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South Africa agreed in June to open the doors to U.S. chicken products but an Oct. 15 deadline to seal the terms and conditions passed without an announcement that exports would resume.
The United States has been reviewing South Africa's eligibility for trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) due in part to concerns about duties on poultry. Losing access to AGOA could see South Africa lose as much as $1.7 billion of exports a year.
"Last week, South Africa missed the first of several benchmarks that we jointly agreed to in order to resolve certain longstanding barriers to trade and investment in the agriculture sector," a USTR spokesman said in an emailed statement.
"We have to complete a review of South Africa's compliance and, if it is not meeting the eligibility requirements under AGOA, we must take action."


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There’s a wrong way to eat a hot dog, says the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.
hot dog, Americans are expected to eat an estimated 150 million hot dogs on July 4th — and according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, many of those Americans will be doing it wrong.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC), a trade association founded in 1994 by the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), has long celebrated hot dogs and condiments of all kinds. But the top one in NHDSC can’t bear it and the council is making its feelings known ahead of Independence Day.
NHDSC President Eric Mittenthal said in a 2021 press release, “Any hot dog is delicious, no matter how you lead. “Well, except [hot dogs] with ketchup. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council etiquette guide says only children should eat their hot dogs with ketchup.
Mittenthal’s comments about ketchup reflect a long-held belief among members of the NHDSC as well. In a 2008 video produced by the organization, a spokesperson claimed that using ketchup on hot dogs was a violation of the “prime rule” of sausage etiquette.
“Never, ever put ketchup on a hot dog after the age of 18,” an NHDSC spokesperson says in the video. “We all want to grow up sometime.” (Most Americans didn’t; a 2021 NHDSC survey of 1,000 people found that 61% enjoyed their hot dogs with ketchup from time to time.)
Acceptable toppings, on the other hand, include “mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili,” according to the council’s online etiquette guide. The NHDSC has also previously supported other types of toppings found on Chicago-style dogs (sports peppers, tomatoes, celery salt, pickle spears, etc.).

domain: news


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The pace of Portugal’s economic growth doubled to 11.9 per cent in the first quarter from a year earlier and accelerated from the preceding quarter, in contrast to a slowdown in Europe, thanks to robust private consumption and rebounding tourism.
In its second reading of quarterly gross domestic product, the National Statistics Institute confirmed recently its flash estimates released a month ago, including the quarter-on-quarter expansion of 2.6 per cent, up from 1.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021.
“The numbers are very good, Portugal leads the euro zone in terms of growth, which is being boosted by private consumption and a solid recovery in tourism activity, which should continue to support growth in the summer,” said Paulo Rosa, senior economist at Banco Carregosa.
The INE said separately consumer prices spiked 8 per cent year-on-year in May, at their fastest pace since February 1993, stoked by soaring energy and commodity prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Citing the inflationary impact of the conflict in Ukraine, Portugal’s government last month trimmed its economic growth outlook for this year to 4.9 per cent, in line with last year’s rebound from the pandemic-induced recession of 2020.
The INE said private consumption increased 2.2 per cent between January and March against the previous three months and soared 12.6 per cent compared to a year ago, while investment grew 3.3 per cent and 5.8 per cent, respectively.


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Reviving a name first used back in 1949, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn was announced at the firm’s annual dealer conference for its 130 global retailers in Los Angeles, California this week.
“Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date,” said Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Rolls-Royce CEO.
More cryptically, he continued: “Dawn is a beautiful new open-top motor car with a name that suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds – an awakening, an opening up of one’s senses and a burst of sunshine.
“It will be the most social of super-luxury motor cars for those beautiful people who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s social hotspots.”
Early indications are that the Dawn will be an open-top version of the wonderful Rolls-Royce Wraith, but be rather less rare than the original Dawn: just 28 cars were built between 1950-1954, all bespoke-built for super-rich customers.
The first Rolls-Royce with a factory-built body, the original Dawn today commands eye-watering prices when sold at auctions. Although still expensive – the new Dawn is likely to cost well over £200,000 – at least the second-generation model will be a little more accessible…
Expect to see more news on the new Rolls-Royce Dawn later in 2015, with a possible launch scheduled for the LA Motor Show in September.


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It's official: October 4th will be Google Pixel day
After a spate of recent leaks pertaining to its upcoming Pixel smartphone series, Google's official YouTube channel has just dropped a teaser video that confirms an October 4th announcement. As you'd expect, the clip doesn't give too much away, though the numerous sightings of both models over the past few hours offer glimpses of what can be expected.
Amid the torrent of recent sightings, there's been some less encouraging news with regards to the price point of Google's Pixel duo. It was previously thought that the larger Pixel XL would arrive at $649, and the less-expensive smaller Pixel would subsequently be cheaper. It now looks like the standard Pixel's starting price could be as high as $649 at entry level, which would come as a slap of cold water to the faces of current Nexus fans.
The Big G's new clip is simply entitled 'Oct. 4', and the video's description links to a splash page that we've linked to at the source. There's not much else to tell for now, except for the fact that said gathering will take place in San Francisco from 8 a.m.
As we count down the days, you can keep track of all Pixel-related goings on through our rumor review page.


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Westlake-based Cannasure Insurance Services, Northeast Ohio's niche insurance managing general agent and wholesale broker focused exclusively on the marijuana industry, will officially launch its first comprehensive coverage program Feb.1 .
In the burgeoning business sector for legal cannabis, it is a highly anticipated and much-needed development.
The firm's program — supported by Topa Insurance Group of Calabasas, Calif. — will offer coverage lines in property, general liability, products liability, crop and excess liability. The program is designed to support primary industry operations, which include dispensaries, cultivators, processors/manufacturers, ancillary businesses (which could be any supporting industry, like manufacturers of marijuana packaging or grow lights), landlords and testing laboratories.
"We are excited to announce that Cannasure recently finalized the development of a cannabis program that will offer all lines of coverage to medical and recreational business owners," said Cannasure CEO Patrick McManamon in a statement. "Our program is backed by Topa Insurance Group, a leading boutique property-casualty insurer and will provide enhanced and comprehensive coverages. Initially, the program will be offered on a non-admitted basis; however, we are exploring admitted opportunities in target states."
Thomas Haren, a lawyer with Frantz Ward LLP in Cleveland working with aspiring marijuana businesses in Ohio, noted that the development of insurance programs is a critical element in not just legitimizing the industry but enabling its ability to flourish like any other business sector. There are few programs out in the market today, he said, though more are coming online as states have been requiring these businesses to be insured as part of their marijuana programs.
"Access to insurance is important for these business owners because it's mandated by rule, but also just because is makes good business sense," Haren said. "With a lot of major carriers not serving the industry, we're seeing a lot of smaller, specialized insurers pop up to fill that need."
Cannasure's formative stages came between 2009 and 2010, when McManamon was essentially running the firm himself after branching out from his father's business, McManamon Insurance. The firm has been working as a MGA and wholesale broker and was working on getting its own program going with assistance from Lloyd's of London, but they faced a lot of challenges along the way, as McManamon recently explained in a feature in Crain's.
The development of this insurance program has been in development for quite some time. McManamon told Crain's he expects to write more than $1 million in premiums per month in 2018 because of this new program.
Just last week, the firm hired Kieran O'Rourke — who most recently served with AmTrust Financial Services prior to joining Cannasure — to lead the firm's MGA underwriting platform. He will be the manager of the new program.
"The cannabis industry is evolving at an unprecedented rate, and because of this so are the industry-specific risk factors and operational demands," said McManamon in a statement. "Since we opened our doors in 2010, Cannasure has been in the trenches with clients understanding their business, challenges, opportunities as well as the regulatory requirements. This firsthand accounting enabled us to partner with Topa, an 'A-' A.M. Best-rated carrier that has truly taken the time to understand this industry and is committed to bringing forward relevant coverages (terms and conditions) that support the ever-changing cannabis industry. Because of this, we are excited to launch our program for new business submission effective Feb. 1."
McManamon declined to share his finances but told Crain's Cannasure saw revenues grow 60% in 2017. They've grown 350% since 2014. And McManamon said he now targets at least 40% growth annually "for the next several years, and that would be conservative."


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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Apple announced the new “Rapid Security Response” updates for iPhones, iPads, and Macs last year at WWDC, and today, the first publicly released patch on the system started to roll out. After rough going initially when the new update claimed every iPhone was “offline,” the new patch is now installed on our devices without a problem.
The Rapid Security Response system is supposed to make things easier, adding security fixes in between larger system updates that could install on some devices without a reboot as well as allowing users to opt out of receiving them entirely or uninstall them if they caused any issues.
this just successfully installed for me and it installed in around 30 seconds. Good to see rapid patches available on iOS


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New research from Virgin Media O2 has exposed the worst mistakes Britons can make on holiday. From sunburn to towel hogging, here’s how Britons can avoid embarrassing themselves abroad.
As millions of Britons prepare to travel overseas for a holiday, more than 90 percent of people think British people have bad holiday habits.
According to the research, the worst holiday faux pas was expecting everyone to speak English.
Nearly three quarters of those surveyed thought it was embarrassing that British people expect people overseas to speak English.
While around 1.5 billion people around the world speak English, it’s polite to learn at least a few phrases of a country’s native language before travelling there.
The next most embarrassing holiday habit was getting burned with over half of those polled finding it shameful.
While getting burned on holiday might be uncomfortable, it can also be really dangerous for tourists.
It’s always important to wear suncream and reapply regularly if tourists are spending a long time in the sun.
Nearly half of those polled thought it was embarrassing when British tourists leave their hotel room in a mess.
Ryanair staff announce new strike dates – list [RYANAIR STRIKES]
This year, O2 is offering Priority customers a three month free trial of Super Duolingo to help them learn the local lingo before travelling.
Gareth Turpin, Chief Commercial Officer, Mobile, at Virgin Media O2 said: “Holiday season is upon us with millions of Brits set to travel this summer for some well-deserved down time.
“But with life being busier than ever these days, it can be hard to find the time to learn a language and really get into the holiday spirit. So, we have joined forces with Duolingo to offer our customers a quick and convenient way to brush up on some basics before they go away this year.
“And as O2 is the only major network to offer EU roaming at no extra cost, our customers can keep on top of their Duolingo streaks while they’re away, without having to worry about data roaming charges.”


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We all heard as kids about not letting bed bugs bite, but bed bugs are quickly becoming a major concern in the Roanoke Valley.
Exterminator Bill Saunders said he used to only deal with bed bugs once or twice per year, but he's personally dealt with 50 cases of beg bugs in the Roanoke Valley since January.
"We really didn't expect this kind of spike and this quickly," Saunders said. "It's come about mainly in the last six to eight months."
Saunders wouldn't give any names but did say the bed bug problem isn't isolated to homes.
"The majority of what we've been treating are hotels," he said. "We've done quite a bit of residential, usually in apartments settings. Not too many single family homes."
Exterminators aren't the only ones who have seen a jump in business.
Roger Shields is an Assistant Manager at Northwest True Value on Williamson Road in Roanoke.
He said sales of bed bug products are 10 times higher than what they were last year, meaning shipments are up as well.
"(Shipments were) usually once every couple of months," Shields said. "Now we're having to order twice per week on these products."
So what's the best way to prevent the spread of bed bugs?
Saunders suggests checking your mattress or headboard before staying in a hotel room.
It also matters where you keep your suitcase.
"Keep your luggage in the bathtub when you travel," he said. "(The bed bugs) are not likely to cross that cold tile floor and get into that tub," which can help prevent the spread of bed bugs and make sure they won't make their way into your home.


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Virgin Media hires the A-Team to help drive TiVo installations
# Aug 30, 10:22 AM by Chris T
Virgin Media has turned to iconic 1980s American TV to help it sell its TiVo-powered digital TV service.
The escapades of Bo and Luke Duke – a.k.a. The Dukes of Hazzard – and those soldiers of fortune known as the A-Team, have been recruited to boost excitement around the product, and, thereby, generate sales.
But VM hasn’t bought the re-run rights to the shows. Nor has it recruited any of the stars to front an ad campaign. Instead, it has begun painting up its fleet of installers’ vans to look like B.A. Baracus’ famous black GMC Vandura, or the Duke boys’ orange Dodge Charger.
A spokesman explained: “We’ve already been getting a fantastic response from customers receiving TiVo, but now we’ll create an impact just driving up the road.”
But don’t expect to see Virgin Media installers screaming through the streets pursued by the local sheriff or hooting Dixie on their horns.
That would be just a little more than the law would allow.


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Hearst Corporation, the parent company of publications like Car & Driver, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Car & Driver, claims to have around 800,000 paying digital subscribers. These numbers were announced in a letter to employees at the company by Hearst President David Carey. This figure includes monthly subscribers across all of their titles on iPads, Nooks, Androids, etc. Mr. Carey claims that this figure is “the highest in the industry.”
Of this figure, over 80% of the subscribers are new to Hearst. Conde Nast has around 500,000 digital subscribers and The New York Times reported around 592,000 digital subscribers in October 2012. Time Inc. and Meredith do not reveal their numbers. Hearst’s website traffic grew over 30% in 2012.
In terms of a social media following, Hearst’s brands have 7.7 million Facebook Fans, 4.7 million Twitter followers, and 5.5 million Pinterest followers. The number one brand that Hearst has on Pinterest is Harper’s Bazaar. Cosmo’s digital edit team staff doubled in December too.


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Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport are delighted to announce that AddVenture, the experts in custom-built camper vans designed for thrill seekers, have joined the team’s and Jake Hill’s pursuit of glory this season in the 2023 British Touring Car Championship.
Long term friends and associates of the team and Jake Hill through their parent group, Advanced KFS, the exciting launch of the AddVenture brand adds a new dimension to the partnership this season with all parties uniting behind new goals this season.
AddVenture camper vans are purpose-designed for explorers who love the great outdoors, aligning perfectly with the passionate fanbase of the British Touring Car Championship. With flexible and versatile features within their two van models, AddVenture’s aim is to help outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds make the most of their journeys!
Hot off the back of the launch of the new AddVenture website and the launch of the Re-Cycle Van at the Cycle Show, this tops off an exciting few weeks for the founder, Ian Knight.
A huge advocate of adventurous lifestyles himself, Ian, is proud of AddVenture’s journey to date combining decades of commercial custom build experience across the UK with his own passions. Ian sees this year’s strengthened partnership as a real opportunity.
“We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with AddVenture brand ambassador Jake Hill and showcasing the AddVenture brand on Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s car over the course of the 2023 BTCC season.
“This year is a big year for AddVenture and we are delighted to be strengthening our work with the team. Our custom built camper vans are built without compromise and are designed to allow our customers to take in their own adventures without any limits - we can’t wait to showcase our work and unique proposition to the BTCC fanbase.”
Sporting Director of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, Mark Blundell commented:
“We’re pleased to welcome Ian and the AddVenture team to our fantastic community of team partners. They have been a big part of the success that Jake has enjoyed over the years and we are hopeful for plenty more of that this season!”
AddVenture brand ambassador and BTCC fan-favourite, Jake Hill added:
“I’m really pleased to see that AddVenture are continuing their involvement with our BTCC programme. The team have been a huge support to me over the years and you will yet again see me reaping the benefits of one of their AddVenture vehicles trackside yet again this year. I know it’s a big year for AddVenture, as it is for me and the team, so I hope we can all be celebrating come the end of the year!”


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King of Wushu revealed at NGF 2014
At the Nvidia Game Festival last week, Snail Games revealed its latest trailer for the upcoming martial arts-themed MOBA, King of Wushu. The video showcased the technical and graphical achievements of the game, including dynamic clothing and hair, fluid character movements, and diverse weather systems with realistic lighting, as well as a sneak peek into the game play. Please check out the trailer after the jump, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
About King of Wushu
King of Wushu is Snail’s upcoming martial-arts themed MOBA developed with CryEngine. The game builds on experience of traditional fighting games by combining TPS perspective with fast-paced combat including aerial maneuvers, blocking, and dodging. It is planned to be a cross-platform MOBA, combining PC, Xbox One, mini-consoles and mobile into a single game server and creating a unique “Wuxia” martial arts experience spanning language and geographic barriers.
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Report: Over Half Of EU Firms Took Steps To Improve Digital Presence
May 25, 2023
Report: Over Half Of EU Firms Took Steps To Improve Digital Presence.
The COVID-19 crisis prompted a surge in the digitalization efforts of EU firms, with more than half (53%) of EU firms taking steps in 2022 to enhance their digital presence, such as offering services online, as per a new report, "Digitalization in Europe 2022-2023: Evidence from the EIB (...)
[Read the article in Ziarul Financiar]


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Ram Vilas Paswan
The way you buy gold changes from today as hallmarking has been made mandatory. There are four components that one should look for on the hallmarked gold jewellery to ensure the purity of gold. Here is a look at each of them in detail.
Jewellers have been given one year time to register with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and implement the mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery to ensure purity of the precious metal.
The department of consumer affairs will issue a notification by January 15, 2020, for making gold hallmarking mandatory.
He informed that an inter-ministerial committee, under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary, has been formed to look into the issue of banning single use plastic in one go or phased manner.
ET talks to the Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Ram Vilas Paswan about the new Consumer Protection Act.
The consumer affairs ministry has decided to frame the rules to implement the Consumer Protection Act by December and asked stakeholders to submit their views by September 15. Meanwhile, the ministry has also sought views on the draft guidelines on e-commerce by the same date.
The minister asserted that provisions will also be made while framing rules and regulations under the recently enacted Consumer Protection Act to crack down on such cases.
Answering queries Lok Sabha during question hour, Paswan said his ministry has received complaints of more money being charged from people than the printed rate of bottled water.
"There are provisions in the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 to prevent charging above MRP," Paswan said.
One of the major recommendations of the committee was that FCI should hand over all procurement operations of wheat, paddy and rice to states that have gained sufficient experience.
Showering praise on Modi for winning a second term with a huge mandate, the LJP chief said, "Under his leadership, India will be a powerful nation in the world."
FCI is the government's nodal agency that procures foodgrains at the support price and distributes them through ration shops under various welfare schemes.
India has over 220 BIS-recognised assaying and hallmarking centres; and maximum of them are located in Tamil Nadu, followed by Kerala.
A bailout package has been worked out days after the BJP lost Lok Sabha by-poll in Kairana constituency in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest sugarcane producing state.
The commerce and industry ministry, a government official said, has written to the department of consumer affairs to set up a task force for framing the policy.
"Retailers will display only one MRP after 31st March. We are not in favour of providing an extension of deadline for MRP stickering," Paswan said.
It further said the bill will certainly put an end to unfair practices and will also enable the creation of a powerful Central Consumer Protection Authority.
The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 was introduced by Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in the Lok Sabha and it seeks to replace the 31-year-old law.
After Goods and Services Tax (GST) became effective from July 1, companies were asked to use stickers on unsold packaged commodities to display new maximum retail price (MRP) till September, which was later extended till December.
They will also need to mention the name of the country where the products are manufactured or assembled.


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BT has launched an ID verification scheme that it hopes will become the universal system for government and businesses wanting to check identities on the net.
Are you who you say you are?
URU (You Are You) is designed to make identity mix-ups such as the recent arrest of pensioner Derek Bond in South Africa as one of the FBI's most wanted men far less common, say the developers of the system.
Businesses or governments needing to check identities need to enter the details of the person into the database.
The system then trawls through databases such as the Electoral Roll, the Death Register and the Post Office Address File.
The scheme is a joint venture between BT and the data capture firm, the GB Group.
In phase one, the only details that will be entered are name, address and Meter Point Asset Number - the number in the corner of every household electricity bill which is unique to that property.
Two billion transactions each year in the UK require ID authentication
200 million in financial services
1.5 billion in retail
800 million in government
The electricity industry has agreed to allow BT to use the number for verification purposes only.
There are an estimated two billion transactions in the UK each year which require authentication of identity, 800 million alone in government.
"URU will be a major ingredient in transforming and joining up government," said Mike Stone, general manager of BT Stepchange.gov, a division of the telephone company which works on government web services.
It could also become a pre-requisite of any universal ID card, if the government decides to launch one, said BT.
"We envisage that URU will become ubiquitous for citizens, businesses and government and we predict that in 10 years' time, 90% of ID checks will be done in this way," he added.
Initially the system is being trialled by well-known retail banks, he said.
According to BT the system complies with data privacy laws and will not disclose any information about the person to the company checking ID.
It also requires the person to agree to have the check run and will e-mail them every time their ID is requested, offering a further safeguard against identity theft.
"It is a pro-active way to protect your identity," said Chris Gahan, Data Development Manager at BT Ignite, the web services division of BT that is responsible for the scheme.
But not everyone is convinced it will be a panacea to the problem of checking IDs.
"These systems can easily become impenetrable monopolies," said Head of Privacy International Simon Davies.
"Each government department already has a way of checking identity and the question is why do we need mega-systems" he added.


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O2 Uses Smart Camera Technology on The Loop Manchester to Deliver Bespoke Activity
O2 amplified its “More for you” campaign using LookOut technology on The Loop Manchester to deliver targeted and contextual brand messaging.
The Loop locations across Manchester city centre featured a gaggle of fluffy baby geese on the screen overlaid with imagery of people walking in front of the screen. Members of the public were then invited to share a selfie with the goslings around them on the screen using the hashtag #o2goslingselfie.
A clever activity to promote O2’s market leading products and services and reach consumers with bespoke messages “Hey Manchester, you’ve got 99% 4G coverage”.
This interactive campaign ran from the 14th to 22th August in Manchester in collaboration between Posterscope, Havas, Ocean Labs and Signature Outdoor.


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ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Panera announces the appointment of Marlene M. Gordon as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary effective May 2.
With over 20 years of industry experience, Gordon joins Panera from Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., where she most recently served as Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary. During her tenure at Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc., the global food company, Marlene was a member of the company’s Global Leadership Team, where she led legal, corporate communications and people strategies to best support the company’s short and long-term business objectives. Gordon was also instrumental in the redesign and deployment of the company’s new vision, values, five-year strategic objectives, global operational priorities and go to market plan.
Gordon’s career spans multiple industries and includes high-level roles at Bacardi, Burger King Corporation, Republic Industries Inc. and Blockbuster Entertainment Group. She holds a B.A. in Economics with honors from the University of Chicago, a JD from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and is also a Harvard Business School Certified Organizational Leader.
“We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to Marlene as she joins the executive team as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary for both Panera Brands and Panera Bread,” said Niren Chaudhary, Chief Executive Officer, Panera Brands and Panera Bread. “Having a leader of Marlene’s caliber on board will support us during this exciting time for our portfolio of brands and expand our best-in-class executive team.”
“I’m excited to join Panera Brands at a such a transformational time. There are countless opportunities where I can dive in and add value, between Panera's growth strategy for its complementary and iconic brands, the company's focus on innovation and its people-first culture,” Gordon said. “I am thrilled to start working alongside Niren, the leadership team, and all of our associates in achieving the company's business objectives and taking the company to the next level.”
Gordon’s hire is the latest addition to Panera’s leadership team, which has expanded to bring on industry veterans from world-class companies including Kraft, Yum! Brands, sweetgreen, Unilever, Pepsi, CVS, Accenture and Coca-Cola. For more information, visit www.PaneraBread.com.
About Panera Bread
30 years ago, at a time when quick service meant low quality, Panera set out to challenge this expectation. We believed that food that was good and that you could feel good about, served in a warm and welcoming environment by people who cared, could bring out the best in all of us. To us, that is food as it should be and that is why we exist.
So, we began with a simple commitment: to bake bread fresh every day in our bakery-cafes. No short cuts, just bakers with simple ingredients and hot ovens. Each night, any unsold bread and baked goods were shared with neighbors in need.
These traditions carry on today, as we have continued to find ways to be an ally for wellness to our guests. That means crafting a menu of soups, salads and sandwiches that we are proud to feed our families. Like poultry and pork raised without antibiotics on our salads and sandwiches. A commitment to transparency and options that empower our guests to eat the way they want. Seasonal flavors and whole grains. And a commitment to food that does not contain the artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources set forth on our No-No list in the food in our U.S. bakery-cafes. Why? Because we think that simpler is better and we believe in serving food as it should be. Because when you don’t have to compromise to eat well, all that is left is the joy of eating.
We’re also focused on improving quality and convenience. With investments in technology and operations, we now offer new ways to enjoy your Panera favorites – like mobile ordering and Rapid Pick-Up® for to-go orders and delivery – all designed to make things easier for our guests.
As of March 29, 2022, there were 2,117 bakery-cafes in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast casual restaurant companies in the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros.® Bagels. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on Twitter (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) or Instagram (@panerabread).


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News From : DagangHalal.com (23 Oct 2016)
• Leading regional industry showcase to present upgraded line-up
• Series of conferences set to address key topics including rise in halal demand, food fraud and organic;
• Regional innovation crucial to ensure future food security as Middle East imports set to top US$35.2 billion by 2020
Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, SIAL Middle East 2016, the region’s fastest-growing professional trade exhibition for the food, beverage and hospitality industries, returns to Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 5-7 December 2016.
Global food innovation, food security and the latest industry trends will headline the calendar of events at the 7th edition of SIAL Middle East, which will welcome back a number of popular show floor events and introduce several exciting new initiatives that will address key industry issues facing the region and the food sector in general.
This year’s three-day industry showcase will bring together regional experts, thought leaders and decision makers for an all-new series of niche conference sessions covering a wealth of high profile topics including organic foods, own label opportunities, food fraud, city farms, GM food issues, halal, food security concerns and wastage.
“Food imports into the Middle East are expected to reach US$35.2 billion by 2020 according to a report from BMI, and the F&B sector is vitally important to the region on many fronts. Not only do we depend on imported goods on a daily basis but, as consumer tastes and awareness develop, we are seeing a shift in product demand and expectations,” said to Thamer Al Qasemi, chairman of the organizing committee of SIAL Middle East 2016.
“Last year saw record numbers visiting show, this year some 22,000 senior decision makers from major food companies, representatives from F&B outlets and hotels, food retailers, Government officials, distributers, importers and exporters exhibitors, and hosted VIP buyers are expected to attend the event” he added.
“In 2015 we welcomed in excess of 926 innovative exhibitors and more than 15,000 passionate trade professionals for three days of business, networking and knowledge sharing. We are confident that this year will represent the next phase of growth and development for the region’s F&B industry,” said Joanne Cook, Managing Director, SIAL Middle East.
“With the full support of ADFCA and the leaders of the nation, SIAL Middle East is committed to further developing a sustainable and innovative food sector in the emirate, and annual events like ours are part of a commitment to supporting the industry at all levels and across all facets of operation and product development,” she added.
New additions to the exhibition will also include the Alen Thong Golden Coffee Pot Young Chefs Challenge. Part of the La Cuisine culinary showcase, which attracted more than 650 competing chefs in 2015, the challenge has been launched in memory of one of the Emirates Culinary Guild’s founding fathers, and will give teams of young local chefs an opportunity to share their gastronomic talents in a live competition environment.
Returning for the second year running will be the Abu Dhabi Food Security Round Table series, organised in partnership with Food Security Center – Abu Dhabi (FSCAD), at which top government officials, CEOs and industry experts will discuss and debate ways of ensuring the availability of affordable, sustainable and nutritious food for the region.
Another popular annual feature, the SIAL Innovation Area, showcases the world’s most innovative products, providing a unique opportunity for attendees to learn about upcoming sector trends, as well as playing host to the SIAL Innovation World Champions from around the world.
Also returning for 2016 will be the World Tour exhibit, with displays by top food journalists from around the world highlighting the latest food trends and related statistics; and the hotly contested Regional Barista & Latte Art Championships.
The 35th edition of The Mercurys, the most prestigious award in travel catering, will take place suing SIAL on the 5th December. These sought after accolades will cover the best airline meals, service concept, food products, beverage and equipment all being hotly contested by leaders in this industry.


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August is National Sandwich Month, and Potbelly Sandwich Shop is kicking off the celebration with four days of perks, including FREE chips and dessert and the chance to win a year of Potbelly. There’s a different perk each day, through Friday, Aug. 4.
You must must be enrolled in the Potbelly Perks loyalty program to receive perks . Signing up is FREE, and first-time users also receive a free cookie when they download the app.
As with most loyalty programs, additional activity and purchases leads to additional perks. The Potbelly program includes invitations to exclusive events and access to the Potbelly underground menu.
Potbelly Perks members will receive the following perks:
- Tuesday, Aug. 1: Enter for a chance to win a year of Potbelly with your purchase
- Wednesday, Aug. 2: FREE 40th Birthday Marshmallow Crispy Bar with purchase of any sandwich
- Thursday, Aug. 3: Take $1 off the new Turkey Club sandwich (any size)
- Friday, Aug. 4: FREE chips with purchase of any sandwich
There are more than a dozen Potbelly Sandwich Shop locations in NYC, including at 46 West 56th and 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown, and downtown at Fulton and Nassau.
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EXPIRED, Sorry, this deal or event is no longer available.


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In brief: Later today sees the start of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which will begin with a keynote speech where we're expecting to hear about the next versions of the company's software, including iOS 13 and possibly something new for Macs and Apple Watches as well.
The keynote address starts at 10 am Pacific Time (1 pm Eastern, 6 pm BST). There are several ways to watch it, including on an Apple TV (second generation or newer) by downloading the Apple Events app from the App Store.
A video livestream of the event is being shown on Apple's website, which can be viewed on any Mac (Sierra 10.12 or later) or iOS (10.0 or later) device using the Safari browser. Windows users can tune in via Microsoft's Edge browser, which Apple says offers the "best experience," but it should also work with Chrome and Firefox. Android users, meanwhile, can view it on their handsets through Google Chrome.
As for what's in store, expect to see the unveiling of iOS 13, which will reportedly add a system-wide dark mode option, Safari and Mali upgrades, a new sleep mode, and (perhaps) mouse support to the iPad. We're also likely to see Watch OS 6 for Apple's wearables and MacOS 10.15 for its line of Macs/MacBooks.
Another expected announcement is the retiring of iTunes. It's been reported that Apple will replace the 18-year-old software with standalone Music, TV, and Podcast apps. We could also see a new Mac Pro revealed.
We're likely to learn more about Project Marzipan, Apple's initiative that would allow developers to create apps once and have them work across all of its platforms. The move could be the beginning of Apple combining its iOS App Store and Mac App Store into one huge storefront.


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The Russian IP Court recently rejected a non-use cancellation action filed by the Ukrainian soap maker Slobozhansky Mylovar against German automobile manufacturer Porsche AG’s Porsche, Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Stuttgart trade mark registrations.This Kat, suitably fascinated, will be watching for further developments. Meanwhile he thinks that trade mark owners who hold famous and/or well-known brands in their IP portfolios will be encouraged to see a pro-registered right ruling of this nature emanating from Russia, a jurisdiction in which big brand owners have had mixed fortunes in recent years.
In 2012, the Russian PTO’s Chamber of Patent Disputes partially refused Slobozhansky Mylovar’s applications for trade marks Posche and its Cyrillic version Поше, for soap, filed on November 30, 2010. Slobozhansky Mylovar appealed the PTO’s decision on partial refusal and this case was considered by the Moscow City Arbitrazh Court (the court of first instance), the Ninth Arbitrazh Court of Appeal (second instance) and the IP Court. The Supreme Court refused to reconsider the case.
Slobozhansky Mylovar recently asked for the early cancellation of trade marks Porsche, Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Stuttgart on the basis of their non-use for goods such as soap, perfume, cosmetic and hair-care products. However, Porsche presented evidence that Clarins Group, French luxury cosmetics company, produced goods bearing the mark of Porsche Design under the licence granted by Porsche. The Russian IP Court also found that promoting the goods named Поше and Poshe, which can be confused with Porsche, could qualify as an act of unfair competition.
... and as fast as you can go without
having to use airline soap
The IP Court decision can be appealed until April 25, 2015.


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By Ace Pro Gaming | e-Lig Series | Episode 5
Ma Esto FIFA Esports announced yesterday that it has signed a partnership deal with ace apparels as an official outfitter for the league program players, and fans.
The outfit division will play a role in giving style and fashion to our FIFA Esports giving fans and players identity. “As the exclusive outfitter, ace apparel is looking to play an instrumental role in growing FIFA Esports in Kenya,” says Fanuel, Head of Leagues. He adds, “Having players uniformed gives Esports in Kenya identity and recognition.”
The deal is a one-season partnership and will see ace apparel get the “Official Outfitter” tagline.
Follow our social media handles for new info regarding the “Ma Esto” Program.


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An openly gay government official from Connecticut has warned the conservative America Family Association that its charitable status may be cut, due to its support for traditional marriage and opposition to same-sex marriage.
"There is an attempt in this country, by secular progressives, by secular liberals, to shut down anyone who disagrees with them," AFA President Tim Wildmon said in a video response to the two-page letter by Connecticut Comptroller Kevin Lembo.
Wildmon argued that liberals are trying to "shut down the speech, the livelihood" of those with opposing points of view.
"That's happening across the country," he added, arguing that the letter directly targets AFA "based on our Christian view of sexuality."
Lembo writes in the letter that the AFA may be violating state anti-discrimination laws, and pointed out that the conservative organization has boycotted Target and other companies that have backed LGBT campaigns.
"The AFA has also spoken out against gay and Muslim individuals serving in the U.S. military, and has equated homosexuality with pedophilia, disease, and violence," he added, identifying himself as an openly gay father and spouse.
The letter goes on to ask AFA to "provide documentation" proving that it complies with federal and state laws, and that it does not discriminate against people based on their identity.
AFA general counsel Abraham Hamilton III told OneNewsNow that the Connecticut Comptroller is opposed to the conservative group receiving any kind of state funding.
"What's being foisted upon the American Family Association is the latest iteration of 'If you don't adhere to the nouveaux orthodoxy of the day — which is the sexual deviancy agenda — then you must be castigated and expelled from public life,'" Hamilton argued.
He added: "Because of his personal objections to the American Family Association's stance on issues like marriage and the Target boycott, then he sees fit to threaten us with his governmental position."
The Target boycott in question has centered around the chain store giant's change in policy this year, which now allows people born as males who identify as female to use the women's bathrooms and changing room facilities, and vice versa, which Target has said is meant to be more accommodating for customers.
AFA, which continues urging shoppers to stay away from the retailer, has warned, however, that such policies threaten the safety of women and children, and has pointed to numerous cases this past year of sexual offenders caught at Target stores.
"Target's policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims. And the proof keeps mounting," Wildmon wrote in September.
"Clearly, Target's dangerous policy poses a threat to wives and daughters. Over 1.4 million people have pledged to boycott Target stores until protecting women and children is a priority," he added, referring to the ongoing petition.


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- Main event: The agonizing pace of the economic recovery is seen most starkly in orders for big-ticket items, such as cars, refrigerators and aircraft. Durable goods orders remain roughly 11 percent behind their pace at the start of last year, with no dramatic upturn in sight. A 3.6 percent gain in April was followed by a 2 percent rise in May and a surprising 1.6 percent dip in June. After that fuzzy report last month, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said ``there are blips up and down,`` expressing confidence the economy continues to emerge from recession. Others expressed fears of a
``double dip,`` in which the economy makes a tepid recovery, followed by another dive. A fresh reading on durable goods orders is due Friday.
- Watch for: Orders for July to show a moderate gain, perhaps 1.5 percent. A further retreat in durable orders will provide ammunition for the Federal Reserve to notch short-term interest rates down. The Fed`s policymaking Open Market Committee meets Tuesday, amid expectations that it will consider allowing the discount rate, on lending to banks, to drop a half point, to 5 percent.
- Afterthought: Don`t expect the Fed to act precipitously, say most economists, who believe reluctance by the Fed to move immediately will push action back a week or more. If the Open Market Committee determines that further loosening of credit is needed, the likeliest timing would be early next month.
- Forecast: Based on a new survey of business expectations by Cahners Publications, the economy should stage a fairly robust revival later this year, says Kermit Baker, the publishing firm`s director of economics. Baker says 65 percent of business leaders surveyed in July said the direction of activity for their firms is up. That was up 2 1/2 percent from the previous month. The survey of 400 middle-level decision-makers found expectations for higher levels of employment, spending, marketing and sales. Baker says the economy has experienced ``a burnoff of inventories,`` setting the stage for a moderate rebound.
- Upbeat statistic: Tired of dreary news about the steel industry, its cutbacks, foreign competitors and so on? Consider then that steel exports in June rose 142 percent, to 772,000 tons, from a year earlier, says the American Iron and Steel Institute. For the first half of the year, steel exports grew 58 percent, to 3.258 million tons. The reason for the boom is simple: The weak dollar and low price of steel products offered by U.S. steelmakers eager to sell their products.
- Next up: Detroit`s automakers Friday report sales for the middle 10 days of August. Watch for signs of improvement after an unusually weak report for the opening days of the month.
- Markets: Wall Street spent much of last week preoccupied with damage control from the revelations of wrongdoing in the government bond market by giant Salomon Brothers Inc. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 28.18 points, to 2968.02.
- Outlook: Analyst Alfred Goldman at A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. in St. Louis says Wall Street is in dangerous territory. ``People are worried that if we have a recovery, it`s going to be meek,`` he says, ``yet stocks are selling as if corporate earnings are going to soar 25 percent next year. I think that`s double trouble for the market.``


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Lumbini, May 9: Lumbini will be hosting the ‘Buddhist International Travel Mart’ aiming to promote tourism in the birthplace of Gautam Budhha.
The event to be supported by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal Tourism Board and the Nepal Association of the Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) has been scheduled to be held on May 11-13.
According to NATTA President Ramesh Thapa, the event is expected to be attended by over 200 people who include tourism entrepreneurs, Buddhist Bhikshus, and representatives from the Buddhist associations. Likewise, tour operators and national tourism council representatives from over a dozen of countries including Nepal, China, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, and Korea, will also participate in the event.
The event is expected to cost around Rs. 16 million. Lumbini Province Chief Minister Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary will inaugurate the three-day event.


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Update | The Volkswagen ID. Buzz sponsors the launch of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series
Update: Volkswagen and Lucasfilm have now unveiled the ID. Buzz "Light Side" and "Dark Side" Editions. These apparently standard versions of the Buzz and Buzz Cargo respectively have been skinned with unique new near-total-coverage vinyls.
The results are Kenobi- and Darth Vader-inspired looks, replete with Rebel Alliance and Empire logos as appropriate. Again, there are no indications that either will be available to buy any time soon.
Original Article: Volkswagen has just revealed initial pricing and availability for the long-awaited electrification of its iconic minibus, the ID. Buzz; now, the company has disclosed how it plans to market the new e-vehicle. Those following the new minibus' launch may have noticed Ewan McGregor was present as a product ambassador at the time; now, the reason for the actor's involvement has become more apparant.
The ID. Buzz' maker has partnered with Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to tease the premiere of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a new series set to go live on Disney+ as of May 27, 2022. The collaboration has already resulted in a custom Lucasfilm/ILM spot, available to watch online from now.
In addition, Lucasfilm and Volkswagen has announced that 2 "Star Wars Editions" of the ID. Buzz will be unveiled during a celebratory event for the franchise set to take place in Anaheim, California at the end of May 2022. It is not clear whether they will become commercially available units, or ones simply prepared to display at this venue, at this time.


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- FAU-G release date finally announced
- The game will launch in India on January 26th
- FAU-G pre-registration link went live in late November
FAU-G launch date in India has finally been revealed almost four months after the game was first announced. FAU-G or FAU:G (short for Fearless And United: Guards) release has been highly anticipated and pre-registration for the game crossed 1 million in just 24 hours. After the pre-registration went live on the Google Play Store in late November, it was expected that the game would launch in December. However, nCORE Games has now revealed the FAU-G launch date in India and it seems the game is finally set to arrive later this month.
What will you do when they come? We will hold our ground & fight back, because we are Fearless. United. Unstoppable FAU:G! Witness the anthem 🦁 FAU:G! #FAUG #nCore_Games— nCORE Games (@nCore_games) January 3, 2021
Pre-register now https://t.co/4TXd1F7g7J
Launch 🎮 26/1@vishalgondal @akshaykumar @dayanidhimg pic.twitter.com/VGpBZ3HaOS
FAU-G launch date in India
Bengaluru-based developers nCORE Games have revealed that FAU-G will release in India on January 26th which coincides with Republic Day. The game is likely to be available on Google Play Store for Android users but we’re not sure whether it will be available on the Apple App Store on launch day.
FAU-G game details
FAU-G or FAU:G is a third-person brawler game and will have a level on the Galwan Valley, the game’s developers have said in the past. This level will reportedly not have guns but as the trailer posted today suggests there will be guns in the game. While it will not have a battle royale mode at launch, the developers plan to add the feature through an update in the future. The game’s description on the Google Play Store reads, “High up on the peaks at India’s northern border, an elite fighting group protects the nation’s pride and sovereignty. It’s a daunting task, for the most courageous: The Fearless and United Guards.”
According to previous reports, players will be able to choose between single-player and co-operative multiplayer options. FAU-G is a made in India game that “pays tribute to the heroes of our nation’s armed forces. Based on real-world scenarios, FAU-G brings to life the thrill and adrenaline of a life spent guarding India’s borders.” Now that we finally have a launch date, we won’t have to wait much longer to see what the game has to offer.


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GIANT Food Stores offers free transportation for West York Borough
CARLISLE, Pa. – GIANT Food Stores today announced that it will sponsor free transportation through Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Rabbit Transit) to West York Borough consumers. Beginning Wednesday Jan. 25, customers can utilize the transportation to shop at the GIANT at 1255 Carlisle Road in York.
The GIANT located at 1200 West Market Street will officially close for business on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 5 p.m. As previously announced, the lease will expire on this property with no options for renewal.
“We want to help those in close proximity to the West Market Street store by providing the option of traveling by bus to another GIANT to shop,” said Tom Lenkevich, GIANT president. “We hope that this offer of free transportation will help ease the transition for our shoppers.”
GIANT will offer the shuttle services through Rabbit Transit on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to pick up customers from:
- Dutch Kitchen, 381 West Market St. at 9:45 a.m.
- Shady Oaks, 252 W. College Ave. at 9:50 a.m.
- Kingston House, 1243 West King St. at 10 a.m.
- Carriage Works, 50 S. Highland Ave. at 10:05 a.m.
The shuttle will arrive at the GIANT located at 1255 Carlisle Road at approximately 10:15 a.m. and depart at 11:30 a.m. for the return trip.


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Days after an already over-priced valuation of $500 million, Instagram has been snapped up by Facebook for $1 billion. The company’s Series B round had seen Instagram raise $50 million at a $500 million valuation only last Thursday.
The round, led by Sequoia Capital, has therefore seen Sequoia, Thrive Capital, Greylock and Benchmark double their money in less than a week. This is horrible news for the tech industry, illustrating how insular and crooked Silicon Valley is.
First off, the insane $1 billion price tag goes some way to adding more hot air to the industry’s already-expanding bubble. Such high valuations should not be thrown around so freely; the industry is not ready for them. Over-priced valuations can only cause long-term damage and hasten a bubble pop.
And let’s not mince our words here, this is a bubble. In all of 2011, there were no $1 billion acquisitions made by the venture capital industry. So far this year, and including Instagram, there have been three. (At this point in 2000, there had already been nine, so we’re not completely fucked… yet.)
Secondly, how can Instagram possibly be worth $1 billion? The answer, of course, is that it isn’t. Even viewed as a defensive move by Facebook, the numbers here are ludicrous.
We understand that most early-stage tech firms focus on building up large user bases before worrying about monetising their product, but this is just nuts. The company makes no money. It was founded 15 months ago. It was valued at just $25 million a year ago.
Oh, and all its product does is make hipster-friendly filtered pictures.
While there is no suggestion that all of the Series B investors were aware of the imminent Facebook acquisition, one thing is certain: Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom is laughing all the way to the bank.
Last week’s $500m valuation is certain to have helped Instagram’s negotiations with Facebook, giving Systrom plenty of ammunition to show Facebook just how much of a catch his profit-free business is.
Systrom selling a loss-making company for $1 billion? Investors unashamedly doubling their money in four days? This industry is in trouble.


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NVIDIA to release Tegra 3+ processor this year
NVIDIA has officially confirmed its intention to release an updated Tegra processor this year. The confirmation took place at an event held in Seattle, USA just a few days ago.
The new Tegra chip is currently known under the “Wayne” codename but appears as Tegra 3+ on NVIDIA information slides, although the tech company said the chip will likely carry another moniker when it debuts on the market.
Aside from the name game, NVIDIA also says that Tegra 3+ will bring a significant speed improvement compared to the current Tegra 3 chip. The upcoming Tegra 3+ processor will of course be used in smartphones and tablets.
Additionally NVIDIA also said that the first Tegra 3 smartphones with LTE support will appear in Q3 2012 with the delay being explained with the unwillingness of Qualcomm to supply NVIDIA with its own modems.


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Headquarters: Huntsville, Ala.
Launched: April 2012
Mission: Help you have a better mobile experience.
Mobile devices are the tech industry's hottest battlefield right now. To interact with touchscreens, we usually use our fingers, but Microstylus founders Don Mikell and Nevin Langdon want to bring back a tool that's nearly as extinct as the Palm Pilot: the stylus.
The idea stemmed from their desire to draw better pictures on wildly popular mobile app Draw Something.
"We were avid Draw Something players," Mikell said. "We bought a regular stylus to draw better and we could -- and then we couldn't keep up with them." The styluses kept getting lost.
Enter Microstylus, which is designed to plug into an iPhone jack. That saves users the hassle of trying to hold on to the gizmo when they're not using it. In less than a month, the crew has sold 4,000 styluses. Customers pay $10 a piece or $16 for two devices.
Microstylus is working on developing styluses for different uses of mobile devices. Their target audience includes artists and gamers. The self-funded and cash-flow-positive entrepreneurs hope their quick success will lead to retail distribution -- and better stick figures on Draw Something.
A venture capitalist's quest to capture whale song gave rise to an innovative fleet of data-gathering robots.
|'Alternative facts:' Why the Trump team is 'planting a flag' in war on media|
|Trump's executive order and Obamacare: Where we go from here|
|Ethics group lawsuit says Trump is violating Constitution|
|Sean Spicer's career moment|
|Ethics lawsuit to claim Trump is in violation of Constitution|


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Panasonic has announced a new 145-inch plasma panel with an extremely high 8K (7680x4320 pixels) resolution – 16 times higher than Full HD. The plasma panel has been developed in collaboration with NHK.
Panasonic goes 8K
Panasonic has announced the first plasma panel with 8K resolution and the largest 8K panel so far. 8K resolution is 16 times higher than Full HD and has 33,177,600 active pixels in total. The extreme resolution can enable fantastic picture quality with a breathtaking level of details.
Panasonic has exhibited their 152â€ť 4K TV for some years now, picture credit: Gizmodo.com
Panasonicâ€™s 8K panel is 145 inches large and has been developed in collaboration with NHK. To avoid flicker on the panel, Panasonic had to develop a completely new drive method, according to the press release. No pictures of the massive TV panel have been released yet.
Sharp exhibited an 85-inch LCD-TV with 8K resolution last year that was extremely impressive. Sharpâ€™s panel was also developed in collaboration with NHK. Before 8K TVs become mainstream, 4K TVs will to replace Full HD TVs.


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A Walt Disney World spokeswoman says dozens of passengers were safely evacuated from a monorail train halted by a power outage.
A man lost the tips of two fingers at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom while riding the Pirates of the Caribbean Thursday morning.
Diners took videos of the leak and posted them online.
Authorities say a 6-year-old girl was injured when she fell from a third-story balcony at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Villas.
Golf fans know that Florida has more golf courses than any other state in the nation and Orlando is one of the world’s top destinations for a dream golf vacation.
Disney World wasn’t the “happiest place on Earth” for one family.
A woman aboard a Disney cruise ship thought she had simply misplaced her iPhone while on vacation – until its new owner began posting pictures to her iCloud account using the stolen device.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — President Barack Obama planted his political flag in Florida on Thursday ahead of the state’s Jan. 31 Republican presidential primary, promising a fresh boost to the economy by making it easier for foreign tourists to travel to the U.S.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — President Obama will announce a strategy for promoting tourism during a visit to Walt Disney World in Orlando later this week.


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The Banking Summit 2022 was powered by World Gold Council and in association with IndusInd Bank. Co-partners for the summit were ECGC, Alliance Insurance Brokers, Diamond India Limited, Green Lab Diamonds, Malca-Amit and Yes Bank.
As an initiative to promote better banking & business practices, GJEPC hosts the annual banking summit which acts as a platform to discuss & deliberate the sector’s development. The summit was attended by several eminent chief guests, speakers & panellists that include Government officials, senior bankers, prominent businessmen, MSMEs & other stakeholders of the sector.
Inaugurating the Summit, Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance said, “The gem & jewellery is an important contributor to our economy, bringing valuable foreign exchange and employing around 45 lakh people. Until today, India has been a price-taking economy, trying to be at par with the bigger players around the globe. But now, with the establishment of an international bullion exchange, it will bring positive impact towards making India a price maker in the world.”
Dr Karad added, “The government is always open to discussions and suggestions from the gem & jewellery sector to help it reach newer heights.”
Vipul Shah, Chairman, GJEPC said, “India has emerged as “a bright light” at a time when the world is facing imminent prospects of a recession. Over the past few years, the trade members have worked on making the sector more organised, disciplined, and self-regulating and transparent. And this has been reflected in improved credit flow to the sector from banks and financial institutions. In March 2022, credit to Gem & Jewellery Sector rose to a six-year peak of Rs. 80,400 crores. In a span of 2 years, from March 2020 to March 2022, credit to the Gem & Jewellery sector grew by 35%, whereas credit to all sectors grew by 6.7%.”
“Our vision is to take the gem & jewellery exports to USD 55 billion by 2025.”


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Sports is in the process of becoming the next big market to be transformed by the digital revolution, as fans are increasingly turning to mobile devices and second, third and fourth screens to consume sports content. In August, Turner bought sports blogging and content platform Bleacher Report for an estimated $200. More recently, Yahoo and NBC forged a digital sports partnership in the hopes of becoming the largest sports web property in the U.S., and permanently stealing that spot from ESPN.
Naturally, ESPN and Yahoo! perennially rank as the top sports websites in the U.S., and the same is true for digital video — although it’s more true of ESPN. As more and more fans turn to digital video to watch games live or get highlights after the games, the household names tend to pick up a lot of that digital traffic. Over the last year, for example, ESPN has ranked at the top of the list in terms of digital sports video viewership. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for newcomers. In fact, today, it seems there’s a new leader in the digital sports video world, and it’s not ESPN, Yahoo, NFL or CBS.
You may not have heard of Perform Sports, but the sports media company supplanted ESPN in digital video viewership in November — even if just barely — according to comScore’s November rankings. Perform saw 24.5 million unique viewers in November, just outpacing ESPN at 24 million. Yahoo Sports ranked a distant third with 9.9 million.
This represents the first time that Perform Sports has claimed the top position among digital video providers in the U.S., so it’s a big milestone for the company, which, compared to ESPN and Yahoo is a veritable newcomer to the sports world.
Not only is the company a youngster compared to the 40+ year-old ESPN and the 15-year-old Yahoo Sports — it was founded in 2007 — it’s based in the U.K. That’s right. Nonetheless, the $1 billion, London-based company has grown quickly over the last five years, and now has over 1,000 employees in 22 countries and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
How has Perform captured the top ranking? The company owns one of the largest portfolios of digital rights in the world. In the U.S., the company provides over 350 publishers, like the L.A. Times, the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, USA Today and The New York Times with professional and college sports video highlights and original programming via its syndicated video player, ePlayer — just as ESPN now does with Ooyala.
Unlike the big, branded sports destinations, Perform and the other lesser-know but fast-growing CineSport (which ranked fourth in November) are able to license content from leagues and other content providers, distributing video content particularly to a litany of third party sites. As you can see above, for Perform especially, those partners are primarily publications who are looking to beef up their digital properties.
Perform streams game highlights from the MLB, NBA, PGA, MLS, WTA, Nascar and Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC, Pac-12 under their Total College Sports brand. The content is often geo-targeted (and includes national clips and coverage for big games), placing that content alongside editorial coverage in the sports sections of publisher sites, for example.
The company has also been expanding its focus of late to include original content in its lineup, through Total College Sports, for example, which offers a mix of original programming with an in-studio team. The site is currently producing a new original show that will air Saturday nights on Hulu.
Above, you can see a comparison of Yahoo Sports, ESPN and Perform beginning in November 2011, running through October 2012. ESPN led the rankings over that time, with Perform seeing some modest gains on the leader. But from October to December, Perform saw a huge boost (of nearly eight million unique viewers), which seems almost unbelievable, but the company tells us can be attributed to a new distribution deal it signed with the NFL in October.
Perform (and CineSport) have also been able to make gains on the household names by becoming video distributors that enable content to be disseminated broadly, across platforms and devices. Like the bigs, Perform can serve content to viewers wherever they happen to be, but unlike other big brands, it doesn’t require them to navigate to their own branded sites or platforms in order to view that content.
Third-party sites are ravenous for quality video content thanks to escalating demand both from fans and advertisers, and Perform has been able to take advantage of that, while making the deal more appetizing to publishers by offering a revenue share of the ad dollars generated by Perform’s video on their platforms.
The economic dynamics around sports video content are changing, and the demand from third-party sites for sports video content is only going to increase. This could mean that there’s a good chance this won’t be the last time that Perform, or CineSport, find themselves atop the sports video rankings.


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Apple’s long-awaited wireless charging mat AirPower might finally be on the horizon if the latest rumor is to be believed.
Hong Kong website ChargerLAB cites a „credible source“ within Apple’s supply chain who claims Chinese manufacturer Luxshare Precision has started production of the AirPower. In a conversation on Chinese messaging app WeChat, the source adds he has heard the AirPower will be released soon.
Breaking: AirPower is finally coming. We just learned from credible source in supply chain that the manufacture Luxshare Precision has already started producing Apple AirPower wireless charging pad. [...]
Apple appears to be readying the release of a new Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS, and possibly versions for the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR too, based on information uncovered by 9to5Mac’s Guilherme Rambo.
Rambo uncovered references to three model identifiers for the case in iOS code, including A2070, A2071 and A2171, suggesting that Apple could release the case in three different sizes for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. Another identifier found in the iOS code reportedly points towards a 2018 release.
Apple’s first Smart Battery Case was for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, and was equipped with a 1,877 mAh battery that protruded out of [...]
If you have an iPhone that needs a battery replacement, it’s a good idea to get it fixed soon as Apple’s $29 battery replacement program is set to end on December 31, 2018.
Apple is still offering $29 battery replacements for the iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and X. All of these devices are eligible for a discounted $29 battery following the processor slowdown scandal that Apple faced earlier this year.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.Battery Replacement Cost After Program Ends
After December 31, 2018, replacement iPhone batteries will return to regular price. For most iPhones, [...]
Twitter is reportedly planning to remove „likes“ from the social media platform as its CEO Jack Dorsey told employees at an in-house event last week that he was „not a fan of the heart-shaped button,“ and that it would be eliminated „soon“ (via Variety). In a Tweet, the Twitter Communications team said it is „rethinking everything“ about the platform to incentivize healthy conversation, neither confirming nor denying the rumor.
The removal of the like button is said to be aimed at improving the quality of debate on Twitter, preventing people from showing favoritism in a tweet thread by liking the comments they agree with. [...]


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If you’re a regular Google Drive user, you already know how it can make your business more efficient and productive. But are you getting the most out of the service? Not everyone who uses Google Drive is aware of all of its productivity secrets. So we’ve come up with these five tips to helpRead more
New Google smartphones are expected to be released in late 2018. So far, details of the new device — which will most likely be dubbed Google Pixel 3 — have been scarce, but we’ve rounded up all the latest leaks. Read on to find out more.
What we’re hearing through the grapevine is that the
Google Chrome currently marks HTTPS-encrypted sites with a green lock icon and “Secure” sign. And starting in July, Chrome will mark all HTTP sites as “not secure.” Google hopes this move will nudge users away from the unencrypted web. Read on to learn more about the forthcoming changes.
For several years, Google has moved towardRead more
Fans of Android mobile devices look forward to each new version of Google’s operating system as it shows off new features. Aside from being easier and more efficient for developers to create applications on it, there are some improvements for consumers to look forward to when they update or buy a device that runsRead more
The Google I/O event brings major executives, engineers, and platform developers together to talk about the latest features and developments. This year’s conference just ended, and it looks like consumers have plenty to look forward to.
What happened at Google I/O 2018?
While the primary focus of the Google I/O conference was on the developers, everyRead more


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Bye bye bikinis?
She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini for the last time today.
The much-loved two-piece swimsuit is making room on the beach towel for the classic one-piece. But these are not the typical swimsuits your grandmother might wear. These suits are even riskier than some two-pieces, with plunging necklines, bold cut-outs, crisscross styles, mesh accents and bustier tops.
Cosmopolitan featured a photo gallery “35 One-Piece Swimsuits Way Sexier Than Any Bikini” showcasing suits from Roxy, TopShop, Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole and 6 Shore Road. After the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim 2014, Rachel Hislop of the Global Grind predicted that one-piece suits with scandalous flavor will be huge for summer 2014. Hollywood has already shown they’re in favor of the trend. Seventeen’s Celeb’s Favorite Swimsuit Trends showcased Christina Milian in a snakeskin cut-out one-piece, Ashley Greene in a vintage yellow style and Victoria Justice poolside at Coachella in a black crochet one-piece.
Marina De Giovanni, fashion blogger and creator of Not a Model, said she thinks one-piece swimsuits will always be in.
“It caters for women who don’t want to wear a two-piece swimsuit so more and more brands are expanding their collection each year to include more fashionable styles,” De Giovanni said.
De Giovanni said one-piece suits can be both beach and poolside casual as well as fit for more trendy occasions.
“I wear mine with an open kaftan, big sunnies and a big hat,” De Giovanni said.
Freshman Karolina Zujewska said no matter where you wear a one- piece, you’ll be making a statement.
Zujewska depicted the versatility of the monokini with the different styles it can take from summertime casual with high-waisted shorts and Vans or Keds to boho chic with a loose kimono, sandals, a long necklace and turquoise stone rings.
“It is not something everyone has been wearing yet, so you can really stand out wearing one,” Zujewska said. “If you get one that fits you well they are very comfortable; you don’t have to worry about anything slipping off when you go jump into the pool.”
Junior Chantalle Luberto said the one-piece gives off a different sexy and confident look for females.
“I like how designers gave each one-piece a different look with all different cut-outs and styles that can fit different body types and styles,” Luberto said. “I would accessorize my one-piece with a cute sarong wrap along with a big floppy hat. It keeps the look classy, yet still attractive.”
Bid adieu to that itsy bitsy bikini and say hello to the trendy monokini.
Michelle Foti can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Earlier this afternoon we harangued Microsoft about the recent Calendar app update for Windows Phone 8.1 that occurred on Monday, June 30. The update virtually broke the app for thousands of users by crashing whenever one adds a new appointment. Soon after our article, the app was unpublished from the Store preventing users who rely on auto-app updates from suffering the same fate.
Tonight, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore took to Twitter to address the situation, noting that a fix would be available very soon.
Apologies aside we knew Microsoft would quickly address the bungled update though it still raises questions about how such an obvious bug made it through certification. People may brush this off by claiming Windows Phone 8.1 is currently in beta (it is not) or we knew what we were getting into when we signed up for Preview for Developers, but the truth is official 8.1 devices have been on the market for weeks e.g. the Lumia 630. For the sake of the platform's success, such incidents simply cannot happen if Microsoft expects to make any inroads in the competitive mobile space. They need to execute flawlessly.
For now, if you're on Windows Phone 8.1, you can head to the Store to get version 1.0.14127.247 of Calendar.
Update - For the record, this is not a new version, but rather the old one prior to the June 30 update. While it's a 'quick fix' for the add appointment bug, it also brings back a region specific bug affecting those in Russia. We surmise that Microsoft will attempt once again to update Calendar in the coming days with bug fixes, making it a true update. Thanks, @Alovchin91, for the heads up.
- Download Calendar for Windows Phone 8.1 Note: Since this update is so new, you may not see it in your region right away. If that is the case, please try again later once the update has propagated to all of Microsoft's Store servers.
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Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.


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Complaints to financial firms hit record high
There were 4.13 million complaints made to 3,161 firms during the period, a 10% increase compared with the previous six months. 98% of complaints were made to just 235 firms.
Payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints accounted for 42% of all gripes, according to the figures from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The next most complained about products were current accounts, credit cards and motor and transport insurance.
Excluding PPI, complaints increased by 9% or 193,360 from the previous six months.
The proportion of non-PPI complaints closed by firms within three business days went down from 59% to 58%.
Christopher Woolard, executive director of strategy and competition at the FCA, said: “Firms need to be doing all that they can to reduce complaints. It is clear that firms need to look at the cause of the rise in complaints and address these issues to prevent further increases.
“It should be a priority for firms to ensure good consumer outcomes are achieved and they should be making sure that they are taking the right steps to treat customers fairly.
“We are encouraged to see that figures are showing that more consumers are making a decision on whether to complain about PPI.”
People have until 29 August 2019 to reclaim mis-sold PPI.
The FCA said last week seven million complaints have been made in the 10 months since it launched its advertising campaign promoting the deadline, which features Arnold Schwarzenegger’s animatronic head and £3.7bn has been paid out in compensation.


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Your online stream for all flavors of industry video. From expert insights to how-tos to facility events and much more, Self-Storage TV is your place to see what's hot and happening in the business.
Stor-Age Self Storage of South Africa Recaps 2014 Growth, Performance
This video from Stor-Age Self Storage in South Africa highlights the operator’s growing portfolio and 2014 performance. It stylishly takes viewers on a fly-by of facilities—including Africa’s tallest and largest properties—teases five current development projects and recounts a busy year that included 7,000 move-ins at its 28 operating locations.
Access Self Storage Keeps Its Tenants’ Secrets
February 28, 2014 Posted in Videos
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- 3-Mile Domination Quick Hit: Enforcing Self-Storage Late Fees
- Auction Bidders Battle for Units at American Self Storage of Fairfield, CA
- ISS News Desk: Would Self-Storage Bill in MA Violate Privacy Laws?
StorQuest Self Storage Offers Advice on Storing Classic Cars
February 4, 2014 Posted in Videos
- 3-Mile Domination Quick Hit: Promote Customer Reviews in Your Self-Storage Office
- ISS News Desk: New Reports Examine Self-Storage Industry Trends
American Self Storage Phoenix Facility Tour
January 24, 2014 Posted in Videos
StorQuest Self Storage and Artist Nicole Steiman Offer Tips for Storing Crafts
January 21, 2014 Posted in Videos


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Since its inception as the country’s national currency, the dollar has undergone many updates and changes, but nothing compares to the proposal being debated today.
The United States is cautiously considering adopting a digital version of its currency, better suited to today’s increasingly cashless world, ushering in what could be one of the most fundamental transformations of the dollar.
In this scenario, the United States would not just mint coins and print paper bills. It would also issue digital cash, or central bank digital currency (CBDC), which would be stored in apps or “digital wallets” on our smartphones.
We could then use them to pay for things, just like we do with Venmo or Apple Pay, and no real physical money would change hands.
It’s a vision of a cashless future that other countries are already embracing. China, for example, has already unveiled the digital yuan on a trial basis. India announced this week that it will also unveil a digital rupee.
Now the United States is wondering if it wants to get in the game.
Last month, the Federal Reserve released a highly anticipated document, outlining the pros and cons of a digital currency.
The Fed says this is a first step, meant to start an important conversation among policymakers and get feedback from average people to some of the nation’s largest financial institutions.
Here’s what to know about the digital dollar.
So how would it actually work?
Policy makers point out that we are still in the early days and there is still a lot to do. All in all, transactions made with digital dollars probably wouldn’t look too different from existing private alternatives that allow us to pay for things by bringing our smartphones next to readers.
China, for example, is allowing digital payments in yuan in cities where the country is piloting its digital currency, allowing citizens to make payments through an app set up by the government.
Why pursue a digital currency?
The reduction or elimination of fees is a clear benefit.
When you make a contactless payment today, it may seem immediate, but according to Chris Giancarlo, the former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.
“My mobile device tells his mobile device to inform a whole series of banks, to confirm who I am, how much money is in my bank, that there is enough money to move from my bank to his bank,” he said.
And at each step of the process, there are transaction fees. In 2020, they amounted to more than 110 billion dollars, generally borne by companies.
With a digital dollar, you could in theory cut out those middlemen. If you wanted to buy a sandwich, for example, you could transfer money from a digital wallet directly to a cashier.
This would not necessarily eliminate non-state actors entirely. In China, for example, users who want to use the digital yuan can visit banks to add money to their digital wallets.
But just having digital dollars in circulation could put pressure on credit card companies and payment processors to lower fees in order to compete. That is, if enough people start using the Fed-run version.
In China, the adoption of e-renminbi has been slow as private providers such as WeChat or Alipay are already quite popular and well established.
Another argument for creating a digital dollar is to open up digital transactions to Americans who don’t have a bank account. According to the Fed, more than 5% of American households are “unbanked”.
Providing them with a digital wallet would allow people to participate in our increasingly cashless financial operations. system.
It would also make it easier for the federal government to distribute benefits to poorer Americans. For example, the establishment of a digital dollar during the pandemic could have allowed the government to transfer money directly into digital wallets.
What are the challenges?
Without a doubt, one of the biggest issues is privacy. Because the Fed would implement and oversee the project, the central bank could accumulate a large amount of data, potentially giving the central bank much more visibility into everyone’s interests. financial life.
This could be useful for regulators who want to fight money laundering, for example, but it would also raise serious privacy concerns.
It is therefore essential to sort out the amount of information that the Fed would like have, according to Raghuram Rajan, professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and former governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
“There will be legitimate questions about what the government knows about each individual, and also what it can do to restrict the activities of individuals,” he says.
Cybersecurity is another critical issue, especially given the rise in hacks and heists on cryptocurrency exchanges for example.
To implement a digital dollar, the US government would need to modernize the country’s financial infrastructure to ward off attacks.
So what’s the next step?
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and his colleagues are moving cautiously and methodically.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is also expected to release the results of its research into the technological challenges associated with implementing a CBDC in the United States.
It would take five to ten years to introduce a digital currency in the United States, according to several experts, but they argue that policymakers cannot sit idly by.
There are fears that by moving slowly, the United States will let other countries shape standards for national digital currencies, and the popularity of the dollar could be diminished.
After all, for decades it has been the world’s main reserve currency, which means that many countries hold their reserves in US dollars.
But Fed Chairman Jerome Powell made it clear he was in no rush. Last year, a reporter asked the central banker if he was worried the United States was falling behind countries like China.
“I think it’s more important to do it right than to do it quickly,” he replied.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To learn more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Jan and Kim Waltz have had a busy summer. They’ve hosted events, won awards and even begun designing a new store location.
And with harvest now underway, the proprietors of Waltz Vineyards, Manheim, have no plans to slow down.
In July, the Waltzes took part in a blind taste test pitting Pennsylvania wines against California wines. Held at Nectar Restaurant in Philadelphia under the direction of its sommelier, the contest, coined the “Judgment of Pennsylvania,” proved successful for Pennsylvania and for Waltz Vineyards: Its Old Line Chardonnay outscored four California chardonnays and came in second only to a chardonnay from Penns Woods Winery in Chadds Ford.
“This was a significant landmark to us,” Kim Waltz says. “We are in a time where Pennsylvania wines are finally being recognized for the quality that they have and can have, and we’re proving that it can be done here.
“Dry Bordeaux wines that can beat wines from California can be made here.”
Over the summer, the Waltzes hosted a successful concert series, took part in several wine-pairing dinners and also welcomed a group of young professionals as part of a Lancaster Chamber networking event. Last Saturday, they partnered with former White House chef John Moeller on the “White House, White Harvest Seafood Soiree” dinner on the lawn of the vineyard. This Friday they will take part in the Elizabethtown Wine Walk and on Saturday they will host a sold-out vineyard tour and wine-tasting as part of The Hotel Hershey’s Wine & Food Festival.
On Friday, Sept. 19, in a first-of-its-kind event, the Waltzes will partner with Spooky Nook Sports on a “Farm to Turf” dinner, which includes a menu featuring locally sourced ingredients and a different Waltz wine paired with each of the four courses (scallops, gnocchi, rock fish and short ribs). The event is limited to 50 people.
Perhaps most exciting is a new store location slated to open in March or April 2015 at Kitchen Kettle Village, Intercourse. Currently, the Waltzes sell wine at the vineyard and at a small tasting shop in Lititz. Waltz says the new location will give them a diversified audience, including out-of-town tourists, and will be located in a renovated barn with a tasting area, an outside patio and a private tasting loft for groups and wine club members.
“Part of the excitement for us with the new location is to be involved with such a highly reputable place as Kitchen Kettle,” Waltz says. “It’s another local family that owns it, and it’s nice to be involved with businesses run by other local people.”
As for this year’s harvest, Waltz says things look good. Despite losing some grapes to winter weather damage, she says the crop that remains looks very healthy, and the recent hot days and cool evenings have accelerated the ripening process.
Keep up with the Waltzes at the newly redesigned WaltzVineyards.com.


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Ashtead Group, which owns Warrington-based equipment hire business A-Plant, has posted record first-half profits and said it expects its full-year results to be ahead of previous expectations.
The company announced underlying pre-tax earnings of £140.7m for the six months to October 31, up from £84.4m, a rise of 64 per cent.
Ashtead's US business Sunbelt accounts for more than 80 per cent of group revenues and has benefited from a shift towards equipment rental in the American construction market.
A-Plant, which employs more than 1,900 staff across 110 depots, contributed revenues of £103.6m, up from £93.7m, and operating profits of £6.4m, compared with £4.5m in the same period last year. A-Plant's margins increased from 27.9 per cent to 29.8 per cent.
Ashtead's overall turnover increased 17 per cent from £575.5m to £680.4m.
The firm hiked its dividend by 50 per cent or 0.5p to 1.5p.
Shares gained 2.35p to 392.85p after the update.


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The company, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has signed a deal with Allure Eyewear, which will design, manufacture and distribute eyewear under the Sean John label.
“Our founder, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, is rarely seen in public without the hottest pair of sunglasses, so much so that it has become his signature,” said Jeff Tweedy, president of Sean John. “We are truly excited to have Allure Eyewear on board to launch sun and optical as we kick off a year’s worth of celebration around Sean John’s 20th anniversary.”
The licensing agreement started January 2018 and continues through 2021. This isn’t the first time Sean John has offered sun and optical wear, but Tweedy said Allure will help broaden the offering. The glasses will be available for fall in department stores and optical retailers nationwide. Prices will range from $120 to $180.
Allure Eyewear also holds the eyewear license for brands including Kendall + Kylie, Oscar de la Renta and Aéropostale.


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As the popularity of Bitcoin and other digital currencies are seen in the market, we see many companies opening up for these new kinds of money. However, there are many who still feel that the volatile nature of Bitcoin is the problem that prevents them from accepting bitcoin for their products. But with companies like PayPal and Starbucks are now opening up. Just last month, we saw the digital currency hitting in a big way when we saw the popular digital one – Bitcoin surging close to 60K USD as the price per unit of the bitcoin. Thus two pizzas that were bought earlier with just two bitcoins can cost today a whopping 613 million very soon. This is how digital currency is increasing at its higher pace. We have seen Bitcoin be very much popular in the market, but on the other end, it is highly volatile as well, which seems to be well-publicized.
One can see such warning to be not very much dissuaded along with the number of other companies are also accepting this very digital coin using the official payment choice. However, in the month of Feb, one can find Elon Musk of Tesla also announcing that he is going to accept Bitcoin as one of the key payments for cars that fits the customers in the US by accepting bitcoin as the payment. Jacky Dorsey, the Twitter CEO, was also seen teaming with another group called Jay Z for their bitcoin endowment through a website like https://1g-profitsystem.com. This couple is going to invest around 500 bitcoin in order to develop a good market proposition of 500 Bitcoin currency in countries like Africa and India as well. But earlier, as we see, Tesla was seen stealing the headlines in a big way with his announcement that has somewhere overshadowed the other companies who are not coming into this bandwagon of accepting bitcoin as payment options.
We now see the popular pizza chain called Burger King also coming up to join this bandwagon. The fast-food chain has now started accepting digital currencies for their food. In 2020, the fast-food chain in Venezuela announced that they would accept bitcoin and other digital currencies in order to sell their products to customers. They were able to collaborate with top groups like Cryptobuyer to make things work for them. This platform has been helping to generate money with the help of converting the bitcoin and other digital currencies with this company on board. Cryptobuyer is among the top platforms in this region that has been actively involved in the currency conversion with several digital currencies, including bitcoin, claims the report of Yahoo Finance. This is not all, and we also se a number of other companies also joining the bandwagon of accepting bitcoin for their products.
Of late, we heard Yum Brands like Pizza Hut, KFC, The Habit Burger Grill, and Taco Bell are also entering into this domain to accept money in bitcoin. These companies now have allowed their customers to pay valid payment options like Bitcoin and are working in the same way as Pizza Hut is seen operating in Venezuela earlier in 2020. We see the Yum Brands are also seen networking with groups like Cryptobuyger in order to start things to accept money in digital currency using the crypto payment methods, claims the reports of Nasdaq. Thus one can see even KFC Canada seems to be using digital currency, including Bitcoin, to sell a number of products like Bitcoin Bucket that are seen coming up in the market by partnering with BitPay, claims Yahoo Finance.
Also, a payment wallet like PayPal is also accepting payments in the form of Bitcoin. As you check the various payment methods allowed at PayPal, Bitcoin seems to have come up with an important option for the same. We can also see Xbox now accepting money for their product to gain more and more customers across the world. Meanwhile, PayPal is seen coming up with the same in October 2020 to buy, hold and sell different digital currencies using their cash claims the Yahoo Finance. We also see the ecommerce giant coming up with the idea of accepting bitcoin. However, Amazon is not accepting the digital coin directly but with the help of the gift cards with the help of the company called Bietfill. This is among the digital company that is seen entering soon.


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Digital technology is transforming business and creating huge opportunities…but it’s also spawning a range of cyber threats that can erode the trust that is essential to today’s digital economy. Which threats are businesses most concerned about and what are they doing to counter them? In a recent survey by HfS and Accenture, we’ve taken a reality check to find out. We surveyed cybersecurity professionals across a range of geographies and vertical industry sectors. The results highlight the current state of cybersecurity and the steps enterprises should take to foster digital trust throughout the extended enterprise.
Security professionals in every industry agree threats are evolving. They’re striving to close gaps in their digital defenses. But a lack of skilled talent limits the benefits that should be flowing from their investments in security technologies.
RecordedNov 25 201633 mins
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DSS ITSEC in an annual, international and largest in the Baltic States cyber-security, data protection, privacy tech and business conference and expo from 2010, event annually brings together top ICT Security professionals from industry’s leading technology vendors, international organisations and agencies, local and regional businesses, as well as, representatives of government and public sector.