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Trace Genonomics Announces AB Inbev Sustainability Partnership at 100+ Accelerator Demo Day
Last month, Trace Genomics Vice President of Product and Strategy, Ronald Zink, debuted the future of sustainability in agriculture through soil DNA analysis at the 100+ Accelerator Demo Day.
Trace Genomics was selected out of 1,300 applicant startups to participate in the 3rd cohort of the 100+ Accelerator program – an ambitious sustainability initiative led by AB InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever, and Colgate-Palmolive.
Sustainable agriculture and climate-friendly practices are playing an increasingly critical role in the choices consumers make. AB InBev has been a leader in promoting innovation and partnerships in four key areas of focus: Smart Agriculture, Water Stewardship, Climate Action, and Circular Packaging. Trace Genomics pioneered the application of human genomics sequencing technology to grow crops in a more sustainable manner. Using DNA analysis and advanced sciences, their Trace Environment Soil System (TESS™) enables a systems approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and agronomic goals. AB InBev is using the Trace’s Sustainable Soil Performance (SSP™) Rating to better understand the sustainability of its supply chain and to work with farmers to improve the footprint for growing crops used in AB InBev’s products.
“Trace believes strongly in using the soil as a compass to raise higher-quality, more sustainably produced crops,” says Ron Zink. “It’s a pleasure working with AB InBev as part of the 100+ Accelerator program to do just that.”
Learn more about the 100+ Accelerator program at https://www.100accelerator.com/.
About Trace Genomics
Trace Genomics is an alive science company that sequences DNA in the soil, creating the most comprehensive microbiome database to advance food and energy production. Trace Genomics has won several awards, including being selected as a 2020 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, Winner of FoodShot Global’s Innovating Soil 3.0 Challenge, Forbes Top 25 Most Innovative AgTech, THRIVE Top 50 AgTech, 2022 Global Cleantech top 100 start-ups and many more.
About AB InBev
Founded more than 165 years ago, Anheuser-Busch is one of America’s most iconic companies and the undisputed leader of the U.S. beer industry. We are proud of our history and heritage in this country and we remain committed to brewing the great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. We’re building a company to last, brewing beer and building brands that will continue to bring people together for the next 100 years and beyond. With centuries of brewing history, we’ve seen countless new friendships, connections, and experiences built on a shared love of beer. We believe in celebrating life. Millions enjoy our products every day, and we strive to make sure every experience with beer is positive. We’re also committed to improving the communities we’re a part of and playing a positive role within them. Sustainability isn’t just related to our business, it is our business.


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The Plex Android app has once again been updated. The updated version of the app is already available in the Play Store, and perhaps more important is news about how this update brings a new feature. This new addition is called Camera Upload and is available for those with a Plex Pass subscription.
Plex fans, rejoice! Chromecast is now free to use for everyone on the service. In a blog post, Plex has announced they’ve made Chromecast avaialble to all members. Previously available to just Plex Pass members, Chromecast is now open to all.

domain: news


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We all know Elon Musk plans for Tesla to be selling “millions of cars” in a few years, but China’s BYD may become the largest EV company in the world long before then. In October, it sold 6,099 electric vehicles — more than any other manufacturer! For 2015 through the month of October, BYD sold 43,073 electric vehicles worldwide. More than any other single brand.
Sure, if total EV sales by Nissan and Renault are combined, the French/Japanese company leads all others- but not under a single brand, and remember, too, that BYD doesn’t sell in the US … which is still a pretty big market.
Unlike Tesla, which is committed to starting at the top of the market and working its way down, BYD has a plan to take virtually everything on wheels and convert it to electric power. BYD is already the world leader in electric buses. It will deliver about 6,000 of them in 2016, of which 300 will be manufactured at its Bus & Coach Factory in Lancaster, Calif. It has a fleet of electric taxis operating in Chicago and plans to expand its e-taxi service to New York City.
BYD also plans to build manufacturing facilities for cars and batteries in the US, according to Inside EVs. Lerner-Lam, the company’s director of eastern U.S. business, says that fossil fuel vehicles will be steadily replaced by environmentally responsible solutions. “The time has come for electric vehicles, and BYD is ready to meet the growing demand. It’s a very exciting opportunity to take technology that was developed in China—and leveraged and matured in large scale there—and adapt them to American standards, lifestyles and infrastructures.”
BYD is expanding its focus to include trash hauling trucks, airport and seaport operations vehicles, long distance motor coaches, construction vehicles, and warehouse equipment like forklifts. Tesla has big plans, but the forklift is well down on its list of priorities. As of November 2015, BYD’s e-buses and e-taxis have traveled more than 327 million miles in revenue service with the total equivalent CO2 emissions saved comparable to planting a forest of 581,678 trees.
For those not familiar with BYD, the initials stand for “Build Your Dream.” Elon Musk may dream of a fossil fuel free future, but with its ambitious plans that include all vehicle categories, BYD has dreams of its own and may yet become the biggest manufacturer of electric vehicles on the planet.
Graphic via Inside EVs.


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- THE MAGAZINE
- FOOD MASTER
A recent white paper, entitled Developing and Engaging the Manufacturing Workforce, looks at consumer goods (mostly food and beverage) manufacturing and proposes some solutions to get these plants up to speed.
Three-part program covers food safety, processing and management.
The engineering team from Northeast Foods’ Automatic Rolls of North Carolina hamburger bun manufacturing facility, winner of Food Engineering’s 2012 Plant of the Year award, participated in a special presentation at FE’s annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference.
Food industry groups have joined forces with consumer advocates to press the Obama Administration to approve new food safety rules.
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has taken issue with a survey released by an advocacy group that purported to find half the chicken products marketed by national brands and sold in supermarkets to be contaminated with feces.
Tyson Foods, Inc. began work on a multi-million dollar improvement and expansion project at its poultry complex in Sedalia, MO. Improvements will include processes to benefit animal handling, food safety, environmental quality, workplace safety and production lines.
With access to over one million professionals and more than 60 industry-specific publications,Clear Seas Research offers relevant insights from those who know your industry best. Let us customize a market research solution that exceeds your marketing goals.
Where the buying process begins in the food and beverage manufacturing market.
Visit www.foodmaster.com to learn more.


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Working remotely, Russian-style: Ballet practice at home
MOSCOW (AP) — Russians from many walks of life, including Bolshoi Ballet dancers, musicians and a mixed martial arts trainer, are struggling to adapt to working remotely because of the coronavirus outbreak. As the outbreak has engulfed Russia, President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial economic shutdown and authorities across the vast country have introduced strict quarantine measures. Officials in Moscow and other regions have ordered most people except those working in essential sectors to stay home through April 30. Residents are only allowed to shop at nearby food stores and pharmacies, walk their dogs and remove trash. The shutdown has driven many businesses to the verge of collapse and made millions jobless, according to estimates.


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Apple Music to push into original shows and movies
The move is an attempt to give Apple’s monthly streaming service a leg up against streaming giant Spotify, rather than go head-to-head with Netflix.
The Bauer Academy wins £1.8m government contract
Bauer Media’s training initiative aims to get 1,200 new people into the creative industries by July 2018.
talkRADIO starts its own version of Woman’s Hour
talkRADIO is launching its own version of the popular Radio 4 show Woman’s Hour, but calling it Badass Women’s Hour, every Saturday at 8pm.
Dreams signs up for long-term deal with Heart
The new campaign will run across the Heart network reaching its 9.6 million listeners every week.


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LONDON (CNNMoney.com) -- Google is being scrutinized by European antitrust officials, who have notified the Internet search giant that three companies have complained about its practices.
The European Commission is investigating complaints made by Ciao! from Bing, which is a unit of Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500); UK price comparison site Foundem; and French legal search engine ejustice.fr, Google said.
The three are arguing that the search firm suppresses the ranking of its competitors in search results.
"The Commission has not opened a formal investigation for the time being," according to a statement released by the executive arm of the European Union. "As is usual when the Commission receives complaints, it informed Google earlier this month and asked the company to comment on the allegations."
Google (GOOG, Fortune 500), which revealed the inquiry in a post on an official company blog early Wednesday, said that given its growth, it wasn't surprised its search and search advertising practices were being examined.
"This kind of scrutiny goes with the territory when you are a large company," senior competition counsel Julia Holtz said on the company's European Public Policy blog.
#AskSeaWorld campaign aims to set the record straight on the company's animal care, but is fueling critics on Twitter. More
Most funded Kickstarter project Pebble Time raised more than $20.3 million. More
Meet Luna, the tech-enabled mattress cover that just raised over $1.1 million on Indiegogo. More


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This indicates that approximately 36.9% of the globe’s populace are Facebook users. More than 200 million organizations make use of Facebook devices, and more than seven million advertisersactively advertise their organization on Facebook, which makes it a rather sure thing if you wish to have an existence on social media. Conserve time by organizing posts across all your social media networks in just a couple of clicks.
Make Your Brand Names Message Travel Faster With Electronic Ads
At the end of the research, both Democrat and also Republican politician individuals were discovered to have raised political polarization for their own events, though just Republican participants had an increase that was statistically substantial. Researches have revealed that self-comparison on social networks can have alarming effects on physical as well as mental wellness due to the fact that they give us the ability to look for approval as well as compare ourselves. In one research study, females reported that social networks are the most prominent sources of their body picture contentment; while guys reported them as the second most impacting factor. Social network usage often entails negative communications between individuals.
This count on can be exploited by marketers, who can utilize consumer-created content concerning brands and also items to influence public understandings. Social media site can likewise function as an encouraging system for teens’ wellness, because by using social media, adolescents are able to mobilize around health and wellness concerns that they themselves regard pertinent. Whilst, social media can provide such information there are a substantial amount of uninformed as well as inaccurate sources which promote harmful and unsafe techniques of weight-loss. As stated by the national eating disorder organization there is a high correlation in between weight-loss web content as well as disorderly consuming amongst ladies that have actually been affected by this negative content.
Data On Usage As Well As Subscription
Ethical concerns of the level to which a firm should have the ability to make use of a customer’s info have been called “large data”. Individuals tend to click via Regards to Use agreements when subscribing on social media systems, as well as they do not recognize how their information will be used by companies. This causes concerns of personal privacy as well as monitoring when customer information is videotaped. Some social media electrical outlets have included capture time as well as Geotagging that helps provide information regarding the context of the data in addition to making their information more exact. According to the Pew Proving Ground, a majority of Americans at the very least periodically receive news from social networks.
In her last function at OpenMarket, she drove 30%+ YoY revenue development over three years via tactical preparation and also hands-on executive management as well as instructions, causing a successful divestiture and purchase in 2020. Cassie has 10 years of experience in Consumer Success & Data Intelligence. She’s worked with NetBase Quid’s largest clients throughout the years to develop winning strategies in AI driven consumer and also market intelligence. Cassie brings a riches of interest and also technical reality to any kind of discussion.
Specific social media sites applications such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are areas where users share details political or sports web content. Numerous press reporters and journalists create updates as well as info on sports and political information. It can absolutely provide customers essential and also necessary info to keep up to day on relevant newspaper article and also topics. Individuals are advised to exercise due diligence when they are utilizing social media sites platforms. A social media sites management platform offers your service with tools for social media marketing, allowing you to produce, routine, as well as upload articles as well as check exactly how well they’re doing. Our advertising and marketing system supplies you with the social media sites campaign devices essential to involve customers, create leads, as well as rise sales.
Growth Of Social
From 2002 till 2008, Knight worked at ebay.com, the globe’s biggest ecommerce site. State Division that trains diplomats on marketing technique as well as implementation. Level from Louisiana State University in advertising and his MBA from the College of Cincinnati. Greg Creed was Ceo of Yum! Brand names from January 2015 to December 2019 and also worked as a Supervisor of the Board from November 2014 to Might 2020. He has greater than 40 years of considerable international experience in marketing and also operations with leading packaged products and also restaurant brand names.
Using hashtags as a way to promote for something online makes it simpler and much more accessible for even more people to acknowledge it around the world. As hashtags such as #tbt (” throwback Thursday”) end up being a part of on-line communication, it influenced the way in which young people share and also connect in their daily lives. Due to these changes in linguistics and also interaction decorum, scientists of media semiotics [that? ] have found that this has actually modified young people’s interactions practices as well as more. Data from Sound Judgment Media has recommended that kids under the age of 13 in the USA utilize social networking services despite the fact that numerous social networks websites have plans that mention one should go to the very least 13-years-old or older to join. Because same study, when American teenagers ages 16– 18 were asked when they started using social media, 28% claimed they started to utilize it prior to they were 13-years-old.
In some countries, Net authorities or secret police keep an eye on or regulate citizens’ use of social media. As an example, in 2013 some social media was outlawed in Turkey after the Taksim Gezi Park demonstrations. blow up sexdoll Both Twitter and also YouTube were momentarily suspended in the nation by a court’s choice. A brand-new regulation, passed by Turkish Parliament, has actually given resistance to Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) employees. The TİB was additionally provided the authority to block accessibility to particular internet sites without the requirement for a court order.


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The 2021 Union Budget promised to deliver surprises and relief for the Indian economy. The one surprising announcement is the new agricultural infrastructure and development cess of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol and Rs 4 per litre on diesel. The new cess won’t impact the fuel prices as the ministry plans to reduce basic customs duty on the fuel. The new cess would become applicable from February 2, 2021. Unbranded petrol and diesel will attract basic excise duty of Rs 1.40 and Rs 1.80 per litre, respectively. Also, the Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) on unbranded petrol and diesel will be Rs 11 and Rs 8 per litre, respectively. Similar changes are effective for branded petrol and diesel. The new budget is the first all digital budget since India attained Independence way back in 1947. The first budget of Independent India was presented by R. K. Shanmukham Chetty on 26 November 1947.
Speaking on the announcement, Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister said She said, "Consequent to the imposition of Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on petrol and diesel, Basic excise duty (BED) and Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) rates have been reduced on them so that overall consumer does not bear any additional burden."
The big news for the automobile sector is the increase in basic customs duty on select automotive components. This is done to boost the demands for locally manufactured products. Plus, the budget outlet for the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector has been doubled in comparison to last year's allotment. Considering the auto component industry is dominated by MSMEs, this is a welcome relief for the automotive sector in India.
The Indian government also announced a new vehicle scrappage policy. Under the new policy, there is a 20-year cap for personal vehicles and a 15 year time period for commercial vehicles. This is done to reduce the presence of the polluting vehicles on the Indian roads. With the BS6 emission norms enforced last year, the vehicle scrappage policy aims to make the Indian air cleaner. This all points towards the government's plans to promote sustainable means of transportation. The new budget in a way seems to be decent to the Indian automotive sector in all fairness.


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Don't-Miss Networking Stories
Cisco Systems has taken a step back from its Cisco Connect Cloud service, removing it as the default setting for management of its Linksys EA Series Wi-Fi routers after a firestorm of complaints from customers about automatic firmware updates and the service's terms of service.
Apple bids adieu to its vice president of numbers, the story of how RIM failed to hit AT&T's softball pitch, and Google is crashing your MacBook.
Setting up your Mac for remote file access can be handy when you need to retrieve an errant file while on the road. Dan Moren walks you through the process of setting it up.
Cisco's Linksys brand of home wireless networking routers on Tuesday joined other vendors in coming out with 802.11ac equipment.
A proposal includes requiring users to notify their mobile operators, and carrier permission might be required.
Verizon Wireless is adding 46 U.S. cities to its 4G LTE network on Thursday, for a total of 304 markets.
On Wednesday, AT&T said it was bringing Toggle, its service that lets Bring Your Own Device users put their work-related data usage on a separate account, to iOS. Now the carrier says it's working to expand Toggle to Macs and PCs as well.
Beginning later this month, Verizon will start offering customers the ability to share data plans among different devices or different users in the same household.
Just when you thought it was safe to put away your credit card, Apple's gone ahead and put out another new piece of hardware: a revision to the AirPort Express.
The much-hyped World IPv6 Launch Day event on Wednesday resulted in a rise in IPv6 traffic -- including Web and email -- to a new peak.
Virgin Mobile will become the second no-contract carrier to begin offering the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, starting later this month.
LinkedIn today confirmed reports that some of its users' passwords have been compromised and provided instructions on how to change them.
I just took Airtime, the new video chat service from start-up stars Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, for a spin on Tuesday, its first day of general availability. My first impressions: It works fine, though I'm not sure I'll get addicted to it.
IPv6 will go fully live on June 6. That's the date when 50-plus access networks and more than 2500 websites -- including Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Yahoo -- will turn on a permanent upgrade to the Internet's main communication protocol.
Ever been to a sports game and tried to send a text message, upload a photo to Facebook, or send a tweet about that awesome play that just happened? If so, you...


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- This event has passed.
National Bacon Day
To celebrate this day, head to the newly opened Match Burger Lobster and order The Indulgence Burger. Says chef and owner Matt Storch: “This is the only burger I put on the menu that has lobster on it. The burger also has Fleishers beef, Foie Gras, fresh black truffles, sweet and sour onions, bacon and a brioche bun. The combination is rich and luxurious!” In fact, on national bacon day, Storch says he will be serving plenty of bacon dishes.
$60, 580 Riverside Ave., Westport CT
Photo by Tom McGovern


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Hard truths at AGM
M&S chairman warns that closures ‘may not be last’
M&S wants a third of its sales to move online (pic: Terry Murden)
Marks and Spencer has warned there could be more store closures on top of the 100 already announced.
Chairman Archie Norman, who was parachuted in to turn round the business, told shareholders that the programme of closures would run over two years, adding: “I can’t tell you it won’t be the last.”
Mr Norman chief gave a no-holds-barred assessment of the retailer’s future in which he warned of the scale of the challenge ahead.
“This is probably the biggest turnaround in UK retail… It’s not a quick fix,” said the former Asda boss.
Chief executive Steve Rowe said the majority of staff working in the stores closed so far had been relocated within the business, but he warned this wouldn’t always be possible saying “more redundancies” were “likely”.
M&S wants to move a third of its sales online and plans to have fewer, larger clothing and homeware stores in better locations.
The company took the unusual step of not providing a trading update at the annual meeting which some analysts read as a sign of more bad news to come.
However, the company said it was because Mr Norman wanted to take a more long-term view of the embattled business.
“For me the results in the next two years aren’t the most important thing. We are here to deliver a profitable, growing business in five years’ time.
“Both I and Steve and the board are under no illusions, this business has a burning platform.”
He said M&S was facing competition from online retailers as well as discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and Primark.
Mr Rowe told the meeting that he was reviewing the retailer’s Sparks loyalty card, which is held by about 7 million shoppers, many of whom have criticised its limited benefits. It is seen as more of gain for the company to learn about the shopper.
“We recognise that the scheme and the points and prizes conversation … is not adequate for the loyal customer,” said Mr Rowe.
The retailer has already closed warehouses in Warrington and Neasden, and on Tuesday said the future of its Donnington warehouse was under review.
The markets seemed unfazed by the downbeat assessment and marked the shares down just 0.5% at 311p.


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Wearable technologies—or more simply “wearables,” the new word that’s emerged to reference them—carry the promise of the next level in technological advancement, bridging the gap between humans and electronic device interactivity and information flow. But much of the energy surrounding wearables remains potential rather than kinetic, and the tech hasn’t yet brought on the mass adoption and idiomatic sea change that smartphones have, for example.
So are wearables just more trinkets to charge up every night that work in parallel to devices already out there, or —as some believe—could they actually revolutionize the world of trucking and transportation?
To answer that, start by mapping out the categories of wearables that have reached the market. Kelly Frey, vice president of product marketing at telematics and fleet management technology company Telogis, breaks them down this way: fitness trackers, wearable cameras, smart watches, GPS location-tracking devices, and augmented reality eyeglasses that can show users a virtual “layer” or other information in addition to the real world they can view.
And many wearable devices cross into several of those categories. It shows the challenge wearables face, experts tell Fleet Owner, which isn’t so much in technologically “doing” as it is in finding the best functional combinations to be relevant. That’s the opposite situation smartphones had. Those already filled the core telephone function users needed and added things like Internet access, touch screen displays, and instruments such as accelerometers and cameras to unlock huge potential for software applications, user interfacing, and new capabilities that developers aren’t even close to exhausting yet.
Wearables come from the other direction. The routine in their case is to make a device that can be worn and pack enough features into it to make it a “must-have” item that sparks a watershed of consumer and/or business purchasing. And that hasn’t really happened yet for wearable technology, notes Christian Schenk, president of transportation technology consulting firm CLS LLC.
"Consumer adoption of what we'll call a 'smart wearable' with apps and all those kinds of things is still quite low, and trucking is no different," he says. "Fleets aren't going to rush out there and spend $300 to $400 or so on a watch to give to their drivers, and I don't think the value is there enough for the consumer to run out and get it."
Schenk notes, however, that there’s been strong growth in fitness-tracking wearables such as Fitbits, which can measure things like steps taken, calories burned and heart rate and pair the information via wireless connectivity with computer or smartphone apps. Even so, “I just don’t see the health-conscious trucker yet,” he contends, adding, “I truly think that in trucking, the wearables category is premature.”
By and large, Schenk emphasizes, that’s because wearables have to compete against the ever-growing use of smartphones. “If you’re 10 years old to 80 years old, you have a smartphone and you use it every day,” he asserts, “and that’s only going to become more ubiquitous.” For trucking technology companies, he says, “if you want access to the market and to the masses, you’re building something to run on a phone, simple as that.”
Aside from the success of fitness trackers, the next-most prominent wearable technology so far has been the smart watch. Companies like Apple and Samsung have released multiple models and generations of their watches, showcasing smartphone-like or extending capabilities and bolstering the watches with big-dollar, sleek ad campaigns. But Dominique Bonte, vice president for business-to-business at technology and business intelligence consultancy ABI Research, says many consumers have yet to be convinced, even those who’ve made a purchase.
“People are still trying to figure it out,” Bonte tells Fleet Owner. “I’ve come across many people who’ve bought the Apple Watch, and the answer I get from them is, ‘Hmm, I haven’t actually figured out why I need it yet.’”
That very sentiment—where there’s interest and seemingly lots of potential for wearables—describes the situation for wearables in trucking. Despite the apparently uphill battle they face, several types of wearables have made inroads. Fleet management and telematics technology company PeopleNet began releasing software apps last year for Android-based or Apple smart watches, in one example, allowing drivers to do things like send or receive messages via their trucks’ telematics and communications system.
“The idea is to untether the driver from the truck so they can get needed information or communication more easily and conveniently,” says Randy Boyles, senior vice president of mobile strategy at PeopleNet. Meanwhile, Apple and Telogis also recently announced a partnership and are working to develop new applications, and Telogis’ Frey says that in itself is telling.
“The fact that a company like Apple is taking an interest in the trucking and transportation sector to me is very encouraging,” he notes. “What we’re doing with Apple is trying to improve the commercial or mobile worker’s life with technology.”
Frey says that a key with wearables in trucking is driver acceptance. Remember those virtual or augmented reality glasses, perhaps like the Google Glass Experiment that the company seemed to leave at the wayside in early 2014? Even with all its potential, that product faced many doubts and questions; regulators feared it would distract drivers, ABI Research’s Bonte notes, or people were concerned about how it was being used.
So Telogis has taken that lesson to heart with smart watches, Frey says. “It’s not just the fact that we can have the technology, but will drivers use it? Will they push back on it? What are we trying to do with it?” he ponders.
The first product that Telogis released for use with the Apple Watch was Telogis Coach, an app that taps info from the truck’s telematics system such as instances of hard acceleration, hard braking, and on-time arrivals to rate the driver’s performance in those categories against his or her peers, a take on what’s typically called “gamification.”
And in this use, while the company has enabled similar driver scorecards in various forms for years, Frey says Telogis has seen a “huge impact” with drivers getting the information on an Apple Watch. It’s proven easier than other devices for drivers to glance at whenever they get a chance and has more effectively fueled healthy competition among them to get the best scores, he explains.
Also, the haptic feedback—tactile communication, in this case by vibrating at different intensities and in pulses—that smart watches like the Apple Watch have, combined with other data instruments and the particular location on the wrist, may be critical to the success of the smart watch in the transportation industry, Frey says.
For instance, those features would allow a smart watch to work with a vehicle’s telematics system data to provide vibration-based danger alerts to a driver about to make a lane change with a car in his or her blind spot. The watch similarly could send a vibration/auditory alert if a truck or trailer door is opened while the driver is parked and resting for the night, signaling a possible break-in.
Bonte points out that smart watches can be made to communicate without the user having to look at them or provide any input. He gives the example of one pedestrian navigation app for smart watches that theoretically could also have applications in trucking and transportation. “It’s easier than pulling out your phone,” he tells Fleet Owner. “It vibrates once for you to go left and twice for you to go right, so you don’t necessarily have to look at it.”
A ruggedized pendant-type wearable device is also in use by some fleets that face inherently greater risks such as oilfield haulers, says Jim Rodi, general manager of the North American oil and gas services division at Trimble, PeopleNet’s parent company.
“We call it the Personal Safety Monitor,” Rodi explains. “It’s really for lone-worker, possibly ‘man-down’ types of situations where if something goes wrong, the worker depresses a button on the pendant, which sends a message back through the vehicle’s modem and then sends a distress signal to the back office.”
The smart watch could take that concept even further, Frey suggests. A watch is worn just as conveniently as a pendant, and in addition to vibration alerts or warnings could feature onscreen “buttons” a trucker could tap to alert the back office or even call 911. A smart watch also could issue a distress call without any driver input, he adds: if a driver were to pass out and fall, for example, while making a delivery, the watch’s accelerometer could detect the force and sudden change, similar to an “I fell and can’t get up” warning device.
If you want more proof of the smart watch’s assimilation in trucking, Bonte notes that Swedish commercial truck OEM Scania issued and sold out its own limited-edition smart watch, the Black Griffin Scania Watch, which was based on a Sony SmartWatch 3.
“To us, it makes perfect sense,” a narrator in a commercial Scania produced for the watch states. “This is much more than a watch; it’s the first part of your truck that you can wear, a stylish tool that helps you keep track of fuel consumption trends, how to optimize your driving efficiency, and naturally, when it’s time to work and when it’s not.”
When it’s time to work and when it’s not—currently defined for commercial truck drivers by federal hours-of-service regulations—may be exactly how wearables bring transformational change to the trucking industry, agrees Schenk, Bonte and Frey, all of them noting the biometric readings that wearables make possible. Fleet Owner turned to one of the industry’s best-known fitness experts, Fitness Trucking founder and former Prime Inc. driver Siphiwe Baleka, to hear about one specific device that could do it.
Baleka says he’s disappointed in the biometric performance of most available wearables like Fitbits and the Apple Watch, which tend to use optical LEDs to track heart rate, for their unreliable use with his high-intensity workout program designed specifically for truck drivers. “If you’re going from push-ups to mountain climbers to burpees—if your wrist position is constantly changing—the optical sensors don’t do very well,” he contends.
However, he says Fitness Trucking is working with Canadian tech company Fatigue Science to test the watch-like Readiband’s potential use in trucking. Fatigue Science claims the product is “the world’s most accurate wrist-worn sleep detection device,” and the technology has been used with soldiers, elite athletes and others.
According to Baleka, Readiband monitors and translates sleep patterns into fatigue readouts that indicate the user’s impairment just like being drunk. “With this product, which I like to call the ‘Fatiguealyzer,’ I think in the future we’ll do away with hours-of-service regulations. We won’t even have them. Hours of service is an equation that’s not based on anything real; if the real instrument is fatigue, why not measure it directly?” he tells Fleet Owner.
“What will happen is a driver will be able to drive as long as he stays above the [fatigue] threshold of, say, 70% on this device, which is the functional equivalent of a 0.08% blood alcohol content you’d read with a breathalyzer,” Baleka contends.
“Now, all of a sudden, it’s going to put a premium on drivers who are in better health, who better manage their time, who better manage their sleep environment, and practice good sleep hygiene,” he continues. “Imagine you wake up in the morning and have to see if you’re fit to drive based on your actual fatigue level. Even though there will be a lot of resistance to this, it will change the industry, because the driver who’s healthier, better manages his time and better manages his sleep will get what? More opportunity to drive and make money.”
That also would be in the best interest of shippers and receivers, Baleka adds, because they’d see that a carrier is taking steps to reduce the risk of freight loss or damage. And carriers could use the driver fatigue information as real data to support contract clauses to allow leeway in delivery/pickup appointments.
“Just like it’s illegal to force a driver to drive over the speed limit to deliver a load, it’s already illegal to make a driver drive when he’s fatigued,” Baleka says. “That law’s already on the books; we just had no way of defining or enforcing it.” He views real-time, biometrically gathered fatigue data as “the game-changer” for wearables in trucking and transportation.
Perhaps it will be, but the kite that catches the wind for wearables, so to speak, could be that or something else just around the corner. “I think we’re just at the very early stage of figuring out where all this stuff is going,” Telogis’ Frey sums up.
“I think if app developers like us and others come up with really unique use cases that benefit the carrier and help the driver—help him be safer, help him be productive, help him make more money—I think wearables will just become part of the fabric [of trucking and transportation], and I see the benefit of them,” he says.


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Nokia Corporation (ADR)(NYSE:NOK) did not have a good start in the FY 2014 due to a decline of 30% in the sales of its mobile devices. The mobile device unit was already under trouble and, therefore, on this Friday, it was officially sold off to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). The revenue for last year Q1 was 3.1 billion euros and has fallen down to 2.6 billion euros in the first quarter of 2014. The net loss for the Finnish company for last year was 272 million and has fallen down to 239 million euros, as reported by the company.
Windows based OS – Not a success
Nokia Corporation (ADR)(NYSE:NOK) was once a leader in the mobile phone market with 40% market share in 2008. The market of smartphones is now been captured by Apple’s iPhone, Google Inc.’s Android OS and other competitors from Asia that are cheaper. Nokia has not been able to face the challenge, and failed it its attempt as the demand for its mobile phones is not sufficient to make it a profit making enterprise.
Nokia Corporation (ADR)(NYSE:NOK) tried to gain back its position in the mobile market and teamed up with Microsoft in 2011. The smartphone maker replaced its old operating system with a Windows based operating system. The Lumia range of cell phones, also, did not go well with the customers and received a very cold response. This did not help to boost the sales and it continued to fall.
New segment, new CEO
Last week, Nokia Corporation (ADR)(NYSE:NOK) had completed the 5.44 billion-euro deal with Microsoft. As per this deal, it sold its devices and services division to Microsoft Corp. Not only this, it also sold a license to a portfolio of patents. With the closure of the deal, the company has announced new strategies and appointments. They also released their quarterly earnings for Q1 of 2014.
Nokia Corporation (ADR)(NYSE:NOK) has few other operations to focus on such as networks, mapping services and technology development and licenses. The company has, also, appointed India born Rajeev Suri as the new CEO, who was head of NSN and had played a crucial role in its success. Suri turned it into a profitable division from an unprofitable one.
Along with streamlining their operations, Nokia, also, had to keep their investors intact. The company has announced extra dividends worth 1 billion euros and share buyback plans worth 1.25 billion euros for this.


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I’ve made it pretty clear that I have little patience (or sympathy) for alarm companies that give our industry a bad name. Sadly, there are more than enough bad actors out there. One might expect that companies purporting to sell peace of mind would not stoop so low… but think again.
Of course, some of the door knocking alarm companies are at the top of my list for pet peeves, because of their overly aggressive sales tactics that often include fraudulent and deceptive practices: the fines, lawsuits, and other legal actions taken against these companies are well documented. But there are other tactics in use besides door knocking, as shown by this recent article from Indiana. Now it’s not just opening your door salespeople you have to worry about – it’s even answering your phone!
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said Hoosiers should be wary of calls and door-to-door solicitors offering home security or alarm systems. More than 150 consumers from across the state recently filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Office after receiving unwanted calls, including robocalls, offering home security systems. Zoeller’s office tracked the illegal out-of-state calls to Justin Ramsey, owner of Loyal Marketing, LLC, and subsequently filed a state lawsuit.
A Clear Warning to Homeowners
“Consumers should be cautious when receiving an unsolicited call or knock at the door from a home-security salesperson,” Zoeller said. “High-pressure or deceptive sales tactics are often used by scammers to convince you to buy an expensive alarm monitoring contract or replace your current alarm monitoring company. Hoosiers can usually expect an uptick in these types of solicitations leading into spring.”
He’s got that right! Spring into summer is when these hucksters are the most active. We know a lot about how these companies operate.
Real Money – and a No Show
A Hamilton County Superior Court judge awarded the state a Default Judgment against Ramsey which included $4.375M in civil penalties after the defendant failed to respond. Zoeller said the judgment marks the second highest total amount awarded to the state in a case involving telephone privacy violations, and his office will aggressively pursue what is owed to the state.
What to Look Out For
Zoeller said unscrupulous solicitors may make you a limited-time offer and pressure you to make a quick decision. Consumers should be on alert for offers of free security systems which are often attached to pricey, long-term system monitoring contracts. A salesperson may also tell consumers that their current security company has gone out of business or was purchased by the salesperson’s company, or may even use scare tactics by mentioning a rash of burglaries in your neighborhood.
Robocalls Mostly Illegal
In Indiana, most robocalls are illegal regardless of whether or not your number is registered on the Do Not Call list. Exceptions include calls from school districts to students, parents or employees and businesses advising employees of work schedules.
Zoeller advised Hoosiers that legitimate telemarketers will not call those numbers registered on the state’s Do Not Call list and that those who are on the state’s protected list should treat any unsolicited call as a scam and hang-up immediately.
How Alarm Companies Should Operate
Alarm companies should meet or exceed certain guidelines. They are encouraged to implement policies and procedures that provide the highest standards of quality and consumer protections. Let’s face it, safety and security is what this business is all about, so potential and existing customers need to be treated with respect. Sales reps need to conduct their business dealings with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. They also should act as reasonable and responsible citizens in the communities in which they work.
- They need to clearly identify themselves by name, company and purpose of their solicitation to the potential customer at the beginning of their sales pitch.
- The salesperson also needs to be properly licensed and registered in compliance with all the applicable laws ordinances and regulations.
- A sales representative must immediately leave a homeowner’s premise upon request. If there is a “No Solicitation” sign posted on a residence, a salesperson should not approach the home.
More on What You Can Do
Consumers should utilize the following tips to protect themselves regarding door-to-door sales:
- Be wary of high pressure tactics. If you feel uncomfortable, don’t answer the door.
- Get all verbal promises in writing. Otherwise, they may not be honored.
- Read the fine print. Check the length of the contract and all costs, including equipment, installation, and monthly monitoring fees.
- Understand your right to cancel. For door-to-door sales, sellers generally must give you three days to cancel and they cannot start the installation or any service until after the cancellation period has ended.
- Take your time. Don’t sign a contract until you have carefully reviewed it.
The fact of the matter is that it pays to shop, so take your time: you’ll find more generous offers from other alarm companies with far better reputations and service records – like FrontPoint. When you’re ready to learn why we are the nationwide leader in wireless home security, just check us out online. You’ll find that FrontPoint has more positive reviews than any US alarm company. We make home security and home automation safer, smarter, simpler, more affordable, and virtually impossible to defeat. And best of all, you’ll never have to answer that knock at your door – or worry about an unsolicited phone call.


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Western Digital has released the financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter of 2012, and it seems the hard drive maker has rebounded quite nicely from the Thailand flooding that put much of its manufacturing capacity underwater less than a year ago. WD raked in $4.7 billion for the quarter and $12.5 billion for its 2012 fiscal year, both substantial increases over the same periods in 2011. Net income was up, too. The company's profits hit $1.6 billion for the year, more than doubling 2011's net income.
Of course, Western Digital's financial results now include more than just the sale of WD-branded products. Hitachi's Storage division, which was acquired recently by WD, has been contributing to the bottom line since March 8. I suspect Hitachi is responsible for the more than doubling of enterprise-class drive shipments WD enjoyed in the past quarter.
Looking at the numbers (PDF), it's interesting to note that WD has shipped more notebook drives than desktop models for two consecutive quarters. That comes after several years of desktop drives leading notebooks. The two categories weren't even that close last quarter. WD shipped 21.2 million desktop drives and 32.8 million notebook models. There hasn't been such a large delta between those two categories for years.
Another notable figure is WD's gross margin, which has been over 30% for three quarters, or about since the Thailand flooding. In the first quarter of the 2012 fiscal year and through the entirety of 2011, WD's gross margin hovered around just 20%. In fact, if you look at the financial results dating back to 2009, WD's gross margin never exceeded 26%. No wonder folks are miffed hard drive warranties have been slashed and prices remain above pre-flood levels.
|1. Ryszard - $603||2. Hdfisise - $600||3. Andrew Lauritzen - $502|
|4. Redocbew - $350||5. the - $306||6. SomeOtherGeek - $300|
|7. chasp_0 - $251||8. Ryu Connor - $250||9. mbutrovich - $250|
|10. aeassa - $175|
|Apple's A9 impresses and the Nexus strikes back: The TR Podcast 188||2|
|Color is key with Dell's latest trio of Ultrasharp displays||32|
|Android 6.0 Marshmallow rolls out to Nexus devices starting today||18|
|Google Fiber has arrived in Damage Labs||108|
|Silverstone's PT18 chassis lets NUCs run fan-free||8|
|Intel to begin shipping Skylake CPUs with SGX enabled||29|
|Premium HDMI cables will be ready for next-generation media||52|
|Microsoft acquires Havok physics engine from Intel||84|
|AMD unleashes mobile Tonga with the FirePro W7170M||14|
|You don't need moral fortitude to see that "Intel" is an anagram for "Let In." Applying similar standards, if you look closely at "AMD", you'll notice...||+40|


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To help you get the most out of your mac!
Apple’s policies for pre-orders of its popular iOS devices have varied over the years, with the iPhone 4S being scheduled for a 12:01 AM Pacific Time launch on the Friday following the media event, although Apple’s pre-orders didn’t actually begin until nearly 45 minutes after the appointed time.
Last month, iMore reported that pre-orders were scheduled to begin on the same day as the media event, with availability set for nine days later. An exact timeframe for the pre-order launch was not given in the report, but a same-day window likely pointed toward pre-orders going live soon after the event as the Apple online store comes back online.
MacRumors is now hearing that pre-orders may not begin tomorrow following the media event and that they may instead start on Friday morning in a scenario similar to last year’s debut. We’re hearing that certain portions of Apple’s online sales support team are significantly increasing their staffing levels beginning at 6:00 AM Eastern on Friday, with a major surge for the initial shift beginning at that time and a sustained level of high staffing for at least the remainder of the day.
It is unclear whether pre-orders would begin immediately at the 6:00 AM shift start or some time shortly afterward, but these staffing levels suggest that customers may have to wait until the end of this week to pre-order their new iPhones for delivery a week later.
Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• More Claims of Tweaked Full-Size iPad with Display and Battery Life Improvements, Potentially Thinner Body
• Sony's Sound Forge Pro Mac Launching This Month for $299
• NVIDIA Announces Quadro K5000 Professional GPU for Mac Pro
• Apple Cutting Back on Memory Chip Orders from Samsung
• Apple's Temecula Retail Store Reportedly Smashed by Car, Merchandise Stolen
The outside of the box said "Windows base machine or better", so I bought a Mac.


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After Electronics Sale 2020, Flipkart has announced a new 'Mobile's Year-end Sale 2020' beginning from today. Several smartphones are being offered with massive discounts during this sale. The e-commerce giant has tied up with ICICI Bank to provide 10 percent instant discount on credit cards, EMI transactions. Flipkart Mobile's Year-end Sale 2020 will last till December 31, 2020. Let's have a look towards the top deals of this sale.
Apple iPhone SE -
Apple iPhone SE was launched in India this year and available from Rs 39,900 via Apple India website. The device is now listed at Rs 32,999 for the 64GB model and gets a discount of Rs 6901 on Flipkart, other offers include 10 percent off on ICICI Bank credit cards, 5 percent off on HSBC credit cards, 5 percent off on Axis Bank Buzz credit cards, no-cost EMI Rs 3,667 per month and standard EMI option. The phone features a 4.7-inch retina display, a 12MP rear camera, a 7MP front shooter & Apple's A13 Bionic processor.
Samsung Galaxy F41 -
Galaxy F41 is being offered at a discounted price of Rs 15,499 for the 64GB variant whereas the 128GB model can be purchased for Rs 16,499. Interested buyers will get 10 percent off on ICICI Bank credit cards, 5 percent unlimited cashback on Flipkart Axis Bank, Rs 100 off on BOB Mastercard debit card first-time transaction and more. The phone sports a 6.4-inch FHD+ display, a 64MP triple rear camera system, a 32MP front lens and an Exynos 9611 chipset.
Apple iPhone XR -
iPhone XR is one of the craziest deal in Flipkart Mobile’s Year-End Sale. The smartphone is listed with a price tag of Rs 38,999. The phone originally costs Rs 47,900 for the 64GB model. Buyers will get 5 percent off on HSBC credit cards, 5 percent unlimited cashback on Flipkart Axis Bank credit cards, standard EMI and no-cost EMI options. The smartphone flaunts a 6.1-inch display, a 12MP rear camera, a 7MP front snapper, A12 Bionic processor and runs on iOS 13 operating system.
Mi 10T Series -
Mi 10T is available for Rs 35,999 for the 6GB model whereas the 8GB variant costs Rs 37,999. Mi 10T Pro with 8GB and 128GB phone is listed at Rs 39,999 on Flipkart. The Mi 10T Pro originally costs Rs 47,999. Sale offers include Rs 3,000 instant discount on ICICI Bank credit and debit cards, 10 percent off on ICICI Bank credit cards, 5 percent off with Axis Bank Buzz credit cards & more.
Moreover, smartphones such as Realme 6, Vivo V20 Pro, Motorola Razr 5G, iPhone 11 Pro, Poco X3, Realme C3, Motorola Fusion One Plus, Oppo F17 Pro & Moto G9 Power are also being offered with an amazing discount.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2020 12:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).


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Motor India has joined hands with the Automotive Component Manufacturers
Association of India (ACMA) with a vision to educate and foster skill
development in the EV component industry.
will conduct a study on ZS EV to promote skill development in the component
segment, syncing with the alliance’s objective of supporting the development of
the EV ecosystem. It will work in tandem with IIT Sonipat to further its
research on the deployment of electric vehicles in urban India.
on the announcement, Rajeev Chaba, MG Motor India (President and MD), said, “MG
Motor and ACMA will collaboratively add value to the EV component industry by
imparting education and skill development to create a future-ready workforce.
The alliance is also aligned with MG’s vision of CASE mobility, learning &
skill development, and overall commitment to strengthening the EV ecosystem.”
J Kapur, President, ACMA said “We are grateful to MG Motor for providing us
with this opportunity. A future-ready workforce for manufacturing electric
vehicles is the need of the hour and this collaboration will help the auto
component makers in upskilling themselves and remaining relevant.”
association is in line with MG’s vision to support and develop theecosystem for
the electric vehicle. Previously, MG had formed an alliance with IIT Delhi –
Centre for Automotive Research and Tribology (CART) for similar research.
South Korean brand Daewoo has introduced a complete range of automotive batteries in India. The Korean technology automotive batteries cover a comprehensive range, including car, truck, tractor, and b...
BorgWarner has clinched an agreement with a major North American OEM to supply its bi-directional 800V Onboard Charger (OBC) for the automaker’s premium passenger vehicle battery electric vehicle (BEV...
Uno Minda, a leading tier 1 supplier of proprietary automotive solutions to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), has unveiled an innovative range of side stand sensors and switches that use advanc...


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Wawa Settles Data Breach Lawsuit for $9 Million
Wawa has agreed to pay its customers $9 million after cybercriminals were able to obtain credit/debit card information used at Wawa’s convenience stores and fuel pumps. The hackers purportedly started the scheme in March 2019 and continued to harvest sensitive payment information for several months. Attorneys for the customers filed a class action in the federal Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania and alleged that Wawa was negligent in failing to safeguard its customers’ payment information.
The Wawa data breach represents one of an increasing number of business-targeted cyberattacks. As a result, courts are aiming to define what sort of conduct will render a company liable for the failure to protect sensitive customer data.
Pennsylvania’s federal courts appear to agree that customers should not be entitled to compensation unless their data can be shown to have been misappropriated. The fact that a company’s customer data has been breached only gives rise to a “speculative” future injury for which the courts cannot grant a remedy.
“We conclude that Appellants' allegations of hypothetical, future injury are insufficient to establish standing. Appellants' contentions rely on speculation that the hacker: (1) read, copied, and understood their personal information; (2) intends to commit future criminal acts by misusing the information; and (3) is able to use such information to the detriment of Appellants by making unauthorized transactions in Appellants' names. Unless and until these conjectures come true, Appellants have not suffered any injury; there has been no misuse of the information, and thus, no harm.” Reilly v. Ceridian Corporation, 664 F.3d 38 (2011).
The Wawa case is significant because the cybercriminals did more than just obtain the company’s data. The plaintiff customers demonstrated the hackers published the stolen payment card information on the “dark web” (i.e., the portion of the Internet that is only accessibly via specialized web browsers that promote anonymity). Having one’s credit card information held for sale on the dark web would appear to qualify as a “concrete injury,” but Pennsylvania’s federal courts appear to require even more to create a valid claim.
The same issue was critical in another data breach case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Clemens v. ExecuPharm, Inc., 2021 WL 735728 (2021). The Defendant ExecuPharm’s server was hacked by a ransomware group, and many of its employees’ social security numbers and payment information were criminally extracted. As in the Wawa case, there was some indication the stolen data had been held for sale on the dark web. However, the court concluded the unlawful exposure of the ExecuPharm employees’ data, even if published for use by criminals, was insufficient to create a claim.
In essence, the Clemens court determined that individuals harmed by data breaches should have no legal remedy until someone personally steals money from their accounts or transacts fraudulently in their name. I find this to be a poorly conceived standard as it places undue burden on harmed people to be on constant guard for the enhanced risk of identity theft. In any event, the federal courts remain divided on this issue, and I expect the law will evolve as these cyberattack cases become more prevalent.


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The recently evicted BBNaija Lockdown housemate, Ozoemena Joseph Chukwu, better known as Ozo had his media tour today, where he gave interviews, talking about his stay in the house and future plans.
Oloture is Nollywood actress, Sharon Ooja's first lead movie and ever since Netflix Nigeria announced the movie, she has been trending on social media.
Yesterday was a thrill for BBNaija fans, because asides from the live eviction show, ex-housemate, Erica Nlewedim, sat down with media veteran, Dele Momodu for her first exclusive interview since her disqualification.
The Emmy Awards 2020 took place digitally for the first time, yesterday, Sunday, September 20, because of the pandemic. This was the 72nd edition of the awards.
Remember Rihanna's groundbreaking Savage x Fenty Lingerie Show last year? Well, it's back and it promises to be a blast
Today, we're taking a look at an outfit worn by Orang culture's CEO Adebayo Oke-Lawal, popularly known as The Orange Nerd.
This week’s fashion crush is Fashion Blogger Lydia who resides in Ethiopia. Her brand, FemmeBlk is all about minimalistic style.
The Smart Money Woman series is a programme that shows the experiences, sacrifices, struggles and vigour of women in society as they carry out their day to day activities...
Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, has announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, has been honoured with the Forbes Best of Africa Award.


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CNN reports that Juul Labs, an electronic cigarette manufacturer, has reached a settlement worth $462 million with six states and the District of Columbia. This is the largest settlement the company has ever made.
Juul products should be protected behind age verification counters. In marketing materials targeting young people, the vaping giant must stop using actors younger than 35 years of age.
Rob Bonta, California Attorney General, said that Juul made him “disgusted” as well as “enraged”. He said that Juul “reignited a youth nicotine addiction epidemic.”
Bonta’s State is among several that received a portion of the large settlement over an eight-year period. California was the winner of the largest settlement with $ 175.8 million, while New York received almost $113 million. Illinois will receive $67.6 million, Massachusetts will receive $41.7 million, while New Mexico and Colorado will each get $31.7 million and $17 million.
D.C. received $15 million, the lowest amount in the settlement.
Letitia James, New York’s Attorney General, said that the company was “taking big tobacco’s lead” and misleading consumers about the risks associated with their products.
Juul made consumers believe that it was safer than cigarettes, and had less nicotine.
Juul was also accused in the lawsuit of selling directly to high school students. Juul representatives were accused of telling high school freshmen falsely that their products are safer than cigarettes.
CNN was informed by a spokesperson for Juul that the company is “nearing complete resolution” of historical legal issues. This means that the company can now focus on its product’s scientific and technological foundation.
Juul settled with 33 states in September 2022 and agreed to $438.5 million. This amount was approximately 25% of Juul’s total U.S. sales in 2021.
A CNN report estimates that approximately 2.5 million high school and middle school students used e-cigarettes by 2022. The study found that 14% of high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the last 30 days. This includes 3.3% of middle school students.
More than 42% of children said that they used the products often, and more than 27% said that they use them every day.


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Two South Korean duty-free operators have cemented their positions in the world’s top five travel retailers in 2018, an industry report showed on July 18.
Lotte Duty Free maintained its second spot with 6.09 billion euros ($6.84 billion) in sales last year, due largely to the Chinese resellers who buy products in large quantities and sell them back home, according to the Moodie Davitt report.
Shilla Duty Free, the operator of the duty-free shop owned by Korea’s Hotel Shilla, leaped forward to third place from fifth after recording 5.47 billion euros in sales.
The firm Free enjoyed a stellar year in 2018 to overtake Lagardere Travel Retail, which slipped to fifth even with a strong annual performance, the report said.
Industry powerhouse Swiss-based Dufry DG maintained its market leadership, four years after taking over the No. 1 status from DFS Group, it added.
The report said the stellar growth of the two Korean heavyweights is noteworthy as the number of Chinese package tour travelers to Korea has continued to drop after the travel ban imposed by Beijing in 2017 in protest of Seoul’s hosting of a US missile defense system, known as THAAD.
By Ram Garikipati and newswires (email@example.com)


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Moves to broaden Australia's GST
Treasurer Joe Hockey will meet his state counterparts later this week, and on the agenda is a suggestion to slap GST onto online shopping purchases of less than $1,000.
There's also a proposal by the Grattan Institute to broaden the GST to include fresh food and private spending on health and education. The independent think-tank estimates the inclusions could add about $37billion a year to the federal budget.
- Neville Norman
- Associate Professor of economics at the University of Melbourne
- Claudette Werden


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12/15/2012 7:00 AM
Central N.Y. Correspondent
ITHACA, N.Y. — Media and agricultural professionals recently had the opportunity to take a guided tour of the work-in-progress happening at Stocking Hall in Cornell University to get a first-hand glimpse at what the massive renovation with offer — namely one of the best food science departments in the world.
The new, innovative, 12,000-square-foot dairy plant portion of the building is due to open in May of next year and additional parts of the building — due to be completed within two years — will include state-of-the-art food chemistry labs, classrooms, a sensory evaluation center, teaching labs, a conference center, and extension offices.
“In terms of research, this facility offers a unique opportunity to do applied, cutting-edge research and training in a dairy plant that essentially mimics what you would find out in the industry today. We serve as the primary training center for our New York state dairy ag and market inspectors and we also provide hands on training for the trainers that inspect the farms in New York state. We run close to 3,000 students through the facility every year whether it be special projects, courses, or tours. Some of those may be engineering students, some may be food science students, or they may be English as a second language classes. So, there are lots of opportunities to utilize this hands-on facility,” said Jason Huck, general manager of the dairy processing plant at Cornell University.
Before the renovation began, the dairy plant produced fluid milk products, about 20,000 gallons of yogurt per year, pudding, ice cream, and Big Red Cheddar cheese. They also pasteurize and package apple cider from the Cornell orchard operation. The new design of the processing plant will offer an exceptional viewing experience of these manufacturing processes for the public, and a chance for the consumer to see how milk is processed from grass to glass.
“The processing plant is surrounded by windows in an attempt to allow transparency and to bring people closer to their food and the manufacturing of their food. On this side of the plant the conveyors will actually be sending bottles across the top of the plant in front of the glass windows and down to the bottle fillers. At that point the bottle fillers will be spinning filling the empty containers with chocolate milk, white milk products, juices, and drinkable yogurt. There will also be a public gallery that will allow a unique opportunity for the general public, for our students, and for our visitors to see dairy products being manufactured in real time. On the wall will be a series of monitors that will tell the story about dairy in New York from the milk at the farm all the way to the products being sold to the consumer,” Huck said.
According to Huck, the design of the new plant also makes a point of incorporating different and innovative types of dairy equipment that you would typically find out in the industry.
“We have a couple of specialized tanks that we built in so that if we have a company that would like to come in and process a product that they’ve developed and then bottle it and send it out for product testing for sensory analysis, we can do those types of projects here. Companies developing new products in New York and in the region will have the opportunity to come in and utilize our pilot plant and then work with our dairy plant to further develop the processing, the operational side of that product, and then hopefully get that out to launch into the market,” he said.
Indeed, the facility will allow tremendous opportunity for educational and hands-on training not only for local dairy operations but also students who will one day work in the industry.
“Hands-on training is very important and the ability of students to see the equipment running, to put their hands on it and touch it, and to take it apart. We’ve designed this facility to give those opportunities. Most dairy plants these days are high tech and we have a fully automated plant to be able to provide students with that educational need,” Huck said.
Additionally, the facility will offer a series of training courses through the year, and has developed a dairy certificate program through their extension program.
Editor’s Note: For more information visit: http://foodscience.cornell.edu/about/facilities/stocking-hall-renovations.cfm.


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Lexus has taken the covers off a new mid-size sedan that could on sale here in 2013.
The Japanese brand's fifth-generation ES has been unveiled at the New York motor show overnight, with the Camry-based luxury sedan adopting a similarly aggressive look to the rest of the Lexus range.
The ES was last sold in Australia in 2008, when the brand adopted a strategy of developing stand-alone Lexus models rather than those based on Toyota underpinnings. The conservatively-styled mid-sizer made way for the more compact and arguably more desirable IS250 sedan. However, Lexus Australia has indicated a strong interest in the new model for local sale.
The new model has already been confirmed to be built in right-hand-drive by Bill Kwong, Lexus US public relations specialist, who said the ES "will be available late this year or early next year for the Australian market and some of the Asian markets".
Lexus Australia has expressed a keen interest in reintroducing the ES, which would likely sit above the circa-$55,000 IS and below the circa-$78,000 GS. Earlier this week at the local launch of the new GS sedan, Lexus Australia's corporate marketing manager Peter Evans told Drive that while the new model would be a welcome addition, it was not a done deal just yet.
"For us to get it, we'd need some major right-hand-drive markets to come onboard like Japan, Hong Kong or India," Evans says. "India could well be a brave new world for us in that being right-hand drive, it may guarantee that we get access to a whole range of models as they come that may have in the past only being built in left-hand hand."
A Lexus company spokesman told Drive that a decision on the ES for Australia should be known by the end of 2012.
"We're looking into the model for suitability for the Australian market," the spokesman said. "That's not to say it isn't coming, but it's under assessment."
The new ES is set to be offered in two trim levels, the ES350 and the ES300h. The former is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine, while the latter uses the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid engine as is seen in the new Camry Hybrid. The front-wheel-drive sedan carries over several of Lexus's new-look styling signatures, including the HSV-like "spindle" grille, boxier lines and strongly sculpted wheel arches.
The new model is one of many different models mooted for launch by Lexus over the coming 12 to 24 months. The brand confirmed to Drive it would like to have a more compact SUV to sit underneath the recently-restyled RX model, and would launch a new-generation version of its IS sedan next year.
"Clearly, our number one priority is an under-RX [soft-roader] vehicle - an Audi Q5 and [BMW] X3 competitor. It's no secret that we want one. The only secret is whether we'll get one," Evans says.
Evans claims the new IS compact sedan will be a more worthy competitor to the likes of BMW's new 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz's C-Class and Audi's A4 - the current version of which runs well behind those cars in terms of sales.
"Based on what I've seen, [the new IS] will be a bit more revolutionary than the 3-Series," he says. "When you're a challenger brand and you're [ranked] number four [in sales], you can't afford to be evolutionary."
The debut of the IS will follow the global reveal of the next-generation LS flagship limousine at September's Frankfurt motor show, which will also comprise sportier grades to rival performance limousines such as Audi's S8 and AMG versions of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
With Chris Harris


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Telecom operators have teamed up with different channels other than retail stores to provide recharge facility to millions of subscribers. Since the beginning of the lockdown period, people are forced to stay at homes to combat COVID-19. Also, all shops except essential and necessary items have been shut down as per safety measures. To ensure that people are connected with their loved ones amid the stressful times, Vodafone Idea has announced that subscribers will be able to get their recharge done at various ATMs. Similarly, telcos like Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are offering different channels to subscribers to get their recharge done.
Vodafone Idea Extends Validity of Prepaid Plans
To make sure that everyone is connected with their loved ones, Vodafone Idea has increased the validity of nearly 100 million prepaid subscribers until April 17, 2020. Not only this, but the telco giant has also credited Rs 10 talk time credit in the account of subscribers. The extended prepaid validity plan and extra time credit will aid the group of migrant workers are daily wage earners who are facing difficulty to get connected with their loved ones amid the precautionary lockdown period. Similarly, other telcos like BSNL and Bharti Airtel have also increased the validity of their prepaid plans along with free talk time credit.
Bharti Airtel Has Teamed Up With Banks, Pharmacy and Grocery Stores
Bharti Airtel has more than 100 million subscribers in India. To ensure its subscribers do not face any difficulty in the lockdown period, Bharti Airtel has teamed up with HDFC and ICICI Bank to provide recharge facility to its subscribers. Not only this, but the telco giant has also teamed up with Big Bazaar Grocery stores along with Apollo Pharmacies operating in the lockdown period.
Reliance Jio Teamed Up With Nine Banks
Reliance Jio, the largest telecom operator in India, has teamed up with nine different banks to provide recharge facility to more than 350 million subscribers in India. The list of Bank includes SBI, Axis Citi Bank, DCB Bank and many more. As per the effect of partnership, Reliance Jio subscribers will be able to get their recharge done at nearly 90,000 ATMs of these nine banks who are operating in India.


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A further 140,000 people affected in Nintendo Switch hack2020-06-09 15:06 by Daniela
Tags: Nintendo Switch
Nintendo confirmed that an additional 140,000 accounts were compromised in a Nintendo Network ID hack the company first disclosed in April. This would bring the total of affected Nintendo accounts to 300,000.
The issue applies specifically to anyone who connected their old Nintendo 3DS and Wii U "Nintendo Network ID" (NNID) to the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo now uses a system called Nintendo Account, but the company allowed people with existing NNIDs to connect those to their new Nintendo Accounts. In response, Nintendo disabled the NNID system and agreed to refund any fraudulent purchases linked to the affected accounts.
While Nintendo has reportedly already made contact with anyone potentially affected by this, they do generally advise that all users should activate their two-tier security authentication and should also look towards possibly just giving their password details an update.
And while Nintendo accounts are affected, the breach may have come from somewhere else. Nintendo said there was no evidence its own databases or servers were hacked, Eurogamer reported, meaning the login data was scraped on another platform. Nintendo's Japanese support page also states that the data was harvested somewhere else.
"While we continue to investigate, we would like to reassure users that there is currently no evidence pointing towards a breach of Nintendo's databases, servers or services," Nintendo said in a statement on is UK customer support website.
Read more -here-


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Contactless card limit raised
The maximum amount that customers can pay using contactless credit cards or debit cards has increased from £10 to £15.
A request by Visa and Mastercard to raise the limit was agreed by banks and other card providers.
The cards allow customers to pay for items by holding their card over a special reader, with no need to enter a PIN or insert the card into a terminal.
Contactless credit cards and debit cards are becoming increasingly popular, and Barclays Bank believes the sector will continue to grow. So far the company has issued more than two million contactless debit cards and four million contactless credit cards.
It's thought that an estimated one in seven UK residents will have one by the end of the year.
A spokesperson for the UK Cards Association said the increase was aimed at making the contactless cards more appealing to shopkeepers and as a response to demand from cardholders.
The technology has already proved successful in other parts of Europe and in East Asia.


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VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese, who eagerly expected Samsung Galaxy S4,
have expressed their disappointment about the blockbuster product.
No breakthrough in design and feature has been found in Galaxy S4 which has
disappointed technology followers all over the world and Vietnam.
The launching of Galaxy S3 in 2012 was an impressive event of the world’s high
technology community. Meanwhile, the introduction of S4 has brought big
disappointment. Users say that with no special feature and design, it’d be
better to call the new product “Galaxy S3S” – the way Apple has done with its
iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4S.
“Trite” and “uninspiring” are the words which have been mostly used by
technology followers when they write about the new product on telecom forums.
RVTH, a Samsung follower, wrote on Tinh Te forum: “And S4 has finally turned up.
The design is not as good as expected. I myself like the design of S3, but it
would be unacceptable to see the S3’s design repeated in S4 version. No
Samsung’s explanation would be able to convince users with such a technological
The topic about Samsung Galaxy S4 has become the hottest topic on the youth’s
forum. The biggest problems of S4, in their eyes, are the commonplace design,
commonplace features, and the plastic made covers. They cannot understand why
Samsung has been insisting on making plastic covers, which do not fit a high-end
product like Galaxy S.
Young users have violently criticized Samsung partially because they expected
much more than they could see. Hung Dung, a student in HCM City, commented that
Samsung might anticipate the users’ appointment; therefore, it deliberately let
some S4 information and images leaking before the official launching day of S4.
The Verge, a well-known technology news website, some days ago published a story
titled: “The Galaxy S3S: how Samsung copies Apple by copying itself.”
The word “S3S” implies that the new product does not deserve to be called
“Galaxy S4” because of the lack of the brilliant improvements in its design and
Some forum members have compared the new product with the other versions of
smart phones marketed recently, pointing out that Galaxy S4 is completely
inferior to HTC One or LG Optimus G Pro. Duy _P900, a member, commented that he
cannot see any creativeness in S4. “It is even worse that HTC One, let alone
Some others wrote that they have decided not to buy S4 and they would keep S3,
because they cannot see any differences between S3 and S4. Especially, iPhone
followers prove to be the happiest people about the failure of S4 to conquer
Not only criticizing the new product, technology forum members have also spoken
badly of the Samsung launching event. Many have commented that it was like a
variety show at theatre than a ceremony on launching a new high technology
Local newspapers have reported that the prices of the South Korean technology
group decreased by 1.32 percent on last Saturday, following the launching of S4.
The Gioi Di Dong, one of the biggest telecommunication product distribution
chains in Vietnam, introduced S4 on March 15. The distributor has not quoted the
official retail price of the product. Analysts say the product is priced between
They have predicted that S4 would be available in Vietnam in late April or early
May at the latest. S4 products to be sold in Vietnam would be equipped with
Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa core 8 (1.8GHz).
Compiled by C. V


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Despite living in a tech era,Valentine’s Day traditions still seem to adhere. That’s not going change, but technology can help make some of it easier.
On New Years Day many agencies and businesses are closed to observe the holiday.
As the song says ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ and it is until you have had too much to drink at a Christmas or New Year’s Eve celebration.
It’s Christmas Eve and lots of businesses and agencies will be closing early and not open at all on Tuesday.
For some South Florida families it’s become a time honored tradition – using their computers or phones to track Santa’s flight as he delivers presents to good children across the globe.
It was a busy weekend at South Florida’s airports as travelers headed home for the holidays or came in for Christmas.
During the holidays, many people open their hearts and wallets and make donations to charity. But do they know where their donations are going. CBS4 Chief Consumer Investigator Al Sunshine found some ‘causes’ may be only receiving pennies on the dollar.
If you thought Black Friday shopping was crowded, Super Saturday was even more hectic. The Saturday before Christmas is generally the busiest shopping day of the year.
Some people were in line for hours or even days, but no matter how long they waited, as long as they had a voucher, they received bags of holiday cheer Wednesday from the Latin American Chamber of Commerce.
The line has already started to form outside the Latin American Chamber of Commerce for its annual holiday food basket giveaway in Little Havana.


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Download a PDF of the latest crop forecast for the 2019/20 season.
The Hort Innovation project ‘Building Best Management Practice for the Australian Mango Industry’ (MG17000) is now well underway, providing the resources and capacity building over the next three years to maintain and improve the Australian mango industry’s sustainability.
Australian mango growers in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and Australian Mangoes, have planted new, high density mango blocks as semi-commercial trials on three properties in Queensland and the Northern Territory this year.
The 2019/20 mango season is underway! As the weather warms up, the markets are fast becoming excited about the upcoming mango season as are consumers.
The consumer marketing activities will this season continue to educate shoppers on the fruit’s seasonality, benefits and repertoire of recipes. Ultimately, we aim to drive excitement for the season and get more people, buying more mangoes, more regularly.
As part of our commitment to represent the biosecurity interests of the Australian mango industry, Australian Mangoes (AMIA) will bring you more regular information about pests and diseases to look out for on farm. We will now provide you with an article in each edition of Mango Matters.
This edition is about mango malformation disease (MMD), which is important to be on the lookout for.
From 4 September to 6 September, Australian Mangoes representatives Robert Gray and Treena Welch attended Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong. The annual event provided an excellent platform for Australian Mangoes to engage with growers, exporters, importers and retailers who will collaborate on marketing campaigns during the 2019/2020 season.
Three key contributors to the development of the Australian mango industry were recognised for their outstanding commitment at the 12th Australian Mangoes Conference.
Identified in the Mango SIAP Strategic Investment Plan for 2017-2021 was a key challenge addressing a lack of skilled workforce and an aging industry. To solve this issue, Hort Innovation have partnered with program delivery partners Rimfire Resources and Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) with an aim to increase graduate interest in careers across the Australian horticultural sector, including mangoes.
At a recent workshop in Darwin, industry representatives heard that mango growing regions are set to warm up over the coming decades, with potentially serious impacts on mango production. Add in other changes, such as more intense rainfall events, and the news isn’t good. However, action now by growers with an eye to the future will help ensure enterprises remain sustainable.
Understanding available climate change information is critical to this forward planning.
A successful partnership between the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products, School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania and the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Resources is driving research to help understand the causes and control of resin canal discolouration (RCD).


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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that it expanded its salad recall. The move comes amid a multistate E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce.
The lettuce in question was harvested in Salinas, California, the agency said.
“This advice includes all types of romaine lettuce harvested from Salinas, California, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine and packages of precut lettuce and salad mixes which contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix and Caesar salad."
While the recall includes products sold under many different brand names, the CDC said the infected items have “Use By” dates ranging from Oct. 29, 2019, to Nov. 1, 2019. And the products have establishment number “EST. 18502B” inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture mark of inspection. Worried shoppers can visit the USDA website for a full list.
A total of 40 people in 16 states have been infected from the contaminated lettuce, data show. A total of 28 hospitalizations were reported and five people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure.
No deaths have been reported.
This latest warning comes days after New Jersey-based produce market Missa Bay recalled more than 75,000 pounds of salad products possibly contaminated with E. coli, and after another outbreak in Maryland was pinged by health department.
In the past four years, there have been at least three major outbreaks, including the highly publicized contamination at restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, in which about 60 people across 14 states where infected, leaving more than 20 of them hospitalized.
Some estimates note Chipotle lost a whopping $998 million as a result of the epidemic.
A report from the University of Minnesota estimated salmonella and E. coli cost the country $3.13 billion a year. A separate report from the National Center for Biotechnology Information found the cost of a single foodborne outbreak ranged from $3,968 to $1.9 million for a given fast-food restaurant and up to $2.6 million for a fine-dining restaurant.
The CDC said it is continuing its investigation to determine the source of contamination and is cautioning people who may be ill to “report to your local health department.”


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Opera has launched its own mobile ad exchange, designed to serve ads on both smartphones and old school feature phones via its Opera Mini browser. These ads will appear on webpages, but they'll be optimized for Opera Mini, which uses proxy servers to compress and deliver ads to more than 66 million handests worldwide, according …
A swipe at...
"For the uninitiated, that was a swipe at Microsoft Internet Explorer – and Mozilla's Firefox."
Or Google. Mozilla is making its own cash now (although it used to rely on free money from Google).
Google has an online ad monopoly, remember? And Google uses that online ad monopoly to spam the web with Chrome ads.
So they are propping up Chrome using their ad monopoly.
Oh I dunno
Being funded by "sugar-daddies" means we stand a chance of getting mobile Adblock plus once they start porting to other devices now "that's" good news! for us the consumer.
Just Grow up.
That is all.
Why would someone who speaks the truth need to "grow up"?
- +Comment Trips to Mars may be OFF: The SUN has changed in a way we've NEVER SEEN
- Vid Google opens Inbox – email for people too stupid to use email
- Pic Forget the $2499 5K iMac – today we reveal Apple's most expensive computer to date
- RUMPY PUMPY: Bone says humans BONED Neanderthals 50,000 years B.C.
- Is your home or office internet gateway one of '1.2 MILLION' wide open to hijacking?


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Honda Australia has already confirmed that the next Civic Type R will make its way into Australian showrooms - likely sometime in 2015 - but how will it look?
TMR tasked digital art wizard Theophilus Chin with crafting a look to the new performer, building on the confirmed five-door body with enhanced styling and aerodynamics.
Destined to do battle with Volkswagen's Golf GTI and the Ford Focus ST, the new 'CTR' will land with bigger wheels, an aggressive sports body-kit and - if the recent Tourer concept is anything to by - a centre-mounted exhaust tip.
Of course, the most important feature has always been the powerplant, and reports suggest the 2014 model could get a turbo-charged 1.6 litre four-cylinder.
A 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo producing more than 200kW is another popular rumour, with a 225kW “target” having been mentioned more than once.
Other rumours suggest a hybrid powertrain - again benefiting from turbocharging - and even a twin-clutch automatic transmission.
Away from the engine bay, the next Civic Type R could feature a 'back-to-the-future' all-wheel-steering system, helping the new model meet Honda boss Takanobu Ito's goal of producing the fastest FWD car around the Nurburgring.
To do this, it will need to beat the 8:08 minute benchmark set by the Renault Megane RS 265. We'll see...
For now, it remains unclear when Honda will offer a first official look at the new model, but with the Tokyo Motor Show on again this year, we could see a concept appear sooner rather than later.
Watch out for more Civic Type R news and a confirmation date for Australian showrooms.
- Interested in buying HONDA CIVIC? Visit our HONDA CIVIC showroom for more information.


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ATLANTA (AP) -- Newell Rubbermaid's net income fell nearly 32 percent, hurt by restructuring costs, but the maker of Sharpie pens and Rubbermaid containers posted adjusted results that beat expectations.
The company also said Friday that it plans to sell its hardware and teach platform businesses. Those units include the Bulldog brand, which makes picture hangers and wall anchors, and Mimio, which makes teaching equipment such as whiteboards.
The consumer products company, which makes Sharpie pens and Rubbermaid containers, said net income for the three months ended March 31 fell to $54.2 million, or 19 cents per share. That compares with net income of $79.3 million, or 27 cents per share last year.
Excluding one-time items such as restructuring and the devaluation of Venezuelan currency, earnings totaled 35 cents per share. Analysts expected 32 cents per share.
Revenue edged down less than 1 percent to $1.24 billion from $1.25 billion a year ago. Analysts expected $1.32 billion.
Newell Rubbermaid Inc. announced in October that it was restructuring its business under two groups, a development organization and a delivery organization. The company also said that it planned to cut more than 1,900 jobs, or about 10 percent of its worldwide workforce, over the next 2 1/2 years.
It said that savings from the job cuts would be reinvested into expanding its brands globally and adding new sales capabilities in emerging markets. It expects to save $270 million to $325 million by the second quarter of 2015 as part of its cost-cutting plan, including $90 to $100 million in the first half of 2013.
Revenue from its writing segment, which includes Sharpie and Paper Mate, fell 9 percent to $340.6 million, hurt by weakness at office supply retailers and a planned change to distribution in China.
Revenue from home solutions, including Rubbermaid containers rose 3.7 percent to $338.9 million. Tools revenue fell 1 percent to $188.6 million.
Looking forward, Newell Rubbermaid expects full-year earnings of $1.78 to $1.84 per share, excluding one-time items. Analysts expect $1.82 per share.
Shares of Newell Rubbermaid rose 56 cents to $26.96 in morning trading, retreating slightly after reaching a 52-week high of $27.


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Ocean on 76 Collective acquires experiential marketing specialists, Digiworx
The Ocean on 76 Collective, led by Founder and CEO Prins Mhlanga, has announced the acquisition of Digiworx, an experiential marketing company. The Ocean on 76 Collective is thrilled to bring this calibre of experience to its current team as part of a deliberate move to bolster its fiercely competitive digital platform capabilities.
According to Nomakhosi Skosana, Chief Operations Officer at Ocean On 76 Collective, Digiworx is an intriguing, female-led company that will complement our ecosystem of mobile marketing offerings. ‘This incredible 12-year-old business provides opportunities for increased growth and expansion attributable toward its impressive corporate clientele.’
Founder and Managing Director of Digiworx, Samantha Govindan, is thrilled with the prospect of joining the group: ‘This will fundamentally transform and add value in how the market views the company and will give us the gravitas needed to bid for the big events and opportunities. I’ve had plenty of chances to partnerships over the years, but none were as compelling to Digiworx as this one is.’
Business will continue as usual, but the Ocean on 76 Collective will offer strategic access to new markets and business scale, according to Govindan. ‘Our management team remains in place and we look forward to working with our new partner to expand both businesses and have access to new industries,’ she says.
Marketing, product launches, events, advertising, field services, printing, branding and campaign literature are all advantages provided by Digiworx, a company with its Head office based in Gauteng, with a presence across every province in South Africa.


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Real food prices declined by seven per cent in Finland between 1994 and June 2016, Ilkka Lehtinen, a senior adviser at Statistics Finland, writes in a blog.
The decline represents cost savings of 210 euros per year for the average consumer – a consumer spending 3,000 euros on food every year, Taavi Heikkilä, the managing director of the S Group, reveals in an interview with Uusi Suomi.
The decline in food prices has also been more rapid in Finland than on average in other member states of the European Union, adds Lehtinen: Food prices have over the past three years dropped by 4.8 per cent in Finland but only by an average of 0.9 per cent in the European Union.
Regardless of the decline, he adds, food prices in Finland remain among the highest in Europe.
Heikkilä reminds that the value-added tax on food items is relatively high in Finland: value-added tax currently accounts for 14 per cent of food prices in the country but only for an average of 5 per cent in the European Union. “The comparison would be particularly favourable for us if our tax rate was at the same level as elsewhere,” he states.
The decline in food prices is according to him attributable to a variety of factors, such as over-production, the problem of which has only been exacerbated by the economic sanctions imposed on Russia.
The S Group, he points out, has also streamlined its operations in order to be able to bring down food prices. “The S Group has also launched a price reduction campaign. We've improved our efficiency and pared down costs, thus allowing us to lower our mark-up. That's how we've tried to get a competitive advantage over other [operators],” says Heikkilä.
Lehtinen similarly estimates that the drop in food prices is attributable not only to a general decline in consumer prices but also to intensifying competition between food producers and retailers.
The Finnish Commerce Federation reported last week that the sales of consumer goods rose by 1.4 per cent over the first six months of the year.
“We've seen negative figures for the past couple of years,” comments Heikkilä. “All retail sales stood at -2.5 per cent last year. It's definitely important that the prefix has changed. There have been some positive signs.”
The S Group, for example, registered an increase of 4.2 per cent in its sales between January and June, largely as a consequence of price reductions and the de-regulation of opening hours, gauges Heikkilä.
He believes it is vital to bolster the purchasing power of consumers in order to ensure retail sales remain on the up-tick. “The tax concessions laid out in the competitiveness pact make sure that the overall effect is positive. It's very important that no measures that gnaw away at purchasing power and reverse the positive trend are adopted in the budget session,” he says.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Photo: Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva
Source: Uusi Suomi