text:
Mother's Day is coming up and Napa's Cleavage Creek Cellars will celebrate this day by releasing the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay and the Secret White wines which are two of their world class wines. The bottles will be sold for $15 instead of the usual $30 to $40 and 10 percent of the gross sales of the Cleavage Creek will be donated to fund breast cancer research.
The women featured on the labels are breast cancer survivors and their stories are told at the Cleavage Creek website.
Cancer Survivor Branded Booze
More Stats +/-
Clean Hair Product Brands
Intentionally Fractured Cabinet Furniture
Expansive Seasonal Treat Collections
Child-Themed Vegan Meals
AR-Based Jewelry Software


text:
Square has just released new software features to its app. With more companies trying to get a part of the mobile payments systems, Square has been constantly updating their apps to help attract more customers. Among other things, Square 2.2 offers the ability for companies to reward buyers who make repeat purchases. The merchant gets to decide what constitutes a repeat customer and what doesn’t.
Just two weeks ago, Square introduced an update to Card Case iOS. This app allows customers to pay for an item without taking out their phones, thanks to iPhone location technology. Square will release an Android version of the same app within the next month.
The push for new updates to Square have come as more market giants are making their way into the world of mobile payments. Even though current studies have suggested that mobile payment interest is still low among customers, it is expected that the need for this technology will only increase in the coming years.

domain: news


text:
As exciting and glamorous at it may sound (right up there with cyber warriors, Russian oligarchs, and nude Uber drivers), the tedious profession of market analysis and commentary offers few dream jobs for the restless spirit. In short, my job can be long on narrow trading ranges and flat, uninspiring fundamentals.
Think of daily trips to Baskin-Robbins for a single scoop of vanilla.
That's why the new Brazilian meat scandal has absolutely made my week, grabbing tired assumptions of supply and demand by the back of the neck and shaking them like rag dolls. Well, at least theoretically.
However the story develops in the weeks and months (years?) ahead, no one can deny the story was initially worthy of bold headlines. Saddle the world's biggest beef exporter with reports of corrupt inspectors and tainted product. Throw in the fact that when it comes to food health scares, the world's trading stomach turns as queasy as a skinny vegetarian with allergies.
If that ain't major news with real market-moving potential, then President Trump still has a shot at introvert of the year.
Best of all, no one saw it coming. The sordid situation just suddenly flew out of the steamy Amazon like a great market-scrambling "Black Swain."
But will the Brazilian scandal truly have legs? It's one thing for 20 or more meat customers (most noticeably China) to temporarily cancel orders, but quite another for the global meat trade to be significantly rerouted over the long-term.
While only time will tell, I see at least three signs suggesting major players in this mess are clearly worried market trouble and negative implications could endure far into the future.
First of all, damage control by Brazilian governmental officials strikes me as both desperate and comical. Soon after the initial press releases of categorical denial began to look silly and indefensible, spin-doctors tried to sympathetically frame unfortunate events in the manner of El Chapo's disappointed mother. Yes, politicians and trade associations admitted there was some bribery afoot. But only the best kind of bribery, wheels greased in order to speed the delivery of wholesome meat to hungry customers around the world.
Second, despite loud pleas of innocence and dismissive assessments of overall significance, major processors within Brazil have wasted no time in anticipating an extended period of bearish fallout. For example, JBS almost immediately has halted beef production for three days in 33 of its 36 Brazilian plants. Next week, it will cut production by 35% of capacity at all its units.
Finally, you don't have to be much of a market history student to know the proven, long-lasting power of food safety scares in world trade.
Even the most scientifically oriented society can morph into fear-based (i.e., anti-trade) mob if enough become obsessed with the unknown. This seems especially true when irrational avoidance is facilitated by alternatives.
China's ban on U.S. beef still in place 13 years after the discovery of BSE in Washington State stands as the saddest, ongoing example of such craziness.
© Copyright 2017 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.


text:
"It looks like the (margin) trend will continue this year," Tiwari said. Maruti Suzuki
saw fourth-quarter EBITDA margins falling to 10.8 percent from about 12.5 percent in the same quarter last year. EBITDA margins for the year fell to 14 percent from 15.9 percent a year ago.
The carmaker said it sold 458,479 vehicles in the three months ended March 31, down 0.7 percent.
The company, which helped raise car ownership in India nearly four decades ago with its iconic Maruti 800 model, has since also added cars like the Baleno and Alto hatchbacks.
However, Maruti Suzuki
saw negative sales growth in urban markets, Bhargava said.
Growing use of app-based cab services such as Ola and Uber Technologies Inc, tighter credit and market uncertainty ahead of India's general election have all weighed on the auto industry, hurting sales of private cars.
This has spurred a fierce battle for market share, forcing companies
to introduce heavy promotions to lure buyers.
Maruti Suzuki's net profit for the fourth quarter beat market expectations but fell 5 percent to 17.96 billion rupees ($256.10 million) from a year earlier.
The results compared with the 17.47 billion rupees average of 22 analysts' estimates compiled by Refinitiv Eikon. Total revenue from operations rose 1.4 percent to 214.59 billion rupees. Maruti Suzuki shares closed down 1.59 percent. The shares touched a more than three-week low earlier in the session.


text:
Warning: Tumble dryer fire risk
Firefighters in Lincolnshire are asking people to check the make of their tumble dryer after a full recall was issued by a manufacturer.
Beko has issued a safety alert about a potential fire risk of 3,450 of its condenser tumble dryers and told customers to stop using them immediately.
Beko has asked customers with 8kg and 9kg Beko and Blomberg condenser tumble dryers which were manufactured between May and November 2012 to register for a free modification after checking the model and serial number.
The affected models are DCU9330W, DCU9330R, DCU8230, TKF8439A, and DSC85W.
Top tips for the safe use of tumble dryers:
• Remove the lint from the trap after every load of clothes dried
• Do not cover the vent or any other opening
• Ensure the vent pipe is free of kinks and is not crushed in any way
• Only used recommended vent pipes, and not improvised ones
• Only vent the warm air to the outside of a building
• Do not put rags or materials into your tumble dryer if they have been used to soak up flammable liquids.
Top signs that your tumble dryer is not properly ventilated:
• Clothes take a very long time to dry, especially heavy articles of clothing such as towels or jeans
• Clothes feel hotter than usual at the end of the cycle
• The flapper on the vent hood remains closed when the dryer is on
Register your electrical appliances for a safer home.
Only 36% of consumers register all of their large domestic appliances.
Visit www.registermyappliance.org.uk to register your appliances and to access product specific information.


text:
Top stories on just-style last week...
Top stories on just-style last week included H&M unveiling the name of its new chain, Wal-Mart revealing details of its Women in Factories programme, and PVH being included among companies receiving top marks in a child labour risk report.
SWEDEN: H&M plans to call new brand "& Other Stories"
Fashion retailer H&M Hennes & Mauritz confirmed to just-style that the new chain it is planning to launch next year will be called "& Other Stories".
Sri Lankan apparel industry in optimistic mood
Sri Lanka's apparel manufacturers see export demand holding up this year despite concerns about a slowing European economy, thanks to a focus on ethical manufacturing, factory investment, and the arrival of new international buyers. Dilshami Samaraweera spoke with firms showcasing their products at the recent Sri Lanka Expo 2012.
US: Wal-Mart launches Women in Factories programme
US retail giant Wal-Mart has revealed details of a new five-year initiative aimed at empowering 60,000 women working at its supplier factories in India, Bangladesh, China and Central America - which should also lead to higher quality products and lower prices.
just-style management briefing: Sustainable solutions to boost textile recycling
Re-using and reprocessing clothing, fibres and scraps is an effective way to create sustainability in the apparel industry - although textile recycling is currently facing barriers associated with cost, time, and technology. But as sustainability gains in importance, many services are being offered by both apparel manufacturers and other clothing and sector organisations to help improve recycling outputs.
GLOBAL: Brands receive top marks in child labour risk report
PVH, Adidas, Gildan Activewear, Next, Gap and H&M have received top marks in a report ranking companies on how they manage and disclose risks of child labour use and children's rights violations in their operations and supply chains.
An interactive databank with intelligence on the major apparel sourcing countries
A rise in footwear retail sales along with a surge in domestic manufacturing contributed to make 2011 a "very positive year" for the US footwear industry, according to data from the American Apparel &...
Top stories on just-style this week include news that Gap will introduce new fire safety standards at supplier factories in Bangladesh, a look at the new outsourcing players to challenge existing expo...
Mother, baby and children's goods retailer Mothercare has announced two management appointments as it looks to focus on its global operations....
NGC Software is extending its PLM and ERP software to fashion sales representatives through a strategic relationship with Threadvine Apparel & Footwear Solutions....
Bangladesh's state minister for labour has told just-style an immediate pay hike for garment sector workers is not possible despite employees' demands for a 30% increase....
Seamless apparel specialist Tefron today (4 October) said it has signed a licensing agreement with X-Technology Swiss Research & Development (XTS) to manufacture and distribute high performance sports...
- Trump’s China tariff a self-serving sound-bite
- US fashion firms share their sourcing strategies
- Bad sourcing blamed for pressure on retail margins
- Cost biggest barrier to Bangladesh RMG remediation
- Lies and statistics – the sustainability version
- Ten key trends in apparel and footwear markets
- Bangladesh firm comes top in World Textile Awards
- Columbia rain jacket a milestone in sustainability
- Primark continues US expansion with third store
- $360m logistics investment to benefit Bangladesh
- Southeast Asia strategic sourcing review – a focus on Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar
- Primark Stores Limited: Retailing - Company Profile & SWOT Analysis
- Clothing & Footwear Retailing in Indonesia– Market Summary & Forecasts
- Clothing & Footwear Retailing in China – Market Summary & Forecasts
- Nike Inc in Apparel and Footwear (World)


text:
Some liquor outlets as well as supermarkets are now selling alcohol at really low prices and even providing specials to reflect the reductions in Excise Duty announced in the 2020-2021 National Budget.
Paradise Beverages Limited has also released a price list of its products reflecting the reductions.
This new price list was for its customers who are holders of permits for the sale of alcohol-related products.
It was released last Saturday and Paradise Beverages Limited says the pricing and related details are for licensed customers and not for public circulation.
Based on this new price list by Paradise Beverages Limited, some supermarkets and liquor outlets have changed their prices.
A stubby previously cost $3.50 to $4.00 in some of these outlets now costs $2.45 to $2.60.
Most of the supermarkets are now selling a carton of stubbies for $58.80 with some even selling as low as around $53.
Based on the new factory VAT inclusive price list by Paradise Beverages Limited, a carton of stubbies costs $50.80.
Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had announced in the budget that they were halving excise taxes on alcohol to allow hotels, resorts, bars, and restaurants to pass on those savings directly to consumers.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations


text:
SPEARFISH — To help make informed and targeted decisions regarding local economic development, the Spearfish City Council Monday voted to move forward with a retail leakage study by Buxton Company, a data research analytics firm specializing in consumer analytics.
Retail leakage occurs when local people spend a larger amount of money on goods than local businesses report in sales, usually due to people traveling to a neighboring town to buy goods.
City Administrator Mike Harmon explained that approximately four to six months ago at a Spearfish Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) board meeting, the board made a recommendation that the city consider a retail leakage study to look at how to improve existing business and how to recruit new businesses. That idea resulted in the city reaching out to Buxton to learn what the company provides.
Ben Hicks, director of sales of Buxton, out of Fort Worth, Texas, addressed the council Monday, describing that the benefits of partnering with Buxton include defining a proactive strategy for retail recruitment; supporting the city’s existing retail base; increasing the tax base by attracting sustainable retail; understanding how retailers view the market; and developing economic development strategy.
The proposal describes the “total marketing strategy that enables community leaders to understand the consumer profile of their residents and to identify specific retailers and restaurants who seek a market with household purchasing habits just like yours. This solution provides you with the ability to actively pursue identified retailers, making a compelling case for their expansion to Spearfish …”
Buxton defines Spearfish’s objectives on the proposal as understanding the current retail and restaurant economic condition; recruiting new retailers and restaurants; and retaining existing retailers and restaurants. The company would research the community, define and evaluate its trade area, profile the trade area’s residential customers, match retailers and restaurants to market potential, create marketing packages, and provide business retention tools.
The proposal lists three years of services and Buxton Analytics Platform access and other related software, with an annual fee of $50,000.
“I do think this would be a very useful tool to the council to make decisions when we’re looking at economic development and other companies, more to be proactive rather than reactive when things come to us … I think it’d be a very good tool to use,” Mayor Dana Boke said following the presentation.
Councilwoman Pam Jacobs made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Councilman Larry Klarenbeek. Boke then asked for further discussion.
Councilman Marty Clark voiced that yes, further discussion was warranted for consideration of a multi-year, $50,000 per year study.
“Sometimes I wish we had a study on the studies that we’ve done,” he said, adding that if the study has value, it should be done in partnership with private businesses. He apologized for having missed the committee meeting at which the study was first discussed and said that he would like to see the studies completed for other communities and hear feedback from them.
Harmon said that the city is looking at partnerships; SEDC has expressed interest, he said, as well as other private entities. He highlighted that Buxton has contacts and is an advocate for the city in negotiations with potential new businesses, so the payback could come in the form of more than just sales tax. Harmon said that Buxton would be able to tell the city whether a particular retailer wants to locate in Spearfish as much as Spearfish wants them, so the city may not have to provide as much in incentives “because we now have the data to show that that company wants to be in Spearfish, so there’s a variety of ways this can pay for itself,” he said.
Clark said he would like to table the request and get more information. He added that since SEDC receives funding from the city, he would like to see other partners emerge.
“What about real estate agents, and developers, and banks? If this really has a value to bring additional companies to town, why is that strictly on the city’s purview to do that?” he said, adding, “I just think it’s a lot of money for a report, and I don’t see the value … if there really is a value there, then some private enterprise, private industry should see a value in it as well and therefore help cover the cost.”
Hicks pointed out that the three-year timeline is showing what a typical roadmap looks like for municipalities who participate in studies.
“We are not a recruiting firm. We are an analytics group,” he clarified, describing that the information would allow the council to “lean on data” when making decisions related to retail.
Clark said that he didn’t feel the decision needed to be made that night and said that he would like to see reports from one or two other communities before moving forward.
Councilman Dan Hodgs said that he wanted an accurate approach to making decisions and being proactive versus reactive when addressing growth but voiced concern that the current funding source is identified as the third penny/hospitality tax and added his desire for partnerships to help with the study, as well.
Harmon said that the council could look at different funding sources or combinations from different funds. He added that the city of Mitchell recently completed a similar study and that the city paid for half of the study and relied on the community to come up with the other half, so there are options for the council to consider.
Clark asked for clarification of the motion. The item agenda was “Consideration of a retail leakage study conducted by Buxton Company,” so Clark wanted to know what approval of that meant.
Harmon said that it was up to the crafter of the motion.
Jacobs, who had previously “moved to approve,” said that the motion was to move forward, and if the city could find partnerships, she would like them to move forward with the partnerships.
Boke then asked if Jacobs meant to move forward with the currently proposed $50,000 annually from third penny, looking for partnerships, and Jacobs said yes.
The mayor then called for a vote, and the council voted to move forward 4-1, with Clark voting nay. Councilman Darick Eisenbraun was absent.
Kory Menken, SEDC executive director, clarified Tuesday that SEDC has not made a formal commitment to help fund the proposed study.
“However, we certainly see the value the data could provide to our existing Spearfish business owners, land developers, public officials and our very own organization,” he said. “In the dynamic and ever-changing arenas of business and economic development, knowledge-based and data-driven decision making is vital to success. SEDC is interested in working with our public and private partners on this proposed initiative.”
In 2013, the city council approved an allocation to fund a retail trade study by Retail Coach to determine where consumers who support local businesses in Spearfish currently lived, to understand the anticipated pattern of retail spending for the area and look at the unique characteristics Spearfish established that may affect the calculated spending pattern of area residents.
To read all of today's stories, Click here or call 642-2761 to subscribe to our e-edition or home delivery.


text:
$615 million USD. That's an increase of 68%. The company's total revenue has hit an impressive $4.4 billion, almost all of it coming from Android and Windows Mobile 7 phones.
Tagged: handset market
and exceed not only Nokia, but also RIMs market cap. This is good news for our devoted Android handset maker. Our source mentions they have grown over 30 times their value over the last 5 years to a whopping $33.88 billion. That is compared to Nokia's $32.85 bn, and RIM's slowly lowering $28.5 bn.


text:
HP Dumps Ex-Palm CEO, Celebrates Mobile-free Future
January 27, 2012 3:25 PM
comment(s) - last by
Computer maker says no to progress, drops another shovel of dirt on webOS's grave
In a further blow to those hoping for a webOS revival Jon Rubinstein,
the iconic Palm CEO
who supervised the creation of the webOS-powered Pre, has been released from his executive post at Hewlett-Packard Comp. (
I. A Failure of Vision
HP has been on a mess roller coaster ride over the last year shuffling CEOs and even contemplating spinning off the heart of its company -- the consumer PC business. The change in leadership has also led HP to effectively abandon its hope of being a viable player in the mobile tablet/smart phone space.
blew $1.2B USD
to acquire Palm Inc. in April 2010, in what seemed like a promising move for both companies at the time. Palm still had a legion of firm supporters, and while it was no longer the iPhone competitor
it was once was
(and which Android became) it still had a shot.
That shot was killed by HP's
floundering board and hapless new executive leadership
. The webOS product line was
officially discontinued in Aug. 2011
. Meanwhile HP seemed to be combing through its ranks removing all the one-time supporters [
] of webOS.
"I didn't know there was such a thing as corporate suicide, but now we know that there is. It's just astonishing." -- Ex-HP Board Chairman Tom Perkins on the company's struggles
[Image Source: Euro-Synergies]
After HP became the
second major company in two years to fire Léo Apotheker
from its CEO spot for poor performace, new CEO Meg Whitman reported shopped around webOS to prospective buyers. But her
asking price of $1.2B USD
-- what HP had paid for it before it desecrated the remains of Palm -- was reportedly
by serious buyer prospects like Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd.'s (
Unsurprisingly no buyer was found.
II. Jon Rubinstein Departs to More Fertile Shores
Today HP has
open sourced webOS
, essentially giving away for free the product that months before it had hope to get a billion dollars for.
HP was quiet about the departure of Mr. Rubinstein. They would only say, when reached for comment
, "Jon has fulfilled his commitment and we wish him well."
Jon Rubinstein, father of the iPod and Palm Pre [Image Source:
Ultimately this is likely a smart career move for Mr. Rubinstein, who
originally gained fame
as the creator of the iPod at Apple, Inc. (
). Mr. Rubinstein has put out solid products at companies who have ambition, companies who have the willingness to take risks in the mobile space -- attributes that are sorely lacking at HP.
Sadly for webOS fans, this is one more sign that the beloved platform is taking its final ride into the glow of the twilight. As HP reassigns the remainder of the webOS skeleton crew who weren't laid off yet, Mr. Rubinstein's departure serves as perhaps the final reminder that once there was a company named Palm, a company with two decades of bold mobile vision, a company whose final spark of life was extinguished by HP.
reports that Mr. Rubinstein has been absent from the office
, in silent protest of Mr. Apotheker's decision to kill webOS, and that HP only now got around to clarifying his status.)
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
1/30/2012 4:15:57 PM
Playbook is a practically unknown product. There's no way there are "anti-Playbook" trolls lol. Come on.
Obviously they haven't used Playbook.
Because, obviously, nobody is buying the damn thing! Hello?
1/30/2012 7:24:40 PM
Reclaimer you don't know sh1t about Playbook reviews, majority of them took a quick look at it, and said "this sucks 'cause doesn't have angry birds and native email client". The idiots who wrote those reviews had no idea about other apps, about free office included with the OS, about webmail/gmail that kicks the crap out of older native email paradigm (oldfarts who wrote Playbook reviews couldn't understand how webmail could be better than native email clinet, 'cause they were oldfarts), about hardware quality, size, weight (both are advantageous over iPad but almost no one has noticed), look/design (definitely better than iPad too) and the modern microkernel OS inisde, iPad's older monolithic OS doesn't apply here. They paid no attention to slick multitasking unrivaled by any other ARM tablet including iPad, they paid no attention to fluid WebOS-like UI, to the best desktop-like web browser among ARM tablets. You're saying to me anti-RIM trolls do not exist after I read all this nonsense in multiple reviews retro was sending my way? You are totally clueless Reclaimer, go make your homework. Oh wait you can't, since you never used Playbook like I did. Too bad you have nothing to say on this then :)))
"It's okay. The scenarios aren't that clear. But it's good looking. [Steve Jobs] does good design, and [the iPad] is absolutely a good example of that." -- Bill Gates on the Apple iPad
HP Wanted $1.2B "Refund" Via WebOS Sale, Gets Smacked With Reality
December 29, 2011, 1:49 PM
Update: webOS is Going Open Source, Future HP Hardware Still Unlikely
December 9, 2011, 1:52 PM
HP Loses Another WebOS Supporter -- Its CTO
November 1, 2011, 5:53 PM
Last Major Supporter of WebOS in HP's Executive Ranks is Retiring
October 21, 2011, 1:07 PM
HP CEO Apotheker Fired, Meg Whitman Tapped as His Replacement
September 22, 2011, 4:17 PM
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text:
AP10ThingsToSee- A Chinese student, part of a group of supporters of Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, waves the Chinese national flags as they gather at a counter-demonstration for the leader on Downing Street in central London, where he was meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Tuesday, June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) ORG XMIT: NC102
Alibaba is now the 13th most valuable company trading in the U.S., passing tech behemoths like Facebook, International Business Machines and Oracle.
Tamayo then chewed up and sometimes even ate the post-it note or napkin to destroy evidence of the tip.
If you didn’t get shares of Alibaba at the $68 offering price — it’s probably too late to chase them. But don’t worry, there are better choices, according to analysts.
The Alibaba hype is old news. So is the first trade of $92.70, which was 36% above the offering price of $68. The question now: Is Alibaba a buy at shares north of $90 per share?
Alibaba and investors selling in the hotly anticipated IPO left a record $8 billion in the table by pricing its shares so far below actual demand.
Yahoo might be celebrating its $8.3 billion windfall from selling Alibaba shares. Here’s the problem: It could have made $11.3 billion.


text:
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has urged miners to produce more nickel, a key ingredient for EV batteries, and warned the current cost of batteries remained a big hurdle to his company's growth.
"Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way," Musk said on a post-earnings call, according to Reuters.
The report noted nickel makes batteries energy dense so cars can run further on a single charge while Tesla needs the metal more than ever as it looks to boost production of trucks and solar projects that use a lot of nickel.
Musk's call for greater nickel mining came even as prices for battery materials wallow around rock bottom, Reuters said.
However, traders and analysts told the news agency the volume Tesla would need was unlikely to make a compelling business case for miners to invest in increased production, nor were they likely to boost prices in the medium term.
Tesla currently sources nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) batteries from LG Chem and nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) batteries from Panasonic.
These companies indirectly buy nickel from mining companies in a long auto supply chain, according to Reuters, adding Tesla doesn't disclose nickel miners in its supply chain.
Given Tesla's focus on sustainability, the company is likely to prefer to buy from miners of higher grade nickel sulphide which requires less power to process than laterite ore, Lachlan Shaw of National Australia Bank, told the news agency.
Brazil's Vale, which operates in Canada using some hydropower, Russia's Norilsk Nickel and BHP Group operations in Western Australia are the three key suppliers.
"Vale is in the box seat," Shaw added.
EVs are expected to be the quickest growth market for nickel miners, Reuters said.
Nickel consumption in EV battery materials is expected to soar 64% between 2019 and 2025, research firm Wood Mackensie told the news agency, although it added that satisfying this demand could be challenging for an industry that has been slow to add capacity in a timely and cost effective manner.
"He needs nickel so he hopes nickel prices will go lower and lower," a China based trader told Reuters.
"Prices will not be impacted in the short term because the market is in surplus."
Nickel hit a 14-month low of US$10,865 a tonne in March but has since recovered to $13,180, still down by some 30% from five year peaks seen in September. Prices rallied 2.6% partly on Tesla's bullish outlook, a trader told Reuters.
"The real limitation on Tesla growth is cell production at affordable price. That's the real limit," Musk reportedly said, adding the company would expand its business with Panasonic and CATL and "possibly with others".


text:
Pliny the Younger will be shipped!
Life is nowhere near normal right now, but Pliny is coming. Russian River Brewing is gearing up to release its seasonal favorite, Pliny the Younger, in bottles this year — and under different conditions. You won’t be able to stand in line with other Pliny devotees to get a fresh pour and the full Younger experience. There won’t be an in-person release at either of the two locations. But Russian River will be shipping 12-bottle, mixed-pack cases — within California — that include four bottles of Pliny the Younger, along with some of their other popular beers and one special, new brew no one has seen before.
Co-owner Natalie Cilurzo told me, “We’re trying to re-create the experience of Younger in person.”
Most people who visit the brewery for Pliny the Younger order a sampler of Russian River beers, too, hence the mixed case. And Natalie and brewer Vinnie Cilurzo will be posting Facebook Live tastings of Younger and other beers so fans can taste along with the Russian River duo.
“While we’re disappointed that we can’t do (Younger) in person,” she said, “we’re still doing what we can to make it available to as many people as possible and still make it fun, while at the same time being responsible business owners and keeping everybody safe.”
This is a one-time thing just for 2021, she said. Barring anything unforeseen, Younger will be back at the brewery the following year, so if you want to try it in a bottle, this is your shot. Pre-sales will begin at 11 a.m. (Pacific Time) on Jan. 28 at the brewery’s online store


text:
It was crushed by the heavy-handed intervention of the Chinese government, which is cooling off investor enthusiasm for.Overstock.com is the first major retailer to join the Bitcoin market.
(3518.11 USD) Bitstamp - buy and sell bitcoin
Providing breaking cryptocurrency news - focusing on Bitcoin, Ethereum, NEO, ICOs, prices, blockchain technology, and smart contracts.Bitcoin is the first digital currency to eliminate the middleman.
What is Bitcoin? (v1)Find great deals on eBay for Bitcoin in Miscellaneous Computer Components and Parts.The block-chain protocol ensures that all bitcoin transactions are recorded on a public ledger.Bitcoin surged about 13 percent on Friday, but was still on track for a big weekly loss during a tumultuous period of trading.
Bitcoin HK (Hong Kong) | MeetupConsumer sentiment declines in September as hurricane fears weigh down key economic index.
Bitcoin and bitcoin cash - Business InsiderVisit daily or subscribe for updates, to keep on top of changes in the digital world of finance.This short animated video is an introduction to Bitcoin made possible with donations of.Become the best Bitcoin miner and learn how to mine Bitcoins with the best Bitcoin mining hardware,.
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Quality certifications The Fondation Qualité Fleurier celebrates its 10th anniversary
There is little doubt that the Qualité Fleurier tests are the toughest in the industry and the number of timepieces awarded this certification each year is a drop in the ocean compared with the industry’s annual exports. But the unique equipment used for the tests is now being made available to the entire watch industry to help other brands improve their quality, whether certified or not.
The Qualité Fleurier certification is the perfect embodiment of the 300-year-old watchmaking tradition in Switzerland’s Val-de-Travers. The watch industry started here when people moved to the mountain regions outside Geneva and its lake to cut their tax bills. The fringe benefit of this was that they could make watches without needing to be a member of the corporations that dominated watchmaking in the Lake Geneva region, which in turn allowed them greater freedom and the opportunity to innovate.
The Qualité Fleurier label has its origins in Michel Parmigiani, who revived watchmaking in the region when he started restoration work in the town of Fleurier in 1975. After a meeting with Chopard’s Karl-Friedrich Scheufele the two decided to produce watches to a Fleurier quality standard, which was enshrined in the Qualité Fleurier label by founding partners Bovet, Chopard and Parmigiani.
Despite its name, the Qualité Fleurier certification is not restricted to the brands that produce their watches in the Val-de-Travers. The independent Fondation Qualité Fleurier, which is supported by the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Neuchâtel and the town of Fleurier, is happy to test the timepieces of any brand.
These tests are, however, the toughest in the industry. Before even making it to the ultimate test of endurance on the formidable Fleuritest machines, the watch movement (which must be 100 per cent manufactured in Switzerland) must pass a first aesthetic check. It must then pass the already daunting Chronofiable test at the independent Dubois laboratory and subsequently gain its COSC credentials. Only then can the completed watch head be strapped into one of the three boxes on a Fleuritest machine for its 24-hour simulation of real-world wearing conditions. During the test the movement is monitored constantly by camera and it must maintain the accuracy of between 0 and +5 seconds per day.
Given the severity of the tests and the generally acknowledged period of four years required to reach this level of quality for certification, it’s hardly surprising that only around 3,000 watches have been certified under the Qualité Fleurier criteria over its ten-year history, particularly when you consider that for the Chronofiable test alone, five per cent of the production run must be sacrificed (and remember that these watches have precious-metal cases and are thus very expensive).
To coincide with the celebration of its tenth anniversary, the Fondation Qualité Fleurier announced that it is making the services of the FQF Laboratory available to the whole of the Swiss watchmaking industry. But the results from any lab analysis for third parties must remain confidential and cannot be communicated, the idea being to push such new customers towards full certification under the Qualité Fleurier criteria.
Even without the prospect of certification, however, the unique facilities offered by the FQF Lab allow brands to test aspects such as the winding velocity and power reserve of a watch in a repeatable way using real-world simulations, providing data that are extremely useful in the development and testing phase. Soon, new devices will be added to the Fleuritest machines that will allow continuous monitoring of the balance spring and the kinetics of the oscillating mass.
As Karl-Friedrich Scheufele points out, “Qualité Fleurier undeniably represents the essence of Swiss watchmaking. It’s the only certification with 360-degree tests. But more important is its impact on research and development, since the Qualité Fleurier has helped us to innovate in quality. It allows us to conceive and produce better watches.”
The Bovet Manufacture upholds the tradition of decorative arts applied to its delicately engraved, chased, enamelled, engine-turned or hand-painted cases, dials and movements, thus passing on the...Find out more >
Maison Chopard epitomises the alliance between watchmaking and jewellery. It has always known how to meet the expectations of its day, relying on four essential values: expertise, tradition,...Find out more >


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Standard Imaging was named a winner of the 2019 Wisconsin Innovation Awards in the Health IT category for the development of the revolutionary Exradin W2 Scintillator.
The Wisconsin Innovation Awards (WIA) seek to celebrate and inspire innovation. The award ceremony was held on Wednesday, October 9, 2019, at the Memorial Union in Madison.
"The W2 was a revolutionary addition to Standard Imaging's product line," said Eric DeWerd, President of Standard Imaging. "As the world's only optimal water equivalent detector for small field dosimetry, this product represents a significant step in technology and battle against cancer by more accurately measuring radiation and ultimately its impact on patients."
The Exradin W2 Scintillator’s unrivalled near-water equivalent characteristics produce a more natural dose measurement. The W2 eases data collection by eliminating many measurement corrections required with other detectors.
Oncology Imaging Systems is the exclusive distribution partner for Standard Imaging in the UK & Ireland.


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Businesses of all sizes to display their wares at Guernsey Press Homelife Show
EXHIBITORS have already begun to book stands for the 2017 Homelife Show.
Sponsored by the Guernsey Press, 100 stands are available at the event, which will take place in November.
Organisers said exhibitors who have had a very successful previous Homelife show had been keen to sign up again.
'In 2015, we had more than 8,000 visitors and we expect a similar number of visitors to the 2017 show,' said event director Julie Settle.
'Opening on Friday 10 November, this three-day event is a platform for companies to display their products from food and wine, homes and gardens, fitness, health and beauty to technology in the home.
'With 100 stands available, there is a space for any size business. We are keen to encourage new, young businesses, together with established companies, and have therefore built in lots of flexibility for varying stand sizes.
'For so many businesses in Guernsey, just being at the show creates so much awareness.
'The show is the shop window for so many businesses.'
Pavillion Kitchens & Bedrooms is this year's sponsor of the stage kitchen.
For further information on stands, call Ms Settle on 07797 740913 or email firstname.lastname@example.org or visit www.ec-jersey.com.
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Its been quite a time since Tiktok got banned in India. Earlier, reports were saying that Tiktok will make a comeback soon, but now it seems that sit may not be able to make its way back in India. New reports from Bloomberg have reported that Bytedance, the parent company of Tiktok is in talks to sell its Indian Assets. As per the reports ByteDance is exploring a sale of the India operations to rival Unicorn Glance.
According to the people who are familiar with the talks Japan's SoftBank Group has initiated the conglomerate but they denied to be identified as the talks are still private and and complex. Yet he said that it is early to quote or say something about it. SoftBank is the sponsor of ByteDance and Unicorn Glance's parent company InMobi Pte.


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Cost of living crisis: One million adults in UK went entire day without food last month
Some 4.7 million adults experienced food insecurity in the last month, according to The Food Foundation - with 1 million saying they or someone in their household had to go a whole day without eating because they could not afford or access food.
Tuesday 15 February 2022 12:39, UK
A million adults in the UK went an entire day without food last month as the cost of living rises, data reveals.
Some 4.7 million adults, or 8.8% of households, experienced food insecurity in the last month, according to The Food Foundation, an increase from 7.3% in July 2021.
Of those, 1 million reported that they or someone in their household had to go a whole day without eating because they could not afford or access food.
"This clearly shows that soaring energy and food prices, along with the removal of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit are having a devastating impact on millions of people across the UK," the charity said.
The issue highlights the impact of the rising cost of living, which the charity said has seen 62% of households experience higher energy bills and 16% have to cut back on the quality or quantity of food to afford essentials such as their energy bills.
Meanwhile, 59% of households said they were worried increased energy prices will mean they have less money to afford enough food for themselves or their family.
The cost of living crisis is set to only get worse, with the British Retail Consortium warning prices will continue to rise and at a faster rate than last year.
"There is little doubt that the cost of living crisis is putting is very real pressure on the ability of many to afford a healthy diet and is set to widen health inequalities further unless the Government acts now," the charity said.
The Food Foundation surveyed 4,200 adults between 18 and 20 January.
Anna Taylor, executive director of The Food Foundation said: "If the Government wants to really get to grips with the issue, a comprehensive approach to levelling-up must tackle food insecurity head on."
Supermarket makes cheapest range more widely available
It comes as poverty campaigner Jack Monroe praised Asda for cutting the cost of products in its Smartprice range and making them more widely available.
Ms Monroe had shared evidence showing the price of the cheapest pasta in her local supermarket had surged by 141% in one year, while rice cost 344% more.
Asda said it had taken her comments on board and vowed to stock its lowest-price range in all 581 stores and online.
Inflation hit 5.4% in December, ONS data shows - its highest level in almost 30 years.
Meanwhile energy prices are also surging, with the Bank of England expecting inflation to hit 7.25% in April.


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Box has secured a sizeable 22,000 seat deal with The Coca-Cola Company in the latest example of a major business embracing cloud services.
Box said that the Coke maker would use its storage and collaboration platform both internally and with external third parties, to help improve productivity and allow staff to access key information from any location.
Chiefly, The Coca-Cola Company will use Box within its marketing teams, to allow staff to share and collaborate on audio, video and image files for marketing and advertising campaigns.
Coke’s global chief technology officer Alan Boehme said embracing the cloud was a key move by the company to ensure staff can work as productively as possible.
“Our employees must be able to execute and innovate effectively, at any time and from anywhere,” he said.
“Moving to a cloud content platform like Box is critical to creating a more productive, connected and collaborative workforce that can focus on inspiring creativity, passion, optimism and fun.”
Aaron Levie, chief executive of Box, said that signing a major firm such as The Coca-Cola Company to its roster of customers was proof that businesses in all arenas are now understanding the power of the cloud to boost their operations.
“As the world’s largest beverage company, The Coca-Cola Company has been on the cutting-edge of leveraging technology to develop a demand-driven supply chain and cultivate direct relationships with customers worldwide,” he said.
“They’re applying that same passion for innovation to their IT strategy, providing employees with better access to information, and ultimately driving more productivity and collaboration company-wide."
Box is on a strong enterprise offensive at the moment as it looks to boost interest in its cloud tools to all arenas. In June it signed a deal with IBM to increase the scope of tools on it services and harness IBM's Cloud platform to increase availability.
Geoengineering on the sea floor near glaciers would form a new ice shelf to prevent melting
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Curiosity rover is in 'normal mode' but not transmitting scientific data back to base
NatWest outage comes a day after Barclays' IT systems shut out customers and staff


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COLUMBIA, MD.: A majority of folks now have multiplatform video access, but they’re using second and third screens as an additive rather than as a primary viewing source, according to metrics from Arbitron and the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement. The two paired up on a pilot program to analyze three-screen video consumption. Their findings bear out Nielsen’s most recent three-screen findings, as well as a those from the Television Bureau of Advertising:
“While a significant portion of the CIMM TV audience used PCs or Android/BlackBerry mobile devices to access the leading online video sites, broadcast and cable TV was by far the leading choice for video consumption in terms of aggregate time spent with TV and video sites across the measured three screens.”
Arbitron recruited 500 of its Portable People Meter participants who viewed TV networks and web content generated by CIMM members—A&E, Belo, CBS, Discovery, Gannett, Hearst, NBCU, News Corp., Scripps, Time Warner, Univision, Viacom, and Disney. Online platforms Hulu, Netflix and YouTube were included as well, along with associated Android and Blackberry apps for all outlets. The pilot measurement program was conducted in January of this year.
The amount of time participants spent watching content on TV accounted for 90.2 percent of their aggregate multiscreen consumption. PC’s accounted for 9.3 percent, while mobile was 0.5 percent.
Simultaneous usage of TV and video sites was more limited than simultaneous usage of broadcast and cable TV with social, search and email sites. Around 90 percent of the test participants accessed email, search or social media sites with watching TV, while 65 percent of TV viewers simultaneously accessed network online video sites. Simultaneous usage by PC users was equivalent to TV users for text-centric content, but significantly less in terms of time spent for video sites.
Among other findings, 91.7 percent of panelists used a second screen. TV plus PC access to online video sites dominated two-screen use at 48.9 percent, while use of TV plus Android/Blackberry devices represented the smallest share of two-screen users at 7.3 percent. Use of all three screens accounted for 35.5 percent of the viewers of broadcast and cable TV outlets. Out-of-home consumption accounted for 13 percent of the total time spent with TV and online video sites.
The PPM technology measured each panelist’s exposure to any encoded audio content of local and national television, cable, and radio broadcasts and other media entities. To measure Internet usage, Arbitron PC meter software was downloaded to panelist computers to passively capture PC-based Internet usage from all panelists aged 18 and over. To track mobile usage, panelists downloaded Arbitron mobile software onto their smartphones to track URLs visited on their mobile phones.
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President Barack Obama’s support for the 2009 auto industry bailout turned out to be critical to his successful re-election bid.
And with Obama re-elected, at least one segment of the industry is breathing a bit easier, as manufacturers of so-called “green” cars count on continued support in the form of federal subsidies and tax credits.
But it remains to be seen how far Obama will go in supporting green cars in his second term. The industry has been struggling for sales in a marketplace that still overwhelmingly supports traditional internal-combustion vehicles, despite volatile gas prices and big federal tax incentives for electric cars.
Even if Obama decides to spend more political capital on the industry, he is likely to run into opposition from the Republican-controlled House.
The Electric Drive Transportation Association, which represents makers of hybrid and electric cars, said it “looks forward to continuing its work with President Obama and the newly elected Congress to advance technology innovation that will diversify our transportation fuels.”
The industry had been caught in the crossfire of the presidential campaign, with Republican challenger Mitt Romney signaling a disdain for green energy championed by Obama, especially if it required financial backing from the federal government. He opposed credits for wind energy and signaled opposition for tougher mileage standards, backed by Obama, that would push average fleet standard to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
Pressure from House conservatives all but froze a program intended to help fund the development of high-mileage, alternate power vehicles – especially after the failure of solar cell manufacturer Solyndra, which had received over $400 million in government loans. California-based Fisker Automotive had its low-interest loans frozen, forcing it to delay launch of its second model, the Atlantic, as it set out to raise cash through traditional channels.
Tesla Motors, another Silicon Valley start-up, is under pressure to pay back its government loans as quickly as possible, putting pressure on that maker’s balance sheet even as it struggles to ramp up production of its new Model S battery-electric sedan.
The battery car market has gotten off to a sluggish start, with total sales in the U.S. barely reaching 20,000 units last year.
As for plug-in cars, the Chevrolet Volt has sold about 19,000 units nationwide as of the end of October, meaning it is likely to barely reach half its 45,000 unit target for 2012.
Sales of the Nissan Leaf, a battery-electric model, have declined, with sales of just 6,791 in the first 10 months of 2012, compared with about 10,000 sold in all of 2011.
Recent months have seen a flood of new green entries from makers like Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi and Ford, with still more coming to U.S. showrooms by early 2013. That includes pure battery-electric offerings like the Toyota RAV4-EV and Ford’s plug-in hybrid C-Max and Fusion Energi models.
With so many makers struggling for viability in what is still a niche market, Obama’s re-election was “the best thing” possible for the industry, said analyst David Sullivan of AutoPacific.
“If there was a change in Washington, DC we were likely to see less government incentives for (electric) vehicle purchases or charging stations,” said Sullivan. “The barrier to entry would have been that much harder for consumers, making it just that much harder for (the industry) to succeed.”
Battery vehicle sales would all but certainly slide even further were the federal government to eliminate or reduce tax credits worth up to $7,500 on qualifying vehicles. And there is significant hope among industry leaders that Obama will push for the expanded incentives he had proposed earlier this year.
That could include raiseing the maximum tax credit to $10,000. Obama also has proposed providing the tax credit up front, rather than forcing consumers to wait for tax time to get the refund.
It remains to be seen whether the White House will renew the call for expanded incentives or try to renew the low-interest loans for the auto and energy industry – though that seems unlikely in the near-term with Congress and the White House facing the need to address the so-called “fiscal cliff” before year-end.
Even so, there remains guarded optimism that battery vehicle sales will do better in the year to come. The continuing rise in fuel prices – despite occasional downward blips like the country is now experiencing – should lead more motorists to look for alternatives. And with still more products coming to market, the auto industry will be glad to oblige.


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Since August this year, the LCD panel industry has begun to increase prices on a large scale. as a result, China's mobile phones, televisions and computer products have also entered a comprehensive price increase mode, with an average increase of 200 to 400 yuan. Industry insiders said that the increase in LCD panel prices will increase some costs for consumers to buy products in the short term, but in the long run, some domestic enterprises in China are the beneficiaries.
The increase has narrowed down and is expected to return to normal by the end of the year.
The price increase of LCD panels has the most obvious impact on televisions and mobile phones. Data show that entry-level LCD TV products have increased by about 15%, while middle and high-end products have increased less, with 55-inch TVs rising by an average of 300 yuan.
Talking about the reasons for the price increase of LCD panels, BOE display and sensor business group CEO Gao Wenbao said that the first is the increase in demand. The domestic 618 promotion grew both online and offline, the European and American markets gradually recovered, and the world's major TV markets gradually recovered in the second quarter, raising manufacturers' expectations for the TV market in the second half of the year. In addition, the third quarter is the peak season for stock preparation. With the opening of important nodes such as "double 11", TV manufacturers need to prepare goods in advance to stimulate the demand of TV LCD panel market.
This price increase may not be good news for some price-sensitive consumers. Of course, if you are not in a hurry to buy electronic products, you might as well wait until the peak sales season in the second half of the year, when manufacturers will have promotion policies and prices may fall.
CEO Gao Wenbao, BOE display and sensor business group, believes that LCD panel prices will continue to rise in the fourth quarter because of the gap in the market and the upgrading of demand. However, the price increase of TV LCD panels has narrowed in September, and after downstream manufacturers have completed stock preparation, prices may stabilize in October and are expected to return to normal by the end of the year.
The number of domestic LCD enterprises benefiting from the industrial chain has greatly increased.
Whether it is the LCD panel in the TV field, or the LCD and OLED screens of smart phones, domestic screen manufacturers are competing with the world giants. Data show that as of September this year, there are more than 8600 LCD panel-related enterprises in China. Judging from the development in the past decade, from 2010 to 2015, the average annual number of new registrations of related enterprises reached 440, and entered a period of rapid development after 2015. With the increasing demand for LCD panels, the number of new registrations of LCD-related enterprises has exceeded 1500 in 2019, an increase of 21% over the same period last year.
Experts said that in the first quarter of this year, the LCD panel industry was greatly affected by the epidemic and gradually entered a warming period in the second quarter. Driven by overseas demand, the supply and demand of large-size LCD panels is tight, resulting in a sustained rebound in panel prices. In addition, with the further release of the 10.5 generation production capacity of domestic LCD panel manufacturers and the withdrawal of Korean manufacturers, the market share of domestic enterprises will further increase and become the biggest beneficiary of this price rise.
Liquid crystal display is a typical capital-intensive and technology-intensive industry, liquid crystal panels as the middle and lower reaches of its industrial chain, in the terminal products, domestic substitutability is strong. At present, most of the liquid crystal panels of domestic electronic products have been domestically made.


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Posted April 30th, 2018
There is no reason why you have to choose between an ocean and a river cruise. A number of different cruise lines have started to offer itineraries that blur the lines between a cruise inland and one across the sea.
Posted April 23rd, 2018
The last two weeks have seen the introduction of two more giant ships into the world of cruising - Symphony of the Seas and Norwegian Bliss. But how do they compare?
Posted April 16th, 2018
If, for example, you have already visited a particular port or it’s not somewhere you are especially keen to explore, there are many benefits to staying on the ship instead.
Posted April 9th, 2018
Set to start in September 2018 and be completed by summer 2019, the new additions will create the ‘Perfect Day at CocoCay’. Here is a taste of what you can look forward to.


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Bexar County projecting more than 60,000 taxpayers will split property tax bill
Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti says that Monday, Dec. 2 is the last day property taxpayers can use the split payment option for paying property taxes.
The downtown tax assessor-collector’s office, located at 233 N. Pecos, will have two Curbside Drop boxes available today from 7:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Substation locations will also have a curb drop-off from 3 p.m. till 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
“Each year, the Half-Payment Plan is selected by more and more of our taxpayers. Paying half the bill now and the other half in June is beneficial to some taxpayers and may be more manageable than paying the full amount in January,” Uresti says. “We expect over 60,000 citizens to participate this year in the half-payment option.”
James Aldridge oversees online content of the newspaper; edits and reports stories for the online edition.
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As 3D printing technology gets into the hands of more people, odd and yet somewhat interesting startups have begun forming. Twinkind is one of these startups, based in the German town of Hamburg, and they are using the technology to create lifelike replicas of their customers.
While getting a mini-replica of yourself isn’t entirely new, Twinkind has stepped things up to produce something that is almost too lifelike. These aren’t your custom plastic action figures or bobbleheads. Depending on the size you want, which ranges from 6-inches to just under 14-inches, you can get a 3D replica of yourself, a loved one, or even your pet for €225 ($300) to €1,290 ($1720).
Twinkind has only been around for a few months, but has already seen enormous interest in their one of a kind item. The company’s founder, Timo Schaedel, told the German Wall Street Journal that “Within two weeks the whole thing luckily went pretty viral”.
So how does the process of capturing your likeness into something that could last forever work? Capturing your image is the easy part, and since all of the 100-plus photos are taken at the same time, it isn’t nessesary to stand still for a long period. It all happens within a fraction of a second, and it is because of this speed that Twinkind is able to capture customer pets.
Once the photos are taken, and depending on the demand at the time, it is only a matter of 2-5 weeks before your mini-likeness is waiting to come home with you.
For now the process of taking your photo has to be done at their shop in Hamburg, but Twinkind is hoping to have a second location opening up in Berlin by the end of October. For those outside of Germany, expansion into London, New York, and China are just some of the future locations under consideration for the near future.


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That burger and fries, fried chicken, or creamy latte may cost more than you think, or rather, care to know, when it comes to calories.
Researchers at Yale University watched more than 4,000 customers as they ordered at places like McDonald's, Burger King and Starbucks.
They found, nobody seems to care if the food is fattening. Out of those 4,000 people, only six of them actually bothered to look at the nutrition information.
Did they not see it? Or do they just not care?
Yale's Christina Roberto says, "I don't think menu labeling is the magic bullet, but I do think that people are eating a lot of food outside the home. Consumers have the right to know this information, and it will help inform, help them make better choices when they're eating out."
Or will it?
It's been nearly a year since New York City enacted the firstlaw requiring major chains to post calories on menus, boards, and food labels. Opinions are still varied. Since then, other cities and states have passed or are considering similar laws. And a growing number of restaurants are voluntarily displaying nutritional information.
Health & Wellness
Health and wellness news
The National Restaurant Association has also teamed with Healthy Dining to create a website where you can find dietitian approved menus at participating restaurants nationwide.
The Yale study appears in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health.


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Asset Corsa Competitionthe new official video game licensed from Blancpain GT Series developed by Kunos Simulazioni and edited by 505 gameswill be shown publicly for the first time during E3 2018 in Los Angeles at the Thrustmaster booth.
Asset Corsa Competition will be available to be tested in a pre-Alpha mode on multiple circuits with two different cars. Fans will be confronted with this mix of content, in addition to the presence of the night / day cycle and Lluvia enjoying the graphic engine for the first time Unreal 4 used for a career simulator.
“It’s a great place to have the opportunity to teach the Assetto Corsa Competizione to the public for the first time, thanks to the collaboration with Thrustmaster and Sparco. For us, it is fundamental to collect comments from the press, from experts in video games and show visitors the following from Assetto Corsa says Marco Massarutto, co-founder, brand and product manager for Kunos Simulazioni.
Virtual corridors, thank you a Thrustmasterwill be summarized in Asset Corsa Competition feel each brothel, then the servo base off dual core brushless motor TS-XW. You can test this team together with the extra wheels Ferrari F488 GT3 y Sparco P310who perfectly replicates his real counterparts, being able to earn prizes.
Sparco, will unveil its Sparco Evolve Cabins with QRT-Vs, new seats that, thanks to its patented production technology, are 30% lighter than the last generation of products. Hypergrip gloves, which are completely breathable and touch sensitive, will also be available to try on.
“Having the global star of the Kunos Competition Corsa Simulazioni at our booth at E3 2018 – along with the amazing Sparco products – will show our career friends that what motivates us is to help us live realistic and immersive experiences in competition and the e-world. -Sports. ” Dijo Agnès Cornière, Worldwide Marketing Vice President for Thrustmaster.


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BRENTWOOD — A 28-year-old woman allegedly embezzled money, stole personal information from employers and wrote bad checks to buy cars, pay rent and the cost of a wedding reception at a Contra Costa restaurant, authorities said.
Sarah Cariglio, of Brentwood, has been charged in a 51-count complaint with committing fraud, embezzlement, identity theft and auto theft, taking more than $300,000 from at least 14 victims, prosecutors said this week.
“She”s caused a lot of damage to these people; she”s caused financial ruin for several of them,” Contra Costa Deputy District Attorney Devon Bell said. “They are trying to piece their lives back together for what she did.”
In a complaint filed June 19, prosecutors allege between September 2014 and June 8 Cariglio stole information and forged or wrote bad checks to purchase the following cars from East Bay dealerships: a 2014 Ford Eagle, 2015 Ford Fusion, 2012 Dodge Challenger, Cadillac CTS, Honda Accord, Infinity G37, 2013 BMW 528e, and a 2012 BMW.
Some of the cars, they say, were purchased using information from Kevin Musante”s Alamo-based home theater company, World of Sound and Vision, where Cariglio worked for less than a week as an office assistant, prosecutors said. Musante said she stole business checks and forged his signature to pay her landlord, buy a cable and Internet package, and purchase the cars by overstating her position at his company.
The Challenger was found parted out, one car dealer showed up at his business looking for Cariglio, and a third car, the 2015 Ford Fusion, was resold to an elderly woman who paid in cash, Musante said.
“This little old lady gave her $10,000 cash for her car,” Musante, 37, said Friday.
The business owner is still reeling from the fallout.
“She had a good rsum, she talks very well, comes across very well in person and on the phone,” Musante said. “It kind of crushes your mental focus on getting back to work. I can”t do my job when I have to spend all day long fighting the fraud and trying to stop it.”
Besides buying cars, Bell said Cariglio purchased furniture from a store in Antioch with a bad check and spent $9,000 for a wedding reception at a Contra Costa Mexican restaurant.
Cariglio once appeared on the “Dr. Phil” show at the request of family members accusing her of theft and lies, including telling her brother his father was dead.
“You don”t even know what it took to come here,” she said on the show, which aired in October 2014 and again in March. “How do you apologize to people, it seems almost like it”s slapping them in the face to say I”m sorry.”
Prosecutors believe there may be more victims, and are encouraging others to contact authorities if they have had contact with Cariglio. She remains in custody on $1.1 million bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled on Tuesday to set a preliminary hearing.
David DeBolt covers breaking news. Contact him at 510-208-6453. Follow him at Twitter.com/daviddebolt.


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“The game of chicken, also known as the hawk-dove game or snow-drift game, is an influential model of conflict for two players in game theory. The principle of the game is that while each player prefers not to yield to the other, the worst possible outcome occurs when both players do not yield.” ~ Wikipedia
800 Android Carriers vs. 240 iPhone Carriers
“The narrative has been focused on the consumer demand, and the narrative needs to shift to the operator…” ~ Horace Dediu, former in-house analyst for Nokia
Android sells devices through almost all of the world’s 800 carriers while Apple sells the iPhone through only about 240. (Only about 500 of the world’s global operators have the network capabilities needed to handle the iPhone, but that number is quickly increasing.)
The reason for the discrepancy between the number of carriers supplying Android and the iPhone is that Apple prices their phones above $600 and places sales quotas and other requirements on the carriers before they are permitted to sell the iPhone. Potential partners must determine whether taking on these obligations is worth the benefit of offering the device.
Examples of holdouts are China Mobile Ltd., the world’s biggest phone company, and NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan’s largest mobile carrier. On the other hand, other companies are succumbing to Apple’s demands. T-Mobile added the iPhone to its lineup in April and they announced that they have sold 500,000 iPhones in just under a month. And U.S. Cellular (USM), had long contended that the iPhone cost too much, yet last week they announced that they had agreed to sell $1.2 billion worth of handsets over three years, after conceding that their failure to carry the iPhone was costing them customers.
Are The Carriers In Control…
Adam Satariano of Bloomburg reviewed the current carrier impasse and concluded:
“Apple Inc. (AAPL) is missing out on a chance to court as many as 2.8 billion new smartphone customers, many of them in Asia, as wireless-service providers balk at conditions imposed by the iPhone maker and drag their heels in signing on as partners.”
“Carriers are starting to question Apple’s pricing strategy and are supporting multiple other platforms,” said Shah at Strategy Analytics. “They no longer need Apple.”
…Or Is Apple In Control?
The unasked question here is: If Apple is losing the opportunity to sell more iPhones because of their onerous conditions, then why does Apple continue to impose those conditions? The unstated answer should be – but apparently isn’t – obvious.
Clearly Apple – unlike the vast majority of tech pundits and Wall Street Analysts – does not see a pressing need to acquire additional operators at any cost. Of course Apple wants more customers, and that’s only going to happen if Apple expands its carrier base. However, unlike most of the rest of the world, Apple feels that they can patiently wait until the carriers come to them and meet their terms. Does that make Apple arrogant and out-of-touch with reality or does that make them master negotiators?
Four Realities That Favor Apple: Capacity, Real Growth, Retention and Profits
First, Apple was at their iPhone manufacturing capacity for much of the holiday quarter. It doesn’t make much sense for Apple to increase the number of addressable customers until and unless they have the capacity to provide those new customers with product.
Second, as you can see from the trajectory of the chart of the iPhone’s cumulative sales, above, Apple is still enjoying significant real growth in the sales of their phones. This truth is often obscured and overshadowed by market share numbers.
Third, as markets approach saturation in the U.S. and Europe, retention and churn become far bigger issues and when it comes to customer satisfaction and retention, Apple has it all over their competitors.
Notice how Apple started with only AT&T in the U.S., and then slowly and methodically ground down the opposition of the other carriers until Verizon, then Sprint, then T-Mobile, then U.S. Cellular and many other small carriers caved in as the churn caused by the iPhone crushed their sales and then caved in their profits.
Fourth, Apple takes in 57% of the profits in the mobile industry with only 8% of the sector’s market share. That is some serious leverage.
Apple is Enigmatic But Still Susceptible To Analysis
I contacted Apple to see what their actual negotiation strategy was but, oddly, they were not very forthcoming. Go figure. Tim Cook has failed to return my several calls (or even had the courtesy to lift the current restraining order against me) and my $605,000 attempt to have coffee with him failed when it was discovered that I had used a stolen credit card. C’est la vie.
So we’re going to have to use analysis (i.e., guesswork) instead. My best guess is that Apple’s strategy is to go after the whales and ignore the minnows. (The minnows will fall all over themselves to jump on board once the whales are lined up, anyway.) Apple only has so much capacity to manufacture phones as it is and they’d prefer to expand first in those markets that count and count the most.
Further, Apple is a damn patient negotiator. While the rest of the world is screaming at the top of their lungs that Apple has to “DO SOMETHING”, Apple is patiently waiting for the carriers to realize that they can’t compete without the iPhone in their mobile portfolio. And based upon the capitulation of Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular, Apple may just be right.
So who will win this game of Chicken? Right now, Wall Street and a whole lot of investors are betting against Apple. But if you look at the history of Apple’s negotiations with the music labels, with AT&T and with all of Apple’s recent carrier acquisitions, you can see that Apple has played – and won – this game before.
Only time will tell us which side will blink first. But me – I’m not betting against Apple.


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Claims lowest since 2008 as job market improves
WASHINGTON (AP) — In in the latest sign that the economy is surging at year's end, unemployment claims have dropped to the lowest level since April 2008, long before anyone realized that the nation was in a recession.
Claims fell by 4,000 last week to 364,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the third straight weekly drop. The four-week average of claims, a less volatile gauge, fell for the 11th time in 13 weeks and stands at the lowest since June 2008.
While the economy remains vulnerable to threats, particularly a recession in Europe, the steady improvement in the job market is unquestionable.
North Korea reforms may languish amid leader transition
SHANGHAI (AP) — Tentative economic reforms in North Korea may languish as its next leader focuses on consolidating support in the wake of Kim Jong Il's death, experts said.
North Koreans are turning inward as they observe an 11-day mourning period following Kim's death Saturday, with business and commerce largely at a standstill, according to reports from Pyongyang. The transition to a new era of leadership under son and successor Kim Jong Un could last longer if he extends his official period of mourning as his father did when his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, died in 1994.
North Korea has inched toward reform in recent years, particularly since making the economy a priority in 2009 as part of a goal to build a "great and prosperous nation" befitting the April 2012 centenary of Kim Il Sung's birth.
Rise in economic gauge suggests brighter outlook
WASHINGTON (AP) — A gauge of future economic activity posted a solid increase in November, providing further evidence that the economy is gaining strength.
The Conference Board said Thursday that its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.5 percent in November following a 0.9 percent gain in October, which had been the strongest showing in eight months.
Economists said the two months of solid gains in the index signaled that the economy was gaining momentum and the risks of a recession were receding.
Average 30-year mortgage rate a record 3.91 percent
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell to a record 3.91 percent this week, the third time this year that rates have hit new lows.
Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average on the 30-year home loan fell from 3.94 percent the previous week. The 3.91 percent rate is the lowest average for long-term fixed mortgages on records dating to the 1950s
The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage was unchanged this week at 3.21 percent. That's also a record.
Low rates offer a historic opportunity for those who can afford to buy a home or refinance. But many Americans either can't take advantage of the rates or have already done so.
Justice to require sale before NYSE merger
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department announced Thursday that it will allow the creation of the world's largest stock exchange operator after the German conglomerate that wants to buy the New York Stock Exchange sells its stake in a third, smaller American stock exchange operator.
Justice Department lawyers filed papers in U.S. District Court in Washington that would allow the merger of NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Boerse AG after the German company orders one of its subsidiaries to sell its 31.5 percent stake in Direct Edge Holdings LLC, which is the United States' fourth largest stock exchange operator. In addition to the sale of Direct Edge, the proposed settlement between Justice and the two companies prohibits them from participating in the business or running of Direct Edge.
Judge rules Stanford competent to stand trial
HOUSTON (AP) — Jailed Texas financier R. Allen Stanford is mentally competent to stand trial on charges he bilked investors out of $7 billion in a massive Ponzi scheme, a judge ruled Thursday
U.S. District Judge David Hittner's decision came after a nearly three-day competency hearing for the disgraced financier. The trial is set for Jan. 23. Hittner said he will rule next week on a request from Stanford's attorneys to delay the trial until April.
Stanford had been declared incompetent in January due to an anti-anxiety drug addiction he developed while jailed in Houston. He spent more than eight months at a federal prison hospital in Butner, N.C., getting treatment for his addiction and being evaluated to determine if he had any long-term effects from being injured in a September 2009 jail fight.
Wal-Mart pulls formula after baby dies in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Wal-Mart and health officials awaited tests Thursday on a batch of powdered infant formula that was removed from more than 3,000 stores nationwide after a Missouri newborn who consumed it apparently died from a rare infection.
The source of the bacteria that caused the infection has not been determined, but it occurs naturally in the environment and in plants such as wheat and rice. The most worrisome appearances have been in dried milk and powdered formula, which is why manufacturers routinely test for the germs.
Wal-Mart pulled the Enfamil Newborn formula from shelves as a precaution following the death of little Avery Cornett in the southern Missouri town of Lebanon.
Toyota aims to sell 8.48 million vehicles in 2012
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is aiming for a comeback, targeting record global sales of 8.48 million vehicles in 2012 and an even bigger number in 2013, after being battered this year by the March disaster in Japan and flooding in Thailand.
Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's top automaker, relinquished its title as the world's biggest in global vehicle sales for the first half of this year, sinking to No. 3 behind U.S. rival General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG of Germany.
Toyota's global vehicle sales for this year totaled 7.9 million vehicles, including group companies, down 6 percent from the previous year, it said in a statement Thursday.
Best Buy cancels some online orders
ATLANTA (AP) — Best Buy has alerted some customers that it will not be able to fill their online orders, just days before Christmas.
The largest U.S. specialty electronics retailer said late Wednesday that "overwhelming demand for some products from Bestbuy.com has led to a problem redeeming online orders made in November and December.
The Minneapolis company declined Thursday to specify how many orders are affected or which products are out of stock.
The shortages are a black eye for Best Buy, which has beefed up its online campaign to fight off intense competition from online retailers and discount stores. And the holiday season is crucial for retailers like Best Buy because it can make up to 40 percent of annual sales.
By The Associated Press(equals)
Dow Jones industrial average rose 61.91 points, or 0.51 percent, to close at 12,169.65. The S&P 500 index gained 10.28 points, or 0.83 percent, to 1,254. The Nasdaq composite index rose 21.48, or 0.83 percent, to 2,599.45.
The price of benchmark crude rose 86 cents to finish at $99.53 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price crude produced in many foreign countries and is important for U.S. gasoline producers, rose 18 cents to end at $107.89 per barrel in London.
In other energy trading, heating oil was virtually unchanged at $2.9076 per gallon, and gasoline futures rose 2 cents to finish at $2.6398 per gallon. Natural gas rose 1 cent to end at $3.1690 per 1,000 cubic feet.


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Check out more coverage of Canadian innovation
It’s an all-nighter of a different kind.
Student developers across Canada will compete in a mad 48 hour scramble to create the next great mobile game – and share in like $45,000 worth of loot!
It’s the first ever Great Canadian Appathon (GCA), a 48-hour event open to college and university students coast-to-coast.
Up-and-coming coders will race against the clock to design and create a mobile game and submit it for a chance to win a $25,000 grand prize provided by TELUS.
The grand finale, during which the top three finalists will battle it out, takes place live at the Yonge Dundas Square (YDS) in downtown Toronto.
The Appathon competition begins this coming weekend. Starting March 11, and for 48 hours, students from across the country will work around the clock to build a game from the ground up, coding and designed and testing it to run on a Windows 7 mobile phone.
Like great games, hackathons, game jams and other app contests are engaging and somewhat addictive on their own, says Ray Sharma, one of the key players behind the Canadian competition, and the founder and CEO of XMG Studio, a Toronto-based game development company.
“Honing in on what makes a game fun is the key to success in this competition,” he explains of the GCA rush. “With game development cycles often spanning months or even years, the biggest challenge facing participants will be tight time constraints.”
That’s just part of the attraction, according to some blog posts and online notes from participants.
Some of the folks at MMORPG, the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game portal, say “the prizes are nuts” They’ve seen the cash award, no doubt, but maybe also the offer of a job at XMG Studios for successful gamers.
“Wonder if students could put together a multiplayer game in the 48 hours allotted’ muses one blogger, maybe still seeking teammates.
Over at the University of British Columbia, students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program are deep into the Appathon, and they’re hosting one of the five announced Hubs across the country. They say competitors can show up and compete in person, taking part in the expert networking opportunities, as well as some food, swag and more.
Up in Ottawa, Carleton’s Game Development Club is also one of the host schools for the upcoming Great Canadian Appathon:
Gail Carmichael, a Ph. D in Computer Science, notes that according to the Appathon rules, competitors can work online if they want.
“I personally really appreciate this flexibility,” she posted, wondering if that was a gender or age sensitive decision.
XMG Studio, The National Post, TELUS, and KPMG have teamed up to launch the GCA, which kicks off at 5:00 p.m. (local time) on March 11, 2011 and runs for 48 hours, wrapping at 5:00 p.m. on March 13, 2011.
XMG’s games, like Cows vs. Aliens, Style Studio: Fashion Designer, Cannon Cadets, Little Metal Ball, Pandemica and more have been nominated for their own awards, and have won such honours with Best App Ever awards in several categories in both 2009 and 2010. They often incorporate user-generated and user-customized content.
Coordinated actives take place in designated event locations, also called Hubs, where participants can work around the clock for the duration of the event. Food and drinks suitable for all-night coding will be available and event sponsors will be on-site at some campuses to give away prizes and recruit for job openings.
Individuals, or teams of up to four people, will compete for a prize pool valued at $45,000 all told. Provided by TELUS, the pool will be divvied up into a grand prize of $25,000, a second prize of $10,000 and 10 $1,000 cash prizes in a variety of game categories.
The final event is scheduled for Thursday, April 07, 201, beginning bright and early at 11:00 AM at YDS.
“[W]e embrace digital innovation and great design every day and we are thrilled to support these young entrepreneurs as they battle it out under intense pressure,” said National Post Publisher Douglas Kelly.
“TELUS believes that commitment to innovation is essential to Canada’s success in this new digital age,” said David Fuller, Chief Marketing Officer at TELUS. “We are pleased to support this first Great Canadian Appathon and invest in our future mobile leaders.”
Winners will also be considered for two job opportunities at XMG Studio’s Toronto offices – one game programming position and one game artist position. XMG will also work with the winning teams to polish their games and get them ready to be published in the appropriate App Store.
Following the event, the winning games will be chosen and winning teams will be honoured at the “Grand Finale” sponsored by KPMG in Toronto.
More information about the event including supported platforms, team registrations, rules and regulations, campuses already signed-on or information on how to get involved, visit http://www.greatcanadianappathon.ca/.
submitted by Lee Rickwood


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Some of the largest companies in the world have come together to form a $100 million recycling fund.
Announced by Walmart, the Closed Loop Fund will be formed by nine core firms and aim to become “an innovative investment vehicle that will help finance projects that increase recycling.” According to Walmart, the project was sparked by supply shortages.
“This group of companies is coming together because we jointly face a system problem: recycling rates are stagnant, and we can’t get enough recycled material in packaging and products,” a statement by Walmart reads.
By encouraging communities to recycle more, Walmart and others are hoping to gain access to a valuable stream of recycled commodities. Communities, meanwhile, could stand to see fiscal benefits in the form of job creation and “green” business growth.
In addition to Walmart, the founding companies are:
- The Coca-Cola Company
- Goldman Sachs
- Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies
- Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
- PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation
- Procter & Gamble
- SC Johnson
One immediate beneficiary of the initiative could be the newly announced Recycling Partnership, led by the Curbside Value Partnership. The outcome of a four-month intensive stakeholder discussion led by the Southeast Recycling Development Council and focused on coming up with a plan to drive recycling in the region, the Recycling Partnership will rely on public-private initiatives to increase recycling on a city-by-city basis.
A meeting on the program will convene tomorrow in Bentonville, Arkansas, home to Walmart’s headquarters.


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After Spice Dream Uno Mi-498, it’s now the turn of Karbonn Sparkle V Android One smartphone to get listed online. As we had mentioned yesterday, Karbonn has partnered with Snapdeal to sell its first Android One smartphone exclusively online for Rs.6399 (~$105).
Karbonn Sparkle V carries near identical specifications as the Spice Dream Uno. It’s powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor with 1GB of RAM. It features a 4.5-inch FWVGA (854×480 pixels) display, 4Gb of internal storage with an expandable microSD memory slot, 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 1700mAh battery.
Connectivity options include dual-SIM card slots, 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and on the software front, it runs on the latest Android 4.4.4 KitKat. The phone will be available in four colors – Magnum Blue, Mild Grey, Wild Red and Pearl White.
Google has announced that Android One phones will be amongst the first ones to get the upcoming Android L OS update. Google has also partnered with Airtel to provide 200MB of free data per month for 6 months for app & OS updates.
The sales of Karbonn Sparkle V is expected to go live on Snapdeal at 3:30pm IST today, the same time when the other two smartphones from Spice and Micromax go live on Flipkart and Amazon.in respectively.


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Extreme Reach Launches Cross-Platform Ad Delivery Product
In a bid to streamline the process for cross-platform video ad campaigns, digital ad delivery specialist Extreme Reach has launched its Direct Delivery platform, which the company is billing as the first digital ad-delivery platform to handle video ad campaigns for both TV and online media.
"With the availability of Digital Delivery, we're essentially bridging the gap for advertisers between their TV and online ad campaigns," noted John Roland, CEO of Extreme Reach, in a statement. "The automated file delivery workflow makes it easy for our clients to get their video advertising everywhere with the pristine quality they intended wherever it's seen, regardless of the medium."
Currently advertisers must format ads for the disparate video formats for each station, a process that is complicated by the need to deal with online campaigns. Extreme Reach designed the Direct Delivery platform to simplify this time consuming process by allowing advertisers to create a single video that is then automatically formatted for the correct screen.
Debbie Douglas, senior broadcast traffic manager at the Martin Agency, said that the product has "made it easy to manage video campaigns and deliver video creative the way it was meant to be seen. It's like having a straight line connecting our pristine master creative to each of our destinations and cutting out all the unnecessary complications in between."
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