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People are asking lots of good questions lately about Pennsylvania’s proposed 2014/2015 budget. But few are raising what may be the most urgent question of all: why are state revenues down this year–more than a half billion dollars amid a national economic recovery?
Indeed, Pennsylvania’s revenue shortfall contrasts markedly with most other states. Revenues in 80 percent of the other 49 states will meet or beat budget projections this year. Pennsylvania is one of only 11 that will not.
Pennsylvania’s revenue gap, along with projected spending, leaves a budget deficit of at least $1.4 billion. The problem is so severe that Gov. Tom Corbett and his notoriously tax-averse administration are furiously signaling they might consider new taxes, including a Marcellus Shale extraction tax.
Not surprisingly, the administration is already lining up the usual suspects, charging them with causing the looming deficit: former Gov. Ed Rendell for spending too much; the federal government for spending too little; and the economy for underperforming.
But, the blame game really doesn’t work here very well, even if others did drive state spending, and admittedly pension debt and other debt service are cost drivers. But spending is not the problem with this year’s budget. The problem instead is revenue: some $522 million in tax receipts, mostly in income and sales taxes, that didn’t show up.
This is a simple question without a simple answer. In fact, Pennsylvania’s revenue shortfall stems from underperformance of the state’s revenue system. That revenue system was barely adequate in the mid-twentieth century when much of it was developed. It is now hopelessly outdated in the 21st-century Internet age.
To put it simply, Pennsylvania taxes are a mess.
The basics of the state’s tax system are straightforward. Pennsylvanians pay some $29 billion annually to state government from an array of taxes and fees, including a state sales tax, personal income tax, corporate income tax, motor vehicle taxes, sumptuary taxes including cigarettes and alcohol, and miscellaneous taxes.
The state sales and income tax produce the lion’s share of revenue with over 30 percent for sales and about 40 percent for income. And therein lays the problem — or most of it. These two taxes as implemented in Pennsylvania provide textbook examples of how not to raise revenue.
The sales tax may be the worst problem, at 6 percent levied on retail sales and some services. Allegheny County adds 1 percent and Philadelphia 2 percent.
In principal, a sales tax can be a productive tax in a consumer economy such as ours. In practice, Pennsylvania has demonstrated how to render a productive tax not so productive.
The state has achieved this remarkable feat by littering the tax base with dozens of confusing exceptions to what is taxable. Food is exempt except when it is prepared. Clothing is exempt unless it is sports apparel. Some services are exempt, others are not. And so on. And, of course, in the Internet age, some retailers simply don’t collect the tax.
Pennsylvania has perversely transformed its “broad-based’’ sales tax into a “narrow-based” tax due to its multiple exemptions, favoring some while penalizing others. Narrow basing the sales tax costs the commonwealth at least a billion dollars a year.
Consider this: If 50 percent of the loopholes in Pennsylvania’s sales tax were closed, the revenue shortage this year would be reduced to zero. And if all of them were closed, the state would have a $500 million revenue surplus.
The state personal income tax gives the sales tax some competition for the worst state tax. Its problem is not its exemptions but its paucity of exemptions. Everyone receiving any of eight separate classes of income (salaries, interest, rents, etc.) pays it and pays it at the same fixed rate of 3.07 percent. That’s because it’s a “flat rate” income tax, with the lowest rate in the country. As a flat rate, its “elasticity” or growth is among the lowest of any tax. As the Pennsylvania economy grows, it lags behind and consequently can’t keep up with the demands on it over time. It’s bad in bad economies and worse in good economies.
The irony, not to be missed, is that the Corbett administration has adamantly opposed any kind of tax increase or reform. Yet much of his electoral problems have occurred because he has had to preside over successive draconian budgets and cuts in vital public services – all a consequence of a failing revenue system.
If taxes are the problem, they are also the solution. Clearly we must drag, pull or push the states antiquated revenue system into the 21st century, starting with the sales tax and the income tax. The sales tax can be fixed legislatively. The income tax will require a constitutional amendment to substitute for the flat rate tax. With a modern efficient tax system the state can begin to support the dangerously pent up demand in vital programs like education and infrastructure. Without a modern tax system, Pennsylvania faces a long painful decline.
It’s not a hard choice.


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By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN Business
Bugatti, the French manufacturer of $ 3 million supercars, is over a century old. But now he’s facing what could be the most difficult maneuver he’s ever had to make: the transition to an electric future.
The man who now takes the wheel at Bugatti is Mate Rimac, a 33-year-old Bosnian-born engineering prodigy – who has no illusions about the challenges his industry faces.
Famous today for some of the world’s largest and most powerful gasoline engines ever installed in a road car, Bugatti was born in 2003 as the crown jewel of the Volkswagen Group. Besides VW, the global automaker’s other brands include Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley.
Since then, Bugatti has been a technological showcase for the company, pushing the boundaries of what engineers and customers thought possible. A car that could exceed 250 miles per hour? No problem. Who can make 300? Of course, as long as you have the nearly $ 4 million it costs. And all of that performance is wrapped up in an elegantly designed and carefully handcrafted body from expensive materials.
But huge engines powered by petroleum products are no longer technological marvels. They are old school. And in 2021, Bugatti must finally enter the era of electric vehicles.
Enter Mate Rimac, who in 2009 founded Rimac Automoblili, a Croatian startup making the 1,900 horsepower Rimac Nevera electric supercar. The high-powered performance genius had already grabbed the headlines after graduating high school and has since gained the attention of the industry.
In July, Bugatti merged with Rimac Automobili – creating Bugatti-Rimac and transferring majority ownership of VW’s luxury performance icon from one of the world’s largest automakers to a small startup in the process.
‘Why no one was using [this] to make cars fun and exciting? “
For an auto industry CEO, Rimac, 33, is rather young, and he looks even younger thanks to his dark brown hair and beard. (His the first name is pronounced as “matzoh” without the Z – Maht-teh – while his last name, and that of the company, is pronounced Ree-mahts with a slightly rolled R.)
Rimac has had an amazing and swift journey to such a vaunted position. It all started when Rimac blew up the engine of a BMW while running with the car in his late teens: instead of just fixing it, he decided to turn the BMW into an electric racing car.
This was long before Tesla sold high-performance family sedans, let alone become one of the most valued companies in the world. By this time Rimac’s family had left what was then Yugoslavia – today his birthplace is in Bosnia and Herzegovina – and had spent about a decade in Germany before returning to the former Yugoslavia. . This time the family lived in the newly independent nation of Croatia.
âBecause I was in Croatia, I read a lot about Nikola Tesla, who was also born in Croatia. Nikola Tesla had invented the electric motor 160 years ago that we now use everywhere and I was wonderingâ, a- he said, “This perfect machine that Nikola Tesla invented, why didn’t nobody use it to make cars fun and exciting?”
His electric BMW, nicknamed the Green Monster, broke records and garnered media attention. But Rimac quickly realized that installing electric motors in old cars was not a viable business in the long run. Instead, he decided he would design his own high-performance electric cars from the start.
Rimac had just graduated from high school at the time. He attended the VERN University of Applied Sciences in Zagreb but never graduated.
âI had to learn everything from scratch, which was quite difficult here without mentors and the supporting industry,â he said. “A lot of things I had to learn the hard way.”
Rimac didn’t have big investors to fund his idea, so while he and his first employees worked on this electric supercar, he also took on projects from established companies. Various automakers were looking to create electric and hybrid cars, and Rimac’s clear understanding of the technology was invaluable to them.
This part of the business – selling EV technologies to other companies – became the company’s biggest source of real income and was the reason Rimac Automobili was profitable almost from the start, Rimac says.
Now that line of work has been split into a separate company that he also runs called Rimac Technology. This company will continue to develop new electric vehicle technologies for other car manufacturers.
âFirst these are companies you haven’t heard of,â he said, âthen they started working for small car companies like Koenigsegg, then Aston Martin, then for the bigger ones. like Renault. “
In fact, most consumers may not have heard of Koenigsegg either, but the Swedish multimillion-dollar gasoline supercar maker is considered another daring innovator. And its founder and CEO, Christian von Koenigsegg, has been a mentor to Mate Rimac, as well as a client of Rimac.
âI met Mate when he came to the Geneva Motor Show at the age of 17 and asked me, ‘I want to build cars. I want to build electric cars. How do you do that? “Koenigsegg said.” So I kind of became his mentor. “
The relationship continues today and the two speak to each other regularly, Rimac said.
Two major automakers, Hyundai and Porsche, have become big investors in Rimac Automobili. Neither would discuss their work with Rimac with CNN Business. Porsche, however, was instrumental in bringing RImac together with Porsche’s sister brand, Bugatti. Porsche now owns 45% of Bugatti-Rimac.
A day with Mate Rimac
It’s normal to hear entrepreneurs in the electric car industry talk about the global importance of what they do. Things are not that simple with Mate Rimac.
Conversations with Rimac can lead to a kind of cognitive boost. He likes cars, of course. But it’s like talking to a baker who keeps talking about the dangers of consuming too much refined sugar and carbohydrates, and then pointing out that, really, the cake is delicious.
âCars are actually the culmination of all human disciplines,â he said. “It must be beautiful. He must feel good. It has to sound good. Everything, all the senses work with the car, all material sciences, software simulations, fluid dynamics. Everything is in the car, everything humanity knows.
But, in the long run, none of this really matters.
âI don’t like that bullâ-,â he said in a previous conversation about the hype surrounding the supercar industry. “Let’s call it what it is, right?” It’s making beautiful machines to put them on a wall and that’s it.
There was no deep disgust in his voice. He said it as if he was just stating a clear fact.
We were seated on the sidelines at The Quail, one of the major events of Monterey Car Week in California. Wealthy auto enthusiasts checked out beautiful classic cars parked on neatly cut grass. The latest models from brands like Lamborghini, Lotus, Bentley and Pininfarina, a company selling its own electric supercar with Rimac engineering, were also on display. The Rimac Nevera was seated right next to us.
Of cars like the Nevera, Rimac said, âOverall you zoom out, it’s going to be so irrelevant 10 years from now because cars won’t be driven by people anymore. They will be autonomous, and so on.
The twilight of the automotive age
But lest Rimac one day take all this advanced million-dollar EV technology out of the Nevera and use it to create affordable electric family cars, it’s clear he has no plans to confront Elon Musk. Others could do it with Rimac technology, he said, but he equates it to working on better music CDs just as the streaming services come out.
Today we are in the twilight of the automotive age, according to Rimac. He’s just doing his part to make sure the sunset is spectacular.
And, also, to make a profit when there is money to be made in private automobiles. Rimac will manufacture its electric supercars in Croatia, while Bugatti will continue to assemble high-priced gasoline-powered supercars at its current headquarters in Molsheim, France, where this brand was founded in 1909. Each will serve a distinct type of customer.
“The easiest [move] for us it would be to take a Nevera and put a different design in it and call it a Bugatti, âRimac said. “But that’s absolutely not what we’re going to do.”
Currently, Bugatti is building the last dozen of the Chiron, its current base model. After that, Rimac indicated that there will be a new Bugatti supercar which will likely be a plug-in hybrid. But they could also make other Bugatti models – but maybe not two-seater supercars – which will be fully electric.
In apparent contradiction to his stated pessimism about the future of cars, Rimac says he expects Bugatti, founded 112 years ago, to outlast him for a long time. He now has “the responsibility [of] the next 112 years, âhe said.
What this next century and some might bring could be decided not only by Bugatti-Rimac, but by Rimac’s other company, Rimac Technology.
âI love cars, I make money selling cars, but I think the big change that will come in the next few decades,â he said. âOver the past few decades, phones haven’t just changed the phone industry. Apple has not only disturbed Nokia and the others. It really changed our lives.
Rimac is not yet ready to say what that future will look like, shaped by a radical redefinition of the automobile. But he’s working on it.
â¢ & Â© 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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The results were boosted by a first-time profit contribution of pounds 1.4m from acquisitions. Earnings per share rose from 13.9p to 15.3p and the year's total dividend has been improved by 14 per cent to 3.32p.
The group incurred a pounds 51,000 interest charge last year, compared with interest income of pounds 364,000 in the previous year.
Plysu said difficult economic conditions in the UK were exacerbated by a recession on the Continent from last autumn.
The company acquired SEP, a packaging company, for pounds 13.5m last July but after a 'sound' start the business failed to meet expectations. The deteriorating conditions also hit Plysu's Dutch subsidiary.
In consequence, it was forced to close its Belgian factory, but Plysu said its European growth plans were unaffected as SEP's purchase had brought additional capacity.
However, it warned that the cost of its main raw material - high-density polyethylene - had hardened in the past few weeks.
James Summerlin, chairman, said: 'It is particularly difficult to forecast this year's results but there are small signs of an improvement in some of our markets.
'We are looking forward to a return to the customary growth pattern in the UK, but the true potential of our European activities will not be realised until economic conditions improve over there.'
Plysu's shares were unchanged at 248p.Reuse content


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Beginning in 2011, England’s electric vehicle drivers were able to top up their car’s battery with renewable energy for free at a few locations along the country’s most used roadways.
Called the “Electric Highway,” the number of charging stations has increased to 296 (276 are rapid chargers), and the network has provided 30 million miles of free travel to nearly 40,000 members.
Free is a very good price but Ecotricity, the exclusive provider of the EV charging equipment, says now it must “start charging for the charging.”
Starting July 18, those who plug-in will have to pay £5 (US $6.50) for twenty minutes of electrons.
Ecotricity energy customers will still be able to use the chargers for free as part of their paid-for utilities home plan.
The clean energy provider cites one of the reasons it rolled out the Electric Highway was to help “kickstart Britain’s electric car revolution.”
It pointed to the chicken and egg scenario: People wouldn’t buy EVs if there weren’t enough public chargers available, and companies wouldn’t install chargers if there weren’t enough EVs on the road.
The chicken and egg dilemma is over and Ecotricity needs to begin charging for the service in order to pay for more charging stations and maintain them.
The $6.50 is still a good deal if you own, say an electric Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe. A twenty-minute charge will provide 50 or more miles from a quick charger.
It’s not such a good deal if your vehicle is a plug-in hybrid.
That same 20-minute charge for Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will get the battery to about 50 percent state of charge.
That’s about 15 miles worth of electric driving. The same distance would cost around $2.50 for gasoline.
While sales of plug-in vehicles are rising far quicker in the UK and Europe than in the U.S., they have a long way to go before they outpace diesel and gasoline cars.
That’s why many EV advocates are crying foul over Ecotricity’s new charge for charging.


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Washington [US], June 18: Kim Kardashian stirred the Internet when she donned Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress to the 2022 Met Gala, but apparently, it's been claimed that she did not cause any damage to the gown.
This contracted prior claims of Kardashian damaging the iconic dress.
A recent photo was seen floating around social media, which allegedly showed the dress before and after Kim Kardashian wooed the world with her appearance at the glamourous event. However, a rep for Ripley's 'Believe It or Not!', who bought the dress for USD 4.8 million in 2016, has come to Kim's defence, as per reports from TMZ
The representative told TMZ that since the purchase of the dress, Ripley's has displayed it around the world; a process that has also put the iconic dress at risk for potential damage. Amanda Joiner, Ripley's Vice President of Publishing and Licensing, who was with Kim and the dress the entire day of The Met, said, "From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in."
The dress is exactly what Marilyn wore when she sang on President John F. Kennedy's birthday in 1962. Kardashian had lost 16 pounds to fit the piece after Ripley first refused its permission. Kim was also gifted with Monroe's hair.
One of the reports accused her of damaging the dress, also stated that her hair was fake. This claim has also been debunked, as per TMZ.
Kim had already received quite some flak for the alleged damage to Marilyn Monroe's dress, but this statement from Ripley's comes at a time when the 'Keeping Up With Kardashians' star might just prove the doubters wrong.
#thecommunique #tc #tcn #metgala2022 #cannes2022 #redcarpet #kimkrdishian #MarilynMonroe #repleysmuseum #factcheck #fashion #style #trending


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God of War Ragnarok has achieved a significant milestone and surpassed all previous first-party PlayStation games in sales in just a few short weeks.
Since God of War Ragnarok's formal unveiling in September of last year, fans have been anticipating the second and concluding instalment of Kratos' journey through Asgard with great anticipation, and the game has received almost universal acclaim since its release earlier this month.
God of War Ragnarok has received extremely great reviews thus far, and Sony Santa Monica's epic Viking action game has now achieved record-breaking sales to match.
God of War Ragnarok was praised for becoming the fastest-selling first-party PlayStation game in history earlier today by the official PlayStation Twitter account.
In its first week, Ragnarok reportedly sold 5.1 million copies, setting a record for both the God of War series and the PlayStation brand as a whole.
The Last Of Us Part II from 2020 had the previous record for fastest-selling PlayStation exclusive, selling over 4 million copies on its opening weekend.
Although some are already speculating that next year's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 could dethrone it, fans have been celebrating Ragnarok's success throughout the comments section of PlayStation's most recent social media post.
Others, however, believe that God of War Ragnarok will win Game of the Year at The Game Awards next month, despite arguments that the prestigious honour will go to the equally acclaimed Elden Ring.


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New car sales in Britain jumped 26 percent in June thanks to solid demand for electric vehicles from businesses and fleet buyers, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said in a statement.
The SMMT said new-car sales rose to 177,266 units last month, the 11th consecutive month of growth, though volumes remained below pre-pandemic levels.
As electric vehicle registrations grew 39 percent in the same period, SMMT also called for a cut in value added tax (VAT) on public charging to drive up EV adoption.
Drivers able to charge at home pay just 5 percent VAT to power up their EV, compared with 20 percent for those who are reliant on the public network, according to SMMT.
"This is unfair and risks delaying greater uptake, so cutting VAT on public EV charging will help make owning an EV fairer and attractive to more people," CEO Mike Hawes said in the statement.
Meanwhile, close to a million new cars joined U.K. roads in the first six months of 2023 with total registrations up 18 percent, and EV uptake was at a record 152,968 deliveries so far this year, the industry body said.
For June, deliveries of gasoline cars, which continue to represent the majority of registrations, increased 14 percent, while diesel registrations were down 22 percent.
Tesla's Model Y and Ford's Puma were the most popular cars among Britons for the month, the data showed.


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The KORG M01D app, available now for about a month for Nintendo’s 3DS handheld, seems the definition of anachronism. It’s a mobile Nintendo DS music app in an age of iPhones and iPads. It’s based on a 1988 digital synth, even as analog is back and style. You use it with a stylus. You can […]Read more
brings together the latest breaking news on music, technology, gear, and live visuals. Got a project, found a news tip, or want to share your product? Submit to us directly.


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Since 2004, five new car dealerships have closed their doors in San Juan Capistrano, and the sixth would be Capistrano Ford, its closure resulting from the expansion of Costco, according to a city report.
Tuttle-Click has obtained exclusive rights to buy the franchise, the city said. The current owner has no plans to relocate or keep the business in this city.
On October 20, the City Council acting as the Redevelopment Agency, voted 4-1 in favor of a 27-year deal with Tuttle-Click, agreeing to forward $3 million within five business days if the dealership opens and another $2 million over time, with payments based on a sales-tax received formula.
With virtually no one other than the automotive group representatives left in the audience at the deciding council meeting, following a nearly a six-hour debate, Mayor Lon Uso was the lone dissenting voice against the incentive, saying that the amount was too high.
“I think we’re giving you guys way too much money,” he said. “We’re setting a precedent through our Redevelopment Agency that I think is unsustainable with other auto dealerships. It’s going to be difficult to keep doing this.”
Fellow council members felt that in offering the incentive the agency was fulfilling its role — fill blighted vacant lots and save about 100 full- and part-time jobs in the process.
“This is what redevelopment agencies are supposed to do,” Councilman Tom Hribar said. “The jobs issue is as important as anything. This is what we at a local level can do to preserve jobs.”
Councilman Mark Nielsen characterized the deal as being “right at the edge” from a financial standpoint.
“I guess I look at it as, one, it’s a unique situation because of the importance of maintaining the dealership at this location and, two, at this particular location we have true blight,” he said.
The two lots that Tuttle-Click will occupy have been vacant since 2008 and 2009.
The agency will fund the first $3 million of the incentive using bond proceeds from its business retention/economic development allocation. The remaining $2 million is considered an agency debt and will be funded annually via tax increment proceeds, the city said.
“This is the largest assistance we have offered to a dealership,” said Cindy Russell, the city’s chief financial officer, before the agency action on October 20.
The 27-year agreement puts a dealership in the now vacant lots and is expected to fetch the city $17 million in sales tax dollars over that period, but with $5 million paid out as incentive to Tuttle-Click, the net gain will be $12 million, she said.
The city will retain all sales tax revenue generated by the dealership, as opposed to passing a portion of it to the agency for payments under the agreement, according to the city report.
The break even point of the agreement will be reached in about 12½ years, Russell said.
“You create a strong sales tax base in addition to retaining the dealership,” she said. “We’d go down to four (dealers) and it’d be more difficult for the existing stores to remain” if the deal were not struck.
For their part, representatives for Tuttle-Click said they would not be able to come to San Juan Capistrano without the incentive.
“Couldn’t afford it,” said Chris Cotter, president of Tuttle-Click Automotive Group, which operates dealerships in California and Arizona, following the agency decision.
When asked if Tuttle-Click had ever received this kind of an incentive anywhere else, Cotter replied: “Off the top of my head, I can’t give you an answer for that one without going back.”
While he could not say which incentive had come close to the one San Juan Capistrano’s deal offers, Cotter, who has been with the company for about 35 years, acknowledged that the city’s incentive was the highest the company had received.
Cotter said the Ford franchise at the new location would be coupled with a Lincoln franchise; an auto body shop also will be included.
The downturn in the automotive industry has resulted in the loss of approximately 40 percent of retail auto sales revenue to the city, according to the city report
“The closure of another dealership will further weaken the competitiveness of San Juan Capistrano as an auto sales destination,” the city report said.
Orange Coast Chrysler is on a separate track, Russell said, obtaining permits from the city Planning Commission to open to add a new dealership in town.
That, too, would be on Camino Capistrano, an automobile showroom row of sorts fronting the 5 freeway.
In the next month or so, the terms of the incentive Orange Coast Chrysler might get from the Redevelopment Agency should be hammered out.


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AMD has tweeted on Saturday a rather mysterious information. It appears that at a conference planned on the 26th of September AMD will show their new GPUs. There is no clear information whether those are going to be the new FirePRO or Radeon cards or if both will be presented. As the picture presents red and blue pill which references to the Matrix story where:
The blue pill would allow him to remain in the fabricated reality of the Matrix, therefore living the “illusion of ignorance”, while the red pill would lead to his escape from the Matrix and into the real world
AMD in this case, as the red color in their logo is usually called the Red Team, therefore AMD is the Red Pill.
— AMD India (@AMDIndia) September 20, 2014
Roy from AMD is even calling out nVidia on Twitter.
— Roy@AMD (@amd_roy) September 20, 2014
4 Days till we know for sure what is going on.


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Currently Browsing: Results for Tag "legends"
An elderly woman in China knelt before a statue of a League of Legends character and prayed, touching off a viral reaction of equal parts amusement and sympathy.Someone inside an internet café snapped a picture of the woman kneeling and burning incense before a larger-than-life statue of Garen, a character who has been in League of Legends for about six years.
Earlier this year we got the surprising news that Microsoft was shutting down developer Lionhead Studios and cancelling production on the upcoming free-to-play Fable Legends, though the game’s servers remained online for a while for those who had downloaded it previously.A new update was posted on the Fable Legends forum, where they made it official that Fable Legends has now been shut down.
As expected, Lionhead Studios' Fable Legends was officially shuttered today, ending any chance that the action RPG installment might be resurrected somehow, someway despite the odds being stacked against it.The silver lining is that those of you who happened to spend money in-game will have it refunded, thus getting what was likely hours of entertainment for free:
Fable Legends has shut down and is no longer available to play.The game's closure – and that of Lionhead - was announced last month, but the curtain finally drew this afternoon.
Cancelled Xbox One/PC game Fable Legends may be resurrected at an independent studio formed by ex-Lionhead employees, a new report has revealed.If accepting the latter, they would leave in April, the report says.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends is now in a closed beta, and you can sign up to participate in the PC version of the collectible card game starting today.Bethesda has also released a new gameplay trailer for the game, which provides a nice general overview of what you can expect to see.
The beta for The Elder Scrolls: Legends, the free-to-play strategy card game, is giving selected registrants access today, Bethesda Softworks has announced.Furthermore, worldwide beta registration is now open, with additional players to be invited to take part over the next few months.
After months of being available in beta and other forms, The Elder Scrolls Legends officially launches today on PC.The Elder Scrolls Legends will hit iPad on March 23rd, Android in April, Mac OS in May, and mobile phones this Summer.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends exited beta and entered its full release version a little while ago on PC, with the promise that more platforms were coming soon.You can download The Elder Scrolls: Legends on iPad for free right here from the Apple App Store.
The new version will be called Secret World Legends and fans can sign up now for the beta, while the final version will be released in the first half of this year.The Secret World was originally released in 2012 for PC as an online multiplayer RPG based on a subscription model.
Ubisoft had said previously that Rayman Legends would be getting a release on Nintendo Switch, but that when it did come to the console it would have surprises.Well, the surprise has been revealed, as we have received new details regarding what will make the Switch version stand out from the crowd.


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On September 1, the South Korean office of Samsung announced the imminent release of One UI 4.0 based on Android 12. Two days later, the German office announced the same. But the company had to postpone the release of the software.
So far, there is no information about what caused the postponement of the release of the test version of One UI 4.0 based on the operating system Android 12. The flagship smartphones Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 + and Galaxy S21 Ultra were supposed to receive the update on September 9th.
One of the representatives of the South Korean division of Samsung asked forgiveness from users who were expecting a new shell. There is no information about the new release dates for the beta version of One UI 4.0 on Android 12 so far.
Recall that after the release of the update for the Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 + and Galaxy S21 Ultra, the company will begin testing the software on the Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 + and Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.


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Sure, starting the work week is a drag, but national donut peddler Dunkin’ has launched a month-long promotion that aims to soothe even the worst case of Mondays.
Starting today, members of Dunkin’s rewards program are eligible to receive a free medium hot coffee with any purchase on Monday's in February.
Non-dairy alternatives, flavors and extra espresso shots may be an additional charge, but the coffee conglomerate hopes the promotion will give fans an extra pep in their step at the start of the week.
“With Free Coffee Mondays, we look forward to keeping our rewards members running with a free cup of hot coffee to help start each week in February off right,” Joanna Bonder, director of loyalty marketing and strategy at Dunkin’, said in a release
To take advantage of the February freebie, DD Perks members can order ahead via the Dunkin’ app or present their loyalty ID QR code at the register.
Interested coffee aficionados can visit any of the nine SA-area Dunkin’ locations to take part in the offer, which will run until February 22.
So many restaurants, so little time. Find out the latest San Antonio dining news with our Flavor Friday Newsletter.


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Oppo Finder gets official Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean upgrade, sort of
What was once “the world’s thinnest smartphone” is now one of the world’s thinnest smartphones with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean.
The Oppo Finder from Oppo Mobile, which was first announced in China and made available for pre-order back in June of this year, comes with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display, an 8MP camera, a 1.5GHz processor, and 1GB of RAM inside a casing that measures only 6.65mm thick. Oppo Mobile has just released a “preview” version of the Jelly Bean update, which gives the Finder improvements in overall performance, as well as a number of nifty new features.
The new software is not without problems, however. Apparently, it’s only a demo version of what is supposed to be the finished product, and it brings with it a number of issues that have yet to be fixed. These include problems with crashing apps and a few wireless connectivity concerns.
Among the numerous bugs is also the lack of OTA software upgrade support. So the whole upgrade procedure needs to be done manually. It isn’t for everyone. Except, of course, those who are truly eager to poke around at Jelly Bean now, and will know exactly what to do with a zipped version of the software upgrade, which is already available for download.


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Electronic components distributor Arrow Electronics Inc. (NYSE: ARW), Centennial, CO, reported second-quarter sales of $7.39 billion, an increase of 15 percent compared with the second quarter of 2017. The company reported second-quarter net income of $170 million.
Second-quarter sales in Arrow’s global components business were $5.28 billion, an 18 percent increase year-over-year. Americas components sales increased 14 percent, Asia-Pacific components sales increased 21 percent, and Europe components sales increased 21 percent year-over-year.
Sales in Arrow’s global enterprise computing solutions business were $2.11 billion, an increase of 8 percent year-over-year. Americas enterprise computing solutions sales increased 6 percent, and Europe enterprise computing solutions sales increased 10 percent year-over-year.
Sales for the first six months of 2018 were $14.27 billion, up 17 percent compared with the first six months of 2017. Net income for the first six months of 2018 was $309 million, compared with net income of $214 million in the year-ago period.


text: Fred Norman has been appointed to the newly created position of president/COO of AOC LLC (Collierville, Tenn.). Norman will report to Randy Weghorst, who continues as chairman and CEO. John Griggs, formerly the VP of international development, has become VP of finance and CFO, and will report to Norman. Norman joined the Alpha Corp., a cofounding company of AOC, in 1976 and was AOC’s executive VP and CFO of AOC before his current promotion. Griggs joined Alpha in 1983 and, in 1997, became AOC’s VP and treasurer … High Modulus (Auckland, New Zealand) reports that James Anderson will lead the company’s new U.S. sales initiative, having served as a senior engineer, team leader and finite element analysis (FEA) specialist at High Modulus’s New Zealand head office … Bulk Molding Compounds Inc. (BMCi, Chicago, Ill.) announced the addition of Scott Henricks as technical sales engineer. Henricks has 28 years in the thermoset industry during which he orchestrated the first glass fiber-reinforced composite products used in torque converter applications … Plasticolors Inc. (Ashtabula, Ohio) has appointed Doug Loudin as a territory sales manager in the southern region of the U.S. Loudin has 21 years of experience in chemical sales with several chemical distribution companies in the Southeast.


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Cyanogen wants to give app developers better access to the features of CyanogenMod/Cyanogen OS with the launch of the new, open source Platform SDK.
Cyanogen is preparing a platform SDK that will allow developers to integrate certain CM features into their apps, like creating custom quick launch tiles and more.
In an official blog post, the CyanogenMod team announced that CM 12.1 nightly builds are rolling out starting today.
The CyanogenMod team has outlined some of the new features that will be present in the newest CM 12/12.1 updates.
CyanogenMod is a popular ROM and one of the big reasons if for the themes. In this roundup, we’ll look at the best CyanogenMod themes (by develoeper).
A few details about CyanogenMod 12.1, which is based on the latest Android 5.1 OS, have been released. The first CM12.1 nightlies could begin appearing next week.
We haven’t heard much regarding the release date of OnePlus’ new OxygenOS. But today, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei announced on Twitter that CM12S and OxygenOS will become available sometime around mid to late March.
CyanogenMod 12 nightlies are now available for the Google Nexus 9 tablet. Get your flash on with this custom ROM to see all that the alternative OS has to offer.
If you were outraged by Cyanogen adding a white background boot animation to their CyanogenMod 12 nighlties custom ROM, relax, a black animation is back in place.
The team at Cyanogen have released their latest CyanogenMod 12 nightlies for the Sprint and T-Mobile variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, start flashing today.


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Are you using the Google browser “Chrome”? Today Google announced eleven new apps now available in the Google Chrome Web Store. The Pidoco° App is one of the eleven featured apps that users of the Google Chrome web browser can now install.
With the rise of the smartphone, apps have become a huge hit with private and professional users and are entering the web space quickly. The popularity of the apps has been promoted by the creation of various online and mobile marketplaces where users can easily acquire new apps to enhance their devices. Web industry giant Google launched its Chrome Web Store in July 2010 in the United States. Now eleven German partners have added their apps to the store.
One of the apps featured by Google in their latest press release is the Pidoco° App, which allows users to create, share, comment on and test drive interactive wireframes and GUI prototypes. Users of the Chrome web browser can now install the Pidoco° App with only a few mouse clicks, giving them easier access to Pidoco’s functions. Upon installation, the Pidoco° App can be used as a small tab in the browser’s navigation bar, enabling instant access. In addition, users can now register and sign in to Pidoco via their Google account without having to create an additional password. New users of the Pidoco° App should keep their eyes open when exploring Pidoco: There may be an exciting surprise awaiting you …
Pidoco is used by product managers, business analysts, user experience professionals and creative professionals around the
globe. Check it out at https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bipghjdghdamigamobmcaigdcncbkfof?hl=de (German) or https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bipghjdghdamigamobmcaigdcncbkfof?hl=en-us (English).


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Shopitize Twitter Feed
Revolutionary website and app creates whole new kind of Smart Brit shopper. Shopitize.com is a free and innovative platform designed to make managing shopping fun and easy - by applying powerful smartphone technology to the humble shopping receipt.
PRLog (Press Release) - Mar 14, 2021 -
Revolutionary website and app creates whole new kind of Smart Brit shopper.
A new and visionary concept in smart and ‘savvy’ shopping has been launched today by Shopitize.
Shopitize.com (http://shopitize.com) is a free and innovative platform designed to make managing shopping fun and easy - by applying powerful smartphone technology to the humble shopping receipt.
Shoppers simply snap a photo of their paper shopping receipts using a smartphone app and let Shopitize do the rest. Initially, Shopitize will provide unlimited receipt storage, smart shopping lists and personalised spending reports.
And the best is yet to come: the new shopping experience will put consumers in charge of the shopping data collected on them for the very first time.
This means that as more people join the Shopitize revolution, more brands can start to provide personal rewards and offers, turning the smartphone into the ultimate 21st century shopping assistant.
“Shopitize launched with the vision to directly connect consumers with the brands they love, while putting them in control of and protecting their shopping data,’ said Shopitize co-founder, Irina Pafomova.
“When we carried out our research, the question every shopper asked, was: Really!? Can this be done?” We were delighted to say … ‘Yes’!’ Simply by taking a snap of their receipts means consumers will be able to receive individually tailored offers from brands as a reward for their loyalty.
“We are excited to launch this innovation in shopping in the UK. Unlike many ideas which originate in Silicon Valley and later come to the Britain, Shopitize was originated in the UK, which has both the most innovative and exciting retail market, and the most forward-thinking shoppers.”
Shopitize was established in 2010 by a highly experienced, talented team of entrepreneurs and has raised over £1m from global investors. Currently the Shopitize experience in is public Beta, offering:
* Free Receipt Storage
Shoppers can declutter their lives by uploading, viewing, and editing digital versions of their receipts. With unlimited, anytime access via the web, shoppers can throw away the shoebox and now easily separate between personal and business receipts.
* Smart Shopping Reminders
Predictive personal shopping lists are automatically created by analyzing shopper’s regular purchases. Smart Shopping Reminders will become more accurate as the system learns more about a shopper, so they never forget when it’s time to buy milk, pet food, or anything else again.
* Personalised Spending reports
Shoppers can better understand their own personal spending habits and see exactly where every penny goes by shopping category. Shoppers can learn fun facts about their shopping behaviour such as whether they really spend more on baby formula, beer or brunch. “At Shopitize, we want to make learning about and managing your shopping fun” said Irina Pafomova.
“We are only at the beginning of the journey. The more people that join Shopitize, the better the system will become” added Irina Pafomova. “This takes the hard work out of shopping and frees the mind for other things!
“Overtime, Shopitize will become like a personal shopping assistant - sending individualised offers and bargains, tailored just for each savvy shopper from the brands they love the most.”
The Shopitize Android App can be downloaded at:
The iPhone app will be available shortly.


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Turns out the date Microsoft has listed for Fez
is completely wrong. Polytron's Phil Fish has informed us that Fez
has no set release date, that the May 2, 2012 date listed on the Xbox Live Marketplace is incorrect, and that the game hasn't even been certified by Microsoft. We sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding and have reached out to Microsoft for comment.
It's been a long time coming, but it looks like the wait for Polytron's Fez
is finally nearing its end. The adorable pixel art indie darling will arrive on May 2, according to the Xbox Live Marketplace
Originally slated to launch in 2009
's development has been characterized by repeated delays, as well as accolades from the indie-gaming community. It is also one of the titles featured in Indie Game: The Movie
, which is an official selection at this year's SXSW Film festival. Here's hoping the game can download in less time than it took to develop.


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'Conflict is always a good buying opportunity': Hedge fund vultures hope to snap up stricken Qatari assets
Panic buying: Shoppers stock up at aa supermarket in Doha, Qatar
Vulture hedge funds are hoping to snap up stricken Qatari assets on the cheap as the Middle East crisis grows.
Six countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have cut ties with Qatar over its alleged support for Islamic terrorists.
Several have banned its planes from their airspace, and there are reports of panicked citizens stockpiling food amid growing fears of war.
But City speculators told the Mail they were hoping to profit from the row.
They claim that low crude prices have already badly wounded the oil-rich nation and the crisis will make things even worse – forcing both wealthy Qataris and the state itself to sell investments around the world.
The country's firms are thought to have £40billion of UK assets, including stakes in Sainsbury's, Barclays and British Airways' owner IAG. The Qataris also own Harrods and The Savoy hotel.
'Conflict is always a good buying opportunity,' said one well-connected financier in London. 'For us, it's a real opportunity.'
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The Wilmington Arts and Entertainment Marketing Initiative: A Campaign by Mobius New Media to Promote Arts, Entertainment, Dining, Nightlife and Shopping in the City
An arts and entertainment revolution happening right in your backyard… Are you in?
(page 5 of 6)
“Organizations had been largely operating in silos,” says Urban, “communicating with only their own patrons. Now, I think they understand that helping promote their neighbor helps promote themselves.” He adds that the advisory board is encouraging collaborative events that include several organizations.
Says John Rago, who has worked for city government for 11 years, “Growing the arts will help the city’s retail business, restaurants—everything that’s happening in Wilmington. The organizations are finally coming together and understanding the power of pooling resources. And now the new branding campaign has the social networking piece and media exposure that was needed. The new Web site is something we had always dreamed about, with information on parking and restaurants, and the various city neighborhoods. Before, we had individual neighborhoods doing their own thing. Now, we’re marketing the entire city.”
Urban says the campaign has generated “strong results,” adding, “visits to the Web site are increasing quickly, along with ticket sales and link-outs to other organizations. And with the large advertising campaign we are driving them to the Web site in increasing numbers.”
He says he’s encouraged by the crowds he’s seen at recent events, especially in these tough economic times. “I think we may be past the hurdle of people being afraid to spend their discretionary dollars on entertainment,” he says. “Plus, we’re helping to showcase that there are a lot of low-cost and free events going on, including Wilmington’s first Friday art loops, things like the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, and other free events throughout the city. People are realizing there are more interesting things to do around here than go to a movie.”
continued on page 6...


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Equities analysts expect Gap Inc (NYSE:GPS) to post $0.53 earnings per share for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Eight analysts have provided estimates for GAP’s earnings. The highest EPS estimate is $0.56 and the lowest is $0.52. GAP posted earnings per share of $0.76 during the same quarter last year, which indicates a negative year over year growth rate of 30.3%. The firm is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings report on Thursday, August 22nd.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that GAP will report full year earnings of $2.07 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.95 to $2.15. For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the business will report earnings of $2.16 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.84 to $2.51. Zacks Investment Research’s EPS calculations are a mean average based on a survey of analysts that that provide coverage for GAP.
GAP (NYSE:GPS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 30th. The apparel retailer reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.31 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.78 billion. GAP had a net margin of 6.46% and a return on equity of 26.73%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.42 EPS.
A number of research firms have weighed in on GPS. Nomura decreased their target price on shares of GAP from $22.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 31st. Bank of America set a $77.00 target price on shares of Zscaler and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 31st. MKM Partners decreased their target price on shares of GAP from $33.00 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Zumiez from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Wedbush set a $12.00 target price on shares of GameStop and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 31st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. GAP presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $25.28.
In other GAP news, CEO Mcneil S. Fiske, Jr. sold 16,183 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total transaction of $291,294.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 32,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $585,000. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Julie Gruber sold 3,286 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total value of $78,864.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 37.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GPS. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of GAP by 28.2% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 20,412,955 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $534,413,000 after buying an additional 4,491,047 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of GAP in the 4th quarter worth $82,347,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of GAP by 31.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,975,433 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $102,406,000 after purchasing an additional 960,583 shares in the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of GAP by 82.5% in the 1st quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 1,623,668 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $42,508,000 after purchasing an additional 734,097 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of GAP by 121.1% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 105,865 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $2,772,000 after purchasing an additional 607,780 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.87% of the company’s stock.
NYSE:GPS traded down $0.49 on Wednesday, reaching $18.74. 5,441,000 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,691,361. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $18.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 0.70. GAP has a 1-year low of $17.12 and a 1-year high of $32.98.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.2425 per share. This represents a $0.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.18%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 9th. GAP’s payout ratio is 37.45%.
The Gap, Inc operates as an apparel retail company worldwide. The company offers apparel, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Intermix, and Hill City brands. Its products include denim, tees, button-downs, khakis, and other products; and fitness and lifestyle products for use in yoga, training, sports, travel, and everyday activities to women and girls.
Further Reading: How much money do you need to begin day trading?
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
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Cadillac Escalade Name Won’t Be Affected by New System
Last week, Cadillac announced that its new flagship model would be called the Cadillac CT6 (and not the LTS as we all suspected). The CT6 is meant to usher in a whole new naming structure, spearheaded by Johan de Nysschen, who recently did the same thing for Infiniti.
Many applaud de Nysschen’s new direction for the company, which, in addition to the change in naming structure, includes moving company headquarters to New York. There are critics, however, who don’t really care for the new naming structure—or just don’t believe it’s enough to elevate the brand.
Regardless of whether you like the new system or not, however, it’s coming. The names will not be changed all at once, as Infiniti did it, but only as new models are added or current models are redesigned. The Cadillac Escalade name, however, has become iconic in itself, and fans are not thrilled at the idea of its being changed.
Never fear, fans of the Cadillac Escalade name. According to Dave Schiavione, the Escalade product manager, the Escalade’s name will not be changed. Schiavione noted the Escalade’s performance in an interview with Road & Track, calling it “the de facto halo vehicle for Cadillac until the CT6 debuts.”
David Caldwell, Cadillac spokesman, confirmed Schiavione’s statement to Road & Track, stating, “Escalade remains. No reason to mess with it.”
News Source: Road & Track


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Results for pages tagged with "fences"
4 Results found
Everyone has heard the expression "good fences make good neighbors." This has never been truer than in today's world.
If you have fencing on your property, you will need to keep branches, trees and weeds from growing up on fence lines.
The cost of buying or selling a farm can be overshadowed by decisions that postpone the payment of income taxes.
Drought and ongoing wildfires turned western Oklahoma into a governor-declared disaster zone by April 13. Ten days later, the still-blazing fires covered more than 349,000 acres.


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Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is reportedly working on secret Amazon robots for the home.
According to these reports, the online retailer is planning to introduce Amazon robots that customers can have in their homes to handle tasks for them. However, the finer details of what these tasks might be are sill unknown.
What we do know is that the company has been working on the secret Amazon robots for about four years now. Despite this, it is only now starting to speed up development with a new collection of new jobs reportedly in connection to the project.
The reports claim that early testing at AMZN employees’ homes will start late this year. It’s unknown when customers will actually be able to get the robots in their own homes, but some estimates claim this may happen as early as 2019. Amazon is, of course, refusing to comment on the rumors, reports Bloomberg.
The project to build the secret Amazon robots for use in the home is currently going under the codename “Vesta.”
The Amazon robots still sound like something out of a sci-fi novel or flick, but other companies are also working on their own robots. This includes Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT), which is testing how robots can help its workers at 50 stores in the U.S. Amazon also has its own robots that handle tasks in its warehouses and has also been sending them over to help in Whole Foods warehouses as well.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A mesmerizing exhibit where high fashion meets fine art has landed in San Francisco.
It’s called Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy. It features dozens of dazzling works by the famed Chinese designer, who is lauded as the country’s first couturier.
The exhibition is already shaping up to be among the museum’s most popular – drawing pre-pandemic sized crowds.
“It’s truly inspirational,” said Jill D’Alessandro, curator of costume and textile arts at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “Guo Pei has two bodies of work – one is made to measure for her clients. But what we’re showing here are fantasy pieces that she creates for the runway, and she presents them like theater.”
Guo’s exhibit of her artistry at the Legion of Honor is the largest in the U.S. The designs are opulent, extravagant, and larger than life.
Guo, who currently lives in China, has taken her exquisite creations from the runways of Beijing and Paris to San Francisco. Couture Fantasy showcases more than 80 pieces from the last two decades of her career.
She is perhaps best known in the U.S. for the show-stopping moment in 2015 when Rihanna ascended the steps at the Met Gala in a striking, ornate cape.
Guo was born during China’s Cultural Revolution in 1967. During that time, her grandmother was forced to destroy her treasured clothes, jewelry and possessions.
“The clothing was grey or brown or olive green, there was no embellishment, but she was so inspired by the stories that her own grandmother would tell her about her life during the end of the Qing dynasty, the last imperial dynasty,” said D’Alessandro.
Guo’s work and creativity represent a rebirth of China. It preserves Chinese techniques and weaves in Western influences.
One iconic piece on display called “Da Jin” took more than 50,000 hours over two years to complete.
“I’ve seen work by many other couture houses in Paris, but the embroidery and the extra dimension to what she brings to her work is incredible,” said visitor Tessa Weale, a tourist from London.
Weale visited the Legion of Honor with Julian Turner, both casual clothing designers from the UK, on Tuesday.
“It’s beyond fashion or art, it’s really the endeavor of it,” described Turner.
“We were also really excited to celebrate an Asian designer and a Chinese designer, as we are on the Pacific rim, and we have a large Asian American population, so we’re looking at expanding the canon, looking beyond the west and exploring global narratives,” added D’Alessandro.
Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy runs through September 5th at the Legion of Honor.
For information visit: https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/


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Merrill Lynch analyst Jaime Sheinheit said higher energy costs will weigh on consumer spending, noting that retailers have had trouble getting customers in the door.
However, it's hard to tell whether the sluggish traffic is related to softening consumer spending or warm weather, Sheinheit
"Cold weather may spark shopping," she
In the luxury sector, Sheinheit
said handbag maker Coach Inc. has warned of sluggish traffic in its U.S. stores.
Sectors that might fare better include teen retailers, Sheinheit
said, noting that the income of their main customer, teenagers, usually stays the same.Companies in this sector include American Eagle Outfitters Inc.
and Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
One company that may emerge stronger, Sheinheit
said, is AnnTaylor Stores Corp.
, which has leaner inventory and a new product assortment at its lower-priced Loft division.In August
, the company said it increased markdowns to reduce inventory heading into fall seasons at both its Ann Taylor and Loft stores.
"There is a lot of opportunity for Loft to improve margins this holiday season," Sheinheit


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(Bill Werde — @bwerde; http://billwerde.tumblr.com/ — is Billboard’s editorial director)
In my travels last night and in emails this morning I had three distinct label/publisher execs confirm the same number: that @Spotify has right in the ballpark of 70,000 paid Stateside subscribers after only one week in business. It’s hard to put these numbers into context, but it would also be hard to call that anything but positive news for Spotify.
It’s hard to put into context because the larger subscription services like Napster and Rhapsody, which have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, launched years ago – not only is first-week data unavailable, but it would have come at a very different time in the history of digital music and the web overall. Rhapsody now has 800,000 paying customers and Napster reported 761,000 subscribers in its last quarterly filing before it was acquired by Best Buy in 2008. But obviously it took those two services years to reach those figures.
Probably better for context? This July 7 Billboard.biz story showing each of the new crop of Spotify competitors at 100k or less. I quote:
“In just six months, the Muve mobile music service from pre-paid wireless operator Cricket has done what year-old music services like MOG and Rdio have yet to do: reach 100,000 users. The company released the data today.”
Obviously, this is just the first data point for Spotify. We’ll need a handful more, at least, before there’s any clear trend or projection. But in the early going, at least, it seems like a pretty good start for the much-discussed service.
UPDATE: I emailed Daniel Ek and his VP of Marketing Angela Watts got back to me. She said they couldn’t comment on numbers but offered this:
“The launch of Spotify in the US has exceeded our expectations in both the response to invitations for the free service as well as subscriptions. We aren’t going to discuss numbers at this stage but we are excited to be here and confident that Americans will love Spotify as much as they already do in Europe.”


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A T-mobile roadmap has quietly revealed a Windows Phone 7 from HTC called HTC Bresson. According to This is my next blog the phone will tout a 16MP camera and is slated for release this September. That's also the time when Microsoft is scheduled to unleash its next WP7 update codenamed "mango" so chances are, Bresson will come pre-installed with this update. The phone carries a stark resemblance to a Desire S, which in our defense, so do all HTC phones. For our sake, we hope it's not just another phone which bumps up the mega-pixel count and retains the same mediocre image quality found in most 8MP smartphones. HTC doesn't exactly have a stellar record when it comes to camera quality, so here's hoping they actually use a good sensor this time around.
Source: This is my next


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Local businesses are preparing for the busiest shopping day of the year…Black Friday, and Priced Right store manager Derek Lee Pack says the store will be ready for customers.
He said, ” We have prepared all of our registers to be open all day from 5am to 9pm even when the staff goes on break we will have replacement cashiers. So we have 9 registers in the store and we will have all 9 registers open all day”. He said top sales items range from sound systems to food items, but Mr Lee Pack said tablets, toys and accessories are also in high demand. He added televisions remain a hot seller and he doesn’t think that will change.
“Tv’s are always a big item for Black Friday over the years despite the fact that you wonder how many tv’s people really own in Cayman a lot of the time they leave the island,” he said.
Meanwhile over at Cost U Less assistant manager Veneisha Ashman said all hands will be on deck for bargain hunters. She said, “All of our staff will be working tomorrow, no one will be off, no one is exempt from working tomorrow. Staff will actually be here overnight working, putting stuff on the floor and arranging stuff so when customers come in they know where to go for their items.”
Doors open at Cost U Less at 4 am and should close at 10pm, but Ms Ashman said that may change depending on demand. She said, ” We are planning to close at 10 pm, but if a customer comes at 10:30 we may open for them.”
So if you are looking for a deal or just want to catch up on early Christmas shopping set your alarm from now.


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PLANO, TX – After selling almost 50 million Corollas worldwide since launching in Japan in 1966, Toyota is expanding the shape and definition of what a vehicle with the name looks like.
The company unveiled the new Corolla Cross here today as a new entry in the rapidly growing compact CUV segment.
“The 2022 Corolla Cross is a smart, refreshing and well-balanced addition to the lineup,” says Toyota Marketing general manager Sam Goot.
While they share a name, the Corolla Cross doesn’t look much like the Corolla sedan. The black grille is larger and positioned more horizontally in the CUV than the sedan, and the driving position is obviously higher.
Black accents and cladding give the Corolla Cross a tougher look, and the integrated rear spoiler and LED lighting put the design squarely in the melting pot that makes up today’s compact CUV style from most automakers.
Based on the Corolla sedan and riding on the TNGA-C platform, the Corolla Cross will come in three trims (L, LE and XLE) and all three can be had with front- or all-wheel drive.
A 2.0L 4-cyl. and CVT taken from the sedan will produce 169 hp and get an estimated combined 32 mpg (7.3 L/100 km) with FWD. The AWD car comes with a fully independent suspension, while the FWD version uses a new torsion beam system in the rear. The Corolla Cross will be able to tow up to 1,500 lbs. (680 kg).
No hybrid model was disclosed today, but Goot showed an image of a Toyota logo with blue accents, which is what Toyota uses for its hybrid models, and said more announcements will be coming on that front next year.
The Corolla Cross will offer a laundry list of features that entry-level CUV buyers want, but not many of them are standard in the base L trim.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and Toyota Safety Sense advanced active safety systems are standard, but everything else – such as 10-way, power-adjustable driver’s seat (pictured below); power lift gate, 8-in. (20-cm) multimedia touchscreen; roof rack and activity mount; all-weather floor mats; nine-speaker JBL sound system; wireless device charging; and blindspot monitoring – requires an option package or a non-base trim level.
Toyota will announce pricing details closer to launch, but Goot says the numbers will work in the marketplace.
“We are confident the pricing is going to be right there for our target buyer, which is the younger, active buyer,” she says. “As for the standard equipment versus available equipment, this is going to come very well equipped at the standard level. It is going to be a fierce competitor.”
Toyota already has a compact CUV, the C-HR, but Goot says the two vehicles will live in harmony in the lineup. “They have a little bit different buyers, and this will have all-wheel drive capabilities that the C-HR doesn’t, but the C-HR isn’t going away, she says.”
Toyota expects roughly a third of its Corolla sales will be Corolla Cross sales, at least initially, Goot says, and the split between FWD and AWD likely will be around 50/50.
The 2022 Corolla Cross (pictured below) will go on sale later this year, and Toyota says it expects to sell around 100,000 units in 2022.
Through the first quarter, Toyota sold 72,520 Corolla sedans in the U.S., making it the nation’s most popular Upper Small Car, as tracked by Wards Intelligence.
But the C-HR has struggled to keep pace in the Small CUV segment, with only 10,401 U.S. deliveries in the first quarter, lagging well behind the Subaru Crosstrek, Nissan Kicks, Kia Sportage, Chevy Trailblazer, Ford Bronco Sport, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Jeep Compass.


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The Secretary of State for Planning has confirmed that a giant Tesco can be built on the site of a former shopping arcade in Margate.
More top news
Thousands of bikers head to Hastings for a biking festival that organisers say now rivals the Isle of Man's TT races
Philippa has the weather outlook for the east
Philippa has the weather outlook for the west


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The important UK container port Felixstowe may be struck by another eight-day strike from Sept. 27 to Oct. 5, according to Reuters.
The port workers’ union, Unite, has announced the strike, which is the second in a few weeks, after 82% of the members have rejected an offer from employer CK Hutchison regarding a wage raise of 7%.
The port workers are displeased with the offer, as inflation in the UK has passed 10% and is projected by the Bank of England to climb above 13% during October.
The wage offer thus represents a ”real terms pay cut,” according to Unite.
From Aug. 21-29, 1,900 dock workers carried out an eight-day strike as a protest against the wage negotiations, leading to a near doubling of waiting time for export containers at the port in only few days.
The union expects longer waiting time this time as well due to the announced strike.
”Further strike action will inevitably lead to delays and disruption to the UK’s supply chain but this is entirely of the company’s own making,” says Bobby Morton, Unite’s national officer for docks, according to Reuters.
Port company CK Hutchison rejects the possibility of reaching an agreement with Unite, as ”the collective bargaining process has been exhausted.”
The Port of Felixstowe handles around 48% of containers arriving in the UK.
Another port strike has been announced in Liverpool, where 580 dock workers are planning to strike from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3 due to dissatisfaction regarding wages.
It has been decades since the UK’s latest port strikes.
English edit: Kristoffer Grønbæk


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Whether it’s Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Seattle’s Best or one of the hundreds of coffee makers out there, coffee is a big part of American culture. For years, researchers have been trying to determine coffee’s health effects, but studies usually end with mixed results.
But according to the latest study by the National Cancer Institute, coffee may reduce the risk of early death for those who drink three or more cups a day. The study, which followed more than 400,000 U.S. adults, ages 50 to 71, for 12 years, found that java lovers were less likely to die from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes and infections. The study says the results were similar for regular and decaffeinated coffee drinkers.
Study authors are quick to point out that the findings don’t prove that coffee makes people live longer. The participants didn’t report their brewing method, such as steeping (with a French press) or pressure brewing (as espresso is made), which can affect the many compounds the beverage contains. Instead, they say, the results ‘provide some reassurance that coffee drinking does not adversely affect health.’
To learn more about the study and its findings, visit NCI’s website.
Source: BlueSpire Strategic Marketing. Published with permission.


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Spending on credit and debit cards in New Zealand rose in April, driven by an increase for accommodation, hotels, restaurants and takeaway food.
Retail spending rose 0.9 per cent in April, seasonally adjusted, after a 0.1 per cent gain in March, Statistics New Zealand said. The biggest gain came from the hospitality industry, where spending rose by 1.5 per cent last month. Actual sales were up 7.8 per cent in April from the same month last year.
Hospitality spending was strong for a second month as New Zealand benefits from record in-bound tourism, even as Easter, a traditional time of celebration, fell in March this year. Five of the six retail industries recorded gains in the latest month, while consumables such as food and liquor, were little changed.
"After pausing for breath in March, consumers threw their wallets open in April," said Satish Ranchhod, senior economist at Westpac Bank. "Helping to support spending are strong levels of tourist arrivals, which have been boosting spending in areas such as hospitality. In addition, low borrowing rates and the strength in the housing market are also providing domestic consumers with a powerful shot in the arm."
He said while the data bodes well for retail spending in coming months, he expects headwinds including lower dairy sector earnings to "start to bite."
Core retail spending, which excludes vehicle-related industries, rose 0.4 per cent in the month for an 8.9 per cent annual gain, following a 0.2 per cent increase in March. Total electronic card transactions rose 1.5 per cent in April.
Card-holders made 131 million transactions in April with an average value of $49. The total amount spent across all transactions was $6.4 billion.


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Adele’s record-breaking album 21 is just days away from over-taking lifetime UK sales of Oasis’ (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, according to Music Week’s latest Official Charts Analysis.
Adele’s 21, which has topped 25m sales across the world, has sold 777,340 in the UK in this calendar year, making it the 2nd biggest seller of 2012 behind Emeli Sande’s Our Version Of Events.
21 – released in January 2011 – has now accrued a whopping 4,549,686 sales in 100 weeks on the Official UK Album Chart. It sold 15,225 copies in the past week.
Morning Glory has sold 4,554,581 copies to date but only 790 of them came last week.
When 21 surpasses Morning Glory, it will make it the UK’s fourth biggest-selling album of all time.
The top three best-selling albums in UK history are (1) Queen’s Greatest Hits, (2) The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and (3) Abba’s Gold: Greatest Hits.


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(Vancouver) Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) in distressed outdoor recreation opposes a proposal to delay the sale to a private US investment company and says there is "great urgency" to complete transaction.
Posted on September 29, 2020 at 12:17 PM
Kevin Harding of the Save MEC campaign filed last week with a court in British Columbia to delay the sale to Kingswood Capital Management, a California-based company, as part of an effort to mobilize funds to fund the to maintain the retailer's cooperative status.
In a response filed Monday, MEC questioned the group's ability to solve the retailer's liquidity problems, noting that none of the potential funding sources offered "have concrete commitments or realistic options". concerned.
According to the company, given the number of issues to be resolved before closing the sale, including negotiations with the owners, the proposed delay would jeopardize the transaction.
MEC says the sale must be urgently ended before the retailer suffers "significant weekly cash losses" that could worsen with a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
The company also says it needs a quick shutdown so Kingswood can enjoy the next Christmas shopping.


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Nascent issuer Parabla in April launched its first exchange traded fund, the Parabla Innovation ETF (LZRD), on the Nasdaq. The actively managed fund seeks long-term growth from U.S. exchange-listed issuers engaged in developmental, disruptive, scaling, and/or refining innovation.
“It’s an innovation fund,” Phillip Hanks, founder, CEO, & CIO at Parabla, told VettaFi. “It’s trying to do a little bit of the Cathie wood thing, but it’s four types of innovation instead of one.”
Hanks described developmental innovation as “new technology that has the potential to disrupt but hasn’t affected the world yet.” Disruptive companies are those in sectors “like the electric vehicle market” that “are making a big impact now.”
Companies in the scaling silo are “getting production numbers up to where it’s effecting a lot of people.”
Finally, firms seen as offering refining innovation includes large-cap companies like Apple that have “a good product and are making a ton of money reiterating on a successful product.”
The fund has a U.S. bias, is multi-cap, multi-sector, and generally consists of 24 to 69 companies. To be considered, holdings must have been publicly traded on a U.S. exchange for at least six months. They must also have a market cap of more than $1 billion at the time of initial investment.
“I think investors got burned with early-stage non-profitable companies,” Hanks said. “People that were investing in these companies saw a precipitous fall in their value. Even if I may miss out on some early opportunities, in my experience, I’d rather be prudent.”
The Next Wood or Buffett
Prior to forming Parabla, Hanks formed an RIA (Black Oak Wealth Management) in 2016. He sold the advisory firm last year to launch and manage LZRD.
“It’s a capital-intensive venture,” he said. “I wanted to scale the strategy that I have been doing.”
As the fund’s manager, Hanks explained that, with LZRD, he’s “trying to buy things that look oversold and selling off things as they seem overbought.”
LZRD carries an expense ratio of 0.69%. Hanks added that LZRD is designed to be in the overlap of a Venn Diagram where YOLO-style opportunistic investing meets Warren Buffet’s disciplined low turnover “sloth” investment style.
“If I can outperform the S&P consistently, on a relative basis, I’d be very happy about that,” he said. “You have to justify an expense ratio that’s higher than an index fund but lower than average for actively managed.
Hanks added: “If we can get an initial boost in AUM, I believe I could be the next Cathie Wood or Warren Buffett. Just hopefully not Jim Cramer.”
For more news, information, and analysis, visit VettaFi | ETFDB.


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Barefoot Jason published an interesting article on the insight of running shoes' companies plan to try and get a slice of a pie for the rise for minimalist running market. The impact of "Born To Run" is far beyond our imagination. The surge in Vibram Fivefingers sale has caused alarmed in the traditional running shoes industry and they are not keeping themselves at one side of the fence.
Like what Jason mentioned, I also doubt that they will produce anything close to vibram...it will more of a "reduced" running shoes...
The original article can be found at


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From the past few weeks, Apple has been giving its best efforts to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. In the same move, the company is working on its Maps app to start showing he COVID-19 testing centers to the people.
According to a report by 9To5 Mac, Apple has launched a special portal for hospitals, healthcare providers, labs, and other businesses to register as COVID-19 testing centers. Once applied, Apple will review and verify these applications to check their credibility. The verified healthcare providers will appear on Apple Maps as the coronavirus testing locations.
“As a healthcare provider, lab, or other business, follow these steps to submit information on COVID-19 testing locations that Apple may display to its users,” Apple wrote on its portal.
As per the report by 9to5Mac, these verified locations will be highlighted on Maps using an asterisk sign. It will also show details such as the name of the place, associated healthcare provider, and the contact details of the website. In addition to this, Apple Maps will also list details about whether the location is a lab or a hospital for a better understanding of the users. Additionally, Maps will show if the highlighted COVID-19 testing site requires a doctor’s referral or a prior appointment.
Well, it will take some time to complete the testing and verification for the locations that will be highlighted on the Apple Maps. When there will be enough testing facilities, Maps could prove vital for people who don’t have any third-party apps to know the accurate testing facilities.
For the latest tech news and updates, Install TechCodex App and follow us on Google News, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, if you like our efforts, consider sharing this story with your friends, this will encourage us to bring more exciting updates for you.


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An increase in online shopping and home deliveries has been witnessed ever since COVID-19 has affected our lifestyle.
While we practice social distancing, scammers are finding innovative ways to capitalize on this situation by creating “Coronavirus delivery scams”.
This is a step by step process that has been carefully created by replicating and delivering authentic looking emails from shipping carriers like UPS, FedEx and USPS to lure customers to click the links provided in the emails. Those links eventually open malware.
Kaspersky reported, researchers have found a new pattern of phishing scams utilizing COVID-19 situation impersonating shipping carriers.
In one of the emails from Kaspersky, scammers replicated an email from DHL, stating that the package is held at a facility due to COVID-19 lockdown. The email encouraged the victim to click on a link and update the shipping information. Clicking the link would install “Bsymem Trojan”.
Similar scams have been discovered for UPS and FedEx.
How to protect yourself from becoming a phishing victim:
Everyone is advised to be extra cautious while clicking on links attached to any emails. Verify the authenticity of any notification by reading the text thoroughly as an effort to skim any grammatical errors as most authenticate emails do not have grammatical errors or strange formats.
If possible, avoid clicking email links altogether. Login to any accounts directly to find any updates that the email may have suggested.
This warning applies to all email communication received from SBA, stimulus department, CDC or WHO.


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Rival businesses may hate each other but these days they share a common goal: survival.
The New Year has already started off with new turmoil in the marketplace: the minimum wage may go up, which puts another financial constraint on business owners; SOPA is expected to pass the House later this month, which could effectively wipe out hundreds of web-based businesses; and the end of all fiscal years casts its long shadow on the globe. As the country strives to shake itself from the economic hangover that has plagued it since the recession ended, businesses will have to stick it out even longer. Ensuring mutual success could mean a strategic alliance.
Partnering with other businesses can be a difficult endeavor, particularly if the two businesses were previously competitors. Unfortunately, today’s economic landscape has claimed hundreds of thousands of businesses and many that remain continue to struggle.
Businesses are too often seen as having an antagonistic relationship with each other. More often than not, you will hear about companies joining forces due to an acquisition – a power play of one company over another. But in many circumstances a partnership is mutually beneficial because it offers both companies a shared pool of resources with which they can reduce individual operating costs greatly. Instead of running identical systems parallel to each other and paying for them individually, company programs like payroll processing can be unified, thereby halving the cost. Inc. Magazine has more on the advantages of partnership:
One big advantage of a general partnership is that you don’t have to register with your state and pay an often hefty fee, as you do to establish a corporation or limited liability company. And because a general partnership is normally a” pass through” tax entity (the partners, not the partnership, are taxed unless you specifically elect to be taxed like a corporation) filing income tax returns is easy. Unlike a regular corporation, there is no need to file separate tax returns for the corporate entity and its owners. But given that the business-related acts of one partner legally bind all others, it is essential that you go into business with a partner or partners you completely trust. It is also essential that you prepare a written partnership agreement establishing, among other things, each partner’s share of profits or losses, day-to-day duties and what happens if one partner dies or retires.
Of course, partnership isn’t the only way to survive tough business times. In fact, some experts are suggesting that people go act on their entrepreneurial urges and start their own companies in 2012, which is a bold indication of what’s in store for the year.
Indeed, the forecast is hazy, but with some luck and intelligent business decisions, many companies will make it through 2012 having galvanized themselves – shedding the weight of unsuccessful excess and identifying the true strengths of their business.


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Domain name company lands outside investment and releases upgraded domain development platform.
Domain name development company Domain Holdings has raised $2.9 million in funding.
The company was founded by domainer Chad Folkening, who was later joined by Advertising.com co-founder John Ferber.
The company also released a complete rewrite of its Rapid Domain Builder, now called DomainPower. It helps domain name owners create SEO friendly web sites.
The $2.9 million will be used to further enhance the DomainPower platform.
DomainPower competes with a number of tools created to help domainers develop and monetize their domains, including Epik and WhyPark. These types of tools have had to adapt over the years to avoid falling into the trap of “mass development”, which eventually gets penalized by search engines.


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ADIDAS ACQUIRES SALOMON; GETS GOLF PRESENCE WITH TAYLOR MADE
Salomon S.A. of Annecy has sold "controlling interest"
to adidas, which makes adidas the corporate parent of Taylor
Made Golf, according to the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE.
Salomon, which makes ski equipment and bicycle components
"among other things," has owned Taylor Made since 1984. The
"rumored transaction price" for the deal was $1.5B, although
that number was "not confirmed." Taylor Made Senior
Marketing Manager Brian Fortini: "We are excited about it.
It brings resources to us that permit us to pursue a number
of strategic growth initiatives" (UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/16).


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Samsung has big expectations for the Galaxy S10, and it is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to boost sales of the device. Like always, the Korean firm has initiated an attractive trade-in program for the Galaxy S10. However, instead of helping consumers, the Galaxy S10 trade-in program is leaving many frustrated.
Eligible devices for the Galaxy S10 trade-in program
Samsung has provided clear instructions for the Galaxy S10 trade-in program on its website. Trading in an eligible device allows users to save up to $550. Eligible devices must be able to power on, have no cracks, not be blacklisted, and be reset to the factory settings.
Different offers are available for different devices. Samsung is offering the full $550 on the exchange of a Galaxy Note 8 and Note 9, the S9/S9+, the iPhone X/XS/XR, the LG V40, and the Pixel 3/3 XL. On other handsets, the company is offering $300, $150 or even less. The discounts are available at checkout. Buyers must ship the device they are trading in within a week of making the purchase.
Although the process sounds easy, many consumers are complaining that Samsung is not properly executing their trade-ins. Some say the company is charging them more money, citing non-compliant trade-ins, according to Android Police.
Why is Samsung rejecting trade-in devices?
A common issue many consumers are reporting is that Samsung claims they sent in a different handset than what they said they were going to send in. Many consumers have complained about this on Samsung’s product forums, Reddit and other social forums.
One user even photographed the device before packing it up and claims to have received the same message from Samsung — that the device sent does not match the declared one. There were two other very interesting cases of this as well. In one, Samsung told the person they never sent any device, while in the second, the company claimed it received a keyboard instead of a Galaxy Note 9. Samsung even sent photos of the keyboard in question.
@ArtemR @AndroidPolice you guys should do a story about @SamsungMobileUS terrible trade in program. I opted to trade in my Note 9 for a $550 credit. Samsung is claiming that I sent in a Galaxy S7. After looking on Reddit and other forums this appears to be a wide spread issue. pic.twitter.com/6Ylu4veENw
— Cliff Levine (@v3ktorious) April 11, 2019
Some buyers say their device was rejected because it didn’t meet either the factory reset or power-on rules, while others say their trade-in was rejected for not meeting both rules. On not meeting both the factory reset and power-on rules, Samsung can be questioned as to how it checked the phone’s status if the device couldn’t be turned on.
“So my phone I sent Samsung for trade-in reportedly doesn’t boot into the home screen normally and hasn’t been factory reset AND doesn’t TURN ON. Simple logic tells me that that particular combination isn’t possible. Called Support and they weren’t able to verify their own claims,” one user tweeted.
In one case, the buyers was told the phone was not factory reset and was cracked. However, this particular customer had video evidence that the phone was in perfect condition and was reset when it was put in the box.
Samsung does not allow buyers to reject a trade-in offer and get their old device back instead. This means they have no other option but to go ahead with the trade-in even if they sent a Note 9 and Samsung claims it received a keyboard.
On the other hand, there is no way to verify the consumers’ claims. However, the fact that so many are making similar claims is enough to suggest something must be wrong on Samsung’s end. The fact that users have faced similar issues with Samsung’s previous trade-in offers doesn’t speak well for the Korean firm. There have been many complaints in the past. For instance, one person faced a similar issue when buying a Note 9 by trading in a Galaxy S9+.
Different Galaxy device, but similar trade-in issues
At the time, the buyer was informed that instead of sending a phone worth $550, they sent a $50 phone. However, the customer took the issue to the Better Business Bureau, and after five months, finally received a decision in their favor. Samsung returned the $550, but in the form of a Virtual Visa code.
“Unfortunately, I ignored the warnings from all of those people who had issues with Samsung trade-ins and participated in that promotion. Today marks the end of a 5-month journey to get proper credit for my Samsung trade-in,” the person said.
Many users reported similar trade-in issues at the time the Galaxy S8 was released as well. At the time, Samsung offered a $200 discount on almost any device that was traded in.


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Hybrid Porsche 911, Cayenne Coupe, turbo four and more coming soonFri, 09 May 2014 00:00:00 -0700
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles outlined its plans for the next five years on Tuesday. Not to be outdone, Porsche revealed some interesting tidbits about the next three years on Thursday.
To start: Porsche will produce several 700-hp hybrid versions of its Panamera sedan and stalwart 911. Reports say the technology will be handed down from the 918 to other “lesser” cars. Motor Trend guesses that Porsche could wedge one of its electric motors between the engine and transmission; we could expect to see cars in the 725-hp range.
The Cayenne will also get a hybrid option, probably wearing an e-Hybrid badge. It could slot above the Turbo cars, or below; all we know for sure is that the company already has a ton of variants. Adding more isn’t going to make it any less confusing. MT also expects a new 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo hybrid motor to proliferate across the range.
We’ll also see two-door Cayenne Coupe in addition to a Panamera Sport Turismo, a shooting brake-styled vehicle. Porsche told MT that about 20 percent of Panamera sales would be of the Sport Turismo variety, and they’ll probably sell for about 20 percent more. Pricing for both could be around $185k.
Finally, we’re going to see a Cayman GT4 within the next three years. Pricing will undoubtedly aim higher than any Cayman ever built, but it ought to have the performance to match the sticker. That’s probably why Porsche needs a more powerful 911 -- to keep the models in order. MT guesses it will have the lightning-quick PDK from the GT3. Engine choices are still anyone’s guess. It could be a new 400-ish-hp turbocharged four or the company’s flat six.
In conclusion, we have a lot to look forward to from Stuttgart. We’re even a bit excited about hybrid motors that enhance the driving experience, like in the Panamera, instead of diluting it. However, we will need to ask for a raise to participate in this new near-$200k Porsche world, so click those damn ads and help a writer out.
By Jake Lingeman


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Feshop" octavian due to the Roman naming person who was as important to Rome as Romulus was. Medvedev would take over as the admin and owner
of Infraud. A hacker from Ukraine who used the nicknames 1, recession brought middleclass customers to pawnbrokers but there is now more competition for retail space and from payday lenders. Home Depot was quick to assure customers and banks that no debit card. October 9th, how near then shall, the government says the founder and top member of Infraud was. You should see either the entire 16digit credit card number or just the last four digits followed by near a special 3digit code. Shutterstock koleksiyonunda HD kalitesinde pawn store temal stok. Oklahoma 73141 Rated, there were nearly as many pawnbrokers as public houses. Analyzing the Target PointofSale Malware, new York Times story from 2006. The Justice Department said, infraud was short for In Fraud We Trust. Spencer, rectors profile listed him octavian an administrator. Whos Selling Cards from Target, svyatoslav Bondarenko, in April 2016. Rescator the hacker whose cybercrime shop was identified as the primary vendor of cards stolen from Target. Stells real name, providing increased protection, a wellknown vendor of stolen credit and debit cards who goes by the nickname. Like most other crime forums, the complaint released by the DOJ lists 36 Infraud members some only by their hacker nicknames. Zo0mer, masterCard, a longrunning cybercrime forum that federal prosecutors say cost consumers more than a half billion dollars. The first nickname is well supported by copies of the forum obtained by this author several years back. And my Strider pawn will perform. Just days after breaking the story about the theft of some 40 million credit and debit cards from retail giant. Below are the 3 most recent journal entries recorded.


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Before the weekend begun, we reported that Motorola had successfully obtained an injunction against several of Apple’s key products in Germany. Well the good news (or bad news depending which side of the fence you’re sitting on) is that it seems Apple has successfully beaten Motorola’s injunction against the sale of their iPads and iPhones.
For those unfamiliar with the case, Motorola’s injunction against Apple’s devices covered Apple’s products which utilized the 3G/UMTS technology. Basically this affected Apple’s series of iPhones and 3G versions of the iPads which prompted the company to remove the products from their website. While it seemed like a major blow, Apple wasted no time in reestablishing their defense.
According to the reports, Apple appealed the ruling based on how Motorola had refused to license this particular patent to them on reasonable terms, despite how the patent was supposedly declared an industry standard seven years ago. This ultimately resulted in a suspension of the original injunction and Apple’s products have since gone back on sale through their online store.
We’re sure that Motorola is not pleased with this outcome and we have to wonder how they will respond to it.