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Intel Capital has created a $100 million fund to finance perceptual computing projects, or those that use more senses to interact with computing devices. Perceptual computing includes gesture recognition using 3D depth cameras, which send signals into a room and measure the time it takes to bounce back in order to map the room’s 3D space.
Intel Capital is making a strategic investment so that the PC can thrive. Intel’s venture capital arm typically funds next-generation technologies so that it can keep pumping up demand for its computer chips. Perceptual computing includes eye-tracking, voice recognition, face recognition, and gesture controls. The hope is that it will reinvigorate demand for PCs, which has been sagging as tablets take off.
The company made the announcement at the Computex computer trade show in Taiwan, where Intel executive Tom Kilroy gave a keynote speech. The vision is to integrate “human-like sensing technology into devices, ultimately delivering more natural, intuitive, and immersive computing experiences.”
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Intel will make the investments over the next two or three years. The company will look at touch apps, imaging, gesture, voice, emotion sensing, and biometrics.
“Devices with human-like senses – the ability to see, hear and feel much like people do – has long been a subject of science fiction but is now within reach given recent innovations in compute power and camera technology,” said Arvind Sodhani, the president of Intel Capital and Intel executive vice president. “This new fund will invest in start-ups and companies enabling these experiences, helping them with the business development support, global business network and technology expertise needed to scale for worldwide use.”
Intel announced the perceptual computing initiative last year at its Intel Developer Forum event. Since then, the company’s Perceptual Computing Software Developer Kit (SDK) has been downloaded more than 10,000 times. It also launched a contest for the best perceptual computing applications. Intel showed off a new gesture camera from Creative, the Senz3D, which will go on sale in the third quarter. Intel also said it will integrate 3D depth camera technology into Intel-based devices in the second half of 2014.
Intel last created a large fund to fuel ultrabook investments a couple of years ago. The company has invested a significant portion of the $300 million Ultrabook Fund. Since 1991, Intel Capital has invested more than $10.8 billion across 1,284 companies in 54 countries.
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The recent slip in gas prices wasn’t enough to stem the pace of inflation last month, according to the most recent data from the Consumer Price Index.
The CPI tracks the variation in prices consumers pay for retail goods and other items and is a key inflation measure.
The index rose 0.2 percent in May, and is up 3.6 percent year-over-year. Gas prices fell 2 percent overall last month, but are still up 36 percent in the past year.
Gas prices in the Triad have fallen for five consecutive weeks but are still considerably higher than their year-ago averages. A gallon of regular in the Triad averages about $3.56, which is more than a dollar higher than the $2.53 a gallon of regular fetched a year ago, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.
The highest gas price ever recorded in the Triad was $4.11 for a gallon of regular in September 2008.
Read more about the inflation rate by clicking here.
Reach Catherine Carlock at (336) 370-2918 or email@example.com.

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Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen said on Monday it could take months to finalize his plans to enter the wireless industry because of regulatory and technology complications, but his company has no intention of selling spectrum it spent billions acquiring.
The cable service provider received regulatory approval to use its spectrum for wireless services in December. But Dish (Meridian, USA) has still not made clear whether it will build a wireless network on its own, or offer a service in partnership with other companies.
At the world's largest technology conference that kicks off on Monday, the most intriguing innovations showcased may be gadgets and technology that turn everyday items into connected, smarter machines.
This year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas promises a new generation of "smart" gadgets, some controlled by voice and gestures, and technology advancements in cars, some of which already let you dictate emails or check real-time gas prices.
AT&T Inc plans to kick off its Digital Life home monitoring service in eight U.S. markets in March, part of its efforts to expand wireless services beyond phones.
The No. 2 U.S. mobile service provider will offer subscriptions with protection from burglars to water leaks, and services including remote energy conservation for what it hopes will become a $1 billion business.
Verizon Communications can generate hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue in coming years from wireless services beyond the mobile phone, in areas ranging from healthcare and automobiles to energy management, the company's top executive said on Monday.
The No. 1 U.S. mobile carrier joins other companies expected to debate and demonstrate the benefits of connecting devices - like cars - to the Internet at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Operators like Verizon (New York, USA) consider this an important new business.
Chipmaker Qualcomm and mobile network operator AT&T have teamed up on an M2M development platform they say will be available to developers in the second quarter of 2013.
Based on Qualcomm’s QSC6270-Turbo chipset, the “Internet of Everything (IoE)” platform – as it is described by Qualcomm (San Diego, USA) – is intended to accelerate the development of a wide range of applications and devices for use on “the AT&T (Dallas, USA) mobile internet”.
Utility solutions company ESCO Technologies has acquired smart-grid specialist Metrum Technologies for an undisclosed sum.
ESCO (St Louis, USA) says that Metrum (Waco, USA) – along with its research and development centre in Dallas – will become a part of Aclara Technologies, a member of ESCO’s Utility Solutions Group.
Besides offering wireless communications products to electric utility customers, Metrum also provides hosted software systems and network operation centre services.
It currently serves about 350 utilities across the US.
A large Clearwire Corp shareholder on Friday stepped up its campaign against the planned sale of the wireless service provider to its majority owner, Sprint Nextel Corp, saying it plans to ask the U.S. telecoms regulator to block the deal.
Crest Financial's general counsel also said on a call with reporters that it will ask the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to block Sprint's plan to sell 70 percent of itself to Softbank Corp (Tokyo, Japan) of Japan for $20 billion.
Market-research company The 451 Group has bought rival Yankee Group, which focuses on the mobile communications industry, for an undisclosed sum from private-equity firm Alta Communications.
Following the acquisition, Yankee Group (Boston, USA) will operate as an independent division within The 451 Group (New York, USA), which had more than 200 employees prior to the takeover.
When Amazon.com Inc CEO Jeff Bezos got word of a project at Google Inc to scan and digitize product catalogs a decade ago, the seeds of a burgeoning rivalry were planted.
The news was a "wake-up" call to Bezos, an early investor in Google (Mountain View, USA). He saw it as a warning that the Web search engine could encroach upon his online retail empire, according to a former Amazon (Seattle, USA) executive.
Europe has fallen behind the United States in mobile telephone network development because its regulatory framework is fragmented and does not provide incentives for investment, the head of Norwegian telecoms group Telenor told Reuters.
European fourth-generation (4G) network frequencies are too expensive, the investment cost is high and operators, particularly in countries affected by drawn out recessions, lack the pricing power to make the investment worthwhile, Chief Executive Jon Fredrik Baksaas said in an interview.


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Travel is “in a class of its own in terms of the pain it has suffered” and government must offer urgent financial support and policy changes to help businesses survive, Abta chief Mark Tanzer has told MPs.
Giving evidence to the Treasury Select Committee on Monday (7 June), Tanzer warned that without immediate help during summer’s “critical weeks” the industry risked “losing a generation of travel companies”.
He described “real hardship stories” of travel staff “who are not just losing their businesses but losing their homes” after getting into severe financial difficulties in order to support their firms.
“There’s absolute hardship and desperation out there,” said Tanzer. “Our members are looking for a complete step change from the govt’s attitude towards the industry."
He said the outbound sector was “not at the point of recovery at all” and called last week’s demotion of Portugal from the green list was an indication “international travel isn’t going to be restarting as we’d initially envisaged” when laid out by government’s Global Travel Taskforce earlier this year.
Tanzer appeared alongside Helen Dickinson, chief executive, of the British Retail Consortium and Kate Nicholls, chief executive, UK Hospitality, to discuss the economic impact of the Covid pandemic.
“The support measures that have been available have been appreciated but they’ve been at the margin and not adequate for the scale of the challenge the travel industry has faced and is facing,” he told MPs.
“The summer season accounts for two-thirds of business and we’re in it now and no-one is travelling. [Grant Shapps] said this would be ‘travel, but not as you knew it’ – well it’s not travel. We have effectively two countries on the green list you can go to - Iceland and Gibraltar – and they have less than half of 1% of travel.”
Tanzer said according to HMRC data, only 49% of travel employees have been able to use the furlough scheme due to the need to continue working to support customers and deal with amendments and cancellations.


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Krka's CEO Tops List of Slovenia's Best Paid Managers
Ljubljana, 5 June - The CEO of the drug maker Krka Milos Kovacic was Slovenia's best paid manager last year, earning more than SIT 85m (EUR 0.36m) gross in 2002, according to calculations made by the business daily Finance and published on Thursday.
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AT&T Says Edge Computing to Power 5G Experiences
AT&T hopes taking advantage of numerous, local data centers will enable the low-latency, high-speed features of 5G. The company is exploring a model called edge computing in order to balance the power needs of mobile devices with those of data center number crunching. AT&T points out that future applications such as autonomous cars and augmented/virtual reality will need incredible amounts of real-time computing. Much of this computing is too much for mobile devices to handle, and is often off-loaded to data centers. The issue is the time it takes data to travel from a car or handset to the data center (often hundreds of miles away) and back. In order to reduce latency while also powering rapid calculations, AT&T plans to deploy tens of thousands of central offices, macro towers, and small cells all over the country — many of which will be within a few miles of customers. The shorter distance from the car or phone to the data center means faster turnaround times for data, or lower latency. AT&T calls these small installations edge computing facilities. AT&T is already testing edge computing with some of its business customers and plans to bake the computing model into its 5G network. AT&T and other carriers are expected to begin deploying 5G technologies as soon as 2018 or 2019.
ARM Reveals DynamIQ Processor Design with AI In Mind
ARM today announced DynamIQ, a new way to manage multi-core systems that gives them the ability to scale exactly to the tasks or needs at hand. DynamIQ expands on ARM's big.LITTLE technology, which allows for paired sets of high-power and low-power processor cores to tackle specific tasks based on the computing requirements.
ZTE Mobley Hotspot Plugs Into Car Data Port
AT&T today announced the ZTE Mobley, a mobile hotspot for cars that connects via the OBD-II port. The Mobley is compatible with most cars model year 1996 and later and turns on automatically whenever the car is on.
ARM's Cortex A75 and A55 Processor Cores Target AI
ARM recently announced the Cortex-A75 and Cortex-A55 processor cores, the first to support its DynamIQ technology. ARM first revealed DynamIQ earlier this year, an advancement of its big.LITTLE technology that allows paired sets of high-power and low-power processor cores to tackle specific tasks based on the computing requirements at hand.
FCC Chair Says 5G Is a 'National Priority'
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler plans to push the nation's 5G agenda forward this week by defining the spectrum that the wireless networks of the future will use. "I am circulating to my colleagues proposed new rules that will identify and open up vast amounts of spectrum for 5G applications," said Wheeler.


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A thirty-year-old registrar — practically prehistoric by internet standards — has been hit with an ICANN breach notice after apparently failing to transfer a domain lost in a UDRP and not paying its fees.
That domain is using GKG’s Whois privacy service and suspended-domains.net as its name servers but still resolves to an active pharma storefront from where I’m sitting. The UDRP says the domain was registered to a Russian, who did not respond to the UDRP.
While the UDRP-related alleged breach is pretty recent, it looks like ICANN has been chasing GKG for a couple of years.
Compliance first notified the registrar that it was past due on its quarterly fees back in February 2022.
Since March, it also has been looking at alleged failures to handle abuse reports for pharma-related domains including canadianpharmstore.net, usapharmacymall.com, good-pills.com, and 1-pharm.com, which all resolve to the same discount medicines site.
ICANN says all of its attempts to call, email and fax GKG have fallen on deaf ears.
GKG isn’t tiny. It had over 83,000 gTLD domains under management in May, though it appears to have been shrinking by hundreds of domains per month for over a decade.
The company was accredited by ICANN with IANA number 93, which means it’s among the first wave of registrars accredited over two decades ago — it’s older than GoDaddy.
GKG has until October 13 to clean up its act or face suspension and termination.
The post Ancient registrar gets ICANN breach notice over UDRP first appeared on Domain Incite.


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Lowe's records rise in earnings
ATLANTA - Lowe's Cos., which said Monday its fourth-quarter profit increased 46 percent, has set a hard-to-beat standard for Home Depot when it releases its results today.
Wilkesboro, N.C.-based Lowe's fourth-quarter earnings per share of 40 cents easily beat Wall Street's consensus estimate of 33 cents. Home Depot is expected to report earnings per share of 27 cents for the quarter, according to the consensus estimate from Thomson First Call.
Lowe's better-than-expected earnings report puts pressure on Atlanta-based Home Depot to report similarly strong earnings or face Wall Street's wrath.
That could be hard.
Last month, Home Depot warned Wall Street that fourth-quarter sales at stores opened more than a year would decline as much as 10 percent instead of 3 percent to 5 percent as previously expected.
Lowe's sales at stores opened more than a year rose 4.1 percent in the quarter.
Lowe's earnings per share for fiscal 2002, which ended Jan. 31, increased 42 percent, to $1.85 from $1.30.
Home Depot expects its 2002 earnings per share to increase 21 percent to 23 percent.
Home Depot, which reported earnings of $1.29 a share in 2001, has lowered expectations of earnings per share for 2002 from $1.57 to between $1.53 and $1.55.
Some of Lowe's sales growth is coming at the expense of Home Depot, said David Campbell, an analyst at Davenport & Co.
"Lowe's is giving them a run for their money." Campbell said. "The gap is shrinking between the two in sales volume."
Lowe's and Home Depot are the top two home improvement retailers in the country. Home Depot has more than 1,500 stores, while Lowe's operates 854.
Home Depot's annual sales are more than twice Lowe's, but Lowe's stock price is 71 percent higher than Home Depot's. Lowe's stock closed Monday at $38.10, up $2.08. Home Depot's closed at $22.18, down 23 cents.
For the year, Lowe's overall sales increased nearly 20 percent in 2002. Sales at stores opened more than a year rose 5.6 percent for the year.
"In 2002, amid a backdrop of economic uncertainty, Americans continued to invest in their largest asset, their homes," said Robert Tillman, Lowe's chairman and chief executive.
Home Depot will hold a conference call at 9 a.m. to discuss the earnings. It will be available at www.homedepot.com.


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If you bet on the Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl XLVIII, then like a lot of people, you're having to pay up. Here's a story that might make you feel better - at least you're not “Mattress Mack” who lost $7 million.
No, he didn't make a bet at Vegas. Gallery Furniture owner Jim 'Mattress Mack' McIngvale promised customers that they could have their furniture free if they spent $6,000 or more, and if the Seahawks won. And win they did.
“My accountant told me it was a crazy idea, that I should never do it and he's pulling his hair out this morning,” he said.
McIngvale, well-known for his energetic style, says it all started last week with a coin toss for the Broncos.
“The best outcome that could have happened is for Seattle to have won the big game. Our drivers were delivering furniture up until the fourth quarter,” said McIngvale.
Sunday evening, the official “Mattress Mack” Twitter account announced the good news:
It sounds like Jim isn't sweating it too much - it's just a promotion for his business, and he seems to be outwardly happy about it:
“As far as financially, we didn't do well,” he said. “But we did a great job building the brand and delighting customers and if we do that, the business will continue to grow.”
Of course, those who won the bet are still gonna get hit up for taxes by Uncle Sam. If Jim had spent that money on an actual commercial during the Super Bowl, that would have bought him about a full minute of ad time.


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OnePlus 2 related news are coming, one of them is it may be having a dual SIM dual standby and 13 Megapixel Camera with laser auto focus. And other details you can read from here. The launch event will be available via an app which will support virtual reality, if you like to see it in virtual reality you can buy a OnePlus cardboard from Amazon India on July 17, 2015.
OnePlus 2 sale like the OnePlus One will be based on the invite system. The new invite system will have few additional features too, let us have look on what OnePlus diclared so far
Physical Invitations will be available for the new OnePlus 2, you can see the picture above
OnePlus will be 30 – 50 times more invitations than the OnePlus One initial invitations, that means there is a better chance to get one at the beginning itself.
The buyers of OnePlus 2 will get invitations which they can share with their friends faster than previous system
OnePlus will keep a reservation list where you can submit your email address and wait for an invitation.


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The ZUK Edge is coming. It’s almost here and before you start your holiday shopping, you may want to wait and consider this ZUK Edge. It’s a new smartphone from the Chinese OEM that was spotted on AnTuTu last week. Enough of speculating and depending on rumors as Lenovo ZUK’s CEO just confirmed the phone’s arrival happening next week. The ZUK Edge will be launched first week of December.
No information on exact date has been given yet but we’ve seen renders already and they’re legit. Lenovo ‘s former VP Chang Cheng is now the CEO of ZUK. He shared the news and the official images on Weibo so we know this isn’t just a leak. It’s more like a teaser for next week’s grand reveal.
Aside from AnTuTu, the ZUK Edge was also sighted in TENAA recently. So far, we know the smartphone will boast of a 5.5-inch Full HD screen, 1080 x 1920 display, 4GB RAM, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, 32GB or 64GB onboard storage, 8MP front-facing camera, 13MP main camera, and a 3000mAh battery.
Out of the box, the unit will be ready with Android 6.0 Marshmallow topped by ZUI 2.0 skin. Sadly, it’s not Nougat yet but this one already comes with a fingerprint scanner for added mobile security.


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But the rest of us will have to wait a bit longer.
During this year's Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo revealed that Ferrari plans on showing the car off to potential buyers by the end of this year (though presumably before Christmas). The car maker reportedly hasn't decided how many examples of the new carbon fiber-bodied supercar they'll build, but considering the production numbers for the Enzo and F50, we're guessing Ferrari will say they're building between 400 and 500 cars.
How much will the new Ferrari cost? Well, uh, let's just say the only people its price won't startle is the Senate Appropriations Committee. "We want to surprise people not just in terms of price but also with the car itself,” Montezemolo told Automotive News, and we're not quite sure how to take that. We've never heard of somebody taking a look at a Ferrari's price tag and being surprised just how affordable it is, so maybe Montezemolo means surprising in the "I've never seen that many zeroes in one place" sense.
But for at least some of the wealthy bastards who might order their new Ferrari supercar straight from the factory, the car maker's late 2012 secret reveal may not be the first time they get a look at the car. According to Inside Line, some of the VIPs who attended the private F12berlinetta preview last month were also given a peek at some drawings of the Enzo replacement. They were then invited to place a deposit and beat the rush. No word if any of them said "No thanks, I want to do a little cross-shopping with the new McLaren first."
As for those of us who aren't part of Ferrari's highest echelon of repeat customers, we'll likely see the new supercar revealed either at next spring's Geneva Motor Show or next fall's Paris Motor Show. By which point they'll probably all be sold. [via Inside Line, Automotive News]
Pictured: Ferrari Enzo


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Goldman Sachs lines up $1.75 billion J C Penney loan: source
By Caleb Frazier and Alistair Barr
(Reuters) - Goldman Sachs has arranged a $1.75 billion financing package for J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N: Quote), backed by the department store chain's real estate and other assets, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday.
Shares of the ailing retailer closed 11.5 percent higher at $17 on Friday, having touched their highest levels in nearly two months, after CNBC first reported the financing had been arranged.
Penney spokesman Joey Thomas said the company does not comment on speculation or rumor. Goldman did not respond to a request for comment.
The retailer has not yet agreed to a deal and there is no guarantee it will, said the source, who did not want to be identified because the information was not public.
Penney, which ended the last fiscal year with less than $1 billion in cash, has been exploring various options to shore up capital after a steep sales slump followed a botched turnaround attempt by former CEO Ron Johnson.
"The debt will buy them time and get them through Christmas. Then you take each day at a time and try to win back customers slowly," said David Berman of Durban Capital, a hedge fund firm focused on retail and e-commerce.
While a debt deal of this type "would allow them to live for this year," Berman said, "it's hard to know what they'll need."
Under Johnson, Penney tried to eliminate coupons and turned off its core shoppers, leading to a 25 percent decline in sales last year. He was recently replaced by his predecessor, Myron Ullman, who is expected to return to the chain's previous strategy of discount pricing. Continued...


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The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that the automotive layoffs in Ontario continued to mount on Monday as the strike by 49,000 General Motors Co. workers in the United States halts the cross-border flow of parts and vehicles.
The Globe's Eric Atkins writes that GM stopped engine assembly work at its plant in St. Catharines, Ont., on Monday, sending another 725 people home as the strike by the United Auto Workers shuts down more than 50 U.S. factories and warehouses.
About 5,300 Unifor union members are laid off, including 3,300 at GM and 2,000 at the companies that supply GM with parts, transportation and other services, said Jerry Dias, national president of Unifor.
The number of job losses at the Ontario companies that supply the GM plants in Canada and the U.S. is not clear, but is expected to total in the thousands as the strike drags on and the economic damage spreads. Ontario's auto-parts makers employ 100,000 people and export $18-billion worth of components to the U.S. GM accounts for as much as 33 per cent of export and domestic sales. Mr. Dias said the laid-off Canadian workers sympathize with their striking U.S. counterparts, and support their move to shut down company operations.
© 2020 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.


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A leaked actually a draft SEC filing has revealed Google’s earnings for its third fiscal quarter results early before the company announced it officially later today. According to the leak, the company reports $14.1 billion in revenue with a net income of $2.18 billion. While, when compare with last quarter, the company makes $2.79 billion net on $12.21 billion in revenue. Result of this, the search giant stock hit a good low trading at below $690, compared to its $750+ price early this afternoon (local time). There is even more in the draft results, Motorola Mobility had $2.58 billion in revenue for the quarter and lost $527 million on a GAAP basis for the quarter. Well, we are not much time away from Google to release its results officially, stay tuned with us and we will bring live result updates. Update: Google Blame Its Financial Partner, RR Donnelley Over Premature Earnings Release
I2Mag, an Internet & Design Inspiration Magazine having emphasis on empowering and inspiring people by spreading the waves of knowledge. I2Mag is an independent news source dedicated to covering start-ups, reviewing internet products, social media, digital culture and technology news.


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By Platinum® Freight Management CEO Peter McRae
Canada’s $20 tax-free-threshold is about to rise to $200 after holding low at $20 for at least 30 years. It can be called a necessary response to an increasingly global marketplace, but the impacts of the change could be positive, negative or neutral, time will tell. I for one will be watching closely for the next year, as a Customs Broker licenced in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. We can look at Australia’s experience of a high tax-free threshold to consider the possible impacts of the change in Canada.
In an increasingly global marketplace, the economic cost of importing – and how to tax imports appropriately – is difficult to determine, but immensely important. There is no one answer on how governments should tackle their own Tax-Free Threshold (TFT), or if they should even have one (Canada and New Zealand have long sat in this camp). The magic number on a country’s TFT is still a work in progress. Australia has recently debated this issue and then aborted its own plans to change. Here we see Canada moving a little in Australia’s direction, so perhaps there is something Canada could learn from the Australian way.
Canada has operated an efficient import processing system for many years, working with an almost zero TFT. But in responding to a global marketplace and adjusting in order to participate more fully in it, can Canada remain efficient in the future?
The change from virtually no TFT to $200 TFT is modest. Compared to Australia’s $1000 threshold, we could say it will be too modest still. But it will still have impact, both positive and negative.
Canada, Mexico and the US have operated for years with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and this change could be tied up in discussions around NAFTA. We can surmise that, given that USA provides its citizens with an $800 threshold, a step is being made to increase trade between them. The change does promote spending, and the US wants Canadians to spend it in the US. On the flip side, it works for Canadian consumers too. Suddenly Canadians can access the same items cheaper, simply by buying across the border. The benefits of buying online will increase, particularly if the seller offers free shipping, which it often will. Good news for the purchaser, and for the international online retailer.
The postal companies and the express carriers will also win in two ways – they will get more business as shipping increases, and the packages will move through faster, unimpeded by red tape in Customs Processing, this translate to better efficiencies and impressive meeting of KPIs.
This is a huge advantage for the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) too. At present, every single parcel entering Canada must be verified from the declaration sticker or the consignment note to determine taxes due. If no tax processing is required, the requirement for CBSA officials to closely monitor each package will be significantly lessened. There will be huge reductions in bottlenecks to process and release small parcels. This takes the pressure off border processing staff. But it could also mean reductions in head count for processing teams.
Which leads us to the downsides.
Canada’s retail landscape will be heavily affected, as has been highlighted already by the Canadian Retail Association. The change upsets the playing field for Canadian retailers. Customers will continue to try on items in store, where retailers are paying for rent, insurance, utilities, advertising and employment, as well as duty and GST on the items they import to sell locally. But after sampling in store, customers can buy online for less. Being so close to the US, shipping times will be short.
Australia has the same issue but, on our distant shores, the cost of shipping hikes up the price often beyond what the local retailer is charging. While our playing field is far from fair, distance can limit the financial appeal of buying online compared to buying locally.
Another major concern is around revenue loss through fraud. Yes, CBSA will collect less tax for goods worth under $200, that much is clear and a non-issue for Canada, but only if the declared value is accurate. Which, if it’s not being checked as closely, could be easier to get away with. Here’s where Australia is the example. The loss to Canada could move into the billions when Canada’s new TFT opens the flood gates. Let’s hope Canada heeds but does not follow the Australian example.
I have talked about this at length through the Australian lens. Less Customs officials examining the small print on the importing declarations, or not even checking the declarations if the value states under $200, means more parcels slip in unnoticed. If authorities are no longer looking, they are inviting importers to value far more expensive goods just under the limit and then just slip through unnoticed.
In March this year the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association has already addressed its concerns regarding fraud. The Financial Post reported in 2017 that Canada is already losing $1 billion in taxes via the postal system. If there is $1 billion being lost now, what will this figure be in two or five years under a looser system?
In Australia, importers don’t have any reason to be honest if they don’t have any reason to believe they will be caught. And in Australia they don’t get caught. But perhaps in Canada they will, it remains to be seen. The biggest stopgap will be the number of processing staff kept on, and the regulatory decisions about how much to check and how often.
Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States are parties to the World Customs Organization (WCO). In applying the WCO cross-border e-commerce framework of standards, it has been addressed that customs authorities will continue to face challenges around illicit trade and fraud. The WCO Customs Risk Management Compendium explains the risk significance matrix, if the consequence is high and if the likelihood is high then extensive management is required.
High likelihood must be countered with high consequence. Australia has not put in place high consequences to its high likelihood for fraud, which is where Canada could observe and learn. This will be the difference between massive economic loss over time and an importing system that is moving with the times and responding to the increases in global trade.
About Peter McRae
Peter McRae is a Certified Customs Specialist in Canada and the USA. He is also a Certified Trade Compliance Specialist in Canada. With 20 years industry experience, McRae runs a successful customs brokerage that he founded in Australia in 2000. Platinum® Freight Management is a leading independent customs brokering and freight forwarding company operating in Australia and with international offices, including New Zealand and soon Canada.
In 2015 McRae was named one of the top Australian customs brokers at the annual Shipping and Maritime Industry Awards.
With his extensive experience, McRae guides clients, from individuals to SMEs and large businesses, through the complex and little understood Customs system for importing and exporting.
McRae holds a Masters of International Customs Law and Administration as well as a Masters of International Revenue Administration through the University of Canberra.
He has taught Customs Brokering at Australia’s TAFE education institution for nine years and is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security through Charles Sturt University.
Platinum® Freight also runs professional industry workshops to educate businesses about Customs processes.


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As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, El Palote Panaderia, Pleasant Grove’s beloved vegan taqueria, is approaching contact-free delivery in a decidedly unique way: with a robot.
Following the countywide order requiring restaurants to close their dining rooms, El Palote Panaderia closed its doors for a few weeks before reopening for takeout service. In that time, they developed “Palote Bot,” a remote-controlled delivery option that allows diners to pick up their orders without having to make contact with an actual human.
Check out Palote Bot in action here:
To make Palote Bot, the shop’s owners mounted a tablet onto a board that’s wearing an El Palote t-shirt and riding around on a remote-controlled Jeep that’s outfitted with a clear plastic box. Orders go inside the box, and the delivery robot wheels out orders from inside the restaurant out to diners’ cars.
“Honestly, the robot came from a desperate need to calm my anxiety about the current situation and give our customers something to laugh at when they come to pick up food,” says Aaron Arias, whose parents own El Palote. “I call him the Palote Bot, but he doesn’t really have an official name. People seem to love the concept and it gets a good laugh from anyone that sees the little dude.”
For folks who are unfamiliar with El Palote Panaderia, the restaurant has earned raves even from carnivores for its vegan tacos, burritos, and lard-free pan dulce. The restaurant is currently operating Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., which means that diners have plenty of opportunities to see Palote Bot in action.


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Health & Fitness »
Nine-week-old Elijah Cook heard his mother's voice for the first time thanks to a pair of tiny hearing aids from the Children's Hospital of Minnesota.
A group of international researchers claim their findings on stroke treatment are "a game-changer."
Pairing concentrated maple syrup with antibiotics may help the body fight off infection more effectively, a new study suggests.
Well … I didn’t finish last. Far from it. Actually, I placed somewhere close to the middle of the pack — 84,671st place overall, to be exact.
As Advertised in the Calgary SUN
Two Sonoma wines to try this weekend
With the Pan Am Games coming to Canada in July, we suspect eating healthy and getting into shape is going to be on everyone's radar.
Canadian chef invents the 'Poutine Tornado'
I never lament a loaf of bread getting a bit stale in our house. It opens the culinary doors to a host of other dishes.
A recently discovered B.C. colony of glass sponges — described as a marine “herd of dinosaurs” due to their supposed extinction 30 million years ago — is now at risk of destruction by fisheries.
Canadian designers and eBay help youth dress to impress
Gisele Bundchen, the world's highest paid model, has taken her last strut down the catwalk at Sao Paulo Fashion Week, retiring from the runway after 20 years.
Swimwear brand, Everything But Water has collaborated with 30 different designers for a swim collection inspired by 30 iconic pop culture moments.
Vintage influences and minimalism are still dominating in the fashion world - and there’s no better way to wear both of those at once than with a plain white T-shirt.


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While businesses across the state are taking the recommended precautions to protect employees and customers, two Sturgeon Bay restaurants are reopening after dealing with the coronavirus head-on. Culver’s and the McDonald’s location on Egg Harbor Road both voluntarily closed their doors last week after having team members test positive for COVID-19. The restaurants got thorough cleanings during their week closed while Culver’s owner Austin Hildebrand and McDonald’s operator Ryan Larson made sure they would be adequately staffed when they reopened. Hildebrand says they are taking more precautions to keep customers and employees safe while they go through the drive-through.
During its closure, Culver’s collected 100 items of food and will donate another $100 for Feed my People Clothe My People Door County.


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Move over, Google: the latest version of Apple’s iOS search assistant, Siri, uses Microsoft’s Bing for searches.
Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Internet Software and Services for Apple, showed off the Bing integration as part of the announcements at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on Monday, inserting it into the discussion without fanfare.
Apple alliance looks like a win for Microsoft
While that revelation may be a small one compared to Apple’s other WWDC announcements — iOS 7, OS X “Mavericks”, and a refreshed MacBook Air, among others—it’s a big one for Microsoft, which has significantly trailed Google in terms of overall search share. In April, about 66.5 percent of U.S. searches were performed using Google’s sites, compared to 17.3 percent for Microsoft, according to comScore. Historically, Siri has defaulted to Google, although you could still order it to search via Bing or other search providers.
But if Microsoft can’t win by competing directly against Google, its new strategy could be to flank it: The company has inked search deals with Yahoo, and Bing is the search engine for Facebook’s Graph Search as well. It’s too early to tell whether the deals are paying off, as Microsoft continues to report losses within its online division, albeit decreasing ones. Research firm comScore reported that Microsoft’s U.S. search share is now 17.3 percent, up almost half a percentage point from a month ago.
Bing gets second priority in searches
However, Microsoft’s role in its relationships with Apple and Facebook is essentially a backstop. If Facebook can’t supply an answer to a query itself, it defaults to Bing, and Microsoft can serve up its own results. As an example, a user can search for “friends that live in Chicago,” and Facebook will generate a list of the user’s friends that live in the Windy City. But if Facebook can’t answer the query, “where can I eat in Chicago, ” those results are fulfilled by Bing.
Because Apple and Facebook have a vested interest in making sure that those results aren’t lost to Bing, the arrangement seems designed to deliver a smaller share of searches to Microsoft over time. For example, one might think that the phrase “pizza restaurants in Chicago” might automatically refer a search to Bing. But Facebook taps into its own social graph, parsing it for references to pizza restaurants in Chicago, and returning results within its own context. Likewise, a search for “best pizza restaurant in Chicago” makes a recommendation based on its users’ Likes.
Microsoft’s alliance with Yahoo remains fragile
Yahoo’s relationship with Microsoft is more direct, as Bing powers Yahoo’s search results. However, with Yahoo, Microsoft hasn’t been able to deliver the search traffic that Yahoo has contractually required. Microsoft guaranteed Yahoo’s revenue per search on its properties for 18 months after the transition of its paid search services to Microsoft’s platform. But Yahoo, although it signed an extension of the deal with Microsoft last month, reportedly hasn’t been happy with the deal and has sought a way out.
Nevertheless, a Bing-Siri deal, as well as future integrations with search-like services, could mean that Microsoft slowly gains share over time. It’s a strategy worth watching.
Correction: One of the search metrics was misattributed to Google. It should have been attributed to comScore.


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in China devoted to the fight against pyramid administrative regulations "regulations prohibit pyramid schemes", implemented since November 1, 2005, the legal system is mainly designed for traditional MLM, because this WeChat social networking tools have not appeared, for this new type of MLM did not involve.
recently, CCTV reported the first domestic WeChat pyramid schemes, claiming to be "Asian hypnotist" Chen under the banner of "millionaire" banner, taught in Nanjing, Shanghai and other places, to teach people to use WeChat, the agency, the development of new members and let everyone buy these courses, borrow the money about 4600000 yuan. Recently, this is the first case in Nanjing WeChat MLM case in Xuanwu court.
WeChat quickly promote the rapid development of micro vendors. Data show that the current micro business number has exceeded the 10 million mark, and the derivative of concomitant, fake, fraud and other derivative chaos also appears superimposed, especially the "micro business pyramid" with the "Internet plus" coat, bring more confusion, to the derivative of healthy rise cast a shadow.
need to see is that the current law according to the micro dealer marketing governance there are still lagging behind the law. Our country devoted to the fight against pyramid administrative regulations "regulations prohibit pyramid schemes", implemented since November 1, 2005, the legal system is mainly designed for traditional MLM, because this WeChat social networking tools have not appeared, for this new type of MLM did not involve. This gives the industry and commerce, public security and other departments to combat micro business MLM has brought some constraints.
from the evidence, "derivative MLM" just happen in the network virtual society acquaintances, compared with the traditional marketing is more extensive, interactive, relative to other network crimes more hidden characteristics, which determines the industry and commerce, public security departments of law enforcement forensics is relatively more difficult to pin down. Law enforcement investigators pay attention to the facts as the basis, to the law as the criterion, the evidence is difficult and even some acts can not obtain evidence, it is bound to let some criminals can not be punished, and even escape punishment.
From the investigation of
measures, "the prohibition of marketing regulations" provisions of the eight kinds of measures to investigate, but many measures not applicable, such as derivative schemes shall be ordered to stop activities, seized suspected pyramid business premises, given the convenience of WeChat account application, even for suspected pyramid selling activities WeChat account to be closed down, too to apply for an account to continue the implementation of related activities. Not only that, for micro dealer marketing, as well as many aspects of law enforcement procedures, legal liability and other aspects need to be further refined and clear, for law enforcement investigators, the implementation of regulations to provide clear guidelines.
micro business innocence, pyramid selling bad reputation. The "derivative MLM" is parasitic on the micro organism’s vampire on the governance must keep pace with the times, MLM, MLM see new trends, accelerate the improvement of relevant laws and regulations, "micro business MLM" out of time as legal medicine. However, the revision and improvement of relevant laws and regulations have strict procedures, can not be done overnight, in the face of increasingly severe "micro business pyramid scheme", the need for law enforcement agencies to use existing law >


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It seems that Google will begin placing a heavier emphasis on mobile sites when populating mobile search results on smartphones. The implications of this formula shift reach far and wide, as mobile optimized sites will receive preferential treatment over desktop only sites. This could have a vast effect on what nearby businesses receive exposure when their industry (restaurant, mechanic etc.) is searched from a mobile device.
The new formula is set to roll out Tuesday and will have companies kicking their developers into gear. Itai Sadan, the CEO of the website-building service Duda told AP “Some sites are going to be in for a big surprise when they find a drastic change in the amount of people visiting them from mobile devices.”
This marks what is likely the most significant change that Google has made to its mobile search rankings in recent memory. The new search results will highly favor “mobile friendly” sites, with an emphasis on quick loading time, optimization for scrolling through information, and sites whose buttons and interfaces work well on smaller screens.
In recent years it has become more common for consumers to make purchasing decisions from results they found on their smartphones. When users are out and about wondering where to go, they often turn to Google for answers. With mobile friendly sites now rising to the top, it is very feasible that some poorly designed restaurant websites, for example, could take a hit.
In the final three months of 2014, just under 30 percent of all online searches were made on mobile devices, amounting to about 18.5 billion searches, two-thirds of which were processed by Google. While the reasoning behind the shift is certainly sound, it is likely to create an uproar among small businesses. Smaller operations who may not have had the need or the resources to optimize their site for mobile will not find their hands forced, or see their search rankings drop to the back pages.
- Google can create the perfect Pixel phone — if it changes one thing
- Your next Samsung phone might ditch Google Search for Bing
- Your Google One plan just got 2 big security updates to keep you safe online
- Does the Google Pixel Watch have fall detection? Not yet, but it’s coming soon
- Is the Google Pixel Watch waterproof? Read this before getting it wet


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- Expansion into Germany, Austria and Switzerland sees the company open up an office in DACH region
ADYOULIKE, pioneers in native advertising and the world’s leading in-feed native platform, announced its expansion to the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). The expansion is set to capitalize on the fast growing DACH market, with Germany likely to be Europe’s second biggest native advertising destination, with investments reaching an estimated $4.4 billion by 2020.
As part of this expansion, ADYOULIKE has appointed advertising industry veteran Alexander Franke to head up the region, as Vice President of Publisher Development.
Alexander is an expert in publisher development with a considerable track record in establishing companies in the German market, including in the past with Plista and Veeseo. He joins ADYOULIKE from Evania video GmbH where he held the position of Director Publisher Development and played a key role in that company’s sales growth.
ADYOULIKE works with some of world’s largest publishers, including Condé Nast and Trinity Mirror, to produce global native advertising inventory, with demand managed on its ADYOULIKE DNA exchange platform. This is currently the largest native advertising supply-side platform (SSP) available on a global scale. The ADYOULIKE DNA technology platform allows for any form of content to be automatically customised and distributed seamlessly to any device.
The fast growing company is already active in 18 countries and currently has more than 80 employees. In October 2016, ADYOULIKE completed a series B financing round of $5 million to drive further global expansion. Meanwhile, in November, in a world first, it integrated IBM Watson into its DNA native advertising platform to enhance semantic targeting for native advertising. In addition to this, the company also expanded into the US marketing in March of this year.
Julien Verdier, CEO and Co-Founder, ADYOULIKE, said, “The native advertising market continues to mature and grow all across the world, especially in non-English speaking countries. Given that the DACH region is the fourth largest advertising market in the world and that German investments will be worth $4.4 billion in less than three years in native advertising, expanding into the DACH region makes total sense for us.”
Regarding his appointment, Alexander said,”I’m looking forward to the challenge of establishing ADYOULIKE in the DACH market. I am confident that we can quickly establish ourselves as the best solution for publishers in the region, thanks to the industry-leading technology we offer. Our goal is to achieve double-digit growth within the next year and we believe that we will achieve our ambitious goals.”


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Our newest update introduces support for more than 70 new Samsung Exynos devices and 7 new procedures to be added this week. The most recently supported devices are equipped with SoCs: Exynos 8535 (alias Exynos 1330) and Exynos 8835 (alias Exynos 1380), including:
Read codes procedure now supports even more devices:
As a reminder, with the new Samsung Exynos features, Chimera users now can:
Stay tuned for future updates, starting next week! We'll bring you more World First solutions like MDM remove.
In most cases, using Test Points is necessary to start the phone in EUB (Exynos Usb Booting) mode to run the procedures. Visit our Guides at https://chimeratool.com/en/docs and Test Point Database https://chimeratool.com/test-points to learn more.
You can find various tutorial videos online about our new features here.


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One thing that has taken fans out of the experience is how video game heroes look nothing like the actors who portrayed them on the big screen. Perhaps that is why someone used deep fake technology to make a Marvel’s Avengers trailer featuring the CG faces of the MCU cast.
YouTuber BabyZone has decided to have a crack at inserting the likeness of Robert Downey, Jr, Mark Ruffalo and others into the upcoming live service title. The video uploaded by YouTuber BabyZone imagines what the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers would look like if the characters had the likeness of the MCU cast. The core cast is seen in the video including Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Robert Downy Jr. The video adds deep fake technology to paste CG versions of the cast’s faces onto their video game counterparts, and creates for an interesting departure from the game’s official CG launch trailer that recently dropped.
The effects were achieved via the use of AI machine learning DeepFake technology, specifically DeepFaceLab 2.0. It was used to make the digital face models for each actor. The entire process took well over a month to finalize. The software was trained over one million iterations in order to achieve the final version. A hugely time-consuming task, but the content creator does not intend to stop there. When Marvel’s Avengers launches, BabyZone says they will have full access to cutscenes, enabling the creation of more fan-made deepfakes.
Apparently, the effects look good on some of the characters, but fall into the dreaded uncanny valley with others. The consensus online seems to be that Captain America, Black Widow, and Iron Man look the best in the video. Conversely, Thor and Banner look off-putting, because their faces and haircuts do not mesh well onto the video game models. However still, the video evidently took a lot of work and is a sight worth seeing.
Unfortunately, the publisher Square Enix would have never been able to use the cast’s faces for Marvel’s Avengers, because they would have to secure the rights from Disney, that is notorious for keeping a tight grip on its IPs. Even, if the developer did get the rights, it would still have to make the new faces for all the characters in the game that did not make an appearance in the MCU. A recent datamine leak hints which fans are going to get to play a number of lesser-known characters including Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, Mockingbird, Mar-Vall, and Quake.
Marvel’s Avengers is an action game that promises to merge its campaign with an expansive multiplayer experience. The game has been delayed several times, but is set to launch the first week of September. Responses after playing the Avengers open beta, that closed August 23 have largely been mixed. For your information, Marvel’s Avengers is out September 4th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and Stadia. Versions for the Xbox Series X and PS5 are also in development. Two characters, Hawkeye and Spider-Man have been confirmed for post-launch release.


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Dallas-based Nothing Bundt Cakes opens bakery in Wichita Falls
After a quick snip of a ribbon, Wichita Falls newest bakery, Nothing Bundt Cakes, celebrated its grand opening Thursday morning.
According to a press release, “Julie and Steve Doty, along with son Hunter, are excited about opening their new bakery in Wichita Falls.” The family compares Wichita Falls to Amarillo, where they own another bakery, and said, “there are many synergies between the two communities.” The family said they are thrilled to be able to double the amount of joy they can bring.
Dallas based Nothing Bunt Cakes was founded in 1997, and has grown to 370 franchised and corporate bakeries.
The Wichita Falls bakery is located at 3916 Kemp Boulevard in the shopping center behind Olive Garden and is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.


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Because the US unites to rejoice its workforce on Labor Day 2022, corporations are shutting up retailer for the day so, for these making an attempt to determine on up groceries this Labor Day, we uncover whether or not or not or not Kroger is open.
Every yr on the primary Monday in September, a whole bunch and a whole bunch of People are given an prolonged three-day weekend because of the nation recognises the employees who helped develop the US into the nation everybody is aware of and love correct this second.
As such, massive numbers of corporations of assorted sizes are closed every Labor Day to permit staff break day to rejoice the nationwide journey.
Whereas the overwhelming majority of public corporations are closed for the day, some corporations do hold open – nonetheless it may very well be powerful to maintain up up with which of them are closed. What about grocery retailer huge Kroger?
Is Kroger open on Labor Day 2022?
When you’ve bought family and friends coming spherical to rejoice the extended weekend nonetheless you’re working low on last-minute occasion offers, fret not! Kroger has your as soon as extra for grocery necessities as retailers are open on Monday, September 5, aka Labor Day 2022.
Though specific opening hours may differ barely from retailer to retailer, the shop locator perform on the official Kroger web site on-line reveals numerous branches will shield their doorways open from 7am till 11pm.
Regardless of that, we nonetheless advocate defending on the secure facet this Labor Day by checking the precise opening hours of your native division on the shop locator forward of your go to correct this second.
Kroger’s last-minute Labor Day sale
Kroger is having a sale too by the use of an intensive Labor Day Grilling Necessities fluctuate for anybody planning a last-minute journey barbecue.
Full with 4 ranges – meat, seafood, veggies and plant-based – Kroger may be providing prospects a Grilling Information so these with zero barbecue expertise don’t must go hungry this Labor Day.
Kroger is providing present corporations on all its sale objects and free retailer pick-up on just some of them.
For full particulars on Kroger’s Labor Day reductions, verify correct proper right here.
Extra retailers staying open on Labor Day 2022
Fortunately for buyers, Kroger isn’t the one enterprise remaining open on Labor Day 2022.
Whereas some corporations may differ from division to division, CNN tales the following chains may be open to the general public on Monday, September 5:
- Dealer Joe’s
As on an everyday foundation, although, verify your native division’s opening hours on-line prior to heading out in your Labor Day searching for.


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The Ford Mustang Mach-E has also been modified in several other ways. For example, loading times have been reduced by between 80 and 90 percent from 52 to 15 minutes. Furthermore, by using the One Pedal Drive system, the control becomes smoother at low speeds, providing more comfort for the Mustang Mach-E driver.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E has been on sale in Europe for over a year now and continues to win over new customers. About 88 percent of all buyers have switched brands because of the driving pleasure, bold styling and Ford’s first all-electric SUV lineup.
Current Mustang Mach-E owners also benefit from the latest updates via software updates or homologation. With the future of software programming over-the-air, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is constantly being improved.


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Gameloft Launches Voice Chat Over LTE
For all those gaming fanatics out there, Gameloft known to be one of the pioneers in the gaming industry has announced that they have established a partnership with Verizon in enabling in-game voice chat feature over the 4G LTE network. This will pave way for newer dimensions as far as android gaming is concerned. Popularity of android gaming is at its peak with increasing demand for mobile gaming across the international market.
The luckiest game which is about to get this feature is the popular Ashphalt 6. Multiplayer will also be enabled over the 4G LTE network. Gameloft is one of those companies that have always succeeded in providing the gamers with a complete mobile gaming experience and the company feels that these advanced features will eventually pave the way for future.
As per the demo that was shown by Gameloft, as of now, only a maximum of three players will be able to play as well as talk simultaneously.


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Online gaming giant PartyGaming Plc., has agreed to pay $250 million in cash to Empire Online, owner of Empire Poker and Noble Poker, in return for acquiring former PartyPoker.com skin Empire Poker. The agreement settles an ongoing legal battle between the two Internet gaming firms.
Empire Online originally sought $1 billion in damages from PartyGaming following a contract dispute that erupted between the former partners last fall.
Then, PartyGaming moved its PartyPoker.com players to an improved operating platform, separating them from Empire Poker players and causing Empire to lose a chunk of its player base. Empire Online subsequently launched a lawsuit against PartyGaming in the Gibraltar High Court claiming breach of contract and damages.
The agreement reached this week will see PartyGaming acquiring the business, assets, player databases, and intellectual property relating to Empire Poker, including the Empire Poker brand and the Empire Poker website.
Empire Online agreed to withdraw all legal claims against PartyGaming as part of the settlement.
"This acquisition brings our skins strategy to a close and consolidates our leading position in online poker ahead of the launch of the fully-integrated, Party-branded platform," PartyGaming CEO Richard Segal said in a statement.
PartyGaming Launches New Platform
Empire Online & PartyGaming Take It To The Courts


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The suspect walked into the Home Depot at 131-35 Avery Ave. about 11:15 a.m. Nov. 17 and started pulling items off the shelves, police said.
When the suspect tried to leave the store without paying for the items, a Home Depot worker confronted him, and the suspect responded by pulling out a gun and fleeing with the stolen goods, police said.
Police described the suspect as a bald man, 5-foot-11 to 6-foot-2, weighing 200 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577.
All calls are strictly confidential.


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Pirelli shareholder accord boosts M&A speculation with Brembo, analysts say
MILAN (Reuters) - An accord for Brembo to align voting with Camfin at Pirelli shareholder meetings supports speculation of an eventual merger between the Italian tyre maker and Brembo, analysts said on Wednesday.
Camfin is an investment vehicle of Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera and has a 14.1% stake in the company with options to buy a further 4.6%. Brembo - controlled by the Bombassei family - has a 6% shareholding.
The Brembo-Camfin shareholder agreement, announced on Tuesday, came two weeks after Pirelli's largest shareholder, Sinochem, denied a report it was considering selling its 37% stake. The report rekindled speculation of a change in Pirelli's controlling structure, potentially resulting in a mandatory takeover.
Intesa Sanpaolo analyst Monica Bosio said in a note that investors could look at the new shareholders' pact as a preliminary step towards a potential combination between the manufacturer of tyres for high-end vehicles, such as Ferrari and Porsche, and premium brakes maker Brembo.
"A merger (...) would create a bigger and important player in the premium car market," Bosio said.
Akros analysts said a merger could be a medium-term scenario.
Pirelli, which is also the sole supplier tyres for Formula One, has a market cap of 4.8 billion euros ($5.1 billion), in line with Brembo's 5 billion euros.
By 1030 GMT Milan-listed shares in Pirelli were up 1.9%, while Brembo's were up 0.6%.
However, analysts say synergies from a Pirelli-Brembo combination would be marginal, except for in limited areas.
"Other reasons may have driven the decision, including the medium/long-term need for the top management succession at both companies," Akros analyst Gian Marco Gandini said in a note.
Camfin has a separate shareholders' agreement with Sinochem.
Equita's Emanuele Gallazzi said the Brembo-Camfin agreement reduced the likelihood of an outside takeover as any new investors in Pirelli would have to reach an agreement with shareholders led by Camfin.
"The most like scenario remains the creation of a hard core of Italian investors led by Camfin, able to take a relevant role when the Chinese exit," he said.
Brembo and Camfin had no further comments on Wednesday, while Pirelli was not available for comments.
($1 = 0.9396 euros)
(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Sharon Singleton)


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Citi has launched Citi Corporate Chip and PIN card, a compliant smart card designed for US corporate cardholders traveling abroad.
The cards, which were developed to meet clients’ needs, include an embedded microprocessor.
According to Citi, the new smart card allows clients to use their US commercial cards while traveling to regions where merchants are more familiar with chip cards and for use at un-manned kiosks where an agent is not always available to run the transaction through a Point of Sale device.
Citi said the key benefits of the new card solution include enhanced security, improved convenience.
Citi head of North America global transaction services Julie Monaco said many of their clients are leading multinational organizations with cardholders that travel extensively. They require a payment product that can meet their needs wherever their business takes them and Citi is at the forefront of bringing this product innovation to their commercial card clients.


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(Reuters) - British luxury brand Burberry (BRBY.L) said on Thursday the popularity of collections by its new chief designer Riccardo Tisci helped the group make up for lost sales in Hong Kong in the first half and it was sticking with year-end targets.
Chief Executive Marco Gobbetti is moving Burberry further upmarket in the luxury segment and Tisci came on board last year. His designs now account for 70% of the products in store.
Gobbetti said Burberry remained on track to deliver the first phase of his turnaround strategy despite the unrest in Hong Kong which has affected sales in the top luxury shopping destination.
Sales in Hong Kong fell by a “double digit” amount in its first half and the company expects trading in the former British territory to remain under pressure.
Nevertheless, Burberry, famous for its trench coats, reported first-half revenue of 1.28 billion pounds ($1.64 billion), up 3% in constant exchange rates. Comparable store sales in the second quarter rose 5%, up from 4% in the first.
The shares rose 5.2% higher at 0953 GMT.
“We delivered financial results in line with guidance despite the decline in Hong Kong and we confirm our outlook for FY 2020,” Gobbetti said.
Burberry expects broadly stable top-line growth and adjusted operating margin for the year but warned on Thursday that gross margin for 2019-20 will be down around 150 basis points, 50 basis points worse than its previous forecast, partly due to the civil unrest in Hong Kong which shows no sign of abating.
“We have seen a significant decline in Hong Kong across the half, largely driven by a fall in Chinese visitor spend,” Chief Financial Officer Julie Brown told reporters.
“In order to protect our staff at times we have closed stores where there have been protests occurring,” she said.
Brown said Hong Kong was for Burberry, as for most luxury players, a higher margin market. Its percentage of Burberry’s total group sales fell from 8% to 5% in the most recent quarter.
The group has 12 stores in Hong Kong and has no intention of closing them permanently, she said.
“But what we are doing is very focused on working with the landlords to secure reductions in the rental levels given the significant drop in the business.”
Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay remains the world’s most expensive shopping street for rent, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield released on Wednesday.
Burberry will take 14 million pounds of store impairments relating to Hong Kong. It is also investing in product quality and is shifting older product lines with deeper discounts, which is impacting gross margin.
Its first half adjusted pro forma operating profit declined 4% at constant exchange rates to 187 million pounds.
“Management has made good progress so far building the foundation to revitalize the brand but Burberry is now up against a less favorable external/competitive backdrop,” said RBC Europe analyst Rogerio Fujimori.
In an effort to increase reach into the lucrative Chinese market, Burberry has partnered with China’s Tencent (0700.HK) to develop what it called “social retail” in China, it said on Thursday.
“Together we will pioneer a concept that blends social media and retail, creating digital and physical spaces for engaged communities to interact, share and shop,” it said.
The deal will see Burberry open the first social retail store in Shenzhen, in the first half of 2020, utilizing Tencent technology.


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Last night I tuned into Phil Schiller's keynote speech from the WWDC 2009. There was a lot of cool information / techie stuff, but the most important parts in my mind were the release dates of the new 3.0 OS, and the new iPhone 3GS. And, of course, the prices.
A quick recap here for you all (I was twitting it last night)
The new iPhone 3.0 OS will be released on June 17th. It will be free to iPhone users, and $9.99 for iPod Touch users. (WOOHOO!)
The new iPhone 3GS will be released on June 19th, in the U.S and Europe (Definitely for the U.S, and I think that's the same for Europe). It will be $199 for the 16GB version, and $299 for the 32GB version, and only available in Black or White, no fancy colours.
There you go iPhone people, some good news. If you want to recap the speech yourself, go here.


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Morinville – Walking through the doors of Higher Grounds on 100 Avenue one is immediately struck with the welcoming ambiance of the coffee shop. The tables and chairs are modern looking; there’s a pair of comfy leather set off to the side for a little extra luxury; a big screen silently plays the news of the day, and there is a little smooth jazz playing on the stereo – jazzy enough to let you know you are in a cutting-edge coffee shop and low key enough that it would be appropriate background music for anyone to sip their chai latte to.
While the name and location is new, the volunteer-run, non-profit coffee shop is not. Higher Grounds, located in the former Go Bike store, began life as New Beginnings, located a couple doors down in the current CX Shooters location.
“We started having a coffee bar about 2005,” said Crystal Terhorst, one of the volunteers who help run the non-profit coffee shop, adding the original incarnation of the business was on a smaller scale. “We wanted to have a place where people could come and relax and have a good cup of coffee.”
But the coffee shop wanted to expand, and moving two doors down has allowed them to do just that while maintaining their original vision.
“Our vision is to be a place where people can meet, where young people can release their music,” Terhorst said, adding the coffee shop is planning to host CD release events for local musicians. “We’re going to have what’s called Hot Dogma nights. People can come in and read their poetry if they think they’re talented. They can read poetry; they can do stand up; they can maybe do a song or something. We want to have some of these things as an alternative to the bar scene on Friday nights for young people.”
Terhorst said while the shop closes at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, they stay open until 11 p.m. on Friday nights to provide that venue for Morinville youth.
But late hours on Friday is not the only way Higher Grounds gives back to the community in which they operate. Being non-profit, proceeds go back into the community.
“When people buy coffee here, they are actually paying it forward into the community,” Terhorst said. “We’ve given to places like the Food Bank. We’ve given to places like Victim Services, the youth centre, different charities here in Morinville.”
Higher Grounds, while supporting a wide-range of charitable initiatives in Morinville also cater to a diverse clientele, one that is not confined to any one age group or any one taste in hot beverages. The coffee shop carries a wide range of coffees and specialty beverages to enjoy in the shop or to take back to work.
“People are just finding out about us,” Terhorst said, adding they will continue to promote the shop through contests, events and word of mouth. “We get new people every day, so it’s been very good.”
In addition to people dropping in for coffee, Higher Grounds can also be booked as a place to hold group meetings.
The coffee shop is open Tuesday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m.


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Great news just hit our desk! Safaricom roaming charges for calls and data have just been lowered by up to 99% for more than 200 networks worldwide.
Isn’t it great? Where on earth could you find such reduction?
Safaricom Subscribers will now be able to make calls at reduced rates.
On the other hand, surfing on the internet has been made easy following the reduction in data roaming rates to Sh 14 per MB across 52 countries.
Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) reached the decision after conducting negotiations with its global network partners.
“Our new roaming rates progress our deliberate strategy to continuously invest in optimizing our customers’ experience in order to provide the best experience on our network,” said Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom.
Just to pick a random country; China for instance, the Safaricom customers in China will only part with Sh 50 to call back home while they relish calls for Sh 10 per minute within China via China Mobile.
Compared to previous rates of Sh360 for calls coming home and Sh130 for calls within China, the reduction is a relief to those who conduct business or have relatives abroad.
Similarly, data rates in China has dropped from Sh 1,900 to Sh 14 per MB when roaming using China Mobile and China Unicom.
The new rates will be applicable to both PrePay and PostPay subscribers with customers able to select their network of choice in the destinations that they travel to based on the rates on offer.
Also See: Safaricom’s Real-Time Refund For Network Related Call Disconnections.
“Our continued push to provide more value to customers is underpinned by our continued desire to empower customers so that we retain a relationship based on trust with them,” said Mr. Collymore.
Subscribers can check applicable rates for country they wish to travel and the preferred roaming network by visiting www.safaricom.co.ke.
Customers will also be able to compare roaming costs on different networks so as to decide which one to roam on.


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Initially, many people were confident that former Google executive Marissa Mayer would be able to turn things around for Yahoo as its CEO and President, but after three years of little progress, people are starting to lose hope, including the company’s board of directors. Apparently, the board is discussing potentially selling off Yahoo’s core business this week. The discussions come at a time when Yahoo has failed to introduce any successful products for years, and when most of the company’s value comes from its foreign investments.
The board of Yahoo will discuss potentially selling off the beleaguered Internet company’s core business during a series of meetings this week, people briefed on the plans said on Tuesday. Directors of the company will also discuss whether to move forward with plans to spin off Yahoo’s 15 percent stake in the Alibaba Group, the Chinese e-commerce giant. The board will weigh all its options, and it is unclear whether the directors will change course, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the plans. Still, the discussions — which will take place at a regularly scheduled board meeting — highlight the difficulties that have long troubled one of the most prominent Internet companies. The discussions are also sure to put attention squarely on Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s chief executive, and the company’s direction under her leadership. Although Ms. Mayer is credited with stabilizing the company, which was in rapid decline, Yahoo has introduced no breakthrough products during her three years at the helm and has fallen further and further behind competitors like Facebook and Google in the battle for advertising dollars.


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AT&T is gaining a bit on Verizon thanks to the iPhone. Last quarter AT&T sold 3.1 million iPhones and now has 85.1 million total subscribers.
Apple may have denied the Google Voice App for the iPhone, but Google has a workaround in place. The search giant has made a GV Web App that works with HTML5 mobile handsets including the iPhone.
If you are looking for a new free game app for your iPhone today, the game iStunt is available for free. The app is only free for today though so hop over and get it now.


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With the exception of those who live in Hawaii, residents of all states can either use their existing PayPal accounts or set up new ones. You can also use your cryptocurrencies to purchase products and services through the “Checkout with Crypto” feature. Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini offer Bitcoin and a growing number of altcoins. These three are probably the easiest on-ramps to crypto in the entire industry.
A CoinDesk report revealed that Bank of America had reportedly started offering crypto trading to some select customers. The report stated that Bank of America’s prime brokerage unit had begun the clearing and settlement of crypto exchange-traded products . Fidelity National Information, based in Jacksonville, Florida, caters to banks, providing access to services like chatbots or Apple Pay. It’s also a heavyweight in the payments industry, and two years ago bought processor Worldpay for $35 billion in the sector’s biggest acquisition to date. While Fidelity National Information, which is a vendor to banks with nearly 300 million checking accounts, will handle the link to lenders, NYDIG will take care of bitcoin custody and trade execution. Disclosures will make it clear that it is NYDIG, and not the banks, that handles the bitcoin, and the cryptocurrency won’t be FDIC-insured, according to Zhao. Until now, bitcoin adopters have relied on apps from a new generation of fintech players like free trading brokerage Robinhood, payments giants PayPal and Square, or crypto-centric firms like Coinbase. Banks, on the other hand, have steered clear of bitcoin for retail customers, only recently announcing plans to allow rich wealth management clients to be able to wager on the cryptocurrency. While the ethos of cryptocurrencies calls for cutting out middlemen and high fees, banks onboarding customers with the latter is perhaps better than the threat of card cancellations or account freezing.
Major Credit Cards
We offer the best route to buy Bitcoin using Visa or MasterCard. The best place to buy and store Bitcoin will keep a small percentage of your assets in a “hot wallet,” meaning on servers connected to the internet. This is done for liquidity purposes, to handle customer withdrawals and transfers. But reputable exchanges maintain insurance policies to protect against theft. Institutions getting into digital currencies do not always mean the institutions themselves are interested. Most likely, it’s due to their clients demanding ways to trade cryptos or taking their money elsewhere. The megabank had announced earlier in the year it was offering bitcoin futures trading to clients. Then in June, the bank had also come forward to say it was going to start offering Ether options and futures to clients. Goldman Sachs revealed it was doing this through a partnership with Galaxy Digital.
Each method below offers a different combination of cost, security and potential upside/downside. Here are five ways to buy bitcoins and some key factors that you need to watch. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts, who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. According to the report, the bank believes that CBDCs are a question of “when”, not “if”.
As of Friday February 2, Bank of America has stopped accepting credit card transactions from cryptocurrency exchanges. While debit cards are believed to be unaffected, customers of exchanges such as Coinbase will no longer be able to purchase crypto with credit card. As news.Bitcoin.com has previously reported, the growing number of people purchasing bitcoin on credit, a trend which peaked amidst December’s price rally, is a high-risk move that’s been widely criticized. A crypto exchange is a platform where people can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies. Many crypto exchanges also let customers store their crypto assets on the platform, and some even offer ways to earn passive income from crypto investments. Crypto exchanges usually only allow cryptocurrency trading, unlike a crypto broker, which also trades in securities like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. In terms of daily average trading volume, Kraken is the largest euro-denominated Bitcoin exchange in the world. All the bank transfer deposit methods from the customers of the United States, Japan, UK, Canada, and European Union are supported. You can make deposits through Interac, SEPA transfer, and international bank transfer.
The past months have seen big banks coming up with ways to expose their clients to crypto assets. Banks are currently barred by regulation from buying crypto assets directly. In light of this, the banks have made partnerships with crypto firms to bring things like bitcoin futures trading to clients. If you’re looking to purchase Bitcoin or other digital currencies as an investment, it’s important to keep costs to a minimum. Given the novelty of the crypto market, many brokers would love to maximize their commissions .
Bank Of America Sees Opportunities With El Salvadors Bitcoin Adoption
In addition to handling bitcoin custody and the integration work with core bank software providers, NYDIG has been writing model compliance documents banks could use as a guideline, Sells said. Then Lawrence analyzed how much of the company’s deposit base had left to go to Coinbase. Read more about LTC to BTC here. Three years ago, executives at the $7.1 billion-asset First Foundation were bitcoin skeptics, just like much of the industry. Over the past few months, banks, private companies, and fortune 500 companies have been slowly moving closer and closer towards Bitcoin adoption.
Hot wallets encompass mobile, desktop, web, and exchange account custody wallets. “We believe crypto-based digital assets could form an entirely new asset class. Bitcoin is important with a market value of ~$900bn, but the digital asset ecosystem is so much more,” said Bank of America analysts Alkesh Shah and Andrew Moss. Before purchasing bitcoins, research your exchange and credit card to find out whether your purchase will be categorized as a cash advance.
Our daily, weekly, or monthly savings options steadily convert your dollars to Bitcoin savings. Typical to mainstream analysts and economists, Bank of America failed to acknowledge the dividing line between Bitcoin and “crypto” with confused assumptions and a certain lack of understanding. BofA strategists miss the plot when they think “crypto” has actual value propositions—when in reality, all other “altcoins” don’t need a token or a blockchain in the first place. However, lured into altcoin novelty, BofA strategists might end up losing focus of what is truly going to disrupt finance and money—Bitcoin. Do you think Bank of America and Citigroup are opposed to bitcoin or are they simply trying to protect their customers from getting into debt? Your potential gain is related directly to whether you own the currency directly or via futures contract. By owning Bitcoin directly, your profit increases by a dollar with every dollar increase in the currency. In contrast, with futures you can gain much more quickly without having to front as much capital. However, your downside is more limited by owning directly, while you can lose more money with futures.
Can bitcoin go to 100k?
Bitcoin could reach $100k as early as 2023, Jurrien Timmer, Fidelity Investments director of global macro says. Timmer explains the Bitcoin rally and which type of investor truly fuels these runs, retail or institutional.
In 2014, Canada was the first country to approve regulation of cryptocurrencies, although it took some time to enforce. In February 2014, the Finance Minister mentioned plans to introduce anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regulations for virtual currencies such as Bitcoin. As of July 2020, businesses dealing in virtual currencies are considered MSBs by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. Announced plans to store and manage Bitcoin, and other digital assets on behalf of its clients. The other reason people buy bitcoin with a credit card is financial leverage.
Customers in Europe can buy crypto using SEPA bank transfer and enjoy high spending limits and no processing fees. Place orders of up to USD at a time, depending on verification level. Unlike credit card orders, SEPA transfers carry no additional processing fee. Choose the amount of Bitcoin you’d like to buy then choose SEPA, SWIFT or Faster Payments as your payment option. Follow the prompts to enter your Bitcoin wallet address and initiate a bank transfer payment.
At Suncrest, President and CEO Ciaran McMullan regularly gets inquiries from customers asking about cryptocurrency. “We’ve reached this adoption cycle where this disruptive asset, which was really a store of value, has become mainstream,” he said. About 20% to 30% of the U.S. population is invested in bitcoin, he said. But the company’s CEO began reading about bitcoin and hearing people say, “if you’re not already getting into this, you might already be too late,” Lawrence said. Our Binance.US app’s design keeps it simple and enables access advanced trading features, all in one place. Bulls say bitcoin’s use as a medium of exchange in normal commercial transactions will grow. Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. Yes, Binance Pay allows you to easily transfer value around the world, fast. You can buy Bitcoin online and send to anyone and anywhere with their Bitcoin address at ZERO fees.


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- Amazon updated its famous 14 leadership principles days before Jeff Bezos’ exit as CEO.
- The first new principle is “Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer,” a common Bezos refrain.
- The second is “Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility.”
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Amazon has amended its famous company values days before Jeff Bezos is set to step down as CEO.
The ecommerce giant announced Thursday that it has updated its leadership principles, a list of 14 guidelines that Bezos developed in the early days of Amazon. The list includes principles that have defined Amazon’s business, like “Customer Obsession,” “Frugality,” and “Deliver Results.”
The two new principles speak to the current size and scope of Amazon, which is now a $1.7 trillion business and one of the world’s biggest employers. The first new bullet – “Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer” – appears to speak to an internal push from employees last year to add “inclusion” to the leadership principles. The internal movement arose after corporate employees shared stories of experiencing racial and gender discrimination at the company.
While the new principle has a broader focus than diversity and inclusion – and echos a phrase Bezos has said numerous times in the past – it seems to be encouraging leaders to better manage their employees.
“Leaders work every day to create a safer, more productive, higher performing, more diverse, and more just work environment,” the principle reads. “They lead with empathy, have fun at work, and make it easy for others to have fun.”
Amazon also appears to be acknowledging the scale of its operations in its second new principle, “Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility.” The company has faced criticism for the working conditions its delivery drivers and warehouse workers experience, as well as its reputation on the world’s stage.
“We started in a garage, but we’re not there anymore,” the second principle reads. “We are big, we impact the world, and we are far from perfect. We must be humble and thoughtful about even the secondary effects of our actions. Our local communities, planet, and future generations need us to be better every day.”


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Lenovo wants to grab a slice of the budget tablet area while it’s hot and that’s why it has hit the FCC with a new slate for approval. It’s the Lenovo IdeaTab S6000 budget tablet with a 10 inch display and you can see the device below.
It could be coming to America pretty soon and this model was actually introduced back in February. It measures 0.34 inches in thickness, weighs around 1.2 pounds and has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and a 178 degree viewing angle. Specs include a 1.2 GHz MediaTek MTK8389 quad core processor, a chip that has been used by quite a number of Chinese slate makers and phone makers.
Lenovo is also a Chinese company, so we were expecting a processor like this. The IdeaTab S600 doesn’t have a price just yet, but we suppose it’s going to be less than $300, for some reason. The company will also launch new 7 inch tablets soon, including an IdeaTab A1000 with a dual core chip and an IdeaTab A300 with a MediaTek quad core chip.


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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (January 29, 2018) – Comptroller Peter Franchot is urging Marylanders to take advantage of big savings as part of the annual Shop Maryland Energy weekend from Saturday, February 17, through Monday, February 19. These three days, consumers will not pay the state’s six percent sales tax on qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances.
“Shop Maryland Energy weekend is a great time to take advantage of potentially hundreds of dollars in savings on ENERGY STAR products that are good for the environment,” Comptroller Franchot said. “Whatever modest sacrifice this tax-free shopping weekend creates for the state budget, it’s minimal compared to the relief consumers will feel when purchasing Energy Star products completely tax-free.”
The Comptroller will visit the following cities and towns to promote Shop Maryland Energy weekend. Details about each visit will be released ahead of the planned stops.
- Hagerstown: Tuesday, January 30
- Pikesville: Monday, February 12
- Cambridge: Thursday, February 15
- Silver Spring: Friday, February 16
During the Shop Maryland Energy event, air conditioners, washers and dryers, furnaces, heat pumps, standard-size refrigerators, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats that have been designated as meeting or exceeding the applicable ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy will be tax-free. A list of ENERGY STAR items may be found at energystar.gov/products or at marylandtaxes.com.
For more information on Shop Maryland Energy weekend or to download printable rack cards and shareable logos, visit marylandtaxes.com. For additional questions e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org or call 410-260-7980 (central Maryland) or toll-free at 1-800-MD-TAXES.


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Nords: Heroes of the North Stashes Guide
Nords: Heroes of the North offers an overview of its new Stashes system, a new way to get resources and PvP points.
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Stocks settled with little change after giving up small gains into the close, as investors engaged in a bit of profit taking after the unveiling of the Trump tax plan provided little new information.
Retailers rose, however, as seen in the 1% jump in the SPDR S&P 500 Retail ETF, after the tax plan made no mention of a border adjustment tax; the outperformance among the retailers helped the consumer discretionary sector (+0.5%) close ahead of the broader market.
The health care sector (+0.5%) also gained, despite reports that conservative House Republicans will support the new health care bill, as Thermo Fisher helped spark the group with a 5.8% advance on better than expected earnings and upbeat guidance.
However, Procter & Gamble's 2.5% drubbing after issuing disappointing revenue guidance weighed the consumer staples sector (-0.8%) to the bottom of the day's leaderboard.
U.S. Treasury prices settled slightly higher across the board, leaving the benchmark 10-year yield 2 bps lower at 2.31%.
U.S. crude oil ended 0.1% higher to settle at $49.62/bbl as U.S. government data revealed that crude supplies fell for a third week in a row.


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The price of Bitcoin exceeded $8000
At the moment, the value of cryptocurrencies is $8200
At this point the value of Bitcoin is $8200. For one day, the stock of bitcoin has grown 2% 48% % from November 12, 2017, when was reached a new record high of $5555.
- ALSO READ: bitcoin Price could reach $25 000.
In connection with a new record market capitalization of Bitcoin has reached a record level of over $242 billion.


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The man who runs Charlottesville Area Transit says he’s made it easier for bus riders to get to grocery stores. John Jones says this year’s route changes have affected the traffic volume for some stores. Jones says bus riders who live on Routes 4 and 6 had no direct access to grocery stores until CAT reconfigured the routes on January 4th. He suspects it’s added to the business of the Food Lion in Willoughby Square at the expense of the Pantops Food Lion.
Halloween is alive and well on the set of the hit ABC show "Dancing With the Stars."
Lawmakers will resume a debate on the U.S.-led fight against militants in Syria and Iraq.
New Orleans wrestled the top spot in the NFC South from their opponents.
The survivalist suspected of killing a state trooper in a sniper attack in September was finally arrested.
Insurers planning to sell health plans through the federal program expect at least 20 percent growth in customers.


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The next new local stamp will be issued on the 21st of December 2012 to mark the 240 years of the postal service. It will comprise with 5 stamps, a souvenir Sheet and First Day cover..... The theme will revolve around the history of around mail in Mauritius, an island rich in mailing history and the producer of the world famous Blue Penny.
The Mauritius post will hold a stamp/philatelic Exhibition on 21st November and renowned philatelist of Mauritian origin living in France M. Robert Marion, who is very much involved in such International Exhibitions in London will be in Mauritius on that occasion, says Giandev Moteea, CEO of Mauritius Post.
According to him, philately will survive as a pastime and postal Operators will continue to issue stamps of rarer and higher quality and which will be captivating the attention of philatelists around the world.
"In fact I see the phenomenon gaining popularity on a worldwide scale with the advent of electronic medium where people can buy/exchange easily over the Net" says Giandev Mooteea.
Philatelists interested in these first day cover can contact the Mauritius Post through mail at email@example.com.


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Peloton shares tumbled more than a quarter on Thursday after a report said the company was pausing production of its bikes and treadmills.
The company plans to halt production of its £1,350 internet-connected bikes in February and March, CNBC reported, citing internal documents.
Trading in Peloton’s New York-listed shares was halted following the report, with shares falling as much as 27pc before regaining some ground. Even before the latest plunge, the stock had lost about 80pc of its value in the past 12 months leaving the company worth £8.3bn.
Peloton suspended production of its more expensive Bike+ model last month and will not restart until June, according to CNBC. Peloton’s £2,295 treadmill will not be made for six weeks from next month, it added.
Peloton was contacted for comment.
Demand for its connected fitness equipment had seen a “significant reduction” around the world amid increasing competition from rivals and price sensitivity, according to the confidential presentation dated Jan 10 seen by the US news outlet.
The decline is a stark contrast with the early days of the pandemic when Peloton grappled with a spike in demand as locked-down consumers bought its bikes.
Its equipment allowed users to connect to virtual gym classes and personal trainers for a monthly fee of up to £39. Its customers include the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak.
Appetite for fitness, however, has waned in many parts of the world as life gradually returns to normal after the pandemic.
Peloton said in November it expected total sales of $4.4bn to $4.8bn for the year to June, down from a previous forecast of $5.4bn.
Revenues rose by just 6pc to $805m for the three months to September 30 compared with the previous quarter and it reported a $376m net loss.
PelIt previously admitted it had underestimated the impact of economies reopening around the world after a string of lockdowns.