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Yen rallies post-BOJ & UK retail sales
Stock markets tip lower after conflicting messages on when a vaccine will become available.
The Japanese yen has popped to a 6-week high after the BOJ lifted economic forecasts and Yoshihide Suga took over as Prime Minister.
US stocks fell in volatile trading on Thursday amid renewed pressure in shares of major tech companies. Conflicting messaging on the coronavirus vaccine front and uncertainty around further stimulus also weighed on sentiment.
European equities fell around half a percent. Gold declined nearly 1% while oil prices increased for the second day in a row. Asian stocks inched up this morning.
For this day ahead I’m watching the dollar-yen exchange rate which dropped below the 105 level – there is also UK and Canadian retail sales reported today.
So the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan both just kept interest rates steady in meetings this week and both raised their economic forecasts for 2020 for the US and Japan respectively. So not much to tell between the two – yet we are now sub 105 again in dollar-yen (USD/JPY) for the first time in six weeks. With little to separate the two on monetary policy, traders seem to be favouring the yen.
Why, well if you pull out to a 10-year timeframe on the chart you can see the impact Japan’s QQE program had on the value of the yen. Now the Fed has zero rates and is promising to keep them there for at least three years. So I think it’s time to ask the question why the yen still deserves such a historically weak value.
As far as events for today, there is little of interest on the earnings front but we do have retail sales from the UK and Canada. The pound had a wobble after the BOE said it was again looking into negative interest rates (again!) at its rate-setting meeting yesterday. Let’s see if retail sales can tip Sterling over the edge. The forecast is for 0.7% monthly gains, down from 3.6%.
In Canada, retail sales are forecast to have grown 1% in July, normalising from a 24% gain in June.
Jasper Lawler – Head of Research – LCG


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Why do we order a large burger and fries with a diet soft drink? Researchers have found evidence of 'balancing behaviour' as consumers endeavour to offset health concerns while still purchasing the food they enjoy.
Wiley's managing director will be slicing and dicing alongside Queensland's best chefs at the OzHarvest CEO CookOff.
In its first year on the market, Coach House Dairy Chocolate Milk has won a Gold Medal and the Champion award for the best flavoured milk at the Sydney Royal Awards.
A discovery by Australian scientists suggests that leafy greens could provide the critical ingredient for good gut health.
How many meals are served on airlines each day if just one airline (Emirates) alone served 180,000?
The global frozen ready meals market is expected grow from US$50 billion to US$64 billion by 2020.
The next generation of home cooks will cook in kitchens of interconnected smart appliances, 3D printers and touchscreen controls that will simplify food preparation, create customised meal solutions and produce far less waste.
An ancient Indian spice might hold the key to the development of countertops, cutting boards and knives that prevent cross-contamination by killing bacteria on contact.
Japan-based Xware has released its menu-translating app SmartMenu in Australia.
With the festive season upon us, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has issued a timely food safety warning.
Driven by urban 20- to 30-year-olds, craft beer is outselling regular beer in most capital cities.
Cambridge academics say they have found the "most conclusive evidence to date" that people consume more food or drinks from larger size portions or packages, and when using larger items of tableware.
Australians like to double up on their treats, with research revealing that people who snack on chips more often than not also drink flavoured soft drinks in the same period.
A report by Rabobank has identified 'disruptive forces' at work in Australia's fresh fruit and vegetable retail market.
It has been a busy year for Victorian family food business Springhill Farm, whose range of treats has been picked up by Qantas Catering, Coles Supermarkets and Target Stores nationally.

domain: news


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The first time I heard about cilantro was when a neighbor was growing it and I asked her what’s was. She mentioned it is primarily utilized in Mexican dishes. Later I discovered that it is utilized in both Asian and South American food. It has change into in style in lots of international locations.
Removing the international emergency designation will put Zika in a category with other diseases, such as dengue, that pose serious dangers and require continued research, together with efforts to develop effective vaccines. U.S. officers stated because of frequent journey between the three Florida counties, some girls could have been contaminated and never been conscious of it, both by contracting the an infection directly from a mosquito chunk whereas visiting Miami-Dade or by intercourse with an contaminated partner who had.
Fascinating info right here. When my grandmother went to her physician, he told her he did not … Read more
Whole Earth & Sea’s bioenergetic, sustainable complete food formulation made with non-GMO ingredients continues to gain attention with multiple awards!
A woman I once knew insisted that she ‘never’ paid for transport. I needed to smile because anyone who retailers retail pays for transport, it is just not CALLED shipping when factored within the retail pricing. You can bet that delivery prices had been handed on to customers. Retail shops could not thrive in the event that they foot the payments for shipping each item inside their stores.
There’s an obvious vested curiosity there and people fall for it, assuming since they found such a report that it have to be true. As the vitamin industry grows, and extra people begin taking vitamins, such advertising ploys will solely grow together with that wave. It is tough to seek out dependable, unbiased and neutral comparability of vitamins online.
Reason #2. Soil … Read more
BEIJING (Reuters) – As many as 79 individuals died from H7N9 chook flu in China final month, the government stated, stoking worries that the unfold of the virus this season might be the worst on record.
Previous research hyperlinks high doses of vitamin D supplements to an increased danger of serious unintended effects, significantly when it’s utilized in mixture with calcium dietary supplements, the authors observe. Some research suggest excessive doses may be associated with an elevated danger of prostate and pancreatic cancers, and deaths from all causes.
WHO in February declared Zika a public well being emergency of worldwide concern – a designation underneath international legislation that compels international locations to report outbreaks. The moved was a part of an effort to determine if Zika was linked to reports in Brazil of the extreme beginning defect microcephaly and the neurological dysfunction Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Traditionally, Zika had solely been thought … Read more


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Nearly a quarter of Android users are running Lollipop
Just about a quarter of Android users are running Lollipop... right as Marshmallow starts rolling out.
Russia orders Google to loosen its Android policies by November 18th
Google must reform its policies on pre-loaded Android apps by November 18th, or else.
Create 'Gran Turismo 6' race tracks on your tablet
'Gran Turismo 6' now has its long-promised track editor -- and it runs only on your tablet.
Google's Pixel C tablet is Android's official answer to the Surface
The Pixel C is the first tablet designed entirely by Google, and it's designed to take on the Surface with an optional smart keyboard.
Android Marshmallow reaches devices next week
Google has revealed just when it'll start rolling out Android Marshmallow upgrades.
Google's Android Experiments show what your devices can do
Google has introduced Android Experiments, a showcase for clever mobile and wearable apps.
ASUS' photo-centric ZenFones head to India first
India is the first country to get the ASUS ZenFone Selfie, Zenfone 2 Laser and ZenFone Deluxe. And the prices aren't too bad, either.
Google's Nexus devices are getting monthly security updates
Google is joining Samsung in delivering monthly Android security updates for its devices, starting today.
Samsung's next Galaxy Tab S should be a whole lot wider
Don't look now, but Samsung's widescreen Android tablets might be going the way of the Dodo. Tabl...


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Logitech stock soared more than 18 percent after it reported earnings Tuesday, before easing down to $88.02 at the close of business on Friday.
In its quarterly report, the computer equipment company shared some record-shattering figures, showing that it's clearly benefiting from the avalanche of Americans working from home.
But the webcams that they're so well-known for aren't the only products that Logitech ($LOGI) has been cashing in on.
"Really across the business, it was all strong," Bracken Darrell, CEO of Logitech, told Cheddar on Friday, citing the myriad of business segments notching triple-digit growth in the second quarter.
Logitech Second Quarter Sales Performance Category-by-Category:
- Webcam sales up by 258 percent to $102 million
- Video collaboration sales rose 161 percent to a record $237 million
- Tablet and other accessories sales grew 144 percent
- Gaming sales grew 84 percent
- Audio and wearables sales increased by 67 percent
Even the longstanding Logitech mouse and keyboard business is up 30 to 45 percent, according to the company. Its newer businesses, Darrell said, are part of a strategy at the company to bet on the future.
"About five or six years ago, we started accumulating businesses and putting them up against these long-term secular trends," Darrell said, naming video conferencing eventually replacing audio calls as an example.
Sales in the gaming sector were also a bright spot in this earnings report.
"Games are gonna be the biggest collection of sports in the world, so we're in the gaming business," Darrell explained.
In addition to sponsoring a majority of the highest performing teams in major esports tournaments like League of Legends, Logitech also takes input from the players when designing new products.
"We develop products directly with the pros so we can be sure we're delivering at the very top of the curve in terms of performance," Darrell said.
Since taking over as Logitech's chief executive in January of 2013, when the company's stock price sputtered below $8 a share, the CEO is credited with turning around the company by placing these long-term bets.
Asked about maintaining the same momentum that had Wall Street jumping on the stock this week, Darrell said he has "no concern" about the long-term growth of Logitech and the trends the company remains bullish on.
"[The trends] have accelerated here in the pandemic, but they'll keep going after the pandemic's over," he said.


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In a twist of fate, Drena Harris, an Indiana resident, lost her $500 lottery prize due to a social media post.
According to MyFox28 Columbus, Harris, who had won the amount on a Hoosier Lottery scratch card, decided to share her joy on Facebook by posting a picture of the winning ticket.
This act of celebration, however, turned into a misfortune.
An online scammer saw the post and used the ticket's image to deceive a store clerk into handing over the prize money. Since the Hoosier Lottery allows retailers to pay out prizes up to $600, the scammer successfully claimed Harris's winnings.
By the time Harris realized the scam and approached the lottery commission, it was too late. The commission, bound by its rules, refused to pay the same amount twice.
Harris attempted to appeal the decision, but the store where she purchased the ticket had ceased operations, leaving no evidence to support her claim. Chuck Taylor, the lottery’s director of legal affairs and compliance, commented that immediate action might have helped Harris's case, but the delay made it impossible to retrieve the prize.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of sharing winning lottery tickets on social media before securing the prize. Harris's experience highlights the importance of privacy and discretion in such situations to avoid potential scams and losses.
Unfortunately, this incident shows that one must be very careful about taking pictures of their winnings if they have not been redeemed. This caution applies not only to scratch cards and lottery tickets but also to items like boarding passes and more.
However, it was 'only' $500 that Drena Harris lost, not $50,000 like this unlucky man almost lost when an employee tore up a ticket with a huge prize on it. Read more below.


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Bank of China to give a push to Volvo
Bank of China said Thursday it would carve out more short and long term loans for market expansion of a Chinese subsidiary wholly owned by world-wide leading auto maker AB Volvo.
The bank's credit support for Volvo (China) Investment Co. Ltd. would also include project loans, acceptance of bills, guarantees, letters of credit, among others according to a cooperative agreement between them.
Bank of China's comprehensive financial services for the company would cover cash management, settlement of foreign exchange, banker's acceptance and settlement and sales of forward exchange.
These have set "strategic cooperative" ties between Bank of China and Volvo (China) on the basis of existing cooperation, in an effort to ensure fund supply for Volvo to bolster its presence Chinese market, a bank spokesman said.
Volvo (China) has established a number of joint ventures -- rolling out buses and trucks + with Chinese counterparts in Shanghai, Xi'an and Jinan cities, and it owns two wholly funded enterprises that produce building equipment and auto parts in China.
AB Volvo, headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of the largest industrial groups in northern Europe and its primary products include heavy trucks, buses and engineering machinery.
Bank of China said it could also offer financial support for AB Volvo's customers and dealers, including individual loans and working capital.
The bank's branches in Shaanxi, northwest China and Singapore have already been in fruitful cooperation with Volvo, the spokesman said, without giving details.


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Global Purchasing Index
By Victoria Fraza Kickham, Distribution Editor
A monthly benchmark that gauges purchasing professionals’ views on procurement activity in the electronic components marketplace. A reading below 100 indicates pessimism; a reading above 100 indicates optimism.
Buyers Maintain Optimism in February
Economic outlook among electronics purchasing professionals remains virtually unchanged in February, as buyers cite an increase in new orders from customers and a rise in purchasing activity.
The GPI registered 117.25 in February, staying well above the 100-point mark indicating economic optimism.
“The winter/holiday slump is cycling down, finally, and new orders are increasing in the pipeline,” one panel member commented. “2015 looks to be showing more promise than 2014.”
“We are seeing an increase in the cost of materials and components, where last year was more stable during the year,” one panelist said.
The GPI has dipped below 100 just once since its launch in January 2014. It fell to 99.05 in December, when panel members reported slower seasonal conditions. Otherwise, it has remained in positive territory, and soared this January to 117.6 after the December decline.
Global Purchasing’s GPI measures purchasing professionals’ business confidence in five areas: new orders from customers; electronic component inventory levels; purchasing activity; pricing; and lead times. Global Purchasing compiles the GPI data monthly from a survey of more than 100 panel members who buy a wide range of electronic components. Prequalified for their industry experience, panel members are purchasing executives, managers, or buyers at original equipment manufacturing (OEM) or contract manufacturing firms around the world.Other areas of the GPI you may be interested in:About the GPI | GPI Panelists | Apply to the GPI | Member of the Month | Article Library


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Holland America Line
has announced plans to "raise the bar" when it comes to onboard dining, with the introduction of a new Culinary Training Programme for its employees.
The cruise line's shipboard culinary staff will spend three weeks at a training centre in the Philippines, where they will take part in an "immersion culinary course".
Commenting on the plans, Richard D Meadows, executive vice president of sales, marketing and guest programmes, said: "Our new culinary training programme in Manila will ensure that our culinary and beverage staff continues to raise the bar as we provide outstanding meals and service to our guests."
The cruise line is already renowned for the quality of its restaurants and dining room presentations, he added.
Established over 135 years ago, Holland America Line is one of the world's leading premium cruise providers and currently operates a fleet of 14 ships.
Written by Fiona Mayers


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MITCHELL, S.D. (KELO) — Farmers and ranchers work hundreds or even thousands of miles apart, but face-to-face connections are vital in the agriculture industry.
Ag producers, consumers and exhibitors from all over are gathering in Mitchell for the three-day farm show. Dakotafest gives them the chance to check out new products, learn where food comes from and get information on a variety of topics.
Face-to-face networking is a foundational part of the agricultural industry. This week Dakotafest attendees are getting the opportunity to build those connections.
“Your name means everything in farming, your connection to the people, to the buyers, to the vendors, that the way farming is and that’s the way it’s always been,” said Joel Koskan, farmer.
“You know after two years of COVID, zoom meeting and everything online, it’s really nice to be able to sit down and talk to somebody and there’s a personal kind of interaction that you have face-to-face that you don’t get online and you don’t get from a website,” said Heather Beaner, farmer and member of the SD Soybean Checkoff.
The event is larger than last year, with nearly 450 exhibitors present.
“This is just a place where you can make those connections, you walk the show and talk to people, understand new technologies, things that have improved over the years,” said Niki Jones, Dakotafest marketing director.
“It gets you excited about it, gives you goals and gives you aspirations, you get to talk to the farmers and discuss what they are doing, how their crops are doing and see how you can do better,” said Koskan.
But, Dakotafest isn’t just for farmers.
“I’ve seen so many people come through and a lot of them have nothing to do with the farm, they got tickets from somebody, and they’re coming through and it’s really fun to talk to people about ‘do you know where your food comes from?’ ‘Do you know what that combine or that piece of equipment is doing in that field next to I-29?’,” said Beaner.
Creating strong connections in the agricultural industry and beyond, while finding ways to improve farms for the future.
“We live in next year country, it’s always about next year, maybe not the best this year but farmers are the eternal optimists or otherwise you never farm,” said Koskan.


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Prada removes 'blackface' products following backlash
Luxury company says it 'never had the intention of offending' with monkey-faced, red-lipped key chains
Prada has removed a series of products from its stores worldwide after accusations the items were racist and depicted blackface.
"Prada Group never had the intention of offending anyone," the luxury apparel brand posted on Twitter Friday.
Backlash began earlier this week after photos began circulating on social media, showing close-ups of the items juxtaposed with traditional blackface illustrations.
Chinyere Ezie, a lawyer at the U.S. Center for Constitutional Rights, posted a series of pictures on Facebook after spotting the items in the brand's storefront window in New York.
'Shaking with anger'
"I entered the store with a coworker, only to be assaulted with more and more bewildering examples," she posted Thursday.
Ezie said the imagery left her "shaking with anger."
"This iconography has been used throughout history to mock and demean black people and strip us of our humanity," she added in a statement provided to CBC News.
The post made its way through the social media sphere, and has received thousands of shares, likes and comments, including support from hip hop artist Talib Kweli.
I don’t know if y’all have seen Prada’s new blackface line, but more shocking than the products is the explanation. So Prada hired a team of researchers to come up with mysterious… https://t.co/MpuWh7qcFD—@TalibKweli
"I don't know if y'all have seen Prada's new blackface line, but more shocking than the products is the explanation," he posted on Twitter to his more than one million followers.
The monkey-faced goods, which Prada describes as "fantasy charms" from its Pradamalia line, include keychains and small toys of different colours which retail for about $650.
Company calls them 'imaginary creatures'
The company describes the product line as a "new family of mysterious, tiny creatures that are one part biological, one part technological" and have names like Otto, Toto and Disco.
The black and brown versions feature oversized red lips — a common characteristic of historical blackface imagery — and are no longer available on the Italian company's website.
"They are imaginary creatures not intended to have any reference to the real world and certainly not blackface," Prada, which specializes in high-end clothing, leather bags and shoes, said in its statement.
"We abhor all forms of racism and racist imagery. In this interest we will withdraw the characters in question from display and circulation."
[1/2] #Prada Group abhors racist imagery. The Pradamalia are fantasy charms composed of elements of the Prada oeuvre. They are imaginary creatures not intended to have any reference to the real world and certainly not blackface.—@Prada
[2/] #Prada Group never had the intention of offending anyone and we abhor all forms of racism and racist imagery. In this interest we will withdraw the characters in question from display and circulation.—@Prada
The New York Commission on Human Rights announced Friday it was launching an investigation into Prada following the backlash on social media.
High-end fashion, low-end awareness
The controversy is another example of the luxury fashion market demonstrating a lack of cultural awareness.
Italian designers Dolce&Gabbana were forced to apologize in November after taking major heat for a series of social media ads in which a Chinese model was shown trying to eat Italian food with chopsticks. The fiasco, which was compounded by leaked private social media messaging appearing to further disparage China, led to the cancellation of what was supposed to be a significant fashion show by the brand in the country.
Both the Prada and Dolce&Gabbana incidents have led social media calls for a boycott of the brands.
Contentious remarks about blackface also led to the ouster of former NBC host Megyn Kelly in October.
After Prada released the apology, Ezie told CBC News in an email Sunday that she felt "dismay."
"Instead of taking accountability and having a deeper soul-searching, they were merely trying to sweep their racism and blackface problem under the rug," she said.
She added in an updated Facebook post about the company over the weekend: "Shame on you for not having people of colour in leadership positions to stop this disgrace."


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Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) stock crashed more than 40% in January.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman responded by gobbling up 3.1 million shares.
The total investment: $1.1 billion.
Is he also buying up next generation MACE stocks in January? His 13-F filings with the SEC may soon reveal a sizable stake.
You could wait until May for the filings to be released. Or you can…
Netflix recently reported its quarterly earnings.
The actual financial results were in-line with expectations.
However, Netflix’s financial outlook showed less growth than desired.
The company says it’ll add 2.5 million subscribers in the first quarter of this year. That comes up short of Wall Street’s expectation for 4 million new subscribers.
Investors responded by selling the stock – sending the price plunging.
That type of drop caught the attention of Bill Ackman.
Ackman is one of Wall Street’s best-known hedge fund managers. And he’s worth around $3.3 billion according to Forbes Magazine.
He’s known as a top value investor. And he has a history of scooping up stocks after a big selloff.
Here’s what he wrote regarding Netflix in the January investor letter…
“Many of our best investments have emerged when other investors…discard great companies at prices that look extraordinarily attractive.”
Right now, there’s a rotation in the market.
The big FAANG stocks are under pressure. And many of the big tech winners from 2020 and 2021 are seeing sizable losses.
Out with the old. In with the new.
That’s why I’m re-positioning my portfolio with a select group of MACE stocks.
These are the next generation of tech stock winners.
These stocks could be like buying Netflix in 2010 or Tesla Motors (NASDA: TSLA) in 2011 – which I did in my real-money portfolio.
You may not be familiar with MACE stocks.
However, I’d be willing to bet that these stocks are “the next FAANG stocks.” And that’s why I’m personally planning to invest over $100,000 in these stocks in the coming weeks.
Yours in Wealth,


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Designed as an American sports sedan, the 300M is a contemporary interpretation of Chrysler's historic letter cars sold from 1955...
When a $19,000 subcompact car comes with a navigation system and keyless entry, it’s clear that the definition of "luxury car" has changed.
Read This Article
A new feature helps improve fuel economy for the 2015 model year.
In the U.S., there's Chrysler.
Chrysler, who has been enjoying a fast start that's come along with 2012, has issued a voluntary recall of 119,072 Charger and 300 sedans.


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A column about broadcasting, media and the regulatory environment.
In a surprise announcement today, Broadcast Dialogue publisher Howard Christensen e-mailed subscribers that his 20-plus year online publication has been acquired by Momentum Marketing and the weekly will resume publishing on July 21.
Christensen and wife Ingrid were due to retire the well read online weekly as of June 30. Instead, he is to remain as a consultant during the transition for an undetermined time that is expected to last no longer than three months. Taking the helm as Editor in Chief is Lisa Blackburn who has reported for Newcap, Rogers, Global Maritimes and served as a web editor and writer with CBC Halifax.
-- Westwood One has announced a partnership with cloud intelligence company Veritone to offer radio stations near-instant archiving of content. The system, which stores and analyzes station programming online, is marketed as enabling a host of benefits extending from advertiser reporting to podcasting. -- RAIN


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Amazon sends a letter to Biden providing to assist with Covid-19 vaccines
United States President Joe Biden speaks during the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on the Western Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on January 20, 2021.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Amazon on Wednesday offered to help with national efforts to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine, according to a letter to President Joe Biden received from CNBC.
“As you begin your work leading the country out of the Covid-19 crisis, Amazon stands ready to help you meet your goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of your administration,” said Dave Clark , CEO of Amazon’s global consumer business, wrote in the letter first reported by Reuters.
Clark said Amazon is ready to use its operations, information technology and communication skills and expertise to “support your administration’s vaccination efforts.” He added that Amazon has an agreement with an outside healthcare provider to deliver vaccines on-site at the company’s warehouses.
The letter comes because Amazon has requested that its frontline workers have priority access to the Covid-19 vaccine. Last month, Clark wrote to a panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asking the frontline workers to “get the Covid-19 vaccine as early as possible.” Clark also stressed that Amazon’s frontline workers have played an essential role in helping consumers get home the products they need during the coronavirus pandemic.
Here is the full letter Clark sent to Biden on Wednesday:
Dear President Biden,
Congratulations to you and Vice President Harris on your inauguration. As you begin your work leading the country out of the Covid-19 crisis, Amazon is ready to help you meet your goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of your government.
As the second largest employer in the country, Amazon has over 800,000 employees in the United States, most of whom are key workers unable to work from home. We pride ourselves on the role our employees have played in helping customers stay safe and get critical products and services at home. This is vital for people with underlying illnesses and for people who are prone to complications from Covid-19. Essential employees who work at Amazon fulfillment centers, AWS data centers, and Whole Foods Market branches across the country and cannot work from home should receive the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible. We will support you in this.
We have an agreement with a licensed third party occupational health provider to deliver vaccines on-site at our Amazon facilities. We stand ready to act quickly as soon as vaccines become available. Additionally, we are ready to use our operations, information technology and communication skills and expertise to aid your administrators’ vaccination efforts. Our scale allows us to immediately make a significant impact in the fight against Covid-19 and we are ready to assist you in that endeavor.
Since the beginning of this crisis, we have worked hard to protect our workers. We are committed to helping your administration’s vaccination efforts and we are working together to protect our employees and continue to provide vital services during the pandemic.
With best regards,
CEO, Worldwide Consumer


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Friday, October 17, 2008
``The question is, do I have too much in one bucket?'' said Szygenda, who has overseen GM's technology budget for more than a decade. ``Down deep, economics tells me I need some more diversity.'' He stressed that the carmaker has no plans to seek new suppliers immediately.
Hewlett-Packard, led by Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd, has pledged to offer the same amount of value in spite of the lack of competition for orders, Szygenda said yesterday.
``We understand GM's concerns and are committed to working with them to address those concerns,'' Jeff Kelly, senior vice president of the Americas region at Hewlett-Packard's EDS unit, said in an e-mailed statement.
Szygenda, 60, is seeking to reduce expenses as GM struggles to increase cash flow amid a global credit crunch and the lowest U.S. car sales in 15 years. Pitting technology suppliers against one another for contracts has helped save GM $12 billion over the past decade, he said.
GM rose 18 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $6.40 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Hewlett-Packard, based in Palo Alto, California, climbed $1.05 to $39.66.
GM bought EDS from its founder, H. Ross Perot, for $2.5 billion in 1984, gaining its own in-house computer operations. Detroit-based GM spun the unit off in 1996, giving EDS more freedom to seek business from the carmaker's rivals.
Hewlett-Packard, the world's biggest PC maker, agreed in May to buy the company for $13.2 billion, more than doubling its computer-services revenue. The company is now the second-largest provider of computer services in the world, trailing International Business Machines Corp. Sales in the services unit rose 14 percent to $4.75 billion in the latest quarter.
Since then, borrowing costs have skyrocketed amid the worst U.S. banking crisis since the Great Depression, spurred by the collapse of investment banks such as Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. The credit freeze has limited access to funding for GMAC LLC, the carmaker's financing arm.


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The chip giant is putting money and accountability behind its diversity push, but it still faces an uphill battle in making change, experts say.
Did you get a fitness tracker over the holidays? Here's a few tips to get you started.
Facebook's data team reports that World Cup watching users are having quite the O-gasms when they post news of goals.
The streaming-media dongle reaches its $100,000 funding goal in just one day. But how will it do against similar devices from Google, Roku and others?
The much-anticipated consoles will be accompanied by a Steam Controller and Steam Link, which will stream content among devices on the same network.
Google's audacious research arm has already invested in driverless cars and Wi-Fi balloons. Now a new "moon shot" will try to tackle health care by examining what it means to be healthy.
Microsoft is working to include new features in the next version of Windows specifically aimed at desktop users. Here's the latest on its plan.
The law and ethics are no obstacle for Frank Underwood when it comes to amassing more power, and neither, for many, is copyright law when it comes to watching "House of Cards."
During France vs. Honduras, most naked eyes say the ball didn't cross the goal line, but new technology disagreed.
Italian design firm ED showed off Torq, an autonomous car designed for the race track, here at the 2015 Geneva auto show.


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London-based Depop was founded as a mobile fashion marketplace for the creative community. Founded in 2011, it has since grown a large following among Generation Z, drawn to the app for its social connectivity and vast inventory of original streetwear, independent brands, vintage designer, and one-of-a-kind creations.
Users can select their preferred style on Depop’s app, which then suggests shops and influencers to follow and buy from. Approximately 90% of Depop’s active users are under 26, and an estimated one-third of 16-24 year olds in the UK are registered on the platform. The average daily user opens the app several times per day, discovering content and connecting with other users as well as buying and selling. Each month, Depop community members like, follow and message one another 85 million times.
Depop has now secured a €55 million Series C round led by General Atlantic, with participation from existing investors. Depop intends to use the funds to accelerate its expansion in the US and internationally, grow its engineering and data science teams, and invest in new tools and functionality for the platform’s more than 13 million global users.
“The next generation of young people want an experience the fashion industry is struggling to provide,” said Depop CEO Maria Raga. “They want authenticity and to set their own trends. They’re influenced by real people. They want choice and individuality, the ability to buy on demand and sell on with ease. At the same time, they want to reduce waste. Depop is set up to meet these changing demands. We exist to empower the next generation to transform fashion.”
Depop has seen strong organic growth in recent years, particularly in the US, which the company projects will soon become its largest market. Since January 2018, Depop has almost doubled US sales, and opened physical stores in New York’s Chinatown and the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. Depop is now among the top 20 most popular shopping apps in the US by daily active users, and expects to grow its community of US users to 15 million over the next three years.
This weekend, June 8-9, members of Depop’s US community will convene in New York for Depop LIVE, a free and open to the public retail experience for buyers, sellers, stylists and creatives.
“Technology continues to transform the retail landscape around the world and we are incredibly excited to be investing in Depop as it looks to capture the huge opportunity ahead of it,” said Melis Kahya, General Atlantic Head of Consumer for EMEA. “In a short space of time the team has developed a truly differentiated platform and globally relevant offering for the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs and consumers. The organic growth generated in recent years is a testament to the impact they are having and we look forward to working with the team to further accelerate the business.”


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Louisville gets some love with new mobile app
Forest Giant Inc., a Louisville-based technology firm, and mobile-app maker Over have teamed up for a new mobile app that will show some love to Possibility City.
Louisville Love is a free app for Apple iOS devices that will allow users to add hand-crafted art to their favorite photos of Louisville landmarks and hot spots.
Forest Giant plans to have a soft launch for the app Thursday, according to Todd Balsley, director of marketing and strategy for Forest Giant.
The app hasn’t been released into Apple’s App Store yet, but Balsley said they’re hopeful it will be there in time.
“We have our fingers crossed,” he said.
The app is similar to Over, which was designed by Aaron Marshall and allows users to add text to photos and share them on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram.
Over was launched in the App Store in July 2012, and during a two-week peak in late 2012, it was being purchased in the App Store for $1.99 an average of 30,000 times a day, Business First previously reported.
The new app is supported by City Collaborative, a new initiative sponsored by the Louisville Downtown Partnership, Forest Giant, Kertis Creative and the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. The initiative will sponsor and launch several new products that highlight Louisville.
Andrew Robinson covers these beats: Restaurants, retail, government, human resources, technology, automotive (dealers, services), media/marketing/printing, young professionals, West End, East End and Oldham County.
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Sharp Recaptures LCD Lead
Three months after coming seemingly out of nowhere to the top position in market share among LCD TV producers, Vizio took a small step back in the third quarter, falling back behind more established brand Sharp. That’s according to the latest statistics measuring the North America market from the research firm DisplaySearch, released Thursday.
According to the study, Sharp’s sales jumped 65 percent from the second quarter to the third, putting the company in first place in market share with 11.3 percent, narrowly edging out the 10.9 percent figure for Vizio, which grew as well, albeit at a slower rate than Sharp. Samsung came in third with 10.7 percent, followed by Sony and Funai.
Vizio also found itself overtaken in the overall flat panel market, as Samsung moved into the top spot after falling behind in the second quarter. Sharp and Sony followed.


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Upcoming Budget Should Support Small Buisiness: NDP
March 17th, 2017 - 1:40pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2017
UPCOMING BUDGET SHOULD SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS: NDP
OTTAWA – The NDP’s Critic for Small Business, MP Gord Johns (Courtenay-Alberni), wrote a letter to the Minister in charge of small business policy, Bardish Chagger, urging her to include measures to address the top priorities of small business owners in the upcoming federal budget.
“Minister, we both know that across Canada, small business creates 78 percent of new jobs and accounts for almost one-third of Canada’s GDP,” Johns wrote, “Reducing the small business tax rate would provide a fair and level playing field for small businesses.”
The Liberals ran on a platform which promised to reduce the tax rate for small businesses, aligning themselves with the same commitment from the NDP and the Conservatives, but in last year’s budget that tax cut was delayed indefinitely. The second priority of small business that Johns determined after consulting with over 300 small business owners in a single week, is to lower the merchant fees associated with accepting credit cards that goes to Canada’s big banks.
“In 2012, the last year with data available, Canadian retailers paid $832 million in credit card interchange fees to Canada’s banks who issue the credit cards. Meanwhile the big banks in Canada have enjoyed record profits in recent years with the five largest banks making a combined $35.7 billion in profits in 2016.” Johns wrote. “In the midst of this corporate greed, the federal government has an opportunity to protect consumers and small business owners by regulating the credit card interchange rate.”
– 30 –
To read the letter, please click here:
For more information, please contact:
NDP Media Centre: 613-222-2351 or email@example.com


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Fans can meet Gold medalist Jordyn Wieber in Novi today
Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber will be welcomed home and congratulated by her Michigan fans today in Novi.
From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., she will be at the ATT store in Novi, 26050 Novi Road, to sign autographs and take photos.
Fans will also be able to enter to win tickets to the USA Gymnastics Tour of Champions that will be in Detroit on Nov. 3.
Also at the event, parents and teens will have an opportunity to take the "It Can Wait" pledge via tablet or smartphone at itcanwait.com to help end texting while driving.
For more information, visit the ATT's Facebook event page.


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CD Projekt Red has stated that development on Cyberpunk 2077 is well underway, with a bigger team than the Witcher 3 ever had.
When answering shareholder questions on its official forums, the developer said that Cyberpunk 2077 development is in full swing.
“There are currently more game developers working on Cyberpunk 2077 than on The Witcher 3 in its most intensive month,” said CD Projekt Red.
There are over 100 people working on the upcoming Gwent online trading card game, with the remainder of employees working hard on Cyberpunk 2077.
The developer has been quiet regarding the release schedule for its upcoming role-playing game, saying that they will not reveal the release date until closer to launch.


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Bitcoin is on its way to becoming mainstream, but the biggest hurdle is letting users instantly buy bitcoins. Most of the Bitcoin exchanges accept many payment options, with the exception of credit/debit cards. One reason for this is because of the irreversible nature of Bitcoin. However, there are many legit Bitcoin exchanges that have started accepting credit card & debit cards as a payment.
08/12/2019 · Before Bitcoin became famous, people used to believe that Bitcoin was anonymous. But because everything is recorded on a publically shared global ledger (the blockchain), it is actually not anonymous at all! Know that if you leave a digital trail (such as buying bitcoins with an ID), then it is only a matter of enough dedicated time and resources to de-anonymize your transactions on Bitcoin.
3 Feb 2020.
These days there are myriad ways people can purchase cryptocurrencies, and the payment platform Paypal is a popular choice. Multiple crypto.
Bitcoin New Money Is cryptocurrency the new new gold rush, or just an investing bust? By Barbara Friedberg May 14, 2020. Must Reads. Bitcoin Halving 101: What Is It. “This book by @mikejcasey and @paulvigna is a new must-read on Bitcoin. the history of money and how bitcoin might become a new and better currency. to become a
Read the post "How to buy bitcoin with PayPal, and why you shouldn't" before you do.
Sep 3, 2018 Staff Writer Investing 5 minutes.
of the reputable cryptocurrency exchanges in South Africa and then fund your account instantly via EFT.
Nicehash Easy To Use Cpu&gpu Miner NiceHash is only supported on Windows OS. However, there. Open up CPU & GPU miner tabs. 3. Is it easy to mine cryptocurrency and is it worth the hassle? Sun Kissed Industries, Inc.’s (OTC: SKDI) Numuni Inc. subsidiary, a monetization platform developed for digital media publishers, software providers and online games, sees cryptocurrency mining for.
Here, we have listed the top five ways to buy bitcoin with PayPal.
In January 2018, news came out that PayPal filed a document in Securities and Exchange Commission kicking things.
Buy bitcoins with credit card instantly, no verification.
Paxful – There are over 300 ways to buy bitcoin and Paxful makes it possible with this p2p marketplace. Learn more about these bitcoin sellers and brokers here with our reviews and guides. Using credit (and debit) cards are the easiest way for most people to get a smaller amount of bitcoin instantly.
Buying bitcoins via credit and debit cards is one of the most popular and.
Coinmama charges a fee of around 5% for credit and debit purchases with instant delivery and high.
Learn how to buy Bitcoin with Paypal with several methods.
Square’s core Seller ecosystem will continue to drive strong growth for the company, and the advent of its status as an.
r/CryptoCurrency: The official source for CryptoCurrency News, Discussion & Analysis.
Sign Up For Bitcoin Fresh off their new #38 ranking on Coinmarketcap as the 4th biggest exchange in Korea, ProBit Exchange is now launching their. Established in London in 2013, the leading cryptocurrency exchange offers Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Ethereum, Zcash, Dash and other trading options, Buy Bitcoin (BTC) at Bitvavo. ✅ Trade, send and store Bitcoin ✅


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Magento security-only patch roll out
Coinciding with the release of Magento 2.3.3 and in response to PHP vulnerabilities, Magento will begin releasing lightweight, security-only patches in addition to the regular cadence of feature and platform updates.
While the platform updates will still contain fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities, the patches provide an upgrade path between vital fixes and full feature updates.
Regulation around the world is increasingly concerned with data security. In the UK, GDPR imposes a responsibility to report data breaches to the relevant regulatory authority and directly to potentially exposed customers. According to media outlets, in the US at least 19 consumer companies have reported security breaches since January 2018.
ZDNet found that 83% of reported Magento hacks were on outdated versions of Magento Commerce and Magento Open-source sites. In order to stay up to date with security patches retailers running Magento Commerce would traditionally have to apply the feature update. This could prove a lengthy task and contributes to the proportion of retailers running on legacy versions of the platform.
As a result of the new security patches, retailers who aren’t ready to move to the latest version of Magento Commerce can enhance security without the full integration, development and regression testing activities usually involved in an upgrade.
Standalone security patches, along with Magento Commerce 2.3.3, have a planned release of late September or early October. Look out for patches in the format “<version number>-p1”, which indicate priority security fixes.
Retailers running versions of Magento behind the 2.3.2 update will need to work with their technology partners to understand how security fixes can be applied to their digital store. It is also worth noting that Magento’s 2.2.x branch will soon become deprecated and we recommend upgrading as soon as possible, as they will no longer be supported.
At Tryzens, our passionate team of Magento experts understand the importance of securing your store. Get in touch today to understand how to apply fixes and incorporate the schedule into your ongoing development.
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Henry Ford famously decided in 1914 to pay many of his workers the then incredible sum of five dollars a day, which was substantially higher than the prevailing wage at the time.
While that wasn't done specifically to enable Ford's workers to buy his cars (his primary objective was to reduce employee turnover), it did at times have that effect. More important, Ford's innovation, which shocked the industrialists of that era, helped kickstart America's high-wage, high-consumption economy and the creation of its vast middle class.
Nearly a century later, in the midst of a weak economy and rising poverty, my colleagues at Demos, a New York-based think tank, have made a compelling case that Ford's revolutionary approach to industrial wages should now be applied to America's retail sector.
Retail is an enormously powerful force in the U.S. economy. It hauls in more than $4 trillion in annual revenue and employs more than 15 million people. The problem, and it's a huge one, is that many of the sector's dedicated and hard-working employees are badly underpaid. The typical retail sales person earns just $21,000 a year, with cashiers earning even less -- just $18,500, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's not much of a gateway to the middle class.
In a rigorous new study, Retail's Hidden Potential: How Raising Wages Would Benefit Workers, the Industry and the Overall Economy, Demos describes the broad benefits that would be gained if the nation's largest retailers established a voluntary wage floor of $25,000 for full-time, year-round employees.


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Click Fraud: What IT Should KnowClick Fraud: What IT Should Know
As fraud grows, more marketing execs are asking IT to ascertain who's really clicking online ads
August 22, 2006
If your company advertises on the Web, chances are that it's spending thousands, even millions, each month on pay-per-click advertising. But how many of those clicks represent customers, or even potential customers? With click fraud on the increase, many enterprises are beginning to wonder.
Click fraud, which can be perpetrated by humans or bots, refers to the artificial creation of clicks on an advertisement or Web page in order to inflate the number of page views recorded for that page. A publisher or search engine, for example, may attempt to "manufacture" clicks on an ad in an effort to pad its bill. In other cases, a competitor may look for ways to click on its rivals' ads in an effort to exhaust its advertising budget.
There's no way to know for sure how much of Internet advertising traffic is fraudulent, because there's no way to know what's in a user's mind when they click on a specific URL. However, Click Forensics, which offers a click fraud monitoring service that helps identify bot-generated clicks and those emanating from a single IP address, estimates that about 14 percent of "page views" are generated by fraudsters.
"It's a real threat," says Tom Cuthbert, president and CEO of Click Forensics. "It's becoming more and more complex to identify this sort of fraud, and advertisers are paying for it."
Increasingly, so are publishers and search engines. Back in March, Google agreed to pay $90 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed by advertisers who claimed that the search giant padded its numbers via click fraud. Yahoo!, which was also named in the suit, vowed to fight the allegations in court; some of the advertisers filed a countersuit over the settlement, claiming that Google was getting off too cheaply.
Google, Yahoo!, and other search engines are supposed to filter out fraudulent clicks before they bill their customers, but some critics say they aren't doing enough. Click fraud monitoring service Click Defense filed a $5 million suit against Google in May over some disputed ad refunds, and lawyer/publisher Samuel Lassoff filed a click fraud suit against Google just last week.
"And even with the settlements, which will be appealed, it still isn't clear how much fraud there was," notes Jeff Rohrs, CEO of Optiem, a marketing consultancy that specializes in online advertising. "Google says they don't want to reveal some of their data because they don't want the black hats to find new fraud techniques, but the side effect is that the advertisers are in the dark as well."
As they hunt for ways to stop click fraud from eating up their advertising budgets, many marketing executives are asking for help from IT. In some cases, IT departments analyze Web log files to look for trends and help identify likely fraud. But such analysis can be time-consuming, and the refunds it might generate usually aren't large enough to justify the effort.
More frequently, IT departments are turning to third-party monitoring services, such as Click Defense and Click Forensics, to analyze the click data provided by publishers and search engines and help generate refunds on page views that don't come from legitimate prospects.
Click Forensics, for example, analyzes each click in three ways. First, it checks the source IP address and tracks how long the "visitor" was on the site, and which pages were visited, just as most publishers and search engines do. Second, it monitors the behavior of each visitor to identify questionable behavior, such as very short page views that might indicate the presence of a bot. Third, it monitors activity by the value of a click, seeking out activity by competitors who might be trying to drive up a client's ad spending.
"That's one of the ways we know that this sort of fraud is going on," says Cuthbert. "When the price per click goes above $2, the threat of fraud goes up from 14 percent to more than 20 percent."
Prices charged by Web publishers and search engines can run as low as a few cents apiece to as much $80 per click, which lawyers targeting high-end clients might pay, for example.
Should every enterprise subscribe to a click fraud monitoring service? Probably not, says Kevin Lee, executive chairman of Did-it.com, a search marketing company. "If you're a small company, like a local lawyer or a dentist who spends $1,000 a month on advertising, the click fraud is most likely going to come from a competitor, not a search engine." On the other hand, large Web marketers like Travelocity don't get much fraud from competitors, because it would take an incredible amount of traffic to affect their Web advertising budgets, he says.
Cuthbert says Click Forensics is watching a new trend in which publishing affiliates agree to click on each other's sites in order to drive up traffic in a fashion that can be difficult to identify. "I'm a publisher, and I agree to click on your site's and Karl's in order to drive traffic," he explains. "You and Karl agree to click on mine, and we all get better traffic, but we're all human and coming from different IP addresses, so it's harder to detect."
Until recently, search giants such as Google have been mum about click fraud, but they are beginning to do more about it, Rohrs observes. "If I'm MSN or Yahoo!, and I find a better way to detect and filter out click fraud, I might gain a competitive advantage over Google," he says. "That's a pretty good incentive."
Search engines and publishers are also beginning to band together to work on the problem. This week, the Internet Architecture Board, which includes representatives from Google and other search engines, is meeting in New York to discuss methods for standardizing their methods of measurement, including a standard definition of what constitutes a "click," experts say.
"The IAB is a good forum for this to happen," says Cuthbert. "If there are some standards, it will be easier to separate the legitimate traffic from the fraudulent clicks."
— Tim Wilson, Site Editor, Dark Reading
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A new study is out from the Renaissance Journalism Center that explores financial sustainability among journalism start-ups. It finds that most journalism start-ups are in the same place – searching frantically for revenue streams to replace depleting grant opportunities. Most of the start ups, initially funded through foundation money, are finding that grants are rarely awarded to established projects, opting rather to allot money for new ones. This puts journalists in an interesting position.
Competing for attention in the digital age is no easy task, and it takes a keen business sense to be successful. While journalists are good at journalism, what many of these start-ups lack is the business skills to find sufficient revenue to remain sustainable. Just 69% of respondents to this survey even have a business plan, and just 13% ranked their senior management team at the top in business skills.
And it seems that nothing too innovative is being done (yet) by way of generating revenue. The highest ranking revenue streams are foundation grants, individual donations, and advertising. There is hope, however. The vast majority of respondents are optimistic that the journalism-heavy organizations can be successful in a business environment.
It will be interesting to see where these organizations are in a year.


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Toyota sees increase in Tundra, Tacoma sales in 2013
Toyota enjoyed a modest bump (1.7 percent) in sales in December compared to the same month in the previous year.
The automaker enjoyed more significant year-over-year gains.
Toyota sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in the U.S. last year. That represents a 7.4 percent increase over 2012 sales.
“The auto industry was a consistent bright spot in the economic recovery throughout 2013,” says Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager. “We expect the economy will continue to gain strength in 2014, with car sales rising to pre-recession levels.”
Toyota should be especially pleased with American consumers’ interest in the Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks, which are manufactured in San Antonio.
Tundra sales were up nearly 11 percent in 2013. Tundra sales increased 12.8 percent year over year, despite dropping 9 percent in December 2013.
W. Scott Bailey covers health care, tourism, sports business, economic development; he also plans and edits some special reports.
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An increasing number of people now live in households that don’t have a land-line telephone, so Arbitron is moving up its plans to increase diary sampling of such consumers.
“Arbitron is committed to reflecting the increasing trend of CPO households across the U.S., which is why we’ve moved up the date to increase the number of these households in our samples,” stated the research company’s Chief Marketing Office and EVP Alton Adams.
The company this week announced it will accelerate the planned increase in its diary market cell-phone-only (CPO) household sample target. It now plans to raise the proportion of its diary sample from CPO households to an average of 15 percent across diary markets by spring.
“When implemented, the planned increase in cell-phone-only household sampling will represent an increase of 50 percent from the year-end 2009 sample target, which is equal to an average of 10 percent,” the company said. “Previously, Arbitron had announced that this increase was scheduled for completion by year-end 2010.”
CPO sampling was in place in all 268 diary markets as of this fall’s survey. “The company completed the roll-out of cell-phone-only sampling in all 50 states in fall 2009, and we are delivering improved sample performance in those markets,” Adams stated.
The company noted that people in CPO households are more likely to be age 18–34. “While the CPO sample target was an average of 10 percent of the total (12+) diary sample in Spring 2009 across all markets, it represented approximately 28 percent of the 18–34 in-tab sample.” With the planned increase this spring, the percent of 18–34 sample represented by CPO households should be closer to 40 percent, it stated.
Portable People Meter markets include cell-only households in their rating panels; 15 percent of PPM panels are CPO households and Arbitron aims to raise that target in PPM markets to 20 percent by the end of next year.


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WASHINGTON – The Commerce Department said on Thursday that it would not enforce its order that would force it to effectively shut down the Chinese-owned Tiktok video-sharing app, citing a federal court ruling in Philadelphia.
The department’s action delays the implementation of a regulation that is scheduled to take effect on Thursday, which would prohibit US companies such as Apple Inc. from offering Tiktok as a mobile app, and Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc including Inc. prohibits companies from offering the web. Hosting service for TikTok-move which will effectively make it inactive.
In its ruling, the Department of Commerce cited an initial injunction against the closure by comedian Douglas Marland, fashion guru Coskett Reinab and musician Alex Chambers in a suit by US District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia last month .
The Commerce Department statement said the shutdown order would not take effect.
In the Philadelphia case, Judge Beetlestone stated that the government’s action is “a threat to the strong exchange of informational materials” and therefore more likely to exceed the government’s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law the Trump administration called Is trusted to take action against TikTok.


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Every time Ken Block launches a new addition to the wildly popular Gymkhana series of videos, we are left wondering just how in hell he can possibly top what he has just done. I spoke with him last year and he told me that even he wonders how they can keep the franchise as new and exciting as it was the first time around. Let’s face it, this guy’s antics behind the wheel have changed not only the internet, but how we consume media, more than any other single content creator alive.
Ok, so maybe that is a bit over the top, but can you name another who has had as much impact on the modern consumption of media?
For Gymkhana 7, the rumour mill has been saying that Block would abandon his trusty Ford Fiesta for another, wilder machine from the blue oval’s stable. A month ago, the following video surfaced, of a wildly modified mid-Sixties Mustang, on the streets of Los Angeles that suggested that G7 would include a retro take-over of the City of Angels.
Today, in the Ford booth at SEMA, Block unveiled the Hoonicorn RTR, a massively modified 1965 Mustang that features an 845 horsepower Roush Yates 410 cubic inch Ford V8 mated to a one of a kind all wheel drive system. In the works for two years, this Franken-Stang is a perfect tribute to celebrate the Mustang’s 50th anniversary.
Hoonigan press release
KEN BLOCK UNVEILS THE HOONICORN RTR, HIS BATSH*T RETRO-MODERN ALL-WHEEL DRIVE GYMKHANA SEVEN FORD MUSTANG
NOV 4th, Las Vegas, NV: Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ken Block is pleased to debut his Gymkhana SEVEN car for the first time publicly in the Ford booth at SEMA 2014. The car? A completely unique, one-off, world’s first performance all-wheel drive 1965 Ford Mustang notchback. A collaborative effort between Block, Hoonigan and RTR—fellow Ford and Monster Energy athlete Vaughn Gittin Jr’s automotive tuning brand—the car shares the spotlight with Block in his upcoming Gymkhana SEVEN video project.
Built at in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the course of two years, the car is based upon a 1965 Ford Mustang notchback—the iconic pony car, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The car was heavily modified by RTR and ASD Motorsports to feature a 410 cubic inch Roush Yates V8, with 845 hp, mated to a one-off Sadev all-wheel drive system. The styling for the build harnesses a mix of influences and inspirations that include the current crop of WRC cars, DTM cars and even toy cars from Block’s youth. These elements were harnessed through a collaborative effort between Block and RTR—since RTR is known for their Mustang expertise—and incorporated into the build.
“I’m stoked to be able to publicly unveil this car for the first time at SEMA in the Ford booth,” said Block. “This is a project that I’ve been working on for two years, so to see it fully come to fruition and be able to drive it for Gymkhana SEVEN was absolutely amazing. I also knew that working with Vaughn [Gittin Jr.] and his RTR team was the right choice for this project since Mustang’s are their world, but they really went above and beyond on this car. The attention to detail with the fabrication and bodywork blows my mind. This is hands-down the best Gymkhana car I’ve had yet.”
To see Block’s Gymkhana SEVEN Mustang in person, swing by the Ford booth on the SEMA show floor, the car will be on display to the public for the entirety of the show.
HOONICORN RTR SPECIFICATIONS:
– MOTOR: Roush Yates 410 cubic inch Ford V8, 845 hp/720 lb.ft with ITBs
– TRANSMISSION: 6-speed Sadev SC90-24 all-wheel drive transmission with a hydraulic handbrake system
– SUSPENSION: Custom ASD Motorsports-designed geometry and components
– BODY: 1965 widebody Ford Mustang designed by RTR, Ken Block and Hoonigan, ASD Motorsports full tubular chassis, ASD Motorsports custom roll-cage, door bars and front/rear suspension mounts, RTR carbon fiber body panels
– WHEELS: fifteen52 three-piece R40, 18” x10.5”
– TIRES: Pirelli Trofeo R, 295/30/18, custom Ken Block compound
FILED UNDER: DAILY GRIND


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During a steel cutting ceremony MSC Cruises has revealed the name of its largest ever cruise ship as MSC Meraviglia.
Known as the “Vista Project” until today the MSC Meraviglia will be the largest ship ever built for a European based cruise line and only Royal Caribbeans Oasis class vessel are bigger when it comes to passenger capacity. The announcement was made during the vessel first steel cutting at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire. The cutting is a major milestone and begins the physical construction process of the vessel.
At the steel-cutting ceremony, MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago told assembled press and dignitaries that the cutting-edge 4,500 guest (double occupancy), 167,600 gross ton ship due to be delivered in May 2017 and open for bookings from June 2015 will be named MSC Meraviglia. She will spend her first summer sailing the western Mediterranean, and will be the first to have three homeports: Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona.
“MSC Meraviglia will be the biggest and most innovative cruise ship ever built by a global European-based cruise line,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises Executive Chairman. “We chose a name that denotes the sense of awe and wonderment felt when you experience the ship’s stunning features, which only an MSC cruise, with its unique Mediterranean-style, can deliver. MSC Meraviglia brings together the industry knowhow of MSC Cruises, a young, bold company built upon 300 years of seafaring tradition and the expertise of one of the most advanced shipyards in the world. Today, building started on a true maritime marvel.”
Some new details have also been released with new specially crafted ‘cluster cabins’ for families, and an extended MSC Yacht Club, the wholly self-contained luxury area on the prestigious foredecks, which will be enhanced with duplex suites, a vast solarium and a private lounge and restaurant. The cabins will give groups the chance to open up 3 cabins into 1 making the experience even better for cruisers. There will also be a large theatre and a spectacular amusement park linked to an outdoor aqua park, as well as a three-deck interior promenade.
STX France General Manager Laurent Castaing added: “Since March 2014, more than 400 people from our various teams have been working tirelessly to define the special features of a ship that, I am certain will set the standard for its generation. This extraordinary project is testament to MSC Cruises’ visionary approach, and we are proud to collaborate with them through our capacity for innovation and know-how.”
The cruise line is also following Royal Caribbean with new technology advancements where guests can use their cruise card, bracelet or smartphone to make onboard payments, access their staterooms or geo-locate children. The main promenade deck that is usually a hive of activity on cruise ships will feature a huge 5,167 square foot LED screen. The screen will cover the entire ceiling displaying breathtaking visuals that will set the atmosphere throughout.
Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises Chief Executive Officer said: “This steel-cutting event marks a decisive milestone in the company’s development plan, one that will see MSC Cruises double its capacity by 2022 through up to seven new ships and a $5.4 billion investment plan.”
He added: “MSC Meraviglia will be one of the greenest and safest ships in the industry, as well as one of the most technologically advanced. We are thrilled that in just a few weeks guests can start booking this truly remarkable ship, which will bring cruise travellers to the most exciting destinations around the world in outstanding comfort and style.”
The environmentally friendly cruise ship will be the first of two to be built by the shipyard and will take MSC Cruises into the future as one of the worlds fastest growing cruise lines. The 167,600 gross ton MSC Meraviglia will be completed by May 2017 with a second Vista Class ship to enter service in 2019. The cruise line also has an option to build another two Vista class vessels to be delivered by 2022. MSC Cruises also has two new generation Seaside cruise ships that are being built by rival shipbuilder Fincantieri.


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Yum, which owns Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, among other fast food chains, has been investing heavily in China in the past five years. The company’s growth of new restaurants in China has been 17 percent, compared with zero percent in the U.S. in the same period, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The high growth the company saw in China is helping keep it ahead of rival McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD), so if Yum loses its edge in China, it could also lose its edge over McDonald’s.
In 2012, Yum’s China strategy started to weaken. A slumping economy gave Chinese citizens less money for eating out, an avian flu scare turned consumers away from KFC, and a probe into one of Yum’s poultry suppliers didn’t help improve its image among Chinese consumers.


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52 Week Range
As of on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ∙ Minimum 15 minute delay
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Kubota Partners With Nvidia To Develop Self-Driving Farm Tractors - Nikkei
Escorts Says Entered Into 2nd Amendment Agreement To Share Purchase Agreement With Kubota, Kubota Agricultural Machinery India
Competition Commission Of India Approves Acquisition In Escorts By Kubota - Ministry Of Corporate Affairs
KUBOTA CORPORATION is a Japan-based company principally engaged in the provision of agricultural machines, engines and construction machines. The Company operates in three business segments. Machinery segment manufactures and sells agricultural machines and agricultural products, such as tractors, tillers, combine harvesters, rice planters, lawn mowers. The Segment also provides construction machinery and engines for agricultural machinery, construction machinery, industrial machinery and generators. Water & Environment segment manufactures and sells pipe-related products, such as ductile iron pipes, synthetic pipes, pumps and valves. The Segment also provides environment-related products and social infrastructure-related products such as raw materials and spiral steel pipes. Others segment mainly provides logistics and financial services, roofing materials and exterior wall materials.
Constr. & Agric. Machinery
1-2-47, Shikitsu-Higashi, Naniwa-ku
Chairman of the Board, Representative Director
President, Representative Director
Executive Vice President, Chief Director of Planning, Chief Director of Global ICT, Director
Senior Managing Executive Officer, Chief Director of Environmental Business, Manager of Tokyo Main Office, Director
Senior Managing Executive Officer, Chief Director of Research & Development, Assistant Manager of Innovation Center, Director
Price To Earnings (TTM)
Price To Sales (TTM)
Price To Book (MRQ)
Price To Cash Flow (TTM)
Total Debt To Equity (MRQ)
LT Debt To Equity (MRQ)
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Return on Equity (TTM)
U.S. manufacturers are accelerating their shift out of China, coming to terms with a new reality: the Trump administration's tariffs will not go away any time soon.
Japan's Nikkei rose on Monday, tracking sharp gains on Wall Street as dovish comments from the Federal Reserve chairman helped ease some of the market's worries about a slowdown in global growth.
Japan's Nikkei roared higher on Monday, tracking sharp gains on Wall Street as dovish comments from the Federal Reserve chairman helped ease some of the market's worries about a slowdown in global growth.
Japan's Nikkei ended the week on a sour note on Friday, booking its third straight week of decline after tracking broader overnight losses on Wall Street and Europe.
Japan's Nikkei fell on Friday, tracking broader losses in global equities markets and heading for its third straight week of decline.
Japan's Nikkei fell on Wednesday as chip-related stocks tracked weakness in their U.S. counterparts overnight and as machine tool makers weakened after downbeat industry data.
* Suzuki Motor gains 8.6 pct on earnings, helps to lift Nikkei
Japanese shares were little moved on Friday as Sino-U.S. trade tensions and upcoming trade talks between Washington and Tokyo kept investors on guard.
* TV footage shows toppled walls, burst water mains (Updates death toll, impact on factories)
Quote and financial data from Refinitiv. Fund performance data provided by Lipper. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes.


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Acer See US-China Trade War Silver Lining
Acer Co-COO, Tiffany Huang, claims strained US-China trade tensions will benefit notebook vendors by presenting the opportunity to improve risk management processes.
Reported by Taiwanese trade publication, DigiTimes, Acer is dynamically adjusting its manufacturing strategy, and is looking at designing a new non-China production model.
Huang asserts there’s no ‘definitive answer’ for vendors, with a remedy custom to each company amid the trade crisis.
She affirms it’s necessary to have production in numerous locations, warning tariffs could jump to 25%,
Interestingly, Huang informed DigiTimes that Acer has dedicated staff monitoring President Trump’s Twitter page, to swiftly respond to US policy changes.
The company claims it’s coordinating well with supply chain partners, however, is still reorganising production relocations based on fluctuating US-China trade tensions.


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Put simply, we’re going to start seeing fewer plastics being used in the packaging industry. But why’s this? The government has announced that by April 2022, a new tax on the production of plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled material will be introduced.
Not only this, but the government has now introduced a ban on all single use plastics by 2021. With these new laws, the world is swiftly moving to an eco-friendlier way of packaging, and rightly so.
With increased production costs, new taxes coming in 2022 and the global drive to reduce plastic consumption, there has never been a better time to start substituting your plastic packaging for greener alternatives. If you’d like to see how Swiftpak could reduce the amount of plastic packaging your business uses, get in touch today to speak to one of our packaging experts.


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Total UK footfall decreased by -27.6% in June (Yo2Y), according to the latest data from BRC-Sensormatic IQ.
Footfall on high streets declined by -33.4% Yo2Y, retail arks saw footfall decrease by -8.1% Yo2Y, and shopping centre footfall declined by -35.8% Yo2Y.
Northern Ireland again saw the shallowest footfall decline of all nations, at -20.6%, followed by Wales at -25.6% and England at -27.9%. Scotland saw the deepest decline of the UK’s nations, at -29.5% (all Yo2Y).
Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), says: “Overall footfall levels saw little improvement on the previous month, though retail parks and shopping centres experienced an uptick.
"Footfall is down on pre-pandemic levels, as the public are making more purposeful shopping trips, with less browsing and more buying. With most overseas holidays on hold, many Britons have sought out-of-town escapes while foreign tourist numbers have fallen. This appears to have helped footfall in smaller towns and cities.
“Retailers are hopeful that footfall will recover further with the move to the final stage of the roadmap, particularly as office workers begin to return to work in larger cities. The ongoing vaccination programme is essential to the UK economy’s success in the future, as future lockdowns would imperil the current recovery. Government must provide clear and consistent guidance on 12th July to ensure both the public and businesses know what is expected of them.”


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MarketWatch reports that Microsoft and Baidu struck a deal where Baidu will be powering the paid search ads at Microsoft’s MSN, Live.com and other China based services. Again, Baidu is to power Microsoft’s ads in China, not the other way around.
Baidu has the official press release. From the top of that:
Microsoft Teams Up with Baidu to Deliver Paid Search Listings in China
BEIJING, China, December 14, 2006- Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU)today announced a strategic alliance on paid search services, which will officially commence in December 2006. As a result of this strategic alliance, Microsoft will display Baidu’s paid search listings on the search results pages of certain Microsoft websites, including MSN, Live, and other partner websites in China.
“Microsoft is committed to bringing innovative online services and software, including search services, to Chinese Internet users,


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Liechtenstein’s Post Office now Sells Bitcoin (BTC) at Physical Locations
The post office in Liechtenstein is taking advantage of the Cryptocurrency revolution, with a newly added cryptocurrency exchange service. The crypto service will roll out for the most popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin (BTC) in the capital city of Vaduz. Future plans include the addition of four more cryptocurrencies including Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Ripple (XRP).
Zug based Värdex Suisse which is the operator of the largest cryptocurrency ATM network in Switzerland is helping Liechtenstein in its crypto offering. The announcement states that once a BTC purchase is made the customer will receive a physical cryptocurrency wallet which will include the public and private keys.
Värdex Suisse is noted to be Switzerland’s most significant, financially regulated blockchain and POS network operator. It’s a member of the Financial Services Standards Association (VQF) and part of the Crypto Valley Zug community.
Liechtenstein is a German-speaking European country is in close proximity to Austria and Switzerland. With cryptocurrency services being rolled out by government-owned utilities such as the post office, it showcases the mindset of the government which is similar to its neighbor’s Switzerland’s area of Zug which is noted for blockchain activities.
Earlier in the month, a Liechtenstein based cryptocurrency fund manager called Invai gained the backing from a member of the Royal family of Dubai Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum. It brings forth positivity for the Lichtenstein economy in terms of Fintech as it already has a driven financial service sector.
Cryptocurrency adoption is slowly gaining momentum, Over 10,000 Tobacco shops in France will start selling Crypto coupons which can be redeemed on a website. Cryptocurrencies are also taking off in the gift card sector, popular gifting platform Swych recently started accepting payments in Cryptocurrencies.
Did you like the news you just read? Please leave a feedback to help us serve you better
Disclaimer: Blockmanity is a news portal and does not provide any financial advice. Blockmanity's role is to inform the cryptocurrency and blockchain community about what's going on in this space. Please do your own due diligence before making any investment. Blockmanity won't be responsible for any loss of funds.


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Artists can no longer upload music to Spotify themselves with the streaming giant reverting the changes they made back in September.
According to Pitchfork, Spotify have no reverted the beta feature which was launched last year and allowed artists to share their work "without needing to use a traditional distributor or third-party company (eg. Tunecore, Distrokid, and Stem)".
The service has shared that this is “The best way for us to serve artists and labels is to focus our resources on developing tools in areas where Spotify can uniquely benefit them — like Spotify for Artists... and our playlist submission tool," and that they are working on ways to make the transition as easy as possible for artists.
When initially launched last year, Spotify for Artists was available by invitation for a select group of US artists before being offered to a larger group.


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Similar to popular daily deal sites, OfferedApp.com will provide a different application each day, normally ranging in price from $0.99 to $9.99. Consumers are invited to complete a single online offer from an advertiser, such as a survey. After completing the offer, the app will be instantly sent to the consumer’s email address or mobile phone.
All OfferedApp advertisers are carefully selected to protect the consumer’s privacy. And consumers can visit the website daily to download as many free apps as they choose. Additionally, developers receive their full revenue-share for each download, making this beneficial for both the consumer and developer.
“We are giving users the opportunity to download some of the hottest and best-selling paid mobile applications, without having to pay for them,” said Greg Schwartz, Co-Founder of OfferedApp. “This model has seen great success with popular social gaming and alternative payment platforms. We are now bringing this model to the mobile app space.”


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The new Chrome ad blocker that comes with version 85 is meant to save Google’s browser and its ads. The new feature surprised all the users and the industry, too.
But it’s, in fact, the way Google tries to save its browser and help its ads system bring more money. The company blames “heavy ads”, as they use too much power, CPU power and drain batteries. So, it came with a solution for its browser to block them.
Google’s ad blocker to boost its ad platform
So, the Chrome ad blocker should protect Google browser’s users on desktop computers and Android devices from ads that load the browser excessively. Still, at the same time, it would help simple Google ads perform better, which means more money for the company.
The new feature would be available gradually this month for the Crome 85 users. In a GitHub document, John Delaney explained that the poorly performing ads harm the user’s browsing experience. This happens “by making pages slow, draining device battery, and consuming mobile data.”
Thus, Google’s browser will block the ads that meet some criteria. It will act if the user does not interact with an ad that uses the main thread for more than 60 seconds in total.
Also, the ad blocker will intervene when the ads use the main thread for more than 15 seconds in any 30 seconds window.
Finally, it will block the ads that use more than 4 megabytes of bandwidth.
So, the ad blocker will target ads that mine cryptocurrency, those that load huge, uncompressed image files or those that load large videos without user’s consent.
At the same time, Google made the rules so that these will benefit from the new system. They will perfectly fit in the new frame.
A compromise between users and money
The company decided to take the new steps as there are more complaints about its browser’s loading too slowly and some companies advised their employees not to use it anymore. So, Google was somehow forced to do something.
Thus, it came with the Chrome ad blocker that should boost the browser’s speed. Thus, the giant could preserve its users and stop them from migrating to different browsers.
As it could not give up its revenue either, it thought about a way that could help the ads on its platform perform better, to bring more money.
According to Cowen & Co’s estimate, quoted by Influencer Marketing Hub, Google’s total net revenue for 2020 is projected to be about $127.5 billion, down $28.6 billion compared to Cowen & Co’s prior estimate (an 18% decline).
So, Google desperately needed to do something, so that its ads should produce more money.
Still, Google ads also slow your browser, so the only decent solution would be a windows native ad blocker, just as Ad Guardian Plus is.


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ImpactAlpha, March 14 — Austin, Texas-based B-Corp. Stellar wants to disrupt the poverty cycle through credit-building. It is targeting the 132 million Americans with little to no access to credit to buy a car or a house or pay for college.
“Millions of Americans lack access because the current system is broken,” said Brian Tochman of Trust Ventures, an investor in Stellar, alongside Acrew Capital, Fiat Ventures and Vera Equity.
Through Stellar’s subscription-based app, users’ payments for rent, utilities and streaming services help build their credit. Stellar reports monthly payments to major credit bureaus, while rewarding users with cash back for future bill payments.
“We don’t care if users don’t have a credit card or not, we designed the product to give them access to a line of credit,” Stellar’s Lamine Zarrad told ImpactAlpha. “They can almost instantly access thousands of dollars of credit after signing up.”
Stellar is working on features to provide tools and services to help users launch their own businesses. “Once we figure out the consumer product, the natural expansion for us is to start looking at small businesses,” said Zarrad.


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Retail inflation for farm workers and rural labourers fell to 11.19 per cent and 11.18 per cent respectively in December due to easing of food prices.
The respective rates of price rise were 13.43 per cent and 13.27 per cent in November last year.
The overall Consumer Price Index-Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and Consumer Price Index-Rural Labourers (CPI-RL) came down to 765 points and 766 points, respectively, in December from a level of 777 points for both in November, an official release said.
Inflation based on food index of CPI-AL and CPI-RL are 11.57 per cent and 11.23 per cent respectively during December, 2013, the release said.
The overall food inflation index for farm and rural workers came down to 752 points and 753 points in December from the levels of 771 points and 772 points respectively in November last year. Read More


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March 8, 2023: Kickstarter Reports, March 2023 Update
In 2022, we expanded our Kickstarter activities and we're showing no signs of slowing in 2023. Over the last few years, including those pre-pandemic years of 2018 and 2019, we have watched as the distribution network changed. Where once we could reliably produce a new game and then get a year or two to promote and sell the title, now far too many of our releases are one-and-done, making it more difficult to justify some of the smaller and stranger projects on our schedule.
Fortunately, Kickstarter has proven to be an incredible launchpad for ideas. From niche game expansions like The Rose Labyrinth to new editions of cult classics like Wiz-War, crowdfunding at Kickstarter has given us the opportunity to continue doing what we love best: making games. We continue to work at improving our processes and project management skills, and we know that no matter how hard we try, crowdfunding will always throw new wrenches into the gears to impact our plans. Still, despite a few delays, our overall track record is improving as we deliver more and more projects on – and sometimes ahead of – schedule.
What's next? Steve's Tabloids game (first mentioned here) is coming soonish, but we also have the Choose Cthulhu books (mentioned here), new Pocket Boxes, and more in the works. Before those, though, we have a Hack & Slash Kickstarter campaign that is scheduled to go live today. The Hack & Slash project will ship to Canada, the EU, the US, and the UK and is slated to run on our Warehouse 23 account.
That's more open projects than we've seen in a few months, but two of them are currently in the fulfillment stage, and the others are either at print or head to print soon. I personally feel good about the state of our active Kickstarter campaigns and I look forward to taking more ideas to the site every month this year.
For more news on upcoming projects, please join our mailing lists by visiting this page and signing on today!
-- Phil Reed
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Copyright © 2024 by Steve Jackson Games. All Rights Reserved.


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The C27F398 was only relased by Samsung five months ago. Newer PC screens like this one are likely to have better features.
In the last 49 days the price of the C27F398 has dropped by £28.02.
We calculated the average reviews for all Samsung LCD screens and also specifically for Samsung flatpanel monitors and found that in both cases Samsung had good reviews compared to other brands.
The Samsung C27F398 is not 3D. Most of the other recently released PC screens are also not 3D.
Like most of the other flatpanel monitors that have been around for the last year, the C27F398 does not have a built-in speaker(s).
Most flatpanel monitors that are a comparable age to the C27F398 do not have a built-in camera. The C27F398 is no exception to this as it too does not have a built-in camera.
Like most of the other PC monitors that came out around the same time as the C27F398, the Samsung C27F398 does not have a card reader integrated.


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Ford's Garage restaurant coming to Daytona's Tomoka Town Center
Restaurant to feature vintage 1920s Ford-themed decor; Chipotle also set to open
DAYTONA BEACH — Site work has begun on a new restaurant at Tomoka Town Center with a vintage 1920s-era Ford Motor Co. theme: Ford's Garage.
The eatery is set to go up just west of the Dave & Buster's restaurant/video arcade that opened earlier this year.
It will be the first Florida east coast location for the fast-growing Tampa-based chain.
"We're very excited to come to the Daytona community," said Marc Brown, president of both the Ford's Garage chain and its parent company 23 Restaurant Services, in a phone interview.
Brown said his company hopes to open its Daytona Beach restaurant by "late fourth quarter" and that it will employ approxomately 150 workers, 70 percent of which will be full time.
The chain's website describes its restaurants as a "neighborhood burger and beer joint" specializing in gourmet burgers and craft beers.
"Ford's Garage will give you the vibe of being in a 1920s service station to include vintage Ford vehicles, gas pumps, and fixtures," according to the website. "Our bars feature prohibition-style elements of old brick, rich wood, and a hand-hammered copper bar top."
Brown said prices for entrees at Ford's Garage range from $9.95 to $17.95. The menu for each of the chain's restaurants includes 12 "Hall of Fame" burgers named after prominent people in the community it services.
In addition, "We like to work with with craft brewers in each of the communities we're in to feature their craft beers," he said. "We offer over 150 different kinds of beer as well as wine and full liquor."
The standalone Ford's Garage restaurant at Tomoka Town Center will seat 280 diners at a time and will be just under 10,000 square feet in size, including an outdoor patio.
The chain opened its first location in 2012 in Fort Myers, less than a mile from where Ford Motor Co. founder Henry Ford had his winter home. It now has 12 locations, including one in Orlando that opened late last year, as well as one in Dearborn, Michigan, near the headquarters for Ford Motor Co. The chain is licensed by the automaker to be able to use its logo and imagery, Brown said.
The company last year raised $30 million in equity financing to accelerate its growth plans which call for expanding to at least 50 locations in multiple states in the coming years and possibly eventually going public, Brown confirmed.
John Albright, the president and CEO of Daytona Beach-based Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co., which sold the land where Ford's Garage is now being built to Tomoka Town Center developer North American Development Group, said he has visited one of the chain's restaurants in Tampa.
"It looks like an awesome presentation," Albright said, adding that the chain offers "higher-end fast-casual dining."
"They have a great presentation that's family-friendly," he said. "It's got more of a sit-down, almost diner feel."
Chipotle also coming
Construction is nearing completion on a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant immediately west of the planned Ford's Garage.
The Mexican fast-casual eatery at Tomoka Town Center is expected to open next month and has "Now Hiring" signs in its windows.
Chipotle is in a building along Cornerstone Boulevard that also includes a T-Mobile phone store.
Tomoka Town Center is a "power lifestyle" shopping center located directly east of Tanger Outlets, southeast of the Interstate 95/LPGA Boulevard interchange.


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Leafy greens company San Miguel Produce Inc., Oxnard, Calif., has redesigned its website with the goal of aiding consumers looking for recipes and health information on dark leafy greens.
Jan 07, 2020 by Chris Koger
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary, detailing results from 2018 tests of residues on produce and other items.
Dec 12, 2019 by Chris Koger
San Miguel Produce Inc., Oxnard, Calif., is introducing a line of Kale Chip Kits for consumers to make the healthy snacks at home.
Nov 06, 2019 by Chris Koger
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced that two Randsland brand kale products because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
Sep 25, 2019 by Chris Koger
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling Eat Smart brand Sweet Kale bagged salad kits from six provinces due to possible Listeria monocytogenes.
Jul 10, 2019 by Chris Koger


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One of every five beauty purchases online is made via the Amazon marketplace, according to a new report.
As it spreads quickly around the world, online local-deals distributor Groupon may getting too close for some people. One consumer advocacy group says it’s turning consumers’ cell phones into “spy phones” that collect information on consumers’ whereabouts even when they’re not logged onto Groupon.
As it storms the world with its local deal-making site, Groupon Inc. may be getting too familiar for some.
Last month Groupon sent an e-mail alerting subscribers that it may use their mobile devices to collect personal location information, even when subscribers are not logged onto a Groupon web site or mobile app. The changes come as Groupon expands the reach of its Groupon Now tool, which uses geolocation to offer deals to consumers based on their present locations.
Some consumer watchdogs are crying foul. "It makes a mobile device a spy phone for Groupon," says John Simpson, director of advocacy group Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project. "The consumer should have the ability to not be tracked when they close the app and don't want to be tracked."
Groupon says it collects the following types of personal information:
- Contact information, such as a consumer's name, postal addresses, e-mail addresses, social media account names and telephone numbers.
- Relationship information, including to whom a consumer has given a Groupon voucher as a gift, who has given a consumer a Groupon voucher, and information about friends who referred the consumer to Groupon.
- Transaction information that details how a consumer interacts with Groupon, including what offers he views, purchases and redeems.
- Financial information, such as a consumer's credit or debit card number, expiration date, and card verification number.
- Mobile location information, including where a consumer is located.
Groupon also says it shares subscribers' information with merchants to enable them to communicate with, and advertise to, customers. However, Groupon notes, "We encourage Groupon merchants and business partners to adopt and post privacy policies."