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The Wall Street Journal recently reported that credit scores have reached a record high and that “the average credit score nationwide hit 700 in April.” According to the Journal, we’ve come a long way since the Great Recession. The impacts of the mortgage and credit crisis of 2008 are fading, unemployment is down and, importantly, consumers who got into financial trouble last decade are seeing foreclosures and bankruptcies being cleared from their reports.
That last point may be most important. The fallout from the crash impacted consumers for a few years after the initial shock, so this could be the beginning of a trend that will last a few years. But what does it all mean for payment cards and card marketers? We decided to make a few guesses.
Hypothesis #1: Rewards ratchet up
According to a recent study commissioned by MagnifyMoney, issuers are spending more on rewards programs than ever before. Among the six largest issuers, who make up over 65% of the card market, bank spending to support rewards programs has doubled since 2010, from $10.6 billion to $22.6 billion. There’s a good reason for that: loyalty is higher among rewards cardholders. They tend to spend more often, spend more per transaction and are less likely to attrite.
For issuers, much of the spending increase is due to richer sign-up incentives (like the much written about 100,000-point bonus from Chase) and richer value propositions (like Citi’s Costco Anywhere Visa’s 4% back offer). Getting customers onboard and keeping them happy is key to long-term success because they rarely cancel rewards cards. In fact, the MagnifyMoney study found that only 6.7% of consumers plan to cancel a card that they opened in the last year.
With an increase in consumers becoming more creditworthy, they will become increasingly eligible for rewards cards. As issuers compete for that spend, this could lead to an increasing number of attention grabbing bonuses offers like Chase Sapphire Reserve and value props with more aggressive earns.
Hypothesis #2: High-end cards become more common
In reporting on “premium” rewards cards, Bankrate recently talked to payment consultant Brian Riley who said that the minimum credit score you need for a premium rewards card is between 680 and 700. Guess what? The average credit score is now 700!
For years we’ve see an increasing number of cards targeted at higher-end customers, especially travelers. And just recently we’ve taken note that in the U.S. several issuers have launched Visa Infinite cards. Among them are Chase, City National Bank, UBS and U.S. Bank. Outside the U.S., Infinite cards were essentially the overseas version of Visa Signature. Now, however, the line is also available to American consumers and has been recast as a step above Signature (which has become ubiquitous) with additional perks that are most relevant to travelers, though those perks do generally come with an annual fee.
Does this mean that Visa and its issuers are trying to establish a new category of “high-end” cards? It’s too early to tell if this is a trend or if these new cards will catch on, but now that the average credit score is 700, that could shift the premium card “floor.” Issuers may need to raise the ceiling to offer more products at the higher end.
Hypothesis #3: Balance transfer offers get extended
It’s fairly common to see 0% intro APR offers run for about 6-12 months, but there are a couple cards that offer significantly extended duration BTs. The Chase Slate card offers 0% for 15 months and the Citi Simplicity card offers 0% for a whopping 21 months. At first these offers seem to contradict the WSJ credit score report. After all, Americans are getting more responsible with credit, so why do they need these long duration offers?
But if you think about it, there are incentives for both consumers and issuers to take advantage of relatively long-term BT offers. As consumers look to clear lingering debit from the recession, they can transfer balances from higher interest rate cards to save money. And with rates likely on the rise, the timing might be right to jump at an offer. Issuers have the opportunity to get new customers who may be paying down outstanding debits while increasing their creditworthiness. A year or two down the road, those established cardholders may qualify for a rewards card, and if issuers are smart that will lead to…
Hypothesis #4: Upgrades, upgrades, upgrades
More than anything, the news about credit scores improving gives card marketers a golden opportunity to look at their existing customers and target the best ones for card upgrades. After all, the customer already knows the issuer, and the issuer knows that the customer is creditworthy and pays on time. Plus, the issuer can better match the customer to the right product based on spend history.
The upgrade provides an easy opportunity to potentially get cardholders spending more via rewards cards and can lead to improved satisfaction if they feel the issuer is “listening” to them.
Hypothesis #5 – The downfall of debit
Could rising credit scores lead to less spend on debit? Possibly, but in a very indirect way. In the wake of the Great Recession, the Durbin amendment allowed for caps on debit interchange fees. That lead to issuers making less money on debit transactions and an almost overnight shift away from any debit rewards programs. The main benefit of debit is now control: when customer use their cards, the funds come directly out of their DDAs so they can’t overspend.
But… if more creditworthy consumers are approved for rewards cards, is it possible that getting points or cash back will become more valuable than control? It’s possible, and it could mean a shift in spend from debit to credit is coming.
I make no guarantees that any of these musings will come to pass, but it’s a sure bet that improving credit scores will have some impact on the payment cards landscape. And it’s also very likely that we will be seeing those impacts play out for years to come.


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Tata Nexon diesel not discontinued, Tata Motors issues clarification over rumours- Technology News, Technomiz
tech2 News StaffJun 09, 2021 19:20:46 IST
In response to certain reports that surfaced online recently, Tata Motors has issued a clarification over the Tata Nexon diesel. The carmaker has refuted reports that suggested the diesel version of the Nexon was being discontinued and chose to clear the air over its plans for the compact SUV’s variant line-up. Citing strong demand for the Nexon diesel, Tata has said it chose to prune the Nexon’s variant range to help make the buying process simpler for customers, and also mentioned updates for some of the variants.
In its statement, Tata Motors said, “To simplify the choices for its customers, Tata Motors has opted to discontinue select variants and introduced updates in others. The Nexon is now available in 20 variants, offering customers an exciting product proposition at different price points and the most choice in the compact SUV segment.”
With this move, the total number of Tata Nexon variants is down to 20 – 12 petrol variants, and eight diesel variants. Four main trims from the diesel line-up – including the XE, XMA, XZ and XZA + (S) – have been discontinued; most likely due to low demand for these variants.
Now that the base XE trim is gone, the Tata Nexon diesel range starts at Rs 9.49 lakh for the XM variant. The diesel-AMT range, meanwhile, starts at Rs 10.56 lakh for the XZA+ variant (all prices, ex-showroom).
It is a routine practice for most manufacturers to regularly update their model lines, and Tata Motors has been ringing in the changes for its offerings, with the Nexon getting new five-spoke alloy wheels, dropping the Tectonic Blue paint option as well as select physical buttons from its dashboard. Tata Motors now also offers just five colour options for each model across its entire combustion-engine passenger vehicle portfolio.
Tata Motors chose to invest in and stick with a diesel engine option for the Nexon at a time when the then-segment leader, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, went the petrol-only route. It remains among the few diesel models on sale today with a starting price of under Rs 10 lakh.
#Tata #Nexon #diesel #discontinued #Tata #Motors #issues #clarification #rumours #Technology #News #Technomiz

domain: news


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Tesla Produced 365,923 Electric Vehicles in the Q3
3 october, 2022
Apple continues to fill out the team which is working on the creation of the future car. This time the company has hired Luigi Taraborrelli, one of Lamborghini's top car development managers.
Luigi Taraborrelli worked for 20 years at Lamborghini, most recently as head of the chassis and vehicle dynamics. Under him, the Urus, Huracan and Aventador models were created, as well as the Huracan Sterrato SUV and the Asterion concept car.
Apple has been hiring for a long time. Hundreds of former engineers from Tesla, Rivian, Waymo, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz are already working on the car project. The company also has former senior designers from Tesla, McLaren, Porsche and Aston Martin on staff.
However, Apple is facing staff turnover. Former project manager Doug Field and artificial intelligence specialist Ian Goodfellow have recently left the company.
The car project is now led by Kevin Lynch, who also oversees the Apple Watch and health software teams, and John Giannandrea, the company's head of machine learning.
2 october, 2022
2 september, 2022
19 july, 2022


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Beginning on Sept 1st 2009, Speedhunters will be presenting a special month-long collaboration project with BMW. Corresponding with the launch of Need for Speed SHIFT, Speedhunters is celebrating BMW month with a series of editorial stories focusing on BMW cars, history and motorsports milestones.
The site will be showcasing all facets of BMW culture, from modded cars to racing history and in-depth car features on BMW’s latest GT and Touring Car race machines.
In May 2008, the Need for Speed brand launched an international car culture blog called Speedhunters.com. Speedhunters teamed up with automotive bloggers, photographers and drivers from across the globe to bring together and present the latest contemporary car culture.
The website quickly drew an international following and currently has over 400,000 unique visitors each month. 60% of these viewers return to the site several times per day on average for a total of 11 minutes.
Speedhunters.com features event coverage from across the globe, from Le Mans, the Tokyo Auto Salon, Goodwood Festival of Speed, to the latest drifting crazes in Japan, Europe and the US. Each month the site features a selection of retrospective articles, new car tests, modified street machines and race car features.


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When the technology and Wall Street pundits weighed in with their first impressions of the Galaxy S4 smartphone that Samsung unveiled Thursday, they framed their comments in the metaphor of a classic bout between Apple and its main rival. Did Samsung knock out Apple with an innovation it can’t match? Will Samsung’s bulging basket of goodies win over customers? And, of course, there were the inevitable comparisons of showmanship: Samsung’s bevy of Broadway actors at Radio City Music Hall vs. the man in blue jeans and black turtleneck saying, “One more thing…”
But if you reframe the way you evaluate Samsung’s top-of-the-line smartphone, it becomes clear that there is a winner: the mobile ecosystem. And that makes this good and important news for consumers and the financial services industry. As Mary Monahan wrote in her February analysis of trends driving mobile imaging, 2012 marked the turning point when mobile-phone owners were more likely to tote a smartphone than a feature phone (52% vs. 49%). Whether you believe the S4 is truly innovative or feature creep, the reality is that this device only speeds the day when virtually every American will tote a smartphone and will use it in everyday ways for monitoring and managing their finances. Is an individual consumer likely to base a phone-buying decision on the fact that the S4 boasts 13- and 2-megapixel cameras, eight core processors, 441-pixel retinal display, microSD expandable up to 64 gigs, dual-camera display, and so forth? Is that significantly better than the iPhone 5? Maybe not. But the fact that the two leading smartphone manufacturers have raised the bar on the technological quality of power of smartphones means that all rivals must raise their game.
In short order a critical mass of smartphones will have those capabilities. And because these devices are more powerful, the financial services industry can be even more innovative with things such as mobile deposit, mobile bill pay, document scanning, “face-to-face” customer service with video, card-not-present online and mobile purchases, digital account opening, financial alerts that can be evaluated with a hovering fingertip, and the overall speed and quality of conducting financial transactions on a mobile device. Don’t forget that arguably the most captivating mobile-banking feature to date – mobile deposit – truly couldn’t take off until 2-megapixel cameras became common features.
As the pundits rightfully noted, consumers might not discern much additional quality when they take snapshots at the beach. But they are likely to find their smartphones are a whole lot more useful and essential when they can photograph checks in low light, capture documents with tiny legal fine print, or scan documents that range in size from a driver’s license to a poster – and then process that information in the blink of an eye to satisfy our demand for fast transactions. So, who’s the winner of the latest round of Samsung vs. Apple bout? Consumers.


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Packers Legends Cruise: Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage with Packers greats!
GREEN BAY — Green Bay Packers fans will have the opportunity to join Packers players and alumni aboard the Packers Legends Cruise, a five-night Caribbean cruise in March of 2018, the organization announced Tuesday, December 6th.
According to a release from Packers officials, the once-in-a-lifetime, interactive vacation will feature five nights aboard the luxurious Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, where fans will have unique opportunities to engage with some of the most celebrated Packers players in team history.
The Packers Legends Cruise will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 10th, 2018, and sail to Puerto Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico before returning to Fort Lauderdale on March 15th.
According to Packers officials, guests sailing on the Packers Legends Cruise will enjoy four full days of interaction with their favorite Packers including LeRoy Butler, Ahman Green, Dorsey Levens, Dave Robinson, Andre Rison, Ryan Longwell, Bill Schroeder, George Koonce, Craig Hentrich and others.
Additional alumni and current players attending will be announced at a later date.
Fans will enjoy opportunities to mingle with the Packers players and alumni and can spend time with them at one of the ship’s many lounges and pools. The players will also join in exciting activities for fans of all ages both at sea and on shore, including a Welcome Aboard Show, Green Bay’s Got Talent competition, Super Bowl XXXI Rewind, Remembering Reggie White, question-and-answer sessions, sports deck competitions, belly flop competitions, kids-only interactive games, live auctions, and shows featuring legendary Green Bay-area artists and musicians. Additionally, items such as autograph passes and private player dinners can be purchased, allowing fans to gain additional access to the players and priceless souvenirs.
The Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas is packed with onboard experiences — including the FlowRider® surf simulator, a rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, cantilevered whirlpools, mini-golf course, 10 pools and several spa options.
Fans can reserve space aboard the Packers Legends Cruise now by calling 844/582-1119 or visiting www.packerslegendscruise.com.
Packages include all-you-can-eat dining, non-alcoholic beverages and access to public Packers Legends Cruise and Royal Caribbean Cruise events. Cabins start at just $699 per person.
This cruise is not available for purchase through Royal Caribbean.


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A top VC is teaming up with the co-founder of Coinbase to launch an investment fund that’s all about cryptocurrency
- Sequoia partner Matt Huang is leaving the venture capital firm in June to launch a new fund focused on cryptocurrency.
- Fred Ehrsam, co-founder of the $1.6 billion cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, is co-launching the fund.
Sequoia partner Matt Huang is teaming up with Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam to launch a brand new fund, focused entirely on cryptocurrencies.
The new fund was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, and confirmed to Business Insider by Sequoia.
Huang, who joined Sequoia in 2014, will leave the firm in June, though Sequoia will make a substantial investment in the fund, according to the Journal.
"Matt will remain a good friend of Sequoia and we wish him great success," said Alfred Lin, a partner at Sequoia, in a statement.
Huang, whose own company HotSpots was acquired by Twitter in 2012, previously invested in enterprise companies like Crew and PlanGrid, along with more consumer-focused companies like Reddit. But lately, his attention has been focused on blockchain technology.
He's so far invested millions in two blockchain startups — Orchid Labs and Filecoin — and two cryptocurrency hedge funds, MetaStable and Polychain Capital.
"Once you spend enough time in the area, there's enough real substance coming to the forefront and strong legitimate teams working on interesting problems that I think it is a really promising space for investing," Huang told Business Insider back in November.
Ehrsam, who helped build the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase into a $1.6 billion company, is also well known in the blockchain arena.
A former Goldman Sachs trader, Ehrsam stepped down from Coinbase in early 2017, but has stayed on the board of directors.
- This tech CEO shares his secret for his 100% approval rating on Glassdoor — and any manager can do it
- These are the 21 most highly-funded tech startups from the last quarter — and most of them you've never heard of
- Designers at SoFi and Robinhood explain how they trick users into actually saving (and making) money


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A food and drinks company from Cumbria has launched a new campaign to highlight the importance of buying locally sourced meat.
The 'Frae Owwer Yonder' branding is being launched by Caterlite who are based in Embleton.
The slogan, meaning 'From just over there', is aimed at encouraging people to take more notice of where their meat is coming from.
The company, who supply pubs, restaurants and hotels across the county, are unveiling the new branding at a food and drinks exhibition at Rheged near Penrith.
More top news
Not a bad start to the week. A little chilly on Monday morning, any mist lifting quickly
Emma brings you ITV Border's Sunday Weather Forecast.
Clear start, patchy cloud at the east coast, some mist forming further west. Cool in the countryside


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Friday, February 12, 2010
© Copyright 2015
Gwinnett Daily Post
SUWANEE -- City officials announced recently that the 2010 Suwanee Farmers Market will not only be open for business on Saturday mornings, but Tuesday evenings as well.
"Our farmers are excited to be able to offer fresh produce twice a week through the Suwanee market," said Events Coordinator Amy Doherty. "Now, those residents who enjoy sleeping in on the weekend have a chance to enjoy fresh, in-season produce, too."
Beginning May 1 and going through Oct. 12, the Farmers Market will open at Town Center Park from 8 a.m. until noon Saturdays and from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays.
Each week, nearly two dozen vendors offer in-season produce, herbs and plants, free-range meat and eggs, baked goods and jams and jellies.
For those interested in participating in the Farmers Market, guidelines and applications are available at www.suwanee.com, though a city spokeswoman said applications will not be accepted until the annual Farmers Market meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. March 29 at Suwanee City Hall.


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After France led the world by putting forth crypto and blockchain regulations, activities in the crypto world have picked up pace. Recently, Chile, a South American country, saw a 180-degree switch as Felipe Larraín, Chile’s finance minister, announced introducing a bill to the parliament on regulating cryptocurrencies and fintech.
The crypto industry in the country has been taking pace, regulations will enable the industry to smoothly operate, expand and flourish. Moreover, with a framework, the interests and protection of citizens investing in cryptos can be dealt with. Chile is often criticized for being old school when it comes to innovation in the fintech sector. So, with blockchain and cryptocurrency regulations, numerous innovative projects and startups can be supported. Moreover, regulations will ensure that companies offering blockchain and crypto solutions, explore more use cases and renovate the current way of implementing projects
While visiting U.S. to attend World/IMF Spring Meetings, Felipe Larraín revealed that he has forwarded the bill to Chilean Congress in order to cater to the needs of all business models involving cryptocurrencies. He clarified that instead of a blanket rule, a general rule applicable to everyone, the bill proposes requirements proportional to the businesses. He explained that as business models are capable of taking different forms and offering unique services, regulation needs to deal with the requirements proportionally. He said:
Taking into account the different forms taken by the business models of these platforms and also the fact that different platforms can provide different services, the regulation will apply requirements proportionally, regulating according to the type of service provided and the risks that this implies for the users and for the financial market.
At the moment, bitcoin and altcoins are not recognized by the monetary system of Chile. Consequently, there are no regulations for the cryptocurrencies and crypto exchanges, established in the country. Larraín highlighted that the primary motive to regulate cryptocurrencies is to minimize the risk associated with them. Describing the objective, he stated:
A regulation to these platforms would mitigate some of these risks, such as money laundering and financing of terrorism, and increase the legal certainty with which they operate. We want to adequately protect the risks associated with this activity.
Although cryptocurrencies were not bestowed any economic value or significance in the past, they were derogated by the Central Bank of Chile (BCC). BCC showed severe opposition to decentralized digital assets by stating that bitcoin isnot capable of replacing fiat, sharing its perspective:
Currently, there is no evidence that would allow the conclusion that Bitcoin, or any other crypto asset, or crypto assets in general, will substitute legal currencies.
Besides, BCC refused to acknowledge the presence of crypto market in the country by declaring it to be negligible. According to a report, the first company to offer purchase and selling of bitcoin in Chile was Yaykuy, established in 2014. Along with SurBTC, ChileBit.net and TradeBTC, Yaykuy accounted for over $ 7 million in revenue per month while serving thousands of Chileans. Banks displayed hostile behavior towards bitcoin and other cryptos and build a narrative that cryptocurrency regulations were not important for the country as they were used by a very small percentage of Chileans. Cryptos have the potential to improve current financial systems and even replace it with blockchain projects, they are risky substitutes for the bank. This explains why banks try to hinder mass adoption by all means.
The rivalry between Chilean banks and cryptocurrency heated up when the banks closed the accounts of crypto exchanges, BUDA, Orionx and CryptoMarket, without any explanation. When the incident took place, bitcoin and local coins enthusiasts responded with trend #ChileQuiereCryptos, which meant Chile wants crypto, on Twitter. Later, the Chilean anti-monopoly court, known as the Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia (TDLC), ordered the banks to revert their actions.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies haven’t been of interest to most South American countries. Countries like Bolivia and Ecuador have been quite aggressive while dealing with digital currencies because they believed that people could lose money while investing in unregulated and volatile cryptocurrencies. Therefore, to protect investors from highly fluctuating prices of cryptos, they both have imposed strict bans on all cryptos except SDE token, an Ecuadorian government-issued currency, allowed in Ecuador only. Ecuador, after realizing that electronic money is more attractive for citizens, decided to launch its own token for its citizens. The country believes that SDE token is not volatile like bitcoin and other cryptos and only the use of regulated SDE token is allowed.
Mostly, countries in the region do not realize the potential of bitcoin and other digital assets so attention and efforts toward regulating them are anticipated. However, many retailers and merchants accept cryptos as a mode of payment and countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Chile collect capital gains tax from people profiting from crypto trade.
Cryptocurrencies and the underlying technology, blockchain, are well-known for innovation. The trend to regulate them is finally spreading over continents. After France stood up for Europe and Andrew Yang, 2020 U.S. presidential candidate offered to take care of crypto regulations if he comes to power, Chile is continuing the successful journey of bitcoin and other cryptos. Though different countries from other continents have joined in, states accepting the significance of devising a framework for the cryptocurrency is not dense. These countries have only ignited the fire while there still remains plenty of uncovered territory for cryptocurrencies. In the future, it would be of great interest to see how rapidly the fire spreads before sizzling out.


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You Can Order a Pizza With Ford’s New In-Car App
Ford's relentless push to add as many apps to its Sync portfolio has finally peaked. With pizza.
Weblink Aims to Bridge the Nagging Smartphone-Car Disconnect
While Ford and GM are opening their dashboards to developers to accelerate the creation of automotive apps, Abalta Technologies has introduced a solution for making...
At SXSW, Making the Most of a Meager Showing of Auto Tech
SXSW Interactive is one of the world’s biggest tech events, but the automotive focus that's taken over shows like CES and Mobile World Congress hasn't...
Spotify Officially Coming to Ford
Ford's ever-expanding portfolio of AppLink-compatible apps is growing yet again with the addition of Spotify.
Exclusive: Ford Wants to Create the Android of Automotive Apps
In an unprecedented move for the auto industry, Ford is giving the architecture underpinning its Sync infotainment system to any automaker who wants it, at...


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More grocery stores are participating in drive thru like grocery pick ups in the Metro area. HyVee had already done it and recently, Target began doing the same. According to a release, Target expanded the drive up program to 270 stores on April 17 after a successful pilot in Minneapolis this year.
The process is simple, customers can order and pay online and then pull up to designated lanes in front of the store. Their groceries will be bagged and brought to their car by a store associate.


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Lynne Mowbray |
The Grafton Base Hospital’s coffee shop, North Grafton General Store, has reluctantly shut up shop for the last time, on Friday last week.
Marie and Craig Howe, who have owned the business for the last eight and a half years, said that restrictions imposed by the Northern NSW Local Health District NNSWLHD in December last year to only sell sugar free drinks, has impacted on their business.
“Last week we sat down and had a good look at the shops finances,” Mr Howe said.
“What these new restrictions have done, has made it so that the shops just not making money.
“There are another two shops within walking distance, where you can get whatever you want without any restrictions.
“We agree that it’s not good to eat and drink too much sugar, but this certainly isn’t the way to solve that, by putting one business out of business, by a stupid restriction because we’re (located) on hospital grounds.
“Do the pencil pushers in Sydney or wherever the hell they’re sitting; think that by not selling sugary drinks in one shop in Grafton, it’s going to make people healthy?
“All that it’s really done is made our shop unviable. Because when people want their can of Coke or lemonade, they go somewhere else to buy it now. And while they’re there, they buy their lunch and everything else,” he said.
Mr Howe said that the drink restrictions were bad enough, but the NNSWLHD will also be imposing new food restrictions in December, which will impact further on his business.
“We’ve also been trying to get a lease out of the NNSWLHD for the last four and a half years; so we’ve been operating without a lease.
“The only time we’ve had anyone contact us about a lease was on Thursday (the day before we closed) – three days after we announced that we were going to close.
“They didn’t really come with a lease offer, it was more of a suck up to say that they’ve worked with us to try and keep it going; but they haven’t.
“We were told (at the end of last year) that we would have a lease offer by January/February this year and Thursday was the first time we’ve heard from them and it’s too late now,” he said.
Mr Howe said that they have been touched by the positive comments from the community on the shops Facebook site, after the announcement that the shop would be closing and they will miss the interaction with the community.
“We have had people come in before their dialysis or chemo treatment,” Mr Howe said.
“It’s been a good place for people to come for a break when they’ve got people in hospital with big issues; they can come in and just have half an hour break.
“That’s why I hope that a local person takes it (the business) over and can keep it going, because those people need someone like that in the shop.
“But unfortunately we can’t (continue to) provide that; at the expense of our family’s welfare.
“I’m sure that there will be someone local who is willing to have a crack at it; and I hope there is,” he said.
At the time of going to print, no comment had been received from Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD).


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Worcester free car giveaway, Seeds now available, Connecticut offsite event permits, Delivery dupe
Consumers and patients can now obtain seeds from dispensaries in Massachusetts, Connecticut is looking at offsite event permits for cannabis businesses, Rhode Island lawmakers are frustrated with ongoing delays, and a website claiming to do cannabis delivery is causing chaos for a family in Boston by using their home address. All this and much more on today’s episode of New England Cannabis News Today
New England Cannabis News Today (NEC News Today) is a daily-updated resource for news and information on the cannabis industry and community in New England that includes a weekly video series covering the latest headlines and events from the region. Join Jeremiah MacKinnon for the latest cannabis news around New England.


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Rayman Origins on Nintendo 3DS pushed back to June
After a delay earlier in the year, Ubisoft have now confirmed both western release dates for Rayman Origins on Nintendo 3DS.
Fifteen years after the first launch of Rayman, this critically acclaimed return reinvents the wheel with strikingly artistic visuals and characters revived in 2D form.
Players will guide Rayman through a solo campaign that encompasses over 60 vast levels, suited toward all ages and all playing styles. Along the way you can unlock new abilities progressively and return to previous levels to discover new paths and secrets.
Rayman Origins will release for Nintendo 3DS across North America on June 5th, and Europe on June 8th.


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Fruit and vegetables that are fresh, frozen or canned without added fat, sugars or salt are set to get the top health rating.
The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation, meeting in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, considered a landmark report on the health star rating system.
The ministers agreed the voluntary system, which provides a star rating from 0.5 to 5, is a useful tool to assist consumers in making healthy food choices and should continue with some amendments.
Among the recommendations are allowing some canned and frozen fruit and vegetables to automatically get the "5 star" rating, increasing the rating of some yoghurts and cheeses while reducing others, and strengthening the negative impact of total sugars and high salt levels in the rating calculator.
A communique issued after the meeting said the ministers "noted and agreed that for some minimally processed foods such as canned and frozen fruits and vegetables having a 5-star rating may be beneficial to consumers".
More work was agreed on the rating of edible oils.
The ministers also sought a report on the labelling and naming of plant-based alternatives to animal-derived products - such as almond "milk" - over fears consumers could be misled.
© AAP 2021


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- Apple is holding a "shot on iPhone" photography contest to select 10 of the best photos taken with an iPhone.
- The contest is running through Feburary 7.
- Initially, Apple did not mention any payment for the winners — the prize was having your photo on billboards and in advertisements.
- But after artists called the contest "exploitative," Apple has updated the contest page to add a "licensing fee."
Apple is holding a photography contest right now to select 10 of the best photos taken with an iPhone for use on billboards, advertisements, and in-store displays.
Late Thursday, Apple added one more key element to the contest: Prize money.
When the contest was announced, the contest rules did not mention any payment for the photos, which Apple is planning to use in its marketing. "No substitutions or cash redemptions. Prize has no cash value," Apple said in its rules for the contest.
But that's changed, reports the Verge. Apple has added language to its announcement to mention that "artists should be compensated for their work."
"Photographers who shoot the final 10 winning photos will receive a licensing fee for use of such photos on billboards and other Apple marketing channels," according to the edited announcement.
The change was made after the Verge interviewed an artist who called the contest "exploitation" because it was asking artists to give up rights without payment.
—Timothy J. Reynolds (@turnislefthome) January 23, 2019
It's entirely possible that Apple planned to pay the winners of the contest, but didn't mention it in its contest rules. Apple has used "Shot on iPhone" submissions in the past in its marketing, and it's logical that it would pay for photos it's licensing for advertising purposes.
But it was still a bad look for Apple to hold a big contest and advertise the prize as being part of Apple marketing. The newly added line about a licensing fee corrects that appearance.
The contest runs through Feburary 7, and Apple is going to chose 10 winners. It's assembled a panel of 10 judges, including Pete Souza, the former chief White House photographer for President Barack Obama, and three Apple employees who work on camera software and marketing.
Have you ever had a photo selected for a "Shot on iPhone" campaign? We'd love to speak to you. Email the author at firstname.lastname@example.org. We can keep you anonymous.


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By Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN Business
Three Chick-fil-A locations in Alabama and one in Georgia have closed their dining rooms, citing challenges in hiring the workers they need.
One of these, in Calera, Alabama, has also stopped curbside delivery and is limiting its catering ordering. Another, in Madison, Alabama, said it would stop curbside and mobile carryout.
The restaurants represent just a fraction of Chick-fil-A’s restaurants in North America. There are over 2,600 Chick-fil-A locations in the United States and Canada, most of which are owned by franchise operators.
But the situation described by the locations is representative of the experience of many restaurants across the country. Operators have been struggling to hire as workers turn to other careers and stay away from stressful restaurant jobs where they have to deal with frustrated customers and may be exposed to the coronavirus.
In April, May and June the rate of quits per share of employment in the accommodation and food services sector, which includes restaurants, held steady at 5.7%, according to seasonally adjusted data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s far higher than the quit rate across all sectors, which was 2.7% in June. Experts say that when restaurants are short-staffed, it can be even trickier to hire because of the stress placed on remaining employees, among other things.
“Due to lack of staff, we have resorted back to serving guests through our Drive-Thru only,” reads an August 17 Facebook post published on the Chick-fil-A Calera page.
“Chick-fil-A is not immune to this labor shortage,” reads another post published later that week. “We are doing everything we can to hire more team members. We are seeing far less job applicants, people not showing up for their interviews, or accepting a job only to resign within their first couple weeks,” the post continued.
Restaurant worker advocates say that there’s a wage shortage, rather than a labor shortage. Indeed, many restaurants have been trying to lure workers with higher wages and other perks. Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden, boosted pay earlier this year. Chipotle did as well, and said that the higher wages and other perks have helped it staff up.
On the Chick-fil-A McCalla page, a post from August 21 explains that its decision was made because “our team cannot continue at the pace we are at,” adding that “our team members are exhausted and there is no relief for them in our roster.” On the same day, Chick-fil-A Madison posted to Facebook that its employees “work hard every day, but they are tired and overextended.”
Earlier this month a Chick-fil-A location in Columbus, Georgia also said that it was closing its dining room because of staffing issues.
A Chick-fil-A spokesperson told CNN Business that Chick-fil-A restaurants are independently owned and operated, and that the operators make the call on whether to reduce operations. The spokesperson added that customers should check Chick-fil-A’s website or app to see what their local location offers.
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


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The Food & Drink Industry News & Analysis
Vegan Ice Cream, Social Change
What began as a way to make ice cream more accessible for those with dietary restrictions has progressed into something perhaps even more impactful: saving the planet.
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The Key Food in Milford, formerly Grand Union and Milford Farms, has long been known for its rundown appearance. For decades, area residents have grumbled about its condition, especially in the last year, when it appeared to have stooped to a new low. Dark aisles, empty freezers and out of date equipment underscored the desperate need for an overhaul.
Now, it will be receiving a much-needed makeover and made to shine again, courtesy of the store’s new owner.
New Owner Junior Dabashi
Dabashi was born in Yemen and came to the United States in 1998. According to Dabashi, his family, who had already been here for years when he arrived, has been in the retail business ever since he can remember. Currently they own stores in Brooklyn, New York and one in upstate New York.
Dabashi is both passionate about running his own store, as well as getting involved with the community.
“My family has been in the retail business for over 40 years,” said Dabashi. “We are family operated, and we have stores in New York City and upstate New York. We have a lot of community stores, and my family wants to work with the people around us and our store.”
“It’s going to take a while, because we are family owned and operated, but the renovations will take place, and by the end of it, it will be like a brand new store,” Key Foods’ Owner, Junior Dabashi.
According to Dabashi, considerable work is needed throughout the store. Some of the coming changes include, new freezers, new cases in the meat and deli departments, as well as new produce and dairy cases. Registers will be replaced, and shelving throughout the entire store will be redone, all reflecting the attitude of the new ownership.
According to Dabashi, there are also larger projects already planned for the store. The floor, which has desperately needed replacing, will be redone and the leaky roof will be replaced. Signs inside the store will be cleaned and fixed to give them a fresh look. Finally, the crumbling parking lot will be re-paved in August.
“It’s going to take a while, because we are family owned and operated, but the renovations will take place, and by the end of it, it will be like a brand new store,” said Dabashi.
Dabashi also plans to gradually expand the store’s selections with products the store currently does not carry. He plans to incorporate natural and organic products, as well as gluten-free foods. According to Dabashi, shoppers can expect to see more selection and better quality foods as renovations proceed.
“There were too many things wrong with the store. There were no products and everything from the freezers to the signs were really old.” Key Food Owner, Junior Dabashi
To make the store successful, Dabashi is working to ensure that it has a solid place in the Milford community. Dabashi invites people to visit the store, and is looking forward to participating in community-centered events. Additionally, when the renovations are complete, a grand opening is planned with live music and food.
“We are going to try to work with the community and we’re going to be involved with events in the area,” said Dabashi. “My family has bought stores like this before, that are very rundown, and we work together as a family to clean them up and make them into community stores.”


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Singapore home-grown food company BreadTalk has returned to the Indian market with an outlet in Delhi kicking off sales on Tuesday, a day before its actual opening.
The venture is BreadTalk's second foray into India, where modern-style bakeries and bakery cafes are becoming increasingly popular.
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The freshly re-united Laings group has opened an exclusive and temporary retail offer to allow customers the opportunity to snap up premium stock at discounted prices.
With two stores in Edinburgh the company decided to transform its Watch Boutique on Frederick Street into the exclusive jewellery Outlet Boutique.
Running until August, consumers have a limited time to buy jewellery pieces with up to 75% slashed off the price.
Kat Barron, general manager of Laings in Edinburgh commented: “We have some fabulous and unique pieces waiting to be discovered at our Outlet Boutique, all at fantastic prices. We’re looking forward to welcoming both returning and new customers into our store where our team would be delighted to help you explore what’s on offer.”
The Outlet features a range of gemstone products, including morganite, sapphire, ruby and diamond pieces and jewellery from exclusive Laings collections, such as Iconic, Spirit and Blossom.
Laings will also launch an Outlet Sale on its website.


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Microsoft has announced that their increasingly unpopular web browser Internet Explorer will be phased out to create a new standard on Windows 10. It will be replaced by Project Spartan as Windows 10’s primary browser. Microsoft will still include Internet Explorer in some versions of Windows 10 for the sake of compatibility, but the goal of the company is to make a better browser that will help improve the image of the Microsoft as a whole. The company is also still trying to come up with a final name for the new browser. Microsoft’s marketing chief Chris Capossela had this to say:
“We’re now researching what the new brand, or the new name, for our browser should be in Windows 10. We’ll continue to have Internet Explorer, but we’ll also have a new browser called Project Spartan, which is codenamed Project Spartan. We have to name the thing,” Chris Capossela at Microsoft Convergence.
Despite all of Microsoft’s efforts, they really could never get Internet Explorer’s reputation back out of the overall extremely negative. Thankfully, Project Spartan seems to be a step in the right direction that has a lot of Windows users excited. Microsoft clearly sees the need to separate themselves from the Internet Explorer brand as quickly as possible. Hopefully they can improve their image and services with Windows 10 and Project Spartan.by


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The Evolving Market in ’21
I’m working with a local, South Florida business owner who is considering selling his business. He’s owned it for nearly twenty years, and it’s been a very profitable enterprise. Selling something he’s spent a lifetime building is an emotional decision for him, but he recognizes we have an opportunity to negotiate a lucrative exit. His business has proven to be one of the lucky “pandemic proof” businesses, remaining profitable during COVID. Therefore, he can potentially cash in on the Sellers’ Market that exists for the approximately 20% of small businesses that fall onto this category. According to a recent industry insight report, the median sale price for these businesses was up 12% in 2020.
Of course, most businesses were not pandemic resistant, and last year was historically challenging. According to the report, 18% of surveyed owners delayed selling their businesses due to a loss in customers and revenue. Hopefully, the months ahead will find more Americans getting vaccinated, the pandemic footprint decreasing, customers returning, and along with them, the value that may have been lost. If all those variables align, we can expect to find more business owners feeling comfortable enough to sell. I recommend business owners be able to show two consecutive quarters of growth before listing.
Another reason inventory could increase, according to the report, is political. The new presidential administration has signaled that higher taxes are on the way, which could provide small business owners all the incentive they need to sell.
54% of surveyed Business Brokers expect the business-for-sale market to return to pre-pandemic levels within a year, something owners should consider when evaluating their timelines. Whether your business is thriving or working to re-establish value, the best first move is to contact an expert. Call Robert Morrison and South Florida Business Brokers by Sunbelt at 754-300-8651.


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Google’s parent Alphabet Inc. said Friday that its stratospheric balloons are now delivering the internet to remote areas of Puerto Rico where cellphone towers were knocked out by Hurricane Maria.
Facebook Explore Feed is rolling out globally this week. Most people around the world can see it in their bookmarks and they can discover new content here.
The new plan is called InsureMyTesla and was designed specifically for Tesla vehicles. Its benefits include replacing Teslas damaged beyond repair within one year.
Previously Google has contracted major brand OEMs to produce Nexus and Pixel phones using fairly standard off-the-shelf parts. But a teardown of Google’s pricey new flagship reveals the company’s first homegrown system on a chip – and it’s currently idle.
Everyone using Facebook pages for their business knew that Facebook’s organic reach for pages was decreasing over the years. And starting from today most of them might have realized that their reach is going go down dramatically in future.
Yes, the first Polestar product will require gasoline (it’s a high-performance luxury hybrid). But all future Polestars will be pure battery-electric vehicles, and the brand’s product plan promises serious competition for the Silicon Valley automaker — soon.
Photoshop Friends: Every year I look forward to writing this blog post to present the results of a year’s worth of work by our Photoshop teams to deliver great new capabilities to our diverse and incredible customers.
The headquarters of Fanuc sit in the shadow of Mt. Fuji, on a sprawling, secluded campus of 22 windowless factories and dozens of office buildings.
Apple has never been afraid to take design risks. Earlier this year, Apple made headlines when it revealed a new iPhone design that left out the iconic Home button. Now, I’m all for simplification. But for the design community, every further simplification of Apple hardware keeps us on our toes.
When you set up a new Wi-Fi network, you’re probably conditioned by now to check the “WPA2” box. You may not specifically know when or why someone advised you to do this, but it was solid advice.
(Reuters) – Cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab Inc said on Monday it identified a vulnerability in Adobe Flash that could be used to deploy a surveillance malware through a Microsoft Word document. The bug was used in an attack on Oct. 10 by a group called the BlackOasis, Kaspersky said.
Google today announced the launch of new desktop application for Google Drive users, called Drive File Stream, which is now available to G Suite customers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was a faint signal, but it told of one of the most violent acts in the universe, and it would soon reveal secrets of the cosmos, including how gold was created.
Privacy and security advocates have sounded the alarm for decades about the dangers of the United States’ over-reliance Social Security numbers.
Earlier this year, when Microsoft showed off its new Surface Pro laptop, one part of the device stood out. The sleek tablet-PC hybrid was made, predictably, out of aluminum and glass, but its keyboard was covered in a soft-suede like fabric.
Google and the country’s biggest brick-and-mortar retailers have one main problem in common: Amazon. Now both sides are acting like they are serious about working together to do something about it.
The house-sized asteroid that just passed almost as close by Earth as many satellites in orbit will be back, and a future visit might lead to it taking up permanent residency here.
Since the Space Shuttle’s retirement six years ago, NASA has been buying spots aboard Russian Soyuz craft to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station.
Who is the astronaut of the day? When is the next rocket launch? Any special events coming up? Check the calendar to plan your visit.


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S.F. chocolate makers in the thick of fat fight
They don't like plan to drop cocoa butter
- Sarah Duxbury
The rules for chocolate could soon change, and a handful of local chocolatiers and confectioners are fighting to make sure that doesn't happen.
Burlingame's Guittard Chocolates is leading the fight against a petition by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and other industry trade groups to convince the Food and Drug Administration to allow chocolate makers to use vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter and still call the creamy brown treat "chocolate." The public comment period on the petition ends April 25.
It's no surprise the opposition is centered in the Bay Area, known for its chocolate. Innovations from local artisans like Guittard, Scharffen Berger, Recchiuti Confections and Charles Chocolates, which emphasize quality and small-scale hand production, are being felt throughout the industry
Gary Guittard, president of his family's 139-year-old chocolate company, has put up a web site and begun a media blitz to protect chocolate's good name, cost-savings be damned.
"A lot of artisan confectioners that we supply are against it," Guittard said, including See's Candies and Recchiuti. "Generally, anybody who likes chocolate is against it."
The proposed change would not prevent Guittard from making chocolate as he always has, and even Hershey-owned Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt, two premium Bay Area companies, are unlikely to add vegetable oil to their high-end products since customers wouldn't bite.
Premium chocolate sales increased 129 percent in the past five years, growing from $896 million in 2001 to $2.05 billion in 2006, according to Mintel International. Nor is that growth slowing. Consumers believe premium chocolate to be healthier and better quality, and they would be unlikely to purchase chocolate made with vegetable oil, said Marcia Mogelonsky, a senior analyst with Mintel.
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Noodles coming soon
Noodles & Company, the fast-casual brand serving noodle dishes made fresh to order, is opening its first location in Johnson County on May 30.
The restaurant is located at 2182 N. Morton St., in the new shopping center next to Hubler Ford Franklin.
The chain serves chef-curated salads and noodle dishes from around the world. The Franklin location will take part in the chain’s rewards program and offer food via pickup window, delivery and dine-in at the restaurant.
Farm store hosting car show
Tractor Supply is hosting a car show in Greenwood on May 27 from 2 to 6 p.m.
This event will give customers the chance to check out a handful of Greenwood’s most unique and interesting cars, organizers say.
In addition to the show, attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy Pet Care 101 and pet photos with event partner Leann’s Animal Rescue.
This event is open to the public and will take place at the store, 1460 U.S. 31 South.
Aspire to expand program
Aspire received a grant of $10,000 from the TCU Foundation. This donation will enable Aspire to expand its School to Work program.
The program engages employers in the region, encouraging collaboration with schools and enabling career exploration projects for high school students. It also has partnerships with those local schools to develop comprehensive work-based learning programs.
Read more about the program in Tuesday’s Daily Journal.


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Online shopping has evolved rapidly on the continent and it has become critically important during this on-going COVID-19 crisis. In Kenya, E-commerce platform Gobeba has recorded a tripling of orders as more Kenyans shift to online shopping rather than visiting stores. Gobeba CEO, Peter Ndang’ui joins CNBC Africa for more.
THE COVID-19 GLOBAL pandemic has brought forward the future. It has brought about humanity’s biggest challenge in a century, to choose between...
By: Mathieu Mandeng In the current complex and challenging circumstances that are testing the...
The City of eThekwini pulled out all stops to give fans of the annual Vodacom Durban July (VDJ). The Virtual Vodacom Durban...
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Cash-rich Microsoft may raise dividend
Published 10:00 pm, Wednesday, July 9, 2003
Microsoft Corp., the world's largest company by market value, has $46 billion in cash and may raise its payout to shareholders after deciding employees will receive stock instead of options to buy shares.
"The individuals that make the decisions on the dividend are the senior executives," said Diane Garnick, chief U.S. portfolio strategist at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. "Since these executives are going to be paid in stock rather than options, they will be the beneficiaries of those dividends." Allianz AG owns both Dresdner Kleinwort and Dresdner RCM, an investment firm that held 77 million Microsoft shares in March.
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During a conference call, Chief Financial Officer John Connors declined to estimate how much the move will cost. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said the company is trying to "do better by our employees and at least as well for our shareholders."
Microsoft said it will record costs for existing options, which means the costs will come out of profit. How much that will cut profit isn't clear. Had the Redmond-based company made options an expense for the year ended June 30, 2002, its $7.8 billion profit would have been 32 percent lower.
The world's biggest software maker had options on 802 million shares outstanding on June 30, 2002. About 88 percent of them have exercise prices that make conversion unprofitable, spokesman Mark Murray said.
Most profitable options held by the company's 54,468 employees expire next summer, he said.
The new stock grants will vest over five years and be smaller in size than the option grants, Microsoft spokeswoman Stacy Drake said.
"They will probably pay a much larger dividend as soon as they realize the rate of return for Microsoft shareholders is low," Trusco Capital Management analyst Christian Koch, said Friday. Atlanta-based Trusco has $50 billion in assets, including Microsoft shares.
Recent legislation lowering taxes on dividends may inspire the company to increase the amount from 8 cents to as much as 26 cents, Merrill Lynch & Co.'s Jason Maynard wrote in a report to clients last week.
Some investors have called on Microsoft to return some cash rather than investing it in new businesses or buying back shares.
The company ended March with $46 billion in cash and marketable securities and has cash flow exceeding $10 billion annually.
CFO John Connors wouldn't discuss a possible dividend increase.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Cendant Corp. CD, +13.00% said Tuesday that it has agreed to sell its marketing services division to Affinity Acquisition Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Apollo Management L.P., for $1.83 billion. The purchase price consists of $1.7 billion in cash and $125 million of newly issued shares. Cendant will also receive warrants to purchase 7.5% of the common equity of the buyer, which will become exercisable either in four years or upon the achievement by Apollo of certain investment return hurdles, whichever is first. The deal, which remains subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the fall, Cendant said. The travel, lodging and real estate services company said it will remain a marketing parner of the division and will continue to provide it with travel services.
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Consumers can earn all sorts of rewards for using plastic, from frequent-flier miles and cash back to contributions to a college plan when...
Consumers can earn all sorts of rewards for using plastic, from frequent-flier miles and cash back to contributions to a college plan when charging purchases at certain merchants.
Now, there are two new reward programs tapping into that nagging feeling that we should be saving more.
The programs promise to squirrel away a bit of money into savings accounts for consumers who use an American Express credit card or a Bank of America debit card.
People have plenty of reasons to build a nest egg. College for the kids. Unexpected emergencies. A down payment on a home. And perhaps the largest looming expense — retirement.
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Yet on the whole, we are poor savers and have only gotten worse. From June through September, Americans actually spent more than they took home, according to the most recent figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Can programs that help us save if we spend be an answer? Consumer advocates are mixed.
“We have been so unsuccessful in getting Americans to save. Most of us who are interested in that say, ‘We welcome every conceivable kind of idea,’ ” said Lewis Mandell, a finance professor at State University of New York, Buffalo.
Others are wary, saying the programs might entice people to spend more or give them a false sense they are salting away enough. They argue there are more effective ways to save.
“Saving five cents to 10 cents here or there is not really a savings plan,” said Gail Hillebrand, senior attorney with Consumers Union in San Francisco.
American Express and Bank of America said their programs are a response to customers who want an easy way to save, and that they don’t encourage spending, but reward customers for purchases they normally would make.
Debit card used
Bank of America’s program is called Keep the Change. To participate, you need Bank of America checking and savings accounts, plus a debit card.
Each time you use the debit card, the bank will round up the purchase to the nearest dollar, putting the extra change into your savings account.
So, if you spent $2.75 on a skinny latte, the bank will debit your checking account by $3 and divert 25 cents into savings.
For the first three months, Bank of America will match the money going into the savings account penny for penny. So on that coffee drink, a total 50 cents goes into savings. After three months, the bank will contribute 5 cents for every dollar saved, up to $250 annually.
Stephen Brobeck, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America, said he likes the program because it’s tied to a debit card, not a credit card. A debit card takes money directly out of the customer’s bank account.
“You can’t spend money you don’t have,” Brobeck said.
Even the accumulation of nickels and dimes can make a difference to some, he added.
“It isn’t a lot of money, but keep in mind, when we surveyed women, over 40 percent had emergency savings of less than $500,” Brobeck said. “A good portion of those don’t have emergency money at all.”
The caveat with the debit program is to make sure you don’t overdraw your checking account, said Greg McBride, senior analyst with Bankrate.com.
“One overdraft charge will erase months of savings that’s taking place 50 cents at a time,” McBride said.
Bank of America charges $19 for the first overdraft then increases it, eventually to $34 for the fourth occurrence.
With the American Express One card, 1 percent of each purchase is transferred into a savings account, currently earning 3.5 percent.
The company also kicks in $25 after your first purchase. Even if you carry a balance, interest doesn’t accrue on new purchases, unless you decided to add them to the balance at the end of the month, said spokeswoman Desiree Fish.
The American Express program, as with other card rebates, “only makes sense if you pay the balance in full every month,” McBride said. Otherwise, the interest you pay on the balance can wipe out the reward, he said.
For example, by charging a $100 purchase, your reward is $1 and will earn 3.5 cents in the savings account in a year’s time, McBride said. But if you carry a $100 balance, and at today’s average interest rate of 13 percent, you would pay $13 in interest over the year, he said.
In both programs, customers are subject to fees or penalties just like with any other debit or credit card.
Bank of America customers can avoid account fees by directly depositing paychecks into a checking account and by keeping a minimum balance of $300 in the savings account. The American Express card comes with a $35 annual fee that’s waived the first year.
Some consumer advocates say there are better ways to save than spend-to-save reward programs.
“It’s an interesting marketing technique, but I honestly don’t feel it’s in the best interest of people who are seriously trying to save for their financial future,” said Don Blandin, chief executive of the nonprofit Investor Protection Trust.
Pay yourself first
Experts say the best way to save is “pay yourself first,” which is putting aside savings, whether it’s $5 or $50, before you do anything else with your paycheck.
One of the easiest ways is by contributing to a 401(k) or other workplace plan, where your employer deducts money from your paycheck before you see it and puts the cash in a tax-deferred investment account. Many employers match workers’ contributions.


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E-commerce is no fledgling industry. According to comScore, online retail spending reached $44.3 billion in the first quarter of 2012, up 17 percent versus the same period a year ago.
Yet Internet retailers continue to receive preferential treatment from the government – even at the expense of local businesses, consumers and communities.
In 1992 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state and local sales-tax rules were too complex and burdensome for remote retailers, and therefore out-of-state retailers should be exempt from collecting sales taxes unless they have a physical presence, such as a store or warehouse, in the purchaser’s state. As a result of this ruling, online-only retailers today enjoy a price advantage over local brick-and-mortar retailers. We are left with artificial disruption in the retail marketplace that prevents local businesses from getting a fair chance to compete against their online-only counterparts.
Our country was built on the concept of communities supported by local business owners. Shop owners are part of the place we call home: supporting the Little League baseball team, helping neighbors in need, providing jobs and helping to stimulate local economies. Without a robust retail environment, the economic health and local flavor of our neighborhoods will be jeopardized.
Our elected officials in Washington, D.C., ought to do everything in their power to help level the playing field for traditional retailers. Fortunately, there are two bipartisan bills pending in Congress that would allow states to require online-only retailers to collect sales tax at the point of purchase. The bills are designed to provide simplifications for all retailers, while protecting much-needed jobs across the country. Unfortunately, so far the Kansas congressional delegation has remained largely silent on the issue.
I urge the Kansas delegation to stand up for our businesses and communities and support these two important pieces of legislation. It is the right thing to do.


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For Carnival Corp. and its brands, 2020 will be a crucial year in Alaska.
The company's Holland America Line and Princess Cruises brands account for half of all cruise capacity in the Last Frontier, but they underperformed their peers last year, as competitors gained more of a foothold.
Alaska capacity grew 15% last year and is on track to advance 9% in 2020. That led to a rare acknowledgement of overcapacity by Carnival CEO Arnold Donald. "There is what some people would probably call the temporary overconcentration of supply in Alaska," he said in a conference call with Wall Street analysts in December.
A lot of that capacity comes from bigger ships than have traditionally operated in Alaska. Royal Caribbean International's 4,200-passenger Ovation of the Seas arrived in 2019. And other competitors got aggressive see Norwegian Cruise Line's deployment of both of its newest ships, the Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Bliss.
So there were lots of choices, and although Alaska continued to do well for Carnival relative to Caribbean cruise yields, the extra capacity had its effect on price, and Carnival was reluctant to fight too much with promotional giveaways.
As a result, it lost market share. And that really threatens brands such as Holland America and Princess, which have both been in Alaska for five decades, have extensive land tour infrastructure there and historically have more invested in permits for Glacier Bay than other lines.
Carnival Corp. can't afford to fritter away the competitive advantage that it has enjoyed over the years. "We make really good money there," Donald said. "The reason why capacity is going in is because it is a strong market with a lot of demand from guests."
In a 2019-20 Travel Leaders Group survey of its advisors, Alaska came out as the "most booked domestic vacation" for the third straight year.
So this Wave Season, Carnival Corp. has come out swinging. Starting in the fourth quarter, the company increased its media spend. It did a "deep dive analysis" of its marketing to Alaska and developed "some new approaches with our travel agent partners, as well as new consumer communications efforts, specifically targeted to Alaska," Donald said.
Perhaps no initiative is more on point than Princess Cruises' Best.Sale.Ever promotion. The broadly inclusive campaign bundles free wifi, staff gratuities, and a beverage package with an attractive lead-in price. A brochure I got offered a seven-night Inside Passage cruise starting at $899 and said the value-add bundle was worth an additional $665.
That kind of promotion is more than a little reminiscent of Norwegian Cruise Line's Free At Sea combination, which was a success in Alaska last year. In the December conference call, Carnival Corp. CFO David Bernstein said that prices on 2020 Alaska cruises booked so far are lower than the previous year, but that occupancy for its North America/Australia brands is higher.
If that's the short-term cost of defending Alaska over the long term, it's a trade-off Carnival is wise to make.


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Our weekly news wrap-up on India’s burgeoning drone ecosystem will provide you with information on training, skill development, capacity building, technology, and industry updates. The news snippets from the drone ecosystem could not only keep you informed but also help you generate leads and opportunities to grow your business in the industry.
Here we go with the top headlines of the week from the drone ecosystem in India
Updates from the drone ecosystem in India
- Under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components, Aereo has received the initial set of disbursements from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
- India’s first Drone Udaan Academy will be opened in Karnal, Haryana from May, youth will get employment opportunities by taking training in drone operation.
- IoTechWorld Avigation anticipates selling 3,000 drones this fiscal year, a six-fold increase from the previous year, due to increased demand from agrochemical firms and agriculture universities.
- To increase the youth’s employability in the growing sector, the government of Odisha is considering adding more drone and other new-age technology courses in skill institutions.
- Under the YSR Yantra Seva scheme, officials from the Andhra Pradesh government’s agriculture department intend to provide 500 kisan drones to the farmers through Community Hire Centres (CHCs) by July.
- To train northeast youth in using drones from May onwards, JN College, Boko and North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) have signed an MoU.
Also read: Weekly news wrap-up on the emerging drone ecosystem in India – 25042023 https://dronefluence.com/weekly-news-wrap-up-on-the-emerging-drone-ecosystem-in-india-25042023//
The news snippets are curated and adapted from various sources with the sole objective of keeping our readers updated about the evolving drone industry in India.
If any source has objections or other concerns, please write to us at email@example.com, giving valid reasons, and we will remove the link to your content.


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Free is always a great price, and that’s exactly what owners of Resident Evil 2 Remake, 3 Remake, and 7 will pay for some prettier console upgrades. They already look pretty darn good, to be fair.
The news comes from the all-purpose Resident Evil Twitter account. Native PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S version of those aforementioned games will release “with visual enhancements later this year.” While we don’t know exactly when they’re coming or what their “enhancements” will be, it’s nice to know that Capcom is still paying attention to these recent Resident Evil games. Furthermore, if you already own a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One copy of any of those games, you’ll get a free digital upgrade to the current-gen versions. This applies whether you own them digitally already or if you have a physical disc.
In a followup tweet, the Resident Evil account also stated that those who own the games on PC can get in on the upgrades too. The trio will receive updates the same day that the PS5 and Series X/S versions arrive.
The newest Resident Evil game isn’t being forgotten, either. Last October, Capcom confirmed that Village will be getting free DLC. We don’t know what that will contain, when it’s coming, or if paid DLC is also in the works, but in any case, those who want Resident Evil Village will be getting more of it.


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'Waiter-less' sushi restaurant in Tokyo reportedly completely automated, as customers can order special dishes via tablets and food delivered on high-speed conveyor belts
October 21, 2013
(Asian News International)
– A Tokyo sushi restaurant is reportedly totally automated where special dishes are ordered via tablets and food is delivered on high-speed conveyor belts.
The restaurant appears to be 'waiter-less' with its kitchen computers constantly monitoring how many customers are in the place.
According to Mashable, the touch-screens through which orders are placed also trigger a prize winning game as soon as a customer eats a fifth dish.
Once done eating, one can simply dispose of the dishes via a slot which sends them away for washing, doing that automatically adds the plate total to the bill. (ANI)
(c) 2013 aninews.in All rights reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company


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Soaring global inflation to erode apparel demand
Apparel manufacturers yesterday expressed concerns over an alarming rise in global inflation, citing that increasing prices may affect the purchasing power of end-consumers in export destinations and cause demand for garment items to fall.
The Russia-Ukraine war has led to an increase in food and oil prices while the risk of an economic recession is also increasing in several countries, including those in Europe, said BGMEA President Faruque Hassan.
Entrepreneurs are struggling with rising production costs and supply chain challenges, he told a press conference organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at The Westin Dhaka marking the upcoming 37th IAF World Fashion Convention.
The challenges include a crisis of raw materials, rise in fuel oil, gas and electricity prices and an abnormal increase in container and ship rentals, he added.
In this context, Bangladesh's strategy should not be to look at the current growth in garment exports but on how it can create new ones to further enhance competitiveness, he added.
He believes the model followed by the industry in the last four decades would make it difficult to achieve desired growth.
Reducing lead time should be cost effective and investment in unique backward linkage sectors has to be increased, he said.
More attention needs to be paid on product and market diversification, technology upgradation and skill development and services, he said.
Tariff and tax rates should be kept constant for a period of five years to help investors and traders adopt and implement plans, said the BGMEA president.
The BGMEA is working on creating new markets in several countries outside Europe, such as in South Korea, India and even China, Faruque said.


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Earlier this year, RiskIQ, a provider of digital threat management, reported an eight-fold increase in internet scam incidents that deny the $83 billion digital advertising industry millions of dollars. Now, researchers at RiskIQ have identified NoTrove, a newly discovered and major threat actor that it says is delivering millions of scam ads that threaten consumers and further undermine the digital advertising industry.
Posted Apr 27, 2017
Verimatrix, a specialist in securing and enhancing revenue for multi-network, multi-screen digital TV services around the globe, now enables over-the-top (OTT) operators and content owners to maximize content monetization through a package of integrated security and analytics components with the availability of MultiRights OTT Plus.
Posted Apr 25, 2017
Engaging with customers in their language is essential to delivering great experiences. Language is more than just using the right words. It also involves crafting all content that touches the customer in such a way that it demonstrates empathy and understanding.
Posted Apr 04, 2017
The rapid advance of ad-blocking tech turns up the pressure on content owners to seek more engaging and effective ways to monetize their assets. While the results of strategies aimed at delivering content and communications aligned with our context in the mobile moment are impressive, the progress is overshadowed by the steep decline in digital advertising revenues.
Posted Mar 28, 2017
Digital publishers eager to reach more eyeballs often turn to external distribution platforms to disseminate content to the masses. But new research reveals that this strategy may not be paying off as effectively as digital content providers have banked on.
Posted Mar 22, 2017
SAP SE announced the extension of its customer engagement and commerce cloud suite with the availability of the SAP Hybris Revenue Cloud solution. SAP Hybris Revenue Cloud says it goes beyond the quote-to-cash process with new capabilities for order configuration, pricing, quoting, order orchestration, and subscription billing — all in the cloud.
Posted Mar 14, 2017
The Local Media Consortium (LMC), a strategic partnership of leading local media companies, announced it has forged a strategic multi-year partnership with Milwaukee-based native platform provider Okanjo to provide Consortium members with a suite of new tools to increase audience engagement and broaden native commerce solutions across their more than 1,700 local media sites.
Posted Mar 09, 2017
Thanks to its unique ability to tell stories, content is every brand's weapon in the battle to deliver differentiated customer experiences that capture and convert. As brands start to recognize the value of content-driven ecommerce experiences, there's never been a greater need for web content management systems and ecommerce solutions to move closer together into a seamless workflow.
Posted Mar 01, 2017
Aklamio, the leading European technology company for refer-a-friend and referral marketing programs takes over firal, a Hamburg based Startup and its software Pay with a Tweet. In 2017 further expansion in Europe and U.S. are planned.
Posted Jan 19, 2017
Erudition Digital, in partnership with Custos Media Technologies, has developed a solution to the piracy challenge called Custos for Ebooks. Based on a patent pending technology used to protect screener copies of movies, it leverages Bitcoin and the blockchain to protect ebooks without impacting honest customers in any way.
Posted Jan 19, 2017
ZergNet, a content-only recommendation platform, announced the launch of its Content-Only Monetization Platform; a customizable content recommendation unit designed to help digital publishers generate revenue from their website traffic. The company also announced that Greg Coleman, president of leading independent digital media company BuzzFeed, has joined its board of directors.
Posted Jan 17, 2017
In many ways, Pinterest is the little social media site that could. According to the 2016 "Internet Trends" report, 55% of online shoppers prefer Pinterest when it comes to finding or shopping for products. Smart publishers and brands will pay attention to this.
Posted Jan 12, 2017
Longwood Software, Inc., developers of the RevBase software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketing asset management (MAM) system and the ForFile large file transfer service, announces a RevBase mobile-enabled B2B eCommerce solution.
Posted Jan 10, 2017
FanHero, a U.S.-based mobile monetization and media platform says it is taking a different approach to how celebrities engage their followers. By providing a white label app that is fully supported with a personalized growth team, FanHero says it gives celebrities full control of their content and allows them to directly reach 100% of their audience.
Posted Jan 05, 2017
Instart Logic announced AppShield Ad Integrity, a technology that thwarts ad blockers so a healthy ecosystem of digital publishers of free high quality content continues to grow and thrive.
Posted Dec 15, 2016
Kentico Software, makers of an all-in-one CMS, e-commerce, and online marketing platform, announced Kentico 10. The company's flagship product features a long list of functional improvements all focused on getting digital marketing jobs done faster and more efficiently.
Posted Dec 01, 2016
VigLink, a platform for monetizing content-driven commerce, announced the availability of its newest solution for publishers and merchants: Trends Explorer. Slowing growth in display advertising encourages publishers to diversify revenue streams. One strategy, powered by VigLink, is to incorporate shoppable product links within their content and earn from resulting sales.
Posted Nov 22, 2016
Muzaara, a new ecommerce advertising platform is poised to launch. Muzaara describes itself as a highly sophisticated, automated marketing platform, developed to work in synergy with Google Shopping and Facebook. The value of Muzaara lies in its intelligent algorithm technology, which utilizes the vast and valuable data-mass gleaned through consumer interaction with online advertisements, to optimize online marketing campaigns.
Posted Nov 22, 2016
Kaltura, a video technology provider, announced that it has integrated Kaltura OTT TV with global commerce platform, Stripe. Kaltura OTT TV supports multiple business models including transactions, subscriptions, advertising, and freemium, while Stripe enables businesses to securely accept payments online and in mobile apps in over 130 currencies, in addition to alternative payment methods like Apple Pay and Android Pay.
Posted Nov 17, 2016
WP Engine, a company that powers digital experiences for websites and applications built on the WordPress platform, announced its integration with Payment Request, a new API for the open web that allows one-tap checkout for buyers when visiting e-commerce sites.
Posted Nov 14, 2016
I recently picked up an issue of Vanity Fair from the newsstand and started searching for the table of contents. I almost gave up. There were so many ads to flip through at the front of the magazine, I was losing patience. Still, I was impressed with Vanity Fair for convincing so many brands to buy ads that I wasn't even pausing to look at—and yet, I couldn't help but wonder what those same advertisers demand from their digital partners.
Posted Nov 08, 2016
Contextual commerce describes the situation in which a customer completes a purchase within his or her current online environment, rather than having to go to an external website, search for the item, place it in the shopping cart, and fill out payment information. Other terms that have been used to describe this type of transaction include "conversational commerce" and in the publishing and media world, "shoppable" content.
Posted Nov 07, 2016
RightSmith Group, a licensing and management company of high-value media rights, has partnered with Universal Studios to distribute stock footage video content to its global customer base, which includes advertising firms, as well as creative, digital, and marketing agencies.
Posted Nov 03, 2016
Vistaar Technologies, Inc., a provider of price management solutions, and Open Road Integrated Media (Open Road), a digital publisher and multimedia content company, announced a partnership on a global pricing initiative to drive optimized price management of Open Road's ebook catalog.
Posted Oct 20, 2016
The use of ad blockers has been on the rise, cutting deeper into publishers' already slim profits. Now, The Atlantic is fighting back, announcing, "Visitors to our site who use an ad or script blocker will now see a message offering two options: Whitelist The Atlantic, or purchase an ad-free subscription. While we're in beta, we won't prevent ad-block users from continuing to read The Atlantic. But our intention is to soon ask ad-block users to make a choice."
Posted Oct 18, 2016


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In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on that it’s almost impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories from this week. Everything from the bitter end of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to who’s been tapped to lead Snapchat’s imminent IPO, it’s all here.
The Galaxy Note 7 has been put out of its misery by Samsung. The company has announced the end of production for the beleaguered smartphone, just a day after it halted sales and a short while after limiting the numbers being made at its factories. In a statement, Samsung said it’s, “putting consumer safety as top priority,” and, “reached a final decision to halt production of the Galaxy Note 7.” At this time, the Galaxy Note 7 isn’t being produced, isn’t being sold, and those that do remain aren’t being exchanged for another unit. Instead, Samsung is offering a refund or an exchange for another Samsung phone. The Galaxy Note 7 as we know it is now a thing of the past.
Ever since the first trailer for the Netflix series Stranger Things debuted, there was major buzz around the nostalgia-driven thriller about a group of kids in the ’80s who get caught up in a terrifying mystery involving a telekinetic girl, otherworldly dimensions, and a monster unleashed on their small town. And for those who binged their way through the first season, one of the biggest remaining mysteries was whether the acclaimed show created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer would indeed get a second season.
Snap Inc., the company formerly known as Snapchat, is pushing ahead with plans for an initial public offering reportedly set for March 2017. The latest news claims the firm, which now brands itself a “camera company,” has tapped a number of banks to work on its IPO. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs will lead the offering, according to unnamed sources who spoke to Bloomberg.
Toyota is recalling 340,000 Priuses worldwide due to a parking brake issue that could potentially cause accidents. The flaw can cause the brake to fail, increasing the risk of rollaways, but Toyota has not reported any incidents thus far. The recall pertains to 2016 and 2017 Prius models produced between August 2015 and October 2016. “On the involved vehicles, there is a possibility that the parking brake could become inoperative,” Toyota said in a statement.
The British government has banned its top officials from wearing the Apple Watch during high-level Cabinet meetings over fears the device could be hacked by foreign agents acting against the U.K., the Telegraph reported on Monday. While some may scoff at the idea of the smartwatch being taken over by hackers, others are likely to look upon it as a perfectly reasonable reaction to a very real threat.
It’s getting harder and harder for some Americans to stomach the notion of November’s election. But just maybe, as the national issues at stake seem to take a backseat to the candidates’ personal histories, voters can find a new North Star by which to guide their decisions in just a few weeks — their stomachs. Because if either or both candidates make you nauseous, maybe the best way to consider them is by considering their favorite foods.
Just one month after the 250-calorie Soylent Food Bar became available in the United States, the company has halted all shipments of the nutrition snack bar and advised consumers to throw out all bars currently in their possession. Detailed in an official blog post on the company site, Soylent issued this recall after a “small number” of customers reported gastrointestinal issues after eating a Food Bar.
Swiping left or right, ghosting — these are the sorts of games that Hinge is trying to do away with in the dating scene. Ditching its own swiping model, Hinge’s new platform is one that it claims is designed around meaningful connections with people. It now describes itself as a relationship app, rather than a dating one.
*The wink-to-shoot camera that puts what’s arguably the biggest feature from Google Glass into any pair of glasses is now headed to the United States. After successfully raising over $220,000 in crowdfunding in Japan, Blincam opened an Indiegogo campaign today to fund international distribution. A sensor inside the camera watches for any eye movement that’s longer than a normal blink, Blincam says, then snaps a photo. Bluetooth capability then sends that image directly to the user’s smartphone.
The government needs to play a role in how artificial intelligence is developed and used to ensure it is used fairly, according to a new White House report published today. The report, Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence, outlines many of the benefits of using AI, and while it does not call for any new strong regulation on AI, it does make the case for standards of use for certain industries like aviation and finance.
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Arctic Cat Reports Fiscal 2013 First Quarter Results
- Net sales up 49 percent to $111.3 million, primarily due to strong Wildcat™ ROV sales;
- Diluted EPS of $0.14 versus a loss of $0.13 in prior-year quarter;
- Gross profit margin up 114 basis points to 20.2 percent;
- Company swings to operating profit of $3.1 million, up from a loss of $3.6 million;
- Raising full-year sales and earnings outlook for fiscal 2013
MINNEAPOLIS, MN July 26, 2012 – Arctic Cat Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAT) today reported the company swung to net earnings of $2.0 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, for the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, 2012, up from a prior-year net loss of $2.3 million, or a loss of $0.13 per diluted share. Arctic Cat’s net sales for the fiscal 2013 first quarter grew 49 percent to $111.3 million versus net sales of $74.9 million in the same quarter last year.
“We are very pleased to start our new fiscal year with another quarter of outstanding sales and earnings,” said Claude Jordan, Arctic Cat’s president and chief executive officer. “Sales rose across all product lines in the first quarter, led by strong contributions from our new Wildcat pure sport and Prowler side-by-side vehicles, and core ATVs. We continued to leverage higher sales volumes and a lower cost structure to deliver improved profitability in the first quarter.”
Among the highlights of Arctic Cat’s fiscal 2013 first-quarter financial results versus the prior-year quarter:
- Net sales grew 49 percent, chiefly driven by increased Wildcat and Prowler recreational off-highway vehicle (ROV) sales;
- Gross margins improved 114 basis points, due to higher volumes;
- Operating expenses as a percent of sales declined to 17 percent compared to 24 percent;
- The company reported operating profit of $3.1 million versus a loss of $3.6 million;
- The company had no long-term debt.
Business Line Results
Sales in Arctic Cat’s all-terrain vehicle (ATV) business rose 93 percent to $73.0 million, up from $37.9 million in the same period last year. The increase was primarily due to strong dealer and customer demand for the all-new Wildcat V-Twin 1000i H.O. pure-sport ROV, as well as Prowler side-by-side utility vehicles and core ATVs.
Commented Jordan: “Wildcat sales are on track to meet our high expectations this fiscal year for the growing ROV market. In addition, with the further reductions achieved in our ATV/ROV inventory in fiscal 2012, dealer inventory is now near optimum levels and we are starting to see increased demand from our dealers.”
In August 2012, Arctic Cat will begin shipping new model year 2013 ATVs/ROVs, including five ATV models and a new limited edition Wildcat 1000 ROV. The new limited Wildcat will offer upgraded styling features, as part of a standard package.
Arctic Cat’s snowmobile sales in the fiscal 2013 first quarter rose 4 percent to $18.0 million, up from $17.4 million in the prior-year quarter. For the 2013 model year, the company is building snowmobiles on its new ProCross™ performance and ProClimb™ mountain chassis platforms, introduced in fiscal 2012, and will continue offering innovative suspension, drive and braking technologies. Arctic Cat is committed to investing in research and development, in order to remain an industry innovation leader and in anticipation of manufacturing its own snowmobile engines in fiscal 2015.
Sales of parts, garments and accessories (PG&A) in the fiscal 2013 first quarter increased 3 percent to $20.4 million versus $19.7 million in the prior-year quarter. Contributing to the growth were accessory sales for the Wildcat ROV. Arctic Cat’s growing line of Wildcat accessories now includes 43 wide-ranging options for riding enjoyment and vehicle customization. Among the top-selling Wildcat accessories are front and rear bumpers, flip up windshields, skid plates and winches.
Company Raises Fiscal 2013 Sales and Earnings Outlook
“We are bullish about our future,” said Jordan. “We expect to generate further revenue and earnings growth by continuing our product development focus and entering new segments that we’re not in today. Our goal for fiscal 2013 is to deliver the highest net earnings in Arctic Cat’s 50-year history.”
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Last Updated on 22/11/2021 by Riya
A bug has been discovered in Google’s renowned Alarm smartphone application. The alarm has stopped working as a result of this, and the users are in a heap of trouble. Users have expressed their dissatisfaction with the alarm app on social media networks.
The application also has a good ranking on Google Play Store. At the same time, the company claims that the alarm app’s bug is being looked into and it will be fixed as soon as possible. According to Android Authority, the alarm has been turned off owing to a problem in Google’s Clock app.
On the Google Play Store, this app received a single star rating by users. The Do Not Disturb (DND) setting and third-party applications including Spotify are blamed for the problem. Apart from that, little knowledge has been discovered yet. The Clock app from Google is accessible on Pixel series devices as well as some Android phones.
Currently, the users are advised to discontinue using the Spotify app to set alarm tones as it can help resolve the issue soon. Regarding the Alarm app glitch, Google stated, “We have discussed the concern with our product and engineering staff.” This issue will be resolved soon.
For your knowledge. Google just released the Google Pixel 5a smartphone. This smartphone will cost you at least $ 699. (about Rs 51,433). The Google Pixel 5A smartphone features a 6.34-inch Full HD Plus OLED display. It has also the capability to set maximum brightness of 700 nits and a 60Hz refresh rate.
Smartphone has also equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage.