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This little piggy stays home
Illinois Pork Producers feel pinch of Trump tariffs as export markets close up and hog prices plummet
By Ted Cox
Illinois hog farmers are feeling the pinch of retaliatory tariffs in President Trump's trade war as exports decline and prices plummet.
A look at the Nasdaq price chart for lean hogs over the last year shows the market price dropping from a high of about $85 a hundredweight early this year to $75 about a month ago to the current $56 — a loss of about a third of the value.
"We are seeing that the prices are definitely decreasing at the market level," said Jennifer Tirey, executive director of the Illinois Pork Producers Association. "It is hurting our farmers' bottom line."
The IPPA represents almost 2,000 farms that produce about 1.9 billion pounds of pork annually. It's the fourth-largest state in the nation in pork production, trailing only Iowa, North Carolina, and Minnesota, and it contributes $1.8 billion annually to the state economy, providing more than 10,000 jobs, as well as a market for corn and soybeans as feed crops.
Trump's trade war has helped reopen the U.S. Steel Granite City Works, but at a heavy cost to farmers, who've faced retaliatory tariffs from China and Mexico, two critical trade partners. According to Tirey, 26 percent of the Illinois pork industry typically goes to exports.
"The biggest thing to take away from the tariffs is just the fact that exporting is so critical to our industry as a whole," she added.
Cutting off those markets — especially China, which Tirey said does a heavy business in hooves, snouts, and other "things that are not as popular here in the States" — means supply overwhelms demand and prices drop. And the pork industry works on a steady pipeline not unlike a factory.
"Most hogs are normally ready to go at about six months," Tirey said. "It's not a matter of waiting to hold your animals."
Independent hog farmers are feeling it worst, according to Tirey, as they deal with market drops. More established hog farms might have set deals with packers at a fixed contract, but that contract could be devalued in the next round of negotiations if the trade war persists.
IPPA has been working with the National Pork Producers Council to lobby Trump for relief. "They have been working closely with the administration to try to make some things understood and work through these tariffs as soon as possible," Tirey said.
In a speech in Granite City last month, Trump tried to pull farmers into the trade war on his side, saying, "China tried to hurt the American farmer because that way they would hurt me." He's proposed $12 billion in aid to help farmers — money, it's worth noting, that would have to be borrowed from China given the massive budget deficit Trump is running the government under following his tax cuts. Illinois Soybean Growers have rejected that, stating, "If trade is our problem, aid handouts are a bad solution." But hog farmers have been more receptive.
"We're still kind of waiting on details, how that's going to impact livestock," Tirey said. "But we're grateful to have any kind of aid.
"We're really looking for a more long-term solution," she added. "Not to say we're not supportive looking at this aid package, but we'd really like to see a resolution to tariff issues."
In the meantime, the association is looking elsewhere for new trade partners, Tirey said, adding, "Even if tariffs are resolved, it doesn't hurt to look into emerging markets."


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Always nice to get some good news in this mad world we live in, it looks like consumer electronics sales are doing very well. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) released figures today that show a healthy boom in sales, with sales of consumer electronics products to reach $108 billion in 2004, besting the $100 billion record set in 2003 by 8.1 percent. Sales of PCs, digital televisions are particularly strong. But wireless phone sales are doing very well also, which are set to top $10 billion in 2004.

domain: news


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COLORADO: Colorado’s pot regulators are trying to make sure the state’s marijuana growers aren’t producing more pot than they can legally sell — a hedge against Colorado-grown pot ending up in states where it’s not legal.
But a new set of marijuana production standards up for public review Tuesday sparked a lively debate and highlighted growing divisions between deep-pocketed industry veterans and people trying to get started in the legal weed business.
The production rules are being revised because Colorado once limited pot-growers to the number of medical marijuana patients they served.
When the market opened to all adults over 21 in January, those production caps stayed in place as regulators feared a market flooded with more pot than they could regulate. But the result has been a pot market so limited that marijuana can sell for nearly $500 an ounce, far more expensive than black-market prices. Those prices don’t include taxes that can exceed 30 percent in some jurisdictions.


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XenonNetwork, an enterprise-scale Blockchain launching in July 2018 will kick off with a massive distribution of their native Xenon (XNN) ERC-20 compatible tokens to over 400,000 active ethereum addresses at the beginning of October.
In addition to this, a similar distribution to bitcoin holders will occur in November, followed by a proof-of-individuality public token distribution from November through to June 2018.
“The EOS project engages a proven team developing the world’s most innovative and high-throughput enterprise Blockchain. However, recent regulatory issues surrounding initial coin offerings in China and the United States, as well as limitations of the crowd-sale distribution model may create potential hurdles for adoption of the project. We present a massively distributed alternative implementation of the EOS project which avoids these limitations,” said Andrew Kong, Cofounder of XenonNetwork.
The organization proposes to distribute the Xenon tokens as follows:
- 30 percent of Xenon tokens will be distributed to ethereum addresses containing more than or equal to 0.1 ether in early October.
- 20 percent of Xenon tokens will be distributed to bitcoin holders based on proof-of-holdings in November.
- A further 20 percent of Xenon tokens will be distributed using proof-of-individuality mechanisms to encourage widespread circulation of the tokens.
In July 2018, these ERC-20 tokens will be redeemable for native tokens on the newly launched Blockchain.
“We believe that distribution and adoption are the most important factors determining the success of a Blockchain project. We are determined to have this token in the hands of as many people as possible at the launch of the Blockchain in 2018.” said Mr Kong.


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While many additive manufacturing operations may have appeared to be booming earlier in the spring, 2020 is turning out to be a bad year for DreamLab Industries. This is true for many individuals and businesses in the US, with tens of millions fighting unemployment and entrepreneurial challenges due to fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic; however, it sounds like DreamLab may have caused problems for themselves due to miscalculation in their abilities to produce.
The Traverse City, Michigan 3D printing company is now being investigated not only by the Better Business Bureau but also by the Michigan Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Complaints began flowing in as early as May, apparently, after DreamLab, run by CEO Brandon Williams, failed to come through with orders, and also may have delivered faulty products.
Joining a handful of other companies pivoting from their regular 3D printing activities to the digital fabrication of personal protection equipment and other COVID-19 related items—including ventilator parts and breathing equipment adapters—DreamLab halted normal production of 3D printed machine fixtures to begin 3D printing face masks in March.
Records have been subpoenaed from DreamLab amid allegations that they may have actually misrepresented themselves by telling customers they had certain approvals, offered false statements, and put forth false advertising. The Attorney General has also alleged that they failed to “provide goods to customers in a timely fashion.”
Even worse, Williams has admitted that the link on his website allowing customers to donate to healthcare workers was actually used to pay for more material to print masks. He has stated that those funds have since been returned to customers who thought they were making valid donations.
The FBI has already spoken with Williams, who has said recently that trying to “scale up too fast” is what led to the firm’s problems.
“We were just late on shipping products,” Williams said in a recent interview. “There’s no fraud at all. We struggled to keep up with demand and we couldn’t get the materials in time.”
Williams has also pointed out that because orders began coming in so quickly, there was no time to get properly organized or conduct the amount of research and development that might have been normally required in pre-COVID times. Some customers reported waiting months (instead of the promised seven to ten days) for their 3D printed masks, which then arrived and were unusable, with defects like splits down the middle.
The DreamLab CEO does admit that the first masks they sent out were lacking, but that the second batch was “light years ahead.” It would seem that any improvement in materials was too little too late, though, as DreamLab had to stop taking orders, and Williams is now left to produce smaller requests for masks on his own after laying off his team.
[Source / Images: mLIVE]
“I’m still driving the same car. Everybody’s laid off. We didn’t make a killing. We were really out there to try to do the right thing,” said Williams. “There was no ill intent whatsoever. Nobody’s driving a Lamborghini.”
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Maruti Suzuki's new SUV, the Jimny 5-Door, is all set to be launched in India in the coming years and it would be competing with the likes of the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha. The SUV that has been awaited for a long time in India is finally set to launch in the next few years. Not long ago, the 3-door version of Maruti Suzuki's compact SUV was displayed at the Auto Expo 2020 and now it is official that the 5-door version is coming to India.
In one of the recent updates, the students at Japan's Nihon Automotive Technology School (NATS) are working on this SUV model and trying to reconstruct it. This is a not-for-India project and once the project is finished, it will be displayed at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January 2022.
The upcoming Jimny 5-Door SUV will have a powerful engine that is used in the company's best-selling compact SUV, the Maruti Brezza. The 1.5L K15B petrol engine is equipped with 12V SHVS mild-hybrid technology. This engine is capable of generating 102 bhp of power and 138 Nm of max torque. The upcoming Maruti Jimny will be introduced with a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.
As for the potential look, design, and features of the upcoming 5-door Jimny, it will be bigger than the 3-door Jimny. It will feature several new standard and safety features, including LED DRLs and LED taillamps, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Carplay support, a height-adjustable driver seat, rear AC vents, automatic climate control, hill hold assist, cruise control, and multiple airbags.
The Maruti Jimny 5-door model is expected to launch in India with an ex-showroom price tag of around Rs 10 lakhs. In addition Jimny, the company is also planning to launch the next-generation models and CNG variants of many of its popular cars in the coming days.


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Every year the Japan Meteorological Corporation releases a forecast for when Japan’s famous sakura cherry blossoms are due to bloom. This year’s first forecast says that sakura will start to blossom in Tokyo as early as March 15. Mankai (full bloom) is expected at the end of March to beginning of April.
For sakura enthusiasts, there’s even an app called Sakura Navi (available for iPhone and Android) that shows you where to find blossoms around the country.
Curious about the history of hanami (cherry blossom viewing)? Read more here.


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Nov. 5, 2010 -- There's a new way to listen to your music on the go. The Jambox is a new wireless stereo speaker. The palm-sized, 12-ounce speaker works with smart phones, computers, iPods and other Bluetooth devices. It also works as a speaker phone. The Jambox goes on sale later this month for $199.
Windows Phone 7
"The good news is they really have designed something fresh, different, something that really keeps them in the game in mobile," Baig said. "The bad news, there's still a bunch of missing. They're still going to be doing catch up compared to those main rivals, Apple's iPhone and all those Android devices based on Google's mobile operating system."
There will be three different models running Windows Phone 7 available Monday; two for AT&T, one for T-Mobile.


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One of the longest-running desert escapes in Dubai is preparing to welcome guests following a revamp.
Bab Al Shams Desert Resort will reopen in April next year as the first Rare Finds hotel, a new collection of resorts by Kerzner.
The parent company of ultra-luxury One & Only Resorts and Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, Kerzner is now accepting bookings at Bab Al Shams following the resort’s complete renovation.
Keeping its well-known moniker, the new resort centres on food and beverage offerings, including a pan-Asian rooftop restaurant with sunset views, the Desert Spa and an upscale alcohol-free bar.
Experiences and entertainment are at the heart of the new family-focused property with guests able to stargaze alongside in-house astronomers, enjoy fireside storytelling or soar above the sand dunes on hot air balloon rides.
The resort, owned by Meydan, has been one of Dubai’s leading desert escapes for nearly two decades.
“I am excited to welcome Bab Al Shams Desert Resort to the newly introduced Rare Finds collection,” said Philippe Zuber, chief executive of Kerzner International. “Anyone living in Abu Dhabi or Dubai ends up, at least once, at Bab Al Shams as it’s iconic, it’s very special and unique, and Kerzner can bring something new to that place.” .
Often billed as an oasis in the desert, Bab Al Shams will retain its popular infinity pool. Upgraded earlier this year, it will be further uplifted and complemented by new unique features, according to Zuber.
One of those will be its connection to the resort’s new all-day dining space. This family-driven restaurant will have a bespoke design and offer theatrical dining with lots of opportunities for al fresco eating.
It’s not yet decided who will head up Bab Al Shams’s new food and beverage operations, says Zuber, but a celebrity chef could be in the mix with Kerzner known for its global partnerships with Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen in Dubai and Enrique Olvera at the One&Only Mandarina.
Kerzner will also add a bespoke cigar room and its upscale non-alcoholic bar will serve a creative list of mocktails and drinks. The existing Al Hadeerah restaurant will be redefined and serve modern Arabic cuisine with a focus on responsibly sourced ingredients and there will be a new licensed bar.
The current sunset deck is being transformed into a pan-Asian rooftop lounge with dishes from across the continent.
The Desert Spa will offer a calming mirage where guests can indulge in both traditional and contemporary treatments, such as hammam and hot sand therapy.
As Dubai expands, the resort is also planned to cater more for residents living in and around Dubai South. “It will be much more a place for the people living in the neighbourhood … to come have a drink, have a bite and really use that unique space,” says Zuber.


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The Barossa region is set to score Oscar Seppeltsfield, bringing a 12-storey hotel to one of the world’s top 50 vineyards.
Sometimes we want to get away on a budget. But for those special occasions, spending big on a lavish escape might be the order of the day. And for those times when you’re ready to splurge, this spot will soon be at the top of your luxe travel list.
Say hello to Oscar Seppeltsfield, the new $50 million six-star luxury hotel and day spa slated to open in the Barossa region of South Australia. The ambition new project is set to be a big tourism drawcard for Australia, with plans to swing open its doors in 2022.
So, what can we expect from this new spot? The luxe 12-storey hotel will feature 70 rooms, including a mix of suites and penthouses (all with private balconies, of course). On the top level, you’ll find the sky bar boasting 360-degree views across the fields of the Barossa. Plus, on the ground floor, they’ll be a wellness day spa, a relaxation space and an infinity pool.
And foodies won’t be disappointed either. The destination is set to offer a world-class restaurant, private dining room and boardroom. And with vineyards on your doorstep, you won’t be short of delicious drops to drink. Set in the middle of Sepplefield’s Great Terraced Vineyard, the hotel will be surrounded by old bush vines, making for a luxe tranquil escape.
It’s a big move for Seppeltsfield, one of Australia’s oldest wineries. No stranger to critical acclaim, the winery was named as one of the top 50 vineyards in the world back in 2019. It’s hoped this new luxe hotel will make the spot one of the top 5 vineyards in the globe and further elevate Australia’s international wine reputation.
Set to be the Sydney Opera House for the Barossa region, we’re excited to see what the opening of Oscar Seppeltsfield brings to this must-see spot. To find out more about the project, click here.


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KARAWANG, Indonesia (May 14, 2010) — Bridgestone Corp. plans to expand capacity for car and light truck tires at its P.T. Bridgestone Tire Indonesia plant in Karawang by 11 percent over the coming two years in a project budgeted at $46.5 million.
The expansion, slated to be on stream by the first half of 2012, will expand car and light truck tire output to 29,400 units, Bridgestone said. The Karawang plant began production in 1999, supplying passenger and light truck tires to both the domestic market and key overseas markets, including North America and Europe, Bridgestone said.
The plant is in the midst of an expansion project begun in August 2007 to increase daily capacity by 8,400 units; the new capacity should be on stream before year-end.
Bridgestone did not say whether the project involves a physical expansion of the plant, which is built on a 91-acre plot. The plant employs 3,288 workers.
This is the eighth tire plant expansion project Bridgestone has announced in the past nine months, representing $1.25 billion in capital spending.


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A PROPOSED supermarket which borough chiefs claimed could 'kill off ' Ellesmere Port is appealing against the decision to refuse the application.
Morrisons wants to build a new superstore between Regent Street and Sutton Way on land acquired from West Cheshire College.
But back in May borough councillors rejected the scheme in a 5-4 vote.
And on a 7-2 vote they threw out a related plan to knock down the existing Safeway store in Whitby, which Morrisons owns, and build 61 homes.
A Morrisons spokeswoman said: 'We have now submitted an appeal in relation to these plans.
'In time we will be given an appeal date and will then work towards that.
'Morrisons is still committed to Ellesmere Port. We just want to keep all of our options open.'
During May's planning debate council leader Cllr Reg Chrimes (Lab, Little Neston) said: 'What is at stake is the vitality and viability of the town centre. I want to ensure that when shoppers come there, they stay there.'


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Los Angeles is considering a raise of the citywide minimum wage.
We recently coauthored at report Los Angeles Rising: A City That Works for Everyone with the UCLA Labor Center and Institute for Research on Labor and Employment which looked at the consequences, both intended and unintended, of such a lift. We found that a phased-in increase to $15.25 by 2019 will put $5.9 billion more into the pockets of 723,000 working people, which will generate $6.4 billion in increased sales. That means that every dollar increase in the minimum wage generates $1.12 in economic stimulus. Businesses will hire more in response to the greater demand, creating 46,400 new jobs.
Why is a $15.25 raise such an economic boost for the local economy?
The answer, we found, lies in the household spending patterns of families who earn minimum wages. Families who earn less than $40,000 a year typically spend their earnings as soon as they are paid on basic needs. On average, a U.S. household that earns $34,000 spends about $36,000 on living expenses (see figure below). The wages earned by low- and moderate-income workers, therefore, go quickly back into circulation after pay day. The direct beneficiaries are place-based businesses, that cater to households within the immediate geographic vicinity. This includes real estate, health care, restaurants, and retail stores. These local businesses will reap increased sales, which allows them to grow and expand the economy.
In contrast, high-income households who bring home $70,000 or more a year, which includes most shareholders of corporations that employ minimum wage workers, set aside almost a quarter of their earnings, an average of $25,630 a year, in savings. Most of this money is placed into investments that are far removed from Los Angeles.
Therefore, a raise to $15.25 by 2019 is an investment in Los Angeles. Minimum wage workers will spend increased earnings of $5.9 billion in the local economy that will help the city grow.


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BellSouth Adveritsing & Publishing is about to launch its first new advertising campaign in three years, this one aimed at users, carrying the line, "May the Best Choice Win." We haven't seen the ads, but it sounds like BellSouth will be taking aim at its growing list of directory competitors, at least in part, with the new campaign. In Atlanta, BellSouth's home market, it competes with Yellow Book and Metro Directories, among others. Verizon pulled out of the market recently when its sales results were disappointing.
The new campaign comes on the eve of the expected launch of the new YellowPages.com, which will fully integrate the IYPs of BellSouth and SBC. BellSouth and SBC have engaged SBC's agency, Austin, Texas-based GSD&M, to promote YellowPages.com. Here is an article on the latest doings at BellSouth from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.


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The Verizon iPhone is coming next year. Verizon's 4G LTE service is launching next year, covering a third of Americans. Ergo, a 4G iPhone is on the way. Except it's not. Not for a couple of years.
An iPhone running on the next generation wireless standard, LTE, has long been a convenient technological avenue for dreams of the iPhone making its way to Verizon to come true. Even Verizon's CEO has said previously that the iPhone 4G is the most likely way it's coming to Verizon.
A quick tech primer: The current iPhone is a GSM device, so doesn't work with CDMA, the network technology used by Verizon. However, Verizon is using the GSM-aligned LTE as its 4G wireless technology, meaning it'll be using the same networking tech as AT&T and most of the rest of the world. (Check out our in-depth explainer on GSM vs. CDMA for more details.) So an LTE iPhone would technologically work on AT&T and Verizon, seamlessly, and run at superfast wireless speeds. One phone, both networks. That's the fantasy.
Let's talk about the reality.
LTE coverage is going to suck for a few years
It's genuinely impressive that Verizon's going to cover 38 major cities with 4G by the end of the year, along with a handful of airports. That's a little more than a third of Americans. AT&T isn't launching LTE in earnest until the middle of next year, and they hope to cover around 75 million people, a little less than Verizon. Thanks to the magic of competition, they'll probably be launching their 4G networks in roughly the same areas, covering the same people, provided they have the requisite spectrum. That's a pretty limited area.
Even if both networks managed to cover half of the country by 2011, that's not a lot when you're talking about about cell coverage—particularly if this iPhone only worked with LTE, and not Verizon's CDMA network. And rolling networks is a painful, bumpy process. Just look at WiMax, or even AT&T's 3G network. Even in cities with LTE coverage, service isn't going to be perfect or amazing to start. The spectrum both companies need to launch the new network is a limited resource, particularly in Verizon's case. So the ubiquitous next-gen network needed for a flawless LTE iPhone is going to take at least a couple of years after it launches initially. (Update: As a lot of people have noted, there's no voice standard for LTE yet, so it'd have to be a hybrid CDMA phone anyway to make phone calls.)
At a minimum, a Verizon iPhone would have to be LTE-CDMA for a couple of years. So a single model wouldn't work on both networks—why not launch a CDMA iPhone sooner?
Apple is a selective early adopter
Apple can be seriously aggressive when it comes to picking up new technology and dumping legacy standards, if it feels those standards are holding it back. It shitcanned floppy drives before anybody else, while it was among the first to jump on FireWire and USB. Key point: USB and FireWire were ready to go.
But the very first iPhone didn't use 3G. Partly because AT&T's network obviously wasn't ready for the onslaught of millions of devices using 3G speeds. (Could you imagine millions of iPhones running around, sucking down data at 12 megabits a second? Think even Verizon's network could handle that just a year from now?)
It was also partly because the iPhone wasn't ready. The battery life would've been even more abysmal sucking down data at those kinds of speeds. (Truth, one of the major iPhone 3G complaints was battery life.) Wanna know what the battery life would be like on an iPhone with LTE? Just look at any review of the HTC Evo, when it's running on WiMax. Crapola doesn't begin to describe it. The benefits don't outweigh the costs right now.
CDMA just makes sense
The simplest explanation for things is usually the right one. Which sounds more logical: An iPhone coming to Verizon banks on a bleeding edge network technology that's only available in select areas with spotty coverage and destroys battery life? Or an iPhone just like the regular GSM model that simply uses a CDMA chip?
It's more or less well known that Apple's kept a CDMA-compatible iPhone in development parallel to the current models, much like it kept an Intel-compatible OS X build on the backburner for most of its life. Do you really think one little chip is what's kept a Verizon iPhone from happening? The thing that's stood in the way isn't technology. It's politics.
Maybe the AT&T exclusivity agreement is finally up. Maybe Verizon's decided it wants the iPhone bad enough. It sold three million Droids. Imagine how many iPhones it could sell.


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What to Expect From the iPhone 5S
One of the major smartphone manufacturers, Apple, is certainly ardent on leading the smartphone market. Some might expect them to at least stand their ground and hold off on releasing a new phone so soon after the release of their last one. It seems like that isn’t part of Apple’s philosophy, however, and that is to wait for the last one to fully flourish before getting at it again. With the rumors of the iPhone 5S’ release, Apple seems to be the strike while the iron is hot kind of company. Barely half a year after the iPhone 5 was first released, rumors are abundant that the iPhone 5S will soon hit the market. In case this rumor is proven to be true, people who are expecting an iPhone 6 can kiss their dreams goodbye, temporarily. This statement is based mainly on their tendency to release S versions right after the original model.
Although some claim that they are certain about the iPhone 5S’ existence and impending release, there are still those who believe that Apple is actually working on the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 isn’t an impossibility because it will be a fitting retort to Samsung’s Galaxy S4, although it is more likely to be the iPhone 5S. Like what they did with the previous S versions of their phones, the iPhone 5S is expected to sport very little changes from its base model. The changes expected are not drastic and some even fear that it might be difficult to classify the iPhone 5S to be a different phone if the changes will be too minimal.
The Release Date
Rumors are circulating that the release date of the Apple iPhone 5S will be in the last quarter of the year. If you are getting tired of guessing then the safest bet would be to expect the iPhone 5S’ release before 2013 ends. There are sources who claim that the manufacturing of the phone commenced in March so we can expect a release any time after June, since June is almost over and we have not heard of any news about the release just yet.
The 5S Display
According to the China Times, which is a paper in the country where iPhones are manufactured, the iPhone 5S is expected to sport a Super HD screen which will also feature a Touch on Display that comes with a 10-Pt. multi touch panel. This will make most of the iPhone 5S functions more fun like the VoIP features that also allow video display. It will be helpful to note that although China Times is close in proximity to the manufacturing companies of the iPhone 5S, China Times has not always hit the mark when it comes to speculations about Apple products.
The 5S Design
Like mentioned earlier, the iPhone 5S design is not expected to swing too far away from the original design of the iPhone 5. Otherwise, Apple should have opted to call it the iPhone 6 instead. The phone’s chassis will certainly be the same, unless Apple changes its mind and overhauls the phone completely.
There have been rumors that Apple is looking to procure a more inexpensive kind of plastic from their usual preference—to lessen the cost, of course. However, there are also persistent rumors that suggest Apple’s impending decision to procure a cheaper material has nothing to do with the design and creation of the iPhone 5S. Many believe that this move could be a part of Apple’s attempt to create a cheaper version of the iPhone to target low-income mobile phone users. This will certainly be a welcome innovation because there are so many people who would love to own Apple products such as the iPhone but find the price to be outrageous.


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IELTS Reading Revision – Ola Launches an In-Car Entertainment Platform for Passengers
Ola, Uber’s main rival in India, has launched a connected car entertainment platform for its vehicles to make its trips more luxurious.
Nobody wants to be stuck in a cab for a long and boring ride — and the rides can be long in India’s traffic clogged cities. ‘Ola Play’ takes the idea of in-trip entertainment, which we’ve previous seen through initiatives like Uber’s integration with Spotify and Pandora, to the next level.
It features two touch-sensitive consoles — one for driver and one for passenger — which include entertainment options, trip-based features, an internet browser and more. It also syncs with a passenger’s phone, to enable them to use services like Apple Music, Sony LIV, Audio Compass and Fynd from their own device on the screens.
In addition to participation and partnerships from companies like Apple, Ola worked with India-based automotive firm Mahindra and Mahindra and Qualcomm on the hardware.
We’ve seen Ola argue that its rides must include entertainment features before. Last year, it added free in-car WiFi to its cars — at the same time Uber did — with the argument that its passengers should be able to enjoy a quality experience and help battle India’s often patchy mobile network signals. It took that a step further this year when it announced an ambitious plan to turn those roaming Wi-Fi cars into municipal Wi-Fi networks that Ola customers can access.
Now, with Ola Play, it is once again putting the focus on experience. The service is now available within its high-end Ola Prime cars in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi for “select customers”, but the plan is to increase Ola Play so that it covers more than 50,000 vehicles across India by March 2017.
It will be interesting to see what future features Ola plans for the in-car platform, since it is already working with some brands — including fashion e-commerce firm Myntra — on ‘Ola Select,’ its benefits program which include the Wi-Fi package. It wouldn’t be too difficult to provide in-car shopping, for example, from a particular company to the potential benefit of both passenger and service provider.
Ola is locked in an intense battle with Uber, with the U.S. company diverting increased resources into India following the (impending) sale of its business unit in China in Didi Chuxing. Ola covers more cities in India than Uber right now, and evidence suggests it is just ahead in major cities, but Uber is upping its focus with new features for India and expansion plans, so Ola is forging ahead with its entertainment push to sway more affluent users — the kind that might be acquainted with Uber — to its service.
“I believe this will completely transform the consumer’s ride experience, giving the user the power to control the interactions within the car, and usher in a new era in the ride-sharing industry,” Ola co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said in a statement.
“With over 60 million minutes spent in Ola rides every day, the impact on consumer comfort, convenience and productivity can be transformative. This will further propel ride-sharing as the first choice of mobility for many more millions,”Aggarwal added.
The launch also comes amid speculation that Ola is close to raising new funding. The company raised $500 million one year ago and, with Southeast Asia-based ally Grab raising a blockbuster $750 million despite operating in a smaller market, Ola will be hoping for a windfall, too. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Ola is close to raising $600 million — no doubt one of the objectives of today’s splashy and glamorous announcement is to help any ongoing investment talks progress.
Questions 1-5: Choose one correct answer only for each question.
1. Ola Play is:
a. A mobile platform which provides entertainment choices inside cars
b. An economic competitor of Uber
c. An application which shares similarities with Spotify and Pandora
d. A solution to make India’s traffic clogged cities more appealing
2. What is a feature that Ola Play consists of?
a. An online search engine
b. A tool to browse the Internet
c. Two touch-sensitive screens
d. High-speed Wi-Fi access
3. In the future,
a. Ola Play will be available for a certain number of customers
b. Customers of Ola Play in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi will have more features
c. Customers using Ola Play can go shopping online when they have trips with Ola
d. Ola will have cooperation with more fashion firms
4. Uber and Ola:
a. Operate in the same number of cities
b. Are focusing more both on working-class and middle-class customers in India
c. Will both reduce their fares, which benefits customers
d. Are entering a tough challenge to compete against each other
5. What can be a reason that pushes Ola to introduce Ola Play?
a. It wants to improve consumer comfort, convenience and productivity
b. It expects to attract a greater amount of investment
c. It wishes to become the first choice of millions of office workers
d. It puts hopes on beating Grab in terms of customer base
Please find the answers here.
How many correct answers did you get? Please share your result by leaving a comment.
Want to learn more about “India’s Uber”? Watch this video by CNN.


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Making a statement on its Twitter account, the Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi announced the official launch date of the highly anticipated Redmi Note 9 as April 30. The device will be featured at an online event.
We know that the Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi is working on a new smartphone in the Redmi Note 9 series. Considering the official announcement of the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Note 9 Pro Max, the new phone that the rumors pointed to should be the Redmi Note 9. Lately, we’ve faced a lot of rumors and speculation about what to expect from this phone.
Now, everything seems to be formalized. Making a statement on its Twitter account, Xiaomi made an important announcement regarding the official introduction of the Redmi Note 9. According to the announcement, Xiaomi will promote the new Redmi Note 9 via social media accounts with an online event that will be broadcast live on April 30. The Twitter invitation points out that the Redmi Note 9 Pro can also hit the road for global markets.
Its name in China could be Redmi 10X(*9*)
In a TENAA listing leak that surfaced last week, the model number of a mysterious Xiaomi phone appeared as M2003J15SC. More details about this device could not be obtained, but according to another report, the Redmi 10X also had the same model number. Putting all this together, the Redmi Note 9 is thought to be launched in China under the name Redmi 10X, but we will have to wait for the Redmi 10X, which will be launched in China on April 27 with the Mi 10 Lite 5G.
Judging by previous rumors, the Redmi Note 9 will feature a 6.53-inch FHD + Corning Gorilla Glass display with 2340 x 1080 resolution. The new device, which özgü a 2 GHz MediaTek Helio G85 SoC processor, 6 GB of RAM and memory that can increase up to 512 GB with a microSD card, will work with Android 10 based MIUI 11. Dual SIM support, fingerprint sensor, IR sensor, dual 4G VoLTE, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 and USB Type-C ports will also be on the phone.
In the rear quad camera setup, the 48 MP main sensor will be accompanied by EIS, PDAF and LED flash. In addition, there are 8 MP ultra wide angle lens, 2 MP macro lens and 2 MP depth sensor. On the front is a 13 MP selfie camera. Finally, the device is estimated to have a 5,020 mAh (4,920 mAh typical) battery with 18 W fast charging. In addition, Xiaomi’s will soon release products such as Mi TV Stick, a new Router, Mi Note 10 Lite for Europe.
Source: https: //www.gizbot.com/mobile/news/redmi-note-9-launch-set-for-april-30-what-to-expect-067275.html
Dikkat: Sitemiz herkese açık bir platform olduğundan, çox fazla kişi paylaşım yapmaktadır. Sitenizden izinsiz paylaşım yapılması durumunda iletişim bölümünden bildirmeniz yeterlidir.


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TennoCon 2022 has revealed a wealth of new content coming to Warframe, with the free-to-play shooter getting a new expansion, a wolf-themed Frame, and a hint at what’s coming further down the line.
Warframe may have launched in 2013, but the free-to-play shooter shows no signs of slowing down. The game’s annual convention, TennoCon, has revealed plenty more content coming to the space ninja title – including the upcoming expansion The Duviri Paradox, which was teased earlier this year.
Warframe reveals The Duviri Paradox expansion
The Duviri Paradox will launch on all platforms, and features both the Drifter and Teshin working to escape a time loop.
“‘The Duviri Paradox’ is a welcomed departure for us,” Warframe Creative Director Rebecca Ford explained.
“It’s completely different from anything we’ve ever designed in Warframe from gameplay style to color palette and underlying themes, it’s just so uniquely its own and I think players will really enjoy the world we’ve built using layers of color as a narrative technique.”
That’s not all that’s coming to Digital Extremes’ title, though, with a short teaser shown for another content drop called Veilbreaker.
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Veilbreaker sees the return of Kahl-175 from The New War, with players able to use the Grineer soldier’s jetpack, arsenal of guns, and infamously powerful incendiary explosives to take on fresh variations of Archon bosses in four-player missions.
The update doesn’t have a release date yet, but be sure to keep an eye on Dexerto for further updates.
Finally, the developers have worked with comic book artist Joe Mad, known for his work on the likes of Darksiders, to create a new wolf-themed Warframe.
You can check out the first concept art below:
Digital Extremes had plenty to show off at the 7th annual TennoCon, with the reveal of a new RPG being worked on alongside Airship Syndicate, developers of last year’s excellent League of Legends: Ruined King.


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LAKE VILLA, Ill. – ID Label, one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of barcode labels, recently hired Scott Bender to head its robust sales team and oversee its continued growth. Bender has more than 25 years of sales experience, with strong leadership skills building sales teams and driving revenue. He previously worked at Decker Communications, where he oversaw sales and marketing before taking on the role of chief operating officer. He also held several sales and operations positions in the paper and packaging industries.
“We are thrilled to welcome Scott to ID Label,” said Gregg Schiltz, chief operating officer at ID Label. “Scott’s background in culture building is an ideal fit as we continue our pace of growth and look to build out a team of knowledgeable sales consultants to serve our customers with innovative products.”
“I’m elated to join the team at ID Label,” said Bender. “With a strong sales team and smart products already in place, I look forward to building on this successful foundation to help us achieve our ambitious goals.”
To learn more, visit https://www.idlabelinc.com/.


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What is the event all about? All India Management Association (AIMA) as the national apex body of management profession has been organizing an annual flagship event – the National Management Convention with an objective to address the challenges faced by the corporate in India, their implications on the […]
Telecom networking giant Huawei has entered IT services, a shift from its hardware-focussed strategy which will eat into the marketshare of Indian software exporters, especially in telecom-related projects.
Google, Microsoft and IBM are trying to lure startups with lakhs of rupees worth of goodies in order to compete with Amazon, which is larger than all its competitors combined in the cloud computing space.
Google on Monday launched in India three Android One phones capable of Internet access at prices starting at Rs 6,299, as it looks to win customers in the world’s fastest growing smartphone market with low prices and better quality software.


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Since our earlier briefings on holiday pay claims, a number of employers have attempted to limit their liability for back pay by including additional money for holiday pay in workers’ pay.
This triggers the time limit for claims with the effect that many claims may go out of time. Where this has been done by a large employer like a local authority, you will already have received advice from UNISON.
If your pay now includes an element of additional pay, the time for bringing a claim will have started from the date on which you were last underpaid holiday pay. If there are more than three months since the last time holiday pay did not include additional sums, then you will be unable to pursue a claim.
The branch will be sending out a more detailed briefing very soon, but you should contact us now if you think you are running out of time because your employer has made additional payments for past underpaid holidays. Go to http://www.unison-edinburgh.org.uk/holidaypay/index.html for more information.


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With CES 2012 right around the corner, companies are scrambling to prepare demonstrations of next generation products and technologies. Continuing with last year's theme, we suspect 3D technology will emerge as a popular topic, and so might Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) technology. LG, which signed a strategic alliance with Intel to promote WiDi technology, is combining the two and plans show off its upcoming LG Cinema 3D Smart TV line with embedded WiDi.
MIT's Media Lab has taken slow motion video to a whole new level by building a system capable of capturing moving subjects at 1 trillions frames a second, fast enough to capture pulses of light parading through a 1-liter soda bottle. Light travels at about 671 million miles per hour, but it can't outrun MIT's custom camera setup, nor can anything else in the universe.
The joint collaboration between chip giants Intel and Micron has resulted in a new benchmark in NAND flash technology. Specifically, the two tech gurus announced the world's first 20nm (not just nanometer-class, but an actual 20nm process) 128Gb (gigabit) multilevel-cell (MLC) device they say is ideal for small form factor tablets, smartphones, solid state drives, and high-performance compute devices.
Fair warning: If you're a hypochondriac, germaphobe, or just hate gross things, stop reading right now and go wash your hands, your cell phone, your keyboard, and your light switches. Don't ask why, just do it, and when you're finished, go ahead and scrub your Wii Fit Balance Board, computer printer, and remote controls. Whatever you do, don't take a peek at KeepingItKleen.com's latest Tech Germs infographics, some of those stats you won't be able to flush from your mind.
Fancy yourself an artsy fartsy type? Well, we'll see your collection of Monet replicas and raise you (lower you?) The Royal Data Throne, a geeky storage container for all your crap. And by that we mean keys, loose change, pocket lint, receipts, Tic-Tacs, and whatever else you can fit in a PCB structure that measures 12 inches by 11 inches by 5 inches.
Lenovo has reason to crack open a bottle of bubbly heading into the holiday season. Reporting results for its second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2011, Lenovo said its net earnings shot up 87.9 percent. Gross profit jumped 59.8 percent year-over-year to $948 million, and the company's net cash reserves now sit at approximately $4 billion. But what's really remarkable is how Lenovo defied the so-called post PC era.
Surely SandForce must have had it's fair share of suitors that may have included Intel, Corsair, SanDisk, Western Digital, and others. But it wasn't any of these of solid state drive (SSD) players who rolled the dice on SandForce, and instead it was a company called LSI who scooped up the popular SSD chipset maker. Now the question is, what does the future hold for SandForce and its clients, and in particular OCZ?
If you're trained in IT and looking for a job, there's a good chance you'll find employment. Most of your peers are back in work. Citing third quarter numbers by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, InformationWeek says there are now an estimated 4.14 million people employed in U.S. IT jobs, which is around the level of employment of Q2 2008 before the recession cut that number down.
It's not as if Maximum PC readers need any more convincing that the whole 'post PC era' theory is a bunch of hogwash, but just in case there remains any lingering doubt, Intel just reported yet another record quarter, for the sixth time in a row, as a matter of fact. Intel set new records for microprocessor units shipped, EPS, earnings, and revenue, which the chip maker reports was up 28 percent year-over-year.
A German website is reporting AMD is hard at work trying to deliver its first products using 28nm graphics chips by the end of the year. If everything goes to plan, AMD will have the parts ready in the second week of December, and perhaps even before the 9th of that month. It will be a slow rollout at first, with volume shipments expected to come a few weeks later, likely in early 2012.


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Call to ban food colourings used in medicines like Calpol after they are linked to hyperactive children
- Action on Additives said 19 children’s medicines sold in the UK - including Calpol infant suspension - contain colourings linked to hyperactivity
- The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency said the medicines are intended to be taken infrequently so additive intake from them is low
- The charity is worried about chronically ill children who need regular doses
Campaigners are calling for a ban on the E numbers that give children’s medicines such as Calpol their bright colours.
They have identified 52 products – including teething gels and painkillers designed for babies as young as two months – which contain additives linked to hyperactivity.
The artificial colours have effectively been banned from children’s food following research at the University of Southampton in 2005.
The E number medicines: There are 52 remedies that make children hyperactive, campaigners claim
But the ‘Southampton Seven’ additives – six artificial colours and one preservative – still appear in medicines aimed at youngsters. Calpol, for example, gets its distinctive pink shade from carmoisine (E122).
Now health campaigners at Action On Additives are calling for the use of the additives in medicines to be outlawed. Co-ordinator Lizzie Vann Thrasher said: ‘Some of our most trusted children’s medicines contain unnecessary colourings that have been linked to hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders.
‘Manufacturers should follow the example of the food and drinks industry and remove these colourings from children’s medicines.’
The suspect colours are tartrazine (E102); quinoline yellow (E104); sunset yellow (E110); carmoisine (E122); ponceau 4R (E124); and allura red (E129). The seventh additive is the preservative sodium benzoate (E211).
The campaign group’s study, released today, reports that four of the six E numbers were found in 19 children’s medicines, including Calpol Paracetamol Infant Suspension, Boots Paracetamol Oral Suspension, Anbesol Teething Gel and some prescription drugs.
Food colourings linked to hyperactivity should be banned from children's medicines, the charity Action of Additives has warned
The Calpol product is designed for babies as young as two months, the Boots product for those three months and up and the Anbesol for teething babies.
The preservative was in 37 children’s medicines, including a Boots cough syrup, Tixylix and six different Benylin cough mixtures or syrups.
Four medicines contained both a colouring and the preservative.
Vyvyan Howard, professor of bio-imaging at Ulster University and an expert on child brain development, backed the call for a ban, while public health nutritionist Dr Helen Crawley urged manufacturers to remove the additives from medicines ‘as a matter of urgency’.
Currently, under EU law synthetic colourings are banned from food and drinks targeted specifically at children under 36 months.
Separately, Britain’s Food Standards Agency has successfully put pressure on manufacturers to remove the artificial colours identified in the Southampton research from food for older children.
But there is no law stopping their use in medicines.
Action on Additives said 19 children's medicines sold in the UK contain colourings linked to hyperactivity
Industry watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says it is encouraging firms to remove the colours from medicines but has no legal powers to go further.
Action On Additives said it is time for a legal ban on use of the E numbers both in food and in medicine. It is calling on parents to protest directly to the manufacturers and the MHRA to demand action.
Johnson & Johnson, which makes Calpol, confirmed it contains carmoisine and sodium benzoate, but said both had been approved by the MHRA and insisted there was ‘no evidence to suggest additives … are associated with hyperactivity when present in children’s medicines’.
It added: ‘The consumption of food and drink is very different to the consumption of medicines. Over-the-counter medicines are only intended for occasional use in small quantities over a very short period of time.’
It argued the colours are important because they allow patients and healthcare professionals to identify a medicine on sight.
Alliance Pharmaceutical, which makes Anbesol Teething Gel, said it complied with MHRA and European Commission guidelines.
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British Airways has revamped its lounge at Milan Linate airport, with new facilities including the introduction of hot dishes in the refurbished dining area.
The carrier took the opportunity to refresh the lounge following a three-month closure of Linate airport, which reopened yesterday (October 27).
There is a new-look reception area, “a brighter environment”, new seating, “powered hub tables”, enhanced dining options, and designs features including new Boss armchairs, “relaxing, decorative lighting by UK based Tyson lighting”, terrazzo stone flooring and Carrara marble.
British Airways is in the process of refurbishing several of its lounges with a new design concept – the carrier recently unveiled its revamped San Francisco facility following a six-month renovation project, and has also rolled out the design at at airports including New York JFK, Rome Fiumicino and Aberdeen.
BA’s next lounge to reopen following refurbishment will be its facility at Johannesburg (which as we reported temporarily closed in May), and further investment is planned at Geneva, Chicago and London Heathrow.
Business Traveller recently interviewed Jude Winstanley, Head of Ground Product at British Airways, regarding the rollout of the new design.
Commenting on the reopening of the Linate lounge, Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience, said:
“We know the difference our lounges make to our customers, be they travelling on business or for pleasure, so we have ensured that the upgraded lounge in Linate is a calm, comfortable and attractive space where they can make use of the wifi and enjoy complementary catering to get their journey off to the best start.”


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The only form of legal sports betting in Wisconsin is through retail sportsbooks at tribal casinos. The current list of available locations is rather limited at this time. However, expansion into the major market of Milwaukee is on the way.Jump to
Current Retail Sports Betting in Wisconsin
An amended gaming compact between Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and the Oneida Nation paved the way for legal sports betting in Green Bay. The governor also signed an amended compact with the St. Croix Chippewa Indians to expand retail sports betting into northwestern Wisconsin.
There are no state laws in place with provisions for legal online sports betting. Rather, Wisconsin lawmakers have remained idle while yielding to the existing network of gaming tribes to operate legal sports betting operations.
As one of the bigger gaming tribes in the state, the Oneida Nation took the lead. The amended compact was first approved in the summer of 2021.
Once it received the stamp of approval on the federal level, plans were put into place for a retail sportsbook at Oneida Casino near the Green Bay airport. By November of last year, the retail sportsbook at this casino was open for business.
The St. Croix signed their tribe’s amended compact towards the end of 2021. The most notable casino property with retail sports betting would be Turtle Lake Casino.
- Try using a FanDuel Promo Code in your state.
The Most Recent Amended Wisconsin Gaming Compact
The expansion into the Milwaukee sports betting market will be led by the Forest County Potawatomi. Their amended gaming compact with Gov. Evers has been approved and signed. The next step is federal approval by the US Department of Interior.
This final step in the approval process can take up to 45 days as part of a general review. Given previous federal approval for the first two Wisconsin gaming tribes, this process is viewed as a mere formality.
The retail sportsbook at Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Hotel & Casino should be up and running by the end of 2022. The venue is located at 1721 W. Canal Street in the city.
The NFL’s Green Bay Packers accounted for much of the betting volume earlier in the year. The next retail book will be a huge draw for betting on the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers.
Future Sports Betting Expansion in Wisconsin
Absent of any specific legislative efforts, retail sports betting at tribal casinos will remain the only game in town. Future expansion is highly probable with a total of 11 federally recognized gaming tribes in the state.
The remaining eight tribes would have to negotiate an amended gaming compact as well to add legal sports betting to the list.
The Department of Administration’s Office of Indian Gaming and Regulatory Compliance oversees all the tribal casinos in the state. This department conducts regular on-site audits of every casino property.
The Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is considered to be one of the biggest gaming venues in the state. One other prominent gaming tribe that could expand into retail sports betting at some point in time would be Ho-Chunk Nation.


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With the AI boom, what are the undiscovered treasures in the Web3 space?
The screenshots of chatting with ChatGPT, an AI pre-trained language model, have been the most popular among the community in the past two days, and we can't help but feel the evolution of ChatGPT between you and me, and we can't help but sigh that AI is really smart, which in turn has led to discussions on what innovations AI will bring to the crypto field.
When AI is combined with crypto, it can be said to be the newest and the next new field to explode the crypto market. This year, many Web3 AI platforms have completed large financing, and the financing has become the initial rating of the projects in the primary market to some extent.
This article collated the financing information of 20 platforms, except for 3 platforms did not disclose the specific financing amount and an investment commitment, the remaining 17 platforms raised a total of $305 million, of which the largest amount of financing is open source AI company Stability AI, completed $101 million in excess of the funding.
AI-powered avatar platform Inworld AI closed a $10 million round of funding on March 4, led by Bitkraft Ventures with participation from The Venture Reality Fund and angel investors including Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu, and Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell. The funding round will be used to expand its team. The company plans to launch its creator platform later this year, which will provide integration with game engines and metaverse applications. inworld AI is designed to help other platforms build virtual characters with a high degree of configurability to create more engaging and memorable user experiences. The platform closed a $7 million seed funding round in November 2021.
In addition, Inworld AI closed a $50 million Series A round of funding on August 23rd led by Intel Capital and Section 32, and led by Founders Fund, Accelerator Investments LLC, First Spark Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, BITKRAFT Ventures, CRV, Microsoft M12 Fund, Micron Ventures, LG Technology Ventures, LG Technology Ventures, and Microsoft M12 Fund. Inworld, which uses AI to build generative characters for games, metaverse and business applications, has raised a total of approximately $70 million in funding since Inworld's inception in July 2021.
Altered State Machine (ASM) aims to create a platform that applies artificial intelligence (AI) to metaverse, and ASM's machine learning protocols currently power the AIFA consortium and FLUF World.
Mirror World, an AI-powered chain game project, closed an over $4 million seed funding round on March 11, led by Galaxy Interactive, Republic and Alameda Research, with participation from YGG SEA, Avocado Guild, Mirana Ventures, Inifinity Ventures Crypto, OKX Blockdream Ventures, and Sky9 Capital. The round will be used to expand initial game features and enhance community functionality and membership benefits. mirror World has launched Mirror NFT Mirror NFT, an interactive NFT that circulates games across Mirror World's full platform, in September 2021 and expects to launch three asset-interoperable games this year.


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Post by BBQ Butcher on May 27, 2018 6:48:19 GMT -5
Mouth injuries suffered from eating recalled Spam and Lunch Loaf
By News Desk | May 27, 2018
As if an erupting volcano isn’t enough, Hawaii may have to suppress its well-known appetite for spam due to a mammoth recall.
The Fremont, NE-based Hormel Food Corp. Saturday announced the recall of approximately 228,614 pounds of canned pork and chicken products that may be contaminated with pieces of metal.
The canned pork and chicken products were produced on February 8 through February 10, 2018. The recalled products include:LINK


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Shumlin expresses doubts on GMO bill
Governor says VT is not best state to first test GMO labeling law
Gov. Peter Shumlin is expressing doubt about whether Vermont should pass a bill requiring special labeling for food that is genetically modified or contains genetically modified ingredients.
Shumlin says Vermont lost a lawsuit several years ago over a requirement for labels on dairy products from cows treated with an artificial growth hormone.
He says that loss in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals makes Vermont likely not the best state to be the first to test a GMO labeling law.
A bill requiring labels on genetically modified food cleared the House Agriculture Committee last Friday, but even supporters say they expect that if it passes, it will be challenged in court by the biotech industry.


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CNET breaks out the most important things to know when shopping for a new television.
Biotech startup Suneris has developed a plant-based polymer it says functions like "Lego building blocks for the body," drastically reducing the amount of time it takes to stop a wound from bleeding.
The JBL Cinema Base is a likable smaller sound base that offers easy hookup and packs a home-theater punch.
The Philips HTB3525B packs Blu-ray, Smart TV, and Bluetooth into an affordable sound bar, making it a great choice if you're looking for an all-in-one system.
Team Unicorn covers Meghan Trainor's pop song with an Imperial touch, complete with dancing Stormtroopers, Darth Vader corsets and plenty of droids.
Gorilla Glass keeps your phone safe, but will it crack under the pressure when the Mythbusters bring out their hammers and air cannons?
The new Zvox Soundbase.770 is a smart alternative to skinny sound bars, says the Audiophiliac.
Lunar Mission One wants to bury a time capsule deep below the surface of the bottom of the moon, and it's asking the public to foot the bill. So far, humanity seems willing to chip in.
After almost two years playing second fiddle, the South Korean electronics giant reclaimed the top spot as the world's largest UHD TV panel vendor.
The Internet giant faces yet another tussle with European officials, who want Google to split off its search business.


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The era of the (Digital) Omnivore is upon us Digital consumers are influencing the enterprise
Streaming services fuel consumers’ appetite, according to latest Deloitte Digital Democracy Survey
Survey reveals nearly one-third of consumers binge-watch three or more episodes at least once a week, with device preferences and multitasking behaviors impacted.
Success in technology, media & telecommunications
Case studies from Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry practice group.


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Retail Roundup: Shops cater to Alabama State students
Chandra Tarver wishes she had a place like Stingers Café around when she was going to Alabama State University.
Thanks to a group of ASU alums, today’s students have that and much more after the opening of two new stores and a shopping center expansion near campus.
Heritage Complex at 1334 Carter Hill Road, owned by Vladimir Averett, recently added Coratio Vinson’s café and Larnetta Moncrief’s Diva’s Hair Salon. They join Kim Salter’s Evening Out Formal Wear and Averett’s Heritage Barber Shop, which has been around for nearly 20 years.
Each space is 1,000 square feet, and all the owners are former Hornets, said Tarver, the spokeswoman for the center.
Averett mentors young people on the weekends but wanted to do something more for the students and the community. Now, women and men can get ready for a big night at the complex, or go to the café if they’re hungry and the school’s cafeteria is closed.
It’s no coincidence that the owners were once ASU students, Tarver said.
“We kept it in the family,” she said.
A grand opening last week drew hundreds of customers. “The students love it,” Tarver said.
Sign of change
coming at Cohens
Raymond Cohen is proud of his business’ 57-year history in Montgomery, but that doesn’t mean he wants to live in the past.
That’s why his 2515 East Blvd. store is putting up a huge new sign to show how they’ve grown over the past few decades and taken over the space of a “long-gone” tenant who once shared the building. The sign and a new façade will be in place within three weeks and will no longer include the old tenant.
“It needed to change.” Cohen said. “We were able to make our appliance department much larger.”
Cohen plans to renovate the parking lot next, and he said that will start as soon as the current work is finished.
His locally owned, family business is still kicking in an era when brick-and-mortar retail businesses — and even big-box electronic stores — have struggled. It’s been quite a journey for Cohens, which started by selling records and eventually expanded to audio equipment, televisions and appliances.
“What we constantly try to do is improve,” Cohen said. “People have been awfully nice to us.”
to power growth
A Fortune 500 company’s decision to open here this month may be good news for the future of the Capital City as a whole.
Graybar opened Feb. 13 at 520 N. East Blvd., where it will provide a range of services relating to new construction or rehabilitation of existing buildings. The company has been in Alabama for more than 100 years, but this is its first Montgomery location.
That means there’s enough business here now to bring them to the Capital City.
The branch will serve the Montgomery metro area along with Marengo, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Butler, Elmore, Macon, Russell, Bullock, Barbour, Pike and Crenshaw counties.
It’s open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 334-819-5200.


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Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
Flight Club, a sneaker company focused on the sale of rare shoes, has reached an agreement on a sponsorship deal with the North Coast Blue Chips AAU team, which will feature LeBron James Jr., the son of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, during the 2019 summer season.
On Thursday, Nick DePaula of ESPN.com reported Flight Club is set to provide the entire roster with sneakers, hoodies, basketball towels and duffel bags.
The rising star’s famous father, who’s locked into a long-term endorsement deal with Nike, has picked out the shoe designs for the squad. They are “presumably rare and vintage editions from his longtime Nike signature series now spanning 16 annual models,” per DePaula.
LeBron Jr., nickname


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Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have ended their legal battle with Triller.
The Verzuz co-founders sued the video-sharing platform back in August, claiming it failed to make payments in their Verzuz acquisition deal.
“VERZUZ has always been a platform that is by the artists, for the artists and with the people,” co-founders Swizz and Timbaland said in a statement. “We’re glad to come to an amicable agreement with Triller and continue giving fans the music and community that they’ve come to know and love from the brand.”
This story is being updated.
For all the latest Music News Click Here


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Blackbird plc (AIM:BIRD), the technology licensor, developer and seller of market-leading cloud native video editing platform, Blackbird®, announces the general release of elevate.io, its new creator SaaS product, according to its previously announced timeframe.
Blackbird plc’s CEO, Ian McDonough, commented:
“This is a proud and exciting moment. The Company’s highly scalable and web native video technology has always leant itself to becoming a mass market play, and the world is now starting to appreciate the scale, growth and future commercial potential of the Creator Economy.
“Our goal is that, over time, elevate.io will come to define how content is created and stories are told individually and through collaborating in teams.”
elevate.io, the Company’s new SaaS video content creation and editing platform is built using the Company’s core patented Blackbird® technology. The platform aims to address key pain points facing creators today, including: complexity of tools; cumbersome collaboration with other users; and limited extensibility. The platform will evolve iteratively with fast development turnaround cycles to add functionality and features. To gain user adoption, elevate.io has initially been released as a free product and will move to a freemium model over time.
elevate.io’s disruptive features include real time multiplayer collaboration in a browser. It is designed to solve existing content creation problems.
The platform’s vision includes plug in architecture enabling elevate.io to be a hub for many 3rd party capabilities, including analytical and generative Artificial Intelligence. Extending elevate.io’s functionality will provide additional revenue streams and futureproof the platform, enabling elevate.io to keep pace with innovative technologies through seamless integration.
elevate.io has been built natively in the public cloud, through partnerships with AWS and other cloud service providers. With this extensive global cloud infrastructure integrated into its operations, elevate.io will be scalable globally and at speed. For elevate.io’s users, this means consistent high performance and high availability, regardless of location.
elevate.io addresses the wider Creator Economy which, as of April 2023, was valued at approximately $250 billion and is set to double in size by 2027. The tools and services segment of the market which applies directly to elevate.io is valued at approximately $20 billion and is estimated to grow to be worth $180 billion by 2032, a CAGR of 25.7%. With existing marquee clients in the high-end media & entertainment sector, the Company is well positioned to credibly launch into the creator market.
Blackbird plc’s CEO, Ian McDonough, commented further:
“This project has been in conception since 2021 when we raised money for a direct to creator product, now realised as elevate.io. It has been brought to life by the team we hired in 2022, particularly Sumit Rai, our Chief Product Officer and our world class development team.
“We now have the chassis of a disruptive product that can already be used to create high quality content. Our goal is that, over time, elevate.io will come to define how content is created and stories are told individually and through collaborating in teams. This has already been seen through the success of other multiplayer platforms such as Figma and Google Docs in parallel industries.
“elevate.io will continue to evolve at pace and, being architected on the public cloud, has the ability to scale globally.”
Blackbird plc’s Chief Product Officer, Sumit Rai, commented:
“I am delighted that elevate.io is now on general release, bringing powerful content creation tools to the web. elevate.io contains our real time multiplayer interface which allows teams to collaborate effortlessly in the browser wherever they are. Easy to use and efficient editing is underpinned by the Company’s core technology allowing very smooth playback. Feedback so far has been encouraging including on design and vision. I believe the elevate.io platform will be a game changer in simplifying and creating efficiencies in post-production workflows.
“We will continue to iterate on elevate.io with continual updates adding functionality and features progressing towards our exciting vision.”
Blackbird is best-of-breed
Jon Hanford - Group CTO, Deltatre


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Mitigating carbon leakage – how the new carbon borders will change the game for high carbon exports
Ahead of the global climate summit in Glasgow the European Commission tabled far‑reaching and innovative carbon reforms aimed at meeting its goal of reducing EU emissions by 55 percent as early as 2030. A new carbon border adjustment mechanism and stronger targets together with greater sectoral coverage of the EU emissions trading scheme are at the centre of the reforms. Once passed, they could significantly impact both EU industry and are already setting a new precedent for global export markets.
Part of an even more comprehensive EU Green Deal, the reforms are the most substantial change to European carbon policy in over a decade. There are 13 specific reforms covering imports, tax, buildings, road transport, plastics, shipping, and aviation.
While the reforms are directed towards Europe, Australian industry and exporters will be focused on the carbon boarder adjustment mechanism or CBAM. The CBAM includes a requirement that certain covered goods imported to the EU will need to have carbon credits to account for the greenhouse gas emissions embodied in the goods. The mechanism will initially cover a limited set of imports of electricity, cement, fertiliser, aluminium, iron and steel. Ultimately, the purpose of the CBAM is to account for carbon leakage where goods produced in regions with strict emission policies are substituted with imports from a region with lower emission regulations. Consistent with this purpose, the introduction of the new policy coincides with the removal of free carbon credits for EU producers, the previous less‑focused policy to address leakage.
The direct impact of the new mechanism is not expected to be large for Australian industry. Exports of the five categories covered by the mechanism are valued less than $100 million per annum out of a total $12 billion of goods trade with the EU. Even with this set of imports, European manufacturers will broadly have their free carbon credits removed at the same time. This is unlikely to significantly impact Australia’s relative competitiveness – both imports and domestic goods will increasingly face a cost of carbon. Indeed, carbon efficient exporters of the covered goods, if they can demonstrate this, may improve their competitiveness relative to inefficient global competitors.
Importers to the EU will also face additional requirements for emission verification. For firms unable to independently verify embodied emissions, options to draw on country averages, or the EU’s own benchmarks based on low performing plants will be available.
But the border tariffs are not the only change and the overall package of carbon reforms may pose a greater indirect impact on all emission intensive exports to the EU, in addition to those covered by the CBAM. A combination of carrots and sticks, particularly a stronger and more evenly applied carbon price, is likely to make structural changes to European demand and promote the switch to low carbon fuels and materials more generally.
One potential barrier to the implementation of the CBAM is the possibility of challenge at the World Trade Organisation for breaching its rules. While the new border tariffs coincide with the removal of free permits for EU producers and are designed to impose broadly consistent domestic and international carbon requirements, the potential of a challenge still exists.
On a macro level, it is clear Europe is seeking to be a world leader in decarbonisation, both through direct action and norm-setting. This could easily establish a precedent for other countries to follow suit. Carbon leakage is often pointed to as a reason not to pursue higher ambition carbon policies. Currently over 70 percent of global GDP is covered by net zero or carbon neutrality pledges, including many of Australia’s key export markets in the Asia Pacific region.
If this EU package of policies can be implemented and prove effective, other countries could adopt similar or linked systems. The EU policy specifically includes deductions for carbon pricing implemented in export source countries, which may encourage other countries to adopt similar or linked systems. Indeed, last week China launched its national emissions trading scheme that introduces carbon pricing into our largest export market, initially covering electricity with a low starting price, building ambition over time with the intent to expand to other industries. And last week a Bill was introduced into the US Congress to establish a somewhat similar Border Carbon Adjustment to apply to certain imports like aluminium, cement, iron and steel.
These other efforts are not as developed as the reforms in the EU. Nevertheless, the combination of an integrated package in the EU with increased interest in carbon pricing and border adjustments in other key economies mark a notable change in the global climate debate.
While Australian firms may not initially be directly impacted by these announcements, the EU reform package, within this broader context of policy movement, adds to existing arguments to prepare for a new low-carbon world. The reforms will increasingly affect Asia-Pacific markets due to their close links with the EU.
Understanding your carbon footprint, your supply chain risks, and developing a robust decarbonisation strategy and pathway will be key to resilience and growth as broader carbon measures spread. Those who are on the front foot in the energy transition will be well placed as we look towards 2030 and beyond.


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Pocket-lint has teamed up with Dial-a-Phone to bring you the chance of winning this much-awaited mobile from Samsung.
The Samsung Tocco Ultra is the follow-up to the Tocco launched last year, which was apparently the UK's best selling contract device in the second half of 2008.
The tech specs include a 2.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen, haptic touch technology and an 8-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash. You'll also get GPS navigation, geo-tagging, music player and up to HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, for high speed internet access.
To be in with a chance of winning this smart handset just answer the question below.
This competition has finished.


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DC Comics bends the knee to China, censors “The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child” promo art
Late last week, DC Comics deleted promotional images from its social media pages after Chinese backlash. The image in question is artwork by Rafael Grampá for Frank Miller’s upcoming graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, which is scheduled for release on 11 December. The image (which you can see below) displays a young hero of the “bat” persuasion holding a lit Molotov cocktail with the words “The future is young” in the background.
Chinese social media users complained about the image, suggesting that DC Comics was using the artwork to promote the youth-led, pro-Democracy movement in Hong Kong. Despite some Chinese users demanding an apology, DC Comics didn’t offer one. Instead, the company quietly deleted the images on Thanksgiving (Thursday), prompting Western audiences to criticize the company for bowing to the censorious whims of authoritarian governments instead of standing up for free expression.
According to Frank Miller, The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child is about a new generation of heroes taking center stage in his celebrated Dark Knight universe. In a September press release, Miller explained, “The Dark Knight Returns story began with its heroes getting older. Now we’re seeing the next generation of heroes in action… heroes that are vigorous, untested and loaded with promise.”
This certainly isn’t the first time that an entertainment company has succumbed to pressure from Communist China, nor is it the first time that DC Comics has censored itself following backlash from offended social media users. China has been demanding changes to Western films for years, and the creators behind successful video games including Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG, and most recently Hearthstone have all been willing to accommodate the authoritarian government in Beijing. For its part, DC has been censoring itself for the last several years, including altering a Wonder Woman variant cover in 2016 for allegedly being too revealing, and cancelling a Batgirl variant cover for – *gasp!* – showing the hero imperiled by the villain (above).
What do you think about this latest case of Communist China controlling Western media companies? Are you concerned, or do you, for one, welcome your new Communist overlords? Let us know in the comments!
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