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Microsoft, RComm plan tech tie-ups
Anil Ambani's RComm is understood to have tied up with the world’s largest software firm, report Venkatesh Ganesh and Indulal PM.Updated: Nov 03, 2007 01:24 IST
Anil Ambani is joining hands with Bill Gates. Ambani's Reliance Communications is understood to have tied up with Microsoft, world’s largest software firm, for several technological collaborations, including software for Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), WiMAX and a software development toolkit for the Internet, the personal computer and mobile phones.
Reliance Communications would roll out IPTV by the end of this year, sources close to the development said, adding that Microsoft would provide the technological back up for the venture.
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Redmond-based software giant, would be in India on November 5 and both the companies are learnt to be finalising the blueprint for the collaboration.
Ballmer wants to evangelise about Silverlight 1.0, a software development toolkit for the Internet, PC and mobile phones, which the company claims is the answer to Java, among the fastest growing and widely used programming languages. The Mocrosft chief executive also plans to initiate collaboration between coders and content providers like websites and telecom companies during his visit. When contacted, a Reliance Communication spokesperson declined to comment over the issue.
Silverlight, the company says can offer users an experience that would make sharing of videos, or running streaming videos similar to the kind of experience that TV broadcast offers on all mediums.
Reliance Communication Chairman Anil Ambani had told an analyst conference call on Thursday that the company’s IPTV roll out will happen in two months and R-Com had already finalised the necessary technological back up for the venture. “We will launch IPTV launch in Mumbai and Delhi by year end,” Ambani said.
In 2003, RComm announced that Microsoft would develop a solution for its IPTV services, using the existing Reliance fibre network.
IPTV is a technology which enables you to watch television on computers and mobile phones. Earlier this year, state-owned MTNL had already launched IPTV services in Delhi and Mumbai, while other operators, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL, are in the process of rolling out the IPTV services.
First Published: Nov 02, 2007 23:15 IST


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April 20, 2011 at 3:47 PM ET
Thousands of Twitter users are falling for the fast-infecting "Unfollowed Me" virus and spreading it to their followers, reports Sophos blog Naked Security.
Like the nefarious Facebook spam scam that promises to show users who has been stalking their Facebook profile, the rogue "Unfollowed Me" application claims it will reveal who has stopped following you on Twitter. Both appeal to the vanity of social media users in a largely successful attempt to lead us to survey sites.
Tweets issued in the name of those you follow on Twitter arrive with a message, a link and hashtags that may be trending on the microblogging site. They look something like this:
58 people have unfollowed me, find out how many have unfollowed you: [LINK] #rw2011 #duringsexplease #youneedanasswhoopin
Clicking the link leads you to "a webpage which looks as if it's about to reveal that information — but is actually designed to make you take an online survey instead." The scammers make money on every survey taken. And if you have given the rogue app permission to access your account, it'll start sending out similar tweets under your account's name.
If you've already fallen for "Unfollwed Me" or one of the countless similar scams, it's easy to correct.
Here's what you do:
More on the annoying way we live now:

domain: news


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New York and Bratislava, July 13th, 2017: VECTARY, the free, browser-based 3D modeling tool recently announced its partnership with the 3D printing platform MyMiniFactory to further facilitate their users’ access to creating and sharing of 3D printable designs.
The new partnership comes in the shape of two integrated plugins – for both export and import – within Vectary’s 3D editor. Time saving is key as users are now able to export and share their work to MyMiniFactory with a single click, and make it available to 3D printer owners around the world. They can also import guaranteed 3D printable models from MyMiniFactory to VECTARY, where they can edit and customize them.
Michal Koor, Vectary CEO and co-founder: ”This new plugin will make it a lot easier and will encourage our users to start creating more 3D models and to share them with MyMiniFactory’s large community. I think we’re already seeing glimpses of how the future will look like in five-ten years from now, when creating 3D designs will be a common thing for almost anyone.”
Rees Calder, MyMiniFactory CMO: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Vectary in this exciting new initiative. Vectary shares our vision of bringing 3D design and 3D printing to the masses and so allowing people to share to MyMiniFactory from Vectary made perfect sense. Using this feature, users will now be able to get their amazing creations in front of a broader audience and help grow the 3D industry as a whole. We are excited to see where this partnership leads!”.
VECTARY plans to turn more and more 3D printer owners into designers by adding and connecting different integrations and plugins so they can easily edit and customize shapes they find anywhere online.
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3DPResso is a weekly newsletter that links to the most exciting global stories from the 3D printing and additive manufacturing industry.


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Vistaprint, the office supply company that caters to very small businesses, will acquire digital marketing company Webs.com for $117.5 million, the companies announced today.
Silver Spring, Maryland-based Webs, founded in 2001, appeared on the Inc. 5000 in 2009.
The company says it has served over 40 million customers globally since its founding, and claims 100,000 paying subscribers. It forecasts $9 million in revenue for calendar year 2011."Webs' suite of products delivers incredible value to micro businesses, helping them to look professional online in order to grow their business," said Robert Keane, chief executive officer of Vistaprint, in a statement.
Vistaprint has "hundreds of thousands of active registered customers," Keane said, and more than $50 million in digital subscription revenues last fiscal year.
"Webs complements this success with a business model based primarily on free products that has achieved impressive customer reach," he said. Webs has free website and free custom Facebook page offerings. Vistaprint is infamous for its offer to design and print 250 business cards for free--an offer Inc., for the record, rated as "don't waste your time."
Brothers Zeki and Haroon Mokhtarzada started Webs--then called Freewebs--while still students at the University of Maryland-College Park. The pair (Zeki, who is older, was studying computer science; Haroon, economics) designed websites for family and friends in their spare time, and quickly realized a website-creation tool would be a lot more efficient. So each invested $1,000, funds they used mostly to buy servers (which were then stored in Zeki's apartment). Their then-14-year-old youngest brother, Idris, did a little PR for the fledgling company, listing it on a web directory.
The brothers' entrepreneurial streak came from their parents, Afghan refugees who arrived in the U.S. in 1983 with virtually nothing and promptly started a visa and passport procurement company. "It exposed us kids at a very young age to two things that are important," Haroon said in a 2009 interview. "One was entrepreneurship, and the second is we got access to computers really early because they got a computer for the business."
The trio worked on the company part-time from 2002. Zeki had a job at the National Institutes of Health and Haroon pursued a law degree at Harvard University. (Idris was still in high school.)
When Haroon graduated from Harvard in 2005, Freewebs beckoned.
"[It] was making enough money to pay our salaries, so we said, let's give it some love," he said. In August 2006, the company received $11 million in Series A funding from Novak Biddle Venture Partners and Columbia Capital. Between 2003 and 2007, Freewebs grew 1,704 percent, according to the company history. (It rebranded as Webs in 2008.)
Haroon Mokhtarzada, the company's CEO, said of the Vistaprint deal: "Our companies share a common vision for the future of micro business marketing, and bring complementary products and competencies to the table. Together, we imagine a future in which a micro business will market itself through seamlessly integrated digital and physical marketing media with significant cross-over potential.
Vistaprint will acquire the company for $100 million in cash and $17.5 million in restricted shares "subject to continued employment of the founding shareholders," the company said. The deal is expected to close in January 2012.


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E.on increases energy bills for elderly ‘due to new rules’
Tens of thousands of elderly customers face a rise in their energy bills, after one of the UK’s biggest suppliers withdrew a tariff for the over 60s.
E.on has announced that it will scrap its StayWarm scheme, which offered fixed-price bills.
The firm blamed new rules which limit the number of tariffs that energy companies can offer.
The changes are part of the government’s plans to cut bills, and have been backed by the Prime Minister.
They are being implemented by the regulator, Ofgem, and will limit the total number of tariffs to four per fuel.
“Due to new Ofgem rules, which includes limiting the number of tariffs we can offer, the StayWarm tariff will close as current contracts come to an end from October 7th,” an E.on spokesperson said.
The customers concerned will be written to, and advised to switch to another tariff.
However, if they cannot be contacted, they will be automatically moved to the company’s more expensive standard tariff.
Ofgem said E.on could have continued with the StayWarm tariff if it had wanted to.
Cheaper energy bills
Advice from the Energy Saving Trust:
- Insulate your hot water cylinder. Could save up to £60 a year
- Get an eco-shower head. Some water companies are giving them away free; could save you up to £75 a year
- Swap halogen spot lights with new LED bulbs. Replacing all traditional bulbs with energy saving versions can save £60 a year
“We have never told suppliers which tariffs they have to close to comply with this rule, as that is a decision for them,” said an Ofgem spokesperson.
“In fact we have been clear with all suppliers that they would have been allowed to keep social tariffs (which for example offer discounts to customers who have difficulty paying bills) under our rules.
But some experts warn that Ofgem’s reforms could lead to more cheaper tariffs being withdrawn.
“Whilst Ofgem’s reforms to simplify the market are well meaning, they will lead to the end of special deals such as StayWarm,” said Mark Todd, the director of the price comparison site energyhelpline.
“In fact by restricting choice they are likely to make the issue worse not better,” he said.
Under the new rules, which are due to be in place by the end of 2013, the customers affected will have to be given details of the next cheapest tariff offered by E.on.
E.on said that another tariff for customers over 60 remains open.
The Age UK 1 year fixed tariff protects consumers against price rises for 12 months.
Anyone who pays by direct debit can also save 3% compared to the company’s standard tariff.


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- Wegmans agreed to modify in-store price comparisons that took aim at Costco after the National Advertising Division found the claims to be misleading, according to Progressive Grocer.
- Costco had claimed that the price quotes on Wegmans’ store displays were inaccurate, and often compared dissimilar items. The displays often showed Costco prices as being more expensive than similar items at Wegmans, when the opposite was true.
- The National Advertising Division, a division of the Better Business Bureau, mostly sided with Costco. It recommended Wegmans compare only like items, and list the date of the price comparison along with a disclaimer that prices are subject to change.
Price comparison displays are a popular and effective tool used by retailers to show customers that their store saves them money over the competition, helping keep them there and spending more.
Price disputes are not uncommon in an industry where margins are razor thin and competitors keep a close eye on each other. In 2009, H-E-B accused Wal-Mart of false advertising for its “Unbeatable Prices” slogan and claiming shoppers could save $700 over the course of a year by shopping Wal-Mart instead of its competitors. The NAD sided with Wal-Mart, but said the mega-retailer needed to cite the limitations of its claim in broadcast advertisements.
Nearly 20 years earlier, it was Wal-Mart doing the accusing. The company took aim at Winn-Dixie for claiming it had “Everyday Low Prices,” and for advertising price comparisons with Wal-Mart that it said were outdated and misleading. In this case, NAD also sided with Wal-Mart, and actually took the rare step of escalating the case to the Federal Trade Commission.
In the case of Wegmans and Costco, it appears the Rochester, N.Y-based chain wasn’t comparing like items, and failed to list accurate price information or the dates when the price data was collected. The NAD also took issue with a Wegmans claim — “Don’t shop around town…shop at Wegmans and save” — because it discouraged customers from comparison shopping.
In the end, the two sides reconciled without resorting to a court battle, and Wegmans came away with a slogan it says it plans to adopt, courtesy of the NAD: “Shop at Wegmans and save.”


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CME Group’s long-awaited bitcoin futures began trading today with a bullish signal, as the sale price for its Jan. 18 contracts opened above $20,000.
Coming months after the Chicago-based derivatives exchange operator first revealed plans for dedicated bitcoin offerings, the launch took place at 6 p.m EST. At that time, the opening price for the January contract was $20,650, $1,150 over the last price on CME’s reference rate ($19,500).
All told, more than 200 Jan. 2018 contracts were bought during the first hour, CME data reveals.
The operator’s site shows that one Feb. 2018 contract and one March 2018 contract were sold, along with two scheduled to expire in June. Prices for the latter three are above $20,000 at press time.
Since the opening, contracts have also notably continued trading at a premium against the price of bitcoin, which according to was $19,400 when CME launched trading of the bitcoin futures.
Along with last week’s bitcoin futures kick-off from Cboe, the past week has now seen the launch of multiple products aimed at institutional investors. And, as previously reported, other institutional giants including Nasdaq and Wall Street’s Cantor Fitzgerald are expected to launch products around bitcoin in 2018.
However, CME’s launch also showed signs of market fatigue.
In a departure from the initially rocky launch for Cboe, which saw its website become briefly inaccessible due to significant traffic, CME’s site remained stable after the open. Further, over the course of the first hour, bitcoin saw a sell-off, with the price declining to a low of $18,424.


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The Lao government has vowed to reduce the total public and publicly guaranteed debt stock to 64.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2023.
The Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce hopes to boost bilateral trade and investment with India in the years ahead by taking advantage of untapped potential and abundant resources in different fields.
The Lao economy is projected to steadily recover in the medium-term, but growth will remain below pre-pandemic levels at 4.5 per cent in 2022, according to a new World Bank report.
Laos registered a record low trade deficit of $24 million last month, breaking previous records of the year, with the two-way trade value slightly rising to $880 million.
The Lao economy is on course for moderately improved growth in 2021, despite an outbreak of Covid-19 denting the promising economic recovery made earlier in the year, according to the World Bank.
Revenue earned from potential mining operations, revamped state enterprises and from other as yet untapped sources will be used to pay debts amounting to almost $14 billion, the Lao government has told the National Assembly (NA).
The increasing inflation rate and the weak kip are partly to blame for the slow growth of the Lao economy.
Laos saw a record $932 million in the value of imports and exports last month, but recorded a trade deficit of $62 million, as the value of imports at $497 million was higher than the value of exports at $435 million.
Laos enjoyed a trade surplus in controlled goods through Vietnam in the first six months of 2021 despite the transport difficulties caused by Covid-19 prevention measures.
The year-on-year inflation rate continued to rise in Laos last month amid economic distress triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.


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Chinese language VPN utilization may droop due to Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome’s place as the most well-liked net browser in mainland China may very well be beneath menace, which can lead to VPN utilization dropping on the similar time. At the moment, Chrome has someplace between 30 and 39 per cent of the Chinese language market – lower than in different components of the world, however nonetheless fairly spectacular contemplating most Google apps are blocked in China.
China’s Nice Firewall prevents residents from accessing instruments like Search and Gmail – even the Chrome retailer is blocked. Which means if customers wish to obtain an extension, they’ll first have to arrange a VPN; a typical strategy for anybody wishing to get round Chinese language censorship.
Nevertheless, the launch of a brand new model of Microsoft’s Edge browser earlier this yr may threaten Chrome’s dominance. Customers have reportedly been impressed with the browser’s consumer interface and, most significantly, the Microsoft web site is accessible in mainland China, so no VPN is required to obtain extensions.
On the Edge
One other main plus level for Edge is that it’s constructed utilizing Google’s open-source code Chromium, that means it really works identical to Chrome itself. It’s doubtless that increasingly more Chinese language residents could begin migrating throughout, significantly those who don’t need the trouble of utilizing VPNs, that are additionally routinely taken down by the Chinese language authorities.
The choice by many Chinese language web customers to plump for Chrome or Edge over home browsers initially seems uncommon, significantly given the nation’s perspective to Western expertise corporations. Nevertheless, one take a look at how Chinese language net browsers function could assist to elucidate their alternative.
In China, net browsers usually additionally act as information aggregators or alternatives for commercial. Which means they’re typically much more cluttered than browsers we see within the West. For Chrome to be the market chief, even in a rustic the place different Google merchandise are usually banned, means that many Chinese language residents want an easier, much less invasive browser.


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From the Sandusky Register…
There’s just one shopping day left until Christmas.
But if you want to buy an amusement park chain with 11 amusement parks and six water parks, there’s still about 32 shopping days left.
Cedar Fair has 40 days from Dec. 16 — the day it signed an agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Apollo Global Management — to consider other offers. That period runs through Jan. 25, said Stacy Frole, director of investor relations for Cedar Fair.
“It’s referred to as a go-shop period,” she said.
If you want a chance to buy Cedar Fair, you’d better have a lot of money.
Apollo has offered $11.50 per unit and is taking on all of Cedar Fair’s debt.
That adds up to a deal worth $2.4 billion, give or take a few pennies.
Some analysts suggest Apollo’s offer is a bit low.
Cedar Fair must win approval from at least two-thirds of the unitholders for the deal to go through.
George Andrew Karolyi, professor of finance and global business at Cornell University, said the offer seems fair. He noted that $11.50 is a 28 percent premium over the closing price when the offering came out.
“A typical premium in most of these types of transactions is 20 percent,” Karolyi said. “It’s hard to imagine in this environment people would price it up much higher than that.”
Karolyi said he assumes other companies are looking at whether to try to top Apollo’s offer.
The BlackStone Group, which like Apollo is a private equity company headquartered in New York City, bought SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment late this year. It completed the transaction Dec. 1.
“I’m sure they’re probably asking themselves whether they should make a move on this Cedar Fair investment,” Karolyi said. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t. If they are making a serious push in this business, then why not?”
Cedar Fair won’t comment on inquiries it receives, Frole said. Any expressions of interest or offers would go to Cedar Fair’s financial advisors, Rothschild and Guggenheim Securities, Frole said.
Assuming that a better offer doesn’t come along, unitholders will be mailed proxy statements in February that include a ballot to vote on the Apollo deal, Frole said.
The unitholders may mail their ballots in, vote using the Internet or vote over the telephone, Frole said.
Each unit represents one vote, and the deal with Apollo must be approved by owners of two-thirds of the outstanding units.
“It’s very important for everybody to vote,” Frole said. “Like an election, every vote matters.”
The board of directors and Cedar Fair’s management team are in support of the deal, Frole said, encouraging people to read the proxy statement when they receive it.
Filed by Jan. 8, the Securities and Exchange Commission will have 30 days to review the proxy statement before it’s mailed. When it’s filed, though, it will be a public document, available at the SEC’s Web site.
John Sprau, a unitholder involved in a civil lawsuit that seeks to halt the Apollo deal, said he looks forward to reading the proxy statement.
“I am kind of anxious to see where we’re going from here,” he said.


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An estimated 56.9 million American adults (45 percent of all shoppers)
have bought or plan to buy tech products during the Thanksgiving
shopping week - which includes the Monday before Thanksgiving through
Cyber Monday - ac...
The Angel of Independence was filled to maximum capacity today during
the fifth global meditation for peace led by Dr. Joseph Michael Levry,
global visionary and founder of Naam Yoga. Thousands of people
overflowed into adj...
Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the global data and IP
services arm of Fortune Global 500 telecom leader NTT (NYSE: NTT), today
announced its participation as a Platinum Sponsor at the Capacity Asia
58.com Inc. (NYSE: WUBA) ("58.com" or the "Company"), China's largest online marketplace serving local merchants and consumers, today reported its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2015.
K=Thousands, M=Millions, B=Billions, TTM=Trailing 12 Month, MRQ=Most Recent Quarter, FYR=Fiscal Year End, NM=Not Meaningful, NA=Not Available
GAAP = Generally Accepted Accounting Principles used in Financial Statements issued by the company, Non-GAAP = Adjusted Operating Earnings or Revenue used in comparison to Analyst Estimates. Adjustments are typically one-time gains or losses


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WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Broadband Caucus, and U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) led a group of 56 senators in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to continue advancing broadband deployment in rural communities. In a letter to Chairman Pai, Commissioner O’Rielly, and Commissioner Clyburn, the senators expressed concerns about the high cost of these critical services in many rural communities and stressed that more Americans should have the opportunity to purchase affordable broadband to keep them connected.
“We appreciate the steps taken by the FCC last year to address this concern. However, we are still hearing frustration about the prices for and the availability of standalone broadband. Many operators remain unable or unwilling to offer such broadband because their prices would still be unreasonably high even after the reforms. Other operators may offer standalone broadband, but the costs they are forced to recover from rural consumers far exceed what urban consumers would pay for the same service,” the senators wrote.
As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Klobuchar has been a leader in pushing to expand and improve communications infrastructure in rural areas. In 2014 and 2015, she led letters with Senator John Thune (R-SD) calling on the FCC to update outdated Universal Service Fund rules that required broadband to be paired with phone service in order to receive support. In March 2016, the FCC adopted reforms to allow support for standalone broadband service.
Last month, Klobuchar and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced legislation to measure the economic impact of broadband on the U.S. economy. In January, Klobuchar and Capito, along with Senators Angus King (I-ME), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and John Boozman (R-AR), led 48 senators in urging President Trump to include broadband in any infrastructure initiative. Also in January, Klobuchar successfully included the following bipartisan provisions into the Mobile Now Act when it passed the Senate Commerce Committee:
- To cut red tape by ensuring that states coordinate highway construction projects with broadband providers so that broadband infrastructure can be installed at the same time—known as “dig once.”
- To direct the FCC to conduct a rulemaking on opportunities for partitioning or disaggregating spectrum licenses to facilitate leasing unused spectrum to rural and smaller carriers and encouraging collaboration between companies to bridge service gaps in rural areas.
In addition to Klobuchar and Fischer, the letter was also signed by Senators John Thune (R-SD), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Richard Burr (R-NC), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Al Franken (D-MN), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Pat Roberts (R-PA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Todd Young (R-IN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jon Tester (D-MT), John Boozman (R-AR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Gary Peters (D-MI), James Inhofe (R-OK), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John McCain (R-AZ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tim Scott (R-SC), Ben Sasse (R-NE), and Mike Enzi (R-WY).
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Chairman Pai, Commissioner O'Rielly, and Commissioner Clyburn:
We write to encourage the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to continue working to advance broadband deployment in high-cost rural areas to give rural Americans the opportunity to obtain affordable broadband.
Congress has expressed broad support for modernizing the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) toward this goal. On May 6, 2014, 133 Members of Congress -44 Senators and 89 House Members - signed bipartisan letters calling on the FCC to make tailored modifications to USF support for the delivery of broadband services to consumers in high-cost areas of the United States served by small, rural rate-of-return-regulated local exchange carriers. Similar letters were sent in May 2015 by more than 176 Members of Congress, including 61 Senators and 115 House Members.
The shared concern expressed in those letters was that rural consumers who wished to "cut the cord" on traditional voice "plain old telephone service" (POTS) and opt instead to obtain only fixed broadband services could not do so. As those letters noted, the FCC's old rules unfortunately tied USF support to a consumer's purchase of POTS, making it impossible for millions of rural consumers to obtain affordable "standalone broadband " without buying traditional telephone service as well.
We appreciate the steps taken by the FCC last year to address this concern. However, we are still hearing frustration about the prices for and the availability of standalone broadband. Many operators remain unable or unwilling to offer such broadband because their prices would still be unreasonably high even after the reforms. Other operators may offer standalone broadband, but the costs they are forced to recover from rural consumers far exceed what urban consumers would pay for the same service.
All this means that, despite the reforms last year, millions of rural consumers are still not seeing widespread affordable standalone broadband services due to insufficient US support. Meanwhile, the limited USF budget also reduced the amount of funding available to carriers electing new "model-based" USF support, resulting in tens of thousands of rural consumers receiving slower broadband speeds than intended by the model or not gaining access to broadband at all.
We are concerned that the lack of sufficient resources in the reformed High-Cost mechanism may be undermining the desired effect of the reforms and falling short of the statutory mandate that reasonably comparable services at reasonably comparable rates be available to rural and urban-Americans alike. We therefore encourage you to consider any changes to the High-Cost mechanism that may be necessary to ensure it can achieve the goal of making affordable broadband available to Americans in high-cost rural areas.
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure rural American consumers and businesses have access to quality, affordable broadband.


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North wants style, South craves efficiency, says report on vehicle-buying trend in India
According to a 2013 India Escaped Shopper Study (ESS) by JD Power Asia Pacific, the criteria used by new-vehicle buyers in their shopping process have become strikingly different among the various regions of India.
The study has shown that during the past five years, several shifts have occurred among new-vehicle buyers in the various regions of India pertaining to shopping behavior, the ownership experience and how the vehicle is used.
The study shows that a surge of first-time new-vehicle buyers is largely limited to the West and East regions of India. Nearly 70 per cent of buyers in the West and 57 per cent of buyers in the East are purchasing a new vehicle for the first time. In contrast, the proportion of first-time new-vehicle buyers has declined over time in the North region and has remained nearly unchanged in the South.
Attractive design and styling seem to be the biggest reason for vehicle selection among buyers in the North region, while it has been declining in the South, where new-vehicle buyers have found good fuel efficiency as a reason to purchase.
It has also been found that new-vehicle buyers in the South region are more methodical in their purchase process. They conduct extensive preliminary research, visit dealerships, take test drives and negotiate. Buyers in the North were found to do less research before visiting the dealership, relied on the salesperson for information and were less likely to test-drive the vehicle. Internet usage for research during the vehicle-shopping process has increased in the South region to 42 per cent from 21 per cent in 2009. In contrast, in the North, the shoppers are highly influenced by the opinions of friends and relatives in deciding on their vehicle purchase, the Internet usage for research has declined to 13 per cent from 20 per cent in 2009.
While the number of households owning multiple vehicles is at least 1.6 times higher in the North than in any other region, the average number of people riding in vehicles is much higher in the West and the South regions. The penetration of small cars is declining at a faster pace in the North region, with consumers increasingly preferring larger vehicles.
The study has also gone on to show that the vehicle's delivery time has a huge role to play in the consumer's choice of dealer. Customer retention was also studied, with overall retention increasing by 2 percent and Maruti and Mahindra delivering best retention numbers.
Starts Rs 6.18 Lakhs
Starts Rs 4.79 Lakhs
Starts Rs 7.75 Lakhs
- Upcoming 2022 Maruti Suzuki Alto specifications leaked
- Mahindra drop another teaser showing off the upcoming EVs infotainment
- More details leaked ahead of the launch of the new Maruti Suzuki Alto
- 2022 Renault Kiger review, first drive - small changes add up
- Maruti Suzuki Baleno-based SUV to make debut in 2023?


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- ABM Industries Inc. ABM, +0.03% Wednesday evening said first-quarter net income was $3.99 million, or 8 cents a share, less than $5.48 million, or 11 cents a share, during the same period in the prior year. The facility services contractor said quarterly revenue was $666.6 million, up from $638.2 million. ABM added that it has filed its 2005 10-K after a delay. For the fiscal year, sales and other income totaled $2.59 billion, compared with $2.38 billion in 2004. Net income was $57.9 million, or $1.15 a share, up from $30.5 million, or 61 cents a share, in 2004. Also on Wednesday, ABM said it has approved a buyback program of up to 2 million shares through Oct. 31, 2006.
ABM Industries quarterly income falls; OKs 2M share buyback


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New York, NY (PRWEB) February 27, 2014
Mashable, the leading media company for the Connected Generation and the voice of digital culture, announced today that it has brought on Jessica Plautz as the site's first Travel Editor. Plautz’s hire will help Mashable continue to document the digital revolution, diving deeper into the major disruption digital has brought to travel.
"Social media has forever changed the way we travel; from digital checkins to crowdsourced itineraries, we only see more change and excitement to come in the space," said Jim Roberts, Chief Content Officer and Executive Editor. "With Jessica on board we will be able to go much deeper into the travel topics that our audience loves, and provide more resources on leisure and adventures in the digital age."
Plautz will continue Mashable’s longtime focus on digital culture and lifestyle, by broadening the Mashable communities' global perspective, spotlighting readers’ stories and providing inspiration for future exploration.
Plautz joins Mashable from Skift where she was the Social Media and Engagement Manager. She also was previously the Communications and Engagement Manager at INN and a Creative Fellow at Upworthy.
She can be found at @jessicaplautz.
Mashable is a leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable’s record 34 million unique visitors worldwide and 14 million social media followers are one of the most influential and engaged online communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.


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Photo courtesy of Westedge Design Fair | View Full Photo Detail
Sample the Wares at the New Los Angeles Westedge Design Fair
For the first time ever, Santa Monica's Barker Hangar will be the site of the Westedge Design Fair, a fabulous expo "where design intersects modern lifestyle," Oct. 3-6.
Ligne Roset Designs at Westedge
Distinctive modern luxury furniture and home accessories from Lignet Roset of France will be on display and available for order at the first-ever Westedge Design Fair at Santa Monica's Barker Hangar.
By Lisa Johnson Mandell


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Vannen is pleased to announce Blacklight, our second special edition Regular Show watch with Cartoon Network. Fans of the show loved our limited-edition, first-of-its-kind "Mordecai and The Rigbys" watch, so to thank them for their support, we've lowered the price on Blacklight to just $60!!! We're so excited to show you Blacklight, but for now all we can say is that you're going to love the design. Blacklight has crazy, overlapping, neon line art featuring your favorite Regular Show characters, and we're pretty sure you'll have the best-looking wrists at the Fist Pump show. With the new, low price of only $60 and the limited amount on hand, we expect these watches to move quickly, so be sure to grab yours fast. And as always, expect a special surprise with this release! Keep an eye on VannenWatches.com for more pictures and details.
Blacklight will be available Friday, June 7th at 9am PT / 12pm ET only at VannenWatches.com.
To celebrate this release, one lucky fan will have the chance to win a Blacklight watch before its even released to the public! Just share the graphic up top on Instagram with the hashtag #vannen, and you could win a Blacklight watch for FREE! We'll announce the winner June 6th at VannenWatches.com, so until then, share away and stay tuned for more details.
PLEASE SHARE & REPOST! I am reaching out to you today with a heavy heart to share the news that our dear friend and beloved artist, Brian Ewing, has been diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. Brian has been hospitalized since early March and is fighting for his life. He has brought so much joy and inspiration through his art, and now he needs our support.


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Apple Computer wins court battle against Macintosh rumor Web sites
In a ruling that might affect more people than just the defendants, a California judge on Friday ruled against the three independent online reporters who leaked information about the upcoming Apple products on their website. This might lead to Apple forcing the three news sources to divulge confidential sources, which gave them the leaked information.
The court ruled that there is no legal protection for those reporters who publishes a company’s trade secrets. In addition, Apple had also sued 25 of their employees who they suspected of leaking information to these online news resources claiming that the probable leaks violated nondisclosure agreements and California’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act. They also demanded that the news sources in question should reveal their sources.
In return, the online magazines sought a protective order against the subpoenas claiming that if they revealed their sources under pressure from the tech giant, it would erode the media’s ability to report in the public’s interest. However, the judge claimed that the so-called reporters who published â€˜stolen propertyâ€™ were not entitled to protection by law, which applied to routine journalists to hide their sources of information.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg said in the ruling: “What underlies this decision is the publishing of information that at this early stage of the litigation fits squarely within the definition of trade secret. The right to keep and maintain proprietary information as such is a right which the California Legislature and courts have long affirmed and which is essential to the future of technology and innovation generally.”
However, Free speech advocates and attorneys have slammed the ruling. Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Kurt Opsahl said in a statement: “This opinion should be concerning to reporters of all stripes, especially those who report in the financial or trade press and are routinely reporting about companies and their productsâ€. He was representing the news websites in the court case.


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Originally Published MPMN March 2003
IBA Rebrands Medical Sterilization Business
|Sterigenics, formerly IBA's medical sterilization business, offers gamma as well as EtO and E-beam sterilization services at facilities worldwide.|
A little more than four years ago, IBA (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; www.iba-worldwide.com) rocked the sterilization world by going on a buying spree. Between the end of 1998 and the summer of 1999, IBA acquired Scanditronix, Wellhöfer, Radiation Dynamics, Griffith Micro Science, and SteriGenics International. Almost overnight, the firm transformed itself from an acknowledged expert in particle accelerator technology to a world leader in gamma, EtO, and E-beam medical sterilization. Now, IBA is undergoing another transformation, as it changes the name of its medical sterilization business to Sterigenics.
A need for clarity made the name change necessary, says senior director of business development and marketing Brett Barthel. "Each of our business units is called IBA, and we cover a lot of ground, from sterilization to brachytherapy to dosimetry," says Barthel. "To streamline our communication with the outside world, it became clear that we had to associate our various offerings with an appropriate business unit."
Barthel stresses that IBA is not turning back the clock by restoring the Sterigenics name. "This is a complete rebranding process, including a new logo and color scheme, for our gamma, EtO, and E-beam sterilization business." The company officially reintroduced itself to industry as Sterigenics, a member of the IBA Group, at the recent MD&M West show in Anaheim, CA. It will do the honors for European industry at MEDTEC in Stuttgart, Germany, in March.
In other news, the firm has announced that it will open a new state-of-the-art EtO facility in Dallas as well as an E-beam plant in Denmark this summer. The fully automated 10-MeV E-beam plant in Espergaerde, Denmark, has been designed to deliver a wide range of radiation doses via single-, double-, or four-sided passes. It can accommodate small or large batches, and a microbiological laboratory will be located on-site.
Sterigenics also intends to continue upgrading its EtO sterilization facilities with CyclEOne technology. (The new Dallas plant will hit the ground running fully equipped with CyclEOne and parametric release capabilities.)
CyclEOne can dramatically reduce EtO sterilization and processing times, says Barthel. By using high-performance vacuum systems to evacuate gases from the chamber, Sterigenics is able to perform all of the sterilization and processing in a single chamber in one day.
Acknowledging that the benefit of a fast turnaround may be moot if the customer then has to wait several days for biological indicator results, Barthel adds that parametric release will be made available in the facilities, as well. To support parametric release, the company has even developed a microwave spectrometer that integrates a proprietary technology. "Our goal is to provide medical device manufacturers with the ability to have their products processed in one day using any of our gamma, EtO, or E-beam sterilization technologies," says Barthel.
Copyright ©2003 Medical Product Manufacturing News


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Century 21, Bankrupt, Is Closing All Its Stores
The pandemic deals another blow to retail.
Century 21, New York‘s famed discount department store, has declared bankruptcy and will likely close all of its stores.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the company announced its fate after insurance providers refused to pay approximately $175 million USD in claims under “business interruption” policies, coverage retailers have sought to offset losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “While retailers across the board have suffered greatly due to COVID-19, and Century 21 is no exception, we are confident that had we received any meaningful portion of the insurance proceeds, we would have been able to save thousands of jobs and weather the storm,” CEO Raymond Gindi said in a statement.
The shuttering of Century 21’s original Brooklyn location as well as its Lower Manhattan flagship store, which survived 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, poses a symbolic loss to New York City shoppers. Over the past few days, crowds have lined up to shop its final sales before it closes all 13 stores across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida.


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Purse safety for Christmas shoppers
Dated: 23 Nov 2009
Police in Newcastle are helping festive shoppers beat off thieves by giving out safety chains to attach their purses to their bags.
It's part of their ongoing Operation Cracker campaign to keep the city centre a safe and secure place to visit.
The safety chains are yet another tool city centre police are using to protect shoppers and make it difficult for thieves to dip into people's bags and steal their purses.
The chains are being handed out to members of the public, in particular elderly women, as part of a city centre operation to thwart thieves targeting Christmas shoppers and city centre shops.
Also in support of the operation, police are carrying extra uniformed patrols as well as ensuring plain clothed officers are out in force in the city centre.
City Centre Neighbourhood Inspector Darren Sweeney said: "In this current economic climate, people are desperate for any extra cash for the festive period and there are a few people out there who will take drastic measures.
"Callous opportunist thieves sometimes operate in the city centre and if they see a purse lying on top of an insecure handbag they will take it.
"The idea of the chain is to make it extremely difficult for thieves to snatch the purse, ensuring the safety of city centre shoppers, and are being given out to elderly women and those people who we see have left their purse within easy reach of thieves.
"Giving the chains out also gives us the chance to get across some essential crime prevention advice about ensuring they are extra vigilant with their belongings while out and about Christmas shopping.
"The operation is about reassuring shoppers that we've got extra resources in the city centre to help keep them safe and to deter thieves. Anyone who is caught stealing with be arrested and have appropriate action taken against them."
Police advise to:
Always zip or button bags shut when walking around and carry under your arm
Only take out your purse or wallet when making payments or for any other necessary need
Not carry any more cash than required and where possible make card transactions
Be aware of others around you and don't give any opportunity for them to snatch you belongings


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Debenhams announces a ban on all retouched lingerie model shots.
The high-street department store puts and end to such images as they ‘want to help customers feel confident about their figures without bombarding them with unattainable body images’.
For more, go here.
One thought on “Debenhams takes stand against photoshopping”
Good for Debenhams! I wouldn’t exactly call them a high-end department store, though.
Comments are closed.


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Kenyan carrier Safaricom is testing a new PIN-based NFC-enabled ‘Tap-and-Go’ card for its M-Pesa mobile money service. “The telecommunications services provider says the new offering can integrate with an existing M-Pesa account and the pilot phase is currently being conducted among Safaricom staff, with plans to extend the service to university students,” ITWeb Africa reports. Reports emerged in March 2014 that Safaricom was working to add NFC to its M-Pesa service.
- Guess unveils fashion watches with contactless payment bands
- The world’s biggest electronics store uses NFC tags to let shoppers self-checkout on their mobile phones
- Singtel adds Apple Pay to Dash mobile wallet
- Tesco to roll out high value contactless transactions
- Tech firms to explore next gen payment cards that combine fingerprint sensors with digital displays


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Churchville, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/28/2017 -- After celebrating their 62nd anniversary during September, Tom Adams Windows and Carpets is excited to announce two new promotions this October that will greatly benefit any homeowners that need a new carpet or a kitchen flooring installation in Lehigh County or another nearby area.
From Mon. Oct. 2 through Sun. Oct. 8, this company is offering 25% off the installation of over 30 select styles in the SmartStrand collection including those made of Silk and Sorona, courtesy of Mohawk.
Instead of simply applying a coating like their competitors, their SmartStrand carpets utilize innovative fibers that offer exceptional spill protection, incredible stain resistance and long-lasting durability. With this cutting-edge fiber technology, tough stains from the likes of wine and fruit punch can be easily removed with just warm water and a mild detergent. This soft, naturally stain-resistant carpet is ideal for households with kids and pets. It even comes with a lifetime stain and soil warranty as well as a lifetime pet urine warranty for household cats and dogs.
The SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet consists of 37% renewable material, which in this case is corn sugar. Producing Sorona carpet requires 30% less energy and environmental emissions than producing nylon carpet. Greenhouse gas emissions from the production of Sorona are 63% lower than nylon manufacturing. Homeowners can protect their homes while protecting the planet when they choose this carpet.
Beginning Mon. Oct. 16, customers can receive a free hard surface floor installation when purchasing a new hardwood, laminate, or COREtec floor by Sun. Oct. 22. That includes free measurements, a free in-home estimate and zero deposit financing. To find out more about how to receive a free laminate wood flooring installation in Montgomery County from Tom Adams Windows and Carpets, call 215-357-7000.
About Tom Adams Windows and Carpets
Tom Adams Windows and Carpets has been proudly serving the tri-state area for over 60 years. Experienced craftsmen and superior labor warranties, along with the finest windows, carpets, doors, and siding, make this company the top choice for professional builders and homeowners alike.
To learn more about Tom Adams Windows and Carpets, please visit http://www.tomadamswc.com/.


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Google isn't wasting any time with opening up Google Assistant to third parties in order to catch up to Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft.
You can pre-order Google's voice assistant now and delivery on November 4.
Google this week said its cloud business now has a billion active users. To celebrate the milestone, the company reorganized its cloud efforts under the name 'Google Cloud' and rebranded Google Apps as 'G Suite.'
The new features will make your phone a more helpful assistant during your next trip since you won't have to mess with the screen.
The Chromecast Ultra is expected to cost $69 when it rolls out after Google's hardware event on October 4.
Google has rolled out versions of its popular products like YouTube and Chrome, which are specially designed for people who do not have access to high-bandwidth internet.
A new report says Google's long-rumored mash-up of Android and Chrome OS will show up at the company's hardware event on October 4.
Android debuted on Sept. 23 eight years ago, though Google has cooked up some type of celebration for Saturday.
The timing first nicely with the upcoming launch of Google's Pixel phones, which should lead the parade of compatible hardware.
First there was Google Now. Next, Google's new Allo app includes Google Assistant, a capable digital personality that is eager to assist.
It's also looking like the term Google Now is going away with the company uniting its effort behind the new Google Assistant.
Leaning heavily on Google's new Assistant, Google hopes Allo will finally give it a messaging app that really sticks.
Sending photos is much easier if you and the recipient are using Google's all-in-one image service.
Both the smartphone and Android Auto versions of the app will let you know the speed limit while driving.
Google hasn't said what's coming yet, but if you sign up for the initiative you'll be part of the group that's in the know.
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By Sharon Silke Carty, USA TODAY
BURTON, Mich. In 2001, Laurie Schmald Moncrieff gave her 35 workers some homework.
Moncrieff, a third-generation family owner of auto supplier Schmald Tool & Die near Flint, Mich., asked her workers to read Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, a self-help book that deals with big life changes.
Moncrieff worried her employees were too accustomed to making car parts to quickly adjust to changes she saw coming.
"They looked at me as if I was nuts," she says. "But I have been saying that change is coming. It felt like I was there on a track watching the train coming, and no one was listening to me."
She hoped her workers would take away the message that the days of being just a supplier to auto companies were quickly ending.
From a bare-bones office at her plant, Moncrieff works 16-hour days trying to win new business, lobby the state and federal governments to change laws affecting small manufacturers and keep her business funded. It's exhausting, she says, but she doesn't know what else to do. "You can sit there and talk about all the bad things that are happening, or you can do something. I'm trying to do something."
The changes rattling the auto industry first hit small suppliers such as Schmald Tool & Die 10 years ago, as companies shifted more work overseas. The first parts to go to Asia were types Moncrieff's company made: small metal parts easily tossed in a crate and shipped to the U.S.
Seeking outside aid
A decade of severe pricing pressure from customers — automakers and larger suppliers — forced many suppliers into bankruptcy court, even before the current sales crash. Now, suppliers, who employ 590,000 U.S. workers, have followed automakers in asking for federal aid.
Last month, the suppliers' Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), which says 40 members made bankruptcy filings in 2008, asked the Treasury to guarantee the payments GM (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler owe for parts, making it easier for suppliers to get bank loans.
They also want a "quick pay" program for payment faster than the 60 to 90 days many see now. A similar plan after the Sept. 11 attacks helped suppliers deal with a drop in demand.
Bob McKenna, CEO of MEMA, says a third of auto suppliers are in financial distress, and another third say they will be by the end of this quarter.
"We are not seeking blanket protection from natural consolidation, but need temporary relief to sustain the very foundation of the domestic auto industry and a critical sector of the nation's economy." McKenna says.
Bankruptcies among "tier 2" suppliers, those who make pieces for larger car parts, could soon jump as idled car production restarts, says Himanshu Patel, an analyst at JPMorgan. When suppliers barely getting by are asked to ramp up making parts again, they may not have the money for materials.
That has nearly 70% of suppliers at risk of bankruptcy filings or closure in the next year, says Mark Gardner, an auto analyst at Deloitte Consulting. "I've been in this industry for 25 years, and I think this is as bad as I've seen it. The falloff in demand is one of the biggest things we're working through."
If auto suppliers go out of business, it ripples through the system. Auto plants often get parts hours before they go into a vehicle. Disruption of the chain slows or cripples production.
"Troubled suppliers pose a real risk to every automaker and to their large suppliers," says Stephen D'Arcy, auto group leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Plus, many now-troubled suppliers rely on other troubled suppliers for parts or materials. In the tightly woven industry, Gardner says, one failed company can hurt dozens of others.
"It's like a table of dominoes — if one thing falls, everything around it starts to fall," he says. "If there's a company that's kind of healthy or is surviving and the company that supplies it starts to fail, it creates pressure."
Moncrieff says that's a fate she's working hard to avoid. But she has other obstacles, such as pressure from her bank. She gets daily e-mails asking for proof she'll make money soon, even though she hasn't defaulted on any loans. She lost money the past two years, but hopes to be close to breaking even this year.
The year might even be better, she says, because of new non-auto business. Through a consortium of suppliers she formed, Schmald recently won a Defense Department contract for inside shells of hand grenades. They've also made bars for body piercings and are working on new business in the nuclear and wind energy and levitated rail industries.
Breaking new ground
Courting customers outside the auto industry was foreign to many suppliers. When Moncrieff began working for her father in 1996, she pushed to find new business. When she took over a few years later, she learned that sales leads she'd brought in from other industries were often shredded or tossed out.
That's in part because, for a long time, making money in the auto sector was easy. Business came in through word of mouth or personal connections. Suppliers often had one or two big customers. That often was enough to keep their plants running full steam, and they didn't bother looking for new customers.
But it wasn't a smart way to do business, Moncrieff says. "The generation before us was greedy and short-sighted," she says. "We've got to think about the next generation. If it all goes, at least I can look at my kids in the eye and say, 'I did everything I could.' "
Gardner says the efforts to diversify could save Moncrieff and hundreds of other auto suppliers.
"It's not too late," he says. Suppliers need to do anything they can to get through the next year, when things should start to turn around. "There is a healthy, viable industry ahead of us, but we're looking at weathering through this very troubled time."
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Blue Chip Firms Riff on Secrets to Creating Must-Have Apps at “Apps For Brands” Conference, Presented by Advertising Age and Appolicious Inc., Sponsored by Yahoo! Mobile New York and Chicago – September 15, 2009 – A seismic shift to the brand landscape is under way, and its epicenter is your mobile device. According to research […]
Blue Chip Firms Riff on Secrets to Creating Must-Have Apps at “Apps For Brands” Conference, Presented by Advertising Age and Appolicious Inc., Sponsored by Yahoo! Mobile
New York and Chicago – September 15, 2009 – A seismic shift to the brand landscape is under way, and its epicenter is your mobile device. According to research from AdMob, consumers are downloading an ever-growing number of mobile device applications to shop, study, play and work. Savvy brand managers are capitalizing on the fact. On September 23, 2009, at The Times Center (242 West 41st St, New York) from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, the “Apps For Brands” conference will spotlight how executives and developers are not only creating America’s must-have apps but also measuring the effectiveness of their efforts.
All apps are not created equal, though. So the Apps For Brand conference, presented by Advertising Age and Appolicious and sponsored by Yahoo! Mobile, will give marketers, brand managers and ad executives a way to sift fact from fad when it comes to: developing quality apps; packing value into apps for consumers; and, monetizing the relationships that stem from these apps. Attendees will hear from a top-tier line-up of speakers, including:
• Robert A. Bowman, president and CEO, MLB.com
• Ed Kaczmarek, director of Innovation, New Services, Kraft Foods
• Matt Bean, articles editor, Men’s Health
• Ryan Charles, senior product and marketing manager, Zagat Survey
• Jen McDonald, digital marketing executive, Bank of America
• Carl Minchew, director of product development, Benjamin Moore & Co.
• J.B. Holston, CEO and president, NewsGator
• Rei Inamoto, chief creative officer, AKQA
• Aileen Lee, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
• Eric Litman, chairman and CEO, Medialets
• James Kane, co-founder, Two Bulls
• Matt Galligan, founder, CrashCorp
“There’s a ton of hype surrounding the development, use and even benefits of mobile apps,” said Allison Arden, vice president, publisher, Advertising Age. “So we’re presenting Apps For Brands to give marketers the definitive forum for gaining real-world insight from those who’ve mastered how to leverage these tools to drive value for their companies and consumers.”
“The last 18 months have seen a tremendous explosion in the availability of apps for mobile devices,” said Alan K. Warms, founder and CEO of Appolicious Inc. “As the number of apps explodes and corporate America rolls out even more apps, the problem of discovery – and subsequently driving consumer adoption of apps – will only be exacerbated. Apps For Brands will give brand managers and marketers the strategies and tactics to create an app (and deployment plan around that app) that stands apart from the pack.”
Space is limited, so sign up today to attend Apps For Brands at: http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=767754.
About Advertising Age
Advertising Age (www.adage.com) is a multi-platform media company delivering news and intelligence to the advertising, marketing and media industries and targeted strategies for brand building and messaging in today’s complex business world. From the digital community to the entertainment industries, from the Hispanic market to the global stage itself, agencies, media and marketers all turn to Ad Age digital, print, and special event brands for the insights and analysis they need to succeed.
About Appolicious Inc.
Appolicious Inc. was founded in 2009 with the goal of making it easy for you to find mobile applications you’ll use and love. We’ve combined social networking, journalism and technology to help you discover the best of the tens of thousands of apps available today. Appolicious is not affiliated with any mobile device maker or carrier, and the Appolicious Advisor reporters are independent journalists without ties to the mobile industry. For more information, please visit https://www.appolicious.com.
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February 17, 2003
Personal Tech: February 17, 2003
Taking note of the Tablet PC
The small but heavy gadget is an appealing replacement for pen and paper, a team of reviewers say, but don't expect it to take off just yet.
Digital Life: Going online by the numbers
The number of adults logging online in the United States has increased from 17.5-million in 1995 to 140-million by the end of 2002. Though more people are online, we're still spending about seven hours a week logged on -- the same amount as in 1999, the earliest that figures are available. Who's online and how do they get online?
Solutions: Helpful technical support may not come free
Q. On Feb. 3, I read your comments related to technical support for free antivirus programs compared with purchased ones.
Feel free to browse
The Computer Mentors Group will have an open house and computer sale at 6 p.m. today as part of the National Society of Black Engineers' Black Family Technology Awareness Week.
Tech Buzz: TV sets to warn of dangers
When severe weather conditions or other natural disasters may be imminent, many Americans rely on special radios that automatically sound an alarm or speak an alert. That technology, which relies on a service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, soon will be available in a new version for televisions as well.
Video game review


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- Articles tagged "icloud"
Following the leak of private photos and videos of multiple well-known actresses this weekend, Apple has come under fire for an alleged breach of security of its iCloud service. But what if Apple isn't to blame? And how can you keep yourself safe?
Overwhelmed by the sea of Apple WWDC news? Here's a roundup of the major announcements - find out which rumors turned out to be true.
- ASUS launching new ZenFone with dual rear cameras at CES 2015
- Microsoft might be jumping on the virtual reality bandwagon
- Pirate Bay domain returns waving pirate flag
- Sony hasn't decided on where or how to stream and distribute The Interview
- PSA: Fujifilm releases major firmware update
- THX launches HDMI-cable certification program
- BMW to demo auto-parking technology at CES 2015
- Microsoft recruiting for its new 'Arcadia' initiative


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Dollar Tree (DLTR)
$117.37 0.47 (0.40%)
17:19 EDT DLTR Stock Quote Delayed 15 Minutes
Previous Close $117.37
Market Cap 27.91B
PE Ratio 16.70
Volume (Avg. Vol.) 1.12M
Day's Range 116.71 - 117.62
52-Week Range 81.02 - 117.62
Dividend & Yield N/A (N/A)
DLTR Stock Predictions, Articles, and Dollar Tree News
- From InvestorPlace
- From the Web
Typically, retail stocks don’t do so well in a recession. However, these discount specialists will likely see a demand bump due to their low prices on everyday needs.
Apple's iPhone unveil date is out, and Microsoft is reportedly taking market share from Amazon. Here's what happened in the stock market today.
If you're going to buy a retail stock, make sure it's one of these retail survivors, because these are the ones that will succeed.
These six retail stocks showed unusual and surprising strength in a first-quarter earnings season that was broadly unkind to retailers.
Veeva, Apple, Dollar Tree and Dollar General are our top stocks to watch for Friday. See what we're watching with these big movers.
Dollar Tree earnings for the first quarter of 2019 have DLTR stock on its way up Thursday, despite it lowering its 2019 guidance.
Dollar Tree has room for improvement but investors have priced at least some of that improvement into DLTR stock.
These trade war stocks receive little attention, but they appear well-positioned to benefit stockholders once the trade war ends.
The stock charts of DLTR, TSN and ORCL are set to end the week at key pivot points. Here are the levels to watch.
DLTR stock saw a lift after Q4 earnings, but investors should keep in mind that there are still some challenges to overcome.
The Dollar Tree earnings report for the fourth quarter of the year gave DLTR stock a boost on Wednesday with a revenue beat and EPS match.
Dollar Tree stock was on the rise today following news of a stake from an activist investor looking to makes some changes at the company.
With the broader markets tumbling badly, the volatility invites contrarians toward cheap value stocks to buy.
The stock charts of DLTR, CNP and ORCL are starting the new (and shortened) trading week in a clear technical groove.
The stock charts of MA, DLTR and SCG are at or near tradeworthy situations to get the new week started. Here's what to watch.
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Ovum, an analyst and consultancy firm specializing in global coverage of the tech industry, has published the latest report on the digital banking platform market. It summarizes capabilities of the top 10 global digital banking platform vendors.
Once again, the report lists the Backbase Digital Banking platform as the ultimate market leader. When it comes to empowering banks to create compelling digital experiences, or helping them optimize complex legacy environments — Backbase is the leading option.
The Ovum decision matrix assesses each vendor’s ability to meet the needs of retail banking, corporate banking, and wealth management. Find out why Ovum recommends shortlisting the Backbase Digital Banking platform, and get key insights into the market. Download the report.
Market impact examines market presence and growth. Backbase gets top position as it focuses only on digital platforms and has developed an outstanding expertise on the area. Also, the client base grows at an impressive rate, and today Backbase helps more than 100 banks to accelerate their digital transformation.
Backbase comes out on top for the advanced technology behind its digital banking platform, due to the decoupled set of microservices that compose the solution. This architecture allows changes of the back end to be implemented without having impact on the digital channels.
Backbase gets full marks for partnerships and leads in country coverage, highlighting the strength of its international network.
Learn why Backbase has been named the ultimate leader in the Digital Banking Platform market globally. Download now.


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As the Apple iPhone 5 remains one of the most anticipated gadgets released, with the date highly debated, something new if not radical has emerged into the debate about the world's hottest tech company and its devices.
Apple has filed two patent applications related to Fuel Cell batteries, hoping to develop and launch technology that allows its devices including the iPhone, iPad tablet, and laptop computers like the MacBook go weeks without a battery charge.
The first patent Apple filed is titled Fuel Cell System to Power a Portable Computer Device. The comany says in the filing that consumers want renewable sources of energy for their mobile electronic devices. Apple consumers also want devices to have extended power, something that has plagued the popular iPhone.
The world's most popular smartphone, Apple's iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s run programs simultaneously, which can eat up battery life. Also, after the company released its iOS 5 software update late this year it was forced to release a new software update that helps preserve battery life.
Because fuel cells can store massive amounts of energy compared to traditional electronic batteries and are capable of using less space with proper design Apple hopes to develop technology that is both space and cost efficient to power its devices in a radical new way.
Fuel cells and associated fuels can potentially achieve high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities, which can potentially enable continued operation of portable electronic devices for days or even weeks without refuelling, Apple said in a patent application.
In Apple's second patent application Apple has a design that works with a traditional battery so that one can recharge the other -- similar in a way to how hybrid engine technology works with automobiles. Fuel cells have been used for charging electronic devices, but Apple's patents aim to have fuel cells built into the devices.
Reports have suggested that Apple's forthcoming iPhone 5 will be a radical new design with new features. It is said to be the last big project the late Steve Jobs ever worked on. New features for the iPhone 5 have been reported to be a larger screen size and 4G LTE capability.
While it is not known if Apple's fuel cell or hybrid fuel cell technology will make it into the iPhone 5, the patent filings reveal that is the direction the Cupertino, Ca.-based company is moving. The iPhone 5 release date is expected to be by the summer of 2011.


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It just doesn't seem like August if you're not out stocking up on binders and rulers and new shoes and backpacks. Add a few potent heat waves to the back-to-school scene, and you've got a classic recipe for the eighth month of the year.
But that classic August recipe has become tinged with pumpkin in recent years. It's not a shock to any coffee-loving patron of a fast casual restaurant chain that pumpkin-flavored drinks and pumpkin-flavored cookies and pumpkin-flavored pastas have grown exponentially more popular over the last decade or so, but what may surprise, a tad, is that the gourd-gourmet madness starts earlier each year.
Starbucks announced at the end August of 2014 that its incredibly well-selling pumpkin spice latte, a seasonal drink, would debut even earlier than before, in September. The 2015 announcement arrived even earlier, on Aug. 7, when The Pumpkin Spice Latte's Twitter account — yep, it has one — revealed that it would be "back from vacay" in "18 days."
And at Dunkin' Donuts? The Massachusetts purveyor of all things pastry, which recently started its sweet stand here in Southern California with a host of stand-alone shops, is visiting the pop culture pumpkin patch even earlier, with an early-morning reveal on Aug. 18 of this fall's upcoming pumpkin coffee. (The reveal happened at select shops.)
If you weren't one of the early guests on Aug. 18, take heart, pumpkin-flavored anything fans; the stores are starting to stock up on the many items that now come with a hint of autumn.
Pumpkin candles, pumpkin cider, pumpkin lotion, pumpkin muffins are all on approach, even, yes, in August.
So when do they start getting the jump on July? A watermelon-pumpkin matchup? Stay tuned.


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LTA Manufacturing Hires Berger as Director of Quality Assurance
LTA Manufacturing LLC has appointed Tom Berger as the new director of quality assurance for ATC Truck Covers, Jason Industries, LoadMaster and Ranch Fiberglass. Berger was previously the sales and customer service manager at ATC Truck Covers.
Berger in his new role will devise and implement procedures to inspect and report quality assurance issues. He will monitor all operations which impact and affect quality as well as supervise and guide inspectors, technicians and other staff. He also will be in charge of implementing quality control standards across all four brands to ensure customer needs and are met.
“LTA Manufacturing is excited to promote Tom to the position of director of quality assurance. He’s been an integral part of ATC’s sales and customer service team for a number of years, and we place the utmost confidence in him,” said Matt Blais, vice president of sales and marketing for LTA Manufacturing.
Berger has been with LTA Manufacturing for 14 years. He joined the company in 2001 and remained until 2011. He left ATC Truck Covers shortly after the original facility was destroyed in a fire to continue working within the industry for another company. Berger returned to ATC Truck Covers in 2016.


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(Photo by Stephen Babcock)
Fixt came out on top of a Ravens-sponsored pitch competition to close out Labs@LightCity on Thursday.
Six founders presented their startups as part of the Ravens Innovation Challenge to close out the SocialLab@LightCity track.
CEO Luke Cooper pitched for Fixt, telling the crowd about work with customers such as Stanford IT Services and T. Rowe Price. The Fells Point-based startup makes an app that connects users with mobile device repair, and recently closed on $2 million in new funding.
— FIXT (@FixtHQ) April 7, 2017
The prize is an advertising package with the Ravens, which includes signage at M&T Bank Stadium, advertising on the Ravens’ digital channels and spots at training camp and the Ravens Flock Festival. It’s valued at $200,000.
While Cooper told judges about the company’s enterprise sales, he said the company would benefit from the Ravens’ package because the app is also available directly to consumers.
Along with the prize package, the Ravens represented with free safety Eric Weddle presenting to the winner, and VP of Corporate Sales and Development Kevin Rochlitz was among the judges.
These 7 founders pitched at UB’s Rise to the Challenge biz competition
Here’s a look at 11 Johns Hopkins student startups working in health, VR and beverages
This Baltimore conference helped small business founders craft their perfect pitch
Building a data acquisition system? Don’t make this mistake
LifeBridge Health and CareFirst are hosting an ‘innovation challenge’ for digital health startups
At Diamond Challenge semifinals, high school entrepreneurs pitched batteries and beauty bizzes
Biotrophics picks up $25K at farm and fish accelerator’s demo day
How SmartLogic accelerated these startups’ product growth trajectories
Sign-up for daily news updates from Technical.ly Baltimore


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The Barcelona Mobile Show is full of new gadgets and advanced innovations in the world of technology and communications, from eternal cloning to a connected external skeleton, and Agence France-Presse presents five of the most prominent of these technologies.
The giant Korean telecoms company, SK Telecom, in cooperation with the California startup Joby Aviation, has created a flying taxi, which, according to its designers, will allow “shortening the time it takes to travel” in crowded cities and roads. By avoiding traffic jams.
This air taxi has some of the characteristics of a helicopter, and another aspect that is similar to drones. This device includes six electric motors, which enables it to take off and land vertically. The flying taxi can carry up to four people in addition to the pilot, and has a top speed of 320 kilometers per hour.
SK Telecom, which allows visitors to the exhibition with a connected helmet to simulate a virtual flight over Seoul in a prototype urban air mobility vehicle, stated that this service may be launched as early as 2025 in South Korea, where experiments have begun.
The Japanese company Alt Inc. is offering anyone a chance to win eternal life, but virtually, with a digital version of themselves centered around its PAI (Personal Artificial Intelligence) project, a virtual cloning that enables them to “record their lives” and “transmit them to their family and descendants.” “.
The creation of this digital copy of a person requires three types of information, the first of which is his image through photos and videos, the second is his voice through audio recordings, and finally his personal tastes and preferences, which the program obtains via the Internet. This allows the copy to “think” in the same way as the real person who is copied from, according to the owners of this innovation.
“Your grandchildren (thanks to this digital version) can continue to talk and interact with you, even after your death,” said commercial director of Alt Inc. Memory Yamato, stressing that information about the user is encrypted and therefore protected.
Connected external skeleton
The Catalan company, which has been conducting tests for the external skeleton for years, “Able human motion”, intends to launch it next June in the European market, and it enables people with a spinal cord injury to stand up from their wheelchairs and walk again.
This device, which is placed on the patient’s legs, is made of carbon fiber, which limits its weight to 10 kilograms. The device uses sensors to determine which movements the patient is willing to make, similar to the inertial units used in navigation.
The designers of this device explain that it is possible to adapt gait parameters – such as step size – according to individual needs, thanks to a “mobile application”. In the long term, the device can also be used by people with Parkinson’s disease.
Anti loneliness robot
The mission of the humanoid robot, NHOA, which stands for never home alone, is to “alleviate the loneliness of elderly people who live at home.” According to the Catalan technology center Eurecat, which created it with a consortium of companies.
This orange and white robot, which is 1.60 meters long, can be controlled via a touch screen, while using voice to request certain tasks from it. It is able to interact in a “socially intelligent” way and “build an emotional relationship” with its user, according to Eurocat.
David Marie, director of the eHealth unit at this private think tank, said the goal was not to replace human relationships but to “humanise” the connected apps and things used by seniors living alone at home.
Lost dog finder
How do you find your pet if it ran away from home? Petnow provides an alternative to microchips and collars, and allows people to identify their dogs and, if necessary, their whereabouts by swabbing their noses.
Each dog has its own “nose print” “like a human’s”, and is therefore “a reliable way to distinguish dogs from each other,” as explained by the Korean start-up company, Petnow Inc., which invented this tool.
Pet Now Inc., which is also developing a similar tool for cats but based on facial recognition, explained that the owners of the animal had only to declare it missing online, hoping that anyone who finds it would notify them.


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Welcome to the Q2 issue of MEA Markets Magazine! Bringing you all the latest news and features from across the Middle East and Africa. From companies focused on reducing organic waste at the source to internationally recognised interior design firms, this issue of MEA Markets is packed to the brim with insightful pieces for you to read.
Included in this issue is business solutions provider, Pio-Tech who are defined by an innovation-first approach that champions both digitalisation and futurism. We recently caught up with Mr. Rand Hashem, the Managing Director at the firm, to find out more about their drive to create a paradigm shift in the finance and banking industries.
Another shining light within their respected industry is Opaal Interiors, who have grown rapidly into one of the leading interior design practices not only within Dubai and the UAE, but also internationally. We found out more about the company when we caught up with CEO & Founding Partner, Noor Al Muhaideb who kindly gave us insight into what makes Opaal Interiors an award-winning firm.
Elsewhere in this edition, we discover more about PCE UPS SYSTEMS who have been on a mission since their inception to deliver professional design solutions, premium power quality products and superior services to help their customers unleash their value. Recently, we profiled the firm to find out more about the innovative solutions they provide to their clients on a daily basis.
Here at MEA Markets, we sincerely hope that you thoroughly enjoy reading this insight edition and we look forward to hearing from you soon!
Introducing an essential new addition to MEA Market’s roster of awards, the inaugural Middle East CEO of the Year Awards 2023!Visit our awards here
MEA Markets is proud to announce the return of the MEA Business Awards 2023, which stands as a testament to the remarkable achievements of businesses spanning the Middle East and Africa region! This prestigious awards programme returns for its seventh year and aims to recognize and laud outstanding performers across a spectrum of industries, encompassing finance, technology, energy, healthcare, and more. Through this platform, excellence, innovation, and exemplary leadership are brought to the forefront.Visit our awards here
MEA Markets is excited to announce that we are set to host the UAE Business Awards for an eighth consecutive year! The 2024 programme will look to recognise the top performing companies across the various key sectors that make up the UAE’s diverse and evolving industry market.Visit our awards here


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Coffee exports from Indonesia in the market year 2023/24 are expected to decline by nearly one third, largely due to weather-related supply shortages.
The most severe shortages are expected in robusta production, with heavy rainfalls disrupting the cherry development stage and lowering yields, according to the most recent USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) report.
[Note: This is part of a series of DCN stories exploring the FAS coffee annual reports. The U.S. information agency is currently scheduled to deliver 16 annual country-level reports on the coffee sector. Each of those reports come from different authors and field offices.]
The FAS office predicts total Indonesian Coffee production to reach 9.7 million 60-kilo bags in 2023/24, a decline of 18 percent from the previous year. Arabica production is expected to be down approximately 500,000 bags to 1.3 million, while robusta production is expected to decline some 20% to 8.4 million bags.
While Indonesia’s total coffee cropland is expected to experience a marginal increase of 3,000 hectares to 1.3 million hectares nationwide, a notable increase in farming activities is taking place in West Java. According to the report, arabica production is expanding in the region due to a government-led agroforestry initiative.
“In West Java, Arabica crops are likely to expand as state-owned companies controlling forest lands continue to provide expansion support under the government’s agroforestry initiative,” the report stated. “Under this initiative, growers are allowed to grow coffee crops on state-owned company-controlled lands so long as they keep existing trees on this land intact.”
The report predicts that domestic coffee consumption will experience a modest increase of approximately 20,000 bags to 4.79 million bags as the economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Green bean imports for 2023/24 are projected to reach 1.44 million bags, up 7%, in part due to domestic green coffee supply shortages.
The United States remains the largest export market for Indonesian coffees, followed by Europe, India and the Middle East. Shipments to Japan dipped by 42% in 2022/23, partly as a result of some containers being rejected due to elevated levels of a residual chemical from pesticides, according to reports from Japanese authorities.
Does your coffee business have news to share? Let DCN’s editors know here.


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|You Save||$5 (11%)|
The Doc McStuffins Get Better Talking Mobile Cart gives kids everything they need to provide on-the-go care. Kids can let friends know they're in a hurry with the motion-activated siren that lights up and plays the Doc Mobile song. This Doc McStuffins cart is equipped with a working ladder to help toys wherever they are. Future doctors can use the light and sound EKG, otoscope and thermometer to give on-site checkups and fix boo boos with the bandage sticker dispenser. They can call in their diagnosis using the working CB and then secure their patients for rolling rescue using the gurney and patient seat. This kids' cart is inspired by the hit Disney Junior show Doc McStuffins, which teaches children valuable life lessons
Doc McStuffins Get Better Talking Mobile Cart:
Walmart ad features Disney Doc McStuffins Talking Mobile Cart Deal at Walmart is $44.97.
The Walmart Black Friday 2015 sale starts at 6pm on Thanksgiving Day in stores. The online Walmart Black Friday 2015 Sale is expected to launch at midnight on Thanksgiving day or early morning. Walmart hosts three doorbuster events. The first Walmart Black Friday doorbuster event with the 1-Hour Guarantee deals takes place right at 6pm. The second Walmart Doorbuster deals event is at 8pm on Thanksgiving Day. The 3rd event is on Black Friday morning at 6am.
Walmart is again one of the best stores to shop for Black Friday 2015 deals. Very few retailers adopted the doorbuster in stock guarantee Walmart introduced three years ago. This year Walmart offer 9 1-Hour Black Friday doorbuster deals.
Disclaimer: The Black Friday deal information given above is without warranties on accuracy and availability. Black Friday deals tend to sell out very quickly and as retailer only keep low inventories for doorbuster deals.
Disney Doc McStuffins Talking Mobile Cart Deal at Walmart is $44.97
Black Friday 2015 is here. The early Black Friday 2015 Sales launched. I4U News is features in-depth coverage of Black Friday 2015 ads, deals, and sales. We have more Black Friday services and content than ever before. Find below the highlights.
Black Friday 2015 on I4U News
Find the latest Black Friday 2015 Deals
I4U News is daily News site for the Geek Mind. Expect the latest technology news including the juiciest rumors. Stay up to date with the biggest discoveries in science. Other featured news topics include cars, celebrities, movies and more.Read more.


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If you thought Krispy Kreme had already made all your doughnut dreams come true, hold the bus.
A hole-in-the-wall pop-up is coming to London’s Holborn store, selling the company’s new Nutty Chocolatta doughnut. It’s basically an ATM machine that pops out doughnuts instead of cash, and we’re loving it.
Krispy Kreme confirmed to BuzzFeed that Londoners would be able to use the ATM to satisfy their doughnut cravings at all hours of the day and night, and the exciting Nutella doughnut news was “leaked” to some customers via a letter to store managers.
Krispy Kreme 'accidentally' sent an internal memo to all their loyal customers revealing a Nutella Doughnut 😄🍩 pic.twitter.com/k4rBvc937h
— Superfly Marketing (@hiwearesuperfly) May 5, 2016
Obviously this news was very well received on Twitter.
After following the payment instructions on the machine, customers will be able to unlock a doughnut-shaped hatch and see the doughnut, said Krispy Kreme. All members of the company’s loyalty program Friends of Krispy Kreme will receive a unique code to use once at the machine for a free doughnut. Proceeds from the machine will go to Teenage Cancer Trust, a U.K. cancer charity.
The Nutty Chocolatta will be available at all U.K. Krispy Kreme stores for a limited time, from Friday, May 27 through Sunday, Sept. 4, although rumor has it that if it’s successful (um, if?), it’ll be kept in the rotation. The ATM will be open for business through Saturday, May 21. Let’s hope it’s kept fully stocked. There’s nothing worse than racing to the ATM and finding it’s out of cash doughnuts.
Will Krispy Kreme bring its Nutella ‘nut to these shores? Don’t get your hopes up. It’s like the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup doughnut scandal all over again. We can but hope…


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The feature is a method of making a handset completely useless if it is stolen, rendering a theft pointless.
Authorities have been urging tech firms to take steps to help curb phone theft and argued that a kill switch feature can help resolve the problem.
Apple and Samsung, two of the biggest phone makers, offer a similar feature on some of their devices.
The move by Google and Microsoft means that kill switches will now be a part of the three most popular phone operating systems in the world.
Smartphone theft has become a big problem across the world. According to a report by US authorities.


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Questor says HOLD
Yet again Yorkshire-based speciality chemicals group Croda has posted record sales, margins and profits, with the numbers coming in better than the City expected.
FTSE 100-listed Croda manufactures chemicals which are sold to virtually every type of industry. Its products are used in face creams and lipstick, as well as in lubricants and processed vegetable oils.
The company is relatively defensive, since its beauty product components are bought through boom and bust. The company has also been focusing on higher-margin speciality chemicals, and has been moving out of its more commodity-type business, where prices fluctuate due to current perceptions of supply and demand. Indeed, the increase in sales was driven by volume growth of 2.3pc and an increase in its margin from to 24.3pc from 23.1pc.
However, management says that sustainability has emerged as a key driver of its business. Around 70pc of the raw materials used by Croda are now natural raw materials, with its customers driving their increased use as they try to make their products more sustainable to produce in purer, safer forms. This trend is likely to accelerate over time.
In the year to December, revenues rose to £1.05bn from £1.03bn in 2011, with pre-tax profits up 6.6pc to £253.2m.
Last year management changed the group’s dividend policy so that the company pays out between 40pc and 50pc of “sustainable earnings”. This meant the group increased its payment by almost 60pc in 2011. This year’s rise is more modest, with the total rise being 8.2pc to 59.5p, representing a payout ratio of 46pc. The final payment of 32¾p will be made on May 31.
The core consumer care business and performance technology operations were strong, despite significant currency headwinds. These foreign exchange issues are now easing, as sterling weakens. Questor continues to expect that the pound will remain relatively weak.
The company continues to innovate and 50pc of the growth in sales in consumer care over the past year came from new specialist products. Its performance technology business has used the sustainability trend to develop new products that can be used in oil recovery and green cleaners, for example.
Sales at its smallest unit, industrial chemicals, fell 0.4pc to £82.7m and operating profit fell 8pc to £10.3m. This reflected high raw material prices and competitive commodity and textile markets, though Croda said it expected an improving trend in the second half of the year.
The company’s balance sheet remains robust and net debt was reduced by £23.4m to £207.7m over the year and its pension deficit was reduced.
The shares are trading on a 2013 earnings multiple of 18.9 times, falling to 17.2 next year. This is definitely not cheap. However, this company is well managed and its transformation away from low-margin and volatile commodity operations will increase its defensive profile further.
Questor initially tipped the shares at 389¾p on December 8, 2008 and they have risen by more than 560pc over the past few years.
Earnings forecasts are likely to rise, but given the wider market uncertainty created by the inconclusive Italian elections, Questor is happy with a hold rating.


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The Davines Group has launched a global campaign aimed at preventing 100 tons of plastic from reaching the sea. Davines – the parent firm of Sustainable Spa Association brand partner Comfort Zone – will work in partnership with social enterprise Plastic Bank on the campaign.
Plastic Bank was set up to prevent plastic ending up in the world’s oceans and to improve the lives of people living in coastal communities. It does this by building ethical recycling ecosystems and by reprocessing materials for reintroduction into the global supply chain.
The Rethinking Plastic initiative will see local collectors exchange their plastic waste for premiums, which help provide basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance. The collected material will then be reused as “Social Plastic” and reintegrated into products and packaging as part of a closed-loop supply chain.
Countries involved in the collection project include Indonesia, Brazil, and the Philippines – nations which have a high plastic pollution rate due to a lack of waste treatment infrastructure and the dependency on disposable packaging.
Davide Bollati, chair of the Davines Group, said: “It has become obvious that the only way to accelerate the needed transformation from the current socio-economic extractive model towards a new regenerative paradigm – a transformation that can no longer be postponed – is that of creating multilateral alliances and coalitions working together to reach that objective.
“Our collaboration with Plastic Bank represents a new step forward in our ongoing path of sustainability and regeneration.”
Rethinking Plastic is part of Davines Group’s larger, ambitious sustainability strategy, which is based on abandoning the “take, use, dispose” model in favour of a regenerative approach.
The approach led to Davines Group’s B Corp certification in 2016, granting it membership of a global network of companies which have made a commitment to adhering to business models which generate profit and a positive impact on people, the environment and the communities where they operate.
In 2020 Davines Group sent 0 per cent of its production waste to disposal sites – the third year running it achieved the mark.