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As we reported earlier this month, the effects of the corona pandemic have frozen the island’s property market with sales during April falling by 80 percent compared to April 2019.
Further analyses of the April sales by the Department of Lands & Surveys reveals that both the local and overseas market sales have been affected:
Domestic property sales
Property sales to the domestic market (which accounted for 58% of all sales in the month) fell by 85% compared to April 2019 with sales falling in all districts.
Limassol recorded the biggest fall, down 92% compared to the same month last year. Sales in Famagusta fell 90%, sales in Larnaca fell 82%, while sales in Nicosia and Paphos fell 79% and 70% respectively.
Overseas property sales
Property sales to the overseas market fell by 71% compared to April 2019 with sales falling in all districts.
Hardest hit was Famagusta, where sales were down 89%, followed by Larnaca, where sales fell 84% and Nicosia, where sales were down 72%. Meanwhile, sales in Paphos and Limassol fell 67% and 64% respectively.
Sales to EU citizens
Sales to EU citizens fell 66% compared with April 2019 with sales falling in all districts. There were no sales of property to EU nationals in Larnaca, Nicosia reported an 84% drop and Nicosia an 82% drop. Meanwhile, sales in Paphos and Limassol fell 50% and 43% respectively.
Sales to non-EU citizens
Sales to non-EU citizens fell 73% compared to April 2019 with sales falling in all districts. Property sales in Famagusta fell 95%, while sales in Larnaca fell 78%. Meanwhile sales in Paphos, Limassol and Nicosia fell by 75%, 68% and 54% respectively.
What of the future?
Writing in the Financial Mirror, the CEO of Danos & Associates Panos Danos said “The effects of the pandemic on Cyprus real estate are intensifying” noting that “Demand from abroad, which has led to a market recovery in recent years, primarily in Limassol and Paphos, is now almost non-existent.”
But on a positive note he wrote that “Buying a home, however, both in times of crisis and otherwise, is always a necessity. People will never stop buying or renting homes. In Cyprus, most developments are qualitative and if their price levels remain reasonable, they will soon be met by demand.
“Of course, everything will depend on the length as well as the depth of the crisis and the economic aftershocks it will leave on the property market.”
Speaking to the media yesterday, Central Bank Governor Constantinos Herodotou warned that the economy will experience a “serious recession” in 2020. “The economy’s prospects for 2020 and afterwards are dramatically overshadowed by the negative developments of the coronavirus pandemic.” In its annual report, the Central Bank said the pandemic “constitutes an extremely serious internal and external shock which is affecting demand.
“The financial impact cannot be quantified with precision for the time being…given that there is insufficient economic data for 2020, nor can the pandemic’s duration be projected. The question is not whether a recession will take place but how extensive it will be.”
Источник: Financial Mirror


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The European grocer plans to open 500 stores across the country.
Trader Joe's and Aldi lovers, there's a new grocery store (almost) in town: Lidl, the European grocer, will open 100 stores along the East Coast by sometime next year, the chain says, and some 500 more will open in years to come across the country.
According to the announcement, covered by Business Insider, Lidl will open its first 20 U.S. stores by mid-2018 in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. That's an exciting prospect for people who already love to shop at grocery stores such as Aldi, Trader Joe's, and even Harris Teeter—chains known for their deep discounts and high-end brands.
Though its rock-bottom prices mean Lidl—which has 10,000 stores in 27 European countries—is most often compared to Aldi, the chain said in a presentation obtained by Business Insider that its U.S. stores will more closely mimic Trader Joe's or Harris Teeter.
"After three years of research, we [Lidl] discovered that U.S. consumers don't like discount groceries," according to the presentation. "Unlike Aldi, the Lidl will be a hybrid similar to Trader Joe's or Harris Teeter, but closer to a Trader Joe's. We will sell high-end brands, quality not quantity, best products only." Those products include locally sourced produce, wine, and coffee from private-label brands.
Each store will be between 30,000 and 36,000 square feet, which is about double the size of an average Aldi, Business Insider says. But though it's trying to set itself apart from its rival, Lidl and Aldi share some unmistakable similarities: Both brands ask customers to bring their own shopping bags to the store, and to bag their own groceries. Loyal customers likely won't mind, however, as that's just one way Lidl keeps its prices so low. (In 2015, the same year Lidl was awarded Grocer of the Year, customers could snag extra virgin olive oil for what is now $2.47.)

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There currently isn't any legislation in the United States requiring video games to be accessible - and, surprisingly, disabled gamers prefer it that way. Barlet argues that gaming helps to push the envelope in computer development and that government legislation would only hurt the development of games and, hence, computer technology. Instead, he feels that the number of disabled gamers is large enough to provide incentives for developers to ensure their games are accessible. “I think that’s a far better path than legislation,” said Barlet.
In terms of gaming platform (PC vs. console vs mobile), while there is apparently some disagreement in the disabled community, Barlet said, “I am firm believer that the most flexible platform for a gamer with disabilities is the PC. There are a truckload of devices and peripherals out there... that you can plug into USB and they’re fairly inexpensive.” Consoles, on the other hand, while offering the most cutting edge games, are worse for disabled gamers because they’re closed systems. “Adaptive controllers and custom controllers… have to go through incredible hoops to try to get the Xbox to talk to the peripheral, because they’ve locked it down through proprietary processes.” Mobile gaming, is still fairly new, though Barlet notes that “independent developers that key on the mobile gaming space are much more creative and much more responsive to accessible features.”
In order to support gaming among the disabled, caregivers need to be educated about it. “The caregiver is governor of what a person with disabilities can do,” said Barlet. “The understanding has to be there in the caregiver, because they’re the ones that have to support the cause.” To that end, AbleGamers has recently begun producing simple videos like “How to set up an Xbox.”
With more and more disabled people gaming the future of AbleGamers looks to be busy. “We have more people wanting us to do things, then we do funding to do it. The need is outpacing our funding,” said Barlet.
To join the AbleGamers community or to learn more, including schedules for future Accessible Arcade events, and to learn how to donate or volunteer, go to their website or Facebook page.
Are you a disabled gamer or a caregiver for one? Please share your experiences in the comment section.


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USMCA Is Big Win for Ag, Says Perdue
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is on its way to helping farmers, says U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced agreement today.
“USMCA is a big win for American workers and the economy, especially for our farmers and ranchers. The agreement improves virtually every component of the old NAFTA, and the agriculture industry stands to gain significantly,” said Secretary Perdue. “While I am very encouraged by today’s breakthrough, we must not lose sight – the House and Senate need to work diligently to pass USMCA by Christmas.”
Key Provision: Increasing Dairy Market Access
- America’s dairy farmers will have expanded market opportunities in Canada for a wide variety of dairy products. Canada agreed to eliminate the unfair Class 6 and 7 milk pricing programs that allowed their farmers to undersell U.S. producers.
Key Provision: Biotechnology
For the first time, the agreement specifically addresses agricultural biotechnology – including new technologies such as gene editing – to support innovation and reduce trade-distorting policies.
Key Provision: Geographical Indications
- The agreement institutes a more rigorous process for establishing geographical indicators and lays out additional factors to be considered in determining whether a term is a common name.
Key Provision: Sanitary/Phytosanitary Measures
- The three countries agree to strengthen disciplines for science-based measures that protect human, animal, and plant health while improving the flow of trade.
Key Provision: Poultry and Eggs
- U.S. poultry producers will have expanded access to Canada for chicken, turkey, and eggs.
Key Provision: Wheat
- Canada agrees to terminate its discriminatory wheat grading system, enabling U.S. growers to be more competitive.
Key Provision: Wine and Spirits
- The three countries agree to avoid technical barriers to trade through non-discrimination and transparency regarding sale, distribution, labeling, and certification of wine and distilled spirits.
More of Perdue’s Statement:
USMCA will advance U.S. agricultural interests in two of the most important markets for American farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses. This high-standard agreement builds upon our existing markets to expand United States food and agricultural exports and support food processing and rural jobs.
Canada and Mexico are our first and second-largest export markets for United States food and agricultural products, totaling more than $39.7 billion food and agricultural exports in 2018. These exports support more than 325,000 American jobs.
All food and agricultural products that have zero tariffs under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will remain at zero tariffs. Since the original NAFTA did not eliminate all tariffs on agricultural trade between the United States and Canada, the USMCA will create new market access opportunities for United States exports to Canada of dairy, poultry, and eggs, and in exchange the United States will provide new access to Canada for some dairy, peanut, and a limited amount of sugar and sugar-containing products.
Earlier this year, nearly 1,000 American food and agriculture associations and companies announced their support for USMCA, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture signed a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to ratify USMCA.
In September, all former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture since President Reagan’s administration announced support for USMCA. In a letter to Congressional leaders, former Secretaries John Block (Reagan), Mike Espy (Clinton), Dan Glickman (Clinton), Ann Veneman (W. Bush), Mike Johanns (W. Bush), Ed Shafer (W. Bush), and Tom Vilsack (Obama) underscored the importance of passing USMCA saying, “We need a strong and reliable trade deal with our top two customers for U.S. agriculture products. USMCA will provide certainty in the North American market for the U.S. farm sector and rural economy. We strongly support ratification of USMCA.
Peterson and Costa statements
House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson and House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Chairman Jim Costa released the following statements today following the announcement of a deal between House Democrats and the White House on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
“I have been pushing for months to get this deal to the finish line, and this announcement is great news for farmers, businesses, and workers, in western Minnesota and nationwide,” said Peterson. “The threat of leaving NAFTA without a deal would have been devastating, and this deal provides needed certainty for our producers. This agreement makes updates to how the three countries will address biotechnology, and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues. The USMCA also preserves the market our farmers are currently accessing while making modest gains for our dairy, poultry, and wheat growers in the Canadian market. Rural America has faced many hurdles and challenges with these trade wars, and passing the USMCA is a step in the right direction.”
“Trade is vital to American agriculture, especially for the specialty crop, tree nut, dairy, and livestock producers in the San Joaquin Valley and across California,” said Costa. “The USMCA protects the access they had into the Canadian and Mexican markets, and provides nominal gains in some important areas. It’s good to see that this deal strengthens labor and environmental standards and provides mechanisms to enforce this agreement. I am proud to support approval of the USMCA, but we also must recognize that going forward, incremental improvements and protecting the status quo won’t reverse farmer losses as a result of the trade war. For that to happen, the administration needs to remove its tariffs, which are the source of so much economic hardship for our farmers, and at the core of our depressed farm economy.”
Farmers for Free Trade Statement
Today, Angela Hofmann, coexecutive director of Farmers for Free Trade, the national, bipartisan coalition of America’s leading ag commodity and business groups, released the following statement on the Congressional agreement to consider the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
“This is welcome news and a relief for American farmers. Now it’s time to get the bill passed before politics can get in the way. Farmers and ranchers will be watching closely to ensure that their members of Congress are standing up for American agriculture.
“If Congress can come together to pass USMCA it will deliver a measure of certainty farmers badly need right now. Farmers have been struggling in the face of bad weather and unpredictable trade policy. Passing USMCA will guarantee that our farmers’ closest and most important markets, will remain free from tariffs and red tape. NAFTA has been a windfall for American agriculture and USMCA is projected to build on that success by growing farm exports and modernizing ag trade.
“We commend Speaker Pelosi, Ambassador Lighthizer, and the many Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle who have worked diligently to get to a deal. It’s a great reminder that opening markets for American farmers should never be a partisan issue. We urge both sides to continue to heed the calls of American farmers and quickly pass this agreement.”


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The G8 Summit is coming to Fermanagh, a county in Northern Ireland that has been devastated by austerity. To spruce things up and maintain the fiction that austerity will get us out of the global economic depression, the county has spent £300,000 giving local businesses "a facelift" -- including installing a fake butcher-shop window full of imaginary meat in a derelict storefront.
Two shops in Belcoo, right on the border with Blacklion, Co Cavan, have been painted over to appear as thriving businesses. The reality, as in other parts of the county, is rather more stark.
Just a few weeks ago, Flanagan’s – a former butcher’s and vegetable shop in the neat village – was cleaned and repainted with bespoke images of a thriving business placed in the windows. Any G8 delegate passing on the way to discuss global capitalism would easily be fooled into thinking that all is well with the free-market system in Fermanagh..
The butcher’s business has been replaced by a picture of a butcher’s business. Across the road is a similar tale. A small business premises has been made to look like an office supplies store. It used to be a pharmacy, now relocated on the village main street.
Elsewhere in Fermanagh, billboard-sized pictures of the gorgeous scenery have been located to mask the occasional stark and abandoned building site or other eyesore.
Recession out of the picture as Fermanagh puts on a brave face for G8 leaders [Dan Keenan/Irish Times]
(via The Atlantic)
One of the consistently underreported elements of Brexit and all that’s come after it is that leaving the EU will also let the UK — the world’s most prolific launderer of filthy criminal money — escape the tightening noose of European anti-money-laundering measures.
Chicago’s Department of Aviation finally replied to the LA Times’s Freedom of Information request for the police report on the public beating Chicago airport cops dealt to Dr David Dao when United Airlines decided to give his confirmed, paid seat to a crewmember and ordered him to vacate it.
The Intercept publishes a previously-unseen set of Snowden docs detailing more than $500,000,000 worth of secret payments by the Japanese government to the NSA, in exchange for access to the NSA’s specialized surveillance capabilities, in likely contravention of Japanese privacy law (the secrecy of the program means that the legality was never debated, so no […]
If you want to work in tech, but don’t have any desire to code web apps to help businesses sell things to other business, you might want to consider a career in cybersecurity. Judging from the apparent complete infiltration of Russian hackers in American cyberspace, it seems fair to speculate that there’s a major shortage of […]
All moms are different. But all moms like getting flowers on Mother’s Day, and that’s a fact (not, however a fact we can document in any fashion.) Instead of getting chewed out for forgetting to call her on the second Sunday of May, you can take care of it ahead of time with Teleflora’s flower […]
Yeah, Bluetooth audio is pretty common these days, so why should you care about these earbuds? Look how happy that woman up above looks. She’s got FRESHeBUDS in. Boom. There’s your reason. She’s also at the beach and it appears to be a very nice day.But for the sake of promotion, wireless earbuds are fast becoming the […]


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Image courtesy of Curalate.
Curalate just took its partnership with Moda Operandi to a new level, and at the same time made shopping on the company’s Instagram much easier.
For starters, nearly every female fashion influencer on the planet follows Moda Operandi on Instagram, which for years has been the go-to online luxury fashion spot to preorder runway looks from high-end designers like Tory Burch and Christian Siriano. Curalate already powers Moda Operandi’s Like2Buy platform, which lets Instagram browsers purchase looks right from the social media platform, but as of Monday, the companies have added Amazon Pay into the mix.
Now when a user spots a pair of Jimmy Choo’s they’d like to purchase or those new velvet Rochas mules, they simply need to visit the same “Like2Buy” platform, and if they’re an Amazon customer, they’ll just click on the one-step checkout button to process their purchase, eliminating the need to manually enter payment and shipping information. Read more »
At Curalate’s Philly HQ. Image courtesy of Curalate.
After five years of rising to the top of Philly’s startup scene, Curalate has now expanded overseas.
The company announced this week that it has launched in the UK, where it’s already hired five people London, including a sales director for EMEA, to be temporarily based out of a WeWork office in London’s Soho neighborhood.
Curalate’s been picking up “great traction” in Europe said Luke Butler, the company’s head of strategy and operations. “Having an official presence in London leaves us much better positioned to take advantage of that opportunity and grow the number of European clients we’re working with.”
The company’s commerce platform links consumers to shopping opportunities by way of tags on online images and videos. Their Like2Buy product for example, makes Instagram shoppable. Curalate’s portfolio of has more than 800 clients like Sephora, BuzzFeed, and Nordstrom and partnerships with Google, Facebook and Instagram. And they’ve already locked in dozens of UK brands like Lipsy and Farfetch. Read more »
L to R: Apu Gupta, Josh Kopelman, and John Swartley at the Pennovation Center. Image courtesy of Penn Center for Innovation.
Monday night, Philadelphia’s entrepreneurship community got treated to a refreshingly honest discussion as part of Philly Tech Week 2017 about the emotional and hopeful journey of being both a successful entrepreneur and a successful venture capital investor.
The panel discussion was convened by the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) in partnership with PACT at the Pennovation Center, Penn’s new incubation and startup space that opened last fall. The space serves as a very visible symbol of the university’s focus on contributing to Philadelphia as a center for tech innovation and startups.
John Swartley, PCI’s Managing Director, moderated two of the most successful Philadelphia-based entrepreneurs: Josh Kopelman, now a nationally prominent venture capitalist and founder of First Round Capital and Apu Gupta, CEO of one of First Round’s local portfolio companies, Curalate.
Both Kopelman and Gupta provided some compelling insight for the standing-room-only crowd of mostly entrepreneurs and investors. Here are some of the key takeaways from the talk: Read more »
Image courtesy of Curalate.
Philly Tech Week is back, and it’s more creative than ever. Case in point: On Tuesday, May 2, Curalate will challenge a group of as many as 200 people to a Center City scavenger hunt.
Teams will make their way around Center City to unlock and solve random challenges designed by Curalate engineers. And there are two end goals here: Unlock the location of your prize – a swanky party catered by Starr Restaurants that evening – and give kids across Philadelphia their next coding lesson. Curalate says the $10 cost to participate in “Sprint & Sips” will go directly to Coded by Kids, the Philly grassroots organization that’s giving students access to technology education. Plus, the first team to solve all of the clues and make it to the secret location will win a $250 Starr Restaurants gift card.
“We needed to do something different for Philly Tech Week this year,” Curalate co-founder and CTO Nick Shiftan told Philadelphia magazine, “And we wanted to combine the two things that Curalate does best – competitive problem solving and partying.”
Shiftan says Curalate has had much success with internal scavenger hunts and wanted an opportunity to try it again. But more importantly, the company wanted the chance to promote the importance of tech and computer science fluency and education. Read more »
Bob Moul and Apu Gupta in conversation at ThinkFest 2016.
Unicorns are overrated. That’s according to Curalate CEO Apu Gupta.
His startup may one day be valued at a billion dollars, but Gupta, in conversation with Bob Moul at ThinkFest on Tuesday, casually told the audience that it’s silly to measure a company by its valuation.
In the past, the tech community gawked in awe at startups valued at a million or more, and now the wonder lies with companies valued at a billion or more. But to Gupta, a company’s valuation has nothing to do with what it can build or the kind of impact it can have on people or a region. Read more »
Photograph by Gene Smirnov
In which Apu Gupta models a bra on his birthday
Consider the photo Apu Gupta snapped of himself one day last summer on his iPhone 6. It happened to be his 41st birthday, which made him a wizened elder in the marketing tech company called Curalate that he co-founded less than five years ago and has guided, as CEO, through quick revenue growth and expansion. Read more »
In just four years, Apu Gupta’s brainchild Curalate has singlehandedly advanced the way millions of consumers interact with brands. The startup has made it so that the process of scrolling through your favorite department store’s Instagram feed is less about mindless browsing and more about being connected directly to the product and story being depicted in photos and videos.
The leading visual commerce platform has become a staple marketing strategy for more than 850 brands and has catapulted into local and national stardom with big-name brands like Neiman Marcus, Swarovski and Gap on board. Read more »
Apu Gupta, CEO of Curalate, speaks at a conference in London. | Photo via Instagram
Curalate recently announced that it has been chosen as a “Facebook Marketing Partner.” Marketing Partners are a select group of companies chosen by Facebook for being the most helpful to brands that use social media platforms as the focus of their marketing strategy.
“After sharing numerous success stories that demonstrate how Curalate can improve the marketing performance of brands working with Facebook, we were invited to become part of a very select group,” company CEO and co-founder Apu Gupta told Philadelphia magazine.
Read more »
From left to right: Andrew Binns, DNCC Chief Innovation Officer; Kelli Klein, DNCC Digital Director; Apu Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder of Curalate; Mayor Jim Kenney | Photo by Fabiola Cineas.
This year’s DNC in Philadelphia will be the most innovative Democratic national convention to date, the host committee says, and that’s thanks in part to the popular, fast-growing Philadelphia-based startup Curalate.
The DNC host committee announced today that Curalate, the image monetization software company, is an official technology provider for the convention, joining other technology leaders like Microsoft, AT&T, and LG, also official technology providers.
In its fourth year of business, Curalate captures the visual content or images of its clients like Staples and Urban Outfitters on social media platforms like Instagram and connects the images to the products pictured within them. With Curalate’s technology, for example, a user on Pinterest can click on an image of a dinner table spread from Crate & Barrel (a client) and be linked to where they can find and purchase the items online. Read more »
The Curalate team just got $27.5 million to continue its quest to revolutionize e-commerce.
Curalate has a bold mission: Reshape the $1.6 trillion e-commerce market by capitalizing on the increased use of photos online.
The Philly-based tech company just closed a whopping $27.5 million venture capital round and seems poised to stay on top of the ever-changing market. The round was led by New Enterprise Associates and actually amounted to more than all of Curalate’s previous raises combined. The company has now raised $40 million to date. Other investors were MentorTech and First Round Capital.
Curalate currently works with 800 clients like Urban Outfitters, BuzzFeed, Crate & Barrel and Nordstrom. The company created a suite of products which includes: Like2Buy that makes Instagram shoppable; Visual Insights which tells a brand which of its images were shared on social networks like Facebook or Pinterest; and Reveal, which links the images on a retailer’s website with purchase pages, limiting the amount of clicks it takes to get a customer finished with a purchase. Read more »


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According to statistics by the Central Bank, online shopping had added up to about $9 billion by the end of September 22, and the number is expected to reach $18 billion by Mar. 20, E-commerce Development Center Managing Director Mohammad Garkani Nejad stated.
The official further stated that the expected number will indicate 229 percent growth compared to the previous year, according to ISNA news agency on Mar. 1.
Iran has been trying to improve its internet services especially starting with the Rouhani administration which started in July 2013.


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by Cheryl Kepes
Photos courtesy Soaring Eagle Farms
Soaring Eagle Farms takes innovation to new heights.
At 74 years of age, Dr. Jeff Gower, owner of Soaring Eagle Farms, reflects on a life and business strategy he learned years ago from the most difficult course he ever took – Organic Chemistry. “In Organic Chemistry you don’t work forward, you work backwards,” Dr. Jeff Gower explained. “In life you figure out where you want to be in five years and you work backwards, so you don’t run into those dead ends going forward.”
The practice of beginning with the end in mind has helped Dr. Gower garner much success in his business, Angus cattle operation, and Clydesdale farm. Off the farm, Dr. Gower and family, own and operate Wil Fischer Companies, a distributor of Anheuser-Busch products and other beverages throughout the Midwest. The eagle in the Anheuser-Busch logo in conjunction with the frequent spotting of eagles on the family farm, spurred Dr. Gower to coin the name Soaring Eagle Farms for his Angus and Clydesdale operations.
Angus Cattle Venture
Jeff and his wife, Melonie, live in Springfield, Mo. Around ten years ago, the couple decided to purchase commercial cattle to run on some of their property in Gainesville, Mo. The 3,000 acres of grass, lakes, and Ozarks hills seemed the perfect place for a large cattle herd.
Though they appreciated their commercial cattle, the Gowers decided to transition the operation to a registered, purebred Angus herd. “The commercial herd was a good set of cows, but we realized where the industry was going was more on high-end marbling cattle,” Dr. Gower explained. “So, we had to do a shift and that’s when I started doing my focus on the high-end Angus.”
Shift to Elite Herd
Soaring Eagle sold its commercial cattle in 2015 and started the transition to an elite herd focused on superior Angus genetics. Currently, Soaring Eagle Farms owns close to 1,200 head of cattle. The herd is multi-faceted. It’s comprised of registered Angus donor cows, recipient cows, elite Angus females, a bull battery, and commercial cows.
Soaring Eagle follows a disciplined, scientific approach to its’ breeding program. Recently, the operation incorporated the use of Promogen™ Genetic Evaluation as a tool to guide selection, breeding, and culling decisions. The Promogen™ test, researched and implemented by Bill Julien, Ph.D., DVM, and CEO of Anova Biosciences, evaluates an animal’s immunological resiliency and ability to handle stress. Promogen™ experts state these traits can be genetically passed from one generation to the next. A high Promogen™ score reflects the animals’ ability to produce immunologically superior offspring.
Every registered animal produced or purchased by Soaring Eagle is evaluated by its Promogen™ score. Dr. Gower, who worked as an orthodontist before joining Wil Fischer Companies, values the information he receives on his cattle through Promogen™ Genetic Evaluation. “I partner with a gentleman down in Texas, and every Friday if you look at the scores of the EPDs, it is either him or me, or one other breeder in Missouri who has the top heifers or bulls for $B, $C, $M and marbling,” Dr. Gower explained. “It’s not a guess. It’s not by chance. It is because we follow the science and do meticulous mating and this Promogen™ test is the roadmap.”
Soaring Eagle recently released its own sire directory featuring more than a dozen bulls. Semen is available for purchase on these herd sires that are stringently evaluated genetically and phenotypically.
In addition to Promogen™ scores, Soaring Eagle selects animals based on high-ranking EPD profiles, genomics, and phenotype. The Gowers flush 20 to 30 Angus females each year. Their breeding selections are heavily guided by data. “We went with marbling first then we came back, and we put all the carcass traits on top of those marblings and now we are getting a big ribeye, great marbling, a high $C, high $B, and high maternal dollar,” Dr. Gower said. “You can raise an animal that covers almost every trait that the Angus industry has put in their EPDs, but you can’t stay true to just one family and just one or two traits.”
Soaring Eagle relies on the expertise of Joel Judge with Advanced Beef Solutions to guide decisions based on an animal’s phenotype. Each animal undergoes careful evaluation from Judge. “He (Joel Judge) scores each animal. He looks at their feet and goes up,” Dr. Gower said.
The information from the phenotypic evaluation, EPD analysis, and Promogen™ score are all considered when selecting Soaring Eagle’s top females and bulls. To make it to the donor pen, bull battery, or production sale the animal must excel in all three areas.
Soaring Eagle hosts several sales each year at its sale facility in Springfield, Mo. The events include a spring bull sale, a spring female sale, and a fall elite heifer guest sale. Soaring Eagle’s 2022 spring bull sale featured 60 lots, with a sale average of $10,063. The sale’s top selling bull brought $107,500. Soaring Eagle looks forward to its upcoming spring female sale planned for Memorial Day weekend.
In 2021, Soaring Eagle hosted a new sale to its yearly offering. Soaring Eagle put together a fall elite heifer guest sale. This event featured Soaring Eagle females and high-quality Angus heifers from other producers across the country.
The Angus producers consigning to the elite heifer guest sale were selected by Judge as he traveled the country. These operations ranged in size and notoriety. The sale featured 45 lots and averaged $22,665. “That was one of the highest average sales in the country; from people who just had great animals. They didn’t have a family name that had been in the cattle industry for 100 years, they just were trying to breed the best animal they could, they did, they were identified, and we rewarded them,” Dr. Gower explained.
The commercial cow herd at Soaring Eagle must meet specific criteria much like the registered herd. Currently, Soaring Eagle is working on building a commercial cow herd that exhibits high Promogen™ scores. Dr. Gower says these animals will produce offspring that will garner a premium at the sale barn and display optimal health in the feedlot.
Long before the Gowers started their cattle operation, they stepped into the horse business. In 1982, Anheuser-Busch launched a new beer – Budweiser (Bud) Light. At that time, Bud Light was a newcomer to the beer scene. In hopes of stirring interest in the new product, Dr. Gower purchased a Clydesdale filly and took her to different locations all over the Ozarks. “I learned really quick I could go to a restaurant or package store in a small town and unannounced I could have 300 people show up in two hours. They would come with their children and grandchildren and with cameras in hand,” Dr. Gower shared.
The marketing idea was a hit. In no time Bud Light became a top selling beer in Missouri. And the Gowers’ love for Clydesdales took root. Soaring Eagle now has one of the largest purebred herds of Clydesdale horses in the world. Soaring Eagle has produced many Clydesdale champions through the years. Dr. Gower was inducted into the Clydesdale Breeders of the USA (CBUSA) Heritage Hall of Fame in 2021.
Dr. Gower doesn’t leave the future of his farms to chance. He’s meticulously charted Soaring Eagles’ course. He relies on his years of expertise along with innovation, technology, and science to ensure his Angus cattle operation and Clydesdale farm soar to even greater heights in the years to come.
learn more at: www.soaringeaglefarm.com


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York hospitality firm Beacon lends a helping hand to SME’s
York-based Beacon, which helps businesses in the hospitality, leisure and healthcare sectors grow their profitability, will be unveiling its three new customer packages later this month.
The creation of the three new packages will call upon Beacon’s expertise within the sectors it supports, which has been gained over the past 14 years.
Beacon was able to identify the challenges businesses are facing in the current marketplace, and introduce dedicated customer packages, which aim to help the wide range of businesses within the Beacon portfolio.
The three packages give customers a tiered option to the Beacon offering, giving them access to products and great prices, a consultative service or a business partnership depending on business need and budgets.
Design and refurbishment, consultancy and e-business form the three additional cornerstones of the Beacon offering.
With a growing number of its customers requiring remote support, Beacon has also launched a number of web-based services to support its customers with billing and sourcing quotations; all with the aim of helping businesses grow their profitability.
Beacon has worked in partnership with a number of Yorkshire based businesses including The Churchill Hotel in York, Scarcroft Golf Club in Leeds and The Sportsman Inn, Halifax.
Diane Webster, director of marketing at Beacon, commented: “We are a customer facing business, and as a well established purchasing partner to a variety of businesses in a number of different sectors, we have developed our expertise through our close working relationships to truly understand the challenges being faced by our customers today.
Following the recession and subsequent economic upturn, businesses are now looking ahead, and many are looking to refresh, refocus and reinvigorate their offering, whether it’s through the food available on a hotel’s menu, or the design of its public spaces.
“By launching the three new customer packages, following the introduction of our four new services earlier this year, we feel we are able to make a real commercial impact for our customers by servicing them more efficiently and sharing our core knowledge with them at every stage.”
For more information about Beacon visit http://www.beaconpurchasing.co.uk/
This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .
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As the planning progressed we ordered new banners and set them up a couple of weeks before launch date. You can see them from the coffee shop across the river, so a coffee before the punt starts operating at 11am is a real thing.
Then the sculpture was brought in - and for once the setup was accomplished in fine weather - no floods, fires, storms or other catastrophes.
|the gathering for the launch of HISAF 2016 image courtesy Cetta Pilati|
The big day dawned, the people came and Coucillor Claude Ullin, Mayor of the City of Stonnington launched the 2016 Herring Island Summer Arts Festival and opened the "Narrative" exhibition of work by members of the Association of Sculptors of Victoria.
|Cr Ullin speaking at the launch of HISAF 2016|
image courtesy Cetta Pilati
The show is open and welcomes visitors - remember only two more weekends to see this one. Then you can return to see the work of the Basketmakers of Victoria.
|Fatih Semiz with his work|
image courtesy Jackie Mackinnon
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The days of the 470-hp Chrysler 300 SRT sedan may soon be numbered. Chrysler brand president and CEO Al Gardner told our colleagues at Motor Trend that the high-performance car sells so slowly it might not make sense to continuing selling it when the refreshed Chrysler 300 debuts later this year.
Although no firm decision has been made, Gardner told MT that the Chrysler 300 SRT only sells about 75 units per month. So far this year, all versions of the Chrysler 300 have sold 26,014 copies, or about 4300 units per month. With the SRT model accounting for less than two percent of sales, it’s no wonder Gardner is considering ditching the model.
Even if the Chrysler 300 SRT is discontinued in the U.S., the model may still be sold overseas, as MT reports it is popular in the Middle East. Chrysler will reportedly make its final decision on the SRT’s fate later this year; a refreshed Chrysler 300 is expected to debut in November at the Los Angeles auto show. Refreshes for the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger were already revealed.
The Chrysler 300 SRT is closely related to the SRT versions of the Dodge Charger and Challenger. The 2014 Chrysler 300 SRT packs a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine good for 470 hp, with a five-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels. Pricing for the SRT Core model starts at $45,895 after destination. When we drove a 2013 model, we wrote that, “The Chrysler 300 is great, and the SRT version is even better. Although the 300 is essentially a Dodge Charger with different sheetmetal, the more elegant exterior design makes it appealing to a larger audience than the ostentatious Charger.”
Even if the Chrysler 300 SRT vanishes, there will still be many more high-performance SRT cars in Chrysler showrooms. MT reports that the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT will likely continue. Moreover, product plans reveal that Chrysler wants to launch SRT versions of both the Journey crossover and Dart compact sedan.


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As CEO John Chen had pledged BlackBerry would do, the company on Monday released a secure version of its BBM instant messaging service.
Chats using BBM Protected can be within a company using the secure version of the service or among people at different companies, so long as both are using the service. For now, the secure version of BBM only works with BlackBerry 6 or later, with BlackBerry 10 only supported when devices are used in regulated mode. The company plans to offer versions of BBM Protected for iOS and Android, as well as for BlackBerry 10 devices not in regulated mode.
“There isn’t a single monetization model here that needs to ubiquitously work or be forced on things,” said David Proulx, senior director of BBM Business Development, in a March interview.
BlackBerry has launched a trial in Indonesia to use BBM to send money. Proulx said the company plans to expand that this year to other countries.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.


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Travel agents have grabbed their suitcases and petition to line the gates at Leinster House.
Travel agents claim up to three thousand jobs in the sector are at risk this week.
It's because the wage subsidy's set to drop from €350 euro to just €203.
They took their case to the Leinster house today along with a petition, which so far, has gathered more than six thousand signatures in support of saving their jobs.
Travel agents are handing a petition into Leinster House calling for more supports for their sector.— Hannah Murphy (@Hanelizaa) September 9, 2020
They say 3,000 jobs are at risk this week. It’s despite the fact many businesses were viable before the pandemic hit. pic.twitter.com/3MzEkxUtD8
Mary McKenna from Tour America thinks they should be helped instead of having their supports cut.
"If we had stopped in March like the pubs, we probably wouldn't be here today," she said.
"The government actually needs us. We're an important part of society, we're licensed and bonded, and that means that any customer that books with us has their money protected.
"There's a great future for our industry.
"What we need now, is we have more than 200 travel agents who've had to continue working, who really need government support."


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Italian yacht-builder Sanlorenzo is revealing the second model in its SX crossover line, the SX76, building on the success of its initial model powered by Volvo Penta’s Inboard Performance System (IPS).
When Sanlorenzo launched its first ‘crossover’ yacht in 2017, the company aimed to transform boating by creating a model that would combine the best elements of flybridge and compact explorer yachts.
“The SX line is designed to be versatile, elegant and efficient, and it is the efficiency of Volvo Penta IPS that has led us to select it again as the propulsion system for the new SX76,” says Massimo Perotti, chief executive officer and chairman of Sanlorenzo.
“This line of yachts is revolutionary in many ways. Every aspect is designed for the customer to really enjoy their contact with the sea – from the big stern platform that can host many items for watersports, to the large salon with ceiling-to-floor windows, and the enclosable helm station on the flybridge that leaves a lot of space on the main deck for many layout possibilities.”
Efficient propulsion for high quality SX line
The new SX76 is installed with twin Volvo Penta D13-IPS1050, and has a maximum speed of 22 knots. The yacht is being revealed at the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival.
“The SX76 was conceived for customers who want a smaller and more agile version of the SX88,” says Perotti. “Whereas the SX88 has a triple installation of Volvo Penta IPS, the SX76 only needs the twin D13-IPS1050 package as it’s smaller and lighter.
“The efficiency of Volvo Penta IPS is perfect for the philosophy behind the SX range. Performance, maneuverability, fuel consumption, lack of noise – every feature of this engine package fits the high standards of quality we want. Volvo Penta is an internationally recognized brand and guarantees excellent quality and attention to detail. We are already working on a bigger SX model.”
“Volvo Penta IPS has been a game-changing technology for yachts, opening up new possibilities for yacht design, operation, and service,” says Nicola Pomi, vice president of sales for Europe at Volvo Penta.
“The technology delivers an unmatched experience when it comes to maneuverability, as well as the benefits of increased fuel efficiency and space onboard. We believe that customers will enjoy the high performance of the SX76 powered by Volvo Penta.”


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NEW YORK (PIX11) — The holiday season kicked off in style Thursday across the city.
Three major department stores, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Bergdorf Goodman, unveiled their window displays. While they hope for a successful year, the city is trying to entice more shoppers to midtown.
This season alone draws an additional ten million visitors to the world-famous shopping mecca, according to the Fifth Avenue Association.
Even the man in red was spotted outside Bergdorf’s starting his shopping and gazing at the dazzling window displays from Midtown to Herald Square.
He was asked about his favorite part about New York.
“Oh, the excitement, the color and decorations. But most important – the spirit,” said Santa Claus.
It’s that nostalgia that has people flocking to Manhattan year after year to see the city sparkle.
“With the lights, music and people, it does put you in the mood no matter how you’re feeling,” Renee Bond of Cape May, N.J., said.
Macy’s revealed its annual flagship store display, a tradition since 1874.
“We have about four interactive windows now here. And the others that aren’t are animatronics,” said Manuel Urquizo, Macy’s window designer.
When the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be fully lit in the coming days, the city has set three Sundays in December as car-free days.
“Allowing more people, the room to enjoy it. That’s a gift to all of us,” said Marie Boster, president of the Fifth Avenue Association.
On Dec. 3, 10 and 17, from 12 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Fifth Avenue will be open only to pedestrians between 48th Street and 59th Street.
In addition, throughout the entire holiday season, moveable barriers will be placed on the east and west sides of Fifth Avenue, between 48th Street and 52nd Street.
On days the street is not designated an “Open Street,” beginning in the early afternoon on weekdays and in the morning on weekends, these barriers will be used to repurpose a lane of traffic on each side of the avenue as additional pedestrian space.
Starting with the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree on Wednesday, Nov. 29, through January, the city will pedestrianize the streets surrounding Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, using movable barriers to partially or fully close streets to cars and alleviate foot traffic along sidewalks.
With the support of Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and New York City Councilmember Keith Powers, West 49th Street and West 50th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, will be open only to pedestrians between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. every day during the most congested hours.
The New York Police Department will help ensure vehicle traffic does not enter those streets.


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Atlantic Station will be the home of a fourth location of Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern this fall, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The newest restaurant from husband and wife team Sean and Becky Yeremyan will be the largest one yet for Hobnob—taking up 9,000-square-feet in Atlantic Station. The massive restaurant will overlook the multi-purpose complex’s Central Park, and will offer a rooftop bar.
Known for its traditional bar fare and comfort food, Hobnob serves a large menu with everything from wings and burgers to pot roast, chicken pot pie, and shrimp and grits. The menu is expected to be the same in the new Atlantic Station digs. Other locations serve lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
The bar at Hobnob offers a comprehensive bourbon selection, and has a focus on craft beer and hand-crafted cocktails.
Hobnob’s fourth location is expected to open in fall of this year.


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Two men made off with more than 100 pairs of athletic shoes from a store in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood Thursday night after they duct-taped the store owner and two of his friends, police said.
The men first entered the store on the 2700 block of Judah Street to buy a few pairs of shoes that were on sale, said Officer Gordon Shyy.
They returned with guns at about 7 p.m. to take the rest, forcing the 23-year-old store owner and his friends –a 22-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman — on the floor and duct-taping their hands and feet, Shyy said.
After taking the shoes and the victims’ wallets, they took off in one of the friend’s cars.
The victims described the men as black and in their 20s, Shyy said. One was wearing a gray T-shirt and the other a gray-black sweatshirt. They drove away in a silver, four-door hatchback.


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SEATTLE, Washington—Lynden International, a full-service freight forwarding and logistics company, announces the opening of a new Service Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The new location adds a link to Lynden’s global network and will help meet the increasing demand for transportation and logistics in the region. District Operations Manager Jim Giles will manage the office, which will offer a direct connection between Houston, Texas, and the island to support its growing oil and gas industry.
“We are excited about the opportunity to introduce the Lynden International name and brand of service to the Eastern Canada market. Our experience and expertise in the oil and gas, fishing and mining industries are a perfect fit with the logistics and transportation needs of Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Rob Clarke, International Business Development Director in Canada. “In addition to offering air, ocean and expedited ground services, Lynden’s team of licensed Customs brokers and experienced staff provide international import and export services, customized solutions and a variety of multi-modal capabilities through its sister companies.”


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The problem of energy prices remains a significant problem in our geographical area. However, it also applies to the Far East, where most chips are still produced. All types of mass production involve correspondingly high electricity consumption. This is also the case here. Large manufacturing plants in Taiwan are preparing for significant increases in electricity prices. It will certainly not be possible to avoid passing some of them on to consumers.
The largest production plants in Taiwan should soon expect an increase in electricity prices by 20-30%. Although electricity is relatively cheap there, the increase will certainly also affect the prices of final products, including chips and devices based on them.
A significant increase in electricity prices will affect all customers in Taiwan. However, the biggest impacts will affect the so-called “super consumers” who consume the most energy. Any consumer who has consumed more than 5 billion kWh per year over the last two years can expect bills to be up to 30% higher. Other manufacturers of this type include TSMC and Micron. However, if the company manages to prove that it has gradually reduced electricity consumption over the last two years, it can count on more moderate increases. Industrial customers who consumed less than 5 billion kWh in the above-mentioned period will be able to fall into one of two groups eligible for lower increases. Price increases are expected in April.
Ultimately, we cannot rule out the possibility that the companies most crucial to the Taiwanese economy will receive some preferential conditions or government subsidies. According to sources, however, it is unlikely that the value of the increases will be reduced below 20% in these cases. It is worth noting that electricity prices in Taiwan are not particularly high by current global standards. Last year they were frozen at around USD 0.10 per 1 kWh, although many companies had already recorded increases of around 15%. Regardless, you can be sure that another noticeable increase in electricity prices will be at least partially passed on to the customers of chip producing companies, and ultimately also to the recipients of end products.
Source: TrendForce, Tom’s Hardware


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The biggest missing piece in India’s startup story is the lack of communication and inadequate connect between industry and academia. The deadlock between these two will hurt the country’s tech startup ecosystem, which is the third largest in the world, Nasscom, cautions industry apex body.
The industry-academia stalemate is nothing new. It has been there since 1970s when the first generation tech startups like TCS, Infosys and Wipro. It continued when the internet era began in 1999-2000. And it continues even when the country is poised for dream-run in deep technologies like artificial intelligence, analytics, blockchain, machine learning, 3D printing and internet of things.
KS Viswanathan, Nasccom vice-president (industry initiatives and head of startup), told Financial Chronicle it’s not that industry and academia are not doing anything in deep domains. “In fact, they are actively incubating and accelerating tech startups and supporting their growth, but all in silos. The issue is the no-taking scenario is continuing even when the mutual interaction between industry and academia is critical for growth of the digital economy. It’s the only sad side of India’s startups story. Industry academia partnership and dialogue is a must for startup to get funds, flourish and scale up,’’ he said.
Nasscom on its own has been working to bridge the communication gap between industry and academia. It has set up centres of excellence in Bangalore (IoT & data sciences), Hyderabad (data sciences & cyber security), Gurgaon (IoT), Gandhi Nagar and Visakhapatnam (IoT).
“We have created these centres of excellence as a common platform where all stakeholders – industry, academia, entrepreneurs, students and funding agencies – can come together, interact and understand each other’s requirements. We are seeing some improvement in communication,” Viswanathan said.
According to Nasscom, advanced technology startups were growing at a compounded annual rate of 30 per cent, with artificial intelligence (AI) being one of the key growth segments. Nasscom has a mandate to help create 10,000 startups by 2023. India has over 5,500 tech startups. Every year as many as 1,400 new startups are happening of which 27 per cent are in Karnataka.
Last year, Indian startups received $3.8 billion investments. A major chunk of it came from China and Japan. Startups in northern states received 34 per cent of these funds, south 31 per cent and the rest of investments were shared by startups in other states.
“The startups revolution is a different kind of a tsunami. If the first generation tech startups took decade to clock their first billion dollar revenues, many of these new generation companies are capable of going unicorn in the first 3-5 years. It’s purely internet driven, ramp up is extremely rapid and the market is also favouring them with a large population of consumers already gone online to buy things,” Nasscom vice-president said.


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Microsoft will not be building a driverless car, it has confirmed – but that doesn’t mean it won’t be heavily involved in the market.
Any hopes of a Microsoft car appear to have been dashed, however, given recent comments by the company’s business development head Peggy Johnson. Speaking at the WSJ-hosted Converge technology conference, Johnson revealed that Microsft “won’t be building our own autonomous vehicle.”
However, Johnson said that Microsoft “would like to enable autonomous vehicles and assisted driving as well.”
So what does it mean to ‘enable’ autonomous vehicles? It appears to be similar to the way Microsoft ‘enabled’ PCs for decades before it even thought about making its own hardware.
Sure enough, Johnson says that Microsoft has been in discussions with seven or eight car makers and related vendors about the kind of applications Microsoft would be able to help with. These are said to be extremely diverse.
Johnson confirmed that it would be possible for car makers to turn to Microsoft for a full car OS rather than Google, but that such companies generally have a more “specific focus” with their requests.
For example, some want to bring Microsoft’s peerless productivity products to the car. “You’re sitting in the car for many, many minutes a day,” said Johnson. “Can that be part of your new office, can it be your new desk, a place where you actually get work done? We believe it can.”
If you’re not driving to work, you might as well work whilst being driven, we suppose.
Your first autonomous car won’t be made by Microsoft, then, but it could well be powered by the Windows maker in any number of different ways.


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The presence of Filo at the 30th edition of Milano Unica – which will be held at Rho-Fiera Milan from the 4th to the 6th of February – is marked by sustainability. Filo will offer a capsule dedicated to the products of the companies subscribing to FiloFlow, the sustainability project of Filo.
Filo and Milano Unica have long been linked by a cooperation which aims at enhancing the strong points of the made in Italy supply chain: the very high quality of products on show, the attention to innovation and stylistic research, the processes carried out in the respect of the environment and workers’ health. For some editions now, it is precisely to the sustainability of products and processes that the two Salons have been paying attention to. Then it follows natural that in the space reserved for Filo within the Milano Unica Trends Area, emphasis should be given to the yarn collections of the companies that have joined FiloFlow.
Launched in February 2019, the Filo sustainability project gained a great success through its “zero edition” held in September 2019, which registered the participation of a quite huge number of exhibiting companies. Numbers of participants in FiloFlow are today increasingly growing, so much so that during the 53rd edition of Filo a FiloFlow area will be proposed –intended precisely for sustainable products – which will integrate the Trend Area alongside the classical area dedicated to the general collections of exhibiting companies and the quick delivery point area.
The 53rd edition of Filo will be held on Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th of February (not in the traditional Wednesday and Thursday) at the new venue of MiCo – Milano Convention Centre (via Gattamelata 5, Milan).
Biella, 22 January 2020


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Apple has announced new products that include Macbooks and Apple watch. As a tech enthusiast, I keenly followed the news to see how people are gonna waste their money in year 2015.
As you know the trend, as soon as Apple announces new products, lots of memes and trolls come up on social media to take dig at Apple and its fanboys. No, I am not going to compile a list of top ten funny meme on Apple. Instead, I am going to share a viral (spoof) video of an Apple engineer explaining how they come up with Macbook 2015. I bet you cannot control your laughter while watching this video.


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BJ’s Wholesale Club posts gains in sales and earningsTheStreet 05/19/2022
BJ’s Wholesale Club posted a 4.1 percent gain in same-club sales, excluding gasoline, during the first quarter. The chain’s earnings per share came in at 82 cents, up 39 percent from the same period last year. “Our performance in the first quarter was strong, as gains in member traffic underscored the value we provide. Our business model remains more relevant than ever in the current inflationary environment,” said CEO Bob Eddy.


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While Google’s efforts in TV have been mostly forgettable, Microsoft is kicking off an ambitious foray into interactive TV spot with its popular Xbox Live and Kinect platforms.
Microsoft will for the first time begin selling 30-second spots within Xbox entertainment applications, such as the app for NBC’s “The Today Show.” Microsoft also has begun to introduce interactive TV/digital ads that incorporate Xbox Kinect platform, which enables people to use voice commands and hand gestures to play certain video games. The company is set to announce this week that already 100 brands have begun testing Kinect-enabled campaigns. At the center of each campaign is what Microsoft is calling “brand destination experiences” that include Kinect-powered user interaction with ads..
For example, Garnier Fructis has launched Kinect-enhanced campaign that targets women playing the game Dance Central 2. Using gestures rather than controllers or a keyboard, players can sign up to receive a free sample of Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo and Conditioner and enter a contest.
“We’re the only next-gen TV platform that has the breadth of entertainment content, unique experiences with Kinect and a subscriber base of 35 million that continues to grow,” Shawn McMichael, Xbox’s senior director of global marketing Xbox, said. “Brands see this as a huge opportunity to engage with people on TV in new and creative ways.”
In fact, while Toyota and Garnier are showcasing unique ad placements, Xbox is touting the fact that it can offer advertisers plain-old 30 second spots as a breakthrough, since they are the easiest way for the average advertisers to target Xbox’s audience. “
Xbox’s new ad treatments are being introduced to coincide with the launch of an updated Xbox Live product, which includes significant enhancements. At the center of that rollout is Bing on Xbox voice search, a new application which blends elements of Bing search and Kinect’s voice commands — to offer users a theoretically much easier way to navigate Xbox’s growing stable of content.
Back in October, Xbox added partners such as Vevo, SyFy and HBO. Now, add to that list Major League Baseball and Vudu, which have both signed on to launch Xbox Live apps, said officials, meaning over 40 content providers and 100 advertisers have signed on in 2012.
“This is now the benchmark against which all other living room initiatives will be compared,” said Forrester analyst James McQuivey.
More in Media
Lacking financial incentives, sustainability remains a hope, not a promise, in digital advertising next year
Reducing carbon emissions from the digital ad ecosystem is an important priority, but various players are skeptical that much can — and is — being done to practice sustainability.
Google’s vp of global ads is confident that cookies will be gone from Chrome by the end of next year, despite all the challenges currently facing the ad market.
Mythbuster: How the inconsistent definition of click-through rates affects publishers and their advertisers
Some email newsletter platforms’ click-through rates are actually click-to-open rates, which are measured against the number of emails opened rather than the emails sent. But buyers seem to prefer it that way.


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Honda aims to restore North American production to above 50-percent capacity, after previous reports that the recent flooding in Thailand had hit them worse than they had expected.
Read This Article
"Comply to my three conditions, or I'll sue you."
That was Judge Dudley Gray II's paraphrasing of a letter sent by Heather Peters to Honda's customer service department on November 18 of last year.
Honda celebrates its 20 millionth vehicle produced in the U.S.
Honda announces pricing for the new 2014 CR-Z.


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APPLE’S next iPad could be launching next month, according to a new report.
Rumours suggest the next iPad will be thinner, faster and potentially fairly inexpensive compared to previous models but Apple hasn’t provided any official comment yet.
According to DigiTimes, Apple’s 9th generation iPad could be coming out this September.
DigiTimes has been spot on with some of its Apple predictions in the past.
If true, the launch of the 9th generation iPad could come exactly a year after the launch of the 8th.
The report also suggested that the new iPad will look very similar to the last one.
However, it is expected to be slimmer.
Other reports have suggested it will contain a new A13 chip.
Digitimes says the release of a new iPad could push Apple’s shipments of the device to over 60 million units in 2021.
As with all rumours, we’ll have to wait for official word from Apple until we can confirm that a new iPad will be appearing anytime soon.
Apple fans are also expecting the launch of the iPhone 13.
The US tech giant usually has a launch event every September where it reveals its latest smartphone and a selection of other gadgets and updates.
- Read all the latest Phones & Gadgets news
- Keep up-to-date on Apple stories
- Get the latest on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram
In other news, Musk is working on a Tesla robot that looks like a human – and will perform “boring or dangerous tasks”.
WhatsApp is working on a feature that could see your messages disappear after 90 days.
And, Twitter is having to make changes to its redesign of the app after users complained about headaches and migraines.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org


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A local businesswoman is swapping her desk job for a flour mill after signing a lease in the Midlothian Station shopping center.
A Florida-based Tex-Mex restaurant is taking over a storefront in the western Henrico shopping center after Qdoba packs its bags this weekend.
Three months after adding a second spot in Northside, a Shockoe Bottom restaurant is serving up a third course in a former Main Street coffee shop.
First there was fro-yo. Then came the noodles. Now, Indian fare will soon be dished out in a Carytown storefront thanks to two Charlottesville restaurateurs.
The widow of a well-known Richmond restaurateur is making her own mark on the business and continuing her late husband’s appetite for expansion, this time targeting the Museum District. Frances Santarella, owner and executive officer of Richmond-based RVA Hospitality, which owns Tarrant’s Café, Max’s on Broad and Tarrant’s West, confirmed Wednesday plans for the group’s… Read more »
After three years of running pop-up dinners out of a local bakery and a brewery, a group of local restaurateurs has a permanent place to call its own.
Fresh off opening a new location in Carytown, a local juice bar chain is bringing its blenders downtown.
The first of two food tenants in the redeveloped Symbol Mattress factory property is up and running.
The smell of coffee soon will waft once again from a dormant Manchester property, in the former Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting facility.
The former head of a short-lived Petersburg restaurant has fired back at a group of local investors that sued him last month.


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Aug 4 2021
CDD joins 23 other public interest, consumer advocacy, and civil rights groups in a letter urging the Federal Trade Commission to protect civil rights and privacy in the digital economy by initiating a new rulemaking, creating an Office of Civil Rights, and committing more resources to enforce against unfair and deceptive practices.
Jun 23 2021
International coalition calls for action against surveillance-based advertising
Jun 10 2021
The Center for Digital Democracy and 23 other leading civil society groups sent a letter to President Biden today asking his Administration to ensure that any new transatlantic data transfer deal is coupled with the enactment of U.S. laws that reform government surveillance practices and provide comprehensive privacy protections.
May 28 2021
Jeff Chester, CDD (email@example.com; 202-494-7100)
David Monahan, CCFC (firstname.lastname@example.org;)
Advocates Ask FTC to Protect Youth From Manipulative “Dark Patterns” Online
May 12 2021
The coronavirus pandemic triggered a dramatic increase in online use. Children and teens whose schools have closed relied on YouTube for educational videos, attending virtual classes on Zoom and Google Classroom, and flocking to TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for entertainment and social interaction. This constant immersion in digital culture has exposed them to a steady flow of marketing for fast foods, soft drinks, and other unhealthy products, much of it under the radar of parents and teachers.
Apr 29 2021
To watch the full FTC Dark Patterns Workshop online visit the FTC website here.
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 11 2021
Contextual Advertising—Now Driven by AI and Machine Learning—Requires Regulatory Review for Privacy and Marketing Fairness
What’s known as contextual advertising is receiving a big boost from marketers and some policymakers, who claim that it provides a more privacy-friendly alternative to the dominant global surveillance-based “behavioral” marketing model. Google’s plans to eliminate cookies and other third-party trackers used for much of online ad delivery are also spurring greater interest in contextual marketing, which is being touted especially as safe for children.
By: Jeffrey Chester | Feb 18 2021
The Whole World will Still be Watching You:
Google & Digital Marketing Industry “Death-of-the-Cookie” Privacy Initiatives Require Scrutiny from Public Policymakers
Nov 15 2020
General Comment submission
Children’s rights in relation to the digital environment
Nov 11 2020
Oct 16 2020
CONSUMER AND CITIZEN GROUPS CONTINUE TO HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT GOOGLE FITBIT TAKEOVER
Joint Statement on Possible Remedies
Oct 9 2020
October 9, 2020
901 Cherry Avenue
San Bruno, CA 94006
Dear Ms. Wojciki:
By: Jeffrey Chester | Sep 30 2020
The Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and CDD filed comments with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on privacy, as part of a consultation designed to propose global safeguards for young people online. Both CCFC and CDD, along with allies in the U.S. and throughout the world, are working to advance stronger international protections for young people, especially related to their privacy and the impacts that digital marketing has on their development.
Sep 24 2020
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2020
Contact: Jeff Chester (202-494-7100)
By: Katharina Kopp | Sep 24 2020
The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) announced today its opposition to the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), also known as Proposition 24, which will appear on the November 2020 California general election ballot. CDD has concluded that Prop 24 does not sufficiently strengthen Californians’ privacy and may, in fact, set a new, low, and thus dangerous standard for privacy protection in the U.S.
Sep 23 2020
Sep 17 2020
By: Kathryn C. Montgomery, Jeff Chester, and Katharina Kopp | Sep 10 2020
TikTok (also known by its Chinese name, Dǒuyīn) has quickly captured the interest of children, adolescents, and young adults in 150 countries around the world. The mobile app enables users to create short video clips, customize them with a panoply of user-friendly special effects tools, and then share them widely through the platform’s vast social network.
Sep 3 2020
Katharina Kopp, CDD (email@example.com; 202-836-4621)
David Monahan, CCFC (firstname.lastname@example.org)
Advocates Call on TikTok Suitors to Clean Up Kids’ Privacy Practices
Groups had filed complaint at FTC documenting how TikTok flouts children’s privacy law, tracks millions of kids without parental consent.
Jul 16 2020


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Honolulu, Hawaii 2021-10-16 01:25:44 –
Kapolei, Hawaii (KHON2) — Aloun Farms was unable to host a pumpkin festival in 2020, but this time we’ve added a few things to the autumn festival.
New additions include drive-through pumpkin patches and farmers markets.
“We see a lot of zucchini in the farmers market, and we also have sweet potatoes,” said Michael Moefu, community outreach director at Aloun Farms.
Join the drive-through patch for $ 50 admission and choose one of the giant pumpkins. Participants drive to the patch, get out of the car and pick pumpkins from the vines! But they need to be careful with those vines, Moefuku said.
“I don’t want to touch the vine, but there are some thorns there,” he said. Get your pumpkin now. “
Those who get out of the car and patch at the market need to wear a mask and social distance. Aloun Farms also hosts a pumpkin decoration contest through social media where you can win a family stay at Embassy Suites in Waikiki.
“We have already received a lot of submissions, just tag @ AlounFarmsHawaii,” Moefu said.
Conclusion — They want to meet everyone in person.
“Since this year was a fruitful season, these giant pumpkins are plentiful, yes, families are coming out and opening up the field to harvest their own giant pumpkins.”
Michael Moefu, Aloun Farms Community Outreach Director
Anyone who pays an admission fee of $ 50 can join the patch and choose one of the giant pumpkins, after which all pumpkins will be $ 25 or $ 35, depending on size.
Those who choose to buy a giant pumpkin from the farmers market will pay either $ 30 or $ 40, but they can’t choose it from the vines. click here For more information on Aloun Farms.
Aloun Farms hosting drive-thru pumpkin patch, farmers market Source link Aloun Farms hosting drive-thru pumpkin patch, farmers market


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Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has recently unveiled its first-ever electric SUV, called the eVX, with plans to launch it by 2025. The car was spotted undergoing testing near the company’s plant in Gurugram, India, and from the spy shots, it appears to resemble a concept model.
Maruti Suzuki’s Electric SUV: A Promising Entry into India’s EV Market
Impressive Driving Range and Performance
The eVX boasts a 60 KWh battery pack, offering a remarkable driving range of up to 550 km on a full charge. Additionally, a smaller battery pack variant is also in the works, providing a range of around 400 km. Unfortunately, specific details about the car’s performance have not been disclosed yet.
Toyota-Based Platform and Production
Built on the Toyota 40PL platform, which is specifically designed for electric vehicles, the eVX benefits from ample space for the batteries in the floorboard, resulting in a wider cabin. Suzuki plans to manufacture the car at its plant in Gujarat.
Exterior and Interior Design
The future-looking eVX model has a hollow grille, L-shaped headlights, and a smooth bumper. It sports 17-inch alloy wheels, connected LED tail lights, a shark fin antenna, a high-mounted stop lamp, and a slow landing. The eVX boasts a spacious, feature-packed cabin. A Tata Nexon-style instrument cluster, infotainment screen, and two-spoke steering wheel are inside. Vertical air-con vents and a centre console rotary dial simplify the design. A driver’s seat with power adjustments is expected.
Rivals in the Indian EV Market
Maruti Suzuki’s electric SUV will face stiff competition in the Indian market, going up against electric models like the upcoming Mahindra XUV700 EV, Hyundai Creta-based EV, Tata Curve EV, Honda Elevate EV, and Kia Seltos EV. However, the company’s strong brand presence and commitment to affordability could give it an edge in this growing segment.(Maruti Suzuki)


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Hackers gained access to as many as 40 million credit and debit cards used by customers of Target during the height of the holiday shopping season, the company reported Thursday, in one of the biggest data breaches in history.
Company officials offered few details on the intrusion, which reportedly began the day before Thanksgiving and continued until last Sunday. Security experts said that the kind of information stolen — including names, card numbers and expiration dates — could allow criminals to make fraudulent purchases almost anywhere in the world.
The breach highlighted vulnerabilities in the massive, interconnected shopping systems used for billions of dollars of retail transactions every day. Customers at Target’s nearly 1,800 stores in the United States were potentially affected, though those who shopped online were not, the company said.
Consumers are not generally held responsible for purchases they do not authorize, but the scramble to cancel compromised cards and issue replacements threatens to cause disruptions as shoppers move into the final days of the holiday shopping season.
In Denver, bankers said they’re assessing the scope of the issue and acknowledged they had been contacted by concerned consumers.
“Call volume from customers has increased, and (we) are working to identify the full extent of the impact,” said Erica McIntire, executive vice president and director of marketing communications at Vectra Bank Colorado.
Officials for First Bank of Colorado also said they’re determining the scope of the breach.
“Whatever money Target thought they were going to get during the holiday season just got flushed down the data-breach toilet,” said John Kindervag, an analyst and data security expert at Forrester, a research firm.
He estimated that Target will have to spend at least $100 million to cover legal costs and to fix whatever went wrong.
Kindervag said the company will owe money to card brands, like Visa and American Express, that have to reimburse customers for fraudulent transactions. Target, based in Minneapolis and one of the nation’s largest retailers, also faces the risk of enduring damage to its reputation, according to analysts and consumer advocates. Company stock was down more than 2 percent on a generally flat day on Wall Street.
Target said it notified law enforcement authorities and financial institutions after discovering the breach. The company said it also has hired an outside forensics firm to investigate the incident and strengthen its systems.
The company declined to comment on how the intrusion happened, when it learned that it had occurred and what kind of encryption, if any, is used to protect consumer data.
Outside security experts said the information that Target reported stolen is contained on the magnetic strips of debit and credit cards and could be used to create fraudulent new cards.
The massive extent of the breach suggest that hackers reached deeply into Target’s corporate networks rather than accessing systems at individual stores. If criminals also obtained pin codes for debit cards, they could be used to withdraw cash directly from user bank accounts, experts said.
Target said there is no indication that PIN numbers were taken in the data breach. There was no indication that the three- or four-digit security numbers visible on the back of credit card were affected.
Denver Post staff writer David Migoya contributed to this report.
Target data breach
Target says the breach affected in-store purchases between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. The stolen data includes:
What should shoppers do?
Q: I shopped at Target during that time. What should I do?
A: Check your credit card statements carefully. If you see suspicious charges, report the activity to your credit card companies and call Target at 866-852-8680. You can report cases of identity theft to law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission.
Q: Who pays if there are fraudulent charges on my account?
A: In most cases, consumers aren’t on the hook for fraudulent charges. Credit card companies often flag the charges before they go through and shut down your card. If that doesn’t happen, the card issuer will generally strip off charges you claim are fraudulent. Because the fraud has been tied to Target, it’ll be the retailer that ultimately compensates the banks and credit card companies.
It’s worth noting that debit cards often don’t come with the same fraud protections as credit cards. As a result, those cardholders might have a tougher time getting their money back if their number is stolen.


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|Bid||229.26 x 1400|
|Ask||229.48 x 800|
|Day's range||228.45 - 229.68|
|52-week range||174.60 - 250.58|
|Beta (5Y monthly)||0.94|
|PE ratio (TTM)||32.08|
|Forward dividend & yield||1.80 (0.79%)|
|Ex-dividend date||09 Feb 2023|
|1y target est||N/A|
SAN FRANCISCO, January 26, 2023--Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) today announced its fiscal first quarter 2023 financial results through an earnings release that will be furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a Form 8-K and available on its Investor Relations website at investor.visa.com/financial-information/quarterly-earnings/default.aspx.
Uber (NYSE:UBER) and Visa (NYSE:V) today announced a new program designed to support small-and medium-sized businesses in their transition to green and sustainable packaging solutions, as part of a broader year-long effort to support SMBs who use Uber Eats to grow their businesses.
SAN FRANCISCO, January 06, 2023--Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) will report its fiscal first quarter 2023 financial results on Thursday, January 26, 2023. After market close, Visa will furnish the results with the Securities and Exchange Commission and post them, along with accompanying financial information, on the Visa Investor Relations website. Visa will issue a news wire alert when the earnings materials are publicly available, including a link to those documents.


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The Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker group toasted a 24p rise to 1228p as Citigroup told investors to buy with a 1430p target, arguing that Diageo also represents the best play on an upturn in the US market, which represents about a third of its profits.
It said: “Per capita consumption of premium spirits is small in emerging markets but the large consumption of local spirits, notably in China and India, shows consumers have a taste for them.”
Marks & Spencer, 13¼p firmer at 388¼p, was on investors’ shopping list in anticipation of an upbeat trading report next Tuesday. According to JPMorgan Cazenove, M&S should have enjoyed better trading than fashion rival Next over the Christmas period, while figures from John Lewis suggests continued healthy spending by the “more affluent consumer”.
Technology group Invensys climbed to 366½p before closing 3¼p higher at 359p as bid hopes were revived by talk of a merger of China’s two main state-owned railway equipment makers. Invensys already has a joint venture with one of them and as well as a tie-up between China’s CSR and CNR opening up more opportunities, dealers reckon the UK firm’s rail signalling expertise could make it a takeover target for a Chinese predator.
Although the FTSE 100 retreated 24.35 points to 6019.51 on the back of disappointing US unemployment data, the recent bull run in equity prices cheered the insurance sector, where Resolution advanced 8¼p to 243¼p, while Legal & General and Prudential firmed 1p to 104½p and 7p to 689p. But a firmer dollar, making it more expensive for overseas investors to buy metals traded in the US currency, dented blue chip miners such as Fresnillo, down 89p to 1578p, Antofagasta, 49p weaker at 1537p, and African Barrick Gold, off 18½p to 581½p.
A cautious outlook from mid-cap household and personal care products group McBride, 10¾p adrift at 173p, took the shine off Mr Sheen and Cillit Bang group Reckitt Benckiser, 58p lower at 3518p, while Smith & Nephew dropped 11p to 662½p as broker Numis predicted “little good news for market growth” in orthopaedics ahead of results from US rival Biomet.
Defence giant BAE Systems advanced 9p to 351p after positive comments from Credit Suisse while buy support from Goldman Sachs lifted advertising giant WPP 12½p to 793p.
Taylor Wimpey gained 2¼p to 35p on heavy trading as speculation mounted over the potential sale of its North American operations, while vague bid talk lifted goldminer Centamin Egypt 2p to 172p.
On Wall Street the Dow Jones was down 31 points to 11692 by mid-session.


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Microsoft and Temboo, a New York-based Internet of things (IoT) programming specialist, have teamed to help businesses keep an eye on their IoT sensors.
Power BI, Microsoft’s cloud-based business intelligence platform, supports the Temboo Streaming service, which dynamically generates the code required to link sensor data to cloud services. Now, in addition to analyzing business metrics, enterprises can use Power BI’s real-time visualization capabilities to monitor their IoT deployments and extract insights.
“We increasingly live in a world in which everything emits data, presenting new and exciting opportunities for those who can harness it,” said James Phillips, corporate vice president of Microsoft Power BI, in a statement. “Temboo Platform users can now stream data directly into Microsoft Power BI where it can be visualized and monitored in real-time, and analyzed using rich visual and natural language exploration capabilities.”
In a company blog post, the Power BI team at Microsoft explained that cloud-based code virtualization technology that powers the Temboo platform “automatically generates production ready code across multiple programming languages for software and hardware developers.” That capability not only streamlines the process of incorporating IoT data into an organization’s cloud-enhanced IT environment, but also enables developers to get a leg up on their IoT applications.
“You can easily connect your hardware to the internet using the auto-generated code and copy/pasting into your IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics),” wrote the group. “Once connected, Temboo’s platform allows you to perform more than 2,000 actions with your device.”
In a separate post published on the Temboo Blog, the company explained how its Streaming service can be used to create full-featured IoT apps.
“Streaming is a nice complement to the Conditions features we added to IoT Mode last month, which allow you to use the same visual interface to specify how you want your hardware to trigger and respond to the Choreos that you are running,” stated the company. Choreos, or Choreographies, are reusable code shortcuts that developers can string together to create workflows. “Taken together, these features let you use IoT Mode to quickly and easily generate code for complete, production-ready IoT applications that handle data and connect devices to the cloud.”
Microsoft isn’t the only tech giant to feature integrations with Temboo’s IoT platform.
Temboo Streaming also supports Google’s newly updated BigQuery analytics engine, which is now available from European data centers and ingests up to 100,000 rows per second per table. It can be used to program microcontrollers from Texas Instruments and Arduino, but the company plans to broaden support for more devices and data services soon.
“It’s very important to us that people who are working with Temboo are able to choose the tools and services that they want to work with,” said Trisala Chandaria, co-founder Temboo, in an April 14 launch announcement. “By keeping Streaming open, we think we’ve kept the value front and center in IoT Mode.”


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Quiz It's Record Store Day and vinyl sales have rocketed to their highest in three decades. But what are people buying?
The AirPods rivals inherit the firm's own open-fit active noise cancellation technology from the previous generation model.
Despite an unspecified release date for Apple Music's lossless audio, some users seem to have spotted signs that suggest its launch is imminent...
Following a slew of leaks regarding Apple's latest Beats-branded wireless earbuds, the LA Lakers pro basketball star seemingly has a pair.
A week after 'Beats Studio Buds' showed up in the iOS 14.6 beta code, we now have an image claiming to show us the real thing.
Our July issue includes top separates to make your vinyl sing, reviews of all the latest hi-fi kit, and much more...
Want a phone-free workout? Spotify and YouTube Music are inrtoducing offline listening for Wear OS smartwatches.
A Reddit user noticed the 'HiFi' button in Spotify's iOS app and has shared details of what happened when they pressed it.
The initial Roku Originals rollout will simply be added to Roku's current lineup of more than 25,000 free movies and TV shows currently on its channel, on 20th May – aka Streaming Day.
In the words of Zuma, Lumisonic is a "world first high-performance product that combines audio and light to give users an incredible immersive experience".
The London-based tech outfit's first product will be called Ear 1 and while details are both vague and intriguing, we do know that the "stripped down" earbuds will be with us in June...
The Southport UK firm's all-new four strong SilentPower range promises to tackle mains-related noise and improve your audio/AV system's performance.
When using “Hey Siri” to play a track, some Apple HomePods seem unable to find songs or artists on Apple Music.
The high-end stereo preamplifier joins DeVore Fidelity speakers in Absolute Sounds’ curated collection of "singular sonic artistry".
Our June issue includes plenty of fresh reviews, a 4K projector head-to-head, QLED vs OLED tech explained, plus the most tempting high-end hi-fi products on the market.
Deal These gorgeous, finely crafted headphones offer a spacious, detailed listen – and right now they're heavily discounted!
Starting this week, Europe, US, Canada, and Japan (where PlayStation Now is available) will see an upgrade from 720p to 1080p resolution when streaming some games.
Expanding on the multi-DAC innovation first introduced with the SE200, owners can now customise the sound with different audio-flavoured DACs to find their ideal hi-fi grade sonics.
Sony's Award-winning XM4 wireless over-ears now come in a new limited edition Silent White colourway.
"An artist is always alone – if he's an artist," said Henry Miller. "No, what the artist needs is loneliness."
Our May issue includes lots of reviews, features on Spotify HiFi and noise-cancelling, plus the most tempting high-end kit out there.
Beoplay Portal is the aspirational Danish firm's first ever stab at the wireless gaming headphone market.


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China: Aleo terminates avim solar module production24. September 2012 | Industry & Suppliers, Markets & Trends | By: Becky Beetz
Aleo solar AG has announced the termination of its avim solar production Co. Ltd. joint venture (JV) in China. The decision has affected 246 employees.
The Germany-based company said in a statement today that due to the photovoltaic module price drops, and subsequent margin squeezes, it can no longer profitably operate the facility, where modules were produced by aleo and China's Sunvim Group Co. Ltd, under the avim brand. Aleo held a 50% stake in the JV.
Production began at the Gaomi facility at the end of 2008. Until now, it has reached a capacity of 90 MW and employed 246 workers. The decision to close the facility down was taken by the board of the joint venture.
"Sustainably cost-effective production is no longer possible at Gaomi due to the price drop, particularly for Chinese modules," stated York zu Putlitz, CEO and CFO of aleo solar. "In the low-price segment, it is no longer possible to achieve adequate margins. aleo solar will supply only the premium segment in the future."
In June, aleo announced it will close its photovoltaic module factory in Santa Maria de Palautordera, Spain, by the end of the year at the latest, thus affecting 92 jobs, due to the current market conditions. At the start of August, the company further lowered its 2012 revenue guidance.
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Anthony Bourdain is taking one of his biggest trips yet as he makes the move to CNN.
The No Reservations star is joining the network to host a new weekend program covering food and travel. Launching in early 2013, the program will air Sunday nights and will shoot on location as Bourdain explores cultures across the globe through their food, dining and travel rituals.
"For more than a decade, Anthony Bourdain has been a trailblazer in educating Americans about different cuisines and cultures around the world, as well as an outspoken commentator on social trends ranging from the rise of celebrity chefs to the impact of fast food chains to the spread of vegetarianism and veganism," Mark Whitaker, CNN Worldwide executive vice president and managing editor, said in a statement. "Examining the world through the prism of Tony's unique expertise and passions continues CNN's long-standing commitment to international reporting and to promotional global understanding."


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itwbennett writes "The patent licensing agreement between Microsoft and Samsung this week set off a firestorm of childish tit-for-tat between Microsoft and Google. But more telling is what Samsung had to say about its relationship with Google: 'Samsung knows it can't rely on Google. We've decided to address Android IP issues on our own,' a Samsung official told The Korea Times. The only good news to come from all of this, says blogger Brian Proffitt, is that we may be headed for a courtroom showdown over just what patents Microsoft believes are in violation, which really is what should have happened to begin with." Update: 09/30 20:05 GMT by S : As it turns out, the so-called "Samsung official" cited by The Korea Times turned out to be patent blogger Florian Mueller.
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TIME TO BE MERRY: A number of retailers have already confirmed they will close on Boxing Day (Photo by Getty)
Attention all festive shoppers - The majority of supermarkets will close on Christmas Day, which means Christmas Eve will be your last chance to grab some last-minute supplies.
With more stores closing their doors for longer during the festive season, shoppers will have to carefully plan their shopping trips. Almost all major stores in the UK are closed on Christmas Day, but a few retailers won't be operating on Boxing Day either.
As most big retailers have announced their schedule for the holiday season, we have rounded up a full list of store opening and closing times to help you with your shopping. However, it is advised to check your local store timings before you make the trip, as opening hours can vary from branch to branch.
Aldi is extending its opening hours from 7am to 10pm from Monday, December 19 till December 23 to give shoppers more time to pick up last-minute supplies. Stores will be open until 6pm on Christmas Eve, but shoppers should check local store details online to avoid disappointment.
The budget supermarket will close its stores as usual on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as a thank you to colleagues for their hard work throughout the year. The majority of stores will be open from 8am until 8pm between Christmas and New Year, and until 6pm on New Year's Eve.
Poundland will close all its stores on Boxing Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, to give its staff a well-deserved break. Shoppers can check opening times for their local Poundland on its website.
Co-op stores will be open until 9pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve - however, there can be variations on store opening hours, so it's best to check your local. All stores will be closed on Christmas Day.
The store will open between 8am and 8pm on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, however, it will be staffed entirely by those employees who don't mind working during the holidays. For all other dates, stores will be open as per usual.
Discount store Home Bargains has confirmed it will close all of its branches for three days over the Christmas period. On Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day, the retailer will close all of its locations to give employees some time off.
The company also confirmed that all Home Bargains stores will close at 5pm on Christmas Eve to enable staff members to enjoy time with their friends and families.
This year, John Lewis will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Between Christmas and New Year, most stores will be open from 9am to 6pm, but make sure you check the local branch timings online.
All Waitrose stores will be closed on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The supermarket giant however highlighted that a few sites at petrol stations may still be open.
According to a spokesperson, more details regarding standard Christmas and New Year opening hours will be made accessible on their website.
Unlike rivals Iceland and Waitrose, supermarket giant Morrisons will remain open on Boxing Day from 9am to 6pm and on New Year's Day from 10am to 4pm. On Christmas Eve, Morrisons will be open from 6am to 6pm, to accommodate last-minute customers.
The supermarket will be closed on Boxing Day and Christmas Day, joining other top retailers who have already chosen to give their employees time off during the busy season. The company's managing director, Richard Walker said all Iceland and Food Warehouse stores will not open on December 26.
On Christmas Day, all B&M stores will be closed. Whether or not stores would be open on New Year's Day has not yet been confirmed by the company.
For the remaining dates in December and early January, customers are advised to check online for more details.
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