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Coach shares reached its highest since 2007 on Tuesday after the luxury retailers trumped analyst expectations, posting a 34 percent growth in quarterly earnings. The brand's Chief Executive Lew Frankfort tells CNBC how they did it and what's in store for the future.
Stocks ended slightly higher, but remained at about the same place where they started Tuesday as investors held steady under a raft of earnings in anticipation of next week's elections and likely announcement of a new economic stimulus program from the Federal Reserve.
Stocks rose ahead of the market close Tuesday, led by consumer cyclical stocks. Stocks were pressured for most of the afternoon as investors held steady under a raft of earnings in anticipation of next week's elections and likely announcement of a new economic stimulus program from the Fed.
Plus, another name from the sector that Cramer says you must watch.
Stocks struggled to remain in positive territory Tuesday after a rise in consumer confidence offset disappointing reports on home prices and earnings.
Coach has confirmed that global luxury brands are in good shape. Coach reported astonishing numbers, well above expectations (gross margins of 74.2%!) with strength not just in Asia but also in the U.S.
U.S. stock index futures weakened Tuesday as investors digested a handful of mixed earnings reports and as the dollar made gains against the euro and yen.
How can investors capitalize on China’s growth? Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group, and Mike Holland, chairman at Holland & Company, shared their best plays.
If these companies react well to what the president says during his CNBC town hall appearance on Monday, then it could be clear skies ahead. If not…
Things are getting better, Cramer said Thursday.
See what's happening, who's talking and what will be making headlines on Tuesday's Squawk on the Street.
Vanity’s a real moneymaker. And that’s why these two high-end retail plays work.
This fashion play may be just the thing you need to punch up that homely portfolio.
Cramer makes the call on viewers' favorite stocks.
Stocks ended lower Tuesday, led by consumer discretionary and materials, amid disappointment in the latest round of earnings and economic reports. Pfizer rose, but P&G fell.
While wary consumers have been tightening their purse strings this year, leather goods maker Coach experienced a sales pickup by offering lower price points and targeting rapid expansion in China, according to CEO Lew Frankfort.
Here's a roundup of corporate earnings reports for Tuesday. Aug. 3.
The monthly sales reports will be issued by car makers throughout the day and are expected to show an annualized selling rate of 11.4 million vehicles, up from 11.1 million last month.
The Mad Money host sends an ominous message and lists what earnings to watch next week.
With store expansion on the back burner, retailers are turning to fresh avenues for growth, betting that their brand equity will carry over to new product categories.


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Celebrity Cruises has announced its European sailings for 2014 with six ships sailing in the region, including two from the UK. Guests can choose from 12 brand new itineraries including new seven-night sailings taking in Mediterranean gems from Barcelona to Venice, 12 and 13 night Classical Mediterranean cruises and 13 night Istanbul overnight sailings. 2014 will also include calls at 102 ports in 30 countries with five new ports of call – Zadar (Croatia), Porto Torres (Sardinia, Italy), Almeria (Spain), Sochi (Russia) and Lerwick (Shetland, Scotland). The 2014 sailings will go on sale on 27 March 2013.
The cruise line’s newest and most luxurious ships, including recently launched Celebrity Reflection, will sail their 2014 summer seasons in Europe. Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Constellation will sail European waters and Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Infinity will both sail from the UK.
Michael English, Head of Sales UK & Ireland, Celebrity Cruises, commented:
“Our guests will love our new 2014 European itineraries, including our new seven night sailings, which have been introduced as a direct result of trade and customer feedback.
“We are also giving guests the chance to fly into one European destination, enjoy a seven night Celebrity Cruise, and then fly home from the last port of call. Plus there is the opportunity to explore multiple cities by combining itineraries to form an indulgent 14, 21 or 28 night cruise.
“In 2014 we are offering more overnights than ever before in places like Dublin, Copenhagen and Istanbul, so the choice for guests to combine city breaks with their modern luxury cruise has never been easier.”

domain: news


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Social butterflies and observant wallflowers might find networks like Facebook increasingly influential media outlets for their everyday lives. A new study from IDG Research Services entitled “The Echo Effect: Understanding the Value of Tech Buyers” surveyed visitors of sites like PCWorld and MacWorld to better understand their social behaviors. According to the data, as relayed by ClickZ, 44 percent of respondents credit exposure to tech products through social media as positively affecting their likelihood of purchasing advertised goods online.
More, 40 percent of respondents indicate they’ve developed brand loyalty to organizations they’ve engaged with through social media, as long as interactions were positive. Forty-two percent of surveyed consumers also said they’re more likely to promote brands that have reached out to establish positive relationships.
The IDG report suggests consumers are open to online engagement from brands and that, in some cases, social interactions have even improved brand loyalty and encouraged word-of-mouth marketing. A new study from Nielsen discovered that internet users spend more time on social media networks than they did a year ago, with users on sites like Facebook and Twitter for about 520.1 billion minutes in 2012 – up from 430.4 billion in the previous year. Together, these two reports suggest social media marketing should become an even greater component of inbound outreach, and marketers who dedicate additional resources toward these channels may find greater success down the line.
Perhaps what is most interesting are the best social media content practices offered up by internet users to IDG. The data indicates that 53 percent of IDG respondents think the best way to reach them is by posting custom content to Facebook that answers frequently asked questions. Other responses in the IDG report suggest marketers post key social media tips, product reviews and social care articles. With a high percentage of consumers saying content compels them to engage with brands online, content marketing should become a top priority moving forward into the new year.


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Profits up a third at Mitie
Mitie Group, the cleaning and building services company that is 45%-owned by its staff, has won the £4000-a-week contract to clean the British Airways London Eye as the trend towards outsourcing gathers pace. The company saw pre-tax profits in the half-year to September rise by a third to £8.4 million on turnover up by 28%. Earnings per share rose by a quarter to 3.5p.
Cash flow was hit by heavy capital expenditure on lifts for window cleaners and maintenance staff. But marketing director John Urquhart said the rate of capital spending would slow. He added: 'The tide of outsourcing shows no signs of stopping.'
Most watched Money videos
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- 5% of public electric car chargers revealed to be unusable
- Portable electric vehicle charger that can be stored in the boot


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As the world is still battling the impact of the global pandemic and lockdown, the focus is now on reviving the country’s economy. Amid the ongoing farmers’ agitation which has rocked the national capital and country that resulted in the blockades in different borders of the national capital, several raised concern over the economical condition of the Indian Industries. A recent report titled ‘The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on potential income and employment in India’ by professional services firm KPMG said that the Indian economy is expected to contract in FY21 over FY20 under different scenarios of shocks.
The low economic growth has been seen as a result triggered by the coronavirus outbreak and the associated lockdowns over the year 2020. Experts have discussed many steps to revive India’s Economy & Businesses post-Covid 19. The stimulus packages from the government have helped the corporate sector and are helping the Indian economy to be back on track.
The Indian economy has been badly hit by the corona pandemic. Many experts and entrepreneurs are discussing and introspecting how small businesses can become self-reliant and help the economy to go back to the pre-corona figures. The opening up of the economy and implementation of a broad set of measures under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ package introduced by Prime Minister Modi has led to a continuous improvement over time in the performance of businesses.
Another major outcome of COVID-19 is a likely shift in global supply chains away from China to other economies. To capitalize on opportunities that could come India’s way, there is a need to strengthen India’s manufacturing ecosystem.


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A joint venture between Stagecoach and Virgin has won the franchise to run the East Coast mainline rail route. The firms promised to invest �140m in the route over eight years, and will pay the government �3.3bn for the contract.
Chancellor George Osborne has been asked to play Santa in next week's Autumn Statement and give Swindon firms three early Christmas presents - action on business rates, infrastructure and apprenticeships.
The saga of King Digital's life as a listed company has taken another turn as the chairman of the maker of smartphone �crack cocaine� Candy Crush stepped down.
On Friday, the UK's largest retailers are expecting thousands of people to descend on their stores to pick up a bargain. Black Friday, the big sales day in the US that follows the Thanksgiving holiday, is being adopted by more and more shops in the UK.
Shares in Mulberry, the British design house famed for its luxury handbags, rose nearly 2 per cent on Thursday after it said it had hired Johnny Coca as its new creative director.


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MUMBAI (Reuters) – Commodity futures turnover in India, the world’s second largest wheat and rice growing nation, grew only 8.95 percent in the first three months of the fiscal year from April, despite a double digit jump in volumes of energy and agri commodities.
Total value of trade rose 41.72 trillion rupees from April to June, a statement on the Forward Markets Commission’s (FMC) website said. FMC regulates commodity markets in India.
Bullion volumes fell 7.32 percent on year to 20.57 trillion rupees in the first quarter of the fiscal year, it added.
Value of trade in energy also jumped 35.52 percent to 7.96 trillion rupees, while agri commodities, which has witnessed some sharp rise in prices, jumped 30.47 percent to 5.02 trillion rupees.
The regulator in March had banned futures trade in guar, used in the food processing and energy inustries, but are keen on re-listing the commodity at some point.
Commodity Exchanges in India, which allowed futures trading in commodities in 2003, trade in about 80 commodities ranging from gold to carbon credits, but most of its volumes are cornered by 8-10 commodities.
India has 21 commodity bourses, including five operating at the national level. Foreigners are still not allowed to trade in futures, but can buy stake in commodity exchanges.
(Reporting by Siddesh Mayenkar; Editing by Stephen Powell)


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DECORAH — The Decorah City Council has scheduled a public hearing on Menards’ request to rezone floodplain property near Walmart for a new store for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Last week, the Decorah Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the request to rezone the floodplain to C-4 shopping center commercial be denied on a 4-3 vote. Because of the commission’s denial, it will take approval by six members of the council to rezone the property. Some commission members voting against the rezoning said the city’s comprehensive land-use plan calls for the protection of floodplain and wetlands.
Menards hopes to build a 209,500-square-foot store that would include a full storage yard behind it and a warehouse building. Menards plans to build a stormwater retention pond in conjunction with the new store.
Last month, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources approved a permit for Menards to build in the floodplain.


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Much as DaimlerChrysler may want to wrap up a sale of its North American Chrysler unit by the summer, before negotiations between the Big Three and the United Auto Workers [UAW] union begin, it may not be able to. According to an article in today's Wall Street Journal, legal requirements related to the sale may slow down the sales process to a much slower pace than DaimlerChrysler is hoping for. The UAW and representatives of Tracinda Corp. met yesterday to discuss a possible takeover of Chrysler, though Tracinda's $4.5 billion takeover bid has yet to be taken seriously by DaimlerChrysler. For its part, UAW Local 12 group has opposed DaimlerChrysler's proposed sale of its North American unit, urging the company to endorse an employee-stock-ownership plan [ESOP], granting employees the ability to buy 70% of Chrysler. Tracinda's proposal allows for partial employee ownership, in exchange for waving certain future benefits. DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche will meet with the UAW on Tuesday to discuss progress in the sale of Chrysler.
Sources: Wall Street Journal, Forbes
Commentary: Chrysler Roundup: Second Round of Bids Due; UAW Opposes Sale • Kirk Kerkorian To Be Left Out of Chrysler Negotiations - WSJ • DaimlerChrysler Beats Competitors, CEO LaSorda On Track
Stocks/ETFs to watch: DaimlerChrysler (DCX), Magna International (NYSE:MGA). Competitors: General Motors (NYSE:GM), Ford (NYSE:F), Toyota (NYSE:TM), Honda (NYSE:HMC), Nissan (OTCPK:NSANY)
Seeking Alpha's news briefs are combined into a pre-market summary called Wall Street Breakfast. Get Wall Street Breakfast by email -- it's free and takes only seconds to sign up.


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ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. The aluminum industry is prepared to meet increasing demand from the automotive industry and other potential growth markets, industry executives say, either by adding new rolling capacity or expanding or retooling existing facilities.
There currently is enough capacity to meet aluminum demand from the automotive sector, Randall Scheps, director of automotive marketing at Pittsburgh-based aluminum producer Alcoa Inc., said during a roundtable discussion at the Aluminum Associations spring meeting in Isle of Palms.
The trick will be engaging customers early enough in the development process to determine whether and when new capacity might be necessary, he said. "We cant have them calling 12 months before they need 100 million pounds of metal. But certainly, if they call us three years ahead of time we can make it happen either by adding new rolling capacity or converting existing capacity from one market to another."
Alcoa is in the process of investing $300 million in its rolling mill in Davenport, Iowa, to serve the auto industry, Scheps noted. "We believe that some of our competitors are doing the same levels of investment. Certainly, to serve the auto market there has been major, major investmentand we believe there will be more in the future."
Scheps remarks came after Alcoa chairman and chief executive officer Klaus Kleinfeld said the companys Davenport facility wont be enough to meet future demand from the auto sector (amm.com, April 9).
"When you are making a car, there are like 3 million pieces that come together. You dont do that in a day," an Alcoa spokesman said. "That lead time is very long, so the sooner (automotive firms) get their partners involved, the better off they are. And thats whats happening todaya fundamental change thats happening."
Both Scheps and the spokesman declined to comment on whether any particular automotive company or supplier might be looking to boost aluminum requirements for a new product or vehicle model.
North American primary aluminum production also can be expanded, said Jean Simon, president of primary metals at Montreal-based Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., which is already spending $3.3 billion to modernize its smelting operations in Kitimat, British Columbia, a process that should be completed in 2014.
"We are in a good position to follow the market, and there are other projects that we have in hand," Simon said, although he noted that the company has been cautious to add additional tonnage in the wake of the recession, despite positive forecasts.
Other possible expansions include Rio Tinto Alcans AP60 Technology Center, which is expected to begin operation in mid-2013, as well as its Alma smelter in Quebec, which has a nameplate capacity of 438,000 tonnes per year (amm.com, Aug. 29). "Nothing has been announced. It is just looking into the future," Simon said.
"We will balance our potential move with the demand for aluminum in the coming years," he said. "But the point is, there is potential in North America to continue to provide primary aluminum."
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp. also is expanding. The Franklin, Tenn.-based company has announced a $45-million investment in a new rod mill, a $38-million project to boost productivity and capacity at its smelter in New Madrid, Mo., and also plans to invest $20 million in a port expansion in Jamaica, said president and chief executive officer Layle "Kip" Smith. Combined, the projects represent "another positive story about investment, growth in capacity and jobs."


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World of Warcraft maker Blizzard has been awarded more than $88 million in damages against the creator of a private server on which cheapskate punters could play the multi-player role playing game without paying a monthly fee.
A California court has ruled that Alyson Reeves, who ran the unofficial game service under the name Scapegaming, should pay back over $3 million in 'inappropriate profits', $63,600 in legal fees and more than $84 million in damages.
Private servers are illegal according to Blizzard's EULA agreement and contravene a number of copyrights as well as being notorious breeding grounds for criminal activity and card phishing scams. Scapegaming is thought to have operated its own micro-transactions system whereby lazy gamers could pay for quest items rather than putting in the long hours of grinding to earn them.
It's highly unlikely that Reeves will have the wonga to pay the fine and the final amount will most likely be reduced as the result of an appeal.
What is certain is that anyone else currently running a fake server or thinking of setting one up will think twice in the light of the legal precedent.
World of Warcraft, commonly known as 'Warcrack' because of its highly addictive nature, is probably the most populous online MMPORPG in the history of gaming with more than 10 million active players.


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"We are not doing movie-based games anymore," Marvel digital media VP Ira Rubenstein told Joystiq, before restating: "Actually, wait... we are not doing crappy movie-based games anymore. You can quote me on that." nope Games based on Iron Man 2 and Thor are currently in development. Marvel also recently signed a ten-year deal with Gazillion Entertainment to turn its superhero properties into multiplayer online games.
Rubenstein acknowledges that the first Iron Man game was not exactly a classic, but apparently feels confident in the sequel. Sega San Francisco--originally known as Secret Level--is again handling development duties. We'll see!


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Posts Tagged «sony»
How to capture and stream video from a PS4 December 25, 2014 at 10:01 am
With a little bit of effort, anyone can stream and capture console video without an elaborate or expensive set-up.
Who really hacked Sony Pictures? It probably wasn’t North Korea (updated) December 19, 2014 at 11:52 am
North Korea was indeed responsible for the massive hack on Sony Pictures, according to officials from within the US government. The problem is, there is very little evidence that North Korea was actually behind the attack — which makes me wonder, a) Why is the US government fingering North Korea? and b) If it wasn’t North Korea, who hacked Sony Pictures?
PS4 is about to get streaming media with an official Plex app December 18, 2014 at 3:01 pm
If you’re a PS4 user, your media streaming needs are finally being met. Plex has announced that native media streaming clients are being released on both the PS3 and PS4, so the existing in-browser and DLNA solutions are no longer the only options.
MPAA’s plan to break DNS in the name of fighting piracy – exposed by the Sony hack December 17, 2014 at 10:01 am
New details from the Sony hack have shown that the MPAA hasn’t learned from years of defeat over DNS blocking. The organization is still investigating whether it can compel this kind of action — despite technical opinions that doing so would compromise the Internet’s function.
Xbox One finally breaks the PS4’s winning streak, sells 1.2 million consoles in November December 12, 2014 at 6:48 am
After an 11-month run at the top of the sales charts, the Xbox One finally outsold the PS4 in November in the US and UK. In the US alone, Xbox One sales totaled an impressive 1.2 million units in November. Is this a sign that a turnaround is on the books — did the library of Xbox One games hit critical mass? — or is it just the predictable result of the deep discounts that Microsoft has been pushing for the last couple of months?
Sony fights back against hackers, stolen file sharers – by firing a DDoS back at them December 11, 2014 at 8:49 am
When the hackee becomes the hacker… In a somewhat amusing twist to the ongoing Sony Pictures hack and massive breach of sensitive files and unreleased films, the company is now fighting back. According to two unnamed sources, Sony is now using ‘hundreds of computers’ to perform a DDoS on websites where you can download the leaked data. Better yet, Sony is apparently using Amazon’s cloud servers (AWS) to perform the DDoS. While I’m all for proactive security measures, Sony might be taking it a little bit too far here.
Sony’s PlayStation Network taken down by DDoS, as company reels from last month’s massive Sony Pictures hack (updated) December 9, 2014 at 6:37 am
Poor Sony: This morning, the company’s PlayStation Network was unreachable due to suspected foul play by Lizard Squad, the same hacker group that took down Microsoft’s Xbox Live network last wee. Lizard Squad used a distributed denial of service (DDoS) to take the networks offline. This latest Sony outage comes just a couple of weeks after a devastating and very-high-profile hack on Sony Pictures, which resulted in a massive leak of sensitive information and unreleased movies.
6 tech tips to improve your Thanksgiving holiday weekend November 25, 2014 at 9:35 am
Thanksgiving is a wonderful day dedicated to spending time with your friends and family, but many of us are overwhelmed by all of the stress associated with a holiday this big. Plans need to be made, dinner needs to be cooked, and everything needs to get wrapped up right before an all-out shopping bonanza. Thankfully, we have technology at our disposal that can help alleviate some of the holiday stress. In preparation for America’s favorite holiday, I’ve come up with six ways to use gadgets and the internet to get things done more efficiently, and help us all enjoy ourselves just a little bit more.
Alienware’s knockoff Steam Machine finally ships, but it’s not the gaming PC you’re looking for November 21, 2014 at 4:32 pm
There was a lot of hype surrounding the impending launch of Valve’s Steam Machine platform, but much of the excitement dissipated when the first wave of machines were delayed until 2015. Now, Alienware is going in alone, and shipping its own consolized gaming PC.
This tiny $100 box lets you really feel the bass, even using headphones November 20, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Feeling the bass thud in your chest at a concert or at a movie theater is a vital part of the experience, and we often miss that in the home environment. So, what if you could get that same sensation while playing a PS4 game, or listening to an album on Spotify? That’s exactly what the Woojer is designed to do.


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Magic Kingdom Hub Expansion Announced
Feb 27, 2014
On Thursday, Walt Disney World announced an upcoming expansion to Magic Kingdom's Central Plaza, or Hub, area in front of Cinderella Castle. The expansion will add larger viewing locations to accommodate more guests for fireworks and other entertainment, and also add landscaping and gardens that are "inspired by the lush grounds seen around European castles and chateaus."
Outdoor seating areas for the popular Main Street U.S.A. restaurants Casey's Corner and The Plaza are going to double in size.
From The Disney Parks Blog:
"If you're a regular Disney Parks Blog reader, you're certainly familiar with one of our guests' favorite places at Magic Kingdom Park: the Central Plaza area between the end of Main Street and Cinderella Castle. Well, we've just begun a project that'll make it even better. We're adding several new elements to the area, including sculpted gardens, additional pathways, expanded restaurant seating and even a special viewing area for fireworks and other performances."
Disney also released a video overview showcasing the upcoming expansion design:
The multi-phase expansion has already begun and is set to be completed in 2015.


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Tech Company Financing Transactions
Fate Therapeutics Funding Round
Fate Therapeutics, operating out of San Diego, scored $12 million from Arch Venture Partners, OVP Venture Partners and Polaris Partners.
San Diego, CA 92121
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WASHINGTON • Mr Donald Trump's blistering critique of United States trade policy boils down to a simple equation: Foreigners are "killing us on trade" because Americans spend much more on imports than the rest of the world spends on US exports.
China's unbalanced trade with the US, he said on Tuesday night, is "the greatest theft in the history of the world". Add a few "whereins" and "whences" and that sentiment would conform nicely to the worldview of the first Queen Elizabeth of 16th century England, to the 17th century court of Louis XIV, or to Prussia's Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, in the 19th century.
The great powers of bygone centuries subscribed to the economic theory of mercantilism, "wherein we must ever observe this rule: to sell more to strangers yearly than we consume of theirs in value", as its apostle, the East India Company director Thomas Mun, wrote in the 1600s.
Now Mr Trump is bringing mercantilism back. The New York billionaire is challenging the last 200 years of economic orthodoxy that trade among nations is good, and that more is better.
He is well on his way to becoming the first Republican nominee in nearly a century who has called for higher tariffs, or import taxes, as a broad defence against low-cost imports.
ON THE TRADE DEFICIT WITH CHINA
Our trade deficit with China is like having a business that continues to lose money every single year. Who would do business like that?
'' MR TRUMP
ON FACTORIES MOVING OVERSEAS
I will call the head of Carrier and I will say, 'I hope you enjoy your new building. I hope you enjoy Mexico. Here's the story, folks: Every single air-conditioning unit that you build and send across our border - you're going to pay a 35 per cent tax on that unit.'
And there is a good chance he would face a Democratic opponent, Mrs Hillary Clinton, who has expressed fewer reservations about trade, inverting a longstanding political dynamic.
Among Republican standard- bearers, "there's nobody since (Herbert) Hoover who talked this way about trade", said Dr I. M. Destler, a public policy professor at the University of Maryland and the author of American Trade Politics.
For most of the last century, Dr Destler said, such scepticism about trade had been relegated to the fringes of the Republican Party.
Mr Trump's mercantilism is among his oldest and steadiest public positions.
Since at least the 1980s, he has described trade as a zero-sum game in which countries lose by paying for imports. The trade deficit with China, which reached US$366 billion (S$503 billion) last year, makes America the biggest loser.
"Our trade deficit with China is like having a business that continues to lose money every single year," Mr Trump told the Daily News of New York last August. "Who would do business like that?"
During the current campaign, he has regularly advocated tariffs as the best solution.
He has promised to penalise US companies that build foreign factories. Recently he has called out Carrier, which is shifting air-conditioner production from Indiana to Mexico. "I will call the head of Carrier and I will say, 'I hope you enjoy your new building,'" Mr Trump said last month. "'I hope you enjoy Mexico. Here's the story, folks: Every single air-conditioning unit that you build and send across our border - you're going to pay a 35 per cent tax on that unit.'"
In January, Mr Trump proposed a 45 per cent tariff on Chinese imports during a meeting with The New York Times editorial board.
Economists have long struggled against the popular view that exports are a measure of economic vitality, while imports are evidence of regrettable dependence.
They argue that the opposite is true. "The gain from foreign trade is what we import. What we export is the cost of getting those imports. And the proper objective for a nation, as Adam Smith put it, is to arrange things so we get as large a volume of imports as possible for as small a volume of exports as possible," economist Milton Friedman said in a 1978 speech.
But critiques like Mr Trump's resonate in part because economists have oversold their case.
Everyone can buy a cheaper air-conditioner when Carrier leaves for a lower-cost country, but a few hundred people will lose their livelihoods.
NEW YORK TIMES


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The shakes – which are being trialed at Byron’s Shoreditch, Camden, Oxford Circus, Islington and Manchester restaurants – include strawberry and brownie flavors (£5.25).
There is also as a ‘freakshake’ on offer, featuring vegan vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce topped with a whole brownie from the Vegan Antics bakery (£8.50).
Paul Mason, Head of Food at Byron, said: “Since the launch of our new menu, we’re now seeing one in 10 customers choosing one of our vegan or vegetarian burgers.
“The feedback we kept hearing was that our non-dairy drinking fans longed for vegan versions of our extra-thick shakes.
“These new additions to the menu means that nobody need miss out.”


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Banda Aceh-based reggae act, Made in Made brought their new tune “Kupi Aceh” to an appreciative crowd Friday night at the opening ceremony of the annual Banda Aceh Coffee Festival 2013.
The groove of reggae hit the atmosphere of the famous Taman Sari, Banda Aceh, where the third edition of the Coffee Fest is located until 25th of November 2013.
Made in Made’s frontman Ramadhan raised a cup of coffee to the spectators and said “Tonight, I will sing our new song Kupi Aceh.” Then he led the audience singing “Pagi ngopi, sore ngopi, malam ngopi.”
The band is listed in PAI International Reggae Festival‘s current line-up and will showcase their talents on 13-15 December 2013 at Pai Fah Talay Mok Dao, Pai, Thailand.
Other line-ups were Amoba Band, Mulia, Agus PMTOH, Cut Ika Liana, etc.
The fest was officially opened by a welcoming speech of Mayor’s representative Mr. Ramli AR, concluded by an Acehnese traditional coffee milling demonstration by Mr. Ramli, The Head of Banda Aceh Parliament Mr Yudi Kurnia, The Regent of Bener Meriah Mr Ruslan Abdul Gani, The Head of Banda Aceh Tourism and Cultural Office Mr Reza Fahlevi, and His Excellency the Ambassador of Finland Mr Kai Sauer.


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American multinational technology company, Apple has acquired Canadian startup Buddybuild, a mobile iteration platform focused on building integration and debugging tools for iOS developers, for an undisclosed sum. The spokesperson from Buddybuild added that it would stay in Vancouver – a hotbed of developer and engineering talent and will no longer accept any new customer to provide services. Buddybuild was founded in 2015 by former Amazon employees Dennis Pilarinos and Christopher Stott and later in 2014, Apple acquired TestFlight which began to require users to employ Xcode to utilize the service.
In the official statement, Buddybuild mentioned that “We’re excited to share that the Buddybuild team has joined the Xcode engineering group at Apple to build amazing developer tools for the entire iOS community. The Buddybuild service will remain available to existing customers to build, test and ship iOS apps to testers through Buddybuild.com,” The company also added “Existing ‘Free Starter’ plans and Android app development will be discontinued on March 1, 2018,”
According to TechCrunch, Buddybuild will turn into Xcode, Apple’s suite of development tools for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. as per the report, “Of the $17 billion (roughly Rs. 1.07 lakh crores) generated in Q3 from apps globally (excluding China), Apple accounted for around $11 billion (roughly Rs. 70,000 crores) of it, according to App Annie,”


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Export processing terminals will reduce cost, traffic on Apapa roads – NPA boss
The newly established export processing terminals created by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), will help to reduce the cost of doing business for exporters and traffic gridlocks on the roads leading to the ports in Lagos, Mohammed Bello-Koko, the managing director of NPA, has said.
The export processing terminals are locations where exporters start the packaging process of their exports, get certification for their products and seal the products before sending them to the port for shipment.
BusinessDay gathered that trucks carrying export goods, which form over 30 percent of trucks that ply the roads leading to the Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports, are the major cause of traffic due to the delay in the completion of the export document by exporters.
Speaking on Wednesday at a panel session themed, ‘unlocking opportunities in Nigeria’s non-oil export business,’ at the 2022 Zenith Bank international trade seminar, Bello-Koko said the NPA recently licensed 10 private sector investors to create export processing terminals.
According to him, out of the 10 terminals, about three would come on stream shortly as one called Libra Terminals has perfected plans to begin operations by September.
For the export processing terminals to succeed in easing the movement of exports, Bello-Koko said there was a need for other government agencies such as the Customs, SON, and others that certify export goods to have desks within the terminals.
“When these terminals become operations, it will reduce the traffic on the road. We have introduced barge operation, which is also helping to reduce the number of boxes or containers on the port access roads. The movement of these export goods comes with a cost that is being borne by exporters and makes Nigerian exports more expensive. But we believe that the export processing terminals will help us,” he said.
In addition, the NPA boss said the authority has also created a dedicated lane going into the port to fast-track the movement of export boxes and also given them a movement time belt.
“We understand the essence of export that is why we are working with the Nigerian Export Processing Council to integrate the dues with the new export processing terminals. We will also work with the exporters to see how this works in order to save a lot of time and reduce delays associated with export in Nigeria,” he added.
On his part, Naved Zafar, managing director of the APM Terminals/WACT, blamed poor road infrastructure in and out of the port environment for the gridlock experienced on the port access road.
According to him, the port in Nigeria cannot be efficient if there is no proper inland connectivity to the port.
While pointing out the role of infrastructural deficit in the Apapa problem, Bello-Koko said the traffic in Apapa became heavier when Nigeria started importing and exporting more, but unfortunately, use the same road infrastructure until recently when the government expanded the Apapa Port road.
“At a point, we were having between 40,000 and 45,000 trucks into Apapa and Tin-Can Ports in a month, out of which about 15,000 trucks are for export. There must be a synergy between when the vessel comes within Nigeria’s shore, berths, offload the cargo and when it is inspected by Customs and other government agencies, and when it leaves the port. Any break-in that will create traffic,” he said.
He added that the NPA deployed the call-up system to ease the movement of cargo and trucks in and out of the port, and also created the pre-gate for trucks to wait before gaining access to the port.


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Microsoft and Apple are at it again. Or, well, still. But who thought Steve Jobs would be back for WWDC? No one with reading-comprehension skills. And are netbooks falling, feather-like, back to Earth?
But it comes with free headphones
Microsoft came out swinging again this week, issuing an ad that claims that
the true cost of owning an iPod is a whopping $30,000!
Right. Swinging like a drunken monkey trying to hit a piñata while blindfolded.
Really, as the Macalope has said, this—like any of the rest of Microsoft’s ads—isn’t an honest argument. So it doesn’t deserve an honest response.
When someone impugns the integrity of your mother, you don’t say “Hey! My mother does not swim out after troop ships!” No, you impugn the integrity of their sister. Preferably in some context that includes barnyard animals.
is ready for this fight. Microsoft is like an aging politician who decides he’s going to “mix it up” with Jon Stewart. Dude, you lost before you walked into the Thunderdome. Microsoft’s ads aren’t funny and statements like “I don’t know about you, but I don’t have 30 grand laying around for music” are a little more forceful when they’re not coming from a guy wearing a blazer with a handkerchief in the pocket. No offense, but you look exactly like you have $30,000 laying around for music.
Microsoft’s jab here is not at Apple, it’s at owning your music. And most people have already decided they like owning their music. No fancy-pants financial analyst is going to change that opinion now. And, really, does owning an iPod mean you need to shell out tens of thousands of dollars to fill it? Of course not. There’s no need to get into the myriad of ways this is nonsense because it’s not a serious argument.
So whenever anyone brings this argument up to you, just ask them, “What does it say about the Zune that it can’t compete against a device that costs $30,000?”
Can we at least get a burning bush?
Piper Jaffrey’s Gene Munster stirred up the Apple world this week by predicting that new iPhones wouldn’t be coming until Steve Jobs is back in late June or in July.
You can hear him go into it in this CNBC appearance, charmingly entitled
Apple Innovation Slowing? (Warning: link to video showing disturbing images of financial industry talking heads ham-fistedly chumming it up with Munster delivering smarmy jokes about Munster’s last name: “Gene, you’re a monster!” Ugh.)
Some had also hoped that God would reappear at the event and send the audience and Apple’s stock to cloud nine.
Ha-ha! OK, which of you crazies thought God was going to appear? Huh? C’mon, fess up.
No, Blodget’s not talking about the real God, with the robes and the chorus of angels and the backlighting. That’s just technology-industry jerkweed shorthand for how those koo-koo Mac users see Steve Jobs. The other shorthand he uses is “some.” That’s just plain ol’ journalism jerkweed shorthand for “I don’t have any actual evidence anyone is saying this or I’d link to it, but I like to imagine people were.”
Unlike Blodget’s cartoon view of Apple fans, actual Apple fans can read and know what “the end of June” in the company’s press releases means.
Maybe Apple will introduce a new iPhone June 8. Maybe not. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs might put in an appearance. Or he might not. We don’t know.
Good Lord. Sure, we don’t know in the sense that we don’t know when the sun will explode. Scientists tell us that it won’t be any time soon—just like Apple has told us Jobs is coming back at the end of June—but can we believe scientists?
Finally, what would Thursday be without another kick at netbooks from the Macalope? According to Electronista, a new report says
netbook demand has dropped from its “Top o’ the world, ma!” level. You always have to take these forecast reports with a grain of salt the size of a car battery, but the horny one wouldn’t be surprised to find that cheap, small, underpowered laptops are not the wave of the future some have predicted.
Wait, did the Macalope say “some”?
Sorry. He meant
some. You can see the brown and furry one’s full response
here, but suffice it to say he thinks the hype around netbooks is greatly exaggerated.
Shocking, he knows. He’s even started wondering whether jet packs will ever gain mass-market adoption.


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Dun and Bradstreet (NYSE:DNB), the well-known provider of business-to-business credit, marketing and purchasing information, is launching eccelerate.com to bring online businesses into its orbit.
“This is a logical next step for D & B,” said Lynn Harvey, senior analyst, Information Assets, Patricia Seybold Group, “because with the explosion of e-commerce, eccelerate.com creates the ability to access D & B’s database of over 57 million businesses worldwide in an electronic environment.”
How It Works
The new system establishes the D & B business information database and the D & B D-U-N-S Number — which is already widely used for traditional business identification — as a foundation for ranking Internet businesses.
Eccelerate.com will work with digital security providers to leverage D & B’s unique expertise in investigating businesses. An alliance with VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq:VRSN), a provider of Internet trust services, will further enhance D & B’s ability to authenticate online companies.
Eccelerate.com will offer three services:
Its Authentication and Verification Service will investigate and authenticate businesses and corporate clients.
Its Credentials Service will issue the actual D & B number embedded digital certificates and other identity instruments for both its corporate clients and e-commerce sites.
Its Information Broker services will function as a software plug-in that integrates with a company’s e-commerce application to deliver real-time information about buyers and sellers at the point of transaction.
Timing Is Everything
D & B’s presence in the online marketplace is timely for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that business to business activity on the Internet appears to be at the point of takeoff.
“With more unknown buyers and sellers coming together in business-to-business e-commerce, we saw an opportunity to deliver this same standard of excellence to a new marketplace,” said Frank Sowinski, D & B Operating Company president.
With the proliferation of new businesses on the Internet, more businesses are likely to need much more information about the companies that they choose to purchase from, partner with or hire.
In fact, a report released today by Forrester Research, Inc., indicates a coming market boom as firms grapple with complex Internet initiatives linking internal technologies and processors to suppliers and customers.
“We are launching eccelerate.com to capitalize on this explosive market by enhancing trust in the identity of trading partners,” Sowinski said. “We’re delivering objective, global business information seamlessly at the very instant of every business-to-business transaction.
And not a moment too soon, according to Forrester, whose study concentrated on the e-commerce services market. In an effort to determine the Internet’s impact on service-related businesses, Forrester predicts that the market for online strategy services will grow at a compound annual rate of 83 percent over the next four years.
That increase means that those companies hiring service-related companies will need fast, accurate information on the companies that they are considering.


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‘Have a Heart’ Auction benefits CSUMB students
California State University Monterey Bay’s 16th annual “Have a Heart For Student’s Dinner and Auction” took place Saturday, Feb. 8 at Corral de Tierra Country Club. Guests participated in a silent auction, dinner, and live auction to raise money for student scholarships at CSUMB. Alumni, staff members and individuals from the community gathered to support CSUMB students.
Dozens of live auction items were available as well as hundreds of silent auction items provided by local businesses. The Celebrity Auctioneer, Zach Krone, is a 2005 graduate of CSUMB. Krone engaged guests and successfully got the guests to bid higher and higher.


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Blimey! It’s chilli
Unbar Rothon has added a new seasoning to its fast growing Butchers Pride range and a prize for naming it has gone to a retired butcher who, decades ago, was feted as the 100th member to join the prestigious Q Guild.
Along with Eastern Region members of the organisation, Robert Munt was invited to sample the new chilli flavour, found it surprisingly sparky and uttered the immortal words: Cor Blimey.
Thus was born the name for the new seasoning – “Chilli Cor Blimey” – which has entered Unbar Rothon’s Pride range for butchers and also attracted attention from sausage and burger manufacturers.
Mr. Munt was born above his father’s butchers shop in Grays, Essex and weighed in on the shop scales. Having made his first sausage as a ten year old Saturday boy he later qualified as an M.Inst.M after two years at London’s Smithfield College and joined his father in the family business, which included two Q Guild shops.
Now, though officially retired, he enjoys the occasional shop experience as a holiday relief in addition to helping manage a free range herd of Little Black Angus cattle. His first contact with Unbar Rothon, now a third generation flavours house, came when he sought help to consistently produce a successful sausage seasoning first created by his father.
“It has been astonishing how they managed to reproduce it exactly every time which was something we rarely managed,” said Mr. Munt.
Even now, he orders a batch every year and it is used to manufacture sausages which he gives away to friends and relatives. Unbar Rothon’s director, Richard Rothon, who attended the Q Guild meeting at which the naming ceremony took place, said that, from a long list of interesting ideas “Cor Blimey” was much the best.
“It fires the imagination into thinking of the sweet heat of the chilli,” he added.


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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — American Cancer Society is hosting a ‘Bark for Life’ canine event to fight cancer.
The relay will give you a chance to dress you and your pooch up wearing purple to show your pride.
All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.
The event is on Saturday, Oct. 2 from 9 to 10 p.m. at the Train Depot Museum Tehachapi.
The cost is $20 per dog and includes a goodie for the 100 registered dogs. On the day of the event, the cost per dog raises $25.
Registration forms are available at Canine Creek Pet Wash & Boutique and Glamour Salon.


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Visible World announces Malcy as Senior VP, Business Development
November 26, 2014
Visible World, a player in targeted TV advertising technology, announced this week that Michael Malcy has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Business Development.
Malcy, who has spent over two decades in the media industry, most recently served as Senior Vice President of Business Development for Alticast, Inc., where he was responsible for Business Development, Marketing and Business Affairs. Prior to Alticast, he was Vice President of Marketing for ADB Americas and Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Vidiom Systems, an ADB subsidiary.
Malcy brings deep experience in the cable and broadband world. While Vice President of the Digital Convergence Team at Samsung Electronics Product Innovation Lab, he was responsible for introducing the company’s HDTV, MP-3 and cable industry products. He also spent several years at Sharp Laboratories of America where he was responsible for both the formulation of Sharp’s technical position in standards bodies as well as the development of broadband policy. He has an extensive technical background, having participated in CableLabs OpenCable and DOCSIS efforts. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Technical Standards Committee of the Consumer Electronics Association.
A leader in targeted TV advertising, Visible World offers a programmatic ad tech stack called HighYield that includes a number of targeting elements such as household addressability, automated creative versioning, and Smart TV DNA data analysis. Its subsidiary AudienceXpress, a programmatic TV ad platform using Visible World technology, has experienced explosive growth since its launch less than two years ago.
“Michael brings a wealth of experience in the cable, satellite, and broadcast fields,” said Scott Falconer, Chief Operating Officer of Visible World. “His background provides him with a unique perspective on the needs of the industry.”
“I’m pleased to be joining an industry leader in targeted TV, with a reputation for increasing the value of TV ad inventory,” said Malcy. “Visible World is perfectly situated to lead the growth in programmatic and Smart TV and I look forward to helping bring their solutions to the market.”


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Google parent Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) reported a 20.2 percent rise in quarterly revenue on Thursday, helped by robust sales of advertising on mobile devices and YouTube, and the search giant said it would repurchase about $7 billion of its Class C stock.Alphabet, along with Facebook Inc (FB.O), dominates the fast-growing mobile advertising market.Shares of Alphabet, the world's No. 2 company by market value, were up 1.6 percent in after-hours trading.Google's ad revenue rose 18.1 percent to $19.82 billion in the third quarter, accounting for 89.1 percent of Google's total revenue, compared with 89.8 percent of revenue in the second quarter.Paid clicks rose 33 percent, compared with a rise of 29 percent in the second quarter. Paid clicks are those ads on which an advertiser pays only if a user clicks on them.Cost-per-click, or the average amount advertisers pay Google, fell 11 percent in the latest period after dropping 7 percent in the second quarter.Analysts on average had expected a decline of 7.9 percent, according to FactSet StreetAccount.
Per-click costs have been falling as people shift to mobile devices from desktops. Because of the limited space, advertising on mobile devices is generally cheaper.Research firm eMarketer has estimated that Google will capture $52.88 billion in search ad revenue in 2016, or 56.9 percent of the global market.Google's Other Revenue, which includes the company's increasingly important cloud business, jumped 38.8 percent after rising 33 percent in the second quarter.
The cloud business competes with services offered by market-leader Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and IBM Corp (IBM.N).Alphabet's Other Bets generated revenue of $197 million, but reported an operating loss of $865 million. In the year earlier period, revenue was $141 million and the loss was $980 million.Other Bets includes broadband business Google Fibre, home automation products Nest, self-driving cars as well as X, the company's research facility that works on "moon shot" ventures.
The company's consolidated revenue rose to $22.45 billion in the three months to Sept. 30 from $18.68 billion a year earlier.Net income rose to $5.06 billion, or $7.25 per Class A and B share and Class C capital stock, from $3.98 billion, or $5.73 per share, a year earlier. (bit.ly/2eWsu9Y)Excluding one-time items, Alphabet earned $9.06 per share.Up to Thursday's close of $817.35, Alphabet's shares had risen 5.1 percent since the start of the year. (Reporting by Narottam Medhora in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr and Savio D'Souza)
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Your guide to the latest seat tally, live updates, analysis and list of winners for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 on firstpost.com/elections. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram or like our Instagram or like our Facebook page for updates from all 542 constituencies on counting day of the general elections.
Updated Date: Oct 28, 2016 02:14:50 IST


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Single-car NASCAR team with little success delights sponsors
But its carefully crafted business model is delivering success off the track, allowing the 29th-ranked team to remain fully sponsored with ambitious plans for a 2012 reorganization and future expansion beyond driver Bobby Labonte.
The team's sponsor lineup remains a model of continuity for an often volatile business — though co-owner Tad Geschickter says much has changed in the methods for procuring and retaining companies.
"Everyone is saying sponsorship and attendance aren't what it was, but I think a lot of sports would like to have the problem we have," says Geschickter, who has been a team owner since 1995. "There still are a tremendous number of people who are watching every weekend. It's just that the definition of value has changed on the sponsor side, and we need to rethink that. It's a matter of staying ahead of the curve to make sure we're relevant."
JTG Daugherty has maintained longtime partnerships with a bevy of companies such as The Clorox Company (which has sponsored the team for 15 seasons, including in the Nationwide Series) despite a relative lack of on-track success.
Though Labonte's best finish is fourth this season, the team has gotten aggressive off the track to justify a return on a sponsor's investment.
Geschickter says his team has built software to help companies track sales based off their sponsorship. Another focus is using Web chats and offers of coupons and sweepstakes to send traffic to sponsors' sites and social-media networks.
Geschickter says Clorox has promised to up its sponsorship if the team can help register 50,000 fans for a promotion with Kingsford (a Clorox brand).
"Two years ago, you never had a discussion about, 'How many people did you drive to my Facebook?'" he says. "Before people said, 'People like my driver, so therefore, they're going to purchase my product more often.' It was very fluffy analytics.
"In today's economy, these sponsors want a hard metrics of, 'Hey, if you deliver 50,000 more people to my website, my market share goes up.'"
Troy Datcher, director of sales for Clorox, says the company's market share has grown in each race market this year and credited the NASCAR team with helping connect fans to the brand through in-store promotions at retailers such as Safeway and Kroger.
Grant LaMontagne, senior VP and chief customer officer for The Clorox Company, says the company views races as a three-day celebration of hitting the sales goals generated in the six to eight weeks before NACSAR arrives.
"There's a uniqueness to the model that Tad has and an ability to bring together consumers and companies through the use of sponsorship," LaMontagne says. "We have one of the most winning teams off the track.
"A lot of others look at the return on the track, and we like that, but we look for it in stores, too. My No. 1 purpose is to get a return on my investment. I tell Tad to sleep well, because why would I walk out the door? I want to win, but Tad's a small team, and we're willing to improve over time. Someday he'll have a much bigger operation in NASCAR."
JTG Daugherty will have a new crew chief, team management and a shop location for the 2012 Cup season. Eventually, Geschickter wants to expand to a second car, and the team's sponsorship plans are predicated on selling sponsorship around three shopping "megatrends": Grilling (the economic downturn has led to fewer vacations and more cookouts), car care and health and wellness.
By grouping together sponsors (such as charcoal, beans, paper products, trash bags) in shared promotions, Geschickter said the team also can defray costs.
"We try to find which trend has wind in its sails," Geschickter says, "and build around those themes."


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Apple have announced that the new version of their operating system iOS 8.4 will launch on Tuesday, together with its new Apple Music service and a radio station for the service.
The announcement, made Sunday morning by an Apple executive, states that the iOS 8.4 update will be available starting June 30th at 8 AM PT, and will be shortly followed by the launch of a 24-hour radio station called Beats 1, which will mark the first step in launching its music streaming service.
Apparently, all of the users upgrading iOS 8.4 will receive the Apple Music app incorporated in the operating system. According to Apple’s official site, people connected with Apple ID can use it to view and follow artist feeds, listen to the Beats 1 station and other future Apple Music radio stations with limited skipping possibilities.
To use its on-demand streaming services, users must pay a $10 dollar monthly membership, which will give them the possibility of listening to the entire Apple Music library, download songs to listen them offline and tune in to radio stations with unlimited skipping. Currently, Apple are offering a three month trial membership free of charge though. According to the blog post announcing the feature, the initial cloud library limit will still be 25.000 tracks, with Apple reportedly looking into raising it to 100.000 until iOS 9 comes out.
The Beats 1 radio station will be run by DJ Zane Lowe and will feature numerous shows and interviews with famous artists throughout the entire music industry, with the first revealed to be Eminem. Dr. Dre will host his own show called “The Pharmacy”, with other confirmed show hosts counting Elton John, Pharrell Williams, Josh Homme and even Jaden Smith.
Music streaming is one of the fastest growing industries and is rapidly shaping the way the music industry works. Apple has noticed that and are trying to offer a challenge to popular streaming services such as Pandora or Spotify. However, with its free version being quite lackluster when compared to the two and other major streamers, analysts are question whether Apple will manage to gain a foothold in streaming on its own terms, even with a loyal fan base and huge amounts of money to invest in marketing the product.
Streaming has put a dent on other forms of musical distribution, with both digital downloads and physical album sales falling by 8 percent in 2014. Subscription based options from streaming services instead recorded 40 percent higher revenues, with then globally earning more than $1.5 billion.
Image Source: 9to5mac.com


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A video showing warehouse workers in Anchorage shouting as they throw Amazon packages across the room, many landing with a thud or rattle as they hit the concrete floor, reached thousands over the weekend.
Some of the employees caught on video were subsequently fired, a company executive said Monday.
"There’s a number of disciplinary actions that have taken place,” said Kim Howard, vice president of operations at Naniq Global Logistics.
“Our stance is this is an unfortunate incident, and we have taken steps and measures to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” she said.
Howard declined to elaborate or say how many firings occurred.
A video of the chaotic scene at the Legacy Logistics warehouse near Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was posted Thursday on Facebook. By Monday morning, it had more than 4,000 shares and dozens of outraged comments.
One of the people in the video is labeled as a supervisor. Howard said managers did receive disciplinary action but declined to say if any were fired or what role they played in the culture that allowed the behavior to take place.
An Amazon representative said the company was aware of the incident and that it took place in the Anchorage warehouse. The Amazon representative, Rena Lunak, referred further questions to Naniq Global Logistics.
“This does not meet the high standards we have for how our packages should be handled and cared for," Lunak said in an email. "We are working closely with our partner, Naniq, who operates the facility and the associates involved are no longer handling packages.”
Lunak said Amazon is still contracting with Naniq.
Legacy is the warehouse arm of Naniq, which runs the office side of a third-party company that collects and sorts packages coming off planes for ground shippers such as FedEx.
Both companies are managed and owned by John Witte, according to their state business licenses. Both are run out of a building in the Kulis Business Park near the Anchorage airport.
“We partner with top Multinational Logistics Corporations such as DHL, FedEx, DB Schenker, and Toll Group,” says the Naniq website.
The video currently receiving thousands of shares is not the original video. Anchorage resident Keith Ah-Fua saw it and was disturbed. He was waiting on some expensive items from Amazon, he said. Worried the video would get taken down, he recorded it on his phone and posted it to his own page.
Reached on his cell phone Monday morning, Witte at first said the video wasn’t filmed at the Legacy warehouse, and then said it was filmed at the airport. The Legacy warehouse is adjacent to the airport. The building is owned by the state of Alaska and the airport, according to local property records.
Witte said he was familiar with the video and declined to comment. Later in the day, Howard called to provide comment.


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JAC Motors recollects defective trucks over protection worries
The carmaker of China Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corporation Ltd i.e JAC Motors is recollecting 150 of its X5 trucks over protective concerns, as per the reports. Beginning from 18th of January 18, JAC Motors started recalling specific Kangling X5 trucks implemented between 10th of July and 18th of August, previous year because a seat belt size failed to meet the quality worth of GB14166-2013 as a loose mould in the implementation.
In extreme situations, it may lead to the breakage of the buckle, thus presenting problems to the protection of passengers. According to the administration, the Anhui-located automaker will observe these vehicles and restore problematic parts for free.
The authority of China has issued a survey into JAC on whether it was utilizing unlicensed pollution control devices on its truck engines, in the first ever such type of analysis by Beijing into a key Chinese automaker. The Ecological Environment committee of Beijing declared the survey on Sunday, and meanwhile, JAC told that it would comply with the survey. The main purpose of this investigation is to check whether the truck vendors used unreliable pollution control devices and acquired vehicles that discharged emission standards.
Reportedly, the survey was regarding some of its light truck materials, but the authority denied to share more information about the model or the engine supplier name. China has discovered a bunch of campaigns to make the biggest auto cleaner of nation, such as providing acceptable subsidies to new energy vehicles and moreover, setting harsh emission standards for vehicles as well as trucks through combustion engines. China has also expected to take legal action against greatly-polluting diesel trucks by introducing harsh fuel and engine standards.


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New Auto Supplier Integrated Without Crashing Production
A parts suppliers experienced financial difficulties, and informed a major automotive manufacturer that it would cease operations in a matter of days. Nippon Express helped the firm avoid a disastrous supply failure by enabling the automaker to begin shipping parts from a new supplier in China to various plants in North America nearly instantaneously.
The automotive manufacturer’s supplier of door-stops succumbed to the economic downturn and shut down, leaving the firm scrambling for a new supplier with less than a week’s notice. The auto firm identified a new supplier in China and contacted Nippon Express with a request that it would need the parts to begin shipping from this supplier immediately. There were 12 different part types, which would be shipped from China to four plants, in Ohio, Alabama, Mexico, and Canada.
Nippon Express was tasked with the problem on a Friday and immediately began working on a logistics process for the new supplier. The firm assembled a team quickly, acquired the 12 different parts for analysis, created an inspection process, established an efficient freight forwarding solution, and finalized a logistic plan. The parts were being packaged and shipped on Monday, just two days after the request.
Nippon Express devised a logistics plan to freight forward 12 parts from China to four automobile plants in three different countries in two days. Had the assembly lines been stopped due to logistic delays regarding the doorstops, it would have prevented 1,920 cars from being made daily at the four plants, thereby helping the automotive manufacturer avoid an estimated $43,200,000 loss per day.


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An awesome new casting call announcement for fashion models has just been released and it is shaping up to be one of the most sought after auditions of the new year. A talent search has begun open spots in a fantastic new CBS fashion segment that is set to be shot soon. Interested models can submit themselves today to be considered for this project that will be seen in markets everywhere.
The producers and casting directors of this exciting CBS fashion segment are on the lookout for fresh faced models to participate in this high profile project and talent submissions for these paid positions are being accepted now. This upcoming television spot will be shot in Los Angeles and will feature
three female models. Models being sought for consideration should be age 18 and over, 5’8 or taller, size 0-4 and have medium to long hair length. Models chosen will be given compensation and a copy of the press footage shot. Up and coming talents that fill these requirements can apply today for their shot at this outstanding new paid modeling job.
Talent submissions for this CBS fashion segment are being accepted from qualified models today. Those interested can send emails with their contact information and links to portfolios to firstname.lastname@example.org for consideration and additional information. Only serious candidates will be assessed. More details on this excellent open call opportunity will be posted as they are received so stay tuned for updates and leave a message below and tell us why you want to be chosen for this CBS fashion segment.
Build your growing portfolio, build your brand and take your modeling exposure today!


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Bangalore: Shoes and sportswear maker Puma Sports India Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of Puma AG Rudolf Dassler Sport, will start selling bags and perfumes in the country from February.
“We want to latch (on to) new customers and offer Puma products which are already available overseas,” said managing director Rajiv Mehta. “It makes sense to have bags and accessories as they...are clearly visible. It is our brand building strategy to expand our offering to customers.”
Puma’s Ferrari luggage range would include passport holders, trolleys, and wash, golf, laptop and shoulder bags. The bags and trolleys would be priced between Rs3,000 and Rs6,000.
Puma’s fragrance line for both men and women will also be sold in India. Internationally, Puma fragrances are distributed by Procter and Gamble Co. The company declined to name its Indian distributor, saying it is still in talks.
To attract more customers, Puma Sports India already sells watches and sunglasses. With its extended accessories range, the company expects revenue contribution from the segment to increase to 20% from the current 10%.
The firm declined to disclose its turnover last year. Its luggage and fragrances will be available only in Puma stores.
One expert said by launching these products, Puma is trying to fill a gap in its product line, particularly as other sportswear firms such as Nike India Pvt. Ltd, Adidas India Marketing Pvt. Ltd and Reebok India Co. already have them.
“Travel luggage, perfumes, bags are adjacent to sportswear. Also, these are high-margin products,” said Zahir Abbas, associate director of retail at management consultancy Technopak Advisors Pvt. Ltd. Abbas said a superior-quality accessories range can attract new customers, who may not necessarily buy shoes or sportswear.
Meanwhile, Puma Sports India plans to make up for a drop in sales earlier this year, in the festive months of October to December. “There has been a 10% to 15% drop in sales for all retailers but that is seasonal and happens every year,” says Mehta.
During Diwali, which is in the last week of October, the company will come out with what it says a “bundle of offers” for 15 days, which would include options such as a free wallet with a pair of shoes.
The company will also introduce its Puma Black Station Alexander McQueen range in mid-October. This high-end men’s shoes would be priced at an average of €200 (about Rs13,200). It does not plan to launch in India its high-end designer footwear range for women for the time being, the company said.
Puma Sports India is also looking to expand its reach outside of metro cities. Currently, it has 40 stores and plans to open 20 more by March 2009 in smaller cities that would include Jaipur, Pune, Kochi, Patna and Ranchi. Mehta said the price of goods sold in these cities would be up to Rs5,000.


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Education publisher Pearson’s international business has remained one of its worst hit areas by the Covid-19 pandemic as Australian immigration test centres stayed closed, but it will still hit profit expectations for last year.
The company said that international sales had dropped 19% across 2020, amid a wider fall.
The closure of immigration and test centres in Australia meant that the number of the company’s PTE English language tests being taken dropped by 36% compared to 2019.
The Covid-19 pandemic also weighed on purchases of courseware internationally, the business said.
Overall, the business said that revenue is expected to have dropped 10% to £3.5 billion when it reports full-year figures in March.
But Pearson’s digital platforms, which it has been investing in for several years, saw a boost amid lockdown. Global online sales rose by 18% year-on-year.
“This morning’s release summarises a challenging year during which the Covid-19 pandemic has driven a polarisation in the performance of its operations,” said Roddy Davidson, an analyst at Shore Capital Markets.
Pearson said that it expects to deliver another £50 million in cost efficiencies during the current year, adding to the £60 million of benefits from 2020.
It expects to make an adjusted operating profit in the range of £310 million to £315 million.
“Despite facing significant uncertainty, our teams have been laser-focused on closing out 2020, enabling us to report sales and profit for 2020 in line with expectations,” said Andy Bird during his first trading update as the company’s chief executive.
“Uncertainty remains in the near-term as a result of the ongoing pandemic, with further lockdowns, exam cancellations and reduced global mobility. However, I am excited about our future given the shift to online learning and the huge opportunity to help more people develop the skills they need.”
Shares rose about 7% in the first hour of trading in London after the update.
Mr Bird added: “At the end of 2020, we made several key hires to accelerate our digital growth and, looking ahead, we start the year with momentum, pace and confidence.
“Our broader goal is to become a more consumer-focused company, targeting the incredible opportunity that exists to have a direct relationship with millions of lifelong learners.”


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Cellcrypt, provider of secure mobile voice calling, today announced that its Cellcrypt Mobile for BlackBerry application is now available on the recently launched BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone and for the first time on the BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry Pearl series of smartphones. Cellcrypt says it now brings secure voice calling to a wider range of BlackBerry smartphones across a broad range of price points.
Cellcrypt Mobile delivers end-to-end, real-time encryption to protect private conversations from being compromised; enabling individuals within corporations and governments to converse in a highly secure manner without the need for specialised equipment and by using a standard software application that makes highly secure calling as easy as making a normal mobile phone call.
"Cellcrypt has seen incredible interest from the global BlackBerry community since we announced its availability on the BlackBerry Bold 9000 smartphone in May," said Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Cellcrypt. "Now, not only are we supporting the latest devices such as the BlackBerry Bold 9700, but the application is also available on a wide range of BlackBerry smartphones found in the market, allowing more users to secure their sensitive voice calls."
Cellcrypt uses the latest Internet technology to provide voice call quality, international calling capability, high reliability across wireless networks and real-time encryption. The Cellcrypt Mobile for Blackberry application uses Government-grade encryption certified to the FIPS 140-2 standard approved by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and is presently undergoing certification with a number of Governments world-wide. The product operates on all major wireless networks including 2G and 3G cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite networks.


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ASSISI – “Francis of Assisi and the economy of fraternity” is the title of the most recent book by Bishop Domenico Sorrentino which will be presented today, at 11 am, in the Nassirya room of the Senate of the Republic in Rome. Refounding the economy, putting man at the center, creating the social, economic and even regulatory conditions so that productive processes are activated from below, generated thanks to the “capital of fraternity” are the themes at the center of the volume, published by Edizioni Francescane Italiane . It will be presented by Professor Luigino Bruni, full professor of political economy at LUMSA who edited the preface of the book and by the journalist Safiria Leccese who, in her recent publication (The richness of the good) has dealt with ethical, sustainable and supportive entrepreneurial stories. “Francis of Assisi and the economy of fraternity” goes deeper into the merits of the question: a global socio-economic renewal is urgently needed, which has become even more necessary after the pandemic.
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has unveiled the second-gen Envision crossover, and it looks way better than what we currently get. Built on
global crossover platform that uses a new electrical architecture, the 2021 Envision is lower and wider than the existing model. With sportier proportions and a much more upscale design, it better aligns with Buick's other cars.
The new Envision will use a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission, but we don't know any details beyond that. (The current Envision uses a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four as the base unit with a 2.0-liter turbo four as an upgrade.) We expect the new Envision will continue to come with front-wheel drive as standard and all-wheel drive as an option.
While no photos of the interior have been released yet, Buick says the new Envision has a 10-inch touchscreen -- a first for Buick -- with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa capability. Standard safety features included automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and lane-departure warning, rear-seat occupant alert and rear parking assist. New optionals include a rear-view camera mirror, a head-up display, a 360-degree camera system and more parking assist features, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.
A luxurious Avenir trim level will be offered for the first time, but there are no photos or details yet. It should have some unique styling cues, nicer interior materials, and some additional features not found on the standard Envision. And hopefully it'll come in purple.
Like the current Envision, the new one will continue to be built in China and imported to the US. More details about the 2021 Envision will be released later this year ahead of its on-sale date in early 2021.


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Virtual engagement hasn’t just taken over your extended family interaction and social life during the pandemic. Virtual interactions changed the ways pharma sales reps interacted with healthcare providers (HCPs) during the pandemic and into the foreseeable future, What is the pharma sales rep post pandemic new normal?
Accenture conducted a survey of 720 HCPs in the U.S., U.K., Europe, China and Japan who are general practitioners, oncologists, immunologists or cardiologists. HCPs and patients see great value in more virtual interaction both during the pandemic and after we return to more “normal” interaction.
Pandemic Changed How HCPs Operate
78% of HCPs saw a decrease in the number of patients visiting their practice during the pandemic, and 36% of patients asked to be treated remotely. 60% of HCPs welcome information on self-administration methods for patients and ways to monitor them remotely.
HCPs See Greater Value from Pharma
Pharma companies started to go beyond just product information during the pandemic and provided additional support services. 82% of HCPs want pharma companies and pharma sales reps post pandemic to prioritize support to meet their most pressing needs.
Virtual Engagement Staying
40% of HCPs are currently restricting who can enter their offices and sales reps are those excluded. 28% of these HCPs plan to implement these restrictions permanently which will have a major impact on pharma sales reps post pandemic. 87% of HCPs want either all virtual or a mix of virtual and in-person meetings after the pandemic ends. Before the pandemic 64% of sales reps meetings were in person, during the pandemic 65% have been held virtually.
Communication BUT Up the Relevance
61% of HCPs said they communicate with pharma sales reps more now than before the pandemic, but 57% of HCPs said those reps are failing to understand the real impact of the pandemic on them and their services. The development of eDetailing where an HCP can join a link at their convenience on a device of their choosing is critical for pharma sales reps post pandemic. All the data will be captured on views, clicks and actions providing great information for the pharma sales rep post pandemic and the pharma company..
- Expand support services. Provide more information on patient care with instructions for in-home care and details about lab testing locations and care sites.
- Improve or change messaging. Help HCPs to maintain adherence without the patent visiting a physical facility.
- Create partnerships from the sales rep to the HCP all the way to the patient. Provide digital health innovations as new solutions for HCPs to support patients.
“The days when physicians are willing and able to schedule dedicated time to meet with sales reps are really becoming a distant memory. I believe that the post-COVID era will accelerate that trend. This is the time for change for sure.” Independent Healthcare Marketing Strategist, Martine Taylor.


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A New ShopRite is Opening in Brick by Years End
Most of us would agree that Brick is a pretty packed town when it comes to stores and businesses. Well, get ready for another ShopRite.
A reliable source is telling me that the old Pathmark in the Laurel Square on Route 88 will be renovated and turned into a ShopRite. The grand opening is expected as early as the last week in October. So why another Shoprite in Brick? According to my source, it's demand.
Recently, the APP asked residents what they would like to see in the shopping center. A supermarket was a popular response.
It's a pretty big town and there is a lot of traffic," Brick resident Tracy James said. It can make getting to ShopRite at Brick Commons on Route 70, essentially the other side of town, pretty difficult. I am forced to either go to Wall to go to ShopRite or to Point Pleasant to go to Stop & Shop. We need something closer to the Brielle-Wall area for all of the Brick residents on that side of town.
It seems as if these opinions have been heard!
But that's not all!
A new Shoprite is set to open in the Shrewsbury Plaza on Route 35. The tentative opening is set for the second week in October.
I'm hearing that there will be approximately 500 job openings between the opening of the ShopRite in Brick and Shrewsbury.
More details as I get them!
More from 94.3 The Point!


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ZTE Nubia Pad 3D II confirmed to launch in China on 26th February, 2024
Last year at MWC 2023, Nubia officially unveiled its first ever tablet device- ZTE Nubia Pad 3D, and now exactly after one year the company is all set to unveil the successor of its first tablet- ZTE Nubia Pad 3D II.
Nubia has officially announced that ZTE Nubia Pad 3D II will be officially unveiled at MWC 2024 on 26th February 2024. This tablet for now will be launched in China.
The above poster reveals that this upcoming tablet will be the world’s first 5G+ AI naked-eye 3D tablet. Apart from this, it is showcased that the tablet will be arriving in a Grey color variant. On the rear side, it features dual camera sensors along with an LED flash while on the front also the device packs up two camera sensors. A USB Type-C port can also be seen on the side of the tablet.
Other than this no major specification or feature is known about this upcoming tablet. But the tablet is expected to arrive with some improvements and upgrades over its predecessor. Also, it is expected that the company might reveal some basic information about the tablet in the next few days. The confirmed specs and pricing details of ZTE Nubia Pad 3D II in China will be revealed by the company at its official launch.


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Tesla is one of the well-reputed companies in the EV automobile industry. Though Tesla cars were filled with many advanced and convenient features, still some people will find something to complain about. An owner of the Tesla Model S from Finland was disappointed with the after-sale service of the company.
So he decided to blow up his car into pieces with 30KG dynamite after being told repair damages would cost nearly Rs 17 lakhs. Upon hearing this, what he did with the car was something that no one ever anticipated.
The owner, along with a couple of volunteers, wrapped the Tesla car with a 30 kg dynamite and BOOM. Within seconds, the car exploded into million pieces. A Youtuber has posted a video on his channel that went crazy viral on the internet. Take a look at this viral clip!


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In order to meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging for pet food Mondi increases the capacity in three of its plants for pet food packaging solutions. The company made an investment of nearly 65 million euros for production plants in Austria and Germany.
The European pet food market has grown significantly in recent years, driven by a consistent rise in pet ownership. This trend increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to continue for many years to come. To meet the resulting demand for sustainable packaging for pet food, Mondi is investing to increase the production capacity.
Enabling the switch to monomaterial
Work has already started at Mondi Korneuburg (Austria) and includes investments in new, state-of-the-art machinery and equipment as well as an expanded production area.Â The group is also investing in new, advanced machinery at Mondi Halle and Mondi Steinfeld in Germany, to increase production capacity of sustainable pre-made bag solutions for pet food, as well as home and personal care. This will enable future growth and support customers to switch from multi-layer, non-recyclable packaging to more sustainable alternatives such as mono-material recyclable stand-up pouches and paper-based pre-made bags.
â€śWe take pride in being an innovative, agile partner for our customers. With this investment, we continue to take the lead in packaging solutions that are sustainable by design, especially in the pet food industry. This investment also supports our Mondi Action Plan 2030 (MAP2030) sustainability framework which is focused on circular driven solutions, created by empowered people, taking action on climate. With these projects, weâ€™re increasing operational efficiency and reducing our own energy consumption while also connecting our production network.â€ť
Dirk Gabriel, COO Consumer Flexibles, Mondi


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Apple was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company suffered from delays on its supply chain and had to ultimately postpone its iPhone 12 series to October – November 2020. Now things are slightly better in an industry perspective, most smartphone brands found a way to bypass the pandemic and already unveiled their 2021 smartphones. We expect Apple to not have problems this year, and as usual, the first rumors about iPhone 13 and iPad series are surfacing in the web. Today, we have a set of leaked renders showing a new design direction for the iPad mini 6.
The new leaked images come from @xleaks7 and CoverPigtou, and this collaboration has a good track record when it comes to leaking designs of upcoming handsets. The new design approach shows that Apple may be on the verge of a major change in direction for tablets. And perhaps, this will also be used on smartphones.
Interestingly, the renders reveal two punch-holes. This is exciting due to the fact that the iPad 6 mini can become the company’s first device with a punch-hole selfie. However, what is the purpose of the second punch hole? It’s quite unusual and would be a first in the industry. However, it seems that the second cutout will be used for the fingerprint reader. This will give the iPad 6 mini a “display-embedded-fingerprint-scanner”, not an in-display fingerprint though. We have to say that this design is quite unusual, and the second punch hole is quite intrusive. For that reason, we believe that these renders should be digested with a pinch or two of salt.
Gizchina News of the week
That’s not the most convenient solution
This physical display-embedded scanner would be quite inconvenient for users and for Apple itself. It would take a permanent space in the display and would require the UI to go around the circle. The in-display fingerprint scanner does not require any changes in the interface as it is hidden below the display. The only drawback of in-display technology is that it can’t be used on LCD panels. For an LCD tablet, companies can still choose a power-button fingerprint scanner. This is the case with the new iPad Air.
A couple of days ago, Bloomberg published a report stating that the iPhone 13 will finally bring the Touch ID scanner back. Instead of a physical scanner, the new smartphones are set to come with an in-display solution.


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The CSCL Globe arrived into Felixstowe after leaving China about a month ago
The world’s largest container ship has arrived in the UK for the first time.
Carry Cargo have shipped four containers on this vessel.
The Hong Kong-registered CSCL Globe, measuring more than 400m (1,313ft) in length, docked at Felixstowe loaded with about 19,000 standard containers. The vessel berthed on time and the process went smoothly.
All business is carried out under the current BIFA standard trading terms and conditions which are available upon request.


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"Drinking water is not free anywhere, like in other
"Drinking water is not free anywhere, like in other parts of Europe. You will have to buy small quantities which is expensive or stock up 5 litre cans available in product shops or hyper markets," the handbook says.
The handbook comes at the time when RIC is organising another fam trip to to Moscow and St Petersburg for Indian travel agents as a part of the Indo-Russian Tourism Exchange initiative launched in February 2016 in Mumbai. The first trip was in April.
"As outbound tourism in India grows faster than that of China, India as a target market has huge and largely unrecognised potential for Russian tourism industry," Paresh Navani, Managing Partner, RIC said.
"Russia has a lot to offer for Indian tourists, and it is not only beautiful nature or cultural heritage, but the warmth of Russian chai and Russian peoples, too," he said.
According to the India Outbound Tourism Market report by Renub Research, out of more than 18 million Indian tourists travelled abroad 2015, only 30 thousand had visited Russia.
Considering that by 2030 the number of outbound tourists in India may reach 50 million, Russia has a huge potential to attract more Indian tourists in future, he said.
Launched in 2013, RIC in India works towards building positive relations between the citizens of Russia and India by promoting exchange of people visiting the respective countries.
With the support of central and state tourism departments in Russia and India, RIC is running its Indo-Russian Tourism Exchange since earlier this year, with the objective of increasing tourism flow between the two countries and exploring investment opportunities in tourism sector. PTI VT NRB RCJ BAS