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Guaranty Trust Bank Gambia and the Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC) on Monday, October 3rd, 2022, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which allows GTSC customers to buy bus tickets at any GTBank branch effective Wednesday 5th October 2022.
GTSC is a public enterprise with one of the largest infrastructures in the country’s transportation industry. It has support depots in Kanifing, Essau, Soma, Basse, Brikama, and Farafenni.
In meeting modern technological advances, the company partnered with GTBank in promoting better customer service through the sale of electronic tickets for Dakar and Nuwari Services to promote e-banking through the use of the GTBank app.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, GTSC General Manager Mr. Seedy Kanyi said that given its company’s large customer base, this scheme would reduce significantly the risk of fraud due to less cash handling by their staff.
The company, he added, handles large amounts of cash, which, according to him, may lead to potential cash shortages. Mr. Kanyi added that the desire to make ticket buying accessible for their passengers coupled with their efforts to maximise revenue has motivated GTSC to enter into the e-ticket sales with GTBank.
GTSC Head of Finance Mr. Ba Lamin Darboe, explained that the first phase of the Dakar and Nuwari Bus Service would enable their customers to walk into any GTBank branch to buy tickets. He also revealed that the second phase of the scheme, which is in the advanced stage, would allow their customers to buy e-tickets using GTBank Gambia Mobile App Service.
Mr. Darboe continued, “In the final phase of the project, students will be able to scan and pay for tickets using the GTBank QR Code for the school bus service.”
GTBank Gambia Executive Director, Mr. Daniel Attah, welcomed this initiative and hailed the management of GTSC for the foresight. He noted that a cash collection agreement between the two companies would enhance efforts toward achieving a digitalized economy for the country.
Mr. Daniel assured of the bank’s efforts towards developing “a cashless economy.” He spoke of the importance the bank attached to security, noting that GTBank invests so much to ensure its platforms remain secure and robust at all times. He seized the opportunity to encourage more GTBank customers to sign on to the GTWorld Mobile App in order to enjoy this tailor-made service and other amazing services that the bank has to offer.
GTBank Gambia Corporate Communications Unit


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Berggren Group, one of Europe’s leading IP service providers, has launched an innovative solution for commercializing IPs. This new model for commercializing licensing and selling offers companies better opportunities to effectively utilize their intellectual property, boost growth, and develop international business.
Huge potential – hidden IPs
Over 160,000 patent applications were filed with the European Patent Office on 2015. Companies invest considerably in patenting, but do not necessarily utilize its commercial potential enough. When concentrating on its core business, a company may leave valuable intellectual property unused. The same applies also to trademarks and brands where unused potential can be found as well. In the U.S., licensing of brands and especially licensing of merchandise products has already long been a billion-dollar business. In the technology business, versatile commercialization of IPs is almost a prerequisite.
Berggren pioneering a change
In the U.S., utilizing intellectual property is often in strategic focus of the companies’ business whereas companies in Europe have not come quite as far yet. Commercialization takes resources and expertise which a company does not necessarily have. As the first in Finland and one of the few in Europe, Berggren now introduces to the market a model for commercializing licensing and selling of intellectual property, a service called Berggren Brokerage. This service aims at finding new commercial opportunities for potential intellectual property rights. With the Berggren Brokerage service it is possible to utilize third party financing arranged by Berggren and designed to reduce the risk for a company in starting to commercialize its intellectual property.
”Our experts have comprehensive and profound IP knowledge from global technology companies. Now we want to offer a new way of utilizing intellectual property with an even smaller risk”, says Mika Lehtinen, Vice President at Berggren.
VisionPlus financial fund Berggren’s partner
Berggren partners with the VisionPlus financial fund run by Tero Ojanperä. “Companies have good IP assets which are not being fully used. Berggren offers an excellent service which helps companies to realize the value of those IP assets”, Ojanperä states.
Commercial utilization of patents and other IP rights internationally requires technical, business, and legal know-how and the Berggren Brokerage service concept offers all of these. For more information, please contact Vice President Mika Lehtinen or visit www.berggrenbrokerage.com.
Berggren is a European full-service IP house, employing over 150 specialists, operating in ten locations in Finland and the US.
With our versatile IP offering we create opportunities for your ideas and innovations to succeed.
© Koodiviidakko Oy - Y-tunnus 1939962-1

domain: news


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Doro, a tech company that makes easy-to-use mobile devices for people over 65, has announced plans to develop a health tech portfolio.
At MWC in Barcelona this week, the company confirmed that it’s set to accelerate the growth of its ‘Doro Care’ portfolio within the UK and Ireland, with the aim of helping the elderly live independently.
The Doro Care portfolio, already a substantial part of the overall business, offers a range of solutions to elderly and disabled people that can help improve their independence, mobility and health.
A big challenge
According to research, the average age in Europe is advancing at a rate of two days per week, and almost one-quarter (24 percent) of the British population will be aged 65 or older by 2039.
Doro says it is looking to ensure that older generations have the resources to live happy, fulfilled lives and has designed several mobile phones, wearables and sensors to achieve this aim.
The devices have been created to fit into the everyday lives of the senior population, and they come with features designed to work with Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs) across the country.
The Doro Secure 628 is a good example: it’s an easy-to-use flip phone that sports large text, separated keys and higher-than-average volume levels, providing loud, clear sound for the hard of hearing. Users can also make use of the SMS function, 2-megapixel camera and memory keys.
Alongside the 628, Doro is also targeting its 580IP at the care market. Simple and durable, the handset offers a splash-proof construction, four direct contact buttons, SMS, loud sound and hearing aid compatibility.
There’s also a special alarm application offered within the portfolio. This makes Doro devices such as the 825 and 8030 compatible with Alarm Receiving Centres, which can respond to emergencies.
Wearables are also popular in the connected health market, and Doro has one of its own. The Secure 480 is a personal safety wristwatch that boasts tracking and communication capabilities to ensure the user is always safe.
Emergency response functionality
If an issue arises – such as a fall – then users can get in touch with a local alarm receiving center to get emergency help. The Doro 3500, an alarm trigger, is the last device in the portfolio.
These products come with safety timers and an “Are you okay?” function. If the the user doesn’t answer, an alarm is sent out to caregivers who can respond with emergency help.
Doro Care devices use Internet Protocol (IP) and GPS, so that Alarm Receiving Centers have the ability to request a user’s location and set up automatic alarms to ensure they are always safe.
Robert Puskaric, CEO of Doro Group, said the company is taking action on an important issue. “The population demographic change requires new ways of delivering social care,” he commented.
“Doro’s smart technology for seniors who wish to live at home has led to more mobility thanks to the know-how from our consumer portfolio, and when coupling these two, we find a perfect match.”
Chris Millington, managing director at Doro for the UK and Ireland, added: “It is our vision to support users and their family through our devices and services.”
In particular, it aims for ease of use so that customers that might struggle with more mainstream mobile devices can use a Doro device with confidence.
“In addition, hearing aid Compatibility, adjustable tone controls, direct dials, improved UI and ergonomic design all add to the users confidence,” he said.
Beacon of hope
Joy Gardham, head of western Europe at networking company Brocade, commented that there are significant challenges in healthcare but that connected technology has the ability to change things.
“There is no getting past the fact the NHS lacks the infrastructure it needs to support an aging population and increasing varieties of illnesses whilst costs spiral out of control,” she told Internet of Business.
“Yet, a smarter city infrastructure could change this. The benefits of remote healthcare are countless, such as enabling, cloud-based patient records to be accessible by doctors anywhere at any time.
“While we still have a long way to go, healthcare organizations and the government need to be putting smarter infrastructure in place as the foundation for future healthcare. Key to this is making sure they have a fast, scalable and secure network in place.”


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As the US Department of Justice (DOJ) seeks to end Google’s alleged monopoly of the search and ad sector with a lawsuit, Germany’s antitrust watchdog has initiated new steps to regulate the tech giant.
Bundeskartellamt, the German antitrust regulator, has ruled that Google, a division of Alphabet, has “paramount significance across markets.” The decision puts the tech company one step closer to more regulation or even an outright ban, reported PYMNTS.
Last year, an amendment to the German Competition Act passed that can further regulate or even prohibit firms that authorities allege engage in anti-competitive practices. While the ruling was not a surprise, given Google’s dominance, the agency had to take this first step before adopting further measures against the company.
While an outright prohibition of Google is unlikely, the latest step by the German government could lead regulators to implement the most stringent rules against Google or any large digital company found to engage in anti-competitive practices.
Google’s troubles were not just limited to Germany this week. France’s data regulator fined Google and Facebook for failing to make refusing cookies as easy as it is to accept them, a violation of the French Data Protection Act.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.


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When Green Throttle Games removed its Android Arena app from Google Play last November, it was assumed that the removal was because the company planned to shut down. Now it appears the doors closed because Google purchased Green Throttle Games.
A federal judge has blocked the National Security Agency from destroying records on the controversial phone surveillance practice unearthed by The Guardian in 2013. The NSA planned to destroy records of metadata collected from telecom companies, but US District Judge Jeffrey White prevented the agency from destroying the records until he is able to hear arguments about the case. The Electronic Frontier Foundation successfully petitioned Judge White to issue the temporary restraining order because the records may be useful for lawsuits filed against NSA for its tactics. The judge will hear arguments from both sides on March 19. More information on the case can be read at Bloomberg.
Looking at a smartphone while operating a motor vehicle is not automatically illegal because the law does not specify that all activities are banned, ruled a California appeals court.
The European Commission is the latest government body to examine how Apple and Google, the two largest forces in mobile app and game distribution treat in-app purchases.
T-Mobile's marketing department upset everyone firmly in BlackBerry's corner, including its very vocal fans and the man tasked with letting people other than those fans care about the struggling smartphone vendor once again. What did T-Mobile do to upset so many people? The company told them all to buy an iPhone.
Remember Nvidia? That's the company that once ran the spec wars among Android smartphones and tablets before watching competitors surpass it. It now has a plan to get its foot back in the door.
Google owned Motorola for two years before deciding to sell the company to Lenovo after billions in loses. When Lenovo takes ownership pending regulator approval, CEO Yang Yuanqing says his company will be hurt by Motorola's poor performance but can see a turnaround happening in a less than a year.
HTC today reported its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2013. The company managed to net a small profit ahead of expected losses in the next quarter, but the company has announced a plan to sell cheaper phones as a way to rebound.
The days of the Sony VAIO are coming to an end. Sony today announced that it has sold its PC business to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) as part of a strategy to focus on other areas, including its mobile division.
Since Google announced that it would sell Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91, a paltry sum considering that the company paid $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola just two years ago, reports have popped up suggesting that the losses are not that bad because of the patents that Google gets to keep. Even with the patents, buying Motorola is still a big loss.


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Oh, Oh! Microsoft thinks Apple will take over the world in 2013.
Speaking at TechEd Europe in Amsterdam, Microsoft’s VP for Windows Web Services, Antoine Leblond said: "Next year, tablets will outsell desktop PCs." If true than Microsoft is in deep trouble as Apple owns the tablet market. Unless Windows 8 will trigger a miracle and Windows 8 tablets will push Android out of the way and catch up to Apple, a future where tablets outsell PCs is not ideal for Microsoft.
Don't Miss: Today's Electronics Bargains at Woot.com
Microsoft entered the hardware game a couple weeks ago with the introduction of the Surface tablet computers. It is still not clear what these means for the whole Windows hardware industry.


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Access Bank Launches XtraWins Campaign to Reward Customers
Access Bank has launched “XtraWins, Transact and Win” campaign to appreciate its customers and reward them for their loyalty. The Group Head of Consumer Banking, Access Bank, Njideka Esomeju, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
The statement said the campaign would splash millions of Naira and mouth-watering freebies on its existing and new customers. The campaign which was launched at the bank’s head office recently, will run from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023.
The statement said, “The campaign is aimed at appreciating customers for their patronage, and in line with the Bank’s reward campaign objectives.
“This campaign focuses on expressing gratitude to our valued customers for their patronage, especially as we have seen a significant rise in engagement and the use of exciting features and services on the AccessMore mobile app.
“In the spirit of the season, we are going to reward our lucky active customers with up to N250,000 each in our weekly or monthly jackpot when they perform five transactions or more using the AccessMore app or our USSD code *901#.
“They will also enjoy a zero charge when they pay for electricity and Cable TV bills using the Accessmore app. It is even more interesting when our customers book a flight with the app, they will receive a N10,000 cashback.”
The statement stressed that the AccessMore app offers a wide range of exciting features that would take care of the customers’ need. It said, “Just a click on ‘Hire-a-Pro’, customers can hire vetted professionals like accountants, lawyers and artisans like tailors, and mechanics to meet their needs.
“If you are looking to eliminate security and counterfeit currency risk, our instant USD to Foreign Exchange conversions have got you covered. Our thrift or ‘Esusu’ option helps you achieve that target savings with friends and family, and we also provide numerous lifestyle features for your convenience and enjoyment.”
The statement also quoted the Unit Head of Consumer Banking, Access Bank, Mrs Adaeze Umeh, as saying “The ember months are here, and the season provides us with another opportunity to appreciate our customers for their loyalty and support for the bank.
“We value our customers and non-customers who depend on our services to carry out seamless banking activities and we wish them the very best of the season. Just fund and transact on your account and stand a chance to be rewarded,” Umeh said. #Access Bank Launches XtraWins Campaign to Reward Customers Nigeria Eurobond Slumps after CBN Resumes OMO Auction


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If you ordered your Ford Mustang Mach-E, Polestar 2 or Audi Q4 e-Tron in 2021 and received delivery of it after April 25 of this year, then you are one of the buyers who can take advantage of the new federal EV rebate.
The latest round of government changes, which took effect in late April, increased the rebate price cap on EV purchases from $45,000 to $55,000 for cars and $60,000 for all-electric or long-range PHEV minivans, pickups or sport-utility vehicles — including those mentioned above.
Buyers of those vehicles who preordered and then picked up their cars once the increase was in place will receive a $5,000 discount. If you bought or received it before that date, then you are out of luck.
But the reality is that most new electric vehicles considered available today aren’t available. They were all preordered many months ago. This has pushed many folks who want to buy a new EV into the used market, pushing up prices.
There was hope a national used-EV rebate — like those in Quebec and British Columbia — would be announced by the federal government in its recent budget, but it was not included. “It’s been part of the (minister) mandate letters for two or three years, so we’ve been really surprised not to see (one),” said Daniel Breton, CEO of Electric Mobility Canada.
When you look at the base price of EVs in the U.S., their costs are generally higher than in Canada, but there are concerns price increases are coming here. Breton said that even though most manufacturers have models under $45,000, “97 per cent of the vehicles sold would be more expensive models.”
So while the new rebate cap can be used on more vehicles, this change won’t help many buyers for some time.


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MBA students inspired by Samsung ElectronicsShare open/close
It was a day of inspiration and learning for the group of 19 MBA students who toured and were hosted by Samsung South Africa on 15 November 2017.
The lecture has been one of many initiatives by Samsung in creating interventions with SA universities. Our objective is to help people have new experiences and discover new possibilities everyday – driven by an unyielding passion for excellence—and an unfaltering commitment to develop the best products and services on the market.
The students were treated to a business lecture by Sung Yoon, President of Samsung South & Southern Africa. It was evident that Sung Yoon, a MBA graduate himself, has a soft spot for bright talent. He told the students, he wants to inspire young, talented people, but that it’s more about attitude and passion and what you are able to contribute to the economy and to make a positive change to the communities where we operate.
Sung Yoon took the students through the history of Samsung, from its humble beginnings in 1939 and the extraordinary innovation that’s been the backbone of the company’s rise to one of the world’s favourite brands.
Numerous well-thought-out questions were asked about strategy and future technology, which created opportunities for in-depth discussion about the core of business practises. The answers were both informative and entertaining and Sung Yoon spoke about a future where everything will be connected through Samsung products and strategic partnerships.
After just over an hour of intense discussion, students took the opportunity to be photographed with Sung Yoon and to chat with him individually.
Corporate > People & Culture


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Viet Nam News
BẾN TRE — The price of fruit saplings in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Bến Tre has increased significantly as many young trees were damaged by saline intrusion during the dry season, creating high demand among low supply.
In Chợ Lách District, the province’s largest fruit sapling cultivation area, saplings of rambutan, green-peel and pink-flesh grapefruit have sold at prices two to three times higher than in the same period last year.
The price of avocado seeds has doubled to VNĐ15,000 (US$0.7) each, and rambutan saplings to VNĐ110,000 ($5), compared to VNĐ40,000 last year.
Đoàn Văn Long, who produces saplings in Chợ Lách, said traders were even buying immature rambutan saplings for VNĐ70,000 each.
Long was able to save only half of his saplings this year because he mistakenly used saline water to irrigate some of his saplings.
Despite the damages, Long earned higher profits this year.
“I plan to expand my sapling production next year and take steps to prevent saline intrusion,” he said.
The demand for many kinds of fruit saplings doubled compared to one month ago as the delta entered the rainy season and farmers began planting saplings.
The supply of some kinds of saplings like durian, jackfruit and rambutan, however, has not met demand.
Trần Hồng Hạnh, owner of the Tấn Hiền Fruit Sapling Producing and Trading Establishment in Chợ Lách, said every year she supplied about 50,000 saplings of various kinds to the delta, Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands), and the northern regions.
This year, she could only supply 10,000 saplings.
The price of saplings is expected to increase in the coming time because of the supply scarcity, according to sapling shops that sell to farmers.
Lê Ngọc Thịnh, a sapling trader from the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Đắk Lắk, said he had received sapling purchase orders from many fruit orchard owners in Đắk Lắk but could not fulfill all the orders.
Thịnh said that after spending a week in Chợ Lách he was able to buy only half of the quantity he needed.
Many sapling producers in Chợ Lách have sped up production because of the current high prices.
Bùi Thanh Liêm, head of the Chợ Lách District Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau, said the high prices of saplings could have “an adverse impact on sapling production years later as fruit farmers invest unconditionally in sapling production”.
Meanwhile, farmers might switch from growing fruits to saplings, causing an adverse impact on zoned fruit cultivation areas, he said.
In the dry season, drought and salt water intrusion caused a damage of VNĐ60 billion ($2.7 million) to sapling and fruit cultivation, according to the Chợ Lách District Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau.
About 500ha of fruit, including rambutan, mangosteen and rambutan, were damaged, either partially or completely. Some fruit orchard owners have decided to cut down damaged rambutan trees to grow new ones.
Chợ Lách normally has fresh water year round, but saltwater intrusion in the district in the dry season damaged fruit orchards and sapling production.
The district farmers produce about 17 million fruit saplings a year. — VNS


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Plastic bag ban, 20-cent paper bag fee goes into effect in Aspen and Carbondale, Colorado
May 1, 2012
– Grocery shoppers in Aspen and Carbondale are getting free reusable bags as a ban on plastic shopping bags go into effect.
The bans going into effect on Tuesday require shoppers to bring their own reusable bags, buy paper sacks at the store for 20 cents apiece, or purchase reusable bags.
According to the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (http://bit.ly/IEnDFP ), local agencies are providing free bags for the next several months.
Information from: Post Independent, http://www.postindependent.com/
© 2020 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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MSP360 has also reworked its pricing structure, separating MSPs from end users and giving MSPs greatly preferred pricing to remove what the company decided was channel conflict which worked against MSPs.
In mid-2019, CloudBerry Lab rebranded to MSP360 as part of a major restructuring initiative designed to take the company from being a backup provider into a much broader platform player, where backup remains the flagship service, but still just one service on the platform. In August 2020, MSP 360 took one step towards that with the release of MSP360 Managed Remote Desktop, a major new service for the platform. Now, with the 4.7 release of MSP360 Managed Backup, MSP360 has made it easier for MSPs to handle their cloud storage through the platform. MSP360 Storage Powered by Wasabi offers unified billing for Wasabi cloud storage to MSPs. Other cloud storage providers will be available through the platform in the same way going forward. Finally, MSP360 will be adding another major new service before the end of the year, an RMM capability. This will make them the first vendor to offer both an RMM service together with backup, further extending their one-stop shop philosophy.
The new MSP360 Storage Powered by Wasabi offers cloud storage from Wasabi to MSPs with unified billing through the MSP360 platform.
“Unified billing, where the partner and customer can get their backup and storage bundled in one bill, makes it easier in that they have one less thing to manage themselves,” said Brian Helwig, MSP360’s CEO. “In particular, it’s easier for onboarding and trials, as an agent can be configured out of the gate for trial and not limited in the size of data that goes in our bucket.”
The pricing for the Wasabi storage remains the same as if the MSP acquired it directly from Wasabi, at $5.99 per TB per month.
The plan is to further extend this capability to other cloud storage providers, to make cloud storage a broadly available component within the MSP360 platform.
“We will adding one of the big three cloud providers [AWS, Azure or Google Cloud] soon,” Helwig indicated. “We want to launch that together with the next version of our product at the beginning of Q2, which itself will bring about some major changes.”
Another significant addition to the platform is also on the way. The company has an RMM coming out at the end of the year, likely the middle to end of December.
“The RMM actually completes our story of working towards a full featured platform end to end,” Helwig stated. “It’s all built from the ground up to work together, as a full suite which is cost effective and scalable. With us you will have one agent to turn on backup and remote access, with the best integrations and ability to deliver best in class services.”
Helwig highlighted some of the other new capabilities in 4.7 among the hundreds of enhancement and fixes. One is new dynamic agent configuration.
“Every time you did a change to rebranding or any security connections, you had to download and redeploy changes to agents,” he noted. “You don’t have to do that any more. It’s all automated.”
License management has also been improved, which Helwig said makes it much easier for MSPs to figure out where their costs are, and gets the foundation set for more enhancements to come in the future.
“People want a default storage location per company, and they can now assign that in 4.7,” Helwig said. “It makes scaling much more effective.”
The focus of MSP360s’ Go-to-Market model has been the MSP channel, with their sweet spot being MSPs with 1000 endpoints or less. But from their CloudBerry Lab days, they have had a hybrid model, where they also sold direct to SMBs. The SMB market they serve tends to be in the 250 to 500 employee range. The direct option still exists, but the company is making it much less attractive. MSP360 has made a major change to its direct pricing for SMBs, effectively doubling the direct price, in a move to remove what the company acknowledged had been competition with their own MSPs, and turn their direct base into a sales funnel for MSP partners.
“Before, we didn’t do a good job of differentiating between pricing for small businesses and pricing for MSPs,” Helwig said. “Everyone got the same price. It actually was channel conflict, but no one called us out on it. So what we have done is introduce a new level of pricing for SMBs, while at the same time putting them into their own instance, separate from the MSPs.”
This has been done with the launch of a beta version of MSP360 Managed Backup for Small Business, which changes the way that SMBs purchase the product direct from MSP360, and essentially discourages this in favour of purchasing it from an MSP.
“At a minimum, the small business pays double the cost compared to before,” Helwig said. “In addition, they only get a single rebranding, and aren’t authorized to resell it. MSPs get all of these. We also give MSPs strong support, and are eligible for premium support at very little additional cost, which is not the case with SMBs.”
Won’t doubling the price cause SMBs to just head for the exits? Not necessarily.
“Our price book was always at the bottom,” Helwig stated. “Small businesses actually are seeing their prices double. They don’t exactly like it, but they keep their discount tiers for small business. The more they consume, the better the pricing. But for anyone who doesn’t like the pricing changes, we recommend them to a local MSP.”
Those limitations on support, branding, and reselling are what now set Managed Backup for Small Business aside from the company’s regular Managed Backup offering. The product’s capabilities and scalability are the same in both versions.
While the process of referring disgruntled direct customers to a local MSP represents a lead generation system of sorts, more is being done on this front, and more is coming next year. MSP360 has formalized a lead referral program to bring in more leads from non-MSP channel elements.
“Before, we would give back a small margin or an iPad for a referral, which typically came from resellers and distributors,” Helwig indicated . We have now changed that to provide a sustainable margin.
“We expect to launch a full featured partner portal in about a year to provide a lead engine for MSPs,” Helwig added.


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WALESKA, Ga. — A Georgia-based dog-food company has expanded a recall involving its teriyaki dog treats because of salmonella concerns.
Officials from Bailey’s Choice say a recall of the company’s Teriyaki Chicken Treats has expanded to include Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Tennessee.
The company first issued a recall of several varieties of chicken treats last week after the Georgia Department of Agriculture found salmonella in the products during routine testing.
In a statement Tuesday, company spokesman Roger Thomas said Bailey’s Choice is working with the state Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration to remove the pet treats from stores.
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Thomas says the company has repaired a digital thermostat that caused malfunction of a dehydrator used to maintain proper temperatures.


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If New Zealand based Rakon has their way, GPS capabilities will soon be available everywhere and in every device you can imagine.
Simply put, they have developed the world’s smallest GPS receiver. According to the company’s precise specifications, the receiver is the size of a baby’s fingernail. I don’t know exactly how big that it, but I do know that that is very small. Not only is it tiny, but it is also sensitive enough to receive very weak signals, making it useful even in the middle of a city.
What this means, of course, is that size is no longer nearly the limiting factor for devices that it once was. Not only will we start seeing GPS capabilities with more regularity in PDAs and even phones as Rakon and others further refine the technology, but the range of possibility will grow. There is now no reason we won’t soon see GPS in a watch, a pen or wherever else a developer can imagine putting it.


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- The Zomato board directors are expected to sanction the acquisition of quick commerce startup, Blinkit as early as Friday.
- Possibility of merging the two companies have been floating since Zomato invested in Blinkit last year.
According to a filing with the National Stock Exchange, Zomato's board of directors will reportedly sanction the acquisition of Blinkit, a 9-year-old quick commerce startup, during a meeting on June 24. Although, the filing did not mention Blinkit.
In the filing, the food delivery giant stated that as per Regulation 29 of Listing Regulations, as amended, the board of directors of company, Zomato Limited, would meet on June 24, 2022, to discuss a potential acquisition deal, which would be satisfied through the issuance of equity shares of the company.
According to sources familiar with the matter, stockholders of Blinkit will receive just over 10% ownership of Zomato. whereas Blinkit's largest investor, SoftBank Vision Fund will hold a nearly 4% stake in the food-tech startup. However, Blinkit investors may need to hold their Zomato shares for at least six months.
Zomato invested approximately $100 million in the startup company, which is based out of Gurugram, India, last year, taking a 10% stake in the startup. As per the market capitalization of Zomato at that time, the deal was slated to value Blinkit at more than $700- 800 million, which was considerably less than its previous valuation, which stood at over $1 billion.
According to an earlier report, Zomato is likely to exchange one of its share be for ten shares of Blinkit. Since the food delivery firm first invested in the startup last year, talks of a possible merger have been floating in the field.
For the uninitiated, last year, Zomato announced that it has loaned Blinkit over $150 million.
Deepinder Goyal, founder of Zomato stated at the time that a part of this loan has been provided to Blinkit during the company’s first ever investor call after going public, with the rest to be released based on the company's needs.


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Ann Arbor-based Nexcess, an e-commerce Web hosting company and official Magento hosting provider, has announced the expansion of its Magento Web hosting product line at the company’s United Kingdom facilities. This addition, which applies only to […]
Ann Arbor-based Nexcess, an e-commerce Web hosting company and official Magento hosting provider, has announced the expansion of its Magento Web hosting product line at the company’s United Kingdom facilities.
The Traverse City e-commerce company White Pine Marketing LLC, said Tuesday it had aunched a new Web site for consumer electronics.
Ann Arbor e-commerce developer Grand River Wednesday announced two client wins: Family Christian Stores to design and develop a new e-commerce system, and a Web site for Gander Mountain Academy, new professional firearms training centers in Gander Mountain stores.
Ann Arbor-based Grand River, an e-commerce development and integration service provider, announced a collaboration with Pitney Bowes Inc. to integrate Magento platform extensions with Pitney Bowes’s ClearPath international e-commerce and logistics service.
Ann Arbor-based e-commerce developers Grand River announced the launch of an e-commerce site for Auburn Hills-based Vantage Point Concepts LLC.
Dell and QVC respectively lead the Web and mobile performers on the User Experience Index compiled by Compuware’s Gomez Web performance management division.
The Ann Arbor-based e-commerce services provider Fry Inc. said Monday that sales and traffic on its retail clients’ Web sites increased significantly during the Thanksgiving 2010 holiday weekend and Cyber Monday. Retailers traditionally offer strong […]
Citing a host of new incentives, conveniences and promotions, coupled with an increasing national awareness, the Midwest supercenter chain Meijer announced Monday that it expects its online sales to double this holiday season, beginning with […]


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Pune, June 19, 2019: Volkswagen Motorsport India takes another step showing its commitment to motorsport. For the first time, Volkswagen Motorsport India will enter the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2019 in the Indian Touring Championship (ITC) Category as a factory team. The three race cars of the factory team will be piloted by Karthik Tharani, Ishaan Dodhiwala, and Dhruv Mohite.
Commenting on the development, Mr. Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “Over the last ten years, we have been strengthening our presence in Motorsport in India. Volkswagen is committed towards the cause and I am proud to announce our entry into India’s premier racing category with our very own factory team. We started developing our cars last year by participating in the Turbo class. But with the integration of the category into ITC, we are extremely happy to participate in a class that is at the pinnacle of racing in India.” He added, “All three drivers who represent our factory team are extremely talented and have proven their mettle through our one-make series in the past. By building proper race cars for the drivers, we are also providing them an option to develop their career further.”
Participating in the ITC category is important for the brand as it gives their former one-make series winners a platform to compete and further up their game. The Volkswagen Race Vento is powered by a 1.8-litre TSI engine mated to a 6 speed sequential gearbox with a manual gearshift lever. The car produces 215 HP peak power and 350 Nm peak torque.Published 19 Jun 2019, 18:51 IST


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DeWitt, NY – DeWitt police are continuing their investigation into fake credit cards after they accused three men of attempted forgery Friday at the Reed Jewelers on Erie Boulevard East.
The jewelry store called police at 3:15 p.m. regarding suspicious people possibly using counterfeit credit cards to buy a Gucci watch, said Sgt. Scott Kapral.
When police arrived, they found one subject inside the store and two others outside in a parked white Hyundai Elantra in the parking lot.
Police accused the three of attempting to buy merchandise using counterfeit credit cards and non-working credit cards with fictitious merchant codes. Police believe that the suspects may have also tried the same scam at other stores.
Here’s how Kapral said the scam works.
A suspect goes into an electronic or jewelry store and attempts to buy merchandise with a fake card. When the card won’t work, the suspect tries to convince the merchant to use a code, which is also fake, to override the credit card.
Police accused Hyquan Barnes, 23, of 370 Bushwick Ave., Brooklyn, of attempted second-degree forgery and two counts of possession of a forged instrument, all felonies, and misdemeanor fifth-degree conspiracy.
Franklin Booker, 17, of 5874 Quiet Pine Court, Chester, Va., was accused of felony second-degree attempted forgery and misdemeanor fifth-degree conspiracy.
Andre Daniels, 26, no address available, was accused of two counts of felony attempted second-degree forgery and misdemeanor fifth degree conspiracy.
Barnes and Booker were arraigned in the Town of DeWitt Court and sent to the Onondaga County Justice Center in lieu of $20,00 cash or $40,000 bond.
Daniels is awaiting arraignment.


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WELCOME TO The chemical REPORT
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
XENDEE Corporation and Idaho National Laboratory | January 15, 2022
XENDEE Corporation and Idaho National Laboratory have partnered to build a design platform for Net-Zero Carbon Microgrids. The platform will consider a wide variety of distributed energy and sustainable technologies, including solar photovoltaic, battery storage, electric vehicle fast-charging stations, hydrokinetic power, hydro-storage, traditional combined heat and power systems, and small nuclear reactors to optimize Microgrid designs and minimize environmental impacts while also capturing th...
AMP Robotics Corp | March 08, 2022
AMP Robotics Corp a pioneer in AI robotics, and infrastructure for the waste and recycling industry, has extended its partnership with Evergreen, one of North America’s three largest producers of food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). Evergreen, which has grown through acquisitions to four locations across North America from its original facility in Clyde, Ohio, now has 15 of AMP’s robotic sorting systems guided by artificial intelligence installed or planned across t...
Amcor | April 12, 2022
Amcor a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, announced it is the first company to purchase certified circular polyethylene material using ExxonMobil's Exxtend™ technology for advanced recycling. Amcor will leverage this new material across its global portfolio, providing customers in healthcare and food industries with more recycled content in a variety of solutions and applications.
Increasing the use of advance recycling materials,...
RELEX Solutions | June 10, 2022
RELEX Solutions, provider of AI-driven supply chain and retail planning solutions, announced today that they have retroactively achieved carbon neutrality for 2021 and begun compensating annually for their emissions. RELEX partnered with offsetting provider Compensate to calculate and offset their carbon footprint. In practice, this means the company successfully removed or avoided 2,544 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
RELEX reached the milestone through investments in two initiatives: a...
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Posted on: 01 February 2011 by Mark Howells
Aircell’s Inflight connectivity system, Gogo, is partnering with Ford Motor Company on a promotion to offer passengers complimentary access to Facebook onboard Gogo equipped aircraft during February.
Gogo’s airline partners participating in the promotion include AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America.
Aircell’s Chief Revenue Officer, Jim Berrien said, "Facebook continues to be the number one website visited by travellers using Gogo at 30,000 feet. Our commitment is to offer great inflight experiences to our users, and unique marketing opportunities to advertisers.”
Mr Berrien added, “We’re thrilled that an innovative marketer like Ford is providing this complimentary service as a way to enhance the traveller experience."
Ford and Aircell claim that it is easy to take advantage of the promotion. Once the plane has reached 10,000 feet and travellers are able to turn on personal electronic devices, they can select the Gogo wireless network, open a web browser and click on the Ford/Facebook banner.
"The Ford team is excited to be able to bring Facebook to Gogo Inflight Network users during the month of February," commented Alex Hultgren, Ford’s Digital Media Manager.
The service is available to users on all Wi-Fi enabled devices, including laptops, smartphones and PDAs.


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COUNTRYSIDE, Ill., Dec. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The recently-announced revival of the Honda Passport SUV is already gaining plenty of attention from drivers throughout Illinois. Car shoppers in the Chicago area who are interested in upgrading their current vehicle to the all-new 2019 Honda Passport SUV will be interested to know that Continental Honda, a dealership located in Countryside, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, is currently accepting reservations for test drives in the new Passport model.
Customers that reserve a test drive with Continental Honda will receive updates on the availability of the new 2019 Honda Passport SUV and be notified when it arrives on the dealership lot so that they can make an appointment at their next convenience. By offering reservations for test drives in the new Passport model, the dealership hopes to make it easier for interested customers to get behind the wheel of the all-new off-road SUV as easily and as soon as possible.
Those interested in reserving a test drive in the new 2019 Honda Passport can do so on the dealership's website at http://www.continentalhonda.com. The Continental Honda website is also a great resource for learning more about the specs and features of the new Passport model. Such information can be found on the Continental Honda Blog.
Shoppers with questions or inquiries about the new 2019 Honda Passport and its availability near Chicago are encouraged to reach out to Continental Honda staff through the dealer website, by calling 888-865-0378 or by visiting the dealership directly at 5901 S. La Grange Rd in Countryside.
SOURCE Continental Honda


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Oki Bowl, a ramen and Thai restaurant with locations in downtown Washington, D.C. and in Georgetown, might be opening a new location in Herndon (482 Elden St).
At least that’s what the sign ABC permit sign on the door says. According to the staff at the Oki Bowl location in D.C., the entire leadership team is away on a retreat in Thailand for the next month, so no one at the restaurant was able to confirm or deny the potential Herndon location.
But either the Oki Bowl chain or a conspicuously identically named restaurant will be opening a ramen and rice bowl food venue in Herndon Centre between The Deli and the Nail Villa. Additionally, the ABC permit in the window indicates the location will be serving wine and beer.
When the restaurant will open remains to be determined. The interior is still vacant and decorated as Tipicos Gloria, a closed Central American eatery.
Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store is expected to take over part of the former Kmart footprint in Herndon, adding a second organic grocer to the Herndon Centre. The natural and organic grocer would join a shopping plaza that is also home to MOM’s Organic Market.
Demolition of the facade of the 84,000-square-foot store (494 Elden Street) is underway as Florida-based real estate investment firm Sterling Organization divides the former big box store into several businesses. The company purchased the location for $7 million in August last year. The rest of the shopping plaza is owned by A.J. Dwoskin & Associates Inc.
Renderings of the project submitted to the Town of Herndon show the site will be the future home of LA Fitness, MOD Pizza, and IHOP. No overnight commuter parking will be allowed in the shopping plaza.
Town officials said they’re working with the developer of the property to add signalize the intersection near the shopping plaza, as new businesses are expected to generate additional traffic. The company has committed $165,000 in proffer funds to help install a future signal. The town expects to fund the remainder of the project through existing funds from its capital improvements program and future grant funding.
A representative for the project declined to comment on the development, including details about the project timeline.
Photos via Sterling Organization and Fatimah Waseem
A new dessert spot is coming to Herndon Centre, according to signs posted in the storefront of 348 Elden St.
The tenant, Dessert Lounge, will offer ice cream, coffee and falooda, a cold dessert popular in the Indian subcontinent that is traditionally made with rose syrup, jelly, milk, ice cream and vermicelli.
A.J. Dwoskin & Associates, Inc., the real estate development and management firm involved with the site, did not immediately return a request for more information.
Signs indicate Dessert Lounge is coming soon. The new spot will join a center with tenants like Popeye’s , McDonald’s and Mom’s Organic Market. The vacant site was previously home to a nail salon. The shopping center also has jewelry stores, medical offices and other restaurants
Four sites in the center are currently available for lease, according to the center’s website.
The location at 490 Elden St. in the Herndon Centre plaza will close Oct. 15, a Big Lots media representative confirmed to Reston Now. Signage now in place outside the store informs customers that after that date, they can visit locations in Sterling (300 Enterprise St.) and Fairfax (11181 Lee Highway).
Lotte Plaza Market will be taking over the 26,000-square-foot Big Lots space in the spring, Herndon spokesperson Anne Papa Curtis confirmed to Reston Now. We first reported in July that the market, described on its website as “the premier source for Asian groceries in Maryland and Virginia,” would be opening in the plaza in early 2018.
In the interim, a large percentage of the west side of the plaza will be vacant, following the closing of Kmart earlier this year. The 84,000-square-foot former department store space is expected to be broken up among several new businesses, Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel said at the time of its closing.
Herndon Centre is owned by A.J. Dwoskin & Associates Inc.
The Herndon Centre retail space (330-460 Elden St.) will soon become home to another shopping market.
Ethnic grocer Lotte Plaza Market will open in the spring. The news was confirmed to Reston Now by Dennis Holste, the Town of Herndon’s economic development manager.
[Lotte Plaza Market] will be opening a new store in the Herndon Centre in spring, 2018. The store will not be opening in the K-Mart space. The new tenants for the K-Mart space have not been announced.
(The Kmart store in that plaza will close in the coming weeks. That space is owned by Florida-based real estate-investment firm Sterling Organization, while the rest of the plaza is owned by A.J. Dwoskin & Associates Inc.)
Lotte Plaza Market is described on its website as “the premier source for Asian groceries in Maryland and Virginia.” It currently has six locations in Maryland and four in Virginia — Annandale, Ashburn, Centreville and Chantilly — but plans to expand to a total of 50 in the next three years, according to its site.


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LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. –
Nearly halfway through May and spring might be making a comeback in the auction lanes.
Multiple Black Book representatives made that assessment in the latest Market Insights report that showed a bit of a value rebound when compared to the sharp declines trigged by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Values have continued to trend downward, but the level of bidding activity this past week reminded us of a more traditional spring buying season.” Black Book vice president of automotive valuations Laura Wehunt said in the latest report.
According to volume-weighted data, Black Book indicated overall car segment values softened by 0.41% this past week. Analysts called it a “welcome sight” after three consecutive weeks of greater than 1.30% week-over-week depreciations.
“Spring was in the air for sporty cars as the warming weather drastically slowed the depreciation of this segment down to 0.11%, compared to 0.74% the week prior,” analysts added.
Looking again at volume-weighted information, Black Book determined overall truck segment values (including pickups, SUVs, and vans) decreased by 0.76% last week. As with the car segments, analysts said this reading was a “welcome change” after three weeks in a row of overall weekly depreciations exceeding 1.00%.
Black Book pointed out minivans have been in high supply on the auction lanes and the values are reflecting it with the average weekly change for the last four weeks being a decline of 1.41%.
Turning next to what Black Book sales observers noticed, the anecdotes continued with more references of spring. Here is the rundown:
— From North Carolina: “It had a very Spring market vibe today with the $10,000 and under vehicles being in high demand.”
— From South Carolina: “We finished the day out with our overall sales rate at a little over 70%. We anticipate a lower volume next week due to a lack of repos in A pril.”
— From Georgia: “Cars were definitely in demand at this sale with the majority selling.”
— From Illinois: “We saw an uptick in sales this week with a 91% sale rate at our closed sale.”
— From Florida: “SUVs were in high supply today and sold prices reflected the oversupply.”


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Hey friend, happy Tuesday! Apologies for taking last week off on updates and finds. We’ve been preparing for our latest release and Afore Capital demo day, both of which are happening today!
It’s been quite the journey to get to this point, and I want to thank you all for being so supportive with feedback along the way! Here’s a quote from The Alchemist that encapsulates the ride so far, which I think many of my fellow dreamers will appreciate:
What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up. It's the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.
It feels like we’re now seeing the palm trees on the horizon. Good days ahead for Reconcile because of you! 🏝🏝🏝
As mentioned, we’re participating in Afore Capital’s demo day today! If you want to attend, you may still be able to sign up using this link.
Here’s a quick preview at our Siri experience, which can quickly offload your reconciliation process onto our smart AI instead
🤑 Fintech Finds 🤑
Going to leave behind noteworthy long-format reads and articles this week and will be back next Tuesday with more in-depth commentary!
Alex Johnson shared great insight into the future of small business lending, which to him is a lot like early stage startup investing - thinking more about what could be rather than what is today.
Rohit Sharma outlined the Buy Now Pay Later industry, which is on fire! The average American has over $6,000 in credit card debt. Yet, we continue to build solutions offering more credit. I truly think we’ve entered the Twilight Zone in financial solvency as there’s truly a lack of common sense about how much debt exists in the world. Honestly, does anyone think the US will ever repay the $20 trillion it owes? If the wealthiest nation in the world doesn’t pay off its debts, why should I? For the lower and middle class, whom the Buy Now Pay Later industry markets towards, it’s a very fair question. We need to rethink how we offer credit and if it’s fair for the more financially instable to be the profit centers for big banks and lenders, ESPECIALLY when their cost of capital is close to zero.
🤖 Voice Tech Finds 🤖
Matthew Bell wrote a very detailed piece on the future of audiotech and the drivers for winning the next frontier. Not exactly voice tech but there’s a connection with hearables like Airpods creating new behaviors for on-the-go voice and audio adoption.
Also found this gem from Venmo - to think they pioneered the P2P voice payment use case nine years ago …
P.S. If you appreciate these newsletters and want to help us develop more content, we’re looking to bring a marketing lead onto the team. Reach out if you’re interested! Otherwise, would love it if you could help spread the word and share your favorite newsletter!!!


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Radar | Sep 10,2023
May 25 , 2019
By FASIKA TADESSE ( FORTUNE STAFF WRITER )
While removing the 30pc depreciation applied to customs duties on imported second-hand items, the government will retain the 10pc annual depreciation on imported items with duty-free privileges.
A directive issued by the Ministry of Revenues on May 15, 2019, has fully lifted the uniform 30pc depreciation applied across imported used items, regardless of their age. However, the directive, signed by Adanech Abebe, minister of Revenues, left the depreciation on used items with duty-free privileges unchanged.
The 10pc annual depreciation applied to imported items with duty-free privileges will remain in place, according to Addis Ayele, price valuation director at the Ministry of Revenues, which collected 163.3 billion Br in revenues in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year.
While levying customs duties on imported used items, customs officials of the Ministry have been deducting 30pc depreciation on the value of the items, according to the former directive. They were also applying 10pc annual depreciation on used items imported by expat employees of non-governmental organisations and embassies and by those that are entitled to duty-free rights. The depreciation is applied when they transfer the properties to third parties.
The new procedure outlined by the directive has already caused a price escalation in the second-hand vehicles market around the capital.
Since last Thursday, the price of used imported vehicles has drastically increased with a minimum rise of 80,000 Br depending on the model and brand, according to the car dealers Fortune spoke to. Most of the car dealers have been hoarding their vehicles with the anticipation that prices would go higher.
Retailers have already increased their prices despite the fact that customs officials at the Ministry have not yet started applying the new procedure as they wait for clarification and explanations from the head office, according to Alemayehu Anticho, manager of Qality Customs Branch Office of the Ministry.
Currently, the officers are only clearing duties of pending imported items that arrived before the issuance of the new directive. But they are no longer issuing customs declarations on the vehicles.
"The final declaration of the pending items will be issued after we get clarification from the Ministry," said Alemayehu.
The officers have stopped processing used imported items that have already arrived at dry ports and the Port of Djibouti after the issuance of the directive until they receive clarification.
In the last fiscal year, the county has imported both used and brand new cars valued at 544.35 million dollars. At a national level, there are around 977,000 registered vehicles, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.
Since the new directive was issued, the price of automobiles has significantly increased in the market by a minimum of approximately 80,000 Br.
PUBLISHED ON May 25,2019 [ VOL 20 , NO 995]
Radar | Sep 10,2023
Viewpoints | Aug 17,2019
Fortune News | Apr 26,2019
Viewpoints | Jul 10,2020
Exclusive Interviews | Aug 19,2023
Featured | Aug 24,2019
Fortune News | Nov 11,2023
Fortune News | Oct 15,2022
Fortune News | Sept 18,2021
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There it is, in your pockets, jingle jangle… the April 16 edition of Spare Change!
A new report from Shop.org and Forrester Research called The State of Retailing Online 2008: Marketing Report says that Online Sales are still set to climb despite the struggling economy. “From higher shipping costs to changes in consumer shopping habits, online retailers are not immune to the current economic climate,” said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org. “But the fact that online sales will increase substantially this year demonstrates the resilience of the channel and is a testament to the value and convenience most customers find when shopping online.” This summary touches on the two different kinds of shoppers that access the web; the most effective way to reach prospects, and the initiative that online retailers are most apt to use in 2008. The bad news: The full report costs $995. The good news: If you’re already a Forrester RoleView™ client you will be able to access the report as part of their subscription service starting on May 7, 2008.
Do you use e-mail marketing? Practical Ecommerce has some advice for you – make sure you ensure your list is up to date. It’s even a good idea to delete any addresses over a year old – find out why!
For the UK folk, there’s an interesting seminar coming up on ecommerce analytics: Pindar Graphics to host ecommerce analytics seminar. This seminar is designed to help online retailers understand the performance of ecommerce activities using Google Analytics, and will be held June 3 in London.
Just across the Irish Sea, the Irish Independent tells us that “online clothes shopping has become the cornerstone of the eCommerce revolution”. This article talks about the advantages – and disadvantages – of fashion shopping from the couch, and gives a few helpful hints to the consumer for making their online experience as satisfying as possible, including ways to help overcome the inability to try stuff on (know your measurements, since a 10 in one store is a 12 in the next!). It also has links to successful Irish stores, with tips on how they make the online shopping experience more attractive to female shoppers, such as net-a-porter.com: “I’ve often thought it would be wonderful if girls could flick through their favourite fashion magazine, instantly order whatever designer shoes or dress they fancy and have it arrive at their home beautifully wrapped. That’s exactly what this site does.”
Finally, don’t forget: We’ll be doing a feature interview with the author of Web Design for ROI and we want you to ask the questions. Submit them to us by Tuesday, April 22 and you could get a free copy of the book!


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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday afternoon that he’ll be extending the state’s stay-at-home order by two weeks — and will allow curbside pickup for retail stores.
The governor’s stay-at-home order was due to expire Monday, May 4. Thursday’s announcement means the order will continue to at least May 18.
Walz announced the update at a 2 p.m. briefing, saying that Minnesotans have saved lives and brought critical time to the health care system by staying home.
“From building out critical hospital capacity to launching a landmark testing strategy, Minnesota has made meaningful progress in preparing for the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Walz said. “Minnesotans have made this possible by staying home and holding down the rate of infection. But now is not the time for sudden movements. There’s more work to be done, and we need to keep this virus at a simmer, not a boil. Our action today prioritizes the safety of Minnesotans while taking cautious, strategic steps toward getting people safely back to work.”
In another big update, the governor announced that retail businesses and other non-critical businesses can resume operations with curbside pick-up on Monday, May 4.
“This will put up to 30,000 Minnesotans back to work in a safe, coordinated way,” the governor’s office said.
In order to open for curbside pickup, businesses must do the following:
– Develop and publicly post a plan for how to open safely.
– Use online payment whenever possible.
– Employees and customers should wear masks and protective equipment.
– In curbside pick-up scenarios, social distancing guidelines apply. If possible, customers should not leave their vehicle.
– In delivery scenarios, items should be deposited outside a customer’s residence.
“Listening to Minnesota business and labor leaders on how to ensure the safety of workers and customers is at the core of our decision-making process,” Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove said. “Today’s announcement is the right next step to help more Minnesotans safely return to work and to reopen more businesses to get our economy ramping up again.”
Should a virus surge come, says Governor, we can "stand up" alternative care sites within 72 hours.
— Patrick Kessler (@PatKessler) April 30, 2020
As part of his executive order Thursday, Walz strongly encouraged all Minnesotans to wear a “manufactured or homemade mask at all times” when leaving homes for any place where social distancing is difficult. Walz also encouraged those who can telework to continue to do so.
As for next steps, Walz says state officials are working hard to ease restrictions on elective surgeries, and an announcement is expected in a “couple of days.” Due to state slowing down virus spread, more hospital beds are available, according to Walz.
Minnesota Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka has been a vocal critic of Walz’s stay-at-home order extensions. He released a statement shortly after Thursday’s extension announcement.
“The Governor is asking the right questions and looking at the right data, but I’m disappointed he’s not turning the dial further today. I think he should move further, and faster, opening businesses up again in Minnesota,” Gazelka said.
Walz indicated at a news conference in Worthington Wednesday that his plan is to dial back the restrictions slowly in the state instead of risking a huge surge in COVID-19 cases.
“I know one of the worst parts of this entire thing is the uncertainty in everything,” Walz acknowledged.
Worthington is home to the JBS plant, where at least 239 workers have tested positive for the virus. Nobles County has the state’s second-highest amount of COVID-19 cases due to the outbreak.
The governor said the intent of his stay-at-home order was to delay the peak of the pandemic to buy time to build up hospital, testing and tracing capacity; promote social distancing; and build up supplies of personal protective equipment.
Last week, Walz relaxed the rules slightly, allowing up to 20,000 companies employing 80,000 to 100,000 workers to begin resuming operations this week. But he left the closures of bars, restaurants, theaters and other businesses in place.
CONTACT US: Do you have a story about the COVID-19 pandemic to share with us? Please contact us here.


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CRTC launches consultations to modernize broadcasting system
May 12, 2023 – Ottawa-Gatineau – Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
Today, the CRTC is launching three public consultations to modernize the broadcasting system and ensure that online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content.
First, the CRTC is consulting on what contributions online services will need to make to support the Canadian broadcasting system. The CRTC is proposing a new contribution framework for traditional broadcasters and online streaming services that acknowledges the possibility of flexible contribution requirements for different business models. The Commission is also consulting on whether initial contributions should be made by online streaming services.
Second, the CRTC is consulting on which online streaming services need to be registered and which services will be exempted. These consultations will help ensure that regulation is limited to companies that can make a material contribution to the broadcasting system. The CRTC is proposing that online streaming services with annual revenues under $10 million not be required to register, and that registration would not apply to individual Canadians or creators of user-generated content.
The third consultation considers changes to exemption orders under which online streaming services have been operating and possible basic conditions of service to be imposed on certain streaming services.
Interested parties can follow the CRTC’s consultations and participate by:
- filling out the online form;
- writing to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2; or
- sending a fax to 819-994-0218.
All comments received will form part of the public record and will inform the CRTC’s decision.
These consultations are part of the CRTC’s Regulatory Plan to modernize Canada’s broadcasting system.
In the coming months, the CRTC will launch additional consultations as it builds a new regulatory framework. The CRTC plans to examine definitions of Canadian and Indigenous content in fall 2023.
“As we take on the task of modernizing the regulatory framework of the broadcasting system, we are focussed on ensuring that all players contribute equitably to Canadian and Indigenous content. We are starting the conversation today by looking at how streaming services can contribute. The views of Canadians will be important at every step of the process, and we encourage everyone to participate.”
- Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, CRTC
- has no intention to regulate algorithms, or creators of user-generated content and their content;
- has published an information bulletin to inform broadcasters on how obligations will apply under the modernized Broadcasting Act;
- is proposing to exempt smaller streaming services, those that only provide online games, and services offering one-time purchases or rentals of audio or video content; and
- will adapt its approach in light of any future policy direction.
- Consultation: Contributions to the Canadian broadcasting system
- Consultation: Registration of online streaming services
- Consultation: Exemption orders and basic conditions of service
- Information bulletin - Guidance on the transitional provisions of the Online Streaming Act
- Learn more about the Modernization of the broadcasting system
- CRTC announces plan to modernize the broadcasting system
- Statement by the CRTC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Vicky Eatrides, on the Online Streaming Act
Toll-free 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
- Date modified:


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Go organic or not?
Experts say go with your comfort level. And for many Americans, that comfort level may have as much to do with their conscience as their health.
Here's the word from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: No broad-based scientific evidence has declared organic food more healthful than conventional food, according to governmental regulatory agencies and even expert advocates of organic food.
The American Dietetic Association's stance is: "Although organic foods generally are grown with lower levels of pesticides, no scientific evidence shows that these foods are healthier or safer than conventionally grown foods."
The Organic Trade Council agrees. "There is no conclusive evidence at this time to suggest that organically produced foods are more nutritious," documents from the council say. "Rather, organic foods and fiber are spared the application of toxic and persistent insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers."
"Everyone approaches this from where they make their living or from their philosophy on what they feel is the right answer," says Millie Mattfeldt-Beman, head of nutrition studies at St. Louis University.
Consumers spent $13.8 billion on organic food in 2005, says a study at the University of California at Davis. And sales have been growing by about 20 percent a year.
So why do an increasing number of customers brave prices up to 100 percent more for organic food?
"This is a difficult question," Mattfeldt-Beman says. "Organic is a matter of personal choice. We have a very safe food system."
An increasing number of small studies show that food grown organically might have more nutrients. But the studies tend to be narrow and anecdotal, not enough to make broad-based conclusions. For example, one study showed organic ketchup might have 57 percent more lycopene (an antioxidant) than regular ketchup.
Conventional-food proponents say one of the reasons organic produce can have more nutrients is that it's harvested later than conventional crops.
Fruits and vegetables tend to be harvested green to stand up to long travel times.
Organic crops are more ripened when harvested. The longer vegetables stay on the vine, the bush, the tree or in the ground, the more flavor and nutrients they acquire. But that shorter shelf life accounts for some of the higher prices.
It's wise to wash
Matthew Mell of Whole Foods Market in St. Louis, says many organic food stores have bulk aisles that help keep prices down.
And the price isn't keeping organic food's popularity from growing, according to the USDA. More organic food is sold in conventional grocery stores than in organic specialty stores, the agency reports.
Mattfeldt-Beman of St. Louis University says, "If I were worried about pesticides, I would wash my vegetables with a small amount of soap, maybe a couple of drops . . . Soap breaks down petroleum-based chemicals and wax."
Also, she says, wash organic vegetables, regardless of what the packaging says.
"Water helps to crisp them up and freshen them," she says.


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Monday, December 16, 2013
eMarketer: Most Digital Ad Growth Now Goes to Mobile as Desktop Growth Falters
Video, sponsorship spending only bright spots for desktop growth
NEW YORK, NY (December 16, 2013)—Mobile advertising continues to grow faster than expected, largely at the expense of desktop ad spending, which is flattening or declining more rapidly than previous predicted, according to new figures from eMarketer.
eMarketer now expects US mobile advertising spending to reach $9.60 billion by the end of this year, up 120.0% from $4.36 billion from 2012. Spending on ads served to desktops and laptops is expected to grow just 1.69% to $32.98, down from 6.60% growth last year. Overall, US digital ad spending, including paid media spending on ads appearing on all digital devices, will increase 15.72% this year to $42.58 billion.
Read the full press release for more on US digital ad spending.
For more information:
Director, Public Relations
UK Press Inquiries


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Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Recall Expands to Dozens of Other Products
(NEW YORK) — Trader Joe’s, a national grocery chain, already found itself having to recall its Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter with Sea Salt because of links to 29 salmonella cases in 18 states when the news got worse on Monday.
Sunland, a New Mexico-based company that makes the peanut butter for Trader Joe’s, said it was expanding the recall to 76 other peanut and almond products, mainly as a precaution since no other cases of salmonella have been traced to these items.
Katalin Coburn, Sunland’s vice president of media relations, said “the products in question were manufactured on the same line that manufactured the Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter.”
In all cases, it’s the name of the retailer, not Sunland, that’s on the label of the various merchandise.
Salmonella causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain 12 to 72 hours after infection. Young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are most at risk to developing severe infections.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio


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Belgian 3D group XDC buys FTT
German service company bought by driver of 3D conversionCOLOGNE, Germany -- XDC, the Belgian-based group leading the 3D rollout in European cinemas, has bought German digital service company FTT.
The deal, signed at the end of last year, makes XDC majority shareholder in the German group. FTT managing partner Thomas Ruttgers has become a shareholder in XDC International and joined the company's supervisory board.
XDC is major driver of 3D conversion in Europe, providing financing and equipment to exhibitors, as well as a virtual-print-fee model that ensures distributors will share the costs of new equipment with the cinemas. XDC has VPF deals with all six Hollywood majors for a maximum of 8,000 screens across Europe. In Germany, the company currently services some 100 VPF screens.
FTT provides the bolts and bytes services for cinemas – installing or upgrading digital technology for movie houses across the country.


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Four-Time Grammy Award-winning R&B group Boyz II Men will perform at MISS UNIVERSE, airing LIVE from the Philippines Sunday, Jan. 29 (7:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. The legendary musical act, known for their smooth harmonies, holds the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all time, with an astounding 64 million albums sold.
Additionally, this year’s judges who will help crown the next Miss Universe include:
Dayanara Torres: Former UNICEF ambassador and Miss Universe from Puerto Rico, author, model, and actress.
Sushmita Sen: Bollywood actress, philanthropist and champion of women’s rights in India; founder of I AM Foundation and first ever Miss Universe from India.
Leila Lopes: First Miss Universe from Angola and former United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Desertification currently working with various charitable organizations in Africa.
Mickey Boardman: Editorial Director of popular fashion and pop-culture magazine, PAPER.
Cynthia Bailey: TV star, former model, and founder of The Bailey Agency School of Fashion, a modeling and fashion school dedicated to helping young women achieve their dreams.
Francine LeFrak: Emmy® and Tony award-winning producer, social entrepreneur, women’s empowerment activist and founder of Same Sky, a jewelry initiative that provides training and employment to HIV+ women survivors of the Rwandan Genocide.
Plus, now through January 28, the voting window is open for fans to vote for their favorite contestant and help her earn a spot in the Top 12. Fans are able to vote up to 10 times per day per registered account via vote.missuniverse.com, the official MISS U APP, on Twitter by using #MissUniverse and the country specific hashtag found on the voting site, or by downloading the new mobile messaging app, Vodi.


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Amazon could soon be the third-place online advertiser behind Facebook and Google — but only if it can avoid trouble with regulators and shoppers
- Researchers with eMarketer tell the Wall Street Journal that Amazon could soon become the third largest US digital advertiser, behind Google and Facebook — an impressive benchmark considering ads are a side business for the web's biggest retailer.
- But as the Amazon continues to grow its ad business, it must prove that it can avoid the same regulatory scrutiny that has plagued other powerful ad platforms, such as Google search and Facebook's social network.
- Certainly, Google has a much larger share of search than Amazon has of retail and market share is always a factor in how regulators decide if a business is anticompetitive.
- But Amazon's share of the retail market continues to expand More than half of all product searches occur on Amazon, Leigh said.
An Amazon executive reveals the strategic reason why the company is wooing small businesses with a dedicated shopping page
- Amazon's new Storefronts page is open for business, and it gives customers a chance to shop from more local businesses.
- Amazon created the new page because customers were looking for a way to more easily shop products from businesses native to their own country, according to Nicholas Denissen, a vice president at Amazon and head of Amazon Marketplace Business.
- The new page could be a way to rectify that, and for customers to support these American small businesses, should they desire.
- Denissen said the new page has nothing to do with correcting or repairing Amazon's reputation among either buyers or sellers, as some experts have described Storefronts as "PR outreach" in an interview with Digiday.
- To select the 20,000 vendors and one million products featured on the Storefront section, Denissen said that Amazon chose top sellers and merchandise, both with good reviews on the platform.
GitLab raises $100M
- GitLab, the developer service that aims to offer a full lifecycle DevOps platform, today announced that it has raised a $100 million Series D funding round at a valuation of $1.1 billion.
- As GitLab CEO Sid Sijbrandij told me, this round, which brings the company’s total funding to $145.5 million, will help it enable its goal of reaching an IPO by November 2020.
- According to Sijbrandij, GitLab’s original plan was to raise a new funding round at a valuation over $1 billion early next year.
- But since Iconiq came along with an offer that pretty much matched what the company set out to achieve in a few months anyway, the team decided to go ahead and raise the round now.
- Given this focus, GitLab will invest most of the funding in its engineering efforts to build out its existing products but also to launch new ones.
China's state-backed 'National Team' may rescue stocks from trade war woes
- As an escalating trade battle with Washington raises growth concerns in Beijing, Chinese stocks may get a helping hand from state-backed investors.
- Deutsche Bank analysts Michael Tong and Luka Zhu wrote in a note to clients out Tuesday that it's increasingly looking like the "National Team" has and will continue to intervene in China's stock market.
- On Tuesday, trade tensions helped send the Shanghai Composite to its lowest level since 2014, down more than 26% from its January high, and close to the key psychological level of 2,638.
- The Trump administration imposed tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese products Monday night.
- Bloomberg reported in August that investors were supporting Chinese stocks and urging insurance companies to buy them.
- The team held more than 1,100 stocks that were valued at more than $180 billion as of June 2018, Tong and Zhu estimate.
Consumers are sitting ducks in a car yard
- He testified that the practice in the industry is to reward car dealers by paying "flex commissions" on car loans.
- The bank sets a base interest rate, but then leaves it up to the car dealer to decide the actual interest rate the customer will pay on the car loan.
- The margin between the base interest rate, and the interest rate the customer ends up paying, is then divvied up between the car dealer and the bank.
- In deciding whether or not to make auto loans, banks are heavily reliant on car yard business managers – who are obviously eager to finalise the car sale – to fill in loan application forms correctly, supplemented with customer declarations.
- On Wednesday, counsel assisting Mark Costello asked IAG's group executive for business distribution, Benjamin Bessell, whether he agreed that "a significant number of the add-on insurance products sold by Swann were of questionable or little value to the consumer".
A $736 billion investor that survived the stock-market crash of a lifetime has 3 simple pieces of advice for anyone who's just starting out
- It will mark the anniversary of the demise of Lehman Brothers, the giant investment banks that folded as America's housing market and several investment products tied to it collapsed.
- Aberdeen Asset Management, now Aberdeen Standard Investments following a merger in 2017, was one of the firms that survived that period.
- It can partly thank its CEO, Martin Gilbert, for his decision to sound the alarm on collateralized debt obligations before the risky financial product helped plunge the global financial system into chaos.
- Invest in what you understand, spread your risk and know that if something looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
- The products that the banks were churning out in the run-up to the crisis were ever more complex and built on even shakier fundamentals.
- This relates to another lesson, and that is that the nature of a globalized economy makes neatly apportioning blame very hard.
Opioid Crisis Emerges as a Dominant Campaign Theme
- In the past four years, the opioid crisis has grown from an afterthought in political campaigns to an important issue in some of this fall’s biggest midterm races, according to television advertising data from Kantar Media/CMAG.
- An analysis by The Wall Street Journal found that, so far in 2018, ads containing opioid messaging have aired more than 50,000 times across 25 states.
- At this point in 2014, there had been only one political TV ad touching on the topic that aired 70 times—in Kentucky’s Senate race.
Rising US-China trade tensions 'couldn't come at a worse time': Iowa agriculture secretary
- American farmers have already been hurt by retaliatory tariffs from the U.S.-China trade war, and the ratcheting of tensions once again is unfortunate and comes at a bad time, according to Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig.
- On Monday, the Trump administration escalated the trade tussle with China by announcing tariffs of 10 percent on some $200 billion of Chinese goods.
- China previously slapped tariffs on U.S. soybeans, corn, wheat, sorghum fresh fruit as well as nuts and certain dairy products.
- Beijing also has placed hefty import taxes on American pork products which now exceed 70 percent.
- There's also concern China could slap additional tariffs on agricultural and food products previously targeted with import taxes.
- Nearly $20 billion in U.S. agricultural exports went to China last year, with more than half of that amount coming from soybeans.
Evernote just slashed 54 jobs, or 15 percent of its workforce
- It’s no secret that Evernote, the productivity app that lets people take notes and organize other files from their working and non-work life, has been trying to regain its former footing as one of the most popular apps in the U.S., and that doing so has been an ongoing struggle.
- At an an all-hands meeting earlier today, he told gathered staffers that Evernote has no choice but to lay off 54 people — roughly 15 percent of the company’s workforce — and to focus its efforts instead around specific functions, including product development and engineering.
- In fact, a person who tipped TechCrunch off to the executive departures two weeks ago characterized Evernote as “in a death spiral,” saying that user growth and active users have been flat for the last six years and that the company’s enterprise product offering hasn’t caught on.
- The company has raised nearly $300 million over the years, including from Sequoia Capital, New Enterprise Associates, and T.
Microsoft launches new AI applications for customer service and sales
- Unsurprisingly, Microsoft argues that Dynamics 365 does not do that, allowing it to now use all of this data to build machine learning-driven experiences for specific tasks.
- That’s obviously among the most basic of machine learning applications these days, but AI for Sales also helps these salespeople understand what actions they should take next and which prospects to prioritize.
- Finally, Dynamics 365 AI for Market Insights does just what the name implies: it provides teams with data about social sentiment, but this, too, goes a bit deeper.
- “This allows organizations to harness the vast amounts of social sentiment, be able to analyze it, and then take action on how to use these insights to increase brand loyalty, as well as understand what newsworthy events will help provide different brand affinities across an organization,” Taylor said.


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The metaverse, despite all the interest from venture capitalists and the world’s major brands, is struggling to attract users, and token prices have begun to reflect that. Tokens for the three major metaverse protocols (Decentraland’s MANA, Axie Infinity’s AXS, and The Sandbox’s SAND) are all down year to date, and significantly underperforming bitcoin (BTC).
Gamers, themselves, appear to be hostile to GameFi. Gaming giant Ubisoft’s non-fungible token (NFT) efforts fell flat, and an industry survey published during the Game Developers Conference showed that most studios are not interested in embracing crypto or NFTs.
“First, the ability to purchase NFTs or in-game currency effectively creates pay-to-win game mechanics, a quality that most major franchises and successful games avoid,” said Mason Nystrom, Research Analyst at Messari. “The most successful games often share an element of skill, opting to create a competitive multiplayer gaming experience and avoiding a ‘spam the credit card until you win’ option.”
Still, there are those in the industry who say quality gameplay can go hand in hand with GameFi and the metaverse. The question remains whether this view will become mainstream.
(All information was provided by CoinDesk)
Check out the industry-leading META Business podcast where we discuss the intersection of business and the metaverse


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Update: Early this morning, Dig South reached its Kickstarter goal, but you’ve got until 5pm Friday to get in on early-bird pricing.
24 hours before its Kickstarter fundraising period ends, DIG SOUTH, a new local creative and technology conference set to hold its inaugural event next April, is $1,200 away from its $11,776 goal for early ticket sales.
Dig South organizer Stanfield Gray says he modeled the festival, which features an impressive speaker list, live entertainment, and expo open to the public, after wildly successful conference-festival hybrids like South by Southwest in Austin and Portland’s XOXO conference. Gray says the event is designed to draw interest from four fields: technology, marketing, social media, and the arts.
Presenters slated to make an appearance at the festival include: CNN Digital SVP Meredith Artley, Jamie Christner, vice-president for strategy and analysis at Digitas, TechCrunch East Coast Editor John Biggs, ReverbNation VP for Product Development Ferol Vernon, AOL Ventures founder Mike Brown and a slew of local entrepreneurs and creative professionals from BoomTown, PeopleMatter, SCRA, TwitPic, SPARC, and Blackbaud—80 speakers in all. Gray says the line-up for the music and arts portion of the event will be unveiled in the coming months.
A $10 pledge to the Kickstarter campaign earns you admission to the whole shebang, a ticket that will go for $45 when normal sales open. For more about Dig South, which runs April 12-14, 2013, check out digsouth.com.


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Without revealing too many details, the company says the fitness band is 17mm wide, pairs with smartphones and will come bundled in some markets with the new Acer Liquid Jade smartphone.
The company expects to launch the devices in July, but a North American release is not in the cards.
Acer says the touchscreen device can blend fitness tracking with notifications, likely having less functionality than current offerings from Samsung and others. It is also unclear what operating system will power the Leap.
Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 Apr 2014 21:25


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Recent reports have been telling entrepreneurs that video game sales are on the decline. But impressive sales reported for a single game, this week, could possibly turn that perception on its head.
Microsoft reported that Halo Reach generated $200 million in sales on Tuesday, its first day in the market. By comparison Halo 3 - the last game in the series - made more than $300 million, after seven days in the market. Given time, this title may surpass the first week sales record set by Grand Theft Auto IV. In its first wee of sales, Grand Theft Auto IV made approximately $500 million.
So, how did Halo Reach do so well? These first-day numbers are attributed to midnight pickup events, game pre-orders and game costs. The basic version of Halo Reach costs roughly $60, with special editions of the title priced at $80 and $250. Midnight pickup events are common for highly-anticipated games. Gamestop, one of the largest gaming retailers in the US, held midnight pickups in many locations.
More elaborate release events were held in cities like New York City, Seattle and London. At an event, held at Best Buy Theater in Times Square, several hundred fans were able to participate in a tournament. They were also treated to a surprise musical performance by Kid Cudi.
Additionally, in August, a copy of this game was leaked, via a free file sharing site. Microsoft responded quickly by threatening to disable the accounts of users caught playing the illegal copies.
Halo's nine-year history
Halo Reach is a prequel to the games in the main Halo series. The Halo series has sold more than 34 million copies in its nine-year history. The series has grossed nearly $2 billion in sales over its lifetime.
All the titles in the Halo series are in the style of a first-person shooter. The first-person shooter has been succinctly defined by MTV as, "The most popular form of console game, in which gamers see the world from the perspective of the main character, almost always with a gun bobbing in their hands before them..."
The Halo titles are made by a company called Bungie games. The company was founded by Alex Seropian and Jason Jones, and was eventually bought by Microsoft, in 2000.
Halo Reach is only for sale for the XBOX 360 console, which is also made by Microsoft. It is one of the three current consoles on the market. It has two direct competitors. The Wii, which is made by Nintendo, and the Playstation 3, which is made by Sony.
When compared to other recent, major releases for the XBOX 360, one can see how unusual these numbers truly are. Assuming that all games were sold at the base price of $60, Bioshock2, released in February of this year, sold 562,900 units, for an estimated $31.7 million in sales, in its first week. Assassin's Creed 2, released in November of 2009, sold 1.6 million units in its first week, for an esitimated $96 million in sales. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, also released in 2009, sold 4.7 million units its first week. Its first day sales were roughly $141 million, which was a record-setting day at the time.
Microsoft was not available for immediate comment.


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PARIS--French tire maker Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin (ML.FR) said Monday it expects to continue investing 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) a year through 2015 as it ramps up its industrial presence outside Europe to win market share from emerging competitors in an increasingly global market.
"We will invest EUR2 billion this year and next and probably in 2015, too," Chief Executive Jean-Dominique Senard told reporters. He said the company will slacken its industrial investment starting in 2016 as the additional capacity comes onstream.
Mr. Senard said there are few companies in the world that, like Michelin, are capable of investing massively to build high-capacity greenfield tire manufacturing facilities simultaneously in China, India and the U.S. while maintaining positive cash flow over the medium term.
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