telephone, fax, text messages or even email.
- Change your passwords regularly and never share them with anyone else.
- Verify all requests for personal information and only provide it when there is a legitimate reason to do so.
- Experian themselves take this advice further, suggesting that anyone who is afraid they may have been affected to “Visit their online bank and financial accounts, and set up any alert features they may have, if they have not already done so. This could help save some time and keep them notified of any unusual events when they occur”.
The company also recommends that everyone checks their credit report as regularly as possible.
“You can check your credit report for free once every twelve months by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. Checking your credit report can help you identify any unusual activity, such as new accounts, new personal information or inquiries,” says Experian CEO, Brian Cassin.
Additionally, should you suspect that your identity has been compromised, notify your bank and apply immediately for a free Protective Registration listing with SAFPS. This service alerts SAFPS members, including banks and credit providers that your identity has been compromised and additional care must be taken to confirm they are transacting with the legitimate identity holder.
Consumers wanting to apply for a Protective Registration can email SAFPS at firstname.lastname@example.org.
If you are uncertain as to how to proceed or if you don’t understand any of the processes, get professional help to evaluate and protect your accounts as soon as possible.


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Everyone’s favorite home remodeling and design couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, have declared that they will no longer grace our TV screens with their talent and charm in the form of their hit show Fixer Upper. When the show premiered in May of 2013, it only took a few short episodes for us to fall in love with the wonderful couple and their many adventures transforming surrounding neighborhoods in Waco, Texas.
Now, we must say goodbye…
The couple wrote a post on their blog explaining their decision saying, “It is with both sadness and expectation that we share the news that season 5 of Fixer Upper will be our last. While we are confident that this is the right choice for us, it has for sure not been an easy one to come to terms with. Our family has grown up alongside yours, and we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. How bittersweet to say goodbye to the very thing that introduced us all in the first place.”
Following the success of Fixer Upper, the couple looked beyond the TV show, expanding their business to include their own furniture line, magazine, real estate company, luxury vacation rental property, retail compound Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, and even a New York Times best-selling book with a second one hitting shelves soon.
“Our beautiful children are growing up so quickly,” Joanna shared in a video announcing the decision. “The idea that we get to step back, get fresh with vision, get some rest, and hunker down with our kiddos is something that we’re excited about.”
While many fans are in distress over this news, some believe this isn’t the end. There’s been some recent speculation that the couple was unhappy with their contract with HGTV and will be looking to land a better one with Discovery.
HGTV is owned by Scripps which is currently being bought out by Discovery Communications, so perhaps there is a glimmer of hope for us yet. In fact, the couple ended their statement saying, “We believe in our hearts that we’re going to see you again right around the corner, so stay tuned.”


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TERI Is Rating Restaurants On The Basis Of Best Utilisation Of Water
Increasing number of restaurants in the city also means escalated levels of wastage, for both water and food. While food wastage is being brought into the spotlight and restaurants are adapting new ways to utilise excess food, water wastage is not considered significant enough for taking action. And so some people are taking steps.
First Things First
Water conversation is extremely important and restaurants utilise more water than they should. While water leaks in itself are the cause of 35-40% excess use, simple fixtures and efficiency interventions can reduce the requirement by 50-60%.
TERI has come up with a five-star rating to help initiate the process and regulate the efficiency of water usage in restaurants. While the system takes into account multiple factors, including how much water the customers are served, we are sure it will be a boost for the environment (and hopefully for our homes and offices as well).
You can learn how to reduce wastage of food here. And the best way of reusing your waste is to upcycle it!
Read more about it in the full article here.


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Like a lot of people, Timothy Vernor makes his living selling stuff on eBay he and his girlfriend acquire by scouring local garage sales. But his repeated attempts to resell packages of AutoCAD have led to a tussle with Autodesk and a square-off over the meaning of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
When Vernor first put a copy of AutoCAD up for resale on eBay, Autodesk said a sale would violate its copyright under the terms of the DMCA. eBay suspended the auction and Vernor responded with a DMCA counter-notice. When Autodesk failed to respond, eBay reinstated the auction.
A couple of years later, Vernor got into another tiff with Autodesk.
Even though he ultimately sold off three of four AutoCAD packages he purchased, each attempt turned into a mini-soap opera with DMCA notices flying in all directions. After Autodesk filed a fourth DMCA notice, eBay pulled the plug on his auction, suspending Vernor's account for repeat infringement.
Vernor later went to court to declare his actions lawful and get the court to find Autodesk guilty of unfair competition.
So far, he's ahead in the count, but still at bat.
In a ruling (PDF) filed with the U.S. District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, federal judge Richard A. Jones wrote that Autodesk can't prevent Vernor from pressing ahead with his lawsuit.
Jones' 21-page opinion cited the so-called first sale doctrine, which paves the way for the owner of a lawful copy of a copyrighted work to sell it. If Vernor ultimately prevails in his lawsuit, the case may set a precedent about the limits of copyright protection.
Attorneys for Autodesk did not respond for comment. For his part, though, Vernor said he was "thrilled, though this didn't really come as surprise. I just really had lot faith in our position."
The 38-year-old, who has been an eBay reseller for the last eight years, said he was surprised when eBay initially shut him down. "I really couldn't believe it. There was always the chance that they misunderstood and thought it was a pirated copy. I basically told (the Autodesk attorney) that I didn't believe it was a violation and would continue to sell the item, and then they threatened further action."
Both sides are slated to meet next month with the judge to decide upon the next steps in the case.


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Watch the accompanying video…
This week we discuss two issues on our show macro@moneycontrol.
The Cabinet on June 6 approved a Rs 8,500-crore bailout package for the sugar industry which includes Rs 4,500 crore soft loan for building ethanol production capacity and creating a 3 million tonne stockpile to soak up excess supply.
The measures are aimed at dealing with the current crisis in the sugar sector and give some relief to the sugar millers.
The cabinet also decided to fix the minimum selling price (MSP) of white/refined sugar at Rs 29/kg.In the second segment, Moneycontrol Economy Editor Gaurav Choudhury explains how Harley Davidson bikes are at the centre of India-US trade relations.


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As the design industry searches for creative ways to bypass the void left by canceled summer shows, Design Miami / has used the time to launch a long-awaited new venture. Design Miami / Shop, an online platform that connects shoppers to rare designer collectibles, went live in late June and in doing so, raised funds for COVID-19 relief and launched a conversation about the future of the fair itself.
A welcome addition
“This pandemic didn’t change the world so much as it accelerated processes that were already underway,” Design Miami / curatorial director Aric Chen said on a Zoom call from Shanghai. “I think before the coronavirus there was already a feeling that the whole fair system had to evolve.”
Chen mentions the term “fatigue-fair” in reference to the oversaturated summer calendars of world design fairs, biennials and conferences. “It was clear that the system had to evolve, and this pandemic gave greater impetus to rethink how fairs work. While Design Miami / hopes to permanently integrate digital platforms into the fair landscape, the Design Miami / Shop has been established relatively quickly, as it brings together 52 galleries from around the world and features over 800 objects. design collectible upon purchase.
The most important part of Design Miami / Shop is the Design for GlobalGiving initiative, a collection of specially commissioned works on paper donated by some of the world’s most renowned designers. “The Design for GlobalGiving initiative is the result of both Design Miami’s desire to give back and do something at the very beginning of the pandemic, and also many independent designers feeling lost for a way to contribute.” , says Design Miami / CEO Jen Roberts, via video chat from Miami. Design Miami / has partnered with Anava Projects, an organization led by Anna Carnick and the former Interim Director of Design Miami / Wava Carpenter, to commission unique and limited edition prints and designs from established and emerging designers. The collection includes a Smithsonian sketch by David Adjaye, a unique drawing by Yves Béhar, and an original photograph by Annabelle Selldorf aptly titled “We Need the Tonic of the Wilderness”. Some parts, such as Peter Marigold’s “Small Paper Shelf” design (which is emailed to buyers as a digital file, along with assembly instructions) are priced as low as $ 25 (1 ₹ 870). On the other hand, an original ink drawing by Gaetano Pesce titled “La Montagna di Cuori” costs $ 15,000 (11 22 562). 100% of the proceeds from this collection will go to GlobalGiving’s COVID-19 relief efforts.


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Border launches unique new range to make your Cafe visit extra special
Border has unveiled a bespoke Café Bake range, developed for cafés and coffee shops, with three larger biscuits to choose from.
The unique new range includes Yogurt, Cranberry and Pumpkin Seed Oat Crumbles, Pecan and Maple Syrup Oat Crumbles and Lemon Drizzle Melts.
Café Bake comes in stylish counter display units of 20 and each biscuit is individually wrapped in Border’s distinctive packaging.
The new range, which will be available later this year, is set to enhance the café experience for the customer and is an ideal treat for ‘on-the-go’ purchases.
Research commissioned by Border revealed that 75% of consumers agree that seeing Border when visiting a tea or coffee shop would make them happy, that’s almost four times more satisfied customers versus unbranded.1
Lesley Ann Gray, Brand and Innovation Director, said: “The new Café Bake Range is based on extensive research and our understanding of the marketplace.
“It will offer customers a unique and outstanding biscuit experience and draws on our expertise of baking the very best biscuits using quality ingredients.
“The new range will help boost sales and add value to cafés and coffee shops and showcases flavours that we know consumers love.”
1Source: Border Biscuits’ Commissioned Research, Cambridge Direction, Feb 2017


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Oct 28, 2013
Swatch watch can switch down supplies to rivals
Oct 28, 2013
ZURICH, Switzerland - The Swiss Swatch watch group, a vital supplier of parts to rivals, is to be freed from part of this obligation, a watchdog said on Friday
Swiss regulator Comco said it had approved a landmark deal with Swatch Group allowing the watchmaking giant to sell fewer mechanical movements to the rest of the sector.
The decision ends years of wrangling over the world number one watchmaker's obligations on the market.
"The accord will allow Swatch Group to reduce step-by-step its deliveries of mechanical movements," Comco said, underlining that it would have to treat all its clients equally.
Best known for its multicoloured plastic watches, Swatch is also the sector's top producer of components via its division ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse.
Mechanical movements are what measure time in a watch, making them the very heart of the industry.
Given Swatch's dominant market position, it is obliged to supply components across the sector.
Swatch has been battling that obligation for a decade, arguing that it was being forced to bear the burden of investment for the Swiss watch industry.
In 2001, Comco opened a competition probe at Swatch's request.
In July this year, Comco rejected an initial deal negotiated with Swatch, but fresh talks yielded an accord this week.
Under its terms, Swatch will in 2014 and 2015 be able to deliver 75 percent of the average number of mechanical movements sold to competitors between 2009 and 2011.
In 2016 and 2017, the proportion will fall to 65 percent, and then to 55 percent in 2018 and 2019.
From December 31, 2019, Swatch will no longer have to sell mechanical movements to other companies.
Comco underlined that it reserved the right to reexamine the deal in the event that the market evolved in ways that had not been predicted.
In addition, it said, the rules would not apply small and medium-sized watch companies that found themselves in difficulty as a result.
Since Comco launched its probe in 2011, a string of leading watchmakers have stepped up their production investment, notably by taking over supplier companies.
But the reduction in deliveries could also drive a shake-up in the sector, potentially leading to concentration of business in fewer hands, given the limited ability of smaller brands to invest in production.
The Comco agreement with Swatch does not allow the group to rein in the supply of what are known in the sector as "assortments", including such small parts as springs.
Comco did not oppose reduced deliveries of assortments on principle.
It said further investigation was needed, as it appeared premature to cut them given the lack of alternative suppliers to Swatch, which has a near-monopoly in that part of the trade.
Copyright © 2022 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses.


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Breaking: Visa and Mastercard halt new crypto partnerships — Report
According to According to a Reuters report released on Feb. 28, U.S. payment processors Visa and Mastercard have delayed launching new partnerships with cryptocurrency firms due to high-profile bankruptcies in the industry that have led to increased scrutiny from regulators. The move follows a period of warming relations between payment giants and crypto firms as the popularity of cryptocurrencies skyrocketed with Mastercard exploring USD Coin (USDC) payments and Visa targeting stablecoin settlement weeks before today’s development.
Both Visa and Mastercard are said to be delaying the launch of certain cryptocurrency-related products and services until market conditions and the regulatory environment improve. The delays are reportedly related to the uncertain cryptocurrency regulatory environment following the collapse and bankruptcy of digital asset custody firms such as Celsius, FTX, Three Arrows Capital, Voyager Digital and others last year. According to a Visa spokesperson:
“The recent high-profile setbacks in the crypto sector are an important reminder that we have a long way to go before crypto becomes part of mainstream payments and financial services.”
Previously, Visa and Mastercard partnered with cryptocurrency exchange Binance to issue payment cards linked to cryptocurrencies. As of 2020, Binance Crypto Debit Visa Card is available to residents of the European Economic Area with teaser cashbacks. Similarly, Mastercard and Binance have said they will issue a prepaid fiat-to-crypto debit card for Brazilian users who meet KYC verification requirements.
The exchange has also become embroiled in regulatory disputes in recent months. On February 13, blockchain infrastructure company Paxos announced that it was ending its relationship with Binance due to the issuance of its Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin. On February 8, Binance temporarily suspended USD deposits and withdrawals through the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) channels, citing its banking partner, Signature Bank, and their decision to reduce their exposure to cryptocurrencies.
Credit : cointelegraph.com


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ADSTOCK, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Sept. 27, 2016) - The Government of Canada supports businesses that play a critical role in growing the economy and creating jobs to improve economic opportunity and security for Canadians.
The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for CED, announced that Mahindra Canada-Est, Centre de distribution autorisé has been granted $350,000 in financial assistance, in the form of a repayable contribution, to start up a new business in the Adstock industrial park, in the Appalaches RCM. Mahindra Canada-Est will soon be opening its first Mahindra farm tractor assembly and distribution centre in Canada.
The financial assistance granted under CED's Canadian Initiative for the Economic Diversification of Communities Reliant on Chrysotile will be used for the construction of a 22,000-square-foot industrial building. The project will build up occupation of the Adstock industrial park and consolidate the enterprise base in this municipality.
"By supporting the start-up of Mahindra Canada-Est, Centre de distribution autorisé, the Government of Canada is reaffirming its willingness to support Canadian businesses that are fuelled by innovation and to direct resources to initiatives that will have the greatest positive impact on the lives of Canadians."
The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for CED
CED is one of six regional development agencies under the responsibility of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
Canadian Initiative for the Economic Diversification of Communities Reliant on Chrysotile: http://www.dec-ced.gc.ca/eng/funding/initiative/chrysotile/index.html
Mahindra Canada website: http://mahindracanada.ca/
Follow CED on Twitter @CanEconDev


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A Fife charity which has supported hundreds of people with conditions such as autism and Down Syndrome through lockdown has been given a £1,000 boost from staff at Amazon’s Dunfermline depot.
Hyperclub provides regular services and social activities for children, adults and the elderly who are also living with ADHD, Asperger’s, Tourette’s and hypermobility.
Throughout lockdown, the team has delivered more than 500 parcels of sensory activities and food packs for people missing out on their regular meetings at the charity’s Inverkeithing base.
The donation from the Amazon team workers will go towards opening a new Hyperclub unit in Dunfermline.
Jamie Strain, site leader at Amazon, said: “Hyperclub provides invaluable social support to so many people from all over Fife.
“The charity’s team has been continuing to offer resources for those in their care throughout lockdown and we wanted to recognise their contribution to the wellbeing of people in our community.”
Suzie Connelly, founder of Hyperclub, added: “Thanks to this donation from Amazon in Dunfermline, we will be able to continue supporting those who need us, even throughout lockdown. We cannot thank Jamie and the team enough for their generosity.”
It’s the latest stage in an ongoing partnership between Amazon and Hyperclub. In 2018, children and adults from the charity were surprised with £1,000 during a behind the scenes tour of the fulfilment centre.
The donation was made as part of the Amazon In The Community programme, whereby the company supports people around its operating locations across the UK.
The firm is providing disadvantaged students with online STEM courses as well as teaming up with charity partner Magic Breakfast and delivering 2 million healthy breakfasts to families around the UK.


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October 7, 2011
In hopes of helping finance her daughter's college tuition, a Tulsa, Oklahoma mother posted a pair of Missoni for Target brand boots for sale for $31,000 online during a Missoni for Target buying frenzy in September.
The original value of the boots is $34.99.
The mother, Tammy Lyn, told CNN Money that she listed the rubber rain boots on eBay to help try and cover the cost of her daughter's first year of college. Her hope was that a Good Samaritan type would agree to the Buy It Now price on eBay and help the family.
"We have lived frugally and have some savings, but like most Americans, it's just not enough to cover college, retirement and life at this point," she is quoted as saying in CNN Money.
The boots are no longer for sale on eBay. It remains to be seen whether Lyn received the $31,000 for the boots, removed the item after receiving some negative comments on the listing page or simply allowed the sale to expire. Prices currently range up to $300 for many of the remaining Missoni for Target boots for sale on the site.
Missoni, an Italian fashion house, released items in its low-price designer collection for Target in mid-September, according to The New York Times. This release caused a buying frenzy in stores as consumers tried to get their hands on items from the fashion house, which typically has products that range from the hundreds to thousands of dollars in cost. The buying frenzy also temporarily caused the Target website to crash. Many stores sold out of Missoni for Target items that day, reported the Times.
The Missoni for Target release included bikes, comforter sets, travel gear, pillows, espresso cups, boots, salad plates, swim tops and much more.
"The excitement for this limited-time designer collection is unprecedented," Morgan O'Murray, a spokeswoman for Target, was reported in The New York Times as saying.
Almost immediately, some of those with newly-purchased items began listing them on eBay to see if they could turn a profit. Whether that led to any financial gain remains to be seen as more than 18,000 Missoni for Target items are still posted for sale on eBay. Additionally, while some items are marked as 'out of stock' on the Target website, many others are available for original purchase price through the site.
However, Business Insider reported that Lyn expected her boots to sell.
"All things are possible," she said. "This is a business transaction and a statement about what I believe is truly important."
Like others, she purchased a variety of Missoni for Target items. However, she hoped that the Missoni for Target shower curtains, toss pillows and scarves that she purchased would help cover college costs in future years for her daughter, she told CNN Money.
While Lyn may appear extreme in her attempts to defray college costs, she may be just like many other parents who are worried about how to help with funding. She indicated on eBay that she wanted her daughter to graduate debt-free from college and she told CNN Money that the family had saved, but that rising college costs had left them short.
However, it is true that college costs have been rising, at least in some state college systems. This past summer, for example, regents with the California State University system, voted to increase tuition by 9.6 in the fall to deal with a funding gap created by a decrease in funding from the state coffers.
However, there may be other ways to make up for shortages in colleges funds and at least one comment left on eBay alluded to this, noted GOOD. A user suggested that having Lyn's daughter attend a community college and work might be more practical than selling the pair of boots online.
Compiled by Maggie O'Neill
"Demand at Target for Fashion Line Crashes Web Site," nytimes.com, September 13, 2011, Stephanie Clifford
"Missoni for Target Rain Boots hit eBay for $31,000," money.cnn.com, September 23, 2011, Jessica Dickler
"Oklahoma Mom Hopes Rubber Boots Will Cover Her Kid's College Tuition," good.is, October 2, 2011, Liz Dwyer
"Woman Wants to Sell Missoni Target Rain Botos on eBay for $31K," businessinsider.com, September 23, 2011, Meredith Galante


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Square Enix will release a series of Dragon Quest Slime inspired ice packs. A total of four different styles of ice packs will be available to purchase on September 25, 2021. Three different standard Slime ice packs will be available and will cost ¥550, or $4. A King Slime ice pack is also available to purchase and will cost ¥650 or $5. [Thanks, Gamer!]
The Dragon Quest Slime ice packs are currently available to pre-order through the Square Enix e-STORE. A total of ten Slime ice packs can be purchased per-household. Additionally, Square Enix states that the release date for the ice packs is potentially subject to change. You can take a look at the Slime ice packs below.
As mentioned previously, a total of three standard Slime designs are available, including the traditional blue Slime. The other variants are the Lime Slime and the She-Slime. The King Slime design has remain unchanged for the ice packs. There is currently no indication that these ice packs will be available to international audiences.
In May 2021, it was revealed that Good Smile Company will release the figure of Dai from Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai will release internationally. A Dai Figma is also currently in production.


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In the midst of numerous allegations of anticompetitive behaviour, lawmakers and regulators around the world have been turning up the heat on Apple in recent months, with two major investigations launched earlier this year by the European Commission followed by reports that the U.S. Justice Department is also preparing to launch its own antitrust probe into Apple’s business practices, joined by separate actions being taken by South Korea, Japan, and Australia.
Most of the antitrust complaints against Apple have clearly stemmed from its “ironclad” control of the App Store, with issues ranging from the 30 percent commission it takes from developers to its often capricious application of its App Store Guidelines that are seen as blocking competition. However, one of the two investigations underway in Europe actually pertains to Apple’s mobile payment processing service, Apple Pay, and now Italy has independently launched its own antitrust inquiry related to one of Apple’s services that we actually haven’t heard too many folks complaining about.
In this case, Italian regulators are looking into cloud computing services — specifically iCloud in Apple’s case — to determine whether cloud providers have engaged in “improper commercial practices” and added “unfair clauses in contract conditions,” according to Reuters.
However, it’s worth noting that Apple is actually not being singled out in this one, with Italy’s L’Autorit Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) also investigating Google and Dropbox.
According to a press release (Google Translate) issued by the AGCM, the investigations against Google (for its Drive service) and Apple (for its iCloud service) are based on the idea that consumers are essentially locked into or at least strongly encouraged to use these services due to their tight integration with each company’s operating systems. As the AGCM notes, the investigation seeks to determine if consumers are unduly influenced by Apple and Google and therefore not in a position to actually grant free consent for the collection and use of their personal data for commercial purposes, and whether both companies adequately explain how data collected by the service will be used.
In the case of Apple’s iCloud service, however, this particular point could be a bit moot, since strictly speaking Apple doesn’t use any iCloud data for other commercial purposes, although this also hinges greatly on what Italian law considers “commercial.”
The AGCM is levying the same allegations against Dropbox as well, but is also going one step further, noting that the cloud storage provider has also been accused of failing to clearly and accessibly provide information on how customers can withdraw from their contract, as well as not providing a reasonable dispute procedure for customers.
All three services are also being scrutinized as to whether the contract terms they offer, including their right to terminate the service for a customer at any time, liability exemptions that take no responsibility for loss of data, and the unilateral right to change the terms and conditions are legal under Italian law.
Like the other investigations being conducted by the EU at large, this falls into the antitrust category due to the argument that all three companies are sufficiently dominant that they can impose unfair terms that users have no choice but to accept.
This isn’t the first time that Apple has come under scrutiny from Italy’s antitrust watchdog. Earlier this year, the AGCM began an investigation into Apple and Amazon accusing them of colluding to block the sale of Beats headphones to other resellers in order to stifle competition, and back in 2018 the AGCM fined Apple €10 million (about $11.5 million) for failing to inform consumers about the battery-related performance throttling that it had implemented in iOS 10.
The App Store Remains In the Crosshairs
Meanwhile, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its own antitrust investigation, focusing on the much more common complaints about the fairness of Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store from both a consumer and developer perspective.
Japan’s antitrust regulator also said it would be looking into Apple’s App Store practices after a Bloomberg report last week noted that a number of Japanese developers have raised complaints about the App Store, although in this case they’re not taking any issue at all with the 30 percent cut — they’re actually quite used to it after years of dealing with Nintendo — but they’re very upset with Apple’s slow and inconsistent App Store review process. In essence, they don’t mind paying 30 percent but they expect to get something for their money.
Then of course there’s the very public Epic Games lawsuit that has the Fortnite developer trying to force Apple’s hand in opening up the iPhone platform to third-party App Stores and payment providers. While Epic is currently pushing to have Fortnite reinstated pending the outcome of the case, the actual lawsuit isn’t expected to begin until early next year, at the soonest.


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Don't-Miss Camera Stories
The EX-100Pro does synchronized high-speed shooting for around US$1,000
The improved stability can eliminate the need for a tripod in some situations, according to Sony
The system uses image-processing algorithms instead of infrared lighting.
The latest Exilim camera has touchless controls for recording and sending video on the links
The Exmor RS IMX320 borrows autofocus tech from SLR cameras
It looks like a UFO, but Samsung says it's real. Project Beyond's array of cameras can deliver 3D livestreams to Samsung's Gear VR virtual reality headset.
JK Imaging's Kodak PixPro SP360 and VSN Mobil's V.360 are priced at $349.99
The first tablet with a depth-sensing 3D camera is expected out by the end of the month, and Dell has more to come.
Weatherized, battery-powered cameras will eventually tie into other connected-home systems.
The product with its 36 3-megapixel cameras will start shipping in the spring
The device shines near-infrared light to illuminate a scene
Get $50 off the periscope-shaped camera by bundling it with HTC’s selfie-friendly phone.
The latest Theta camera adds one-shot, omnidirectional video.


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“Applying the modern technology of AI to the ancient practice of food”: Nuritas exec
14 Feb 2019 --- Unlike traditional biotechs and academics that have searched for life’s panacea in exotic and rare places, Irish biotech company Nuritas is unlocking life-changing molecules in commonly consumed, everyday staple foods. This is according to Neil Foster, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Nuritas, who spoke to NutritionInsight on the company’s expanding partnership list and how it’s pushing the innovation boat further than ever before.
The use of technologies such as AI and 3D printing to boost the growing nutrigenomic market is predicted to expand in the coming year and Nuritas seems set to ride the wave. The use of technology in the nutritional space aids personalization, which may become increasingly important to consumers who are “Eating for Me,” which is noted by Innova Market Insights as a top trend for 2019.
The “Eating for Me” trend reflects the growing demand for individualized nutritional options and an openness to technology in this realm. Since 2014, Nuritas has been “using the most modern of technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and applying it to one of the fundamentals of human existence, food.”
NutritionInsight: How much insight does AI bring to nutrition?
Foster: We have enabled AI with our world’s most complex data set: the data set of biology. Of course, AI already helps with e-commerce or voice recognition, for example, but in the grand scheme of things, these are simple data problems. Biology is far more complex. There is far more data that needs to be taken into account and there exist considerable gaps in our knowledge. What we have learned about genomics in the past decade is incredible, but what we don’t know still outweighs what we have learned. Biology is so complex and that's what our platform is doing – helping to bridge these gaps and bringing meaningful solutions to the consumer.
Not only is human biology complex; food is marvelously complex too. Take something as “common” as an apple. An apple contains trillions of molecules and billions of potential peptides, one or two of which might have the ability to transform human health. Without AI, and the Nuritas platform for peptide discovery – computing power on its own is worthless – the chance of finding these peptides was effectively nil.
While there are a number of companies in the food space using AI; Nuritas is the first and currently the only company using AI to discover patented ingredients within food. We are also the first AI company to commercially launch a healthcare ingredient – be that pharmaceutical or food ingredient – discovered by AI. We do, of course, expect that there will be more in the years to come and that is a great thing for humanity and the planet. Our belief here is that there will come a time when, not just in biology and nutrition, but in other areas, that we will not understand or remember how things were done before AI.
NutritionInsight: What can we expect to see from Nuritas in the coming year?
Foster: In 2016 we received a Horizon 2020 grant that made available €3 million to progress one of our early discoveries – a food derived peptide network for the prevention of prediabetes progressing into diabetes. The grant we received helped put that product through two human trials, with the endpoint being a submission for an article 13.5 EFSA health claim. We are in that clinical phase at the moment and expect to disseminate results later on this year. That project is ongoing and looking very interesting.
2018 was a landmark year for us, thanks to our BASF launch, PeptAIde. This is the world's first commercially launched healthcare ingredient from pharmaceutical to functional food ingredient. It's the first of any of those types of ingredients that have been discovered by AI. Our platform continues to learn from every project we do and we anticipate to go into every area of biology, even beyond human nutrition and into plant and animal health.
NutritionInsight: Does Nuritas’ technology have a future in fighting malnutrition, for example? Can it be scaled up in a way that is economically feasible?
Foster: We were fortunate enough to be covered in the Institute for the Future (IFTF) report that was commissioned by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and it's saying precisely this. What our technology enables is cutting out so much of the challenge of discovery. We are engaging with many organizations who have aspirations to be highly profitable, address high-value market segments but also to operate at the other end – tackling malnutrition, overnutrition and undernutrition.
That report echoes our belief and some of the companies we are talking to that we can use the discovery of bioactive peptides from cheap, available food products to provide high-value solutions but also address fundamental needs in parts of the world where those problems need to be addressed.
NutritionInsight: How does the health claims environment influence your work?
Foster: We are definitely interested in the health claim business as are many of our collaborators. The level of characterization and understanding around our peptides fulfills EFSA’s prerequisite for any health claim. However, developing scientific evidence and putting in the application takes time. It is very much in our plans for certain ingredients and certain markets, such as with our work in diabetes.
NutritionInsight: How does the role of AI feature in marketing or labeling products that have been unlocked using Nuritas technology?
Foster: Regarding AI and how that interacts, ultimately the ingredients that we create are from food. The peptides that we are unlocking have been perfected by nature and AI is just how we discover those. It's an interesting point that consumers are more interested in AI at the moment, but it needn't be a selling point for the ingredient. The fact that AI discovers them may even become irrelevant once they become a “real” ingredient.
The ingredients we have are not novelties, they are highly efficacious and scientifically substantiated to the highest standards. This is what is important and the consumer cares most about, not the novelty of how they were created.
NutritionInsight: You have a number of high-profile public partnerships, such as with BASF and Nestlé. May we see more in the future?
Foster: The world is changing and it’s no longer sufficient just to be “big,” you need to be fast and to be able to react to new opportunities and challenges first. Once a company has identified an area of unmet consumer need or a health area in which they wish to compete, our platform can find them food-derived peptide-based solutions in a fraction of the time and with a level of science and IP protection that the natural products industry has not previously seen. This is a pretty compelling proposition in these disruptive times. Which is best demonstrated in the collaborations that we have initiated, the funding we’ve received and the investors that we have on board. You will be seeing a lot more partnerships and product launch announcements from Nuritas in 2019.
By Laxmi Haigh
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It promised to be the biggest ever Mobile World Congress… and it truly delivered! The Mobile World Live team closes its show coverage with a look back at the biggest news stories from this week’s event.
Mobile Mix: Night at the museum
Mobile Mix: Qualcomm gets on the moove
Mobile Mix: RAN, Robots and Rides
© 2021 GSM Association. The GSMA, Mobile World Live, MWC Barcelona, MWC Los Angeles & MWC Shanghai terms and logos are trademarks of the GSM Association


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Komodo OpenLab, a company based in Toronto, Canada, released a new device that lets severely paralyzed people operate Android and iOS tablets and smartphones, as well as other devices, using standard accessibility tools such as sip and puff controllers, buttons, and switches.
The new Tecla-e provides wireless connectivity with the devices it controls, which can also include lights, powered doors, and smart television remotes. Up to eight devices can be connected to a single Tecla-e and anything that can interact with IFTTT can be programmed and activated in smart ways whenever they’re on the same WiFi network.
The device can be monitored remotely, including providing its location, movement, and the ambient air temperature, so that while a person goes out independently, caretakers can still keep a vigilant eye. This is done via iOS and Android apps provided with the Tecla-e that are used to setup the device, connect it to other devices, and link it to caretakers.
Here’s a promo video Komodo OpenLab released for the Tecla-e:
Via Komodo OpenLab…


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BRATTLEBORO — Most people think preparing for Christmas means shopping for presents. Jadi Flynn and Megan Walker have their sights set on something else: 14 pounds of coffee, 140 pounds of pancake mix, 270 pounds of eggs, 1,920 hash browns, and 3,200 sausage links.
Flynn and Walker are the granddaughter and great-granddaughter, respectively, of Charlie Slate, the local man who started the town's free annual Christmas Breakfast.
His family and friends are ready to continue the tradition for hundreds of diners and delivery recipients Dec. 25.
Slate began the breakfast in 1982 upon noticing most restaurants closed for the holiday. This year, 60 volunteers will arrive as early as dawn at American Legion Post 5 to serve up food from 8 to 11 a.m.
“I barely sleep the night before,” Flynn says, “thinking about feeding all those people.”
“We stress over the littlest things,” Walker adds.
Even so, the two hope to beat 2018's record of 902 meals by reaching 1,000 this year.
“When you're doing this, you have to have a goal,” Flynn says. “It's just such a wonderful feeling to be able to do this and to be able to pay it forward.”
“And it's nice to see the wide variety of people,” Walker adds, “who come from all walks of life.”
The public can participate in several ways. People can bake and bring cookies to the Legion starting Dec. 21 for distribution to local public safety and health-care workers as well as people who attend the event.
Brattleboro residents who are homebound or working the holiday can request an in-town Christmas delivery by calling or texting 802-258-0481 by Monday, Dec. 23.
And all can enjoy the meal in person on Christmas morning on Wednesday at the Legion Home at 32 Linden St., with updates available on the Charlie Slate Memorial Christmas Breakfast's Facebook event listing.
The event is supported by donations from diners and contributions from area businesses, local maple sugarhouses, and the four generations of Slate's family who continue the community tradition.
“Because we're inching toward that 1,000 mark, we're ordering more food,” Flynn says. “Some people think it's only for people who need a free breakfast.”
“It's open to everybody,” Walker says. “If you don't want to cook, come on down.”


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YouTuber users can now try out make-up looks using a new AR feature.
The AR Beauty Try-On feature will assist the online video platform with beauty content, with audiences being able to virtually try the makeup exampled by the creator.
Currently in alpha and available through Google’s in-house branded platform FameBit, the split-screened feature will allow viewers to continue watching content while trialing products.
M·A·C Cosmetics is the first branded partner to work with the AR feature, which will allow the active 2 billion monthly users to better engage with the creator, with statistics shown in real time.
In the announcement statement made through YouTube’s blog, they state that following a previous test of the same feature, “ 30 percent of viewers activated the AR experience in the YouTube iOS app, spending over 80 seconds on average trying on lipstick virtually.”
This will compete against L’Oreal’s virtual makeup tool and the YouCam application for smartphones.
Google released this AR feature alongside additional AR tools including three-dimensional capabilities for adverts, and augmented search options through Google Lens.


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In the new digital era you have to constantly adapt to new societal needs—one of which is improved connectivity. This translates into reduced latency (temporary delays in internet connections), better network support -so more users can connect at the same time-, faster download speeds -to accommodate large files- and improved networks that make applications -such as videogames- run faster.
5G is the solution to our connectivity problems, and there are a lot of expectations regarding this technology. For example, traditional mobile telephone users and brands stand to gain:
- Faster data transmission speeds.
- Higher resolution (4K to 8K) for advertising visuals.
- Better web connections.
- More simultaneously connected devices.
- Support for augmented and virtual reality, which are currently limited to connection speeds.
- Real-time remote control over millions of internet-connected devices.
But some of the best news with the launch of 5G is its implementation in smart cities, where it will be used to manage traffic lights, security cameras, etc. in real-time to help avoid accidents. This network will let major cities, such as Tokyo, London and New York, provide better internet connections and drive use of new technologies to improve the purchase process for public transportation tickets and access to online books at schools, among other benefits.
5G is expected to be launched in the U.S., United Kingdom, China, Japan and South Korea in 2019, but the rest of the world will have to wait until 2020 for prep work to begin.


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Jessica Simpson struck a studious pose in a new photo shared to Instagram.
The 40-year-old mom of three modeled items from her fashion line in a pic posted to the official social media page for her popular Jessica Simpson Collection.
In the pic, Jessica wore a heather gray cropped hoodie and matching sweats with a black stripe down the side. The blond beauty paired the casual look with red and black buffalo plaid boots with a super high heel. Fans know that the singer and fashion designer is a shoe fanatic and she almost always wears heels, so it’s no surprise she paired her sweats with platforms instead of sneakers.
Jessica hung onto a rung of a wooden ladder as she climbed to the top shelves of a library in the snap. The stylish star peeked over her shoulder to give the camera a sultry stare as she posed amid the room full of books, looking more like a college student than a woman in her 40s.
In the caption, Jessica joked about her “studious” look as she rocked the $120 sweatsuit and $165 boots, which are still available on her website.
While she is long out of school, Jessica’s fans gave her an “A” for her latest look. In the comments section, followers raved about her outfit as well as the gorgeous space she posed in.
“Very beautiful,” one commenter wrote.
“These boots!” another added.
“Oh… please do a library tour,” another fan requested.
Jessica has been the main model for social media ads for her clothing line this year. In addition, she has been doing the photoshoots at her California home due to the coronavirus pandemic, so is it is highly possible that the library in the picture is a room in her own home.
In fact, last December, in an Instagram share seen here, Jessica posed in a room that looked very much like the library in the new photo. At the time, the singer was signing copies of her memoir, Open Book, and she posted a pic of her bandaged, blistered hand with the lit-up bookshelves in the background.
Jessica’s daughters have also gotten into their mom’s fashion business. Both Maxie Drew, 8, and Birdie Mae, 1, joined their famous mama to pose for an ad campaign for the line earlier this year.
And baby Birdie is well on her way to being the next boot-wearing ladder climber in the family. Jessica recently revealed that her youngest daughter is obsessed with shoes and wears everyone’s in the family — even her dad Eric Johnson’s size 15s.


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Marketers have certainly made headway in meeting the expectations of customers both online and off. However, according to a new study by CMO Council, there is still an opportunity to reach deeper to create a competitive difference that cuts through the clutter and leverage channels that truly make an impact.
The study, “Shopper Marketing: The New Rules Of Engagement,” includes insights from 166 senior marketing leaders, paired with a survey of 2,100 North American consumers. One of the key findings is that data strategies are still goals and not yet a reality, with 35% of marketers admitting their organizations have a data strategy in place, but it isn’t a embraced throughout the company. What’s more, 23% said no strategy exists at all.
“Marketers admit that reaching that point of real relevance might be harder than expected, primarily because while marketers have developed data strategies within marketing, extending that plan across the organization to gain a more complete view of the customer has proved to be difficult,” said Liz Miller, VP of marketing at the CMO Council. “Many marketers admit that their organization has yet to fully embrace the criticality of data.”
Indeed, 43% said their organizations have yet to fully embrace data as a critical operational requirement; an equal amount said it is just too hard to get the entire organization to agree on a data strategy.
“The second big finding is that not only can marketing not extend its view of the customer beyond marketing, the view absolutely stops at the walls of the company, as only 13% of marketers are getting insights into behaviors and actions on partner or retailer sites,” Miller explained. “Marketers have built their own walled garden around marketing’s view of the customer. But the customer actually lives well outside of those walls, and they say that if brands insist on irrelevant engagements, the price will be customer defection.”
According to the report, 83% of marketers said customer data is informing them of behaviors on the brand’s website, but only 13% said their data points to customer behaviors outside the brand and retail partner sites.
As part of the consumer survey portion of the report, the CMO Council found that 32% of consumers reach out to brands to solve a problem or because they have an issue or complaint. Four percent said they want to connect with a specific personality of the brand, and 5% said they are doing so for fun.
Additionally, the survey found that consumers want savings and rewards that are based on their own past purchases (47%). When asked what forms of advertising or promotion moved a customer to buy, coupons and discounts (regardless of delivery channel) topped the list (71%), followed by suggestions from friends and family (39%). When asked to specify which form of advertising was the least effective, 29% of consumers pointed to TV ads, followed by radio ads (20%) and mobile text ads (20%).
“This emphasizes the need for CMOs to really champion customer experience and rally the organization around data strategies that can bring the most relevant insights about the customer into a single pane of glass for the entire organization,” Miller said. “The great news here is that customers are ready. Forty-seven percent want coupons, savings, and promotions that are based on their past purchases and experiences with the brand. Sure sounds like a call for personalization.”
Click here for the full report (short registration required).


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At Google I/O we learned that a stock Android version of the Galaxy S4 is coming, and now HTC may follow suit. Rumors suggest that HTC has a build in its pipeline for an HTC One running the standard version of Android 4.2.2 without HTC’s Sense skin.
The news comes from Geek.com’s Russell Holly, who claims that “multiple sources” are saying that HTC has plans to launch a stripped-down version of its flagship handset. It’s unclear if this stock Android One would be sold through the Google Play Store or through HTC, but sources allegedly say that it will become available in the US first.
While stock Android is certainly a selling point for some users, it will be interesting to see how the vanilla version of these two flagship phones fare in the market. The HTC One, for instance, is typically praised for its Beats Audio technology, new camera features and BlinkFeed, but these additions will be missing from the stock Android version. The same is the case with the Galaxy S4, which comes with a slew of new software features such as its S Health fitness suite and robust photo editing tools that have been advertised as the phone’s selling point.
If manufacturers continue to release stock Android versions of their flagship handsets, Google’s line of Nexus smartphones may have some stiff competition. Until now, the Nexus 4 and its predecessors were the only high-end devices that ran on pure Android and were the first to get all of Google’s mobile OS updates. Now, however, users will soon get a similar experience on the Galaxy S4.
There’s no telling if there’s any truth to this rumor, but Holly has leaked correct information in the past. After all, Geek.com was the first website to report that a stock Android version of the Galaxy S4 would be announced at Google I/O.


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Beer Drinkers in Nigeria Cut Back as Oil Industry FaltersAndres R. Martinez
SABMiller Plc expects beer volume growth to decelerate in Nigeria this year as lower oil prices dent consumption and African markets become more competitive, said Mark Bowman, managing director of the brewer’s Africa unit.
The company, which has forecast beer volume growth in Nigeria of about 8 percent a year, may see that rate slow to 3 percent or 4 percent, Bowman said in an interview in Davos.
“These are normally bumps along the road,” he said. “On balance, we see things getting back to trend.”
Oil prices have fallen more than 50 percent in the past year, threatening growth in Nigeria ahead of presidential elections next month. The nation, home to more than 175 million people, is the largest oil producer in Africa. SABMiller also expects to raise prices in the country, in line with what its rivals are doing, Bowman said.
For SABMiller, Africa is a bigger source of revenue than Europe, Asia or North America, making the company especially sensitive to upheaval there. The London-based brewer also is shoring up its nonalcoholic business in the region. SABMiller teamed up with Coca-Cola Co., the world’s largest beverage company, to create the biggest Coke bottler on the continent.
As it expands, SABMiller would be interested in strengthening its partnership with French drinks company Groupe Castel, Bowman said. The executive said he doesn’t foresee a change in the relationship with Castel soon, though.
“We don’t expect anything to change in short to medium term,” Bowman said. “Over time, if opportunities arise, we would look at them.”
SABMiller, whose lineup includes the Grolsch and Peroni lagers, agreed to combine bottling operations for nonalcoholic beverages with Coca-Cola in southern and eastern Africa. Castel is often mentioned as a potential takeover target for SABMiller, which already owns 20 percent of the French winemaker. In turn, Castel has a 38 percent stake in SABMiller’s Africa business.
SABMiller, the world’s second-largest brewer, is increasing its focus on sodas and other nonalcoholic beverages as global demand for beer stagnates and targets for consolidation become harder to find.
In addition to the challenges in Nigeria, Zimbabwe has been a difficult market for the company, Bowman said.
“Two years of quite strongly negative growth,” he said. “There was no growth in underlying economy. Very uncomfortable for us. It seems to have settled out. We have seen slightly better results in the last two to three months.”
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Discount retailer Aldi to double apprenticeships to 700 this year as it steps up assault on supermarkets
German discount retailer Aldi plans to hire 700 apprentices this year – nearly double the amount it took on last year – as it steps up its assault on Britain’s supermarkets.
Management recruits are trained over three years on a salary of £5.40 an hour that rises to up to £7.85 in their final year, compared with the national minimum wage for apprentices of £3.30 an hour.
Expansion plans: Aldi runs more than 630 shops in the UK and plans to open a further 83 this year
Ruth Doyle, regional managing director at Aldi, said: ‘Our apprentices are given real responsibility from day one, with the opportunity to learn about the business from a grassroots level. We support our recruits and expect them to progress to management.’
The most successful apprentices will have the opportunity to progress to the position of assistant store manager with a starting salary of £30,000. Graduates on Aldi’s management scheme receive an Audi company car, private healthcare and a salary of £40,000 rising to £70,000 after four years.
Aldi runs more than 630 shops in the UK and plans to open a further 83 this year. The retailer is on course to reach 1,000 stores by 2022.
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text: Sales of existing homes dropped about 6 percent in March to a 5.33 million annual rate from 5.86 million in February, the National Association of Realtors said Friday. It's the slowest sales since June. Sales had hit an all-time record of 6.1 million in January. Sales are up 2 percent from March 2002. The number of unsold homes on the market rose 7 percent to 2.31 million in March, a 5-month supply at the current sales pace. The median price of a home rose to $163,100, up 6.5 percent in the past year.


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Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU wins the hearts and wallets of Steam users
The Steam Hardware Survey for April 2023 is here, and its results point to the arrival of a new people’s champion in the graphics card space: the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060. It’s taken an abnormally long time for it to take its expected place as the platform’s most popular GPU, but the pixel pusher is now sitting confidently at the top with a comfortable lead.
The 60 class model in every GeForce generation is generally perceived as the best graphics card for most people, offering great bank for buck, and the RTX 3060 is no exception. The GPU now occupies a whopping 10.44% of Steam users’ systems, following a jump of 6.23% from last month. Meanwhile, the RTX 2060 and GTX 1060 trail behind the pixel pusher, boasting a respective 7.89% and 7.69% share.
It’s taken three years or so for the RTX 3060 to achieve this feat, but it’s hard to say whether its reign as Steam’s most prolific GPU will last quite as long. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 release date will hopefully arrive in the not too distant future, and could be a tempting upgrade path for those with 10 and 20 series cards.
However, it appears that the RTX 40 series still has a long way to go before it even comes close to taking over the Steam Hardware Survey. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 remains the most popular of the DLSS 3 capable cards, but only lays claim to 0.25% of gaming PCs running Valve’s platform. The RTX 4080 comes off worse, however, with 0.19% and even the cheapest GPU in the stack, the RTX 4070 Ti, enjoys a mere 0.23%.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 release date will likely be up next, and could be the pixel pushing champion that the company is looking for to win wider market share. We’ll have a review on the graphics card around launch, so stay tuned for that!


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Yang Weidong, head of Alibaba-backed video platform Youku and CEO of Alibaba Music is under investigation for “economic issues,” Alibaba has confirmed to media including Tencent Tech (in Chinese).
The company said the investigation was due to evidence reported to police by sources, without giving other details.
The official confirmation has quickly attracted attention from China’s general content, culture, and entertainment industry.
It is still unclear to what extent Yang’s case will influence Alibaba’s recent operations in related fields. During an event Youku organized in Shanghai in 2017, Yang publicly said that there’s no ceiling to Alibaba culture and entertainment units’ investment in content.
According to Chinese media Huxiu (in Chinese), the investigation lasted for more than a month. Huxiu’s sources said the accusation was mainly for abnormal revenues amounting to more than RMB 100 million ($14.6 million) and gained from entertainment shows.
In a recent restructuring plan Alibaba announced on November 26, Yang was replaced by Fan as the new rotating chairman of Alibaba’s Culture and Entertainment unit. The restructuring plan will see the company focus on cloud computing and new retail businesses.
Born in 1976, former Nokia veteran Yang joined Youku in 2013 as a senior vice president after being invited by former Youku head, Gu Yongqiang. Yang took over Youku’s top spot from Gu in 2016, not long after Alibaba completed the acquisition for over RMB 4 billion.


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Developer PLP has gained planning consent for a 343,000sq ft speculative warehouse at Smithywood Business Park in Sheffield and plans to begin construction before the end of this year. PLP development director Matthew Fitton said that the nature of the location, adjacent to Junction 35 of the M1, gave the company the confidence to build one of the largest speculative warehouses in the region. “Given the proximity of the site to the M1 motorway and Sheffield, PLP Smithywood will offer […]
Union Unite has announced a fresh week-long strike at five Argos distribution centres in its latest protest over the retailer’s ongoing supply chain transformation programme.
Two major logistics parks, which together could add more than 5 million ft² to the UK’s warehousing stock, can now go ahead after receiving the green light from the planning authorities.
Prologis is developing the largest speculative build since the UK’s referendum on EU membership, a 275,000ft² DC at its Marston Gate site.


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Frontier Developments announced the first DLC expansion coming to Jurassic World Evolution. The Secrets of Dr. Wu will add new dinosaurs and hybrids, as well as new story missions and…
If you live near a major city in the US (or make an annual mall holiday shopping pilgrimage), chances are you can visit the Nintendo Switch Holiday Experience. The pop-up Nintendo booth is free to the public and will feature several playable Switch games, including the highly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
“With the Nintendo Switch Holiday Experience, we wanted to give families a place to take a break and play some fun games during their holiday shopping,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior VP of Sales and Marketing. “Being able to play games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate before they launch is a great way to inform shopping decisions and educate people about what Nintendo has to offer this holiday season.”
Featured games at the Nintendo Switch Holiday Experience include Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (releasing Dec. 7), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Party, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee (releasing Nov. 16), and Overcooked 2.
Visitors can also check out the Nintendo Labo: Vehicle Kit as well as a Fortnite-themed photo booth. My Nintendo rewards members will be able to scan a QR code to receive a special holiday gift.
The Nintendo Switch Holiday Experience will be available between 4pm and 9pm Monday-Thursday, 3pm to 9pm on Fridays, 10am to 9pm on Saturday, and 11am to 6pm on Sundays. The event booth will be located at the following malls and shopping centers around the country, beginning November 10 (Nov. 11 for Houston).
- Mall of Georgia in Buford, Georgia
- Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois
- Memorial City Mall in Houston, Texas
- Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California
- The Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida
- Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota
- Queens Center in Elmhurst, New York
- King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
- Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale, Arizona
- Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California
- Tysons Corner Center in Tysons Corner, Virginia
The event will last over a month, closing up shop on December 16.
Annual fan convention BlizzCon took place last weekend in Anaheim, California. BlizzCon 2018 featured two days of community panels, tournaments, and announcements for Activision Blizzard’s hugely popular series, including Overwatch,…
On the heels of releasing a licensed Paw Patrol game, UK publisher Outright Games has announced a partnership with Dreamworks and Universal Games to produce a home console game based on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, also known as the Dreamworks Dragons universe.
Dreamworks Dragons Dawn of New Riders is coming February 2019, to coincide with the release of the third feature film, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Feb. 22, 2019).
As indicated by the title, Dawn of New Riders is a spin-off adventure that features new Viking hero Scribbler and his dragon, Patch. Patch is apparently a new hybrid dragon species called a Chimeragon. Scribbler sets out to recover his memories while exploring locations in the series, such as Valka’s Mountain and Havenholme.
“The first feature film How to Train Your Dragon debuted eight years ago and has since sparked a beloved franchise that has captivated audiences around the world, inspiring additional films, television shows and more,” said Terry Malham, CEO of Outright Games. “DreamWorks Dragons Dawn of New Riders gives us a wonderful opportunity to be a part of Dragons history by partnering with Universal to create an original story introducing two new, very special characters. We look forward to unveiling more details soon!”
The original story and characters should allow for far more flexibility. It should be noted that both Hiccup and Astrid (and their dragons) are featured on the box cover, and Astrid can be seen in one of the official screenshots. It’s safe to say they’ll at least make cameo appearances.
Dreamworks Dragons Dawn of New Riders is coming Feburary 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch. It has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
The wave of pre-packaged retro consoles has begun. Last month Sony announced the PlayStation Classic, a miniature replica of their first 90s era console. The announcement only teased five of the 20 included games. Instead of teasing out the rest, they revealed the full library this morning.
The bolded games were the five that were previously announced.
- Battle Arena Toshinden
- Cool Boarders 2
- Destruction Derby
- Final Fantasy VII
- Grand Theft Auto
- Intelligent Qube
- Jumping Flash
- Metal Gear Solid
- Mr Driller
- Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
- Resident Evil Director’s Cut
- Revelations: Persona
- Ridge Racer Type 4
- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
- Syphon Filter
- Tekken 3
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
- Twisted Metal
- Wild Arms
The result is a bit disappointing. No Tony Hawk, Gran Turismo, Crash Bandicoot, Castlevania, and the only other JRPG is the first Persona game. Licensing is always a major hurdle with older games, which is why Nintendo has such a big advantage releasing its mini-console replicas.
There’s also some overlap with newly released and upcoming ports. In the case of Castlevania, a bundle including new ports of Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night was recently launched on PlayStation Store. A similar situation can be applied to the Crash and Spyro remakes, hence their exclusion here.
The good news: Metal Gear Solid, Twisted Metal, Oddworld, and Resident Evil are all solid inclusions.
Comparing the official list to our wishful speculation, only two games made it (Metal Gear Solid and Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee), yikes!
The PlayStation Classic includes 20 pre-loaded games and two classic controllers (NOT the iconic, but later released Dual Shock design). It’s out December 3 for $99.99.
Indie developers Causal Bit Games released a new trailer for Battle Princess Madelyn, a retro-style action-platformer. It’s coming later this Fall to PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, Wii U,…


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Rise in investments by countries in North America, such as the US and Canada, to improve and innovate manufacturing processes across industries is influencing the adoption of advanced solutions such as AI and computer vision across the region. For instance, the federal government of the US announced plans to invest US$ 4.9 billion in research and development of technologies such as AI and machine learning (ML) in the fiscal year 2020. Rising investments in advanced technologies is further expected to drive the growth of the AI in computer vision market in the coming years.
AI in Computer Vision Market Forecast to 2027 – COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Component (Hardware, Software); End-user (Automotive, Sports and Entertainment, Consumer, Robotics and Machine Vision, Healthcare, Security and Surveillance, Agriculture, Others) and Geography
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Increasing demand for edge computing in mobile devices coupled with the rising demand for computer vision systems in non–traditional and emerging applications are the major factors driving the AI in computer vision market growth. However, various industries are not convincingly adopting AI in computer vision systems due to the lack of awareness and technical expertise may hamper the growth of the market. Further, advancement in AI technology, development of machine learning is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the market player of the AI in the computer vision market.
The “Global AI in Computer Vision Market Analysis to 2027” is a specialized and in-depth study of the AI in computer vision industry with a special focus on the global market trend analysis. The report aims to provide an overview AI in computer vision market with detailed market segmentation as component, end-user, and geography. The global AI in computer vision market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading AI in computer vision market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the AI in computer vision market.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on AI in Computer Vision Market
North America has the highest adoption and growth rate of new technologies owing to favourable government policies to boost innovation and strengthen the infrastructure capabilities. Hence, any hindrance on industries hampers the economic growth of the region. Presently, the US is the world’s worst affected country due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This scenario is influencing all industries, including manufacturing and automotive. It is becoming apparent with the outbreak spreading across the US that few can escape its scope, presenting significant challenges to all industries. However, the major adoption of technology is noticed in the manufacturing sector to convert traditional manufacturing processes into smart ones. Thus, the closure of most of the manufacturing units across countries such as the US, Canada, and Mexico hinders the growth of the AI in computer vision market. However, the outbreak has influenced the adoption of the technology across the healthcare sector to detect COVID-19 among patients. Thus, rising investment by the healthcare sector in technologies in the present situation is expected to propel the growth of the AI in computer vision market. Thus, the region is expected to have an overall moderate impact on the market owing to the pandemic over the years.
The players operating in the AI in computer vision market focus on strategies such as mergers, acquisitions, product developments, and market initiatives to maintain their positions in the market. A few developments by key players are listed below:
- In 2020, Microsoft introduced supercomputers in the world, making new infrastructure present in Azure to train extremely large AI models.
- In 2020, Xilinx, Inc. declared a brand new machine learning (ML) capabilities for Xilinx device support aimed at the professional audio/video (Pro AV) and broadcast market.
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Dark Souls is considered to be hardest and the best Dark Souls game in the franchise and with From Software moving away from the franchise following Dark Souls 3 it seems that the studio might be preparing to launch Dark Souls PS4 Remaster.
According to the Twitter user, Sassy, who posted a picture proof on his/her Twitter account suggesting that an online retailer has leaked Dark Souls PS4 Remaster. According to the leak, the PS4 remaster will launch on 24 May 2018.
However, the Twitter user notes that even if the game is being remastered for PS4, don’t expect details to be revealed soon.
It is important to note that this is just a leak and Bandai Namco or From Software are yet to announce the Dark Souls PS4 Remaster, so take it as a grain of salt.
However, From Software president, Hidetaka Miyazaki, did hint in an interview back in 2016 that while the series’ resurrection in the future is unclear, but fans will most likely see “HD Remakes” of older games in the series for new consoles.
With that being said, Dark Souls PS4 Remaster might be the first in line to come for current-gen consoles.
He added that Dark Souls 3 marks the end of the series as a whole. According to him, it is time for the team to move on from the franchise, however, he said that as a president he can’t deny the possibility of the return of the franchise.
I’m not completely denying the possibility of bringing back the franchise in the future. There could be someone else in my company who wants to work on new installments. But we believe that the series will end after the two DLC.
Are you excited about the possibility of PS4 remaster of Dark Souls? Let us know in the comments.


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The Subaru BRZ 10th Anniversary Edition revealed in July is coming to Australia, with 150 examples up for grabs.
Deliveries are on track to begin during February 2023, the company said, with all examples likely to be snapped up quickly if previous BRZ sales numbers are any guide.
The tweaks are not massive by any means. The BRZ 10th Anniversary Edition comes exclusively in Subaru’s signature WR Blue and gets distinct exterior and interior styling.
There are no powertrain or chassis updates.
Based on the BRZ S variant, the additions are:
- Black finish 18-inch alloy wheels
- Crystal Black door mirror caps
- A black rear badge
- Numbered internal plate
- Embossed 10th Anniversary logo on the door trim
- Blue stitching on the door armrest, steering wheel, gear shifter boot, parking brake boot, and seat trim
- Blue perforations in the seat trim
- Black interior highlights on the AC dials and centre console buttons
Prices before on-road costs will be $43,090 for the manual and $46,890 for the auto – which in both cases is $1500 more than the equivalent BRZ S.
“We are thrilled to open the order books for this very special model, which celebrates a decade since the debut of the first Subaru BRZ,” said managing director Blair Read.
“… This is sure to attract the attention of BRZ enthusiasts and car collectors alike.
“We’re also very pleased to continue accommodating all sports car buyers, by offering this special edition BRZ in manual and automatic transmission.”
The Subaru BRZ 10th Anniversary model is similar to a version of the Toyota GR86 twin, which is called predictably enough the Toyota GR86 10th Anniversary Edition.
The Toyota version arrives late this year and will reportedly be limited to just 86 units, making it even rarer than the Subaru.


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New York: Apple Inc is considering India as one of its major markets for the future, but sales in 2016 so far fell 35 percent on year over year (y-o-y). This is resulting a considerable loss in overall marketshare for the global technology giant. Android remains the dominant platform in India as the operating marketshare rose from 90 percent in 2015 to 97.1 percent in 2016, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics.
Apple devices contributed to the Android’s gains, but predominantly from the share of other operating systems falling from 5.5 percent to 0.5 percent from 2015 to 2016. India is a market that’s growing by 28 percent year-over-year. As a result in the drop in Apple iPhone sales, Apple’s marketshare fell from 4.5 percent to 2.4 percent.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said during his visit to India in May, “we are in India for the next thousand years. Our horizon is very long. We are focused on best, not most. So it doesn’t bother me that we don’t have top market share.” Cook had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought government support for the company’s future plans for India.
Earlier, Apple launched a technology center in Hyderabad, focused on Apple Maps development. In July, Apple Inc leased 40,000 square feet in Bengaluru for a planned design and development accelerator. Neither software development center will have any effect on sourcing percentages.


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For the first time ever, Mercedes-AMG is bringing Formula 1 hybrid technology from the track to the city streets in the form of their Project ONE hybrid hypercar. It’s an effort to celebrate AMG’s 50th Anniversary and is slated to debut at this year’s International Motor Show in Frankfurt.
Feeding this street legal Formula 1 ride is a hybrid drive unit capable of producing upwards of 1,000 horsepower and redlines at an astonishing 11,000 RPMs. It’s a 1.6 liter, turbocharged V6 that works in conjunction with four electric motors. One of which features another turbocharger, another directly on the combustion engine linking to the crankcase, and the two others drive the front wheels. Such a powerplant allows Project ONE to hit 124 mph in under six seconds thanks to power transferred to the rear wheels via an 8-speed manual transmission developed specifically for this project. It also features a ceramic high-performance braking system, a unique pushrod suspension, and is rumored to cost upwards of $2.75 million.


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Airways Brewing’s The Bistro & Beer Garden, located in downtown Kent, is gearing up for summer with a patio expansion. Construction is expected to wrap up in June, just in time for the warmer weather.
“After much fanfare and delay, our patio expansion project at The Bistro & Beer Garden in downtown Kent is about to get underway,” Airways Brewing said in an email via the Kent Reporter. “For those of you who haven’t heard what’s happening, our entire patio is getting ripped up and repoured; a permanent, heated covering will be installed; a second kitchen and grill station for extra cooking capacity is being built; and new fencing and landscaping put in.”
Airways Brewing’s first location, the Tap Room & Brewery, opened in March 2010. The Bistro & Beer Garden opened in 2011.
In 2016, the restaurant at The Bistro & Beer Garden expanded with a new kitchen and additional seating was added to the patio.


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NEW YORK – New York City has settled for $45,000 its portion of a lawsuit brought by a man who says he was racially profiled at a Manhattan store and wrongly arrested.
“The settlement was in the best interest of the city,” a spokesperson for the city law department told PIX11 News.
The settlement was spurred by a so-called “shop and frisk” encounter between Trayon Christian and suspicious officers near Barneys in Manhattan.
It was on April 27, 2013, that Christian was falsely arrested by the NYPD after he cleanly purchased a $348 Ferregamo belt at the high-end store. Then 19, Christian was handcuffed by NYPD detectives yards from the store after it was believed he’d used a fraudulent credit card to buy the luxury belt.
In a federal lawsuit against Barneys and the city of New York, Christian’s attorney, Michael Palillo, stated the NYPD and Barneys were working in concert. Additionally, it alleged the NYPD had detectives inside the store when the purchase was made.
Barneys denied collaborating with the NYPD, but amid the investigation, PIX11 News revealed legal complaints in which Barneys had tipped off the NYPD.
Details surrounding a settlement with Barneys remain private.
In August 2014, the state announced a $525 million fine against Barneys after investigators found the store had profiled black and Latino shoppers.
PIX11 News reached out to Christian’s attorney for comment but has not yet heard back.


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South Korea’s beauty items are hot in Vietnam, strengthening its dominance versus Japanese and European brands through digital channels.
According to a report by the Institute for International Trade under the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on Monday, Korea’s exports of cosmetics products totaled record $227.31 million in 2020, up 17.6 percent from a year ago.
Korean brands made up 48.1 percent share in imported cosmetics market in Vietnam, keeping to the top for five consecutive years. Japan’s share was 16.1 percent and France 10.8 percent.
Channels have diversified to deepen penetration.
Mobile marketing and trading service provider Mate Korea launched an exclusive platform to offer Korean items on Zalo Shop, the e-commerce platform of Vietnam’s top mobile messenger app Zalo used by 86 percent of the entire Vietnamese population. It now has expanded its foothold across the Southeast Asian country with its solution to connect Vietnamese buyers with Korean firms.
Another startup Zackdang Company attracted more than 150,000 users to its beauty video app Zamface in just two months of launch in Vietnam in April with its AI-based makeup skills and product curation solutions.
Vietnam’s cosmetics, perfume and other beauty products market expanded to record $2.11 billion last year and is estimated to reach $3.42 billion by 2025. Cosmetics market is forecast to grow by an annual 10.1 percent for the next five years.
“Tariffs would be sharply lowered from this year under bilateral FTA that goes into effect this year, giving more opportunities for Korean brands,” said Kim Bo-kyung, a senior analyst at the KITA.
By Lee Ha-yeon
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]


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After the success enjoyed by Warhorse following the release of Kingdome Come: Deliverance, the studio has announced its roadmap for the DLC coming to the medieval RPG in the coming months.
Starting this summer with the release of "From the Ashes", Warhorse has confirmed the development of four larger DLC stories. These will be accompanied by a Hardcore mode, a Tournament mode, and modding support. Check out the details below:
From the Ashes
The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon
Band of Bastards
A Woman's Lot (Free for early crowdfunding supporters)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance additions:
Hardcore Mode (Free)
The Making of Kingdom Come (Free for early crowdfunding supporters)
Combat Academy (Free for early crowdfunding supporters)
Modding Support (Free)
Alongside this announcement, Warhorse has revealed a special promotion on Steam. This offer continues until May 24 and there's a 20% discount on the base game. For more details, you can take a look here.


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PLEASANTON — Wines from 25 Livermore Valley and East Bay wineries will be poured at the annual summer wine stroll in this city’s downtown from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
Wine and food will be served at 33 downtown businesses in the event sponsored by the Pleasanton Downtown Association.
Tickets will be sold for $30 cash or by check until Wednesday at several Main Street businesses, including Berry Patch, Rose Hotel, and Studio Seven Arts. To buy tickets online, visit pleasantondowntown.net/ and click on “summer wine stroll.”
Any unsold tickets will go on sale for $35 each at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 301 Main St.
Contact Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267. Follow him at Twitter.com/deniscuff


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Wal-Mart Inc. filed a site plan for a future store on U.S. 1 near Southbridge on Wednesday and met their new neighbors — Southbridge residents determined to stop the retailer from building in front of their subdivisions.
Several Wal-Mart representatives spoke with members of the Save Southbridge Coalition to discuss concerns surrounding plans for a 205,000-square-foot store on 25 acres between New Cherry Hill Road and Wayside Drive.
In a meeting last week with Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sean T. Connaughton, R-at large, and Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan, R-Dumfries, Wal-Mart officials agreed to consider an alternative site on Va. 234 but said Wednesday they were committed to the Southbridge location.
“[They said] their plans are set in stone and they’re going to go ahead and build a Wal-Mart,” said Barb Connelly, one of the Southbridge residents who met with Wal-Mart officials.
The store, which will be less than five miles from the Wal-Mart on Worth Avenue in Woodbridge, will be built in two phases.
The first phase will consist of a 145,000-square-foot store, which will likely include a McDonald’s restaurant. After a few years, Wal-Mart plans to expand the store to 205,000 square feet, adding a gas station and an oil-and-lube service center.
The area is zoned for retail, but the gas station would require a special-use permit granted by the Board of County Supervisors. Caddigan said she will not support the project.
Wal-Mart representatives met with county planners Wednesday afternoon and discussed landscaping, buffering and other ways the store can be less obtrusive, Caddigan said.
Wal-Mart spokesman Keith Morris could not be reached Wednesday, but recently said the Southbridge Wal-Mart will be upscale, with more sophisticated architecture and painted in a variety of earth tones instead of the typical blue box style of older Wal-Mart stores.
Southbridge residents who met with Wal-Mart representatives said they were open to their suggestions and concerns and agreed to make some concessions, such as conducting a noise study and constructing a sound barrier wall behind the store.
But it wasn’t enough for John Dittmer, founder of the Save Southbridge Coalition. He said he will continue to lead the fight to stop Wal-Mart through environmental and legal avenues, if possible.
“We’re going to try to basically wear them down and throw everything we can at them,” he said.
Dittmer was charged with arranging the residents’ meeting with Wal-Mart representatives and decided the press should not be present. He invited nine Southbridge residents, who met at the A.J. Ferlazzo Building.
The meeting had not ended by 10 p.m. Wednesday.
He said Wal-Mart representatives agreed to meet with residents again and show them architectural renderings of the future store.
Staff writer Kate Bissell can be reached at (703) 878-8068.


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General Motors has consolidated its $3 billion global media spend with Carat, the media agency division of Aegis Group.
The multi-year contract spans search, social media, media planning and buying, as well as mobile. While the business will be managed by Carat’s global team in the U.S., it covers the Americas, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
“We wanted a media agency partner with the sophistication to leverage global marketing opportunities,” said GM Global CMO Joel Ewanick in a statement. “Carat has an innovative approach to drive significant marketing value and their service model has been tailored to align well with our global and regional brands. They are uniquely positioned to help us form strong media partnerships and drive significant global efficiencies.”
Publicis Groupe’s Starcom MediaVest Group had handled the automaker’s global media spend since 2005, prior to which it resided with GM Mediaworks, a division of Interpublic Group dedicated exclusively to the account. Starcom had its own GM Mediaworks branded unit, first created in 2000 to house the brand’s U.S. ad buying activities.
Publicis issued this statement: “This Starcom partnership represents less than 0.5 percent of Publicis Groupe revenue on a full-year basis. We’re proud of the insight and high level of professionalism that Starcom has brought to its work on GM’s image over the years, and of the support that we’ve given to GM through many ups and downs.”
SMG will continue to serve GM through June.
Carat’s sister agencies at Aegis include Vizeum, Isobar, and search specialist iProspect. Aegis Media has been GM’s media agency in Europe since January 2007.
Mother’s Day is big business for brands of all kinds. The National Retail Federation reports Americans spent upwards of $170 each on gifts ... read more
At ClickZ Live New York, we spoke with Hilton Worldwide's Melissa Walner about the brand's digital spend balance and the challenges of infrequent interaction.
There seems to be something new happening everyday in the world of virtual / augmented / mixed reality. Here are some recent developments bringing the artificial world closer to reality.


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Starbucks Corp. closed all of its New York City and Long Island locations at 4 p.m. Sunday to allow employees to get home before the transit system shuts down. The coffee giant said those stores will remain closed Monday.
In terms of the Connecticut, New Jersey and other stores in Hurricane Sandy’s path, a spokeswoman said those locations will close as needed.
Dunkin’ Brands followed Starbucks, closing many, if not all, of its New York stores Sunday afternoon.
– By Annie Gasparro


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The Apple Retail Store in San Francisco’s Stonestown Galleria is scheduled to reopen in a new larger location towards the end of this year, sources tell MacDailyNews.
The opening was initially scheduled to take place on November 23rd but will be delayed until December due to damage to steel panels on the front of the store. Since there is no glass at the new location, the steel damage is a showstopper. The steel panels are manufactured in Japan and will be have to be shipped via boat.
Sources say that additional stress will be put upon the overloaded current location because inventory hub levels have already been increased to accommodate the anticipated extra space and sales, therefore the store’s current storage space is overused.