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Wolverine Worldwide has great hopes for the ongoing progress of its biggest brand, Merrell, through the introduction of Capra, its new range of waterproof boots named after the goat, which is enjoying particularly strong demand in Europe.
The range features a sole, developed in cooperation with Vibram, that replicates the foot of the mountain goat, giving it the grip needed to climb on rocky terrain. It is described as a multi-functional shoe developed for fast hiking as well as leisurely walking.
The Wolverine group reported last month a net profit of $10.7 million for the fourth quarter of its financial year, ended on Jan. 3, compared with the loss of $1.7 million suffered in the same period a year ago. The turnaround occurred in spite of a year-on-year increase in extraordinary restructuring charges to $23.8 million from $19.3 million, and it was mainly due to higher sales.
Largely as its management had predicted, Wolverine's revenues grew by 9.2 percent to $808.9 million for the quarter. On a currency-neutral basis, sales jumped by 10.2 percent. Merrell raised its sales by a mid-single digit, while Sperry Top-Sider recovered from its recent weakness, posting a high single-digit gain. Nine other smaller brands in its portfolio delivered double-digit sales increases in the quarter, led by Chaco.
Wolverine Worldwide Income Statement
(Million US$, Fiscal Year Ended Jan. 3, 2015)
Cost of Goods Sold
Net Interest Expense
Other Expense (Income), net
*Selling, General and Administrative
**Acquisition Related Transaction and Integration Costs
Sales grew by 8.9 percent to $273.6 million in the broader Performance Group of Wolverine. Merrell, which is the most important component of this group, grew more strongly in North America and the Asia-Pacific than in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, but it should perform better there in 2015.
The brand's active lifestyle offerings performed better than before, but the group's management continues to feel that this segment has room for further improvement.
At 37.1 percent, the group's quarterly gross margin was down by 0.1 percentage point from the year-earlier period in reported terms and down by 1.1 percentage points on an adjusted basis. The company attributed the decline to various factors including a negative price mix in products sold outside the U.S. Wolverine continues to work to reduce input costs by using less leather, according to company officials.
In the full financial year, the group's revenues grew by 2.6 percent to a new record of $2.76 billion, with a minimum impact from currencies. A 7 percent increase in the Heritage Group, up to $607 million, and an increase of almost 5 percent to $990.7 million in the Performance Group were partially offset by an expected 3 percent decline for the Lifestyle Group to $1.06 billion.
The group's overall growth was sustained by its continued expansion outside North America. In fact, total sales were flat in the U.S. and down by a low single digit in Canada, but they rose by a high single digit in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and by a double digit in the Asia-Pacific region.
Net earnings went up for the year to $133.1 million from $100.4 million, after a decline in special charges to $42.2 million from $49.8 million. The adjusted gross margin fell by 0.4 percentage points to 39.4 percent for the year, but the adjusted operating margin increased by 0.9 percentage points to 9.9 percent. Inventories decreased by 3.3 percent.
Operating cash flow reached a record level of $279.8 million, allowing Wolverine to reduce interest-bearing debt by more than $250 million to $677 million in the course of the year, and leaving the company with cash and cash equivalents of $223.8 million.
As previously indicated, the group plans to invest about $30 million this year in incremental spending on international expansion, marketing, omni-channel retailing and other brand-building initiatives. About 75 percent of the extra budget has been allocated for Merrell and Sperry, and the balance mostly for Keds and Saucony.
This is part of a previously announced, three-year, $100 million investment program whose effects will be felt mostly after 2015, but Blake Krueger, chairman, president and chief executive of the group, said they should help establish Wolverine as “the most admired family of performance and lifestyle brands on earth.”
In the short term, these initiatives and higher pension costs are likely to reduce the group's operating margin by around 0.8 percentage points this year, despite modest expansion in gross margins, but the margin should be more or less flat in reported dollars because of savings in foreign operating expenses. Net earnings should end up more or less flat, due in part to the planned closure of 140 retail stores.
The management is aiming for a consolidated sales increase this year of between 5 and 7 percent in constant currencies, negatively impacted by planned store closures and the termination of the Patagonia footwear license. The strength of the dollar should reduce the growth to a range between 2 and 4 percent, but there should be an improvement in the second half of the year.
Geographically, some recovery is expected in the U.S. and Europe, but it will likely be choppy in Central Europe. Stronger increases in Asia-Pacific will be offset by continued challenges in Russia and Latin America.
More in another publication of ours, Shoe Intelligence.


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The city of Nashville has a new charity endeavor which is helping those affected by the pandemic and natural disasters. Its story actually began in Santa Barbara, California, at a charity store named Unity Shoppe. Country singer Brad Paisley recalled the visit he made with his wife, Kimberly Williams Paisley. “We took our boys to Unity Shoppe to teach them about serving others and giving back to people in need,” he said. “And we came away surprised by what the organization had taught us. Most people don’t want handouts. They want dignity and respect. Most people want to become self-sufficient” (via The Store).
That visit led to the idea of opening a modern-day food pantry that would be called “The Store.” The outlet is the result of a collaboration with a food bank and Paisley’s alma mater, Belmont University, to provide free groceries to families with referrals from both nonprofit and government agencies. Paisley serves as the president of The Store’s board of trustees. “This is a grocery store with dignity for people who have fallen on hard times,” the country singer told The Tennessean. “All of us are one unforeseen disaster away from rock bottom. It’s nice to think about a place where when that happens to someone, they can use it to get back on their feet.”
The Store has been critical to helping those affected by the pandemic
It took three years for the Paisleys and their team to get The Store up and running. They had just begun stocking before a tornado hit and COVID-19 swept through the state. Kimberly Williams-Paisley said The Store gives her and her husband a sense of purpose. “So many of us feel helpless right now,” she told The Tennessean. “There’s so many people, who aren’t on the front lines, who want to know what they can do to help. This feels like one of those things for us. We’re pouring a lot into this.”
The Store currently delivers 330 bags of free groceries a week around Nashville, and the store is staffed by a handful of part-time employees. Aside from this, the group serves food from Wednesday to Saturday — they’ve served 15,000 meals in two months.
This months-old charity is crucial to the state, which has seen unemployment hit 500,000 since mid-March. Most of those who go to The Store are either waiting for an unemployment check or are waiting for jobs that will never come. When Belmont University reopens, The Store hopes to attract student volunteers to get involved in an endeavor that has managed to find its purpose just days after it opened its doors.
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domain: news


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Global fintech survey results: 51 experts reveal 2016 trends
By Devie Mohan
What are the trends expected to drive fintech innovation in 2016? On behalf of Envestnet® | Yodlee®, the results of the second annual Global Fintech Influencer Survey.
Last year, 40 influencers have been asked what they thought of the fintech landscape of 2014, and predictions were collected for 2015. By the end of 2015, it was clear that the fintech industry had raced on beyond imagination! The amount of innovation and the sheer number of startups that came up in 2015 were astonishing. This year again, an attempt to capture the influencers’ thoughts on the highlights of 2015 and the predictions for 2016.
Who took the survey?
Yodlee and Envestnet reached out to the fintech influencers from the FinTech 100 list. They also reached out to certain influencers who are not active on social media but whose feedback would be immensely valuable to the survey. And wanted to keep the target list as diverse as possible, and they reached out to people from all walks of fintech life, and from all geographies. The only region that didn’t get responses from was Africa.
Some of the respondents were from traditional financial services firms including Santander, Capgemini, ING and American Express. The vast majority, however, constituted the challenger banking and fintech startup world. Respondents were with a high degree of interest in financial inclusion for the first time this year.
To see the full list of respondents, please view the attachment here.
Which fintech firms made an impact in 2015?
Yodlee and Envestnet influencers which three startups made the biggest impact in 2015. Transferwise led the pack as the most mentioned fintech startup, followed by Lending Club, R3, Apple Pay and Funding Circle. This was, of course, the first time R3 came up in the survey results – and several new entrants featured heavily, including SoFi and Alipay.
18 firms were mentioned by 40 influencers last year; 71 firms were named by the 51 influencers this year. There were surprise new entrants like FCA (with 3 mentions), but the bulk of the mentions were for lending and payments startups, just like the year before. Oscar, the health insurance startup, was a notable entry for the economic impact it made in a very short time.
The technology that made the biggest impact in 2015, according to the influencers surveyed, is Payments technology.
Above a certain threshold of significance, technologies like Data & Analytics and Authentication & Security had an even bigger impact than Blockchain. There was a lot of discussion around Blockchain in 2015, especially from banks and European startups, and it is interesting that it did not make a deeper impact on the influencers’ minds.
Payments tech continues to be top of mind for the influencers – followed by security and lending. In 2014, the respondents predicted security technology will be the hottest sector in fintech, however, the sector continues to have a large gap between what is available and what is needed in the market, with a huge interest predicted to continue into 2016.
What trends do you predict will be the highlight of 2016?
Yodlee and Envestnet asked a very open-ended question to get the influencers’ feedback on the predicted trends for 2016. A few highlights below.
The most frequent comment was that there will be increased partnering between banks and fintech startups, i.e. between legacy players and fintech innovators. New entrants and growth in mobile payments, plus increasing regulatory compliance and partnership opportunities for lenders were mentioned by several respondents.
43% of the respondents thought Blockchain adoption by banks will be the single largest trend of 2016. Larger deal sizes, an increased geographical spread and capturing the unbanked market followed with almost an equal amount of interest as the key highlight for the coming year.
The article first appeared in the article in Yodlee and Envestnet


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Microsoft's bid for Yahoo might be officially over, but there are indications from lobbyists and publicists in Washington working the deal that it might be renewed.
One insider said this week that Microsoft thinks Yahoo will come back with a counteroffer, lowering the prospective sales price to about $34 a share—from the $37 it had insisted on—and that the nation's largest software company would then reopen talks. Microsoft previously offered $33 a share.
As a result, some lobbyists and publicists have been told to stand by until the dust settles. They would most likely be needed to push congressional committees to allow the sale of the major Internet search engine to Microsoft, the company that is trying to keep pace with Google in the Internet market.
Microsoft officials have been grim when discussing the chances of reopening the talks after pulling the plug on its $47.5 billion takeover bid, but Washington sources have been more positive in their expectations since the deal collapsed last Saturday.


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Queer Friendly Cafe Bar Knocked Up In Iconic Location
Wedding- Curly Cafe Bar
Curly Cafe Bar, new day time shop from the producers of Neukölln’s Silverfuture bar is due to make an entrance up in Wedding. The deal is that the location was the former queer cafe titled Moritz, which closed down this past summer, causing a lot of consternation. However with the new Curly Cafe, the shop will remain a queer friendly location up in Wedding. While the emphases is on day time cafe, the location will venture into night time bar territory. Currently they are in gestation but the plan is to welcome the new baby coming up in early 2020. More on Curly as it develops.


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iPhones account for the vast majority of iOS gear out there, but the iPad is also doing strong, with 84 million units and there’s also a few iPods in the mix.
The figures are quite impressive and although Android still leads the way in overall activations, Apple enjoys a handsome lead in terms of revenue and margins. In addition the iPhone 5 and iPad mini have the potential to boost sales even further. The new iPhone will be a runaway success and the iPad mini? Well, we still don’t know much about it, but a cheaper and smaller iPad could also add a few million units a month.
In the big scheme of things Android will retain its lead in sheer numbers and with 1.3 million activations it will not be long until activations hit the 1 billion mark. However, thanks to higher margins and average selling prices iOS is true cash cow of the mobile market and this won’t change in the foreseeable future.


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“Halal certified” is the new buzzword in the Korean pharmaceutical industry, with local pharmaceutical firms rushing to enter and expand their presence in countries heavily populated by Muslims.
Halal, an Arabic word that means “permissible” in English, can roughly refer to items that are permissible for Muslims to consume under Islamic law.
The certification is required for products manufactured in a manner recognized by Islamic law. The accreditation, therefore, is essential for products entering Muslim-majority countries.
About 2 billion people are estimated to live in these regions. With the market expected to reach 90 trillion won, domestic pharmaceutical firms are paying attention to whether these regions will emerge as a symbolic “blue ocean” market.
Will Halal certification be the next big thing?
According to industry sources, local pharmaceutical firms are rushing to get their products. Halal certified so they can enter the Muslim market.
The domestic pharmaceutical industry has overlooked the market until recently, considering the difficulties of getting the certification.
Pharmaceutical firms are required to submit documentation of the production process to the local certification body and undergo a due diligence process. The whole process also takes anywhere from six months to two years.
Distributing medical products locally also requires the company to cooperate with local firms that have production facilities.
In this regard, many firms have noted the arduous process of getting approved in these regions.
For instance, soft capsules in pharmaceutical formulations use gelatin derived from animals. The manufacture of these animal-based gelatin uses the blood of pigs, which is a violation of Islamic law. Also, the use of animal or human genes is not allowed.
“The Halal certification often requires a change of raw materials, forcing most to give up trying to enter the market,” an industry official who requested anonymity said. “However, because people in the area prefer halal products that are reasonably priced, pharmaceutical firms have been citing it to be the next upcoming market.”
Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, is emerging as a potentially significant and upcoming market.
According to the Euromonitor, the Indonesian pharmaceutical market has almost tripled from 50.99 trillion rupees in 2012 to about 143.63 trillion rubles in 2018.
The Indonesian government also announced a national “roadmap” in 2017 to foster the pharmaceutical and medical device industry in 2017.
As the growth potential of the market grows, domestic pharmaceutical companies are also actively promoting the Halal certification.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical recently obtained the Halal certification for Epodion, which has recombinant human erythropoietin alfa as its main ingredient, through its Indonesian joint venture Daewoong Infion.
Daewoong Infion said it built a biopharmaceutical plant in Indonesia to produce and sell Epodione, the region’s first biosimilar.
“Based on having received the Halal certification in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population, Daewoong aims to enter the Middle Eastern market that is estimated to be about 80 trillion won,” the company said.
“The firm will work towards contributing to improving the quality of life for Muslims around the world by providing excellent and safe medicines,” it added.
Chong Kun Dang is also making headway in the region, having obtained the certification for several products and production facilities.
Chong Kun Dang created a joint venture called CKD-OTTO and struck up a partnership with local pharmaceutical firm OTTO for its anti-cancer drug. It also gained the certification for its production plant from the Majelis Ulama Indonesia. This plant is the first Halal-certified anti-cancer plant in Indonesia.
Chong Kun Dang said that it also got anti-cancer drug Gemcitabine and Paclitaxel approved by the Indonesian government. The firms said it aims to produce the drugs locally and also get more products approved in the country.
Ildong also said that it is aiming to expand its presence in the market.
The firm said that it got its probiotics strain Halal-certified in 2015 from the Korea Muslim Federation, a local certification agency.
“An increasing number of pharmaceutical companies are pursuing the certification to advance into these countries, including Indonesia,” an industry official requesting anonymity said.
“The increase in Halal-certified drugs could lead to wider export routes for domestic pharmaceutical companies,” he added.


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Mandi: Researchers, Associate Professor Viswanath Balakrishnan and his research scholar Piyush Avasthi, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, have developed aligned carbon nanotube-based electrodes that could be used in high energy supercapacitors.
Supercapacitors can charge and discharge instantly and can ideally last across millions of charge-discharge cycles without performance degradation.
The research has been published in Advanced Materials Interfaces and ACS Applied Nanomaterials.
"A promising route to improving the performance of energy storage devices, especially in terms of cycling life and charging times, is to move away from batteries towards supercapacitors," Balakrishnan said. They also have a higher power density than batteries, he added.
Where they have fallen short is the area of energy density; supercapacitors have 40 times less ability to store energy than the lithium ion battery.
A supercapacitor essentially comprises two conducting electrodes immersed in an electrolyte, which are separated by electrically insulating layer to separate the charges, the researchers said in a statement.
While applying the current, potential difference develops between two electrodes and opposite charged ions physically absorb on the respective surfaces of electrodes. This charge storage mechanism is highly reversible, which makes supercapacitors to charge and discharge quickly.
The quest for a 'perfect' battery that can store large amount of energy and be charged rapidly and repeatedly has spurred considerable research the world-over. The lithium ion battery that now powers almost all consumer electronics devices, like mobile phones, laptops and even electric cars, has its own limitations, say researchers.
One of the disadvantages with these batteries is that charging takes a lot of time causing extended down-times of operation. Also, durability is another major concern.
Carbon is usually used as the electrode material but traditional carbon forms result in low energy density.


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Pakistani B2B warehousing and distribution startup, Oware has bagged $3.3 million in pre-seed funding. The investment came from Silicon Valley investors, including Flexport Fund and Ratio Ventures, along with strong global investors Seedstars International Ventures, The Osiris Group, Swiss Founders Fund, Reflect Ventures, +92 Ventures, Walled City Co, and other strategic angel investors also participated in the round.
The startup will use a part of its funding to increase its coverage. Already, Oware has grown its network to five cities that provide distribution to 75% of Pakistan’s population with same-day delivery and 85% of the population with next-day delivery. The startup is in plans to open up additional fulfilment centres to meet demand and increase coverage.
Also, the Karachi-based startup plans to scale operations to more geographies. With its recent funding, it will fuel product development and talent acquisition to innovate and simplify supply chains across Pakistan and beyond.
Raza Kazmi, co-founder at Oware, commented: “There is a huge opportunity in the B2B movement of goods across the region, but it remains immensely underserved. Local businesses remain trapped in an archaic and opaque environment dealing with antiquated supply chain systems that are no longer fit for purpose and remain slow, limited, and capital intensive. The time to set up operations is too long, there is limited visibility or tracking of orders and the execution of processes is inefficient in terms of speed and cost, which we are on a mission to solve”.
Co-founder Adil Nisar added. “To get to its end destination, a product has to move between several warehouses, fulfillment centers, and trucks. This complex ballet is managed by multiple businesses without interconnected systems. Our vision is to build a large scale connected world of distribution that enables a faster route to market for our customers.”
“Most warehouses in Pakistan today are run on paper or Excel. Companies must lease or buy a property, hire staff, and manage them. Expansion into new territories or capacity increases to support inventory fluctuations are slow and costly. This increases businesses’ cost of entry and cost of expansion. Oware solves this problem for Pakistani businesses. It brings a huge archaic industry straight into the 21st century world of on-demand flexibility and management visibility and insight. This is a big opportunity for Oware and an important part of the rapid ongoing modernization of Pakistan’s economy. We are excited to be among Oware’s investors and expect great success.” said Michel Friedman, partner at Reflect Ventures.
“Pakistan has a massive opportunity in logistics presented by the 2 million SMEs and the rise of e-commerce in the region. We believe that Oware has a solid position to be an integral layer to an ecosystem that’s becoming digitally enabled. We are proud to have been Adil’s and Raza’s early backers and thrilled for the journey ahead,” said Charlie Graham-Brown, CIO & Partner at Seedstars.
FedEx equivalent for B2B
Founded in June 2021 by Maersk and Careem alumni Raza Kazmi and Adil Nisar, Oware has built a FedEx equivalent for B2B, which is a game-changer for B2B warehousing and distribution. It empowers companies to grow through flexible warehousing and intelligent distribution, ensuring flexible response to demand fluctuations and faster and more affordable delivery of goods.
The startup provides businesses with scalable and tech-driven warehousing and distribution for B2B and retail through its connected fulfilment centres and third-party logistics providers. Companies can quickly start operations from more locations to reach more customers, without intense and complex logistics planning and capital investment restricting business growth.
Oware continues to build momentum and is growing its customer base working with a healthy mix of startups, manufacturers, traders, and retailers. They are using the platform to affordably store inventory close to their customers, along with picking, packing, and shipping to give them a one platform solution. They also get real-time visibility on stock levels and order statuses with visibility into the entire network.


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June 20, 2018
Fake hotels becoming a massive issue for OTAs
The rise of fake hotels is a phenomenon that has left both consumers and OTAs frustrated and out of pocket.Read more
April 12, 2010
For wired travelers everywhere, Twitter is increasingly becoming the go-to site for everything from getting hotel recommendations to sniffing out midtrip dinner companions, writes The Wall Street Journal.
The travel industry, it seems, has good reason to home in on tweeters; while only about 46% of all Internet users report using social networks like Twitter, a recent survey by travel-research firm PhoCusWright found that the figure jumps to 60% when you count just people who buy travel online. With the economy still keeping many would-be vacationers at home, getting in front of so many proven travelers is a no-brainer for companies. What's more, Twitter gives providers a chance to spot unhappy customers and, ideally, to fix the problem before their griping has a chance to spread through cyberspace.
But by all accounts, traveling by Twitter remains a bit buggy. To begin with, the technology is so new that travelers and companies alike are still working out the best ways to use it. Too many companies are missing the chance to engage travelers with tips or news, says PhoCusWright analyst Douglas Quinby, and instead are using the site only for self-promotion.
Get the full story at The Wall Street Journal (free content)
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Sales of pools, trampolines and other backyard recreational items surge as families try to salvage a summer marred by camp closures, community pool shutdowns, travel restrictions and continued anxiety over the COVID-19 crisis. U.S. and Canadian vendors sell out of above-ground pools and trampolines and luxury backyard amenities like hot tubs and outdoor fire features become increasingly popular. Pet adoptions rise dramatically, in a “pandemic puppy” trend that has families taking advantage of extra time at home to train a new dog.
“If you do decide to invest in warm-weather amenities, be sure to also invest in the proper liability coverage to protect yourself and the possibility of injury among guests, neighbors and family, in addition to your property coverage.” –Kate Wright, Associate Vice President, Regional Practice Group Leader, Personal Insurance, Burns & Wilcox, Indianapolis, Indiana
Featured Solutions: Residential Property; Liability (Personal)


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Authority revealed the communication of the Chinese TENNA via its website some of the specifications of the gear images for a new phone from Onur might be is Phone 8X.
According to those leaks, the new smartphone equipped with a huge area of 7.12 inch provides display resolution 2244 x 1080 pixel resolution in addition to the eight-core processor frequency of 1.8 GHz and 4 GB memory random 64 GB other memory storage internal.
This is supposed to be phone supported with a battery capacity of 4900 mAh, which seems logical for the company is very big that it owns the phone.
On the other hand, the phone equipped with a camera background of the double accuracy of the 16+2 megapixel camera plus another front-facing 8-megapixel. It is expected that running Android oreo 8.1 out of the box.
If this phone is the Honor X8 already it may be available the same price as the X7, which disclosed last year for $ 200.
The leaked images and specifications of the new smartphone from the Honor screen area of 7-inch battery giant posted first in are.


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is set to begin volume production of its forthcoming 6.1-inch iPhone models in July or August, according to a report from Digitimes on Monday. The report indicates that Apple plans to launch four new iPhone models in three sizes this fall and that the company will likely introduce these devices in October rather than September. Apple's fall iPhone launch is highly anticipated as it's expected to bring the company's first 5G-enabled devices to market. Cowen and Co. analyst Krish Sankar wrote last week that "a shift in the timing by a month or two is not material in the long term" for the flagship devices. Apple didn't immediately respond to a MarketWatch request for comment. Apple shares are down 0.3% in premarket trading Monday. They've added 16% over the past three months as the Dow Jones Industrial Average
has slipped 0.1%.


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Today (7/18/220), it was announced via official press release Academy Award-nominee and Emmy-winner Eddie Murphy will star in Prime Video’s holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane. Reginald Hudlin (Boomerang) will direct the film, from Amazon Studios, Imagine Entertainment, and Eddie Murphy Productions, from a spec script written by Kelly Younger and inspired by Younger’s childhood holiday experiences. The film, which Murphy is also producing alongside Imagine’s Brian Grazer and president of features, Karen Lunder, and Charisse Hewitt-Webster, reunites the team behind the hit romantic comedy “Boomerang” and marks the seventh feature collaboration for Grazer and Murphy. Plot details are being kept under wraps, and production will begin this winter in Los Angeles.
Candy Cane Lane, which will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide, is the first film falling under Murphy’s three-picture and first-look film deal with Amazon Studios. Formalizing Murphy’s relationship with the company, the deal came on the heels of the huge success of Prime Video’s Coming 2 America, which was the #1 streamed movie its opening weekend. The film also had the #1 opening weekend of any other streaming movie in 2021 at that time and had the #1 opening weekend of any streaming movie in the past 12 months (post-COVID theater closures), per third party Screen Engine/ASI’s weekly PostVODTM ranking. The film also topped Nielsen’s weekly streaming rankings among all streamed SVOD content and was Nielsen’s #1 streamed movie of 2021 among Black audiences.
“The holiday season is my favorite time of year—just ask my family about my nine-hour Christmas playlist!” said director Reginald Hudlin. “I‘m excited to be working again with Eddie Murphy, Brian Grazer, and Amazon.”
“As we know firsthand with our hit Coming 2 America, Eddie is someone who brings global audiences together, and we can’t wait to make it happen again!” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “We look forward to seeing the multi-talented Reggie Hudlin take the helm in bringing this future holiday classic to life!”


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Guy Fieri has opened ghost kitchens in five locations in Connecticut. There is no dine-in option or takeout option. Just delivery. The brand is operating out of Bertucci’s restaurants in Avon, Glastonbury, Newington, Darien and Farmington.
Taking a cue from New Britain’s marketing drive, Amisha and Jay Desai have named their new bar and restaurant The Hive.The Desais have painted the walls yellow with black trim, and their menu includes a hive burger, a hive quesadilla and even a hive martini. Over the past eight years, New Britain’s semi-forgotten city emblem - the beehive - has became the heart of its marketing campaign.
The 34th Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival will take place June 4-13, lasting a day longer than usual and holding screenings both online and in-person.
Mercado Popular is a pop-up market and neighborhood farm store in Hartford, located at 111 Allyn Street, in one of the empty, street-level retail spaces below the Hartford Carriage House apartments. The Hartford residents behind the concept, Jocelyn Cerda and Elijah Patterson, are sourcing produce, eggs, dairy products and grains from farmers in the region, as well as other homemade and hand-crafted goods from Hartford-based small businesses, like jewelry, body products, candles, coffee, and macrame. The biweekly farm store is open from 12-4 p.m. on Feb. 27, March 13 and March 27. The co-founders hope to continue this effort more permanently.
The 2021 St. Patrick's Day parades in New Haven and Essex have been canceled, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Hartford's cancelation was announced in December. New London’s annual parade is now a car parade. Bridgeport's parade is virtual this year.


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Italy drags Samsung into ‘planned obsolescence’ row with official antitrust probe
ITALY’S ANTITRUST WATCHDOG has opened an investigation into Apple and Samsung over allegations of planned obsolescence.
The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) has announced that, following consumer complaints, it’s launching two separate probes into the smartphone giants over their alleged use of software updates to slow down devices in a bid to push people to buy new smartphones.
The watchdog is accusing Apple and Samsung of orchestrating “a general commercial policy taking advantage of the lack of certain components to curb the performance times of their products and induce consumers to buy new versions.”
Doing so infringes on several articles of Italy’s consumer codes, according to AGCM, and Apple and Samsung could be fined millions if found guilty.
It’s no surprise that AGCM is casting its critical eye over Apple, as the company confirmed last year confirmed that it throttles the performance of older iPhone models with degraded batteries, a move which has already lead to questioning from Chinese, French and US authorities.
A South Korean consumer this week also filed a criminal complaint against Apple CEO Tim Cook over iPhone slowdowns, Reuters reports, accusing the firm of “destruction of property and fraud.”
Italy’s investigation also comes just a day after Cook announced that Apple will offer users the ability to disable performance throttling with a future iOS update.
“We’re gonna give people the visibility of the health of their battery so its very very transparent, this hasn’t been done before,” Cook said. “We will tell somebody we’re slightly reducing your performance by some amount in order to not have a sudden restart, and if you don’t want it you can turn it off.”
This is the first time Samsung has been accused of throttling the performance of its smartphone.
However, in light of Apple’s admittance, Android device manufacturers including HTC and Motorola confirmed they do not throttle performance via software updates, while Samsung remained tight-lipped.
Samsung has since denied the allegations, though, saying in a statement to Nikkei: “Samsung does not provide the software updates to reduce the product performance over the life cycle of the device.
“We will fully cooperate with Italian Authority for Market and Competition’s investigation in Italy to clarify the facts.” µ
Source : Inquirer


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Two charged after $7m worth of cigarettes stolen from Sydney warehouse
Two men have been charged in relation to the theft of $7 million worth of cigarettes from a warehouse in Sydney’s inner west.
A 46-year-old from Prestons and 44-year-old from Merrylands are accused of knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Strike Force Pyrope was established by Redfern detectives following the suspected theft of cigarettes from a warehouse in Alexandria in April this year.
Police seized about 1500 cartons of cigarettes, $250,000 in cash and two Toyota Hilux vehicles in raids across Sydney’s south-west.
The pair has been granted conditional bail and will front local court early October.


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By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK CITY (Reuters) – Concerns are growing that U.S. business profits are significantly at threat from excessive inflation, a strong dollar and increasing rates of interest, making complex the outlook for financiers currently reeling from the ‘s bearishness verification previously today.
While second-quarter earnings development projections have actually fallen in current weeks, quotes for the 3rd and 4th quarters and for all of 2022 have actually held up or increased, according to IBES information from Refinitiv. As of Friday, Wall Street experts anticipated S&P 500 profits to grow by 9.6% in 2022, up from 8.8% at the start of April and from 8.4% on Jan. 1.
Strategists stress those quotes are not likely to hold up. Many anticipate more unfavorable outlooks from U.S. business in the coming weeks and stated that assistance will then be shown in agreement earnings development quotes.
Most S&P 500 business will report second-quarter profits after mid-July, and software application giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:) and seller Target (NYSE:) have actually been amongst the business releasing ugly outlooks in current weeks.
“Estimates are too high, and you’ll see them start to come down as the second-quarter numbers come out and as companies talk about what they’re seeing,” stated Peter Tuz, president of Chase Investment Counsel.
Falling earnings expectations might spell more problem for a market that has actually been mauled by concerns over how an aggressive Federal Reserve action to rising inflation might strike development.
The S&P 500 ended up Monday more than 20% listed below its record closing high, verifying the index remains in a bearish market, according to a frequently utilized meaning. The drop followed stronger-than-expected inflation information recently that ratcheted up expectations for just how much the Fed will require to tighten up financial policy in order to tame customer rates.
The Fed on Wednesday raised rates by 75 basis points, its greatest boost considering that 1994 and has actually now increased loaning expenses by an overall of 150 basis points this year.
Worries that business earnings are fluctuating might reinforce the argument that stocks stay highly valued, even after their sharp decrease this year. The S&P 500’s forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stood at 17.1 since Friday versus 22.1 at the end of December however was still above its long-lasting average of about 16, Refinitiv information revealed.
Challenges dealing with U.S. business consist of a more powerful dollar, which was pointed out by Microsoft when the software-maker cut its fourth-quarter projection for earnings and profits previously this month. A more powerful greenback normally consumes into the earnings of business that have worldwide operations and transform foreign currencies into dollars.
The U.S. currency is up about 9% up until now this year and near a two-decade high versus a basket of its peers, driven by expectations of greater U.S. rates and increased geopolitical stress.
After Microsoft’s statement, financiers will be listening for what other software application and tech business like Adobe (NASDAQ:) Inc and IBM (NYSE:) need to state about currency problems in upcoming reports, stated Daniel Morgan, portfolio supervisor at Synovus (NYSE:) Trust. Adobe is because of launch second-quarter outcomes after the bell Thursday.
Also carefully viewed will be merchants and other customer discretionary business, which have actually struggled under the impacts of rising inflation. Shares of Walmart (NYSE:) and other huge merchants took a struck recently after Target cut its quarterly earnings margin projection and stated it would need to use much deeper discount rates to clear stock.
Other obstacles consist of sky-high oil rates and increasing rates of interest, which have actually weighed on tech and development stocks, whose appraisals greatly depend on future capital. Recent COVID-related lockdowns in China might likewise take a toll.
“We expect the energy crunch to hit growth and higher labor costs to eat into profits. The problem: Consensus earnings estimates don’t appear to reflect this,” experts at Blackrock (NYSE:) composed in a current note on why they are not “buying the dip” in stocks.
To make certain, while customer costs is “shifting,” it does not appear to be slowing, stated Steve DeSanctis, little- and mid-capitalization equity strategist at Jefferies. That might recommend some merchants might gain from altering customer practices, even as others feel the pinch.
At the very same time, financiers might currently be pricing in anticipated hits to profits offered stocks’ current tumble, stated Kristina Hooper, primary worldwide market strategist at Invesco.
“The question becomes whether it comes so fast and furious that it really shakes market confidence even further,” she stated.


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US edition of Lonely Planet Magazine to launch Sept. 2, Lauren Finney named editor
The magazine from the travel media company will launch in print and digital formats with an initial rate base of 450,000
The travel media company Lonely Planet announced today plans to launch a US edition of Lonely Planet Magazine, available in print and digital formats on September 2.
The new quarterly US edition will have a cover price of $5.99.
Lonely Planet said that each issue of the new magazine will have five sections:
- Globetrotter, which features a world of travel news and discoveries including new hotels, tours, gear and tech;
- Postcards, a mosaic of beautiful photos sent in by our community, accompanied by the story behind the scene captured;
- Easy Trips, inspiration and recommendations for short trips and long weekends to take in the months ahead;
- Great Escape, a trip of a lifetime mapped out for you to add to your wish list;
- Mini Guides, pull-out pocket guides offering curated advice of where to go and what to do in key destinations.
Lauren Finney has been appointed editor for the new magazine. Finney has been a freelance style writer and for about 2 years was Senior Fashion Editor at Niche Media, helped launch Austin Way.
“I’m excited to be a part of Lonely Planet’s dynamic, growing business, and to have the opportunity to offer our active US traveler community the inspiration to not just dream, but go.” said Finney in the launch announcement.
Lonely Planet originally launched a UK edition called Lonely Planet Traveller in 2008, and Indian and the Argentine editions in 2010. It currently is available 11 international editions. according to the company’s website. (So, there will be a minor name change for the new US edition.)
A digital version of the existing magazine can be found inside the Apple Newsstand under the BBC Worldwide developer account.


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Elon Musk—CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company—has been pitching his new tunnel-boring capabilities to curious elected officials as well as the director of CERN (the organization that owns and operates the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland).
Just a month after Musk opened up his first, rather rugged test tunnel under the SpaceX campus in Hawthorne, California, the CEO has been on Twitter floating prices and talking projects.
Last week Jeremy Buckingham, a member of Parliament in New South Wales' Upper House, asked Musk on Twitter, "How much to build a 50km tunnel through the Blue Mountains and open up the west of our State?" Musk replied, "About $15M/km for a two-way high-speed transit, so probably around $750M plus maybe $50M/station."
For the last couple of years, my wife and I have relied on an ancient Garmin GPS for long road trips, in part because it had a useful feature that Google Maps lacked: speed limits. We might end up switching soon, because Google has begun rolling out the feature to Google Maps on iOS and Android devices.
The new feature, spotted by Android Police (via Mashable), displays the posted speed limit on roads in the corner of the app, and also introduces an icon to denote the location of speed cameras. Mashable reports that drivers will get an audio notification when they’re approaching a speed trap. The update is currently rolling out to users in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the United States, while speed camera icons are rolling out to Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, UK, and US users.
Google began testing the feature in 2016, and it had been available in only a couple of areas — San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and an update to its Apple’s CarPlay app recently introduced the feature. This new update will help users who might not drive cars with smart displays, and helps Google catch up to the likes of Waze and Garmin, which have long provided the information for drivers. I’ll certainly be testing it out on my next road trip.
Ever sign up for a free trial, only to get slapped with a monthly fee when you forget to cancel in time? For a moment, it looked like Mastercard was ready to provide the ultimate solution — a new policy that would require merchants to explicitlyask you again, each and every month, before charging you a dime.
Unfortunately, Mastercard has now clarified that it’s a way more limited solution than the company originally let on. The new policy only applies when you subscribe to physical products that get delivered to your door, like vitamins and snacks, not digital services like Netflix or PlayStation Plus.
Mastercard has already updated its blog post to clarify that it’s talking about physical products, not digital ones, and says it’ll add a footnote so it’s more transparent that it has done so.
Why would Mastercard admit the mistake, though, instead of just rolling with it and agreeing to protect card owners from both types of recurring subscriptions? That’s not entirely clear, but Mastercard spokesperson Chaiti Sen tells The Verge the company wanted to start with physical products because that’s where its customers had been having the most issues.
“There’s a lot of fuzziness in health care products, skin care products, vitamins... those physical products are where we’re seeing the most complaints,” she says.
These are legitimate businesses that Mastercard wants to rein in, she adds, when I ask if some of those complaints might be due to snake-oil scams.
So if you’re having issues with your Stitch Fix or Graze or the like — for instance, I canceled my Graze snack box subscription a couple years back, but they didn’t cancel right away — Mastercard might help. For everything else, you might be on your own.
MasterCard announced a new policy today for merchants who retain your card information after you sign up for a free trial. Soon, MasterCard will require those merchants to request an official authorization for any recurring subscriptions.
This is great news for forgetful or busy people who might not want to continue paying for a service or product that they just wanted to test out. For example, if you signed up for a new streaming service with your card info, then forgot you had the subscription, the merchant will send you an email or text notice before the next payment is due.
Once you receive the merchant’s message, you’ll find it includes the transaction amount, payment date, and merchant name, plus explicit instructions on how to cancel your trial. But it gets better: for every payment thereafter, the merchant will continue sending receipts (again, by email or text) containing the payment amount and how to cancel service — because maybe you liked the product for the first month or so, but have since decided otherwise.
Personally, I can think of a few scenarios where MasterCard’s new feature would have come in handy for avoiding unwanted charges. But, it’s better late than never.
Another day, another dead Google product. Today, Google is discontinuing the Chromecast Audio. The company told Android Police it has stopped manufacturing the audio-only version of the Chromecast, so when the current stock runs out, the product will presumably be gone forever. Here is the full statement given to Android Police:
Our product portfolio continues to evolve, and now we have a variety of products for users to enjoy audio. We have therefore stopped manufacturing our Chromecast Audio products. We will continue to offer assistance for Chromecast Audio devices, so users can continue to enjoy their music, podcasts and more.
The Chromecast is a popular way to beam online media from one device to another. Buttons in YouTube, Chrome, Netflix, Spotify, Soundcloud, Facebook, and about a million other apps allow users to easily send media to a display or speaker.
While the HDMI version of the Chromecast is sticking around, the audio version, which connected to an existing speaker or sound system with a 3.5mm jack, is dead. Going forward, Google's audio plans seem to mostly revolve around smart speakers like the Google Home and other devices with cast functionality built in. But the Chromecast Audio was a great way to tack on smart functionality to existing or exotic audio setups. It's a shame it's gone.
A man attending this week's CES show in Las Vegas says that a lidar sensor from startup AEye has permanently damaged the sensor on his $1,998 Sony camera. Earlier this week, roboticist and entrepreneur Jit Ray Chowdhury snapped photos of a car at CES with AEye's lidar units on top. He discovered that every subsequent picture he took was marred by two bright purple spots, with horizontal and vertical lines emanating from them.
"I noticed that all my pictures were having that spot," he told Ars by phone on Thursday evening. "I covered up the camera with the lens cap and the spots are there—it's burned into the sensor."
One of Chowdhury's photos of the AEye vehicle. [credit:
Jit Ray Chowdhury ]
In an email to Ars Technica, AEye CEO Luis Dussan confirmed that AEye's lidars can cause damage to camera sensors—though he stressed that they pose no danger to human eyes.


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Gotuit will launch a social video tagging service on Tuesday that allows users to cut and tag any online video from any source. Gotuit is a video host for online video, mobile video, and cable TV. But unless you’re YouTube, you can’t compete in online video without a new bag of tricks. Contextual cutting and tagging is Gotuit ‘s new trick.
“We are launching [this] to give the power of tagging video to the community,” said Gotuit president Mark Pascarella. “So you can take the best parts of a video and tag inside the file.”
Gotuit gave TechCrunch a demo last Friday and showed how users can take any online video from any source and use their Web application to work with it. There is no application to download. It reminded me a lot of Podzinger, a podcast tagging application, except Podzinger is not human-powered like SceneMaker. SceneMaker tags come from human insight, not speech or video recognition.
Once you are in SceneMaker, you can upload an existing Web video from its URL. When the video starts playing in SceneMaker, users can click the progress bar to stop it at any time and create pieces of the video that are assigned separate tags and descriptions. Each piece of the video then gets its own embed code and URL. With the embed code, users can republish the video wherever they’d like. With the URL, they can email, IM, or share however they see fit.
Once videos have been edited in SceneMaker, each Gotuit URL/embed code will re-direct users back to the video’s place of origin where it will play just the tagged version. In this way, users who watch the tagged portion don’t know that they are only watching a portion of the original because the video itself has not been altered. Pascarella said that this will help users cut through the hours and hours of useless content to “get to the good stuff.”
“There is just so much content and too many videos out there right now,” he said. “The explosion of content requires better navigation. We’re not promoting that existing video be altered. We just want to give users the ability to flush out what interests them.”
Gotuit has six patents on this technology, which they began petitioning for in 1996.
“We always knew online video would be big and our vision was always that video should be a personalized expression,” Pascarella said.


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New data from Tradeshift shows transaction volumes across global supply chains dropped at their fastest rate in eighteen months in Q3.
More than one million businesses use Tradeshift’s business commerce network to exchange invoicing and purchase order information relating to trade transactions across global supply chains. The company’s Q3 Index of Global Trade Health, which analyses the flow of these transactions, shows activity levels tracking 6 points below expected levels over the summer months (July-September).
Global slump in goods demand
A slump in demand for manufactured goods is undoubtedly a factor in the latest slowdown:
- Manufacturing activity dropped 9 points below the baseline in Q3.
- Freight demand softened to 6 points below the anticipated level.
- Retail activity also dropped to 6 points below the expected range
Eurozone and China bear the brunt
Export-focused markets, including China and the Eurozone, are being hit the hardest by the slowdown in goods demand. Trade activity across the Eurozone slumped to 9 points below the expected level in Q3, compared to a deficit of 3 points in the previous quarter. In China, transaction volumes fell to 6 points below the baseline level, the first time activity has fallen into contraction territory this year.
In the UK, activity mirrored the global trend. Transaction volumes slowed to 6 points below the baseline.
US remains the growth outlier
US trade activity also softened in Q3, but the rate of decline was far milder than in other markets. Transaction volume growth dropped to 3 points below the expected level in Q3, having surged to 3 points above the baseline in the previous quarter.
“Globally, we’re seeing mounting evidence of an economy that’s preparing to land,” said James Stirk, CEO (interim) at Tradeshift. “Traditional manufacturing powerhouses across the Eurozone and China are facing a lot more turbulence than the US, where a robust domestic market means a softer landing seems more likely.”
Emerging markets profit from supply chain diversification
While the fall in trade activity has been consistent across the majority of major economies, others are benefiting from a reconfiguration of supply chains that has gathered momentum since the pandemic.
Tradeshift’s data shows Vietnam in particular profiting from an accelerating ‘China +’1’ production policy among Western companies. Transaction volumes have risen seven times faster than the global average over the past year
India, Malaysia and Mexico are also benefiting from supplier diversification with activity levels in each country rising at three times the global average over the past year.
“Global trade has looked more local in 2023, but a new kind of globalization is also starting to emerge and new stars are rising,” said Stirk. “To thrive in this environment businesses will have to forge a new set of relationships in new jurisdictions. For supply chain operators, enhancing the digital connectivity between trading partners will play a key role in ensuring this transition happens seamlessly.”


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Facebook wants you to shop with the brands you like right in its app. The social network developed tools for brands to make better ads, a shopping feed for users to browse through, and even a buy button.
Twenty-year-old Ashley VanPevenage, a student at Washington College, is speaking out and fighting back against cyberbullying perpetrated by hordes of total strangers after an image of her sans makeup went viral.
It can be challenging to keep track of everything that happens in the tech world. That's why we have compiled a list of the top 10 tech stories from this week — just for you. From Netflix upping its subscription price to an attempted…
Twitter will reportedly make layoffs next week in what would be Jack Dorsey's first major move since being installed as its permanent CEO. It's not clear how many jobs are likely to go, though the cuts are expected to affect all parts of…
in a recent blog post, the social media giant has explained how the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has begun relying on Twitter and tweets to track and detect earthquakes with surprising accuracy and efficiency.
LinkedIn is changing up its plagued Groups feature after finally listening to user complaints; it's also debuting a new sales metric in Sales Navigator that should interest sales professionals active in social selling.
Instagram post by Instagram post, Rachel Hulin plans on slowly releasing a 200-page novel, 'Hey Harry, Hey Matilda.' Just think of it this way: it’s like the modern-day Dickens-style release of Great Expectations.
For the most part, even the most introverted of human beings need some sort of human contact every once in awhile, and research now confirms that face-to-face interactions are better than sending an email or a text.
Twitter's newest feature offers a simpler way to view the constant flood of information hitting the service. It's hoped that the editor-curated news streams, called "Moments," will help ease newcomers into the service and also appeal to…
The issue of whether to take on the running of two businesses will have been mulled over for months by new Twitter boss Jack Dorsey, though Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, clearly thinks it's not the best idea.


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Laundy buys Drummoyne’s Oxford Hotel
Drummoyne’s Oxford Hotel has a new owner with publican Arthur Laundy paying $42 million for the popular establishment.
The result comes two weeks after publican Michael Wiggins and Joanne Cassar listed the 974sqm site at the corner of Victoria Rd and Lyons Rd.
Laundy’s purchase takes the number of hotels he controls in NSW and Queensland to 69. That number will soon be 70, when “The Locker Room” at Sydney Olympic Park opens.
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Laundy says he is thrilled to be taking the keys to the iconic inner west pub that first opened its doors to patrons in 1929.
“My son Craig was the local member when he was in parliament and our family have a long affiliation with the area,” he says.
Included in the sale is the adjoining retail building at 15-17 Lyons Rd, as well as frontage to three streets. Laundy has also bought a former bank branch for $3 million, giving him control of the entire block.
The site has B4 mixed-use zoning that allows for a height limit of 15m. Laundy told The Australian that he is yet to decide what he will do with the block.
“I have a few things in mind, but it’s not something I can be empathetic about … when you land bank three sites, there’s a lot of options,” he said in The Australian.
The $42 million purchase follows the sale of Manly’s Hotel Steyne, which Mr Laundy had a stake in. While the sale price is confidential, it is believed to have sold for between $60 and $80 million.
HTL Property managing director Andrew Jolliffe says the Federal election and a cut in interest rates by the Reserve Bank has lifted activity in the pub market.
“We are now seeing as active a transaction landscape as ever seen for quality hotel operations indexed to best in class gaming performance,” he says.
The Oxford Hotel has 30 poker machines, several bar and food outlets, as well as the potential for a rooftop garden to capture Sydney Harbour views. It was last traded in September 2015 for $33,499,999, according to CoreLogic.
This article from The Daily Telegraph originally appeared as “Pub baron Arthur Laundy buys popular Oxford Hotel in Drummoyne”.


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Dodge has reworked the Charger's front end and brought Challenger-like touches to the interior for the 2015 model year of a vehicle shown for the first time at the New York International Auto Show.
The Charger's engine offerings remain unchanged — a 3.6L Pentastar V-6 or 5.7L HEMI V-8 on R/T models. Dodge pairs its engines with a TorqueFlite eight-speed transmission. The V-6 should deliver 31 miles per gallon highway, according to Dodge.
The Charger's interior has been upgraded with a three-spoke steering wheel, 7-inch reconfigurable gauge cluster, and a choice of eight new trim and color combinations.
A Dodge spokesman declined to say whether the 2015 Charger would be the basis for a new Dodge Charger Pursuit for law enforcement buyers.
"Dodge is committed to its leadership in the pursuit-rated sedan business," said Jiyan Cadiz, a Chrysler spokesman. "Announcements will be made later this year."
In other news, Dodge also announced updates for the 2015 Dodge Challenger that include new LED headlights. Read that full release here.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet


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Winning design announced for Phuket Exhibition & Convention Centre, Thailand
Shortlisted from three finalists, the concept by KAED 103 is in the shape of a turtle shell. However, the plans will be modified to incorporate some Sino-Portuguese architecture, a feature which some locals said was important to them.
Judges making the final decision included the president of the Association of Siamese Architects, the president of the Engineering Institute of Thailand and the president of the Thailand Conventions and Exhibitions Bureau.
When asked why they chose KAED103, Governor Tri remarked; "It was the one that matched the demands of Phuket people."
KAED 103 were also preferred due to their superior level of relevant experience, having already designed the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre in Bangkok and the Muang Thong Thani Convention Centre in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi.
Muang Thong Thani Convention Centre is home to the famous Impact Arena; a 12,000 seat concert hall which has hosted shows by stars such as Michael Jackson, Kylie Minogue and The Rolling Stones.
However, it seems that the fate of the Phuket Exhibition and Convention Centre may rest in the hands of Thailand’s ruling Democrat Party.
Should the Democrat Party lose the Thai general elections in June this year, it remains unclear whether the Exhibition and Convention Centre would be built.
“I don’t know the other parties’ policies, but next term if we are still in the Government, I guarantee the project will continue. I expect the centre to be finished by the start of 2014,” said Thai Finance Minister, Korn Chatikavanij.
You can read the full story here... http://blog.phuketoceanvillas.com/phuket-exhibition-and-convention-centre-guaranteed-to-be-built/
Planning will now move to the construction phase which is due to start in September although a construction company is yet to be decided upon.
Phuket Ocean Villas - http://www.phuketoceanvillas.com
Rebecca Smith is a real estate journalist with more than 15 years experience. She is currently the sales director for Phuket Ocean Villas (http://www.phuketoceanvillas.com) who specialise in luxury ocean view property investments in Phuket, Thailand.
Phuket Ocean Villas
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Tel: +66 76 527 565
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As the first Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview was only just released this April, the first update just a month later shows signs of quick progress for Microsoft. Not known especially for their quick-fire updates to this mobile operating system, Microsoft could very well be turning over a new page in their mobile software strategy.
Spotify has brought its streaming Radio service to Windows Phone, updating the app to support automagical playlist creation based on a seed song or artist. The feature, which is already been available on iOS and Android, debuts alongside a new UI for the app, which is a free download.
Lehmann Aviation has posted a new video to Facebook that shows off its L-A series of fully autonomous drone aircraft and its new software. The drone aircraft appear to be made from foam and it uses a flying wing design. Take off and landing duties are automated.
This week during Apple’s earnings call for their financial Q2 2014, Tim Cook spoke up on the impact of changing smartphone plans and the growing smartphone market around the world. How might this affect Apple and sales of the iPhone? Cook made clear that it wasn’t an easy question to answer.
Windows Phone 8.1 further blurs the lines between smartphone and PC, but there's now a new remote desktop app for those times you really must have full access while you're out on the move. Microsoft's latest preview for Windows Phone can not only mimic a keyboard and mouse, but deliver up to ten points of virtual multitouch for PCs you might normally control with your fingers.
Where exactly am I? That’s the question Nokia is facing, not in its position following the Microsoft deal that will see it shed its phone business, but in how it’s constructing the next-generation of mapping data that’s clever enough to give Google Maps sleepless nights. The HERE team calls it an "HD Map" - taking traditional cartography and putting it on steroids - and it’s one of the main pillars the Nokia platform of tomorrow is expected to stand on.
Apple's iPhone 6 may still be several months out, but that hasn't stopped leaks and rumors about the new iOS smartphone, with the virtual personal assistant Siri likely to be a key feature. Launched on the iPhone 4S back in late 2011, and updated considerably with iOS 7, Siri has come increasingly under fire, first by Android's Google Now, and most recently by Windows Phone's Cortana.
Siri loves to give answers — often snarky — but she doesn’t do much outside of create reminders. The voice assistant for iOS is handy, but lacks a lot of curcial control that some have been wanting. Four fast-talking, enterprising freshman at the University of Pennsylvania successfully hacked Siri, creating an exploit that intercepts your queries and redirects them to apps called GoogolPlex.
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Wolf & Company, a top 100 accounting firm, now accepts Shiba Inu (SHIB) as a payment method via BitPay.
Shiba Inu owners can now use their SHIB holdings to book a variety of business consulting services at Wolf & Company, a Boston-based accounting firm.
Wolf & Company, a top national CPA and business consulting firm, recently announced that they will now take Shiba Inu (SHIB) and 12 other major cryptocurrencies via Bitpay as payment for their services.
Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Shiba Inu (SHIB), Dogecoin (DOGE), USD Coin (USDC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), Dai (DAI), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Gemini Dollar (GUSD), Pax Dollar (USDP), Binance USD (BUSD), and Ripple (XRP) are all supported cryptocurrencies (XRP).
Crypto payments are now available thanks to a partnership between a top 100 accounting firm and BitPay, a renowned crypto payment processor.
The decision was made after a renowned business consulting agency saw an increase in cryptocurrency use around the world. The company also recognizes the growing importance of cryptocurrency in the economy. According to the company's official blog post, the company plans to provide audit, tax, compliance, cybersecurity, and smart contract advisory services in exchange for cryptocurrency payments.
"we’re accepting cryptocurrency as payment for our services via BitPay. As a firm that embraces digital innovation, our team is already working on the cutting edge of cryptocurrency services. By partnering with BitPay to accept crypto payments, we’re truly embracing crypto and its growing role in the economy."
Wolf & Company, based in Boston, is a well-established business consulting firm with over 111 years of expertise. Thousands of clients from 48 states are served by the company's 312 experienced employees.
Wolf & Company has been named one of the top 100 accounting companies by Accounting Today for the past three years, and Forbes has named the firm "America's Best Tax and Accounting Firms" in 2021 and 2022.


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Bentley’s Continental GT is now one of the oldest models in production, with the original coupe having first appeared on the scene as far back as the 2003 Geneva auto show.
Yes, the vehicle has undergone numerous updates since then but the basic styling and underlying platform have continued unchanged over the years.
A successor is coming soon and we now have new spy shots and video of a prototype.
2018 Bentley Continental GT spy video from Motor Authority on Vimeo.
What’s immediately clear is that Bentley’s EXP 10 Speed 6 concept from 2015 was the inspiration for the design. The redesigned Continental GT is adopting a sleeker, more dynamic look than the current model and should prove to be a stunner. A peek inside also reveals some new details like the digital instrument cluster.
This isn’t a production version of the EXP 10 Speed 6 as some have reported, as the car’s size is comparable with the current Continental GT and in some of the shots you can make out a 2+2 seating arrangement. The EXP 10 Speed 6, if approved for production, will be a proper sports car with only two seats.
Underpinning the redesigned Continental GT is the Volkswagen Group’s MSB platform designed for large, rear- and all-wheel-drive cars with engines mounted up front. The platform made its debut in the 2017 Porsche Panamera.
2018 Bentley Continental GT spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Porsche was in charge of development of the platform, which thanks to increased use of lightweight materials such as high-strength steel and aluminum in its construction should result in significant weight savings for the redesigned Continental GT. The platform will also end up in a redesigned Flying Spur.
Bentley’s redesigned Continental GT should once again offer W-12 and V-8 engine options. While it’s unlikely we’ll see a diesel engine fitted to the car, a plug-in hybrid option has been confirmed. The W-12 should be the only option at launch. It will be the new twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 with direct fuel injection that made its debut in the 2017 Bentley Bentayga. Factor on an output of at least 600 horsepower, up from the 582 hp found in the latest 2017 model.
The redesigned Continental GT should make its debut soon. It will arrive on the market late this year or early next, as a 2018 model. Shortly after the arrival of the coupe, Bentley will launch a redesigned Continental GT Convertible.


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The operator is introducing dynamic ad insertion across the applications and websites of the digital properties in what it says is a first for the region.
The new format is currently available on the digi24.ro website on desktop and mobile versions, and was developed with the help of DigiSoft IT.
The ad solution is being implemented both on the digisport.ro website on desktop and mobile versions, and on the Digi24, Digi Sport and Digi Online applications.
RCS & RDS said there was growing demand for relevant personalised ad content.
“We are excited to reconfirm the innovative vision of the technologies and solutions adopted by the Digi group through this first joint step with our partner Google. Moreover, by developing this solution with the help of DigiSoft IT, we show once again the exceptional level of professionalism and experience in the digital transformation of our teams,” said Valentin Știrbu, head of digital media at RCS & RDS/Digi.
“The most important benefits the format brings both to those who order the insertion of ads, as it provides targeting and accurate reporting, unique to the online environment, but also to the end user who will receive personalized and relevant to content.”
News service Digi24 has been viewed by more than 11 million unique visitors a month this year, generating an average of over 90 million page views, according to audience research outfit Transmedia.
Digisport.ro was the most visited sports site in 2020, with over 23 million average monthly visits, and also this year, with over 26 million average monthly visits, according to the Transmedia audit.
Digi Online is the online streaming and video-on-demand platform of the Digi group, which offers customers access to TV content across news, sports, entertainment, movies and documentaries. Users can watch over 75 channels broadcast by Digi TV. The service is available free of charge to Digi Net and Digi TV customers.
DTVE: the week in view – Should streamers help to fund Europe’s network expansion? digitaltveurope.com/comment/should… https://t.co/x6aSHT8EvH
05 December 2021 @ 19:34:00 UTC
ICYMI: Vodafone TV arrives on LG TVs in Spain digitaltveurope.com/2021/12/03/vod… https://t.co/dpCVTHxPFr
05 December 2021 @ 19:30:00 UTC
ICYMI: Vizio ads AVOD content to WatchFree+ streamer digitaltveurope.com/2021/12/03/viz… https://t.co/i6syMw9Eli
04 December 2021 @ 19:30:00 UTC


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The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued advisory warning fans of Universal Studios Singapore (USS) Halloween Horror Nights to be wary of ticketing scams. According to the police advisory, a majority of these online purchase scam cases were advertised on Carousell and Facebook.
Between 30 August and 29 September 2017, SPF had received at least 35 reports of online purchase scams involving USS Halloween tickets, higher than the year before. The total amount cheated for the 35 cases has added up to more than SG$21,500, with the amounts ranging from SG$45 to SG$7,000 in a single case, according to the advisory.
The scams involved culprits failing to deliver the tickets after receiving payments from victims. Culprits would ask victims for advanced payments for the tickets, either as a deposit or in full, to be paid to a local bank account before agreeing to deliver the items. They would then become unreachable after receiving payment, failing to deliver the items. According to the SPF, there were also cases where the culprits provided fake tickets to the victims, who only realised the cheating after they were denied entry to the attractions.
In a statement to Marketing, a Resort World Sentosa (RWS) spokesperson declined to comment further when asked about the impact on ticket sales and additional measures the organisation might take to protect customers. However the spokesperson said:
“We strongly advise our guests to purchase tickets to Universal Studios Singapore’s Halloween Horror Nights 7 through our official website or at our on-site ticketing booths to ensure that tickets purchased are genuine.”
In a conversation with Marketing, a Carousell spokesperson said that trust and safety is a top priority for the company. The spokesperson explained that the platform is "constantly working to improve user features and internal processes that provide a safe and enjoyable environment" for its community to buy, sell and connect with interest groups.
"We take feedback and complaints seriously and users should report any suspicious activity so that our team is alerted to the problem and can proceed to take the necessary actions," the Carousell spokesperson added. The Carousell statement added that the platform has features for user feedback, user verification, and have some developments in the pipeline to improve these features. It also works with artificial intelligence to improve its scam detection and have dedicated teams in place to monitor its marketplace.
"As with every online and offline marketplace, there are always risks to buying and selling. We encourage our users to be cautious and practice due diligence when arranging any deals, including event tickets," the spokesperson added. The response from Carousell echoes it's recent involvement in selling counterfeit LEGO products.
Meanwhile, Facebook did not comment on the matter. However, according to its help centre, Facebook includes a link in nearly every piece of content for reporting abuse, bullying, harassment and other issues. To report a post, users can click in the top right of the post and choose the option that best describes the issue, then follow the on-screen instructions.
Read the full police advisory here:
Resorts World Sentosa is not the only organisation to be hit by scams in recent times. Just last week, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) issued an advisory to warn citizens on scam calls. According to a public advisory released on ICA’s Facebook page, callers claiming to be ICA officers asked members of the public for their passport numbers.
The ICA clarified that these calls were not made by its officers; it added that it does not call members of public to request for personal information over the phone.
Meanwhile in May, Singapore Airlines (SIA) released a statement on its website and social media pages, warning customers of scam emails and phone calls which claim to be from the airline. The scam also extends to SIA’s KrisFlyer loyalty programme. According to the company, recipients of the scam are informed that they have been selected for a draw or have won air tickets.
Days after, AirAsia was also hit with a similar social media scam which had been circulating offering free tickets through an online survey. The scam post directs people to a link, and requires participants to answer questions in order to redeem the vouchers, said the airline in a statement to A+M.


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Edible food packaging can eliminate for plastic containers: US scientists
A new edible food packaging technology, that can eliminate the need for plastic containers, could hit the market inside 12 months, according to US scientists.
According to US scientists, the packaging – named WikiCells – has been developed to hold pumpkin soup in a spinach membrane, lemon juice in a lemon membrane and melted chocolate in a cherry membrane.
Professor David Edwards, a biomedical engineer from Harvard University, is leading the research project.
He says WikiCells were the “future of food packaging”, and the edible packaging was already on sale at Paris ‘invention bar’ FoodLab, part of concept design outlet Lab Store.
“We are likely a year away from WikiCells entering the marketplace in a limited way,” he says. “It will take time but the future of food packaging is clearly the current reality of the apple and orange.”
The Harvard University-based team said that the comparisons could be drawn with existing foods, for instance, an apple where the content is shielded by a protective outside layer.
The packaging includes a membrane consists of charged particles (of edible substances) bound by electrostatic forces; this surrounds a liquid, foam or solid food and is then wrapped in an edible or biodegradable hard shell.
Prof. Edwards said: “Liquids are engulfed in membranes made primarily of natural food particles, and these membranes may (or may not) be enclosed in edible shells.
“You can wash the shell before eating. Or just peel it off and eat the soft membrane and eat-drink the inside material. The ‘inside material’ can be liquid, foam, emulsion or solid.”
However, Edwards clarified that the team still need to address medium and long-term stability issues.
“Currently we have good room temperature stability in the day time frame and long-term stability in a frozen time frame. We have intermediate stability in a refrigerated time frame,” he said. “We are currently seeing a room temperature stability similar to that of yoghurt, but we will improve it as we progresses.”
He added: “As we achieve better stability than that of the fruit today we will likely make certain trade-offs in terms of natural contents and edibility. So one question WikiCells raises is the desirability of mass production of long-lived containers”.


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Plucky Pendle bargain hunters brave blizzard for £5 chickens
SNOW and icy winds were not enough to keep these plucky bargain hunters from scooping a cheap deal.
The queuing customers braved heavy snow showers and freezing temperatures to get their hands on special offers, including five chickens for £5, at the opening of a new halal butchers.
They were queueing around the block at the Pendle Halal Meat and Poultry Centre when the mayor of Pendle, Coun Asjad Mahmood, cut the ribbon to open the new business at midday yesterday.
The shop has opened in the same location as the former Joseph R Mellin butcher’s, on the corner of Every Street and Pendle Street in Nelson. Dozens of people were keen to make the most of the special offers, including five chickens for £4.99.
Part-owner Nadeem Qasim, who runs the business with Zamir Zain, said they had been delighted with the response.
He said: “We had a great turnout and it was brilliant to see so many people here. We’ve been overwhelmed by the response. There was a butcher’s here before we arrived and now we have opened in the same location and hopefully we can be here for a long time.”
It is the second halal butcher’s run by Nadeem and Zamir, who also operate Madani Halal Meat and Poultry Centre from Nelson Market.
Coun Mahmood said: “I was pleased to see so many people at the opening and it is great to be able to support local businesses.
“There was a family run butcher’s at that location for a number of years and now there is another family run butcher’s in its place, which is great.
“It is being run by local people in the heart of the community and it is great news for Nelson.”


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Trinity Solar, a designer and integrator of PV systems across the Northeast, was just named the fastest growing company in New Jersey.
Trinity was ranked No. 1 out of the over 800,000 businesses in the state. NJ Biz organized the list by focusing on companies with higher revenues and then ranking these companies by growth in revenue, considering both dollar amount and percentage increases from 2013-2015.
“We’re excited and honored to be ranked, once again, as New Jersey’s fastest-growing company by NJBIZ,” said Executive Vice President, Bill Granger Sr. “We are proud of our tremendous team of employees and grateful for the support of our customers that continue to refer us and have helped us grow our business to where we are today.”
The company, founded in 1994, started its solar operations in 2004 and has grown as a family-owned business to now employ over one thousand people across the northeast. Trinity Solar is a large company, even by US Census Bureau’s definition – a company with 500 or more employees.
In their just over twelve years of installing solar in the Northeast United States, Trinity Solar has installed over 20,674 solar installations which provide roughly 218.5 megawatts of clean energy primarily for homes and also for some commercial properties. Their operations span six states – Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Have you checked out our YouTube page?
We have a ton video interviews and additional content on our YouTube page. Recently we debuted Power Forward! -- a collaboration with BayWa r.e. to discuss higher level industry topics as well as best practices / trends for running a solar business today.
Our longer running side project is The Pitch -- in which we have awkward discussions with solar manufacturers and suppliers about their new technology and ideas so that you don't have to. We've discusses everything from residential rail-less deck attaching and home solar financing to large-scale energy storage value stacking and utility-driven new home solar + storage microgrids.
We also post our Project of the Year announcements there! Interviews with this year's winners will be up starting the week of Nov. 8. Head there and subscribe today to stay on top of all this extra stuff.


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CFPB Files Complaint Against Company for Illegally Collecting Debts
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a complaint against a debt collection company for reporting and collecting on old and often incorrect debt.
According to the complaint against EOS CCA (EOS), a Massachusetts debt collection firm, the company reported and collected on old cellphone debt that consumers disputed and EOS did not verify. The company also provided inaccurate information to credit reporting companies about the debt and failed to correct reported information that it had determined was inaccurate.
If approved by the court, the consent order would require EOS to overhaul its debt collection practices, refund at least $743,000 to consumers, and pay a $1.85 million civil money penalty.
In 2012, EOS paid AT&T $35.4 million for a portfolio of more than three million cellphone accounts with a total face value of $2.3 billion. Many of these debts were old accounts that had been previously sent to multiple collection agencies.
The CFPB's investigation found that EOS learned in January 2013 that, contrary to the sales agreement with AT&T, the portfolio it purchased contained fraudulent debts, debts that consumers had paid or settled, and debts that were so old that they could no longer be legally collected. When consumers disputed the debts, EOS had difficulty getting AT&T to provide sufficient, and in some cases, any documentation to verify the debts. Notwithstanding those issues, EOS continued to report and collect on certain disputed debts that EOS did not verify.
In addition, shortly after it started collecting on the portfolio, EOS reported to the credit reporting companies that all three million of the debts were disputed by consumers, when EOS knew not all the accounts had been disputed. EOS flip flopped on this twice, removing the dispute flags and then reinserting the dispute flags a month later.
These practices violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
The EOS complaint can be found here.


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Henry, VA Vape Shop
Henry, VA Vape Shop
There are reasons for this. Most users start off at a high nicotine level when they are still getting off of analog cigarettes. When a beginner graduates to a device that produces more vapor, they don’t need as high a concentration of nicotine to be satisfied. Then, they may want to further “step down” (decrease the nicotine strength) once they find that high nicotine actually screws with the flavor of an e-liquid. Simply put, the less nicotine you use, the better your liquid will taste and, despite what media pundits seem to think, it turns out that even adults like things that taste good.
Vape Shops In Henry, VA Again, this might seem like common sense, but there’s nothing worse than taking a dry hit (trust me). Not only does it taste like burning butt hairs (I don’t actually know what burning butt hairs taste like, but I have imagined tasting them, and it’s gross), but it might actually ruin your cartomizer, coil, or wick. So figure out how to fill it up, and make sure everything is properly saturated.
“Diacetyl is a respiratory toxin, so when you breath it in, it irritates the lungs,” said Jessica Barrington-Trimis, a researcher at the University of Southern California and the Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science. “That’s not a problem if you’re eating it because it doesn’t get into the lungs at all.”
That said, very few carcinogenic chemicals have been found in e-cigarette vapors, and those present only appear to be in trace quantities – far less than in burning tobacco and similar or less than in recognized nicotine replacement therapies.
Barrington-Trimis is currently conducting a study that compares the respiratory health of vapers who smoke unflavored e-cigarettes to those who prefer flavored varieties, and said more research is needed to understand the potential risks of these chemicals. But in the meantime, she doesn’t see why manufacturers don’t just err on the side of caution and avoid DA and AP altogether.
As our industry continues to grow, even mainstream publications are being forced to concede that there is some evidence that electronic cigarettes might be effective in helping smokers to quit. We have known this for some time. Once again, I’ll let the evidence speak for itself:
You’re not going to have to inhale as hard as you do with a traditional cigarette, so keep that in mind for your first puff. There’s also some debate regarding the superiority of mouth-hits over lung-hits (or vice-versa). Personally, I like lung-hits because I feel like I get a better nicotine buzz, but there are people who prefer mouth hits because there’s better flavor and more vapor. Either way, do what feels right to you, and don’t let anyone tell you what to do (whateva – I do what I want)!
If you want something that’s easy to carry and doesn’t require any maintenance, there’s something for you.


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Stratasys Ltd., a global additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology company, today announced the appointment of Yoav Zeif as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective Feb. 18, 2020. Current Interim CEO Elchanan (Elan) Jaglom will continue in his role as Chairman.
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Boeing Co., which had wanted to return the 737 Max to service this month, threw up the surrender flag on Dec. 16. The company said it will suspend 737 Max production in January.
Engineering information is both pervasive and essential within manufacturing plants. And, it changes constantly as a result of maintenance-related adjustments, alterations in plant processes, or the swap-out of components.
There’s a whole choice of edge finders that work and function in different ways. Let’s take a look at them to better understand the advantages and disadvantages and hopefully help you to choose the best one for you.
NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski has joined the ranks of entrepreneurs in the metalworking industry while continuing his successful racing career.
Changes in health care are driving more innovative tooling, including new machining strategies and complex cutting tools that help deliver more patient-centered solutions.
One of the key advantages of additive manufacturing is its digital thread, which allows for rapid communication, iteration, and sharing of a design model and its corresponding physical representation. While this enables an efficient design process, the flow of data opens vulnerabilities to cyber-attack.
The U.S. auto industry has been automated for decades. Production of cars and trucks is associated with large, hulking robots fenced off from human employees. Inside those fenced off areas, tasks such as welding are performed. The industry, though, is advancing on the automation front.
The growing skills gap is causing trepidation among manufacturers and the lack of millennials building careers within the industry is part of the concern.
The world of additive manufacturing (AM), commonly referred to as 3D printing, is quickly changing. The technology allows companies to manufacture products faster, with greater variation, and often with entirely new forms and functions.


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Tasmania has claimed second spot in a list of the world’s top ten emerging gay travel destinations.
The list, compiled by Hotel Travel Club, showcases those cities and regions which have not traditionally been associated with gay travel.
Other destinations include Nova Scotia, Lisbon, Nashville and Mexico City. No other Australian destination makes the list.
The site says of Tasmania,
“Over the past few years, locals have put aside their conservative views and have welcomed lesbian and gay residents and travelers alike. The island offers a GLBT tourist guide and a number of incredible tourist sites.”
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, welcomed the listing saying it will encourage national and international tourism to Tasmania and will benefit the local tourism industry.
“Tasmania’s greater acceptance of diversity is important in itself, but it also pays a dividend to the state’s economy through this kind of global exposure”, Mr Croome said.
“We urge the State Government to maximise this opportunity by increasing the funding that is available to Tourism Tasmania to promote Tasmania as a gay-friendly travel destination and provide tailored information to international gay and lesbian visitors once they arrive.”
Earlier this week Tasmania confirmed its status as a gay-friendly travel destination, with a new law recognising same-sex parents and new regulations allowing same-sex couples to have relationship ceremonies.
This is in stark contrast to the fact Tasmania was the last Australian state to decriminalise same-sex relationships in 1997, earning it a global reputation for homophobia which deterred gay travellers.
Hotel Travel Club’s list of the top ten emerging gay travel destinations can be found at http://blog.hotelclub.com/gay-friendly-cities/
For more on gay and lesbian travel in Tasmania visit www.galtat.com
TASMANIAN GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS GROUP