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NEW YORK – "Here comes the bride, all dressed in white …"
Actually, scratch that. It's not a bride you see strolling down the street — just a hip gal wearing what's trendy this spring.
You don't have to tie the knot to don all white this season. Strange as it may sound, dressing like a snow queen from head to toe is, by many accounts, the look for the warmer months this year. Think Nicole Kidman at the Oscars (whose gown would have been perfect had she been attending her own wedding) or Michelle Williams at the SAG Awards.
"White really is just everywhere, and everyone is going to wear it," said Katie Meyer, fashion market editor at Glamour magazine. "There's a way to wear it for every person, regardless of how much money you want to spend, your body type and your style. There are so many ways to incorporate it into your wardrobe."
So whether it's a white eyelet sundress with white patent leather platform shoes, an all-white suit with a white belt or a pair of white pants and a white button-down, pale garments are all the rage.
"A lot of people really shy away from white," Meyer said. "It's kind of debunking that whole rule, so to speak. It's not scary anymore. It's chic and fresh. It looks great on everybody."
And it's not just pure, bright white that's making a splash. White's cousins, including cream, off-white and ivory, are having a heyday, too.
Sound a little too frosty, blinding or just plain boring to you? No worries. You can spruce up the white with a little something-something from the opposite end of the spectrum — as in black. Call it Oreo chic. But one thing's for sure: Cows and Dalmatians definitely have it going on this season.
"Whether it's a detailed shirt in black-and-white or a white top and black skirt, there's still a little bit of that 'mod' influence going on," said Elycia Rubin, author of "Frumpy to Foxy in 15 Minutes Flat."
Both Sandra Oh and Reese Witherspoon wore black-and-white dresses to the SAG Awards in January. Mischa Barton was decked out in summery white dresses with wide, black sash belts and black shoes for at least two different celebrity events early this year, also held before spring had even sprung.
"We've already seen it tons on the red carpet. It's such a classic combination, but it's really having a moment right now, and I think that will continue into fall a little bit," Meyer said.
But fashion isn't all black-and-white now that the weather is getting warmer. There are some actual colors that are in for spring, like sunset orange, mint, light blue and pink, to name a few.
And ship's ahoy, Matey, because nautical themes — navy-and-white-striped shirts with boat necks, ropey wedge sandals and sailor pants with buttons down the sides — are en vogue again, as well as floral prints and polka dots.
Dresses of all shapes and fabrics to fit all occasions are bigger than ever. Delicate, silky button-down blouses paired with pencil skirts are also a hot look, according to Rubin, the former style director at E! Networks.
"It's definitely a very feminine season," she said. "It's really the feminine lovely lady that we're seeing this spring."
As always, so much style can be found right in the jeans.
Denims dubbed "skinny jeans" that hug the legs and ankles rather than flaring out at the bottom are everywhere, often paired with another popular fashion: the trapeze-shaped top (which is fitted and narrower at the top, flowy and wider at the bottom).
"Sienna is the poster child for skinny jeans," Meyer declared.
But on those sultry days, leave the skinny jeans on the hanger. Instead, ask yourself not who wears short shorts, but who doesn't.
"Short shorts are very in with high heels," Rubin said. "Obviously you have to have the right figure to pull it off."
There's a bit of news this spring in the shoe department, too. Wedges of all flavors (many with straw or ropey elements) are huge — and not just their stacked heels. So are platforms, wooden and otherwise. Rounded-toe ballet-slipper flats are still popular, fitting in perfectly with the ladylike theme of the season. And espadrilles are having yet another revival.
Two other foot fads to keep you on your toes: lime green shoes — yes, lime green — and braided leather sandals and mules.
"It feels like a fresh, modern season," said Rubin.


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For a good night's sleep, let the dog snuggle up to you: Pets in your bedroom make people feel safer and secure leading to better rest
- Mayo Sleep Clinic in Arizona surveyed 150 patients about sleep habits
- Found those who sleep with pets 'feel more safe and secure'
- But 20 per cent say sleep interrupted by 'wandering or whimpering'
Animal lovers have been warned for years that having a pet in the bedroom may affect their sleep.
Dogs and cats snore, fidget, wake up early and take up space.
So the latest research might sound counter-intuitive - but a leading clinic in the US now says people who cuddle a dog or cat at night actually sleep better.
Scroll down for video
Scientists have found people who sleep with their pets actually sleep better because they feel safer and more secure. Pictured: Sir Nigel Hawthorne with pet dog Seamus in a charity Christmas card photo (file picture)
Pugh's cartoon illustrating the 'benefits' of letting pets sleep in bed with you
Researchers surveyed 150 patients, 49 per cent of whom owned animals, about their sleep habits and their pets.
They found those who slept with their pet in the room, or even on the bed, felt more safe and secure and thus had a better night's rest.
The Mayo Sleep Clinic in Arizona found more than half of those with animals allowed them to sleep in the bedroom or on the bed.
Twenty per cent of pet owners said they had sleep interrupted by 'whimpering, snoring or wandering'
And while 20 per cent of pet owners did complain of interrupted sleep because of 'wandering', 'snoring' and 'whimpering', a greater number said having their pet in the bedroom didn't cause any problems - and many said it was an advantage.
They said having their pet on the bed or bedroom relaxed them and made them feel secure.
Those who sleep alone felt more secure and reported they slept extremely well with their cat or dog under the covers with them.
One 64-year-old woman commented that 'she felt more content when her small dog slept under the covers near her feet', said study author Lois Krahn.
A recent study of 23,000 dog owners found that more that half people let their pets sleep on their beds. Pictured: Journalist Melissa Kite in bed with cocker spaniel Cydney (file picture)
'One married woman described her two small dogs as 'bed warmers'.
One 50-year-old woman did 'not mind when my lovely cat' slept on her chest and another described her cat as 'soothing'.'
She added: 'Patients volunteered that they deliberately acquired a dog or cat to help them relax.
'People sleeping alone, not always single but sometimes with a partner who travels or works some nights, more often spoke of the beneficial companionship stemming from a pet in the bedroom or on the bed.'
However, sharing your bed with a pet is certainly not for everyone. A previous study in 2013 by the same clinic reported that around that 10 per cent of people had had their sleep disturbed by pets.
A recent study of 23,000 dog owners found that more that half people let their pets sleep on their beds.
Dr Khan said: 'Many pet owners view companion animals as family members that they wish to incorporate into as many aspects of their life as possible.
'Because humans spend considerable time sleeping, a pet owner's desire to have animals close at night is understandable.
'As more households include multiple pets, the challenge of securing appropriate sleeping arrangements is increased.'
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domain: news


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Posted by Dale Buss on April 23, 2012 05:05 PM
You've got a city in such bad shape financially that it's being dictated to by the state. A school system in utter tatters, with perhaps the worst yet to come. A heroic and adulated mayor laid low by health issues in the midst of it. A poster child for urban decay. Yes, Detroit.
So what better place than the Motor City for a genuine feel-good story to arise? Consider how Ford and the United Auto Workers are jointly pledging $100,000 to Detroit's Martin Luther King High School Jazz and Marching Band so that the kids can take a trip to the Summer Olympics in London and perform around London.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on April 18, 2012 04:08 PM
Coca-Cola is mounting a massive music-based global marketing campaign pegged to the London 2012 Olympics, so it makes sense that Coke would partner with the leading musical app (Spotify) on the biggest social network (Facebook) to bring free music to countries worldwide, expanding on a relationship that started last year.
A message posted on Coca-Cola's corporate Twitter feed confirmed the partnership following Spotify's CEO keynote at the Ad Age digital summit this morning in New York: “What goes better with Coke? Music. Daniel Ek just announced @Spotify and Coke partnership.”
The details were forthcoming at a post-keynote press conference: Spotify will be the primary technology for Coca-Cola Music worldwide, with its app integrated into Coke's Facebook presence and Timeline for a ‘seamless social music experience.’
Coca-Cola will leverage the Spotify API and platform through a variety of applications, the first of which was built by independent developers during a two-day Spotify/Coca-Cola “hackers den” held in New York City this past weekend, which will be unveiled at the 2012 Olympics in London.Continue reading...
Posted by Abe Sauer on March 5, 2012 07:07 PM
A recent study of teen drinking patterns in Europe and the movies they watch, which was published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that the kids who watched more films with alcohol consumption were themselves more likely to both start drinking and abuse alcohol.
To which we say, DERRRR. But will the findings, with CNN the latest to make hay with them, be enough to change Hollywood's long love affair with hooch?Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on February 29, 2012 03:46 PM
As announced last month, Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, today launched the Born This Way Foundation, "a movement to celebrate individuality and empower young people," in a kick-off event at Harvard University. The event was streamed live with guests including Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra.
While more programs and partnerships are yet to be announced, one piece revealed was on-campus for the announcement: the "Born to be Brave" bus (at top) which will take the foundation's message across the U.S., including serving as a tailgating-like focal point for fans at Gaga's shows and "to serve as a place where youth can go to feel connected and learn about civic engagement opportunities."Continue reading...
what girls want
Posted by Mark J. Miller on February 15, 2012 02:05 PM
Adidas already pulls in billions upon billions in revenue each year. So what do they want? A little more, of course.
The 88-year-old German shoe and apparel giant is planning to target “teenage girls more influenced by music and fashion than sports” and expand its three-year-old NEO fashion outlets and “exploiting social-media platforms including Facebook and Twitter,” Bloomberg reports.
The hope is that the world’s 14 to 19-year-olds (or their parents, in many cases) will cough up enough cash in that competitive marketplace to net Adidas another $1.3 billion by 2015. Some of NEO's marketing tactics include tapping into teens' love of music, with a love song digital promotion for Valentine's Day, and convincing David Beckham (who has a longtime endorsement deal with Adidas) to put his name on a special collection for NEO.
“Teenage girls are a target group we didn't really reach so far, whereas boys are closer connected to Adidas via sports,” said Erich Stamminger, the board member responsible for global brands. “For girls, you need a bit more of fashion influence and that's exactly what we are offering with NEO.”Continue reading...
no kidding around
Posted by Mark J. Miller on November 1, 2011 01:02 PM
The American Beverage Association is keeping busy these days as cities and states threaten to put extra taxes on sugary drinks and other entities try to reduce consumption of the organization members’ products.
The latest battle for ABA is to dispute a study that was released Monday by Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity that shows that “U.S. children and teenagers are seeing far more soda advertising than before, with blacks and Hispanics the major targets, as marketers have expanded online,” according to Reuters.
"This report is another attack by known critics in an ongoing attempt to single out one product as the cause of obesity when both common sense and widely accepted science have shown that the reality is far more complicated," said ABA CEO Susan Neely in a statement.
Neely’s main weapon in response to the Yale Rudd Center's Sugary Drink F.A.C.T.S. (short for Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score) report is opposing research by Georgetown Economic Services for the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Association of National Advertisers that “showed that between 2004 and 2010, advertisements for soft drinks decreased by 96 percent, while those for fruit and vegetable juices increased by 199 percent,” Reuters reports.Continue reading...
brand and bottle
Posted by Mark J. Miller on October 24, 2011 01:05 PM
When Canadian-born actor/comedian Dan Aykroyd decided to start selling his own alcoholic beverages four years ago, starting with launching a wine brand, he likely never imagined that he wouldn’t be able to drink one of his own products in his own hometown.
Then along came Crystal Head vodka, which he started selling in the U.S. in 2009 for $50 a pop and packaged it in a skull-shaped bottle. Brilliant marketing, right? Well, yes, except that it meant that Aykroyd couldn’t sell the stuff in his own home province due to a ruling by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario that it was in violation of the board’s social-responsibility rules, according to thedrinksbusiness.com blog.
“The image of the human skull is the thing that’s really problematic for us,” LCBO spokesman Chris Layton said at the time of the ban, according to the website. “It’s an image that’s commonly associated with death, which is especially problematic at a time when there are concerns around binge drinking by younger adults.”Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on October 20, 2011 01:13 PM
PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay subsidiary are on notice for “engaging in deceptive and unfair digital marketing practices in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act” for online marketing campaigns that may seem tame compared to the new Take This Lollipop Facebook-stalking campaign.
The complaint — filed by the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), Consumer Action, Consumer Watchdog and The Praxis Project — focuses on Frito-Lay's no longer active digital campaigns for Doritos under the "Snack Strong Presents" branded entertainment banner.
Specifically cited in the complaint to the FTC: the online game Hotel 626 (which launched in 2008) and sequel Asylum 626 (launched in 2009), plus the Doritos Late Night concert series which last year released a Rihanna tie-in. According to the complaint, these efforts and related digital marketing are claimed to “target teens through a variety of stealth interactive marketing and data collection techniques involving social media, immersive multi-media content, mobile phones, and gaming platforms.”Continue reading...


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Like any new security or safeguarding system, nothing is 100%. More so, when there are people out there ready to made a fast buck.
Take the recent large scale petrol station ATM scamming event for instants.
Surface Pro 5 News - release date, UK price, features, specs
Animator Emanuele Kabu’s psychedelic video is a stunning tribute to Lisbon city
Best Mac antivirus 2017
Synology invites you to visit them at Insomnia on 26th – 29th August. Book your tickets now and visit Synology.


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Samsung has unveiled a new Samsung standardized 5G NTN modem that is designed for smartphone-satellite communication.
This new Samsung 5G NTN modem is designed to directly communicate with satellites from your smartphone.
“This milestone builds on our rich legacy in wireless communications technologies, following the introduction of the industry’s first commercial 4G LTE modem in 2009 and the industry’s first 5G modem in 2018,” said Min Goo Kim, Executive Vice President of CP (Communication Processor) Development at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung aims to take the lead in advancing hybrid terrestrial-NTN communications ecosystems around the world in preparation for the arrival of 6G.”
NTN is a communications technology that uses satellites and other non-terrestrial vehicles to bring connectivity to regions that were previously unreachable by terrestrial networks, whether over mountains, across deserts or in the middle of the ocean. It will also be critical in assuring operability in disaster areas and powering future urban air mobility (UAM) such as unmanned aircraft and flying cars.
By meeting the latest 5G NTN standards defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP Release 17), Samsung’s NTN technology will help ensure interoperability and scalability among services offered by global telecom carriers, mobile device makers and chip companies.
You can find out more information about the new Samsung standardized 5G NTN modem over at Samsung’s website at the link below.
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, May 23, 2022 — (Business Wire) – Valor PayTech, a fast-growing fintech provider of end-to-
end, processor-agnostic omnichannel payments solutions, today announced platform integrations with
Electronic Payments Inc. (EPI) and Electronic Payments Exchange (EPX), a wholly-owned subsidiary of
North American Bancard, are currently underway. Valor strives to provide resellers and their merchant
customers with comprehensive, cutting-edge tools and flexibility they need to succeed in today’s rapidly
changing business environment while creating revolutionary value.
“EPI and EPX resellers will soon have a sophisticated cloud-based omnichannel solution in their toolbox
to help them win and retain more business,” said Valor Chief Operating Officer and recent ETA Forty
Under 40 Honoree Eric Bernstein. “It’s an exciting time for our company as we aggressively drive growth
and expansion with partners like EPI and EPX,” added Bernstein.
“When looking at technology partners, Valor Paytech has proved to bring state-of-the-art processing
solutions to the market, and we are excited to be able to offer them to our independent sales
organization (ISO) and agent partners,” said Electronic Payment’s CEO Michael Nardy. “The Valor team
has built true omnichannel payment technology which aligns perfectly with our company’s technology-
forward way of thinking,” added Nardy.
“The Valor team is incredible to work with,” said Keith Sampson, national sales director for North
American Bancard. “What excites me the most about Valor PayTech being on the EPX platform is having
a solution backed by people that genuinely want to see the partner channel succeed,” added Sampson.
“NAB sales partners will have another great solution to help generate revenue and win market share.”
About Valor PayTech
Valor PayTech is a fast-growing fintech provider of end-to-end, processor-agnostic omnichannel
payments solutions. The company equips both merchants and reseller partners with comprehensive,
cutting-edge tools and flexibility to succeed in today’s rapidly changing business environment.
Experience the future of payments. For more information, visit valorpaytech.com.


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Food-delivery service Deliveroo is creating its take on the Great Wall of China, with a replica wall made from 2,000 recycled Chinese takeaway boxes.
Dubbed the "Great wall of Chinese", it will be taller than a double-decker bus and more than seven meters in length. It will be located in front of the Chinese Arch in Liverpool, the location of Europe's first-ever Chinatown.
The boxes will contain more than one hundred prizes hidden within fortune cookies, including a free Chinese meal courtesy of Deliveroo and a year’s supply of chicken balls.
The event is free to attend, but registered visitors can win other prizes by taking part in a lucky dip. Prizes are also available for those posting a photo on Instagram and tagging #greatwallofchinese.
Joe Groves, director of consumer communications at Deliveroo, said: "What better way to celebrate the nation’s favourite takeaway than to create an edible installation next to the original and most revered Chinese landmark in the UK? It’s thanks to our amazing restaurant partners in Liverpool that we have been able to create the 'Great wall of Chinese'."
The experience will be open during 21-22 May and is being delivered by Ministry of Fun and has been created by Talker Tailor Trouble Maker.


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Doug Self, Account Executive
Brookline has planned and executed several large announcements for our client, the Edmonton Arena District, but none bigger than the launch of the official brand for the development. We knew the launch of the brand – Ice District – would be a major story in the Edmonton area and even across Canada.
The launch of the brand featured two events on July 13th, 2015, a VIP event in the morning followed by a media event for the public unveiling in the afternoon. Brookline oversaw event planning and media relations for both launch events, which also took place at and marked the official opening of Ice HQ.
Coordination of the VIP event, from save-the-dates through to thank-you gifts, saw Brookline manage setup and event flow and also hire and manage catering, A/V, DJ, security, and even an ice sculptor. Ice District partners, community officials, and executives including Daryl Katz, Darren Durstling of WAM Development Group, Bob Nicholson, CEO and Vice-Chair of Oilers Entertainment Group, Edmonton City Councillor Scott McKeen were treated to a breakfast and a private launch of the brand.
During the media event, Brookline coordinated media for the press conference, which saw more than a dozen outlets and over thirty members of the media in attendance. The event debuted the brand launch video, featured speeches from Bob Nicholson and Councillor McKeen, and even a ceremonial ice breaking in lieu of a ribbon cutting.
The launch of Ice District was leading news in every major outlet in Edmonton and was also covered extensively in Calgary and throughout national and trade publications. A total of 214 unique media stories were captured related to the launch of the brand. Local and regional outlets included Edmonton Journal, Global Edmonton, CBC Edmonton, Edmonton Sun, Metro Edmonton, CTV, Alberta Venture and several radio stations. National outlets that covered the news included The Globe and Mail, MSN, CBC, Global, TSN, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, SportsNet and Yahoo! News, and more.
-Doug Self is an Account Executive in Brookline with a background rooted in the technology industry. His expertise lies in media relations, content creation, and communication and marketing strategy.


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Worthington Industries profit triples; shares gain
(5:10 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Worthington Industries Inc.
late Wednesday posted a fiscal first-quarter net profit of $23.3 million, or 30 cents a share, up from $6.7 million, or 8 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue for the three-months period ending Aug. 31 increased 48% to $616.8 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were forecasting profits of 24 cents a share on sales of $563 million for the steel company. "Although we are operating in an environment with volumes well below historical levels, we have been able to produce solid results in most of our businesses," said CEO John McConnell. Worthington shares jumped 4.1% in light volume in after-hours trading Wednesday.
Western Union affirms 2010 outlook
(4:45 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Western Union Co.
late Wednesday affirmed its 2010 outlook released in July and said its third-quarter revenue is likely to rise 1%. The payment services company had previously projected full-year earnings of $1.24 to $1.29 a share, including 7 cents of restructuring charges. It also expects revenue to range from a decline of 2% to 1% increase. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research forecast the company to earn an average of $1.35 a share on revenue of $5.13 billion in 2010. Western Union will release its third-quarter results on Oct. 26 after the market closes.
American Greetings shares fall 10%
(12:04 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- American Greetings
shares slid 10% to $18.65 midday Wednesday. The Cleveland-based maker of greeting cards and gift items reported net income for the quarter ended Aug. 27 sank 63% from a year ago. Sales fell 4% to $333 million for the quarter. Chief Executive Zev Weiss said American Greetings still expects to generate $125 million in cash flow from operations for its fiscal year. For the year, shares are down 14%.
Thor Industries shares jump after earnings update
(9:59 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Thor Industries
shares rallied 13% to $32.72 on Wednesday after the maker of recreational vehicles reported fourth-quarter earnings of 78 cents a share, ahead of the Wall Street forecast of 62 cents a share in a survey of analysts by FactSet Research. Looking ahead, the Jackson Center, Ohio company said its purchase of Heartland RV, coupled with a "strong" cash position and no outstanding debt, "will help fuel additional growth...in 2011 and beyond."
Apricus Biosciences drops 20% after unit offering
(9:28 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Apricus Biosciences
fell 20% to $1.75 a share in pre-market trades on Wednesday after the San Diego company said it priced an offering of 1.7 million units at $5.40 per unit for proceeds of $9.3 million. Each unit consists of three shares of common stock and one warrant, exerciseable at a price of $2.27 a share.
Jack in the Box to shut 40 restaurants
(6:25 AM ET) LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Jack in the Box Inc.
said Wednesday that it will close 40 of its company-operated restaurants before the end of the current fiscal year, which ends on Oct. 3. The restaurants are mainly in the southeast U.S. and Texas and the company said it will take impairment charges of $8.5 million to $9.5 million, as well as between $21 million and $25 million in lease-related costs.
Family Dollar profit up 23%
(6:18 AM ET) LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Family Dollar Stores Inc.
said Wednesday that its fiscal fourth-quarter net profit rose 23% to $74 million, or 56 cents a share, from $60.1 million, or 43 cents a share, a year earlier. Sales in the quarter were up 8% at $1.96 billion, as previously announced. The company said lower inventory shrinkage and higher purchase mark-ups in the period had more than offset higher freight expenses and increased sales of lower-margin merchandise. Analysts had been expecting earnings of 51 cents a share in the latest quarter. Family Dollar said it expects to generate earnings of between $2.95 and $3.15 a share for fiscal 2011 as it also said its board has authorized the repurchase of up to $750 million of stock. Analysts had been forecasting fiscal 2011 earnings of $2.96 a share.
Nintendo cuts fiscal year profit outlook
(3:31 AM ET) TOKYO (MarketWatch) - Nintendo Co.(JP:7974)
cut its profit and sales expectations for the fiscal year ended in March 2011 late Wednesday. The company expects revenue of 1.10 trillion yen ($13.1 billion) for the fiscal year, down from a prior forecast of 1.40 trillion yen. It also sees net profit of 90 billion yen, below the original forecast for a net profit of 200 billion yen. Separately, the company announced that it will release a new 3-D model of its DS handheld game console in February. Shares of Nintendo closed down 2.9% in Tokyo.
Smiths Group profit up 15%
(2:59 AM ET) LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.K. engineering company Smiths Group(UK:SMIN)said Wednesday that its net profit for the fiscal year ended July 31 rose 15% to 310 million pounds ($489 million), helped in part by a lower tax rate. The company said revenue for the year rose 3.9% to 2.77 billion pounds and pretax profit was up 0.6% at 373.1 million pounds. Excluding amortization charges, restructuring costs and other one-offs, the group said underlying operating profit was up 14%, with the biggest gain at its Smiths Detection division. "The uncertain economic outlook and constraints on government spending will continue to affect sales growth. However, we will concentrate on those opportunities within our control to improve performance further and enhance margins," said CEO Philip Bowman.
Airlines agree transatlantic revenue sharing deal
(2:38 AM ET) LONDON (MarketWatch) -- British Airways(UK:BAY)said Wednesday that it has signed a revenue sharing agreement with AMR Corp.
subsidiary American Airlines and Iberia(ES:IBLA)over their transatlantic operations, which have a combined annual revenue of $7 billion. The agreement, which has received regulatory approval, applies to flights between the EU, Switzerland and Norway and the U.S, Mexico and Canada. Benefits from the business will be shared between the airlines irrespective of which carrier takes the booking. The agreement will launch in October and British Airways said it will enable the airlines' oneworld alliance to compete on an equal footing with the other main global alliances, which have had regulatory approval to operate transatlantic joint businesses for several years.
H&M's third-quarter profit rises 23%
(2:36 AM ET) FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) -- Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz(SE:HMB)said Wednesday its third-quarter net profit rose to 4.24 billion Swedish kronor ($626 million) from SEK3.46 billion in the same period a year ago. Net sales increased 14% to SEK26.89 billion. The firm said about 20 planned stores will be delayed this fall. As a result, the number of stores for the full year will be 220 rather than the 240 stores previously communicated.


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What a difference half a year makes. Entering 2022, the commercial real estate investment profile was generally good, albeit muted on concerns about rising inflation and interest rates on the horizon. Now that we’re in the midst of these events, one bright spot is that it’s easier to see the strengths and weaknesses of different asset classes.
Below are observations on the top ten commercial real estate asset classes based on analysis by CrowdStreet, which takes into account above-average inflation, rising interest rates, and the current and potential future geopolitical landscape. Not that that assessment is set in stone. As the company tells us, “Our thesis is not static, and as the next phase of ‘normal’ emerges, we will adjust accordingly.” Follow the slideshow for more information.
hospitality properties. With the prospect of a full recovery next year, we suspect this will likely be the last year that hospitality assets will be acquired at attractive prices before the market enters an expansion phase.
Industrial properties. We suspect that much of our industrial dealflow this year will be focused on development, due in part to the competitive transactional market and institutional capital chasing lower-yielding projects. We also suspect that a lack of well-situated industrial land coupled with population expansion outside of urban centers will further drive new supply away from existing stocks. With land prices rising and lengthy approval and eligibility deadlines, projects breaking ground this year will benefit from occupiers’ willingness to pay prime rents for buildings, particularly those with modern features and good locations.
medical practices. A constant and ever-increasing need for medical supplies bodes well for the medical office sector. We see great opportunity, particularly in areas where the population of older Americans is expected to increase. We also anticipate increased demand for medical practices located farther from central business district locations as hybrid workers are less tied to medical services close to their offices.
apartment buildings. We continue to favor the development of apartment buildings from the ground up. Huge rental growth in 2021 has resulted in a massive increase in the value of this asset class, beating the highest rise in construction costs in years. We will focus on assets that we believe can stabilize by year three after construction and leasing.
office properties. Of all property types, we think offices are the most polarizing this year. Opinions range from offices, which represent the biggest opportunity in commercial real estate, to the entire industry going the route of indoor shopping malls. While we like stable, liquid office deals, we also believe that now is the time to look for value-added deals, particularly those with an attractive entry base, high asset quality, robust sub-markets and experienced sponsors behind them.
retail properties. Retail was one of the hardest hit sectors in 2020 but is now on the road to recovery. With consumer spending likely to continue to recover this year and supply remaining subdued, we see opportunity for further increases in both retail rents and occupancy. It remains true that future retail investments require careful consideration for the fast-growing e-commerce sector, fueled by online shopping and accelerated by the pandemic. We see Amazon Fresh as a trend leader for retail and anticipate increasing coexistence of e-commerce and traditional brick-and-mortar retail usages.
Self Storage Properties. The need for self-storage is increasing due to work-from-home and relocation trends, which are likely to create more opportunities in off-shore markets due to pandemic-related migration patterns. We also expect strong demand for storage space in the large university towns. The older competitive set for self-storage often lacks air-conditioned and newer products, which continues to create opportunities for new developments.
Residential real estate for seniors. In the case of apartments for the elderly, we take a wait and see approach. As the need for elder care grows, we may not see a meaningful increase in demand until around 2025. Advances in medical technology have expanded alternative housing options and given many seniors the opportunity to live longer in their own homes, potentially reducing the demand for traditional senior housing.
student residences. Opportunities in this sector are mixed and location plays a key role in choosing the right investment. The most desirable and well-capitalized flagship universities will use their competitive advantage to attract students in record numbers, which will propel student housing markets in large university areas at the expense of smaller institution and community college markets.
Life Sciences Properties. Life Sciences is one of the fastest growing industries. We see opportunities close to busy urban environments, particularly in areas with top talent, high intellectual capital and the presence of top research universities. There is limited supply of laboratory space and R&D facilities nationwide, leading to rising rents and record new developments. We see creative ways to reposition existing properties when they are suitable for conversion.


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Energy Choice Ohio website promises better comparisons of electricity and natural gas suppliers
Years after Ohio gave residents a choice in their electricity and natural gas suppliers, many still don’t know who provides their energy.
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio officials said Thursday that while American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) and Columbia Gas of Ohio are no longer the only local choices for energy, the ability to choose alternative providers is still alien to too many.
With that in mind, the PUCO unveiled a new Energy Choice Ohio website aimed at better educating consumers on their choices.
Deregulation, especially in electricity, can still be confusing to consumers, and the PUCO has tried to ease that in recent years by providing apples-to-apples comparison charts on its website. The charts compared an Ohioan’s local regulated utility – say, Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK) in Cincinnati – to various competitors with basic offer information. It looked like a glorified Microsoft Word chart.
The new tool is hosted on a separate site and offers more variables for consumers to consider. All information about energy choice is there instead of spread throughout PUCO’s website, and customers only need an electric bill to put in the required information. The old tool received about 13 percent of all hits to the PUCO’s website.
Prior to the creation of the Office of Retail Competition in 2012, the PUCO didn’t do much education services about energy choice, Holly Karg, director of public affairs, said during a briefing for reporters. Since then, the PUCO has stepped up its efforts, speaking at chambers of commerce and other groups throughout the state. More than four million customers in Ohio now buy their natural gas or electricity from competitive retail suppliers.
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Ofwat hopes for deal with rebel water firms over bills shake-up
Ofwat hopes to cut a deal with rebel water companies over a shake-up of bills in order to avoid having to call in the Competition Commission.
Sixteen companies have not accepted the regulator’s proposals to alter the way water is priced in England and Wales while eight have agreed to the changes.
Under chief executive Regina Finn, Ofwat wants to break the automatic link between prices and inflation for retail operations, but the industry fears that this will make it less attractive to investors.
Proposals: Ofwat wants to break the automatic connection between prices and inflation for retail operations
Ofwat is entitled to refer the water firms to the Competition Commission if they fail to accept its proposals.
However, an industry source said: ‘We are hoping it will not go to the Competition Commission because that would prolong things by another six months and we want to get on with the next price review process.’
Ofwat said: ‘We are considering responses and welcome the engagement of companies that are taking a constructive approach.
‘Constructive engagement from all parties will be what helps deliver the right solution for water customers.’
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UK consumers in a flap with turkeys
Consumers have a worrying lack of knowledge of turkeys, the results of a National Farmers’ Union (NFU) survey has found prior to Christmas.
One in five people say that turkeys can fly while one in ten believes the bird originates from Turkey.
The NFU-commissioned poll quizzed 3,000 people about their festive eating habits, how they choose a Christmas bird and how much they know about turkeys in general.
The results revealed that 20% of people believe turkeys can fly with a further 14% not knowing if this is true or not – 66% cent said they cannot. 10% of people think turkeys originate from Turkey while nearly half have no idea where they come from. Only 11% know that a male turkey is called a stag.
Mike Bailey, vice-chairman of the NFU poultry board representing turkeys, said: “I am pleased to add that 67% of British public will tuck into turkey as their main meal on Christmas Day, with 58% saying they will buy fresh.”
The survey coincides with the re-launch of website www.ukturkeys.co.uk, where producers can register their businesses and consumers can find their nearest turkey supplier by using just their postcode. More than 300 producers have already signed up, the NFU has said.
The survey also found that people in the North East are least likely to eat turkey this Christmas as their main meal, with those in the North West most likely. Londoners are most likely to eat a fresh turkey on the day while people in the West Midlands are more keen on frozen. It also found that 39% of people only eat turkey at Christmas.
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TD Banknorth Inc. said its Shoppers Charge Accounts division has a deal to start a private-label card program for the luxury bedding retailer Bragada Inc.
Ed Fechner, a senior vice president for Shoppers Charge Accounts, said Monday that Bragada had entered the partnership to remain competitive with other bedding retailers that offer cards and financing options to customers.
"They came to us because we do have experience in the bedding arena," Mr. Fechner said.
Shoppers Charge Accounts will continue to operate a private-label program for Bragada's rival, Dormia Inc.
TD Banknorth said the Bragada credit card would offer consumers "same as cash" financing rates ranging from 90 days to a year.
Customers who pay their balance within the promotional period will not be charged any interest on purchases made at Bragada.
TD Banknorth did not say when the cards would be available.


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It has been said that a new invention called the “News Tech” will change the world. It is quite possible as the internet continues to grow at an exponential rate. Many people are not aware of this new tech, however it is increasing in popularity very rapidly.
One of the primary uses of News Tech is for entertainment as it provides people with news, videos, audio, and images of everything happening right at their fingertips. All of these can be easily accessibly from any location. Video news is a great source of entertainment for people all around the world. Videos allow the user to get up close and personal with a subject or situation, which is not always possible with articles. Photos give the viewer a chance to see what exactly is taking place at a particular time.
Another use of this technology is for business. There are many applications available in the form of social networking. This application allows companies to keep in touch with their customers by providing them with news of their company. This allows the customers to update their friends on their products and services as well. This can also help companies build brand recognition.
In addition to news technology, many people are turning to technology for sports. News tech is also being used for sport coverage in the form of websites and blogs. Sports news is fast becoming one of the most popular forms of information for people who follow sports. The news media is also adapting to the new technology and producing live streaming news video.
The creation of the internet has opened a flood of opportunities for people all over the world. New forms of entertainment are constantly being created as people are able to share their stories with the world. With the news being delivered straight to people’s homes, people are constantly visiting websites to read about and learn more about certain topics. Technology is making great strides forward every day and is only going to continue moving forward. We cannot take our eyes of the improvements, we must simply open our eyes and embrace the new technology.
News technology is changing the way that we look at the news and how we digest it. People are connecting to the internet on a daily basis and they are researching and finding out new things all the time. This has created a huge demand for people who are interested in breaking the news. Breaking the news may require a journalist, but the ability to quickly spread news through the internet is possible on one’s own. If you love to read, and enjoy spending your time in front of the computer or behind the news, then this might be just the job for you.


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Factom, a startup that developers solutions that leverages the bitcoin blockchain has raised $4.2 million in a new round of funding led by Tim Draper of Draper Associates.
Factom Inc., a blockchain technology company that has previously revealed major projects such as creating land titles via the bitcoin blockchain in Honduras, has announced a Series A round of equity funding for $4.2 million.
Led by Tim Draper of Draper Associates, the funding round will further help in bringing in new personnel and in the development of Factom software that leverages the bitcoin blockchain for real-world applications.
In statements, Factom CEO and co-founder Peter Kirby said:
This round of funding allows us to aggressively grow the company and the underlying technology.
Lead investor Tim Draper sees decentralized, blockchain-secured data as the solution to many core concerns in infrastructure across various industries. Putting a pin on the growing concern of hacking and data tampering, Draper sees governments, banks, car manufacturers and retailers among other industry sectors susceptible to the steep pitfalls of data hacking.
Centralized data is prone to critical failure by any


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- Dirty Bomb Developers Splash Damage have announced the “MercServer” Update
- The Update Brings a Wealth of long-awaited changes and updates to the Game
- Splash Damage Developer Devower will also start doing Mercenary-Based How to Videos
Splash Damage have released a new update video outlining changes coming to Dirty Bomb, in efforts to make the game more enjoyable and playable at entry, casual and professional levels.
Dirty Bomb is a real special FPS in the market – here’s a writeup I did a few months back about it – it’s definitely worth your time.
The MercSERVer Update is coming to Dirty Bomb – here’s the video.
So that’s a heap of changes coming to the game – let’s go through the highlights.
The base credit earn rate has been boosted from 12 to 19, that’s awesome! On top of that, credit boosters have also been bolstered – they now provide a 50% bonus instead of double credits, and that 50% ‘ticks down’ daily, rather than hourly.
“It promotes players to stay in game, and the more players in the game, the less time it takes to find a match, and the better the match experience will be”.
On top of this, Missions will be getting replaced with Contracts. Mercenary-based missions have been kicked, and players can now pursue Contract rewards continuously without the time hold backs of Missions. The new contracts will work more seamlessly, but will take longer to complete.
In the next update, the mercenary Bushwacker will also become free for everyone to use – players who bought Bushwacker in the past will be given an Obsidian card for Bushwacker.
Fragger, Kira, Sparks, Turtle and Vassili will also be coming down in price.
Rentable servers will also be making the debut with the next update, and will be “Less than £1 a slot”. The servers will be hosted through Multiplay, and you can check the site out here.
Item trading through the Steam Market is said to also be coming to the game, coinciding with a rework of weapon cases to include melee skins. Already in-game weapon cases will be discontinued, but not deleted – you can still open them.
Dirty Bomb Developer Devower will also be starting a YouTube series on the Mercenaries of Dirty Bomb – a kind of how to’s to the game. You can check that out here, and here’s one of the videos.
So many changes, so many updates – kind of makes you think when they’re going to remove that ‘Beta Build’ Watermark from the bottom of the screen.
No release date has been posted for the update yet, but it’s still in development – more to come.


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Each day TFO Canada publishes a sample of trade news on the Canadian import market along with any new, updated or changed regulations and legislations regarding international trade; countries in which TFO Canada offers services and on the export sectors which it promotes.
Costco Aims for a Younger Customer, Sells More KaleThursday, October 09, 2014 > 12:55:44
Costco, home of cheap hot dogs and unreasonably large buckets of mayonnaise, has found a new niche: fresh food and, along with it, fresh customers. In an earnings report today, the company said sales of fruits, vegetables, and other perishables increased, in percentage terms, in “the high single digits.” Overall, it reported profit growth of 13 percent, making this its best quarter since May 2013.
The company has been stocking all that produce to lure younger consumers, a strategy it revealed in the spring. Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti crowed about the hefty margins on new organic fare, including “giant bags” of kale. “That competitively gives us a leg up,” Galanti said on a conference call this morning.
At the same time, Costco (COST) started blasting out membership discounts on the Web. Last quarter, it dangled a deal on LivingSocial, offering $20 in Costco cash and coupons for a free apple pie and a rotisserie chicken, along with a $65 membership. “These types of promotions we believe will allow us to get in front of younger demographics,” Galanti said in a conference call this morning. Costco is also luring urban shoppers with free delivery service in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco via a partnership with Google (GOOG).
The millennials appear to be gobbling it up. Buoyed by 2 million new shoppers, Costco’s membership revenue was up 7.3 percent in the quarter. This is critical, because memberships are pretty much the only place Costco makes money. For the year ended Aug. 31, Costco collected $2.4 billion in membership fees.
It also realized a $2.1 billion profit. That those two numbers are close is not coincidental. The kale sells at cost; the customers are the margin. The younger those customers are, the more years of annual membership payments they have ahead of them.


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Mall evacuated amid reports of ‘two down’
AT LEAST two people are believed to have been shot after a gunman opened fire in a Californian shopping mall, sending shoppers scrambling for cover.
Police have surrounded the Oasis Mall in Thousand Oaks, California, after a series of gunshots was heard by customers and staff.
A 'stay in place' order has been issued to those who remain inside the building.
Several ambulances have been seen arriving at the scene. Initial police reports indicate "two down" inside the mall. They've since confirmed one person is dead and another has been taken to hospital.
MORE TO COME


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Dave Grohl Has ‘Many Ideas’ on How to Change ‘Nevermind’’s Cover
The album’s original artwork -- featuring a naked baby in a swimming pool being lured by a dollar bill on a fishing line -- became one of the ‘90s most iconic images. While the LP sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, the picture was plastered on everything from t-shirts to posters.
Recently, Spencer Elden, the now-grown man who had been the baby model for the image, alleged Nirvana "knowingly produced, possessed and advertised commercial child pornography" in a lawsuit brought against the band. While the outcome of his legal action is still pending, it’s possible the famous Nevermind cover may be redacted.
“I have many ideas of how we should alter that cover but we’ll see what happens,” Grohl admitted to the Sunday Times. “We’ll let you know. I’m sure we’ll come up with something good.”
As for the lawsuit itself, Grohl revealed he’s not giving it much thought. “I think that there’s much more to look forward to and much more to life than getting bogged down in those kinds of things,” the rocker explained. “And, fortunately, I don’t have to do the paperwork.”
Nirvana is releasing an expansive box set to celebrate Nevermind’s 30th anniversary. Part of Elden’s legal action specifically noted that he wants the artwork to be altered for any future re-releases.
“If there is a 30th anniversary re-release, he wants for the entire world not to see his genitals,” Elden’s lawyer, Maggie Mabie, told The Associated Press.
Despite this, pre-orders for the 30th anniversary set still show the album with its original cover artwork. The reissue officially arrives Nov. 12.


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Siri, often maligned for her limits as a digital personal assistant, is getting smarter.
Speaking on stage at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, said that with the newest version of Apple’s iOS mobile software, which will be released in the fall, Siri will gain the ability to respond to more nuanced commands. For instance, users will be able to say things like, “Show me photos from Utah last August” to pull up pictures of a canyoneering trip, or, “Remind me about this when I get home” to have your phone bug you about a specific website when you get to your house.
Siri is also getting more proactive, Federighi said. If your phone notices that you tend to listen to music with your headphones when you go running in the morning or when you get in your car, he said, it can start offering up “now playing” music when you plug in your headphones or get in the vehicle. This proactive advice also extends to appointments, as it will let you know when you need to leave to get to your next meeting by considering traffic at the time. And within iOS’s universal search, Siri will suggest people to contact or apps to open, based on your habits.
If these features work as shown in the demos, they could be a boon to those of us who are creatures of habit; I’d love my music, at least, to turn on during my morning commute or regular weekend bike rides.
Developers gained access to a beta version of iOS 9 on Monday, and a public beta is coming in July. The additions bring Siri’s capabilities closer to those of Google Now and Microsoft’s Cortana, and show Apple’s insistence on making it a key way to interact with its mobile gadgets, especially the recently released Apple Watch, which has a tiny display and no built-in keyboard. As we become increasingly reliant on gadgets, some of them attached to our bodies, we need cleverer ways to interact with them, and Apple, like some of its rivals, seems to understand this.
Yet while Siri is getting smarter, it still has a ways to go when it comes to actually understanding what you want it to do; Federighi said the service, which receives a billion requests per week, has reduced its word-error rate by 40 percent in the last year to 5 percent. That sounds great, but 5 percent is still a pretty big error rate considering how Apple has positioned Siri as an indispensable assistant on the iPhone and iPad and the only way to get some things done on the Apple Watch (like reply to an e-mail, another feature Apple announced Monday as part of an update to its WatchOS, a new version of which is also coming in the fall).
The work yet to be done was on display during a demo for the company’s new Apple Music subscription service, when when Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet software and services, asked Siri to play the song from the movie Selma. It didn’t get the message, though, and started playing the song “Selene” by the band Imagine Dragons. Cue tried again, and, this time, Siri understood, cueing up “Glory” by Common and John Legend.
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Wilson & Bay arrive in Honiton
Amey TPT | 20 June 2022
Amey TPT are pleased to welcome the third instalment of Wilson & Bay to Honiton Station, serving the town of Honiton in east Devon.
The owner, Jonathon, having become an instant hit with the locals in Newport and more recently in the London borough of Greenwich, wants to bring his amazing selection of beverages and tasty foods to the lively market town of Honiton.
Open 7 days a week, early hours often until sunset, offering a wide selection of hot and iced beverages with an extensive grilled sandwich menu, a growing vegan and gluten free offering and ice cream! This is a welcome addition to the community and South Western Railway customers can now enjoy artisan coffee and a delightful snack during their travels.
You can find out more at www.wilsonbaycoffeeclub.co.uk


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Few of us will intentionally go out of our way to generate greenhouse gases; we may not be willing to sacrifice horsepower for a greener car… but choosing not to sacrifice horsepower to save the polar bears, is far different from intentionally modifying your truck so that it blows out massive amounts of greenhouse gasses in defiance of environmental regulations like these morons:
Back in 2008, Sir Paul McCartney, a well-known environmental activist, ordered up a hybrid Lexus LS600h so that he could do his part to save the polar bears. Lexus didn’t want the famous Beatle to have to wait for his new car to arrive via the slow boat from Japan, so they put it in a plane and flew it to England. It was calculated at the time, that shipping the car would have added 297kg of carbon to the environment, while flying it added 38,050kg! That’s 128 times more carbon! With the 2008 Lexus LS600h rated at producing just 219g of carbon per kilometer, it means that the flight cost the equivalent carbon foot-print of driving the Lexus for over 172,000 kilometers!
Paul McCartney via NPR
Sir Paul was dutifully horrified that Lexus had flown his new eco-friendly vehicle half way around the planet, ruining his efforts at saving the polar bears. This of course didn’t stop him from using the car; after all, the damage was done. Here he is seen using the car to go to the recording studio not long after the car had arrived in the UK:
Paul McCartney with his infamous Lexus LS600h via the Daily Mail
But what is interesting is that even back in 2008, 219g of carbon per kilometer was not all that great. The standard selling economy vehicle was only producing 154g per km, and a luxury Jaguar XJ of similar size was only producing 249g per km! At only 30g per km more carbon, that means Sir Paul could have driven the Jaguar XJ for nearly 10,000 km just on what shipping the Lexus via boat would have cost!
2017 Jaguar XJ via Jaguar
What is really surprising is how much petrol engines have improved when it comes to the carbon foot print, less than 10 years later. In 2017, the top 20 best-selling cars in Europe produce only 100 to 130g of carbon per kilometer; a 20-25% drop over the previous decade! Even more surprising is that a 2017 Jaguar XJ produces as little as 149g of carbon per kilometer, that’s nearly a 40% drop! However, Sir Paul’s beloved Lexus LS600h is still producing 219g of carbon per km in 2017, just like it was back in 2008!
EU CO2 Monitoring
This of course is nothing new for Hybrids. Toyota still falsely claims that the Prius emits around 70g of carbon per kilometer, when independent testing has shown time after time that it actually does more in the 104-120g per km range. The truth is that the Prius barely keeps up with a standard economy car when it comes to the environment, which makes one wonder why anyone would spend the extra $10,000.00 (roughly) to buy the hideous thing over a comparable vehicle. Worse, still, the Prius owner has added to the environmental damage because of what the Prius’s batteries do to the environment!
Toyota Prius Battery via YouTube
It would seem that the technology of hybrids is falling far behind the technology of standard gasoline and diesel engines, when it comes to being green.
The bottom line is that Hybrids didn’t make a lot of sense back in 2008, and they make even less sense today.
Keep driving my friends!
My thanks to Mark and Larry for all their help with this article.


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AL: Growth Projects Bringing 3,000 Jobs to Alabama’s Rural Counties
18 Nov, 2021
- Packaging Corp. of America (PCA) plans to invest $440 million in its mill in rural Clarke County, positioning the Jackson facility for the long-term production of linerboard used in corrugated packages.
- Westwater Resources said its Alabama Graphite Products subsidiary will invest $124 million in two phases to open an advanced graphite processing plant to produce a critical component in EV batteries. The Coosa County facility, the first of its kind in the U.S., will employ at least 100 people.
- Mohawk Industries is creating 130 jobs at its factory in Roanoke as it introduces yarn production and expands its investment at the Randolph County facility. Total employment will reach 300 with the new hires.
- Japan-based SHOWA Group is making a significant investment in its nitrile glove factory in Fayette, where it plans to double production to 2 million gloves per day.
- Cullman-based HomTex is opening a facility in Selma to produce high volumes of N-95 and 3-ply masks as part of a $10.5 million project that will create 300 jobs. HomTex, whose traditional production focused on bed linens, is positioning itself as a domestic source of FDA-approved PPE.
- In Randolph County, SteelFab Inc. plans a $24 million expansion creating 30 jobs in Roanoke, while JELD-WEN Inc. is adding a new production line for patio doors at its Wedowee facility and creating up to 40 jobs.


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Video games are serious business, and the taxman is taking notice in a predictably awkward fashion.
Since October, the IRS website has included a warning directed toward Fortnite players that their accumulation and spending of in-game "V-bucks" could be federally taxable and may have to be reported. The warning caused a bit of hubbub, as by applying the same policy to in-game money that it enforces on bitcoin, ether and other cryptocurrencies, the IRS guide seemed poised to affect millions of gamers.
This guideline was removed without official comment on Wednesday; bitcoin is now the only virtual currency mentioned on the agency webpage.
It's unclear if this stealthy removal is an indication by the IRS that they're not quite ready to drop the hammer on virtual currencies—an upselling technique used by video games that usually takes the form of in-game microtransactions—or that the service simply wants to revise exactly what was written and hoped nobody would notice if the initial version was taken down.
What we do know is that the appearance and subsequent removal of this advisory has sewn confusion among millions of potentially affected taxpayers. There are tens of millions of video game players in the U.S.—last March, Fortnite's publisher, Epic Games, announced that the title alone had nearly 250 million registered players around the globe. Fortnite amassed an estimated $1.8 billion in revenue last year.
Since the IRS hasn't explicitly retracted its advisory, taxpayers who had virtual currency transactions in 2019 will likely still need to fill out Schedule 1 with their Form 1040, in accordance with the IRS's 1040 instructions.
The first question on Schedule 1 reads: "At any time during 2019, did you receive, sell, send, exchange, or otherwise acquire any financial interest in any virtual currency?"
If in-game currencies are to be included in the definition of "virtual currencies," how many of you will have to answer "yes" to the above question? Perhaps more interestingly, how many of your kids will have to do the same?


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CNET's Marguerite Reardon explains how three key phenomena could reshape the wireless industry in the next few years and pave the way for more-affordable mobile services.
While the world panics, the wheels of capitalism still must turn. The owners of the URL say they've had offers over the years. But clearly not enough.
After its $25 phones fail to dent the dominance of Google and Apple, the Firefox backer will try to compete using technological superiority -- and maybe by adding key Android apps, too.
Shame about the supply pinch, though. Without that, sales might actually soar as high as 50 million, says a Morgan Stanley analyst.
The latest study on the magic, wake-up juice found that men who drink two to three cups of coffee a day may be able to reduce their risk of erectile dysfunction by 42 percent.
Sales for the iPhone may shoot as high as 51.1 million units this quarter, says UBS analyst Steven Milunovich, higher than Wall Street is predicting.
Enceladus may have a warm ocean beneath its icy surface, but it may also be shooting through that crust in big sheets, perhaps filled with sea monkeys.
Do-it-yourselfers using electrical currents to stimulate their brains may be doing more harm than good.
Xiaomi launches its first smartphone outside of China with the Mi 4i, a trim Android model with healthy features and a low, low price.
The search giant has confirmed that mobile searches tower over those from computers in 10 different countries but was mum on more specific details.


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Today: Mostly sunny and breezy. Highs in the low 80s with wind from the North 10-20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear with lows around 60.
Highs in the mid 80s the rest of the work week. A few showers ... More...
Chattanooga Company on the International Stage
A Chattanooga company featured on NewsChannel 9's "Made In" series was on the international stage today in Dublin, Ireland.
Scott Gaskill, President of Sovee, spoke about a new development in translation technology at the Localization World Dublin 2014 conference. The presentation, "Sovee Smart Engine 2.0: A Leap Beyond Base Moses Technology" demonstrated how this new approach can rapidly open the door to worldwide translation.
"There are more than 6,000 languages in the world today, and after 60 years of statistical Machine Translation, our industry has developed Machine Translation engines for only 150 of those languages," Mr. Gaskill notes. "Sovee decided it was time to take an entirely new approach to machine translation."
"One of the challenges we faced was computer processing limitations. To build engines for more than 6,000 languages would require over 92 million servers, and that's before you start building custom engines for clients," Mr. Gaskill explains. "With the release of Smart Engine 2.0 this summer, it is now possible to process virtually unlimited simultaneous transactions with only a fraction of those servers."
Smart Engine 2.0 introduces the world's first self-learning engine for language.
Localization World brings together delegates who are engaged in the business of adapting products, services and communications to an international language or culture so as to appear native to that particular region. Speakers at the conference also include representatives from Adobe Systems, eBay, Google, IBM, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Spil Games and other notable companies. The conference is produced by MultiLingual Computing, Inc. and The Localization Institute.
"Localization World is a key conference for companies doing business globally or working in multiple language markets," Mr. Gaskill notes. "We are excited to be part of an effort to accelerate translation in a way that can expand the global world of commerce and bring the world closer together."
More Business News
Last Update on July 29, 2014 17:09 GMT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. consumers are more confident about the economy than they have been in nearly seven years.
The Conference Board's confidence index rose to 90.9 in July from an upwardly revised 86.4 in June. The July reading is the highest since October 2007, two months before the Great Recession officially began.
It was the third straight increase in the index. Economists said that strong job growth has helped boost consumers' assessment of current conditions and also improved their outlook on jobs and the economy.
Conference Board economist Lynn Franco says that the improvements in consumers' confidence and expectations about the future indicate that the recent strengthening in overall economic growth should continue in the second half of the year.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. home prices rose in May from a year earlier, but at the weakest pace in 15 months.
The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index increased 9.3 percent in May from 12 months earlier. That's down from 10.8 percent in the previous month and the smallest annual gain since February 2013.
Yearly price gains slowed in 18 of the 20 cities. They accelerated in Charlotte, N.C., and were flat in Tampa, Fla.
Existing home sales have picked up, rising to an eight-month high in June. But they are still 2.3 percent below last year's level. And an index of signed contracts dipped in June, suggesting sales will cool.
Home sales have been restrained by weak wage gains and tight credit, particularly for first time buyers.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Pfizer's second-quarter earnings plunged 79 percent from last year, when the world's second-largest drugmaker booked a business spinoff gain of more than $10 billion. The latest results still edged analyst expectations.
Pfizer says it earned $2.91 billion in the quarter. That compares with earnings of $14.1 billion last year.
Revenue slipped 2 percent to $12.77 billion, while analysts forecast $12.47 billion, on average.
Pfizer Inc. is best known for creating medicines for the masses, including the erectile dysfunction pill Viagra, the Prevnar vaccine against pneumonia and related infections and the now-generic cholesterol fighter Lipitor, which was once the world's best-selling drug.
UNDATED (AP) -- A big one-time gain and a tax benefit have helped drugmaker Merck more than double its second-quarter profit, raise the lower end of its profit forecast and easily top analysts' expectations.
The maker of popular Type 2 diabetes pill Januvia and cholesterol medicines Vytorin and Zetia says net income increased to $2 billion from $906 million in the same quarter a year earlier.
The world's fourth-biggest drugmaker reports revenue of $10.93 billion, down 1 percent from $11.01 billion a year ago.
Sales of Merck's prescription drugs totaled $9.09 billion, down 2 percent as cheaper generic competition cut into sales of some older medicines and sales of its hepatitis C drugs was hurt by new brand-name competition.
ATLANTA (AP) -- UPS is lowering its outlook for the year as it announces plans to spend more on technology and other enhancements to improve service during peak season.
UPS says it will spend $175 million on upgrades that include expanded operations on the day after Thanksgiving and sped-up deployment of software designed to help drivers find the quickest route to a destination.
During last year's holiday season, a big increase in online shopping and a crush of last-minute orders by shoppers who jumped on offers of free shipping caught UPS by surprise. The company was forced to hire extra workers to handle the rush, but some gifts still arrived late.
As a result of the boost to spending, UPS has lowered its full-year outlook for adjusted earnings to $4.90 to $5 a share. It previously expected to earn around $5.05 a share.
UPS also says second-quarter profit declined to $454 million from $1.07 billion in the same quarter a year earlier.
DETROIT (AP) -- Suzuki is recalling nearly 26,000 midsize cars in the U.S. because the daytime running light modules could overheat and cause a fire.
The recall covers the Verona from the 2004-2006 model years. It's an expansion of an earlier recall of the Forenza and Reno.
All the cars were made by General Motors in Korea. Suzuki says in documents filed today with government safety regulators that a transistor in the modules can overheat in the instrument panel. That could melt the module, which could cause a fire. Suzuki says there were no fires reported in Verona models.
Dealers will replace the modules for free. Owners will be notified later.
American Suzuki Motor Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November of 2012 and stopped selling automobiles in the U.S.
BEIJING (AP) -- China's anti-monopoly agency says it's investigating Microsoft, stepping up regulatory pressure on foreign technology companies.
The State Administration for Industry and Commerce says it opened a case in June after complaints Microsoft improperly failed to publish all documentation for its Windows operating system and Office software. It says investigators visited Microsoft's China headquarters in Beijing and branches in three other cities this week.
Foreign technology suppliers face growing pressure from Chinese regulators, who have launched anti-monopoly investigations and announced plans to examine products for security flaws.
Microsoft has not responded to a request for comment.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Thirteen states have settled an investigation into improper lending with a court agreement that's expected to provide $92 million in debt relief for some 17,800 U.S. military personnel.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says deceptive practices by Rome Finance Co. included failing to accurately disclose charges and interest rates and helping retailers inflate prices, with repayments take from soldiers' paychecks.
Rome Finance has recently done business as Colfax Capital Corp. and Culver Capital LLC.
The states involved are Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Vermont.
Authorities say military personnel will keep financed merchandise like computers and gaming systems with debt forgiven, including $2.2 million for more than 550 New York residents.
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Zale Corp Second Quarter Earnings Sneak Peek
Zale Corp (NYSE:ZLC) will unveil its latest earnings on Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Zale is a specialty retailer of fine jewelry. It operates specialty retail jewelry stores and kiosks located mainly in shopping malls throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Zale Corp Earnings Preview Cheat Sheet
Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 77 cents per share, a rise of 4.1% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved down from $1.01. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved down. It has been unchanged at 77 cents during the last month.
Past Earnings Performance: Last quarter, the company reported net loss of $1.17 per share versus a mean estimate of a loss of. The company has beaten estimates for the past three quarters.
Investing Insights: Will the iPad 3 Be the Next Catalyst for Apple’s Stock?
Wall St. Revenue Expectations: Analysts predict a rise of 4.9% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $657.4 million.
Analyst Ratings: The limited number of analysts covering the stock seem relatively indifferent about Zale with two of three analysts surveyed maintaining a hold rating.
A Look Back: In the first quarter, the company’s loss narrowed to a loss of $31.9 million (99 cents a share) from a loss of $97.9 million ($3.05) a year earlier, beating analyst expectations. Revenue rose 7.3% to $351 million from $327 million.
Revenue has increased in each of the past four quarters. Revenue rose 9.4% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year from the year earlier, climbed 14.5% in the third quarter of the last fiscal year from the year-ago quarter and 7.6% in the second quarter of the last fiscal year.
Stock Price Performance: Between February 10, 2012 and February 16, 2012, the stock price rose 47 cents (16.2%), from $2.90 to $3.37. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between January 24, 2012 and January 30, 2012, when shares rose for five straight days, increasing 4.2% (+12 cents) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between August 29, 2011 and September 6, 2011 when shares fell for six straight days, dropping 19.7% (-94 cents) over that span.
(Company fundamentals by Xignite Financials. Earnings estimates provided by Zacks)
Don’t Miss These Additional Hot Stories:
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Cell phone headsets generally do not command prime real estate at an electronics store. Utilitarian extras, they are tucked in aisles behind a gleaming display of phones.
But not this week at the Best Buy on North Avenue in Chicago. A big rack of cell phone headsets is planted squarely near the store's entrance, upstaging gadgets of all kinds.
Headsets have been hot sellers lately as Chicagoans prepare for a partial ban on driving while gabbing.
Starting Friday, motorists caught holding their phones to their ears while driving in Chicago face a $50 fine. That rises to $200 if the driver is involved in an accident while chatting.
Talking via a hands-free device--a headset or speakerphone--is allowed, however.
There is research showing that hands-free conversations are not much safer than the hands-on variety. And there's skepticism that police officers will actively enforce another traffic ordinance.
But whether or not people think the ban is a good idea, they have been buying headsets.
"We love the law," said Marc Gullion, manager of a North Side RadioShack. "There was a period of time when I couldn't keep them in stock."
Gullion said a local RadioShack manager had to make a special request to the company's main warehouse in Texas, pointing out the coming law and an urgent need for more headsets.
Since then, supply has kept pace with demand, Gullion said.
The story is similar at a Cingular Wireless outlet at the other end of the strip mall from Gullion's RadioShack.
"We've been selling [headsets] like crazy," said Joseph Conti, a store employee.
The store recently added another display for wired headsets, clearing out space that had featured phones, he said. On a recent evening, the wired-headset racks were largely empty, courtesy of a day of strong sales.
To beef up its inventory, Conti's store also had to plead with an out-of-state warehouse. "We had to fight with our people to get more stuff," he said.
They're getting it: About 50 to 60 Bluetooth wireless headsets are arriving each week, and they're selling, compared with about 10 per week before the ordinance was passed, he said.
Bluetooth is a technology that allows for a wireless connection between a phone and headset. Such headsets sell for $50 to $100, compared with $20 to $30 for wired headsets.
At the Cingular store, at least half of the Bluetooth headsets were being sold in combination with Bluetooth-equipped phones. People are using the hands-free law as rationale to upgrade their phones, said store manager Gregory Klimczak
Michelle Buzby of Chicago was trying to figure out the pros and cons of Bluetooth as she shopped last week for a headset at Best Buy.
She doesn't mind the new law.
"I think it should have been done a long time ago," said Buzby, her 3-year-old daughter in tow as she perused the headset display.
"They probably shouldn't allow [driving and phoning] at all," she said. "It's a distraction."
Jacob Kaufman of Chicago said that may be true, but so is listening to music or eating while driving, and neither of those activities are barred, he added.
"I think it's a dumb idea, and I think it will make things worse," Kaufman said of the hands-free law.
His scenario: Drivers won't always wear their headsets, then will fumble for them when their phones ring, getting more distracted in the process.
But disdain for the law didn't stop Kaufman from preparing. He bought a headset at RadioShack last week. "I don't want to get a ticket," he said.
How attentive police will be is open to debate.
"Cops in big cities like Chicago, they've got other priorities," said Jonathan Adkins of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety managers. "They're not going to go on a cell phone blitz."
Chicago police say they will be watching.
"Officers will enforce ordinances as they do now,' said Sgt. Robert Cargie. The hands-free law "is parallel to seat belt violations and other traffic violations."
Whether hands-free laws significantly improve public safety is debatable, several studies conclude.
It matters little if you're talking with phone in hand or via a headset, driving quality is degraded, according to a study released last month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Virginia Tech University.
Another recent study from Johns Hopkins University found that headset or not, the brain can't focus as well on driving while talking (or on talking while driving).
One thing is certain: The hands-free laws sprouting across the country are good for headset manufacturers.
California-based Plantronics Inc., a major headset manufacturer, said its 34 percent increase in sales last year was due partly to rising demand spurred by hands-free legislation.
It is also a significant sales driver at Jabra, a Danish-owned headsetmaker with its North American sales base in Oak Brook.
"We have seen in other markets, most notably in New York, an increase in demand and in increase in sales," said Chris Martinez, Jabra's North American sales manager.
New York was at the forefront of hands-free laws, enacting its in 2001.
- - -
Here are the type of products that comply with Chicago's new hands-free cell phone ordinance, which begins Friday.
- Wired headsets. These basic devices plug into your phone. Cost for most range from $20 to $30.
- Bluetooth wireless headsets. Several newer phones use this technology to connect with a headset. Costs range from $50 to $100.
- Bluetooth adapter to make non-Bluetooth phones work with the wireless technology. About $40 to $60.
- Bluetooth speaker-microphone units for car: $70 to $120. Custom installations, which can be programmed to automatically turn down the radio's volume when a call comes in, run about $400.


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Tek Know has released the latest 4-20 mA loop calibrator.
National Instruments has announced LabVIEW 7 Express, a major upgrade to the entire family of LabVIEW graphical development products.
Land Instruments has released a thermal imaging system which is suitable for applications from sophisticated thermal machine vision systems to a diagnostic instrument.
Pilz has introduced an electronic two-handed control device for type IIIC in accordance with EN574.
The 1591 range of small plastic enclosures is now available with flanged lids, providing an easy method of securing the unit to walls or bulkheads.
Turck has announced a dual mode version of its levelprox.
Mercoid has released the series SBLT Submersible Level Transmitter, designed for groundwater and well monitoring.
Omron Electronics has developed a series of compact PLC training consoles based around the CJ1M series CPUs.
The microprocessor-based HMP230 are versatile easy-to-use transmitters for demanding industrial and air conditioning applications.
Control Components has introduced the Detector line of micropower impulse radar (MIR) liquid level sensors. Gems Detector MIR sensors are now available in two series: MIR-800 Series sensors feature solid waveguide rods, while the MIR-900 Series sensors feature fully encapsulated, flexible rods.
Yokogawa Electric has announced the release of the DAQSTATION CX1000/CX2000 Style 3. This is an upgrade to the DAQSTATION CX Series control and measurement systems.
The KPC-157 is specially designed for use in a wide range of industries and applications such as kiosk systems, industrial control and automation, public information, home automation, gaming machines, ATMs, education, restaurant ordering, office and medical care equipment.
Ecotech has announced the release of the American Sigma AC powered 8300 closed pipe flowmeter.
Teralba Industries has released a range of Mixquip portable agitators and mixers specifically designed for blending and mixing fluids in drums and small tanks.
The TBOX supports simultaneous communications. The system's real-time and logged data is accessible through various modems such as dial up, GSM/GPRS, radio, leased line, or other communications links such as ethernet TCP/IP, fibre optic, RS232 and RS485. Alarm conditions generated by the monitored process are distributed to a list of recipients in the form of mobile phone SMS messages or email message.


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It's official - the 3DS, Nintendo's upcoming handheld, will be released in Japan in February 2011, while Europe and the U.S. will see a release in March 2011. The Japanese release is currently priced at 25,000 Yen (approx. $299 USD), though there is no news yet on the European or U.S. price tags. Big releases being highlighted for the system include Kid Icarus: Uprising, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Resident Evil: Revelations, Paper Mario, Star Fox 64 3D, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The system will also support a virtual console akin to that of the Wii, allowing gamers to download Gameboy and GBA titles.
A short video highlighting many of the 3DS titles to be released for the system (courtesy of GameSpot):


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Taiwan-based Asia Pacific Telecom (APTG) has diclosed its 5G accelerator program is incubating 15 startups developing innovative services covering application of smart city solutions and AI, IoT technologies, gaming and entertainment, AR/VR, traffic monitoring and retail operation.
The ban on the use of 5G equipment from Huawei by US-led allies and telecom operators on concern of information security is casting shadows on the near-term prospects of Taiwan-based optical component suppliers as orders from Huawei currently account for 10-15% of their annual sales, according to industry...
TMYTek launches 5G beamforming solutions
TMY Technology (TMYTek), founded in 2014 to develop active and passive mmWave components, has just launched 5G beamforming technology solutions that can help address problems encountered by developers of 5G devices and systems, according to company founder and president SW Chang.
Taiwan Mobile appoints new president
Taiwan Mobile has named Jamie Lin, co-founder of AppWorks Venture, as its new president, with the appointment to take effect on April 1.
CHT warns of slow profit growth for 2019
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) will see slow profit growth for 2019 citing increasing operating costs and expenses for new ICT expansion projects, according to company chairman David Cheng.
Despite the raging US-led campaign to boycott 5G network equipment supplied by China's leading telecom equipment maker Huawei, Taiwan PCB makers are less worried about its possible impact on their revenue performances for 2019 than the global economic slumps that may arise from lingering trade tensions...
Taiwan Mobile has recently teamed up with Nokia to demonstrate "real 5G" equipment and VR/AR applications and carry out relevant 5G connection tests, seeking to jointly develop 5G, video and Industry 4.0 business opportunities.
As 5G applications will disrupt central office equipment at telecom operators, software suppliers and hardware makers, especially those of servers and networking switches, are aggressively proceeding with related deployments and will display their latest solutions at the upcoming MWC 2019 to tap market...
Huawei makes early preparations for 5G
As China's leading smartphone and telecom equipment maker, Huawei is moving at full throttles to strengthen its capabilities for the upcoming 5G commercialization era by placing orders with supply chain partners earlier than other international competitors, according to industry sources.
While chipmakers and brand vendors of smartphones are striving to seek a preemptive presence in the segments of 5G IPs, patents and AP chips, the most critical 5G modem chip solutions are now still a space dominated by three leading chipmakers Qualcomm, Intel and MediaTek.
Some IP and patent holders of the latest communication technologies are taking the advantage of a 3GPP workshop currently being held in Taipei seeking to also accrue royalties for their patented technologies, according to sources familiar with the event.
Japan to kick off 5G commercial pre-service in 2019
Japan is pushing its development of 5G networks at full throttle, with its top-three telecom operators - NTT Docomo, KDDI au and SoftBank - set to kick off 5G commercial pre-service in 2019 and full 5G service in 2020.
CHT completes 5G NSA network architecture
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has announced that the company has successfully demonstrated its 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) network architecture through over-the-air interface in collaboration with Nokia carrying out seamless connections between end-to-end device, base stations and 4G/5G dual-mode networks.
The next generation of mobile connectivity, 5G, is moving out of its testing stage and will take off in 2019, according to MediaTek chairman MK Tsai.
Demand for 5G infrastructure materials will grow exponentially in the next few years, generating many business opportunities for smaller suppliers of copper-clad laminates (CCL), which may change the competition scenario of the entire CCL sector, according to industry sources.
K-Best promoting new LoRa technology
K-Best Technology, a subsidiary of Acer, is gearing up efforts to develop new IoT devices and applications based on its newly developed new LoRa technology, dubbed Super Taiwan Radio (Super TaiRa), that is able to address the current LoRa equivalents' major shortcoming of being easily to be interfered,...
The market of low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) expanded robustly in 2018 with its global connections growing 109% on year to 78.9 million units last year, driven by a solid expansion of cellular LPWA (mainly NT-IoT/eMTC) technology, according to an estimate of Digitimes Research.
FET launches new smart speakers in Taiwan
Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) has launched two models of smart speakers with an attempt to boost its subscriber base and business dynamics.
As millimeter wave (mmWave) is likely to serve as the first frontier technology to mobilize Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) applications in the 5G commercial market from 2019-2020, Qualcomm is actively deploying in the mmWave sector in order to maintain its technology advantage, according to Digitimes...
Intel made several announcements spanning PCs and new devices to diverse growth segments including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and autonomous driving, at a pre-CES show.
CHT to recruit talent for AI, IoT, big data
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) plans to launch a large-scale recruitment drive in 2019 as it expects to see an unprecedented wave of up to 5,000 of its employees applying for retirements over the next five years.
Optical communications supply chain warming up for 5G
Firms in the optical communications supply chain have already started small-volume shipments catering to telecom carriers building 5G infrastructures, according to industry sources.
While being positive about the medium- and long-term prospects of the 5G industry, most Taiwan's compound semiconductor makers, with respect to the short-term outlook, expect stronger demand for power amplifiers for various types of base stations in 2019 than handset related applications.
IC vendors keen to expand 5G R&D teams
Major IC vendors are fast expanding their 5G chip R&D teams seeking to roll out optimal solutions for customers as soon as possible, and Taiwan has become one of their favorite talent sourcing destinations, according to industry sources.
While global telecom operators are seeking to lower installation costs for 5G networks, inexpensive x86 servers are expected to replace traditional central office equipment bearing high prices and special specs, prompting Quanta Computer to step up promoting sales of its servers adopting Intel x86...
Taiwan large-size LCD panels – 4Q 2018
With weak seasonal demand, Taiwan's large-size LCD panel shipments dropped 3.7% sequentially to arrive at 62.38 million units...
Taiwan small- to mid-size LCD panels – 4Q 2018
Taiwan's small- to medium-size panel shipments slipped 22.1% sequentially and 23.1% on year to arrive at only 240.55 million...
China smartphone market and industry - 4Q 2018
China smartphone market experienced a sluggish fourth-quarter in 2018 amid a weakening economy, instead of strong domestic demand...
Global server shipment forecast and industry analysis, 2019
According to Digitimes Research statistics and analyses, Taiwan-based server vendors, including suppliers of motherboards, end...
Global mobile device shipment forecasts, 2019 and beyond: Smartphones, notebooks and tablets
This Digitimes Research Special Report offers global shipment forecasts for three major mobile device market segments - smartphones,...
iPhone shipment analysis and forecast, 2H18
This Digitimes Reserch iPhone Shipment Analysis and Forecast Special Report provides an insight into Apple's pricing strategy...


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But really, some of the games sounded pretty awesome by the title alone. Around Blizzard these days, Nomad refers to a new human unit from the upcoming Starcraft II, but it seems at the presentation in question, it was on the list of canceled games accompanied by a picture of two giant Zeppelins. And we, of course, are all about the Zeppelins, so the game would have obviously been cool, if it had Zeppelins.
Starcraft:Ghost, amazingly enough, didn't make the list of games, which brings up the question of whether there's still plans to resurrect it - or if Blizzard, like Wired's blogger suggests, just wants to forget about it altogether.
Finally, no list of canceled Blizzard games would be complete without a reference to Warcraft Adventures. I was always disappointed that this one got canceled, being a big fan of the old adventure games, and it looks like I even have allies at Blizzard on this point. But the WoW team seems to like to fit the game's story in wherever they can, so it wasn't all in vain, right?


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From flicking a light switch to opening your garage door with a remote control, our homes have been automated for decades. The concept goes as far back as the 1934 World's Fair in Chicago where the "home of the future" was unveiled. In the last 80 years, however, the automated home has morphed into the smart home, courtesy of the Internet, sensors and connectivity. The modern automated home can do more than turn on our heating and our lights--it can actually think for us.
- Microsoft: Windows Defender now rules antivirus on business PCs... running Windows 10
- Are infosec certifications the best way to boost your salary?
- Google boosts Gmail anti-phishing defenses to tackle BEC fraud
- AMD confirms it is preparing patches for newly outed CPU flaws
- AMD confirms Ryzenfall vulnerabilities, but says they'll be fixed soon via routine BIOS updates


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Medical Marijuana Officially Approved for Export - And It's High Time This Happened
Updated: May 31
It has been known for years that Israel is the world's leader in medical cannabis research.
Well now that research can come to you, literally. That's right, just before the bell tolled on the previous Israel government, the outgoing Economy Minister gave the final approval for the export of medical cannabis products, an industry expected to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. There are 8 companies creating it in Israel, including the aptly named "Tikkun Olam" (fixing the world). Here is a segment on CNN from 4 years ago discussing the state of medical cannabis (and predictions for 2020) and the possibility of it becoming Israel's next great export. Well, that day has now arrived. I may need to get this on my next Israel tech tour....