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|By Business Wire||
|September 6, 2012 09:11 AM EDT||
SpyderLynk, a leading mobile engagement platform company for marketers and creator of the SnapTag™, announced today that EA SPORTS new blockbuster NCAA® Football 13, and newly released Madden NFL 13 video games are featuring SnapTags on packaging to engage with video game enthusiasts. SnapTags provide gamers with a mobile gateway to instantly receive game information, demonstration videos and an opportunity to instantly connect with EA SPORTS on Facebook.
“SnapTags provide EA SPORTS with an opportunity to connect with fans in a unique way,” said Nicole Skogg, SpyderLynk Founder and CEO. “By simply snapping a picture of the EA branded “Show Me More” SnapTag, fans are able to preview highlights of the new game on their mobile phones and even connect with EA SPORTS on Facebook. This innovative use provides a fun and easy way to get fans involved to build brand awareness and drive sales conversions.”
“SpyderLynk offers an innovative mobile marketing technology solution that provides us the opportunity to connect instantly with any gamer who has a camera phone,” said Christopher Erb, Vice President Brand Marketing, of EA SPORTS. “We were attracted to SnapTags because they are fully customizable and scalable.”
NCAA Football 13 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon. NCAA Football 13 is now available and retails for $59.99 on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. To learn more about NCAA Football 13, visit http://www.easports.com/ncaa-football. For NCAA Football 13 assets, visit: http://ncaafootball13.newslinevine.com/ or http://info.ea.com. NCAA Football 13 is rated E for Everyone.
Madden NFL 13 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon. Madden NFL 13 is now available and retails for $59.99 on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, and is also available for $49.99 on Nintendo’s Wii™ console and $39.99 on PlayStation® Vita system. To learn more about Madden NFL 13, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl. For Madden NFL 13 assets, visit: http://maddennfl13.newslinevine.com/ or http://info.ea.com. Madden NFL 13 is rated E for Everyone.
SpyderLynk’s mobile platform allows marketers to activate meaningful mobile marketing engagements using its iconic, QR code alternative, the SnapTag, and a robust suite of marketing solutions. Consumers with smart- or standard- camera phones can snap or scan SnapTags featured on packaging, advertising, signage or screens to bring brand experiences to life. SpyderLynk’s mobile engagement platform combines all the tools a marketer needs to build, serve and measure action-rich digital experiences enabling mobile purchases, coupon downloads, free sample requests, video views, opt-ins, promotional entries, Likes, Pins, Follows, Posts, Tweets, and more. SpyderLynk’s highly integrated solutions are accelerating purchase cycles and driving marketing results for brands such as Coke Zero, Glamour, Revlon, L’Oreal, MillerCoors, Warner Brothers, Toyota, Dos Equis, the Dallas Cowboys and others. SpyderLynk can be found online at www.spyderlynk.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and through the #SnapTag hashtag.
About EA SPORTS
EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and Fight Night boxing. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.
About NCAA Football 13
©2012 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. The "Officially Licensed Collegiate Products" label is the exclusive property of The Collegiate Licensing Company. The "Collegiate Licensed Product" label is the property of the Independent Labeling Group. All names, logos, team icons, and mascots associated with the NCAA, universities, bowls and conferences are the exclusive properties of the respective institutions. NCAA is a registered trademark of National Collegiate Athletic Association and the NCAA Football logo is a registered trademark of the NCAA licensed to NCAA Football USA, Inc. The Heisman Memorial Trophy and all affiliated service marks are federally registered trademarks of the Heisman Trophy Trust. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About Madden NFL 13
©2012 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.The mark 'John Madden' and the name, likeness and other attributes of John Madden reproduced on this product are trademarks or other intellectual property of Red Bear, Inc. or John Madden, are subject to license to Electronic Arts Inc., and may not be otherwise used in whole or in part without the prior written consent of Red Bear or John Madden. All rights reserved. NFL materials © 2012 NFLP. Officially Licensed Product of NFL PLAYERS | NFLPLAYERS.COM. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
What a difference a year makes. Organizations aren’t just talking about IoT possibilities, it is now baked into their core business strategy. With IoT, billions of devices generating data from different companies on different networks around the globe need to interact. From efficiency to better customer insights to completely new business models, IoT will turn traditional business models upside down. In the new customer-centric age, the key to success is delivering critical services and apps wit...
May. 24, 2016 06:15 AM EDT Reads: 426
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May. 24, 2016 06:00 AM EDT Reads: 3,355
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May. 24, 2016 04:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,368
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May. 24, 2016 04:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,984
With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo 2016 in New York and Silicon Valley. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be! Internet of @ThingsExpo, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, is co-located with 17th Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty ...
May. 23, 2016 05:00 PM EDT Reads: 4,603
The essence of data analysis involves setting up data pipelines that consist of several operations that are chained together – starting from data collection, data quality checks, data integration, data analysis and data visualization (including the setting up of interaction paths in that visualization). In our opinion, the challenges stem from the technology diversity at each stage of the data pipeline as well as the lack of process around the analysis.
May. 23, 2016 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 738
The 19th International Cloud Expo has announced that its Call for Papers is open. Cloud Expo, to be held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, brings together Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps, Containers, Microservices and WebRTC to one location. With cloud computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to plant your flag in this fast-expanding business opportunity. Submit y...
May. 23, 2016 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,810
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May. 23, 2016 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 596
Internet of @ThingsExpo, taking place November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, is co-located with the 19th International Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world and ThingsExpo New York Call for Papers is now open.
May. 23, 2016 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,651
In his keynote at 18th Cloud Expo, Andrew Keys, Co-Founder of ConsenSys Enterprise, will provide an overview of the evolution of the Internet and the Database and the future of their combination – the Blockchain. Andrew Keys is Co-Founder of ConsenSys Enterprise. He comes to ConsenSys Enterprise with capital markets, technology and entrepreneurial experience. Previously, he worked for UBS investment bank in equities analysis. Later, he was responsible for the creation and distribution of life ...
May. 23, 2016 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,687
There are several IoTs: the Industrial Internet, Consumer Wearables, Wearables and Healthcare, Supply Chains, and the movement toward Smart Grids, Cities, Regions, and Nations. There are competing communications standards every step of the way, a bewildering array of sensors and devices, and an entire world of competing data analytics platforms. To some this appears to be chaos. In this power panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, panelists will discuss the vast to...
May. 23, 2016 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,331
SYS-CON Events announced today that Enzu, a leading provider of cloud hosting solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Enzu’s mission is to be the leading provider of enterprise cloud solutions worldwide. Enzu enables online businesses to use its IT infrastructure to their competitive advantage. By offering a suite of proven hosting and management services, Enzu wants companies to foc...
May. 23, 2016 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,046
Customer experience has become a competitive differentiator for companies, and it’s imperative that brands seamlessly connect the customer journey across all platforms. With the continued explosion of IoT, join us for a look at how to build a winning digital foundation in the connected era – today and in the future. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Nguyen, Group Product Marketing Manager at Adobe, will discuss how to successfully leverage mobile, rapidly deploy content, capture real-time d...
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IoT generates lots of temporal data. But how do you unlock its value? How do you coordinate the diverse moving parts that must come together when developing your IoT product? What are the key challenges addressed by Data as a Service? How does cloud computing underlie and connect the notions of Digital and DevOps What is the impact of the API economy? What is the business imperative for Cognitive Computing? Get all these questions and hundreds more like them answered at the 18th Cloud Expo...
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A strange thing is happening along the way to the Internet of Things, namely far too many devices to work with and manage. It has become clear that we'll need much higher efficiency user experiences that can allow us to more easily and scalably work with the thousands of devices that will soon be in each of our lives. Enter the conversational interface revolution, combining bots we can literally talk with, gesture to, and even direct with our thoughts, with embedded artificial intelligence, wh...
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When it comes to IoT in the enterprise, namely the commercial building and hospitality markets, a benefit not getting the attention it deserves is energy efficiency, and IoT's direct impact on a cleaner, greener environment when installed in smart buildings. Until now clean technology was offered piecemeal and led with point solutions that require significant systems integration to orchestrate and deploy. There didn't exist a 'top down' approach that can manage and monitor the way a Smart Buildi...
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The possibility of a government shutdown this weekend is causing uncertainty in the stock market, particularly for the Dow Jones. The House rejected a stopgap spending bill, making a deal less likely. A government shutdown would have significant implications, including the delay of key economic data and leaving millions of government workers without pay. In addition, Tesla is expected to report third-quarter production and delivery figures early Monday, which analysts have already lowered forecasts for. Other electric vehicle companies such as Nio, Li Auto, and XPeng will also be reporting sales figures. Despite a recent stock market rally attempt, the rebound has been lackluster and investors should be cautious about adding exposure until a follow-through day confirms a new uptrend.
A federal government shutdown is increasingly likely, with the House and Senate at odds on spending bills. The House rejected a funding bill pushed by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and if a deal is not reached, up to 3.5 million government workers would go without pay. This would also result in the delay of key economic data, including the September jobs report. Although a short government shutdown would have little lasting economic or market impact, a lengthy one could be more significant. The uncertainty surrounding a possible shutdown is affecting the stock market, with gains from earlier in the week fading. Investors are awaiting a follow-through day to confirm a new uptrend.
Tesla and other electric vehicle companies are set to report important sales figures. Tesla deliveries are expected to fall from the previous quarter, causing analysts to lower their forecasts. Nio, Li Auto, and XPeng will also report sales figures, with Li Auto expected to have another record month. Despite the recent stock market rally attempt, the gains have been limited. The Dow Jones fell below its 200-day line and has yet to make significant progress in its rally attempt. Market breadth has been decent, but overall trend has been weak in recent weeks. Investors should exercise caution and consider running screens and preparing watchlists while remaining patient for clearer signals in the market.

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The world's human population reached 7.4 billion in March 2016, having reached 7 billion in October 2011. In 2050, it is expected to reach 9.7 billion, raising the question of how to produce enough food for everybody.
Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director of the Good Food Institute, told Radio Sputnik that current methods of agricultural production are using energy inefficiently.
"Current techniques put at least nine calories into an animal, to get one calorie back out in the form of that animal's flesh. We'd need about five more planets to feed 9.7 billion people if we wanted to feed them all proportionally as much animal meat as people are eating today," Friedrich said.
"Clean meat is actually meat, you take cells from a chicken or a cow and you grow them by adding sugars instead of growing them in an animal," he explained.
Friedrich said that producing meat would become almost as easy as brewing beer, and could be done almost anywhere.
"You might go into a pub and they're got a beer fermenter right there, you could do that with meat. It would look basically the same. You could have one tank that is brewing beer and another tank that is basically cultivating meat in the tank."
Friedrich said that the idea of plant based and clean meat is very popular with consumers, and that investors are queuing up to invest in these technologies. Some of the newer firms which are developing them, "Impossible Foods," "Beyond Meat" and "Hampton Creek Foods," are valued at more than $2 billion dollars.
"It really is the future of food; these are renaissance technologies which have been taking off in the last couple of years."
"There will not be enough water available on current croplands to produce food for the expected population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in Western nations (3,000 kcal produced per capita, including 20 per cent of calories produced coming from animal proteins)," they wrote in their report, called "Feeding a Thirsty World: Challenges and Opportunities for a Water and Food Secure Future."
"There will, however, be just enough water, if the proportion of animal based foods is limited to 5 percent of total calories and considerable regional water deficits can be met by a well-organized and reliable system of food trade," the scientists said.


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Beer, cigarette tax receipts down in Etowah County
Published: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 5:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 5:44 p.m.
Revenue from beer and cigarette taxes is down in Etowah County, but officials say it isn’t necessarily because less is being consumed.
However, County Administrator Patrick Simms raised the possibility of a county tobacco stamp being required before products could be sold in retail establishments.
Simms reviewed the general fund budget with county commissioners in a work session, and noted those taxes are one category in which revenue is down. He said they have decreased by thousands of dollars over the last few years.
He said the beer tax was more than $300,000 a few years ago, but was $276,212 last year. He attributed it to nearby cities legalizing the sale of alcohol.
Alcohol sales became legal in Boaz this year after the issue was brought to a vote last November, and they were legalized in Albertville and Fort Payne a few years ago.
Simms said the county’s cigarette tax also was more than $300,000 a few years ago, but declined to about $232,788 last year.
He said he is doing an analysis to determine the cause of the decline, but believes some business owners are buying the products wholesale from large warehouses instead of from distributors who pay the tax on the products.
“These mom-and-pop places can go and buy wholesale,” Simms said.
He said most cities, counties and the state already require stamps on tobacco products.
“I think we’re headed toward a tobacco stamp,” Simms said.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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While demand for the Picanto, Sorento, and Carnival is strong, the Kia Lucky Motors (KLM) company’s decision to introduce the compact crossover SUV class to Pakistan with the debut of the Kia Sportage has aided the model’s rapid climb.
KLM also unveiled the Stonic SUV in Pakistan this week, which drew a lot of attention and appreciation from the people due to its remarkable list of features and low pricing.
Moreover, KLM recently celebrated the manufacturing of 50,000 automobiles at its local assembly plant in Port Qasim as a mark of accomplishment. It achieved this milestone in less than two years after its launch and went on to become one of Pakistan’s most successful automobile firms.
With crossover SUVs becoming more popular in the country, Stonic is set to give local compact sedans a run for their money and allow the KLM company to expand its stock.


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The United States has seized extra than $1bn in cryptocurrency thought to be proceeds from a defunct on the internet marketplace that was notorious for advertising unlawful goods and products and services.
On November 5, the Division of Justice filed a civil complaint to seek the forfeiture of thousands of Bitcoins seized by legislation enforcement on November 3, 2020, from an account involved with Silk Street. The seizure signifies the largest confiscation of cryptocurrency in the department’s historical past.
Silk Road was founded in 2011 and shut down by the FBI right after two decades of procedure. The site’s creator, Ross Ulbricht, was convicted in 2015 by a New York federal jury of seven prison counts, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics and income laundering, and is at the moment serving a custodial sentence.
According to the complaint, Silk Highway was utilised by thousands of drug sellers and other illegal vendors to distribute hundreds of kilograms of unlawful prescription drugs as nicely as other illegal merchandise and providers to over 100,000 consumers, and to launder hundreds of hundreds of thousands of pounds derived from these unlawful transactions.
Silk Street experienced countless numbers of listings for unlawful services, which include laptop or computer hacking and murder for hire, together with 13,000 listings for controlled substances at the time the web site was taken down.
The grievance alleges that these listings generated sales profits totaling around 9.5 million Bitcoins and commissions from these product sales totaling above 600,000 Bitcoins.
It further alleges that Silk Street employed a “tumbler” to method Bitcoin transactions in this kind of a way that specific transactions could not be tracked via the cryptocurrency blockchain.
Cash discovered by the IRS CI in 2020 to be connected to Silk Street accounts ended up traced to a particular Bitcoin tackle connected to Person X, in accordance to the criticism. It was further more determined that Specific X had hacked the cash from Silk Highway.
The movement of the substantial sum of Bitcoin from a wallet related with Silk Street on November 3 was spotted by the eagle-eyed blockchain forensics staff at CipherTrace.
The crew theorized that the transfer could have been inspired by the wallet owner’s desire to reduce hackers breaking in and thieving the resources.
Some elements of this write-up are sourced from:


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Borregaard: US lignin raw material supplier Flambeau River Papers in financial difficulties
One of Borregaard's suppliers of lignin raw material, Flambeau River Papers LLC in Wisconsin, USA, announced 8 May 2019 that it has undertaken an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors under Chapter 128 of the Wisconsin Statutes. This is a voluntary debt consolidation and administration mechanism taking place in the Wisconsin Circuit Court system. The proceeding is a state procedure which is similar to a federal US Chapter 11 bankruptcy which is commonly used by companies in financial difficulties in Wisconsin. The company has announced that it will continue to operate in the ordinary course of business under the control of a receiver, but due to declining paper markets Flambeau will shut down one production line for paper in addition to the idling of one machine this winter. A spokesperson for Flambeau has declared that a buyer is being sought for the company.
In the event that raw material deliveries from Flambeau will be reduced or terminated, Borregaard will supply North American customers from other manufacturing sites.
The book value of the intangible assets related to the acquisition of the Flambeau lignin business was USD 3,1 million as of 30 April 2019.
Borregaard acquired Flambeau's lignin business in 2015 and entered into a long-term supply agreement for lignin raw material of approximately 40,000 tons per year. See stock exchange releases of 21 October and 3 November 2015.
Sarpsborg, 9 May 2019
Jørn Syvertsen, Director Investor Relations, +47 958 36 335
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.


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just the Round-Up - The week in drinks
The week in drinks
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:
Carlsberg has appointed a new CEO for its UK unit as the current encumbent is leaving to “pursue other interests”.
The Asia, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) division of PepsiCo has announced the appointment of a new leader for its operations in India.
Remy Cointreau is set to call time on its UK sales, marketing and distribution tie-up with William Grant & Sons' First Drinks unit in the country.
Diageo is re-launching Bulleit Bourbon in the UK at its original higher abv and rolling out Bulleit Rye to the region, as demand for premium US whiskey grows.
Aspartame, the artificial sweetener, is safe for consumers at currently approved consumption levels, a study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded.
The Coca-Cola Co is returning its North American operations to separate business and bottler arms just 17 months after they were integrated into a wider Americas unit.
Accolade Wines has confirmed the appointment of a new CEO, almost exactly a year after the previous incumbent stepped down.
Bacardi has taken down an online advert for its Dewar's Scotch whisky brand after a backlash from viewers who branded the spot “sexist”.
Synopsis Canadean's "Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Berhad : Consumer Packaged Goods - Company Profile, SWOT & Financial Report" contains in depth information and data about the company and its operations...
According to the form 10-K filed in February 2014, Coca-Cola has five strategic priorities. “Accelerate sparkling growth, led by brand Coca-Cola; Strategically expand our profitable still portfolio; I...
The Coca-Cola Co (TCCC) is the leading player in both soft drinks and in HW soft drinks. The company’s strength is based on its diversity of category presence from HW carbonates to RTD tea and bottled...
Yesterday, SABMiller, The Coca-Cola Co and Gutsche Family Investments - the owner of Coca-Cola Sabco - announced their intention to combine their bottling operations in east and southern Africa. Here,...
Coca-Cola face a challenging situation in which economic recovery is fragile in developed markets, while China and Brazil are seeing a slowdown in sales. Consumers’ desire for diverse and healthy beve...
- Comment - Diageo Spins the Guinness Wheel... Again
- Diageo's Labels Give Industry Something to Digest
- Comment - 'Craft' and the Danger of 'Romance Copy'
- Is A-B InBev/SABMiller 'Mega-Merger' Off?
- Who should Stock Spirits Acquire?
- Diageo lines up UK innovations push
- Craft is an 'abused' term - Pernod Ricard exec
- SPI Group 'disappointed' over Stolichnaya ruling
- Diageo's Guinness Golden Ale
- Edrington names European Travel Retail head
- Global rum insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global non-Scotch whiskies insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Champagne: Less Than Bubbly
- Beer Market Insights Africa 2014
- ALDI 2015: Radically transforming Anglo Saxon grocery markets


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It was an April Fool’s Day gone bad. In an embarrassing apology, Volkswagen was forced to confirm at the end of March that its rebranding in the United States to “Voltswagen” to embrace an all-electric future was a set-up.
Still, the botched announcement, which sparked a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation after coinciding with a surge in the group’s U.S. stocks, was in line with a social media strategy being implemented at the automaker’s German headquarters.
Last summer, VW chief executive Herbert Diess told staff he wanted to be more vocal online. He estimated that the group, which is investing more than 35 billion euros in electrical technology, needed to fight the attention of Elon Musk, according to people close to senior management.
“Maybe we need a big boom,” so one person familiar with the strategy described the approach, which involved Diess turning to LinkedIn and then Twitter with ever more provocative posts.
Diess is also active on Weibo in China, where he is behind the founder of Tesla – who has used social media for years to promote himself and his business – in terms of followers.
VW launched its first dedicated electric car, the ID.3, last year and sold nearly 232,000 battery-powered vehicles in 2020, becoming the largest electric vehicle company in Europe. By the end of the decade, it wants 70% of its sales in Europe to be emission-free.
Despite such ambitions, the German company is worth less than a third of Tesla, which is building a factory just 150 miles from the VW Group base in Wolfsburg.
In an unusual move for the German corporate class, Diess embarked on a series of stunts to get VW to notice.
The Bavarian donned a Batman mask while showing off one of the group’s cars in a LinkedIn post, posed for a selfie with Musk when he visited VW to test out the ID.3, and after joining Twitter at the start of the year, the Tesla quipped in a playful way. senior executive, who had tried to recruit Diess when he was director of BMW.
The VW boss has also been battling with climate activists and online politicians over the best way to achieve carbon neutral transport.
The importance of this strategy is underscored by a weekly social media planning meeting, which is chaired by Diess and can last two hours, one person said. Analyzes of previous posts are reviewed and potential “viral content” for the coming days is discussed.
Some say the tactic helped gain more recognition from VW.
“Diess attracted attention, because [Daimler boss Ola] Kallenius and [BMW’s Oliver] Zipse is not going there, ”said Michael Muders, portfolio manager at Union Investment, one of VW’s seven largest shareholders.
“It takes a lot of money to get the transition under control,” he added. “It’s part of the game plan. “
Key to this plan is the ability to grab the attention of fund managers in the United States, who are much more focused on VW’s younger competitors. In pursuit of this goal, VW recently started making its quarterly press calls in English.
“After Dieselgate, there has been no interest from US investors,” said a person close to the VW board. More than half of Diess’s Twitter followers are from the United States, they added.
As GM and Ford grab headlines for dates when they will stop selling combustion-engine cars, VW is trying to emphasize that it has an edge over traditional competitors, in the form of dedicated electric platforms. , one of which is licensed to Ford.
This technology “gives VW an edge over its peers,” said Daniel Schwarz, analyst at Stifel. “Now we have the European Green Deal and VW’s strategy looks even more promising. “
Along with other events, such as a battery technology-focused ‘Power Day’ designed to create online buzz, VW’s online offensive has coincided with a sharp increase in the automaker’s stock.
For a short time this spring, the Beetle-maker once again wore the crown of Germany’s most valuable state-owned company, despite no significant changes in its already ambitious electrical plans, and has almost regained ground lost since the scandal. of diesel emissions in 2015.
Critically, however, it’s unclear how much Diess’s tweets help.
Although VW shares have more than doubled since reaching their lowest level in 10 years in March of last year, Daimler shares have tripled in the same period, despite the fact that its director Swedish general booked is not on Twitter.
“I use LinkedIn because we’ve found it’s a great tool for attracting talent to our business,” Kallenius told the Financial Times, “and I’m sticking to that for now.“
If the rally in stocks – spurred in part by a boom in auto demand – is to continue, German automakers will likely have to do more than roll out hashtags.
“The easy money in the market has probably been earned,” Union Muders said. “The question is, what are the margins in the electric vehicle sector? This will be the objective of the market.


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It was only a matter of time. Horse meat in Taco Bell taco meat is a reality… in the UK. At least, some trace amount was found in the meat after DNA tests.
Taco Bell was not the lone fast food chain to have issues with their meat supply. UK Burger King’s also had a scare with it in January.
In response to the horse meat problem, Yum brands has ended their relationship with the Chinese meat supplier it had used that was thought to be the source of the non-beef option entering tacos.
There have been no reports of horse meat entering the “beef” food chain in the United States.


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Consumers are swapping out meat and dairy for plant-based alternatives. But beyond ethics and sustainability, is plant-based actually better for our diets?
Meatless mania. As demand booms, countless startups are competing to make plants palatable.
- Vegan-related searches on Google spiked 47% to an all-time high last year.
- Retail sales for plant-based foods are projected to increase fivefold by 2030 to $132B.
- Driving interest in healthy eating, COVID-19 continues to transform our shopping behaviors.
Across the US, an increasing number of health-conscious consumers are going vegan/vegetarian while less-gung-ho flexitarians may honor the occasional meatless Monday.
When surveyed, over 40% of these consumers have a “health halo” mindset towards plant-based products, believing that they’re healthier. The thing is, that’s not always the case.
Oatly, the new Coke? In 1970, Coca-Cola touted the “health benefits” of sugar, funding misleading research and deceptive ads to build its sugary empire. Drawing parallels, some are souring to Oatly’s marketing, which tends to downplay the alt-milk’s vegetable oil and sugar content while “hand-waving away evidence that they’re harming you.”
Examining the company’s messaging, writer Nat Eliason calls out a common misconception: “They make zero claims about it being healthy, but you definitely feel like they said it was healthy for you.”
While you probably won’t be worse off eating a traditional burger, dietitians raise concerns over consumers who might then overindulge following a presumably “healthy” plant-based meal.
Now, as fast food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King jump on the plant-based train, nutritionists are worried that companies are masquerading artificial, processed products under the guise of a better-for-you offering.
The bottom line: The honeymoon phase might be coming to an end for “plant-based”-branded products as more sophisticated consumers learn to read between the lines of flashy marketing.
And while most plant-based alternatives prevail when viewed through the lens of animal welfare or climate change, expect brands who champion nutritional transparency to win out in the long term.


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British golfer Andrew Johnstone has just walked away with a brand new red BMW M4 Coupe after hitting a hole-in-one in Surrey, England on a par 3 hole.
The tournament is held every May as part of the BMW PGA Championship and this isn’t the first time BMW has awarded golfers with one of its cars for hitting a hole-in-one. At last year’s BMW International Open, James Heath won the keys to an expensive i8. Previous winners have walked away with a BMW 640i Gran Coupe, 535i sedan, 325i Convertible and a Z8 respectively.
As a reminder, the BMW M4 features a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine revving to 7600 rpm and producing an impressive 431 hp between 5390 rpm and 7000 rpm and 406 lb-ft of torque from a low 1,800 rpm to 5,390rpm. That torque figure is available across a broad rev range and is an improvement over the outgoing BMW E92 M3 of 40 per cent.


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Bella Hadid, who has graced the cover of Vogue and walked the runway for some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, is the latest celebrity to enter the world of NFTs.
As the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) continues to heat up, this supermodel is getting in on the action. The 25-year-old has announced that she is minting 11,111 unique NFTs using 3D scans of her body which will be available for purchase through a website called "CY-B3LLA."
According to a press release, the collection will feature "11 one-of-a-kind images and videos" that have been 3D scanned and animated using motion capture technology.
The model delves deep into the NFT world in collaboration with reBASE, working from a 3D scan of her body to create two different pieces. One is a bionic warrior woman for Tokyo, and another bubblegum sexbot from an undisclosed location.
Hadid is following in the footsteps of other celebrities who have recently entered the NFT space, such as Paris Hilton and Grimes. However, not everyone is as optimistic about the future of NFTs as Hadid. Some experts have cautioned that the current hype around NFTs is not sustainable and that the prices of NFTs are likely to crash in the near future.
Collectors of the NFTs will have access to an exclusive meet and greet with Bella and invitations to events worldwide. This is a unique opportunity to own a piece of digital art created by one of the world's most celebrated models.
She explained: “That’s just the beginning. In the coming months, we’ll grow this new meta-nation with real locations and events all around the world, where I can meet each and every one of you.”
What are your thoughts on Bella Hadid's decision to enter the world of NFTs?


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Spanish ride-hailing app Cabify will begin offering grocery deliveries in its Latin American markets next year after debuting the service in Spain a month ago, Lucia Chavarri, the vice president of new business, said on Monday.
In October, the company said it would allow users to order groceries direct to their homes in nine cities including Barcelona and Madrid via a partnership with online supermarket delivery firm Lola Market.
"We will launch our Cabify Super service next year in Latin America," Chavarri told reporters at an event celebrating the multi-mobility company's 10th anniversary, saying the move made sense amid a pandemic-fuelled boom in quick e-commerce.
The service, which allows users to place orders from nearby partnered supermarkets, is likely to land in the first Latin American market in the first half of 2022, a source within the company told Reuters.
The company operates in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. It did not specify in which market it would launch first.
A new crop of startups has sought to consolidate market share in the sector, including Turkey-based Getir and Berlin-based Gorillas, both of which have expanded across borders.


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Counterpoint Research’s 2019 study shows that the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy lines of smartphones were the top-selling mobile devices in 2019.
Apple took up six spots in the top 10 list, with the iPhone XR hailed as the best-selling device of the year. The iPhone 11 came in second, but since it was only released last Sept. 2019, it took them just 3 months to be the second best-selling smartphone. Samsung’s Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A10 came in at third and fourth respectively.
The only phone in the top 10 list that wasn’t manufactured by these two giants was the Oppo A5, which ranked fifth. Not surprisingly, the study also concluded that the Oppo A5 was the top-selling smartphone in China last year.
Notably, Huawei, the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, did not have any of its phones included in the list.


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ATMs may take three months to provide Rs 200 notes, says report
The recently launched Rs 200 bank note by the Reserve Bank of India may take up to three months to reach ATMs and be available to the common people, says report.
Though the ATM companies have not yet got the supplies of the new currency, some banks have even asked the ATMs to start testing the new note unofficially, since it is of a different size from the existing notes.
It is yet to be seen if all the 2.25 lakh ATM machines across the country will be able to check the machines for distributing the new bank notes.
For now, the Rs 200 note is being printed only by RBI presses and are available only through some RBI offices and some banks.


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Star India targets $1 billion revenue mark by 2020
The channel eyes a billion dollar EBIDTA by the turn of the decade on back of regionalization of content and innovation
James Murdoch, co-chief operating officer, 21st Century Fox, is looking at an operating income (EBITDA) of $1 billion from Star India by the end of 2020.
The company has been expanding its footprints, both organically and inorganically, especially in sports and regional entertainment content in the country.
"We love the India business. It has now evolved enormously from Hindi entertainment to regional language broadcasting and now we are a national platform. The sports business for us is a new pillar and we are looking at the business in a long term time frame. And if we keep innovating and investing in putting more creative and innovative content on screen, Star India will become a billion dollar EBIDTA by the turn of the decade," Murdoch said at the sixth annual Asia-Pacific video operators summit in Bali on Friday.
Regionalised content creation
According to Star India CEO Uday Shankar, media content has a huge role in shaping the sensibilities of the society and this role should not be underestimated.
"I am prejudiced towards aspirational content and cynical about cynical content. This is something we have always kept in mind while creating all of our content and is the same philosophy that we are bringing to sports as well. Sports has a huge role to play in empowerment, especially in a country like India, where we need to make the society believe that even an uneducated person can aspire to something greater if he is talented in a sport. This is what has worked with Kabaddi in a big way," he said.
"India is a giant country with varied cultures and tastes. We used Asianet as a beach head for the south and elevated the quality of content dramatically with sharper storytelling, involving the best of the creative fraternity and breaking the caste divide between film and TV. For logistic reasons outsourcing production might make sense, but unless you internalize the core creative skill, you will not be able to sustain success, which is why we have build a robust internal creative team to ensure this.
"We have applied the same philosophy that we had in our entertainment business to sports - creating content with deep local affinity using the audience aggregation power that cricket gave you. Sports broadcasting has been plagued by laziness and lack of innovation, treated merely as a distribution agent of acquired rights which is what we have tried to change with multiple local leagues. If its your team that's playing you, even if it is not the best team, you would be deeply passionate about it. Creating a hierarchy of leagues across the country can be huge empowering phenomenon.
Breaking platform barriers
“Our objective behind hotstar was quite simple actually - A lot of audiences were consuming our content on other screens, but we were unhappy with the inability to control their viewing experience. We realised we own all of this IP and so came hotstar. I do not think that this is a "free model". We need to keep the consumer at the center while thinking about this and in a market like India, where data costs are still pretty high, the consumer is still paying a lot for the data - so it's not particularly consumer friendly to have them pay twice, especially at such a nascent stage.
“The reason I'm excited about the OTT space is because it allows for democratization of creativity. However this is not the same as saying that anyone can create content.
“At Star we use a lot of data and we value it deeply, however, let's not become data monkeys. Data helps understands patterns but to understand these patterns and take a leap to what should be created next will still require creativity. No matter how much data we have, I don't believe we will be able to automate the definition of the next blockbuster,” he said.
Lack of innovation stifling sports business economics, said Sanjay Gupta, chief operating officer at Star India.
“When there's a big sporting event, people congregate to watch in huge numbers, the only question is there enough of these happening and how much innovation has been happening. Better engagement in sports will drive greater consumption. People don't look happy when they win a sports bid.
“We need to have a long term commitment to build a sport, a 10 to 20 years approach to build it ground up. Take the example of EPL which has been around for decades and has built an extremely strong consumer franchise, which advertisers are eager to associate with
“3 year view of buying sporting rights has to change. This current regime disallows most of the partners to make money and disincentives anyone trying to build a sport,” he said.
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Interior Door Systems will demonstrate its new products and designs for 2020, including the latest 36mm shelving for its bespoke walk-in wardrobes. Alongside this will be new LED-illuminated glass doors that the company hopes will encourage all designers to see that you can really push the boundaries with what can be achieved with sliding doors.
Getley is excited to announce the launch of a complete new range called Alku. From the range, it will showcase bedroom furniture, home-office furniture and promises some clever storage ideas for lifestyle furniture, as well as a new kitchen collection. The company says it hopes to show that Getley UK is far more than simply a cabinet manufacturer as it moves forward with the new brand.
The furniture brand is presenting its new Holcombe Bedroom Furniture range for the first time at this year’s show. In addition, JJO has new pieces within its Eco Bathrooms furniture brand and additions to Moderna Kitchens. The brand anticipates that kbb 2020 will accelerate display sales of Holcombe bedrooms, and other new products, presented at the exhibition.


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Trends That Will Shape the Restaurant Industry in 2022
If you’re in the restaurant industry, it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve and know what trends will shape the industry in the future. In this article, we’ll look at some of the biggest trends expected to take hold in 2022.
From pickup shelves to technological advancements, these trends are sure to have a significant impact on restaurants over the next few years.
Kitchen Automation Will Become Commonplace
One trend expected to take off in a big way in 2022 is kitchen automation. This technology is designed to help streamline the food prep process and can be a huge time-saver for busy restaurants.
We’re already seeing this technology used in some high-end restaurants, but it’s expected to become more commonplace in the coming years. So if you’re not already using kitchen automation, now is the time to consider it.
The more you automate redundant and unsafe kitchen tasks, the better you can avoid an accident taking place. However, automation will not stop accidents in the workplace entirely. This is why your restaurant insurance coverage is essential. Due to the potential of injury to employees and guests, as well as property damage, restaurants are generally always required to have insurance.
Off-Premises Dining Will Continue to Grow
Another trend expected to impact restaurants in 2022 significantly is the continued growth of off-premises dining. Thanks to apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash, it’s easier than ever for customers to get their favorite meals delivered right to their door.
This trend is only expected to grow in the coming years, so restaurants must ensure they’re prepared for increased delivery and takeout orders.
Technology Will Play a Bigger Role in Restaurants
Recently, we’ve seen a growing trend of restaurants using technology to improve the customer experience. This trend is only expected to continue in 2022, with more and more restaurants using tablets, smartphones, and other devices to streamline the ordering process.
Some restaurants are even using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to enhance the dining experience. If you’re not already using technology in your restaurant, now is the time to start considering it.
Labor Saving Technology Will Also Become Popular
With the rising labor cost, many restaurants are turning to labor-saving technology to help reduce expenses. This trend is expected to continue in 2022, with more restaurants investing in self-service kiosks, digital menus, and other similar technologies.
If you’re looking to cut costs in your restaurant, labor-saving technology is a great place to start.
Pickup Shelves Will Replace Curbside Pickup
Another trend expected to have a big impact on restaurants in 2022 is the growing popularity of pickup shelves. These shelves are designed for customers to pick up their orders without waiting in line or interacting with a staff member.
Some restaurants are already using pickup shelves, which are expected to become more common in the coming years. If you don’t have pickup shelves in your restaurant yet, now is the time to consider them.
Direct Ordering Will Usurp Third-Party Apps
Recently, we’ve seen a growing trend of customers using third-party apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash to order their food. However, this trend is expected to shift in 2022, with more customers ordering directly from restaurants.
A few reasons for this change include the rising cost of third-party fees and the increasing popularity of restaurant loyalty programs. If you’re not already set up for direct ordering, now is the time to consider it.
Restaurants Will Engage Their Communities More
In the past, restaurants have typically been focused on attracting new customers. However, this is starting to change, and we’re seeing a trend of restaurants engaging more with their local communities.
This trend is expected to continue in 2022, with more restaurants hosting community events, partnering with local businesses, and giving back to their neighborhoods.
Sustainability Will Become More Important
As consumers become more aware of the impact their food choices have on the environment, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue for restaurants.
This trend is expected to continue in 2022, with more customers looking for restaurants that source their ingredients from sustainable farms and use eco-friendly packaging.
Plant-Based Menus Will Grow in Popularity
As more and more people are looking to reduce their meat consumption, we’re seeing a trend of restaurants adding more plant-based options to their menus.
This trend is expected to continue in 2022, with many restaurants offering vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian options. So if you haven’t already done so, now is the time to consider adding some plant-based alternatives to your menu.
Health and Safety Will Become Critical Factors in Restaurant Growth
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the restaurant industry, health and safety will become even more critical in the coming years.
In 2022, we expect to see a continued focus on contactless ordering and payment and an increased emphasis on cleanliness and sanitation. So if you’re not already paying attention to these factors in your restaurant, now is the time to start.
Labor and Supply Chain Problems Will Put the Focus on Efficiency
The restaurant industry has been dealing with several labor and supply chain issues recently, which is expected to continue in 2022.
As a result, we expect to see a continued focus on efficiency in restaurants, with an emphasis on streamlining operations and minimizing waste.
Delivery and Contactless Ordering is Here to Stay
It’s important to note that the trend toward delivery and contactless ordering is here to stay.
As consumers become more accustomed to these ordering methods, we expect them to continue using them even after the pandemic ends. So if you haven’t already started offering delivery or contactless ordering in your restaurant, now is the time.
Restaurants Will Diversify Their Revenue Streams
In the past, restaurants have typically relied on a single revenue stream, such as dine-in, catering, or delivery.
However, this is starting to change, and we’re seeing a trend of restaurants diversifying their revenue streams such as retail sales, subscription services, and event space rental.
Learn More Restaurant Industry Trends
If you want to stay ahead of the curve in the restaurant industry, it’s essential to keep up with the latest trends.
For more information on what to expect in 2022, check out our blog for more helpful insights.


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Jon and Cassie Wick's 5518 Designs shop is pretty tiny compared to its across-Main-Street neighbor, NorthWestern Energy. But it's a big energy producer in its own right.
As a source of positive energy about Uptown Butte and outdoor recreation in the area, the unique little shop is unrivaled — and the Wicks themselves are a powerhouse of ideas, optimism and enthusiasm.
The store, which opened two years ago in November, is still being "discovered" by people in Butte. "We get people who live on the Flat who come in and say, 'I didn't know this was here!" Cassie says.
5518 offers the outdoor-recreation-inspired art and designs of Jon Wick on a variety of apparel, accessories and paper products, along with products from other leading outdoor-recreation brands like Dakine, Chaco and Mizu. "We set out to create something fun and fill a space in Uptown Butte," Jon Wick says. "We never anticipated how great the response would be."
The store has created community. It is a gathering-place of sorts. "Such a supportive, cohesive community," Cassie Wick says. "Supportive in a million ways."
Wick's images are vibrant, vivid, colorful, joyful. "It's positive messaging," he says. "It changes the conversation."
The Wisconsin native was teaching fifth grade in Philipsburg when he met Cassie at Georgetown Lake. They've been through a lot — Jon was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago — and they've come through, smiling.
Cassie works as an advocate for people with disabilities at the Montana Independent Living Project. "I meet people where they are and help them reach goals and live independently," she says simply. She loves the job, which she's been doing for nine years. "It's amazing to get paid to help people," she says.
As members of the business community, they take their responsibility to their Butte colleagues very seriously. "We want to live here, and we want to make it better to live here," Jon says.
Jon, who formerly served as executive director of Mariah's Challenge, is still on the board and volunteers for the organization. "It's another one of those great things — how could you not want to be involved?" he says.
Meanwhile, the store is his passion and occupies a great deal of his time. Because of her work, Cassie is there less frequently, but still contributes.
Both of them hope that the store's success will inspire others to start Uptown businesses.
"We're like a pebble on a pond," Cassie says. "We're creating ripples. We may not see them all, but they're there."


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2023 Tata Nexon, Harrier and Safari facelifts will get a more premium interior boasting a host of new features; all known details so far explained below
Tata Motors is currently working on a trio of facelifts for the Indian market and all of them will be introduced in the coming months. The Nexon facelift is expected to be the first one to arrive around August while the market launch of the updated Harrier and Safari will more likely happen in September and October respectively.
The Tata Nexon is currently the best-selling SUV in the country and it was first introduced in 2017. In early 2020, the compact SUV received a major update and the upcoming facelift marks the second big revision and Tata will implement an assortment of changes inside and out. Judging by the spy images, the exterior takes plenty of inspiration from the Curvv concept.
As for the facelifted Tata Harrier and Safari, they are heavily influenced by the Harrier EV concept, which was showcased at the 2023 Auto Expo earlier this year alongside the Curvv. It must be noted that the production versions of the Curvv and the Harrier EV are expected to reach dealerships next year and thus, Tata has a busy schedule ahead.
Besides the exterior, the interior of the upcoming Nexon, Harrier and Safari will gain huge updates. For instance, all three SUVs will feature a new two-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel with an illuminated Tata logo in the middle. The HVAC layout and other premium bits will also be inspired by the Curvv as a design patent indicates that two toggling switches and a touch control panel will be available.
There will be buttons with haptic feedback above and below the toggle switches. The upper section gets controls for Sport mode, boot release, central locking, 360-degree camera, engine start/stop button, fog lamps, hazard lamps, etc. The climatic controls are enabled in the lower portion as both layers are distinguished but the temperature and blower controls are physical switches.
While the Harrier and Safari already feature a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with new UI and a seven-inch digital cluster, the same cannot be said for the Nexon. The facelift will eliminate the existing touchscreen and the console for a more premium unit. The gear lever as well as the EPB will be brand new in these upcoming models.


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UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office lifts four-year-old travel ban on Lamu, Manda islands
Earlier, a travel ban was announced by the UK to her citizens, due to the high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping.
In a statement on its website, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it no longer advises against any travel to Lamu and Manda Islands but cautioned on the mode of transport to be used.
Earlier, a travel ban was announced by the UK to her citizens, due to the high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping. The main threat by then was coming from extremists linked to the Somalia based militant group al Shabaab.
“If you travel to Lamu Island or Manda Island, you should do so by air to Manda airport and not by road,” reads part of the statement.
Commenting on the new development, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Coast’s Chief Executive Officer, Sam Ikwaye, said it is great moves that will see the coastal region regain its former glory, to cash in from tourism.
“This is long overdue, the investors have really suffered during the three to four years that the ban has been in place. Unlike Malindi where some investors shut down, Lamu investors have remained resilient through all this,” he said.
He added: “We are happy about what is happening in the industry. Farmers, fishermen and all the players in the supply chain in this sector have suffered. But this is a positive move towards boosting tourist arrivals into the country.”
The review of the travel advisory announced last evening comes at a time Kenya is being represented by 40 trade operators in the ongoing International Tourism Bourse (ITB) travel show in Berlin, Germany.
Speaking at the event, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala reckoned that Kenya is making efforts in a bid to lower the cost of doing business through business regulatory reforms intended at reducing the number of licensing requirements.
“Tourism has potential of creating more jobs for our citizens (for every 10 visitors, 1 job is created), earning the Government more tax revenue, which currently stands at Sh94 billion,” Balala said.
Since 2012, the tourism sector has experienced a downturn, attributed to among others prohibitive policy regulations such as VAT on tourism services and negative perceptions of the destination security. The private sector led by the Kenya Tourism Federation has agreed with the Government sound policy interventions are necessary for the sector’s revival.
A lot is happening even in the regional arena to boost revenues in the tourism sector. Two weeks ago, a portal seeking to promote tourism in the region-the East Africa Tourism Portal- went live.
The portal provides an avenue for all players in the tourism industry to market and advertise their products. It also provides travelers an avenue to select different (multi-country) travel packages.
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Toyota will adopt SmartDeviceLink, the interface software open source application; . automotive suppliers QNX Software Systens and UIEvolution are also adopting this technology with plans to integrate it into their products in the coming years
Only six months ago I told you that Toyota was analyzing integration, well, the first results are already arriving at Toyota adopted this system for future multimedia systems. What does this mean and why it is so important not only for Ford?
First, what is SmartDeviceLink?
SmartDeviceLink is software code open on which it is built the Ford SYNC AppLink platform. Offers consumers an easy way to access their favorite smartphone applications using voice commands.
Vehicles equipped with SmartDeviceLink allow drivers use smartphone applications using screens, buttons and / or voice recognition commands. Popular music apps such as Spotify and iHeartRadio, information applications, including AccuWeather and MLB, consumer applications such as Domino’s and a growing number of applications from around the world are now available for users of Ford AppLink.
The SmartDeviceLink software, including AppLink, is part of Ford Smart Mobility
These applications are more easily accessible in vehicles equipped with SmartDeviceLink because developers They have access to greater volumes of vehicles and new features . For automakers and suppliers, take SmartDeviceLink expands options for users to connect and control their smartphones at the wheel and increase the quality and safety of the software, as multiple companies can collaborate on improvements.
Toyota will use in their cars, really is so important?
Yes, because not only flatly if we talk about Toyota, PSA Peugeot Citroen is considering adding SmartDeviceLink their vehicles and manufacturers like Honda, Mazda and Subaru are also contemplating incorporating this software in their vehicles. By adopting this technology, Ford, automakers and suppliers are helping to accelerate a standard for the sector, which will increase the number of applications available for use in the vehicle. With a common software in the industry, developers can focus on creating the best experience on a platform that will be available to users in many brands.
But what really matters is that it is open source because it facilitates the sector a way to keep distinct and specific entertainment and connectivity systems that meet expectations regarding integration of smartphone applications for any phone. Livio, a subsidiary of Ford company, is managing the open source project working with companies who choose to use SmartDeviceLink to build appropriate interfaces on every single vehicle environment
January 5, 2016
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While the food safety bill passed by Congress this weekend includes measures such as an increase in inspections, it's unlikely that these changes will have a significant impact on improving food safety.
Many scientists and statisticians have argued for years that it is not possible to sample your way to safety. The number of samples that would be needed to detect pathogens is too large to be done with any reasonable number of samples.
Rather than having the FDA focus on policy, the government can help with accountability, by investing in tracking problem products back to the source. The FDA can help by discovering food safety root causes and posting them on the Web.
As firms become more accountable for problems with enhanced trace backs and widespread consumer information, food safety becomes a competitive margin so that it is now unprofitable not to adopt workable solutions.


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Forget the Golden Globes. We’ve got a far more important set of winners to announce…
The UK Car of the Year Awards has announced its 12 category winners for 2017. These incredible vehicles now make the shortlist for the overall UK Car of the Year Award 2017 crown, which will be announced on 24th February.
This year’s shortlist of winners features 10 different car manufacturers, showing a great spread of success across the industry. It’s a particularly successful list for Germany, with Mercedes-Benz and Porsche the only manufacturers to feature twice.
Without any further ado, here’s the full list of winners:
Best small hatch – Hyundai IONIQ
Best family car – Toyota Prius
Best executive car – Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Best luxury car – Rolls-Royce Dawn
Best estate car – Volvo V90
Best MPV – Renault Scénic/Grand Scénic
Best crossover – SEAT Ateca
Best large crossover – Jaguar F-Pace
Best coupe – Porsche 718 Cayman
Best cabriolet – Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet
Best sports car – Porsche 718 Boxster
Best performance car – Ford Focus RS
The category winners were chosen by a panel of 27 leading motoring journalists, who will come together to choose and crown the overall winner next month.
Previous winners of the top award include the Mazda MX-5 in 2016, the BMW i8 in 2015 and the BMW i3 in 2014.
Surprisingly, despite their successes in the motoring awards over the past few years, both BMW and Mazda haven’t made the cut in any category in 2017.
With such a strong list, best of luck to the panel in agreeing on a winner… we can’t call it!


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Traders at the first-ever Burlescombe produce market have been overwhelmed by the optimism and support for it.
The new monthly produce market got underway at Burlescombe and Westleigh Community Hall on Sunday, January 26. It will be held on the fourth Saturday of every month between 10:00 am and noon.
Jacky Taylor from the market said: “With a community hall packed with stallholders, the first market was an unqualified success for all concerned, with some stalls having to send out for extra supplies.
“Shoppers were able to buy organic meat and poultry, free-range eggs, raw milk, fruit and veg boxes, seasonal plants, cakes, patisserie, jams and preserves, bread, a range of chilli-based goods, goat products and then enjoy a breakfast of bacon and egg rolls, cake and hot drinks from the kitchen.
“One lucky shopper also won the ingredients for their Sunday roast.
“The market was such a success that every one of the stallholders has confirmed that they will regularly be returning.
Emily Pearson added: “The market aims to offer local producers an outlet to local people.
“So many rural villages like us are losing amenities such as shops and pubs that I wanted to find a way to support local friends and neighbours in their businesses and also to keep all the different groups in my community connected.
“It was a bonus that our first market fell in Support Your Village Hall Week.”


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The past year has probably not gone as HTC had hoped. The sales decline that began in late 2011, continued quarter on quarter. Thanks to the sale of the stake in audio brand Beats Audio HTC managed to avoid the last quarter of 2013 was a loss. According to the company’s focus in recent years too much on the high-end segment and HTC hopes the solution to these negative reflected in the sales of midrange devices. trend
That does not mean that HTC leaves the high-end segment, far from it. Also during the past year, the designers and engineers of the company working on a new flagship: the HTC One. You read that right, the successor of the HTC called HTC One, HTC is already posted for clarity in some cases after the type number: M8.
In this video review editor Wout Funnekotter looks at the evolution of the HTC One (M8). Among other things, the new cabinet, the speakers, the Sense interface, faster hardware and the second camera are discussed. This video review is part of a written review .Viewing:-245
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Design chief 'lost sleep' over wood-grain panels on new Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Ralph Gilles, head of product design for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, says he "lost sleep" over the question of whether to include the wood-grain panels on the exterior of the new Grand Wagoneer that has become synonymous with the vehicles Jeep stopped producing almost 30 years ago.
Gilles' conclusion? No fake wood on the vehicle's sides, as the automaker showed Thursday with a concept model. Ultimately it came down to how the definition of luxury has changed over the past decades. The vehicle is meant to be the 2020 version of a premium SUV — the segment the original Grand Wagoneer invented in 1984.
"To be honest," Gilles told The Detroit News Thursday, "I've lost sleep over this question because it was asked internally a couple years ago. And philosophically, we looked at it for a hot second. We really did try, but the original was contact paper with a vinyl that was applied to the original car. It looked OK, and it made a statement, but they were desperately trying to establish a sense of luxury, which wood at the time was how you did it.
"Today, we're using much different tools and design elements to stay luxury. Putting wood on this car would have just cheapened it actually."
The reveal that was live-streamed on YouTube was met with some initially disappointed comments over the vehicle's bare Arctic Ice white sides. Some enthusiasts also thought the vehicle lacked other important historic design cues.
"What you expect from a Wagoneer is that it's boxy, it's got those lines across the body, and it's got that rugged stance," said Chuck Berringer, 57, of Mareno Valley, California, who drives a 1971 Wagoneer. "It's that little character stuff."
Although the Wagoneer, which eventually evolved into the grander version, launched for the 1963 model year, it was not until 1975 that the wood-grain exterior applique made its debut. But it soon became synonymous with the affectionately named "woody" classics.
What Jeep did not put on the outside of the new Grand Wagoneer, it did put in the inside, Gilles jokes. The concept vehicle's instrument panel and doors feature blackened heat-treated lacewood. There are teak elements in the headlights and on the roof rack.
"The modernity of the design was also a very important component," said Christian Meunier, global head of the Jeep brand. "We could have gone the retro route, but that is not what the company decided to do because the world is evolving quickly and because the technologies are evolving quickly. It's a blend of what the original was but in 2020, not in 1982. It brings the technology, the design, the craftsmanship, the artisanship all together."
But woody fans may not lose all hope, as Gilles teased: "That's what the aftermarket is for."


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It's something that hardware manufacturers, Microsoft and PC gamers have been talking about for the longest time: DirectX 10. With the graphics hardware apparently ready from NVIDIA since last year and Microsoft's Windows Vista released early this year, it seemed that all the pieces were in place for the next great thing in PC gaming, right? Well, it turned out that we had to wait till June before we saw the first inkling with a DirectX 10 patch for an older game, Company of Heroes. This was followed by the release of the first DirectX 10 games, Call of Juarez and a PC port of a Xbox 360 game - Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Unfortunately, the hyped poster boys of DirectX 10 gaming that we have all been hearing about from the developers, Unreal Tournament 3, Crysis and Hellgate: London have all been pushed back to the latter half of the year.
This scarceness of DirectX 10 games has not prevented vendors from promoting their new hardware heavily. The new graphics cards promise more than just DirectX 10 compatibility after all; the higher end cards especially, give hefty boosts in performance. This is all part of the tech scene, with its never-ending cycle of hardware and software upgrades, even if the hardware may not be fully utilized now. Enthusiasts are used to this, looking ahead for their upgrades but at the same time, they are not averse to holding off their purchases so as to take advantage of an upcoming Intel/AMD price cut for example.
For those who have been holding off their spending, Leadtek hopes to give them a reason to buy sooner rather than later, with its latest GeForce 8600 GT bundled with one of the earliest DirectX 10 games in retail now - Capcom's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. It's an interesting proposition, since gamers who are wondering about the hype behind DirectX 10 can get a hands-on experience immediately with the GeForce 8600 GT, an affordable enough, mid-range graphics card. This Lost Planet edition is also available for the company's GeForce 8600 GTS but today, we will be looking at the GeForce 8600 GT version. According to its specifications, this Leadtek card appears to be your standard GeForce 8600 GT card and besides the Lost Planet themed decal, it certainly doesn't look any different from the usual models.


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Chicago Resident Ross Aymami Produces Algorithms
takes a slightly different method to launching its new Custom Financial Algorithms solution. Ross Aymami as well as Associates, a monetary software application evaluation business in Chicago, has actually chosen it will certainly offer firms an opportunity to see exactly how algorithms can favorably influence their service. The webinar is anticipated to occur Tuesday, May 16th.
Where most business publish some statistics and reveal no evidence, and Associates has made a decision to be a little bit more distinct as well as transparent with their algorithms. The begin of his new custom economic algorithms services should place Ross Aymami and also Associates ahead of the competition.
, Founder at Ross Aymami and Associates, claims: “We wished to be exclusive with the launch of our new Custom Financial Algorithms service since We thought it would be a wonderful means to repay to the Chicago service neighborhood. This webinar permits us to get to not only our core target market in Chicago yet those located anywhere. It will certainly be worthwhile, as well as we’re hoping it will raise earnings for firms. It needs to go fantastic unless people might all of a sudden determine that making less loan is better!”
Ross Aymami and Associates has actually always challenged attracting attention when as compared to other financial algorithm strategists in the Chicago area. Releasing webinars focusing on the firm’s location of experience is simply among the many methods it does so.
” Today there is a fantastic opportunity for companies to try something new as well as imaginative,” said Ross Aymami. Mr. Aymami describes himself as “a tireless analyst and trader who has established pricing designs, algorithms, and calculated records that effect decision-making. I am functioning to supply a more profitable future for our clients, and then, my business is getting proficiency in several big as well as specific niche markets.”
Ross Aymami as well as Associates has been offering the Chicago location since 2014. To this day, the firm has helped thousands of consumers as well as is among the most knowledgeable formulas and also pricing model planner companies in Chicago.
Ross Aymami also stated: “While Ross Aymami as well as Associates could not be the only service with this kind of offering, market leaders are choosing Ross Aymami and also Associates because “We continue to stay ahead of financial contours by implementing our formulas and owning more revenues to our clients.”
Ross Aymami Chicago monetary innovation career began in 2008. Trading equity choices in 2008, Mr. Aymami developed the concept for a trading blog website called “In the Pink Trading.” It speaks about basic, technical in addition to analytical views of the United States monetary markets, along with offers market insight as well as listings real-time trading references and also setups. The blog site appreciates a following of ex-investment lenders, company bond investors, along with different other monetary specialists.
When asked about the brand-new Custom Financial Algorithms Service, Ross Aymami said: “We believe it’s going to be a hit since “Every algorithm we construct is special to that customer and also modern technology in this area is continuously boosting.”
Additional info about Ross Aymami and Associates as well as the new Custom Financial Algorithms solution is available at http://rossaymami.com/.


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Investment fund sues Apple over plan to eliminate preferred stock
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NEW YORK, N.Y.—Greenlight Capital is suing Apple in federal court in New York over attempts to eliminate preferred stock at the world’s most valuable company.
David Einhorn, who heads Greenlight, said Thursday that the proposal would restrict the ability of Apple’s board to unlock shareholder value. Some investors have been pushing Apple to do more with its enormous pile of cash — $137 billion (U.S.) and growing.
The company started paying a dividend last year, but at $2.65 per share, it doesn’t measure up to other companies with similar cash reserves. Apple has also started to repurchase some of its shares, but Greenlight and others say it should be pushing its cash in another direction.
Greenlight, a shareholder since 2010 with 1.3 million Apple shares, said it is dissatisfied with the way the company allocates capital. Einhorn said his firm has been talking with Apple over the past several months about the creation of new preferred stock that would be distributed to Apple shareholders.
Apple, he said, rejected the idea in September.
A representative for Apple could not immediately be reached for comment early Thursday.
In a letter to Apple shareholders, Greenlight called Apple a “phenomenal company filled with talented people creating iconic products that consumers around the world love.” But it said the company has an “obligation to examine all options to create and unlock additional value.”
Apple, Greenlight continued, “has $145 per share of cash on its balance sheet. As a shareholder, this is your money.”
Shares of Apple, based in Cupertino, California, rose $3.59 to $458.29 (U.S.) in morning trading amid a broader market decline.
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Low loonie is boosting manufacturing, making interest shift from Calgary and Edmonton to Montreal. Timber and agriculture is driving foreign interest in Saskatoon.


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SIFU just released another short trailer full of kung fu brutality that even showcases some swordplay and reveals the release date.
Intense single-player fighting games are not something we often see today. If a game has a complex and incredibly skill-intensive melee combat system, it’s most probably a PvP game. This is exactly what Sloclap’s previous title is. Absolver is one of the most fun 1v1 games out there, but it never got the attention it deserved.
However, Sloclap brings that same satisfying and impactful combat system in SIFU, their latest project, that got a brand new trailer you can check out below:
This time around, we have a narrative, a main character, and hopefully a cool kung fu story. After all, our character gets older and more powerful each time he’s defeated. There’s got to be a cool backstory behind that and overall a cool story regarding our protagonist and his mission.
Whatever the case be, the launch date announcement trailer also showed some cool swordplay. You won’t just bash skulls and break legs, you can also slice people up with swift sword moves that look really cool and elegant.
Oh right, SIFU finally has a release date. The game’s launching on the Epic Games Store on February 22nd, 2022.
Check out their previous game, Absolver, on HRK Game today!


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Kodak has filled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, not that it comes as a surprise to anyone. However, It is sad. Kodak was one of the good guys. It was a company that connected people, that brought us closer together and formed one of the first asynchronous social connections.
Kodak allowed us to capture a moment of our lives, save it for later use, and send it to a friend. All long before the digital age of Instagram and Facebook, and Kodak was the one who started it.
You push the button, we do the rest. ~ George Eastman
Seeing a company like Kodak fail is sad. It shouldn't be this way, but, unfortunately, that is what happens when you refuse to let go of the old before you embrace the new. Now it is too late for them. There is no way for them to come back, because they no longer have any momentum. And their managers are no longer in the business of being great, they are only in the business of being in business.
Their plan now to give them time to sell off about 1,100 patents. But we have to ask, "then what?" They have no plan for the future. Selling patents might give them a bit more money to pay the bills, but it doesn't change anything. It is like peeing in your pants on a cold winter night. For a few seconds you get warmth, but then you freeze to death.
The only business Kodak has now is their inkjet printer business, which isn't going well. Not to mention that this business is also out-of-date. Nobody is going to need an inkjet printer in 3 years. Everyone is online. Everyone is connected.
The future for Kodak was to change their business from making films and move into the field of making lenses, SSD storage chips, or even become a smartphone developer. Kodak could have been the company who made the iPhone.
Kodak did have a small innovative period developing digital cameras, but like so many other big companies, they refused to let it interfere with their existing business models. They refused to let the old world die to build the new.
The problem is that Kodak made the same mistake as every other big company with a successful product. They became complacent, and when the trend curves started to change, they refused to look at the new. Instead they excused the new world with "it isn't that big".
But then came the exponential growth of the new and when that happened it was all over. You have to innovate before the new trends take off - not after.
From that point, Kodak was a laggard. A company whose only reason for staying in business, was to stay in business.
In May 1995, as Kodak was loosing market share to Fuji films, Kodak filed a petition with the World Trade Organization arguing that its poor performance in the Japanese market was a direct result of unfair practices adopted by Fuji. However on January 30, 1998, the WTO rejected Kodak's complaints.
In 2011, their main business strategy was to prevent other companies from moving forward, by focusing on patent lawsuits.
As the Wall Street Journal wrote:
Kodak has lost money each year but one since Mr. Perez, who previously headed the printer business at Hewlett-Packard Co., took over in 2005. The company's problems came to a head in 2011, as Mr. Perez's strategy of using patent lawsuits and licensing deals to raise cash ran dry.
Even the very idea of hiring a "printer guy" in 2005 illustrates just how out of touch with reality Kodak was.
There is no question that Kodak deserves to go bankrupt. They are nothing but a distraction, not worthy of anyone's time or money. And their managers deserve to be out of a job. They took a great company, stopped embracing the spirit of George Eastman, and let it rot.
I think we all remember the great Madmen episode about the Kodak Carousel. That was what Kodak used to be about.
Goodbye Kodak. You brought joy into our lives until your managers forgot to ask "why". It was nice knowing you.
Almost every time a news site launched something new, they also cover the same stories the same way.
Editorial analytics is the tool we use to define how to report the news.
Google wants to build tracking into the browser, and then remove personal identifiers ... but is that good?
AIs can be both good and bad, but using an AI to fake some text is always bad.
Many people in the media wants newspapers to be tax exempt, but what about the rest of the media?
When a publishers says that WhatsApp converts 12 times more people than their website, what does that actually mean?
Facebook said that it wouldn't block misleading political ads, so let's talk about that
Cookies today are doing all kinds of bad things, but did you know that the original creators wanted to stop that?
We all knew this would happen, but Google won't pay publishers for snippets.
Founder, media analyst, author, and publisher. Follow on Twitter
"Thomas Baekdal is one of Scandinavia's most sought-after experts in the digitization of media companies. He has made himself known for his analysis of how digitization has changed the way we consume media."
Swedish business magazine, Resumé


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Apple has become a leading consumer electronics company by reinventing the smartphone with the iPhone as well as the MP3 player with the iPod. Now Apple is looking to revolutionize computing with the iPad. And of course there's the Mac. Simply put, the company is firing on all cylinders.
Articles about Apple
Just get a new iPad (or iPhone)? Here are a few critical things that you should do right now to keep your new gadget safe and your privacy protected.
A gallery of screenshots from the new Apple Store for iPad shopping app.
Apple's exploding Lithium Polymer MacBook batteries are becoming a common issue. ZDNet's Violet Blue's MacBook Pro battery burst while in use, and worryingly, it still holds a charge.
Google continues to roll out enhanced services for the iPhone, including Google Play All Access Music and improved voice-enabled Google Now.
Apple's Campus 2, dubbed the "spaceship," comes to life with a whole new set of street-level renderings from the architects, submitted to Cupertino's city council.
Integrating Apple devices into the enterprise can lead to high implementation and management costs, as well as increased security risks. Companies must plan carefully and be ready for the...
Apple's latest high end smartphone should always better than the last one and the iPhone 5s proves that with a better processor, improved camera, useful fingerprint scanner, and more.
The newest iPad Air case from Trident is a compromise between protection and style.
When is the updated, 6th-generation version of Apple's flagship tablet coming? All signs point to October or November of 2014. But the real question is not when the product is going to be released, it's what's going to be in it.
The new silicone rubber and polycarbonate case for iPad Air from Hard Candy provides a lightweight but still protective alternative to Otterbox, Griffin, Trident and other extreme-protection products.
The most tech-savvy U.S. president to date, Barack Obama uses the best devices and technology for the job, in and outside of the White House. Here's a look at some of the devices, platforms and technology he uses to carry out his day-to-day presidential duties.
With Amazon and Apple both having unveiled their offerings ready for the holiday spending extravaganza, consumers are faced with a choice. So, let's put Apple's iPad Air up against Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX and see which comes out the winner.
The fifth-generation tablet, the iPad Air, retains the curves and design of its predecessors, yet is lighter and thinner. Here's the first few snapshots of the long-awaited device.
ZDNet takes OS X Mavericks, Apple's latest desktop and laptop operating system, for a test drive to show you what's new and improved.
Sarvi Designs turns to crowdfunding donations using Kickstarter to help launch its battery charger that will work even if the device is covered by a protective case.


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The construction of the new Lowe's of South Naples is on target and the store will open before the end of the year.
Located at the southwest corner of Collier Boulevard and U.S. 41 East in the Shops at Eagle Creek plaza, it is anticipated that the store will provide 175 jobs, according to Maureen Rich of Lowe's.
The company is accepting applications online at lowes.com/careers, where individuals can view the available positions.
The new Lowe's of South Naples will provide 116,000 square feet of retail sales space, which represents an average investment in the community of about $18.5 million, Rich said.
Groundbreaking was held in February and construction has moved along steadily.
County Commissioner Donna Fiala, who oversees where Lowe's will open, is pleased with the store's progress.
"I think it is thrilling that the construction has moved along so rapidly," she said. "I know people from Marco, Naples, all the way to Golden Gate, are excited."
While Rich could only confirm that the store will be open before the end of the year, Fiala thinks that it will open in December.
"I think they will have employees around the middle of November to begin to get the huge store stocked," she said.
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“This was a prudent decision by the FTC that shows that antitrust enforcement, in the hands of responsible regulators, is sufficiently adaptable to the realities of the Internet age,” said Ed Black, the group’s president.
The FTC has previously been criticized for not doing more to curb Google’s power. Most notably, the FTC signed off on Google’s $3.2 billion purchase of online advertising service DoubleClick in 2008 and its $681 million acquisition of mobile ad service AdMob in 2010. Google critics contend those deals gave the company too much control over the pricing of digital ads, which account for the bulk of Google’s revenue.
If Google breaks any part of the agreement, Leibowitz said the FTC can fine the company up to $16,000 per violation. Last year, the FTC determined that Google broke an agreement governing Internet privacy, resulting in a $22.5 million fine, though the company didn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing.
Google’s ability to protect its search recipe from government-imposed changes represents a major victory for a company that has always tried to portray itself as force for good. The Mountain View, Calif., company has portrayed its dominant search engine as a free service that is constantly tweaking its formula so that people get the information they desire more quickly and concisely.
“The conclusion is clear: Google’s services are good for users and good for competition,” David Drummond, Google’s top lawyer, wrote in a Thursday blog post.
Google’s tactics also have been extremely lucrative. Although Google has branched into smartphones and many other fields since its founding in a Silicon Valley garage in 1998, Internet search and advertising remains its financial backbone. The intertwined services still generate more than 90 percent of Google’s revenue, which now exceeds $50 billion annually.
Throughout the FTC investigation, Google executives also sought to debunk the notion that the company’s recommendations are the final word on the Internet. They pointed out that consumers easily could go to Microsoft’s Bing, Yahoo or other services to search for information. “Competition is just a click away,” became as much of a Google mantra as the company’s official motto: “Don’t be evil.”
Microsoft cast the FTC’s investigation as a missed opportunity.
“The FTC’s overall resolution of this matter is weak and — frankly —unusual,” Dave Heiner, Microsoft’s deputy general counsel, wrote on the company’s blog. “We are concerned that the FTC may not have obtained adequate relief even on the few subjects that Google has agreed to address.”
FairSearch, a group whose membership includes Microsoft, called the FTC’s settlement “disappointing and premature,” given that European regulators might be able to force Google to make more extensive changes.
“The FTC’s inaction on the core question of search bias will only embolden Google to act more aggressively to misuse its monopoly power to harm other innovators,” FairSearch asserted.
Yelp also criticized the FTC’s handling of the case, calling “it a missed opportunity to protect innovation in the Internet economy, and the consumers and businesses that rely upon it.”
Investors had already been anticipating Google would emerge from the inquiry relatively unscathed.
Google’s stock rose 42 cents Thursday to close at $723.67. Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Wash., shed 37 cents, or 1.3 percent, to finish at $27.25.
In a research note Thursday, Macquarie Securities analyst Benjamin Schachter described the settlement as “the best possible outcome” for Google. “We believe that the terms of the agreement will have very limited negative financial or strategic implications for the company.” Schachter wrote.