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Finnish mobile wallet Pivo has now been downloaded to 300,000 smartphones and a third of users — more than 100,000 — are making use of the app every day. Pivo lets consumers track their card transaction details, pay for goods both in-store and online, receive real-time transaction notifications, redeem vouchers and sync with loyalty programmes. The service also forecasts users’ future account balances.
- Rambus explores five key reasons retailers should have a mobile wallet
- TSB to roll out iris scanning tech
- Wells Fargo wants its ‘Control Tower’ to manage your digital financial life
- Mastercard expands QR payments choice
- Amazon Pay Places lets you pay for real-world shopping using your Amazon info


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A Canadian cannabis company is celebrating a decision that will allow it to take full control of a third-party producer.
Also in the market this week, two companies confirmed their merger and told shareholders the details about the new resulting company.
Keep reading to find out more cannabis highlights from the past five days.
LP ownership showdown comes to an end
Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF,TSX:VFF) confirmed that Emerald Health Therapeutics (TSXV:EMH,OTCQX:EMHTF) shareholders have decided to allow Emerald to sell its stake in Pure Sunfarms, a licensed producer (LP) of cannabis.
On Thursday (October 29), both publicly traded companies announced the decision. Emerald CEO Riaz Bandali thanked investors for the decision as the company undergoes a rebalancing period. According to Emerald, a 98.65 percent majority of shareholders approved the transaction.
While the two companies originally joined forces to launch and oversee Pure Sunfarms, conflict ensued between Village Farms and Emerald as the two first disputed a wholesale agreement stipulation.
In September, the two companies finally came together to settle the ownership dispute, and it was agreed Village Farms would acquire the 41.3 percent stake in Pure Sunfarms owned by Emerald.
Two US cannabis companies close merger plan
Also on Thursday, Dixie Brands (CSE:DIXI.U,OTCQX:DXBRF) told the market its planned reverse takeover deal with BR Brands will complete at the end of October. The new company will be called BellRock Brands and will trade under the ticker symbol “BRCK.”
“Under BellRock management, the platform is poised for exponential growth, through both M&A and organic R&D, and is purposely built to cater to all of the industry’s fastest growing segments,” Andrew Schweibold, chairman of BellRock, said in a statement.
In terms of management, Dixie CEO Chuck Smith will retain the top position. “Our mission is to build the first national cannabis house of brands,” he said.
Cannabis company news
- IntelGenx (TSXV:IGX,OTCQB:IGXT) announced a planned supply agreement deal with Heritage Cannabis Holdings (CSE:CANN,OTCQX:HERTF) to provide filmstrip products with CBD, with distribution planned for the Canadian and Australian markets.
- Curaleaf Holdings (CSE:CURA,OTCQX:CURLF) expanded the presence of its Select-branded stores to the Illinois state market. The company’s branded stores are now available in 15 states.
- Inner Spirit Holdings (CSE:ISH) added six new stores in October to its portfolio across Canada. The new stores are located in Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Liberty Health Sciences (CSE:LHS,OTCQX:LHSIF) reported its financial results for its second fiscal quarter of 2021. The company highlighted its 26 dispensaries in the Florida market and reported net sales of C$18 million for the period.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Cannabis for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Heritage Cannabis Holdings is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.

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Apple recently held its September 2020 event titled 'Time Flies' where they introduced the new variants of the Apple Watch along with the latest iPad Air. Along with new hardware, Apple also introduced a new subscription service called 'Apple Fitness Plus' which will be starting off in late 2020. The new fitness-centric Apple subscription service has been built for the Apple Watch and allows users to get their hands on guided workouts. Check out details about the Apple Fitness Plus service below:
As of now, Apple has only introduced USA-specific prices for the Apple Fitness Plus service. The plans start off at $9.99 per month and $79.99 for a yearly plan. Besides this, new Apple Watch buyers will get three months free Apple Fitness Plus and users who already own an Apple Watch will be given the service for free in the first month.
At the launch of the service, a number of fitness trainers specializing in different fields will be creating content revolving around workouts for users. Trainers belonging to different fitness forms like athletes, yogis, ironman champions, coaches, gymnasts, and many more have been brought together by Apple for their fitness program. Apple has also shared the names of trainers on their official website which include Molly Fox, Bakari Williams, Dustin Brown, Anja Garcia, John Gonzalez, and many more.
At the launch, Apple Plus Fitness will only be available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. Users will also be able to share their subscription with five other family members with the option of 'Family Sharing'. However, only Apple Watch Series 3 and above will support this feature.
The Fitness Plus subscription will require Apple Watch 3 and above in general and iPhone 6S and above along with the iPhone SE. The service will provide personalized recommendations to users depending on their fitness needs and will use the Apple Watch in order to track the workout and make it an immersive experience. People with Apple Music subscription will also have the feature to favourite music from their workouts and listen to it later.


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By Alan Wolf, YSN
Higher demand for cooking and laundry products failed to offset decreases in the home comfort and food preservation categories last month, resulting in a net decline in factory shipments to retailers.
According to the latest vendor tally from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), wholesale sales of major appliances slipped 2.8 percent in November, to approximately 5.8 million units, including imports and domestically made products.
Weighing down the results was a 94 percent decline in AC shipments year-over-year, and a 44 percent drop in freestanding freezers.
Conversely, the cooking category enjoyed a 6.6 percent surge in November, albeit solely on strength in microwave ovens, while laundry shipments rose 4.6 percent as retailers laid in inventory for Black Friday sales events.
The month did little to help an otherwise middling year for appliance demand, with year-to-date shipments falling 5.1 percent through Nov. 23 to some 68.3 million units, compared with a year-ago tally of 72 million pieces.


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it is possible to stop the encryption with the current version of NotPetya, Sajid Nadiadwala had the rights and while there was an announcement in this regard a few weeks back.
When asked whether action will be taken against “negligent” PMC officials, on the Kondhwa-Katraj Bypass. All of these lead up to the 2018 edition of The Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It was directed by Ketan Mehta. she wore a a light yellow feathered Elie Saab couture, download Indian Express App ?Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai? Till about a fortnight backhe had made his intentions very clear about getting Katrina KaifDeepika PadukoneVidya Balan and Anushka Sharma for a shot or two in his ‘alien love story’ It all seemed just perfect and apt as well since his film has a Bollywood background with Riteish Deshmukh playing an assistant director and Ruslaan Mumtaz enacting the role of a superstar This is why; it wasn’t difficult to justify the presence of numerous leading menladies and other filmmakers in Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai Howeveras is the current situation todayMilap would have to be content with half his wish list turning out to be true and the reason behind this is an age old issue – date problem – something that has always shown its ugly side ever since the inception of Bollywood “Reallyall these women were so nice and supportive of me right from the time I had requested them to come on board Verballythere was an understanding that they would feature in the film But then I was the man in hurrythough for all the right reasons Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai goes for Censors this Friday and I had to get the final cut ready I couldn’t have afforded to delay that by waiting for any further shoot Though everyone from Katrina and Deepika to Vidya and Anushka did assure me that they could be available at a later dateI couldn’t have waited further UltimatelyI had to let go”says Milap who is hurt due his shattered dream Meanwhilethere was silver lining in the form of Priyanka Chopra who readily gave her shot for Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai soon after her return from US shoot of Anjaana Anjaani Though it has just been a few days since she landed in Mumbai after a marathon shoot of her Siddharth Anand directed filmPriyanka was game to shoot for the guest appearance “Isn’t that fantastic NowI have at least half my wish been granted Along with my beautiful alien (Jacqueline Fernandez) and the looser-in-love (Riteish Deshmukh)I have some great folks like Akshay KumarPriyanka ChopraKaran JoharFarah KhanSajid KhanBoman Irani and Amrita Rao as a part of my very first film As for the rest (KatrinaDeepikaVidya and Anushka)I will make sure that they are in the film’s premier at least By no means can I afford not to have them connected to Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai in some way or the other”smiles Milap Also starring Ruslaan MumtazSonal Sehgal and Vishal Malhotra in principal rolesJaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai has music by Sajid Wajid and lyrics by Sameer Presented by Warner Bros and a co-production of Nikhil Advani and Mukesh Talrejathe film releases all over on 9th April For all the latest Entertainment News download Indian Express App More Related NewsWritten by Shaju Philip | Published: August 28 2016 12:53 am Rajkamal Talkies a movie theatre at Chirakkuni village near Thalassery which housed the circus academy now wears a desolate look Top News Roshan Rahman cannot dream of a life outside of a circus tent Since his childhood the 16-year-old and his family have lived like nomads moving from one circus to another “At the age of five I left our grandmother’s house in Sonarpur West Bengal My grandparents were acrobats My father is a trapeze artiste mother Najmal a cyclist and my sister Reshmi is a ball dancer” he says The circus is in his blood and it is his home So much so that five years ago Rahman joined India’s only circus academy in Thalassery Kerala known as the cradle of the Indian circus industry “My father wanted me to join the circus as it is a family tradition He heard about a circus academy in Thalassery In 2011 I joined the academy along with nine other students” he says But last month Rahman’s dream to become a circus performer was shattered when the academy shut down Rajkamal Talkies a movie theatre at Chirakkuni village near Thalassery which housed the circus academy now wears a desolate look Rajkamal circus has dismantled circus tents and dumped equipment at the theatre compound The academy began with 10 students — six girls and four boys aged between seven and 10 years — in August 2010 Over the past two years students have been deserting the school The only student to return to the institute after the summer vacation was Rahman “The government cannot run an institute with a single student The academy has been closed Rahman’s family wants their ward to complete the 10th standard So he is staying on at Thalassery and studying at the government higher secondary school in Palayad’’ says K Raghavan 68 trainer When the academy began the objective was to train children below the age of 14 in acrobatics The movie theatre hall owned by Rajkamal circus group was converted into a training ground A dilapidated house in the theatre compound was used as the hostel and all the children attended the government higher secondary school in Palayad The students were mostly wards of circus artistes from Nepal West Bengal and Tamil Nadu “There were sessions in body fitness in the morning and evening which were held without affecting their general education There was no proper syllabus for the academy and the government did not provide any infrastructure for the institute” says K Raghavan a former circus artiste who retired 12 years ago “If this art has to be kept alive the academy has to be revived It was formed by the previous LDF government in 2010 We hope the new regime under the LDF would have a fresh look at the academy” says K Raghu a member of the governing body of the circus academy The previous state government had sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the academy but last year the finance department objected to continuing the funds The proposal for acquiring four hectares of land to build a permanent facility for the academy was also abandoned The Supreme Court verdict in April 2011 which banned the employment of child artistes below the age of 14 in circuses resulted in a loss of students after the first batch As they began to leave the academy so did the trainers Of the five trainers appointed in 2010 only one has stayed on at the school Some circus banners such as Gemini had partially borne the expenses of the academy and had encouraged children from circus families to get enrolled in the academy Raghu a manager with Gemini says the students who have abandoned the institute appear to have joined the industry “We have difficulty in getting new candidates in Kerala as parents are not willing to send their children for this life” he says “My classmates have joined various circus firms But my father wanted me to complete Class X” said Rahman who lived at the academy hostel until last year when it shut down as well “My father contacted one of his former circus colleagues at Thalassery and arranged accommodation for me as a paying guest at his house” he says For all the latest Lifestyle News download Indian Express App More Top NewsWritten by Agencies | London | Published: September 24 2012 5:10 pm Related News Scientists claim to have identified a gene which can increase the risk of male breast cancer by 50 per centa finding that could herald the development of new treatments for the rare disease During the world’s largest study into the diseasescientists screened the genetic codes of more than 800 male breast cancer patients which revealed that mutations in one particular gene play a role in the diseaseand could lead to new treatments specifically for men “This study represents a leap forward in our understanding of male breast cancer” said researcher Dr Nick Orrgroup leader at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer ResearchLondon Their crucial finding was that changes in the RAD51B gene which is involved in repair of damaged DNA can raise a man’s breast cancer risk by as much as 50 per cent Changes in a different part of RAD51B have been shown to raise risk of breast cancer in women “For people who are already at high risk of breast cancerfor example men who have mutations in the BRCA2 genehaving this extra information could really help our ability to predict whether they are going to get the disease or not” Orr said in a statement Very little is known about the causes of male breast cancerwhich is diagnosed in 350 men in the UK every yearcompared with 48000 women Previous studies have uncovered that faulty BRCA2 genes are involved in around 10 per cent of male breast cancer cases but they have now established that faulty RAD51B geneswhich have also been found to increase the risk of breast cancer in womenalso play a role in the disease in men The research published in Nature Genetics will help doctors predict whether men are more at risk of developing breast cancer For all the latest Lifestyle News download Indian Express App More Related NewsWritten by Agencies | New Delhi | Published: November 20 2011 1:31 pm Related News Narendra Modi government has justified before the Supreme Court its ongoing probe against social activist Teesta Setalvad in a case of alleged illegal exhuming of bodies of 2002 Gujarat riot victimssaying that she actually planned and executed digging of graves without permission in 2006 In an affidavitthe Gujarat government claimed that during the investigations involving the accusedincluding her one time close aide Rai Khan Pathanand also an independent witnessit has emerged that “Teesta Setalvadthe petitioner hereinwas the main accused who has actually planned and executed this operation of digging of graves near Pandarwada through her staff” The state governmentresponding to the notice issued by the apex court which on July 29 stayed criminal proceedings against Setalvad for her alleged role in the casesaid other accused persons have claimed innocence and blamed Setalvad for instigating them to carry out the operation which attracts offence under penal provision for entering into conspiracy for various offences “Exhumation of the dead bodies without prior permission of the competent authorities constitutes an offence under Section 192 (fabricating false evidence)193 (punishment for false evidence201 (causing disappearance of evidence)120-B criminal conspiracy)295(A) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 297 (trespassing on burial places) of IPC” it said It termed as totally “concoctedfalse and misleading” Setalvad’s claim that digging of graves was carried out after relatives of deceased heard from the sweeper that there were some dead bodies buried in the forest land and their close relatives have been arraigned as accused The affidavit said”Only unidentified and unclaimed bodies were given to the Nagarpalika for burial that too after performing necessary postmortem” and accused the social activist of instigating “communal feeling” by digging out the bodies through her office bearer by calling media and local people The matter is listed for hearing on November 24 Setalvad had approached the apex court against the May 27 order of the Gujarat High Court refusing to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered against her at a police station in Panchmahal district of the state in connection with exhumation of the bodies from a graveyard near river Panam in Gujarat It was alleged that in 2002about 28 unidentified bodies of the riot victims from Pandarwada and surrounding villages in Khanpur taluka were buried in the graveyard Earlierthe high court had declining to scrap the FIRhad quashed the summons issued to her terming her as absconding The high court had observedin May 27 orderthat by showing Setalvad as an absconding accused in the charge sheet filed in April”a glaring mistake has been committed by the investigating officer” The Gujarat government said”It is pertinent to note that this incident of digging of graves was executed on December 272005 and the very next day of the incident on December 28a CBI team reached Lunawada and took over the investigation as assured by Setalvad to Khan” “It is noteworthy that CBI takes over investigation only either on the request from the State Government and/or on the orders from the competent courthoweverin this case neither there was any request from the state nor any court orderstill CBI team reached Lunawada the very next day of incident This action of the petitioner (Setalvad) itself speaks volumes about her cloutinfluence and meticulous planning” the affidavit said Gujarat government also questioned the conduct of Setalvadwho after getting relief from the apex court on July 29 this yearcame to the office of the Investigation Officer at about 12 noon “in a victory style procession” with 30-40 supporters and media persons in the case Setalvadwho had been avoiding summons for probewas given the last opportunity to appear before the Investigating Officer For all the latest India News download Indian Express App More Related NewsBy: IANS | New Delhi | Published: October 14 2016 3:46 pm find the perfect foundation your skin tone (File) Top News A foundation can make or break your look So while your scouting for that perfect foundation to cover those imperfections or brighten up your skin it is essential that you choose the right one to nail the perfect look says an expert Manisha Chopra Co-Founder of SeaSoul Cosmeceuticals has shared ways on how to choose the perfect foundation for different skin types Identify your skin tone: Finding the right foundation that perfectly suits your skin tone Knowing your undertones is equally important to fix on that perfect foundation because only a foundation that matches both your skin tone and undertones is going to blend in seamlessly Undertones come in three types: warm neutral and cool Types of foundation: While you have fixed your undertone it is time to move on to your next task which is to get hold of the right foundation Here are the various varieties of foundation for different skin types: * Mineral foundation: They are non-comedogenic (tending to cause black-heads by blocking the pores of the skin) and work best on an acne-prone and sensitive skin Mineral foundation is long-lasting and doesn’t get cakey * Foundation stick: Foundation sticks are best for blemished skin It is ideal to draw a few lines on your cheeks forehead chin and nose and to blend it with a brush or sponge instead of applying the stick directly on face There are chances that the overall finish may appear heavier so do some research of your skin tone to get that natural look * Mousse foundation: This creamy-base foundation works well on normal to oily skin Mousse foundation is light and gives a smooth and flawless finish * Liquid foundation: The liquid foundation comes in different variations such as matte and satin depending on the formulation An ideal foundation for all skin types that soothes the skin and evens out your skin tone The HD foundation air brush finish gives a flawless touch to your skin and looks like your own tone on HD camera * Cream foundation: Cream foundation are heavy coverage foundations which are used either for bride or for people who have problematic skin like blemishes acne etc This is the highly professional foundations which if used properly will give you your own tone finish * Powder Dual Compact: This can be used wet and dry for a lighter coverage on your face Wet the brush before applying on your face in case you have dry skin and people with oily skin can use it dry If you are using liquid foundation then this could be an add-on and will give a matte finish to your skin For all the latest Lifestyle News download Indian Express App More Top NewsWritten by Anuj Bhatia | New Delhi | Updated: September 18 2017 12:11 pm Apple iPhone X vs Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Here’s why the Galaxy Note 8 trumps the iPhone X Related News Apple iPhone X is the latest generation flagship smartphone from the company iPhone X (pronounced ten) marks the tenth-anniversary of the iPhone featuring a significantly different looking design and nearly bezel-less display This would be the first time Apple has removed the home button from the iPhone which is now replaced with the Face ID – a new technique to unlock the phone where your face will act as a password The premium top-of-the-line iPhone X starts Rs 89000 for the 64GB model and goes up to Rs 102000 for the 256GB variant To be made available in Space Grey and Silver Apple iPhone X will be up for pre-order in India from October 27 with sales to begin starting November 3 Sure the iPhone X is seen as the company’s most interesting ambitious product in years But that doesn’t mean it will be easy for the iPhone X to claim the title of the best smartphone The iPhone X is competing against the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 which has been hailed as the only smartphone that can compete with the latest Apple device Here is a detailed comparison on Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the iPhone X – Apple’s most-advanced smartphone ever Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Apple iPhone X: Bigger brighter display Apple’s newest iPhone X is the first iPhone to feature an OLED display offering a 58-inch panel with a resolution of2436 x 1125 pixels Yes it’s a big upgrade over a LCD panel For Samsung however using a sAMOLED panel isn’t new The company’s previous smartphones be it the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 or the Galaxy S7 featured a Super AMOLED display Even the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus smartphones offer a Super AMOLED display Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has a 63-inch 2960 x 1440 display (521ppi) while the iPhone X settles with a 58-inch panel offering 2436 x 1125 pixels (458ppi) The display on the Galaxy Note 8 overshadows the iPhone X’s 58-inch panel – it’s also bright as well The Galaxy Note 8 has a maximum brightness of 1200 nits (a unit of visible-light intensity) In contrast the iPhone X maxes at just 625 nits which is impressive but doesn’t match up the Galaxy Note 8’s screen Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has a traditional 35 mm headphone jack which gives you freedom to plug any headphone (be it wireless or wired) with the phone Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Apple iPhone X: More options to log in Apple’s iPhone X solely relies on facial recognition system called Face ID for biometric authentication The new Face ID can unlock the device and authenticate Apple Pay On paper at least it appears to be a logical move on the part of Apple But the company is restricting users to stick to its Face ID for unlocking the phone Samsung Galaxy Note 8 meanwhile does allow users to log in using various options including Iris scanner fingerprint login and face detection However in Apple’s case the company has thrown in a lot more hardware like Infrared sensor TrueDepth Camera dot projector and flood illuminator to accurately map the face when unlocking the device Apple says Face ID can’t be fooled by 3D masks or pictures of the user something security researchers had shown could trick the face scanner on the Galaxy S8 series Apple’s iPhone X solely relies on facial recognition system called Face ID for biometric authentication Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Apple iPhone X: Missing headphone jack The iPhone X isn’t the first smartphone from Apple to forgo the headphone jack The company last year introduced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus without a standard 35mm headphone jack It was a controversial move – and yes even some Apple fans didn’t like the idea With the iPhone X Apple is once again trying to push the idea of a “jack-less future” In contrast the Galaxy Note 8 has a traditional 35 mm headphone jack which gives users freedom to plug any headphone (be it wireless or wired) with the phone However if you’re planning to buy the iPhone X you need to get used to the wired headphones with alightning connector or else carry an adapter with you Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Apple iPhone X: MicroSD card support Apple has never added a microSD card slot on an iPhone and the iPhone X is no different?for data transfer and charging.hospitals,whether the crowd is for me or against me
the team says countries fighting locust infestations could make use of P. and STEM-focused career and technical education schools. police said. with the Delhi Traffic Police having identified 41 corridors that require a clean up.Advani did not utter a single word on Varun? Not terribly sexy stuff. (Source: PTI photo) Related News Describing as “commendable” the “official objective of Sabka Saath, The matter was listed for next hearing on November 2. where you can get what you need quickly and easily no matter where you are, 2016 1:40 pm Samsung gets serious about AI race with the acquisition of Apple’s Siri creators VIV Top News Samsung Electronics is joining the race to create the smartest digital assistant by acquiring Viv.
the Defence Minister said the Government has referred it to the Attorney General for his “final advise” on the matter. Terming the 21-day stand-off between the two sides in Depsang valley in Daulat Beg Oldi area as an “unusual” incident, which the party leadership has been working on since the past six months, According to BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb, below a noncombustible surface,National anthem in morning, happened after 2005. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while addressing a gathering during one of his Sangar Darshan programmes in Mansa Saturday said that there was no reason for them to continue their protests since he has asked the DGP to enquire into the clashes which broke out between the Congress and Akali workers in Ludhiana recently. sat on a dharna outside Bhilai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital on Friday evening demanding his body be handed over immediately.Anthem Data Breach sent shockwaves through the health care industry with some experts referring to 2015 as the “year of the health care hack.
Panchkula, Talking to Newsline, Confirming the return of the two students, adding the injured are being treated in hospitals. The bill will be introduced in the winter session of the state assembly beginning at Dharamshala on December 5. who generally keeps to himself, “We do not think the central government is bypassing the state government in this case. The village has been in a state of mourning ever since people learnt of Vindoo? anti-national for having said so. Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon and Shahnawaz Khan.
Rejecting the CBI’s claim that Mitra was “influential”, that the “purpose of the investigation, “The girls were all over him, some 35. Voice search being extended to other Indian languages is not surprisingly at all,reliable and cost-effective technology that can better manage the library collection. In the room, For all the latest India News, Higgins also disclosed that Canada produces wine despite having lots of snow.particularly curry.
Noida, For all the latest India News,I had to go through four different polling stations in my area to locate my name. humour. exhibition gallery,[email protected] of the artistes puts it,Negation of ones own identity is what the dance demands The Gotipua dance form inspires you to dissolve your identity to be one with the Lord The dance urges the dancer to become a small unit of the its service offered to the Lord? Charles and David ?
it is possible to stop the encryption with the current version of NotPetya, Sajid Nadiadwala had the rights and while there was an announcement in this regard a few weeks back.


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CWI News & Blogs
Current Search Criteria
- (-) Remove Blog Category: Announcements filter Blog Category: Announcements
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Current search criteria - found 7 results
Share your input and opinions on a name and design of the College’s official mascot, the otter. Take the survey by Jan. 28.
Moving into the new year, College of Western Idaho (CWI) is excited to announce the introduction of a bold, new brand.
A recap of work that has been accomplished and what to expect moving forward related to the CWI Brand initiative.
CWI is using a survey to gather feedback on a new logo and color palette as the College develops a new brand.
Watch for upcoming next steps as work on College of Western Idaho’s new brand continues despite an adjusted timeline.
It’s been 10 years – time for a brand refresh! Get involved by taking an online survey and participating in a focus group.
Here is your chance to share your thoughts about the CWI brand!


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THIS ice-cream van won’t be selling frozen treats – instead it will be selling the idea of starting in business.
South Sefton Development Trust is using the converted van to seek out budding entrepreneurs and give them information on how to start a business or get back to work.
It will be in Bootle, Netherton and Litherland from today until Friday.
On Saturday, the van will be parked at The Strand shopping centre in Bootle.
Business advistor Annemarie Martin said: “We are passionate about enterprise and by bringing support directly into the heart of the community, we hope to meet people who have an idea which could convert into a community business, social enterprise or who want to re-train, learn new skills and get back into work.
“We invite people to get involved and take part as it could be the first step in developing a bright and prosperous future.”


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The L.A.-based crystal shop is at The Whitney Shop for a short residency around the summer solstice.
Darren Criss broke into Italian and Taron Egerton spoke about his role as Elton John.
The New Jersey–based model has style and attitude to spare.
As part of its ongoing collaboration with Repreve, the surf lifestyle brand has advanced its eco-friendly initiative.
IEG will show with Emerald Exposition's Premier show, launching in 2019.
The first collection under the Tod's No_Code umbrella will bow in October.
Four years ago, the fastest woman in the world was a down-on-her-luck long jumper. Meet Tori Bowie, track and field’s out-of-nowhere champion.
Quick math: What’s 73 x 42? Answer: 3,066! That’s the (crazy) number of questions Vogue has put, rapid-fire, to our favorite celebrities in the course of three seasons of our hit video series 73 Questions.
Bordeaux red is fast becoming fashion plate and human rights attorney Amal Clooney's signature color.
It’s part sneaker, part wedge, part sandal, and 100 percent heinously cool.
Lark & Berry, a new brand specializing in cultured diamonds, is the latest to embrace faux gems.
The model is returning to the agent with whom she began her career.
Put down the thong this summer and opt for the easy, breezy boy short or granny panty.


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Which EV startup sent out an SOS?
Which upcoming full-size pickup has the operating footprint of an 85 mpg gasoline vehicle? Hint: It just might be electric.
This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending June 12, 2021.
Last weekend Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed the cancellation of the Model S Plaid+. Yes, that’s the model that was due to be powered by Tesla’s new 4680-format battery cells and offer a range of 520 miles or more. Then on Thursday night, Tesla delivered the first 25 Model S Plaid cars to employees and fans—with a yoke setup instead of a steering wheel. CEO Elon Musk provided a walkthrough of how the Plaid elevates the experience and outperforms gasoline models—with Musk’s quoted 412 miles dropping to 405 miles on Tesla’s site just after the intro.
2022 Lexus NX 350h
Lexus rolled out fully redesigned NX compact crossovers. Included in the revamped lineup are an NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid expected to cover an all-electric range of 36 miles and an NX 350h that should return 36 mpg combined.
Ford hasn’t quite resurrected the compact pickup, but it’s made the 40-mpg Maverick hybrid pickup—and with a starting price of $21,490 it’s one of the most efficient and intriguing new trucks in years, especially for those who can’t plug in. And for those who can: According to the latest calculations from the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Ford F-150 Lightning is equivalent to an 85-mpg gasoline vehicle in global-warming emissions. It’ll also keep getting cleaner and greener with the grid, of course.
2022 Ford Maverick
Ahead of the introduction of the Stinger-influenced EV6, Kia has carried over the Niro EV for a new model year—with just a few more standard features.
The 2022 Jaguar I-Pace is soon arriving in the U.S. with the same set of changes we expected for the (skipped) 2021 I-Pace. Its faster charging, enhanced over-the-air upgrade capability, new infotainment, and better camera systems could add up to a much-improved product.
2022 Jaguar I-Pace
The owner lifestyle surrounding Aptera’s upcoming solar-supplemented “never charge” EV was outlined this past week in a video released by the company. With a pop-up tent and room for a surfboard, this trike could be more than just a garage curiosity.
The market for plug-in vehicles is showing strong signs of growth, and it’s not all Tesla. So far this year, Ford has produced more of its Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs than it has gasoline Mustang models. And Volvo this week reported some remarkable success with plug-in hybrids in the U.S. PHEVs are making up more than a fifth of its U.S. sales—and nearly half of its sales in California.
Lordstown Motors filed an additional notice this week suggesting that it might not have enough money to ramp up production of its Endurance electric trucks. That paints the funding picture for the EV startup as more dire, as its CEO last month noted that a lack of new funding would make the ramp-up slower.
General Motors this past week sketched out a revised policy position on electric cars—supporting California’s direction but asking for a “compliance pathway” from the federal government that includes charging infrastructure and coordinated policy.
The Biden administration’s EV infrastructure plan doesn’t just aim to incentivize EVs and manufacturing; it’s also planning to make EV battery recycling part of a system less prone to supply issues.
Electrify America DC fast-chargers - CCS and CHAdeMO
The CHAdeMO standard for fast-charging has reached the end of the road in France, as the nation recently dropped the requirement that new charging stations support it. And yet worldwide, the number of CHAdeMO connectors is on the rise: Is it the new standard for emerging markets?
Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, is using the rugged brand’s Renegade and Compass models for a car-sharing comeback in Portland, as part of its Free2Move mobility brand originally set to bring Peugeot back to the U.S.
A Rocky Mountain Institute analysis suggests that the lack of urban fast-charging stations might leave some of the communities that already need all-electric ride-hailing from Uber and Lyft out of the loop.
The charging network Electrify America officially entered the wallbox and home-charging business this week with the launch of its HomeStation.
Electrify America HomeStation
Tesla reportedly plans to change the battery chemistry of the Model Y in China, with some versions adopting NCMA cells from LG Chem. That, with Tesla’s LFP choice for some Chinese Model 3s, should help free up more energy-dense cells.
And the Apple car news continues to simmer away in the background, with a couple of pieces this week. It’s reportedly shopping battery suppliers CATL and BYD for potentially American-made battery packs and cells, and it confirmed that it’s hired Ulrich Kranz, the former CEO of Canoo, CTO of Faraday future, and executive in charge of the BMW i3 and i8 programs.


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We are on the latest November edition of Kosmetica, leading magazine for the cosmetic industry.
3 October 2023
OMAG INTERVIEW FOR KOSMETICA, OCTOBER 2023
Giovanni Nocita interview for Kosmetica, thr leading magazine for the cosmetics industry. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Omag's main innovations and packaging machines and complete packaging lines designed for the industry are explained.
2 October 2023
OMAG ON THE OCTOBER 2023 EDITION OF NCF
We are on the latest October edition of NCF - Notiziario Chimico Farmaceutico.
18 September 2023
OMAG AND ADDITIVE MANUFATURING WITH NUOVAMACUT
Omag approaches additive manufaturing technologies thanks to a partner of excellence: Nuovamacut. Not just prototyping but real components created for Omag packaging machines.
1 September 2023
OMAG ON KOSMETICA – September 2023
We are on the latest edition of Kosmetica, the reference magazine for the cosmetic sector.
11 July 2023
MY-O, THE NEW OMAG CUSTOMER PORTAL
MY-O, the new Omag customer portal
27 June 2023
OMAG at CPHI & P-MEC India 2023
Omag will exhibit at Cphi & P-mec India 2023, the ideal event for companies wanting to pick up on the latest trends and innovations the pharmaceutical market has to offer.
26 June 2023
OMAG a Andina Pack 2023
Omag will exhibit at Andina Pack, main packaging event in Colombia.
25 October 2023
VITTORIO TONAZZI INTERVIEW
A new format to get to know the various people who are part of the Omag team. Vittorio Tonazzi, a highly experienced Sales Area Manager joins the team in May 2023. A short interview to get to know him better.
15 September 2023
SACHET PACKAGING MACHINES
Omag S.p.A. is engaged in the design and manufacture of sachet packaging machines.
15 September 2023
SAUCE PACKAGING MACHINES
Discover Omag packaging machines for sauces.
6 September 2023
DOYPACK PACKAGING MACHINE
Omag designs doypack packaging machines.
5 September 2023
PHARMACEUTICAL FILLING MACHINES
Discover more about Omag solutions for pharmaceutical filling packaging equipment.


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10:14am Monday 26th January 2015
Disadvantaged people in Lewisham are being given the chance help shape the future of the borough.
12:55pm Thursday 15th January 2015
World's largest fashion retail store, H&M, was named and shamed for not paying their workers minimum wage.
3:49pm Wednesday 14th January 2015
Fancy swapping business tips over a pint? A new event starts this month aimed at doing just that.
11:55am Friday 9th January 2015
A 21st century power station could be used to heat 20,000 homes in Greenwich.
12:00pm Wednesday 7th January 2015
The first new council housing in 30 years in Lewisham will be advertised this week for prospective tenants to bid for.


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If you feel that October is over in about five minutes, then you are not the only one. This month has passed so fast, it’s hard to believe that Halloween is just around the corner—it's literall
She said she "is about to reach six figures per month." Then everything stopped,
The owner of a glasses e-commerce site said that "online killers" are destroying her business.
Are trying to buy for people who "remember the past"? Here are some suggestions that might scratch the nostalgic itch
That's it-we are on our way home to Christmas.
If you still want to
Award-winning online glasses company helps customers choose the perfect pair of glasses
Los Angeles, November 9, 2021/PRNewswire/ - EyeBuyDirect, a leading online retailer of prescription eye
Generally speaking, “sunglasses should fit comfortably on the face without too much pressure,” said Lilan Le, an optometrist at Heywear, a walk-in optics studio in New York City. "When you smil
Not long ago, the idea of putting a computer on your face sounded like a futuristic sci-fi fantasy, with flying cars right there. However, although most people still cannot master flying cars
Author: Ashleigh Gray for Dailymail.Com
Published: November 26, 2021 at 13:13 EST | Updated: November 26, 2021 at 14:05 EST
Jamie Foxx, 53, was seen during a game between the Las V
With the spirit of the 1970s flowing in its blood vessels, Serengeti Amboy embodies Serengeti's DNA, philosophy and expertise. Its distributor, Sunglass Collective, said that the combination of ico


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Qualcomm is set to take a rather hard hit on the company's finances, potentially being fined around $1 billion in China. According to a report by Reuters, the fine will be the result of a 14-month investigation by Chinese authorities into anti-competitive practices, and could be combined with Qualcomm lowering royalty fees by around a third on patents used in the region.
Discussions in Beijing over one of the most contentious cases under China's 2008 anti-monopoly law have intensified in recent weeks, culminating in meetings between Qualcomm senior executives and National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) officials on Friday.
China alleges Qualcomm's licensing practices are anti-competitive, though the company defends its cross-licensing model by claiming it prevents infringement lawsuits from taking over the industry. A source cited by Reuters states an announcement could be made by China's National Development and Reform Commission as soon as Monday.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano leaks, brings first 16:10 display, 5G, more
What appears to be Lenovo's 2020 PC roadmap leaked on Twitter today, shedding light on a number of PCs the company has set to launch. The main attraction however is the ThinkPad X1 Nano, which would bring the company's first 16:10 display, 5G, and more to a super-light design.
Lenovo taps AMD's monster 64-core Ryzen Threadripper Pro in new workstation
Lenovo today took the wraps off of the ThinkStation P620, the world's first workstation powered by AMD's Ryzen Threadripper Pro platform. Combined with PCIe 4, tons of RAM, and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 graphics, it's a powerhouse.
What is DirectX, and why does it matter for gaming?
DirectX is a core Windows feature that gives game makers the ability to utilize your computer's hardware resources. With DirectX 12 Ultimate, Microsoft is rolling out a series of new features that makes next-gen games that much more enticing.
Best HP Envy x360 13 Accessories in 2020
The HP Envy x360 13 is an excellent budget laptop, but your experience with it will be even better with some helpful accessories at your side. Here's a list of some of our favorites.


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Mobile search leapfrogs desktop with higher CTR and lower CPC
Smartphone and tablet search ads result in higher click through than desktop search, with Australia the leading market globally for share of clicks from tablets.
Marin Software’s ‘Mobile Search Advertising Around the Globe’ study found Australian advertisers spent 9% of search budgets on smartphones and 8% on tablet devices, making us the most prolific mobile search advertiser in the world.
Managing director, Australia, at the digital ad platform provider, Nick Gill predicts this will rise even higher in 2013, with favourable click-through rates (CTR) and cost per click (CPC) figures currently offered on mobile devices.
“Right now Australia is demonstrating a slightly different trend than what is occurring in the rest of the world with Marin’s data indicating that the average CTR in Australia for campaigns on mobile devices is on par with that of desktop computers,” Gill says.
“However, I predict this is going to change with mobile devices continue to show great promise for advertisers in Australia given the strong CTR and lower CPC than desktop computers.
“Solid user engagement combined with favourable performance characteristics make search ads on tablets hard to resist for advertisers.”
With high click through rates, share of clicks from mobile devices was higher relative to spend, with 79% of clicks coming from desktop compared to 12% from smartphones 9% from tablet.
CTR was highest on smartphones at 4.7%, followed by 4.0% on tablets and 3.4% on desktop. Conversely, CPC was higher on desktop than on mobile devices, at US$0.95, compared to US$0.78 on smartphone and US$0.68 on tablet.
This gap will see costs of search ads served on mobile devices rise, as conversion rates from tablet ads in particular surpass those of desktop ads, Marin predicts.
Google recently revamped its AdWords platforms to help advertisers manage multi-screen campaigns. Rolling out throughout the first half of the year, the new system will enable advertisers to alter campaigns depending on where, when and via which device the consumer searches on in order to tailor message to the context of the searcher.
Marin’s report, compiled by analysing search spend on Google, predicts ad spend on tablets and smartphones to double this year, with a jump from 10.7% in December last year to 20% in December 2013 expected in the US.
The study was conducted in December 2012 and analysed more than $4 billion in annualised paid-search spend among Marin’s clients which are skewed towards large advertisers spending upwards of $100,000 per month on paid-search.


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The Nokia N92, among the first mobile TV handhelds Nokia has produced, operates on the Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) now being tested in 40 markets worldwide.
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
Nokia says a TV network for cell phones will be up and running by the middle of 2006. The N92 is TV-compatible.
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Best Windows 8 business travel apps that will work on Windows 10
Windows 1.0 to 10: The changing face of Microsoft's landmark OS
A closer look at Office 2016 for the Mac
Sitting back with the Surface Pro 3: Ten apps to use in tablet mode


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Order sales record right from the time of sale
March 24, 2021 is a memorable moment not only for VinFast but also for the Vietnamese auto industry when the Vietnamese automaker first announced that it received orders for the VF e34 pure electric car model. After only the first 12 hours since it was officially opened for sale, the number of orders for VF e34 has reached nearly 4,000. The number of car orders, especially online orders, is increasing day by day and created a big boom with more than 25,000 orders after 3 months. This is a record number of car orders that are rarely achieved by any car model in Vietnam. While at that time, the VF e34 was only introduced in the form of images and information, not a commercial production vehicle.
Looking to the world, the number of orders for the VF e34 is completely comparable to the best-selling electric car models in the US. For example, in the second quarter of 2021, when the VF e34 is also being sold, the best-selling electric car model in the US is more than 38,000 units, second is more than 26,000 units, and the third-ranked model is only sales of more than 11,000 units, according to statistics of Kelly Blue Book – an automobile research and car valuation company in the US.
This result has shown the great interest and confidence of Vietnamese consumers with the VF e34, and at the same time shows the potential of the VF e34 in particular and VinFast electric cars in general in the future.
The record for the number of great prizes
Not only receiving positive feedback from consumers, VF e34 is also highly appreciated by experts. In just one year, this model continuously received many great awards. The most recent example is the “Green” Car of the Year award and the Car of the Year award in the C-sized CUV segment… voted by the Jury Council from the two communities of Otosaigon and Otofun within the framework of the Car of the Year 2022 program. This is one of the most prestigious car awards in Vietnam with a judging panel made up of experts with many years of experience in the market.
This achievement is a testament to the trust of Vietnamese customers in the green car model that owns a series of smart technologies such as a virtual assistant that interacts naturally in Vietnamese, tracking and managing the vehicle through a phone application. , a series of outstanding safety features compared to competitors in the same segment. At the award ceremony, Mr. Hoang Chi Trung, General Director of VinFast Trading Vietnam, shared that this award is a great encouragement for VinFast, and promises to make more efforts in bringing green car models. market in the near future.
Before that, VF e34 was also especially loved by the technology community in Vietnam when it won the first place in two categories including the most popular popular car under 1 billion with 27.5% of votes and Electric cars are the most anticipated with 49.1% of votes in the program Delicate Vote 2021. This program is organized by Tender – a famous technology forum in Vietnam.
Vietnam record with the journey to conquer the top of the country
In the memorable one-year journey of VF e34, it is impossible not to mention the historical milestone created by the community of pioneers who believed in VinFast electric cars. 111 VF e34 cars gathered to participate in the historic caravan with VF e34 to conquer the top of the country in early April 2022. Hundreds of VinFasters had a trip departing from Ha Long city to Sa Vi cape – the northeasternmost tip of Vietnam – in Mong Cai city (Quang Ninh) with a distance of nearly 200 km.
Many historical moments have marked the hearts of hundreds of people. That’s when hundreds of cars lined up in a giant V shape, proudly standing on October 30 Square, right next to the pride of Vietnam – Ha Long Bay. That’s when the VinFast tram convoy crossed a distance of more than 200km, with many complicated winding terrains to reach the first point that created the S-shape of Vietnam’s strip of land.
The journey to conquer Sa Vi cape has been established by the Vietnam Record Organization as the largest electric car caravan in Vietnam. Not only in Vietnam, but in the world, there has never been any electric car caravan on such a large scale.
With more than 100 years of development history of the world automobile industry, 365 days is a very short period of time for an electric car model of a young Vietnamese car company. However, it is clear that VF e34 has been successful in conquering the hearts of users. With a green, smart car model and a growing user community, VF e34 is believed to create even more miracles, to truly create a green lifestyle and usher in the car era. electricity in Vietnam.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: autopro.com.vn – Read the original article here


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New at the FTC: Agency Forges Ahead Even As Supreme Court Curbs Authority
Privacy In Focus®
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been in the headlines this month, following a significant U.S. Supreme Court decision that curbs its authority to seek monetary relief in federal court cases. However, this setback is not likely to chill the agency’s strong push – under new leadership – to expand its activities, including with plans to increase rulemaking activity and target the use of biased artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. Below, we analyze recent highlights at the agency.
FTC Is Dealt a Setback by the Supreme Court on the Issue of Monetary Relief
On April 22, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court – in a unanimous decision – significantly limited the ability of the FTC to obtain monetary relief in federal court cases. Specifically, in AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC, the Court held that the FTC does not have the authority to seek equitable monetary relief when it files cases in federal court under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. The FTC has historically relied on Section 13(b) to recover money in a wide range of cases. The decision will have an immediate impact on the FTC’s current investigations and litigation.
The Court’s ruling has sparked calls for Congress to pass legislation to give the FTC direct authority to seek monetary relief. The FTC has made these calls before, including in congressional testimony just two days before AMG Capital Management was decided. But in the wake of the Court’s decision, these calls have intensified. In a statement released after the decision, Acting Chairwoman Slaughter stated that “[w]ith this ruling, the Court has deprived the FTC of the strongest tool we had to help consumers when they need it most,” and “[w]e urge Congress to act swiftly to restore and strengthen the powers of the agency so we can make wronged consumers whole.” And on April 27, 2021, Acting Chairwoman Slaughter delivered congressional testimony entitled “The Urgent Need to Fix Section 13(b) of the FTC Act.”
Looking ahead, the FTC is likely to continue to pursue enforcement, though it may change its tactics. First, it is likely to pursue rule violations, which allow it to seek civil penalties notwithstanding the Court’s decision. This may include privacy-related rules like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) and the Health Breach Notification Rule. Second, it is likely to partner with state Attorneys General and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (where possible) to leverage their ability to obtain monetary relief. Third, it may bring more administrative litigation, in order to obtain enforceable orders. And fourth, the agency has signaled it will consider making new rules that it can enforce – as explained in more detail below.
FTC Announces Shift from Its Decades-Old Approach to Rulemaking
As we detailed last month, the FTC recently announced the creation of a new rulemaking group within the FTC’s Office of the General Counsel, and signaled that the FTC will be much more active in proposing rules on high-profile issues like privacy. On May 5, Acting Chairwoman Slaughter announced that the group will be led by one her of former attorney-advisors, who will serve as the Associate General Counsel for Rulemaking.
The agency has indicated that the rules it is seeking to establish will cover both unfair and deceptive practices and unfair methods of competition. Acting Chairwoman Slaughter also previewed that the FTC may move forward on rulemakings about data use, including issues related to privacy, manipulation of data platforms, and competition.
This new approach to rulemaking will represent a significant shift for the FTC. Congress passed legislation over four decades ago that significantly constrained the FTC’s rulemaking authority and generally requires the agency to follow cumbersome rulemaking requirements in addressing unfair or deceptive practices (generally known as “Magnusson-Moss” rulemaking), which go well beyond normal agency Administrative Procedure Act (APA) procedures. As a result, in recent years, the FTC has relied much more heavily on enforcement actions than rulemaking in critical areas like privacy and data security. Now, with the newly announced rulemaking group, this trend will likely change.
FTC Foreshadows Potential Enforcement to Combat Discrimination in AI
Even with the new approach to rulemaking, the FTC appears likely to continue to rely heavily on enforcement, and it has signaled that one priority area will be addressing harms from discriminatory algorithms in AI. On April 19, 2021, the FTC published a blog post that lays out the legal framework for evaluating AI bias, which includes the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), and Section 5 of the FTC Act. Both the FCRA and ECOA are applicable when AI is used for certain purposes, such as credit. The FTC Act has a broader sweep, and the blog post announced: “The FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive practices. That would include the sale or use of – for example – racially biased algorithms.” That would cover use of AI in a wide range of contexts, including advertising decisions.
In the post, the FTC suggests that enforcement could be on the horizon if use of AI results in discrimination, noting that companies should “keep in mind that if you don’t hold yourself accountable, the FTC may do it.” As one example, the FTC states that an algorithm practice could be “unfair” under the FTC Act if the model “pinpoints  consumers by considering race, color, religion, and sex – and the result is digital redlining.” The post lays out a roadmap for compliance expectations for companies using AI and related algorithms, which include relying on inclusive data sets, testing algorithms, being truthful about how data are used and not exaggerating what the algorithm does; and being transparent and independent.
Under the new Administration, the FTC is rethinking its priorities and approaches, which will have cascading impacts throughout industry, including in the areas of privacy, data security, and data-driven algorithms. Even though the Supreme Court’s recent decision in AMG Capital Management cut off – for the time being – a key way in which the agency seeks monetary relief, there is no sign that the agency will be deterred in driving its priorities, including through new rulemaking activity and continued enforcement activity.
Wiley’s FTC Regulation Practice counsels clients on FTC compliance, investigations, enforcement, and rulemaking, and regularly advocates before the agency. Contact the authors for additional information.
© 2021 Wiley Rein LLP


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Cryptocurrency regulations in India have been a source of uncertainty for the markets since the government’s unprecedented tirade against crypto that began this past April. However, it’s reported that the government is now likely to finalize some common sense regulatory measures starting in late 2018.
A finance ministry panel devoted to the issue has found that the main problem with cryptocurrency regulations is how to define and separate the blockchain from its cryptocurrency counterparts. The Indian government has taken a friendly stance towards blockchain technology, but is still slow to adopt similar opinions towards cryptocurrencies.
The finance ministry panel, which is operating under the department of economic affairs, was expected to release its proposal on cryptocurrency regulation in July. That proposal has since been delayed for an unforeseeable amount of time.
An unnamed government official working on the finance panel spoke to Quartz India, saying:
“Blockchain is an interesting thing. We definitely want to milk it effectively for financial transactions. So, all officials are really trying hard to understand how to separately use blockchain, without cryptocurrency…And understanding a new software takes time.”
The finance ministry has not yet responded to reports that cryptocurrency regulations will be finalized following further research on the topic.
India’s Complicated Relationship with Cryptocurrency
India began its battle against cryptocurrencies in April of 2018, when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) isolated cryptocurrency exchanges by blacklisting them from financial institutions. This ban almost instantly dried up liquidity for India-based cryptocurrency exchanges, and officially began on July 5th.
The RBI made a statement at the time of the ban, saying in part:
“It has been decided that, with immediate effect, entities regulated by RBI shall not deal with or provide services to any individual or business entities dealing with or settling cryptocurrencies. Regulated entities which already provide such services shall exit the relationship within a specified time.”
After much protest from investors and businesses affected by the ban, there was another twist to the situation. This came after an anonymous government official who explained that the government viewed the ban as more of a temporary measure while the country developed industry regulations.
Last month, it was reported that a senior government official said:
“I don’t think anyone is really thinking of banning it (cryptocurrencies) altogether. The issue here is about regulating the trade and we need to know where the money is coming from. Allowing it as (a) commodity may let us better regulate trade and so that is being looked at.”
At this time, it seemed as though a governmental decision on the legalization of sports betting could have a positive impact on cryptocurrency regulations.
Following a long-prepared case advocating for the legalization of sports betting, the Indian law commission mentioned using cryptocurrency as an efficient way to track sports bets, saying, “gambling transactions should be made cashless, making use of electronic means of payment such as credit cards, debit cards, net-banking, virtual currencies, etc.”
The final hearing for the case on the legalization of cryptocurrencies is scheduled for September 11th, although the ministry’s apparent indecisiveness could lead to delays in the hearing. Nevertheless, sources familiar with the internal ministry decisions are confident that regulations will be finalized later in 2018.
Featured image from Shutterstock.


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If you currently are using Google’s free PageSpeed Service to speed up your web pages, you should probably start looking for another service now.
That’s because Google recently announced that it is cancelling its PageSpeed service, effective in August.
Google’s PageSpeed Service, which was first launched in 2010, uses tools to analyze and optimize websites in order to implement the best web performance practices. Fast and optimized pages lead to better visitor engagement, retention and conversions.
But Google is pulling plug on the service, although the free tools it offers will still be available on other open source platforms.
Google’s official announcement came May 5, although rumors of PageSpeed’s demise have been flying around tech message boards and have been hinted at in numerous tech blogs for the past several weeks.
August 3 Deadline
Web page owners using Google’s PageSpeed Service have until August 3 to make the necessary DNS changes to remove sites safely.
Google recommended that webmasters using the service login to the PageSpeed console and look at the list of their domains. Any domains that are labeled “Enabled” will be affected once the service shuts down for good.
If a web page’s DNS is not changed prior to the shutdown of PageSpeed, it will be completely unavailable. The console will offer advice if a webmaster tries to delete a live domain. If this change is not made by August 3, the site will break, Google warned.
On May 5, big pink banners began appearing on PageSpeed pages stating, “PageSpeed Service has been deprecated and will be turned down on 3rd August.” A link is provided that directs visitors to Google’s official announcement.
Options to PageSpeed
Google offered PageSpeed several options – some free and some paid — that they can switch to prior to the service’s being shut down.
Web masters are advised to check with their service provider to see if they offer provider hosted PageSpeed. In some instances, switching to this version could be as simple as checking a box in the provider’s control panel.
There also are PageSpeed modules available for many of the most common web servers. So web page owners who run their sites of their own server are advised to install one of these.
Google also has developed the open-source Apache module mod_pagespeed. There are currently two pre-built binary modules available: Apache 2.2 and Apache 2.4.
There’s also a plugin for Nginx that Google has developed. But this must be compiled from the source.
Other options include:
– IIS – WeAmp has a commercial port of PageSpeed to Microsoft IIS.
– Apache Traffic Server – WeAmp also has ported PageSpeed to the Apache Traffic server.
– OpenLite Speed – This platform supports a PageSpeed module that can be compiled and loaded into a webserver.
– Cloud-Based Alternatives – If webmasters prefer to use a cloud-based product, EdgeCast EdgeOptimizer integrates Google PageSpeed with its CDN offering. Or, many CNDS offer similar functionality that don’t use PageSpeed technology.
Why PageSpeed Mattered
PageSpeed was designed to allow web pages to load faster for users. It features a quick and easy setup and allowed users to keep up with the latest optimization technologies without having to constantly search for them online.
One of the biggest benefits was that it used Google’s existing fast and secure infrastructure, which won’t be available for web masters who switch to open source server modules. It was widely praised for creating happier users and better conversions.
While Google doesn’t explicitly explain why it has pulled the plug on this popular, helpful service, some tech bloggers speculate that CloudFare captured this market and Google may have decided to stop focusing on this type of service, at least for a year or two.


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Home | Group Site: cemex.com | UK Site: cemex.co.uk
CEMEX UK is taking part in the latest virtual Future Build Exhibition.
Terence Clair and the Somercotes Rail Solutions team have recently produced a mind-boggling piece of work for Network Rail.
Another milestone was reached for the UK Materials team last week, with the first London delivery of our CarbonNeutral® Readymix product Vertua® Ultra Zero.
This week saw another successful delivery of Bradwell sand to Fosroc who are doing the mix validation and design work for Eiffage HS2 project.
We have experienced several incidents over the last few weeks that should call our attention and reinforce our awareness of risks and or of our own vulnerability, leading to increased precaution in all tasks we do, even most routine ones.


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There were several important developments in the startup space during the day on Thursday. Here’s a wrap of all the stories from the startup universe:
Softbank to invest $450 mn in Swiggy ahead of Zomato’s IPO
Softbank is set to pump in nearly half a billion dollars into foodtech startup Swiggy, taking a bet on India’s growing food delivery sector. The Japanese investor will make the new investment from its Softbank Vision Fund 2, sources aware of the matter said.
The backing for Swiggy comes just ahead of Zomato’s impending IPO and is likely to take its valuation at close to $5.5 billion.
Sources said Softbank wants to take approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as it is an investor in global foodteh players such as…


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Chance currently writes for both 9to5Google and 9to5Mac, in addition to 9to5Toys. He has previously written for several other online publications. He uses a Nexus 5, iPhone 5s, iPad Air, Hackintosh, and Macbook Air.
Even though the phone hasn’t even been announced yet, LG today has taken the wraps off of its first case for its upcoming G5 flagship. The case is a new version of the Quick Cover case that the company has offered the past and incorporates many of the features that the LG K10’s Quick Cover View case featured.


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Walmart just launched another special 1-Day Deals Black Friday 2014 sale online. This is the second one after the Nov. 3 1-Day Deal Event. Here is one of the deals that are on sale today at Black Friday prices. Quantities are very limited.
The RCA RCT6773W22 7-inch Android Tablet has 8GB storage and runs on 1.4GHz quad-core processor. The keyboard is an useful accessory in case you want to type emails or work on documents. The screen resolution is 1,024x600px. Other features of the RCA RCT6773W22 include 0.3MP front camera, Wifi 802.11b/g/n and Android 4.4 KitKat.
So far no 7-inch Tablet sold for less than $49. Considering that you also get a keyboard and that the RCT6773W22 is running KitKat, this Android tablet is a bargain.
If you want more performance, more storage and a larger screen, take a look at the $99.99 RCA 10.1″ Tablet 16GB Quad Core with Keyboard/Case that is also on sale today in the 1-Day Deals Walmart Sale.
Browse all 1-Day Deals available in the Walmart Black Friday Sale.
Today is Friday and in exactly 3 weeks is the actual Black Friday 2014, November 28. There The weeks ahead of the actual Black Friday 2014 are the ideal time to score Black Friday deals without the usual stress involved. Not that many shoppers compete for the best deals as they do during the Thanksgiving Day week. You still have to be though conscious about when sales and deals are released (Follow us on Facebook and Twitter). The best early Black Friday deals featured on Nov. 3 in the Walmart Cyber Monday sale have been gone in the first hours like the $79 Nintendo 2DS. I4U News features each day a Top 10 Black Friday 2014 Deals List filled with deals you can buy today.
There have been already several great deals in the first days of the Black Friday 2014 sales season. The number of deals will increase as we get close to the Thanksgiving Week. It is important to know that the actual Black Friday 2014 sales will launch as early as on Sunday before the actual Black Friday 2014. Still, there will be already lots of deals that are equal or better leading up to the week of sales madness that will go over seamlessly into Cyber Monday 2014.
As a special treat this year you can win a $5,000 Black Friday Shopping Spree on I4U News. Enter our biggest cash Giveaway available this Black Friday season now to make this your best Black Friday ever.
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Mobile Payments Technology SmartCash Makes a Move on Brazilian Markets
We’ve heard about mobile payments and wearable technology before, and it’s always been a little underwhelming, especially given that the technology in question is generally seldom-used. What if, however, there were a wearable mobile payments technology that actually did go into widescale use? What if that same technology was built around a cryptocurrency? The resulting combination might be downright unbelievable…if it weren’t already happening. It’s called SmartCash, and it’s recently tipped us off about some moves it’s been undertaking.
Recently, the SmartCash system, along with its SmartBand wearable payments system, was adopted by close to 2.5 million merchants in Brazil, giving it a substantial presence in the field. The SmartBand system is a wearable bracelet that’s used as a near-field communications (NFC) system to serve as a payment processor on the store level. It can not only load SmartCash, but it can store it and use it as well.
Now, SmartCash is working to expand its reach by evangelizing, in a bid to spread the word about the successes already enjoyed and those likely to follow. The good news is that the company has a lot to work with; it’s already cut transaction fees down to under $0.001 per transaction, brought out username-based addresses for transfers and more.
It’s also got quite a bit waiting in the wings to bring up, including the SmartCard system, which ostensibly works like SmartBand, but in card-based form. It’s poised to “…further fix and improve upon the current limitations and drawbacks of conventional payment methods.”
Given that, by 2020, there are expected to be 726 billion digital payments taking place worldwide annually, having a simple, inexpensive, accessible and user-friendly system would likely be something in demand. While this system is built around a cryptocurrency, which may turn some users off—there are surprisingly few people who even know about cryptocurrency to begin with, and many who do know about it don’t trust it, considering it the domain of criminals—the fact that it’s worked so well in Brazil already may give it an edge.
Only time will tell how well SmartCash and its various properties work, but there’s certainly some advantage on its side that it may be able to put to good use.


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Top News Stories
Keep your eyes peeled for a revamp of our website, which is scheduled to debut this autumn.
Trading conditions in the Irish retail sector continue to prove difficult with retail insolvencies in Ireland increasing by 52% in the three months to the end of June.
Wedding suppliers review site Guide to Be has today launched a set of new packages specifically designed to help small businesses grow.
Most customers would prefer a quick resolution or an apology rather than freebies or pay-outs when lodging a complaint.
Retail sales have remained above average for the time of year despite sales growth slowing a little in June after a strong May.
The internet is the place to be if you want to catch brides at the early stages of their planning.
It’s the news you’ve all been waiting for, we are thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2015 Bridal Buyer Awards.
With brides avidly Googling stores before booking appointments online reviews can have a huge impact on businesses today.
London bridal boutique Les Trois Soeurs prides itself on supporting the rising stars from across the globe as well as offering big industry names and has added another talent to its roster.
An increasing number of British brides are choosing to get married abroad in an attempt to cash in on favourable exchange rates.
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With more bridal backs on display than ever before, it is not surprising that Jupon’s S Bra is proving to be a huge success
Bournemouth-based bridal brand Mojgan Bridal Couture will make its Harrogate debut this September.
Can’t wait until September to see Heirloom Waistcoats’ new collection? Don’t worry, you don’t have to, as we have a sneak glimpse of the new collection right here.
Indian bridal brand Anjalee & Arjun Kapoor has launched a standalone flagship store in the UK.
Allure Bridals definitely knows how to lure brides in with their stunning imagery and these latest shots are most certainly seductive.
One of Eternity Bridal’s newest names, Christina Wu Occasions, is ticking all the boxes for us when it comes to bridesmaid dresses.
It’s time for White Gallery London and this issue is packed with all you need to know about the exhibition. Alongside a host of tasty features, our additional 40-page White Gallery supplement will get your mouth watering with delicious collections from the best designers in the business.


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Statement on plastic bag fee
Thank you to everyone who called my office about the proposed plastic bag fee. While I have a longstanding commitment to making our city cleaner and more sustainable for future generations, I voted AGAINST this bill after months of careful consideration and listening to my constituents. Nonetheless, it passed 28-20 and is expected to be signed by the mayor. Here is what we need to know:
Starting Oct. 1, stores will be required to charge five cents for most plastic and paper bags.
The fee is waived for shoppers using food stamps.
Produce, meat, bulk food and pharmacy counter bags are exempt.
Restaurants are exempt. Street vendors that act like retail and grocery stores would have to charge a fee, but those selling prepared foods like restaurants would be exempt from the law.
If you would like a free canvas bag, let send me a note on Facebook or Twitter, and I will work to connect you with one.
Below is my full statement on the bill:
As a second generation Staten Islander, I grew up knowing all too well the damage that landfill can do to the environment, and I have a consistent record of voting for bills to make our city more sustainable for future generations. However, after reading this bill closely and considering it for weeks now, I don't believe it is right for Staten Islanders at this time -- and the overwhelming response from my constituents supports that. Too many individuals and small-business owners see this minimum 5-cent fee as a burden on working families. In the meantime, I remain committed to promoting more sustainable practices, including the use of reusable bags -- which I will make available through my district office -- to keep our city green for future generations.


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3 July 2018 | BI and data analysis, Pricing strategy, Revenue management, Rate parity, Industry news, Industry technology, Distribution
Conference season is a frenetic time for Gino Engels - and it’s never really over. Spreading the word on data-driven pricing decisions to hoteliers the world over, OTA Insight’s globetrotting Chief Commercial Officer has made numerous public appearances in recent months.
But among the many events he’s attended during this time, three stand out.
Last month Gino joined colleagues and delegates in Houston to launch Parity Insight, the dynamic new tool that will help hoteliers manage and track parity performance, better control distribution cost and optimise the use of OTA business - look out for stories on this in the near future.
In May we reported on his interview with tnooz at Berlin’s ITB, in which he fielded a wide range of questions on the state of the hotel industry and the evolving ways people are booking rooms, and reflected on how OTA Insight and its original, flagship tool, Rate Insight, came into being following a brainwave at the London Olympics.
While in late February, he was interviewed by Linda Fox, Managing Editor for tnooz, at TTE in London. You can watch the video in full here, along with this complete transcript.
The first of his spate of media appearances, we thought it was about time to review the observations and predictions Gino made at TTE a few months down the line; as tnooz put it in its write-up, “OTA Insight is in a good position to observe the trends and how they might shake out”.
So how have they shaken out? What else was on Gino’s mind when discussing the fast-changing landscape of hotels and the technology that supports - and disrupts - the industry? And what’s happened since for Gino, OTA Insight and the wider sector?
Linda started by asking Gino for an overview of the hotel distribution landscape.
“There are new distribution channels coming up every day,” said Gino, citing the peer-to-peer economy, as well as new OTAs, such as SnapTravel and others near the top of the charts in our parity report (see below), as examples. Also, Global travel publisher Culture Trip is launching an OTA this summer, the aim being to connect independent hotel chains, hostels and boutique properties with millennials.
Commenting after the interview, Gino added: “On top of the new OTAs, there’s also pressure from vacation rentals that are being listed on Expedia and Booking.com. These are taking business and favourable listings from hotels on the OTAs. But as an alternative, there is Airbnb, which is now offering hotels to list inventory on its channel alongside vacation rentals, B&Bs and peer-to-peer rooms. Amazon's move to help with concierge services via Alexa is another interesting development.”
“We’re in a very fast-paced environment, where complexity is increasing a lot,” Gino told Linda. “There’s a lot of opportunity. We’re in a good spot as a technology provider because we are there to help unravel the distribution complexities and help make the most of this opportunity.”
Parity Insight looks set to be testament to this, as Gino went on to explain last week: “We are uncovering where and why parity issues arise while simultaneously supplying a solution that helps revenue managers control overall parity performance.” He was also quoted in last month’s coverage of the product launch in PhocusWire. “There are a lot more complexities for distribution on the horizon,” he said.
Some of these issues are quantified in our new hotel parity report for North America, the first of an ongoing series of quarterly analyses.
Based on tracking the performance of over 25,000 properties and across 97 million+ shops of arrival dates, the report provides a deep-dive into the North American market’s parity performance, highlighting:
Download the report here - and look out for our global report, the first of which will be published later this year.
Some hoteliers are attempting to wrest control back by ploughing time and resources into book-direct campaigns, as we explored in our latest white paper, Shifting your budget to direct - not a fad.
Their efforts aren’t going unrewarded but it seems unlikely that hotels will ever completely sever ties with OTAs, which hugely increase the reach of all but those chains with the biggest marketing budgets - and, as Linda pointed out in her interview, “the likes of Expedia helped them out with marketing campaigns with data-type analytical tools”.
“Where do you think that is now?” she asked Gino. “Is it friends? Is it enemies? or is it frenemies?”
Said Gino: “When we got started back in 2012, hoteliers and OTAs were all good friends. I think it evolved a bit, and like you say, last year, it’s probably got to the top of the frenemies relationship.”
Through direct booking campaigns there was “a direct action from the big global players to gain some market share back,” he added, which the OTAs responded to by “offering revenue tools or solutions that would be seen as helping the hotels out - which I think for some they are doing. For others, there’s probably still some more efforts that could be done to work better together with the hotels.”
Much of it comes back to data. “Data is power,” says Gino. “If they really would be friends,” they would share some more of it.
But everything is changing. “Google is getting more and more involved in the play”, Gino adds. “At some point, Facebook will become more prevalent or Amazon will give it another try. Everybody in the ecosystem realises things could change quickly and it’s better to be friends than be on bad terms with each other because at some point, we still need each other in this ecosystem.”
Does Gino see Airbnb as a significant part of this distribution disruption?
“I think Airbnb coming in with a new alternative offering at a lower commission percentage for the boutique hotels could be a welcome opportunity,” he told tnooz. “They’ve got the power. They’ve got also a lot of marketing budget to spend.”
The “global travel community” platform announced its technology partnership to support boutique hotels at around the time of Gino’s interview; further partnerships have since sprung up, driving more business through this channel.
Rounding off her interview with Gino, Linda noted that the company is funded, has been going since 2012 and has good traction. But, she asked, what keeps Gino up at night?
Gino: “Probably ‘How can we stay ahead?’ What is going to make sure that we’ll be a player in the market that people want to turn towards in terms of asking for advice, in terms of relying on bringing the newest technology or data that’s going to make sure their business is profitable, and make sure their business is ready for the next step in the digital revolution.
“People talk about blockchain and AI, and hotels must be very concerned about how they can rely on partners to keep them informed, keep us at the forefront. That’s the kind of thing that keeps me awake but in a good sense, thinking about how we are going to respond to these new developments.”
With Parity Insight following hot on the heels of Revenue Insight - launched earlier this year and aimed at making hotel-level reporting simpler, better and faster - OTA Insight’s ever-growing team are clearly in tune with their CCO and his ambitious plans to help hoteliers maximise revenue.
Watch the video in full.
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There is a scene in Robin Cook’s novel Toxin, in which the doctor, whose daughter has died of food poisoning after eating a hamburger, sneaks into a slaughterhouse to try and understand how this could have happened. What he finds there is not only revolting and disturbing to the point of being nightmarish, but also, according to undercover investigations conducted by the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS), not that far from reality.
Mary Beth Sweetland, the senior director of investigations for HSUS, oversees a team of very brave and dedicated reporters that work undercover, not only in slaughterhouses and factory farms, but also in research labs, puppy mills and zoos.
“I admire the heck out of them,” said Sweetland. “I should probably tell them that more. I wish they could get the recognition that’s due to them.”
Their work and its impact are reminiscent of what Ralph Nader and his team did in the name of consumer protection in the 1970s. Nader’s outspoken activism led to a substantial number of consumer and environmental laws, including, the National Auto and Highway Traffic Safety Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Several federal agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and Consumer Product Safety Administration all came into being, largely as the result of his efforts.
For example, it was a HSUS investigation of the Hallmark/Westland slaughterhouse in Northern California, including a video, shot by a worker inside the plant, that captured cruelty and the slaughter of animals too sick to walk, in violation of food safety requirements, and led to the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from school cafeterias in 36 states, as well as the ultimate banning of this meat from the food supply.
Likewise, an undercover worker in Vermont, shot video that “showed day-old veal calves too weak to stand being shocked, dragged and skinned alive in the plant,” The disclosure led to the arrest of the worker responsible, the shutdown of the plant pending management changes, and a new regulation banning the use of such “downer” calves.
More recently, disclosures about the cruelty associated with gestation crates in pig operations have led to numerous companies voluntarily backing away from the practice.
As the result of all the negative press and the financial impacts that have come with this degree of involuntary transparency, these large scale animal operations are determined to enshroud their goings-on in a cloak of secrecy, with a set of anti-transparency, or “ag-gag” laws. These laws, which have already passed in Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Kansas, and Utah, with five more states on the way, make it a misdemeanor, or in some cases, a felony, to photograph or videotape commercial agricultural operations. This, of course, means that these brave souls, who are going undercover to shine a light on this outrageous behavior, now face criminal prosecution and possible jail time for doing it.
I guess you could say that this is taking, “if you knew what was in it you wouldn’t eat it,” to another level. But this is no laughing matter. These operations that have, in certain cases, already shown themselves capable of unspeakable atrocities, shoddy safety practices, a stubborn unwillingness to comply with health and sanitation regulations, and blatant disregard for environmental concerns, are in a position to inflict tremendous harm on the world around them and the people living in it.
These actions, along with massively funded efforts to hide the presence of genetically engineered ingredients in food products reveals a truly sinister effort by the industry that provides food to the majority of Americans, to keep us in the dark about how our food is produced. This is just downright wrong. The fact that they have used their lobbying dollars to co-opt the government into abandoning its sworn duty to protect the American people is unconscionable. Clearly, these companies are on the wrong side of history.
I think we have made it abundantly clear in these pages, day after day, from every conceivable angle, that our best hope for a viable future is a trusting and transparent relationship between businesses and consumers, committed to the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.
These companies, clinging to an outmoded way of doing business based on the fundamental absence of transparency, propped up by corrupt relationships with politicians that, desperate for campaign funding, go against the interests of their constituents to support these efforts that pit profits against people and planet, will not stand up to the light of day.
In this era of instantaneous worldwide communications, they are fighting a losing battle against the very consumers they have been selling to, consumers who are become better informed every day and are beginning to demand meaningful relationships with those that they have entrusted to provide them with something as essential as the food they feed their families.
With Thanksgiving just behind us, this is a good time to tip our hat in appreciation of the Humane Society for all the brave and important work that they do.
RP Siegel, PE, is an inventor, consultant and author. He co-wrote the eco-thriller Vapor Trails, the first in a series covering the human side of various sustainability issues including energy, food, and water in an exciting and entertaining format. Now available on Kindle.
Follow RP Siegel on Twitter.


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Over the past month, the value of the US dollar has fallen significantly with the once-mighty dollar falling to a record low against the euro and a 31-year low against the Canadian dollar. For forex traders, the weak dollar has provided many opportunities, but for the average person living in the United States, what does a weak dollar really mean? Since there are two sides to every coin, a weak coin also has its advantages and disadvantages.
At a time when the US housing market is shrinking, the job market is deteriorating and consumer spending is at risk, the US economy needs a weaker dollar. This is the main reason why we do not expect the US government and the Federal Reserve to stand in the way of further US dollar weakness.
Benefits of a weaker dollar
1) Increase in Exports –
One of the main reasons a weaker dollar will help the US economy is that it increases the competitiveness of US products. It drives foreign demand while maintaining domestic demand from US consumers. In the medium term, this benefits corporate America’s sales, which will eventually translate into more jobs and consumer spending. It also helps reduce the trade deficit, one of the most criticized aspects of the US economy.
2) Foreign Investment –
There are three different ways that foreign investment can help the US economy and the US dollar. In recent years, foreigners have been large buyers of real estate in the United States. According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, approximately one in five US real estate agents sold a second home in the year ending April 2007 to a foreign buyer. A third of these buyers come from Europe, a quarter from Asia and 16 percent from Latin America. As the US dollar continues to fall in step with house prices, foreign buyers could provide the support the US housing market needs to avoid a big downturn.
The second support would be in the form of value hunting in US equity markets. If the dollar continues to fall, foreign investors may start investing in companies with strong fundamentals that are also less vulnerable to a US economic slowdown. Both factors depend on the US dollar showing signs of stabilization. Foreign investors will only jump to size when they believe the dollar’s weakness is coming to an end. The third factor is less dependent on the outlook for the US dollar. A weaker dollar also makes corporate America more attractive buying targets. Sovereign wealth funds in countries like China and Dubai are flush with cash and looking for good investment opportunities.
3) Increase in Tourism –
Tourism represents a large part of the American economy. It supports the employment of more than 5.4 million workers and generates more than $550 billion in annual revenue. Canadians represent the largest group of travelers to the United States. We expect their share to increase even more now that the Canadian dollar is trading on a par with the US dollar. Earlier this year, a $250 hotel room cost CAD$295, now it’s just CAD$250, a savings of more than 15 percent. Although the savings for Europeans are not that great, they will also see a 5 to 10 percent discount on travel costs. More tourism is always good for an economy.
Disadvantages of a weaker dollar
1) Higher Costs of Foreign Merchandise –
The most immediate downside of a weaker dollar is the increased cost of foreign goods. With a trade deficit of $59.2 billion, American consumers import far more than they export. The number one country the United States imports from is Canada, which is why the recent strength of the Canadian dollar is so important. Canadian drugs, for example, may not be as cheap as they used to be. The same goes for European handbags and other luxury items.
2) Tighter monetary policy –
Higher costs for inflation of imports of foreign goods, so a weaker currency is generally inflationary. With oil prices hovering around $80 a barrel and the dollar hitting rock bottom, inflation is sure to pick up in the coming months. Martin Wolf of the Financial Times makes a fantastic comment when he said that “the resolution of each crisis lays the seeds of the next.” To get out of a crisis, the Federal Reserve will typically lower interest rates aggressively. We saw this after the Asian and Russian crises of 1997 and 1998. This eventually led to financial market bubbles, forcing the Fed to raise interest rates. Although inflation is not a big problem right now, the threat of inflationary pressures could prevent the Fed from lowering rates as much as it wanted or needed.
3) Travel abroad gets more expensive –
From a consumer point of view, the weakness of the US dollar makes traveling abroad more expensive, especially to countries like Europe and Australia. Since the beginning of the year, the Australian dollar has appreciated more than 10 percent against the US dollar. Due to nothing more than currency fluctuations, traveling to Australia has become 10 percent more expensive. The same is the case with trips to Europe, except for the fact that the movement is smaller in percentage.
Can the US dollar fall further?
The answer is yes. A trend in the forex market can last much longer than many people would expect. We have seen one-way directional movements that last for months, and in some cases, even years. The interest rate outlook plays a big role in the future direction of currencies, so with the market pricing in another 125bp of easing by the end of next year, the US dollar could easily fall to 1.50 against to the euro. This is especially true if the ECB remains indifferent to the movement of the euro. At some point, the benefits of a weaker dollar, such as increased exports and foreign investment, will help turn the US economy around, at which point the dollar will start to rise again.
What does this mean for your investments?
Regardless of whether you actively participate in or oversee the forex market, the value of the US dollar or currencies does matter. Firms that do a lot of foreign sales will benefit more because their foreign currency earnings will be higher when they are repatriated, not because they have sold more goods, but because their currency conversion gains will be higher. The industries with the greatest exposure to foreign sales are energy, technology and basic consumption. The companies that produce raw materials also tend to benefit from the weakness of the dollar, while the companies that will suffer the most are the large importers. If you have a vision of where the US dollar is going or want to hedge against some of your stock market exposure, the purest way to do so would be to trade or invest in US dollars directly on the forex market.