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The Big Mistake the Fed Is About to Make
For years, wages have failed to go up even as the unemployment rate has fallen and the labor force has tightened. Economists have explained it away as the result of a job market that is more competitive than it appears, a conclusion based on ...
Busines Initiative Directions Award
Walmart sees sales rise at stores and online, raises outlook
With shoppers feeling confident, the National Retail Federation trade group raised its annual sales forecast this week, citing the results of tax cuts and an improving job market. But it warned that trade wars between China and the U.S. could dampen ...and more »


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Sony did something that many thought it would never do when the company started porting PlayStation-exclusive titles to PC. It started with Horizon Zero Dawn last year, and the company has since brought Days Gone to the platform and plans to bring more games in the near future. With Sony now clearly looking to continuously bring its games to PC, the company has formed PlayStation PC, a label dedicated to its PC publishing business.
Gamers began to notice this week that the publisher for Days Gone on PC has changed to PlayStation PC LLC. There was no formal announcement about this, but it’s a change from what the game was originally listed under, PlayStation Mobile. Taking a look at Corporation Wiki, it appears that PlayStation PC LLC was actually formed all the way back in April of this year.
Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone were the first PlayStation titles to come to Steam. The publisher recently announced plans to bring Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy to Steam in the second quarter of 2022. It was also revealed that 2018’s God of War will get a PC release this January.
While it may not seem to be a big deal on the surface, Sony’s creation of a new label specifically for PC releases could be a big indicator of its future business model. It’s a good sign that we’ll see the publisher look to bring more of its exclusive games to PC, even after Uncharted and God of War. It will be interesting to see if Sony potentially looks to close the game between its console releases and PC ports. For more on the latest business moves from Sony and the PlayStation brand, stick with us here on Shacknews.
Donovan Erskine posted a new article, Sony forms PlayStation PC label for its PC ports
Sony, are you feeling OK?
Come on Sony, port your Marvel games to the pc damn it. I will double dip!!!!

domain: news


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Yelp reviewers will now be able to provide detailed feedback on how well specific restaurants adhere to COVID-19 health and safety practices, the business reviews company announced Tuesday. Currently, reviewers can only provide feedback on social distancing and mask-wearing because these are the practices most readily observed by restaurant guests, Yelp clarified.
Although the observations will not affect a restaurant’s overall score, the feedback will be visibly categorized in the same vein as the review app’s other categories like “kid-friendly” or “romantic” restaurants. Users can provide feedback via surveys or through the “Edit” icon in the COVID-19 section on a business’ Yelp page.
Yelp also created new COVID-era service offerings for restaurants to add to their business pages, including “heated outdoor seating,” “1:1 sessions available,” “staff checked for symptoms,” and “disposable or contactless menus.” The new information will be on display under the “Health & Safety Measures” heading of the COVID-19 section of a business page, and Yelp will use push notifications to inform users when a business they’re connected with has updated their COVID-19 information.
“Last summer, we updated the COVID-19 Health and Safety banner to allow consumers to validate if businesses were in fact operating with these health and safety measures, and since then, we’ve been evaluating the right way to display this data to help consumers feel confident about continuing to support their local businesses,” Akhil Kuduvalli, head of consumer product at Yelp told Nation’s Restaurant News. “The goal is to further highlight how businesses have adapted to keep their customers safe, and to instill confidence in consumers to continue supporting local businesses.”
Yelp has implemented safeguards to make sure that the user-generated COVID-19 feedback is as accurate as possible. Feedback must meet these criteria to be displayed on a restaurant’s Yelp profile:
- Individual user feedback will not be displayed until a consensus is met: The business must receive “several user responses with consensus from multiple users” on social distancing and mask-wearing.
- Only verified Yelp users logged into their accounts can provide feedback
- For restaurants with multiple or franchised locations, user feedback will only appear for the location relevant to the review.
- The COVID-19 section will only include data from the last 28 days and will be reviewed and updated daily.
Restaurants that have received positive feedback on COVID-19 regulations enforcement will see a green checkmark with text that reads, “social distancing enforced according to most users” or “staff wears masks according to most users.” If user feedback on safety precautions enforcement skews toward negative, an orange question mark will appear on the restaurant’s page with a corresponding message indicating that “Social distancing might not be enforced according to some users” or “staff might not wear masks according to most users.”
Yelp said that at launch only a couple hundred businesses out of millions listed on Yelp have received orange question marks.
“Due to the extensive trust and safety measures we have in place, it is rare for a business to receive an orange question mark associated with this user-generated feedback, as it is only meant to alert consumers to egregious instances of social distancing not being enforced and staff not wearing masks,” Kuduvalli told Nation’s Restaurant News. “If in the rare circumstance a business does receive an orange question mark because either some or most consumers didn’t observe social distancing being enforced or staff wearing masks, then the only way to have it updated to a green check mark is to ensure that you and your staff are consistently enforcing these health and safety practices.”
Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter: @JoannaFantozzi


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BUTTE — It’s safe to say twin sisters Jennie Nielsen and Jamie Offutt have a lot in common.
Both like to style their hair in off-beat colors like red and blue. They wear quirky, playful clothes and talk with a quick, upbeat pace. The two are also self-described “nerds” who say it wasn’t always easy being different in the small town of Twin Bridges where they grew up.
But aside from sharing the same DNA, Nielsen and Offutt also share a love for all things anime.
It’s precisely this passion that led the duo to open the Geek Emporium on Broadway Street in Uptown Butte last January.
Residents of the Mining City, Nielsen and Offutt chose the name Geek Emporium because it’s all-encompassing.
“We thought about Twisted Sisters but apparently there’s already a Twisted Sisters in town,” said Nielsen. “So we didn’t do that.”
The store features a variety of “geek finery,” as the window display proclaims, and offers horror, fantasy, anime, sci-fi and video-game memorabilia based on tales of magic and mayhem.
The sisters took The Montana Standard on a tour of the store, where they demonstrated costumes, jewelry, posters, clothes, toys, novelty knives and various odds and ends.
“It’s a geek curiosity shop,” said Nielsen, who earlier showcased a set of tights designed to make the wearer look like a robot.
Offutt held up a time-turner necklace, an hourglass suspended by two concentric rotating rings. It’s a reference to the Harry Potter series of books, Offutt said, in which characters use the magical object to travel through time.
Although Geek Emporium is a new enterprise, this isn’t the first time Offutt and Nielsen have dabbled in the curiosity trade.
The started their journey selling hand-beaded jewelry at farmers markets across the state. Later on, the two said, they took their business in a “geek direction” by selling fandom at festivals like Missoula’s MisCon and GobCon in Butte.
Nielsen and Offutt said they sold a lot of trinkets at the markets and festivals, which gave them confidence a store could do well.
“We thought, we can do this,” said Offutt.
They transitioned into brick and mortar by working at O’Donna’s New and Used, 129 Broadway St., in exchange for shelf space. They eventually negotiated with shop owner Donna Devine to take over half of the building, where Geek Emporium now resides.
So far interest in the shop has been growing steadily, Nielsen and Offutt said.
“We’re getting some fans coming in,” said Offutt, noting that “otaku,” a term used to describe anime fans, have been especially enthusiastic about the store.
“They’re so excited, and we’re so excited when they come in” said Offutt. “We’re like, ‘yes, we’ll geek out together and we’ll show you everything.’”
The two said they’re lucky to have launched months after the Harrison…


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As the reality of global warming starts to hit home, people may ask: "How will it affect my livelihood?"
The explosion in worldwide coffee consumption in the past two decades has generally not benefitted farmers of coffee beans in poorer nations along the equator.
More Americans than ever before are supporting their local food markets, and it's not just because they believe the food is fresher and tastes better.
Amish chicken farmer Ura Gingerich begins each day by lantern light, but his simple life of tradition is threatened by a modern scourge that has devastated the US poultry industry.
A comprehensive study finds organic agriculture is more profitable for farmers than conventional agriculture.
British dairy farmers are once again protesting over the low prices on offer for their milk. They worry that too many producers are going bust, and that long-term milk supplies are at risk.
If countries and farmers make adjustments in what crops they grow and where, then the effects of climate change on the global economy may not be as severe as feared, a Stanford economist says.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered Saturday in a central Nicaraguan city to protest the construction of a $50 billion (44 billion euros) canal that will run through their land.
Farmers along the river delta at the heart of California agriculture expected to get an answer Friday on their surprise offer to give up a quarter of their water this year in exchange for being spared deeper mandatory cutbacks ...
Farmers will be using drones in the near future to monitor and improve their crops to help feed a hungry world, say Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists who are now developing the technology.


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“I’m obsessed with lips at the moment,” Lucia Pieroni told us backstage at Rochas, where she was administering a velvety red pout still burned in our memory. The makeup artist engineered a few of the most impressive mouths of the Spring 2013 collections, from a fluoro pink at Giles to a glossy wine at Jonathan Saunders to an electric cerise at Missoni.
While the precise applications may have looked the same to showgoers in the front row, each was slightly different, tailored and tweaked just so for individual models. “When you’re doing someone’s makeup, it’s about what brings out their features, what makes them look more beautiful,” she says. “That’s the thing about being a good makeup artist. You can do anything if you can adapt.”
The face-painter, who’s closing in on 25 years in the industry, and eight at the creative helm of Clé de Peau, has been adapting since she picked up a makeup brush on a whim in the 1980s. “I don’t love makeup that much,” confesses Pieroni, who grew up as a fine artist—and still thinks of herself as one. “But I love creating.” Her unique approach to beauty, which favors understatement over theatrics, keeps the innovative makeup star in demand with the fashion crowd and Hollywood, not to mention product fiends hungry for her next creation. Her new launch, a limited-edition palette due out this month, promises not to disappoint.
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Apple removes AppGratis from the App Store
This entry was posted on Sunday, April 7, 2013.
AppGratis is one of the most popular app discovery services for the iTunes App Store by some distance. The company, founded by Simon Dawlat, crossed a whopping 10 million users back in February, but the fact that it is a hit app has not seemed to deter Apple from pulling AppGratis from the App Store yesterday.
Although no official reason for this issue has been given yet, a lot of speculation points it to the fact that Apple has a rule that makes it illegal for apps to have any kind of content curation methods that mimic the type seen in the App Store itself. In its exact words, “Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected.” Apple has been implementing this borderline draconian rule for quite some time now, as it was initially buying over developer companies with content discovery apps, and now has moved on to locking them out of the App Store altogether. AppShopper was the first to go this way (and has yet to find a way back into the App Store, showing the gravity of this situation), and AppGratis turns out to be the latest to be under the cosh for the same reason.
Of course, existing users (and there are plenty of them) can still use AppGratis on their devices without any issues. But until this gets sorted out, old users will not get updates for it, and new users will not even get to use AppGratis.


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PhillyMag.com reported that Philadelphia is the fourth most walkable city in the United States according to Walk Score. Many sections of the city have been categorized as the most walkable neighborhoods in the country including Bella Vista and Northern Liberties.
The study conducted by Walk Score , a company that produces stats on walkability in cities across the country, explained the rankings are based on walking routes, proximity to shopping, parks, entertainment, etc. Young people prefer to live in walkable areas that provide easy access to grocery stores and coffee shops right in the area. This walkability ranking has potential to drive more young Millennials to Philadelphia due to its accessibility and convenience.


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Tech businesses wary of moves to bar brainy immigrants
An executive order last month temporarily suspending the approval of some green cards many in the tech industry pushed back hard. The sixty days suspension does not apply to h. One B. B.'s. `As the visas for high skilled workers that tech companies often used to bring in engineers and other employees but this ETA the big lobbying and Trade Association for the Tech Industry says immigrants have founded some of the country's biggest tech companies. They've contributed to the startup innovation economy in the US and said that if these restrictions go on or get expanded it will hurt the country's ability to compete. Michael Patrick own is the senior vice president of government relations for the CPA. It's huge issue for us. Immigrants and their children have founded forty five percent of the US fortune five hundred companies and that includes tech companies like Intel Amazon. Google and Apple Steve Jobs as father came from Syria. Andy Grove of Intel came from Hungary and Sergey Brin came from Russia. Jeff Bezos is father came from Cuba. Imagine how different our country would be. We'd closed our doors to those immigrants the order it doesn't affect workers who enter the US on H. One B. Visa which is used by many tech companies to bring in workers. But you're still worried just across the board. We have heard rumors that the administration is going to be addressing and putting limitations on h. One B. Visas next. That may something they're considering the near future and we think that would be a mistake. Got It and so the concern not is not just about this existing order which is for sixty days but the idea that down the road the tech sector could be actively hurt by ongoing restrictions will. Yeah I mean it is and also bear in mind. This is a competitive marketplace the the marketplace for the world's smartest people as competitive so of. Immigrants. Don't come here. You're going to go someplace else. They're going to go someplace like Canada. I mean for a long time there was a billboard highway one and it said something like immigration problems. Come TO CANADA. We have a new STARTUP VISA. You've got these. Other countries that are embracing skilled emigrants like programmers and engineers entrepreneurs at the same time the US tightening its borders and these countries these workers create businesses and generate jobs for locals. These immigrants that ends up another country is a win for that country at a loss for us. Is there any argument for the restriction? I mean I know that you know there probably will be people who agree with the president and say America should be first in line for jobs if we have thirty percent unemployment. Well the point is that immigrants. Come here and they create jobs right. It's not like there's a fixed number of jobs to be. Had they come here. They create companies. They create jobs and they hire Americans so immigrants are there a crucial part of our nation's economy and the tech industry. And that's especially true today. Right look around. Immigrants are helping respond to the pan-demic in research. It in AI. In Food Supply. And then as as we come out of the pandemic we're going to need to innovate as never before. We need immigrants and the world's best minds to be part of the process.


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The Edmonton Police Service released photos on Friday of two men they suspect are involved in a string of credit card theft and fraud cases across the city.
“Between October and December 2018, police received several reports from citizens whose credit cards were allegedly stolen and used to make fraudulent purchases,” police said in a news release. “Investigators believe that the credit cards were stolen from wallets that were removed from jackets while the complainants were dining at local restaurants.
“The thieves then allegedly used the cards immediately to make large purchases.”
Police alleged more than $25,000 worth of fraudulent purchases have been made using the cards since the rash of thefts began.
Both suspects are described as well-dressed and in their mid-20s. They are both about five-foot-nine.
View photos of the suspects in the gallery below.
Anyone who has information about the suspects is asked to call the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
If anyone else believes they were the victim of similar credit card thefts or fraud, police are encouraging them to come forward.
Watch below: (From Nov. 16, 2018) A TD Canada Trust bank customer says he was shocked to find out how easy it was for a scammer to get a credit card and spend thousands charged to him. Sean O’Shea reports.


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Ruffians remain on our radar for two reasons a) because since arriving in Covent Garden they’ve managed to cause quite a stir in the men’s grooming world and b) because everyone involved in the business we’ve met just seem like jolly good chaps.
A few weeks back I was asked to profile a high street brand and needed to be in the shot. I called the guys at Ruffians to see if they could hook me up at short notice and hook me up they did.
I’ve never had a bad experience there and was assigned Tommy Cunliffe, a dapper chapper, himself who did a great job. Like previous barbers I’ve had at Ruffians the session was engaging, relaxed and most importantly resulted in a high quality cut.
We’ve reviewed them before but Ruffians is on a shortlist of brands that have earned regular DC write up’s. So when I asked the PR team if there was any news I should share, it appears Tommy, my barber, was being modest.
Turns out he’d recently been named as one of the most exciting up-and-coming hairdressers in the UK after winning The RISING STAR award in prestigious hair industry competition, The It List, which celebrates the brightest young stars aged 30 and under.
Tommy, who has only been cutting hair for two years, received his accolade on Monday 7th September at the spectacular It List Grand Final, which was hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall at the Natural History Museum, London, in front of a 600-strong audience of hair, fashion and media VIPs. Bravo chap!
But turns out, Tommy did the double that night and actually makes up part of a team that Ruffians Owner Andrew Cannon sculpted together to win Best Salon Team in the national competition Most Wanted.
This news comes as no surprise to us. We’ve been barking on about them for a while now but now you know where to go if you want a good, fuss free cut in central London.


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There’s no doubt that XSEED is one of the largest Japanese publishers around. And E3 is the biggest games trade show on the planet. So today, they announced their E3 line up with a bunch of localizations.
Leading the way for localization is Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale, a cross over between Story of Seasons and the popular Japanese Manga PopoloCrois for the 3DS. It will have a 25 plus hour story with 100 missions. But like other games of this genre, it will probably have tons of replayability. It will launch in Japan on June 18 this year. The last time we got an instalment in this series was in 2006 on the PSP.
Another localization hitting North America the next instalment in the The Legend of Heroes franchise, Trials of Cold Steel for the PS3 and Vita. For those unfamiliar with the series, it’s a JRPG that also blends sim aspects as well. In Japan, the series is known as Sen no Kiseki, and it’s developed by Nihon Falcom.
Along with that is Earth Defence Force: 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair. It’s a reimagining of Earth Defence Force 2025 for the PlayStation 4, and will feature 50 per cent new content, updated graphics and smoother frame rates.
That’s not everything though. Here’s a complete list of the games they’re showing this year excluding the titles already mentioned.
Corpse Party Blood Drive-PSVita
Earth Defence Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space-PSVita
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos-PS4
Senran Kagura: Deep Crimson-3DS
Senran Kagura: Estival Versus-PS4
That doesn’t seem like too bad of a line up. As a huge fan of Harvest Moon it’s always exciting to see a new Bokujo Monogatari game even if I’m unfamiliar with the source material. What game are you most excited for at this E3?


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Not the right time for tax breaks
Although tax relief featured prominently in the election campaign, now is not the right time to introduce such changes.
This is the main conclusion of the Economic Council’s 2019 autumn report.
The report proposes financial prudence over tax breaks at a time when the economy is strong, arguing that this is the best way to control trade fluctuations and secure a steady economy.
Translated by prosa.fo


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"This award is really about the efforts of the team at DefensiveDriving.com. We work hard to provide world class customer service and high quality online driver safety courses."
Houston, Texas (PRWEB) May 17, 2012
DefensiveDriving.com received the Pinnacle Award at the Better Business Bureau Awards for Excellence luncheon held Wednesday, May 2nd at the InterContinental Houston near the Galleria.
This was the second time DefensiveDriving.com received the Pinnacle Award, the first award was received in 2006 and marks the sixth time to be recognized by the BBB for service excellence.
The BBB Awards for Excellence recognizes businesses and non-profits for their achievements and commitment to overall excellence and quality in the workplace.
Proceeds from the event help fund the BBB Education Foundation which educates consumers about scams and fraudulent business practices in the Greater Houston area.
When asked what it meant to DefensiveDriving.com to receive this recognition, Kent Bissell, President, stated, “This award is really about the efforts of the team at DefensiveDriving.com. We work hard to provide world class customer service and high quality online driver safety courses and this recognition is reflective of the effort. It has been a long six years since we last were recognized with the Pinnacle Award, so we are excited and honored to be recognized for our efforts.”
DefensiveDriving.com was founded in 1999 as one of the nation's first online driver safety training organizations. DefensiveDriving.com has certified over 2,000,000 drivers across the country, for corporate fleet training and individual driver safety courses for ticket dismissal and insurance reduction. DefensiveDriving.com was one of the first companies to offer high quality video courses available in an online streaming video format and the company offers web-based education for drivers across the country. The company provides comprehensive driver safety training, including the monitoring and tracking of customer or employee completion. The training is designed to be completed at any time or anywhere the customer has access to a computer and the Internet. The company offers 24-hour, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year support from a team of driver safety professionals, at 888 545 5422 or at http://www.defensivedriving.com.


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According to Cryptoglobe's June 3 report, Christopher Giancarlo, chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), revealed that social media giant Facebook and CFTC have been discussing the development details of its stable currency, GlobalCoin.
(Source: Visualhunt )
- Facebook Interview: Facebook has gradually lost credibility in recent years, will Libra succeed?
- After visiting Libra’s base (Switzerland), US legislators have not let go of their guard
- Dialogue with Meng Yan: Facebook sets off a wave of digital currencies
- The first thing that Facebook cryptocurrency will face is the “near worry” that challenges regulation.
- 7 things we need to know before the Facebook cryptocurrency white paper is released
- "Connect": When Xiaozha starts talking about money, FB Coin will become a point instead of a cryptocurrency
According to the Financial Times, the CFTC hopes to determine whether Facebook's stable currency can be considered and regulated by traditional financial instruments under the current regulatory framework. Giancarlo said that CFTC is happy to understand the upcoming GlobalCoin, but will strictly control the "application." He also clarified that Facebook did not provide any details about GlobalCoin to CFTC in writing.
It is worth noting that the recent Facebook management has discussed with the US and other government agencies and officials on the stability of the currency. In a previous report, Facebook said GlobalCoin will be used primarily for cross-border payments and e-commerce settlement transactions . GlobalCoin is part of the Facebook blockchain project Project Libra.
Although it is still too early to classify GlobalCoin as a specific type of financial instrument regulated by the CFTC, Giancarlo pointed out that if GlobalCoin is supported by the US dollar, it may not be bundled with derivatives. Giancarlo acknowledges that the overall design of Facebook's latest stable currency program is "very smart," but it may face major compliance issues such as KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) reviews.
In early April 2019, Nathaniel Popper, a New York Times reporter and author of Bitcoin's best-selling book Digital Gold, revealed that Facebook plans to raise $1 billion for cryptocurrency projects. At the same time, Popper believes that one of the biggest attractions of the blockchain is decentralization.
Facebook may not need to raise funds because it has total assets of about $100 billion and $84 billion. However, analysts believe that its management may plan to work with outside investors to make the encryption project look "more dispersed and less controlled."


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A thief who tore through the walls of several stores in a strip mall early Sunday on McDuff Avenue, off I-10, was caught on camera stealing equipment inside a barber shop.
The man burglarized a nail salon, hair salon and barber shop. The owners said supplies and several flat screen televisions were taken.
A door was left open at a vacant shop at the end of the strip mall, and the owners believe the man, who might not have been working alone, came in through that door and then cut his way through the drywall to steal from several stores.
He was caught on camera breaking through the wall of Sho'Off Kuts and Accessories.
“It’s more of the disrespect that someone had to break into my establishment and steal what I work hard for,” said Marin Barnes, who owns the barber shop.
Barnes said he doesn’t recognize the man in the video, who can be seen covering his face with a cloth.
In the video, the man busts through the drywall, knocking a mirror down in the process. He checks the front door before looking around, making his way over to a work station and aggressively taking a couple of clippers.
One angle shows tattoos on his arms and a flashlight in his hand.
“At the end of the day, it could be someone I cut, or it could be someone that came to visit,” Barnes said. “That’s the part that hurts, because we don’t know exactly who it is.”
But what Barnes hopes gives the man away are a pile of shirts he took with a unique logo.
“Them shirts are shirts I had made. Every year, we try and join and be in the MLK parade, so every year, I make shirts for each year,” Barnes said. “The shirts we had that says Stand for Something (or) Fall for Anything, with my logo on them. Pretty much they took the shirts with my logo on them.”
Barnes said officers were able to find a few tools that the man might have used to cut his way through the drywall. They took them as evidence.
"You will be caught eventually. To me it was minor, materialistic and petty," Barnes said. "At the end of the day, we're going to bounce back. But I believe in prosecuting to the fullest of the law. Eventually, you will be caught and justice will be served."
The holes in the businesses have been boarded up, and the owners are waiting to repair the damages.
Fenita Bell, owner of Styles Innovation by Fenita, said she wants whoever was involved to come forward.
"I'm hurt behind the situation, but sometimes people do petty stuff," said Bell. "This was so petty. Just for you to come in here and destroy people's businesses and put holes in the wall. Yes, I want them to come forward.”
Anyone with information about the break-ins or the man's identity is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS or JSO at 904-630-0500.


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Libya | Misrata
Misrata Latest news in Libyan newspapers
Turkish Albayrak visits Misrata Free Zone to consider establishing a logistics centre
By Sami Zaptia. London, 5 July 2021: A delegation from Albayrak Holding Company, a huge multi-sector Turkish...
[Libya Herald] 05/07/2021
Electricity crisis: Prime Minister stops production at Libyan Iron and Steel Company to save 150 MW of electricity
By Sami Zaptia. London, 30 June 2021: Reacting to the severe criticism he has received over the last two weeks, Libyan...
[Libya Herald] 30/06/2021
First ‘transit trade’ trucks travel from Tunisian border to Misrata Free Zone
By Sami Zaptia. London, 28 June 2021: Misrata Free Zone announced today that the first convoy of goods-laden trucks...
[Libya Herald] 28/06/2021


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One of the biggest complaints about Battlefield 4 (aside from the fact that it required Origin) was its technical and connectivity issues at launch that prevented many people from playing the popular shooter. The developers of the next Battlefield game – the cops v. robbers-themed Battlefield Hardline – promise that those issues will be kept to a minimum at launch.
Speaking to PSLifestyle, lead multiplayer designer Thad Sasser said that players should "expect great stability at launch."
"A lot of our engineers are participating in the CTE (Community Test Environment), actively helping with the changes going on there," Sasser told PSLifestyle.
"One of the great things about working on this franchise with DICE, is that we're able to take some of these improvements and roll them into the Hardline game," he added. "So expect to see great stability at launch, and anything we can do to improve the player experience, we're going to take that very seriously and try to get that into the game."
Certainly EA doesn't want a repeat of what happened with the launch of Battlefield 4. EA and developer DICE had to suspend DLC development to focus on bugs during the first month of launch.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson recently condemned the BF4 launch as unacceptable.
"For me, the situation we had was unacceptable," he said. "For the team it was unacceptable. We have worked tirelessly since then to make sure the gameplay experience got to where it absolutely should have been at launch and we're focused on that and we continue to deliver value to that player base."
Battlefield Hardline is set for release on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on October 21 in North America, October 23 in Europe, and October 24 in the UK.


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Most milk in Hyderabad is unsafe to drink
milk in Hyderabad is unsafe to drink, is milk in hyderabad safe to drink, is packaged milk safe to drink for children, milk consumed by children in hyderabad is unsafe, is milk packets safe to drink for children
Hyderabad people beware as the milk you give to your child everyday before school and at night is unsafe for drinking.
A new report submitted by the GHMC commissioner to the state human rights commission following a complaint says eight brands of packaged milk were either found to be unsafe or sub-standard, after they were examined by the state-run Institute of preventive medicine.
Some of these brands belong to multi-national as well as well-known dairy companies.
The new report comes months after police busted a huge milk adulteration racket in the city in which some miscreants were caught mixing hydrogen peroxide with water and inferior quality milk powder and sell them as packaged milk.
Surprisingly in 2011, a milk survey undertaken by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) found AP to be in the ‘mostly safe’ zone compared to other states in the country.
But when contacted on Monday, FSSAI officials called for strong action against the guilty firms.
“If there are brands which have been categorized under unsafe, then it is a cause of concern,” Pradip Chakraborty, director FSSAI told TOI from New Delhi. “These companies will attract sections 50 to 63 under Food Safety Act. Apart from being slapped with penalty, the managements of these companies are liable to face criminal charges,” he added.
Health experts said adulterated milk adversely affects human health in numerous ways with scientists saying that adulterated milk mostly contains salmonella, e-coli and other chemicals.
“It is a clear sign that polluted water is being used in the processing of these packaged milk,” said Veena Kshatrugna, leading nutritionist from the city.
“The immediate affects of consuming the adulterated milk can be frequent gastroenteritis, high fever and typhoid,” she said.
Adulterated milk consumed for a prolonged period could weaken the immunity of the body, said Suhatha Stephan, another practicing nutritionist from the city.
Officials sitting on report, alleges city RTI activist
“The initial signs may be intestinal disturbances, but those consuming it regularly may fall prey to various other ailments too over a period of time,” Stephan said.
The complainant, Achyuta Rao, activist and petitioner in the case said he was hopeful that strong action would be taken. “I first filed this case in January 2013 in the human rights commission after I had got some milk samples tested which proved adulteration,” he said.
The Human Rights Commission has however decided to post this matter to January 23, 2014, a good four months after the report was tabled without considering the seriousness of the issue.
“It is shocking that officials are still sitting on the report and not doing anything. The commission should have given directions and closed the case. One should understand that milk is majorly consumed by children and it is having devastating effects on their body,” Rao said.
But so far no action has been taken by the authorities on these milk manufacturers even after being in possession of laboratory evidence.
“This case is in the purview of the GHMC commissioner and we will act once he instructs us on it,” said a senior of health department, GHMC dodged questions on why they were taking so long to act.


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SPATEX organisers have praised hot tub, swim spa and pool company exhibitors for helping to make the 22nd edition of the wet leisure showcase in Coventry a resounding success on all fronts.
Ahead of a cold weather spell in the West Midlands, leading distributors were out in force to make a promotional splash in the Ericsson Exhibition Hall at the Ricoh Arena and to help put the heat on their competitors in the hot tub and swim spa markets; as part of their latest sales and promotional efforts to continue the momentum of strong results from the previous year.
In 2017 the 21st anniversary edition hit new levels of success. Organisers were determined not to rest on their laurels, though, and pulled out all the stops during the past 12 months to increase the exhibitor numbers and marketing activities this time round. The pre-event promotion by the SPATEX team gained a record list of exhibitors, which was boosted by a strong contingent of hot tub and swim spa product exhibitors, and; combined with a bumper schedule of seminars organised by the Institute of Swimming Pool Engineers (ISPE); had helped the exhibition to attract a record number of pre-visitor bookings.
“After we announced that we had increased the floorplan in the autumn to satisfy the demand for more exhibition space it helped SPATEX to attract record levels of pre-registration bookings from prospective visitors,” said SPATEX organiser Michele Bridle.
“The record number of exhibitors then did their part by providing SPATEX visitors with outstanding display areas and product promotions. It really has been a tremendous effort from all of our exhibitors this year who have done fantastic efforts with their stands. The exhibition hall looked superb.”
A record list of exhibitors was rewarded with consistent levels of footfall throughout the three days, which helped to produce quality leads from the visitors. New brands and products were rolled out as part of exclusive trade launches during the wet leisure extravaganza.
Among the brands taking top billing was American Whirlpool, being showcased by Richard Hart and his Aqua Warehouse Group team; during their first SPATEX outing since being bestowed with the 2017 International Dealer of the Year accolade from MAAX Corporation, who manufacture the new American Whirlpool ‘superbrand’ and Vita Spa range of hot tubs and swim spas.
Naturally, Richard reported that the dedicated American Whirlpool stand for the official trade launch debut promotion had gained a high level of interest from SPATEX visitors and former L.A Spas dealers; who have been converting their showrooms to promote the new brand this year.
“We’ve been busy throughout the three days of SPATEX and the main theme has been a very good level of quality leads,” said Richard, whose team also gained a strong visitor response for its Vita Spa, Covana automatic cover lifters, and Aqua Spa Supplies wet leisure product ranges.
Another exhibitor taking centre stage and top billing was Certikin International with its wide range of wet leisure products, including Calorex and CertiDos stands, combined with promotion for its second international award-winning Caldera Spas distributor status that has been expanded in recent years with the introduction of the Fantasy Spas range from Watkins Wellness.
Departing Certikin Marketing Manager Cath Saunders has been instrumental in helping the company to showcase the huge array of wet leisure products and services during a long run of consecutive appearances at SPATEX and, before calling time on her stint with the company, was once again delighted with the response from visitors to the wet leisure powerhouse’s triple-stand presence.
“We’ve had a great response yet again from SPATEX visitors wanting to view our latest products,” said Cath. “Next year, though, the responsibility for the product choices for the Certikin stands will be down to someone else.”
With the British market experiencing a wave of success on the hot tub and swim spa front in recent years there was a strong international presence seeking to capitalise on established dealers wanting to expand their product ranges and gain an increased share of future sales. While many distributors; including Aqua Warehouse Group, Certikin, Elite Spas, Softub UK, Spa Crest Europe and Superior Spas, had established USA manufacturers and brands to promote on their display stands; Hungary-based Wellis and Catalan company Aquavia Spa were among the large list of hot tub and swim spa exhibitors making successive appearances to promote their ‘made in Europe’ credentials and expand their thriving hot tub and swim spa lines in the UK.
“We have had a lot of interest in our products and are seeking more British dealers,” said Wellis Export Manager Istvan Attila Farkas.
Aquavia Spa Sales Area Manager Sonia Guix reported that the latest SPATEX appearance was part of the manufacturer’s continued strategy to build up the British dealer network, which is currently growing steadily.
“We have a very positive company and have come to SPATEX again to highlight our expanding product range of hot tubs and swim spas,” said Sonia. “It is a slow process building up British dealers but we want to gain more are hoping our attendance at SPATEX will build up the awareness of our company and products.”
Before the exhibition Rob Carlin landed an exclusive distribution deal for the Be Well Spas brand and juggled his time between the Canada-based company’s stand and a large display area for his new Superior Spas models that are being produced this year by USA manufacturer Four Winds.
“We’ve had a lot of interest in our new USA-manufactured Superior Spas range from our existing dealers and also there has been a good response to the Be Well Spas brand, and so we’ve generated some positive quality leads to follow up,” said Rob.
Also on show, Rob had Chinese-manufactured options and was among several exhibitors; including Dutch-designed Passion Spas and British-designed Riptide Pools; promoting hot tubs and swim spas produced in the Far East.
While these brands aim to seek sales outlets from British retailers, Spa Crest Europe chief Tony Welsby highlighted the concern among many distributors and dealers that some unscrupulous retailers, who are coming into the market are taking advantage of cheap Chinese imports for a short-term gain, were misleading consumers by promoting Chinese-manufactured hot tubs as being produced and manufactured in other countries.
“Although we realise we have to compete against Chinese products here in the UK and Europe, one of my biggest problems with some retailers of Chinese hot tubs is that they are often being untruthful to prospective customers about where the models are being manufactured,” said Tony.
“We’ve had incidences where people have come into our showroom and have argued with us that their current hot tub is not Chinese, when we know it is. Even when we’ve been able to prove that it is clearly a model manufactured in China, some people are still not wanting to believe that it is a Chinese hot tub despite the evidence being presented to them.”
To book exhibitor space for SPATEX 2019 or for further details contact the SPATEX team via email: firstname.lastname@example.org or email@example.com or telephone directly on: +44 (0) 1264 358558.


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Honda will stop car assembly in TurkeyApril 9, 2019
Together with the end of production of the current generation Civic model, the release of the car there will be completed there as well. Given the closure of the Honda plant in the UK, after 2021, Honda cars will no longer be made in Europe.
Honda Motor officially announced its decision regarding the Turkish plant, but it was only a matter of time: there was almost no doubt about such an outcome after Honda confirmed its intention to close its plant in the UK in February after the end of production of the current Civic. At the British factory collect hatchbacks (including in the Type R version), in Turkish – sedans.
It is important that, unlike the British factory, the Turkish will not stop working completely and will continue to belong to the Japanese company: they simply will not collect cars there anymore. The company specifies that it will continue to conduct business in Turkey and will retain, incl. motorcycle production.
In both cases, the automaker explains its decision by “rapid changes in the automotive industry related to the electrification of the world fleet”. Honda claims that this was the main reason, and it needs to “adjust its production capacity, concentrating on regions with large volumes of output”.
The company does not provide information on future staff layoffs, but acknowledges that it “consults with employees in order to find a solution in the current conditions”.
In Turkey, an average of 38,000 Honda cars are produced annually. It is not specified how these volumes will be redistributed after stopping the Turkish conveyor. It is expected that the main production sites for Honda will be Japan, the United States and, possibly, China.
- Bill Gates doesn’t believe in electric cars
- Two Lamborghini Sian hybrid supercars arrive in London
- Peugeot introduced the updated crossovers Peugeot 3008 and 5008
- SSC Tuatara hypercar sets new world speed record
- Diesel cars will disappear before gasoline ones


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L'Oréal yesterday announced that it had finalized the buyback of an 8% stake owned by Nestlé in the cosmetics company. As part of the deal, Liliane Bettencourt's family holding in L'Oréal increased from 30.6% to 33.31%, boosting the beauty matriarch's fortune by around $4 billion according to today's share prices.
L'Oréal also said it had completed the disposal of its 50% stake in dermatology company Galderma to Nestlé. The number of Nestlé representatives on L'Oréal's board was reduced from three to two directors.
Following the transaction, Liliane Bettencourt's family now owns approximately 202 million shares or 33.31% of the company, while Nestlé's stake in L'Oréal has been reduced from 29.4% to 23.29% of the share capital. According to L'Oréal's 2013 registration document, the buyback was financed with L'Oréal's available cash and through the issuance of commercial paper.
Bettencourt is no longer involved in running the company her father founded after a 2011 legal battle with daughter Françoise Bettencourt Meyers proved Liliane was unfit to manage her affairs. The elderly widow, who suffers from dementia, was replaced on the company's board by her 25-year-old grandson Jean-Victor Meyers in February 2012.
Worth around $38 billion per current share prices, Bettencourt is now the second richest woman in the world after Wal-Mart heir Alice Walton, who wields a $38.3 billion fortune. Prior to the sale, she was the third richest woman in the world; she remains the wealthiest woman in Europe.


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Watch Video of 60 Minutes: Steve Jobs – Interview with Walter Isaacson
The full 60 Minutes segment on Steve Jobs, featuring official biographer Walter Isaacson, has been posted online by CBS. The segment focuses on Steve Jobs and the biography itself, which is widely available for purchase.
Steve Jobs was already gravely ill with cancer when he asked author Walter Isaacson to write his biography. Jobs told Isaacson to write a honest book – about his failings and his strengths
Isaacson conducted more than 40 taped interviews with the Apple co-founder and CEO – all of them done while Apple was on its ascent with one great product after another, but Jobs was on his decline, ill with a form of pancreatic cancer that would end his life at age 56.
The videos are embedded below and require Flash to watch online.
Steve Jobs, part 1
Steve Jobs, part 2
Steve Jobs, extras
Steve Jobs, family photo album
Related Segment: iPad Apps for Autism
A transcript is also available to read online if you’re unable to watch the videos.


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Delta variant starting to alter consumer spending – except among unvaccinated
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Retail sales numbers come out today along with earnings from two retail giants – Walmart and Home Depot. This week we’ll also get quarterly updates from Target, Lowes, Macy’s and Ross. Consumers have been spending a lot this summer, going to events and dining out again, traveling, shopping.
But, the delta variant could be another economic curve ball.
After getting vaccinated this spring, Gaelan Duncan in Canby, Oregon, started taking steps back into the world – going out to eat, going shopping in person. But now, with delta?
“It gives me a little bit of pause to go back out and do some of those things,” he said.
So, he’s baby-stepping his way back. “Yes, I would say that I would definitely err more on the side of ordering online,” he said.
Duncan is not alone in that. Jesse Wheeler, an economic analyst with Morning Consult said delta is already changing consumer spending.
“People are reading the news, and they’re becoming more fearful,” Wheeler said.
Still, the latest foot traffic data for many big box retail stores are not showing a slowdown, yet. But, that might be because of unvaccinated people. Chris Jackson with the polling firm Ipsos said, many Americans who’ve gotten the shot are feeling anxious, but not so with the unvaccinated.
“There’s very little data suggesting that they’re not going out,” Jackson said, adding that it’s not likely to stop even if infections soar.
We’re here to help you navigate this changed world and economy.
Our mission at Marketplace is to raise the economic intelligence of the country. It’s a tough task, but it’s never been more important.
In the past year, we’ve seen record unemployment, stimulus bills, and reddit users influencing the stock market. Marketplace helps you understand it all, will fact-based, approachable, and unbiased reporting.
Generous support from listeners and readers is what powers our nonprofit news—and your donation today will help provide this essential service. For just $5/month, you can sustain independent journalism that keeps you and thousands of others informed.


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HP has waived all conditions to the completion of its tender offer for outstanding shares of Mercury Interactive, except for the requirement that stockholders commit a majority of the outstanding Mercury shares.
HP first announced the $4.6bn acquisition in July, saying at the time that it expected the transaction to close before the end of this year.
The company has since extended its tender offer three times, which is currently set to expire on 1 November.
Mercury become an acquisition target after the management software firm was caught in a stock option backdating scandal that forced its chief executive to step down earlier this year.
HP said last week that investors had tendered about 38.9 million Mercury shares, representing roughly 44 per cent of the company's outstanding stock.
The waiving of the conditions is a regular procedural step, HP said. The acquisition recently met the two other conditions when it was cleared by antitrust authorities and when Mercury published its delayed annual report for 2005.
Latest Tesla news: Tesla stock price tanks amid reports of 'widening probe' by SEC and claims the base Model 3 loses money
SEC 'probe' takes its toll on Tesla as new research suggests that Tesla loses $6,000 on every $35,000 Model 3
10nm Cannon Lake Core i3-8121U CPUs make a rare outing with Intel's NUC mini PC
'Notorious' Australian child hacker thought he had executed 'flawless' hack
The former employee says that Tesla fired him for bringing the accusations to management internally


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Clearwater Beach, Florida -- The 2nd Annual Clearwater Beach Uncorked Food and Wine Experience will be held this weekend at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort.
Photo Gallery: 2011 "Uncorked" Clearwater Beach
Headlining this year's event is Chef Ralph Pagano of "Hell's Kitchen" and "Iron Chef America" fame. He will be at the Publix Cooking Stage both Saturday and Sunday.
The culinary adventure also features creations from SHOT American Seafood Grill and Caretta on the Gulf, and wine from around the world.
The event will run Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. General admission tickets for the event are on sale for $85. For more information, go to ClearwaterBeachUncorked.com.


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The importance of secure communication in the workplace
This article originally appeared in computing in September, 2017.
Earlier this summer, we saw the worst ransomware outbreak in history in the form of WannaCry. According to Cyence, a cyber risk modelling firm, global revenue losses are purported to be in the region of $4 billion. Players of all sizes in the public and private sector were affected, with patient records and financial datasets being exploited.
Figures suggest that cyberattacks of this nature will only become more rampant, the consequences of which will make businesses wanna’ cry. Juniper Research found that 2.8 billion customer data records are expected to have been stolen by the end of this year alone, a figure that is expected to triple within five years, amounting to $8 trillion’ worth of financial losses.
Despite such staggering projections, businesses are frequently failing to address the issues. In fact, only 42 per cent of small and medium size businesses (SMBs) are concerned about ransomware, and over a quarter of small business personnel lack cyber training. SMBs are falling short on their cybersecurity strategies, and leaving themselves wide open to risk.
Data protection rules getting more strict
Increasingly stringent rules and regulations like the upcoming EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will be implemented in May 2018, mean that enterprises will have a far greater obligation to protect both internal and external data.
Failure to do so will result in hefty fines and loss of public trust. Fines amounting up to 4% of global turnover could be administered to firms who do not adequately protect their interests, a penalty which could mean huge financial repercussions for companies not playing ball.
However, there are certain measures a business can take to safeguard themselves, their customers and their revenue. One of the most important of these is secure communication.
End-to-end encrypted communication one piece of the puzzle
Against a backdrop of ever-increasing digital risks, secure business communication has become essential. This has propelled demand for platforms that offer end-to-end encryption (E2EE). More data is shared within organisations over communications platforms than ever before, which has opened a new arena of complications with regards to data breaches, an arena within which only E2EE can do battle.
E2EE provides another layer of protection as keys are only stored on each user’s device, one at each end of the conversation, and only these keys can unlock the contents of the message. New keys are generated for any communication at both ends (each device) so should someone gain access to one message, they will not gain access to all future communications. This approach ensures all communications are kept private and secure, dramatically reducing risk.
Three main reasons for secure business communication:
- To protect customer data — healthcare companies, businesses in the legal and financial sectors, tax advisors and private banking;
- To protect intellectual property amidst fears of growing industrial espionage, in particular with companies from the pharmaceutical, automotive and industrial sectors;
- To protect internal communication — government institutions and M&A departments of large corporations, etc., and communication with customers.
Security can’t come at the cost of productivity
However, using an E2EE communications tool shouldn’t mean sacrificing essential business functions, such as secure file and screen sharing and video calls. Fortunately there are now solutions available, which combine the security benefits of E2EE with a non-technical user interface and the tools businesses rely on.
Not all providers are equal
Whilst secure communication will fortify a firm’s cyber defences, businesses need to think carefully about how safe and, more importantly, how reputable a secure communications platform is before implementing it into a business model. Just this month, Lookout Security Intelligence discovered malware hidden in a messaging app called SonicSpy; malware under the guise of an enterprise communications platform for workers who travel abroad, available on Google Play, a trusted app store.
The blurry lines between personal and business
This incident exemplifies a wider issue revolving around how companies prioritise cybersecurity within the workplace, as it indicates that companies do not have sufficient awareness over the applications that are being used on their employees’ devices.
The boundaries between personal and business communication are blurring at an increasing velocity, meaning that unsafe and unsecure applications have become rife within workplaces, which carries huge risks. Apps like SonicSpy can open businesses up to threats, surveillance and extortion, and the onus is on business decision makers to implement policies to protect themselves, and promote apps that are suited for both business and personal use.
Data breaches on the scale of WannaCry can be avoided. We will see more sophisticated in the future and secure communication is the frontline of defence. End-to-end encryption is crucial for enterprises to protect their assets and meet regulatory standards.
But ultimately it’s about the people within that enterprise. More people are worried about privacy and security — over 80 per cent more than last year — which means employees need to be reassured that their workplace is taking measures to protect their data.
Ready to upgrade the security of your company communication? Wire protects your chats, files and calls, try it now!
Alan Duric, co-founder and CEO, Wire


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Through the free DejaOffice app for Android, CompanionLink supports two-way synchronisation between Android 4.0
devices like the Galaxy Nexus and Microsoft Outlook, Sage ACT!, Palm Desktop, IBM Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, Salesforce CRM, Highrise and more.
There is no doubt about the luxurious nature of the smartphone, but unfortunately the handset uses outdated Android 4.0
Ice Cream Sandwich platform.
There is no information available whether the device will be upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean but it runs Android 4.0
ICS straight out-of-the-box.
The new version includes support for Android 4.0
(Ice Cream Sandwich) and provides notifications to IT if a user removes administrative privileges.
While 29 percent of devices run Android 4.0
Ice Cream Sandwich, and a considerable 40 percent of devices still run the practically obsolete Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
The phablet runs Android 4.0
Ice Cream Sandwich and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.
"This tablet is the first of the series of SIM-based tablets from Lava which will run on Google Android 4.0
(Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system," said the company in a press release.
The HCL Me Y3 runs Android 4.0
Ice Cream Sandwich and is powered by a 1GHz Cortex A9 processor and 1GB of DDR3 RAM,.
The XPAD X1010 tablet sports a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and runs on Android 4.0
Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system.
7,390, the Idea device runs Android 4.0
Ice Cream Sandwich OS and a 1GHz processor.


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Consumers — especially women — are ready and willing to spend this back-to-school season, they are just holding out for bigger deals, according to IBM’s third-quarter spending forecast.
“Consumers are ready to shop,” insists Jill Puleri, global retail leader for IBM Global Business Services. She expects shoppers to buy the things they need now, and then earmark other products for purchase later in the season when they expect they will get them on the cheap.
“Consumers have been trained to wait for better deals later in the season,” she said. But if IBM’s forecast holds true, buy they will.
IBM is expecting to see a 9.2 percent increase in sales of women’s clothing in the third-quarter, as women release some of the pent-up demand that has been building. Sales of men’s apparel had been strong earlier in the year, but now that the men have replenished their closets, it’s time for women to take a turn.
In fact, IBM expects men’s clothing sales to drop 6.7 percent in the third quarter compared to the prior year. But that is the only dim spot in the forecast. Gains are expected in sales of children’s clothing and footwear, of 6.2 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively. After all, children’s clothing must be replaced each year as they outgrow it.
IBM’s forecast is reinforced by a study the company conducted of social media chatter. During the second-quarter, as retail sales slowed and worries about the economy grew, consumers started discussing sales promotions more frequently on Twitter, message boards and blogs, and they often weren’t pleased with what they were seeing.
IBM analyzed 236,804 mentions between mid-April and mid-July and compared them to the same period a year ago. During the latest period, the number of posts that mentioned promotions such as coupons or sales doubled.
“The theme was what’s out there isn’t good enough,” Puleri said. “Consumers were seeing discounts of 15 percent when they were used to 25 percent to 35 percent. Everyone was saying ‘I’m going to hold out.’”
Based on this feedback, Puleri said it will likely take even better promotions and deeper discounts to lure shoppers into the store to buy. She also thinks retailers can’t go wrong by offering shoppers promotions that are targeted and personal.
“Don’t send me a promotion for youth apparel when I don’t have young kids in the house,” she said.
On the flipside, consumers seemed to be pleased with the types of products in the store, with positive sentiment rising by 54 percent.
The social media chatter also offers up some fashion advice: Leather goods, leggings and skinny tights are must-have items for the fall.


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Ford’s Oakville assembly plant could be closed after the current Edge goes out of production.
Jeep is brave enough to send the Grand Wagoneer in the luxury league, so let’s take a look at its main rivals.
More than half a million vehicles have been included in Ford’s latest recalls.
The 2021 Lincoln Corsair gets a new Sport package that’s available with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four.
Ford also ended production of the Lincoln MKZ sister car at the Mexican plant.
If you own one of these Ford or Lincoln vehicles, then this news concerns you.
What if Lincoln built a modified version of the Mustang Mach-E?.
The Monochromatic Package is now available on the Lincoln Corsair, Nautilus, Aviator and Navigator.
The final Lincoln Continental will be built later this year.
A handful of Fords and Lincolns will have to be taken back for repairs.
The collection includes a 1936 Ford Deluxe, a 1960 Ford Thunderbird and a 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible.
Americans love luxury trucks, but Cadillac and Lincoln have left the segment.
Lincoln is still committed to electric vehicles, but they won’t based on Rivian’s platform.
Lincoln could enter the electric era with an SUV producing more than 700 hp.
With futuristic styling and a mid-engine layout, the Quicksilver was the polar opposite of any Lincoln at its time.
Ford’s partnership with Rivian will spawn a new electric vehicle for Lincoln.
The electric vehicle will likely be a large SUV for Lincoln.
BMW came out on top, but Infiniti sales dropped a staggering 21.1%.
The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is on sale in China, where the first units will arrive in showrooms in March.
If you’re looking for the most luxurious SUV in the three-row midsize segment, the Lincoln Aviator is here for you.


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In the evening of March 13, Rite Aid also announced a restructuring plan that includes cutting some 400 full-time corporate positions across the company’s headquarters and field offices, amounting to more than 20% of the company’s overall executive count.
Rite Aid and Albertsons announced their deal in February 2018 but faced severe opposition from Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Highfields Capital Management, the drugstore operator’s fourth-largest investor, which argued the merger did not offer sufficient consideration for Rite Aid shareholders. Albertsons responded, “We disagree with the conclusion of certain Rite Aid stockholders and third-party advisory firms that although they acknowledged the strategic logic of the combination, did not believe that Albertsons Companies was offering sufficient merger consideration to Rite Aid stockholders.”
Terminating in August , the scuttled deal has had minimal impact on food and drug retailer Albertsons, but has left Rite Aid in bad shape, with its stock having fallen 21% since the deal’s February announcement. The company faced more heat as investors objected to the clause that would grant senior executives retention bonuses even if the deal falls through. Standley, who from 2012 to October served as chairman and CEO of Rite Aid, lost the chairman role to longtime board member Bruce Bodaken in the fallout of the Albertsons merger termination.
Standley will remain in the chief executive position until a successor is named. Karst has dropped his responsibilities and will be leaving the company following a transitionary period. Crawford, who held his role since 2015, has also been dropped from the company roster.
In their place, Rite Aid’s board of directors elected former COO of Rite Aid Stores, Bryan Everett, as the new operating chief. The CFO role has been taken by Matthew C. “Matt” Schroeder, former senior vice president, chief accounting officer and treasurer for the company. Schroeder’s chief accounting officer role was picked up by Group Vice President and Controller Brian Hoover. The majority of the executive cuts will take place immediately and are expected to continue until the end of fiscal 2020. Rite aid expects to achieve an annual savings of about $55 million with the staff reduction.
In an age of corporate mega-mergers that has stretched the known limit of how large corporations can grow in recent administrations’ corporate-friendly environment – more-so in the current one, Rite Aid’s failed merger with Albertsons has been seen by some analysts as a sign of Rite Aid’s inability to keep up with competitors CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. CVS managed to pull off its $69 billion merger with Aetna in November, while Walgreens’ continued partnership with health insurer Humana Inc. has led to speculation of potential investment stakes. It remains to be seen how Rite Aid will try to reassert itself as a major player in the pharmacy market.
Leadership Connect has contacted Rite Aid – follow this post to keep up with more executive moves as more news filters in on which executives will no longer call the drugstore home.


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The Google Pixel 7a launch seems imminent. Ahead of the expected debut on May 10, the smartphone’s key specifications have been leaked. Although the Google Pixel 7a has been a part of the rumour mill for weeks, the new leak corroborates old details. This comes just days after another leaked tipped smartphone’s alleged colour options and proprietary case.
According to 91Mobiles, the Pixel 7a will feature a 6.1-inch OLED display, the same as last year’s Pixel 6a. The display will reportedly offer Full-HD+ resolution but an upgraded 90Hz refresh rate for a better gaming and scrolling experience.
Google is also expected to upgrade the camera system with a new 64-megapixel primary camera sensor instead of a 12.2-megapixel camera. The rear camera would still be accompanied by a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 10.8-megapixel selfie camera. All this will reportedly be powered by Google’s new Tensor G2 SoC and a 4,400mAh with 20W charging. Charging tech among big players, such as Apple, Google, and Samsung has been relatively slower compared to their Chinese counterparts.
Many Chinese phones above Rs 30,000 offer at least 33W charging, which can fully charge a 5,000mAh battery in roughly an hour. On the software front, the Pixel 7a will run Android 13 out of the box.
Coming to the design, the Pixel 7a will likely not see drastic changes, though there may be some subtle differentiating factors. For instance, the bar on the back may have a silver finish with a mild gradient to match the colour of the phone, unlike the solid black bar on the Pixel 6a. The rims may also feature a similar finish to the smartphone, unlike the black rims on Pixel 6a. It is difficult to determine the thickness of the camera bar from the renders. If Google decides to use a bigger sensor, which old leaks suggest, the Pixel 7a might be heavier than its predecessor.
The Pixel 7a is expected to launch at the Google IO event on May 10, but the sale might take place days or weeks later. The phone is expected to hit the Indian market as well, where Google has been aggressively advertising its Pixel 7 series. Pricing-wise, the Google Pixel 7a will reportedly cost $499, which is roughly Rs 41,000. Last year, the Pixel 6a launched at a similar range in India. If we go buy the specifications, Pixel 7a may cost between Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000 in the country.


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The success of the iPhone 4S and the free (with contract) iPhone 3GS that helped Apple truly dominate the smartphone market in the fourth quarter, according to the latest data from Juniper Research (http://www.juniperresearch.com/), as noted by “VentureBeat” (http://macte.ch/AmidV).
Apple’s 37 million iPhones shipped accounted for almost one-quarter of the 149 million smartphones shipped globally in the last quarter, the research firm said in its latest report. Apple took the top spot from Samsung last quarter, but Juniper also points out that Samsung’s market share jumped significantly in the last quarter, up to 21.7% from just 4.7% the previous year.
“Without the bump of a new iPhone release and the holiday shopping frenzy, Apple will likely see a major decline in smartphone shipments for this quarter,” says “VentureBeat.” “That means Samsung has a good chance to snatch back the No. 1 smartphone maker spot. Expect this see-saw to continue for the foreseeable future.”


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Bixby is just like your Siri and Google Assistant, it is now launched in the Chinese language. Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 will the first two handsets to receive Bixby in Chinese by November 30. It won’t be restricted to only these devices, the AI-powered voice assistant will come in other Samsung flagships too. It has different features like Bixy reminder, Home, Vision, and Voice.
The Korean company says, that it will launch Bixby in 200 countries and has plans to launch it in several European languages. If you are wondering about its presence in India, yes, it is already introduced in India and the Indian version supports American English. The company had earlier introduced Bixby on Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones in American and British English. After that, it was introduced to Note 8 and Galaxy J7+. There are probable chances that Bixby will be available in the A-series in future.
In the future, it might control advanced responsibilities like controlling your air-conditioners, your TV sets, and washing machines. As of now, it controls very basic functions like turning on or switching off your Wi-Fi, adjusting brightness, taking screenshots, and takes command for your flashlight.
Let us know about your thought on Bixby in the comment section below.
Stay tuned to Mr. Phone app and website for all the latest updates. Also, if you wish to write on our website, check the second edition of our Blogging Contest out.


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Blonde hair, skimpy skirt, big blue eyes. Yup, it's ... INTERNET EXPLORER — Get ready for Inori, the 'personification of IE'. Microsoft launches ad campaign in Singapore featuring a new Internet Explorer 11 mascot (mildly NSFW anime, not hentai).
Microsoft has agreed to purchase a big chunk of AOL's intellectual property for a big chunk of cash. Left unremarked in most business news coverage is a little matter of history: A closure of sorts for the fiercest -- and possibly the most expensive -- tech rivalry of the dotcom era. Microsoft will own Netscape. [more inside]
IE6 was released to the world 10 years ago. Now Microsoft is saying "Goodbye". (from the MSNBC Article) "To help expedite the farewell (or rather, the execution) of its ancient Web browser, Microsoft says next month it will start to upgrade Windows customers automatically to the latest version of IE available for their computer." [more inside]
Microsoft’s IE turns 15. Starting as a licensed version of Mosaic, it is now up to version 8 and a platform preview of version 9 was recently released. Don't expect everyone to migrate over to 9 in a hurry though: It's for Vista and Windows 7 only. Meanwhile, despite everyone's best efforts, IE6 grimly hangs on to life.
Windows 7 will ship without Internet Explorer in Europe "Microsoft said it made it’s decision following an anti-trust investigation by the European Union." [more inside]
Internet Explorer - We discovered the web. Check out this humorous parody site created for Microsoft's browser Internet Explorer. Something tells me this won't be up for too much longer though.
What the heck? Now even Slate is saying that you should ditch IE and switch to Firefox. But, as they say in the article, Slate is owned by Microsoft...
Eolas® Technologies Inc. owns the plugin concept. Meet US Patent 5,838,906: "The patent claims to cover mechanisms for embedding objects within distributed hypermedia documents, where at least some of the object's data is located external to the document, and there is a control path to the object's implementation to support user interaction with the object." Eolas sued Microsoft, was awarded $521 million, Microsoft is appealing, and the W3C held (Macromedia hosted) an ad hoc meeting on the recent court decision and launched a discussion list. Microsoft plans to promptly make changes to Internet Explorer. If this follows through, what are the negative and positive implications?
IE in bug fix mode? Then fix the bugs! As was mentioned here before, MS is discontinuing the free version of IE for Mac, and offering it only as part of the MSN service instead. They also appear to be doing the same with IE for Windows. The Web Standards Project is demanding that they include standards bugs in the list they are going to fix, because MS has always advertised IE as standards-compliant.
While the father of Visual Basic tells Microsoft to: "abandon the browser", a multitude of researchers are looking into next-generation interfaces (links via Joel on Software and Wired respectively). Is the software industry even close to moving on to a new paradigm?
The W3C opens a can of whoopass on the browser manufacturers with this detailed list of bugs they'd like to see remedied. Will this result in any changes whatsoever, or will Microsoft and Netscape continue to ignore what they should be doing?
IE 6.0 : The browser for more sophisticated, computer-savvy users?
Macintouch is reporting that Microsoft has disbanded the IE for Mac team and is discontinuing development of IE for Mac. So much for a 5 year commitment....
You know their server isn't particularly secure; well neither is their browser.


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Cyanogen, which was making a custom operating system for smartphones based on Android a couple of years ago, has now been rebranded as Cyngn. With changing its name, the company has also changed its business.
Cyngn, which had previously raised $115 million, has now pivoted from being a custom Android mobile operating system developer to self-driving cars. It is now working on the autonomous driving technology.
As per the reports, the company is developing self-driving car software and possibly hardware too. This was revealed through its website and job listings. The company has also recently got approval from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles to test self-driving cars on public roadways.
The reason behind the course change for the company is believed that executives and board members at Cyngn see automated vehicles sector as disruptive in the next five years.
The company currently has around 30 staff members, including autonomous automotive engineers from Mercedes Benz and Udacity. It appears that the company is still looking to hire more people.
Job listings posted by the company reveals that Cyngn is working with radar, camera, ultrasonic, and lidar sensors, and is using ROS — an open-source operating system for robots.
Earlier, the company, which was formerly known as Cyanogen, had raised about $115 million in various funding rounds from Andreessen Horowitz, Benchmark Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, Foxconn, Tencent and others.
It is now looking to raise additional funding of around $200 million in its Series D round. Some reports suggest that it is also open to being purchased outright.
Cyanogen was one of the largest company developing an operating system for smartphones. At its peak, the company’s software was running on over 50 million devices and was on track to hit half a billion handsets by 2020.
But, due to bad business practices, deals, and disagreements about the future of Cyanogen Mod operating system, the company started going downwards. It fired most of its staff and closed its Seattle office at the end of last year.
It will be interesting to track Cyngn’s journey as it explores a totally different territory. It faces competition from automakers as well as giant tech firms, including Apple, Waymo, Drive.ai, among others.


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TelevisaUnivision selects Nielsen ONE
October 26, 2022
Nielsen has announced that TelevisaUnivision, the Spanish-language media and content company, has signed a multi-year agreement to use Nielsen ONE, the company’s cross-platform measurement solution to be released in December.
As part of the new agreement, which commences in January 2023, TelevisaUnivision will utilise the full suite of solutions under Nielsen ONE, along with Nielsen Marketing Cloud, and Gracenote’s Advanced Discovery suite. The deal enables both measurement and advanced planning across TelevisaUnivision’s national, digital, local and audio affiliates as well as its streaming service, ViX.
“It’s an honour to be working with TelevisaUnivision as they continue their transformation. As an early adopter of Nielsen ONE, we are excited for TelevisaUnivision to truly unlock the power of representative, cross-media measurement and optimisation with advanced audiences to support their growth,” said David Kenny, CEO of Nielsen. “We’re committed to delivering solutions that provide a consistent, comparable and deduplicated view into audience and content consumption, with inclusion and representation at its core.”
“As the leading Spanish-language media and content company in the world, we’re focused on unlocking more value for brands to reach, engage and delight our Spanish-speaking audiences across our streaming, digital, and linear TV offerings,” said Wade Davis, CEO of TelevisaUnivision. “Nielsen has long been a trusted source of audience measurement and continues to innovate as the industry evolves. As we continue to expand our portfolio across platforms and new geographies, we’re excited to work with Nielsen to help build the next generation of media measurement that is representative of audiences everywhere.”


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Uflex to double the capacity of its Sanand plant
Uflex has announced that it would double the production capacity of its aseptic plant in Sanand, Gujarat from 3.5 to 7-bn packs per annum. The capacity expansion will be completed within the next 10 months.
29 Dec 2020 | By Rahul Kumar
The expansion is in response to the new contracts and increasing demand for the company’s aseptic packaging laminates. Driven by a strong and healthy order book and consistent market growth, this initiative doubles the production capacity and will allow creating the company’s expanding operations team by adding more workforce, which will strengthen the company’s expansion plan.
Ashwani Kumar Sharma, president and CEO, aseptic liquid packaging business, Uflex, said, “Asepto expansion is part of the growing need for aseptic packaging and I am excited that our team and state-of-the-art facilities we have are well-positioned to respond to the increasing demand for our services and innovative technology in aseptic packaging.”
Asepto is the liquid packaging brand from Uflex. It is the first Indian manufacturer of aseptic liquid packaging material with a state-of-the-art facility in the industrial hub of Sanand in Gujarat.
He added that despite the pandemic, the company has continued to deliver services without a pause and carried on with innovative thoughts to deliver expected results from its customers.
“We have been working on taking Asepto globally, and our expansion takes a leap to enlarge the brand’s horizons to different continents. We remain the most innovative packaging company when it comes to aesthetic rejuvenation in aseptic packaging space. The expansion steps in our operations reflect Asepto’s strong position in the marketplace and positive outlook for the future,” he said.
Ashok Chaturvedi, chairman and managing director, Uflex, said, “Asepto has now grown and entering into its next phase of life cycle with the first expansion plan announcement. This expansion of production capacities is our natural progression, addressing our rapid growth in the aseptic liquid packaging space, and stepping strong footsteps into the global arena. Asepto is taking one step at a time, and that’s the best way I foresee to imbibe growth approach in the given global economic scenario.”
The first phase of expansion will focus on adding new machines to the existing line, the best-in-class new generation Gallus printing line. The new-age machine has progressive features, loaded with sophisticated technologies that make it extremely efficient and sound in operation. The machine prints at a speed of 500-mpm.
The slitting line is high -performance machine from IMS Technologies, Italy, which is super-fast giving output at a speed of 1,200-mpm. In addition to increasing the capacity, the company has also added doctoring line and over eight new tools/ formats as part of its expansion. This is targeted to be completed within approximately ten months, adding Asepto’s capacity to address the increasing demands.


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Facebook has been in touch with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to commercially launch its Express WiFi programme in India
Clearing your basics of Free Basics.
The move is part of the social giant's Internet.org initiative.
Lesson One: By giving, you have a greater chance of gaining new customers.
In his latest Q&A, the billionaire Facebook CEO talked work habits, net neutrality and virtual reality. He even fielded Qs from Richard Branson and Shakira. And, no, he didn't hire that dude who asked him for a job.
Mark Zuckerberg is taking on Planet Earth by drone, laser and satellite, pledging to connect the 'whole world' to the Internet… One new Facebook user at a time?
Facebook is reportedly in talks to acquire Titan Aerospace, a maker of high-flying, solar-powered drones, as it looks to bring internet access to every corner of the world.
The $200 million acquisition could also help in Facebook's mission to bring the internet to the masses.
Google, along with several other companies, form the Alliance for an Affordable Internet.
He has co-founded a new partnership that aims to provide internet access to the billions of people who are without it.


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Discount grocery store chain Aldi is increasing its vegan options at all 1,800 U.S. locations.
Business Insider reports that Aldi’s new vegan options include “kale-and-quinoa crunch burgers” and “meatless chicken patties” launched under its private-label Earth Grown line as well as veggie noodles and plant-based grab-and-go options like single-serve guacamole and hummus, sliced fruit, salads, and quinoa bowls. Additionally, Aldi will increase its fresh foods availability by 40 percent, placing a strong emphasis on organic.
“Customers want more products that are healthier for you, that are fresher, that are more convenient, that are more organic in nature, that come from a cleaner ingredient deck,” said Aldi US CEO Jason Hart. “As demand has been exponential in all those categories, we’ve had to re-merchandise the stores.”
The upcoming overhaul marks the biggest product refresh in the history of the chain. Aldi hopes that by offering its customers more fresh, organic produce and healthier vegan convenience foods, it will be able to compete with major retailers such as Walmart and Kroger, both of which have launched new plant-based options over the past year.
Founded in Germany in 1913, Aldi has long been popular for offering customers healthy food at discount prices. The new product overhaul comes at the heels of a $5.3 billion investment for its U.S. expansion, which will be used to remodel existing stores and to open 800 locations over the next four years. The chain is currently positioned to become the third-largest grocery chain in the U.S., behind Walmart and Kroger.
Hart believes that Aldi’s attention to changing consumer buying habits have played a role in helping the discount chain become a strong competitor in the grocery industry.
“The grocery industry is in a perfect storm with consumers changing their shopping habits, different formats taking away market share from the traditional supermarket, and supermarkets defending their share with price wars,” Hart said. “While we focus on our competition and we keep an eye on them … we’re more focused on the consumer, our customers, and the customers that don’t shop us, so we can communicate to them that Aldi is a better way to shop.”
In recent years, more U.S. consumers than ever before are seeking out plant-based options, regardless of dietary preferences. According to data released by market research firm The NPD Group, 86 percent of consumers who purchase vegan products are omnivores. This is further backed by vegan meat brand Beyond Meat, which reported that 70 percent of its customers aren’t vegan or vegetarian, but rather, part of a new wave of conscious consumers that aim to reduce consumption of animal-based products due to reasons related to environmental sustainability, personal health, and animal welfare concerns.
Customers can expect to find Aldi’s new vegan options, along with new fresh produce options, in early 2019.
Image Credit: nirvanaainteasy / Instagram


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Air India to fly direct to Amritsar from UK
Air India is introducing a new twice-weekly non-stop service from Birmingham to Amritsar, with the inaugural flight taking off on 20 February.
The new service will be the UK’s only direct service to Amritsar, and will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The route complements the airline’s popular Birmingham-Delhi service, which launched in August 2013 and has carried more than 600,000 passengers since then.
Amritsar is set to be a popular route as it offers direct access to the major commercial and cultural centre in the heart of the Punjab and the home of the Golden Temple.
Pankaj Srivastava, director, commercial and board member of Air India, said: “We are delighted that we are commencing direct services between Birmingham and Amritsar twice weekly, recognising the consumer demand from the Midlands’ region to Amritsar, Punjab.
“Air India is always very sensitive to the needs of the consumer and is pleased to be connecting the two important cities thereby adding a new city pairing for Air India’s expanding global network with the only non-stop UK Amritsar service.”
William Pearson, aviation director at Birmingham Airport, added: “It is great news that we will have direct non-stop connections to two Indian cities from Birmingham Airport with Air India.
“With over 200,000 British-Indian people who travel to India each year to visit friends and relatives, and for tourism and business interests, this additional destination shows the large demand within the region for direct Amritsar services from the Midlands.
“Air India has been a successful partner for over four years and offers great connections to India with services operated by the new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.”
Vishwanath Panyam, senior assistant, general manager, Air India, said: “This service is in response to long standing demands between the Punjab and the UK Midlands. We expect this flight to be very popular and may lead to future growth.”


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BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (CBS.MW) -- Kellogg Co. said Thursday that it would add the Keebler Foods Co. cookies and snacks to its pantry in a $3.57 billion deal.
The acquisition, expected to be completed early next year, brings the popular Keebler elves to the lair of Tony the Tiger in what will be a $10 billion company.
With the deal valuing their stock at $42 a share, Keebler KBL, +0.32% stockholders would get only a slight premium, but the company would make a huge leap into the big leagues of foodmakers.
Kellogg K, -0.43% shares teetered up and down, before moving upward in late trading. Shares closed at $24.31, up $1.56, or 6.9 percent. Keebler shares grew $1.06 to $40.43.
In a barely-audible conference call with analysts and investors, Kellogg CEO Carlos Gutierrez said the deal will be cash accretive to Kellogg's balance sheet, but dilutive to earnings through 2005.
Keebler CEO Sam Reed is expected to stay at the helm of the Elmhurst, Ill.-based maker of Sunshine crackers, Fudge Shoppe cookies and the ubiquitous Girl Scout cookies. Keebler is the second largest maker of crackers, cookies and snacks.
Gutierrez said he has no plans to relocate Kellogg's headquarters from Battle Creek to one closer to Keebler's Chicago-area location. It had been rumored that such a move would be beneficial to Kellogg because Chicago -- the home of Quaker Oats Co., Kraft Inc. and Sara Lee Corp. -- is a better employee-magnet than Battle Creek.
He might, however, relocate Kellogg's snacks businesses and any new product lines to Elmhurst. "That's a positive," said J.P. Morgan analyst Erika Gritman Long.
"It speaks toward the ability to retain talent," she said. "If you lived outside Chicago and were told you have to move to Battle Creek, you probably wouldn't want to go.
"It's absolutely essential (to retain employees) because this is an incredibly execution-sensitive business," said Long. Losing talent is a "tremendous" earnings risk, she said.
Adding Keebler strengthens Kellogg's already formidable presence in grocery stores. More importantly, it fortifies Kellogg's growth opportunities in the snacks sector, the fastest-growing segment of the overly ripe food industry -- notorious for its skinny margins.
It also helps the world's largest maker of cereal diversify its offerings at a time when people just aren't eating breakfast foods.
The deal did not surprise Wall Street, which had been expecting Kellogg to make a major acquisition for those very reasons. Trading, however, in both companies was halted just before the deal was confirmed.
Shares of Flowers Industries Inc. FLO, -0.37%, which owns 51 percent of Keebler, also were halted Thursday morning. Flowers recently was changing hands at $16.69, off $1.88, or better than 10 percent.
"We've been expecting it," Long said. The deal made strategic sense for Kellogg, which "couldn't get the growth rates it wanted within its existing portfolio. And yet, it didn't want to stray too far from its existing port." Like Kellogg, Keebler is a grain-based food company.
The deal is not expected to boost shares of Kellogg for some time, according to analysts. Kellogg is trading near its 52-week lows and has been struggling to create a better balanced product line for some time.
Its entry into other categories, such as the short-lived Ensemble line of pasta and meat dishes, failed miserably. And its efforts to grow cereal sales with new ideas such as Breakfast Mates, individually packaged cereal-and-milk products, couldn't garner enough consumer enthusiasm.
In a statement confirming the sale, Gutierrez said the Keebler purchase is a key part of his effort to revitalize the Kellogg brands, which includes such table staples as Eggos, Pop-Tarts and Rice Krisipies. Gutierrez was named chairman and CEO two years ago and has overseen significant gains in Kellogg's efforts to compete in an industry that is rapidly consolidating.
That's been particularly challenging against the No. 2 cereal maker General Mills Inc. GIS, -0.77% as well as the other powerhouses in the food industry.
General Mills has been successfully branching out into new food areas for the last three years. In July, General Mills added Pillsbury Co. products to its storeroom.
That came on the heels of two other major food mergers in June: Kraft parent Philip Morris Cos. Inc.'s MO, +0.11% purchase of Nabisco Group Holding Corp. NGH, the world's largest cracker and cookie baker; and Unilever plc's UL, +0.17% buy of Bestfoods BFO, +0.10%.
"We are entering the next phase in the renewal of Kellogg Company," Gutierrez said.
"Combining with Keebler is a significant component of this advancement, but we also need to simplify our current Kellogg business, prioritize its resources, and refuel it with a return to previous levels of marketing investment."
The deal also gives Kellogg access to Keebler's very successful direct-distribution system, a delivery system from which Kellogg can save money and strengthen its relationship with independent grocers and more, importantly, with convenience store operators.
For major food makers, it is generally difficult to gain access to convenience stores, particularly those attached to independent gas stations or off interstate highways. Kellogg, for example, has long been a staple brand on major grocery store shelves, but has little experience in selling Rice Krispie treats to, say, Joe's Quik Mart.
Elmhurt, Ill.-based Keebler, on the other hand, has long sold snack products such as Amos cookies, Cheez-It crackers and, of course, the Hollow Tree cookie line, to convenience stores.
"Keebler has one of the best distribution systems in the entire food industry," said SunTrust Equitable Securities analyst David Goldman, who covers Keebler. "That is something that Kellogg has coveted for a time.
"What they're buying is a lot of expertise, especially in the non-grocery area," Goldman added. "They're buying faster growth; they're buying one of the best food management teams in the business."
Kellogg also gets a highly respected management team at Keebler, which turned around the stale cookie business in the last 1990s.
"There's also the opportunity for the Keebler culture to begin to impact the Kellogg culture, which could use some stimulation," Long said.
The announcement came only moments before Kellogg was set to commence its third-quarter conference call, which had been rescheduled from early Thursday to a later time slot when Kellogg management could meet with analysts in New York. Conference callers, however, were unable to hear the call because of problems with the audio in New York.
For the third quarter, Kellogg met the First Call Corp. consensus of analysts' estimates of 45 cents a share. Kellogg warned, however, that it could face "challenges" meeting fourth-quarter expectations.
Gutierrez did not offer specific guidance for the quarter, but analysts expect Kellogg's growth levels to rise in low single digits instead of the mid to low single-digit range. The First Call consensus range is $1.75 to $1.80.
For the quarter ending Sept. 30, Kellogg said net earnings rose 6.5 percent to $181.9 million, or 45 cents per share, from $170.8 million, or 42 cents per share, for the year-earlier quarter. The 1999 figures exclude restructuring charges and disposition-related charges.
"In the United States, our largest market, we will invest strongly in building our cereal brands, continue to expand our convenience foods business, and enhance our growth through acquisitions," Gutierrez said in the earnings statement.
For the third quarter, convenience food sales grew 1.2 percent to $481 million from $475.3 million compared to a year earlier. Sales of ready-to-eat cereals slipped 7.2 percent to $1.36 billion from $1.39 billion for the year-earlier quarter.
The company, whose brands include Rice Krispies, Pop-Tarts and Nutri-Grain, said higher energy prices and interest rates, heightened competitive activity and unfavorable foreign exchange rates might pose a challenge to meeting fourth quarter earnings per share.
Gutierrez hinted in the earnings report about the Keebler deal, which had been rumored for many months.
"We've strengthened our convenience foods business and improved customer relations," Gutierrez said. "We need to simplify our current Kellogg business, prioritize its resources and refuel it with a return to previous levels of marketing investment."
Gutierrez said Kellogg is facing substantial increases in promotion by cereal competitors in the United States.
"Nonetheless, we increased our U.S. cereal market share through improved execution and more efficient market spending," Gutierrez said.
While the company said its efforts could accelerate sales growth in 2001 it could also limit 2001 earnings per share to mid-single-digit rate.
In mid-October the company announced it would splits its operations in two and promoted and reassigned four top executives. Kellogg said it would divide into Kellogg USA and Kellogg International. Read related story here.