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Controversial E-Cigarettes in Michigan
The use and commercialization of electronic cigarettes are not covered under the smoke-free policy in the state of Michigan. The people in the state can freely vape in and out their private homes and workplaces not unless the building owner / management restricts e-cigarettes in their properties.
However, in the website of Michigan Department of Community Health, the institution discourages the people to use the said product. “The e-cigarette is not a proven safe alternative to smoking and we discourage its use both for the user's safety and the safety of the people in the same room.” They promote the usage of nicotine alternative/replacements sold in pharmacies and drug stores like gums, patches, and lozenges.
Also, Mercy Health Partners in Muskegon bans the use of electronic cigarettes inside the hospital premises. Spokeswoman Joan Kessler said that they ask the people from refraining in using any tobacco products. Ms. Kessler also stated that she sees it like any other tobacco products, cigars, chewing tobacco, pipes and cigarettes.
Muskegon County Jail also bans the usage of electronic cigarettes for a simple reason: Electronic cigarettes contain rechargeable batteries which the inmates aren't allowed to have as said by Sheriff Dean Roesler.
Most of the bars and restaurants in the state has no formal policy related to e-cigarettes but there are a few restaurants who prohibits the use of the device because the management wants to avoid customers tensions especially from their non-smoking clients. One of these restaurants is Grand Haven's Rendezvous Restaurant who does not allow anybody in the resto to use the battery operated vaping device, may it be their staffs, customers, or anybody because it looks a lot like smoking traditional cigarettes. Hearthstone Bistro, 3350 Glade, another bistro in the state, though there's no formal policy issued about banning e-cigarettes, co-owner Frank Lister, said he would ask a customer to stop vaping if another customer objected. He added, “We have to worry about retaliation by way of legal action”. Since 2010 he saw few customers who used their personal vaporizers inside Hearthstone but nobody got offended by it probably because it is odorless.
On the other side of the boat, Ken Krause, Muskegon County's public-health officer and director of the county's public-health department said, “Personally, I think it's a heck of a lot safer than using cigarettes. It's not a huge difference from using the nicotine patch or nicotine gum. ... I would much rather see people use the e-cigarettes rather than smoking.” He also stated, “There's not been studies on it, so I can't say absolutely it's a safe product. But we definitely know that cigarettes themselves are harmful.”
Another pro vaping is Ed Parsekian of Shelby, who recently retired as Muskegon County's smoking-cessation educator and still conducts freelance stop-smoking classes. He is in favor of electronic cigarettes as these devices are helpful to a lot of citizens.
Kari Weberg, a Muskegon County Sheriff's Office sergeant who also is the owner of Lakeshore Vapors store, said that she has been using electronic cigarettes for nearly two years already. She said, “I had a baby. I wanted to smoke afterward, and I didn't want to smoke,”. She researched about electronic cigarettes and vaping then started to sell the device and accessories outside her house until she opened a store in Sternberg. Her customer, Tonya Jelinek of Hesperia, was delighted about her device. She was a previous smoker who smoked less than a pack a day. She is using e-cigarette as a substitute. “I think it's wonderful. I think it does help, and it is so much cheaper,” she said. One $10 cartridge lasted her three weeks.
E-cigarettes are sold in at least two stores locally, Lite Up 'N Live in Lakes Mall in Fruitport Township and Lakeshore Vapors at 1044 E. Sternberg in The Pointes Shopping Center in Norton Shores.
Most e-cigarette fans are ex-smokers who are trying to quit smoking or cut back tobacco intake. E-cigarette cartridges come in different nicotine doses that vapers can choose from. Some users gradually decrease their dose over time as part their weaning technique. Though there's no rigorous research has been done yet, the public officials are still out on their safety. In both opposite sides of the story, there are concerned individuals standing out and fighting for what they believe is right and beneficial to everyone.
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1 in 12 Corner Shops in Yorkshire Face Closure
10:49am 22nd August 2012
A new survey has found that nearly one in 12 corner shops (8%) in Yorkshire and Humberside are under threat due to lost sales resulting from tobacco smuggling and cross-border shopping.
The survey by the Tobacco Retailers Alliance (TRA) also found that one in four shops (26%) in Yorkshire and Humberside have considered reducing staff numbers for the same reason.
Samantha Coldbeck, a Hull retailer and a member of the Tobacco Retailers Alliance, commented:
"These results are very worrying for independent retailers like me and demonstrate that tobacco smuggling is so prevalent, it is threatening the existence of a part of the fabric of our communities that so many people rely on.
"The UK is such a hotspot for smuggling because the high tax on tobacco makes it one of the most profitable places in the world for criminals to carry out their trade.
"The Government needs to allow tax levels in other countries in Europe to catch up and come more in to line with the UK so that there is not such a huge financial temptation for smugglers to focus their activities here."
Dave Tingle, a Sheffield retailer and a member of the Tobacco Retailers Alliance, commented:
"If the Government introduces the plain packaging of tobacco, this would play into the hands of smugglers as they will no longer have to spend time and money copying the complex variety of branding currently present across the range of tobacco products.
"So that will mean more profit for the smugglers which will be channelled into underworld activities such as people trafficking and prostitution. In addition, more sales for the smugglers means lost sales for legitimate retailers like me."
A recent poll found that 86% of serving police officers in the UK said plain packaging would increase tobacco smuggling. Separately, the Government received around half a million responses against the proposal for plain packaging in its recently closed consultation on the subject.
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Rotorua's soaring house market has not sheltered the city from a stiff economic decline as tourism continues to struggle and $125 million is shaved off the district's GDP.
But business leaders say despite the knocks other primary industries are performing well and companies had pivoted to make the most of every opportunity.
The latest report from Infometrics shows the city's economy has continued to contract with the absence of international tourists and their spending fell by 21 per cent over the year to December 2020.
Over the same timeframes, GDP dropped by 3.4 per cent to $3684 million ($3.684 billion), consumer spend nosedived by 5.4 per cent and house price inflation accelerated by 27 per cent.
Rotorua Economic Development interim chief executive Andrew Wilson said 2020 was a real mixed bag but it had diverse primary industries to build on.
Sectors including forestry, agriculture, wood processing, manufacturing, construction, grocery and professional services were doing very well.
But those involved with the visitor economy had suffered.
''While business confidence is much lower in this sector, the challenge of the last 12 months has also stimulated a lot of innovation from Rotorua businesses working hard to create interesting new products that are focused on the needs of New Zealanders.''
Pre-Covid, 60 per cent of tourists visiting Rotorua were domestic and it continued to actively encourage New Zealanders to travel to the city while business events were another focus.
''This contributes $50m to our local economy each year and business travellers typically come here during the week and off-peak season. We've launched a new marketing campaign promoting Rotorua as a destination for business incentive travel and team building events.''
Infometics senior economist Brad Olsen said it was still incredibly tough in Rotorua for the economy and businesses.
He agreed domestic tourism was trying to pick up some of the slack from international visitors.
Another challenge for Rotorua was competition from other cities who were chasing the tourism dollar, Olsen said, but forestry and agriculture were trending.
''Global dairy trading has shown strengthening activity and the forestry numbers are a lot firmer than we might have expected. Chinese demand for New Zealand exports across the board almost, are quite strong at the moment.
''The Chinese economy is recovering swiftly which is a real boost for some of those key sectors who are reliant on it.''
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard agreed and said forestry and farming forecasts were bright for the foreseeable future.
''I don't think there are going to be any significant downturns in those two primary drivers moving forward.''
He acknowledged the pain had been felt most in the critically important international tourism sector.
In his view, it was important the quality of the town and its iconic activities were maintained.
''We need to make sure we don't let things slide downhill so when we can push the go button with border control, we are still capable of responding and gearing up quickly. So anything that people can do to pivot and keep the cash register ringing from now to then is important.''
Heard also believed in looking ahead, particularly at the impacts of climate change and sustainability on businesses.
There was a ''new order rapidly emerging'', he said and New Zealanders' innovative skills will be in demand.
''We are heading down the sustainability and renewable track at pace and I think we should not only be thinking about surviving but also shifting into emerging market slots that other people aren't yet in.
''There will be opportunities in manufacturing, innovation, design, plastic substitutes, bio-materials, electrification, clean energy and all those sorts of areas.''
Fonterra global supply chain director Gordon Carlyle said in the 2018/19 season about $1b went to farmers in the Bay of Plenty.
''For every dollar a farmer earns, they spend up to 50 cents in their local community. The money flows back into local economies as farmers do things like reinvest in their businesses and make more purchases of on-farm supplies and equipment.''
Fonterra exports to more than 130 countries and it lifted its 2020/21 forecast Farmgate Milk Price range to $6.90 - $7.50 per kgMS.
Federated Farmers Rotorua/Taupo provincial president Colin Guyton said things were looking pretty good for farmers and they had renewed confidence.
''It was hard to forecast as we didn't know how Covid would affect us but it didn't end up being negative. The only downside has been getting in supplies like fence posts ... and the raft of regulations heading our way.''
House prices had also gone ballistic nationwide but Guyton's own farm GV had actually dropped.
In his view, that was because the banks were backing away from agriculture a bit and it was getting harder to get funds.
''But we think the banks will start looking favourably at agriculture again as we have paid back a bit of debt. For the first time in about 30 years, the money owed by dairy farmers, in particular, is less than it was a couple of years ago.''
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc chief executive Nikki Johnson said direct revenue from kiwifruit exports flowing back to growers in the Bay of Plenty contributes $1.6b to the local economy.
''As over 80 per cent of kiwifruit is grown in the Bay of Plenty, a significant proportion of this revenue will flow back into the local economy.''
The record volumes of kiwifruit being produced in the Bay of Plenty were also expected to drive up the 8000 full-time and 20,000 seasonal jobs, currently in the region.


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In the world of marketing analytics, every software-as-a-service company tries to tell a similar story: their product is the Ferrari or Lamborghini of analytics with ever more horsepower and data juice. Before you know it, you’re in a carwash of catchphrases.
According to Kelly McGuire, executive director of the hospitality and travel global practise at SAS, the company’s biggest difference, when it comes down to it, is its actual analytics capabilities.
“A lot of analytics companies and tools just aggregate data and then create business rules,” said McGuire. "These rules of thumb have a lot of grey area."
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Founded by James Howard Goodnight, a programmer and statistician, SAS began as an analytics company first and foremost. With clients spanning government, defense as well as banking and finance, the company has evolved into the marketing space over time.
“In Hong Kong, for example, we also work with governments,” said Wilson Ho, general manager of SAS Hong Kong. “And we look at text analytics online and on social media and develop models for things like public sentiment, which shape government planning.”
In addition, SAS Hong Kong works with a number of the region’s top casinos, embedding its own statisticians, data modellers and software into casino gaming teams to figure out and optimise casino layouts, gaming systems, strategies and flows.
“We’re not like other analytics companies,” said Ho. “We draw on all kinds of data and very serious mathematics.”
Specifically in the hotel and resort market, SAS combines marketing and customer analytics. Perhaps its biggest differentiator to competitors such as Adobe Marketing Cloud, which also works with hotel and resort brands such as Starwood, is its operational analytics dimension.
These metrics look at things such as staffing, human resources, and a range of relevant hotel and resort operational points.
“Say you’re a casino hotel or resort and you do this great marketing campaign that attracts a lot of customers,” said McGuire. “But then they get there and there isn’t enough staff to greet them or their rooms aren’t made, then that’s a big detractor.”
With tight competition in the travel and accommodation sector from online travel agencies and disruptors such as Airbnb, McGuire believes that hotels and resorts need to ensure their brand promise is aligned with their operational realities, which makes measuring this area in relation to marketing and customer experience all the more important.
“Hotels need to track reputation, not just pricing,” said McGuire. “A bad review online is a bad review that doesn’t go away. Even lowering your prices doesn’t save a bad review.”
While SAS competes with the likes of Adobe and IBM in areas of overlap, SAS also works with its competitors when it proves complementary.
“We’re open to incorporating other technologies and services,” McGuire added. “We know what we do best. We’re mathematicians who are good at cross-collaboration and we reinvest 25 per cent of our profit back into R&D and the math.”


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How The "Internet of Things" Affects Real Estate
January 5, 2017
Growing interest in Wi-Fi connected gadgets as holiday gifts inspired us to write this article about Internet of Things (IoT). So today we cover IoT: what it is, how it affects real estate, and what to look for in the future.
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
The English Oxford dictionary defines the Internet of Things (IoT) as “the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.” For example, lights that can connect to your smartphone via internet so that you can turn them on or off wherever you are, even if not at home, wearable devices to track your sleeping habits, or self-driving cars. These everyday objects with internet connectivity aim to provide convenience and efficiency to the user by sensing, tracking and transmitting data. And because the growth in the industry has made such devices very affordable, they are proliferating. All these devices, regardless of who makes them, are categorized into the IoT concept.
How It Affects Real Estate
IoT gadgets for the home lead to Smart Homes. Did you get a Wemo Switch this year as a holiday gift? Or perhaps an Alexa-controlled Echo speaker? If you did, you are probably on your way to transitioning your home to a Smart Home. Smart Homes are homes “equipped with network-connected products”. In the real estate industry, perhaps you already started noticing clients who are more excited when they tour properties with “Smart Home Technology.” In these homes, devices communicate with each other – from the alarm clock to smart thermostats, fire alarms and security cameras.
Yet, while individuals look for Smart Home technology for convenience, countries are looking to design entire Smart Cities for efficiency. Each country has its own set of laws, policies, resources and interests about how to go about this; nevertheless, companies are working with governments worldwide to implement technology for Smart Cities.
Here are a few examples:
• In the USA, $65 million in grants were announced on October 13, 2016, to support advanced technology transportation projects. Cities receiving funding include Pittsburgh, Denver, Los Angeles, and Portland among others per the U.S. Department of Transportation.
• In Canada, city planners are actively working with Miovision to improve traffic management. And beyond that, the Canadian National Research Council is looking ahead by trying “to understand and plan how we must re-engineer our urban infrastructure such as transportation, energy, and water and waste management.”
• In Australia, a $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs Program is in the works, and as of December 2016, they were seeking public input to their draft guidelines.
• It doesn’t end there. Spain, Singapore, India, and many other countries are also developing their own Smart Cities. Among the motivating factors, countries are looking to use “technology to improve livability, workability, and sustainability.”
What To Look For In The Future
The “Smart Home Sector could be worth hundreds of billions”, according to Forbes, and companies such as Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Amazon and many others are vying to get a piece of that pie. But few companies are seeking to build platforms and ecosystems. Most are looking to deliver specific products. You may have noticed that there are already several thousand products in the market– appliances, door locks openers, cameras, thermostats, etc. – created by diverse companies. And while they do bring a level of modern convenience, they also bring a level of risk. Most notably as we saw on October 21, 2016, when cyber-criminals mounted a hack of these IoT devises to bring down a large portion of the internet.
But just because there admittedly is risk associated, does not mean that the industry does not continue to move forward and push the limits of what can be done. Indeed, a Forbes article states that “the relationship will be between people-people, people-things, and things-things” is changing. How are you adapting?


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Ford Considering 'Indigenous Brands' In China.
"We always are in discussions with our joint-venture partners. All I can tell you is we are studying indigenous brands, but our total focus in terms of brand enhancement is really on the Ford brand," David Schoch, CEO of Ford China Operations said, according to Reuters.
Dearborn-based Ford currently operates a joint venture with Chongqing, China's Changan Automobile Company Ltd. and Mazda Motor Corporation (Tokyo: 7261). The company also holds a 30 percent stake in Nanchang-based Jiangling Motors Corporation Ltd. Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) shares fell 5 cents to $10.07 Monday morning.
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|Date:||Jun 4, 2012|
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E-Commerce is an industry that has grown from strength to strength in the last two decades and has cemented itself as one of the most profitable industries during the pandemic. Its potential for profit shows no sign of abating soon. However, E-Commerce is heavily reliant on the latest technologies, and therefore, now more than ever, E-Commerce needs the cloud. With the help of cloud computing technology, e-commerce businesses can make use of cloud technology’s scalability, in-built security, computing speed, etc., along with high savings.
HCL Commerce, one of the leading e-commerce software, has announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud. Businesses that already use HCL Commerce can also choose to deploy their environment on Google Cloud, thus leveraging the many benefits associated with Google Cloud, which are discussed within this E-guide. Besides the benefits of cloud technology, they can also harness the exclusive advantages that come from this partnership, such as up to 70% savings in configuration time and set up owing to autoscaling, use of Google APIs for customized e-commerce experiences, etc.
Along with discussing the critical benefits of HCL Commerce on Google Cloud, this E-guide also highlights a specific instance of a company deploying their HCL Commerce on Google Cloud. We outline the many challenges this company was facing, their approach to meeting those challenges, and the Google Cloud-native solutions employed to deploy HCL Commerce on Google Cloud effectively.
This E-guide highlights how Royal Cyber as a long-term, trusted partner for both these platforms, is best suited to helping you develop a solution that leverages this synergy so that your e-commerce business can reach its fullest potential. It also highlights the solutions our Google Cloud experts will employ and additional resources to learn more and make a completely informed decision.


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Roy MacLaren, a cigar industry veteran, has joined El Septimo Cigars as the company’s executive vice-president.
MacLaren is best known for his time at Gurkha, a nearly nine-year run that saw him serve as vp of sales and marketing. After that, he spent three years as Villiger Cigars North America’s president. He has since had similar roles at Avanti Cigar Co., Crux and most recently, Bahama Mamas.
“I’m excited to join El Septimo Geneva as the Executive Vice President and to be part of a worldwide luxury brand,” said MacLaren in a statement. “Zaya Younan and his team are doing amazing things in the premium cigar industry and will be a new and fresh force moving forward in the US market. We are eager to spread the word on the growing brand, and will be in attendance at the PCA show this July.”
El Septimo was established in 2005 by Gilles Botquin. A year ago, the company was acquired by Younan Collection. El Septimo makes cigars in Costa Rica.


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India has officially joined the UK’s red list as of 04:00 AM BST, heavily restricting travel between the two countries. The ban comes as several other nations also restrict travel from India amid a surge of cases and possible new variants. Let’s find out more about the impact of these restrictions.
As of this morning, no travelers except British or Irish citizens or those with residence rights in the country can enter the UK. Those who can still travel must submit to a 10-day, £1,750 ($2,425) hotel quarantine. The ban extends to anyone who has been in India in the 10 days before arriving in the UK.
The decision to add India to the red list was made on 19th April, giving travelers just over three days to reach the UK before it came into force on the 23rd April. However, thousands were unable to reach the UK in time due to Heathrow and the government denying extra repatriation flights from India.
Data from Public Health England, according to the BBC, showed that 3,345 passengers arrived in the UK from India between 25th March and the 7th April. Of these travelers, 4.8% of them (161) later tested positive, raising fears of a new variant spreading in the UK.
Not the only one
Yesterday, two popular destinations for India found themselves banned. The UAE imposed a 10-day ban on all travelers from India entering the country, with some exceptions. The decision will have a huge impact on UAE aviation, given that India is the single largest market for airlines there.
Routes between the UAE and India had become some of the busiest international ones in the world last winter. There are 62 direct routes between India and the UAE offered by carriers in both countries, putting much at stake for airlines. However, given the current situation in India, flights are unlikely to resume in 10 days.
Canada also announced a ban on travelers from India for 30 days last night, in another blow to long-haul airlines. The ban went into effect from 11:30 PM local time yesterday, which means no more passengers can enter for now.
New Zealand had already canceled flights from India at the start of April due to rising cases. Australia has also decided to cut flights from India by a third due to rising cases in its hotel quarantine system. Oman also banned the entry of travelers from India from 24th April onwards, according to Hindustan Times.
The decision to issue travel bans comes as India tackles the largest COVID-19 wave in the world. The country saw 332,530 cases on Thursday, the highest daily toll for any country in the world ever. Moreover, fears of a new variant that is more dangerous has also pushed countries to ban travel. For now, don’t expect restrictions to be eased any time soon.
What do you think about the decision to ban travel from India? Let us know in the comments!


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They bought cars thinking they would save money and become less dependent on foreign oil.
But some Nissan Leaf owners tell the ABC15 Investigators, the all-battery car, has a battery that wears down much more quickly than the automaker claimed.
Ads for the 2013 Leaf model state that the vehicle can get the equivalent of 106 miles per gallon.
Owner Randy Miller says he gets many less miles than he thought per battery charge. He says he was promised 100 miles. After just 15 months, he says he gets 67.3 miles per charge.
Owner John Noble says he was promised his battery would have 80% life after five years. But he says it’s already down 30% after 10 months.
The ABC15 Investigators talked with three Valley owners who all say they can’t drive where they want, because of battery issues.
And they say that Nissan had done little to help. With a price tag of around $30,000, upset owners wanted action.
Miller started a complaint website, wiltingleaf.com.
A class action lawsuit claims Nissan made “misleading representations and omissions regarding the Leaf’s battery capacity and mileage.”
Owners blame the heat from the desert sun and say Nissan miscalculated that.
Eventually, all three owners we talked with were able to get Nissan to repurchase their Leafs.
And just recently, Nissan announced it will finally give some of these owners, what they want.
Nissan says it will offer a warranty to “protect against capacity loss in Leaf batteries.”
The warranty will involve the first 5 years or 60,000 miles. And Nissan says it will affect 2011, 2012 and 2013 models.
You can read Nissan’s full statement here .
Nissan says it does have happy Phoenix Leaf owners and that owners will get all of the details on the warranty soon.
Some car owners use the Arizona Lemon Law to get automakers to buy back their cars.


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Fiddlesticks Farms opens fall activities to public
Fall is here despite what the thermometer says and area children are already celebrating pumpkins and corn and barnyard animals during visits to a Midland attraction that offers a bit of downhome fun.
Fiddlesticks Farms is celebrating their 11th season and offers a fall adventure with more than 25 courtyard attractions including a 10-acre pumpkin patch, pig races, potato sack slides and tractor pulled hayrides.
The farm is located east of Midland and offers a blend of family-friendly activities and educational elements for the community through Nov. 17.
This year, attendees can enjoy the new 15-acre corn maze design that displays Texas country music artist, Aaron Watson. Fiddlesticks Farms co-owner, Jessica Norton, said that Watson fans have expressed resounding approval since the announcement of the maze design.
“I feel like it was something that worked well with our family,” Norton said.
She described Watson as a family-oriented Christian that has remained down to earth despite reaching a high level of fame.
“We really appreciate him and his music and a lot of people feel the same way that we do,” Norton said. “I think that’s why he was such a popular maze design and also such a popular artist.”
The corn maze is divided into different sections that make up the entire image, which vary in the time needed to complete each phase. The first phase is estimated to take between 45 minutes to an hour, the second phase is about 30 minutes and the third phase, the fairy tale trail, can be finished in less than 15 minutes.
“We’ve always had three phases of the maze, so that there are different opportunities for people to go through if they don’t want to be in there very long,” Norton said.
Fiddlesticks Farms has also added a few additions, which include a Texas-sized porch swing and a 10,000 square foot pavilion for guests to use for weddings, graduation parties or just as seating during their visit to the farm.
Norton has owned Fiddlesticks Farms with her husband, Matt Norton, for 11 years and said that she is still most excited about the chance to provide the community with an educational experience.
“The learning barn is always the most popular attraction,” Norton said.
She said they can even see up to 300 students a day during weekday visits from schools.
“When we’re able to have school groups come out, we are able to educate them and teach them about agriculture because they are normally not able to have that opportunity,” Norton said. “We like to involve the students and let them understand where all of our food, clothing and textiles come from and that it’s not just from the grocery store or the clothing store – it’s from farmers and ranchers.”


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|Bid||4.3700 x 3200|
|Ask||4.4000 x 2900|
|Day's Range||4.3000 - 4.4900|
|52 Week Range||2.6800 - 4.7300|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||0.07|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||12.58|
|Earnings Date||Nov 12, 2018 - Nov 16, 2018|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||4.92|
Luna Innovations Incorporated (LUNA), a global leader in advanced fiber optic-based technology, has launched the 6415 Lightwave Component Analyzer (6415). The 6415 provides an advanced and cost-effect solution to support measurements for the development and manufacturing of modern high-speed optical components and networks. The product enables the next-generation, high-speed networks from the data center to 5G mobile, both of which require an ultrafast, economical optical network.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift...
Luna Innovations Incorporated (LUNA), a global leader in advanced fiber optic-based technology, was recognized as the Innovator of the Year at the annual TechNite awards banquet Friday night. The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC) bestowed the honor, which was accepted by Scott A. Graeff, President and CEO of Luna Innovations. According to RBTC, this award “recognizes an individual, a group of individuals, company, or other organization that sets the standard for thought leadership and innovation in their respective field.
Roanoke, VA, May 01, 2019 -- Luna Innovations Incorporated (NASDAQ: LUNA) announced today it will report its first quarter financial results for the period ended March 31,.
Luna Innovations Incorporated (LUNA), a global leader in advanced fiber optic-based technology, today announced that it will supply an industry-leading robotics company with a significant number of its Phoenix tunable lasers. Luna’s Phoenix tunable laser was designed with systems integration in mind and is well-suited to a wide range of fiber optic sensing instrumentations. The Phoenix is a miniaturized, tunable external cavity laser offering high performance in a compact footprint, which provides improved scalability, ruggedness and speed compared to similar lasers on the market. These features are ideal for robotics applications because they enable the maximum precision and repeatability needed to measure and control very fine movement.
The worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But if you buy shares in a really great company, you can more than double your money. To wit, the...
While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why itRead More...
As we've seen over the last few years, tech companies have invested resources in artificial intelligence, automation, quantum computing, and augmented reality to pioneer technologies to drive society into the future. ParcelPal Technology Inc (PTNYF) (PKG), Trevena Inc (TRVN), China Finance Online Co. Limited (JRJC), and Luna Innovations Incorporated (LUNA) represent 4 tech stocks on the rise on Monday. The Company is focused on improving the lives of their customers through their on-demand marketplace where customers can purchase what they need and have their goods delivered within an hour.
Luna Innovations Incorporated (LUNA), a global leader in advanced fiber optic-based technology, today announced that it has acquired General Photonics Corporation, a Chino, California-based leading provider of innovative components, modules and test equipment focused on the generation, measurement and control of polarized light critical in fiber optic-based applications. General Photonics provides customers with advanced technological solutions across a variety of industries, including those within Luna’s strategic markets. General Photonics’ component and module product lines are an ideal addition to Luna’s overall product portfolio.
@lunainnovations reports 5th consecutive quarter of YoY, double-digit revenue growth in strong Q4 and fiscal year results!
Roanoke, VA, Feb. 26, 2019 -- News Release Luna Innovations Incorporated 301 1st Street, SW, Suite 200 Roanoke, VA 24011 CORRECTING and REPLACING - Luna Announces.
Roanoke, VA, Feb. 25, 2019 -- News Release Luna Innovations Incorporated 301 1st Street, SW, Suite 200 Roanoke, VA 24011 Luna Announces Fourth Quarter 2018 and Year-End.
The big shareholder groups in Luna Innovations Incorporated (NASDAQ:LUNA) have power over the company. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their Read More...
Switch (SWCH) has witnessed a significant price decline in the past four weeks, and is seeing negative earnings estimate revisions as well.
Luna Innovations Incorporated , a global leader in advanced optical technology, today announced an important product application for its Micron Optics si155 Optical Sensing Interrogators.
NEW YORK, Nov. 23, 2018 -- In new independent research reports released early this morning, Market Source Research released its latest key findings for all current investors,.


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While the iPad Mini rumors is making their ways to the big publishers, it is reported that another rumor report just landed in the market claiming that Apple is working on a totally new device with 5-inch Retina display screen, and planned to debut the new device somewhere in 2013, at least not in this year. It is reported that Apple is working on something like Samsung Galaxy Note mobile device, as the new device is reported to be a 5-inch in size, so we think it might be a refresh model of Samsung Galaxy Note by Apple to tell the Korean Mobile manufactures how to deal with failed products. Moreover, the new rumored device would feature a 5-inch Retina display.
The report comes from Japanese site Macotakara, which has a pretty shaggy record in the past over the rumors regarding the upcoming iOS devices, and this time they have mentioned a Chinese source to add additional weight into their rumor report. It is reported that a reliable Chinese source of Macotakara has updated the site with information that Apple is planning to introduce an entire new mobile device with 5-inch retina display in 2013, and according to us the source wants to tell the site that Apple is planning to debunk Samsung’s Galaxy Note mobile device in 2013 with a bigger screen. However, the Japanese blog has a really sketchy track record in the past, so don’t take the rumor seriously, because there are coupled of things that prevents us to believe in this report.
We all know that Apple is already rumored heavily to be involved in the production and testing of the 7.85-inch iPad Mini, which is reportedly going to feature a 1024×768 resolution, as Apple does not want to explode its App Store community, and don’t want developers to rewrite their applications from the scrap for a new size device. However, the same fact applies on this mysterious 5-inch retina display device, which is rumored to be debut in 2013, and moreover the folks are also not confirmed whether the new 5-inch device will be a phone or tablet.
The rumor seems to be featuring an un-mature source, as we all know that Apple always develops a number of prototypes of a single product to test different number of variations and specifications, so we think that their most reliable source just got hands on any prototype of the device with featuring 5-inch retina display nothing else.


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Australians tend to get gouged when it comes to new technology, with gadgets like the new iPhone 6 coming much dearer here than in other countries. But in recession-ravaged Detroit, the new iPhone is worth approximately one house.
An Austrian man who bought a foreclosed home in Detroit is offering to trade it for an iPhone 6. According to a Fox report, Andreas Gindelhuber bought the home on Detroit's east side in 2010 to rent it out, but was unable to find a tenant.
Stuck with a $6,000 property tax bill, Gindelhuber put the house on the market for $5,000. After slashing the price a few times and still failing to generate interest, Gindelhuber offered to trade the home for an iPhone 6.
According to Zillow, news coverage of the bizarre offer led to a cash sale for less than $1,000.


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Hoteliers fear proposed hotel tax increase would negatively impact tourism business
(Page 2 of 3)
In St. Louis, COGIC can fit its entire group in the Edward Jones Dome and accommodate attendees in 19 hotels, as opposed to 44 in Memphis, Oros says. St. Louis has 35,000 hotel rooms, compared to 20,000 in Memphis.
The 1.7 percent hotel tax began in 2003 when hotel industry officials approved it to help pay for cost overruns on the $92 million expansion of the Cook Convention Center. The funds were then moved over to help the city pay for construction bonds on FedExForum beginning in 2016.
“Other cities have restaurant taxes, but the state is aggressively against those,” Oros says. “There is a tourism development zone in place for Bass Pro and FedExForum, but the question is how many TDZs can you have, especially if you want to build a new convention center?”
TDZs were created by the state in 1998 and allow a city to receive a percentage of sales tax revenue generated by public-use facilities from the state in the form of rebates. The idea is that TDZs will attract out-of-town visitors, who would generate much of that tax revenue.
In Nashville, a TDZ was approved to help pay for the city’s new 1.2 million-square-foot convention center, which is expected to be completed by 2013.
Jon Crisp, chairman of the Shelby County Chambers Alliance who was involved in planning for the $585 million Music City Center in Nashville, says Nashville did several things to lessen the blow on one particular industry. While the project received some state funding, the TDZ and an increase in taxes on rental cars was also used.
“That’s passed on to guests in the cities,” Crisp says. “Politicians do this because they can force a tax on people that can’t vote against them.”
Michael Sheffield covers bioscience and biotechnology; manufacturing; tourism and hospitality; and sports business. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A fisheries union and seafood processors in Newfoundland and Labrador finalized a deal Saturday that ends the tie-up in the province's crab fishery.
The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union said two weeks ago that its members wouldn't go to sea until processors offered them a higher price.
Processors said Saturday they've agreed to pay an additional 17 cents a pound for all sales up to and including May 4.
The parties also agreed to set up a committee this fall to develop options for crab pricing structures aimed at avoiding price disputes in the future.
Union president Earle McCurdy has said fishermen were expecting a higher price based on what processing companies were indicating over the winter.


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OnePlus Band with 24-hour heart rate monitoring, 14-day battery life launched in India
Rounak Jain / Business Insider India
OnePlus Bandhas been priced at ₹2,499 and comes in Black, Navy and Tangerine Gray color options.
- OnePlus has marked its debut in the wearables segment with the launch of the OnePlus Band.
- The OnePlus Band offers heart rate monitoring, SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking, and more.
AdvertisementOnePlus has finally launched its fitness band, dubbed as the OnePlus Band in India, making its global debut in the wearables segment. The company is reportedly also working on a smartwatch and is expected to launch it in the coming months.
OnePlus has also released an app, OnePlus Health, that will allow you to connect your band to your phone and monitor your activities, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation and sleep levels. The app is currently available for Android and will soon be made available for iOS users as well.
OnePlus Band pricing and availability
The OnePlus Band has been priced at ₹2,499 and will be available from Amazon India, Flipkart, OnePlus online store and OnePlus retail stores across the country from January 13. The fitness band will be available with a Black color strap and users can purchase the Navy and Tangerine Gray color straps for ₹399.
OnePlus Band specifications
The OnePlus Band features a 1.1-inch AMOLED colour touch display with a resolution of 294 x 196 pixels. The watch faces can be customized using the OnePlus Health app.
The OnePlus Band features an optical heart rate sensor and a blood oxygen monitor. While the heart rate sensor monitor offers 24-hours heart rate tracking, the blood oxygen sensor helps monitor your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels.
The OnePlus Band also supports sleep monitoring, allowing you to view your sleep score, total time slept, sleep stages, and offers you insights about your sleep. It provides 13 exercise modes such as cricket, badminton, swimming, yoga and more.
It uses Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to the smartphone and view notifications for messages, incoming calls and app notifications. It can also be used to control music playback and capture photos from the phone.
The OnePlus Band comes with IP68 and 5ATM ratings, allowing you to wear it while exercising or swimming. It is powered by a 100mAh battery and offers a battery life of up to 14 days on a single charge.
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Yoga and brew
Sara Beauchemin instructs a Buti yoga class at Common Sense Brewing in Bordentown. Recently, local breweries have been offering "yoga and brew" classes during which customers take a yoga class followed by a social brew tasting or offering a discounted beer menu. Beauchemin said her students feel the physical benefits of yoga, while also making time to socialize with their peers with a beer afterwards. Both activities, she added, can be tremendous stress relievers.


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Upcoming Events: FDA Basics Webinar on Indoor Tanning: Risks of UV Radiation, Wednesday, May 26, 2 p.m. ET
Do you have questions about Indoor Tanning? Did you know that FDA regulates tanning beds?
As part of FDA Basics, FDA is hosting a webinar where you can learn more. Featured speakers, Sharon Miller, M.S.E.E., FDA Ultraviolet Radiation Expert and Varsha Savalia, M.P.H, FDA Tanning Products Compliance Officer from the Division of Mammography Quality and Radiation Programs, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, will explain what UV radiation is, discuss the risks of UV radiation, and describe steps to reduce the risks associated with the use of tanning beds. After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
The free 30 minute webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 26, at 2 p.m. ET.
There are a limited number of spots available for the webinar. Materials from the webinar will also be made available on the FDA Web site. Click here for more information, including instructions about how to join the webinar.
Transparency Initiative Coordinator


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The remarkable momentum gathered by Tahoe – Truckee real estate through 2020 carried over into a record-setting first half of 2021. The opening six months of any given year are typically quieter than the latter, yet this year 875 residential properties have transacted year-to-date exceeding the same period a year prior by 36%. More notably, price escalation and an increasingly premium buyer profile have driven the cumulative dollar volume of these transactions above $1 billion; the first time this threshold has ever been met in the first half of any year.
The local marketplace is as competitive as at any point in time with multiple bids having become commonplace. While the total number of listings brought to market this year is nearly identical to 2020, available supply feels impossibly tight having hovered around a single month of supply for much of the last year. Median time on market is an implausibly low 10 days year-to-date while the average sale is transacting at 104% of asking price. Buyer mentality continues to focus around “what will it take” rather than “what is it worth” understanding that real value is in the opportunity to gain the non-monetary benefits of owning property in this pristine mountain setting.
As we look toward a new normal, a hybrid ‘co-primary’ home concept is emerging. The opportunity to untether from a traditional Monday – Friday office model is allowing for a deeper engagement in the local community in a way that traditional vacation homeownership never allowed for.
The current velocity of the real estate market will ultimately prove unsustainable, but few signs of erosion are present. Today’s consumer is well calibrated to the realities; including a keen awareness of buying into a peaking market. Unlike the bubble years preceding the last recession, there is not rampant speculation over future values, nor does there appear to be great sensitivity to the threat of rising interest rates.
Rather, these consumers understand the quality-of-life benefit to living in the mountains and recognize that by waiting out a hot market, they are losing time spent in enjoyment.
The second half of any given year typically delivers double the transaction volume as summer shoppers merge with those buying in anticipation of winter. From the current vantage, only constrained supply will prevent this trend from continuing.


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April 27, 2014
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its preliminary report about the April 10 crash between a FedEx Freight truck and a bus in California killing 10.
March 3, 2014
Three Kansas City, Mo., area men have been convicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to steal nearly $1 million worth of trucks and trailers and their cargo.
February 26, 2014
Trial has been set for next year involving a household goods mover alleging hundreds of millions in fraud over shipments of military personnel belongings.
January 21, 2014
One household goods mover and an affiliate have allegedly swindled millions of dollars from the federal government by submitting false claims about relocating military personnel, according to a recently disclosed lawsuit.
Trial is set for Feb. 18 in Kansas City, Mo. federal court for a group of people charged for their roles in a conspiracy to steal nearly $1 million worth of trucks and trailers along with their cargo.
We offer e-newsletters that deliver targeted news and information for the entire fleet industry.
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25th February 2021
In this article we will review the main chlorine testing options currently on the market.
17th February 2021
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9th February 2021
Introducing our brand new free chlorine sensor test, measuring up to 100 mg/L of free chlorine.
2nd February 2021
We have collated the common queries we are being asked about Brexit into a series of FAQs.
27th January 2021
We caught up with the French-speaking team to learn more about them and their time at Palintest.


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NEW YORK, July 27 (UPI) -- U.S. regulators say Healthy Life Chemistry By Purity First's vitamin B-50 supplement contains potentially dangerous anabolic steroids.
The vitamins, manufactured by Mira Health Products Ltd, based in New York, contain methasterone, a controlled substance, and dimethazine, CNN reported.
"Products marketed as a vitamin but which contain undisclosed steroids pose a real danger to consumers and are illegal," said Howard Sklamberg, director of the Food and Drug Administration's compliance office.
The FDA started an investigation into the vitamins after receiving 29 complaints about the product, including that it caused fatigue, muscle pain and cramps, and liver and thyroid problems, the FDA said.
Some patients were hospitalized, the FDA said. None of those affected by the vitamin have died.
The FDA advised anyone who is experiencing the symptoms after using Healthy Life Chemistry By Purity First's vitamin B-50 supplement to seek medical care and report the matter to the FDA.


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Food Standards Agency
FSA welcomes sentencing in DNP trial
The Food Standards Agency welcomes the sentencing of a man who unlawfully sold DNP for human consumption.
Bernard Rebelo was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday 11th March after being found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter. He sold toxic DNP to Eloise Parry, falsely and illegally claiming that it was a slimming aid. Ms Parry, a student at Wrexham Glyndwr University, died in April 2015 after consuming DNP capsules.
The FSA’s National Food Crime Unit initiated the investigation into Rebelo before working with Harrow Council who, as the competent local authority, took the investigation forward.
This was the second time Rebelo was found guilty of these charges after his initial conviction was sent for a retrial by the Court of Appeal.
Reg Bevan, Deputy Head of the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit, said:
'We welcome this verdict and sentencing and want to acknowledge the great work that Harrow Council did in securing this conviction.
DNP is a lethal chemical and we have seen the devastating consequences that consuming it has. It is unforgiveable to sell it for human consumption and we will continue to work with our partners to pursue those who seek to profit from marketing it as a weight loss aid.'
What is DNP?
2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) is a highly toxic chemical which is poisonous to humans and can cause death, as well as other serious physical side effects. It is sometimes illegally marketed as a weight-loss aid.
The effects of DNP can be catastrophic and cause serious harm to health. Taking DNP has resulted in a significant number of deaths in the UK.
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The following joint statement has been issued by the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and representatives of the UK meat industry.
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In these unprecedented times, Food Standards Agency have published the following open letter thanking those working in the meat industry in Wales for their co-operation.
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This weekend's round up of game news includes word on a new feature on Playstation Home, a new game developmet studio making free-to-play hardcore first person shooter and more.
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When Sony revamps its Playstation Home virtual 3D world for the PS3 this fall it will be getting a free first person shooter, Bootleggers, that can be played in the world's Action Zone.
Sony has announced that Playstation Home, its free 3D virtual world for the Playstation 3, will be getting a major revamp later this fall that will have sections dedicated to game genres.
PlayStation Home, the free social-networking style virtual world for the PlayStation 3 where you wonder around a variety of themed areas as your chosen avatar, is "Not Sh*t" according to developer Kirk Ewing. Ewing, who...


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Ubisoft…you’re starting to do stupid things again.
Today, Ubisoft have announced their plans to release the sandbox hack attack video game, Watch Dogs, on November 21st in the United Kingdom. This news comes on the coat tails of the Mexico release date which is currently set at November 18th, so until further regions are dated, use that information to draw your own conclusions.
The Wii U build of Watch Dogs has been designed to make use of the Wii U’s unique hardware, this means features like Off-TV Play (which lets you play the game solely on the GamePad) and having the Chicago map displayed at all times to aid navigation.
Ubisoft President and Co Founder Yves Guillemont recently said that Watch Dogs was going to be the last mature game that Ubisoft would be publishing on Nintendo’s struggling console. What is, in my eyes, a very close minded decision Guillemont told Game Informer, “What we see is that Nintendo customers don’t buy Assassin’s Creed. Last year, we sold in very small numbers. What we see is that they are very interested in Just Dance, very interested by other kinds of games. So what we are trying to do is to focus more on the types of games they are interested in.”…”[Watch Dogs] is coming to Wii U… It will be the only mature game we publish on it.”


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In Amsterdam, GumDrop collects gum and turns it into a brand new type of rubber, Gum-tec, which is then used to make shoes in collaboration with advertising group I Amsterdam and fashion firm Explicit. GumDrop says around three.3 million kilos of gum find yourself on Amsterdam’s paths yearly, costing tens of millions of dollars to clean. It takes round 2.2 kilos of gum to make four pairs of sneakers. Spain’s Ecoalf creates sneakers from algae and recycled plastic as a half of its Upcycling the Oceans assortment. Founded by Javier Goyeneche in 2012, Ecoalf collects ocean plastics from 33 ports and turns the trash into footwear, clothing and baggage. At MITA, we’re constantly trying to make a positive influence on the surroundings.
- “I started going to art reveals and doing pop up retailers and promoting in local stores and my web sites really took off.
- Boohoo, for instance, has greater


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ClearStory CEO Sharmila Mulligan gives the elevator pitch on her company, explaining that it buffers business users from the technical aspects of data analysis, while providing a deep look at disparate data types.
Little Dwolla, barely two years old, with all of about 40 employees in the technology hotbed of Iowa, has big intentions. It has created a modern payment network, and it aims to change how money moves. Dwolla CEO Ben Milne explains how.
BYTE tried out Exec's business concierge service at the W Hotel, for only $25/hour. Exec co-founder and CEO Justin Kan appeared on InformationWeek's Valley View to give us a deeper dive into the tech driving the service and how he plans to expand.
Microsoft Windows Phone Sr Product Manager gives us a deeper dive into the features of Windows Phone 8, discusses Microsoft's approach to apps and developers, and shows off some of the newest hardware from Nokia, HTC and Samsung.
On Valley View, we took a deep dive into Windows Phone 8 with Microsoft Senior Product Manager, Greg Sullivan. We also talked with Ben Milne, CEO of e-payments upstart Dwolla, and Justin Kan, CEO of Exec. Also see our elevator pitch segment.
Oracle has built, acquired and assembled the pieces to build a complete technology stack, and it will run on premise, or in the cloud (Oracle's). We caught up with Oracle President Mark Hurd and Oracle customers to assess where Oracle is heading.
During a lengthy one-on-one interview, Oracle President Mark Hurd talks about what Oracle is doing in the cloud, with engineered systems, applications and more, and he faces a few sharp questions about Oracle's competitive battles.
The Business of Going DigitalDigital business isn't about changing code; it's about changing what legacy sales, distribution, customer service, and product groups do in the new digital age. It's about bringing big data analytics, mobile, social, marketing automation, cloud computing, and the app economy together to launch new products and services. We're seeing new titles in this digital revolution, new responsibilities, new business models, and major shifts in technology spending.
What The Business Really Thinks Of IT: 3 Hard TruthsThey say perception is reality. If so, many in-house IT departments have reason to worry. InformationWeek's IT Perception Survey seeks to quantify how IT thinks it's doing versus how the business views IT's performance in delivering services - and, more important, powering innovation. The news isn't great.


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Fashion Week ended last week with an emphatic exclamation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence.
The First Nations Fashion + Design (FNFD) closing runway highlighted designers from right across Australia.
FNFD celebrates independent Indigenous designers and supports their growth and development in the fashion industry.
Supported by THE ICONIC, First Nations Fashion + Design wowed a packed crowd on Friday night, with female musicians and a primarily female line-up of designers as a way to explore the matriarchal structure of First Nations' culture.
And while the event marked the end of a week in which fashion was front and centre, it's also a new beginning for First Nations fashion.
For Sydneysiders, Election Day this Saturday, May 21, will also mark the official opening of the Edit Collection and First Nations Fashion + Design pop-up store in Chatswood on Sydney's Lower North Shore. It will be open for a month.
Available will be the designs on display at Friday's show.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations


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Re-energized by an infusion of new financing, a new investor base, and a renewed commitment to meet the needs of the worldwide commercial audio production marketplace, Fairlight.au announced that it has officially reopened for business at the company's former Sydney, Australia manufacturing and operations center. According to Fairlight CEO John Lancken, the company has been producing product since the middle of May and has already shipped its first orders of DREAM Satellite and Station systems to Chiyoda Video, Good Audio Sense, Imagica, Media House, NHK and Yomiuri TV.
In addition to the above the company today announced it has received an order for two DREAM Consoles from Audio Recording Unlimited in Chicago and that the backlog of orders received to date is over 20 systems at an estimated value of over $1 million.
"This is a really great start for the new Fairlight," Lancken said today. "We have received a tremendous amount of support and encouragement from Fairlight customers around the world, and we are grateful for both. A lot of people worked very hard to keep the Fairlight dream alive. Some have invested their labor and their talents; others their capital. All of these people share a common goal, to make the new Fairlight a better company that is able to respond quickly to meet a customer's requirements."
Toward this end, Lancken announced that Fairlight has formed a worldwide network of independently owned and operated distributorships. In every instance these distributorships have been formed with the support of Fairlight's previous staff, meaning that there will be a continuity of Fairlight experience in each of the regional markets. "Each distributor is responsible for their own sales, marketing, training, and support," Lancken explained. "We will provide materials, major trade show support, and an umbrella marketing and communications program to help them achieve their individual local market objectives."
Fairlight's new distributor network includes Media Gear in North America, Tekcare and Fairlight France in the UK and Europe, and Fairlight Japan and GBG Technology in Asia. Lancken, who is in contact with other previous Fairlight distributors, expects the distributor network to grow over the next several months.
To help centralize communication between its worldwide customer base and the distributor network that supports them, Fairlight is opening of a new corporate web site that contains news and information, downloadable product catalogs, a trouble-shooting bulletin board, and user forums. The new web site's address is www.fairlightau.com.
The company was forced into receivership in April of this year. "Quite simply, the old company's strategy of owning and operating a worldwide distributor network could no longer be supported," Lancken explained. "Capital that should have been invested in development and manufacturing was, instead, going to pay for fixed overhead costs that simply could not ever deliver a return. The new Fairlight is going to be more focused on designing and developing products that are dedicated to our customers and that deliver features that are simply the best money can buy," he promised. "Our job is to develop the tools that creative professionals need to achieve their business objectives. This has always been the essence of Fairlight."


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Apple, the Cupertino, Calif., electronics company responsible for the iPhone, issued a press release today to publicly apologize for the shortcomings of its updated Maps application.
When iPhone users upgraded their devices to the latest version of the iOS mobile operating system, they were greeted with an updated Maps application, the first such update since the iPhone debuted in 2007. This version was "rebuilt from the ground up," according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, including new features like Flyover and turn-by-turn directions.
However, many users struggled with the updated application, which lacked earlier features like built-in transit directions in select cities. Others reported issues with finding addresses and lamented the change in look and feel in the update.
"We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better," Cook said in the release.
The company suggests users download alternative Maps applications from the App Store, or bookmark Google or Mapquest sites for use while the company works on improving Maps.
Apple's new application relies on the company's own data and sources like TomTom navigation. Prior to iOS 6, Google Maps was the provider of information for iPhone Maps.
Here's the full letter:
To our customers,
At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps, including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.
There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps, the better it will get, and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.
While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their Web app.
Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working nonstop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.


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Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today show that after three months of steady decline, inflation has again jumped – to 6.8% in the 12 months to April 2023. Over the 12 months to March 2023, inflation rose by 6.3%, so today’s figures reveal a rise of 0.5%.
While the ABS ascribes this jump to anomalies such as the reinstatement of the full fuel-excise in April 2022 and expected seasonal volatility in fruit and vegetable prices and holiday accommodation prices, this is cold comfort for working people whose wallets are deeply impacted by constantly rising costs.
Prices for essentials are still rising steeply. Over the 12 months to April, the cost housing has risen by 8.9% overall, with rents up by 6.1% and new dwelling purchases by owner-occupiers up 9.2%. The price of bread and cereal has risen by 11.4% and milk by 14.5%. Electricity is up by 15.2% and transport is up by 7.1%.
At the same time, wages are still going backwards. The most recent data from the Fair Work Commission (released 22 May) shows the annual average wage increase from enterprise agreements lodged in the fortnight of 8 April to 21 April was just 3.1%. This is a decrease of 0.4% from the previous fortnight,
which was 3.5%. There is clearly no wage-price spiral.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:
“Today’s data tells us that prices for essentials are still going up at extraordinary rates, with no end to the cost-of-living crisis in sight. Working people are struggling to keep their heads above water, with inflation outpacing wages growth by more than double the rate.
“The Reserve Bank should not take these inflation figures as a green light for more interest rate rises.
It must recognise how these shocking price rises affect working people and not pile on with more increases.
“The people worst affected by ongoing inflation are those earning the minimum wage and award wages. It is essential that the Fair Work Commission acknowledge this in the coming days and grant pay rises that help them to survive. Australia’s 2.67 million lowest paid workers desperately need a lifeline.
“Relief is urgent for working people across the board through good, secure jobs, stamping out wage theft and ending the unfair labour-hire loopholes that drive down wages and conditions.”


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Welcome to the first in a series of previews of what Cisco will be showing at National Retail Federation Convention and Expo 2013, January 14-15 in New York City.
Cisco released Catch Them and Keep Em retail research this past January at NRF 2012 .
For NRF 2013 and we conducted surveys in multiple countries for our next release of consumer research.
Jon Stine, director of Cisco IBSG and Lisa Fretwell, senior director of Cisco IBSG will be presenting the results at NRF Big Idea session on Monday, January 14, 2013 at 9:15 – 10:00 a.m at Room 3D04, EXPO Hall, Level 3
Here is some information about the new research:
- Surveyed 1000 shoppers in US, UK, Mexico, Brazil and China on how they use techonogy in the store and during shopping journeys
- Explored questions on self service and preferred to assisted service in the store
- Seven in-store digital concepts are evaluated in terms of shopper interest
Please join us on Monday, January 14, 2013 at 9:15 am – 10:00 am at in our Big Idea session located at Room 3D04, EXPO Hall, Level 3 to be one of the first to see results of our survey.
For more information please visit the Cisco National Retail Federation web site.


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The Jaguar XK should take the line further in 2014. According to news site published by Autocar, the British manufacturer will focus on the development of new cars such as the newly announced XE , its new entry model.
The workshop Brabus customization famous by preparing cars from Mercedes-Benz, but at the Geneva Motor Show it will show a completely different car prepared with your brand Startech: a Range Rover Sport.
Opel, the European subsidiary of General Motors, announced a race car made for the roads and it promises to be the fastest Astra ever produced by the brand. This is the Astra OPC Extreme, with 280 horsepower.


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Another day, another iWatch rumor. The latest news comes courtesy of Reuters, which reports that Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc. will be mass producing Apple's long-rumored smartwatch this July.
According to Reuters, the smartwatch will have a 2.5-inch display and will be "slightly rectangular." The Reuters source says that the face will "protrude slightly from the band," have a touch screen (natch) and charge wirelessly.
The source says Apple is expecting to ship 50 million of these devices in the product's first year of release. Obviously, these kinds of estimates can fluctuate and change, and we remain skeptical of any sources tying down specific sales estimates.
The reports states that Quanta is already doing trial production runs of the device and that it will be the main manufacturer and responsible for at least 70 percent of the final assembly.
A July production start date could mean that the watch could make its commercial debut as early as October. Traditionally, Apple has launched accessories, including the iPod and now iPad, at that time.
A third source told Reuters that LG is the exclusive supplier of the screen for the initial production batch. LG was also responsible for all iPad screens (iPad displays are now dispersed amongst a few suppliers).
The iWatch is expected to have built-in sensors to monitor health. This would match nicely with the Health app and HealthKit SDK coming to iOS 8.
If this information is true and production does start next month, it will be interesting to see if any images of the device or its material leak ahead of release.


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Just over a year ago, the headline atop one story in this paper read: “Drivers welcome ‘awesome’ gas prices at the pump.” It was December 2014 and the cost of a gallon of regular gas was $3.05.
How quickly times have changed. READ
Hampton Coffee Co. unveiled a fourth store on Sunday morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new Aquebogue location.
It is the first North Fork storefront for the company, which operates in Southampton, Water Mill and Westhampton Beach. READ
A Barth’s Pharmacy, complete with a drive-up window, is headed for the former Capital One property in Jamesport.
The Main Road site was recently purchased by Louis Cassara, owner of the Barth’s Pharmacy in Westhampton, who confirmed that he has targeted May as an opening date if not sooner. READ
Riverhead Building Supply will be expanding to Long Island’s North Shore this year, having struck deals to acquire the assets of two existing lumber companies, and will establish new locations in Locust Valley, Huntington and Port Jefferson, the company announced last week. READ
It seems that once the ball drops and Jan. 1 rolls around, people run to the gym using the mantra “New year, new me” as inspiration to get in shape. READ
For Mattituck’s Paige Romanowski, there’s a special sort of satisfaction in her work as a personal trainer.
“The beauty of it all is seeing somebody achieve things they didn’t think they could,” she said. “Those types of achievements make all of this worth it.” READ
Coffee fans, get ready: another boutique coffee shop is opening its doors next Sunday in Aquebogue.
It was considered a gamble when chefs Gerry Hayden and his wife, Claudia Fleming, left successful careers in the New York City dining scene to open a high-end farm-to-table restaurant in Southold. (more…)


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Pick n Pay’s financial results for the six months ended 28 August 2022 revealed an 11.5% year-on-year increase – from R46 billion to R51.3 billion.
The retailer increased its gross profit margin from 18.2% to 19.4%, which helped to grow its profits from R348.8 million to R453.3 million.
However, the previous period’s 18.2% gross margin was off a low base due to 2021’s looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Pick n Pay’s average gross profit margin since 2017 was 19.3%, and the group has been able to recover its margin to its 5-year average.
Pick n Pay grew its South African turnover by 5.4% and its turnover from the rest of Africa by 17.9%.
It was the first period since Pick n Pay implemented its new Ekuseni strategy, prioritising the following elements.
- Changing its supermarket format as part of its customer value proposition. The group now has two formats – its traditional Pick n Pay supermarket and Pick n Pay Qualisave aimed at the low-to-middle income consumer.
- Accelerating store layout of its Boxer and Pick n Pay clothing stores.
- Improving efficiency through what the company calls project Future, a 3-year initiative to cut costs by R3 billion.
Pick n Pay Clothing continued to gain market share with 14.8% sales growth and opened 28 new stand-alone stores.
Group liquor sales grew 36.2%. Seventeen new liquor stores were added, taking the total to 646 stores.
The company declared an interim dividend of 44.85 cents per share, up 25.3% from last year, in line with pro forma HEPS.
Online sales grew 82%, primarily through Pick n Pay asap!, and the partnership with Mr D will further grow this segment.
Pick n Pay CEO Pieter Boone said he was pleased with the progress achieved across Pick n Pay and Boxer over the past six months.
Share price hammered
Despite the good set of results, Pick n Pay’s share price was hammered and declined around 9% on the day.
The share price decline perplexed many investors who saw the company’s results as satisfying.
Wayne McCurrie from FNB Wealth and Investments said Pick n Pay’s results were good, but the market did not think it was good enough.
“I was surprised by the share price weakness,” McCurrie said. “The share has a high rating by the market, but it did not seem that high given the 50% increase in earnings.”
“I would have expected the share price to be flat or down a little following the results, but not a 9% decline.”
Apart from the lofty expectations of the retailer, another reason for the share price decline may be the short- and medium-term outlook.
Pick n Pay CFO Lerena Olivier highlighted that there is a lot of uncertainty in the macroeconomic environment.
The retailer incurred an additional R110 million in energy costs over the half-year reporting period because of load-shedding in July and August.
With continued load-shedding, Pick n Pay expects further headwinds in the second half of its financial year.
Olivier added that inflation would continue to play a role, and higher fuel costs would also hurt the business.
“We are working hard to mitigate these but have cautioned that they will impact our second-half earnings,” she said.


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About 200 sugar industry leaders from the 28 sugar producing provinces of the Philippines, including Negros Occidental and Oriental, are joining the two-day Sugarcane Stakeholders’ Summit that kicks off today at the Department of Agriculture compound in Quezon City.
Sugar Regulatory Administrator Hermenegildo Serfica said yesterday the summit will put forward a strong industry opposition to the planned policy shift toward liberalization by the country’s economic managers.
A sugarcane industry road map for the next five years will also be drafted at the summit.
Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said he is also organizing the Visayan bloc in the Lower House to issue a statement this week on the proposed sugar import liberalization.
Stakeholders have warned that the proposed import liberalization will kill the Philippine sugar industry.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, Serafica and Sugar Board Members Roland Beltran and Emilio “Dino” Yulo will deliver the opening remarks at the summit this morning.
Nicolas Ledesma Jr., president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations-Negros Panay chapter, said “With the sugar summitand the presentations of the stakeholders, we hope the economic managers will heed the industry’s call to stop the plan for liberalization and strengthen the sugar industry for better productivity, especially for the small planters and agrarian reform beneficiaries.”
Manuel Lamata, United Sugar Producers' Federation of the Philippines president, said “We are grateful to Secretary Piñol for initiating this forum.”
Enrique Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, said “We need to make government understand that the producers are not to blame for the high retail prices of sugar. It is the huge profits imposed by the traders, even when millgate prices are low, that cause the consumers to suffer high sugar prices. Government should look into this.”
He said the industry is exploring ways to assure industrial users that it can supply their requirements, at a mutually beneficial pricing scheme, so that they will patronize local sugar over imported sugar.
The NFSP is solidly behind the fight against sugar import liberalization, Rojas also said, during the federation’s national assembly at the NFSP main office in Bacolod City Friday.
NFSP passed a unanimous resolution urging government to abandon the proposal for sugar import liberalization and asserting the need for SRA to continue its mandate of regulating sugar supply.
“We will transmit a copy of the resolution to the Department of Agriculture and the SRA during the summit,” Rojas said.
Serafica and Yulo were also at the assembly attended by presidents and key officers of NFSP-affiliated associations and cooperatives from all over the country.
The SRA administrator urged the NFSP officials to join the sugar summit today to contribute to the crafting of the five-year road map for the industry.
“We fought and won the battle against the unregulated importation of high fructose corn syrup and against Administrative Order No. 13, which removed non-tariff barriers to importation. Now we are in another battle,” Serafica said.
Even with the Senate resolution expressing support of the ten senators for the sugar industry, Yulo cautioned all sugar producers against being complacent in the fight against importation.
“The battle has just begun. We need to solidify and strengthen our ranks to ensure the survival of our industry against this latest threat,” he said.*
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Irish Tech start-up secures €2.23m in venture funding
Sunday Business Post – Done Deal 27 March 2016.
Irish tech start-up secures €2.23m in venture funding
Tech start-up NVMdurance will create up to ten jobs this year, having completed a €2.23 million Series A funding round with existing investors New Venture Partners, ACT Venture Capital, Enterprise Ireland and the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC).
The company will use the funding to “prove to the market” technology developed over 13 years to extend the lifespan of the flash memory used in laptops, mobile phones and GPS devices, said Pearse Coyle, chief executive, NVMdurance.
“Our strategy is to make a success of our early customers and to prove to the market that the product really works,” said Coyle. “Flash is replacing hard disks, but the problem is that it wears out. Our technology allows it to last about ten times longer.”
The technology was developed by NVMdurance founders Joe Sullivan and Conor Ryan, who brought entrepreneur
Coyle on board in 2012, after the NDRC invested in the firm during its research phase.
The NDRC was also among the same group that invested €250,000 in seed funding in the company three years ago. Coyle said NVMdurance would create up to ten firmware engineering and commercial jobs this year. The company has secured a contract with Altera, the Intel-owned manufacturer of programmable logic devices.
“They make a flash memory controller and they’ve launched a solution that combines our technology with theirs,” said Coyle. “We now have a number of clients committed to deploying our technology, two of which have provided revenue advances alongside this Series A funding round. The funding will help
us expand sales and marketing efforts as well as grow our engineering team.”
NVMdurance employs ten people and has offices in Limerick and San Jose, California.


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Apart from Hotstar, there are many illegal websites that offer live cricket streams in high definition for absolutely free.
Perhaps surprisingly, compared to last year, the online viewership of matches went down from an average of 18-20 million live viewers to 4-6 million viewers this year.
You earn them by shopping on the ecommerce website.
All of these players not only carried the team to the knockouts but also saw them through the business end of the tournament to gain their fourth trophy till date.
The Lucknow team was named as on 24 January 2022, whereas the Ahmedabad team was named as on 9 February 2022.
High level of uncertainty and last moment nail biters has urged fans to watch the matches.


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Paid advertising on social media properties is delivering a solid return on investment, according to marketers in a recent eMarketer’s report called “Social Advertising Effectiveness Scorecard: Industry Execs Grade the Leading Platforms.”
“The executives we interviewed said one of the key strengths of paid social media advertising is its targeting capabilities,” said eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson.
“Marketers consider Facebook an extremely sophisticated targeted advertising platform, while Pinterest benefits from its strong connections with ecommerce and purchase intent.”
eMarketer asked executives from 29 companies to grade the “Big Three” social properties—Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter—and the “Emerging Three”—Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat—in a range of categories, including creative capabilities, ad targeting, measurement and ROI.
Also noteworthy is the video ad category. Facebook’s entry into video advertising has created new opportunities for marketers, leading some to predict it could take ad dollars away from YouTube.


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Big Data analytics company Teradata today announced a new Hadoop cloud service and a partnership with Apache Hadoop distribution vendor Cloudera to integrate technology and align development efforts.
Adobe Systems Inc. today unveiled a new software development kit (SDK) to help developers leverage the company's "Creative Cloud" of software and services when building mobile apps.
Silicon Valley startup BlueData Software Inc. emerged from stealth mode with patent-pending technology to provide Big Data analytics via self-service, on-premises private clouds.
Espresso Logic announced that its Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) designed to accelerate the development of mobile and Web apps is now integrated with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.
Open source powerhouse Red Hat Inc. today announced it's acquiring FeedHenry Ltd. to add mobile application development to its hybrid cloud portfolio.
Tesora unveiled a Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) offering for the OpenStack cloud platform, giving more options to data developers.
Couchbase this week announced the integration of its Couchbase Server NoSQL document database with the Spring Framework.
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The tech upgrade comes on the heels of Zume's nearly $50 million in venture backing last year. With that kind of cheese, the company appears well-positioned to take a slice of the $33 billion U.S. quick-serve pizza market.
In addition to announcing the new robot, Zume also named a new president, Rhonda Lesinski-Woolf, a Harvard MBA who cut her teeth at Del Monte Foods.
Vincenzo is actually a robotic arm from ABB with some pizza-specific training. The robot monitors pizzas in Zume's 800-degrees ovens and determines when the crust "hits peak par bake perfection."
Utilizing its six-axis mobility, the robot then removes the pizzas and indexes them in a 27-shelf pie wrack, which is loaded onto a delivery vehicle. Zume's predictive analytics tell the robot how to optimally array each pizza based on the anticipated demand in each neighborhood the driver will pass through.
11 delivery robots that will soon carry food and packages to your door
In addition to speed, the company says a key advantage of Vincenzo is that it keeps humans in the kitchen safe by relieving them of the most dangerous job in pizza making: Sticking your arms near a blazing hot oven.
"According to the US Dept of Labor, workers in food preparation are more likely to be injured than those in private industry," according to a Zume spokesperson. "With one-third of occupational burns occurring in restaurants, Zume Pizza sees a better way forward, using human-centric automation to make its kitchen one of the safest in the world."
Automation fever has gripped the pizza industry in the last couple years. Domino's has been racing to perfect automated last-mile delivery through a concept it calls the Domino's Robotic Unit (DRU).
Like Zume, Little Caesars has been vying for more automation in the kitchen, most recently by applying for a patent for a pizza-making robot to take most of the crucial pizzaolo tasks away from humans.
Still, Zume insists human artistry is still central to its business model. In 2016, Zume hired specialist Robert Medina to preside over the company's artisanal dough. While Vincenzo cooks, Medina keeps tabs on the polish and monitors the rise.


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ECB wants to limit digital euro accumulation with negative interest rate
European Central Bank Executive Board Member Fabio Panetta spoke about possible ways to stimulate the use of the digital euro as a means of payment rather than savings.
During a recent online seminar, he noted that the launch of a digital currency could encourage consumers to transfer their deposits from commercial institutions to the central bank, especially during periods of economic disruption. This will harm the private banking sector and further deepen the crisis.
Best CryptoCurrency Exchange Sites To Buy/Sell All CryptoCurrency
One of the possible methods for solving the problem, he called the introduction of individual limits on the storage of the digital euro. In this case, funds in excess of the established threshold can be automatically redirected to a bank account, or over time, a negative interest rate will be activated, gradually “burning” the deposit.
These measures should discourage the use of the digital euro as a form of investment on a permanent basis.
The ERC continues to assess the prospects for launching a new form of money and to study the economic systems that this may affect.
, Getty Images


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Hunter Boot Limited witnessed an 88 percent increase in ecommerce sales in the last quarter of 2020 and 100 percent increase in brand interest and search.
The company said in a statement that Hunter saw unprecedented demand for its rubber rain boots in the fourth quarter, with the iconic Original Tall Wellington selling out in key sizes in December and when the style was restocked in January, it got sold out again in two days. The company also reported sell out success with their footwear classics, including the iconic Original tall, the Chelsea Boot, Refined and Play.
The company added that the Original Wellington boot recorded 89 percent increase in sales, resulting in the product selling out in some key sizes – a first for the brand. Hunter’s most technical boot, the Balmoral Boot also hit a sales high of 62 percent against the same period last year.


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Medical Device Market Share and Trend Projections
The medical device and biotechnology sectors are hotbeds of innovation. Since 2007, The Prix Galien is an annual award ceremony that celebrates the most innovative products emerging from the industry. In 2019, companies like Spark Therapeutics, GlaxoSmithKline, and Abbot received awards for their efforts to improve human health using unique medical products.
Advances in medical technologies continue to drive the market. The latest solutions range from glucose monitoring patches to in vitro diagnostic devices. To qualify for The Prix Galien awards, the product should have FDA approval (granted within the last five years) and must present a great potential for improving healthcare. Considering that the healthcare industry grows by 3.5% annually and total revenue in 2019 exceeded $1 trillion, it’s no wonder that the healthcare technology sector has many startups.
The Medical Device Industry Outlook
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global medical device and technology market will grow from $424.5 billion in 2018 to $612.7 billion by 2025. That’s a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% year over year. As these devices help healthcare practitioners treat and diagnose ailments, they are vital for providing better quality care for patients. Combined with the benefits, the main contributors to the industry’s growth are aging populations and the rise of chronic disease, as well as more complex surgical procedures.
Of these devices, in vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices maintain the largest share, accounting for 12.9% of the market in 2018. Orthopedic, cardiovascular, and diagnostic imaging devices make up the bulk of the remaining market, with less than 50% shared between other technologies. The biggest purchasers of the technologies were hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. Rising healthcare expenditures, lucrative reimbursement policies, and a focus on better patient outcomes will continue to drive the market until 2025.
U.S. Medical Device Manufacturing Market
Although the U.S. medical device market totaled $169.3 billion in 2018, the manufacturing of devices will only account for $41.6 billion in 2020. This is a steady increase from 2016, but only amounts to a 0.3% increase of annualized market growth in the U.S.
Compared to other industries, the U.S. medical device manufacturing sector is yet to mature. Currently, the U.S. sector ranks 42nd globally and 246th compared to other US manufacturing industries. This is due to stiff competition from other global manufacturers. But the U.S.’s aging populations and an expected increase in physician visits may serve manufacturers better in the future.
The health industry in the U.S. employs almost 2 million people, with well over 300,000 of these directly involved in medical technologies. However, more than 80% of U.S. medical device companies employ 50 or fewer employees and many have little to no sales. This indicates they’re still in the startup phase of their operations.
Medical Device Manufacturing in the San Francisco Bay Area
Sonic Manufacturing is a medical device contract manufacturing company headquartered in Fremont, California. With extensive engineering support, a quality-certified manufacturing process, and more than 20 years of experience, we can help bring your next innovative product to market.
We work with teams in San Jose, Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Burlingame, and Mountain View. For medical device product teams that need access to manufacturing capabilities that ensure the quality of their products, Sonic can assist with prototyping, manufacturing instructions, supply chain logistics, and complete turnkey solutions.
To find out more about our medical device contract manufacturing services, get in touch with Sonic Manufacturing today.