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Google Inc has announced that a research team led by physicist John Martinis from the University of California Santa Barbara will join the company to start a project to design and build new quantum information processors based on superconducting electronics.
The Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab is a collaboration between Google, NASA Ames Research Center and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) to study the application of quantum optimization related to artificial intelligence.
“With an integrated hardware group, the Quantum AI team will now be able to implement and test new designs for quantum optimization and inference processors based on recent theoretical insights as well as our learnings from the D-Wave quantum annealing architecture,” Google’s director of engineering, Hartmut Neven, said on its research blog.
Google, which is working on projects including self-driving cars and robots, has become increasingly focused on artificial intelligence in recent years.
Earlier in January, Google acquired privately held artificial intelligence company DeepMind Technologies Ltd.
Seasonally adjusted, that would be down 1-2 per cent on a monthly basis and mean that actual chip sales will likely fall 15-16 per cent on a yearly basis. The reason for the fall, the analysts say, is due to disk drive shortages in Thailand which have forced costs to rise. The PC market is likely to be more back-loaded this year, the report notes.
Handset chip sales were likely also soft in January. Chips for cars were softer after a strong December. Other quirks, such as an early Chinese New Year also contributed the low figures in January. Although several chip makers indicated the inventory problems in fourth quarter had ended, Carnegie thinks that the indicator shows that the trend will continue into this year.
PC’s are the biggest chip users, followed by cell phones. Cars, appliances, base stations, and instruments are other significant users, the analyst said.
The latest fad of using SoC (System-o-Chip) processor will be incorporated into the new Slim Xbox 360 according to Microsoft, which cuts down on two processors. According to Microsoft the chip was designed by IBM/Global Foundries is using a 45nm process and combines the tri-core CPU, AMD/ATI GPU, dual channel memory controller, and I/O onto a single chip with a new front side bus. This technological design is similar to the methods used by AMD’s Fusion and Intel’s Sandy Bridge offerings.
As you the true reason for Microsoft to use SoC is to reduce cost. That said, it also reduces heat and increases power efficiency; these are two areas that Microsoft has improved upon with each generation of Xbox 360 that has been released.
The new SoC will have 372 million transistors that took Microsoft development team 5 years of research to bring to life. It is said that Microsoft wanted to pay special attention to guaranteeing compatibility, implemented precision latency and bandwidth throttling that perfectly impersonates the older Xbox systems which used separate chips to make up older XBOX 360s. Now I wonder if Microsoft will drop the Xbox 360 price even more in the Fall.
Everyone is gathering in NYC this morning where Microsoft is scheduled to announce an update to it fledging Windows Phone 7 OS.
Originally everyone thought the update would be called Windows Phone 7.5. However, we are hearing that it will be called Windows Phone 7.1 that will encompass a plethora of improvements. That said, the improvements will include IE 9, smoother integration with Microsoft Office, an automated Facebook sign-in feature, along with improved voice support, navigation and visual voicemail. WiFi tethering is expected to be a part of the new features.
Do not expect these major updates to your phone until the Fall at the earliest.
Microsoft has just released into the wild another security patch for its Windows Phone 7 OS. The patch is designed for Secure Socket Layer certificates that Comodo issued after it was compromised by an Iranian hacker last March.
Unfortunately, the patch was not included in the NoDo update 7390; the new security patch is version 7392 for the operating system. However, the new security patch does include the NoDo update. Therefore, the patch would only be available for those phones that have not updated to NoDo. Keep in mind, there are a few carries that have yet to allow any updates for their Windows Phones because they are in test mode.
As with all major operating systems that are attached to many different smartphones, Microsoft is experiencing a few problems rolling out the updates to Samsung handsets. Certain users are complaining that updates had been halted because Samsung used two different suppliers to provide parts for the Focus. Therefore there are two different models with slightly different flash memory components. Those users who had the original components are receiving the update; handsets with the alternative parts are not which can be very perplexing when issuing an update. Word on the street is that Microsoft said the update package is nearly ready.
After almost turning delays into an art form, Microsoft has finally begun to push out software updates to users of select Windows Phone 7 models including Samsung’s Focus and LG’s Quantum, following more than a month of delays.
Microsoft and AT&T are still testing updates for the HTC Surround, the last phone model that still needs the updates.
Focus and Quantum users will receive a notification indicating that the updates are ready. They can then download over the air the February update, which was designed to make the process easier, as well as the so-called NoDo update, which includes the capability to cut and paste.
The phones automatically checks for new updates every three days, said Eric Hautala, general manager of customer experience engineering for Microsoft. So users may have to wait several days for both updates. However, they can instead connect their phones to their PCs and download the updates via the Zune software manually.
Microsoft has struggled to roll out these first two updates to the Windows Phone 7 software. Shortly after it began pushing out the February update, it discovered that the new software rendered the Samsung phones unusable for some owners.
The company then delayed the NoDo update in order to try to avoid any similar problems. It has seemed to shift some of the blame for the delay in pushing out the updates to carriers, saying that some operators take longer than others to test the software before approving it.
In a blog post earlier this month, Hautala said that the delays with the first two updates shouldn’t affect a larger one scheduled for later this year.
That software update, called Mango, will include a new HTML 5-friendly version of Internet Explorer and a Twitter feature.
The tiny computer is being called the Phoenix chip, its size is 1 cubic millimeter and was made to be used in the human eye. The little computer does not have a lot on its plate. The Phoenix has the job of monitoring the intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients, do not be fooled by the assumed simple task, the device is considered a computer by all technical standards.
Researcher Dennis Sylvester, a professor at the University of Michigan says the Phoenix computer comprised of an ultra-low-power microprocessor, a pressure sensor, memory, a ultra slim battery, a solar cell and a wireless radio with an antenna that can transmit data to an external device.
The Phoenix amazingly uses only 5.3 nanowatts while in use, otherwise it sleeps. The researchers profess that such tiny computers will one day be utilized to track pollution, monitor structural integrity, perform surveillance, or make virtually any object smart and track-able.
We are always glad to see Universities lead with amazing research to make our lives better.
The phone, which runs Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor, contains a slide-out keyboard and a display that tilts upward for easier viewing. It also comes equipped with a 5MP camera and 720p HD camcorder and checks in at 6.5 ounces.
Like all Windows Phone 7 devices, the Arrive also features Microsoft’s Live Tiles interface, which pushes real-time updates from e-mails, social networks, and other communications tools to the forefront of the home screen. It also boasts direct integration with Microsoft other products such as Office, Zune, and Xbox Live.
MS Office integration, in particular, could be enough to lure business users to make an investment in the Arrive.
Sprint is taking pre-orders at $199 per phone, based on a two-year contract, and is promising to ship the phones on March 20. Other carriers, including AT&T with its Samsung Focus and LG Quantum, and T-Mobile with the HTC HD7, have already dropped the price of their 2-year-plan Windows Phone 7 smartphones to $99 since introducing the products late last year.
Some observers feel it’s a sign that Windows Phone 7 is losing momentum in the market after the early hype that followed its debut. Microsoft hasn’t provided many details about Windows Phone 7’s sales performance to date.
Sprint’s HTC offering will also have to compete, eventually, with Windows Phone 7 devices from Nokia.
Microsoft announced an agreement last week under which the Finnish phone maker will utilize Windows Phone 7 as the default OS for smartphones to be sold worldwide. Microsoft is betting the alliance will give Windows Phone 7 a fighting chance against Android and iOS-based devices from rivals Google and Apple.
IBM is breathing new life into a quantum computing research division at its Thomas J. Watson Research Center, reports New York Times. The computer giant has hired alumni from promising quantum computing programs at Yale and the University of California-Santa Barbara, both of which made quantum leaps in the past year using standard superconducting material.
Groups at both universities have been using rhenium or niobium on a semiconductor surface and cooling the system to absolute zero so that it exhibits quantum behavior. As the Times reports, the method relies on standard microelectronics manufacturing tech, which could make quantum computers easier and cheaper to make.
The Santa Barbara researchers told the Times they believe they can double the computational power of their quantum computers by next year.
Rather than using transistors to crunch the ones and zeroes of binary code, quantum computers store data as qubits, which can represent one and zero simultaneously. This superposition enables the computers to solve multiple problems at once, providing quick answers to tough questions. But observing a qubit strips it of this duality — you can only see one state at a time — so physicists must figure out how to extract data from a qubit without directly observing it. That’s where quantum entanglement comes in handy; two qubits can be connected by an invisible wave so that they share each other’s properties. You could then watch one qubit to see what its twin is computing.
None of this is simple, however; there are several competing methods for making the qubits, including laser-entangled ions, LED-powered entangled photons, and more. Google is working with a Canadian firm called D-Wave that has claimed 50-qubit computers, although skeptics have questioned that number. In most systems, the number of entangled qubits remains small, but Yale researchers believe they will increase in the next few years, the Times says.
Even better: with all this practice, physicists are getting a lot better at controlling quantum interactions. Their precision has increased a thousand-fold, one researcher said. That’s good news for anyone studying quantum mechanics.


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W HEN The Economist introduced its Big Mac index 35 years ago, the ubiquitous McDonald’s hamburger cost just $1.60 in America. Now it costs $5.65, according to an average of prices in four big cities. The increase comfortably outstrips inflation over the same period.
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Indeed, the Big Mac’s birthplace is one of the priciest places to buy it, according to our comparison of over 70 countries around the world (see chart). In Vietnam, for example, the burger costs 69,000 dong. Although that sounds like an awful lot, you can get a lot of dong for your dollar and, therefore, a lot of bang for your buck in Vietnam. You can buy 69,000 dong for only $3 on the foreign-exchange market. And so a Big Mac in Vietnam works out to be 47% cheaper than in America.
Good to know. But the index was intended not as a shopper’s guide to burgers but as a tongue-in-cheek guide to currencies. In principle, the value of a currency should reflect its power to buy things, according to the doctrine of “purchasing-power parity”, a term coined by Gustav Cassel, a Swedish economist, in 1918. Since 69,000 dong and $5.65 have the same power to buy a burger, they should be worth the same amount. The fact that you can buy a burger’s worth of dong for 47% less than a burger’s worth of dollars suggests the dong is undervalued.
America’s Treasury certainly thinks so. Twice a year it reports to Congress on countries that might be keeping their currencies artificially cheap to boost exports and steal a competitive edge. In April it confirmed that Vietnam was one of a trio of trading partners, alongside Switzerland and Taiwan, pursuing “potentially unfair” currency practices, based on three tests of its devising. (Vietnam has a “significant” trade surplus with America, a “material” external surplus with the world, and its central bank buys a lot of dollars and other foreign currencies.) In recent months, America’s Treasury has been browbeating Vietnam to mend its ways, a process known as “enhanced engagement”.
On July 19th the two sides reached a deal. Vietnam’s central bank promised not to indulge in competitive devaluation. It also said it would gradually let the currency fluctuate more freely and it would be more open about its interventions in the currency markets. With luck this will avert harmful tariffs or any similar enhancements of the two countries’ engagement.
Lest the Big Mac index contribute to Vietnam’s difficulties, it is worth pointing out that it is common for poor countries to seem cheap relative to rich ones in any simple comparison of prices. Vietnam is not an outlier in this regard. The price of a burger is about what you would expect given the country’s GDP per person. (Taiwan, another country on the Treasury’s naughty step, is a different case. It remains surprisingly cheap, given how prosperous it has become. And Switzerland seems expensive by any measure.)
The cheapest burger we could find is in Lebanon. Although the price of a Big Mac has increased spectacularly to 37,000 Lebanese pounds, the currency has collapsed even more dramatically on the black market, where 22,000 pounds buy a dollar.
As a consequence, the Big Mac costs the equivalent of only $1.68. One reason the burger has remained so cheap may be that Lebanese importers can purchase some of the Big Mac’s ingredients at a more favourable, subsidised exchange rate. They can buy a dollar’s worth of wheat, for example, for 1,500 pounds and other foodstuffs, including cheese, at a rate of 3,900. Lebanon’s currency chaos is both a reflection of its economic disaster and a contributor to it. Even at an artificially low price, a Big Mac is small consolation. ■

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Apple iPhone 6S: Being Force-Fed With Updates!
For the majority of iPhone users, any updates that come from Apple are always welcomed, regardless of what the content is. Even so, there are still others that prefers to not have updates and stick to the same things which they have purchased on day 1.
The problem with this is that Apple is not giving the iPhone users the freedom to decide on whether to update or not. It was pointed out by several iPhone 6S users that the options to not update are listed there but it won’t silence Apple.
The tech giant will keep on notify the iPhone 6S users on updates and there are times where the update occur without the consent of the users. This is frustrating as their data is being eaten up by the update which they never wanted.
The minority that does not want an update to happen are now calling for Apple to offer them the ability to disable auto updates to improve user experience. Apple has yet to respond to those calls and it will be interesting to see what they have to say about it.


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AMD is hosting a livestream event on November 3rd to announce its next-generation GPUs based on the RDNA 3-Architek architecture. The event will take place at 12:00 p.m. PDT, the company said in a press release.
The event will premiere on Thursday, November 3 at 12:00 p.m. on AMD’s YouTube channel and will then be available for replay.
“AnAMD executives will provide detailed details on the new AMD RDNA 3 architecture, which offers powerful, energy-efficient and innovative performance for gamers and content creators,” the statement said.
AMD’s Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs, based on the RDNA3 architecture, will be the company’s first GPUs to be manufactured using N5 technology (5nm class) and chiplet design. We suspect AMD demonstrated a working 3x GPU back in August, but didn’t reveal any details about it.
The biggest question is when exactly that will happen. We hope that AMD will introduce two RDNA 3-powered graphics cards this year and start selling them in the second half of December. There is no timeline for the company to launch a 2 inch mini Retie CPU.
In fact, AMD’s high-end Radeon RX 7000 series graphics cards may already be out in the wild. The South Korean National Radio Research Agency (NIRC), which tracks all electronic devices imported into the country, registered a mysterious Radeon graphics card model D70401. All AMD Radeon RX 6000 and Radeon Pro W6000 series graphics cards are reference PCB models starting with D41, D51 or D63. A model starting at D70 could also be part of AMD’s next generation of graphics cards.
https://game-news24.com/2022/10/20/in-the-demonstration-amd-rdna-3/ In the demonstration, AMD RDNA 3


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Facebook is planning a new advertising system called the “Facebook Exchange” that specifically targets ads based on a users website interactions.
The new system is simple, as a user visits a website keywords are extracted from their web history, at which point Facebook matches the user’s web history to the interests they have shown. For example, you visit a website talking about “Disney Vacations” and once you return to Facebook if an advertiser is displaying “Disney Vacation” ads you will see their offer on your Facebook page.
A Facebook spokeswoman in a statement regarding the new system writes:
“By bidding on a specific impression rather than a larger group, advertisers are able to show people more relevant ads while also running more efficient and effective campaigns.”
The “Facebook Exchange” ad system is expected to roll out over the next several weeks. The system is Facebook’s first attempt to bring real-time bidding into the mix, a feature already successfully used by Google Ad Words.
Current Facebook ads target a users demographics, the pages they “Like” and other user-generated responses. The old Facebook system will still exist with the new real-time feature offering an alternative for hyper-focus advertisers.
Users who do not want to receive ads from the Facebook Exchange can opt-out via the social networks “About Ads” page or by blocking cookies on their Web browser.
If all goes as planned most users will not recognize the change to their Facebook account but will instead begin engaging with Facebook ads at a higher rate.


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PICTURES: Woman Accidentally Uses Adult Toy as Rolling Pin to Make Tortillas
Many of us have made funny mistakes in our lives. In the age of social media, those mistakes sometimes make it onto social media.
One San Antonio woman has taken social media embarrassment to a new level.
A woman named Peggy recently posted an ad on Facebook Marketplace listing homemade tortillas for sale. But, when she uploaded the photos, her choice of rolling pin was…. unconventional.
She was using an adult toy as a rolling pin, and when asked about it she said it was a “vibrating rolling pin”!
What is the funniest mistake you’ve made recently? SHARE this article and TAG 105.1 The Bounce with your thoughts!


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Forgery, ID theft alleged in Malta
Updated 2:58 pm, Thursday, July 31, 2014
MALTA — A Ballston Spa man is accused of using personal information from two people to buy gift cards from a supermarket and drug store in Malta on July 15 and 22, Saratoga County sheriff's deputies said Thursday.
Shane S. Curran, 43, of Galway Road bought the cards at a Round Lake Road Hannaford and a Route 9 CVS, deputies said. He was charged with two counts of forgery and five counts of identity theft, arraigned in Malta Town Court and sent to the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. Saratoga Springs Investigator Mark Leffler assisted the sheriff's department.


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Bigtincan (ASX:BTH), the global leader in sales enablement automation, has been named to Fast Company‘s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023.
This year’s list highlights the businesses at the forefront of their respective industries, paving the way for the innovations of tomorrow. These companies are setting the standard with some of the greatest accomplishments of the modern world. In addition to the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, 540 organizations are recognized across 54 sectors and regions.
“We are honored to be recognized as number eight in the Enterprise category on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023,” said David Keane, CEO and Co-Founder of Bigtincan. “While the sales industry has been experiencing drastic change with evolving customer expectations and demands for buying environments, Bigtincan has been pushing the envelope of what is possible with technology. Our entire focus is on enabling businesses to provide their customers with the modern buying experiences they expect now and in the future.”
Powering these modern (and in some cases entirely new) buying and selling experiences is Bigtincan’s human-centric approach to technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR). “It’s all about building and implementing these tools in the right way to enhance the great work your people are already doing every day,” noted Keane.
As the first company to bring an enterprise-grade product to market, Bigtincan led the way into virtual sales rooms (VSRs), the latest “must-have” for remote and digital sales teams. Virtual sales showrooms allow enterprises to invite their customers into a virtual world of videos, images, and 3D objects, letting them explore interactive content at their own pace, and taking the non-linear, self-guided buying experience to new heights. The virtual rooms also create countless opportunities for sellers to hone their sales craft using multi-sensory, hands-on experiences for real-world and virtual selling. These virtual experiences place sellers into personalized, role-specific simulations to practice their engagement virtually, as if they were in-person.
To further address the growing challenge of scaling training for customer-facing teams, Bigtincan incorporates AI-powered coaching innovations throughout its sales enablement platform. Automated voice and audience engagement analysis provides objective feedback during both live and practice presentations for speakers to understand how they are perceived and where they can improve. Research shows that people are 13x more likely to buy when a seller sounds confident and authentic. This conversational intelligence is the unbiased coaching sellers can use to continually improve their interactions by sounding more natural and polished when they speak.
Bigtincan remains committed to the innovative use of technology to provide enterprises with more than just predictive insights, but the actionable intelligence they need to take actions that maximize sales effectiveness and create unique new buying experiences.
Fast Company‘s editors and writers sought out the companies making the biggest strides around the globe. They also judged nominations received through their application process.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company‘s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides a firsthand look at the inspiring and innovative efforts of companies across all sectors of the economy.
“What a strange and thrilling year it has been to honor this year’s Most Innovative Companies. This year’s list compiles some of the most cutting-edge groundbreakers who are changing our world every single day, from legacy organizations like McDonald’s to upstarts like MrBeast and institutions such as NASA. Everyone on this list does something completely, uniquely different, yet, they all have one thing in common: innovation,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan.
Fast Company will host its third annual Most Innovative Companies Summit on April 19 and 20. The virtual summit celebrates the Most Innovative Companies in business, and provides an inside look at cutting-edge business trends and what it takes to innovate in 2023. Fast Company‘s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2023) is available online here, as well as in-app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning March 14. The hashtag is #FCMostInnovative.


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Nintendo has released their financials for the first quarter of fiscal year of 2018. For the period spanning April 1st through June 30th, sales and profits are up for the company, making for the most profitable Q1 since the same period in 2011. This year, sales were bolstered by the continued popularity of the Nintendo Switch and new releases like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
To wit, Nintendo’s net sales were 154,069 million yen, a 148.6% increase over last year. Operating income was 16,208 million yen, while profits as a whole stood at 21,260 million yen. Nintendo has projected a 124% jump in operating income with 65,000 million yen by the end of the year.
The Nintendo Switch sold 1.97 million for the quarter, bringing its lifetime total to 4.7 million worldwide. Software on the Switch total to 8.14 million for the quarter, and 13.6 million lifetime. Nintendo has not changed their projection of 10 million Switches sold for the fiscal year. In comparison, the Wii U sold 5.86 million in its first full year on market.
As for the 3DS, the handheld line sold 950,000 for the quarter, bringing the lifetime total to 67.08 million. In software, 5.85 million units were sold, with 355.1 million software sold lifetime. With the launch of the New Nintendo 2DS XL this month, coupled with late software for the ageing platform remaining this year, Nintendo projects to sell 6 million units this fiscal year.
In software news, Zelda: Breath of the Wild sales remained strong with 1.16 million sold in the quarter. The open-world Zelda adventure now sits at 3.94 million worldwide since its March launch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is catching up fast to that total with 3.54 million units sold. The new Switch IP ARMS debuted last month to 1.14 million worldwide. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, the sole 3DS first party release for the quarter, had no figures given but is said to be a “popular title”.
Nintendo confirmed that several titles, mostly for Switch, are due in 2018 or later. A core series Pokémon for Nintendo Switch, announced at E3, is due in 2018 or later. Other Switch games, including Metroid Prime 4, and new Kirby, Yoshi, and Fire Emblem installments are all pegged for 2018. The sole 3DS game due in 2018 is the recently announced Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido.
In other areas of the company, mobile software stays steady with income coming from Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes sitting at $81 million. Pokémon GO, itself not fully owned by Nintendo, generated $29.4 million in income. amiibo sales are lukewarm this quarter as 1.60 million units for figure-types were sold, and 1.30 million of the card amiibo selling. Nintendo also cites continued steady growth of digital sales on the Switch, including retail and downloadable content.
Nintendo’s Q2 2018 started in July and ends on September 30th. Results from the quarter are to be revealed in mid-October. Numbers and memorandum to look for three months from now include the continued sales of Nintendo’s hardware, software sales for titles Splatoon 2 and Metroid: Samus Returns, and the debut figures of the Super NES Mini.


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A photo of a black clothing model wearing a T-shirt that says "slave" has landed a popular fashion retailer in hot water, TODAY reported.
The shirt was quickly removed from ASOS's retail website ASOS Marketplace, where it was part of a list showcasing outside designers.
Some angry shoppers posted screen shots of the image online, where some called the image racist and others called for a boycott of the company.
U.S. & World
The English brand that made the shirt, Wasted Heroes did not return TODAY's request for comment, but has responded to some critics on social media, explaining that the word "slave" on the shirt referred to being a slave to a fashion label.


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McAfee Avert Labs says more than half a million of the adware programs disguised as media files have been detected in less than a week.
Google, Comcast, Time Warner, Intel, and others are investing $3.2 billion to resuscitate the Sprint-Clearwire WiMax partnership.
Still, MySpace held 73.82% of the market share of U.S. visits in April, and Facebook accounted for 14.8%.
About 6 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide, which marks a retail value of more than $500 million, in its first week of release.
A new version of HTC’s popular Touch smartphone with a sliding keyboard has been released in the United States. Although this model has been around for a while in Europe, the version that has just launched is the first with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.


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Samsung’s next generation flagship phone, the Samsung Galaxy S5, is the most hotly-anticipated mobile launch since the Nexus 5.
Its release (rumoured to be in January 2014) also means that – for what we think is the first time ever – the world’s top mobile phones will all have a 5 in the title. We for one welcome the age of the Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5S.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, we’ve rounded-up all the rumours about the device’s specs, price and features – including a possible eye scanner and a CRAZILY high-res screen. Plus there’s some talk about the phone cramming in a whopping 4GB of RAM – although we’d take that one with a pinch of salt. Enjoy!
Built-in multi-party video conference in the Samsung Galaxy S5?
A new patent has been filed outlining a multi-party conference call feature which may appear on the Samsung Galaxy S5. These built-in conference calls would allow the user to have multiple users in one conversation.
A document filed to the Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service unveiled the details.
It seems that users can use the front and back camera at the same time when in a video call. It’s currently unclear if this feature will be integrated with a number of existent apps or would be a new app entirely. Samsung’s ChatON application already allows one-way conference calls so it seems like the next logical step for the app.
The images below show multi-party conferencing in progress.
Could the Samsung Galaxy S5 have a metal frame?
Our favourite rumour so far is that the S5 could have a metal frame. It’s unclear at the moment but according the French blog No Where Else the image below is the start of Samsung finally opting for a metal design.
This isn’t necessarily the full story as the frame could still be covered in plastic panels.
The frame pictured measures 143.8 x 72.3mm, which would be one of the largest Galaxy models to date, compared to the S4’s 136.6 x 69.8mm or the Galaxy Note 3’s 151.2 x79.2.
This has sparked the speculation that we could be seeing a larger screen on the Galaxy S5.
The original leak doesn’t claim which model of future smartphone is pictured so it could be an entirely different model.
A few things to note include the fact that the camera seems to have been moved to the top right corner whilst traditionally Samsung Galaxy devices have had them in the centre.
Also the headphone jack is placed at the bottom on the frame, usually positioned in the top on the Samsung Galaxy range. Once we know more details on the Galaxy S5 you’ll find them here on Know Your Mobile.
As the centuries-old adage goes, anything Apple can do, Samsung can do better. That means following Apple’s debut of fingerprint scanning with the iPhone 5S — and HTC’s similar move with the HTC One Max — the company is breaking out an eye scanner for the Galaxy S5. Well, according to rumour anyway.
Patent Bolt has found a recent Samsung patent filing for a retina scanner, adding fuel to the rumours. And even if the eye scanner technology isn’t developed in time to reach the Galaxy S5, the patent indicates we might be seeing a VERY exciting new addition to the Galaxy Note 4 or Galaxy S6.
Hot on Apple’s trail, Samsung has officially confirmed that it is just about finished making its 64-bit Exynos processor chip and it will be including the new hardware inside devices launched in 2014.
Rumors have been swirling around the tech world about Samsung’s development of its own in-house chipset since the announcement of Apple’s 64-bit A7 chip in the iPhone 5S in September. While the Korean company never outright denied the rumors, it never really confirmed them either – until now.
An ARM official has confirmed that the 64-bit chip is definitely coming and a 128-bit chip is soon to follow.
The official’s exact words were, “Executives from Samsung and ARM had a meeting today. They discussed the ARM 64-bit chip, which is expected to be used in Samsung’s smartphone next year.”
The 128-bit chip is still two years away from being released but the official said we should expect the 64-bit processor in the company’s devices starting next year.
This marks a similar move to Sony, which has issued multiple handsets over the last 12 months with water and dust proofing, including flagship models such as the Xperia Z, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1. Sony’s phones can be submerged in up to a metre of water safely.
Of course, this isn’t entirely new territory for Samsung either, the company launched the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active shortly after the flagship Galaxy S4 with such weatherproofing and reports indicate a similarly rugged Note 3 model is in the works.
If you’re waiting for the Galaxy S5 to come out before you buy your next phone, you may not have that much longer to wait.
At least, according to the Digital Journal which suggests that we will likely see an S5 in March 2014, a year after the release of the S4. That’s not all – it should have a 16 MP camera, offerAndroid 4.4 Kitkat and 3GB of RAM for improved performance.
“Stephen Woo, System LSI president, stated that Samsung will first offer a 64-bit processor based on ARM’s core before releasing an optimized IP-cores. However, unlike Apple, Samsung did not code Android and so they will need Google to write the 64-bit version for it”, it reports.
We’d take the rumours with a pinch of salt. While we’ve heard rumours that the S5 will come equipped with a 64-bit processor, other specs remain unclear.
4GB of RAM?
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 flagship may be one of the first smartphones to hit the market with 4GB of RAM, according to Korean sources.
Korean IT news source DT.co.kr has re-iterated the rumour that Samsung will debut a 64-bit processor aboard the Galaxy S5 but adds that it will carry 4GB of RAM to make best use of the new architecture, according to “industry officials familiar with Samsung Electronics.”
The move comes following criticisms of Apple’s 64-bit A7 chip found in the iPhone 5S, iPad Mini 2and iPad 5. Despite showing impressive benchmark results which trounce much of the competition, critics allege that in actual use users won’t notice a significant hike in performance due to 64-bit requiring a minimum of 4GB RAM to really see an effect. Apple’s products are believed to use 1GB of RAM.
It would also neatly follow the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which was the first handset with 3GB of RAM.


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Modplan recently held an open house event at the company’s headquarters near Newport, Gwent.
The event was spread over five days in February and customers had an opportunity to see the latest new products and support the Modplan team can offer.
Heidi Sachs, Modplan’s managing director, said: “The informal open days showcased a selection of our latest new products including the new FlushSash, the new mechanically jointed VS, and the new Veka M70 window system. The attendance was superb with over 60 customers taking time out to visit and demonstrates just how much the partnership approach we offer is appreciated.”
The new FlushSash, mechanically jointed VS and Veka M70 windows are the latest additions to Modplan’s comprehensive product portfolio. And with a brand new product being launched exclusively at FIT 2017 its customers will soon have even more to offer.


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Brand consultancy FutureBrand has appointed Luis Coderque as design director, fresh from Europe.
Coderque has 16 years' experience as a creative in Europe, working for Landor Associates and Saffron in Madrid. He has worked for brands including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, Wrigley and Telefonica.
FutureBrand has also appointed Tanya Sulewski as account director. She joins FutureBrand Australia from the company's London offices.
Erminio Putignano, FutureBrand MD, welcomed Coderque and Sulewski to the team.
“They will bring valuable ideas and perspectives from other markets," he said. "They will also help expand our sphere of influence beyond Australia.”
Coderque said he is privileged to be joining FutureBrand.
“It is an exciting time to be joining the FutureBrand team, working on some of the biggest brands the Asia-Pacific region has to offer,” he said.


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Gallery: Microsoft's OneNote takes on the iPhone
Starting today, Microsoft is making OneNote Mobile for the iPhone available as a free download from the iTunes store. OneNote Mobile for iPhone lets users take notes, capture and embed photos from their iPhone cameras and sync these automatically to their SkyDrive accounts, allowing them to access/share the notes across their Windows PCs, Windows Phone 7 devices and iPhones.
Mary Jo Foley has more. Plus, see some other Microsoft products that has found its way on to Apple's most prized possession.
Microsoft's search engine Bing has found its way to the iPhone.
Wonderwall takes a look at the lighter side of celebrity news.
Windows Live Messenger has a place on the iPhone.
Microsoft Tag lets you snap up information without typing long URLs or texting shortcodes.


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LOS ANGELES — Gap Inc. has named Tom Wyatt as president Old Navy, the company announced Thursday.
Wyatt, 53, had been serving as interim president for the beleaguered retail chain since February, following the departure of Dawn Robertson, who became president of Sean John earlier this month.
“In the last six months, Tom unified the organization and brought renewed focus to our customer target, while making the tough changes necessary to get the brand back on track. He is the ideal business leader for Old Navy,” Gap Inc. chairman and CEO Glenn Murphy said in a statement.
Of Gap Inc.’s three retail divisions, which include Gap and Banana Republic, Old Navy has suffered the greatest declines in same-store sales in recent quarters. In an attempt to revive interest in its apparel, the retailer hired designer Todd Oldham as creative director last year, a few months after Gap announced it had tapped former Paco Rabanne artistic director Patrick Robinson to oversee design at the San Francisco-based purveyor of casual apparel.
Also on Thursday, the company reported that second quarter net earnings increased 51 percent, though comparable store sales dropped 10 percent.
Widespread reductions in costs, from reducing capital expenditures to bringing in less inventory, helped the bottom line, but Gap still suffers from poor traffic in its stores.
For the quarter ended Aug. 2, net earnings were $229 million, or 32 cents a share on a diluted basis, compared with $152 million, or 19 cents a share, for the second quarter last year. The 2007 second quarter diluted earnings per share included 2 cents of expenses related to the company’s cost-reduction initiatives.
Excluding the 2 cents a share of expenses, second quarter diluted earnings per share last year on a non-GAAP basis were 21 cents a share.
“External conditions aside, we continue to deliver improved earnings with healthy margins and I am pleased with our second quarter results,” Murphy said in a statement. “While we continue to pursue our 2008 financial strategy, we are very focused on bringing more customers into our stores.”
Second-quarter net sales were $3.5 billion, compared with $3.69 billion in the year-ago period.


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KoreaIT News claims ZTE is anticipated to introduce a self-designed mobile processor. The chip will offer 4G connectivity but other than that it's unknown what its features will be. More information is anticipated to arrive late next month at a launch event in China, and the first smartphones based on the SoC are expected later this year or early 2014.
China’s C114 reported that ZTE would disclose the semiconductor for 4G devices it developed next month at `PT/Expo Comm China 2013.’ According to ZTE, this chip is compatible with 4G data communication and processing standards and advanced enough to lead to the development of 4G.
ZTE did not disclose the details of this chip, but C114 said that ZTE worked hard to develop processors in the wake of Apple and Samsung Electronics. The industry forecast that this chip is an integrated application processor with communication functions.


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Earlier this month, Alex van Hoekelen surveyed a vast indoor greenhouse space in his family’s Hazleton area business containing acres of flowers in varying stages of growth. “Most people who see this process say they did not realize all the work that goes into it,” he said.
Each tulip, hyacinth, and Easter lily at van Hoekelen Greenhouses Inc. must be nurtured and then snatched at just the right moment so customers will get the satisfaction of enjoying the not-yet-emerged bloom.
The pressure is on because van Hoekelen — marketed as the largest bulb grower on the East Coast — supplies flowers wholesale to supercenters, supermarkets, home improvement stores, drug stores, and other merchants across the country.
“One day could make or break a crop,” van Hoekelen said. “It takes a whole village to keep track of everything.” At home, many plant flower bulbs in the ground each fall and forget about them while nature works its magic so they bloom in the spring.
Read more at mydallaspost.com


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ATTENDANCE INCREASE, NEW EXHIBITORS HEADLINE 2018 LAS VEGAS SOUVENIR & RESORT GIFT SHOW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: Amy Dufour
P: 678.285.0597 | E: email@example.com
MRS. GROSSMAN’S CAPTURES BEST NEW PRODUCT; VIONIC BEACH WINS BEST BOOTH AWARD
ATLANTA, GA (October 1, 2018) – Tracking ahead of the 2017 edition, the September 25-28, 2018 Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show buyer attendance also recorded upticks in key geographic areas, including Florida, California, Arizona, Texas, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. The show floor’s growing selection -- which saw more than 200+ first-time exhibitors join its versatile roster of 1300+ booths from 735 companies – came together with a range of hospitality offerings, new MATCH! appointment-based program and new floor promotions to attract theme park buyers, top concessionaires, instructional gift shops and other specialty stores to the nation’s largest souvenir trade show.
“Our focus has been to give buyers an experience they can’t get at any other show,” explains Lisa Glosson, vice president, gift/souvenir, Clarion UX. “From networking events like the MSA and ZAG Breakfast to the launch of the new MATCH! appointment-setting program, our team worked hard to make this show easy for purchasing, while also focusing on networking events to make this Las Vegas Souvenir and Resort Gift Show the best yet.”
(Editor’s note: High resolution versions of images shown available via request or download. See end of release for details and photo captions.)
Mrs. Grossman, Best New Product
Putting a special spotlight on this show's constantly growing selection - buyers were given the opportunity to vote on their favorite product offerings. Clarion UX presented Mrs. Grossman’s (left) with the Best New Product award and Vionic Beach with the Best Booth Award (right).
Vionic Beach, Best Booth Award
Commenting on the show resources, Judy Rancour, Saint Louis Zoo and Zoo and Aquarium Group (ZAG) President said, “I tell everyone this is the show to start your season.”
Other buyers agreed, with many highlighting the many new and unique offerings joining the roster of top name brands and lines featured throughout the floor.
“We have been coming to this show for years and will keep on coming,” added Kees Vanderlee, A Bit of Banff, Banff, Canada. “We know we will always find something no one else in town will have."
"This show was far beyond our expectations. By day two we’d already discovered a half-dozen vendors with whom we will be writing our first orders,” said Terri Nakamura, West Seattle Surf Shop, Seattle, WA
Retailers also enjoyed a variety of networking events and show hospitality, including show floor events like cookie socials, afternoon popcorn, goody bag and gift basket giveaways, daily exhibitor-sponsored happy hour events. A new event this year, the Museum Store Association (MSA) and ZAG partnered to fill their meeting room for a networking breakfast and lively panel discussion. In addition, the show’s popular Native American Pavilion featured daily demonstrations from exhibiting artisans and a networking event and Silent Auction that raised money and awareness for the American Indian College Fund.
Making its debut during the September show, MATCH!, a highly curated, guaranteed meeting program for suppliers and retailers, was designed to enhance exhibitor ROI and the overall buying experience for retailers. As part of the program format, the MATCH! event concierge team personally identified the product sourcing needs and scheduled the meetings for participating vendors and buyers. Meeting agendas were set in advance of the show allowing for the meetings to be highly productive and personalized. The inaugural program generated hundreds of appointments and feedback from program participants was overwhelmingly positive.
“The MATCH! program made our show,” said exhibitor Robert Tutty, Muse Glass Inc. “We were able to connect with buyers we would not have seen otherwise.”
The September show also welcomed a new “Emerging Marketplace” section. This section was designed to provide a cost-effective gateway for new companies, artisans and others to try out the wholesale trade show, the new tabletop display area featured more than 30 exhibiting companies.
“I'm impressed with how many people have come to explore the new Emerging Marketplace section,” says Dean Robertson, Forest Life Creations. “I've made all my money back already, and the quality of buyers is incredible!"
The 2018 edition also received feedback from exhibitors pleased with the quality of buyers and connections made throughout show.
"We are loving this show because there are a lot of quality buyers here,” says Randy Rothfus, Guzzle Buddy.
“The Las Vegas Souvenir and Resort Gift Show has been fantastic,” says Rick Burdette, ACE USA. “We've been so busy that we can barely get away from our booth."
The next edition of the Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show will be held October 2-5, 2019 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information call 800.318.2238 or visit www.lvsouvenirshow.com.
ABOUT CLARION UX
Founded in 1995, Urban Expositions, now operating as Clarion UX and owned by Clarion Events, produces and manages a portfolio of 36 trade and consumer events, serving a range of industry sectors including Gift, Souvenir, Art, Aviation, Apparel, Foodservice, Specialty Retail, Gaming, Automotive and Enthusiast Lifestyle, with offices in Kennesaw, GA, Trumbull, CT, Portland, OR, and Boca Raton, FL. www.urban-expo.com
Images shown available via request to Josselyn Thornton
at firstname.lastname@example.org or 678-335-2977
click to download: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/xTqN210cEN


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Are you a scooterist? A new survey released Monday shows that roughly a third of Americans are thinking about it, with 30 percent of U.S. consumers saying they'd consider using a scooter. When consumers were asked if they'd be likely to use a scooter if they could save $25 a week on gas, 35 percent said yes.
The survey was sponsored by
, makers of the iconic
and other two-wheelers (and
!), which enjoyed 15 percent U.S. sales growth in 2005. The company expects scooter manufacturers to enjoy record sales this summer.
[Source: Piaggio Group Americas]


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Gold, silver and platinum advanced for a second straight week while palladium scored a first weekly gain in three.
Gold for December delivery tacked on $6.80, or 0.6%, to settle at $1,197.70 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The precious metal went as high as $1,207.60, the strongest price since Oct. 30.
An unexpected rate cut from China’s central bank and dovish-taken comments from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi buoyed gold, opined analysts.
"The world is now fully united in printing money and debasing currencies, a situation that cannot end well," MarketWatch quoted Peter Hug, global trading director at Kitco Metals Inc. "Do the metals have downside risk, sure, but from a longer-term prospective, these levels will prove inexpensive, when, not if, inflation grabs."
"Any measures that accelerate the spending power of the Chinese public are bound to be positive for gold," Reuters quoted Mitsubishi analyst Jonathan Butler said. This could mean "additional spending power for Chinese consumers to buy jewelry and investment products."
"People will buy gold as a hedge, since it is clear that China wants to stimulate growth," Santalla, a sales and marketing manager at Heraeus Metal, said in a telephone interview according to Bloomberg News. "Also, we are seeing a rise in physical demand."
For the week, gold prices advanced 1% and that paired losses on the year so far to 0.4%.
Results of the latest Kitco News survey are bullish for gold. Fourteen survey takers expect the yellow metal to rise next week, 6 see prices falling and 3 see prices trading sideways or are neutral. Kitco News reports:
"Those who see higher prices point to gold’s positive action on Friday in the face of a stronger dollar and the rising open interest in the futures market… Those who see weaker prices said generally positive U.S. data is a reminder that the Federal Reserve will start to remove monetary policy accommodation in the coming months, which counters any stimulus done by the ECB… Those who see prices trading sideways or are neutral said the current gains gold is enjoying won’t last for long and the market is likely to consolidate…"
Kitco gold survey results last week had splits of 11 down, 5 up, and 3 sideways or neutral.
Silver, Platinum and Palladium Futures
Silver for December delivery jumped 26 cents, or 1.6%, to close at $16.40 an ounce. Silver prices edged up 0.5% from a week ago. They are down 15.4% from the end of 2013.
In PGM futures on Friday and for the week:
January platinum settled up $21.70, or 1.8%, to $1,227.30 an ounce and gained 1.2% on the week.
- Palladium for December delivery rallied $27.75, or 3.6%, to $794.90 an ounce and advanced 3.1% from a week ago.
On the year to date, palladium has gained 10.7% while platinum has moved exactly opposite, down 10.7%.
London Fix Precious Metals
London precious metals also moved higher on Friday and for the week. When comparing London bullion Fix prices from Thursday PM to Friday PM:
- Gold added $13.75, or 1.2%, to $1,203.75 an ounce,
- Silver gained a dime, or 0.6%, to $16.30 an ounce,
- Platinum turned up $26, or 2.2%, to $1,230 an ounce, and
- Palladium rose $24, or 3.1%, to $794 an ounce
Weekly increases logged in at 3% for gold, 6.2% for silver, 4.4% for platinum and 4.5% for palladium. Bullion rallied last Friday after the London precious metals had already been fixed, which accounts for the larger-than-typical variations in their gains this week as compared to futures in New York.
US Mint Bullion Coin Sales in November
United States Mint weekly bullion sales weakened for gold coins and resumed for silver coins. In the latest week-over-week bullion coin comparisons:
Gold coins added 6,500 ounces after soaring by 15,500 ounces in the previous week. (Sales in the first week of November were the the highest since January.) Splits this week were 3,500 ounces in American Gold Eagles compared to 13,500 ounces previously, and 3,000 ounces in American Gold Buffalos compared to 2,000 ounces previously.
Silver coins added 1,462,500 ounces. They were muted last week with the American Silver Eagle inventory depleted and sales of them resultantly suspended from Nov. 6 until Nov. 17. Splits this week totaled 1,429,500 ounces in American Silver Eagles and 33,000 ounces in America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coins.
Below is a sales breakdown of U.S. Mint bullion products with columns listing the number of bullion coins sold on Friday, last week, this week, last month, in November and the year to date.
|American Eagle and Buffalo Bullion Sales (# of coins)|
|Friday Sales||Last Week||Current Week||October Sales||November Sales||YTD Sales|
|$100 American Platinum Eagle Bullion Coins||N/A||400||N/A*||16,700|
|$50 American Eagle Bullion Gold Coins||0||10,000||2,500||57,500||41,500||395,000|
|$25 American Eagle Bullion Gold Coins||0||2,000||1,000||6,000||5,000||43,000|
|$10 American Eagle Bullion Gold Coins||0||4,000||2,000||8,000||10,000||110,000|
|$5 American Eagle Bullion Gold Coins||0||15,000||0||50,000||30,000||520,000|
|$50 American Buffalo Bullion Gold Coins||0||2,000||3,000||21,000||11,000||171,500|
|$1 American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins||54,000||0||1,429,500||5,790,000||2,689,500||40,810,500|
|Great Smoky Mountains National Park 5 Oz Silver Bullion Coins||0||0||0||0||0||33,000|
|Shenandoah National Park 5 Oz Silver Bullion Coins||200||0||500||900||900||23,300|
|Arches National Park 5 Oz Silver Bullion Coins||0||0||0||0||0||22,000|
|Great Sand Dunes 5 Oz Silver Bullion Coins||100||0||1,100||4,200||1,700||17,900|
|Everglades 5 Oz Silver Bullion Coins||0||0||5,000||N/A||27,000||27,000|
*The U.S. Mint stopped selling bullion Platinum Eagles on Oct. 1. The agency will begin selling 2015-dated issues in early January.


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Neguse Introduces Bicameral Legislation to Help Small Businesses Access Federal Contract Opportunities
Legislation would spur economic growth and forge new partnerships between small businesses and the federal government
Washington D.C.— Today, Congressman Joe Neguse unveiled a bicameral measure to modernize federal contracting procedures and expand partnership opportunities between small businesses and the federal government.
“Small businesses are at the heart of the Second District, and many have faced immense hardship in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “Far too often, federal contracts are out of reach for small business owners, leaving many of them behind as they seek new opportunities to grow their business. By incentivizing creative partnerships between small businesses and the federal government, we empower our main street economies and help them get back on their feet.”
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and they should be given a fair shot in the federal contracting process. This important legislation, which has already passed the Senate, will help ensure that no business owner in Michigan or across the country faces hurdles when trying to compete for federal contracts,” said Senator Peters, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “I’m grateful to Congressman Neguse for introducing this bill in the House and look forward to its passage into law as soon as possible.”
The Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and Acquisitions (PRICE) Act is the companion to the bipartisan Senate legislation introduced earlier this year by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA). The PRICE Act encourages federal agencies to use the Small Business Administration’s contracting programs by directing the Office of Management and Budget to develop innovative contract procedures, in conjunction with federal acquisition administrators. As a result, the Act realizes cost savings for taxpayers and gives small business owners a seat at the negotiating table with the federal government.
Small business owners face many obstacles in accessing federal contracting opportunities, a problem that is particularly acute for women-owned, veteran-owned, minority-owned, and disadvantaged small businesses. The PRICE Act ensures that small businesses have equal opportunity in the acquisition process by modernizing the process and encouraging government agencies to partner with small businesses, thus boosting their participation in federal contracting.
The PRICE Act is supported by a broad coalition of groups including Small Business Majority, Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC), GovEvolve, HUBZone Contractors National Council, and the Women Veterans Business Coalition.
Read bill text HERE.
Congressman Neguse has introduced multiple bills to expand opportunities for small businesses and help them weather the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. His EIDL Forgiveness Act, which calls for the exclusion of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advance grants when determining forgiveness for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, was incorporated into the bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 relief package passed in December. The legislation clarifies that businesses that received both a PPP loan and an EIDL Advance grant can still receive full PPP loan forgiveness, regardless of benefitting from each program. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Congressman Neguse is also leading bipartisan legislation to expand federal contract opportunities for small businesses, and recently incorporated a measure in the House-passed NDAA to expand diversity in apprenticeships. Following the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome Fires, Congressman Neguse helped secure a disaster declaration to bring in Small Business Administration relief to support businesses impacted by the fires.
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Nobody will argue Wheel of Fortune is one of the most popular TV game shows.
There is a very good chance you’ll also find the slot machine version when visiting your favorite Atlantic City casino.
However, here in the Garden State, the Wheel of Fortune name is about to join the likes of BetMGM, Golden Nugget, and DraftKings.
That’s right, Wheel of Fortune will be launching as a NJ online casino later this year. BetMGM sent out a press release earlier today announcing the agreement with Sony Pictures Television and IGT.
Details regarding a specific launch date were not included.
More about the BetMGM, Sony Pictures, IGT deal
The timing of this news coincides with the gameshow celebrating its milestone 40th season as a gameshow. The current version, with Pat Sajak and Vanna White hosting, premiered on Sept. 19, 1983.
Being a full brand-led NJ online casino, however, is a new concept. New Jersey will be the first North American jurisdiction where the app is available.
The reality is more than more than 250 versions of Wheel of Fortune slot games have been introduced over the last 25 years. So this online launch of Wheel of Fortune Casino represents a significant gaming extension for the brand.
Some might question why BetMGM is adding yet another brand with Borgata, Party and its namesake NJ online casino among the market leaders.
Well, Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer, BetMGM, explains ““Wheel of Fortune is watched nightly by millions of people and BetMGM is honored to partner with Sony Pictures Television and IGT to bring this online casino experience to life.”
“Once live, Wheel of Fortune Casino will offer players the excitement of their favorite gameshow and real money wagering in the palm of their hand.”
The press release does not include specifics regarding what table games or other slots will be available. For now, the details are very general.
The product will house “will house America’s Game-branded slot titles produced by global gaming leader IGT, along with many other themed games and features.”
The Wheel of Fortune evolution
Wheel of Fortune, the gameshow version, actually debuted Jan. 6, 1975. However, Chuck Woolery was the original host.
Sajak took over hosting duties in 1981. Back then, shows like “Dallas” and “The Jeffersons” were among some of the primetime TV hits.
So Wheel of Fortune online casino already has stronger brand recognition than several existing NJ mobile casinos. Add in its popularity as a slot title, and the plan seems to be a win-win for BetMGM, IGT and Sony Pictures.
Enrico Drago, CEO Digital & Betting, IGT, said, “We’re excited to celebrate the evolution of the IGT Wheel of Fortune slot brand with BetMGM and Sony Pictures Television through the launch of Wheel of Fortune Casino.
“The Wheel of Fortune brand has been synonymous with slot gaming for more than 25 years, and this unprecedented brand-led online casino, driven by BetMGM’s compelling platform and promotional capabilities, is well-positioned to engage and entertain new and long-time players.”
The new online casino will fall under the Borgata Internet gaming license as a result of its existing BetMGM partnership.
And speaking of Borgata, the license holder is tops when it comes to NJ online casino revenue. For May alone, the MGM-owned property and its online partners reported $42.6 million while the market as a whole earned $136 million.


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Thanks to all of the readers who answered last week’s call for feedback on buying electrical appliances from AO.com. There were plenty of positive experiences from readers who had made multiple purchases. These included some who had problems which had been resolved. However, a considerable number reported a similar experience to the original writer, and said they’d felt the company just wanted to palm the matter off on the manufacturer. But it seems more readers recommend the service than don’t.
Just remember the contract to supply the item is with the retailer (in this case AO.com) and not the manufacturer – and it is up to the former to sort out problems.
One thing that stood out in the comments was complaints about Hotpoint. The company, already at the centre of an appalling tumble dryer fiasco, is impossible to contact, say readers. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be buying its products any time soon.
The last word in service
While we are in positive mood, two readers have recently commended a cookware supplier, Circulon, for its excellent customer service.
AM from Manchester contacted the firm on Wednesday 28 April to report a problem with his pan and received a replacement the following Saturday.
Another reader, who had a complete set of pans, claimed on the firm’s lifetime warranty and was sent several replacements without a problem.
It is good to report on a company that stands by its products and honours its guarantees – a stance that is all too rare these days.
We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at email@example.com. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions


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Wiesmann Files for Bankruptcy
In an obviously disappointing turn of events, Wiesmann, the manufacturer of those highly attractive MS5 Roadsters, has reportedly filed for bankruptcy.
The filing, which was made in the Münster District Court in Germany, didn’t specify the type of financial straits the company is under but the fact that the courts not only found Wiesmann insolvent, but it was also compelled to appoint one Dr. Norbert Küpper as Wiesmann’s preliminary insolvency administrator. These two things definitely casts a pall of gloom on the future of the 20-year old company.
It’s a huge shame that it’s come to this for Wiesmann. Sure, it never established the kind of traction it would’ve hoped with its retro-futuristic models, but the ones that it built, specifically the pocket rocket that was the GT MF5, definitely deserved a whole lot more love than it received.
We’re really hoping that this whole situation is ironed out and Wiesmann isn’t forced to fade into the sunset. But that’s the harsh reality of doing business in an insanely competitive industry. If you don’t have the proverbial horses to keep up, you’re going to be left behind in the cold.
And in Wiesmann’s case, it might end up costing the company its very existence.
Click past the jump to read about the Wiesmann GT MF5
It may not look like one of the best sports cars out on the market at that time, but the Wiesmann GT MF5 sure made a lot of heads turn when it was introduced back in 2008.
The classic proportions were definitely there and the sleek and aggressive lines throughout the car suggest a harmonious infusion of old-school and new-school styling. But still, we couldn’t get past those headlights, which looked smaller in real life than they were in photos.
That was one of the biggest flaws of Wiesmann, but one thing you couldn’t take away from the company was its proclivity to drop any kind of powerful BMW engine under its hood. In the case of the GT MF5, that engine was a 5.0-liter V-10 that was able to produce 507 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, good enough to propel the sports car from 0-60 in just 3.9 seconds to go with a top speed of 193 mph.
Source: Bimmer Today


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Global Health Impact: Extending Access on Essential Medicines to the Global Poor
Every year 9 million people are diagnosed with tuberculosis, every day more than 13,400 people are infected with AIDs, every 30 seconds malaria kills a child. About a third of all deaths, 18 million a year are poverty-related. Most of the world’s health problems afflict the global poor. One reason for this is that the poor cannot access many of the existing drugs and technologies they need. Another is that little of the research and development on new drugs and technologies benefits the poor.
To address these problems, Academics Stand Against Poverty is supporting a proposal for rating pharmaceutical companies on the basis of their drugs’ global health impact. The best companies, in a given year, will then be given a Global Health Impact label to use on all their products–everything from lip balm to pet vitamins.
Although this will not solve all of the problems poor people face, it may help them secure some of the things they often lack—in particular, access to life-saving medicines, like antibiotics or HIV drugs. This proposal will also encourage companies to do research on and create new medicines like malaria or HIV vaccines. The key to a successful Global Health Impact campaign is designing a good rating system for companies’ efforts to promote global health. So, researchers at Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, and SUNY Binghamton are trying to construct a rating system that evaluates companies on the basis of their drugs’ impact on global health. To evaluate this impact, researchers are considering three things:
- The need for several important drugs for diseases that primarily affect the global poor.
- The drugs’ effectiveness.
- The number of people who can access the drugs.
Each company will be rated on how the drugs it produces measure up in these three categories. The company’s score will be the sum of its drugs’ impacts.
Highly rated companies will have an incentive to use the label to get a larger share of the market. If Pfizer, for example, were a highly rated company it might use a Global Health Impact label on Advil. If even a small percentage of consumers or doctors preferred Global Health Impact products, the benefits of using this label could be significant. The market for over-the-counter painkillers alone is worth approximately US$2 billion per year. Insurance companies (both public and private) might even include Global Health Impact drugs in their formularies. Global Health Impact certified companies could also use the label on their full range of products. If consumption of Global Health Impact goods reached one percent of the market in generic and over the-counter medications, that will create about $360 million-worth of incentives for pharmaceutical companies to become Global Health Impact certified by expanding access to effective medicines needed by the global poor. Further, socially responsible investment companies could include Global Health Impact companies in their portfolios..


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Wild Blueberry Newsletter, July 2017
Maine Wild Blueberry Crop 2016
The 2016 wild blueberry crop for Maine, as reported by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service on June 27, 2017, totaled 101.8 million pounds, which is equivalent to the 101.1 million pounds we had last year. Maine has had over 100 million pounds each year for the past three years. This is the third largest crop, after the 110.6 million pounds we had in 2000, and 104.4 million pounds we had in 2014. The Maine slice of the blueberry pie decreased from 10% to 9% of the total pie.
Production figure details for wild and cultivated blueberries in the United States may be found in the USDA Non-Citrus Fruit and Nut 2016 Summary, June 2017 (PDF).
Canadian Wild Blueberry Crop
The wild blueberry crop in Canada was 303.7 million pounds, making this a record crop for Canada. Quebec had a 150% increase going from 50 million pounds in 2015 to 125.6 million pounds in 2016. New Brunswick increased from 62.5 to 82.8 million pounds and PEI from 28 to 34.3 million pounds. Nova Scotia’s crop was stable at 62 million pounds. The increase in Canadian production is attributed to good weather conditions and better management with the newly added acres coming into production. The Canadian slice of the pie increased from 21% to 26%. Much of this increase came from the bumper crop from Quebec in 2016. North America wild production has increased by 37% from 254 to 405 million pounds over the past five years.
Total North American Blueberry crop in 2016 was 405.5 wild + 766.4 cultivated = 1171.9 million pounds.
Total cultivated production in North America reported by the North American Blueberry Council for 2016 was 383.5 million pounds fresh and 382.9 million pounds processed for a total crop of 766.4 million pounds. Although an average of 50% cultivated blueberries is processed, those in the Pacific Northwest processed 75% of their crop. In the past eight years, the number of acres of cultivated blueberries has doubled, so more production is expected in future years. Cultivated processed production has shown a 30% increase from 270 to 383 million pounds over the past five years.
Wild Blueberry Industry to Receive Federal Support
See press release, below, from the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine on their strategy to increase sales of Maine wild blueberries.
Maine’s Wild Blueberry Growers Build Demand in Face of Increasing Blueberry Supply
Back-to-Back Bumper Crops, a Weak Canadian Dollar, and Increased Cultivated Blueberry Production Pushes Maine’s Wild Blueberry Growers Toward Expanded Innovation, Increased Marketing, and a Request for Federal Support
PORTLAND, MAINE, July 6, 2017 — Maine’s 150-year-old Wild Blueberry industry is working to build demand for the state’s fruit while facing oversupply pressures and price competition resulting from a combination of factors, including a significant growth in cultivated blueberry production; several years of bumper Wild Blueberry crops in Maine and Canada; and a weak Canadian dollar that is giving Canadian Wild Blueberries a price advantage.
In response, Maine’s growers have launched a multi-tiered counter-offensive, which includes a more aggressive marketing campaign targeting consumers, food manufacturers, and food service channels, and a national public school food service initiative. Simultaneously, with support from Maine’s Congressional delegation and Maine Governor Paul LePage, the industry will receive up to $10 million for a “Bonus Buy” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approved today. The program is designed to support American agriculture and encourage domestic consumption by purchasing products and diverting them to programs such as the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The USDA program is not funded through taxpayer dollars.
“Maine’s wild blueberry industry has been an important part of Maine’s economy and culture for centuries. In recent years, however, the wild blueberry industry has faced increasing challenges from global oversupply of cultivated berries and steeply declining prices,” said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin in a joint statement. “Earlier this year, we urged the USDA to provide relief to Maine growers through a bonus buy of surplus frozen wild blueberries, and we are pleased that the Department has agreed to take action. This investment to alleviate the supply issue, combined with the industry’s efforts to boost demand, will help create new opportunities for wild blueberry growers and support a bright future for this unique Maine crop.”
“Maine’s Wild Blueberry growers appreciate the USDA’s support and are optimistic about the future of the industry,” said Nancy McBrady, Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. The Bonus Buy helps to lessen the surplus and can help stabilize prices, she added.
“Maine Wild Blueberry growers are a resilient group, but global supply and pricing pressures are seriously impacting our business today, said Roy Allen, a fourth-generation Wild Blueberry grower and processor in Ellsworth. “The Bonus Buy will help alleviate some short-term pressures while we pursue a more aggressive long-term strategy. In the last three years, we’ve experienced an oversupply issue, but prior to that, it was not uncommon for our freezers to be virtually empty before the new harvest arrived.”
“Maine’s Wild Blueberry industry is beginning to embrace the enormous opportunity that bigger crops can deliver,” McBrady adds. “We are shifting our strategy to target more large-scale food service, restaurant chains, and manufacturing businesses, and because of our abundant supply, we are better positioned than ever.”
A differentiation strategy
The Wild Blueberry industry’s primary marketing strategy is to educate consumers about the power of wild foods and the significant advantages of Wild over cultivated blueberries.
“Wild Blueberries have more genetic diversity, a unique origin story, they deliver two times the antioxidants, more fiber, and have a more intense flavor than the watery cultivated ones,” McBrady stated. “We also conducted consumer research that showed that once people understand the taste, health, and ‘real foods’ advantages of Wild Blueberries, they are more likely to purchase them,” she continued. “It is our job to convey this powerful information to food manufactures and food service companies so that they incorporate Wild Blueberries into new products that consumers will enjoy. Our robust supply and ingredient versatility enables us to enter more product categories than ever before,” McBrady noted.
Kashi’s Wild Blueberry Waffles, Panera’s Wild Blueberry Scone, Stonyfield’s Wild Blueberry Yogurt, and Clif’s Wild Blueberry Almond Bar are a few examples of products now featuring and stating Wild Blueberries on their packaging.
The campaign also positions frozen Wild Blueberries as a leading superfruit ingredient in a growing smoothie craze, which constitutes the most significant way Americans consume frozen fruit. According to the Dole Food Company, home smoothie consumption accounted for 21 percent of all U.S. retail frozen fruit sales in 2006, and increased to 60 percent by 2014.
Results from the Wild Blueberry campaign include:
- Website traffic expanded fourfold since 2013. Last year, the Wild Blueberries website (Wild Blueberries of North America) received over 1 million visits up from 250,000 in 2013.
- Mentions in national mainstream media outlets nearly tripled, with 2,624 mentions in 2015 to 6,228 in 2016, with a total potential reach of 4.8 billion impressions in 2016
- Facebook likes have increased six-fold, from 50,000 in 2013 to 322,000 today.
- In early 2017, the industry launched a national school foodservice program aimed at increasing Wild Blueberries sales in public schools. Preliminary estimates show that in June 2017, Wild Blueberry sales exceeded 2.25 million lbs. in 22 states (up from 1.18 million lbs. in only 13 states for all of 2016).
- A significant increase in published scientific studies (The Health Benefits of Blue page, Wild Blueberries website) now documents the health benefits of Wild Blueberries. In 1998, 5 studies were published compared to 150 studies published in 2015. Many of these studies reveal groundbreaking science about brain health, gut health, disease fighting properties, and antioxidant capacity of Wild Blueberries.
“American consumers are demanding healthier food and pure ingredients that are closer to nature,” said McBrady. “Given the market forces at work and our healthy supply of berries, we are working aggressively to tell our unique heritage, taste, and health story. We have seen that when consumers and food manufacturers understand the difference between Wild and cultivated blueberries, they almost always opt for Wild because it offers a more delicious taste and denser nutritional value. Through our commitment to better and greater outreach to key customer groups, I’m confident that Maine’s Wild Blueberry industry has a bright future.”
About the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine
The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine was established to promote the ongoing prosperity of the Maine Wild Blueberry industry. It works on behalf of Maine’s 500+ growers and processors of Wild Blueberries in the areas of research and education, promotion, and policy. For more information visit the Wild Blueberries website.
David E. Yarborough
Extension Blueberry Specialist
Wild blueberry fact sheets, past newsletters, contacts, resource links, calendar of events, and more can be found on the Cooperative Extension’s Maine Wild Blueberries website.
Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.
Call 800.287.0274 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit extension.umaine.edu.
The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 Boudreau Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).


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Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 02:13 pm
Supershoes, the UK National Children’s Cancer Charity, is launching an online Christmas gift and card service to empower children affected by cancer.
The campaign, titled “This year we’re giving Santa the day off”, offers three options to purchase online, including a £25 donation in place of sending physical cards, as well as two gift options – £50 for a pair of shoes and £100 to cover the full cost of a pair.
Sarah White, CEO and Founder of Supershoes, expressed her excitement for the launch saying: “We have such a long waiting list of children with cancer, and with diagnosis increasing rapidly it’s more important than ever to get these shoes funded.”
The online gifts and cards are designed to make the Christmas task list simpler, with an easy to buy format and a digital image sent directly to an email after purchase. The gift options also come with a printable card to present the gift.
“We wanted to offer our supporters a new way to empower children with cancer while also reducing holiday stress” said White.
The “This year we’re giving Santa a day off” campaign will be available to buy from Saturday 18th November, with prices starting at £25. For more information on Supershoes online gifts, visit https://www.supershoes.org.uk/shop/.
Supershoes is a registered charity that provides unique, customised gifts for children receiving treatment or palliative care for cancer in the UK. These customised canvas shoes are designed to brighten a child’s day, and encourage mobility, emotional and physical wellbeing.


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What you need to know
- Microsoft has announced a special event taking place on February 7.
- It's unknown what will be announced, but AI is expected to feature heavily.
- The event won't be livestreamed, but press will be in attendance.
- The event begins at 10AM PT at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond.
Microsoft has announced that it's hosting a special event for press on February 7 at 10AM at its Redmond headquarters in Washington. So far, the company has remained incredibly tight lipped about what it's planning to announce, but recent developments suggest the topic of conversation will be focused on AI.
In the past few weeks, Microsoft has announced that it's planning to weave AI throughout many of its products over the coming months and years, and just recently announced a massive $10 billion partnership with OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT.
The company is already shipping AI with Microsoft Teams Premium, where the technology is being used to recap virtual meetings in written form, create highlights, and more.
A new version of Microsoft Bing with ChatGPT integration briefly went live for some users before being switched off late last week, suggesting that the company is almost ready to unveil a revolutionary new way of searching the web. This is likely to be one of the announcements taking place at the event on February 7.
It's unknown what other products Microsoft is planning to announce with AI. Earlier today, Google announced its rival to ChatGPT, known as Bard and available now to a limited group of select testers. The AI competition is about to heat up, and it looks like Microsoft wants to be front and center when it does.
Windows Central will be on the ground at the MIirosoft Event tomorrow with all the news as it happens.
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Earlier this year, Subway sandwich shops were the target of a petition that sought the removal of a harmful chemical, Azodiacarbonamide, from their breads. On April 11, CBS News reported that Subway’s chief marketing officer, Tony Pace, states that the removal will be complete next week.
Azodiacarbonamide is a chemical used as a bleaching agent and to increase elasticity in products. Though it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a food ingredient and many restaurant chain and store-bought breads include it, the fact that this same chemical is present in shoe rubber, yoga mats, and other non-edible products is alarming to some consumers.
Vani Hari, who runs FoodBabe.com began the petition against Subway with the intent of showing consumers that even though the company claimed its food products were healthy, the inclusion of Azodiacarbonamide would not be most people’s idea of healthy eating. USA Today reported that Van Hari has also spoken out against other companies, including Kraft, who also uses ingredients she finds questionable.
While Subway’s Tony Pace claims that the restaurant’s food is already healthier because they’ve eliminated high-fructose corn syrup and reduced sodium levels, Van Hari begs to differ. She still questions whether the company’s use of caramel coloring and yeast extract are necessary. Whether Hari intends to make an issue of these other ingredients remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Subway assures consumers that Azodiacarbonamide will soon be removed from its breads completely. The company had tested Azodiacarbonamide-free breads last year and apparently found a suitable substitute that was acceptable to those in its market study.
Consumers who want to know more about the potentially dangerous ingredients in some American foods might want to follow FoodBabe.com, Justlabelit.com, Organic.org, or Cleaneatingmag.com. These websites offer insights on food product ingredients and inform consumers on how to get involved with petitions that elicit change.


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Consumer trends for 2012
A number of different consumer trends for 2012 have been identified by Carol Flanagan, Business Strategy Director with Red c Research, who spoke about Consumer Trends for 2012 and beyond at the recent SFA Conference.
17 August 2012
She identified six consumer trends:
1. Frugality – ‘thrifting’, where consumers were less inclined to buy brands and less likely to go out. They sought ‘deals’ and for them, bargain-hunting has become a way of life. They waste less and reappraise how much fresh fruit and vegetables they buy, for example, or reappraise their mobile phone package. Rashness is being replaced by caution here.
2. Simplicity – consumers have been overwhelmed by the breadth of choice of late. Consumers will continue to seek uncomplicated products and services that simplify their lives.
3. Transparency – consumers resent being fooled. They want to buy Irish, for example, but also have enough nous to check the labelling too now. Consumers are reappraising what they’re getting. The growing need for openess and transparency for providers of products and services is absolutely necessary.
4. Community focus – there’s a growing desire to shop local and this will continue post-recovery.
5. Service with a smile – it’s essential to be able to offer people a human voice. Consumers have developed an appreciation of good customer service and this is likely to be a decision-maker post recession.
6. Digital independence – one in every four minutes spent online is spent on social media. Businesses should therefore ask themselves whether their website is easy to negotiate? The best example lets the consumer know on the home page something like ‘four clicks and you’re done’, for example. Some 50 per cent of consumers now have a smartphone.
The use of the internet for commerce – particularly through smartphones – shows a strong upward curve, she concluded.


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Unless you’re naturally knowledgeable about all things techy, it may be tough to stay on top of all of the new products hitting store shelves; this fall will be no exception. Several “toys” are set to take the technology world by storm – if they haven’t done so already. Get tech-savvy with our list of the gadgets that will soon be rocking your information world.
Originally launched in 2007, Amazon’s Kindle has revolutionized the way we read books. The latest incarnation of the device, which will be available at the end of August, will surely solidify Kindle’s hold on the e-reader market. How? To start, the new Kindle comes with an electronic-ink screen that has 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader on the market (meaning it will be easier to read). On top of that, its sleek new design makes it 21 percent smaller than older models. And, with a longer battery life, built-in Wi-Fi, the ability to store 3,500 books, and free access to the 3G network, it’s sure to be on everyone’s back to school tech list.
For more information, click here.
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Oman commences five-city tourism roadshow
Oman’s Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has commenced its multi-city roadshow on October 7, beginning with Qatar’s capital Doha. The Tourism Ministry is also conducting mobile promotional workshops during the five-city roadshow.
The workshops, set to take place in Kuwait, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dubai as well. The roadshows and workshops will be attended by Omani tourism companies including Oman Air and SalamAir.
The ministry has coordinated with its representative offices to invite about 100 tourist companies and institutions, in addition to the local media in the host countries. Introductory and promotional presentations will be made about tourism potential, services and products in the sultanate, besides conducting direct meetings between the invitees from the host countries and participants from Oman.
In addition to promotional offers from the 16 participating companies, preparations are ongoing for the signing of contracts between Omani tourism companies and their Gulf counterparts.


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Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee voted by a majority of four out of six members to increase the policy repo rate by a smaller quantum—25 basis points—from 6.25 per cent to 6.50 per cent to keep inflation expectations anchored and break the core inflation persistence.
RBI ups repo rate
The committee also voted by a majority of four out of six members to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation remains within the target going forward, while supporting growth.
With the latest repo rate hike, the MPC has cumulatively upped the key policy rate by 250 basis points since May 2022.
The latest hike comes in the backdrop of retail inflation cooling down to a 12-month low of 5.72 per cent in December 2022, index of industrial production surging to a five-month high of 7.1 per cent, and the US Fed slowing down the pace of hike in benchmark interest rate to only a quarter percentage point.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das noted that the economy is holding up, but weak external demand could prove to be a drag on growth.
While inflation is expected to moderate, it could still remain above 4 per cent in FY24, he said.
For FY24, real GDP growth and retail inflation have been projected at 6.4 per cent and 5.3 per cent, respectively.


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Inside Original #GirlBoss Sophia Amoruso's Gorgeous California Home
The Nasty Gal founder gives C Magazine a tour of her midcentury house
The phrase has been tossed around a lot recently, but the founder of edgy online fashion retailer Nasty Gal, laid out what exactly it means in her 2014 manifesto and encouraged a whole new group of savvy, style-obsessed young women entrepreneurs. On top of her business savvy, Amoruso is also known for her cutting edge personal style, so it’s no wonder her modern Los Angeles home, featured in this month’s C Magazine, is not only fit for a major boss lady, but a style force, too.
Amoruso bought the home, which previously belonged to director Sofia Coppola, in 2014, “the year Nasty Gal raised $50 million and got investors for the first time,” she explains, adding, “I was like, ‘Oh, my god, I’m an adult: I can afford a home — that’s so cool.'” Since then, she turned her book into a successful podcast, created another book (coffee table this time), and started work on a Netflix series based on her life that will be produced by Charlize Theron and New Girl creator Kay Cannon.
The 3,3000-square-foot home’s glassy midcentury architecture is echoed by retro influences in the interiors. “It’s a little Austin Powers,” Amoruso admits. She’s speaking of her custom velvet-covered bed, but the observation could just as easily apply to the groovy powder room wallpaper, a furry armchair in the living room, or any of several mirrored walls.RELATED: Lauren Conrad Shares Inside Her California Home and It’s Pretty Much Perfect
She collaborated on the design with Commune cofounder Pamela Shamshiri, who, she tells C, gave her an invaluable education in high-end furniture.“It’s like the Garden of Eden; once you’ve been exposed to a taste level you’re forever cursed in the best, most beautiful way,” she explains.”So many people who have the means to hire an interior designer just want to move into a beautiful hotel, and that was the last thing that I wanted.”
Together the pair picked out rare vintage pieces, including a FontanaArte vanity with an eye-popping price tag. “I’m one of those people who can justify a purchase,” says Amoruso of the find. She also stresses the importance of finding your personal style when decorating a home, top to bottom. “A lot of people just want to borrow style—they don’t want to participate. And I really like participating.”Seem the entire feature in the November issue of C Magazine, out now.


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A man who is accused of putting a fly into an energy drink to demand hush money from the maker will be held in custody for an additional four months for extended investigation, police said.
Vo Van Minh, a restaurant owner in Tien Giang Province, was arrested in January and alleged of appropriating property.
Senior lieutenant colonel Dinh Van Thanh of Tien Giang Police Department said they decided to extend Minh’s detention period in order to collect relevant evidence.
Minh claimed that there was a fly in his Number One bottle, a popular energy drink made by Tan Hiep Phat Company in Binh Duong Province.
He claimed the company agreed to give him VND500 million (US$22,900) in return for the bottle and as a compensation for him.
Minh was arrested on January 27 when he was receiving the money from the company, which reported him to the police.
Initial investigation found that Minh's Number One bottle could have been tampered with since the cap appeared slightly distorted.
In February, Nguyen Xuan Dinh, another customer from Tien Giang Province, also reported a "fly-like" object in another Number One bottle.
In the wake of Minh's arrest, he filed a complaint to the local consumer protection agency.
Following the incidents, Binh Duong Health Department inspected the company in February.
The one-day inspection has been criticized as being too short to find wrongdoings, prompting the Ministry of Health to launch a one-month inspection in April. Inspection results have not been made available, however.
The privately owned drinks company, one of the country's top beverage producers, has faced several food safety scandals, including customer complaints over its herbal tea Dr. Thanh and soy milk products.
In 2009, authorities found nearly 67 tons of expired food flavorings in the company's warehouses in Binh Duong Province and Ho Chi Minh City.


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PLANO, Texas -- Big changes are coming to half of Frito-Lay’s product line, but the company says consumers won’t taste the difference. PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division plans to switch more than six dozen varieties of its products to all natural ingredients by the end of 2011, with Lay’s, Tostitos and SunChips leading the way.
"As the snack food category leader, we have insights that show consumers are seeking a wider range of products made with all natural ingredients. At Frito-Lay North America we want to provide customers with a broad portfolio of snack options that taste great and are made with real food ingredients," said Ann Mukherjee, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Frito-Lay. "Many of the unflavored snacks in our portfolio are already made with all natural ingredients, and we’ve focused on expanding our portfolio of products with al natural ingredients to include more of consumers’ favorite flavored products."
The products made with all natural ingredients do not have any artificial or synthetic ingredients, and they do not contain any artificial flavors or artificial preservatives, or ingredients such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), according to the company. Those Frito-Lay products that will be made with all natural ingredients include all the flavors of Lay’s potato chips, Tostitos tortilla chips, SunChips multigrain snacks, Baked! snacks, and Rold Gold pretzels.
New products made with all natural ingredients are making their way to retailers across the country now, with more heading to shelves throughout the new year. Consumers will be able to identify the reformulated products because they carry a stamp on the package that calls out that the product is made with all natural ingredients, with no MSG, artificial preservatives or artificial flavors, the company added.
To reach shoppers, Frito-Lay plans to launch a television, print and in-store advertising campaign. The campaign will kick-off during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 and it will include a focus on digital and social mediums. Furthermore, in 2011 Frito-Lay will use advertising and marketing to drive consumers to Facebook, with branded Facebook pages listed on product packaging.