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By Chantelle Aguilar
HNN Digital Intern
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Honolulu Fire Department responded to a fire at the Aikahi Shopping Center on Thursday morning.
Personnel arrived at the shopping center around 7:25 a.m. to find white smoke emanating from the roof of a Burger King restaurant, HFD said.
It was determined that the source of the smoke came from an isolated fire in the ventilation system, but the cause of the fire is unknown and still under investigation.
Four employees were present at the time of the fire and evacuated with no injuries.


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Ill. – Motorola
posted its third consecutive quarterly net and operating profit in the fourth
quarter on significantly lower losses by the company’s wireless-handset
division, which reduced its own operating losses for the fifth consecutive
quarter, the company’s
In the fourth quarter of 2010, the handset division will return
to profitability, co-CEO Sanjay Jha said.
In the fourth quarter of 2009, the company shipped 12 million
phones worldwide, generating $1.82 billion in revenue. A total of 2 million of
those phones were smartphones, almost all of which were Android-based, helping
drive up average selling prices to $169 from the previous quarter’s $124.
In 2010, the company reiterated plans to introduce at least 20 Android-based
phones, compared with the two Android phones available in the fourth quarter of
2009. In 2010, the company expects to ship anywhere from 11 million to 14
million Android models to account for 50 percent of overall handset revenues,
with Android revenues exceeding 50 percent in 2011, Jha said. One new model
shipping in 2010 will be a direct-to-consumer phone sold through Google, Jha
Overall handset unit shipments will decline in 2010 as the
company continues to reduce its feature-phone portfolio, although it will
remain in that market and in low-end voice-centric phones, which will be made
through an ODM mainly for emerging markets. Despite lower unit shipments in
2010, the greater reliance on higher margin Android phones will deliver fourth-quarter
profitability in the handset division, Jha said.
For the fourth quarter of 2009, handset-division sales were down
22 percent year over year to $1.82 billion, and the division’s operating loss
shrank to $132 million from a year-ago $595 million loss and sequentially from
a third-quarter $183 million loss.
For the full year, handset division revenues were off 41 percent
to $7.15 billion, and the full-year handset operating loss was roughly halved
to $1.08 billion from the year-ago $2.2 billion loss.
Handset sales accounted for 32 percent of company revenue in
Company-wide, revenues declined in the fourth quarter by 20
percent year over year to $5.72 billion and fell 27 percent for the full year
to $22 billion. Company-wide operating earnings were $163 million in the
quarter, compared with a year-ago $1.68 billion operating loss. Full
year-losses came to $148 million, down from the year-ago $2.39 billion operating

domain: news


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Train2Game students have already published some of their own games online, but to have real success, they’ll have to publish them via XBLA, PSN or Steam.
That’s according to Hello Games, who published Joe Danger on the PlayStation Network last year. (You can read more about it here on the Train2Game blog)
“I think without the support of at least one of those outlets, the chances of success are reduced from tiny to almost non-existent,” Hello Games CEO Sean Murry said at Develop when asked about XBLA, Steam and PSN.
“I think that if you talked to other indie developers, they might say, ‘we’ve been turned down by Steam, or XBLA or PSN’. It’s a really common thing to hear, but it’s also often a real finishing blow for any studio.
“Often people are 100 per cent relying on it. Not just their approval process, but with someone like Apple you are 100 per cent reliant on them promoting your game. Without that, the service is nothing. It’s the same for Steam, it’s the same for XBLA, PSN – being on their services is only worth the amount of promotion that you’re going to be blessed with.”
Murray’s comments echo those of Frozen Synapse developer Mode 7 Games, who as reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this month, claimed Steam is ‘essential’ for indie developers.
Of course, as the Train2Game blog saw at Develop last week, it’s possible for indie developers to have success without the backing of a major distribution service, with Minecraft perhaps being the best example of this.
So Train2Game, where do you stand on the issue? Is XBLA, PSN or Steam needed for an indie game to be successful? Are you aiming to publish on one of those platforms in future?
As usual, leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.


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Windows 10 release date, price, features and hardware: Everything you need to know
Microsoft reveals Windows 10 UK price for Home edition
Windows 10 at-a-glance
Windows 10 will launch globally in 190 countries on 29 July 2015, and details about what to expect from the next-gen OS are slowly being revealed, both officially and via leaks. Here's our round-up of everything you need to know about Windows 10.
- Windows 10 initial release date set for 29 July.
- Enterprise users can manage company-wide rollouts for Windows 10 updates.
- Project Spartan browser finally gets a proper name: Microsoft Edge.
- Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 consumer edition users, who can reserve their copy right now, during the first year after launch.
- If you don't upgrade within the year, you will be charged from £100
- Android and iOS apps will run on the new OS.
- Windows 10 latest news
- Windows 10 release date and Technical Preview
- Windows 10 specs and features
- Windows 10 price
- Windows 10 updates
- Will Windows 10 be a success?
- How to download and install Windows 10
Windows 10 latest news
01/07/15: With four weeks to go until Windows 10's worldwide launch, Microsoft has released another technical preview build for Fast Ring Windows Insiders. Build 10159 comes just one day after the previous iteration, 10158, and mainly contains fixes for bugs in the previous release as Microsoft moves closer to the full RTM version of Windows 10.
With build 10158, however, Microsoft introduced a handful of few new features, including Microsft Edge branding and tweaks, improvements to Cortana and a new five second delay on the Windows snipping tool for capturing pop-up menus.
Windows 10 also has a new wallpaper. The latest build now comes with the OS' new 'hero desktop image', as the company calls it. This image looks set to be Windows 10's default desktop wallpaper, as well as appearing on the login screen, so could well take on the ubiquity of XP's rolling hills.
24/06/15: Microsoft has revealed the stand-alone price for a Home version of Windows 10 via its "Get Windows 10" app. The launch page of the Home version of the app shows the figure £99.99 crossed out, with "free" in its place - reflecting the fact the new OS will be available as a free upgrade for a year after launch for eligible users.
This is in keeping with a leak from online retailer Newegg, which pinned the price for a Home version at $109 ex VAT, and Pro at $149 ex VAT.
15/06/15: Facebook's forthcoming virtual reality headset Oculus Rift will have native support on the Windows 10 operating system, according to the VR device's launch event last week.
Whether users will be able to use the Rift with a 360-degree interactive desktop, or whether Microsoft will simply allow app developers to stream their content to the device, however, is currently unclear.
Microsoft has also announced the development of a universal app for Skype that will come preinstalled with every copy of Windows 10.
This move is part of Microsoft's effort to bring more people into its app ecosystem with Windows 10, which has also included signing contracts with several OEMs to preinstall other selected Office apps on their devices.
08/06/15: Microsoft has revealed the Windows 7 features that will not be making it into Windows 10, as well as certain additional software users will need to download in order to get certain hardware working.
According to the Windows 10 specifications page, Windows Media Center will be removed when Windows 10 is installed on computers currently running Windows 7 or 8.1. Windows 7 desktop gadgets will also be removed, as will the versions of Solitaire, Minesweeper and Hearts that came pre-installed with that OS, although versions of Solitaire and Minesweeper will be available to download separately from the Windows Store. OneDrive will also be removed from Windows Live Essentials, if the user has it on their system, but will be replaced with the inbox version of the cloud storage service.
Additionally, if a user has a USB floppy drive they will need to download the latest driver from the maufacturer's website or from Windows Update. DVDs will also require separate playback software, although Microsoft has not specified what it is or where to get it from.
01/06/15: An exact date for Windows 10 to be released for PCs has been revealed - July 29. It was previously know that Microsoft's new operating system would arrive late next month.
Announced in an official blog post, the new release date means that Microsoft has less than two months to smooth out bugs and issues found in preview builds rolled out thus far.
26/05/15: Microsoft has announced a new Windows 10 app that it claims will bring a more seamless Windows 10 mobile experience to iOS and Android mobile devices, as well as Windows smartphones.
Dubbed Phone Companion App for Windows 10, the program acts as a management consol for Windows apps and services such as OneDrive, Office, Xbox Music or Skype, giving users to get the same continuous Windows 10 experience on all mobile devices, not just Windows Phone, Microsoft claimed.
The company also announced new Cortana apps for Android and iOS devices, which will be released in June, and at an unspecified later date respectively. Phone Companion, on the other hand, will be part of the final Windows 10 operating system when it is released later this year.
18/05/15: Only people using genuine copies of Windows 7 or 8.1 will be able to upgrade free to Windows 10, Microsoft has confirmed, dispelling rumours it would also be available for users of pirate copies of the operating system.
Earlier this year, Microsoft appeared to indicate it would offer a free upgrade to pirates, with operating systems chief Terry Myerson Microsoft telling Reuters: "We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10."
However, in a blog post Microsoft clarified that only those who are using a legitimate version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will be entitled to the free Windows 10 upgrade, although Myerson did express sympathy for accidental victims of piracy.
"Microsoft and our OEM partners know that many consumers are unwitting victims of piracy, and with Windows 10, we would like all of our customers to move forward with us together," Myerson said.
"While our free offer to upgrade to Windows 10 will not apply to non-genuine Windows devices, and as we've always done, we will continue to offer Windows 10 to customers running devices in a non-genuine state," he added, meaning these customers will have to shell out for the full license fee.
Windows 10 release date
Windows 10 will be released on 29 July 2015, Microsoft announced at the beginning of June.
The news of a July release will come as little surprise to Microsoft watchers. The company had stated the release would come this summer, and AMD's CEO Lisa Su tipped the world off to a July launch thanks to a a slip of the tongue during an earnings call in April.
Furthermore, it was already known that the finished version of Windows 10 would be with OEMs in June.
It is likely that the general release version of Windows 10 will look very much like the most current version of Windows 10 Technical preview, build 10159, which came out in late June.
How to get Windows 10 Technical Preview
If you cannot wait the few short weeks until the general release of Windows 10, there is still time to sign up to the Windows Insider Program and get the Technical Preview.
You will need a Microsoft ID or Outlook email address to sign up to the Insider Program, which you must have before you can download the Technical Preview.
The Insider Program page will guide you through the installation process, although a step-by-step guide of what to expect is available here if you want to get an idea of what will be in store before you get underway.
If you want to test Windows 10 in an enterprise environment, you may want to download the Windows 10 Enterprise Insider Preview instead.
System requirements for Windows 10 can be found here.
Fast and slow track releases
Windows Insider Program subscribers can sign up to either the Fast Ring or Slow Ring of releases. As the names indicate, the Fast Ring receives builds as soon as they become available. This has the benefit of allowing users to get their hands on the latest build straight away, but the disadvantage of having more bugs.
Those on the Slow Ring will not receive builds for a while after they become available to the Fast Ring, but they will be more polished with fewer performance issues or potential vulnerabilities. It is also possible to move between the two if you find Fast Ring too buggy or Slow Ring too slow.


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There has been a dispute for India’s largest smartphone vendor for a long time and this time it seems that the race is getting close to the end, at least for Samsung.
Last week a report from Canalys (a research firm) claimed that in the last quarter of 2014 Micromax had dethroned Samsung and became the largest smartphone vendor in India. The data presented in that report suggested that Micromax’s share had grown to 22% against Samsung’s 20%.
Samsung was quick to refute this report, of course, and presented a report from another firm (GfK) which put its market share at 34.3%, thus stating that they still lead the market.
CyberMedia Research’s report also says the same but still reiterates that Samsung its losing its firm grip. Their report data shows that the total handset shipments in India exceeded 257 million units in 2014, and of those 16.5% was accounted to Samsung while Micromax and Microsoft (Nokia) came in at 13.3% each.
The firm states that since Samsung was seen losing its grip on the market and the market share continued on a downward trend throughout the year.
On the other hand Micromax seemed to gain grip between April and June but remained flat during the rest of the year.
Samsung is clearly under pressure from local manufacturers in the country but it appears that the company hasn’t lost its crown just yet.


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UPDATE: This article has been updated to include a statement from Airbnb that was emailed to the Pulse.
A bill proposed by Rep. Joel Kitchens aims to ensure that room-tax collections in the state, and particularly in Door County, are remitted to the correct municipality.
When Door County enacted its 5.5 percent room tax and formed the Door County Tourism Zone in 2007, one of the zone’s primary selling points was that 30 percent of the tax would go back into the coffers of the municipality in which it was collected.
For 12 years, the tax has helped municipalities to pay for roads, sidewalks, visitor centers and other public amenities to the tune of more than $16 million. But now Airbnb and Vrbo – the online lodging marketplaces that have disrupted the hotel industry during the last decade – are adding the tourism zone to the list of disrupted entities.
In July, the Wisconsin Legislature passed a new requirement that lodging marketplaces must collect sales and room taxes on behalf of their users as of Jan. 1. Those marketplaces have indicated that they intend to remit those collections by zip code, not municipality.
In Door County, that presents a problem because zip codes overlap municipal boundaries. Much of Liberty Grove, for example, is in the 54234 zip code, which would be remitted to the Village of Sister Bay. That makes it impossible to know whether each municipality is getting its proper share of room taxes.
Online marketplaces now represent 75 percent of lodging permit holders, 25 percent of available rooms and nearly 30 percent of all room-tax collections. Many traditional hotels and resorts, such as the Landmark Resort, have rooms listed on the online marketplaces.
Kitchens has brought forward Assembly Bill 683, which would require entities that are subject to the room tax to include certain identifying information when filing their returns, such as the addresses and total taxes collected for each property. In the event that a marketplace company does not submit the required room-tax returns in a timely fashion or neglects to pay its taxes, a municipality would have the ability to impose a forfeiture of up to $500 per day, to a maximum of $45,000 per year. Municipalities would also be able to waive any forfeiture if an appeal takes place.
The bill is now in the hands of the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee. Kitchens said he’s pushing for the committee to move it to the Assembly quickly for a hearing. The League of Wisconsin Municipalities has endorsed Kitchens’ legislation.
Kirsten Lee Villegas, president of the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association, said the organization hasn’t taken an official position on the legislation.
“We do believe it contains positive steps toward ensuring that municipalities and the tourism industry as a whole receive the proper amount of room tax from lodging marketplace providers such as Airbnb and Vrbo,” she said in an email to the Pulse. “It would also hold lodging marketplace providers more accountable for collecting and remitting room tax with a more accurate method of tracking by a property’s physical address. We have worked with Rep. Kitchens on this statewide legislation and look forward to continuing to improve it as it moves forward.”
“We need to push it quickly because we don’t have much time this session,” Kitchens said. “It shouldn’t be that controversial, but hotels don’t like it because they don’t want to have to give up information to their tourism commissions.”
Tourism Zone Commission Chair Josh VanLieshout said the commission has identified a temporary work-around: The zone will collect the tax from lodging marketplaces in a separate reserve fund. Each permit holder will file a monthly return with the Tourism Zone Commission and designate what the lodging marketplace collected on its behalf. Then it will be dispersed according to the room-tax data and the history on file.
“We can’t reconcile the information because the marketplace providers refuse to provide that information specifically, and we can’t force them to,” VanLieshout said, so this approximate solution will have to suffice for now.
“It’s a big hassle,” VanLieshout said. “We really don’t know how much more time this is going to take us.”
The alternative would be to hold the 30 percent until the issue is resolved. That would be $2 million by the end of the year.
“You can imagine how towns might respond to that,” VanLieshout said.
Ultimately, permit holders are responsible for paying the tax appropriately, not the online marketplace. That has operators such as Jerry Connor concerned.
“It could be a pure and utter nightmare,” said Connor, who, with his wife, Martina, rents five properties in Baileys Harbor and Fish Creek. “As an owner, I’m petrified about what’s going to happen about funds getting misapplied to the wrong places.”
Connor said it’s unclear how they’ll reconcile last-minute cancellations or add-ons in regard to tax collections, which could put property owners at loggerheads with the tourism zone.
“If the OTA remits improperly, then I have to go and reconcile the tax,” Connor said. “It will fall on us. It’s getting to the stage where it’s becoming an arduous exercise.”
VanLieshout said Kitchens has been responsive to the problem and helpful in pushing the zone’s concerns forward. The legislation is crucial because there has been little response from Airbnb and Vrbo.
Airbnb responded to questions about the tax payments with the following statement:
“While we are reviewing this proposed legislation, Airbnb is proud to be a partner of the State where we have collected and remitted millions of dollars in taxes on behalf of our hosts and uniquely formed collection agreements with multiple municipalities.”
“These companies are so big, Door County’s issues don’t concern them,” VanLieshout said. “The whole geographic part of their business is based on zip codes.”
Tech companies such as Airbnb famously operate in the ethos of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg: “Move fast and break things.” For regulators and especially small municipalities, it can be hard to keep pace.
“It’s fascinating how quickly an industry can change, and how long it can take for regulators to catch up,” VanLieshout said. “For a hotel and motel, you have to go through a lot of stuff. Then all of a sudden you get this boom in single-family homes being for rent, and you can see it’s exponential. But I don’t think any agency has added inspectors to try to deal with the number of added homes for rent.”


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The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has lifted the 14-days mandatory quarantine period stipulated for ships arriving from ports of infected countries after maritime trade complained that this was delaying the berthing of vessels with a cascading effect on the container logistics chain.
In view of the difficulties expressed by the stakeholders, it has been decided that the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days mentioned in the order dated March 20 shall not be insisted, Amitabh Kumar, Director-General of Shipping wrote in an order issued on Thursday.
The 14-day quarantine imposed on vessels arriving from ports of infected countries has resulted in ships having to wait for up to 3-4 days before berthing at Indian ports,” said Sunil Vaswani, Executive Director of the Container Shipping Lines Association (India). This not only delays the discharge and the de-stuffing of import loads but also delays the availability of containers for export shipments.
It also delays the whole cycle of several sailings put together and eventually results in a reduction in the number of sailings over a period of time, thereby causing a significant reduction in the number of export shipments, Vaswani added.
Exporters have been facing shortage of equipment (empty containers) besides rising freight rates as shipping lines re-position empty boxes for exports at a cost.
While removing the quarantine period, the DGS has also set conditions for the disembarkation of crew of vessels that have not completed 14 days from the last port of call.
Source: Hellenic Shipping


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Premium sports video provider SEASON is upping its custom content for online publishers in 2012, as part of a push for more original and exclusive programming, said Marc Mallett VP East Coast Sales, SEASON, during a recent interview with Beet.TV.
SEASON is part of sports media company Silver Chalice and focuses on premium sports. SEASON’s video highlights draw from MLB, NBA, NHL and many college sports. SEASON has also begun packaging sports content exclusively, such as its Pro Football Weekly video package, Mallett said. He expects to expand on that work in 2012 with more custom content for distribution partners. He added that SEASON sells standard video units including pre-rolls, mid-rolls and post-rolls as well as overlays and banners. CPMs are in the $20-plus range, he said.
The company is also working on a mobile sports programming package that it will roll out soon.


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In a new report published today smartphone analyst and Consumer Insight Director for Kantar Lauren Guenveur stated that "In the US, the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models made an immediate impact, becoming the best-selling smartphones in the month of September at 17.1%. Strong sales of the iPhone 7 and the lower-priced iPhone 6s, the second best-selling device in the US in September, contributed to an overall growth of iOS to 34.2% in the third quarter of 2016.
Dominic Sunnebo, Business Unit Director for Kantar added that "In Great Britain, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were top-sellers during the month of September, accounting for 15.1% of sales. In the third quarter of 2016, iOS accounted for 40.6% of smartphone sales, a 2.4 percentage point increase from the same period a year ago. It's interesting to note the continued success of the iPhone SE in Britain, accounting for 8.5% of sales in the quarter vs. a share of just 3.5% in the US."
During Apple's Q4 Financial Conference Call, their CFO noted that even though sales were down in China in Fiscal Q4, Apple would return to growth in China in the December quarter and that demand for the iPhone 7 is outstripping supply, especially the iPhone 7. The Kantar report today noted that "with supply constrained on the iPhone 7, and particularly the 7 Plus, this positive turn for Apple is a good sign, suggesting that as supply grows to meet demand, Apple will be able to turn the tide in Urban China."
Samsung in Store for More Pain
In respect to Samsung, Lauren Guenveur noted in today's report that "Despite some sales from the beleaguered Samsung Galaxy Note 7, still technically available through the month of September, Samsung posted a year-on-year decline from 36.9% to 33.8% of US smartphone sales in the third quarter."
Guenveur added that "The holiday sales season may prove to be more challenging than normal for Samsung, who competes head-to-head with Apple during this crucial time of year. Fallout from the Note 7 recall could have an unintended impact on continuing sales of other, similarly-named Samsung devices (chiefly the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge), as consumers may not always understand the difference between the model names. However, deep holiday discounts, as we saw with the Galaxy S6 last year, may counteract any expected negative impact, as the driving reason for choice among US consumers remains finding a good deal on the price of the phone." Though any way you look at it, Samsung is in for a rocky calendar Q4 without a doubt.
Notable 2016 Smartphone Trends
In other research areas of interest, a secondary Kantar report noted that "In 3Q 2014, just before the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which introduced the 4.7 and 5.5-inch form factors, 47% of smartphones featured a screen size of less than 4.5 inches. In the most recent quarter, that share is just 17%. More than a quarter of the units sold now have 5.5-inch or larger screens.
With that shift, the reasons people love their smartphones have also changed – 47% of owners who acquired their device in 2016 cited 'the size of the screen' as the main driver of their satisfaction. For those who acquired phones in 2014, 'durability and reliability' was the leading reason for satisfaction, cited by 41% of consumers.
After screen size, Kantar noted that the performance of the camera is the next driver of satisfaction among new smartphone owners, cited by 39% of consumers. While this is not a monumental percentage increase from the 32% who expressed this preference in 2014, it is accompanied by a move up the list of priorities, with camera quality advancing from third to second in importance.
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Last updated: Thursday, April 27, 2017
Guangxi Province Strengthening Economic Cooperation with Vietnam
The commercial relationship between Vietnam and Chinese Guangxi province is increasingly important. According to Mr Le Danh Vinh, Vice Minister of Trade, the two-way trade value in 2004 between Vietnam and Guangxi was US$752 million, 13 per cent more than 2003. To promote the relationship, VCCI and Guangxi authorities have organised a seminar on “Economic and commercial co-operation between Guangxi and Vietnamese Northern provinces”. Following are statements from the participants:
Mr Nguyen Quang Hung, Vice Chairman of Quang Ninh People’s Committee: Quang Ninh offers preferential treatment to Guangxi businesses
In recent years, the cooperation between the two provinces has been expanded and fruitful. The cross border trade increased to US$254 million in 2002, US$291 million in 2003 and US$448 million in 2004. Each year, some hundred thousand tourists crossed the border and visited the two provinces. An agreement has been reached by the two provinces to open road transport between Ha Long (Quang Ninh) to Nanning, Beihai (Guangxi). In the coming years, the two provinces must promote investment and trade, exchange market information and increase business match-making.
Chairman Lo Ich Giang, Cao Bang People’s Committee:
increased cooperation in agriculture and forestry
In 2002, an MOU was signed between the two provinces on scientific cooperation for the development of agriculture and forestry, border trade and tourism. To continue the cooperation, Cao Bang will focus on agriculture and forestry including pilot projects on some species of livestock and poultry, and demonstration of Chinese technology. In return, Cao Bang can provide species of hybrid maize to Guangxi. The cooperation can also be realised in industry such as exploitation of iron ore, manganese, aluminium and steel production.
Chairman Zhang Xiu Long, Chongzuo City:
Chongzuo secures privileges to Vietnamese businesses
We encourage Vietnamese investment in Chongzuo especially in food processing. The food sector makes up 37 per cent of the production value of Chongzuo. We also encourage Chinese businesses to invest in the exploitation of coal, manganese and iron in Vietnam. Tourism is also given high priority and ranks third in Chongzuo’s economy. Foreign investment is also encouraged in education, health and service. The income tax rate has been reduced from 33 per cent to 15 per cent. Investors receive tax exemption in their first three years and tax reduction in the following years. Vietnamese investors can also get bank loans with low interest rates.
Mr Zhou Wen Rui, Minister Counsellor of Chinese Embassy:
High growth rates in bilateral trade
Since the start of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, the two-way investment and trade between China and ASEAN has continued to develop, especially in the “early harvest programme” of agricultural products. The economic and trade cooperation between China and Vietnam also recorded a new height with bilateral trade value of US$6.7 billion in 2004. Last year, the first China-ASEAN exhibition was organised in Nanning creating a ground for business cooperation. Vietnam has been Guangxi’s top trade partner. Guangxi’s investment in Vietnam makes up 50 per cent of the total investment of the province among ASEAN countries. With this seminar, it is expected that the linkage of infrastructure will be stepped up, especially the land transport to facilitate the exchanges of commodities, trade, tourism between Guangxi and Northern provinces of Vietnam.
Mr Zhang Chi Xin, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of Chinese Embassy:
Bright prospect for economic and trade cooperation
Chinese WTO membership and the establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area have increased Chinese imports from Vietnam. China has granted Vietnamese exports the same tax rates as those of WTO members. Since January 1, 2004, China has abandoned quotas and import permits on petroleum, rubber and tyres in favour of Vietnam. China only applies quotas on six items namely food, cotton, vegetable oil, sugar, wool and fertiliser. It will help Vietnamese businesses to expand trade with China. By January 1, 2006, the tax rates of “early harvest programme” will be down to zero per cent, Vietnam and other new ASEAN members will have a transitional period of 2-4 years.
In the framework of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, China and four new ASEAN members including Vietnam, will reduce the tax rates to zero by 2015. China-Vietnam trade will be more favourable with increased exports and broader economic cooperation.


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Copyright © 2015
As the BlackBerry Storm and HTC Touch Diamond draw closer to a release with Verizon, the company's internal product training schedule was leaked Friday, hinting at likely release dates for the products. Engadget reveals that the list shows over a dozen seminars, including sessions for the Storm and Touch Diamond, showing a required completion date of November 2nd and December 3rd for the two devices, respectively. This presumably puts the release dates very soon afterwards.
Forum roundup: With the recent rumors of new MacBooks being constructed with aluminum instead of polycarbonate casings MacNN forum goers provide their thoughts and opinions. Forum goers discuss different ways of buying an iPhone without signing up for a contract in this thread stared by Grizzled Veteran ctt1wbw. One Fresh Faced Recruit is looking to make the switch from a PC to an iMac and finds advice from other members about the best RAM upgrade and storage solutions. An awkward warning message with instructions to restart is the topic of this thread. A forum goer looks for help after unplugging their external hard drive only to find that their iPhoto library was empty.
Details of Apple's hiring process and documents for Genius positions show tight control over employees, according to a leak on MacBlogz. Aviv Hadar applied for a Genius job online and was subsequently invited to the local store for an interview. After a half hour past the scheduled time, Hadar said the two managers "waltz in like they were Apple execs or something."
Houdah Software has released an update to its iPhone puzzle game, ACTSudoku 1.5. This release adds intelligent or educational hints and options to turn the automatic markers on or off, use short taps, or show markers as numbers. More Sodoku documentation has been included, and settings have been integrated into the application menus.
Universal Music Group is planning on creating its own online music video hosting website that would include other content as well, as per a recent rumbling. The site would be similar in execution to NBC’s Hulu video streaming site, and also include artist focused content and editorial, such as interviews and behind-the-scenes looks, and content from other labels and partners would also be welcome, the article says, quoting unnamed sources.
Today's featured deals from DealNN include a variety of bargain-priced Apple gear. First up are two refurbished items from Apple's online store: the AirPort Express base station with AirTunes is only $69, marked down from $129, and the previous generation's 4GB iPod nano is available for $79.
A variety of previous generation refurbished iPods are now available at Apple's online store. The 1GB iPod shuffle is the lowest priced at $39 in silver, blue, green or purple with the 2GB Shuffle a close second at $59 with silver, blue and green being the only remaining colors. Next up at $99 is the 8GB iPod nano in silver, blue, green, black or pink. The iPod classic has two color (black or silver) and memory configurations to chose from, 80GB for $169 and 160GB for $249. Last is the iPod touch in 8GB ($179), 16GB ($219), and 32GB ($319) configurations.
Nova Gaming on Friday announced it will unveil its Slider X 600 gaming mouse at E for All gaming expo in LA in October. The Slider X 600 has an uncommon side-mounted cable, uses ceramic feet and features a sensitivity of 3,200dpi. As expected, the Slider X 600 is customizable and will come with three mouse profiles, eight programmable buttons and five color options for its LED lighting.
Microsoft developers are working on a project that will bring its Tellme voice-activated search to the iPhone, according to CNET. The service allows users to vocalize their search terms, which are combined with GPS information to find the closest listings. Movie information, including showtime listings, can be retrieved through Fandango; sports, weather, driving and travel information represent some of the other focuses.
GigaByte Communications, maker of GSmart-branded handsets, on Thursday introduced a pair of identical looking cellphones, the MW702 and MS802 smartphones. The pair will first launch in Hungary, with the MW702 available on Friday, and will offer the company‘s advanced Smart Touch II user interface to control the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. Targeted at business users, the phones will include a GPS module that will allow geotagging of photos taken by their 3-megapixel camera and sending out messages that contain position information.
South Korea‘s LG introduced the Xnote Mini netbook on Friday, claiming that at 2.6lbs, it is the lightest netbook from a South Korean manufacturer. Apart from the distinction, the 10-inch netbook features an Intel Atom processor rated at 1.6GHz, along with a 160GB HDD. RAM should be fixed at 1GB, while Wi-Fi and 3G access will be part of the specs. Previously unveiled as the X110, the netbook is meant to appeal to women who do not want to lug around heavy computers.
Two of Canada’s biggest telephone companies, Bell Canada Enterprises and Telus Corp., have began charging their customers for incoming unsolicited text messages on their cellphones, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is passing legislation to end what he calls an unfair practice, says a Thursday report. Harper would allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to block unfair charges and the telecommunications act would be amended to include a code of conduct for wireless services.
Apple is looking at taking over a thrift shop in order to set up a dedicated Brooklyn retail store, claims Gothamist. Anonymous source say the company has already bought a building at 176 Bedford Avenue, on the corner of North 7th Street; the location is not empty and up for lease, as is usually the case with Apple's acquisitions, but presently occupied by the Salvation Army. The church may be looking to sell however, as earlier rumors suggested the building could become a McDonald's restaurant.
To further its fixed mobile broadcasting convergence that combines a fixed phone, mobile phone and broadband service, KDDI will demonstrate its new au BOX at the CEATEC show in Japan that kicks off on September 30. The set-top box will allow users to download music and video content from the Internet to enjoy on their cellphones or TVs without the need for a PC. It will be launched in conjunction with Japan’s Okinawa Cellular Telephone Co. and be offered on a rental basis with a subscription to users.
Needham and Company contributed to a steep decline in Research in Motion's share price today by warning investors that the BlackBerry creator is likely going to perform below expectations in the near future. Analyst Craig Bisagna notes that while RIM is secure in its business sales, Needham sees the company's dismissive attitude towards competitors in a financial conference call Thursday as overly optimistic and unrealistic.
OnScreen Science has announced that OnScreen DNA will now be sold at a $30 price reduction. OnScreen DNA is designed to make the structure and workings of DNA accessible to students; this includes details which may be difficult to find in two-dimensional animations commonly found on the Internet. The software uses a 3D model to demonstrate DNA, including its double-helix geometry, as well as chemical components and bonds.
Macvide has released FlashVideo Converter 2.0, the latest version of its Flash to video format conversion utility. Users can convert movies to MP4 files for viewing on an iPod, or record Flash games while they are being played. SWF or FLV files can also be converted to 3GP or 3G2 formats for use on other mobile devices.
XChange International has updated two of its XTensions, ProScale and Xcatalog, which now function with QuarkXPress 8. ProScale gives users the ability to resize items, groups or documents with a single click. ProScale is also able to resize items non-proportionally, without distorting the elements within a selection. Users of earlier versions can upgrade for $74, while new licenses can be purchased for $124.
A set of presentation slides have leaked today at VR-Zone that indicate AMD is developing a new video chipset to outperform NVIDIA's mid-range offerings at a budget price. The Radeon HD 4830 would sit just below the 4850 by keeping the 256-bit memory bus but carrying 640 stream (effect and geometry) processors versus the 800 of faster Radeon HD cards. It would also carry slightly slower GDDR3 graphics memory in place of GDDR4 or GDDR5.
Useful Fruit Software has released Pear Note 1.0, a new note-taking application for the Mac that can record audio and video while the user is taking notes, for immersive recall. Pear Note also supports searching notes for quick location of information, utilizing Apple's Spotlight. The software records all activities during a session, audio and video, user actions, keystrokes and slide changes, all on a timeline that can be replayed, and supports jumping to a specific point.
Aqua Connect has announced Aqua Connect Terminal Server 3.0, adding Leopard compatibility and Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) support. Licensed and implemented RDP support is a first on the Mac platform, according to Aqua Connect, and the Leopard support includes new functionality such as auditing user sessions, prioritizing CPU usage, and session shadowing.
The iPhone 3G is now officially on sale in South Africa. As announced, the phone is being carried there through Vodacom (Vodafone), which is selling 8 and 16GB phones at prices starting from R1,799 and R2,899, respectively. These prices apply only to the iPhone 500S package however, and increase if people choose a cheaper contract option. All contracts last two years.
BenQ has launched a new mobile Internet device (MID), according to reports out of Italy. The S6 is based on Intel's mobile Atom processor, and uses a 4.8-inch touchscreen for navigating a PlayStation 3-like menu system. Although music, photos and videos are said to be important functions, the focus is of course on Internet access, which can be delivered through either Wi-Fi or 3G cellular connections. Users can view both e-mail and a web browser.
An Illinois district judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Apple without trial, according to Bloomberg. The plaintiff, Jose Trujillo, initially filed suit against Apple in July of 2007, accusing the company of consumer fraud. Apple did not properly inform the public of the limited life on iPhone batteries, Trujillo said, or the $86 charge in case a replacement is needed. Trujillo sought to gain class-action status; Apple eventually had the suit moved from state to federal court.
Palm today officially began shipping the Treo Pro to its American audience. The Windows Mobile phone matches up with specs from the initial launch and is considered Palm's first true world 3G phone, with tri-band HSDPA covering service on AT&T and Rogers in North America as well as European, Japanese and Korean carriers. It also carries GPS mapping, Wi-Fi networking and a two-megapixel camera.
A couple of fuzzy photos and unofficial information was leaked about an upcoming Sony Ericsson handset on Thursday. Codenamed Kate, the cellphone sports a 5-megapixel camera in a candybar body that is slightly larger than the C902 in Sony Ericsson’s range, which also sports a 5MP camera. Some believe Kate is the replacement for the K850i, yet another 5MP phone in the handset maker’s line-up. The camera will sport autofocus, Xenon flash and Smile Shutter (face detection) features.
National carrier China Mobile on Friday is one of the next in line to get an Android phone after T-Mobile, industry contacts allegedly report. The state-run company is part of the Open Handset Alliance and has already committed to the concept of an Android phone but is now reportedly confirming a past slip by narrowing down its Android launch to a specific spring 2009 release window. The unnamed handset would be made by G1 creator HTC but is said to have been delayed by the creation of China-specific apps for Android.
LG's Prada II touchscreen media phone already has largely fixed launch plans, a tip to Pocket-lint asserts. Official statements from LG have so far only slated an update for the fall, but an alleged insider now says the touchscreen device will ship in November and that Europe will be the first to pick up the Prada sequel, as it did for the original phone in spring 2007.
UK telecom company O2 has denied rumors of a special MacBook bundle, according to a new report. An industry magazine, Mobile, had suggested that the company wanted to exploit its partnership with Apple, which originated with the first-generation iPhone. O2 was allegedly in discussions to begin selling MacBooks bundled with some form of Internet access, whether fixed or cellular; the notebooks would be cheaper than Apple's own, but only because of subsidies on O2's part.
In an effort to show its support for breast cancer research and promote awareness, Nintendo has launched a limited edition DS Lite portable gaming console in polar white with a pink ribbon. The console is available for purchase on Amazon‘s online store, and Nintendo pledges that $5 from the sale of every limited edition Pink Ribbon DS Lite will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity, and guaranteed a minimum donation of $100,000 even if it doesn‘t sell the 20,000 DS Lites or otherwise raise the minimum amount.
Apple has slashed the number of iPhones it plans to build before the end of the year, claims the analyst group Pacific Crest. While it had been expected that some 18 million phones would be made, Crest cites "supply chain channel checks" which indicate that Apple is ordering only 14 to 15 million units. If accurate, the move is not expected to hurt Apple, but rather its suppliers.
In addition to the just-introduced Haptic 2, Samsung has introduced a second touchscreen phone already examined by Russian site Mail.ru. The M8800 Pixon is the first known touchscreen cellphone to carry an eight-megapixel camera and carries extra photography features normally reserved for dedicated cameras, including blink and face detection, a wide dynamic color range and image stabilization. Video capture is also sharper than most at a roughly DVD-level 720x480 at full speed.
The European Commission today outlined a goal for all European Union member states to have access to high-speed Internet access by 2010. Calling broadband an "essential condition" for a good economy, Commissioner Viviane Reding likens fast Internet access to a basic utility and explains that certain countries are at an inherent disadvantage due to the absence of at least some form of broadband coverage in some areas. Only 40 percent of Romanians have the option of access faster than dial-up, the official mentions in one example.
The iPhone should go on sale in Russia October 3rd, Reuters reports. Nadezhda Senyuk, a PR director for Russia's Tekhnosila retail chain, explains that several retailers should begin selling the iPhone overnight between October 2nd and 3rd. Two other retailers, Eldorado and M.video, have confirmed Senyuk's statements by issuing separate announcements of an October 3rd sell date. Eldorado says it expects total iPhone sales in the country to reach 150,000 for 2008, out of which Eldorado hopes to claim 15,000.
Samsung on Friday stepped up its efforts to lead touchscreen phones with the launch of the AnyCall Haptic 2, the second generation of its device in one year to rely on its namesake vibration feedback technology to simulate physical button presses on its screen. The quick follow-up to the March original is distinguished by its customization: users can personalize the vibrate mode and have access to more than three times the number of widgets on the home screen for quick access to weather and other info.
Nokia's defining 5800 XpressMusic is due at a previously rumored October 2nd special event, claim sources for Reuters. The news outlet points to the media gathering, most likely also to include Nokia's already discussed Comes With Music plans, as the starting point for the company's first ever touchscreen phone. The device has been nicknamed the "Tube" and is widely known to be pitched as a non-smartphone but high-spec alternative to handsets like the iPhone, with a sharper 640x360 display and 3.2-megapixel camera countered by the lack of large built-in storage and reduced support for third-party apps.
Canadian retailer Future Shop has announced it will be selling the iPhone starting in October. Customers will be able to purchase the phone at fifteen different locations initially. The phone will still be on the Rogers network, where it has previously been available directly, or at The Telephone Booth and Wireless Wave stores.
Now AAPL Stock: 95.53 ( + 0.54 )
Google given NHTSA SDS waivers
In contrast to the California Department of Motor Vehicle's approach, the US National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed that it is declaring the software in autonomous cars is the legal driver of a so-equipped vehicle. In a letter to Google, the NHTSA says that it "will interpret 'driver' in the context of Google's described motor vehicle design as referring to the SDS [self-driving system], and not to any of the vehicle occupants." Other matters, such as legally-required rear-view mirrors for occupied vehicles has yet to be determined. However, regulations specifying the "driver" need no longer be interpreted as meaning a person behind the wheel, as the agency writes that self-driving cars "will not have a 'driver' in the traditional sense that vehicles have had drivers during the last more than one hundred years" http://1.usa.gov/1QrAGtR
Dropshare 4 for Mac now available
Dropshare 4 for Mac has shipped, introducing support for uploading files and screenshots to Amazon S3 API-compliant services, like DreamObjects and OpenStack. The update also introduces a new popup design, an in-app editor for custom landing pages, an improved upload history window, and security improvements when using SSH connections. The paid upgrade costs $25, though it is free for customers who bought the previous version this year and half-price for those who acquired version 3 of the app last year. http://bit.ly/1XixV3q
Google starting phase-out of Flash ads
Search engine and advertising giant Google will shortly no longer accept Adobe Flash-created ads for its AdWords network. Starting June 30, ads in the once-ubiquitous format will no longer be accepted. Additionally, after January 2, 2017, the network will no longer serve Flash-based advertisements, and the network will be completely HTML 5 based. http://bit.ly/1PNx1uc
Sonos now works with Apple Music
Wireless music system manufacturer Sonos has announced that its systems worldwide will gain compatibility for streaming the paid Apple Music subscription service starting today, February 10. "Music fans worldwide will have access to Apple Music features like For You, New, Radio, and My Music, and will also be able to stream the entire Apple Music catalog through Sonos smart speakers tuned for great sound in every room of their homes," the company said in an email to journalists. Apple Music's streaming service costs $10 per month, with a free three-month trial. http://bit.ly/1Wdi2Ko
Apple want ads hint at future Watch faces
An Apple job listing for a dedicated clock face team may suggest future fashion-brand partnerships, possibly in time for the updated watchOS updates that are likely to be revealed at this spring's Worldwide Developer Conference. Since the introduction of watchOS 2, there has only been four new watch faces, but three of them were left over from the first release, with only one truly new one -- the co-branded HermĂ©s face exclusive to that edition. There is a rumored March 15 event, but if that takes place it will likely focus on new band options as regards the Apple Watch. http://apple.co/1O1TbTI
Microsoft may end Office Support Professional prog
Microsoft appears to be either ending or seriously revamping its "Accredited Support Professional Program" for training on Microsoft Office for Mac and iOS it has offered at MacTech conferences since 2013. The program is not on offer at the upcoming MacTech tour, which begins on March 16 in San Francisco and includes a number of other cities. Microsoft has released a statement that it is "evaluating options for 2016, but don't have anything to share at this time." http://bit.ly/1KDz3MQ
Office for Mac v15.18 released
Microsoft has issued an update for the Mac version of its productivity suite, Office 2016. The v15.18 update offers improvements for all of the included apps, such as bringing full screen support to Outlook and allowing Word to save PDF files to flash drives. In addition, a new selection pane has been added to PowerPoint and Excel for keeping track of objects, and shapes can now be added to OneNote notebook pages. The update is free for all users, but requires a Mac running OS X 10.10 or later and a valid Microsoft Office 365 subscription. http://bit.ly/1Q7pAzW


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Payments processor Rêv Worldwide Inc. has raised $4.8 million of a planned $7 million round of financing.
Rêv Worldwide, founded in 2008 by NetSpend Corp. (Nasdaq: NTSP), develops prepaid card and mobile payments programs. The company, which employs 100 workers, operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and is affiliated with MPower Ventures LP.
In October, founder and CEO Rogelio Sosa resigned from the company for personal reasons but remains on the board of directors. He was quietly replaced by director John Mitchell, said Rêv Worldwide President Bertrand Sosa, who is Rogelio’s younger brother. At the time, Rêv Worldwide didn’t issue a news release about the resignation or announce the appointment of Mitchell, who was previously the CEO of Rêv Worldwide’s European division, RêvEurope.
In 2009, MPower Ventures’ Mango Financial Inc. started operating an orange-colored store on Oltorf Street to test a new type of check-cashing service and prepaid credit card business. At the time, Bertrand Sosa said the company planned to launch similar stores in every major U.S. city within three years. But none have been built since then.


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It is known to all of us that after its launch, Windows 8 got a lukewarm acceptance from the users across global technology market. Users seem to have bombarded the online forums with the reflection of their disappointments from Windows 8. Market research firms like NPD Group came up with reports to reveal that sales of Windows 8 supported Notebooks went down by 21 percent in the first month of Windows 8 general availability.
There is no denial that Microsoft brought a fundamental shift with Windows 8 in order to make its operating system (OS) more compatible with touch-screen devices, which seem to be the choice of majority of gadget lovers. If that is the concern then Windows 8 can’t be tagged as a failed OS, because it runs fairly awesome, fast and sleek, in the right kind of hardware i.e touch devices. But when it comes to non-touch desktops or laptops, Windows 8 have failed to live up to the expectation of the users.
In the year 2013, worldwide PC sale declined, probably because handy, small and portable touch devices turned out to be a huge success in capturing the users’ attention. In such a scenario, even Microsoft molded its OS features to comply more with touch devices and less with non touch laptops and desktops.
Why the users of non-touch devices disliked Windows 8?
It seems, the only mistake that Microsoft has committed is that it put all its attention towards enhancing the usability over touch-screen devices and neglected its large chunk of those users who are still using Windows supported non-touch desktops and laptops. Some of the most reported complaints against Windows 8 are:
- It has removed the Start menu/Start button
- It doesn’t boot to the desktop
- To effectively use it touchscreen/trackpad gestures/Touch Mouse are required
- Some older CPUs don’t support it.
Although, some grievances of the users seem close to the reality because these are actually troubling the user interface with the OS, but a few complaints…


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Sept. 7 (UPI) -- General Motors made an offer amid labor negotiations with United Auto Workers on Thursday, which union boss Shawn Fain called "insulting."
"Today we put an economic offer on the table to the UAW. We wanted you to hear about the proposal directly from us," said Mark Reuss and Gerald Johnson, the president and executive vice president of GM, said in a statement.
"We understand how important these negotiations are to you and to our long-term success as a company. Our offer has been developed considering everything in our environment, including what is important to our team members and what our competitors are offering."
The GM executives said the offer includes "well-deserved" wage improvements that they defended as exceeding a 2019 agreement on the matter.
"We still have work to do, but we wanted to make this offer to show our good-faith efforts to keep the process moving," the executives said.
Under the proposed contract, GM would include a 10% wage increase for most employees, which the executives said marks the highest increase offered during a contract renewal in more than two decades. The union is seeking a 40% wage increase for its 46,000 workers over four years.
"After refusing to bargain in good faith for the past six weeks, only after having federal labor board charges filed against them, GM has come to the table with an insulting proposal that doesn't come close to an equitable agreement for America's autoworkers," Fain said in a statement.
"GM either doesn't care or isn't listening when we say we need economic justice at GM by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14. The clock is ticking. Stop wasting our members' time. Tick tock."
Other offers in the GM proposal include recognizing the new federal holiday Juneteenth as a paid holiday and giving a $5,500 "ratification bonus" to all employees.


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Visit us at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics in Farnborough, UK
Next week, 5-7 February, it’s time for the Southern Manufacturing & Electronics in Farnborough.
It’s the most comprehensive annual industrial exhibition in the UK and a major pan-European showcase for new technology in the engineering industry. If you are curious about the latest news in cable development for the industry, you are very welcome to visit us in stand C95. See you there!


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As part of its Cashless Society pilot programme, the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) in collaboration with Beep Digital Solutions, launched its first cashless payment solution for laundromat services at LaundryHub, Sengkurong branch yesterday.
The pilot project will continue to roll out digital payment solutions at selected outlets
Beep Digital Solutions also introduced a tool for laundromat operators to remotely monitor payment collection made at the outlets in real-time.
Cashless Society is one of AITI’s pilot programmes to facilitate digital industry development and innovation in Brunei. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between AITI and Beep Digital Solutions in November 2020 to mark a collaborative partnership in developing and implementing the Cashless Society pilot programme.


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DigiTimes floats new wireless iPod rumorsApple Computer may soon launch a new iPod that supports wireless capabilities, according to a Taiwan-based publication.
Citing market sources, the always intriguing but seldom accurate DigiTimes reports that the iPod maker is likely to introduce such a device in order to compete with Microsoft's planned year-end launch of its Zune-branded digital media player.
"Apple's headquarters has begun dispatching its staff to its major markets in Asia, to teach local sales how to demonstrate the new products," the report states.
However, Apple Taiwan has apparently flat out denied the report.
On Topic: General
- Apple eyeing 800,000-square-foot property for autonomous car project, report says
- Apple hires former Google inventor with background in electric vehicle charging
- New Immersion lawsuit adds Apple's iPhone 6s, MacBook to patent infringement row
- Tim Cook charity auction raises $515K for human rights
- Cupertino mayor accuses Apple, responsible for nearly 20% of the city's tax revenue, of not paying enough [u]


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POLLING expert Professor John Curtice gives his view on the impact of celebrity endorsements on the referendum campaign, in this piece from our Scottish independence site.
“The principal impact of a celebrity endorsement is that (media) call up and ask about what the impact will be. It’s a good way of getting publicity, and drawing interest in your campaign, because the media will pick up on (the comments).
“If you were holding a referendum on a subject which people didn’t know a lot about, then a celebrity endorsement could have more impact.
“Celebrity endorsements can backfire - Kenny Everett’s call to ‘kick away Michael Foot’s stick’, for example - and Alan Cumming’s appearance at the Yes Scotland launch did backfire somewhat when people pointed out he didn’t actually live in Scotland.
“When people know about the issues celebrity backing won’t make that much difference, other than increasing awareness.
“Campaigns will continue to use celebrities to get attention due to the fact that the media pick up on their comments, but their direct effect on voting patterns is very minimal.”


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Back-to-school week: Shopping for school supplies
It's back-to-school week-- a week dedicated to helping you relieve some of the stress, that comes at the start of a new school year. Especially when it comes to shopping for those supplies and that back-to-school wardrobe.
The older the kid, the more expensive it'll be. According to Backpack Index Data, parents will spend $637 for a kid in elementary school, $941 for a middle schooler and $1,355 for a high school student.
The National Retail Fund reports shoppers are projected to spend upwards of $82.8 billion on back-to-school supplies.
More parents are buying supplies this year than last year-- including clothes, shoes and technology.
Parents plan to spend more on back-to-school related items than they did in 2017.
This year, they will spend:
$189 on clothes, versus $153 last year
$186 on electronics, versus $121 last year
$95 on shoes, versus $71 last year
$45 on backpacks, versus $33 last year
For ways to help save more and stress less go, click here.
Copyright 2018 KTVA. All rights reserved.
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Regulators are prepared to crack down on businesses that violate Louisiana’s “stay at home” order, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday.Read More »
The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said her vision as the new head of the governmental agency is fundamental: a steadfast focus on consumer protection in the market for financial products and services.
Tagged with: American Bankers Association banking Congress Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Dodd-Frank Donald Trump education enforcement Kathy Kraninger Regulatory Compliance Conference rulemaking supervision Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection ActRead More »
As the Trump administration pursues broader removal of undocumented immigrants and claims refugees threaten national security, administrators at local universities are thinking about the fallout from the policies.Read More »


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Alpha: Gear for Gents boutique to close its doors April 1
We're ending the week with the sad news that one of our favorite men's emporiums, West Hollywood's Alpha: Gear for Gents, a go-to place for clothing, gifts and accessories, intends to close its doors at 8654 Melrose Ave. on April 1.
"The reality of the numbers cannot be ignored," wrote owner Darren Gold in a letter emailed to friends and supporters of the store that opened in 2004 in a location just across the street. "The recession (predicated by the writers strike in Los Angeles) was the first stab in the heart of traditional retail. Online sales, flash sales, pop-ups, and an increasingly aggressive promotional cycle have made the business model of independent retail even more difficult. Post-recession, many of our best customers have changed their buying patterns; waiting for sales, shopping online, or simply not shopping."
Citing some of the retailers he admires who've gone a similar route ("Fred Segals’ Fun and Flair, Tracey Ross, Lisa Kline, and Hillary Rush") Gold said he decided to "cocoon and awake anew as a business ready to take on the digital world of 2012," by opting out of the bricks-and-mortar boutique.
But Gold says that doesn't mean he's leaving the retail scene altogether, ending his announcement by noting that "the Alpha brand will continue in some form," and citing the success of apop-up shop at the Andaz Hotel. "I see the future for Alpha and myself in developing new retail concepts, pop-up stores, as well as consulting on a personal and retail level." (Gold always been on our short list for all things man-centric, from spotting of-the-moment trends to offering St. Nick some ways to "butch up" his look in our holiday overhaul of Santa Claus' weary wardrobe.)
We'll have to see what that means in the long term, but in the short term it means an "Another Bites the Dust" sale (Gold's words, not ours) with prices discounted 60% off retail and higher starting Saturday (March 10).
Alpha: Gear for Gents, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday until April 1, 2012 at 8654 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood.
-- Adam Tschorn
Photo: Alpha Gear for Gents storefront on Melrose Avenue. Owner Darren Gold is closing his store April 1. Credit: Emili Vesilind / For The Times


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Dairy Investing in Derivatives11 Oct 2013
No longer is it enough to just produce dairy products – it turns out that the whey offshoots are as valuable as the original milk itself, and with processing, can turn into a new revenue stream. The industry has changed dramatically over the last several years, and any dairy processors worth their milk are looking […]
No longer is it enough to just produce dairy products – it turns out that the whey offshoots are as valuable as the original milk itself, and with processing, can turn into a new revenue stream. The industry has changed dramatically over the last several years, and any dairy processors worth their milk are looking at either installing a dryer, or contracting out so that their milk can be further processed. Among the highlights of Food Ingredients Europe (19-21 November, Frankfurt) will be the investment in innovative research being made by dairy processors in dairy derivatives.
Among the organisations represented at Fi Europe will be Germany’s DMK. The dairy’s multi-million euro investment in research features its Milk Innovation Centre in Zeven, north Germany, which is backed by an international network of scientists. The system developed by DMK brings in external experts to join special teams not only to help solve problems but also to develop new products and packaging solutions within the dairy sector.
Under the title “No limits in dairy”, the teams, which also include DMK’s own science and technology experts, are briefed to examine the possibilities for new products in the food sector but also for specialised nutrition ingredients for food processing worldwide. All research and development is carried out in close cooperation with customers, stresses DMK. One of the main aspects of work currently being undertaken at the Milk Innovation Center is development of new whey derivates.
Meanwhile, Arla Foods is debuting a new protein water beverage concept at the show. Protein water is a prototype product created by Arla Foods Ingredients to demonstrate the potential for incorporating high quality whey protein isolate into a beverage with wide consumer appeal. Each 500ml bottle of protein water contains 25% of the RDA of protein – sufficient to make a nutrition claim on the label, and the water can be enhanced with vitamins and minerals to capture the opportunity to develop a nutritious drink.
Overall, it’s an exciting time for dairy processors.
Chickpea revolution? Companies looking to innovate could face higher prices as global shortage hits
5 Aug 2022
From coffee to ice cream, recent product launches demonstrate how companies are betting on chickpea in the plant-based revolution… but could a global shortage scupper innovation?Read more
Swedish food packaging company Tetra Pak exits Russia amid mounting sanction-led supply chain pressures
4 Aug 2022
Tetra Pak has become the latest big company to exit its remaining operations in Russia as the country faces increasing shortages under ongoing sanctions.Read more
European soft drinks industry celebrates sugar reduction milestones as the ‘war on sugar’ continues
3 Aug 2022
The European soft drinks sector has achieved a 17.7% reduction in average added sugars since 2015, says its industry association, UNESDA. However, experts warn that the “war on sugar” will intensify from both consumers and governments in the next few y...Read more
Diageo unveils plans for €200 million carbon-neutral brewery in Ireland
1 Aug 2022
Diageo has unveiled plans for a €200 million carbon-neutral lager and ales brewery in Ireland – the country’s first.Read more
Mexican packaged food companies to feel profit squeeze as inflation continues
29 Jul 2022
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Gut health is the biggest growth area for US personalised nutrition brands
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How (and why) should food brands leverage social media?
27 Jul 2022
Social media is a powerful and far-reaching tool which allows brands to get closer than ever before to their consumers. To reap its value, brands should closely monitor consumer attitudes on social media and proactively engage with them.Read more
Canada rolls out new front-of-pack ‘magnifying glass’ label for high salt, sugar and fat foods
26 Jul 2022
Canadian authorities have launched a new front-of-package nutrition label designed to help shoppers make more informed product selections as they purchase groceries by highlighting foods high in specific ‘unhealthy’ nutrients.Read more
Shifting trends: Analysing the impact of high inflation in India
25 Jul 2022
Despite food and beverage categories in India feeling the pinch of increasing inflation, the overall outlook remains upbeat as governmental support steps in and evolving consumer purchasing patterns shape the sector.Read more
A switch to alternative proteins could be cheapest and highest impact solution to climate crisis – report
22 Jul 2022
Shifting to alternative proteins could be the “most capital-efficient and high-impact” solution to today’s climate crisis, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which suggests more than 30% of consumers are willing to fully swap...Read more
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"New York's online news and entertainment magazine."
Monday, October 1, 2018
Hayley Kiyoko Attends Dion Lee Fashion Show, NYFW
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New York City, New York -
Twenty four year old actress, singer Hayley Kiyoko looking pretty wearing black top, pants, shoes attends the Dion Lee fashion show during New York Fashion Week back on Saturday, September 8, 2018 in New York City.
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Amid the continuous talk of whether it will acquire Snapdeal, India’s largest e-commerce player Flipkart pulled a coup by announcing on Monday that it will buy Indian business of the eBay Inc, as part of an excercise to raise $1.4 billion — its single-largest to date — from a consortium of Tencent, Microsoft and EBay.
As part of the agreement, eBay Inc will pay $500 million in cash and will transfer ownership of eBay.in to Flipkart, in exchange for an unspecified equity stake in the company, it said in a statement.
“The investment by eBay is accompanied by a strategic commercial agreement with Flipkart. In exchange for an equity stake in Flipkart, eBay is making a cash investment in and selling its eBay.in business to Flipkart. eBay.in will continue to operate as an independent entity as a part of Flipkart,” it said in the statement.
The fund-raising excercise also involves China’s internet company Tencent and the global giant Microsoft, who will provide Flipkart remainder of the $.14 billion funds. The deal values Flipkart at $11.6 billion, it said.
Amazon on its tail
Flipkart’s existing investors include Tiger Global Management, Naspers Group, Accel Partners and DST Global. China-based Tencent owns social messaging app WeChat and has investments across various online companies like Practo, Ibibo etc.
The move is being seen as Flipkart’s attempt to ready a warchest to acquire the rival Snapdeal to become large enough to fend off any possible competition from Amazon.
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The acquisition of eBay India will surely help Flipkart gain scale and help it compete better with the fast-growing rivals, especially the global giant Amazon, which is fast catching up to beat it in its home market. Earlier last month, China’s giant Alibaba invested $177 million investment in Paytm Mall, along with $23 million by the private equity player SAIF Partners, in a bid to gain entry into the Indian e-commerce industry.
eBay in the bag
Flipkart expects the transaction to close later this year, upon which, it will acquire eBay’s buyers in India. Further, eBay and Flipkart have also entered into an exclusive agreement in which they will jointly pursue cross-border trade opportunities.
“The combination of eBay’s position as a leading global e-commerce company and Flipkart’s market stature will allow us to accelerate and maximise the opportunity for both companies in India,” Devin Wenig, President and CEO of eBay Inc, said in the statement.
“eBay is committed to winning in India in partnership with Flipkart. Our exclusive global trade partnership will allow eBay and Flipkart to reach even more consumers around the world,” he added. eBay’s global inventory will be accessible to more Indian consumers, while its active buyers globally will have access to Indian inventory provided by Flipkart.
“This partnership bodes well for Indian and global customers, sellers and the wider e-commerce ecosystem. eBay.in has built a strong presence in India over the years and we hope to take it to greater heights as part of the Flipkart group,” Binny Bansal, Group CEO, Flipkart said.


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Germany's top court rejects Yahoo case over news royalties
Germany's highest court has rejected a case brought by Yahoo against a law designed to compensate news publishers for the use of their content.
The Constitutional Court said Wednesday that Yahoo hadn't exhausted its legal possibilities in lower courts and should turn to them first.
The judges didn't rule on the issue itself, which also affects rival search engine companies such as Google.
Germany revised its copyright laws in 2013 to allow media companies to request payment from search engines that use more than snippets of their content.
A lawyer for Yahoo said he wasn't immediately able to comment on the verdict as the court hadn't informed the parties yet.
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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CHICO, Calif. (PRWEB) August 22, 2020
With the new 2021 model lineup slowly being released to the public, customers interested in finding select 2021 Hyundai models can head to Chico Hyundai. Three models are currently available at the dealership: the 2021 Hyundai Kona, the 2021 Hyundai Palisade and the 2021 Hyundai Kona. Each model offers slight changes or additions from its 2020 rendition.
One such model that can be found at Chico Hyundai is the 2021 Hyundai Kona. This year’s model adds a special Night Edition trim, which has a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that receives 175 horsepower. It can be available in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive and offers various black colored interior and exterior details. Outside of the new trim, the model remains similar to its 2020 predecessor.
The 2021 Hyundai Palisade is also currently available at Chico Hyundai. Several features have been added to lower trims compared to the 2020 models. This includes the sunroof option available at the SEL trim level and above. Also, the model will receive a special Calligraphy trim level. It features a unique front grille design, 20-inch alloy wheels and exclusive rear LED accent lighting.
The final 2021 model available at Chico Hyundai is the 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The crossover returns with many of the same features from the previous year. However, it offers three new colors: Coliseum Gray, Ash Black and Red Crimson. These colors will replace several other color options from 2020 including the Sage Brown option.
Those interested in purchasing or leasing any of the new 2021 Hyundai models are welcomed to contact Chico Hyundai directly. The dealership can be found at their location at 2562 Cohasset Road in Chico, California. Otherwise, customers can call them directly at 833-308-0570 or visit their online inventory on their website at https://www.chicohyundai.com/.


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Turkey leftovers, festive football, and Christmas hangovers are traditionally the norm on December 26th. But it might also be one of the busiest times of the year for people looking for a new home. According to property portals Rightmove and Zoopla, house searches double over Christmas and New Year – with Boxing Day proving to be the most popular of them all.
It shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise – after all, people are left twiddling their thumbs as the chaos of the festive season reaches its end game. Many already begin looking to the new year, and for some that equates to a fresh start in a new home.
So what does it all mean? Are you missing a huge opportunity to sell your home over Christmas or have some of the property portals got a little carried away with post-Xmas property browsing that doesn’t amount to much? Let’s take a look and see if you should get your home on the market ASAP.
Selling your house at Christmas time
We have already looked at whether it’s worth selling your home during the winter, but what about Christmas specifically? The results for festive season sales are pretty impressive, and we don’t even need the portals to point it out.
Land Registry data shows that sales during December are relatively strong, with 78,754 completions registered in December 2018.
The result meant that December was the sixth-best month of the year to sell a home – placing it just inside the top half of the table for the 12 months of the year.
It’s all about home browsing on Boxing Day
According to research from Zoopla, the portal sees a 60% increase in visitors and 80% more valuations during the festive period and early January. Too much turkey on Christmas day doesn’t seem to deter potential house buyers from looking for their new home, while sellers seem to be acknowledging the benefits of a Christmas sale.
The numbers certainly give food for thought for anyone thinking of waiting until the end of January to sell their home. Instead of holding out for the spring rush, listing at this time of year can help you jump ahead of the curve – and now the numbers are here to back up the claims.
The property market is feeling festive!
There could be even more reasons to be cheerful, especially as some experts have predicted that the results of the recent election could lead to a property bounce.
Whether you voted leave or remain, everyone is seemingly in agreement that there needs to be a resolution – one way or the other. There is likely to be renewed optimism around the UK property market now that Brexit looks like it’s going to happen with a deal.
It seems like Santa had one last trick up his sleeve before hibernating for another year – house prices ended 2019 with 4% growth. It all ties together for a dose of festive cheer: Rightmove property expert, Miles Shipside, said: “As we move into December we see people start to get distracted by turkey and tinsel but once the celebrations are in full swing it doesn’t take long before traffic rises again.”
‘Tis the season
If you’re thinking of selling your home, there’s no reason to wait. Make the most of the festive and New Year boom by requesting a callback and speaking with one of our dedicated property experts. They will provide you with everything you need to know about selling your home.


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BOOSTING MILAN: On Monday, Milan mayor Giuliano Pisapia met a few executives of the city’s creative industry at Palazzo Marino to discuss the development of the “Milan Creative City” project.
The delegation included key figures of the Italian Chamber of Fashion, such as president Mario Boselli, vice president Patrizio Bertelli, newly appointed chief executive officer Jane Reeve and Angela Missoni. Claudio Luti, president of Cosmit, the organizing body of international furniture trade show Salone del Mobile, and Andrea Illy, president of Italian luxury goods association Fondazione Altagamma, also attended the meeting.
Aimed at reinforcing the image of Milan as an international creative hub, the “Milan Creative City” project includes the creation of a tight schedule of cultural and creative events, which will also animate the city during Milan World Expo in 2015. The schedule’s first draft will be shown at the end on January, when the new logo expected to represent the city of Milan around the world will be unveiled.
On Monday, Pisapia also had a private meeting with Giorgio Armani, who last month announced his decision to join Italy’s fashion association. The details of the conversation between Pisapia and Armani were not released.


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Televisions have become more and more advanced each year, and many new models enable Internet connectivity. Being connected to the Internet allows consumers to get far more use out of the television than just traditional broadcasting. With a connected television consumers can now access content from companies like Netflix and now Sirius XM.
Sirius XM will now have an app on Samsung televisions with more brands and home electronics devices such as DVD players to follow.
Reporting live from the annual shareholder meeting.
Position- Long Sirius XM Radio


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China-based electric vehicle (EV) maker Bordrin Motor has raised RMB2.5 billion ($362 million) in a new funding round that featured Yin An Capital, the investment arm of Sinochem International.
Additional commitments came from Prosperity Investment, a government guidance fund-of-funds, local power tools manufacturer Positec, Sumitomo Corporation, and Yuanxing Investment, a state-owned investment...
A Chinese investor group featuring several private equity firms has sold the non-China assets of LifeStyles Healthcare, a global sexual health and wellness platform best known for the Lifestyles condom brand, to US-based Linden Capital Partners.
The Carlyle Group has applied for regulatory approval to acquire a 26% stake in Taiwan-based sushi chain Zhengxian, also known as Sushi Express.
Hong Kong-based insurer FWD Group and Malaysia’s Artem Ventures have set up a MYR 45m (USD 10.2m) VC fund focused on insurance technology and Islamic financial technology in Malaysia.
DeHaat, which claims to be India’s largest full-stack agricultural technology platform, has closed its Series E round on USD 60m. Sofina and Temasek Holdings were the lead investors.


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Microsoft will celebrate Xbox’s 20th birthday this Monday with a special event that fans from all over the world will be able to attend. During the broadcast, the team would like to look back on the best moments in recent years. However, Microsoft made it clear in advance that there would be no new game announcements – Xbox fans can still look forward to one or the other surprise. The event starts at 7 p.m. and can be viewed live on Twitch or YouTube.
Already at the weekend there were numerous rumors and tips circulating on the Internet, according to which the Halo Infinite multiplayer could have an earlier launch. Accordingly, the shooter from 343 Industries is said to be available shortly after the event. Officially, the release is still planned together with the campaign on December 8, 2021 for Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One and PC. Already hinted at an appearance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who unveiled the very first Xbox in 2001 with Bill Gates. Other games from Xbox Game Studios such as Fable, Hellblade 2 or Avowed could also be part of the broadcast. The Xbox Anniversary Event should last about 30 minutes.
Cyborgsynidcate.com is a website made for gamers from all around the world . Here you find the latest gaming news & tutorials . Cyborgsynidcate is the biggest gaming community in north America , thanks to you .


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The 614 Group announced today the official launch of the first ever Brand Safety Training for Ad Operations Professionals series, led by digital advertising expert Rob Beeler. The training series is launching at a time of dramatic change within the online advertising space, which now more than ever, requires publishing professionals at all levels to integrate brand safety into their workflow.
"Brand safety fits into everything we do as a company, so developing this training series was a critical next step in driving digital forward. This is the only workshop to ever focus 100% on the operational issues related to brand safety, filling an important gap in the space," said Rob Rasko, CEO & Founder of The 614 Group. The training will equip ad operations professionals with the essential tools to integrate brand safety into all aspects of their work.
Media industry executives who invest in training their operations teams on brand safety will benefit from having staff who possess a holistic perspective on how other companies are working to combat these ever-evolving challenges. "This initiative dovetails with our focus on providing actionable solutions to today's most trusted publishers and media executives," said instructor Rob Beeler. This world-class training program was designed for sellers, buyers and platform specialists alike.
The first training was held in New York City on July 11, 2017 and was attended by managers from companies including CBS Interactive, NBC Universal, Warner Brothers, Discovery Communications, Spotify, Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg, PGA Tour, Fox News, A&E Networks, Publishers Clearing House and Shazam. Upcoming trainings are scheduled for October 23, 2017 in Los Angeles, California and November 15, 2017 in New York City.
"I'm thrilled to share over 20 years of ad operations experience with the publishing community in such an applicable way. There is a lot of noise in the industry about brand safety, and this training breaks down issues such as fraud, viewability, invalid traffic and context, and teaches participants how to avoid contributing to those problems," said Rob Beeler. Participants can immediately apply what they learn in class to their daily jobs, equipped to think strategically about how their work impacts the publishing organization and industry. "The relationships formed at the training will transcend the day and create a community of professionals committed to raising the standards of online advertising."
Rob Beeler currently manages The 614 Group's Market Research Practice, which creates industry-leading content for clients, partners and the online advertising industry at large. These research findings provide industry stakeholders with better insights and education on many of the most complex issues in today's digital advertising space.
More information about the training, including the agenda and registration form can be found at https://www.614group.com/training.


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Litecoin Payments Start-up That Won Trader Support Suddenly Close Down
March 27, 2018 2:19 pm
LitePay: A Litecoin Payments Start-up has shut down unexpectedly
LitePay – which likewise guaranteed it would offer a crypto wallet and “LitePay debit card” through which clients could convert Litecoin into U.S. dollar – was revealed in December of 2017 and set to launch in February this year. Information from OpenGovUS shows that LitePay Inc. started working on 1st February.
However, as of 26th February, LitePay has just begun to roll out its shipping service, as indicated by a post on Twitter. The last public messages from the organization linked to a mid-March Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, and an email account listed on LitePay’s website didn’t answer to a request for comment by press time.
The foundation, which supervises the development of the digital currencies, stated in its post that it contacted the business founder and CEO, Kenneth Asare, following the AMA on 16th March expressing concerns regarding the “less than transparent nature” LitePay. It was then that Asare uncovered that he had chosen to stop operations and intend to sell the company.
The Foundation’s post further clarifies:
“It was at this time that Kenneth asked the foundation for more funds to continue operations. The foundation refused any further funding as he was unable to provide a satisfactory picture of where the money had been spent and refused to go into exact details about the company and show objective evidence to back up his statements.”
Both the Foundation and Litecoin founder Charlie Lee showed concerns for their support of the project.
Charlie Lee wrote on Twitter:
“Like everyone else, we got too excited about something that was too good to be true, and we optimistically overlooked many of the warning signs. I am sorry for having hyped up this company and vow to do better due diligence in the future.”
The Litecoin Foundation made the same statement in its post:
“We are greatly disheartened that this saga has ended in this way and we apologize for not doing enough due diligence that could have uncovered some of these issues earlier. We are currently working hard to tighten our due diligence practices and ensure that this does not happen again.”
Although, the foundation struck a hopeful tone.
“Litecoin was doing perfectly fine before the promise of LitePay and will continue to do so.”


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LED production is highly centralised in China, so anxieties relating to supply have eased fairly rapidly, as the country rebounds from weeks in lockdown. As the number of new COVID-19 cases in China plummets, key vendors are making repeated assurance that their manufacturing capacity has returned to normal, though some smaller vendors are still struggling to recover. Vendors have also been proactively indicating confidence to the market – Absen reported “business is better than usual” when detailing it has sufficient stocks, as well as production demand, covering indoors, outdoors and rental markets. Unilumin also told Futuresource that its plants in China are currently hitting 80% capacity.
Whilst supply is healthy, international demand is tumbling, as the virus rapidly spreads across the world. A China/Taiwan based LED driver supplier said in a discussion with Futuresource that “new orders from overseas users dropped over 50% in February”. Orders are expected to decline further in CYQ2 2020.
Rental & staging is expected to be among the hardest impacted verticals. March and April are typically the busiest months for this industry, but orders have vanished, as gatherings of 100 people or more are expected to be banned across the world for up to the next 6 months. A number of LED vendors are predicting zero turnover from rental & staging in CYQ2 – a result that would have been unfathomable just a few months ago – considering that some countries may not be able to curb the pandemic by June.
Similarly, fine pixel pitches for indoors and corporate are expected to report significant year-on-year declines in the coming months, as companies review or cancel orders in wake of the devasting economic impact the virus is having on key regional markets, such as North America and Europe. The retail vertical is another severe victim of the virus, with the majority of non-grocery stores closing across the world for the foreseeable future.
A post-pandemic global economic slowdown seems inevitable, and more profoundly, the potential change of consumer spending behaviours amid lower dispensable incomes may make retail even more difficult to recover.
This is at least evident from China’s economic indicators for the first two months this year, where industrial production, retail sales and investment all recorded double-digit drops. Note that around 50% of global LED sales and around 90% of production derive from China (Futuresource 2018 Global LED Report). The Chinese government is trying to reassure the country that the economy will bounce back swiftly but that is in doubt. The IMF has lowered its 2020 economic growth forecast for China from 6% to below 5.6%. LED vendors could expect an improved domestic market performance from CYQ2 if Beijing was to introduce incentive packages to boost the economy as widely speculated. Yet, when it comes to global demands, it is still too early to call, as the effectiveness of the measures to control the pandemic in many key markets remains unclear.
Despite the pervasive negativity, there are still some positives to anticipate. According to Futuresource, the global LED market reported over 30% year-on-year growth in 2019. This is a reminder that some solid market demands may be on the horizon once restrictions are lifted and normal life resumes.
Moreover, establishing a robust, often inter-departmental response system to a crisis (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) requires increasing command and management of public health and behaviour data, preferably in real time. In a post-pandemic world, governments may look to invest in such systems in order to significantly reduce the impact future contagions may have on their economies, resulting in a new vertical opportunity for NPP LED.
The incredibly challenging trading conditions have also triggered notable design innovations. Producing an LED surface that is suitable for antibacterial sprays/cleaners has become a hot claim to make. In Orange County, California, a smart retailing store has recently opened. The low contact, staff-less shop uses direct view LED ribbons on the shelves to show product information and pricing – an ideal proposition during the era of social distancing.
COVID-19 has effectively suspended the economies of several leading markets, causing demand for LED displays (and Pro AV in general) to plummet, but opportunities are present and the long-term demand for this burgeoning display technology will return. Across a growing number of verticals, LED is being heralded as the future of professional displays – a notion that not even COVID-19 can impact.
Latest Enterprise and Professional AV Insights


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In October, Walmart-owned Sam’s Club opened a test store in Dallas where it planned to trial new technology, including mobile checkout, an Amazon Go-like camera system, in-store navigation, electronic shelf labels and more. This morning, the retailer announced it will now begin testing a revamped Scan & Go service as well, which leverages computer vision and machine learning to make mobile scanning easier and faster.
The current Scan & Go system, launched two years ago, requires Sam’s Club shoppers to locate the barcode on the item they’re buying and scan it using the Sam’s Club mobile app. The app allows shoppers to account for items they’re buying as they place them in their shopping cart, then pay in the app instead of standing in line at checkout.
However convenient, the system itself can still be frustrating at times because you’ll need to actually find the barcode on the item — often turning the item over from one side to the other to find the sticker or tag. This process can be difficult for heavier items, and frustrating when the barcoded label or tag has fallen off.
It also can end up taking several seconds to complete — which adds up when you’re filling a cart with groceries during a big stocking-up trip.
The new scanning technology will instead use computer vision and ML (machine learning) to recognize products without scanning the barcode, cutting the time it takes for the app to identify the product in question, the retailer explains.
In a video demo, Sam’s Club showed how it might take a typical shopper 9.3 seconds to scan a pack of water using the old system, versus 3.4 seconds using the newer technology.
Of course, the times will vary based on the shopper’s skill, the item being scanned and how well the technology performs, among other factors. A large package of water is a more extreme example, but one that demonstrates well the potential of the system… if it works.
The idea with the newly opened Dallas test store is to put new technology into practice quickly in a real-world environment, to see what performs well and what doesn’t, while also gathering customer feedback. Dallas was chosen as the location for the store because of the tech talent and recruiting potential in the area, and because it’s a short trip from Walmart’s Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters, the company said earlier.
Sam’s Club says it has filed a patent related to the new scanning technology, and will begin testing it this spring at the Dallas area “Sam’s Club Now” store. It will later expand the technology to the tools used by employees, too.