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Wearable Technology is considered as the next big thing in information technology because this has already created a new wave in consumer market. Our growing dependency on technology urges further innovations and what happening right now is the extension of what we have achieved so far in terms of technology.
With top tech companies competing fiercely on greater market share, as of now, wearable technology appears to be the most promising hi-tech aspect in our lives. Wearable technology is slowly gathering its momentum and displaying its capacity to become popular consumer items that improve our everyday life.
“The global market for wearable technology is forecast to grow to around six billion U.S. dollars by 2018.”
The eBook elaborates on the following points:


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2012 Mobile Electronics Retailers Associations “KnowledgeFest” August 18th – 21st, 2012 at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center in Grapevine, TX.
Metra will be hosting two product seminars on Axxess. These classes will include exclusive products for 2012-2013, updates to existing skus in the lineup, technical support, and an open forum question and answer session. Classes will be held on Sunday August 19th, 2012 from 5-6 PM & August 20th, 2012 from 5:30 – 6:30 PM in the “Austin 5” conference room located in theGaylordTexanConvention Center.
For further details on the Mobile Electronics Retailers Associations KnowledgeFest visit http://www.merausa.org/.

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Microsoft R Servers for Hadoop, Teradata and Linux — seemingly, the renamed version of Revolution Analytics’ commercial versions of its analytics products — are available to MSDN subscribers.
Microsoft quietly made available this week a new family of R Server data-analytics products.
Thanks to a tweet from Tero Alhonen, I found listings on MSDN for a family of new Microsoft R Server products with January 4, 2016 release dates.
The new line-up includes:
- Microsoft R Server for Hadoop on Red Hat
- Microsoft R Server for Teradata DB
- Microsoft R Server for Red Hat Linux
- Microsoft R Server for SuSE Linux
- RRE, which is Revolution R Enterprise, I believe. (Thanks, Marko!)
Here’s the description on MSDN as to what these R servers are:
“Microsoft R Server is a fast and cost-effective enterprise-class big data advanced analytics platform supporting a variety of big data statistics, predictive modeling and machine learning capabilities. Microsoft R Server includes Open Source R and is fully compatible with R scripts, functions and CRAN packages, and offers a variety of analytics capabilities including exploratory data analysis, model building and model deployment.”
R is a programming language for computational statistics. Microsoft last April completed its acquisition of Revolution Analytics, the maker of a distribution of the R programming language for statistical computing and predictive analytics, for an undisclosed amount.
Microsoft previously announced it plans to build R support directly into SQL Server 2016. Microsoft also announced last year plans to integrate Revolution’s R distribution into the Azure HDInsight and Azure Machine Learning services.
Microsoft execs also said last year they would continue to support the open-source evolution of R, as well as thecommercial distributions of Revolution R across multiple platforms, including Linux, Teradata and Hadoop.
I believe the new R Server products available to MSDN subscribers are the renamed versions of the promised commercial distributions of Revolution R. I’ve asked Microsoft officials for clarification, pricing and more details. No word back so far.
Cover image source: http://a5.files.readwrite.com/image/upload/c_fit,cs_srgb,w_620/MTIyMzI2NTYwNDc5OTM3MTI2.png


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Matthew Panzarino was Managing Editor at TNW. He's no longer with the company, but you can follow him on Twitter. Matthew Panzarino was Managing Editor at TNW. He's no longer with the company, but you can follow him on Twitter.
Late last year, the closure of the uber-popular Installous marked the end of a promiscuous era in iOS app piracy. Now, several new services are on the rise that are filling the gap and offering easy installation of pirated apps, even on devices that have not been jailbroken.
Updated with statement from Zeusmos’ developer below.
The two that have risen to the forefront are Zeusmos and Kuaiyong. While the former has been around for a few months, it has gained significant steam since the exit of Installous. The latter has appeared seemingly from nowhere over the past couple of weeks.
Both of these services are dangerous for app developers because they offer simple, one-tap installs of pirated apps and do not require that devices have been jailbroken in order to do so. This is an enormous problem, as it opens up the arena for their use from the relatively small fraction of users with jailbroken devices — as was the case with Installous — to any unscrupulous users of iPhones and iPads.
If you’re looking to steal apps from developers — lets not kid ourselves about what’s happening here — it is now easier than ever to do so.
Zeusmos is a service offered for free on jailbroken devices as well as for a fee on devices that have not been jailbroken — yes, that’s right, it’s charging users to download pirated apps. It charges this fee for a ‘cloud plan’ to install ‘cracked’ apps and to provide users with a license and provisioning profile that allows them to install these pirated apps. The 15-year-0ld creator of Zeusmos, offers it as a way to ‘try before you buy‘. But also seems unapologetic about the nature of what the app does: enable piracy.
There appears to be a connection between Zeusmos and the reseller of developer testing slots UDIDRegistrations.com. Selling developer device testing slots is something explicitly forbidden by Apple, which has been cracking down on these resellers for the past several months.
Here’s how the site’s FAQ describes the young developer’s two products including Zeusmos and the Mac-only InstaSign:
Both InstaSign and Zeusmos are applications that allow you to install cracked applications on your iDevice without jailbreaking. InstaSign requires a Mac as it signs iPAs on your computer. Zeusmos requires no computer at all as it signs iPAs directly on to the device (like Installous for jailbroken iDevices) Because of this, both Mac and Windows users can use Zeusmos.
It’s unclear exactly how Zeusmos achieves its goal, but judging from the pricing and the correlation between UDIDRegistrations, it appears to utilize a developer licensing certificate to install ‘cracked’ apps which have had their DRM (copy protection) stripped.
In addition to users installing cracked apps themselves, the tool allows them to ‘share’ them with their ‘friends’ who are other Zeusmos users by email or even a link on Twitter.
The Chinese site Kuaiyong is also offering a similar service: allowing you to install apps for free, from your device, without paying for them. But it goes about it in a different way and is completely free.
There are two components to the tool, one which allows for installation of apps directly from your iOS device and the other which is a desktop application that allows install over a cabled connection. Once you use either, iTunes syncing ceases to work, but that hasn’t proved to be too much of a deterrent.
The apps appear to have been purchased under an Apple enterprise license, which allows for installation to multiple devices. There could also be a bundle of smaller developer accounts being used, which max out at 100 ‘slots’. They are then being re-distributed to other users through the two tools. There are some indications, however, that the issues go further than a single enterprise license.
We’ve been in contact with developers who have provided us with logs showing pirated installs of their apps. Some of the logs are showing thousands of users installing the ‘same’ copy of the app. Not the same app, mind you, but the exact same copy. This indicates that the same exact copy is being distributed with the same set of (encrypted) credentials.
The apps being installed via Kuaiyong may be utilizing bulk enterprise licensing, where the ones distributed by Zeusmos (or other copycat services, which are already springing up) are showing a variety of IDs, each of which is being installed multiple times.
So we’ve got two things going on. Services like Zeusmos have figured out how to ease the process of purchasing a developer slot and using its certificate to install ‘cracked’ apps, which are widely available on the internet. And ones like Kuaiyong are somehow bypassing Apple’s licensing rules to redistribute the same copy of an app over and over.
Security researcher Stefan Esser has been speculating about the Kuaiyong service on Twitter, noting that it could be an excellent way for them to distribute malware to iOS devices. Though the apps themselves are limited in what they can access due to sandboxing, specialized malware could be developed for certain popular apps that collected information and logged activity on your device. And there’s a strong likelihood that whatever they’re doing is using illegally obtained licenses at the least, and credit-card fraud at the worst.
Note: Since publishing, security researcher Melissa Elliott has continued to look into how the Kuaiyong service and others like it and has issued a warning not to use them as they’re potentially harmful.
The end result is the same in any case: people with a low moral threshold are cheating developers out of money and, in the case of Twitter apps, permanently removing a chunk of their possible revenue.
Drawing attention to these apps and services presents somewhat of an ethical quandary. By writing about them, we will no doubt draw more attention to them and therefore more acts of piracy from people who simply don’t care. But, hopefully, we will also see action taken by Apple to curtail these habits.
Make no mistake, these products are already being used widely, with thousands of stolen apps in the last few weeks alone. Twitter searches present endless results for people sharing information about them and looking for help in getting the hacked sites to work.
And these two are just a couple among a dozen high-profile options for users looking to steal apps. The seedy underbelly is there, and ignoring it doesn’t do anyone any favors.
We have reached out to Apple on the issue, but due to the holiday, there will likely be a delay before any reply is forthcoming.
Update: The developer of the Zuesmos application responded to our request for more information. He says that his intent was never to encourage piracy of apps. Though the marketing copy of the service’s website leaves that open to interpretation. In a statement, he says that there will be changes made to the application to remove the ability to share apps via links or repositories of apps:
The intent of Zeusmos will be to SOLELY code sign applications. We will not be supporting or encouraging any form of piracy through the link providers or even via search (although they were based off the iTunes API).
The intents [sic] as I have stated [was] to allow open development for developers. Recently I’ve had the time to add this feature into Zeusmos called the “Exclusive Apps” section where developers who got their application rejected in the App Store were able to post their application on here for free and share their application to a large audience of users. Such applications even included Grooveshark and many others.
He says that the purpose of Zeusmos was to allow for developers to code-sign apps for distribution as betas or to audiences outside the App Store. “I wanted this thing originally to be self-sutainable. Most of my applications are mostly free otherwise speaking, such as CarrierEditor…my latest release.”
He also says that the next version of Zeusmos will be ‘harshly discouraged’ from installing or downloading apps unless they’ve made it or own it. If such changes are made, it would certainly help to curtail some of the rampant sharing of apps via links and repositories of links, but it would not prevent the installation of cracked apps on un-jailbroken devices.
Image Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Bank of America and many other banks around the nation recently tried raising fees in an open way, telling everyone that making purchases with their debit cards would cost $5 a month. That attempt failed. Widespread consumer anger forced banks to drop those fees.
So now some banks are responding by raising fees in quieter ways. To avoid those higher fees, consumers will need to pay more attention to their accounts, and consider switching to smaller banks and credit unions where fees are often lower, says Beverly Harzog, Credit.com’s credit card expert.
“The best recommendation is to read everything that’s coming to you” in the mail, Harzog says.
Lost revenue, new fees
The new fees are one way banks are trying to recoup some of the revenue they’ve lost in recent years. New federal rules capping debit card swipe fees will cost major banks billions of dollars in lost revenue a year. In addition, the struggling economy reduces demands for loans and leaves interest rates at near-historic lows, reducing the revenue banks can reap from making loans.
So banks are looking for new, creative ways to recoup some of that lost revenue, even if it means charging customers to use things like online and mobile banking, which require less staff and fewer costs than traditional banking services -- in other words, services that cost relatively little to provide.
U.S. Bancorp, for example, recently announced that it will start charging customers 50 cents every time they deposit money using their smartphones.
“I’m not surprised that they would start to charge for things that actually save money,” Harzog says. “What a better way to recoup revenue. That’s a double win for them.”
Meanwhile, banks’ costs for operating checking accounts have not gone down. It costs a bank $150 to $200 to open a new account, plus another $250 to $300 on staffing, branches and technology to maintain it, according to the American Bankers Association.
Citigroup will increase its monthly fee for basic checking accounts from $8 to $10. Many Chase customers haven’t paid anything for their checking accounts, but in February the bank will start charging everyone $12 a month. TD Bank will start charging $15 to customers who wire cash to their accounts.
The debit card use fee may have been wildly unpopular, but at least it was out in the open. While banks disclose all new fees to customers, this new breed of fees is much more opaque, and they take many different forms.
“This is a backdoor way of getting fees from people, and that’s not fair,” says Harzog.
It’s in the fine print
To prevent banks from burying new fees in mountains of fine print, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), has proposed a new disclosure form that banks would have to give consumers outlining all the fees and costs of checking accounts. The proposal is based on a study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which found the median length of bank fee disclosure notices to be 111 pages long. Buried in those pages are overdraft and ATM fees that make basic banking services more expensive, especially for low-income families.
Such practices “put consumers at financial risk, potentially exposing them to high costs for little benefit,” according to Pew.
If you’re worried about increased bank fees, here are some tips on how to avoid them:
1) Read everything. Your bank can’t just start charging new fees out of the blue. It’s required by law to notify you by mail before existing fees increase or new fees start. Those notices are often long, boring and hard to read, unless you happen to have a law degree. Read them anyway, Harzog says. If you have questions, call your bank and ask.
2) Shop inside your bank. Many banks are increasing fees for basic services, like checking accounts. But those fees may be waived if you keep a certain minimum amount in the account, or if you switch more of your accounts to that bank. For example, maybe your bank waives minimum balance fees if you have your checking account, retirement account and mortgage all through them. Check your bank’s website, or call a branch for details.
3) Switch banks. Most small banks and credit unions issue few if any credit cards, so they never had much credit card income in the first place, and smaller banks were exempt from the recent law capping debit card interchange fees. This means now they’re likely not looking to increase hidden fees because they have a business model that works without such revenue. So many small, local banks and credit unions are in a position to offer you a better deal than goliaths like Bank of America or Citi. “You might want to consider switching,” Harzog says.
Credit.com provides readers with unique insight, helpful tips and straight answers about their financial world. Our team of reporters and experts explore credit, loans, debt, saving, and identity theft topics, all designed to help you make smarter financial decisions. Visit Credit.com to sign up for your FREE Credit Report Card and find out where you stand today!
Christopher Maag Contributing writer for Credit.com, Chris graduated with honors from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and has reported for a number of publications including The New York Times, TIME magazine and Popular Mechanics. Reach Chris via email at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Digitalisation is no longer a forward-looking strategy, it is a reality for businesses to evolve Powered by the rapid rise of growing economies like China, India and Southeast Asia, the world is increasingly shifting its economic weight to the Asia Pacific region. This part of the world now stands as a beacon of growth and […]
The post Asia Pacific: the beacon of growth and opportunity for entrepreneurs appeared first on e27.
The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here. 1. Unfolding the Samsung Galaxy Fold After eight years of teasing a folding device, Samsung finally pulled the trigger with an announcement […]
The French government just launched its own messaging app called Tchap in order to protect conversations from hackers, private companies and foreign entities. But Elliot Alderson, also known as Baptiste Robert, immediately found a security flaw. He was able to create an account even though the service is supposed to be restricted to government officials. […]


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The Reserve Bank is uncomfortable with “non-fiat” cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
What is a non-fiat cryptocurrency?
- Bitcoins for example. That’s a private cryptocurrency.
- The fiat cryptocurrency is a digital currency which will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in place of the physical one at present, he said, adding that the central bank is studying this aspect at present.
- Right now, RBI have a group of people who are looking at fiat cryptocurrencies. Something that is an alternative to the Indian rupee, so to speak.
- The RBI has been repeatedly cautioning everyone about the usage of cryptocurrencies, flagging a slew of concerns.
- According to some media reports, there has been a growing number of investors in such currencies over the last few years, especially with the huge spurt in the value of a few of them since the Donald Trump administration came in the US.
- “Any user, holder, investor or trader dealing with virtual currencies is doing it at their own risk.
- The RBI has been repeatedly flagging concerns on virtual currencies like Bitcoins, stating that they pose potential financial, legal, customer protection and security-related risks.


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In an exciting development for Apple enthusiasts, the tech giant has announced that its highly anticipated store at Battersea Power Station in London will officially open its doors on June 15. This revelation comes after the recent revelation that Apple plans to launch approximately 50 new retail stores worldwide within the next four years.
Battersea Power Station, renowned for its iconic presence on the London skyline, holds significant historical and cultural significance. The power station, once a vital component of London’s energy infrastructure, ceased operations in 1983 and remained abandoned for many years. However, due to its architectural and cultural importance, the building was granted “listed” status, ensuring that any redevelopment would preserve and protect its overall appearance.
After extensive negotiations, a redevelopment plan was approved, encompassing a blend of residential units, office spaces, and retail establishments. Apple secured a significant portion of the office space, establishing it as its new UK campus. This move further solidifies Apple’s commitment to the region and reflects the company’s continuous expansion efforts.
The ambitious plans for Apple’s retail network were first revealed by Bloomberg, which highlighted various notable locations, including three sites in India, Apple’s inaugural outpost in Malaysia, an upgraded store in Paris’s Opera shopping area, and the Battersea Power Station store. Additionally, Apple is poised to open a store in Miami, with a flagship location planned for Shanghai’s Jing’an Temple Plaza.
Apple Battersea has been added to the company’s UK website, signaling the imminent arrival of this exciting retail destination. The store’s address is Ground Floor Turbine Hall A, Circus Road W, London SW11 8AL. Apple enthusiasts and curious visitors alike can now mark their calendars and eagerly await the opportunity to explore the brand-new store situated within the historic Battersea Power Station.
To celebrate the grand opening, Apple has announced two exclusive “Today at Apple” sessions that will offer visitors unique experiences and insights into the iconic building. The first session, “Transforming Your World with Procreate,” will take participants on a tour of Battersea Power Station while teaching them how to incorporate mindfulness, space, objects, and places into their artwork using Procreate.
The second session, “Architectural Photography with iPhone,” will guide attendees through capturing stunning perspectives, textures, and shapes of the power station and its surroundings using their iPhones. Both sessions will provide the necessary devices for participants or allow them to bring their own.
- Polestar 2 Revolutionizes the Driving Experience with Comprehensive Apple CarPlay Update
- Apple Reveals Impressive iOS 16 Adoption Numbers Ahead of WWDC Unveiling
As the countdown to June 15 begins, anticipation builds for the grand opening of Apple’s Battersea Power Station Store. This innovative retail space promises to be an exciting hub for technology enthusiasts, creatives, and anyone looking to immerse themselves in Apple’s cutting-edge products and services. The convergence of history and technology in this iconic London landmark sets the stage for a memorable and transformative retail experience.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Shares of Ann Taylor Stores Corp. surged Friday after the company topped Wall Street's expectations for its second-quarter profit by a penny with healthy "full-price" sales at its namesake stores offsetting weakness at Loft locations.
The New York-based women's fashion apparel retailer
Investors were pleased, bidding shares higher by 6.2 %, or $1.56, to $26.60. Volume of more than 4.5 million shares was far more than the issue's daily average of 944,800.
The news came after the company named Ron Hovsepian as non-executive chairman late Wednesday. He will replace J. Patrick Spainhour in this role upon Spainhour's retirement. As previously announced, Spainhour will be succeeded in the CEO post by Kay Krill, Ann Taylor's President, in October. Hovsepian currently serves as an executive vice president with Novell Inc.
Before the opening bell, Ann Taylor said it made $7.1 million, or 10 cents a share, down from a year-ago equivalent profit of $30.1 million, or 41 cents.
Sales rose 7.6% in the three months ended July 30 to $508.7 million from $472.6 million a year earlier. Same-store sales slipped 3.9% in the quarter.
"At Loft, we had a challenging season," said Kay Krill, the company's president. "We planned aggressive comparable-store sales and the business did not materialize as we'd hoped for as we did not have the appropriate balance that our client expects from us."
The company's Loft stores target what it calls the "upper moderate" pricing category for "value conscious" women and its clothes are typically more casual than what appears at the namesake stores.
Excluding a charge of $9.5 million related to lease costs from relocation of its corporate offices, the company would have earned 18 cents a share in the latest quarter, just ahead of the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call for a profit of 17 cents a share in the July period.
Looking ahead, Ann Taylor said it remains comfortable with its prior projection calling for a profit of $1.17 a share in fiscal 2005. Wall Street's current consensus estimate is for earnings of $1.08 for the year. It expects gross margins to improve in both the third and fourth quarters as it reduces selling, general and administrative expenses and works down its inventory.
"One of our key initiatives has been our inventory management strategy, which should enhance gross margin," said Spainhour.
He continued: "We have entered the second half with the lowest average inventory level per store in the past five years."
Specifically, the company said it anticipates consolidated inventory levels per square foot will decline in the low double-digit range by the end of the fiscal year.


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Opening in April, the store will be a spacious, gallery-style showroom. It will feature a selection of Ligne Roset furnishings as well as lighting, textiles, rugs, and accessories, such as the Air Cup, Stiletto place setting, and Spoutnik carafe and glass.
Whether you go to Austin for the Texan BBQ or the cutting-edge indie music scene, take a detour to see Ligne Roset's collections up close and in context.
Today, we kicked off this year’s annual Dwell on Design at the LA Convention Center, which will continue through Sunday, June 26th. Though we’ve been hosting this extensive event for years, this time around is particularly special.


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Xiaomi has launched some very interesting phones recently. They're clearly doing a lot of work when it comes to their premium phone line up and it looks like their next phone is going to be super interesting. We just learned about a Xiaomi phone that's said to have a mini display at the back.
YouTube creator Tech Buff PH uploaded a 10-minute hands-on video showing off what he calls the Mi 11 Ultra. The video has been deleted from his channel but you can watch it right here. It confirms a ton of details about the Mi 11 Ultra phone.
Interestingly, the phone seems to have a display at the back. It's a mini display housed inside the huge rear camera module. The display is super small and is definitely not enough to have full-fledged touch interactions. This makes us believe that it'll be used to take selfies with the main camera.
It's an interesting decision to have this display for taking selfies with the rear camera when there's a 20MP selfie shooter on the front as well. At the back, we're looking at a triple camera setup that includes a 50MP primary camera, 48MP ultra-wide snapper, and a 48MP periscope camera with 120x digital zoom.
As for the specs, the phone is said to be powered by a Snapdragon 888 SoC and sport a 6.67-inch WQHD+ OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It's also said to pack a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 67W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless top-ups.
Xiaomi hasn't confirmed anything about this phone yet, so it remains to be when it'll come out officially. With features and specs like the ones mentioned above, it looks like the phone will have a premium price tag when it launches. We just hope it won't be a China-exclusive device and it'll come out in other markets too.
As for the Indian market, we're still waiting for the Mi 11 phone to be announced here. Xiaomi hasn't launched a lot of premium phones in India for some obvious reasons, but it'll be interesting to see how this phone will compete against other devices on the market.
Source: Android Authority


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The Sam’s Black Friday is now available for you to look over. Just scroll thru the pages and check out what’s coming!
Stores open at 7AM on Friday Nov. 25th. ONLINE sales start at 12AM Thanksgiving Day! The ad may take about 30 seconds to load so be patient!
You can click on the blue items list bar to look up items. Scroll down just past the advertisement below to see the ad.
Can’t wait until Black Friday? Sam’s is having a HOT one day sale on November 12th. You can read about the sale by clicking HERE.
Looking for more Black Friday ads? Here’s what we have so far – more will be added:


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NEXT STAGE: New in 2021
Ferrari is replacing the Portofino with the Portofino M, which has more power, thanks to a 612-hp V-8 turbo engine, up from 592 hp in the Portofino. It features a new eight-speed gearbox, replacing the seven-speed transmission.
The Portofino M is the first Ferrari convertible to get an eight-speed transmission. U.S. deliveries will begin in the summer of 2021.


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The Weekly Profit, June 2020
June 24, 2020
“Your groceries will arrive tomorrow.”
June 17, 2020Buying bankrupt stocks is an easy way for an investor to go broke.
June 10, 2020
Even though all 50 states are starting to reopen, restaurants are starving for sales and will be for many months to come.
June 3, 2020
On Saturday, Elon Musk’s SpaceX became the first private company to launch humans into space.


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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Young nutritional brand Bonk Breaker is sponsoring and supplying its first UCI ProTour team for this season: The Cannondale-Garmin squad.
SAINT-AUGUSTIN-DE-DESMAURES, Quebec (BRAIN) — Louis Garneau has sold four of his own paintings at $20,000 each to support Team Rwanda, the country's national cycling team, which is composed of young survivors of the 1994 genocide.
BREMBATE, Italy (BRAIN) — Cervélo co-founder Gerard Vroomen has teamed with René Wiertz — the current president and CEO of 3T — to buy the component company.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (BRAIN) — Sommerville Sports is now offering its custom clothing customers a special deal on helmets and sunglasses from the Italian brand SH+.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) — At its Frostbike event last weekend, QBP bestowed its 2015 Clay Mankin Award on Mike Cachat, the CEO of Jenson USA in Riverside, Calif. The Mankin award recognizes retailers who inspire others with their commitment to bicycle advocacy, industry growth and their passion for cycling.
CARLSBAD, Calif. (BRAIN) — Ridley Bikes has hired Lift Creative Studios to handle public relations and specific marketing projects in North America this year.
Lift's founder Steve Driscoll has previously handled marketing at Mavic, Velomax/Easton and Flite Controls.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (BRAIN) — Cycle Group Inc., the parent company of Box Components and Promax USA, has partnered with the Polygon United Ride mountain bike team as its shifter and derailleur sponsor.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (BRAIN) — Pacenti Cycle Design has named Rick Vosper Marketing Services as its agency of record, the company announced Monday.
SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — After nine months of contentious negotiations, the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced Friday a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) — Old man winter played Minnesota nice and released his icy grip on the Midwest just in time for QBP's annual Frostbike event, which kicked off Friday at its Twin City headquarters.
PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — ZEN Bicycle Fabrication is launching its own frame line branded, ZEN.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) — 45NRTH, the QBP-owned fat bike brand, has launched a consumer website focused on groomed winter fat biking locations.
SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Rumbleship is making a B2B website available to any of the brands that are available to dealers through its service.
PHOENIX, Ariz. (BRAIN) — Industry veteran and life-long cyclist Beverly Barr has recently retired after helping to shepherd Pivot Cycles' credit and collections department through the company's first seven years of business.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (BRAIN) — Strider Sports International Inc. has announced the dates and locations for its 2015 Strider Championship Series, a national racing series for children.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BRAIN) — Giordana Cycling apparel launched an entirely new website, GiordanaCycling.com, this week.
CHICAGO (BRAIN) — SRAM has hired Uwe Reichelt as its European director of OEM sales. He fills the position vacated when Robert Priest left SRAM last June. Reichelt comes from Continental's motorcycle division, where he was global head of sales, marketing, product management, and R&D since 2011.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) — Quality Bicycle Products will distribute Five Ten off-road cycling shoes starting in March.
QBP will ship a full range of men's, women's and kids' Five Ten shoes, featuring the Redlands, Calif.-based brand's proprietary, high-friction Stealth rubber compound.
CARLSBAD, Calif. (BRAIN) — Haro Bikes has brought on a Southern California branding and advertising agency, The Creative Bar, for a complete rebrand of their mountain bike line. The Creative Bar has worked on rebrands with other action sport clients including Intense Cycles, VEE Tire Co., and KTM.
OLATHE, Kan. (BRAIN) — Surging fourth-quarter fitness sales — led by activity tracking products — helped Garmin Ltd. offset losses in its automotive/mobile and outdoor divisions to close 2014 with a 6 percent year-over-year gain in quarterly revenue.


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Over the years, the medical supplies sector has been one of the healthcare industry sectors to show immense growth. However, rapid changes will always occur, introducing new problems and challenges. The firms and companies responsible have had to endure the challenges as they look for solutions to make everything easier. Looking at 2023 and beyond, the medical supply industry faces some of the most significant challenges.
1. COVID-19 Pandemic
Logistics is the backbone of any industry. The free flow of goods and services is essential for the correct functioning of industries and the economy. Ever since the Pandemic hit the world, everything has been paralyzed. The free movement of goods, services, and people was drastically affected. Medical supply firms had to rethink their strategies to maintain efficiency and abide by regulations and restrictions. With all the disruptions, it was hard for these firms to continue their normal operations, some even being forced to downsize. They were getting the raw materials to manufacturers and finished products to the suppliers and consumers.
As time goes by, firms are incorporating new ways to restore the smooth running of their businesses. The medical supply industry will soon start gaining its form back, and hopefully, things will return to normal. Those with the best strategies are destined to survive the crisis.
2. Shortage of Skills
The medical supply industry has seen an immense increase in the use of technology. Even though this has made it easier to maneuver the market, it has created a problem. More skilled workers are needed to work alongside the technological advancements made. Even though the medical training department has effectively done its job, the computer and tech-related departments have to up their game to work.
Most companies in the industry have had shortages in several critical areas for quite some time now. As a result, those who have already bagged these jobs can freely demand higher wages, which adds to workforce costs. As a result, some experts recommend outsourcing such services. However, this can challenge some supply firms since they cannot attract a skilled workforce. However, the best way to do this is by making their firms and companies more lucrative and appealing to potential employees.
3. Evolution of Regulations
Over the past few years, medical supply regulations have kept changing. Moreover, this trend is set to continue in 2023. Most of these changes are driven by changes in the market’s demands and technological advancements. In addition, most of these laws aim to protect the privacy and manage big data. Therefore, medical supply firms must shift their strategies and procedures to cater to such changes.
Medical supply companies and the industry must improve accuracy and reliability when working and managing this information. Technology can play a massive part in this; they can adopt enhanced cybersecurity services or cloud-based software to protect all the information about stock, supplies, suppliers, and customers.
4. Drug Shortages
Drug shortages have seemed inescapable, mainly because of the unpredictability of the healthcare sector. Most of the time, this is responsible for the mess that arises within the supply chain. Providers find themselves where they can only purchase much more expensive alternatives to satisfy the demand. Some also maintain backup inventories of products that might get short of supply, which is an additional inventory cost.
5. Diverse Preferences by Physicians
Regarding drugs and products, different healthcare professionals have other preferences. Unfortunately, most organizations choose this as the final say when making purchases. Most of these physicians don’t even know about the result of their choices. Recent surveys have proven that surgeons estimate the cost of the items correctly just once in five tries.
Making physicians understand the cost of their choices and the available alternatives will go a long way in attaining better outcomes and prices.
The medical industry is projected to grow at 6% this year. Even though the industry faces challenges, there is still hope that things will continue improving.


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Amazon Games announced that New World is entering another testing phase soon as the release date nears.
New World Alpha testing is continuing and this phase will last until July 6, 2021. When it concludes, there will be a two-week break before we get to the Closed Beta, which is scheduled for July 20.
This information is coming straight from the dev update , which you can check out in the video form below or on the official website on the provided link. Alternatively, you can stick around for the rest of the highlights in this article.
Amazon Games mentioned that their May update was the last major one when it comes to content and features before the official launch, scheduled for August 31, and the updates going forward will be aimed at bug fixes, polishing and performance improvements.
One interesting takeaway from both the text update and the YouTube presentation from the game director, Scot Lane, mention that the launch will only be Day 1 for the title and that more updates and features are coming in the future.
Considering that New World is an MMO, these were a given but now that the devs explicitly mentioned that particular part, the fans are getting paranoid about the state of the game they will get at launch.
Maybe it's nothing and just an attempt to reassure the players the game wouldn't be abandoned like Crucible was but the simple sentence left a speck of doubt in the future players' minds.


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Continuing with its network expansion, Somany Ceramics Ltd has inaugurated a state-of-the-art exclusive showroom in Borivali West, Mumbai to display innovative products. The products on display include tiles, faucets, sanitaryware, shower systems, smart toilets and bath fittings. The store – Shah Décor – is strategically located in the heart of suburban Mumbai, and was inaugurated by the company’s president–sales & marketing, Sanjay Kalra.
The new showroom boasts of the brand’s top offerings and is designed with an open floor plan to help consumers easily navigate and find desired products across various categories. It provides the brand with an increased proximity to end, commercial and professional consumers of suburban Mumbai. The showroom also has a team of trained personnel to ensure a hassle-free and unmatched experience for customers.
“We are delighted to achieve yet another milestone in our growth story with the inauguration of this exclusive showroom in Mumbai. Our growing network marks the increasing confidence that our customers and our investors have in the brand. We have an exciting year ahead of us as we are poised to launch several innovative new products across markets in India,” said Kalra at the inaugural. He added, “Suburban Mumbai is an important market for us as this part of the city has witnessed a substantial rise in real estate projects. With the inauguration of this showroom, we aim to further strengthen our foothold in the area and capitalise on the growing demand for quality ceramic products and bathroom fittings.”
With this expansion, the company promises to continue with its expansion plan this year by launching more than 200 showrooms comprising of franchisee stores and company-owned experience centers across the country by end of 2017.


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We're still open for business - covid safe following HSE spot check!
11th November, 2020
Posted By: dean bradley
We're still open for business - covid safe following HSE spot check! Following the Government announcement of the latest lockdown we just wanted to reassure customer that we are open for business as usual, and we will be despatching orders as planned. If you have an order outstanding withView Article
- North Newington BCS Table Tennis – new team kit thanks to sponsorship including Glazpart
- Glazpart launch a new range of colour matched Drain hole covers
- Glazpart launch innovative range of background trickle ventilators
- See Glazpart launching it's Mk2 Link vent and Windowear at FITSHOW 2017
- Glazpart Gladiators -- It's A knockout -- well almost !!


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The Next Mortal Kombat May be Another Reboot, According to Rumors
A fresh round of rumors regarding the next Mortal Kombat game has surfaced on 4chan. The existence of a new game in the series has yet to be confirmed by developer NetherRealm Studios, so eager fans will have to make do with any details they can get. If the latest rumors have their way, the next Mortal Kombat game is all set to be another reboot. If the story wasn’t already convoluted enough, it most certainly would be under such a scenario.
Other details shared in the rumor include some new ancestral twists. Both Sonya Blade’s father and an ancestor of Kung Lao will make an appearance as playable characters. But that’s not all. The rumors also state that the Krypt will now feature combat, and your character will have the ability to learn new moves from certain opponents. It’s also said to be bigger in scope, featuring new areas to explore.
The rumor also states that Mortal Kombat XII (if that’s what it’s called) will run on a modified version of Unreal Engine 4, and will arrive sometime in the year 2023. Of course, even if the rumor is true, there’s a chance the project may move over to Unreal Engine 5, as has been the case with other future Unreal Engine releases.
Much like all the other 4chan rumors, this one should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, it’s hard to deny that some of these rumors sound promising. There’s no mention of platforms, but the PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC are a given. Whether the sequel to Mortal Kombat 11 will be cross-gen, and, therefore, also available on PS4 and Xbox One remains a question mark.


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Vacation business stays hopeful regardless of ongoing pandemic
From left: Branch Manager Hayley Gulliver, Emma Bagley, Maria Sanchez, and assistant overseer Jade WarhurstMaggie Rogers who runs The Travelwallet in BridgnorthBasharat Khan, who runs ACE Travel & Money TransferMaggie Rogers
In the meantime, vacation companies need to be actively prepared as people look forward to the summer of 2021.
The truth is that no one knows if anything that can be stored here can be real.
Things have not been helped by the turmoil and turmoil surrounding this year’s loss.
Thousands of planes have been evacuated this year and some travelers are working to recover from coronavirus-infected airlines.
Some pilots have damaged their planes, and others have disappeared.
This is a time of worry, especially for travelers who need to know the situation and advise clients on how to do it.
The lives of travelers have been severely disrupted by the Covid-19 explosion, fearing that holidaymakers will lose confidence in the idea of going outside in the midst of our coronavirus-changing guidelines.
But companies say there are signs of a future. People are expecting something else.
They are also counting the trips for 2021 and 2022 after recording their vacation in 2020.
At Hays Travel, in Oldbury, manager Hayley Gulliver has high hopes for the business.
From left: Branch Manager Hayley Gulliver, Emma Bagley, Maria Sanchez, and assistant overseer Jade Warhurst
He said: “All the aircraft we booked were canceled as soon as we closed in March but we resumed reservation in July.
“Most of them – between 300 and 400 – resigned next year or so but I would say 20% saved 2022 again.
“There have been a lot of distractions for people but we have been able to help them.”
An independent company, based in Sunderland, took over Thomas Cook after the epidemic ended.
But it is boosting the business, bringing the implementation of its offerings in 2022 on the first flight because of the high anticipation of the holidays.
At ACE Travel & Money Transfer, based in Tividale, store manager Basharat Khan says many customers, who have traveled to Pakistan, are struggling to get refunds if flights fail.
Basharat Khan, who runs ACE Travel & Money Transfer
He added: “We had a lot of complaints. My business is mainly Pakistan and the riders traveling on Pakistani International Airlines.
“When aircraft are banned, one reason is due to the Covid-19, while the second is by European countries that ban their flights.
“For that reason, let’s say someone paid $ 800 for a return trip from Birmingham. He did one leg of this trip but couldn’t bring the passengers back.
“He said you have to borrow a ticket and return it when you return to the UK.
“But most of the customers, who paid a lot of money to return here by plane from Pakistan, were only reimbursed $ 70 to £ 80.”
At The Travelwallet in Bridgnorth, general manager Maggie Rogers said many customers have opted for refunds for travel they have banned while others are moving their vacation to 2021.
The company, which Ms. Rogers says is the only operator left in Bridgnorth, caters to customers throughout the region, from the Black Country to rural Shropshire.
“The problem with us is that we are paid and they are the ones who visit them in preparation for the holidays,” he said.
“But once the customer chooses to be reimbursed, we have to reimburse our employees. It’s like repaying last year’s profits.”
He also said the trade started in the summer but the relentless change in coronaviruses and the government makes people more dependent on mobility.
Rogers says he has been in the business group for 40 years but “never been like this”.
However, despite the difficulties of the business, he promised his company to be open and employees will continue to work hard for their customers.
The prospects for the mobile industry lie, as do all of us, in a vaccine that can reduce the risks that people can once again maintain with full confidence.
The Travel Association, which represents tour operators, has called on the Government to intervene now to support the trade.
The spokesman said: “The Chancellor has announced the growth of the Job Support Scheme to support businesses that need to be closed due to your closure.
“For nearly eight months the travel industry has been plagued by globalization against all but the essential commodities, immutable regulatory rules and the government’s failure to establish a pilot government that can help reopen more facilities.
“The announcement of the Global Travel Taskforce is an recognition of the challenges that businesses face in all travels.
“However, we cannot afford to wait several weeks for help. It is important for the government to take immediate action to help businesses fail, as well as partners.
“Without further assistance we will see further job losses over the course of several weeks, including more than 100,000 jobs that have already been lost or are at risk due to the crisis.”


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THINK Starbucks is a rip off? Just wait until you see how much Oslo has to pay for the same cup of coffee.
The Wall Street Journal compared the cost of a Starbucks grande latte converted to US dollars using the exchange rates on February 20 and including taxes.
It found it would take $9.83 to buy a latte in Oslo Norway, compared to $4.82 in Sydney, $4.30 in New York and $2.80 in New Delhi.
In Zurich that cup of coffee would cost $7.12, in Brussels $5.65, in Istanbul it would cost $3.92 and in Mexico it would cost $3.22.
The findings of the Wall Street Journal's research show that in countries where the currency is overvalued, the dollar doesn’t go as far.
"It would take more dollars to buy a Starbucks latte in a country with a strong currency like Norway, than in one with a currency that has less buying power like India," the Journal said.
Take a look at the Wall Street Journal's graph on Purchasing power. The price of a latte.
A recent UBS report ranked Oslo as the most expensive city in the world for the last three years.
"Food in Oslo is so expensive you can actually buy half a cucumber," the New York Times reported.
PriceRunner's Martin Andersen told news agency NTB: "We think it’s important for travellers to know more than just the cost of a hotel room. The price of everyday items is also important."
So if you're thinking of travelling to Oslo, make sure you allow a bigger budget or at least search the web for savings tips.


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Fighting EX Layer’s PC Version Announced with 4K Support
Arika announced today the upcoming PC version of Fighting EX Layer which will come to Steam including support for 4K display resolution.
Apparently, SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy isn’t the only new destination for Skullomania. The masked hero and all of his colleagues from Arika’s Fighting EX Layer are migrating to PC.
The game will be launched on Steam, and no release window was confirmed for now. One thing that we do know is that it’ll support 4K resolution.
A while ago Arika did mention that a Steam version of the game might have come, but they clarified that the PS4 version had to be finished first since they are a small team that can’t handle two platforms at once. At last, that tease has been fulfilled.
You can check out the trailer that revealed the announcement. You can also see the new characters Vulcano Rosso and Pullum Purna, and the announcement trailer, that also showcased the upcoming DLC featuring Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters.
Fighting EX Layer is currently available only for PS4, at least until the Steam version arrives.


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Enterprise Generates $435M in CU Car Loans
In 2013, Enterprise Car Sales said it generated $435 million in auto loans for credit unions throughout the U.S.
This marks an increase of more than 12% over 2012’s loan volume, with more than 26,000 loans offered through Enterprise Car Sales’ credit union partners last year, according to the St. Louis-based company.
“Credit unions are natural business partners because we share many of the same values,” said Beth Wheeler, corporate director of business development for Enterprise Car Sales. “We are both driven to provide customers the best service possible, with a commitment to the communities in which we work and live.”
One of those partners is the $928 million WEOKIE Credit Union in Oklahoma City, which increased its overall car sale transactions by 28% in 2013, according to Enterprise. The credit union has been partner with the company for more than 14 years.
“Collaborating with Enterprise for so long has turned out to be a significant benefit,” said Brent Taylor, WEOKIE's CEO. “The Enterprise Car Sales team serves our credit union members well, and helps us get consumers into reliable, affordable vehicles efficiently and quickly.”
Enterprise Car Sales said it has partnered with credit unions for more than 30 years and during that time, has helped generate nearly $10 billion in loan volume for more than 1,000 credit unions nationwide.


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OAK BROOK, Ill. – McDonald’s says that a key sales measurement dipped in May, with weakness in the U.S. and some overseas markets.
The world’s biggest hamburger chain said Monday that sales at locations open at least 13 months edged down 0.3 per cent last month. That was better than the 1.1 per cent decline that analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected.
In the U.S., the figure declined 2.2 per cent — just about even with the 2.1 per cent dip Thomson Reuters analysts predicted. The measurement dropped 3.2 per cent for the Asia-Pacific region, Middle East and Africa — better than the 5 per cent drop analysts forecast.
Europe was a bright spot, rising 2.3 per cent. This was much better than the 0.3 per cent increase analysts called for.
This is the last time that McDonald’s Corp. will report these monthly sales figures.
The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company is looking to turn around its business as sales remain sluggish. Its plans include a restructuring of the company intended to strip away layers of bureaucracy, and selling more company-owned restaurants to franchisees around the world.
Shares of McDonald’s added 2 cents to $95.56 in late morning trading. Its shares are down more than 6 per cent over the past year.


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Open for U.S. beta testers only
The beta thing, but moreso the ``U.S. only'' attitude for a global company, is increasingly putting me off. If I don't buy into what they do, I can safely ignore it. Still. So that's what I do.
Google has provided limited access to an online storage service built atop its famously distributed online infrastructure. Known as Google Storage for Developers, the service was unveiled last night with a blog as the company hosts its annual developer conference in San Francisco, California. Using a Representational State …
Since Amazon's offering a same-price service that's already available, and backed by a tried and tested public infrastructure, Google's offering is only really of interest to "virgin" cloud customers, and those looking for a second source/alternative backup. And US-based ones at that, since Google isn't prepared to let the world have a go, at least for now.
They're going to have to do a lot more than that to have a chance of tipping Amazon's scales.
Biting the hand that feeds IT © 1998–2022


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Bekaert announces group restructuring [ Belgium ]
Bekaert announced that it is enhancing the effectiveness of its operating model and process efficiencies across the business. The Group will develop stronger knowledge centres and invest further in...
<Dec 04, 2020>
Related News File
Bekaert sells Hemiksem, Belgium Site (Jul 10, 2020)
Bekaert announces temporary plant shutdowns (Mar 26, 2020)
Bekaert announces restructuring plans for Belgium (Mar 28, 2019)
Bekaert Lipetsk (Russia) launches a major expansion program (Sep 05, 2017)


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The focus for Potandon Produce LLC at the New York Produce Show this year will be on the health benefits of potatoes, and particularly of some of Potandonâ€™s proprietary products, according Glen Reynolds, vice president of variety sales and business development for the Idaho Falls, ID-based company.
â€œWe are in the process of rebranding our company as The Healthy Potato Company,â€ Reynolds toldÂ The Produce News. We are working very diligently on consumer education, knowledge innovation, and the consumer experience.â€
In the value-added category, â€œwe are working from the consumer backwards on our convenience packaging,â€ he said.
With respect to commodity potatoes, â€œwe are trying to focus on the true health benefits of the product,â€ Reynolds continued. As an example, potatoes are â€œa great source of potassiumâ€ which is important for heart health. They are also a good source of fiber, particularly when recipes are used which retain the skins.
â€œPotatoes themselves are nutritionally very good,â€ Reynolds said. But â€œthe toppings the consumer puts on the potatoes can dramatically change the nutritional value.â€


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This is the first time we’ve heard of a manufacturer running completely on solar – 2.77 megawatts provides more than they need.
OPEX Corp., which makes automated mail handling and package-picking equipment, occupies a 30-acre campus five miles east of Philadelphia, in New Jersey. Their PV system is the largest for a privately held company in the state.
by Jim McMahon
In New Jersey, a leading manufacturer of automated material-handling equipment recently slashed its utility bills 84% thanks to a huge solar PV array – 2.77 megawatts (MW).
OPEX Corp. now produces more than 100% of the electricity needed to operate its 250,000-square-foot manufacturing, distribution and administrative complex in Moorestown, NJ. That makes the facility net-zero for electricity.
It’s the largest solar installation in New Jersey by a privately held company.
Before going solar, OPEX reduced internal loads. "We were spending a lot of money on electricity, and were constantly battling to reduce those costs," says Dave Andrews, OPEX Facilities Manager.
"We had installed efficiency fluorescent lighting throughout the manufacturing/ distribution areas and in our administrative offices, and added motion-sensitive lighting in other areas. We also installed a computer-based programmable system for our rooftop HVAC units to run on a more efficient user-occupied basis. These changes produced significant savings."
Late in 2009, CEO Dave Stevens began exploring solar as a next cost-saving step. OPEX conducted a systematic cost-benefit analysis, taking into account the company’s long-term business and sustainability goals.
"This was a logical next step for us," says Andrews. "As we started learning about it, the potential began making good financial sense. The incentives looked really attractive, including a 30% rebate from the federal government." OPEX also expected to benefit from solar renewable energy credits, then worth $660 per megawatt-hour.
Optimizing Solar Energy Use
OPEX selected H2 Contracting of Marlton, NJ as a general contractor. The traditional grid energy consumption for the Moorestown complex was 2.6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year.
To cover all that, H2 designed a 2.77 MW solar installation consisting of 8372, 250-watt Canadian Solar modules covering the roofs of two buildings and two parking pavilions, along with a three-acre solar field array, for a total projected annual output of 2.77 kWh.
This was previously a softball field:
"The solar system installed at OPEX is not a typical design," says Mark Heenan, president and LEED-Accredited Professional with H2. "Because we mounted the panels on multiple rooftops, canopies and a field array, the 82,000 square feet of PV panels are oriented in six different directions, and with various tilts to better capitalize on available sunlight and space. We used Satcon’s Smart Combiner to optimize production." The array, on RBI racking, sends power at 590 volts to four Satcon Solstice 500 inverters.
The grid-tied system, completed in April 2012, directly supports the company’s manufacturing and distribution operations and administrative offices.
The company’s parking pavilions now provide two EV charging stations for employee use. All scrap materials and oils used in manufacturing, and paper products from administrative offices, are recycled. OPEX sank its own 175-foot well to irrigate eight acres of open land on campus, replanted with native fescue grass that requires little water. Rainwater runoff from the 22 acres of roofing and parking areas is funneled to open ground to percolate into the aquifer.
OPEX products – automated mail sorting and material-handling products – are designed to be energy efficient and sustainable. Its Mail Matrix sorter and perfect Pick warehouse picking system rely on robot delivery vehicles, equipped with ultra-capacitors to recapture energy during operation.
Jim McMahon writes on renewable energy and sustainability, with feature stories appearing in hundreds of industrial and technology publications throughout the world.
This article first appeared in Solar Today (March/April 2014), the magazine of the American Solar Energy Society.


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- 2 min read
GSP withdrawal by US may moderately hit gem and jewellery exports: Crisil
The withdrawal of GSP will affect exporters of gems & jewellery the most because 15% of such exports availed of its benefits in 2018.
In calendar 2018, India’s goods and services trade with the US totalled $142.1 billion of which, exports were $83.2 billion. Within exports, that under GSP is estimated to be 7.5-7.8%, which translates into $260 million of levies saved, tantamount to a 4% duty benefit.
While the gems & jewellery sector could be moderately impacted by the withdrawal of GSP, pharmaceuticals and textiles & apparel would be relatively unscathed.
“The withdrawal of GSP will affect exporters of gems & jewellery the most because 15% of such exports availed of its benefits in calendar 2018. Now there will be an additional duty of 7% on exports of precious metal-based and imitation jewellery. That will reduce competitiveness of domestic exporters and put pressure on margins,” said Hetal Gandhi, director, CRISIL Research.
To be sure, the gems & jewellery sector is already under pressure on account of stringent lending rules and working capital crunch. India tops the list of exporters to the US in this category, with more than 15% share. However, increasing competition from Israel, Mexico and Canada remains a monitorable. Indian companies also face intense competition for exports of pharmaceutical products to the US from the likes of Ireland, Germany and Switzerland. The US market accounts for 35-37% of Indian formulation exports. However, the impact of GSP withdrawal on pharmaceuticals is minimal.
In apparels, developing nations such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh have been increasing their share in overall exports to the US. The impact of GSP withdrawal on apparel exports is minimal. Given this, the 4% subsidy offered by the government under the Merchandise Export Incentive Scheme (MEIS) remains a monitorable in this
category. If MEIS benefits are not renewed, it would lead to deterioration of export competitiveness, thereby impacting
exports to the US.
That said, there have been instances of the US reinstating GSP status after withdrawing it – such as for Argentina, Liberia and Myanmar – based on certain criteria.
The bigger issue, however, is the spectre of trade tightening for India that the move raises.
The US accounts for over 15% of India’s exports of goods, though from a US perspective, imports from India are barely 2% of the pie. The US’s trade deficit with India has declined continuously over the past five years, from $31 billion in calendar 2014 to $24.2 billion in calendar 2018. This is because India’s exports to the US have logged a compounded annual growth rate of 6%, while its imports from the US have run up at 11%.


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As ‘Technology Board Daily’, Huawei Harmony OS will release version 2.0 at the Huawei Developer Conference held on September 11 this year. This version will open up product terminals such as PCs, watches and cars/accessories.
In August 2019, at the 2019 Huawei Developer Conference, Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business and Executive Director of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., officially released its own operating system Harmony OS.
Prior to this, we have heard that Huawei plans to launch a new smartwatch series Mate Watch. What’s more interesting with this product is that it is going to run on Harmony OS. Interestingly, this smartwatch will be announced along with the Huawei Mate 40 line. So there is every reason to think that the latter will be the first smartphone running Huawei’s self-developed operating system.
By the way, the first product with this OS onboard are already out. The Honor Smart Screen and Huawei Smart Screen have taken the lead in adopting Harmony OS system.
Gizchina News of the week
Judging from the development plan previously announced by Huawei, Harmony OS 2.0 will cover innovative domestic PCs, watches, bracelets, and car terminals. Next year, Harmony OS 3.0 will also go to the speakers, headphones, VR glasses, and more devices.
What Products Will Run On Harmony OS?
It is worth noting that the enterprise search shows that Huawei has applied for a large number of Harmony-related trademarks and is currently awaiting review.
The leaked screenshots also show that these registered trademarks include: HUAWEI HarmonyOS, HONOR HarmonyOS, HUAWEI ARK OS, Amon OS, HarmonyOS Linked, HarmonyOS Connected, AIRGlass, Home Mate, Hi City, Hi Lens, etc.
In this regard, Huawei stated that applying for ‘Harmony OS’ is just a normal business process.
Also read: Harmony OS Will Be The Fifth Largest Operating System By 2020
As we can see Huawei is going to conquer the world with its own operating system.Many doubt this company will succeed. But we want to remind them (you) that Huawei has already launched many smartphones that replace GMS with its HMS. Of course, we are not naive to think Harmony OS will push out Android from the market. But for sure, Huawei will capture a huge market sure. We should recall here that Huawei is the world’s second smartphone maker. And do you imagine what will happen if some top smartphone makers decide to switch to Harmony OS?


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By Heba Al Saeed
Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 05:00 PM
The company works Camel According to a Chinese tipster who said Apple is evaluating the design of its own Internet service provider, Apple is developing an image signal processor (ISP) internally to improve the iPhones’ camera capabilities.
According to 9to5google, the chip is expected to enter mass production in the second half of 2026 and will be manufactured by TSMC.
ISP plays an important role in smartphone photography as it processes the raw image data captured by the camera sensor and transforms it into a high-quality image by performing various operations.
This includes HDR processing, exposure adjustment, image sharpening, noise removal, noise reduction, white balance correction, lens distortion correction and others.
Apple currently relies on Sony’s ISPs for its iPhones, but with an internal ISP, Apple will have more control over imaging lines and can optimize them specifically for its devices if implemented.
Apple is known for its sophisticated approach to hardware development, so expect this new ISP to be an important step forward in the company’s camera technology.


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Remodeling business gains as home sales drop
Small companies whose success is tied to the remodeling business are looking healthy even as home sales drop.
Two reports last week showed that the housing market is weakening. The National Association of Realtors said sales of existing homes fell for the third straight month during June. And the Commerce Department said sales of new homes fell more than 5 percent last month. Rising interest rates and home prices are blamed for the slowdown. Another Commerce Department report showed that ground-breakings on new homes dropped more than 12 percent in June, a sign that weakness in the market may persist.
But a report released this month by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies sees a strong home remodeling market though the middle of 2019, a trend that benefits contractors, painters and landscapers who tend to be small businesses. The center forecasts that homeowner spending on improvements and repairs will rise at an annual rate of 7.2 percent over the next four quarters, up from 6.6 percent during the previous four.
Chris Herbert, managing director of the center, said the strong job market and strengthening economy have encouraged owners to invest in their homes. The economy grew at an annual rate of 4.1 percent during the April-June quarter, according to the Commerce Department. While economists don’t expect that rate of growth to continue, they still predict that the economy will expand at a healthy pace.


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Nagpur: The Environment Ministry this week issued its ” Draft E-Waste Management Rules,” which set a new standard for businesses and firms to follow when it comes to recycling electronic waste.
The new draught rules have triggered a new round of public comment, and it is expected to go into effect later this year. It also established a system of tradable certificates, similar to internationally traded carbon credits.
By 2023, all businesses and electronic manufacturers that generate e-waste must ensure that at least 60% of their electronic waste is collected and recycled. In addition, they must collect 70% of waste by 2024 and 80% by 2025 in order to recycle it.
What is a Tradable Certificate System (TCS)?
Carbon credits are permits that allow a company to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases within a specified time period.
These permits are now tradable, and their prices are determined by supply and demand. Companies usually pollute less than they are allowed to in order to sell their credits to others.
Violators will also be required to pay a “environment compensation” fine, which will be partially refunded depending on how late the offenders meet their targets. The rules specify consumer electronics, telecommunications equipment, medical equipment, and electronic tools.
According to the draft, “A product can purchase EPR certificates limited to its EPR liability for the current year plus any leftover liability from previous years plus 10% of the current year liability.”
But first, EPR stands for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is a policy approach in which producers are given significant financial and/or physical responsibility for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.
According to the statement, “as soon as the producer purchases an EPR certificate, it will be automatically adjusted against its liability, with priority given to earlier liability.” The adjusted EPR certificate will be automatically extinguished and cancelled.”
The chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will oversee implementation and coordinate the trading of EPR certificates.
According to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2017, India is estimated to generate approximately 2 million tonnes of e-waste each year, ranking fifth among e-waste producing countries. The leading producers of e-waste are the United States, China, Japan, and Germany.
India first enacted e-waste management regulations in 2016, which were later amended in 2018.
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The death of the American steel industry is fine with the likes of the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Cato Institute. They say Americans should thank foreign states that violate international trade laws by subsidizing their steel industries.
More times than not, it falls to America's mayors and governors to persuade companies to expand business investment and increase living standards in the United States. And for too long, the federal government has been an imperfect partner in this effort.
It's the perfect carrot to begin to establish a more productive trade relationship with China while also boosting the homegrown U.S. solar industry that never supported such tariffs in the first place.
The president has weathered a good deal of criticism for a lack of women in high-level appointments. The administration has defended its mostly white-guy picks, and told the girls to wait -- more female appointments are coming. Here are a few entries to get them started.
While America does not have a royal family to promote its brand, people and products around the world, it does have an untapped resource with its own brand of royal magic: former presidents and first ladies.


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Press Release****Husqvarna Motorcycles acquired by BMW Motorrad Willow Grove, PA (USA) -- Cagiva USA announces that its parent company, MV Agusta Motor S.p.A, has sold the Husqvarna motorcycle brand to BMW Motorrad.The agreement was signed in Italy on July 19, 2007 by MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. president Claudio Castiglioni and Dr. Herbert Diess, General Director of BMW Motorrad. The contract will come into full effect upon final approval by EU authorities."The sale of Husqvarna Motorcycles by MV Agusta and its acquisition by BMW will significantly benefit both parties," said Lawrence Ferracci, Director of Operations for Cagiva USA, Inc., the exclusive North American distributor for Husqvarna, MV Agusta, and Cagiva motorcycles. "Most importantly, MV Agusta is strengthened by its ability to focus on its award-winning, high-end, on-road products, while BMW gains quick entry and excellent growth opportunities in the performance off-road sector with a strong, competitive, historic brand."Ferracci also noted that "MV Agusta dealers will benefit from this focus with the MV factory commitment to expand its product development and lines, while Husqvarna dealers will gain the support structure of a global enterprise with resources to ensure Husqvarna motorcycles exponential growth. The transaction is a win-win situation for all parties."Cagiva USA, Inc. will continue all sales, marketing, administration and logistical support for both brands for the foreseeable future. The release of the significantly updated Husqvarna 2008 model year products remains uninterrupted.Official press releases from both MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. and BMW Motorrad:BMW Motorrad
MV Agusta Motor S.p.A.


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Mazda testing U.S. diesel market with new CX-5 SUV
Los Angeles — Mazda Motor Corp. will use its best-selling vehicle to test the embattled U.S. diesel market after Volkwagen AG’s diesel emissions scandal.
The all-new 2017 CX-5 should be in showrooms by March with options for SkyActiv 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter gasoline engines. In the second half of 2017, the Japanese automaker will release a 2.2-liter diesel version of the the compact crossover SUV.
Mazda North America President and CEO Masahiro Moro said the company will use the diesel CX-5 to “test the market” to determine whether or not the automaker will offer more models with diesels.
“I’m very interested in the diesel engine,” he told The Detroit News earlier this month on the sidelines of the Los Angeles Auto Show. “I’m not seeking for big volume, but a very good challenge in terms for us to show, mostly, the big benefit that diesel has.”
Mazda has successfully sold the diesel version of the CX-5 outside of the United States since the vehicle’s introduction in 2012. Moro declined to estimate what percentage of sales the company expects domestically. However, he said between 5 percent and 10 percent “would be nice.”
With the diesel engine, Mazda expects the CX-5 to be one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles in its class. But it declined to release fuel economy expectations until they are certified.
The company is in a unique position in the U.S. market. It leads in fuel economy thanks to its popular SkyActiv engine lineup and doesn’t necessarily need to offer diesel models — which are generally more fuel-efficient — to meet federal fuel economy regulations.
Mazda’s first diesel for the United States comes as diesel sales have slowed in the U.S. in the wake of Volkswagen’s costly exhaust-emissions cheating scandal, which surfaced a year ago.
Volkswagen and Audi have been prohibited from selling diesels in the U.S. since revelations that VW had doctored software to turn off pollution-control devices whenever the cars weren’t being tested by regulators.
The German automaker had a stranglehold on the non-truck diesel market. But last week, VW chief executive Herbert Diess said the company is “working under the assumption that we will no longer offer diesel vehicles in the United States.”
Mazda isn’t the only mainstream automaker looking to capitalize on VW driving away from the U.S. diesel market, which represented only about 3 percent of overall sales in 2014 and 2015, according to auto analytics firm IHS Markit.
General Motors Co. earlier this year announced the redesigned Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback would be available with diesel power around the third quarter of next year. Chevy first offered a diesel version of the Cruze for the 2014 model year.
The Detroit-based automaker also has announced the redesigned compact Equinox SUV will be available with a 1.6-liter diesel that could turn an estimated 40 mpg on the highway.
Offering compact crossover/SUVs with diesel engines is an emerging trend, as consumer preferences in recent years have moved from sedans to crossovers. But not everyone is bullish on the compact diesel market for the U.S., as Americans outside of heavy-duty truck buyers have never fully embraced them.
“I don’t expect it will be much volume, because diesels have just fallen out of favor,” Autotrader.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs said about the CX-5 diesel. “Mazda struggles to breakthrough the noise with all the other big Japanese automakers, maybe this gives them something to crow about to make them a little bit different.”
Jeep boss Mike Manley last week told reporters that the company does not plan to offer a diesel version of its all-new Compass for the U.S. “We can meet the emissions standards,” he said after the vehicle’s debut in Los Angeles. “I just don’t think at this moment and time there’s a viable market for the diesel in the U.S.”
Jeep started offering a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine for its Jeep Grand Cherokeefor the 2014 model-year. Mike Manley, global head of the brand, said sales of the diesel variant represent about between 3 percent and 8 percent of sales.


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A group of scientists from the U.S. and Israel have proposed a CO2 removal strategy that utilizes modern genetic engineering of plants.
Though extremely regulated and limited in number, GMOs are some of the most wildly misunderstood and polarizing food items available today.
In an era where information is a hot commodity, does the open-source model have a future in agriculture, or is it a flirtation destined to fail?
Its worth repeating from time to time that California-based Mann’s Fresh Vegetables removed the “non-GMO” label off of its products
“Fear” seems to be the new “sex” when it comes to selling something, especially food products.
While apples that originally evolved in the wild needed to entice megafauna to disperse their seeds, humans ultimately took over that task, spreading the trees along the famous Silk Road along with other familiar crops. This dispersing of the apple seeds ultimately led to the trees’ domestication. All of this is laid out in a […]
Here are a few tips to decipher fact from fiction when reading an article online — so that you don’t fall prey to internet pseudoscience.
A Fresh Look formed to provide trustworthy, research-based information to consumers about the benefits of GMO farming methods.
In food production the United Kingdom pays lip service to environmental stewardship rather than doing some actual good.


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Panasonic Announces Arbitrator BodyWorn Camera MK3
Panasonic System Communications Company of North America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America (Panasonic), a provider of advanced mobile technology, video evidence capture and management solutions for the public sector, will be announcing at ISC West 2017 its next generation Arbitrator Body-Worn Camera (BWC) MK3.
Incorporating feedback from law enforcement agencies around the country, the Panasonic MK3 camera is designed to be rugged and reliable in any situation. The new version of this product has the following upgraded features: industry-leading battery life, durability, and system compatibility.
"Law enforcement and other organizations operating in harsh conditions and with no tolerance for equipment failure or inferior video have turned to Panasonic for rugged quality for years," said Panasonic Business Security Group Director Greg Peratt. "The new MK3 is designed to deliver the same tough reliability Panasonic is famous for, and is engineered to exceed law enforcement expectations for a body-worn camera."
New features of the Arbitrator BWC MK 3 include:
- More than 12-hour battery life
- IP67-rated design that makes the body-worn camera resistant when exposed to dirt, drops, water submersion and other environmental conditions
- Rugged IP67 and MIL-STD-810G architecture
- Compatible with Panasonic's Enterprise-Level Evidence Management Software and In-Vehicle recording systems
The MK3 will be available through Panasonic's reseller network in the Spring of 2017. The MK3 will be on display at ISC West in Las Vegas.


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Google’s filtering capabilities in Gmail are usually excellent at preventing spam from ever hitting your inbox. However, a new variant today is cleverly bypassing those protections by making it appear that your account is the one directly sending the spam email to itself.
spam Stories April 22, 2018
spam Stories August 2, 2016
Hiya provides enhanced caller ID and spam detection on the Galaxy Note 7
Samsung has always been known to include quite a few of its own custom features with its smartphones, and its latest device, the Galaxy Note 7, is no exception. Just like the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge from earlier this year, Samsung has included dozens of great features on the Note 7 and one that you may find very useful is the built-in spam identification services.
spam Stories April 13, 2016
New Google+ Content Controls flag spam and inappropriate posts in Communities
The latest iteration of Google+ heavily revolves around Collections and Communities. To help prevent spam and inappropriate content, Communities now have more aggressive content controls and filters that will flag posts. Google is gradually rolling out the new filters to existing communities…
spam Stories July 9, 2015
While email may not be perfect and many actually loathe it, it’s still the way many businesses choose to get information out – flight and accommodation receipts, job application responses, and everything else. Google says the amount of mail that you actually want to see that is accidentally sent to the spam inbox is a mere 0.05%. But the company is all about data-driven, incremental improvements, so today it’s releasing a new tool for senders of email to better ensure their messages reach your Gmail inbox.
spam Stories May 11, 2015
Google’s Map Maker has been getting hit hard with spam over the last few months, with one of the most recent and widely publicized incidents involving an Android logo urinating on an Apple logo in the middle of Pakistan. Now, the company is telling users of the Map Maker website that the service will be temporarily shut down as of tomorrow, May 12th… expand full story
spam Stories March 13, 2015
More than a quarter of a million people who had opted to keep their contact details private when registering web domains through a Google Apps service have had that information made public as a result of a software glitch by Google.
Usually when you buy a domain name, your name, address, phone number and email list are all made available to anyone who wants to view them by using a WHOIS lookup service. Most domain registrars offer a way around this, where their details, rather than yours, are listed. The $6/year privacy add-on offered by Google’s domain registration partner eNom failed when the domains were renewed, leaving the customer’s details exposed … expand full story


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Cocoa farming declines
Over 84,000 employees have lost their jobs in the cocoa value chain industry in Nigeria. The loss is due to the extinction of about 16 out of 20 cocoa processing companies in the country.
Is debt crippling cocoa processing in Nigeria?
Nigeria's cocoa processors have reported several challenges, including high import duties in European markets and the high cost of cocoa beans.
Osun government moves to improve local processing of cocoa
Osun government moves to improve local processing of cocoa.


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Japan’s largest railway company is set to start accepting payments in crypto, a report has revealed. East Japan Railway Company (JR East) passengers will be able to pay for their tickets in four cryptos initially as well as possibly one stablecoin. JR East will partner with Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) in the project. More support will be added this summer.
According to a report by Japanese media house ANN News, JR East will also partner with DeCurret, crypto exchange that was approved recently by the Japanese Financial Services Agency. The railway company has reportedly invested in the exchange. Its tech partner IIJ has also invested in the exchange and owns a 35% stake.
JR East will enable the crypto payments via its Suica smart cards. These cards are rechargeable and contactless and are used as fare cards on Japanese trains.
Speaking to a Japanese outlet, JR East’s managing executive officer stated:
“JR East’s Suica operates the same settlement business, and is in a position to invest in DeCurret, and is highly expected to develop its services to create a payment infrastructure based on transport infrastructure. We started by charging and using cash, which is a general-purpose payment method, but I think that it will change greatly as the current of ‘cashless’ flows.”
JR East has yet to officially announce which cryptos the new payment system will support. However, since it will partner with DeCurret, it’s presumable that it will support the same cryptos the exchange currently lists. They are Bitcoin Core (BTC), Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash (BCHABC) and XRP. The exchange has also promised to add support for Ethereum in the summer.
J Coin could also become the first stablecoin that the new payment method supports. The stablecoin is developed by the Mizuho Financial Group (MFG), the Tokyo-based financial giant that’s the third-largest in the country. According to an earlier report by Nikkei, MFG announced that it would be the first to pilot Suica payments using its J Coin stablecoin.
While Japan has always pioneered crypto developments, this latest announcement has to be one of the biggest strides. This is because of the wild popularity that Suica smartcards enjoy in Japan. Reports indicate that there are over 75 million Suica cards in Japan. They are also accepted in over 580,000 stores in the country, setting the stage for mass crypto adoption in “The Land of the Rising Sun.”
New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek’s Bitcoin for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin—as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto—and blockchain.


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From Home Furnishing Business
Tuesday Morning Names Fred Hand as CEO
Off-price home furnishings retailer Tuesday Morning has announced Fred Hand as its new CEO and a member of the board of directors, effective May 17. Hand most recently served as chief operating officer of Burlington Stores, Inc.
"After a comprehensive search for a new CEO and interviews with several high-quality candidates, we are confident Fred is the ideal choice to lead Tuesday Morning's future growth,” said Sherry Smith, chairperson of the board. “Fred is an exceptional retailer with outstanding operating, merchandising, and leadership skills, and importantly has a deep understanding of the off-price business model. His record of strong leadership at Burlington and extensive experience at other leading retailers, will be instrumental in driving long-term value for Tuesday Morning."
Hand has served as principal and chief operating officer of Burlington since July 2020 and was responsible for leading its stores and real estate organizations. From January 2017 through July 2020, Hand served as chief customer officer/principal and prior to that served as executive vice president of stores. Prior to joining Burlington, Hand served as senior vice president, group director of stores of Macy's, Inc. from March 2006 to February 2008. From 2001 to 2006, Hand served as senior vice president, stores and visual merchandising of Filene's Department Stores. Hand held various other positions at The May Department Stores Company from 1991 to 2001, including area manager, general manager, and regional vice president.
"I am honored and thrilled to take on the role as Tuesday Morning's next CEO,” said Hand. “Tuesday Morning is an iconic brand with a great opportunity to lead in the off-price retail sector. I look forward to working closely with the company's board, management team and talented associates to take the company to the next level. I am motivated to build this organization to one that will not just compete, but win."
Hand's appointment follows the previously announced transition of Steven Becker, who will step down from his role as CEO and director. Becker will continue to serve in a consultancy role until September 30, 2021 to ensure a smooth transition.


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Feeling overworked? You’re not alone. In fact, according to a vast majority of a recent survey’s respondents, overworking has become the norm in today’s workplace.
The survey, conducted by Wrike, found that 87% of workers, from business owners to freelancers, say they overwork on a regular basis. Perhaps the most surprising result of the survey is that even though that large percentage feels overworked, 42% of all the respondents still feel satisfied with their work/life balance.
As you can see in the infographic below, one apparent stress reducer is being a team member, where 50.8% of those describing themselves as such feel more satisfied with their work/life balance.


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This year’s Global Fest is going virtual. Join Denver7’s Micah Smith as she hosts the online celebration, including performances, a virtual Parade of Nations and a virtual International Fashion Show.
The Virtual Global Fest features performances by:
- Bella Diva
- National Martial Arts Academy
- Ballet Sol de Mi Tierra
- Colorado Ethiopian Community
Learn more at AuroraGlobalFest.org.


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Instagram finally arrives on Windows Phone; No video support
The long awaited moment by all Windows Phone users has finally arrived, Instagram is now officially available on the Windows Phone platform.
Instagram, the popular photo sharing app, has finally been launched on the Windows Phone platform, in keeping with the reports that were heard at the recent Nokia event in Dubai. Though the app is still in the Beta stage with version number 0.1.0.0, it still is equipped with most of the features available on the app.
The Instagram Beta for Windows phone comes with all the photo filters, linear and tilt blur effects. There are also custom designed filters which are available for free. The app has seamless integration with popular social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and Foursquare and allows instant sharing. However the app does not support video for now but is expected to get the functionality with the upcoming updates. For now you can download the app from the Windows Phone store.


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This year’s second coffee zoning campaign has linked farmers to their buyers in an event that included a coffee cupping in Ruhango district, the Southern Province.
The event also coincided with the Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) army week whose representatives shared the cup of coffee with farmers and coffee buyers.
“We should complement each other as Rwandans in the coffee harvesting activity. Coffee is an important crop in the Rwandan economy. The youth should be help in coffee growing. Farmers should add value to call for increased prices. Factories are working well and others should be supported to emulate the better,” Minister of state for Agriculture Fulgence Nsengiyumva said.
At the event were Ruhango district Mayor, military officials and the Rwanda minister of state for agriculture Fulgence Nsengiyumva, coffee farmers and coffee traders which took the moment to taste the Rwandan blends.
The linkage between coffee farmers and buyers was meant to avoid extortionist middlemen and thus pool the costs spent on them rather of the fixed price at the farmers’ market.
“The campaign is meant to sensitize the farmers and buyers and Rwandans on the importance of dealing coffee farming and trade which helps them ensure quality improvement and better management,” said Celestine Gatarayiha Head of Coffee at National Agricultral Export Development Board.
Farmers said that coffee business is lucrative but still have challenges like persistent pests and diseases.
“We have challenges like pests but have for the last seasons had government help with pesticides which have been helpful. Coffee business is commencing well even on prices,” said Laurent Karambizi a coffee farmer in Ruhango district.
A kilogram of coffee is now Rwf 280 and a coffee task force works to ensure that farmers sell on desirable prices.
Ministry of Agriculture representative at the event said that second coffee zoning campaign is in respect of the government’s intents to increase the value of coffee in all aspects.
There are currently more than 229 coffee washing stations across the country and the number could increase once a new policy is implemented.
The country exported 3,310,339 kilos of coffee during the first quarter of 2016 up from 1,824,629 kilos during the same period in 2015.
In general, Rwanda’s coffee production capacity increased by 0.4 percent.
NAEB has been emphasising value addition and encouraging farmers and cooperatives to take advantage of coffee washing stations to boost the quality of coffee exports, the statement from NAEB indicated.
More than 400,000 farmers depend on coffee farming for their livelihood.
Rwanda exports 42% of its coffee to Switzerland, 12.4% to United Kingdom, 20.9% to the United States, 5.8% to South Africa, 0.5% Germany and 1.5% to South Korea, among others.


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Google has started testing a new form of advertising that gives listeners a direct link to a streaming service. The Wall Street Journal reported that the music services are paying for the spots by the click, similar to Google’s other paid text link ads. It also said that the ads will show up on both mobile devices and personal computers. “We’re happy to help users quickly find legitimate sources for their favorite movies, music and more via Google search,” an unnamed Google rep told WSJ.
We tested out several searches for pop sensation Lady Gaga, hip-hop duo Outkast, and rock staple Led Zeppelin. Based on our experiments, the music ads are for Google Play, Rhapsody, Spotify, and Beats Music. They appear in the right sidebar under the header “Listen Now” accompanied by a yellow box that reads “Ads.” Right now, the links show up in searches for an artist and for many albums, and they will take you to the service. You won’t be able to listen to any services that require a paid subscription, but it’s easy to sign up from any of the landing pages the ads direct to.
When you search for a specific track, though, the top hit is a YouTube video. Interestingly, searching for a track that has no official music video still yields YouTube as the first hit. Led Zeppelin’s “Rain Song” goes to a fan video that just shows a still of the album art. We’re curious to see whether Google will eventually weed out these unofficial hits and focus only on the videos and services that support the labels and artists.