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Realme Under Display Camera Phone Prototype
The industry’s first under-screen camera phone ZTE AXON A20 has been released, Xiaomi has also announced the use of a new under-screen camera next year’s mass production listing, indicating that the technology has reached mass production standards, the large-scale listing is just around the corner.
On the morning of September 23, realme vice president and president of global marketing Xu Qi in social media, a photo taken in the research and development center. The photo shows that the phone is officially all above the screen, with no camera and other openings. Because there are already manufacturers mass-producing under-screen cameras, the engineering phone that doesn’t reveal the full picture could be an “all-screen on the front” phone with an under-screen camera.
For now, the under-screen camera is the ultimate form of mobile phone development in the direction of full-screen, and the mass production of this technology means that there are no more component openings on the phone screen. But Xu Qi made it clear that the machine is still in the R & D center, indicating that there is still some time before the final mass-production market, and this year is not expected.
Xiaomi’s third-generation under-screen camera technology, on the other hand, allows the under-screen camera area to achieve full resolution display through a new pixel arrangement. At the same time, Xiaomi made the pixel gaps transparent material and redesigned the pixel driver circuitry to take full advantage of the pixel gaps to complete light transmission.
Compared with the dug hole screen and lift the full screen, the advantages of the under-screen camera are obvious. The first one is the advantage that there is no front camera to cover up, and the visual effect is outstanding.
The second advantage is the ability to do thin and light, although the lift screen can also hide the front camera, due to the existence of mechanical structure leads to a thicker and heavier body, while the under-screen camera does not require mechanical structure, in the phone inch of the interior, the under-screen camera is easier to do thin and light.
Previously, Xu Qi announced that the realme’s entire series will be equipped with a 5nm flagship core, and speculation is that it will be a 5nm process to build the Snapdragon 875, whether the machine will use an under-screen camera, remains to be seen.


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May 6, 2021: Her Excellency Ms. Angela P. Aggeler, Charge d’ Affaires of the United States to Pakistan called on the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Mr. Shaukat Tarin, at the Finance Division yesterday. Secretary Finance Division was also present during the meeting.
While extending a warm welcome to H.E. Ms. Angela Aggeler, the Finance Minister stated that Pakistan and the US enjoy long-term, broad-based and multi-dimensional relationships. Bilateral relations between the two countries have further strengthened due to people-to-people ties, economic and business linkages as well as common interests in promoting peace and stability in the region, he added.
The Finance Minister further stated that Pakistan is looking forward to further deepen trade and investment ties with the US under the new administration. Coupled with a 220 million consumer market, growing middle class, and a young vibrant population, Pakistan offers immense opportunities for US enterprises to invest in sectors such as Information Technology, Agriculture, Energy and tourism. Strong bilateral relations would in turn, facilitate closer economic cooperation between the two countries, he added.
The Finance Minister reiterated the firm commitment of the Government in implementing vital economic reforms and achieving macro-economic stability to build a better future for the people of Pakistan.
Her Excellency Ms. Angela Aggeler congratulated the Finance Minister on assuming office and assured the Finance Minister of the full support of the US Government and its people to the Government of Pakistan during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. She appreciated the Prime Minister’s focus on geo-economics. Economic growth drives everything else, she stated and added that a number of US companies were looking for business and economic opportunities in Pakistan.

domain: news


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Global consumer electronics major Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has notified EPEAT, that the company no longer wants to submit its products to EPEAT for the environmental rating. EPEAT CEO Robert Frisbee told CIO Journal that the company has pulled its 39 products, including MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, from the registry.
EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) was formed by the US Environmental Protection Energy to rate electronic products for their environmental friendliness. It gives companies a chance to showcase their cleaner and greener initiatives. In 2007, the US government passed an order that at least 95% of all the electronic purchases by the government should be EPEAT-certified companies.
A product is certified by EPEAT only if it can be easily disassembled to separate the toxic components (such as batteries) from the recyclable materials. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was a strong proponent of environmental friendliness of electronic products. In fact, it helped create the standard for EPEAT.
“They said their design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements,” Frisbee said. “They were important supporters and we are disappointed that they don’t want their products measured by this standard anymore.”
Kyle Wiens, co-founder of iFixit.com, said that the recently launched MacBook Pro, which comes with high resolution retina display, is almost impossible to disassemble completely. The glass display is glued to its back, and the battery is glued to the case.
Frisbee said that if MacBook Pro had been applied for certification, it would have been ineligible. He added, ““If the battery is glued to the case it means you can’t recycle the case and you can’t recycle the battery.”
Shaw Wu, respected analyst at Sterne Agee, said that design is the priority for Apple as it wants to make smaller products with long battery life. He thinks that Apple does not want to make its products hard to open. Instead, the company is trying to pack up a lot of stuff in a small space.
It is yet to be seen how the pull off would affect Apple sales. Many large corporations, government institutions, universities and colleges prefer to purchase only EPEAT-certified products. Apple could also come under criticism from consumers for its flip-flopping on the issue.


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At CES in Las Vegas, 444 is making a splash. The early-stage startup, founded by University of Michigan alumni Logan Nash and Matt Rogan nine months ago, combines pepper spray with electronics to alert friends when an attack victim has deployed the defence spray. ‘I’m not sure this is a good idea’ – but it’s certainly innovative!
Logan explains the inspiration behind their company’s name, 444: “Our target market is college women aged 18-24, and Angel numbers are a big trend right now. 444 is an angel number that symbolizes protection – which ties into our goal of providing self-defense.”
At CES, the company unveiled an early 3D printed prototype and a proof of concept PCB. Aimed to protect people from potential harm, its eventual product will feature pepper spray aerosol and Bluetooth transmitter connected to a phone. When deployed, the device sends out alerts along with location data to pre-defined numbers stored on the app.
A spicy getaway
Logan explains that they designed a clip to make it easier for women to carry pepper spray devices: “They’re normally large, pink and bulky — just pieces of plastic thrown in a backpack or purse. The clip attaches directly onto the user — their sports bra when running, belt when walking around campus. This way it’s always an arm’s length away and ready in times of danger. When activated, not only do they get up to nine seconds of spray time but also their location is automatically sent via an app installed on their phone to 10 contacts.”
The company believes texting contacts is essential and has customer discovery interviews to support that. The target price for the device is around $35, cheaper than Flare’s fashion bracelets but more expensive than Amazon’s $7 pepper sprays it replaces.
Is it defendable?
We were curious to find two men leading a company targeting women, but the founder insists no conflict exists.
At the University of Michigan, we completed iCOR, a three-to-four-month program. Every week we interviewed 15 people in our target demographic to learn what they like and don’t like about self-defense products. We asked if they track each other’s locations and their answers helped shape our company and product. Logan dismisses the idea of adding a woman or two to the founding team but acknowledges that this customer discovery work was invaluable for success.
I applaud these young entrepreneurs, but with smartphones now equipped with advanced emergency response capabilities, I’m not sure there’s room for their product. Plus, it requires Bluetooth tethering to a phone – it can’t reach out to services or contacts on its own.
While I may be blinded by privilege, self-defense should remain simple: a $7 canister of pepper spray and a phone in the other hand. This approach is more reliable than 444’s vision for safety.


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From selling music like airtime vouchers 10 years ago to allowing customers free access to its online music service platform, Mdundo is riding on mass market as its top growth strategy in the next phase.
The company started in 2012, selling music at Sh100 for five vouchers. However, a year later it changed the business model to offer music for free.
“We used to have vouchers in kiosks and smaller stores where you could scratch and get a pin, similar to what we have when you load airtime. You input the pin and download the songs,” says Mdundo’s chief executive Martin Nielsen.
“But we quickly realised that there was a lot of interest from advertisers to write an advertising-driven business.”
The company is now a mass market audience-targeted platform, pulling both local and multinational brand advertisers, which has seen it improve its royalty payouts for musicians.
The pan-African service based in Nairobi has over 20.3 million monthly active users across Africa.
Mdundo says over 50 percent of users across the platform and in Kenya are on feature phones, setting it apart from other players in the music industry.
“We have been focused on mass market in terms of income as well. About 48 percent of our customers earn less than Sh25,000 a month. Their average data consumption is just below 200 megabytes (MBs) on their devices,” adds Mr Nielsen.
‘’When we sit here in Nairobi, we assume everybody has a smartphone and everyone is on Instagram. But if you look at the actual mass market we still have a lot of customers- people who are not on social media as often. Maybe they can afford it once a week and those are the ones that use our services. That’s where we saw the demand.”
The number of feature phones connected to mobile networks as at March 2022 stood at 33.6 million, ahead of smartphones which were 26.5 million, according to data by the Communication Authority of Kenya.
This represents a penetration rate of the total population at 69.2 percent and 54.6 percent respectively.
“The reason we are commercially successful is these people are difficult for advertisers to reach. We are giving them something that they won’t be able to get from other places,” Mr Nielsen says.
“The mass market does not have many options. Most of the services and apps are focused on the same customers with good smartphones, fast internet and unlimited Wi-Fi. But Kenya consists of a good number of people who don’t have this access, whom we call the ‘skiza market'.”
Amid increased competition, it offers a free service in Kenya, where one is exposed to advertisements.
It offers a premium service in Tanzania, Ghana, and Nigeria in partnership with telco providers, where customers subscribe to a bundle and get access to DJ mixes.
However, the advertising business remains the major revenue earner for the company.
The firm's growth has also been driven by focus on local content from music genres such as gospel, which has emerged as the primary music files downloaded, Bongo, native language music from across all the markets, rap, Kaswida in Tanzania, and Amapiano.
About 80 percent of content listened and downloaded is from Africa.
Of the 20.3 million monthly active users across the continent, Nigeria holds the biggest market at 22 percent, Tanzania (13 percent), Kenya (11 Percent), and Ghana (eight percent).
The platform has grown from 50 artists to more than 100,000 musicians across the continent. Kenya alone is roughly around 20,000 artists.
Artists access a dashboard where they sign up, upload and manage music catalogue directly from their devices, and also withdraw royalties directly through mobile money services.
The focus on mass market and local content has seen the firm pay about Sh100 million over the last 10 years and plans to pay a similar amount in the year to June 2023.
All revenue from advertisers and premium products is shared 50-50 percent between the artists and the company.
“We have been more aggressive with our expansion. We have seen that the trend in the market is exactly the same- there is more and more users who starts using our service and an increased interest from advertisers on our service.”
The company was in September 2020 listed on the Nasdaq First North stock exchange in Copenhagen and is aiming to get 50 million monthly active users.
Nielsen says the company did not consider the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) despite being headquartered in Nairobi to low liquidity tied to the bourse.
“The company we are listed on is growth exchange for growth and smaller companies. I am also donnish and it’s easier to communicate with the market. There have not also been too many listings at NSE recently and so liquidity and activity has been quite limited and that, of course, affect us as well.”


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Shares fell on Wednesday as traders weighed a depressing vacation quarter replace from Goal that pressured retail shares.
The S&P 500 ended the day down 0.83% at 3,958.79, and the Nasdaq Composite shed 1.54% to 11,183.66. The Dow Jones Industrial Common wrestled with the flat line all day, however completed down 39.09 factors, or 0.12% at 33,553.83.
These strikes got here after Goal reported a decline in gross sales as households cope with excessive inflation heading into the largest buying season of the 12 months for retailers. The warning weighed on shares, sending Goal down greater than 13% for its worst day since Could. Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kohl’s and Hole had been additionally down sharply.
“A unstable earnings season for retail is forcing traders to be choosy and explicit on their retail publicity because the hole between massive field retail and specialty retail continues to widen,” mentioned Jeff Kilburg, founder and CEO of KKM Monetary.
Brian Levitt, international market strategist at Invesco, referred to as it a combined image, noting that retail knowledge launched earlier within the day was at odds with the Goal warning.
“Retail gross sales knowledge instructed shoppers are keen to spend, notably on massive matter objects whereas the retail bellwether Goal warned of a weaker vacation season,” he mentioned. “The latter is extra in keeping with our expectations. Tighter financial coverage is designed to make folks really feel much less rich. The concept is to sluggish consumption, permitting inflation to average. Satirically that may even set the stage for a restoration. “
Shares have staged a stable run following final week’s better-than-feared shopper worth index report. The S&P 500 final week posted its finest weekly stretch since June, and all the key averages are on observe to complete the month with good points.
Some traders say a near-term retreat is on the horizon, nevertheless.
“Within the quick time period, the market may be very prolonged and overdue to drag again and digest the current rally,” mentioned Adam Sarhan, CEO of fifty Park Investments.
Lea la cobertura del mercado de hoy en español aquí.


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At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, connected cars, the future of smart homes and, of course, the newest handsets are top of the agenda. Intel Security’s latest findings show consumers are being tempted by the efficiency and entertainment of such connected devices, revealing the average person now spends 38 percent of their time at home online.
Despite leading increasingly connected lifestyles, 41 percent of respondents said they have no idea how to check if their connected devices have ever been compromised, and a further 32 percent said they were unsure how to check if devices had been breached. People not only need to understand the security risks associated with laptops and tablets, but also with connected devices such as smart TVs, speakers and connected cars, and manufacturers must take responsibility for ensuring security is built in to the foundations of new products.
As more connected devices are brought into the home, a new partnership between Humax, Intel and Intel Security will ensure robust connectivity and security is embedded into Humax’s Quantum T9 router. McAfee Secure Home Platform will provide a built-in layer of security that automatically protects internet-connected devices on a user’s home network from a variety of threats. This offers people a flexible way to manage and secure their connected devices in the home, apply parental controls, and receive alerts about potential threats in real-time.
“Our recent research showed that more than three quarters of parents (80 percent) are concerned about their children interacting with a social predator or cybercriminal online,” said Raj Samani, EMEA CTO, Intel Security. “Yet 34 percent of parents do not keep track of their children’s internet usage, and 35 percent say that they would monitor their children’s online activity if there was an easier way of doing it.
“Partnering with Humax will further help us to empower parents to actively manage how their families interact with connected devices in the home and protect them from potential risks. As we move towards the 5G smart and connected home of the future, internet usage within the home and the levels of data created will only increase, as will our reliance on apps to control our home environment. With this, we must ensure the appropriate security is installed in every touchpoint, from the network to the router to the devices themselves, as well as the apps and software controlling them,” said Samani.
It’s not just apps live in app stores that represent a risk. Telemetry data collected by McAfee Labs shows that more than 500,000 devices still have dead apps installed and are actively used. With more than 2 million apps in each of the major app stores, malicious apps find ways through the store curators initial quality-control process.
In the past year, more than 4,000 apps were removed from Google Play, without notification to users. These users and the organisations they work for are still exposed to any vulnerabilities, privacy risks, or malware contained in these dead apps.
One recent example is a password stealer, distributed on Google Play as a variety of utilities and tools to acquire Instagram followers or analyse usage. The malware leads the user to a phishing website with a simple design that makes it difficult to distinguish between the legitimate and the fake, easily capturing users’ credentials.
“To avoid losing personal data to dead apps, consumers need to pay close attention to the apps they’ve downloaded and research the developer and reviews about any app before installing it,” comments Raj Samani. “They should also look for a security tool that can identify apps which are no longer on the store and, even better, can provide some information on why they were removed.”
Intel Security’s top tips for protecting your personal data:
- Lock down your devices.
- Keep your devices updated.
- Take control of your home network.


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Cindy Revercomb (left), of Dearfield, and her mother, Judith Knopp, of Churchville, look for holiday gifts at Crafty Hands in the Shops at Dayton Farmers Market on Friday. As the holiday shopping season gets under way, Frank Tamberrino, president of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, says local businesses are generally hopeful about consumer spending. (Photos by Jason Lenhart / DN-R)
Trisha Brown Leweke (center), seen through the window of a toy shop, looks over items at Landscapes in Miniature in the Shops at Dayton Farmers Market on Friday.
Zola’s employee Joyce Burkholder (left) wraps up a holiday gift purchased by Jill Merritt of Harrisonburg on Friday in the bazaar. Vendors at the Shops at Dayton Farmers Market are seeing more traffic earlier this year, said Zola Showalter, owner of Zola’s.


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Couple robs small Seattle grocery story, police release surveillance images to help track them down
WANTED BY SEATTLE POLICE —
A couple robed a small grocery store in Seattle and detectives are hoping you can identify them from the surveillance images.
The video shows a man in a red and green striped shirt and red pants along with a woman wearing a bright green skirt and scoop necked t-shirt pretending to shop.
They even put food on the counter.
When other customers come in the store, the suspect in red chases them out by trying to start a fight.
As soon as they leave, he pushed the cash register off the counter and steals an envelope full of money.
“They obviously didn’t want witnesses, hence they chased out the other people,” said Det Myrle Carner with Crime Stoppers Puget Sound. “So it’s pretty clear to me they had motive of either stealing the food to start with but once they go involved and they saw the money, now we’ve turned into a robbery.”
The two took suspects took off in different directions, the man on foot, the woman in this gold BMW X-5 that looks to be a 2003 model.
She was wearing a top that appears to have the word diamond on it but you can’t see all the letters.
If you know a woman that resembles her or can tell police who the man is who threw the can at the clerk call an anonymous tip into: CRIME STOPPERS: 1-800-222-TIPS
You must call the Crime Stoppers hotline with your tip to be eligible to receive a cash reward for information leading to a fugitive’s arrest.
CLICK HERE for information on how to TEXT A TIP to Crime Stoppers.


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International Trade Secretary Liz Truss is reportedly taking a look at plans to minimize tariffs on US agricultural imports to enhance progress on a free trade settlement with America. The stakes are excessive – Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pegged a free trade take care of his American counterparts as a post-Brexit enhance after leaving the EU, Britain’s largest trade accomplice, whereas. US President Donald Trump, has promised a “massive” trade deal to assist Brexit, the product of a populist motion comparable to his “America First” agenda.
However the Tory’s newest plans to seal a deal have sparked tensions with Environment Secretary George Eustice elevating issues that such a step might undercut UK farmers, in accordance to the Financial Times.
With Tory ministers cut up over the concessions, Express.co.uk is asking you is Mr Johnson right to plan huge trade concessions to speed up US trade deal?
Britain plans to negotiate offers with the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand within the coming months, alongside talks on an settlement over its future relationship with the EU.
Ms Truss beforehand stated in parliament: “We will drive a tough cut price and, as with all negotiations, we can be ready to stroll away if that’s within the nationwide curiosity.”
She stated Britain needed a take care of the US to “secure comprehensive, far-reaching and mutually beneficial tariff reductions … which will increase access to the US market for UK businesses, and lower prices and increase choice for UK consumers.”
However the UK’s latest proposed plans for tariff cuts have sparked issues amongst officers on the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra), who stated it might be “the thin end of the wedge” main to additional concessions on animal welfare requirements.
The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) printed the US negotiating targets final 12 months, revealing its plan to search to develop US farm exports to Britain.
That contains the removing of non-tariff boundaries, similar to restrictions on chlorine-treated rooster, genetically modified crops and hormone-treated meat.
But such merchandise are frequent within the US however shunned in Britain.
The US can also be urgent for full market entry for American pharmaceutical merchandise and medical units.
But that will require modifications to NHS pricing restrictions, and will improve the price of medicine in Britain.


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IAB UK to launch Gold Standard 2.0 with renewed certification criteria
Posted on: Wednesday 22 January 2020 | IAB UK
Gold Standard to relaunch later in the year incorporating the Transparency and Consent Framework
Gold Standard 2.0 will incorporate the Transparency & Consent Framework
Plans for an independent audit of the Gold Standard certification process
A new iteration of IAB UK’s Gold Standard will be launched later this year, bolstering the certification process and incorporating steps to address privacy concerns within the digital supply chain.
Gold Standard 2.0 will require companies to adopt IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework version 2 (TCF v2.0). This will be introduced in Q4 2020, following a process of industry consultation to agree the compliance criteria for incorporating the TCF within Gold Standard certification.
In addition, IAB UK plans to employ an independent third-party to audit the Gold Standard certification process, ensuring the robustness of the industry standard. Both plans were announced by IAB UK’s Chief Digital Officer Tim Elkington at the industry body’s Digital Trust Forum this morning.
In its current form, the Gold Standard brings together industry programmes to combat ad fraud, increase brand safety and improve the digital advertising experience for users. Companies need to take three steps to certify: implement IAB Tech Labs’ ads.txt, undergo an independent JICWEBS DTSG audit and adhere to the principles set out by the Coalition for Better Ads. There are currently 93 media owners, media agencies and ad tech companies certified and 11 registered to certify.
Commenting on the evolution of the Gold Standard, Elkington said: “The Gold Standard only remains relevant if it evolves to keep pace with challenges our industry faces. As we seek to improve transparency and build trust in digital advertising, addressing privacy concerns is a key part of that. We will now be embarking on a process of consultation with IAB UK members to agree how to effectively incorporate the TCF into the Gold Standard – a key step as we seek to build a responsible and sustainable future for the digital ad industry.”
IAB UK launches Gold Standard 2.0 with renewed advertiser support
Gold Standard 2.0 introduces more rigorous criteria - requiring certified companies to implement IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework v2.0 - as...Learn more
Gold Standard 2.0: Our next step towards building a sustainable future for digital advertising
As Gold Standard 2.0 launches, IAB UK’s Chief Digital Officer Tim Elkington outlines what’s new and calls on members to get involvedLearn more
ABC conducts independent audit of IAB Gold Standard
The Gold Standard process undergoes audit ahead of its 2.0 launch later this yearLearn more
Tesco & McDonald’s first advertisers to commit to IAB UK’s Gold Standard
Two leading UK advertisers have publicly pledged their support for IAB UK’s Gold Standard by committing to work with certified digital advertising...Learn more


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Ethereum Mining Helps Fuel 30 Percent Surge In Q2 GPU Shipments
Graphics tracking firm Jon Peddie Research described the discrete graphics market as "outstanding" in the second quarter of 2017, with a nearly 31 percent sequential increase in add-in card shipments, and just a touch shy of a 35 percent bump year-over-year. As always, gaming gave the discrete graphics card market a boost, but so did the increasingly popular cryptocurrency mining sector, which is red hot right now.
In particular, Ethereum has become a major driver of graphics card sales. Ethereum went from trading below $50 per unit at the end of the first quarter to over $355 in mid-June (it is currently valued at $328). Because Ethereum was designed to be mined with graphics card, the rapid rise in the cryptocurrency's value has created a huge demand for discrete GPUs, and both AMD and NVIDIA are reaping the rewards.
As the chart shows, this is the first time in over 9 years that Q2 has seen an increase in shipments, and never one this dramatic. The big difference is the impact cryptocurrency mining (especially Ethereum) is having on the market," JPR said.
The unfortunate side effect is that gamers are getting screwed, both by low inventory and inflated price tags by third-party and second-hand sellers. Not all graphics cards are affected by the mining gold rush, but several popular ones are, such as AMD's second-generation Polaris cards (Radeon RX 500 series).
NVIDIA still holds the market share lead over AMD in the discrete graphics card market with a 70.6 percent chunk of sales, compared to AMD's 29.4 percent, but interestingly AMD was able to narrow the gap from the previous quarter. In the first quarter, NVIDIA served 72.5 percent of the market versus AMD's 27.5 percent share, leaving a 45 percent gulf between the two. That has been reduced to 41.2 percent.
Obviously NVIDIA is still dominating, but what's interesting is that AMD pulled itself a little closer to NVIDIA prior to launching Vega. Now that Vega is here, and with NVIDIA waiting until next year to release Volta cards to consumers, AMD has an opportunity to further narrow the gap.
Thumbnail Image Source: Flickr (BTC Keychain)


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By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com
Part of the fun of riding is when the motorcycle you’re piloting gets positive feedback from other riders. I was getting ready to pull out of a side street in Thomaston this afternoon, headed to a gas station, when a couple on a heavyweight cruiser that was parked at a liquor store next door looked over. They flashed happy smiles and gestured enthusiastically at the Triumph Scrambler beneath my butt. It happened so quickly that I barely had time to acknowledge them, but it sure felt good.
Triumph’s Dave Rosen, who loaned me his Tiger Explorer back in May, emailed me last Monday offering the use of a new Scrambler for a week – provided I could pick it up at Spitzie’s Motorcycle Center in Albany. I drove up early Saturday morning and arrived at the dealership before the doors opened. Sales manager Jim Ziobrowski was surprised to see me, but, after checking my paperwork from Triumph, had the bike loaded and secured in the back of my Ranger pickup.
Since getting it home, I’ve logged more than 200 miles on the bike on all types of roadways. Sunday, it saw some dirt near Salisbury. Today, it was divided highway for a ride to New Haven. My first impressions are that the Scrambler just may be the perfect “country” bike.
Its 865cc parallel twin has ample torque, the handling is nimble, and it just seems eager to please. The upright riding position is comfortable and the high exhaust pipes are certainly attention-getting.
A full review will come soon, but I already have a feeling that it’s going to be very hard to return the bike on Saturday.
Over the past week or so, Victory has been releasing color schemes for the 2013 models of existing bikes. Today, it unveiled a teaser video for a new model dubbed the Boardwalk that will be unveiled on July 30. The bike looks to be yet another heavy cruiser.


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Economic Activity Continues To Be Strong
Federal spending, business investment contribute to second quarter growth
By Dr. Constantine G. Soras, Economics Editor
The July jobless rate held steady at 4.0 percent. Private nonfarm jobs grew by 138,000 in July, sharply down from an average monthly gain of 182,000 in the first six months. Factory jobs rose by 46,000. Total nonfarm jobs declined by 108,000 as 290,000 temporary Census jobs were terminated.
The producer price index was unchanged in July after soaring 0.6 percent in June. Energy prices slipped 0.7 percent after surging 5.1-percent in June, while food prices held steady. The core index edged up 0.1 percent after falling 0.1 percent in June.
Consumer prices moved up 0.2 percent in July after rising 0.6 percent in June. Energy prices were little changed after rising 5.6 percent in June. Food prices were up 0.5 percent in July. Apparel prices fell 1.0 percent. Despite a tight labor market, the core inflation rose 0.2 percent for the fourth month in a row.
Industrial Output Continues To Grow
ndustrial output grew 0.4 percent in July, after gaining 0.2 percent in June and surging 0.6 percent in May. Unseasonably mild weather in July led to a 3.3 percent drop in utilities output. Factory output was up 0.5 percent in July, despite a 5.5 percent drop in production of motor vehicles and parts. The July operating rate edged up to 82.3 percent of capacity from 82.2 percent in June. With capacity utilization below average trend rate, there is no reason for concern for buildup in inflation.
Housing starts declined 3.3 percent to 1.512 million units at an annual rate. Single-family units declined 2.0 percent to 1.197 million units. The weakness was in the South, where starts plunged 14.3 percent. Elsewhere, starts soared 9.6 percent in the Midwest, rose 8.3 percent in the West and inched up 0.1 percent in the Northeast.
The nation’s trade deficit in goods and services ballooned to a record $30.62 billion in June from $30.31 billion in May, as oil imports grew and prices reached the highest level in nearly 10 years. U.S. exports rose 4.6 percent to $90.56 billion, led by rising foreign demand for capital goods. Meanwhile, imports jumped ahead 3.7 percent to $121.18 billion as oil imports rose by $1.6 billion.
Both business sales and inventories grew 0.9 percent in June. As a result, the June inventories-to-sales ratio was left intact at 1.32.
Textile Producers Increase Sales; Inventory-To-Sales Ratio Improves
esults for textiles and apparel were mixed. Payrolls declined 1.3 percent in July after edging up 0.1 percent in June. The volatile jobless rate jumped to 3.9 percent from 3.2 percent in June.
July’s textile output edged down 0.1 percent, following a 0.2-percent drop in June. The utilization rate was unchanged at 82.3 percent in July.
Sales by textile producers bounced up 2.0 percent in June after falling 1.1 percent in May. Inventories rose 0.4 percent. The inventory-to-sales ratio improved to 1.57 from 1.60 in May.
U.S. retail sales surged 0.7 percent in July, the largest gain in five months. Motor vehicle sales rose 1.1 percent, after gaining 0.9 percent in June. Retail sales excluding autos rose 0.6 percent in July. Sales of building materials and sales at furniture and home furnishings stores rose 1.3 percent. Department stores rang up a 1.2-percent gain. At apparel and accessory stores, sales eased 0.1 percent in July.
Producer prices of textiles and apparel advanced 0.3 percent in July. Prices soared 3.7 percent for greige fabrics, moved up 0.4 percent for carpets and 0.3 percent for processed yarns and threads, and edged up 0.1 percent for home furnishings. Prices were flat for finished fabrics and dropped 0.9 percent for synthetic fibers.


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Latest news about PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero)
- Travelin Fest also presents a Cultural Parade, Nusantara Corner and various interesting talk shows
-Travelin Fest as the largest travel fair event to campaign for safe and healthy air travel, to encourage the revival of the aviation and tourism sectors
Jakarta - PT Angkasa Pura II as one of the stakeholders in the national aviation sector strives to always accelerate the revival of air transportation and tourism which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for about 2 years.
Along with the better handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, now is the right moment to campaign for safe and healthy air travel to various tourist destinations in the country.
In line with this, AP II held the Travelin Fest which is the largest travel fair event ever held at domestic airports. Travelin Fest opens from August 13, 2022 to August 17, 2022 at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport and is attended and supported by MSMEs presenting 3,800 MSME products, national airlines, foreign airlines, hotel chains, travel agents to automotive and technology companies.
"We hope that the Travelin Fest at Soekarno-Hatta Airport can initiate the holding of similar travel fairs at other airports in Indonesia to accelerate the revival of national flights and tourism that have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together we ensure a safe and healthy journey for travelers. Together, we will recover faster and bounce back," said AP II President Director Muhammad Awaluddin.
Muhammad Awaluddin added, "Soekarno-Hatta Airport as the largest airport in Indonesia and an anchor for domestic flights is the right location to spark the revival of air transportation and tourism. This Travelin Fest also signifies the seriousness of AP II in making airports a showcase for national culture and tourism as well as various MSME products."
VP of Corporate Communications AP II Akbar Putra Mardhika explained that the Travelin Fest was also held in the context of the 78th Anniversary of AP II on August 13, 2022 and the 77th Indonesian Anniversary on August 17, 2022.
Travelin Fest, said Akbar Putra Mardhika, is divided into three events, namely:
1. Travel Hub Fair
As a place for travelers to be able to find various attractive tour packages and flight tickets at discounted prices (specially for flights in certain periods/not go shows). The holding of this Travel Hub Fair aims to encourage an increase in flight traffic
2. Local Creative Festival
Exhibition of local brands and MSME products that have gone through a curation process. It is planned that around 3,800 products will be exhibited at this event. The holding of the Local Creative Festival is part of carrying out the airport's function as a showcase for domestic products
3. Airport Town Festival
Exhibition of various quality products to provide an interesting experience for travelers and airport visitors.
In addition to the three events, Terminal 3 will also hold a Cultural & Archipelago Corner Parade which will present various cultures from all provinces to travelers and airport visitors, as well as various talk shows with the best speakers that travelers and airport visitors can participate in.
Akbar Putra Mardhika said that the Travel Fest, which consisted of the Travel Hub Fair, Local Creative Festival and Airport Town Festival, was held at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, the domestic arrival area to the open area of the SMMILE Center.
"This travel fest will not interfere with aspects of safety, security, services and compliance with all regulations (compliance) at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. Terminal 3 as the largest airplane passenger terminal in Indonesia has an area that can be used for various activities including Travel Fest.”
"We are waiting for the arrival of the community at Travelin Fest to jointly encourage the revival of national aviation and tourism," said Akbar Putra Mardhika.


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Tech toys are among kids’ wish lists this holiday season. But parents should be warned that even tech toys are subject to online hacking. In a recent report, millions of children have been victimized by online attack on a tech toy manufacturer, Vtech Holdings Ltd. In relation to this, experts advised users to be careful on depositing personal information online and when you do, make sure you use a secured connection. It is also advised to verify the legitimacy of the company or toy manufacturer. Users are also strongly encouraged to be cautious when disclosing any information when purchasing online.
Holiday season is the busiest season for online shopping. This is also the season when cybercriminals get active to stealing personal information. On this account, experts encourage users to protect their personal data and avoid clicking links sent via emails. It is also advised to verify merchant first before payment. You can also use tech apps for secured payments.
For credit card users, you can use a specific card just for holiday shopping. And lastly, it pays to check your statement of account to spot any suspicious amount or purchase you did not do. If such thing happens, notify your bank immediately.
Source: Low Cards
With the crowded streets and malls, people opted to shop online this holiday season. However, it also makes them vulnerable to cybercrimes. OCIO shares some safety tips on how to stay secured when shopping online this holiday season. Among these tips, include safeguarding information such as credit card details and other personal info. It is discouraged to use free and public Wi-Fi, as they are not secured network, especially when it comes to online purchasing. Experts advise customers to shop at trusted and few online stores during holidays to track purchasing activities. It is also advised to monitor your account for any suspicious activity.
Source: The Lantern
Online banking is one of the most convenient way to transfer, withdraw or pay online today. however, it also opens an opportunity for criminals to hack accounts and personal information. The Minnesota Department of Commerce urges online bankers to follow these advices for a safer online banking. First, make sure that your bank uses a multifactor authentication, a method that requires users to type their passcodes twice or more to accessing an account. Use strong passwords, keep it safe, and make sure that your device is protected by an updated antivirus. Do not open unsolicited emails or answer calls that ask for your banking information. Regularly monitor your bank account and log out after every session.
Source: Hometown Focus
Businesses are doing everything to keep their data, IT systems, email accounts and mobile devices as safe as they could. Experts have been offering advices but the problem on security is still there. Innovations are being implanted by companies such as huge data analytics to assess risk in software development. However, security risk stands still.
Before doing the technical process like encryption and the likes, let’s start with the basic such as utilizing the use of complicated passwords, using security questions, regular monitoring of your financial data, verifying an attachment before you click it and updating both your anti-virus and OS.
Source: e Week
Online shopping is such a big hit today due to its convenience. However, it also opens an avenue for cybercriminals to take part, especially with huge amount of money at stake. Here are few practical tips for a safe online shopping.
First, you need to stick with your trusted brand – the one with good reputation when it comes to online selling and customer satisfaction. Next, use credit card for more secured payment, as debit cards are more vulnerable. It is advised to use secured websites, the ones with https URL and a symbol of padlock for safety. Do not give in to impossible offers and make sure to use secured connections instead of Wi-Fi.
Source: We Live Security
Online scammers are out for an adventure targeting their victims. According to AARP Fraud Watch Network’s tips, these scammers use the following tactics:
First, they lure their targets with wealth and then establish connections by asking personal questions. Once they got how to trigger the victim’s emotions, they start to play with them by offering products or services that is claimed to be in limited offer. Online scammers try to build trust by stating that they are affiliated to famous personalities and organization – they even speak the same credentials. These individuals will try to gain access to your computer through malicious malware.
As a precaution, check the reputation and legal registration of any online business before any transaction.
Source: CPA Practice Advisor
Local municipalities have also been affected by the bolder acts of hackers nowadays. These hackers have threatened numerous local offices and the municipality takes the toll in it. This is why locals have designed their own security measures to stay away and safe from those cyber criminals – measures that people can also use for themselves.
First, people must take an inventory and network assessments – look in every way that the hackers might access information. Strengthening firewall is very important. It is also necessary to educate everyone in the team not to click on any untrusted link sent in their emails.
Source: Biz Journal
There are actually practical tips to avoid cyber harassment. Among these tips include installing online security software to safeguard not only your files but your software and the connections you use. It is also important to practice safety in all information – at all times. Do not share personal information online, even with your networking ‘friends’.
Users should also avoid trolls that can trigger negative and affecting responses. When bullying occurs, especially with kids, advise them to immediately quit avoiding further damages. Lastly, online users should be smarter than cybercriminals by using the right tools – from legit software to malware protection.
Source: In Homeland Security
According to the report of National Cyber Security Alliance, 84% of Americans feel that they need personal information protection. The people of Florida were provided with some tips on how to keep their personal information secured at all times. Among these tips include valuing and protecting personal information at all times and avoidance of sharing them. People should also demand privacy and safety from their providers – whether it comes to internet or devices. It is also advised that people should have proper education on what to do in the case of security breach and report them immediately to the concerned authority.
Source: News 4 Jax


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“Mail of Russia” has exposed a gang of crooks who were sent to buyers of bricks and glasses instead of the ordered computers and smartphones. This is stated in the message of the company.
These stores are usually existed not more than one month, and during this time the scammers have managed to collect orders for several million rubles. “However, mail clients came bricks, water bottles and thick glasses, depending on weight of ordered goods,” – said in the message.
“The citizens have paid for an expensive purchase cash on delivery but received parcel with different stuff, often accused postal workers. In the course of inspection it was established that the mailings were delivered by the scammers to send in the Metropolitan post offices closed no inventory of commodity investments”, – emphasized in the postal service. Personal data of the senders and people who receive regular payments imposed for the parcel, was transferred to law enforcement agencies.
As a result of one of the suspects managed to catch directly in the mail after receiving another translation for the package with the stones, and now in fraud is suspected at least five people, against them criminal case under part 2 of article 159 (Fraud) of the criminal code.
The participants of this criminal group has cheated thousands of Russians at tens of millions of rubles, only in January 2017, they received from citizens as a cod of more than 6 million rubles.
“Mail of Russia” in recent years, has repeatedly appeared in the scandalous reports of fraud with the parcels in which the recipients in the end, instead of costly mobile phones revealed a variety of garbage or cheap goods are an entirely different purpose.
In September 2016 23-the summer inhabitant of Birobidzhan translated over 11 000 rubles at the expense of non-existent online store, order iPhone. Likewise, did the 54-year-old resident of the capital of the Jewish Autonomous region, who bought over the Internet phone 7 500 rubles. However, instead of expensive gadgets customers came in parcels, one of which was a mug and the other faceted glass.
Similar cases of fraud occurred in other regions of the country. In June 2016 a resident of the city of Chistopol in Tatarstan, tempted by what he saw on the Internet is about selling a smartphone similar to the iPhone 6S, just 6970 roubles, in the end received in the mail a package from pressed sawdust. Into the same trap hit last spring, a young resident of the city of Vorkuta in the Komi Republic, saw in the Internet information about the sale of Apple’s smartphone for 7000 rubles.
And in 2013, is sent from Moscow iPhone 5 “Mail of Russia” delivered to Rostov-on-don, a parcel with a pile of stones. Failing to get a response from the post of state-owned enterprises, assume that the BD of the parcel appealed to the Public chamber of the Russian Federation. In the end, “Mail of Russia” has paid compensation in the amount of 30 000 rubles.


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2015 Daylight Savings Time has begun. And it’s a big deal here in a Pacific Northwest ’cause residents and visitors are looking forward to having that ‘extra’ hour of daylight in the evening. To ‘spend’ in their favorite pursuits.
And to celebrate, Semiahmoo Resort, Golf, and Spa is offering a $50 resort credit to help guests ‘spend’ some of that daylight savings. How would YOU ‘spend’ your $50 credit per night?
How It Works: Save big this spring with a $50 resort credit to celebrate an extra hour of daylight in the evenings! $50 credit is per day. Cannot be used toward room rate. Only applicable on dining, spa or golf. Not valid for retail items. No cash value on unused credit. Restrictions Apply.


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The web-only e-retailer of home furnishings has been on a fast growth trajectory, with web sales reaching $1 billion in 2013. Wayfair has raised ...
Blair`s web sales grow while total sales shrink
Web sales at merchant Blair Corp. grew 77% in the first nine months of the year from last year’s first nine months, while total sales declined 4.8%.
Topics: business finance
Web sales at Warren, PA-based apparel and home products cataloger and web merchant Blair Corp. grew 77% in the first nine months of the year from last year’s first nine months to $39 million from $22 million, the company reported today. Total sales declined 4.8% in the first nine months to $400.6 million from $420.2 million.
Web sales accounted for 9.8% of Blair’s total nine-month revenue vs. 5.2% in last year’s first nine months.
Net sales for the third quarter totaled $117.8 million vs. $123 million a year ago. Net income for Q3 was $279,386, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million in Q3 last year.
Net income for the nine months rose to $12.9 million vs. $1.9 million a year earlier.


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Three years ago, Guy Poran, 47, still believed that the gate to the "New Middle East" was right next door.
Poran, a resident of the town of Maccabim, halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, finally was ready to open a restaurant right on the "Green Line" between the West Bank and Israel proper, a joint venture with an Arab friend from the village of Beit Sira, just across the line in the West Bank.
Every Israeli dreams of wiping clean a plate of hummus with a hot pita bread in a picturesque restaurant in the middle of an olive orchard. To Poran, a successful high-tech entrepreneur who invested $50,000 in the project, it seemed to be a business venture that couldn’t go wrong — as well as a solid contribution to Israeli-Palestinian coexistence.
The opening ceremony was scheduled for Sept. 30, 2000, the weekend of Rosh Hashanah. No one could have predicted that would be the weekend the Palestinian intifada would break out.
Several thousand Israelis and Palestinians have been killed in the months since — as have most dreams of coexistence.
For two and a half years, Poran shared the frustration felt by so many Israelis and Palestinians. He was particularly disturbed by the deteriorating relations between Israeli Arabs and Jews.
However, last weekend he could finally smile — and raise a toast to a joint partnership with a young Arab — a project that could help heal many wounds.
In the village of Fureidis, just down the road from Zichron Ya’acov, Poran and Rami Mahamid opened the village’s first Internet cafe. Dozens of kids and adults who can’t afford to buy a computer finally had been introduced to the world of the Web.
"Recently, a lot of my energy went to encouraging Amram Mitzna to continue heading the Labor Party," Poran said. "Now that he has quit, I feel like an empty bottle. I realize that this is but a drop in the ocean, but you can’t say, ‘I will not add this drop just because it’s a drop.’ "
On the face of it, the business partners seem worlds apart. Poran is a typical Israeli high-tech wizard, the son of the late Brig. Gen. Ephraim Poran, who was military adjutant to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Guy Poran is the owner of Pixel Software Technologies, a developer of multiplayer games for interactive television and cellular networks, and he knew how to play his digital cards against the odds of a high-tech crisis.
Mahamid, 24, studied computer planning and computerized graphics, but had to settle for occasional jobs. The partners’ ways would not have crossed had they not sought common ground.
They happened to meet last January at a seminar of the Peacemaker Circle, an American organization that aims to interlock circles of peace activists throughout the world.
The Israeli branch of the group is run by Iris Elhanani, 47, owner of a Tel Aviv marketing firm who, due to Israel’s economic crisis, turned to marketing peace. She introduced Mahamid to Poran.
"Rami started talking about his interest in doing something practical that would contribute to the community," Poran recalled as he sat in the Fureidis Internet cafe just hours before the festive opening.
Mahamid came up with the idea of the cafe, a place in the middle of the village that would offer local customers computer time, coffee and cake.
"This was exactly what I wanted," Poran said. "I had no interest in a business venture; I am busy enough with my business as it is."
Poran has been active for years with Peace Now and other dovish groups. He has joined demonstrations, attended rallies and contributed to all sorts of peaceful causes, but he was disappointed time after time by the lack of progress.
"I was interested in a practical venture that would create real change — not just another demonstration, but a real business project," Poran says.
Poran invested $20,000, bought 10 computers and rented an empty store in the middle of the village. The project was ready to go.
"I have worked on the idea for a long time," Mahamid said. "I spoke to our municipality, to local businessmen, to the Histadrut Workers Union. No one would go along with me, no one was ready to reach out and help the community, until I met Guy."
The new cafe — called Klik — already is humming with the happy clicking of children. The cafe charges $2 an hour, which is no small sum for the residents of Fureidis, but Mahamid and Poran are determined to make a little profit.
"I don’t want this project to depend on donations," Poran said. "I want it to be profitable. All profits will go to the development of similar projects in Arab villages."
This is not the first Internet cafe in an Arab village; most Arab towns and bigger villages have at least one. Neither is it the first joint business venture between Jews and Arabs.
However, it is one of the few projects designed to set wheels rolling for the development of the Arab communities in Israel.
"My village really has very little to offer its residents," Mahamid said. "Although we have quite a number of businessmen, all they have come up with were a number of coffee houses. They will invest millions in building a hotel in Haifa, but will not invest in their own community. It’s not the money that counts in Guy’s investment, it’s the intention to change things."
Fureidis played an ugly role early in the intifada. When Israeli Arabs rioted that first weekend of the intifada, local hooligans burned an Egged bus.
Luckily there were no casualties — except for the delicate membrane of Jewish-Arab relations.
"For a long time, since the outbreak of the intifada, Jews stayed out of Arab villages," Poran said. "It was important for me to make the political statement that since both peoples live in this country side by side, they will not be able to do so without deepening their mutual business involvement. As far as I’m concerned, there is no difference between a business venture in Tel Aviv and Fureidis."
Some 4,500 of Fureidis’ 10,000 residents are less than 25. Until the outbreak of the intifada, families made a living mostly by fishing and working in nearby Jewish towns and cities — Zichron Ya’acov, Haifa and Hadera.
Jews used to come on Saturdays for a bite or to shop in the local market. However, with Jews afraid to visit Arab areas — and Israel reeling from an economic slump — Fureidis suffered a heavy economic blow.
"I’m glad we started with the Internet," Poran said. "The Internet opens eyes. Local kids are now exposed to the same Web sites as my kids in Maccabim, or for that matter in any Jewish community. The Internet cafe of Fureidis is a real bridge. We need many such bridges."
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.


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Maserati is hard at work on a new GranTurismo, but those looking for a new drop-top model will be disappointed. Continue Reading...
Maserati NewsAll News
Italian car producer is owned by Fiat, and produces high end luxury cars with high price tags. Maserati also has a rich racing heritage. Models to watch: Quattroporte
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There’s plenty of buzz surrounding this year’s debuts heading to the Geneva Motor Show. Continue Reading...
“We’re all about the f#cking sound,” jokes Maserati marketing boss Saad Chehab. Continue Reading...
Another month is in the books! January is done and gone just like childhood memories of Space Camp. How well did automakers do? Let’s break it down. Continue Reading...
The first Maserati SUV is still in its early stages of testing. Continue Reading...
Ford still has the most customer loyalty anywhere in the auto industry according to the IHS Automotive Loyalty Awards. Continue Reading...
Coverage from the Consumer Electronics Show and Tokyo Auto Salon filled this past week’s automotive news stories. Continue Reading...
This is the first year for AutoGuide.com covering the Consumer Electronics Show. This year, as expected, automobiles had a huge presence at the show. Continue Reading...
January is upon us and another 12-month span is in the books. Like tales of Genghis Kahn’s epic Eurasian conquests or new episodes of I Love Lucy, 2014 is history and what a year it was. Continue Reading...
The Maserati Ghibli is keeping busy these days, acting as a mule for several upcoming models. Continue Reading...
It’s that time of year again. Continue Reading...
Maserati has been spied testing a new mule for its upcoming Levante SUV. Continue Reading...
Every year, the latest gifts for the wealthy are listed in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog and one car makes the cut. This year, it’s the Maserati Ghibli. Continue Reading...
Like memories of band camp August is dead and buried. Regrettably the eighth month of the year didn’t go quietly; it took summer down with it. Sure, the season’s not officially over but we’re too emotionally devastated about the loss to care. At least new-vehicle sales in the U.S. were strong. Continue Reading...
Maserati‘s upcoming Levante SUV has been spied for the first time and it certainly looks unique. Continue Reading...
Taggart Autosport is looking to surprise the competition this weekend at Virginia International Raceway. Continue Reading...
The 2015 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year long list has been announced. Continue Reading...
Most automakers strive to sell as many vehicles as they possibly can in a year, but that isn’t the case at Maserati. Continue Reading...
Maserati will have to crank up production this summer to keep up with high demand for its cars. Continue Reading...
The stunning Maserati Alfieri will become a production model, likely making an appearance by 2016. Continue Reading...
After one of the worst winters in recent memory America’s northern extremities are finally starting to thaw out. In addition to longer days, spring is also bringing warmer temperatures as the sun wakes up from hibernation. But were April car sales as nice? Did better weather get more people in the mood… to buy a… Continue Reading...
Having been available for over 50 years, the Maserati GranTurismo has become a staple in the Italian automaker’s lineup. Continue Reading...
Spring is here and the U.S. automotive market saw its overall sales rise six percent in March, shaking off the slow start to 2014. Compared to 2013, the seasonally adjusted sales rate has grown from 15.3-million units in 2013 to 16.4-million units and is the best showing since November 2013, and among the highest in… Continue Reading...
Each year, dozens of exotic car manufacturers flock to Switzerland for the Geneva Motor Show, and 2014 was no different. Last year saw the world premieres of the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Lamborghini Veneno. Could this year’s lineup of debuts compete? Browse our gallery and judge for yourself. SEE ALSO: 2014 Geneva Motor Show… Continue Reading...


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A forced induction system in that manner would eliminate the complicated turbocharger plumbing and that would result in more linear power delivery by greatly reducing turbo lag. Subaru has not said much about the system and instead they call it the latest of many rumours surrounding the next WRX and its STI variant.
There are also other many speculations about the next WRX and WRX STI. Firstly; it may feature smaller engines and if coupled with the electric turbocharger unit, it would have a better output in terms of fuel economy. Another thing is that the WRX cars could come with either a six-speed manual or a CVT unit.
I strongly believe that many Subaru fans would disapprove the idea of a CVT in a WRX. The term CVT and sports car just don’t sound and look right together. Maybe the company could invest in a dual-clutch unit instead. Anyway, it is clear that Subaru is distancing the WRX and WRX STI from the Impreza family tree and we will just have to wait and see what the future holds for the WRX.


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Saturday, July 9, 2011
SpectraCal and X-Rite Announce Next Generation SpectraCal C6™ and OEM i1Display Colorimeters
SpectraCal, Inc. and X-Rite Incorporated are proud to announce two new professional colorimeters –the SpectraCal C6™ and an OEM i1Display – both customized versions of X-Rite’s recently released i1Display Pro device. Developed by X-Rite and customized for SpectraCal, the SpectraCal C6™ reads up to 5x faster, measures more accurately at lower light levels, and offers greater versatility than its predecessor, the Chroma 5. Read the full press release here and buy the SpectraCal C6 and the OEM i1Display at their July only preorder prices today!


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Hong Kong's SuperCharger fintech accelerator is moving to Malaysia with the support of founding partner Standard Chartered Bank, Allianz Malaysia and the country's Digital Economic Corporation (MDEC).
SuperCharger was first launched in Hong Kong in 2015 to discover, train and scale promising fintech companies focused on Asia. To date, 16 companies have undergone the programme, which has delivered 12 proof of concepts (PoCs), contracts and pilots.
The move to Malaysia comes as financial regulators in the country loosen restrictions in the banking market to encourage competition from new entrants. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) admitted start-ups into its regulatory sandbox for the first time earlier this year and the Securities Commission continues to push for supportive regulation on new innovations, like equity crowdfunding. Moreover, Malaysian authorities are showing growing interest in how to become a conduit for financial innovations in Sharia-compliant fintech services.
Standard Chartered’s global head of data, technology strategy and innovation, Shameek Kundu says: “Malaysia is a key market for us and has established itself as a global centre for Islamic finance. These initiatives give us the opportunity to uncover the brightest fintech companies which will help us deliver the best finance solutions for our customers.”


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Economic Focus – Will China rebalance in 2016?
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Will China rebalance in favour of the services sectors in 2016?
Kevin Lings, our Chief Economist chats about what China needs to do to rebalance its economy in our latest Economic Focus video.
South Africa’s growth outlook at the start of 2016


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NEW YORK, May 12 (UPI) -- Telecom giant Verizon said it will buy AOL for $4.4 billion, or about $50 a share, in an all-cash deal that is being billed as a big boost to Verizon's digital and video platforms.
AOL, best known for its dial-up service, will become a separate division within Verizon. AOL has several media brands, including The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Engadget, MAKERS and AOL.com. The company boasts $600 million in global advertising revenue. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong will keep his job.


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It was high time the UK’s digital classified ads giant modernised their site. With one in four people in the UK using Gumtree at least once a month, the brand’s identity needed to be recognisable on all formats – from billboards to mobile devices.
Part of the re-design was, of course, a new logo design.
However, he continues, “[The new logo] isn’t about visual seduction. It’s functional.” The tree had to be successful on a range of scales.
The site tweeted a cheeky poll to ask users opinions on the new design and had varied responses – as typical when a major brand makes a change.
What do you think of our new logo?
— Gumtree (@Gumtree) January 7, 2016
But what do designers think? Is this new icon really immediately recognisable, making an impact alongside other online brands like Google, Facebook and parent company, Ebay?
— Logo Geek (@Logo_Geek) January 8, 2016
In a first for most major rebrands, the overwhelming response was that of approval, with designers actively tweeting about their love for it.
— Kevin Lofthouse (@kevinlofthouse) January 8, 2016
@hunterlangston Like the negative space in the branding. Nice and clean. Nice work on your website too!
— Scamp Creative (@ScampCreative) January 8, 2016
— Mark Rigney (@M_Rigney) January 7, 2016
However, many have pointed out the similarity to other brands, making it not so individual and recognisable as they hoped…
— Matt Dossett (@M4ttDossett) January 7, 2016
— Nick Spiller (@Nickspiller0812) January 8, 2016
And others don’t think it’s quite as “on-brand”…
— Matt Meech (@mattmeech) January 7, 2016
What do you think? Is Gumtree growing in the right direction or should it snip its new look in the bud?
Liked this? Read these!


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Another big announcement came to the Game Awards tonight. Netflix's Stranger Things is finally getting a video game.
Following a flashy sizzle reel from Season 2, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer announced the game from Netflix and BonusXP. The game, known as Stranger Things 3: The Game, can be played solo or co-op and follows the events of the third season. It'll be an isometric action title, evoking the 16-bit graphics of yesteryear.
Players will take control of characters from the show's cast to fight monsters in Hawkins, Indiana. The trailer showed Lucas and Steve working together, in addition to Dustin and Hopper. It's unclear how deep the character roster will go, though news will likely be expanded closer to release. This is the second piece of Stranger Things game news to arrive; the show was meant to receive a game from Telltale, but the studio's closure earlier this year has hampered development. Netflix is still looking for a developer for the project.
Stranger Things 3: The Game will release next year. It'll release for Xbox One, Switch and PC. The series' third season won't premiere until the summer of next year.


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AC over for Team Australia
Hamilton Island Yacht Club has bowed out as Challenger of Record for the America's Cup.
SYS success spawns show
Organisers of the Singapore Yacht Show are planning a new event in Phuket in 2015.
Kismet begins its destiny
'Project Global', the 95-metre superyacht from Lurssen, has launched as Kismet.
Forever One a one-off
Dedicated to a much-loved wife, Forever One is ISA's latest 54-metre, custom build.
Portable island for pre-fab fun
An novel approach to creating more deck space captures the fantasy of your own island.
Super silent Couach 5000
The new 50-metre yacht from Couach boasts noise and vibration reduction technology.
Over 22 years, BRIG has evolved to become the major brand of RIBs in Europe.
Dean and Ryan Leigh-Smith have moved from Gold Coast City Marina to Sanctuary Cove.
Lidgard boosts AP Superyachts
Duthie Lidgard has joined Asia Pacific Superyachts NZ as new partner and MD.
M58 upgrades appeal
A complete revamp of one of Maritimo's most popular models leads to a surge in sales.
Atlantis now open
Azimut will launch an Open version of its Atlantis 50, with additional space and features.
Bamps heads Gulfcraft
After 12 years at Gulfcraft, Erwin Bamps has been promoted to CEO.
Green light for Bluewater
The Trinity Beach marina and residential community begins major development.
Show savours Epicure coup
The Sydney Superyacht Show will have MV Epicure as its hospitality venue.
Prestige toasts 200th 500
After just three years, the Beneteau Groupe is celebrating its 200th Prestige 500.
The rebranded Cannes Yachting Festival will include many new facets in 2014.
First view of 'First Lady'
Hot Lab has revealed Primadonna, a 110-metre yacht with an Oceanco hull.
The world meets at METS
The world's largest marine trade event in Amsterdam aims to enhance business in 2014.
Australia and NZ team up
Industry groups unite to share resources and promote superyacht assets of the region.
Maritimo M65 a winner
Before the moulds have been completed, Maritimo has taken orders for its M65.
Oceanco's new 91.5-metre yacht is the first superyacht built to be PYC compliant.
YCM unites with top Italians
Two of the world's most recognised marques partner with Yacht Club de Monaco.
Riviera 6000 on show at SIBS
The new flagship of the Sport Yacht fleet will debut at Sydney International Boat Show.
Paradis found in Cannes
The first Benetti Tradition Supreme 108 will debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival.
SYS booking now for 2015
Singapore Yacht Show is already receiving applications from major brands for 2015.
Jetovator to ignite Expo
The thrilling Jetovator debuts downunder at the Gold Coast International Marine Expo.
Australia targets Tahiti
Superyacht Australia will host a networking event to showcase Aussie options and skills.
OZ routes for Peters & May
With is agent, Aurora, Peters & May are adding two services from the US and Europe.
Outer Reef wields Trident
A new series with the Trident badge appeals to long range cruisers looking for speed.
Elandra poised for launch
Australia's newest luxury motor yacht brand will launch at the Sydney Boat Show.
Mandurah sets sights sky high
Australia's third largest boat show is on again, promising to be bigger than ever in 2014.
Paragon 100 underway
Following the Taiwan International Boat Show, a 100-foot SkyMaster is in production.


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Craft Brewing and Distilling News for August 1, 2018August 1, 2018
•Craft beer production increased by 5% in the first half of 2018, according to the Brewers Association, matching its growth rate for calendar 2017. While craft beer continues to expand in the U.S.—and is aggregating share within the overall beer category—the pace has slowed markedly over the past few years, and the market has grown increasingly crowded. The Brewers Association notes that there were more 6,655 active breweries in the U.S. as of June 30, up 20% from a year ago. In addition, there are an estimated 2,500-3,000 breweries in the planning stages. “The data demonstrate that 2018 is on pace to have the highest number of brewery openings and closings to date,” said Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson. “However, even as breweries close, openings continue to far outpace the number that shutter.”
•Bell’s Brewery will add Official American Wheat IPA to its core portfolio next February. The 6.4%-abv ale is brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Azacca, Amarillo, and El Dorado hops and packaged unfiltered and hazy. According to the brewery, Official kicks off a series of new releases that will drive innovation for the brand moving forward. Bell’s Official American Wheat IPA will be released in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans, 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles and cans, and on draft in the company’s 40-state distribution footprint.
•Texas-based Garrison Brothers Distillery will release HoneyDew honey-infused Bourbon on August 17. The 40%-abv whiskey is made from Garrison Brothers’ Bourbon and locally sourced Burleson’s Honey. The whiskey is infused through a two-step process: the barrels used to age the Bourbon are first cut into cubes and infused with honey, then the honey-infused wood is steeped in the whiskey daily for seven months. Garrison Brothers HoneyDew will be available exclusively at the company’s Hye, Texas distillery for $70 a bottle.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.


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Tiktok privacy concerns have been rising since the app’s release but, with recent reports, it’s clear that it’s essential to learn how to turn off Tiktok tracking. Still, no doubt about it, it’s a fun app and it’s hard to stop using it.
Let’s see exactly what type of data TikTok collects, what they do with it and then we’ll give you some helpful tips to stop Tiktok from tracking you.
Tiktok privacy concerns
News outlet TheWrap obtained two studies that say TikTok and its parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, have full access to your data.
The studies were made by white hat security experts, aka people who hack in order to test security boundaries and alert the public to threats. According to the outlet, their findings were verified with five independent experts.
And those reports check out with other sources as well. Marketing company URL Genius found that TikTok and YouTube collect more user personal data than any other social media app.
However, unlike YouTube, which collects your data for Google, TikTok allows third-party trackers on its platform – so that means that there’s no telling where your Tiktok data goes. Those third-party trackers can also track your activity even after you close Tiktok.
Last year, a Reddit user called “bangorlol” claimed to have reverse engineered Tiktok and called it “a data collection service that is thinly-veiled as a social network”.
He said that Bytedance has access to every detail about your phone hardware, including how much disk space you have left, other apps you installed, things about your network (IP, router MAC, wifi access point name) and even your location – every 30 seconds or so.
A Tiktok class action lawsuit exists in the state of Illinois, asking Bytedance to pay penalties for how they handle user data. All persons who reside in the United States who used the TikTok or Musical.ly app prior to September 30, 2021, and all persons who used the apps to create videos by the same date, could submit a claim to be reimbursed for the way their personal information was used. Tiktok’s mother company, Bytedance, was force to pay out $92 million in the settlement.
But that was just the beginning and another Tiktok lawsuit is probably brewing.
Democrat senator Amy Klobuchar and republican senator John Thune sent TikTok an openly released letter asking them what exactly they are doing with the biometric data they collect, particularly “faceprints” and “voiceprints”.
As of now, Bytedance has not responded to the summons with any clarification.
I’s clear that, if you want a modicum of online privacy, you have to take some measures to protect yourself. Let’s see how.
How to download your Tiktok data
Since both the US and EU mandate that social media apps have to show you what data they collect, you can download your TikTok data as well and see what you shared with ByteDance.
Unfortunately, there is no “download your TikTok data” automated tool like on other apps. Instead, you have to request your personal data.
To do so, open the TikTok app, tap the 3-line icon in the top right. Then, go to Privacy and select Personalize and data. You’ll then have a “Download TikTok Data” option which, if clicked, gives you more instructions.
How to stop Tiktok from tracking you (quick guide)
The bad news is you can’t fully prevent Tiktok from tracking you, no matter what. Since Tiktok can actually avoid Apple privacy protections and even Google ones, according to recent reports, the safest way to avoid being tracked is to simply uninstall Tiktok and stop using the app.
But, since for some that’s impossible, there are some steps you can take to protect your privacy:
Set your Tiktok privacy settings to a private account, where only people you know can follow you.
What you share can be a goldmine for scammers and other online threats, so make sure your information only reaches trusted people.
Don’t allow Tiktok access to your contacts, Google account or other social media platforms.
Tiktok continually asks for more permissions to snoop into your other accounts, even when it doesn’t need to do so, so don’t let it. Why would an app designed to let you watch videos want access to your G-Suite?
Don’t allow Tiktok access to your location.
Unlike let’s say photo apps that tag your photos and videos with location so you can find them easier later, Tiktok doesn’t have that functionality – so why should they know where you are every minute of the day?
Don’t share sensitive information in Tiktok messages.
Bytedance, the app’s creator, can read messages sent by users, so don’t include too much detailed info in your chats. That way, you’re protected in the event of a Tiktok leak.
Limit ad personalization.
Tiktok, like most other social media apps, uses targeting to serve you ads. However, you can ask them to use less personal information to do so.
Go to Tiktok’s Settings and Privacy, select Privacy, then Ads Personalization and off “Use of Off-TikTok Activity for Ad Targeting”. It’s not a bulletproof method to avoid Tiktok tracking you for ads but any little bit helps.
Make sure your profile stays as low-profile as possible.
Open Tiktok Settings and Privacy, go to Privacy and turn off the toggle that says “Suggest Your Account to Others.”
Paired with a private Tiktok account, this can limit the number of people who have access to your content.
And lastly, exercise caution. It’s always worth it to be mindful of what you post on social media. Even if online privacy and where your user data goes is no concern, scammers and other malicious individuals use your social media accounts to find information on you.


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Foundation for eSports broadcast network
As suspected, Activision has acquired Major League Gaming.
The move falls in line with the company’s ambitious goal to “create the ESPN of eSports,” according to CEO Bobby Kotick. “MLG’s ability to create premium content and its proven broadcast technology platform — including its live streaming capabilities — strengthens our strategic position in competitive gaming,” he said.
MLG CEO and co-founder Sundance DiGiovanni (again, great name) added, “This acquisition and Activision Blizzard’s commitment to competitive gaming will expand the opportunities for gamers to be recognized and celebrated for their competitive excellence.”
Today’s press release also mentioned that “MLG will continue to operate MLG.tv, MLG Pro Circuit, and GameBattles platforms, and will continue to work with its partners and other publishers across the industry.”
The financial details weren’t disclosed, but this is believed to be a $46 million deal.


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Venezuelan friend traki teams up with Pundi X to bring the first physical cryptocurrency point of sale to Venezuela.
Exclusive interview of DiarioBitcoin with Gabriel Falcone, director of PundiX Venezuela, who announced that other businesses may request the point of sale.
The largest department store Venezuela made an alliance with the Indonesian blockchain firm PundiX to bring the first physical point of sale to the Caribbean country with which it can be paid with cryptocurrencies.
The device in the form of a cell phone, touch screen, camera and an Android-based operating system, receives payments in different cryptocurrencies and works with the use of data from a mobile network or through a Wi-Fi network.
To learn a little more about it, DiarioBitcoin spoke exclusively with Gabriel Falcone, director of PundiXVenezuela, who says his firm is the first and so far the only platform in the world that has assembled physical points of sale for crypto payments.
How does it work?
Falcone account, that the XPOS allows to receive payments with cryptocurrencies through the XPASS, which have been a debit card, or in a conventional way by scanning the address generated by the device to receive. In order to use XPOS in a store, the user must have downloaded the Xwallet, the PundiX wallet (available on both iOS and Google Play) and proceed with the registration.
Once the account is created, it is enough to deposit the cryptocurrencies to be able to pay with the XPOS using a conventional address. To pay with the XPASS, the user must first request it on the PundiXVenezuela page and meet a series of conditions for delivery. Once the card is received, you just have to activate it through the app and load a balance to use it.
Why Venezuela? Although PundiX has already taken the XPOS to countries like Panama and Brazil, Falcone points out that Venezuela's economic conditions are an opportunity for adoption to take place more easily. Between hyperinflation, cash shortage and the need to change cryptocurrencies to bolivars to be able to use them, the arrival of a point of sale makes them more viable and comfortable without using the bolivars that day by day They are devalued.
Also, Falcone points out that Traki was chosen as leaders in the adoption of crypto in the past. In addition, the company is ready to fully introduce cryptocurrencies in all its departments (taxes, administration, etc.).
Michael Gomez, CEO of CriptoTraki, told DiarioBitcoin that previously all the cryptocurrencies that were received for sales in the different stores of the country were stored in a wallet, but from next week all the information that is generated as a result of transactions Crypto will be reflected in the accounting books of the company.
Currently, the XPOS is in four Traki stores in different cities of the country and in just two weeks, all Caracas stores are expected to have at least one of these devices. Also, Gomez said that by the end of the year it is expected that there will be at least five XPOS outlets in each of the 49 Traki stores nationwide.
More shops with the XPOS
In this initial phase, only Traki is working with XPOS, but Falcone commented that anyone can enter the PundiX page and request a point of sale for their trade, the costs will vary according to what each trade needs. "A person can request a point of sale even to collect their professional fees," he said. So until now it is not necessary to be a physical trade to have the XPOS.
At the time of writing, PundiX is also working in alliances with other Venezuelan companies such as supermarket chains, pharmacy chains and even entertainment companies, such as cinema, to introduce XPOS in other stores and thus facilitate its adoption. It is even possible that through an alliance with a local bank, the balance of the XPASS can be recharged using bolivars, but this is only one possibility in which the firm is working.
Falcone said that there are currently more than 30,000 active Pundi portfolios in Venezuela and it is expected that by the end of this second half of the year there will be more than 300 stores using XPOS
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Tipping extra during the holiday season is a great way to show service workers appreciation for their work during the long year. According to a survey from CreditCards.com, nearly half of Americans plan to increase their tips to service workers for the holidays.
The survey was broken up by generations revealing that Gen Z is actually the most likely to tip the most. 51% of Gen Z-ers say they plan to give larger tips compared to:
- 48% of millennials
- 43% of Gen X-ers
- 42% of Boomers
Creditcards.com also says that since the service industry nowadays is made up mostly of Gen Z and Millennials, it would make sense that Gen Z is just “watching out for their own.” It’s also more common for anyone who has ever worked in the service industry to tip more in general.
Senior industry analyst, Ted Rossman does note that the survey only measures how much people are intending to tip this holiday season. So, these percentages aren’t actual. The real amount tipped could be much lower.
Photo: Getty Images


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DETROIT (Reuters) - Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) plans to raise up to $214 million through a share offering to help fund development of its Model X SUV, and said its chief executive would buy a portion of those shares.
The company’s stock shot up 8.5 percent following the announcement, which was made in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.
The Model X is a crossover vehicle based on the platform of Tesla’s Model S sedan, which is scheduled to begin customer deliveries in mid-2012.
A prototype of the Model X will be revealed by the end of 2011, with a commercial introduction set for the fourth quarter of 2013, Tesla said in the filing.
“Because the company is raising money to jumpstart a new product line, that’s viewed as a long-term positive,” analyst Andrea James of Minneapolis-based Dougherty & Co said.
Tesla said it planned to raise up to $158.5 million through a public offering of 6.095 million of its common shares, including 795,000 shares granted to the underwriter in a 30-day option, at $26 a share.
In a private placement at the same price, Tesla said it would sell 1.5 million shares to Chief Executive Elon Musk and 644,475 shares to Blackstar Investco LLC, an affiliate of Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE). At the offer price, the private placement would raise $55.8 million.
“That really shows confidence from the management team when you have the head of the company investing an incremental $40 million,” said James, who has a “buy” rating on Tesla shares. “So that’s encouraging.”
Tesla sells battery packs and chargers to Daimler for its Smart fortwo and A-Class electric vehicles. It also has an agreement to make an electric powertrain system for Toyota Motor Corp’s (7203.T) RAV4 EV, scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. market next year.
Daimler’s Blackstar Investco affiliate had a 7.8 percent stake in Tesla at the end of 2010, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Goldman Sachs (GS.N) is acting as sole book-running manager for the public offering.
Tesla shares rose $2.26, or 8.5 percent, to close at $28.98 on the Nasdaq.
Reporting by Mike Miller in Detroit and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles; additional reporting by Ben Klayman; Editing by Robert MacMillan, Dave Zimmerman, Gary Hill


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New Delhi: ByteDance—TikTok and Helo apps Chinese parent—has reportedly given cash bonuses up to Rs 4 lakh to employees in India, who were expecting to join the Beijing-based company’s payroll following an overseas deal. Earlier, the Chinese company had announced through an internal memo that it would distribute bonus to employees to help them to overcome challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and changing macro environment.
All regular employees who have worked for 26 or more working days between July to August are being given a bonus worth half their August base salary, people with direct knowledge of the matter told ET. They further mentioned that bonuses for some mid to senior employees varied from Rs 50,000 to Rs 4 lakh.
The Beijing-based technology company has more than 2,000 employees in India, and it confirmed the update on bonuses, but did not divulge any further details.
“To thank everyone for their efforts and dedication, we will be issuing a cash bonus to all eligible employees," Bloomberg reported on September 8, citing the letter from ByteDance to its employees.
Earlier this month, the Chinese owner of short video sharing app had picked Oracle over Microsoft to be its technology partner for its US operations, ahead of the Trump administration’s deadline to ban the popular app if it wasn’t sold to an American company.
Recently, ByteDance has sought permission from the Chinese government to export its technology as the tech startup strives to seal a deal and prevent its video app TikTok from being blocked in the US. However, Chinese state media are against ByteDance’s agreement with Oracle and Walmart, saying it as “dirty and unfair”, emphasising that Beijing had “no reason” to give nod to the deal backed by the White House.
On June 29, India banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok and Helo from ByteDance, citing security concerns. “For safety, security, defence, sovereignty & integrity of India and to protect data & privacy of people of India, the Government has banned 59 mobile apps. Jai Hind!”, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had tweeted. TikTok had more than 200 million users in India.
Furthermore, TikTok had faced many global challenges as well as the departure of its CEO Kevin Mayer who quit after just three months after his appointment.


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By David Keene
After an entire summer of InfoComm show post-game analysis and product and solution discussion, it’s nice to remember and highlight some of the personal stories – the ones that tend to get lost in all the product frenzy.
AVIXA CEO David Labuskes presented Mike Weems, CTS, MCP, the 2018 Mackey Barron Distinguished Achievement Award, on InfoComm 2018’s Center Stage at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Wednesday, June 6.
Each year AVIXA recognizes outstanding AV professionals for their contributions, leadership and commitment to excellence. The Mackey Barron Distinguished Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an industry member by AVIXA for a lifetime in pro AV.
“Starting off right out of college as an end user, directing the Media Center at Utica Junior College, gave me my first appreciation of the AV industry,” said Weems. “From there I moved to a senior university as the media director, then to my first commercial gig with TransVideo Limited, serving as Vice President of Production.
“Then came that fateful day when a manufacturer came calling (you all know the feeling). Sony moved the family from Louisiana to Texas, and away we went. Three weeks into the job they shipped me to Bloomington, IN to work my first Institute for Professional Development for ICIA. By the second trip back to Bloomington, I had converted our overhead transparencies to electronic graphics using the first SMC computer from Sony. Luke Rawls and I believe it was the first use of ‘electronic presentation’ ever. The rest is fairly recent history. Tours with other manufacturers followed—InFocus, Advanced Media Design, NetStreams, Sanyo, ending with Harman/AMX, from which I retired last year. Harman’s acquisition two years before, followed by the purchase of Harman by Samsung, seems to indicate that – at least in the realm of manufacturing – the broader your product offerings and the deeper your pockets the better equipped you are to survive in this industry.”
Advancing Certification initiatives in the industry is high on the list of Weem’s accomplishments. As the professional AV industry began to take its current form, Weems was among the visionaries that understood that without training, certification, and standardization, the industry couldn’t grow and reach its potential. Starting almost from scratch, Weems and a team of industry volunteers created the framework that still exists today at AVIXA, and helped advance the careers of thousands of AV professionals.
“The CTS certification,” said Weems, “has more relevance in the digital age than it did way back when it was created. Combine the various certifications with AVIXA’s growing list of standards, and you have an industry primed to face the future.”
Weems took on many projects and received many honors along the way: edited (twice) the Wadsworth book, created the CTS certification, served on the InfoComm Board for six years, and taught at 37 IPDs (from which many industry pros learned video).
And don’t forget about Educator of the Year from InfoComm in 1999, and the Fred Dixon Award in 2006. Congrats Mike!
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According to beekeeping specialists, the adulteration of this product is a problem that must be tackled with science, culture, and specific actions.
The campaign against the adulteration of honey during any part of its production is being run by three Mexicans who, in an interview for Tec Review, comment on the strategies they have in mind to ensure the purity of this substance produced by bees.
One of them is Liborio Carrillo Miranda, head of the Beekeeping Area at the Center for Agricultural Education of the Cuautitlán Faculty of Advanced Studies (FES), which is part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He affirms that adulteration begins with feeding bees at inappropriate times.
“When beekeepers feed the bees with sucrose during nectar flow, they’re adulterating the honey, because it’s food that the bees aren’t going to put into the breeding chamber but are going to send to the cells (destined for the accumulation of honey), where they will produce lots of it. However, this is only as a result of the sugar that the beekeeper gave them,” says Carrillo Miranda.
Glucose or fructose, obtained from corn flour, are sugars which some beekeepers inappropriately feed to bees. There are also merchants who proffer liquids made of these substances as if they were pure honey.
“There are others who sell glucose and fructose with a honey color and flavor; it is what one often sees in street markets. It’s called corn syrup. For example, the so-called Karo honey is not honey, but rather an artificial syrup,” shared the 60-year-old expert.
To help solve the problem, Carrillo and other scientists from FES Cuautitlán have undertaken field tests aimed at national producers so that they can do an initial analysis of their honeys, when they are removed from the hives, so they can check their quality.
“We also give training courses to producers; we invite them here not only to analyze honey, but to also carry out the industrialization process of their bee-related products. This means that their wares can reach the final consumer not only with a primary product but also with a transformed product that meets the standards,” says the academic born in Acuitzio del Canje, Michoacán.
On the business side of the issue is Iris Corona, beekeeper and general manager of Miel Oro, a Mexican company founded in 1974. She says that China is the main source of adulterated honey around the world; this is unfair competition which has greatly affected the producers of pure honey.
“Globally, there is a huge amount of piracy within the honey industry. As consumers, we have to be very careful about where we buy our honey. We should also demand that the label on the packaging tells the truth,” says this 72-year-old businesswoman.
Corona also promotes educational projects about the benefits that honey provides to the body and the importance of bees, as these insects are essential for sustaining the ecosystem in which we live.
“At Miel Oro, we want to promote a culture of caring for both bees and the environment. That’s why we give talks, workshops, and courses, in which children learn about the life of bees and how to care for them. We believe that environmental education is a key strategy for bringing new generations closer to nature and for responsible consumption,” says the Miel Oro web page.
This businesswoman, born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, also says that, just as beekeepers managed to overcome the onslaught of the African plague that ravaged Mexico 40 years ago, they can also triumph in the battle against the adulteration of honey.
“We survived African bees in the 80s, which caused 70% of beekeeping to disappear in Mexico; we were able to recover, and here we are again. I’m also very confident that more and more Mexicans are now aware of the types of sweeteners they consume,” says Corona.
In terms of learning about the properties of honey as a complete food and not only as a sweetener, Antonio Miranda Miranda, sales director of Organismos Integrados de Apicultores de México (Oriamex), says that honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
“Honey is a nutraceutical food, which means that it is a substance with both nutritional and therapeutic properties,” shares the 58-year-old leader of beekeepers.
Miranda Miranda also believes that in order to attack the problem of adulteration, it is necessary to form a honey control board, very similar to those created to regulate other products such as tequila or mezcal.
“They are organizations dedicated to verifying and certifying that products are authentic for the benefit of the consumer,” explains the honey expert, born in Jilotepec, State of Mexico.
“We’re in the process of forming a honey control board for the first time in Mexico. We’re working on it. Hopefully, it will be ready by the end of this year,” he adds.
It would also permit even closer collaboration with university laboratories specialized in honey certification; this would mean the gap between academic and commercial sectors would be closed, again benefiting consumers.
Until strict regulations can be put in place in the Mexican honey market, Oriamex’s commercial manager provides a suggestion on how to easily discern which honey is the real thing.
“One unique characteristic tells you at a glance if there is no adulteration: if the honey is crystallized, then it is pure. In general parlance, they say that the honey has turned to sugar. Syrups don’t crystallize,” he concludes.