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Capcom has released a new trailer for Monster Hunter Rise that shows off the game’s new Rampage event as well as Apex monsters. The trailer also gives fans a glimpse of some of the new title’s regions and a few of the monsters players will be able to hunt.
According to Capcom, the Rampage is an event where hordes of monsters attack Kamura Village and hunters will have to defend the town with the help of several of its residents. Hunters will also be able to utilize the different turrets, traps, and other hunting installations inside Kamura Village to fight off the Rampage.
When dealing with the Rampage, Hunters will also have to face off against Apex monsters, a new variant of already existing monster species. While the Apex State was previously featured in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate as an effect of the game’s Frenzy Virus, it looks like Apex monsters in Monster Hunter Rise will be different from those.
The trailer also showed off some of the other monsters players can hunt in Monster Hunter Rise, including Almudron, Diablos, Rathian, and Rajang, along with some of its locales, such as the Lava Caverns and Sandy Plains.
Monster Hunter Rise is scheduled for release next month on March 26, 2021, on the Nintendo Switch.


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Jeff Angel, executive director of the Total Environment Centre, describes the complicated process of getting e-waste recycling happening in Australia.
We can see the discarded TVs and PCs on the verge and we know there are lots of old computers and monitors at the back of the office along with retired mobile phones in the drawer. And there are millions of batteries in consumer products. We know they contain important resources such as rare earth minerals and that the plastic, lead and glass can be recycled. Yet there are over 230 million electronic items in or on their way to Australian landfills. So how do we stop this mountain of waste?
Until recently Australia did little to recycle e-waste—the bigger items and their peripherals. There were voluntary schemes where you had to pay when you got to the collection centre. Some councils began drop-off days—and the flood of materials was astounding. Developing producer responsibility in Australia has been slow, with tepid approaches endorsed by bureaucrats and industry, and feel-good media releases from ministers wanting to appear to be doing something.
A complication has been the desire to have a national regime rather than starting off independently at the state level. The force of federalism is strong despite several states such as NSW having strong product stewardship laws and promising action. Consequently, environment ministers met interminably—discussing proposals for studies, receiving reports on trials, issuing communiques.
This was the policy landscape for e-waste during the early 2000s. However, a campaign by the Total Environment Centre and Environment Victoria over seven years finally brought the issue to a crunch point.
Initially, industry was resistant—some didn’t like green regulation and some wanted to protect the market differentiation they gained from brand-based recycling schemes. An understandable requirement of industry associations is that there should be no free-riders; otherwise, those that are participating, with a cost burden, believe they are at a competitive disadvantage to non-participants. There is also the usual opposition to adding a (small) additional cost into the price of products to cover the recycling program.
A combination of media and public information programs by environment groups, actions outside recalcitrant departmental offices, the use of social media to lobby ministers, as well as the release of recycling plans based on successful overseas models, eventually brought the problem to a decision point.
Read the full article in ReNew 123
This entry was posted on Friday, March 22nd, 2013 at 5:28 pm

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Earlier this month, Jeep released 3 photos of the 2018 Wrangler that's bound to show up at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. Now, the American SUV-manufacturer decided to update us with 2 new photos, only this time, it's all about the interiors.
As a recap, the 2018 Wrangler boasts a set of fresh-but-still-round headlamps, longer strips on its keystone-shaped grille, and fender parking lights and turn signals. To amplify off-roading experience, the SUV's windshield can now be folded down, doors are removable, while the roof can also be taken off.
So much with the exterior design, Jeep has already revealed what the interior looks like. Starting with the steering wheel, silver accents on the spokes were added to give more premium styling. The cooling vents are now leveled, giving the dashboard a neat and simple appeal. The center cluster, on the other hand, reveals reorganized controls, and a new display screen. Meanwhile, the infotainment cluster receives a mini screen.
To give you a visual comparison, here are the old (top) and the new (bottom) interiors.
Jeep has been thrifty regarding the 2018 Wranglers details, but their exact words were "loaded with more safety features and advanced technology." The American automaker promised to put out more details regarding the Wrangler during its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month.


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Chip giant Qualcomm said that its Q3 results were impacted due Apple’s contract manufacturers not paying royalty, which lead to 11 percent downfall in quarterly revenue. Qualcomm’s third quarter fiscal 2017 revenue stood at $5.37 billion, beating financial analyst estimates of $5.26 billion. Qualcomm’s net income was down 40 per cent at $866 million. Qualcomm in a statement said that for third quarter of fiscal 2017 were severely affected due to Apple’s contract manufacturers not fully reporting and paying royalties , due to which revenue target for 3rd Quarter fell.
The results were also impacted by “previously disclosed dispute with another licensee, who did not report or pay royalties due in the third quarter of fiscal 2017,” the statement said.
“We expect these licensees will continue to take such actions in the future until the respective disputes are resolved,” it added.
The global chip maker had filed a new patent infringement lawsuit against Apple a few months back and now expects ‘out of court’ settlement with the Cupertino-based iPhone maker. If the things does not turn out in favor of Qualcomm, then lawsuit against Apple cannot be ruled out.
Speaking at a US event this week, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said “those things tend to get resolved out of court and there’s no reason why I wouldn’t expect that to be the case here.”
He was comparing the dispute with Apple to earlier fights Qualcomm has had with other tech companies that were settled out of court.
“We believe that we hold the high ground with regard to the dispute with Apple, and we have initiated new actions to protect the well-established value of our technologies,” Mollenkopf said in the statement on Thursday.
Earlier in July, Qualcomm asked the US authorities to ban imports of some iPhone and iPad models.
Qualcomm filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, accusing Apple’s iPhones and iPads of infringing six of its mobile patents.
Qualcomm said all iPhones and iPads that contain competing mobile communications chips should be barred from the country.
Apple responded to this, saying that the company had tried to negotiate before suing and that Qualcomm is abusing its position.
In April, Apple stopped paying royalties to contract manufacturers for phone patents owned by Qualcomm over an “unresolved issue”.
Apple reportedly stopped paying royalties starting with devices sold during the March quarter.
Qualcomm is one of the world’s biggest provider of mobile chips and derives revenue majorly from licensing that technology to hundreds of handset manufacturers and others.
Apple sued Qualcomm in January for nearly one billion dollars over royalties, with the Cupertino-based tech giant alleging the wireless chipmaker that it did not give fair licensing terms for its processor technology.


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STAFF BLOG LAGNIAPPE The need to seed
I am a flower girl. No, not the tiny kind that precedes a bride, tossing petals down the wedding aisle. Maybe I should say flower woman. I find delight in planting flowers in the spring and watching t... Posted on 5/23/13 at 11:03 AM
WORTHINGTON — Worthington’s Water and Light Commission on Monday held off on implementation of a total ban on lawn watering, but if the city’s static levels in the wells at Lake Bella continue to decline at the current pace of approximately one foot per week, a watering ban will be imposed at the commission’s Oct. 15 meeting.
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The wait may finally be over for those looking to own Ola’s first-ever electric scooter.
Ola Electric will begin delivering the S1 and S1 pro from Dec. 15, CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said on Twitter on Dec. 4. Ola launched the two variants in August, looking to begin deliveries in October.
The Softbank-backed company, so far, has completed 20,000 test rides of its scooters and plans 10,000 more across 1,000 cities in December, according to Aggarwal.
Customers who want to buy an Ola S1 or Ola S1 Pro can log on to the company’s website and book them for 499 rupees ($6.62).
Will a delay in delivery impact Ola?
Given the momentum Ola has generated, industry experts aren’t overly worried about slight delays in deliveries.
“Ola’s customers are said to be early adopters of this EV revolution. They are tech-savvy and that’s why they are trusting an IT company for a vehicle,” Rohit Sharma, director of engineering at automotive product design firm JD Concord Design Solution, had earlier told Quartz. “An electric scooter is not their first or only vehicle. So waiting for delivery shouldn’t dent the momentum.”
The scooter comes with features such as reverse mode, in-built speakers, proximity sensors, app compatibility, and also a “hill hold” feature that prevents the vehicle from rolling back on slopes. The e-scooters also carry a digital console that lets users control settings, including speed and transmission.
Ola’s S1 variant is available at the starting price of Rs99,999 and the S1 Pro at Rs1.3 lakh. The price, however, could vary and fall depending on some subsidies.


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Kanye West stoked controversy with a catwalk event at Paris Fashion Week with t-shirts with the slogan “White Lives Matter.”
He invited rightwing commentator Candace Owens as a guest to his fashion show with the pair posing for photos with the slogan.
Unsurprisingly, the stunt was met with swift backlash on social media
The event was part of his Yeezy Season 9 show in Paris and comes after the billionaire rapper was seen with bruises and a bloody lip.
The shirt featured a photo of Pope John Paul II on the front and was worn by models on the catwalk including Selah Marley, who is singer Lauryn Hill’s daughter, and Bob Marley’s granddaughter.
Ye has since responded to the backlash after his show got “White Lives Matter” trending on social media.
Social media reacts to Kanye West’s White Lives Matter t-shirt
The Yeezy fashion designer had the internet in shambles as many criticized the show while others dismissed it as another publicity stunt.
BET host Marc Lamont-Hill accused Kanye of setting a dangerous precedent by wearing the controversial t-shirt.
“Kanye West decision to wear a “White Lives Matter” shirt is disgusting, dangerous, and irresponsible. Some of y’all will rush to defend him. You should ask yourselves why…,” he wrote on Twitter.
Jaden Smith revealed that he abandoned the YZY SZN9 event in response to the t-shirts.
“I had to dip, Lol,” he wrote in a tweet, adding: “Black Lives Matter.”
A critic on Twitter accused the rapper and fashion designer of being anti-black.
“Kanye west making Black models wear ‘white lives matter’ shirts is a culmination of his anti blackness and his immersion in white supremacy ideologies and methods. Disgusting,” the person wrote.
Another Tweeter accused Candace Owens and Kanye of embarrassing themselves for the sake of publicity.
“Kanye West and Candace Owens have to be the 2 stupidest individuals on earth. The fact that they are using racism directed also to them, to get attention, is just on a whole new level of pitiful. This is not even pathetic. This is embarrassing.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center dubbed White Lives Matter a hate slogan used by neo-Nazi groups and white supremacist organizations.
Kanye West responds to White Lives Matter backlash
Kanye West issued a response to the backlash of his White Lives Matter t-shirt on his Instagram Story.
He wrote: “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it’s over. You’re welcome”
He is likely referencing the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, which has been accused of mishandling donation money.
Per NBC News, Black Lives Matter Grassroots is suing an executive of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation for allegedly siphoning $10 million in donations.
Kanye has been accused of using anti-black rhetoric and symbols to stir up controversy in the past.
In 2018, he said 400 years of US slavery “sounds like a choice” in a TMZ interview. He also added a confederate flag to his Yeezy merchandise jacket back in 2013.


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>> Christian Lacroix, filed a petition for protection from creditors — the equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection — in a Paris court today, which will then decide whether to restructure or liquidate the company.
Lacroix CEO Nicolas Topiol said he plans "a continuation of the business, but the crisis has definitely hit us below the knees." He declined to say how much was owed, but did say that ready-to-wear sales for Fall 2009 were down 35 percent and losses for 2008 were about $14 million on overall revenues of approximately $42 million. He characterized couture sales — Lacroix's bread and butter — in 2008 as “flattish,” but far better than those for ready-to-wear.
Today's petition throws the status of Lacroix's Cruise 2010 and Fall 2009 couture participation, both coming up — the latter in early July — into question, but Topiol said both collections are still in progress. A scaled-back couture presentation is "most likely" — the strain of finances on the company was already visable during the Fall 2009 show, which was held in a parking garage with only broken mirrors providing decor — and noted that couture remains Lacroix's "most flexible business because we do most of it internally and we have a very dedicated group of clients.”
Some restructuring, including job cuts for some of the firm's 125 employees, is expected, but a sale of the company is also a possibility — Lacroix's owner, Falic Group, has been in advanced discussions with a group of Swiss investors. Topiol's take-home message? The filing “doesn’t mean the end of the story. It’s the beginning of another chapter.”


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After suffering from a delay, The Order: 1886 will finally be released for PlayStation 4 next month. Just ahead of its release, Ready at Dawn has revealed that they want The Order to be turned into a full-fledged franchise.
Speaking to Polygon, creative director Ru Weerasuriya stated that there are a lot of stories that they want to tell in the universe that they have created, and there certainly will be more than one The Order: 1886 games.
We have other games in mind, other things that could be done. The reality is that we never build a world with the mind set of ‘there is one story and that is that.’ We build a world purely for the purpose of making more than one game.
It takes too much work for this to be for a single title.
He continued on to say that the team took a chance with the new Ready at Dawn Engine 4.0 because there weren’t any physics engine available that were capable of doing what the developers wanted.
In another statement, Ru touched on the subject of the large universe that they have created for The Order: 1886, saying that this world will allow them to bring more stories in the years to come.
This is how we always start, by building a world that is immense enough that a team of 100 something developers can believe in it, can feel like they can work in it for years to come. In order to do that we have to pour so much energy not into the story, the story came afterwards, but the lore.
All of that had to exist first and foremost.
PS4 users will be able to get their hands on The Order: 1886 starting February 20, 2015.


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Barbie and Ken wreck the rainforest?
Mattel, the world’s largest toy company, may have been caught in an environmentally unfriendly act. Greenpeace has alleged the company is packaging its Barbie and Ken dolls in materials from Indonesian rainforests, reported The Los Angeles Times.
The environmental group has turned to social media to spread awareness of Mattel’s unsustainable packaging, posting a humorous video of Ken ditching Barbie due to her anti-rainforest behavior. Featured on YouTube and Greenpeace’s websites, the video has already netted more than 180,000 views and been translated into 18 languages.
With 2.8 million members, Greenpeace could mobilize serious action against the toy firm. Through the advocacy group’s websites, visitors can send a message to Mattel’s CEO and stay updated on the issue through Twitter.
Activists have already stirred up trouble for the Barbie-producing firm. After Facebook users posted unfriendly messages on Barbie’s fan page, Mattel decided to shut down commenting and eliminate any mention of rainforests on the site.
Mattel’s Twitter account @BarbieStyle and Facebook page (boasting 53,400 and 2.2 million followers respectively) have been remarkably silent the past few days. No new Facebook comments were displayed on the page so far this week.
However, other websites have been barraged with hilarious commentary. A search for @barbie on Twitter —likely a spoof site — will reveal posts such as “Yes, I participated in #Deforestation ... how else am I supposed to heat the ‘Dream House’? #Barbie.”
Greenpeace has also entered the game with its own humorous Twitter account, @ken_talks. Its first tweet: "Beach. Spa. Poolside cocktails. Just another Malibu weekend coming my way, boys and dolls!” It later followed with another: “Did you know there are only about 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild? Feel a bit sick.”
Although perhaps less in the spotlight, Indonesian rainforests are a critical refuge for many endangered species, such as tigers, leopards and elephants. Rainforest destruction also accounts for 15 percent of international carbon dioxide emissions, an issue believed to be causing climate change.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Mattel claimed, “Playing responsibly has long been an important part of Mattel’s business practices," and criticized Greenpeace for its "inflammatory approach."
On Wednesday, the company posted on its corporate Facebook page the following: "Mattel does not support deforestation nor does it contract directly with Sinar Mas/APP (the packaging company in question). We purchase packaging materials from a variety of suppliers and it is not the normal course of business to dictate where suppliers source materials.”
“That said, we have directed our packaging suppliers to stop sourcing pulp from Sinar Mas/APP as we investigate the deforestation allegations. Additionally, we have asked our packaging suppliers to clarify how they are addressing the broader issue in their own supply chains."
Greenpeace intends to continue its efforts until Mattel demonstrates “due diligence” in taking a “zero-deforestation” stance.


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Call me Siniakov, but I think the RBA is trying to eat the Aussie consumer
If there is one thing the RBA wants, it is for Australians to stop spending.
And maybe lose a few jobs.
“It is still early days, but signs are growing that the Australian consumer might finally be getting the memo. If that’s the case, its good news towards the task of cooling domestic demand and further adds to confidence that inflationary pressures peaked at the end of 2022 and will ease this year – a point made recently by the (the RBA’s Head of Economic Analysis), Marion Kohler,” says Chris Siniakov, Managing Director at Franklin Templeton Australia Fixed Income.
For the last 6 months, understanding the intersection of rate hikes, very poor consumer sentiment but still solid consumption has been challenging, he adds.
The RBA on Tuesday released the minutes of its February meeting where it raised the official cash rate up 25 basis points to 3.35%
Turns out the RBA was rather close to going with a mega 50 bps but in the end it opted for calm, which is good considering the previous 9 straight hikes.
“The arguments … noted that inflation was expected to have reached its peak, that the outlook was for a softening in consumption growth and that there were many uncertainties around the outlook” the minutes recorded.
“Everyone knows rate hikes will work but, aside from the initial move lower in housing activity and house prices, it has been a game of waiting to see when tighter policy would actually start to bite everyday activity. Signs continue to appear that this is finally starting to happen.”
The chart below shows the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index which has been at or below GFC levels for several months.
Chris says this is a very, very unhappy Consumer Sentiment Index.
“It’s not just weak, its deeply pessimistic and has never been so depressed outside of a recession”.
– Chris Siniakov, MD Franklin Templeton Australia Fixed Income
Chris says that despite this acute pessimism, Australian retail sales have been strong over 2022 as the liberated little Aussie consumer has come leaping out of lockdown and spent up what’s been pent up.
“The chart (see below) shows the value of retail sales over the last twenty years with the trend. The blue line highlights how far spending surged in the pandemic lockdown. Most recently retail sales are showing welcome signs of cooling, potentially quickly.
“The December monthly print of -3.9% is the largest monthly fall since August 2020 when Victoria went into lockdown. It’s recognised that November saw somewhat of a pull forward in spending with the Black Friday sales promotional period but looking at the quarterly trend for retail sales, these rose by 0.9% for the entire fourth quarter, well down from 2.5% in the prior quarter.”
Core inflation was 1.7% over this period, suggesting that retail spending fell in inflation adjusted or volume terms.
“In other words, take out price effects, and retail sales probably declined in the fourth quarter,” he says.
Chris says the devil is in the CPI detail, which shows that whilst goods inflation has been easing, the trigger happy Aussie consumer has been spending big on services. Something that Myer and DJ’s loves, but the RBA is unlikely to let slide.
In fact, he says most of the upside surprise for the December quarter CPI is explained by Australians “who went nuts on overpriced holidays.”
“Recreation and culture boomed by 5.4% in the quarter, adding ~1/3 of the entire 1.9% CPI figure, making it the single largest contributor by a long shot.
“As of this writing, the terminal cash rate is projected to rise toward 3.75% though the timing is highly uncertain. We have and continue to argue that the current 3.1% level is already restrictive. Pausing now would still result in tighter policy as rate hikes continue to flow through and as a significant volume of fixed rate mortgages (more than 500k) mature in coming months seeing a sharp jump in borrowing costs for a significant proportion of borrowers.
Our mates at Bloomers Intelligence say the impact of fixed rate mortgage maturities in 2023 alone is equivalent to 2.2% of retail sales. A significant number considering consumption still accounts for ~60% of total GDP.
Chris reckons further tightening will put the squeeze on Dr P. Lowe’s already suffocating monetary conditions, but he believes, as long as central banks remain of the view that over-tightening is better than relaxing too early, the risks of a sharper slowdown grow by the day.
“We expect 2023 to show further evidence of a material slowing in consumption even as inflation trends down but remains above target. The ‘revenge spending’ on luxuries like travel will abate with consumers having got much of this out of their system in 2022.
“Getting the balance right without causing a more abrupt slowdown remains the difficult challenge. Granted, the December retail sales result is but one data release, but this is simply validating the forward-looking consumer sentiment data as it historically tends to do. The latest employment report which was also weak for December (-14.6k jobs) along with declining job vacancies also point to demand cooling.
“At this late stage of the cycle, it is any wonder markets continue to price rate cuts in early 2024?
“The extent to which the RBA decides to press on – even as signs grow that hikes are biting – increases the risk that the much sought after soft landing is being bypassed for something bumpier.
“For those so inclined, it could soon be a terrific time to buy a second-hand jet ski,” Siniakov adds, somewhat Siniakovly.


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Coffee shop adopts new policy, refuses to serve police officers
A coffee shop relatively new to Oakland is enforcing a policy that harkens back to the area's sometimes tumultuous relationship with police.
Hasta Muerte wants all uniformed officers to stay out and refuses to serve them.
"We have a policy of asking police to leave for physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves," the company told one Oakland police officer in February.
The coffee shop wrote about the incident on its Instagram account, and word has gotten out around the community. Some have supported Hasta Muerte's decision, while others have not.
Gabriel Ortiz, owner of La Perla Puerto Rican Cuisine, said he knows the Latino officer the coffee shop refused to serve.
"Why? Why you do that?" Ortiz said. "I mean, for me personally, there's no place for any merchant to have that mentality in my city."
One Oakland resident who asked not to be identified said she feels the coffee shop is trying to protect some customers who may have had negative interactions with Oakland police.
"When you bring an armed and uniformed police officer into the community's safe places, just where we live, without taking that history into account, you're not taking into account PTSD," she said. "You're not taking into account that that triggers people."
Right or wrong, Oakland city council member Noel Gallo said what Hasta Muerte is legal.
"They're within their legal rights to do that, and certainly the legal folks have expressed that to me," Gallo said.
Hasta Muerte's management declined to comment.


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COP26 & the bid to end deforestation: How will it impact supply chains?
The fight to mitigate against harmful deforestation had one of its biggest-ever endorsements last November during the COP26 event when global leaders agreed to end or reduce deforestation. Over 141 countries committed to “working collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030” while “delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation.” It does not only refer to “illegal” deforestation as many other pledges do, it covers all deforestation, not just logging or land clearance in violation of local laws but all logging and loss of forest through land-use changes.
The role of commercial agriculture in deforestation
Commercial agriculture drives over 70% of forest destruction in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Commodities most strongly linked to deforestation include palm oil, soy, timber, pulp, and cattle. This is often due to illegal logging and changes in land use.
A growing number of retailers, manufacturers, processors and traders in the food, fuel, and fibre sectors are making public commitments to establish deforestation-free supply chains. The rise of net-zero emissions commitments may provide the strongest impetus yet to eliminate deforestation from commodity production, sourcing, and financing. Such commitments doubled in 2020 alone and have now collectively been issued by companies with combined revenue of more than half the US’s annual GDP.
To tackle agricultural emissions, UK supermarket Tesco has recognized the need to follow its supply chain upstream – to origins in Brazil, Indonesia, and elsewhere – and institute a strong no-deforestation and no-conversion strategy. For instance, the difference between conversion-free sourcing and conversion-intensive sourcing for Tesco’s 500,000-ton annual soy purchases (primarily for animal feed) could be more than 100,000 tons of CO2-equivalent per year, which is equivalent to roughly 20% of the company’s agriculture supply chain emissions.
Companies also need to be aware of the potential for reputational damage. Recently some of the UK’s best-known brands such as Cadbury’s Chocolate, Anchor Butter, and Cathedral City Cheddar have been linked to the destruction of Brazilian forest through soya – a protein-rich cattle feed supplement.
What can be done to stop deforestation?
According to a 2015 report by SMART Development Works, three key practices are needed to help shift to deforestation-free supply chains.
Traceability and forest monitoring
It is crucial that production is traced back to the farm and that a system is in place which monitors forest cover. Although systems exist that can achieve this, the main challenge is to deliver this at a low cost to make it work in a smallholder context.
Incentives for smallholders
To ensure that smallholders and the poorest groups are included in supply chains, and to support them in making the transition to sustainability.
Working across the landscape
A landscape approach must be adopted to prevent leakage and to balance the objectives for agricultural production with forest protection. To be able to operate beyond plantation boundaries and have an impact at scale, activities should align with government planning and activities wherever possible.
In this article, we consider what this pledge will mean for the agriculture supply chain for forestry and agricultural products.
Empowering global food and agribusinesses to make the right decisions
We believe that with the right guidance, your agribusiness can grow. We create value for our clients by empowering them with tailored, evidence-based insights. Our team removes uncertainty and identifies opportunity, paving the way to sustainable growth and profitability.Contact us


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Microsoft Revenues Soft As Company Awaits Windows 8 Rollout
Post PC era indeed. Microsoft announced quarterly results yesterday and, although they were massive, they were flat or down compared with a year ago. Overall Microsoft reported revenue of $16.01 billion.
Windows software sales were down 33 percent compared with a year ago. They came in a $3.24 billion vs. $4.87 billion in 2011. Microsoft attributed this in large part to the transition to Windows 8 and delayed enterprise and consumers purchases in anticipation of the launch.
Microsoft’s other cash cow business, Office, declined a much less severe 2 percent to $5.5 billion (from $5.63 billion a year ago).
Source: Microsoft earnings statement
Many financial analysts were not overly critical of the company because of the forthcoming launch of Windows 8, the company’s Surface line of tablets and the Windows 8 upgrade for mobile phones. However Redmond is probably facing the most competitive environment it has ever encountered, with Google on one side (Android, Chrome, Enterprise Apps) and Apple on the other (iPhone, iPad).
One bright spot: the Online Services Division, which houses Bing and advertising, reported both greater revenue and a smaller operating loss — $697 million and $364 million respectively.


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US tech giant Uber bought out in Russia by homegrown Yandex, handing over keys to self-driving cars & food delivery business
Russia's largest technology company has announced it will buy a series of joint ventures from US ride-sharing and delivery services conglomerate Uber, handing over a billion dollars as part of the deal and sending shares soaring.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Moscow-based Yandex revealed that it would take full control of four separate businesses in which the two giants had previously both held stakes.
In exchange for $1 billion in cash, Yandex will take a 100% stake in restaurant courier app Yandex.Eats, grocery delivery service Yandex.Lavka, and Yandex.Delivery. In addition, it will pick up Uber's share of Yandex Self-Driving Group, giving it total control of the driverless car business. The company will also increase its share in a holding company overseeing a series of mobility ventures.Also on rt.com Russia’s Yandex picks Paris to launch new food delivery service that promises speed
As part of the deal, Yandex will continue to be able to operate services under Uber's branding in Russia and a number of other countries until 2030.
"Since we started our partnership with Uber in 2018, we've been able to create and rapidly develop a number of successful businesses – all of them are highly synergetic to our e-commerce initiative and to the entire Yandex ecosystem," said Yandex Deputy CEO Tigran Khudaverdyan. "The consolidation of these businesses puts us in a great position to further increase strategic management flexibility, while creating new substantial growth potential for our businesses and cross-platform consumer benefits over the years to come."
Earlier this week, Yandex announced it had picked Paris for its first major expansion into a Western European capital, and it will offer nearly one million residents of the City of Light express food deliveries through its Yango Deli app. Croissants and fromage are set to be delivered within just 15 minutes.
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The man who makes the cars fit for delivery: A call to Martin Erdmann, automotive mechatronics engineer in the delivery workshop of the Transparent F
In conversation with Jens Ludwig, product expert in the sales team of the Transparent Factory.
Delivery coordination from the children's room: A call to Susanne Fischer, sales associate of the Gläserne Manufaktur Dresden.
When the annual report is produced at home. A call to Heiko Fernitz, specialist in finance/controlling at Transparent Factory Dresden.
The man who maintains the event technology: A call to André Wege, responsible for technology in the visitor and event area of the Transparent Factory
Strong in the team for order, cleanliness and a good feeling: A call to Marko Delling, Head of Movement Technology at Transparent Factory Dresden.
Volkswagen Group is donating medical supplies with a value of about €40 million for medical facilities.
The Volkswagen Group will be providing about 200,000 category FFP-2 and FFP-3 protec-tive face masks for public health protection in the near future.
An interview with Steffen Ullmann, Functional Testing Station Dresden
The colleague for (almost) all questions: A call to Siiri Timm, HR specialist of the Transparent Factory Dresden.
Volkswagen has acquired a minority stake in the leading technology company SeeReal Technologies.
In September, the production vehicle celebrates its world premiere at the IAA. The study is now on permanent display in the Gläserne Manufaktur.
The former incubator startup ChargeX presented itself in front of 30 German media representatives at journalists' workshop.
The production systems of tomorrow are being developed in the Gläserne Manufaktur in Dresden
The Gläserne Manufaktur is holding its first ever Easter egg hunt for kids.
Transparent Factory unveils new star exhibit for autonomous driving.


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The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is celebrating its 75th anniversary of commercial flights.
"This year, to celebrate all of the milestones throughout our 75 years, we are focused on inspiring travel once again," said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. "We wanted to ask the community to not only think about their travel dreams but to go out there and pursue them. With our monthly giveaway, we will help some lucky winners pursue those dream trips."
The first commercial flight that landed at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport took place on January 10, 1947, at 9:23 a.m. It was an American Airlines flight coming in from Cleveland, and just minutes later, two other flights, one from Delta Airlines and one from Trans World Airlines (TWA), landed as well.
Since then, "CVG has grown and expanded into a diversified business with both passenger and cargo activity resulting in $6.8 billion economic impact on the entire region each year."
To celebrate, one lucky winner will be chosen each month to receive a $500 travel voucher for an airline that flies out of CVG.
The Sweepstakes will run from January 10 through December 31.
To enter for your chance to win, you can visit an iPad station at CVG or submit a form online.
You can also find the rules and regulations for the Sweepstakes here.


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Cattle feeding losses nearly doubled last week as cash fed cattle prices declined another $2 per cwt. Feedyard closeouts recorded average losses of $221.04 per head last week, $94 more than the previous week, according to calculations by Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore. Choice steer prices dipped to $145.29 per cwt.
Beef packers saw their margins reach an average of $101 per head, up from $82 profits the previous week. The beef cutout declined $2 per cwt. to $145.29.
A month ago cattle feeders were losing $68 per head, while a year ago profits were pegged at $172 per head, according to Sterling Marketing. Feeder cattle represent 78 % of the cost of finishing a steer, still significantly higher than last year’s 73%.
A month ago beef packers were earning $13 for every animal processed, while a year ago packers were earning $80, Sterling Marketing estimates.
Farrow-to-finish pork producers showed a profit margin of $20 per hog last week, a decline of $5 per head from the previous week and down $8 from a month ago.
Pork packers saw their margins remain steady at $11 per head. Negotiated prices for lean hogs were $75.63 per cwt. last week, down $2.61 per cwt. from the previous week.
Cash prices for fed cattle are $10 per cwt. lower than last year, and negotiated hog prices are $19 per cwt. lower than last year.
Nalivka projects average cash profit margins for cow-calf producers at $606 per cow this year. Last year’s estimated average cow-calf margins were $548 per cow. Cow-calf profits for 2016 are projected at $490 per cow.


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Mobile Web Browsing Trends Provide Boost To Mobile Gambling Access
One of the favorite past times for industry professionals in any technology-related niche is to make predictions about advancements and growth that will take place, and the rate at which it will happen. 2010 saw quite a few experts in the mobile device and technology arena make predictions concerning mobile web use trends that would take place within the next five years. While these predictions were not necessarily gambling-related, they certainly impact many aspects of mobile gambling and app development. While there were dozens of predictions made that year, the one we are particularly interested in is the expectation that by the year 2015, mobile web browsing would surpass desktop web browsing.
The prediction was based on an 87 page study released by Morgan Stanley in 2010, which was the year that Apple established the tablet market with the first iPad, and the year that smartphones made some significant strides in technological prowess. It made sense to start looking forward with more enthusiasm and excitement concerning what the mobile market would look like in the future. Since then, we’ve seen online gambling transition over to our mobile devices through mobile-optimized websites, browser-based applications and sophisticated downloadable applications. The timing couldn’t be better for mobile gambling to really establish its presence in the market because it is now a fact that people are accessing the Internet with their mobile devices more than they are accessing the Internet with their computers.
CNN reported in February of 2014 that more individuals have accessed the Web from their smartphones and tablets than they have from their computers. Back in 2012, only about ten percent of web page views were sourced from mobile devices. Just two short years later, mobile web browsing has surpassed desktop web browsing, and it has happened a year ahead of schedule. This trend has been observed for several years already and has driven B2B merchants to invest in mobile marketing and services like never before. iAquire released results of a study they did which revealed that 70% of mobile web searches resulted in actionable responses from users within one hour of the initial search.
When that information was released, mobile marketing became a primary objective for many businesses, including the online gambling industry. You now see mobile casinos and sportsbooks offering more robust features, impressively developed gambling apps, and more attractive mobile targeted incentives. Online poker has finally emerged as a viable part of the mobile gambling platform. Nobody wants to be left out of this growing and unprecedented B2B trend, and while mobile online poker had its technological challenges, it is now officially a growing and thriving part of the mobile gambling market.
With merchants investing more heavily in optimal mobile services and incentives, mobile web browsing becomes even more attractive, and the cycle grows from there. Web-enabled devices have nearly doubled the amount of time that individual users spend on the Internet from 2010 to 2014. With 91% of all American adults in the US owning a mobile phone, merchants couldn’t ask for a larger target audience. Aside from the reports from tech gurus telling us that the mobile trends are overtaking desktop web use, there are other indicators that make this trend pretty obvious. For example, one out of every 5 Facebook users access their account only from their mobile device, and close to thirty percent of the ad revenue for Facebook is comprised of mobile use.
There are five times as many mobile phones throughout the world as there are PCs and laptops. Mobile devices far outnumber desktop computing devices, and if you are watching trends with laptop manufacturing, you will see that many of the savvy brands are transitioning to a laptop – tablet combination device. Mobile gambling applications that support real money gambling have grown in number significantly through the most recent increases in mobile web browsing, and it really shows no signs whatsoever of slowing down. Developers are falling over themselves in efforts to release the most impressive application for gambling. It is capitalism at its finest with healthy industry competition and drive, and strong support for steady growth and innovative advancements in the mobile gambling industry.


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- Revolutionary new bank to open in the heart of the City of London with Grand Opening celebrations on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd November
- Bank hits milestone 1,000th colleague with Cheapside launch
- Amazing service for customers: store open seven days a week, 362 days a year, open early and late; Magic Money Machines; Safe Deposit Boxes and much more
Metro Bank continues its fast paced expansion with the opening of its 22nd store in the City of London. To mark the opening, the UK’s most revolutionary bank will be holding two days of celebrations on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd November. City workers, residents and businesses visiting the store will experience entertainment including stilt walkers, shoe shining, manicures, balloons and music, as well as free food, and most importantly, a new and convenient, customer focused bank for personal and business customers.
The new Cheapside Metro Bank store can be found at 120 Cheapside, City of London, EC2V 7JB. Customers will be looked after by a team led by Local Director Dominic Wright and Store Manager Corey Brock.
The City store opening is the latest step in Metro Bank’s expansion plan. The bank has this month hired its 1,000th colleague, representing an increase of more than 100% in 2013. Its store footprint has also increased significantly in 2013, with customer growth continuing at an unprecedented rate. Two more stores in Windsor and Edgware are planned for 2013, and up to 12 stores planned for 2014 in areas including Milton Keynes and Brighton.
Metro Bank launched in July 2010 with a focus on providing unparalleled levels of service and convenience to customers. It is bringing back traditional retail banking for personal and business customers, coupled with amazing technology. Unlike any other bank in the UK, Metro Bank also provides free coin counting for customers and non-customers with Metro Bank Magic Money Machines, instant production and replacements for lost or stolen debit cards*, and a 24 hour contact centre manned by people not machines. All of these benefits can be enjoyed at a time that is convenient to local residents and businesses as Metro Bank is open 8am – 8pm Monday – Friday, 8am – 6pm Saturday and 11am – 5pm Sunday and bank holidays, 362 days a year.
Customers wishing to reserve a Safe Deposit Box at the Cheapside store can do so online in advance of the opening by visiting here.
Craig Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer at Metro Bank, said: “City workers often start work early and finish late, and need a bank that fits around them. Our job is to make banking easy for our customers and the store launch will ensure that thousands of City workers and the local businesses that support them have access to amazing banking services, whenever and however they need them.
“Metro Bank’s continued success and growth is a triumph for customer service. We know what customers want, and we’ve seen thousands of people join us for the unparalleled levels of service and convenience we offer. From the 21st November the people and businesses of the City of London will be able to switch to our award winning current account** in just seven working days through our Easy, Instant and Guaranteed service. We look forward to opening on Cheapside and bringing convenient and customer focused banking to the people and businesses of the City of London.”


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Duplex – the system of using Google Assistant to make reservations at restaurants and other businesses – is one of the most exciting and ambitious uses Google has yet found for its Assistant and now, finally, you might be able to use it.
Despite being announced back in May, Google Duplex is only now rolling out, but according to a Google spokesperson speaking to VentureBeat (opens in new tab) it’s only currently available for a “small group” of Pixel owners in “select cities”.
The spokesperson didn’t specify which cities, but it’s likely to be New York, Atlanta, Phoenix and San Francisco, as those cities are where Google Duplex was previously trialed.
It’s worth noting also that this version of Google Duplex is a bit more limited than it might one day be.
While it should eventually be able to book haircuts and call businesses to verify their holiday opening hours, right now it can only make restaurant reservations, and even then, only for restaurants that take reservations over the phone and haven’t opted out of the service.
A slow roll
The spokesperson added that it’s going to be a slow rollout and that Google Duplex will “expand to more Pixel users as we continue to ramp up.”
So if you don’t have access to Google Duplex yet but you’re using a Pixel handset it should only be a matter of time – though we’d expect Google will complete the US launch before making Duplex more widely available, and if you don’t have a Pixel phone then there could be a very long wait.
To try Google Duplex for yourself or see if you’ve got access to it, simply ask Google Assistant to make a restaurant reservation and then select a restaurant, or alternatively look up a specific restaurant and tap the ‘Request a table there’ option. If you have access to Duplex and the restaurant accepts reservations that way, the process should then begin.
Via PhoneArena (opens in new tab)


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Star Wars Weekends 2012 Dates Announced
Disney has announced the dates for Star Wars Weekends 2012!
We have confirmed dates to share today for next year’s Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. The galactic fun begins on May 18 and will run through June 10. And of course the centerpiece of the experience will be our 3-D Star Tours – The Adventures Continue attraction that debuted this summer. Here are the weekends:
2012 Star Wars Weekend Dates:
- May 18-20
- May 25-27
- June 1-3
- June 8-10


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AA planning mobile tyre-fitting service
The AA will soon launch a tyre-fitting fleet as part of its company’s expansion strategy as a listed company. Tyres & Accessories understands that this will run in conjunction with a specific industry partner as opposed to being directly owned and run by the AA. AA Tyres will being with 30 vans, something which suggests it will not offer national coverage initially. However, this figure and therefore also the coverage, is likely to increase over time.
The AA, which currently operates in the tyre business through a partnership deal with National Tyres & Autocare, previously owned one of the largest tyre fitting networks in the UK. However, this venture ended in 2004 when the AA closed the 122-branch network and sold around 50 branches to Nationwide Autocentres. The connection with National Tyres is expected to continue following the launch of the new venture in the form of special offers and discounts for AA members at the tyre retailer.
The new AA service will aim to address the fact that punctures and tyre-related breakdowns are the second-most common reason for calling the AA, accounting for 15 per cent of calls (number one is said to be flat batteries). To this end, the new AA tyre service will offer puncture repairs, balancing and replacement tyre fitting.
The news is set against the backdrop of a £935 million restructuring plan which sees the AA invest in services, IT systems and advertising.


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SBLI employee supports Café Sorelli
The Savings Bank Mutual Life Insurance Co. recently gave its employees the opportunity to “pay it forward” by giving them a $100 gift card to donate to a person or organization of their choice, which included Tracey DiMambro, of Burlington, using her gift card to buy pizza from Café Sorelli.
DiMambro used her gift card to buy lunch from Café Sorelli for the workers at the Burlington Post Office. Café Sorelli is a family-run restaurant that DiMambro has gotten to know over the years.
“I remember fondly, seeing their grandmother and grandfather sitting in the cafe in the early mornings watching their kids and grandchildren prep for their busy lunch rush,” said DiMambro.
COVID-19 caused the restaurant to have to close, and while they are now open for takeout, most of their business came from the lunch crowd from local businesses that are now closed.
“I am thrilled to be able to help them by spending this $100 at Café Sorelli,” said DiMambro.
The pizza and chocolate chip cookies from Café Sorelli were then delivered to the Burlington Post Office.
“The staff in Burlington always greet you with a smile, and I would like to recognize this individual group of essential frontline workers for all that they continue to do,” said DiMambro.


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By Kim Jung-hoon
The author is the representative of the Association for Supporting the SDGs for the United Nations and Secretary-General of the National Assembly ESG Public-Private Policy Forum.
The world has so far made noticeable progress toward setting the future in the right environmental direction, and we can be proud of the new eco-friendly measures, technologies and lifestyles that were brought into our lives.
But it’s a little too early to celebrate, as the threat of climate change and pollution still lingers. Every day we come across vivid hints of even more frequent and severe natural disasters as well as an inhabitable environment for humanity in the foreseeable future.
The average global sea surface temperature has already risen by around 0.13 degrees Celsius per decade since 1901, as shown by data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Typhoons, floods, and melting icebergs have become all too common, and these obviously pose significant risks to our lives and wildlife.
Curtailing meat production is one of many effective solutions discussed among experts and activists that can have members of the public proactively participate and show commitment. Meat production is responsible for around 14.5 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and methane from cows and nitrous oxide from manure are major sources of greenhouse gas.
In commemorating this year’s World Environment Day on June 5, the world needs to recognize how important changes can be brought about by a small step of many — changing what people put on the table. It is also a moment to ponder what benefits would be for producers and consumers if the animal-based protein were to be replaced with plant-based alternatives.
By reducing the demand for meat and instead raising that for meat alternatives, the world can reduce the amount of land, water and other resources that would have been used to raise livestock. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a kilogram (2 lbs) of beef requires 15,400 liters of water for production, as opposed to 1,250 liters for the same amount of tofu.
The fact that the Agricultural Research Officer of the National Institute of Crop Science found that plant-based meat alternatives can generate up to 90 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional meat products adds support to the eco-friendly cause.
** Click here to read the full-text **


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CLAREMONT VILLAGE, The Bronx — Police are searching for a man they say swiped multiple cell phones from a Bronx store.
Surveillance video shows the suspect break through the front window of a store on E. 169th St., in the Claremont Village section of the borough just before 5 a.m. The incident occurred on Jan. 3.
Police say the suspect allegedly took two iPhones 6s; 2 iPhone 7s and 3 Samsung Galaxy 7s from the counter. The phones were valued at $4,650.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.


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Cardoen through the years
In October 2022, Cardoen opens its doors to the public during ‘Open Bedrijvendag’. Visitors get the chance to see behind the scenes of the Reconditioning Center and discover how Cardoen reconditions second-hand cars.
After several months of hard work, Cardoen opens its new office headquarters in July 2022. The showroom at the location in Antwerp, where the offices are based, is suddenly transformed.
At the end of May 2022, DATS 24 opens the first public hydrogen filling station in Belgium at the Cardoen site along Boomsesteenweg in Wilrijk.
Cardoen is a growing company. In January 2022, the car supermarket organises a series of job days to fill various positions at the Reconditioning Center and the head office.
In November 2021, Cardoen opens the doors of TRC, The Reconditioning Center. This is where second-hand cars are reconditioned, making them fit for the road for many more years. Also, Cardoen increases the extended warranty from 7 up to 10 years.
In June 2021, Cardoen Doornik moves to Chaussée de Bruxelles 394B. On this larger premises Cardoen Doornik also gains a service center, which means that all locations are now equipped to manage maintenance and repairs.
Cardoen becomes the exclusive distributor for Aiways in Belgium. This Chinese brand makes full-electric and extremely affordable SUVs.
The corona virus causes problems for Cardoen too, affecting the delivery of new cars. The range of second-hand cars goes up again.
The corona virus forces Cardoen to focus more on the online sales of cars. For the first time, Cardoen sells cars without a single visit to the showroom. The car supermarket also launches home delivery of cars. This makes it possible to do absolutely everything without even leaving the house.
In a short time, Cardoen opens not 1 but 2 locations in Wallonia. So, Cardoen now has 5 locations in Wallonia instead of 3. Liège opens towards the end of the year.
In November 2018, Cardoen opens a new location in Charleroi: as the 5th car supermarket in Wallonia.
Cardoen opens a pop-up store in the heart of Antwerp, along the Meir in the Shopping Stadsfeestzaal. It is the smallest Cardoen location. Everyone is welcome until the end of February 2019.
In July 2018, Cardoen Geel opens its doors, at a top location along the Geel-West intersection. It is also the first Cardoen location in the Kempen district.
Cardoen wins 3rd prize in the ‘Special Award 2012’ during the Federauto Awards. "The jury praises Cardoen for its special contribution to promoting and improving the image of the car sector."
In Doornik, Cardoen launches a new concept: the outdoor car supermarket. By keeping the costs even lower, Cardoen can offer its customers cars at an even better price. Certainly worth a visit.
Cardoen is the first to present the Nissan Tiida to the Belgian public. This anti-crisis car costs around €20,000 abroad. The Cardoen price? That starts at €12,999. In less than one month, 80 Tiidas are on their way.
Cardoen hits the international headlines, from China to the United States, with its stunt promotion '2nd car free'. In the first 2 weeks more than 400 cars hit the road.
As the first in Europe, Cardoen presents Chinese car brands to the public in Belgium and the Netherlands. In doing so, Cardoen is pioneering in Europe.
The Dacia Logan is sold for the first time in West Europe, at Cardoen. After its success at Cardoen, Renault follows this example.
The first international Cardoen location opens its doors: Cardoen Roosendaal (The Netherlands) sees the light.
The first Cardoen location outside Antwerp opens its doors: Cardoen Eke near Ghent. Many more will follow.
Cardoen moves from the heart of Antwerp to Boomsesteenweg in Wilrijk. The gigantic 7,500 m2 showroom is open 7 days a week and has a permanent stock of 900 cars. Cardoen has meanwhile worked its way up to become market leader in multi-make car distribution in Belgium.
Cardoen begins the sale of new cars imported from Spain and Italy. The range of nearly new cars continues.
Son Karel Cardoen takes over at the helm. His speciality is nearly new cars.
Cardoen begins buying and selling cars abroad.
In the heart of Antwerp, Albert Cardoen begins selling second-hand cars.


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Google said it has expanded the Google Assistant software development kit to support a variety of languages, allowing developers to bring Google Assistant applications to more people around the world. The move will prove lucrative this year. As Google and others build out voice services in apps and devices, marketers will need to find ways to optimize the keywords that trigger optimization in organic and paid search.
Keyword optimization is important in campaigns running across multiple platforms, not just for Google and Bing. Early this year Mazda began running a campaign with 170,000 keywords in Athena -- a search platform running on artificial intelligence and machine learning -- according to Ian O'Rourke, CEO and founder, Adthena.
The keywords were fed into search-term groups to monitor competitive bidding, which allowed the brand to reduce year-on-year and month-to-month the cost per click by about one-third, according to Mazda UK Digital Marketing Specialist Abi Shepherd.
Search Marketing Daily caught up with Ian O'Rourke, CEO and founder at Adthena, to get his top three predictions on search in 2018.
1. Search will continue to evolve and move beyond Google
Search is the fundamental way that consumers begin their commerce journey, whether it is via Google, voice search or any other medium. In 2018, we will begin to see search encompass a wider selection of channels, not only the classic search engines.
Amazon will certainly shake up the landscape, with more and more searches originating within the walls of Amazon.com. It will not just be the technology that evolves -- consumer behavior will also change.
How we interact and use search queries will continue to evolve. When using voice search, we will adapt our queries to speech rather than writing and when searching for something on the go we will continue telling Google to find it "near me." The paradigm in how we seek out, experience and engage with search vehicles will be led by consumers, not the tech.
2. Mastering the search landscape will require competitive clarity
Complexity within search auctions will deepen as advertisers become smarter in how they balance more components appearing on search engine results pages. As competition heats up, advertisers will begin feeling the pinch in getting to the top of the page.
A more rounded understanding of behavior on the first page will be required to succeed. Marketers will need to answer the following question: how are you performing on each component and what is your share of voice on the overall page?
Marketers will need a clear understanding of the actions of their competitors and affiliates in order to minimize cost and maximize exposure. Selecting the right third-party technology to assist in this endeavor will make the difference in mastering search or missing out.
3. Efficient adoption of machine learning and AI will become the biggest challenge and opportunity for search marketers
With Google’s 8,000 categories and an auction that is constantly dynamic, human intelligence alone is not enough. Search marketers must rely on massive data sets that can help them derive the right search strategy, understand competitor behavior and build the most effective and efficient campaigns. However, it takes massive scale and reliance on machine learning to be able to analyze this data intelligently.
Automation will be key, and being able to action the AI analyzed data without human intervention will be equally important. Those marketers that embrace AI support will be able to shine a light onto a blind auction and will certainly come out on top in the race for search dominance.


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January 26, 2011 |
Hedge fund managers looking for an edge in the financial markets in recent years could turn to Primary Global Research, a boutique firm in the heart of the Silicon Valley with connections around the world. Now the company isn't answering the phone, the front doors of its Mountain View office are locked and some of its former employees are facing possible prison time. Founded in 2003 by former Intel Corp. manager Unni Narayanan, Primary Global is at the center of an ongoing Justice Department insider-trading crackdown on the sale of privileged information that could affect stock prices.
October 11, 2010 |
Expensive pennies The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of so-called penny auction websites, which advertise electronic products such as Apple Inc. iPads at bargain prices. Many people have complained about being charged fees as high as $150 after signing up for what was promoted as a free trial, the bureau said in a recent bulletin. Other customers have alleged that the sites use computer-programmed bots to place fake bids that drive up prices. The customers who have complained to the bureau also said they had been unable to obtain refunds, the bulletin said.
October 5, 2010 |
Bankrupt real estate mogul Ezri Namvar pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he stole $23 million from clients who paid him to safeguard proceeds from real estate sales. Namvar, free on $300,000 bond, was indicted Sept. 21 on five counts of wire fraud in connection with the alleged misappropriation of money from clients of his company, Namco Financial Exchange Corp., in 2008. The indictment alleged that Namvar, 59, used the money for a variety of purposes, including making interest payments to investors in a second company he owned, Namco Capital Group Inc..
September 23, 2010 |
Los Angeles real estate mogul Ezri Namvar, an Iranian immigrant who amassed and then lost billions of dollars of commercial real estate holdings, has been indicted on wire fraud charges, his attorney said. Namvar, former owner of such high-profile properties as the Marriott hotel in downtown Los Angeles and the Cal Neva resort in Lake Tahoe, was accused of five counts of wire fraud related to a company, Namco Financial Exchange Corp., that sheltered proceeds from real estate transactions, said defense attorney Marc Harris.
September 22, 2010 |
A former administrative assistant to a top executive at Walt Disney Co. pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraud charges related to her participation in an insider-trading scheme. Bonnie J. Hoxie, 34, of Los Angeles admitted in federal district court in New York to attempting to sell confidential information that she gained access to as an assistant for Disney's head of corporate communications, Zenia Mucha. According to the criminal complaint, Hoxie obtained material, nonpublic information about Disney, including advance details about its second-quarter earnings.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
September 21, 2010 |
Apparently acting without City Council approval, Bell spent nearly $95,000 to repay loans that then-City Manager Robert Rizzo made to himself from his retirement accounts, a draft state audit reviewed by The Times shows. The auditors found no evidence that council members even knew about the repayments, which occurred in 2008 and 2009. "We found the city's system of internal control to be nonexistent, as all financial activities and transactions revolved around one individual, the former chief administrative officer, who had complete control and discretion over how city funds were used," the auditors wrote.
September 11, 2010 |
Apple Inc. will stop giving away cases for the iPhone 4 to most users at the end of the month, saying the antenna problems associated with the device are less widespread than originally thought. Free cases will still be given to users who experience a problem, the Cupertino, Calif., company said Friday on its website. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs promised the free cases during a July 16 news conference in response to criticism that the newest iteration of the smart phone loses signal strength if held a certain way. Consumer Reports magazine said at the time that it couldn't recommend the device because of the problem.
May 26, 2010 |
A secretary to a high-ranking Walt Disney Co. executive thought she and her boyfriend were about to pull off an alleged insider-trading scheme — and she wanted to celebrate with a Stella McCartney handbag from Neiman Marcus. "Here is the bag that you are going to get for me," Bonnie Jean Hoxie, a secretary for Zenia Mucha, Disney's head of corporate communications, allegedly wrote in an e-mail to her boyfriend this month. After the boyfriend, Yonni Sebbag, replied that they may reap a windfall from their plot, Hoxie added to her wish list, according to court documents.
March 30, 2010 |
A former Safeway Inc. employee was sentenced Tuesday to spend seven months in home detention in connection with the federal investigation of defunct California tomato processor SK Foods. Michael Chavez, 52, of Fremont had pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and accepting $5,000 in bribes from an official of SK Foods, which was based in Monterey. Chavez was a corporate purchasing manager for the Pleasanton, Calif., grocery chain from 2000 to 2007, and responsible for negotiating deals for processed tomato products, court documents said.


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A new report alleged that Apple’s business and scholastic device management service, the Device Enrollment Program (DEP), has a significant security hole that could impact the organizations that utilize it. DEP offers zero-touch setup for businesses, educational institutions and other organizations, linking multiple devices to a central server for configuration and content sharing.
Duo Security revealed that more than four months ago, it discovered an authentication weakness in DEP, which could give an attacker the ability to enroll any device into an organization’s mobile device management (MDM) server, potentially enabling them to obtain privileged access used to further pivot within the network.
In addition, “an attacker could use serial numbers obtained through open-source intelligence (OSINT), social engineering or generating them via brute force to query the DEP API for device profiles. The DEP profiles contain information about the organization, such as phone numbers and email addresses, which could be used to launch a social engineering attack against the organization’s help desk or IT team,” according to a blog post.
To protect users, mandatory two-factor authentication can be added to the service to protect themselves, but Duo noted that Apple should also include rate limits for device authentication requests, as well as decrease the information conveyed back by DEP to registrants’ devices.
“In the meantime, Apple customers using DEP can protect themselves by requiring user authentication prior to MDM enrollment, or by not trusting devices simply because they’re enrolled in MDM,” wrote James Barclay, Senior R&D Engineer at Duo Labs.
Duo decided to go public with its findings after reporting the security issue to Apple as soon as it was discovered. However, while the company has acknowledged the information’s receipt, so far, it has not released a patch. Duo will also be presenting its findings publicly at the ekoparty Security Conference on Friday (Sept. 28).


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After revealing his plans to create a new “unhooked” stage, deadmau5 revealed that he had some extra time to take someone on a coffee run. While he never mentioned who that would be, deadmau5 tweeted a teaser video of him taking out Linus Sebastian.
Linus Sebastian, otherwise known as Linus Tech Tips, is a Canadian YouTuber and founder of Linus Media Group.
During the short video clip, Linus Tech Tips can't even figure out how to get inside of the Purracan. Stay tuned for the official release of deadmau5's Coffee Run with Linus Tech Tips.
Can Linus even figure out how to get into a real Lambo? 😂 pic.twitter.com/LbcCBbU1Id
— Linus Tech Tips (@LinusTech) May 19, 2017


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KUALA LUMPUR: PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd and Mazda Logistics Co (Malox) joint venture (JV) via Mazda Logistics Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MLM), formed to complement Mazda’s business activities in Malaysia and the rest of Asean, marked a milestone with the official launch of Mazda CX5 export last week.
WITH plans of a listing in June on the Nasdaq market in the United States and a lofty valuation of RM2.64bil, could tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s privately-owned MOL AccessPortal Sdn Bhd be poised for more?
PETALING JAYA: Naza Group chief operating officer Datuk Samson Anand George and Bermaz Motors managing director Datuk Seri Ben Yeoh were awarded honorary fellowships by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) last week in London for their efforts in developing automotive skills in Malaysia.


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A tsunami of change is already arriving. Artificial intelligence is now capable of doing desk jobs that were previously safe from automation. The social and economic effects remain to be seen, but is AI what we think it is?
Most people who search on Google, share on Facebook and shop on Amazon have never heard of Sir Tim Berners-Lee. But they might not be doing any of those things had he not invented the World Wide Web.
Google on Monday said it will apply machine smarts and outside eyes to help ensure brands don't find ads paired with hateful videos on YouTube.
Every day countless headlines emerge from myriad sources across the globe, both warning of dire consequences and promising utopian futures – all thanks to artificial intelligence. AI "is transforming the workplace," writes ...
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his hopes Thursday of making Canada a "world leader" in artificial intelligence and so-called "deep learning" research and development.
Are robots coming for your job?
One of our planet's few exposed lava lakes is changing, and artificial intelligence is helping NASA understand how.
"Technophobes"—people who fear robots, artificial intelligence and new technology that they don't understand—are much more likely to be afraid of losing their jobs to technology and to suffer anxiety-related mental health ...
Samsung announced Monday that a voice-powered digital assistant named "Bixby" will debut with a flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone set to be unveiled by the South Korean consumer electronics giant.
Improving traffic safety, better health services and environmental benefits - Big Data experts see a wide range of possibilities for advanced image analysis and recognition technology.


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Photo via Dunkin/Facebook
Tampa Bay Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme locations are celebrating National Donut Day later this week with the promise of free treats for customers.
On Friday, June 2 (National Donut Day), at Dunkin' locations around the country, customers can get a gratis classic donut with the purchase of any beverage.
Not to be outdone, Krispy Kreme is offering up a free doughnut (at the drive-through or in-store) without any other purchase required. Touché!
These offers are only good for the duration of Friday, June 2.
A version of this blog was first published at our sister publication Orlando Weekly.


text: Diageo has released a limited edition 12-year-old rye whiskey under its Bulleit brand in the US.Bulleit Rye 12 Year Old Straight American Whiskey is the first line extension of Bulleit Rye, which launched in 2011. The expression is the fifth addition to the Bulleit range and uses the same mash bill as its predecessor – 95% rye ands 5% malted barley. The whiskey has been aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of 12 years. “Whiskey is heavily influenced by barrel ageing, and as a blender, one of our most important responsibilities is to taste how the wood impacts the flavour of the liquid and brings out different notes,” said Bulleit whiskey blender Andrew Mackay. “The barrels we mingled to produce Bulleit Rye 12 Year Old were hand-selected for ageing based on early identification of their superior quality.” Bottled at 46% abv, the 12-year-old whiskey has notes of dried orchard fruits with a hint of baking spice and oak on the nose. The palate has flavours of dried pear, light toffee and oak with a hint of graham cracker spice. “When we introduced Bulleit Rye, it changed the game for the category, and positioned us as a brand willing to take chances and try new things,” said Ed Bello, Bulleit's US and global brand director. “We’re constantly experimenting and striving to satisfy consumers’ growing appetite for bold, new American whiskeys. “Rye remains the fastest-growing North American whiskey segment and Bulleit Rye has been the number one super-premium rye brand for the last six years (IWSR). “With higher-end whiskeys driving much of that sales growth and a limited number of age-statement ryes on the market, Bulleit Rye 12 Year Old is a natural way to expand our portfolio and provide a new ultra-premium offering that’s absolutely delicious.” Bulleit Rye 12 Year Old is available in Colorado, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Oregon, California, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, New Jersey, Arizona, Massachusetts, Maryland and Washington DC with a suggested retail price of US$49.99 for a 750ml bottle. Diageo began construction of Bulleit Distilling Co’s US$10 million visitor centre in Kentucky in August 2018, which is expected to open this year.


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Classic Home Improvements announces participation at the Del Mar Spring Home/Garden Show
Classic Home Improvements, a San Diego home remodeling company, recently announced their participation in the 27th Annual Spring Home and Garden Show, presenting in booth 208 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds March 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
Classic Home Improvements, in celebration of 22 years in construction, has re-branded and launched their website while continuing to complete home remodels throughout San Diego counties. The Classic Home Improvement team is led by Jack Crocker, president and owner, who said, “As a local company, events like the Home/Garden show are a great place for us to introduce ourselves to homeowners who are considering refreshing the look of their home. Our experts will be there for three days to answer questions, offer solutions, and assist homeowners through the process of upgrading their home.”
Classic Home Improvements is a full service San Diego remodeling company offering services such as kitchen and bathroom remodels, roofing, decking, concrete and patio installations, exterior painting, and window replacement. The company’s collective goal is to provide a high quality yet affordable option with honest professional trade people to homeowners who want to beautify and protect their homes for years to come.


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A month long 'Beauty Festival' has been organised by the Delhi Duty Free where the brands will be sold at discounts.Updated: Jun 11, 2011 01:30 IST
Want to buy your favourite beauty brands on a budget? Delhi Duty Free has organized a month long 'Beauty Festival'. Brands such as Clarins, Shiseido, Yves Saint Laurent will be sold at discounts. While some brands are offering discounts others are offering free gifts. Travellers will be able to experience free beauty services.
First Published: Jun 10, 2011 17:56 IST


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Perodua has registered 27,858 vehicles in October of 2021, shattering the record previously set exactly 12 months ago where it delivered 26,848 vehicles in October 2020. The previous record is even in the Malaysia Book of Records.
According to the company, the new record is a result of improved production operations and swift deliveries.
“This achievement represents a 90.67% increase from 14,160 units sold in September 2021. We are now working to further improve production especially for the rest of the year,” Perodua President and CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad said.
Of the 27,858 Perodua vehicles registered, the Myvi proved yet again that it’s unbeatable both in cult following and of course, sales. The infamous hatchback topped the sales chart with 8,761 units, followed by the Axia with 5,973 units, 5,257 Bezzas, 3,973 Ativas, 2,553 Alzas, and 1,341 units of the Aruz.
Perodua’s CEO also pointed out that October 2021 also saw the highest ever number of vehicles made with 29,803 units produced within a month.
He added that the 29,803-unit achievement was beyond Perodua’s current production capacity, yet its employees were able to boost their productivity with the same level of quality without new people, equipment, or machinery.
On a year-to-date basis, Perodua registered 146,951 units from January to October 2021; a 14.5% reduction from the 171,861 units registered in the same period of 2020.


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Valve's upcoming Dota 2 tournament The International is one of the biggest gaming events each year, with tickets now on sale. The first wave of tickets will go on sale any minute, but if you miss the first wave, there will be a second on March 27 at 1am EDT.
Last year, the tickets sold out in less than an hour, with ticket sales limited to five per household. This year, The International returns to its Key Arena in Seattle, taking place between August 3-8. The event itself runs for six days, extended by two days compared to last year's The International which ran for four days.
Valve will pit 16 teams in a championship Dota 2 touranement, with team invitations to be sent out "shortly after" May 1. Last yar, the grand final was taken out by Newbee, which defeated ViCi Gaming to take home $5 million.
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PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.
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DUBAI (Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] is to connect passengers and drivers directly to emergency services in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa as part of a wider rollout of largely existing safety features over the next few weeks.
The ride-hailing company, which plans to go public next year and could be valued at $120 billion according to a Wall Street Journal report, said the safety features would be gradually introduced on its app in 23 European countries, including the United Kingdom, and in other markets such as Saudi Arabia.
Under the leadership of Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber has juggled investing in new markets, building up services such as food delivery and freight, as well as repairing its relationships with investors and revamping its image after a series of controversies, including clampdowns by regulators around the world.
The features, already used in the United States, include sharing trip details with up to five people, speed limit alerts for drivers and concealing passenger and driver phone numbers from each other.
In Britain, where concealing phone numbers is already available, a separate AXA insurance hub is being introduced for drivers and couriers.
Global Head of Safety Product Sachin Kansal, speaking at an event in Dubai, said the ride hailing company plans to roll out the Safety Toolkit globally by the end of the year.
Uber says it operates in more than 600 cities across 65 countries.
Uber has introduced a package of measures designed to improve its popular image following accusations of poor driver vetting that has led to a series of sexual harassment incidents, including rape.


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Nike Air Max 2011 Black Friday US
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Almost a year after the decision was made to bring down New York's? 5Pointz ?and make way for high rise apartments, the iconic graffiti spot in Long Island City, Queens will meet its fate. The owner of the 5Pointz building, Jerry Wolkoff, ?told DNA Info ?he plans to start demolition in mid-August.
Nike Air Max 2011 Black Friday US, Last August, the New York City Planning Commission voted unanimously to allow ?Jerry and his brother David Wolkoff?to build condos on the site. Despite attempts from the graffiti community and beyond to save the cultural space, the Wolkoffs began the painful process of erasing 5Pointz from the urban landscape. In November, they hired workers to whitewash the building in the middle of the night, buffing the tags and throw-ups without interference from 5Pointz supporters. This sparked a major backlash online.
Now the ghost of what was once a temple of graffiti will finally be razed. Although Jerry has not acquired demolition permits yet, he hopes the dirty job will be over next month.? It cannot be soon enough for me, he said. People are going to be amazed when it opens up.
Nike Air Max 2011 Black Friday US The Wolkoffs' new development plan includes space for artists' studios, galleries, and walls for street art.? I'm going to bring the artists back, Jerry claims. They'll have walls, they'll have a place for years and years to express themselves. For those who are still mourning the loss of?5Pointz however, this will pale in comparison to the former graffiti mecca.


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8 October 2012
Brisk bidding at a rate of R1-million per hour set the tone for a record-breaking 28th Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction in the Stellenbosch winelands over the weekend, with a complete sellout of all the wines on offer producing the auction’s highest turnover ever of R5 739 000 (excluding VAT).
The auction is recognised as South Africa’s most prestigious wine auction that is open to the trade and general public. A full house of 52 wines, made exclusively for the auction to represent the pinnacle of what can be achieved in South African winemaking, went under the hammer.
According to the Cape Winemakers Guild, this year’s sales were 8.6% up on the 2011 turnover of R5 286 700, despite 431 fewer cases of wine. The auction also attracted a record number of 54 new local buyers and private collectors, four of whom were among the top 10 buyers this year.
‘Increased variety, superb quality’
“With the increased variety and superb quality of our auction selection reflecting the great diversity of the South African wine industry, there was more scope for different types of buyers this year,” guild chairman Louis Strydom said in a statement on Monday.
“We got the balance right between red and white wines on offer once again, which ensured keen interest from the floor right until the end. Unusual varietals such as Nebbiolo and Cinsault as well as stylistic differences within varietal categories such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon created a lot of interest.”
The lineup of 52 wines included 38 red wines, 10 white wines, 2 Methode Cap Classiques, one dessert wine and a port.
According to the guild, the auction attracted 148 buyers, including 14 foreign buyers and, for the first time, 14 online bidders. The bulk of the wines, 87%, was bought by local buyers.
Belgium the biggest foreign buyer
Among the foreign buyers, the biggest sales went to Belgium with R266 800, followed by Namibia on R131 400, Denmark on R105 600 and the United Kingdom with R101 600.
“Alan Pick of The Butcher Shop and Grill in Sandton triumphed for the 11th consecutive year as the biggest spender at R1 017 400,” the guild said.
In total, 2 517 cases were sold at an average price of R2 281 per case equivalent of 6x750ml bottles.
Three Kanonkop wines were among the eight top sellers at an average price per case of over R3 000.
The top eight sellers were: Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2007 (R3 760), Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (R3 548), Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2009 (R3 485), Hartenberg Estate Auction Shiraz 2009 (R3 324), Kanonkop CWG Pinotage 2010 (R3 294), Beyerskloof Traildust Pinotage 2010 (R3 214), Bouchard Finlayson Pinot Noir 2009 (R3 120), and Ernie Els CWG 2010 (R3 063).
Among the white wines, the top sellers were the Jordan Chardonnay Auction Reserve 2011 with an average price per case of R2 353, the Chamonix Chardonnay Auction Reserve 2011, Gottfried Mocke’s maiden auction wine, at R2 044, and the Cape Point Vineyards Auction Reserve White 2011 at R2 014.
The best performing Methode Cap Classique, Graham Beck Non Plus Ultra Cap Classique 2008 sold at an average price per case of R1 630. The only dessert wine on auction this year, the Teddy Hall Eva (Krotoa) Muscat de Frontignan Noble Late Harvest 2009 averaged at R1 113 per case of 6 x 375ml, whilst the only fortified wine, the Carel Nel Cape Vintage Auction Reserve 2010, achieved an average price per case of R1 353.
“Over and above the main auction, a record amount of R182 100 was raised on the day in aid of the Cape Winemaker’s Guild Protege Programme, a mentorship initiative for young, upcoming winemakers,” the guild said.
“Every year a very special charity item is auctioned off to raise funds,” the guild added. “This year’s item, a one-of-a-kind 18-litre 2010 Members’ Reserve comprising a blend of top wines from all 45 members of the guild, was purchased by Annelie van der Merwe of Restaurant Mosaic for a record price of R50 000.”


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May 3, 2018
5 BIG Reasons Why You Need to Attend the 2018 Industry Summit
NSSF’s upcoming 2018 Industry Summit, set for June 4-6 will feature dynamic speakers, thought-provoking discussions and groundbreaking research geared toward leaders from all segments of our industry, including retailers, manufacturers, distributors, range owners, conservation community members, state wildlife agency staff and marketing and public relations professionals. The NSSF Industry Summit is the premier forum for leaders in the firearms industry, providing a platform for information and idea exchange.
Here are five reasons why everyone in our industry should attend this year’s Summit:
1. Connect with People from All Walks of the Shooting Sports Industry
The Summit offers a forum like no other to connect with people from all segments of our industry — from retailers and ranges to manufacturers to state agencies. It gives everyone the chance to network, share ideas and get on the same page.
2. Hear Fresh Perspectives
The shooting sports community is vastly diverse, and thanks to an influx of new participants it’s becoming more and more so each day. We’ve assembled a lineup of outstanding sessions and panel discussions that will offer fresh perspectives on hunting and the shooting sports that you won’t hear anywhere else.
3. Get ‘A View From The Top’
Those who succeed by a measure above others are those we look to for insight and guidance. Our Industry Summit CEO Panel, renewed for 2018 following its tremendous success last year, aims to provide attendees a way to see the forest despite the trees, with a comprehensive look at our industry’s market viability since the 2016 presidential elections and outlining strategies for success for the months to come. This year our CEO panel will be moderated by NSSF’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Chris Dolnack. He will be joined by some of our industry’s most respected leaders.
4. Get the Wheels Turning
Each year, everyone that attends the Summit walks away energized with new ideas, new contacts and a fresh perspective on where we’re headed. The agenda is packed with informative sessions, and this year’s format will provide all attendees the opportunity to be a part of the discussion and help pave the way forward for our industry.
5. Get Inspired
Adversity is an ever-present factor in today’s business world. How you handle that adversity determines how you come out on the other side. In our closing keynote address to the 2018 Industry Summit, noted TED Talk speaker and renowned multi-media artist Phil Hansen will share the story of his own adversity — one that made it nearly impossible to create his hallmark pointillist art — and the path his life and career took as he sought and found a unique solution.
I encourage everyone in the shooting sports industry to make plans to intend the Industry Summit. Learn more, view the Summit schedule, see who’s attending at nssf.org/summit.


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Last Sunday’s Eviction saw five Housemates remaining in the running for the BBNaija 2017 title.
These were Bisola, Debie-Rise, Efe, Marvis and TBoss.
The week kicked off with Biggie taking the Housemates down memory lane, with a challenge called the Memory Box, where they were blindfolded and had to figure out what was inside the boxes that were placed in front of them. At the end of the challenge stood four winners, Bisola, Debie-Rise, Efe and TBoss.
Next up was the Big Brother Cook-off, where they had to prepare a meal using Indomie Instant Noodles. This Task proved that indeed looks can be deceiving, as the least scrumptious looking meal won.
Hip-Hop sensation Davido stopped by for a visit on Monday and discussed the merits of being true to one’s self with the Housemates. On Tuesday, Biggie introduced the passing along of the Head of House (HoH) title because there would be no HoH Task this week and Debie-Rise took over the title, after Bisola chose her as the next Igwe.
The Housemates twisted their limbs, played Snakes and Ladders, and a Truth or Dare game, which ended up with TBoss tearing up afterwards.
On Thursday, Host Ekuba and Big Brother Africa winner Karen visited the Housemates and shared cake and champagne while chatting with the Housemates around the dining room table.
To the Housemate’s surprise, Biggie banned campaigning, it being the final week. Moments later he told them to put on their finest clothes and get ready to go to the Arena for their final presentation.
The weekend started off with the Friday Night Games, where TBoss finally got her victory, after aching for it for the past couple of weeks. Then it was the Meningitis Awareness Task Presentation before the double-dose of DJ's Exclusive and Ike Chuks. The Housemates also had another special visit from PayPorte CEO Mr. Eyo Bassey.
The morning leading to the Season Finale was filled with getting hair done and packing, as the Housemates counted the hours before the show.
Catch the Live Show on DStv Channel 198 or GOtv Channel 29 at 7pm WAT to find out which Housemate walks away with the cash prize and brand new SUV.
Big Brother Naija is on DStv Channel 198 and GOtv Plus on channel 29. Big Brother Naija is sponsored by PayPorte, your preferred online retail store.
You can watch Live TV on your smartphone or tablet. Download the DStv Now all on your device. DStv Now is exclusive to DStv Premium customers with an active subscription. Remember to enter your #BBNSuperFan videos and send them to us on our social platforms using the correct hashtag.
For more information, please visit www.dstv.com, www.gotvafrica.com or www.africamagic.tv. Follow the conversation on Instagram at @BigBrotherNaija2017, Twitter @BBNaija and Facebook Big Brother Naija and on social media pages of DStv, GOtv and AfricaMagic


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Singapore-headquartered online luxury retailer Reebonz plans to raise up to US$150 million to bolster its marketplace business and fund expansion in China, Japan and South Korea.
Reebonz has been working with investment banks including Credit Suisse Group and Goldman Sachs Group since last month to engage potential investors, says CEO Samuel Lim. The startup he co-founded eight years ago was valued at about $300 million in late 2015.
“We are looking for the right partners for the next wave of growth,” says the Singaporean entrepreneur.
Reebonz opened a $29 million, eight-storey headquarters in Singapore last month which houses the firm’s authentication process as well as a robotic storage system for Hermes bags, jewellery and watches. The company has 300 employees and offices in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Lim says Reebonz is open to various fundraising options, including investments from internet or luxury-fashion companies.
Reebonz, whose website and app customers can buy new and pre-owned designer bags, watches and other luxury items, is aiming to push into marketplace platforms where offline boutiques and individuals can buy and sell items directly.
“As buyers become sellers and sellers become buyers again and again, we will add more and more product ranges,” says Lim. “This allows us to work as a luxury ecosystem, differentiating ourselves against the mass horizontal players.”


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Steve Morgan is Founder and Editor-In-Chief at Cybersecurity Ventures, one of the world’s leading researchers and publishers covering the global cyber economy as well as a data bank for cyber security facts, figures, and statistics. In this interview with ‘India Global Business’, he presents an analysis of what the latest cyber crime involving global media giants means for the world of data.
Does the data breach scandal involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica open up a new frontier for the cyber security landscape?
The recent Facebook privacy breach and Cambridge Analytica's involvement is hardly groundbreaking news for cyber security experts in the know. Consumer and corporate data has been pilfered from social media properties for the past decade. But now, with heightened media attention on personal and data privacy, the general public is waking up to the reality of these cyber threats.
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HOK’s Chris Lamberth on Making Sports-Oriented Mixed-Use Work
At an Urban Land Institute meeting, Chris Lamberth of HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice talked about planning successful sport-oriented mixed-use developments.
Lamberth noted that a “critical mass of retail amenities and people — residents, daytime workers and visitors” was instrumental in the success of the Nationwide Arena District, which “attracts 2.75 million visitors annually.”
“Breaking ground in 1998, Columbus’s 75-acre Arena District—the brainchild of Columbus-based Nationwide Realty Investors—is a recreation destination with 300,000 square feet (28,000 sq m) of retail, restaurants, and entertainment venues around Nationwide Arena, which is home to the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets and Triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers baseball team.”
“Lamberth explained that the retail amenities generated density throughout the Arena District, connected it to the city’s central business district (CBD) and catalyzed revitalization of the CBD. At present, commercial and residential occupancy is at 90 percent in the Arena District and 80 percent in the CBD.”


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The latest chapter in the Project Cafe/Wii 2/Nintendo HD saga has arrived, with legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto admitting that a new console is definitely in the works. He did, however, suggest that some of the rumors aren’t quite true.
In admitting that he’s working on new hardware, the elf-like designer said, “where there’s smoke there’s fire, but you shouldn’t believe everything you read.”
As well as that, Miyamoto confirmed that he’s also working on several games, including a Legend of Zelda title, a new Mario, Mario Kart 3DS, and a new Pikmin game. He also stated that new AR games for the 3DS are in the works.
As if that wasn’t enough, he said that a load of merchandising is coming to celebrate Zelda‘s 25th anniversary, so if you’re a fan of the series, you better start reinforcing your wallet!