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Dr. Joynicole Martinez, an experienced development executive in fund development, leadership and board training, strategic planning, and performance management is joining World Woman Foundation as the Director of Research & Development as the company officials announced today. - July 05, 2019 - The Alchemist Agency
Evolution Accelerator, Sacramento’s premier business acceleration group, has formed a new partnership with SacTV and The Trade Coffee & Coworking. - July 04, 2019 - Evolution Accelerator
Daugherty Business Solutions, a premier provider of business and technology solutions, is proud to announce the Daugherty Creative Services team has been awarded a Platinum Hermes Creative Award for the UI design of a mobile app created for Anheuser-Busch.
This award was an integrated effort between... - July 03, 2019 - Daugherty Business Solutions
Safe-Screen™ is recognized by HRTECH Outlook magazine as a Top 10 Pre-Employment Screening Consulting/Services Companies – 2019. The Top 10 list is an annual listing of 10 companies that are at the forefront of tackling customer challenges.
Safe-Screen™, based... - July 02, 2019 - Safe-Screen
New Networking Organization Offers Expert Educational Tools & Professional Meeting Opportunities to Members Statewide. - July 01, 2019 - Network Exchange
RadiusPoint, the leading single-source platform, and service provider for telecom and communication lifecycle management, announces its inclusion as a Representative Vendor in Gartner’s June 2019 Market Guide for Telecom Expense Management Services. RadiusPoint provides over 27 years’ of... - June 28, 2019 - TSG Enterprises, LLC dba RadiusPoint
New website serves as a platform for crypto investors seeking accurate, peer-to-peer insights into investment opportunities. - June 27, 2019 - Polyient
Source One specialty logistics engagement earns a spot on Supply and Demand Chain Executive’s Top 100 Projects list. - June 26, 2019 - Source One, a Corcentric Company
RadiusPoint©, the leading communication and utility lifecycle management provider and Dexter Global Business Solutions Inc, the premier Cost Control, Supply Chain and (Digital) Transformation Consultancy firm are pleased to announce their mutually-beneficial relationship under RadiusPoint’s... - June 23, 2019 - TSG Enterprises, LLC dba RadiusPoint
Business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to attend the Summer Lunch & Learn Networking Program to assist in the advancement of their business success. - June 19, 2019 - Westchester Networking for Professionals
Daugherty Business Solutions has been included in the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Top 150 Workplaces in Minnesota list. Daugherty continues to hit significant milestones because the size of its team keeps growing. And to support the recent surge of employees, Daugherty is expanding its physical footprint by more than 50 percent, moving their team into a newly-built modern workplace and development center located on the 14th floor of the 8500 Tower at Normandale Lakes Office Park. - June 17, 2019 - Daugherty Business Solutions
Solutions to Your CBD Oil/Hemp Payment Processing Problems - June 12, 2019 - American Merchant Brokers
Cates Consulting Group's thoughts and prayers are with the victims that were involved in the catastrophic gas explosion in Durham, North Carolina. In April 2019, two people were killed and 25 injured. Of the people injured, six were in critical condition and one was transported to a burn center. Cates... - June 11, 2019 - Cates Consulting Group
ENRICH in the USA is working with the Enterprise Europe Network, Temple University, the University City Science Centre, the Wistar Institute, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, Philadelphia Department of Commerce - City of Philadelphia, and BusinessFrance to help introduce a wide array of European Union (EU) companies here at the BIO International Convention. - June 09, 2019 - ENRICH in the USA
The International Institute for Analytics (IIA), the leading independent research and advisory firm focused exclusively on helping clients improve their analytics performance, today announced that Drew Smith will join IIA as Executive Director of IIA’s growing Analytics Leadership Consortium (ALC).
With... - June 08, 2019 - International Institute For Analytics
Forbes Coaches Council is an Invitation-Only Community for Leading Business and Career Coaches. Christopher Fairbank, Business Leadership Strategist Coach and Dare to be Different Motivational Leadership Speaker, has been accepted into Forbes Coaches Council, an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. - June 08, 2019 - Dare to be Different Speaker
NPPG are delighted to announce that Northeast Professional Planning Group, Inc. (“NPPG”) welcomed Pinnacle Financial Services (“Pinnacle”) to the NPPG family of companies. With offices in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and Michigan, the combined NPPG-Pinnacle provides bespoke... - June 01, 2019 - Northeast Professional Planning Group
Serving as sponsors and keynote speakers, Source One will join industry innovators at Procurious' Chicago conference. - May 31, 2019 - Source One, a Corcentric Company
InvoiceBerry is proud to announce winning two titles for SoftwareSuggest Recognition Awards 2019. The online invoicing software for small businesses and freelancers is now recognized as the expert choice software and for its great user experience by SoftwareSuggest.
InvoiceBerry always had a clear focus... - May 31, 2019 - Invoiceberry Ltd
Three nonprofit Veteran Service Organizations – Veteran Launch, The Rosie Network and the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. (aka REBOOT) – are bringing together business experts to support veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs in starting or expanding their businesses. American River College will host the event at the Student Center. - May 31, 2019 - Freedom Summit II
Cyber Security & IT Managed Service Provider, RMK Consulting, LLC, is delighted to announce a brand-new partnership with SentinelOne, a leading Endpoint Protection, Detection & Remediation vendor.
The partnership will see RMK Consulting, LLC incorporate SentinelOne's solution to their... - May 29, 2019 - RMK Consulting, LLC
Sun Acquisitions is pleased to announce Tony Schiappa, Chief Development Officer and Senior Advisor of Sun Acquisitions, has been re-elected to the Burr Ridge, Illinois Board of Trustees. This will be Tony’s second term serving the community of Burr Ridge.
Tony, along with his fellow board members... - May 23, 2019 - Sun Acquisitions
RadiusPoint, the leading service provider for telecom and utility expense management, has announced they will be expanding the Site Manager section to allow for Site and Equipment inventory to be managed within ExpenseLogic 8.0 software. Last month, new additions were announced for Q2 updates and this... - May 23, 2019 - TSG Enterprises, LLC dba RadiusPoint
For Scotland's premier IT service provider m3 Networks, their mission is simple: to provide the best customer service in the country. - May 22, 2019 - m3 Networks Limited
spriteCloud B.V., a provider of software testing services, announces the introduction of security testing services to their extensive portfolio of quality assurance and testing services. These penetrations tests are a step closer to providing a one-stop shop to clients for software and website testing services in the Netherlands and abroad. - May 21, 2019 - spriteCloud B.V.
Dr. Joynicole Martinez, CEO of the Charlotte, NC based management consulting firm the Alchemist Agency, has been accepted into Forbes Coaches Council, an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. - May 17, 2019 - The Alchemist Agency
RBnH Solutions offers tailor made food and beverage development consultancy and services to owners, operators and investors seeking assistance. RBnH Solutions is a highly experienced food and beverage consulting agency in Dubai. - May 17, 2019 - RBnH Solutions
Premier marketing and sales firm Nine 26, Inc. announced that their work on behalf of a major client in Pittsburgh, PA has resulted in being nominated for Best and Brightest Companies to Work for - on a national level for 2019. - May 17, 2019 - Nine 26, Inc
Green Rush Packaging is now launching Pyro Papers; a line of cultivator and dispensary ready pre-rolled cones and accessories. - May 16, 2019 - Green Rush Packaging
Tony Gillisse will accept this year’s Lester Radke Community Service Award from Dunebrook, Inc., in recognition of his service to the child abuse prevention and child advocacy center. - May 16, 2019 - CLH, CPAs & Consultants
Sun Acquisitions is pleased to announce that Mike Vaughn has joined the team as a Senior Advisor. Mike brings over 30 years of experience to our team and specializes in the manufacturing sector.
For the past 5 years, Mike has focused on helping people acquire and sell businesses as an independent affiliate... - May 16, 2019 - Sun Acquisitions
MDmetrix will use funds to expand its AI capabilities and add key hires to its Seattle-based headquarters. - May 14, 2019 - MDmetrix
Megan Fletcher will join Ossid, a manufacturing industry leader in packaging technology, to expand and streamline its business. - May 11, 2019 - Ossid
Sun Acquisitions announced today the successful acquisition of Zircon Precision Products, a precision aerospace machine shop, by CLM Equity Partners. CLM Equity Partners engaged Sun Acquisitions in a nation-wide buy-side search to find an aerospace parts manufacturer to acquire and operate.
For over... - May 09, 2019 - Sun Acquisitions
Sun Acquisitions has been engaged to sell a high performance, single location retail franchisee in Michigan with over a million dollars in net cash flow.
The success of this company is due to the foundation of a highly ranked retail franchisor, the prime location with affluent customer base and a large... - May 04, 2019 - Sun Acquisitions
Ubuntu Institute of Learning Presents: Water Walker! Sirena Moore-Thomas, a successful entrepreneur who started a multi-million dollar construction company when she was a teeange monther of twins, shares her secrets in her new book, "Water Walker." - May 02, 2019 - Ubuntu Institute of Learning
Program Honors the Achievement - April 30, 2019 - Shapiro Hurst & Associates, LLC.
Qixas Group is proud to announce Debbie Clark as the Chief Operating Officer for North American Operations. - April 27, 2019 - Qixas Group
The Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association says, "The FDA, the government and elected officials have hired a famous movie director to scare our kids. That’s what he does in his movies - makes people afraid. Except our kids aren’t dumb - they know there’s no scientific proof of what’s in this commercial. Kids won’t be lied to. They know the truth about vaping and you should too." - April 26, 2019 - SFATA
Sun Acquisitions is pleased to announce the sale of a knife and blade fabricator in Southern Illinois.
The company uses CNC Flat Grinder machines to produce high quality and high tolerance blades and knives. The company’s client-oriented approach has allowed them to build a large base of repeat... - April 26, 2019 - Sun Acquisitions
Mission is to Empower Women, Minorities, Youth, Military & Less Fortunate with Entrepreneurial Skills - April 23, 2019 - The Lonely Entrepreneur
Bevis Cheng joins the leading go-to-market organization for Australian tech companies exploring U.S. business opportunities. - April 23, 2019 - ANZA Partners
On April 25, 2019, Tesla Co-Founder Marc Tarpenning will be visiting The Pi Shop in Downtown Fresno to deliver a fireside chat regarding entrepreneurship, Tesla, environmental concerns, and the future of technology. - April 20, 2019 - Pi Shop
There’s an epidemic of misinformation about vaping in the United States. SFATA, the Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association, wants to make sure you’re getting the truth – not just the fake facts.
SFATA believes that while the FDA is busy giving adults and teens an epidemic of misinformation,... - April 16, 2019 - SFATA
In Building an Effective Procurement Organization, the experts in Procurement Transformation discuss refining the function’s core pillars. - April 12, 2019 - Source One, a Corcentric Company
Keeping up with the tremendous expansion that the beauty and wellness industry is undergoing, PBW Pro has been revamped with plenty of new features including a free website, staff and client management tools, and more. Retailers can now sell their beauty products, cosmetics, wellness, and fitness products on the recently launched PBW Pro marketplace at the best rates worldwide. - April 11, 2019 - PBW
The Orlando Business Journal has recognized Sharon Watkins, CEO of RadiusPoint as one of Central Florida’s top CEO’s in their 2019 CEOs of the Year Award. Watkins was honored as a CEO who has led their company to eminence and has had a remarkable impact on the community and its economy.
RadiusPoint... - April 07, 2019 - TSG Enterprises, LLC dba RadiusPoint
The leading Spend Management consultants will join thought leaders from Dell, GE, and other giants on the road to Telecom category excellence. - April 04, 2019 - Source One, a Corcentric Company
RadiusPoint, the leading service provider for technology and utility expense management, has announced additional capabilities to their quarterly update for ExpenseLogic 8.0. Each Quarter of 2019, they will be continuously improving upon this version based on their client’s input and needs. Added... - April 04, 2019 - TSG Enterprises, LLC dba RadiusPoint
The International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) will be hosting their annual conference in Minneapolis, MN, to bring global entrepreneurial leaders together to create new connections, share ideas, and learn from each other to spur innovative economic development. - April 03, 2019 - International Business Innovation Association


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Audi has released some more details on their new Audi H-Tron Quattro Concept which is being shown off at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The Audi H-Tron Quattro Concept is powered by an all electric drive system that uses hydrogen for power with a newly developed fuel cell.
High range, swift refueling, sporty road performance: The technology study Audi h-tron quattro concept demonstrates the huge potential of fuel cell technology. This model, which Audi is unveiling for the first time, has all-electric drive – using hydrogen as its energy source. It combines state-of-the-art fuel cell technology delivering up to 110 kW with a battery that provides a temporary boost of up to 100 kW.
Two electric motors on the front and rear axles represent a new evolutionary level of quattro drive – the electrified quattro. The electric motor on the front axle develops 90 kW, and its rear counterpart 140 kW. The sporty SUV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62.1 mph) in under seven seconds. Its hydrogen tanks can be refueled safely and easily in around four minutes; a range of up to 600 kilometers (372.8 mi) is possible.
You can find out more details about the new Audi H-Tron Quattro Concept at the link below, Audi plans to use the technology it developed for the car for future vehicles.

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Epic Games, the company behind the hugely popular game Fortnite, has scored a significant legal victory against Google. The crux of the lawsuit revolved around claims that Google had been using its dominant position in the app store market to engage in unfair practices.
The verdict, reached by the jury, was clear and unanimous. They found that Google indeed holds monopoly power in the markets for Android app distribution and in-app billing services. The jury concluded that Google’s actions in these markets were not only anticompetitive but also harmful to companies like Epic Games. This decision marks a turning point in how digital marketplaces might be regulated and operated in the future.
Key findings of the jury included the determination that Google had unlawfully linked its Google Play app store with its Google Play Billing services. Additionally, various agreements Google had in place, such as their Project Hug deals with game developers and arrangements with OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), were deemed anticompetitive.
Following the verdict, Google’s VP of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Wilson White, expressed the company’s intention to appeal. White emphasized the competitive nature of the app store market, pointing out the competition they face not just from Apple but also from other app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles.
On the flip side, Epic Games celebrated the verdict as a victory not just for themselves but for app developers and consumers globally. In a statement on their company blog, Epic Games highlighted the ruling as a confirmation of Google’s illegal practices in the app store domain, criticizing Google for using its position to impose high fees, limit competition, and hinder innovation.


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Montigny Supports Minimum Wage Hike
The Massachusetts Senate has approved a compromise bill that would hike the state's current $8-per-hour minimum wage to $11 per hour by 2017, but would not tie future increases to inflation.
The 35-4 vote on Thursday came less than 24 hours after House and Senate negotiators hammered out a deal on the minimum wage.
State Senator Mark Montigny of New Bedford was among those supporting the increase....
A House vote is expected next week. Not everyone supports the increase. Jon Hurst, head of the state's Retailers Association, warned the bill could drive some stores out of business.


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Mayor Michael Bloomberg is moving forward with his vision to create a greener New York.
Bloomberg, along with Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Edna Wells Handy, announced the addition of 70 new electric vehicles to the city’s fleet and launched new plans to provide New Yorkers with information about electric vehicles.
The announcement was made at a Department of Sanitation’s central repair shop on 58th Street in Maspeth.
“This is the latest and largest-ever addition of electric vehicles to the city’s fleet, which is already the largest municipal clean-air vehicle fleet in the nation,” Bloomberg said. “We will continue to lead by example, but we also must provide New Yorkers with tools to make environmentally friendly choices in their own lives.”
The city already boasts the largest municipal electric fleet in America, with the 70 new cars boosting the total to 430 electric vehicles.
The new electric cars will be used by a variety of city groups including the NYPD, FDNY and the Taxi and Limousine Commission. The Chevy Volt is set to become the first electric car used by the NYPD.
Deputy Mayor Goldsmith said that the increased use of electric vehicles would be beneficial to the city’s environment.
“Using electric vehicles reduces air pollution carbon emissions while also lowering gasoline consumption—a fact that will translate into significant life-cycle savings per vehicle for the city,” Deputy Mayor Goldsmith said.
A driving factor for the city is that it hopes to get information about these type of cars out to more people.
According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, only 30 percent of New Yorkers know the specific positives and limitations about electric vehicles. The study also showed 21 percent of consumers were more likely to purchase an electric vehicle after education.
The City’s electric vehicle website, Drive Electric NYC, aims to give users an online resource for information regarding electric cars. The website, which is available at nyc.gov, has information on electric cars, including how they work and how they are unique. It also has a cost calculator, which helps a potential owner compare the cost difference between a electric car and a conventional car.
Bloomberg says that he hopes the electric vehicles will play a role in achieving the goals in PlaNYC, a plan the Mayor put together in 2007, which aims to make the city more environmentally friendly.
“Our job is to make sure the public has the facts, ensure they can make their own decisions and ensure that if they want to drive an electric vehicle. We are providing the infrastructure needed,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “It’s all part of our PlaNYC agenda to create a greener, greater New York City.”
The electric vehicle program was possible due to partnerships and funding from the New York State Power Authority, U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Energy.


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ATLANTA -- Georgia exports dropped slightly during last year's third quarter, while imports rose dramatically, according to the latest figures.
The value of export shipping through the Port of Savannah decreased 21 percent, but it increased through Brunswick by 34 percent at the same time.
The state's combined exports totaled $3.58 billion, 2.2 percent lower than 1997's third quarter.
Manufactured exports represented the bulk of the decline, with a 2.2 percent slip that equaled $3.35 billion. Nonmanufactured exports slid 1.9 percent, to $224 million.
Still, exports for the first three quarters of 1998 rose 1.6 percent, ranking Georgia 14th among states in the value of its exports, according to government figures compiled by Wachovia Corp.
"Sharply declining sales to East Asia, as well as languishing exports to Latin America, resulted in declining Georgia exports in the third quarter," said D. Gary Thompson, Wachovia's chief executive in the state. "Slow export sales affected several key sectors, including machinery, electronics, paper and chemicals."
On the other side of the ledger, imports shot up 14.8 percent for an increase of $4.46 billion over the third quarter of the prior year.
Reduced exports and higher imports tipped the state's balance of trade further into deficit, by $888 million in the third quarter and $2.34 billion for the year to date.
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Cross-Straits Tea Expo kicks off in Fujian
The 14th Cross-Straits Tea Expo opens in Wuyishan, a county-level city in Nanping, East China's Fujian province on Nov 16. [Photo by Hu Meidong/chinadaily.com.cn]
The 14th Cross-Straits Tea Expo opened in Wuyishan, a county-level city in Nanping, East China's Fujian province on Nov 16.
The event is aimed at enhancing cross-Straits communication and cooperation in the tea industry between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
The annual event is the largest tea expo across the Straits, and this year's edition features four themed exhibition zones and 1,800 exhibition booths in total, with more than 800 enterprises from across the Straits in attendance.
A series of activities will be held during the expo, including a vocational skills competition for tea processing, an eco-food expo and a brand promotion event, according to Yuan Yi, Party secretary of Nanping city.
Yuan added that this year's event will be held both online and offline, and more than 8,000 purchasers from home and abroad will take part in the online event.
Wuyishan city in Nanping is named after the Wuyi Mountains where the region's famous dahongpao rock tea originated. It is also the birthplace of oolong tea and black tea. The Wuyi Mountains were the southern starting point of an ancient tea road that stretched about 13,000 kilometers to Russia.
In order to bring prosperity to the entire tea industrial chain and improve core competitiveness of its tea industry, Wuyishan city has beefed up efforts to promote the quality development of the industry in recent years. According to the local government, the city will cultivate more than 100 tea enterprises above designated scale by 2022, in turn generating an output value of 10 billion yuan ($1.52 billion).
- Ningde makes great strides in economic development
- Magnificent Jiuxian Mountain bathed in sea of clouds
- Online activity held to celebrate friendship between Fujian and Eastern Highlands
- High-tech future seen in tea leaves
- Fujian's cultural heritage, time-honored brands shine at 3rd CIIE


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Although it was released only through Walmart, Sam’s Club and the band’s Web site, AC/DC’s long-awaited album “Black Ice” debuted at the top of the U.S. album charts, topping the “High School Musical 3″ soundtrack, according to this Billboard story.
“Black Ice” sold more than 780,000 copies in the U.S.; it’s the year’s second biggest album debut after Lil Wayne, who sold more than a million copies of “Tha Carter III” when it was released.
The CD has topped the charts in 29 countries since its release in the recent days, according to this Associated Press story.
“It’s overwhelming, and quite hard to take in,” the legendary group’s lead singer, Brian Johnson, told the AP Wednesday after learning his group had 2008′s second-biggest album debut.
“Even an old dog like me has a few more surprises in life, I guess,” he said, chuckling.
The group beat out “High School Musical 3,” whose predecessors both became top sellers, for the No. 1 spot.
According to figures released Wednesday by Nielsen SoundScan, “Black Ice” sold some 784,000 copies in its first week of release; the teen-oriented movie soundtrack sold about 297,000 copies.
In making Wal-Mart the only retailer for their album, AC/DC joined the ranks of the Eagles, Journey and Oklahoma native Garth Brooks, who have experienced success with the strategy.
“It was a win-win situation, and they decided to make it into a big thing with AC/DC merchandise and good deals with the other albums with the catalog,” Johnson told the AP. “This has been a wonderful thing.”
AC/DC will its “Black Ice” World Tour Jan. 26 to Tulsa’s BOK Center. For more information, go to www.bokcenter.com.


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By Michele Novaga
After posting flattish growth following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Italian start-up ACBC expects to double revenues this year and enjoy a triple-digit growth rate in 2023.
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In recent days we’ve seen the LCC Lightning move about, and even with its higher-than-Tesla pricetag, it surely moves the technology goalposts. Nevertheless, the $100K Tesla Roadster is a Lotus Elise in the electric emperor’s new clothes, so one sits up and pays attention.
Selecting the best of the most recent Tesla photos, GoodCarBadCar.net wishes it to be known that the Tesla has some angles on its side and some…. not so much. The first three photos you see are Tesla, the bottom shows its Lotus origins.


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Google has tough competition from China-only player Baidu in the smart speaker market. In a significant development, Baidu shipped 4.5 million units in April-June, growing 3700% in the quarter, according to a report by marketing, analytics, and research firm Canalys. Baidu introduced Xiaodu smart speakers in Q2 of last year.
In contrast, Google shipped 4.3 million units in Q2 2019.
According to the Canalys report, Amazon maintained its lead in the global smart speaker market, shipping 6.6 million units of its Echo speakers, followed by Baidu, Google, Alibaba, and Xiaomi.
The report said the market grew 55.4% in Q2 2019, with a total shipment of 26.1 million units.
“China’s smart speaker market performance outshone others", with double the quarterly shipment size and a total of 12.6 million units shipped. That’s more than two times the size of the US market, which has 6.1 million units, the report said.
“Aggressive marketing and go-to-market campaigns built strong momentum for Baidu in China. The vendor stood out as a key driver of smart displays, to achieve 45% smart display product mix in its Q2 shipments," said Cynthia Chen, Canalys Research Analyst. Chen said Baidu faces “little competition" in the smart display space in China.
Meanwhile, the market size for smart speakers in the US declined 2.4% in Q2 2019. Canalys noted that both Google and Amazon “are focused on growing their business outside the US".
“Google’s transition to the Next branding while pivoting to smart displays proved to be a challenge, especially as it has begun rolling out its Nest Hub smart display globally. Google urgently requires a revamped non-display smart speaker portfolio to rekindle consumer interest," it said.
Incidentally, Google launched the Google Nest Hub smart display in India today. The device competes against Amazon’s Echo Show and Echo Show 5 smart displays, and is priced at ₹9,999.
According to IDC’s (International Data Corporation) India Monthly Smart Speaker Device Tracker, Google had a 39% of the market share in India in 2018, behind Amazon which has a 59% market share.
The two companies are pretty much the only ones selling smart speakers in India at the moment. However, companies like Bose and Sony have used Google and Amazon’s technology to offer smart speakers in India in 2019 as well and it’s a matter of time before others do the same.


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Taiwan's chief trade negotiator expects Taiwan-U.S. trade talks soon
Taipei, Aug. 13 (CNA) It "won't be long" before Taiwan and the United States kick off negotiations under the Taiwan-U.S. 21st Century Trade Initiative, Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) said Saturday.
With preparation work on both sides proceeding as planned, they are expected to soon formally announce the start of the negotiations before setting a date, Deng, who serves as Taiwan's chief trade negotiator, told CNA.
Kurt Campbell, deputy assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden and White House Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, on Friday also said during a conference call that Washington officials were developing an "ambitious roadmap for trade negotiations" with Taiwan, which they intend to announce "in the coming days."
The first round of negotiations is likely to focus on topics on which the two sides already share similar views, those pertaining to bilateral ties, or those that have been discussed in detail at the World Trade Organization and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Deng said.
Hopefully, the two sides will be able to wrap up negotiations before the start of the APEC summit to be hosted by the U.S. late next year, he said.
The Initiative, launched on June 1, seeks to create a pathway for both sides to negotiate and sign a trade agreement, with topics ranging from how best to facilitate trade and digital trade to anti-corruption efforts, small and medium-sized enterprises, environmental protection and non-market economies.
more OCAC News, welcome to OCACNEWS.NET


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- Nintendo Switch gamers dont have much to look forward to in 2020.
- The gaming company is padding out the year with ports and a remaster.
- Some of Nintendos biggest games may not launch until 2021.
Nintendo Switch owners are likely going to suffer a dry year of gaming in 2020 thanks to a stunning lack of major releases.
Currently, there are only five big titles coming to the Nintendo Switch this year. Worse is the fact that some of these arent even new games.
Starting 2020 with a Port Isnt a Good Sign
The first big Switch release of 2020 is a port. | Source: Nintendo/Atlus
The first big game landing on Switch is Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, which comes out on Jan. 17. This is a port of a game that originally showed up on the Wii U.
After this, Nintendo Switch owners will have to wait until March 20 for Animal Crossing: New Horizons to launch. While Animal Crossing is a fun game, its not a major time killer and works best in small doses.
That means gamers are going to want something extra to sink their teeth into. Unfortunately, this is the last major title of the year with a confirmed release date.
Multiple Nintendo Switch Games Dont Have Release Dates Yet
We dont have a release date for Bravely Default 2 yet. | Source: Nintendo/Square Enix
The other big Nintendo Switch games coming out this year are Bravely Default 2, No More Heroes 3, and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. That last one is a remaster of a game that originally came out on the Wii.
Theres also room for some surprise announcement this year, but gamers shouldnt get their hopes up just yet.
According to recent rumors, Nintendo is planning to port over two more Wii U games to the Switch. Its still unknown which games these are, but it doesnt change the fact that they are older titles.
Nintendo Still Has a Chance to Surprise Switch Owners
The Breath of the Wild Sequel might come out in 2020. | Source: Nintendo/YouTube
It looks like Nintendo is trying to pad out 2020. We know that the company has several other games in development for the Switch, but they might not be ready in time for a 2020 release.
But its still possible that Nintendo Switch owners will get a surprise this year. We dont know when Bayonetta 3 or the Breath of the Wild sequel are coming out, but 2020 releases are possible.
Theres another big Nintendo Switch title in the works with Metroid Prime 4, but theres no way that hits shelves earlier than 2021. Another rumor claims that a Super Metroid remake is in the works, but take that with a grain of salt.
Nintendo Can Lay Off Pokemon Anytime Now
More Pokemon wont help Nintendo. | Source: Nintendo/YouTube
This weeks Pokemon Direct previewed some new DLC for Sword and Shield, but the announcement didnt go over all that well for Nintendo.
All in all, it looks like 2020 is going to be a dry year for Nintendo Switch owners.
This article was edited by Josiah Wilmoth.
Last modified: January 9, 2020 7:28 PM UTC


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Christine Tacon CBE is the new chair of Assured Food Standards, the not-for-profit company owned by the farming unions, AHDB, Dairy UK and the British Retail Consortium, that operates the Red Tractor Assurance scheme.
She replaces Dame Lucy Neville-Rolfe who resigned from the role in late October, shortly before her three-year term ended. Lady Neville-Rolfe, a Conservative peer, had attracted industry criticism for voting against an Agriculture Bill amendment in the House of Lords designed to protect high UK food standards.
Ms Tacon was the first Groceries Code Adjudicator from 2010 until October last year. She also chairs the BBC Rural Affairs Committee and MDS, the management training scheme for the food and fresh produce industry. She is a director of the AF Group purchasing co-operative.
A chartered engineer, Ms Tacon started her career with Coats Viyella before moving into marketing roles with Mars, Vodafone and Anchor (now Fonterra). From 2000 – 2012 she was managing director of the Co-operative Group’s farming business. She was awarded a CBE for services to agriculture in 2004.
“This role builds on my experience in farming, the food chain, working with government and most of all with consumers,” says Ms Tacon. “With uncertainty on standards of food imported into the UK post-Brexit, this is a great time to be working on British standards and ensuring they are fit for purpose for all its stakeholders.”


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E3 2002: Burnout 2 official
It was announced today that the arcade racer Burnout will be receiving a sequel titled Burnout 2: Point of Impact. The game will be unveiled at E3 2002 by Acclaim and is expected to earn a fair amount of attention, due to last year's project. Burnout was first released on the Playstation 2 and then was granted ports to the Xbox and GameCube. The website www.burnout2.com reveals information hinting at this sequel and Acclaim is expected to release it across all platforms. Development for the game is being headed by Criterion Studios and will be shipped to retailers this October. We will have hands-on coverage of this game, as it is made available at E3.
5/20/2002 Matt Stensrud


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Regardless of how neutral we try to be, all “reporters” have some sort of agenda to promote. For a journalist, that agenda may be to “spin” an article to promote sales or views. For a cruise blogger, like me, it is simply to share my love of cruising, and bring members to… [Continue Reading]
Carnival To Host â€˜Community Service Dayâ€™ in New Orleans Prior to â€˜Bloggers Cruiseâ€™ on Carnival Fantasy in Feb. 2009
Participants in the second â€œJohn Heald Bloggers Cruiseâ€ â€“ taking place aboard the newly refurbished Carnival Fantasy from New Orleans in February 2009 â€“ will not only enjoy five fun-filled days sailing with the popular senior cruise director, but they can also make a difference in the lives of local residents.
The â€œBloggers Cruise Community Service… [Continue Reading]
MIAMI (April 8, 2008) Ã¢â‚¬â€œ The blog of Carnival Cruise LinesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ Senior Cruise Director John Heald continues to set new milestones, with the number of total hits approaching two million and daily visitors increasing 55 percent over the past month. HealdÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s blog can be accessed via www.carnival.com or www.johnhealdsblog.com.
The dramatic increase in traffic can be… [Continue Reading]
Second Annual John Heald Bloggers Cruise to be Held Aboard Carnival Fantasy from New Orleans In February 2009
MIAMI (January 21, 2008) Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Following tremendous response to the inaugural John Heald Bloggers Cruise taking place this week aboard Carnival Freedom, Carnival Cruise Lines has announced that the popular senior cruise director will host a second Bloggers Cruise, this time aboard the Carnival Fantasy Feb. 7-12, 2009.
The second Bloggers Cruise — a five-day voyage… [Continue Reading]


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When the going got tough for Puig, the 98-year-old family-owned Spanish fragrance and fashion business dug deep and mined its strength: storytelling.
This story first appeared in the June 1, 2012 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
“Our company grew a lot during the Nineties through acquisitions, mainly, and we reached the beginning of this century with declining sales and, most worrisome, deteriorating profitability to the point that in 2004 we had operating losses,” said Marc Puig, chairman and chief executive officer. “We didn’t meet the governance of our debt, the auditors didn’t want to sign the numbers. Things didn’t look good.”
Puig said the company did some serious soul-searching to identify its raison d’être.
“We were good at building brands, achieving the image of a brand through fashion, and we were at our best when translating that same image — whether ours or from somebody else — in the fragrance world,” he said.
At the time, Puig was involved in many beauty product categories and realized it had to cherry-pick what it was good at and craft an organization to best support it. The company also honed in on geographic priorities and set its sights on lassoing 10 percent of the prestige fragrance industry’s market share, the critical mass it felt necessary for survival.
“So how do you make it happen?” asked Puig. “I think the answer has to do with passion and storytelling.”
He said the beauty industry in general and Puig in particular had failed at being able to excite the consumer.
“For fear of failure for many years, we had been just bringing ‘me-too’ products,” he said. So the strategy was to again excite consumers by coming up with stories to tell them.
A case in point was the advertising film for Valentina, the Valentino women’s scent Puig launched last year in Europe and the Middle East. After signing a fragrance license with the Italian fashion label, Puig took to discontinuing all of Valentino’s former scents to “launch something that is different, with a story that can be attractive,” explained the executive.
For the Valentina campaign, the concept was to recount the story of a young woman from an aristocratic Italian family whose parents are about to throw a party for her in their Roman palazzo. It’s the last thing she wants, so she jumps out a window to celebrate with her friends.
“We tried to really capture the story in the elements of the mix.”
The storytelling strategy is bearing fruit. Over the past eight years, Puig has approximately doubled its sales. (The company closed 2011 with revenues up 12 percent on-year to 1.3 billion euros, or $1.87 billion at average exchange.)
Between 2007 and 2011, Puig grew its worldwide prestige fragrance market share from 5.1 percent to 7.6 percent, making it rank seventh, according to its estimates.
“This puts us on a good track to hopefully reach 10 percent in 2014, which is the year of our centennial,” said Puig.


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ADA, Mich., Dec. 18 -- As part of its One by One Campaign for Children, Amway Global donated $1.0 million in product to NBC's TODAY Show Toy Drive via a direct selling industry effort to provide holiday gifts for thousands of children nationwide. Amway Global's gift includes cosmetics, skin care, personal care, fragrances and jewelry, items
Additionally, above the $1.0 million, Amway Global has promised for every person that visits the Amway Global Facebook page to learn more about how Amway Global shares with local communities and becomes a Fan between December 18 and Christmas Day, they will donate an additional gift, up to $100,000 worth, to the TODAY Show Toy Drive.
This donation is a public expression of Amway Global's efforts to improve the well being of children around the world through its One by One campaign. It also demonstrates Amway Global's support of the United States Direct Selling Association, whose member companies combined donation totals nearly $15.7 million in products and cash to the TODAY Show Toy Drive this year.
"Amway Global, our employees and Independent Business Owners are proud to support the TODAY Show Toy Drive again this year," said Steve Lieberman, Managing Director of Amway Global. "Together, Amway Global and our parent company, Amway, have donated more than $70 million to children's causes around the world since One by One began in 2003. We hope the gifts donated to the TODAY Show Toy Drive brighten the holiday season for children and their families here in North America."
Steve Lieberman appeared briefly on the TODAY Show Friday, December 18, in the 10 a.m. hour.
In addition to supporting the TODAY Show Toy Drive, Amway Global serves as a sponsor of Boys & Girls Club, Easter Seals and the U.S. Dream Academy through the Amway One by One Campaign for Children.
ABOUT AMWAY GLOBAL
With its affiliates around the world, Amway Global (www.amwayglobal.com) is a leader in the $80 billion global direct-selling industry. Established in 1959 as a seller of household cleaners, the company expanded and diversified over the years and today is a leader in Health and Beauty through its NUTRILITE® brand of nutritional supplements and the ARTISTRY® brand of skin care and cosmetics.
Amway reported sales of more than $8.2 billion last year and is helping millions of people lead better lives with its consumer products, business opportunities, and generous sharing through its One By One Campaign for Children. Amway's NUTRILITE brand is based in Buena Park, Calif., with extensive farming and processing operations in Lakeview, Calif. NUTRILITE also sponsors AC Milan and enjoys the endorsement of soccer superstar Ronaldinho. In the U.S., Amway Global also is the presenting sponsor of the San Jose Earthquakes.
About the Amway One by One Campaign for Children
The Amway One by One Campaign for Children (www.amwayonebyone.com) builds local relationships that result in global impact. Through One by One programs, Amway, its employees and distributors support hundreds of nonprofit organizations in more than 50 countries working to address the full spectrum of children's needs. Since 2003, the Amway One by One Campaign for Children has donated more than $70 million to children's causes, touching the lives of 6 million children. Our employees and Business Owners have spent over 1 million hours volunteering to make life better for children around the world.
SOURCE Amway Global
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NEWARK, Del. — Strikepoint Group Holdings (SGH), a home services company, announced it has acquired Monmouth Junction, NJ-based Olson’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. The addition of Olson’s into SGH’s portfolio of home services brands marks the second acquisition of 2022 and the eighteenth of the last 18 months for the company, formerly known as Horizon Group Holdings.
Founded in 1987, Olson’s provides heating, cooling, water heaters, and air quality solutions in the South Brunswick area of New Jersey, including Middlesex, Somerset, and Mercer Counties.
“For more than 35 years, we’ve been dedicated to delivering our customers the best in home services. We’ve built solid, lasting relationships in our community and take our responsibility to customers very seriously,” said Olson’s owner Kris Olson. “Our partnership with Strikepoint will allow us to continue to provide top notch service to our customers, while also opening the door to new opportunities for both our business and our employees.”
Charlie Haines, CEO of Strikepoint Group Holdings, said his company is looking forward to adding another home services contractor to its family of established brands.
“Olson’s is a well-established business in New Jersey that has excelled under Kris’s leadership. It has a wonderful reputation built on years of excellent customer service. I’m confident they will fit in well with the rest of our growing team," added Haines.
SGH’s portfolio of local and regional home services brands stretches from New England to Florida. It continues to grow by acquiring and partnering with other companies.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.


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The latest GDP report showed the U.S. economy grew by a faster-than-expected pace in the fourth quarter of 2022, but that likely overstates America’s economic health as a measure of domestic demand slowed to a crawl, while one key data point buried deep in the report was the worst since the Great Depression.
The U.S. economy expanded 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, down from 3.2 percent in the prior quarter, data released Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis show.
Analysts expected a slower, 2.6 percent, pace of growth, with Wall Street rallying on the upside surprise and closing the trading day in the green.
‘Couldn’t Have Been Any Better’?
President Joe Biden took a victory lap, saying at an event in Springfield, Virginia, that the GDP report “couldn’t have been any better.”
Biden touted job and wage growth, as well as easing of inflationary pressures, and took credit.
“I don’t think it’s unfair to say that this is all evidence that the Biden economic plan, because of you all, is actually working,” the president said.
But a deeper dive into the GDP report shows signs of weakness and a possible major red flag.
For starters, much of the strength in the GDP growth number of 2.9 percent came from inventory building, which added 1.46 percentage points to the headline economic expansion figure.
Net exports added another 0.56 percentage points, but that was driven by a drop in imports rather than a rise in exports, which is not a good sign.
“Our concern is that the inventory building is increasingly involuntary rather than planned—consumer demand is softening at a time when improved supply chains have boosted the stock of products available,” analysts at ING said in a note.
“Likewise, the improvement in net trade is down to imports falling (a sign of a weakening US demand outlook) rather than exports rising—exports fell 1.3%. So, to sum up, we have good growth but not for great reasons,” they added.
Consumer spending grew 2.1 percent but demand for long-lasting manufactured goods, which are mostly bought on credit, fizzled.
Stripping out inventories, government spending, and trade, U.S. domestic demand increased at only a 0.2 percent rate. That was the smallest increase in private domestic final sales since the second quarter of 2020 and was a deceleration from the third quarter’s 1.1 percent pace.
Also, while the December durable goods report showed a 5.6 percent jump month-over-month, this was led by aircraft orders. Excluding transport, orders fell 0.1 percent, while non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, which is a measure closely tracked by the Federal Reserve as a proxy for capital expenditures by businesses, fell by a monthly 0.2 percent in December.
“So again, the details paint a very different picture to what looking at the headline alone would suggest—remember too it isn’t as if Boeing can suddenly magically make all these planes this year,” ING analysts said.
Further, non-residential fixed investment, which is also a proxy for business capital expenditures, plummeted at an annual rate of 26.7 percent.
But one data point in particular was stunning when seen in a historical context.
Included as a supplement to the GDP report was a historical comparison data set (pdf), which showed that disposable personal income in 2022 fell by 6.4 percent compared to a year prior. That’s the sharpest decline in the measure since the Great Depression, when disposable personal income plummeted 13.1 percent in 1932.
“The most troubling information in the GDP report is the precipitous drop in real disposable income, which fell over $1 trillion in 2022,” E.J. Antoni, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, wrote in an op-ed.
Such a sharp decline in disposable personal income doesn’t bode well for the U.S. economy going forward as it could mean a pullback in consumer spending.
“Consumer spending—the economy’s main growth engine—is expected to weaken as income growth softens and households can no longer rely on excess savings to maintain their desired pace of spending,” economists at Oxford Economics said in a note.
Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, accounting for around 70 percent of economic growth.
“The U.S. economy isn’t falling off a cliff, but it is losing stamina and risks contracting early this year,” said Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto.
Looking ahead to the first quarter, the CEIC GDP Nowcast projects that the U.S. economy will grow just 0.4 percent.
The Conference Board anticipates that the United States will endure three consecutive quarters of negative real GDP growth beginning this quarter.
“However, this downturn will be relatively mild and brief, and growth should rebound in 2024 as inflation ebbs further and the Fed begins to loosen monetary policy,” the Conference Board said in a report.
For the upcoming year, S&P Global forecasts a GDP growth rate of negative 0.1 percent in 2023.
One positive data point from Thursday’s GDP report is that inflation eased in the fourth quarter, with a measure of inflation rising 3.2 percent, down from the 4.8 percent notched in the prior quarter.
But a tight labor market, as evidenced by a drop in the number of weekly jobless claim filings to its lowest level since April 2022, suggests that wage pressures remain high and, with them, upward pressure on inflation.
Andrew Moran and Reuters contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times


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While the Fed held interest rates as had been expected by pretty much everyone, the statement appears to have spooked traders. Prior to the meeting US indices
had been trading moderately higher, but turned decidedly south on the announcement driving downward through the end of the day, breaking support and sending downward momentum toward today’s Asia Pacific markets.
The Fed’s statement was mixed to moderately dovish. While recognizing strong employment growth, the Fed noted the overall economy has slowed a bit and that inflation is running below target due to weak oil prices. The FOMC also indicated that it is closely monitoring global developments and that the current economy only warrants gradual interest rate increases.
The street appears to have taken this news as a warning on the health of the US and global economy, impacting confidence a bit in the short term. Initially, support levels like 16,000 on the Dow held but once those gave way, the floodwaters rushed in and the bears overwhelmed the bulls.
Earnings reports also had a big impact on trading in individual stocks with Textron down 10.4%, Boeing falling 8.3% and Apple retreating 5.1%. In contrast, rebounding commodity prices helped US resource stocks with Freeport rallying 16.1%, Consol Energy gaining 11.0% and Newmont rising 4.1%. In Canada, base metal miner First Quantum rise 4.8% while Rogers Communications earnings miss knocked its stock back 5.3%.
US Dollar action has been mixed on the news, falling relative to EUR, JPY and gold but rising against GBP and resource currencies like AUD, NZD and CAD. Crude oil has been all over the place today but overall remains well supported. WTI went up following a higher than expected US inventory build meaning that even through the bears had every reason to take charge, they weren’t able to muster up any strength indicating exhaustion, and providing more evidence to indicate oil has turned the corner.
NZD has gone into another nosedive following today’s RBNZ decision and statement. Although the central bank maintained the Official Cash Rate at 2.50% as expected, Governor Wheeler’s statement came off as dovish, warning about the impact of a China slowdown on export prices, hinting at the potential for additional rate cuts this year and talking down the dollar again.
Looking forward, today’s Asia Pacific trading could be split between the reaction to the FOMC and RBNZ decisions and positioning ahead of tomorrow’s basket of key Japanese economic indicators and a Bank of Japan meeting. JPY weakening relative to EUR suggests that despite official denials many traders think more stimulus could be coming this meeting or next with inflation running below target. The possibility and timing of more stimulus from Governor Kuroda remains an open question, and with sentiment split, we could see significant action on the news as whatever happens a significant faction of traders could find themselves scrambling.
Tomorrow morning, GBP could be active around the UK GDP report, while US markets could respond to the ongoing flurry of earnings reports and preparations for Friday’s US GDP and Chicago PMI reports, plus month-end squaring off of positions.
Facebook is due to report after the US close today.
Significant announcements released overnight include:
US interest rate and FOMC statement 0.50% upper bound no change expected
NZ interest rate and RBNZ statement 2.50% no change expected
US new home sales 544K vs street 500K
US DOE crude oil inventories 8.3 mmbbls vs street 4.1 mmbls
US DOE gasoline inventories 3.4 mmbbls vs street 0.9 mmbbls
Upcoming significant economic announcements include:
(Note: 11:30 am in Sydney/Melbourne is currently 1:30 pm in Auckland, 4:30 pm in Vancouver, 7:30 pm in Toronto/Montréal, 12:30 am in London and 8:30 am in Singapore)
8:45 am AEDT NZ trade balance street ($131M)
10:50 am AEDT Japan retail sales street 0.2%
11:30 am AEDT Australia export prices street (3.9%)
1:30 pm AEDT Singapore unemployment rate street 2.0%
8:00 am GMT Spain retail sales street 3.0%
8:00 am GMT Spain unemployment rate street 21.2%
8:30 am GMT Sweden unemployment rate street 6.4%
8:30 am GMT Sweden trade balance street SEK 0.0B
8:30 am GMT Sweden retail sales street 4.6%
9:30 am GMT UK Q4 GDP street 1.9% vs previous 2.1%
11:00 am GMT UK CBI sales street 18
1:00 pm GMT Germany consumer prices street 0.4%
8:30 am EST US jobless claims street 281K
8:30 am EST US durable goods orders street (0.7%)
8:30 am EST US durables ex transport street (0.1%)
10:00 am EST US pending home sales street 4.8%
10:30 am EST US natural gas storage street (208 BCF)
11:00 am EST US Kansas City Fed street (10)
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Is there a Sony Alpha DSLR with an articulating live view screen in the wings?
Rumours coming out of Japan, where yesterday's CES launch of the Sony Alpha A200 entry-level DSLR went unmentioned by Sony Japan, suggest that an alternative to the A200 is in the pipeline. The focus is on the incusion of an articulating LCD screen with live view, a feature noticeable by its absence on the A200. A picture of the screen has been circulated widely (top right). Model names including A250 and A300 have been mentioned, but none have been confirmed. One idea is that the rumoured alternative model has been saved for release at the big PMA trade show at the end of this month. DPNow will, as usual, be reporting direct from the PMA show.
Discuss this story:
Is there another Sony Alpha lurking?
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Nike and the NBA officially unveiled the fourth and final set of jerseys for each team today, with these jerseys supposed to represent the city each team plays in. We got a sneak preview of Sacramento’s jerseys thanks to a leak from NBA 2K, and while those jerseys weren’t 100% accurate (the logo and numbers were too big) the real versions are very similar.
With these jerseys, the Kings are paying tribute to the baby blue uniform that started it all in Sacramento 32 years ago, but with a modern spin on it.
“Thirty-two years ago, the Kings transformed Sacramento and created a community of basketball fans that are unmatched around the NBA,” said Sacramento Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart. “The City Uniforms look back at the team that forever changed Sacramento, with new emblems for the next generation of fan and the future of our team.”
These new jerseys will pair with a new alternate court which the Kings revealed on Christmas day, making the Kings the only team in the NBA with two alternate courts. These jerseys and court will be used for eight home games over the remainder of the season. In case you’re wondering, what the rest of the NBA’s city jerseys look like, Nike has posted them all on their website.
What do you think of the new "City" jerseys?
This poll is closed


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Thomas Dunn, 57, sparked panic after he changed into traditional Muslim clothing in a Debenhams store in Exeter
A gas engineer who is running a one-man 'ban the burka' campaign was surrounded by armed police after wearing traditional Islamic clothing and a rucksack in a busy department store.
Thomas Dunn sparked panic and confusion when he changed into the traditional Muslim attire to protest about people wearing burkas in Britain.
Officers rushed to the scene when the 57-year-old caused alarm in the Debenhams store in Exeter city centre, Devon.
Dunn, who is still running a campaign against burkas, said he targeted the high street chain after it announced it was going to sell Muslim clothing.
He donned a full niqab - which is a veil for the face - and started imitating Muslim prayers inside the crowded shop.
He then took off the niqab outside the store, where he was stopped under Section 43 of the Terrorism Act.
He was questioned and searched by


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Fruits Vietnam has exported to major markets, especially with some of the fruit of many countries around the world preferred to be produced throughout the year as the dragon and grapefruit, ...
New markets in 2011
In 2011, along with South Korea open to U.S. fruit and preparation allows rambutan imports from Vietnam, the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture - Rural Development) said that export fresh fruit from Vietnam to the difficult markets like the U.S., Japan, South Korea ... quite favorable.
In the first 4 months of 2011, exports of dragon fruit to the U.S. reached 600 tonnes, equivalent to 70% of total exports in 2010. Vietnam rambutan were also allowed to import U.S.. It is expected the first shipment will be shipped to the U.S. in mid-May 5/2011.
Exports to Japan dragon in the first 4 months of this year reached 200 tons, new Korean market alone exports should reach 40 tons.
According to the Department of Plant Protection, past the end of April, a group of New Zealand experts to Vietnam to examine the preparation of fresh mango exports to this market and appreciate the initial preparation of Vietnam.
Estimated in early 2012, Vietnam's mangoes can be exported to this market after being treated by the methods of irradiation and steam.
Mr. Vuong Dinh Khoat, director of Phu Irradiation Joint Stock (API), said exports to the U.S. fruit and more fruit because the quality is better controlled, U.S. consumers have become familiar with this fruit should be consumed more.
"The first time fruit exports to the U.S. by sea was heavily damaged, but the company now exports perform quality control from farm to port quality fruit should be markedly improved, the rate of damage damage is very low, "he said Khoat.
Under Quarantine Center after import (Ministry of Agriculture - Rural Development), 2010, exports to the U.S. reached 856 dragon attack, increased 8.5 times compared with 2009. The company predicts this year's fruit exports to the U.S. will reach 1,500 tons.
Proposed in 2011, the dragon fruit exported to U.S., Japan and South Korea is 2,600 tons, more than double compared to 2010.
Experts also said the rambutan exports to the U.S. will be more favorable Vietnam dragon fruit has the experience and infrastructure available.
He said Vuong Dinh API Khoat prepared rambutan growing areas of the U.S. standard for application code.
According to the mandatory provisions of the Plant Quarantine of the United States (APHIS), any fruit to be imported into this country through irradiation processing stage to ensure that pests do not invade.
Irradiation time the dragon is not difficult because the company's two plants Shanshan (HCM) and An Phu (Binh Duong). Also, An Phu is building a factory in Vinh Long irradiation, expected activities on May 5/2011. The plant has a capacity of 150 tons of irradiated fruits / day will solve the transportation problems go irradiated fruit bowl fruit for export to the Mekong Delta demanding markets such as the U.S., Australia, New Zealand ...
According to the export of fruit, rambutan is Thailand's largest market share in the U.S., but with the advantage of favorable quality and prices, Vietnam rambutan are aiming to dominate 1/3 of the market share of Thai rambutans available in the U.S..
And the traditional market
In the import market of Vietnam fruit, Chinese leader in turnover in 2010, reaching about $ 235 million. Japan is the second market with a turnover of approximately U.S. $ 54.5 million, up 26% compared to 2009.
Although China is a manufacturer of leading fruit but vegetables import demand in China is still very large, especially fruits and vegetables in Vietnam characterized as dragon fruit, peeled coconut, cloth , longan, lotus.
Last year, exports of fruits from Vietnam to the EU increased by EU GAP certification for exporting fruit to this item increased by 70% compared to 2009, contributing significantly to increased turnover of Vietnam.
EU importer and the largest fruit producer in the world, the demand for tropical fruits in the EU increased over the years, an average of 8% / year, the popular fruits in the EU market, including bananas (about 65% of imports), mango, pineapple and papaya.
Source: Report to the Government Electronics Socialist Republic of Vietnam


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27/05/05 - ESKER Software has released Esker on Demand for Office, an online document delivery service that enables users of the most common desktop applications to choose among physical mail, fax, email and SMS
23/05/03 - ESKER Software and QM Technologies have announced the creation of strategic partnership to deliver a unique hybrid-mail solution to organisations wishing to deliver transactionally generated documents through the post with greater efficiency and cost
Ferret.com.au is Australia’s leading hub for the manufacturing, industrial and mining industries. Owned and operated by Prime Creative Media, Ferret.com.au provides a comprehensive central online source containing the latest product, supplier and industry news updates attracting more than 70,000 unique visitors each month.
Ferret.com.au is the official partner of Australian Mining and Manufacturers' Monthly.


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Tesla's crusade against fossil fuels could soon hit home with a battery-powered energy pack.
Commit to three months of Sling TV, and get a free Fire TV Stick or $50 off the Fire TV set-top box.
A “legacy contact” gives users a little more control over their social networking afterlives, while keeping full account access on lockdown.
There's no need to wait for Microsoft's official TV tuner; this obscure $35 box does a fine job on its own.
A new Kickstarter campaign aims to take the shock out of energy bills by letting you choose how much you want to spend.
Verizon coughs up a big update for its flagship Windows Phone, finally delivering features like Cortana and Action Center.
After fending off privacy concerns around voice recognition in its smart TVs, Samsung is facing new complaints about ads appearing in users' video streams.
Crafty users can still install an older version to get around Dish's arbitrary restrictions.
Keeping your Google account secure is already a good idea, so you might as well nab some free storage while doing it.
The massive password dump both tests and protests cybercrime law enforcement in the United States.
Why keep your loyalty cards on a keychain when you could have them on your wrist instead? Probably because the old-school way is still less stressful.
Microsoft wants to lock up the obvious name for a Windows subscription service, but will it actually deliver?
As Netflix's original content war with Amazon intensifies, it's tapping the director of Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby for a new drama.
The Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu edition will launch in Europe via flash sales, though it's unclear why you'd want one.


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As more of the world’s population comes online for the first time, so Google is focusing on making the web and its services more accessible. That means smaller sized apps for budget devices with limited space, and offline support to help deal with intermittent, spotty or weak internet connections. Read More
An Oppo spokesperson has confirmed the company plans to enter the U.K. market. Oppo recently ...


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The New Brand Spirit to be launched November 20th in London
On November 20th The New Brand Spirit will be launched in London. As authors we are excited that after over four years of hard work the book will actually be available to interested readers around the world.
Hamish Pringle, partner in Pringle and Pringle LLP and Strategic Advisor to 23red as well as Co-author with Marjorie for "The Brand Spirit" in 1999 who kindly wrote the introduction to The New Brand Spirit will share insights on the current debate on how society, the economy and the environment should inter-relate.
We as authors will explain how interviewing 100 leading practioners from diversestakeholder groups confirmed their conviction that companiesneed to transform towards more sustainable business models andcommunicate their efforts appropriately.
The event is kindly hosted by Frith St Consulting and held at Simons Muirhead & Burton on 6-9 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 3JB, on Wednesday 20th November 2013 – 6pm til 8pm.


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Earlier we had few rumors about the new SD8150 SoC to ship with a 5G chip inside and we also had leaks about Qualcomm planning to introduce the first 5G phone by the first half of 2019. Today some of the Qualcomm employee online profile reveals the brands which are actually working with Qualcomm for the new 5G Chip.
As per the source, the first set of brands to use the new Qualcomm 5G modem will be HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Mobile. The leaks aren’t surprising as all of these brands does rely on the Qualcomm for its Chips and modems apart from Apple and Huawei who makes their own chips.
Sadly, we are still not sure when exactly the first Qualcomm based 5G device will launch but we can expect Samsung might be the first to launch the 5G smartphone with its next Galaxy S10 later next year at MWC 2019.


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Luxury & Supercar Weekend makes a pit stop at VanDusen Gardens
To car lovers or Real Housewives of Vancouver fans, Reiko Mackenzie is instantly recognizable. Her stable of cars includes such beauties as a Ferrari 458 Italia, a Lamborghini Murcielago and two custom Ferrari 599 GTOs.
Last year she brought three of her cars to the Luxury & Supercar Weekend, where two of them won second place in their respective categories and she won the Chairman’s award for her enthusiasm for cars. This year, she will be a judge in the Modified Supercar category.
“My love for cars started in high school when I opted to take mechanics class over home economics for my last two years of high school,” Mackenzie says. “I’ve done all the basics and helped rebuild an engine. Just working with the parts was truly fascinating to me.”
She’s come a long way from her first car, a “leaky” 1979 Honda Civic. “Eventually there was nothing we could do with the engine, but I tried!” she laughs. “I used to see those old convertible 300SEL Mercedes, and I wanted one! I have owned a 500SEL at some point so my dream was fulfilled there.”
Something that links all of Mackenzie’s cars is their power. “The Lamborghini Murcielago was my first track car, and some may ask why; it’s a hard car to drive track, especially manual shift,” she says. “It was a challenge but I love a good challenge and I felt strong driving that car.”
Mackenzie’s favourite car is her white Ferrari 458 Italia. “It was definitely designed for both city driving and track,” she says.
The Luxury & Supercar Weekend is in its fourth year. This year it’s at the VanDusen Botanical Gardens on Sept. 7 and 8 and will be double the size of what it has been in the past.
Among the events taking place will be displays in honour of the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini and Porsche 911 and the 60th anniversary of Corvette. There will also be a collection of luxury boats, yachts, helicopters and modified luxury cars and Supercars, among other displays.
A lot of work goes into choosing the cars that will appear on the weekend, something that the chairman of automotive selection, Nigel Matthews, is intimately involved with. “I’m looking forward to the Canadian unveiling and debut of the 2014 Pagani Huayra,” Matthews says.
Mackenzie echos that, saying, “Last year I was fortunate to take the Bugatti Veyron out for a spin to the UBC highway. Maybe I will have a chance with Pagani this year, fingers crossed!”
Among the cars on display this year will be models from Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati, among many others. “Rumour has it that LaFerrari will be present, the new Enzo version,” Mackenzie says. “That will be a sight to see.”
Matthews himself is a long-time car lover. “I have oil running through my veins and always will,” he says. “My daughter has inherited it too.”
As a licensed automotive technician who worked on Rolls-Royce and Ferrari cars for more than 20 years, Matthews has always been happy to get under the hood. “I changed my first transmission at the age of nine,” he says. “I grew up on a large estate in England. My brothers and I played tag in cars! We had a large in-house workshop and full-time mechanic. He took me under his wing because he could see I had a huge interest in machinery.”
Matthews’ first luxury car was a 1962 Alvis TD-21 Drop Head Coupe. “This is a very significant hand-built British sportscar and would fall into the same category as an Aston-Martin or Bentley,” he says. “Queen Elizabeth II used to drive a new one as her personal car. She still owns it and it is in the museum at Sandringham House.”
For more information about the weekend, visit LuxurySupercar.com.
Ladies Fashion Day
If you own a luxury supercar, you want to do honour to the car by looking your best, too. On Sept. 7, the Luxury Supercar and Concours d’Elegance Weekend is hosting Ladies Fashion Day.
• Noon: MaxMara Fashion Show featuring MaxMara, Sportcode, Sportsmax and Weekend
• 1 p.m.: Blubird Fahsion show featuring M Missoni, Tibi, Robert Rodriguez, Vince, A.L.C., Helmut Lang, Clover Canyon, Haute Hippie, Elisabeth & James, IRO, Moncler, Yveds Salomon and J Brand
• 2 p.m.: Vancouver’s first haute couture atelier, Gianni Manaki, hosts a fashion show


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ICON (ICX) – was most certainly one of the best performing cryptocurrencies in the top 100 market cap this week. Soaring higher than 70% after being listed on one of South Korea’s biggest exchanges, Bithumb, the ICX token seems to be one of the stronger coins in the mix right now. Soon to be listed on more major exchanges like Upbit, this coin potential has yet to be reached. Sudden overnight surges like this remind us why many experts are quick to predict that 2018 could possibly be the year we see a $1 trillion market cap. One week ago, this coin was trading at $1.59. As of right now the coin is currently trading at $3.54 according to Coinmarketcap.com. ICON’s vision to “hyper connect the world” is slowly manifesting as more people jump into this project with excitement.
“The Korean Ethereum”
Referred to by many as the “Korean Ethereum,” ICON’s plan isn’t to compete with any other blockchain platform but instead to build with others to create synergies. ICON is developed from P2P network, consensus algorithm, and implements a smart contract platform of its own. ICON provides a smart contract platform that runs on containers without the VM and supports real time transactions by implementing Loop Fault Tolerance (LFT) with Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT).
ICX ERC20 Token Swap
The ERC20 token is scheduled to be swapped with the ICX coin sometime in March 2018. Once this process begins, ICX ERC20 tokens can be used to make transactions; but eventually it is said that all ERC20 tokens will be burned and no longer usable. Therefore, the team at ICON is gong to leave ample time for everyone to swap their coins before its too late.
ICON is in the process of working with public and private institutions and sets out to connect entire economies with this platform – all the while doing this with strong scalability and quick transactions. ICON plans to connect private and public institutions in a way that no other cryptocurrency has done, leading many analysts to believe that this coin could eventually dominate the market. With a massive consolidation taking place, now seems like the perfect time to set up a smart portfolio.
By allowing blockchains to communicate with each other, on top of already allowing corporations and anyone within an economy to create their own blockchain, ICON is capable of being a top 10 contender cryptocurrency that can help run the entire global economy. Already huge in South Korea, on of the biggest markets for cryptocurrency and tech in general, it is only a matter a time before this coin goes worldwide. Once this happens, the $3 price it is at right now would be a dream.
With trading volumes on the rise, it is no telling what will happen leading into April. With the over all market hovering around $300 billion, there is still a lot of room for growth in all aspects. With that said, now could possibly be the best time to get in on the action. But as cryptocurrency market shows us time and time again, volatility is certain, and what is up one day could be down the next – but ICON seems like a golden long term hold
Image 1 – ICON’s 1 month Chart – Source: coinmarketcap.com
The team at ICON has made some public announcements regarding plans of a new storage wallet and an airdrop. ICON is set to give free ICX tokens to ICONex ICX wallet users. Emails have been sent to those verified addresses that qualify for the drop. The tokens distributed in the drop will be main net ICX coins and not ERC20 tokens. These coins can only be received through the ICONex ICX wallet.
The ICONex wallet is the official wallet of the ICX cryptocurrency and it is now officially available. The wallet is available as a Google Chrome Browser Extension for PC users. The Android and iOS versions are to be released soon. The wallet stores ICX main net tokens (not ERC20 tokens) and includes features like transfer, storage, and seed backup. However, the ICX tokens in circulation are ERC20 tokens that can be transferred to the ICONex wallet by sending tokens to an ETH wallet address. To access the wallet, holders of ICX can click this link: https://icon.foundation/?lang=en and click on the tab that says “Wallet.”
ICX is used as an intermediary cryptocurrency – an interchain blockchain that connects various blockchains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. ICX enables transactions among different cryptocurrencies by determining the exchange rate through DEX Reserve. ICX can be used as for DApp tokens – U-coin, which is a DAPP developed by ICON’s blockchain team for Korean University Consortium, can be one of these use cases already in development. ICX can also be a token for an ICO platform like ERC-20. ICON is one of the largest blockchain networks in the world and boasts independent blockchains comprised of reputable institutions in major industries.


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AFP seems on the numbers involved within the huge and advanced enterprise compounded by weak infrastructure, on-line hoaxes and worries about one of many vaccines being rolled out while still in clinical trials. They include healthcare employees, folks aged over 50 and people at high threat. About 150,000 workers in seven hundred districts have been trained to administer jabs and keep records. India has 4 «mega depots» to take delivery of the vaccines and transport them to state distribution hubs in temperature-controlled vans, protecting the doses colder than eight degrees Celsius (46.Four Fahrenheit). The federal government aims to manage your complete course of digitally with its personal app, CoWIN, which will link each vaccine dose to its recipient. Over the coming months, India goals to inoculate around a quarter of the population, or 300 million people. On the first day, round 300,000 folks have been set to be vaccinated at 3,000 centres. A total of 29,000 cold-chain factors, 240 walk-in coolers, 70 stroll-in freezers, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 deep freezers and 300 photo voltaic fridges are on the ready.
Spotify is already the most well-liked music streaming service in most major markets and it’s looking to widen the hole. All merchandise beneficial by Engadget are selected by our editorial workforce, impartial of our dad or mum company. A few of our stories embody affiliate links. Extending its service to India is a significant alternative for Spotify, because the nation is considered one of the quickest-growing music markets. That information comes scorching on the heels of a Variety report that the company plans to launch in the country of 1.Three billion folks inside the following six months. The corporate has previously supplied 30 days of free, full entry when launching in new markets. It also could also be important to the corporate’s future to succeed in the area. If you buy something by means of one of these hyperlinks, we could earn an affiliate commission. It will likely be accompanied by an extended free trial interval. Despite having greater than eighty million paid subscribers, the corporate continues to lose cash and its stock worth has steadily declined over the last three months. Those issues appear to have been resolved, and Spotify is now gearing up for an official launch. It additionally launched 60 day free trials in certain instances earlier this year. The Swedish tech agency has reportedly secured deals with lots of the biggest music rights holders in India over the previous couple of months, in line with Bloomberg. Spotify has confronted hurdles because it has tried to enter the market in India, together with document labels threatening to withhold rights in the region following Spotify’s try and license music immediately from artists.
Ego Loss of life is THE INTERNET’s most developed album thus far, featuring guest appearances from the likes of Janelle Monae, Tyler, the Cr… Web Marketing and Net Site Promoting and Advertising Companies … This press release article shows you how to write down press releases that make information! Internet Design, Site Promotion, Search engine marketing, Internet Advertising (Site Monetization), and Different Webmaster Articles. Reasonably priced Webpage Promotion Companies/Webpage Promotion Advertising … Press Release Distribution … So as to jot down a press launch, you should have a newsworthy story. Here is more about continue reading this look into our own site. Internet Advertising & Web site Promotion Advertising. Results include your SearchWiki notes for «how to jot down a press launch for internet marketing promotion». Search Engine Advertising, E mail Advertising & Press Launch Distribution In your Internet Enterprise … Affordable Web site Promotion Service by PA Internet marketing in Pennsylvania, … … right after my first launch was revealed in a UK web magazine. Find out how to jot down a press release, step-by-step so that it’s optimized to rank as excessive as potential in the organic search results.
1.72 Bn in 2018 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3.9% from 2019 to 2027. Electrosurgery makes use of excessive frequency vitality to chop. Monopolar electrosurgery devices work on the identical principle, the place RF vitality is used to chop and coagulate the tissues throughout surgical procedures. Minimally invasive surgery has been some of the most popular strategies of treatment previously few years amongst well being care providers throughout the worldA study performed at the Johns Hopkins University Faculty of Medication in Maryland, U.S. High adoption of advanced power surgical devices within the U.S., increase in variety of approvals for brand spanking new units from the U.S. Coagulate tissues during surgical procedures. Electrosurgical devices have been widely used for minimal invasive surgeries in the field of gynecology, cosmetology, open surgical procedure, laparoscopic procedures, and flexible endoscopic procedures. North America dominated the global monopolar electrosurgery market in 2018. The trend is anticipated to proceed throughout the forecast interval. FDA, and rise in percentage of minimally invasive surgical procedures carried out in the U.S.


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Correcting hair loss is an onerous endeavour that produces mixed results at best. Efforts to reverse hair loss are often hobbled by a lack of knowledge as to the underlying cause. However, when researchers have done their homework, promising solutions have been found.
The RAC says cameras would be “very effective” at reducing speeds and could help with “controlling traffic flow”. These cameras are used on a number of A-roads but are not widely installed on motorways. Currently, the average cameras are only used in
Morrisons has released details of its new loyalty scheme today as it stops customers collecting points. Instead of collecting points each time customers shop, shoppers will get instant money-off offers. In the coming weeks, new features will be launched including the opportunity
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MILLIONS of Muslims around the world are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Fitr as the month of fasting and reflection, Ramadan, draws to a close. So how can you wish someone a happy Eid?
Cholesterol doesn’t just come from food. It also naturally occurs in cells of the human body. It helps us with digestion as well as hormone and vitamin D production. Having high LDL cholesterol levels can put you more at risk for heart
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Leading a long and fulfilling life largely hinges on your ability to avoid chronic complications that shorten your lifespan. One of the most important proactive measures you can take is to maintain a healthy weight because obesity can lead to life-threatening conditions


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Google senior VP of social Vic Gundotra said on Thursday that he's leaving the company.
"Today I'm announcing my departure from Google after almost 8 years," said Gundotra in a post on Google+, the service he has been managing. "I have been incredibly fortunate to work with the amazing people of Google. I don't believe there is a more talented and passionate collection of people anywhere else."
Gundotra joined Google in 2007 after a decade and a half with Microsoft, which he left as general manager of platform evangelism.
At Google, Gundotra initially evangelized the web and has been a frequent keynote speaker at company events. In 2009, when he was VP of engineering and head of developer evangelism, he declared at Google I/O: "The web has won." This was back when the web was mostly viewed through desktop browsers.
[How will Microsoft's new CEO answer tough questions sure to come in wake of latest earnings report? Read Microsoft Earnings: 6 Questions.]
Since then, the situation has changed. In January, for the first time, more Americans used mobile devices than personal computers to access the Internet. Apps generated 47% of Internet traffic while mobile browsers accounted for 8%, according to comScore. PC-based browsing came to 45%.
The web remains a powerful, open platform, but it isn't receiving the same attention these days as native mobile apps, where platform owners can exercise greater control and demand fees. Neither Amazon, Apple, Google, nor Microsoft get a cut from Web-based commerce outside their stores.
Gundotra hasn't exactly been marginalized by this shift, but social was a defensive move for the company, and now the wall has been built. Google's focus has narrowed to advertising and commerce under Sridhar Ramaswamy, Android and Chrome under Sundar Pichai, and its Cloud Platform under Urs Holzle, alongside the company's more speculative and research-oriented initiatives. Google+ is healthy enough, with more than 500 million monthly active users, but it has not yet evolved into an important development platform and user acquisition channel along the lines of Facebook. That might be because the Google+ APIs haven't yet presented a clear value proposition to enough developers.
Gundotra has had his share of failures, something of a badge of honor at Google. For example, he backed the ill-fated Google Wave in 2009, praising it with the Jobsian adjective "magical," rather than keeping it in the laboratory until it was ready. Nonetheless, his many accomplishments are well regarded, and he departs with CEO Larry Page singing his praises.
"You cut your teeth on our mobile apps and developer relations, turning our disparate efforts into something great," said Page in a comment on Gundotra's post, praising him for making developers excited to work with Google technology. "Then you built Google+ from nothing. There are few people with the courage and ability to start something like that and I am very grateful for all your hard work and passion."
Google declined to comment on a possible successor to helm Google+, but re/code reports that VP of engineering David Besbris will get the job, rather than Bradley Horowitz, VP of product management for Google+.
IT is turbocharging BYOD, but mobile security practices lag behind the growing risk. Also in the Mobile Security issue of InformationWeek: These seven factors are shaping the future of identity as we transition to a digital world. (Free registration required.)


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Sweden's Rapid Granulator AB has boosted its presence in recycling equipment by acquiring Avian (Shanghai) Machinery Co. Ltd., along with its 540,000-square-foot plant and well-established China distribution network.
Privately owned, Shanghai-based Avian claims to be the second-largest Asian manufacturer of granulators and equipment for post-industrial and post-consumer recycling markets. The Avian plant is almost 17 times larger than the 32,000-square-foot plant Rapid shares in Shanghai with sister company Conair Group Inc. That plant will be shuttered over the next six months.
This gives us more machinery and equipment in the recycling markets, and an opportunity to manufacture products closer to markets and reduce transportation costs and lead times, said Rolf Gren, CEO of Rapid Granulator.
We needed to get closer to Asia to serve that market better in both production and service, he said in a June 22 interview before an NPE2009 news conference in Chicago, where the company announced the acquisition. Gren has said that the company expects Asia to account for one-third of its sales by 2011.
Rapid will move its current production in Shanghai into the Avian facility, which now is using only about half its space, he said.
This is a move into China to serve that market, not a move to China, he emphasized. We are not closing any plants in Sweden, the U.S. or anywhere else except for its existing Shanghai facility. The facilities we have around the world will stay and be growing.
Avian will remain an independent brand with its own distribution network, Gren said, and general manager Mark Miao and the rest of the management team at Avian will remain in place.
The manufacturing transition in China will start in July and should be completed by year-end.
Avian makes pulverizers and larger granulators, which had been a product gap for Rapid.
We are very good at manufacturing in-house granulators. They are very good at making equipment for recyclers. Our product lines complement each other, Gren said. It gives us a chance to move into the global post-industrial/post-consumer market quickly and to have a pulverizer portfolio as well.
Gren added that he expects Rapid to have new products for global distribution in 2010 as a result of the acquisition.
This is a growing and emerging market and the growth opportunity is significant, said Chris Keller, president and chief operating officer of International Plastics Equipment Group Inc. in the Pittsburgh suburb of Cranberry Township, Pa. IPEG, the parent of Rapid Granulator, was formed in 2000 to manage the plastic equipment holdings of Sewickley Capital Inc., which also include Conair.
Rapid Granulator is based in Bredaryd, Sweden, with its U.S. operations based in Franklin, Pa.
Gren called the acquisition the second step of Rapid Granulator's strategy to have a larger global presence the first being the acquisition almost two years ago of Moditec srl of Marennes, France.
Moditec makes slow-speed, high-torque granulators with single and twin shafts. The granulators also use patented metal-detection technology that instantly shuts down a grinder if metal enters the cutting area, to protect the machine from damage.
This is an important step for IPEG group and the industry. The industry needs to consolidate, Gren said.
Keller echoed that thought, adding that the recycling market is important because the world now sees that it has a need to reuse and recycle what it uses.
Rapid has annual sales of roughly $45 million and employs 265. Avian has a workforce of roughly 280, said Gren, who did not disclose Avian's annual sales.
Rapid also is introducing to U.S. markets several lines of equipment it first unveiled at Germany's Fakuma 2008. The equipment includes its 600-series open-hearted granulators, designed to create easy access to rotors and cutters to reduce downtime during production changes by 50 percent.
An operator can gain access to the rotor and other core parts of the granulator by opening two doors and lifting a top, with no need for any tools, said marketing manager Bengt Rimark.
With shorter pit stops, the downtime will be significantly less. You can service the entire granulators the screens, the rotors, the cutters in two minutes, he said.
Rapid also unveiled for the U.S. market its modular silencing system with transparent sound-absorbing fabric that can lower noise levels from granulators, compressors, pumps and other equipment by 10-20 decibels, and its next-generation line of eight slow-speed, RG-Series screenless granulators with the integrated metal-detection system from Moditec.


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The nearly year-old Senate Bill 372, which would have required that beverage makers and distributors create their own system for buying back bottles and cans, was struck down in the Senate Thursday.
A new can and bottle recycling system
Authored by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont), a longtime backer of recycling and environmental bills, SB 372 would have replaced the current system of consumers bringing their empty bottles and cans to a recycling center. Instead, beverage companies would have had to find a better way to buy them back, which would have most likely been the ‘reverse vending machines’ currently found in Oregon and Michigan. The machines, which had been tried out in California before, would have accepted bottles and cans in exchange for cash or store credit.
SB 372 would have also created a ‘Beverage Container Recycling Program’ to over see the system and would have expanded bottle recycling to include wine and liquor bottles.
Earlier this month SB 372 had been gaining momentum for passage. It went quickly through through different Senate Committees, and despite pressure from beverage and wine industry lobbyists, Senator Wieckowski said he had the votes. He had even amended the bill to ensure consumers wouldn’t see higher costs. But on Wednesday the bill was short votes in the Senate, and despite a reconsideration, it was rejected for good on Thursday. It was four votes shy of passage.
Failure of SB 372
Supporters such as Senator Wieckowski, environmental advocates, and recycling groups decried the failure of the bill, citing industry lobbyists and a push by recycling center owners to stop the bill.
“It’s a setback for consumers who are looking to us to transform a broken system that is crumbling before our eyes,” said Senator Wieckowski in a statement after the vote on Thursday.
Sarah Cornish, an environmental policy expert, noted the effects of the rejection.
“Everyone will still have to go to recycling centers still if they want their deposit back. It’s not easy for a lot of people, any many will still just throw away.
So many other states have discovered that, under a similar program to what the bill proposed, recycling rates shoot up.
The sad thing is, California needs this. Less people are recycling, and there’s a need for scrap aluminium.”
In addition to most of the industry opposing the bill, SB 372 largely failed because of inherent problems in the bill, such as shutting out the entire recycling industry from the process, no clear recycling system that companies could implement by the 2024 deadline, and lingering feelings about past issues in California with reverse vending machines.
Recycling centers saved for now
Recycling center operators and many in the beverage industry applauded the vote by the Senate.
“Recycling centers have been failing,” said Nick Harrison, who coordinates the sale of recycled materials for recycling centers in California. “Metal prices have been going down, despite the need for some materials, like aluminum, staying up.”
“I’ve seen a lot of recycling centers in California close down because of the operation costs. And I’ve seen less people bring cans in when I’m at some of the centers.”
“The bill would have killed all of them. Now they have a shot at surviving at least.”
“If you move the deposit up to something higher, or if we dip into another recession and people suddenly need money, they’ll get healthier. Today, well, today we simply survived.”
After the defeat, Senator Wieckowski said that he would be working with the Governor’s office on fixing California’s recycling system and would also work on passing other environmental bills this year.
A new bill concerning a bottle and can recycling re-haul is not expected for the rest of the session.
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