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FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, released a blueprint containing immediate steps that can be taken to drive biomedical innovation, while improving the health of Americans.
Titled “Driving Biomedical Innovation: Initiatives for Improving Products for Patients,” the blueprint addresses concerns about the sustainability of the medical product development pipeline, which is slowing down despite record investments in research and development.
“The Obama Administration is committed to encouraging the entrepreneurs and businesses that are modernizing and strengthening our health care system,” says HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “The innovation blueprint is another part of our effort to help businesses grow and keep Americans healthy.”
“America is at an important crossroads, where the science before us presents unprecedented opportunities to create new and better medical products and to promote better health for the public,” says Hamburg. “Our innovation blueprint highlights some of the initiatives FDA will be implementing to ensure that these opportunities are translated into safe and effective treatments that can help keep both American patients and American industry healthy and strong.”
While FDA has long been committed to promoting innovation with a number of efforts underway already this year, Hamburg recognized the need to create an FDA-wide framework to address the changing scientific landscape. This blueprint launches the Innovation Initiative, identifying additional steps the agency can take immediately to address the most pressing concerns facing patients and industry.
The report’s proposals stem from a review of FDA’s current policies and practices, as well as months of meetings with major stakeholders nationwide, including key industry leaders, small biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device company owners, members of the academic community and patient groups.


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Gran Turismo 6 Will Include Three New AMG Models
Gran Turismo 6 for PS3 will include the MercedesSLS AMG GT3, the E63 AMG and the A45 AMG
by Jim Davis | 17 May 2013
Legendary Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi announced this week that Gran Turismo 6 will be released Holiday 2013. The news was revealed at an event held at Silverstone in England celebrating 15 years of the 70-million-selling series, Gran Turismo.
Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 will receive several enhancements, improvements and additions in order to give players new levels of authenticity to ‘the Real Driving Simulator. There will be new tracks and more importantly, cars, including three new Mercedes AMG models; the SLS AMG GT3 producing over 367 kW (more than 500 hp), the E63 AMG producing 410 kW (557 hp) and the A45 AMG producing 265 kW (360 hp). In addition to the three new vehicles, no fewer than 21 further vehicles from Mercedes-Benz which featured in Gran Turismo 5 will also be taking to the track to set the pulses of gaming fans racing.
Globally the PlayStation 3 racing game has so far sold more than 70 million copies, with version 5 alone being enjoyed by more than ten million gaming fans since November 2010. Mercedes-Benz can look back over a long and successful history as part of this race series. Models from the star brand have been represented in the game since the market launch of Gran Turismo 2 back in 1999/2000. According to Anders Sundt Jensen: “Both Carl Benz in 1886 and Kazunori Yamauchi, the inventor of Gran Turismo in 1998 recognised that a car can do more than just take us from A to B. Both lived the automotive dream. Driving a Mercedes or playing Gran Turismo each therefore reflects a unique experience: unprecedented driving pleasure.”

domain: news


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Apple Users Set to Get Big Perks From New York Times Apps
The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) is releasing two new apps for the web and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) devices that give loyal readers varying access to the newspaper’s digital content. NYT Now and Times Premiere will both launch on April 2, the company announced, which will grow The Times’s digital holdings and expand its reach to avid news junkies on the go.
NYT Now is more for the casual reader of The Times. Costing $8 a month, the app will at first be available only for iPhone and iPod Touch in addition to online, and will be complementary for current subscribers of either the print or digital versions of the paper. The Times Premiere app is targeted towards major news junkies or perhaps people doing research that would benefit from unlimited access to behind-the-scenes items and other “exclusive benefits” for $45 a month, or $10 a month extra for current home delivery subscribers.
“Our goal with this next phase of our paid products strategy is to satisfy the demand for The Times journalism by giving new subscribers the ability to choose the amount of access they desire at a price point that suits them, and to enhance the value we offer our current loyal subscribers,” said Marc Thompson, the CEO of The New York Times Company.
NYT Now will be curated to present the most important news information via articles, videos, and infographics targeted towards those looking to catch up on the day’s events quickly. “Edited by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Cliff Levy, the NYT Now App is designed for readers to quickly catch up on the most important stories from The Times around the clock, and also gives them access to a stream of the best of the rest from the Internet,” the company said. The app stands out from the current NYT app and other news aggregation apps because of the outstanding editorial staff that will curate the content.
“The launch of NYT Now marks a significant point in The Times history as it is the first mobile product with its own dedicated editorial staff that offers a particular selection of Times stories,” added Jill Abramson, The Times’s executive editor. “NYT Now cuts through the vast amount of content available on the web and social media to provide the most essential stories of the moment, hand-selected by some of the most thoughtful and discerning journalists in our newsroom.”
So, what are all the benefits those Premiere subscribers will get for such a hefty fee? A bunch of perks that will make one the most informed person at the next cocktail party. TimesMachine will provide digital access to the complete edition of every issue of The Times ever printed, a great perk for those doing research. TimesTalks will provide access to new and archived full-length videos of NYT journalists interviewing various noteworthy figures. Premiere subscribers will also get two free TBooks — a curated compilation of articles past and present on a specific subject — per month for digital download. Times Premiere members will have Christmas gifts taken care of for three fellow news lovers with the option to gift a 12-week digital subscription to three people each year. Members can also share their account with two family members, will receive a four-pack of specially made crossword puzzles per month, and special discounts on NYT fan gear.
It’s a perk for Apple that it’s the first company to gain access to the new apps, although developers frequently choose to make apps for iOS first since the platform is so popular. It’s unclear if the apps will be made specially available for the iPad as well, although iPad users will have access to the iPhone versions. The company didn’t say if or when an Android version of the apps will be made available.
More From Wall St. Cheat Sheet:
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Follow Jacqueline on Twitter @Jacqui_WSCS


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(RTTNews.com) - After ending the previous session mostly higher, stocks have shown a lack of direction over the course of morning trading on Friday. The major averages have spent the morning bouncing back and forth across the unchanged line.
Currently, the major averages are posting modest gains. The Dow is up 20.84 points or 0.1 percent at 26,166.83, the Nasdaq is up 24.25 points or 0.3 percent at 8,037.96 and the S&P 500 is up 2.38 points or 0.1 percent at 2,906.56.
The choppy trading on Wall Street comes amid uncertainty about trade after reports earlier this week of another round of talks between the U.S. and China.
Traders are also digesting a slew of U.S. economic data, including a report showing retail sales increased by much less than expected in August.
The Commerce Department said retail sales inched up by 0.1 percent in August after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.7 percent in July.
Economists had expected retail sales to rise by 0.4 percent compared to the 0.5 percent increase originally reported for the previous month.
Excluding the decrease in auto sales, retail sales rose by 0.3 percent in August after jumping by an upwardly revised 0.9 percent in July.
Ex-auto sales had been expected to climb by 0.5 percent compared to the 0.6 percent growth originally reported for the previous month.
Meanwhile, a separate report from the University of Michigan showed a much bigger than expected improvement in consumer sentiment in September.
The report said the consumer sentiment index jumped to 100.8 in September from 96.2 in August. Economists had expected the index to inch up to 96.6.
The Federal Reserve also released a report showing industrial production rose by slightly more than expected in the month of August.
The Fed said industrial production climbed by 0.4 percent in August, matching the upwardly revised increase in July.
Economists had expected production to rise by 0.3 percent compared to the 0.1 percent uptick originally reported for the previous month.
Most of the major sectors are showing only modest moves on the day, contributing to the lackluster performance by the broader markets.
Brokerage, semiconductor and transportation stocks are seeing notable strength, while weakness is visible among interest rate-sensitive utilities and real estate stocks.
In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region moved mostly higher during trading on Friday. Japan'sNikkei 225 Index surged up by 1.2 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index jumped by 1 percent.
The major European markets have also moved to the upside on the day. While the U.K.'sFTSE 100 Index has edged up by 0.2 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index are both up by 0.5 percent.
In the bond market, treasuries have moved lower after ending the previous session roughly flat. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, is up by 3.3 basis points at 2.996 percent.
Read the original article on RTTNews (http://www.rttnews.com/2935082/stocks-showing-a-lack-of-direction-in-morning-trading-u-s-commentary.aspx)
For comments and feedback: contact email@example.com


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Concerns about rising inflation during the initial week of Ramadan have gripped the populace, impacting their purchasing power. Residents lament that the phenomenon of self-inflation during Ramadan is straining their finances. While shopkeepers assert a decline in food prices, economists remain skeptical about imminent inflation control measures.
Naveed Khan, residing in Charsadda district, voiced dissatisfaction over inflated chicken prices. Despite the official rate listing chicken at 650 rupees per kg, he purchased it for 800 rupees. Naveed emphasized the necessity of food items for every household, expressing frustration at shopkeepers charging arbitrary rates.
Rahimullah, a father of five and Chingchi driver, recounted his recent vegetable purchase from the Charsadda market, highlighting the exorbitant prices. He noted a distressing trend of having to reduce his children’s food intake due to escalating costs. Rahimullah’s monthly income of 500 to 700 rupees, subject to traffic fines, falls short of meeting essential expenses like clothing, education, and healthcare.
Reflecting on his recent vegetable purchase, Rahimullah bemoaned the escalating prices, citing tomatoes at 150 rupees, potatoes at 250 rupees, and onions at 200 rupees per kg. He expressed concern over the affordability of essential items, stating his inability to purchase vegetables exceeding 50 rupees per kg.
They admit ignorance about the price list and the shopkeepers’ adherence to it. To ensure fairness, all shopkeepers should ethically and legally comply with the price lists issued by the district administration.
The latest report from the Bureau of Statistics indicates a 1.35% increase in the prices of 18 food items during the first week of Ramadan. Notably, bananas and tomatoes surged by 22%, while eggs saw a 7% hike. Additionally, onions rose by 6%, along with increases in garlic, mutton, beef, and chicken prices. The annual inflation rate soared to 32.89%, with garlic registering a 60% increase, onions 90%, jaggery 41%, and sugar 37%.
Masood Khan, a vegetable vendor in Charsadda, observed a recent decrease in vegetable prices attributed to the government’s ban on food item exports. He cited notable reductions in tomato, onion, potato, pea, gourd, cucumber, and cabbage prices, facilitating affordability for local consumers.
Khan explained that vegetables priced above 100 rupees are often sourced from Punjab or Karachi, where transportation costs inflate due to high petrol and diesel prices. Conversely, locally produced vegetables remain reasonably priced, benefiting consumers.
Similarly, Samiullah, a chicken seller, lamented the adverse impact of recent inflation on his business. Chicken prices have dropped from 450 to 415 rupees per kg, but reduced purchasing power has diminished sales. While he previously sold over 30 maunds of chicken meat during Ramadan, this year’s inflationary pressures have limited sales to only 10 maunds, further affecting profitability amidst decreased demand.
Economists are grappling with the challenge of reigning in the persistent inflation plaguing the country. They assert that achieving political stability, curbing government spending, and securing a bailout from the IMF could potentially alleviate the situation.
Dr. Shahid Khan, a prominent economic expert, emphasized the importance of lowering interest rates to stimulate economic growth. According to him, a reduction in interest rates encourages business investment, fostering a conducive environment for economic expansion and the circulation of money.
Currently, the country’s interest rate stands at a staggering 22 percent. Dr. Shahid anticipates that the State Bank’s policy, slated for release on March 18, may marginally decrease the interest rate by 1 percent, driven by reports indicating a reduction in inflation by the Bureau of Statistics. However, he remains cautious about the immediate benefits reaching the populace, as the impending budget entails a hefty payment of 8000 billion rupees towards debt interest repayment, posing a significant hurdle in the path to inflation reduction.
Analysts propose localized measures to combat inflation, advocating for the district administration to convene quarterly price control committee meetings. These meetings would facilitate the establishment of bid limits in early morning vegetable markets. Additionally, traders would be obligated to distribute food items among multiple vendors, ensuring that price control isn’t monopolized by a single entity.


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NEW DELHI: The Commerce Ministry is working on a proposal to allow Special Economic Zone (SEZ) units to sell products outside these tax-free enclaves at concessional duty rates. An SEZ area is considered to be a foreign territory for trade operations and duties and are mainly set up for the export purpose. However, goods can be supplied from an SEZ unit to a DTA (domestic tariff area or outside SEZ) buyer on payment of appropriate Customs duty as products coming from these zones are treated as imports into the country. The SEZ players have demanded that they be allowed to sell their goods in DTA on same terms as applicable under free trade agreements (FTAs) signed by India with different countries.
In essence, they want that the benefit of low or nil duty under an FTA should be extended to their products sold in domestic markets. India has signed several FTAs with countries, including Japan, Malaysia, Asean (the 10-nation South East Asian bloc) and South Korea, under which it permits imports of a host of goods at a significantly low or nil duty. “Such a decision would help boost the manufacturing sector of the country. Although SEZs are treated as foreign entity for trade purposes, they are set up within the Country and they employ local people,” an official said.
The issue was recently discussed by the Commerce Ministry. However, experts take the line that domestic manufacturers would lose competitiveness if SEZ units are allowed to sell products at concessional duties. Export Promotion Council for SEZ and EoUs (EPCES) Chairman
Mr. Rahul Gupta stressed that the proposal would not affect domestic manufacturing as SEZ units use local raw material for manufacturing and also provide jobs here. “SEZs should be allowed to sell their goods at best FTA rates to increase manufacturing in these zones,” he suggested.


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Muted cheer for Old English Inns
Pub restaurants group Old English Inns has reported a welcome improvement in trading despite suffering from the fuel crisis and widespread flooding in its trading regions.
As expected, half-year profits were down but the company staved off the decline in its like-for-like sales, which were flat in the six-month period and up 2.2% in October.
Old English issued a profits warning in January, but chief executive Colin Mayes said the company's investment in product improvements was starting to pay off, particularly a new central reservation system which was implemented ahead of schedule.
Operating profits in the half-year to 1 October came in at £5.2m against £6.9m a year earlier on sales of £37.4 m against £37.3m last time. The half-year dividend is pegged at 2.4p.
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Last year's Gamescom footage of Cyberpunk 2077 has gamers salivating in preparation for the most anticipated title of 2020.
The gameplay on show was already glorious but now looks even BETTER.
Cyberpunk 2007 8K Gameplay
In 2019, the original footage came in 4K but thanks to some clever people, it has been upscaled to 8K.
The upscale used similar tech to Nvidia's DLSS to render the footage in 4k and it sounds like we could get MORE in the future.


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Good news for Dubai travellers as they can shop and use Indian Rupee at Dubai Airports. According to a leading newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, the Indian Rupee will now be accepted for all transactions at all airports in Dubai. The Indian tourists can now use Indian currency easily while earlier they used to lose a sizeable amount due to foreign exchange rates.
The Indian currency is now accepted at all three terminals of Dubai International Airport and at Al Maktoum Airport, reported Gulf News. Dubai duty free staff told the newspaper that they have started accepting the Indian rupee already.
Report further quoted, there are close to 90 million passengers who passed Dubai aiports in 2018, among which over 12 million were Indians. Earlier Indian travellers had to convert the rupee into Dollar, Dirham or Euro before before buying anything from Dubai Duty free shops.
The Indian rupee is the 16th currency to be accepted for transaction at Dubai Duty-Free since its opening in December 1983. On July 4th, at 1100 hrs the Indian rupee was trading higher by 4 paise at 68.87 per dollar as against previous close 68.91.


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Facebook to offer free online music to rival Apple's iTunes
Facebook's 750 million users will soon be able to listen to music through the site - sharing songs in the same way that users currently share videos, television programmes, Hollywood films and news links.
It's a move that could put Facebook in direct competition with Apple's iTunes service - and looks certain to cement the site's position ahead of Google as the UK's most popular web destination.
Facebook's new music service will allow users to access millions of songs instantly via any PC
News of the new feature is expected to be unveiled at this month's 'f8' conference on September 22 in San Francisco, an annual event held by Facebook to show off new 'apps' and technologies.
Music services partnered with the site are expected to allow Facebook users to listen to libraries of millions of songs directly via the site, without having to install special software on their PCs. Facebook users will be able to listen to huge libraries music directly from PCs in their workplace for the first time.
It also seems highly likely that at least some of the music available via the site will be entirely free - and that users will be able to buy music via the site, a move that pitches Facebook head-on against Apple's iTunes.
'Many of the most popular music services around the world are integrated with Facebook, and we're constantly talking to our partners about ways to improve this,' said a Facebook spokesman, although the company declined to provide further details of any upcoming services.
It's thought that one of the likeliest candidates to partner with Facebook is Spotify, a Swedish music service used by 10 million people worldwide, and highly popular in the UK. Spotify offers a library of 15 million songs free - and is seen as a serious challenger to Apple's iTunes.
Up until now, however, users have required a special app downloaded either to PCs or smartphones such as Apple's iPhone. On Facebook, access to Spotify's huge library could require nothing more than an ordinary PC.
At present, free Spotify users are limited to 10 hours' listening per month and have to endure adverts into the bargain - any more requires a subscription costing £10 per month. Spotify recently launched in the US, and rumours about an alliance between Spotify and Facebook have been persistent for months.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg looks set to add free music to the site this month
'We aren't commenting on the latest rumours,' said a Spotify spokesman. 'We have a good relationship with Facebook. We're continuously working to make the social experience on Spotify the best it can be and welcome relationships with any company looking to innovate by building more social value into the user experience.'
Other sites such as We7 already offer similar 'streaming' services in the UK, and rivals such as the French site Deezer are set to launch here shortly - all offering access to music without users paying for tracks first, a service that Apple refuses to offer even as part of its new iCloud service.
It's still uncertain which service Facebook will partner with, with US services such as Rhapsody also mentioned as likely contenders - some 'apps' built into the site already offer limited access to free music.
Technology bloggers uncovered code for a Facebook add-on called 'Vibes', which is believed to offer music downloads via the site. As Facebook has eclipsed even Google in the UK in terms of time spent online - Facebook accounted for 16.2 per cent of UK users time as of June 2011, Google merely 11.8 per cent - the site is seen as more and more attractive to media companies eager to promote and sell their music.
Music companies have previously been reluctant to partner with 'streaming' companies such as Spotify, fearing that 'free' access to music could damage sales, but with 1.6 million paying subscribers, Spotify is now earning money for musicians and music companies. Apple's iron grip on the online music market no longer looks so certain.
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Well it appears the US government has been asking the same questions we have “Who’s responsible for these data breaches and who should be held accountable when things go wrong?” And it appears there might be a bill on the way to answer that question.
Do you believe you might be the victim of data or identity theft? Take a look at our data theft check list.
Before the major breach of Minnesota-based retailer Target, banks held the onus of repaying customers in the event of a fraud–and indeed, they were the ones who repaid Target’s victims, all 110 million of them. But it appears that might be changing in the near future if this bill gets passed.
And perhaps some of the reason for this shift of responsibility lies in the lack of responsibility we’ve unearthed in light of the attacks (including Neiman Marcus and Michaels). In a recent report posted by the New York Times, it appears Target’s cyber security team had actually picked up evidence of the threat back when it was being uploaded by Eastern European hackers. The security team did a threat analysis and determined the threats didn’t warrant further activity.
Target’s execs were also informed by the government earlier that year to be on the lookout for just the kind of malware that did Target in, and an outside security analyst had even recommended installing new sale terminals but the company didn’t want to take the time and money to upgrade their systems as they headed into the Christmas shopping season.
This new bill, if passed, would make Target and other companies responsible for failed threat attention. Essentially, the bill would force these companies who had neglected sound advice and ample warnings–like twenty-two-year old kids who think themselves invincible–to take responsibility, no longer able to run back to mom (the banks) to solve their problems.
The bill would force the companies to initiate stronger security systems and to reimburse their customers in light of subsequent attacks. Specifically, the bill would give companies a window of 15 days after a suspected data attack in which they would be required to inform their customers. The bill would also take steps to limit the amount of sensitive information that businesses store–such as PINs or social security numbers–in order to make them less of a treasure trove for hackers and give customers some added security.


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One of Cardiff's most well-known and popular Santa experiences won't be going ahead this year, it has been announced.
Pugh's Garden Village in Radyr has decided it would be "irresponsible" to hold the Santa event owing to the "sheer volume" of people who visit in "close groups".
The business also has a second site in Wenvoe in the Vale of Glamorgan where the event will also not be taking place.
The event is one of the most popular in Cardiff and usually sells out quickly when tickets become available.
In a statement posted on their Facebook page the company said: "Being a seasonal business we plan everything six months in advance and usually by now we would be building our Christmas Santa Experience ready for November so please forgive us for what is deemed by many as a very early post.
"However we get regular messages asking when tickets are due to go on sale.
"We have had many discussions between us and we feel that we have had to make a tough decision on the Christmas Santa Experience in both of our garden centres for this year."
They said they came to the decision after a lot of discussion but ultimately decided it would be "irresponsible" to run the experience given the unprecedented situation with coronavirus.
They added there were "so many unknowns" expected over the next few months that would make planning for this event very difficult.
"This is due to so many unknowns over the next few months and because of the sheer volumes of people that visit us over a short period of time and the way the experience is run in close groups," the statement added.
Organising an alternative and smaller event would "not do justice to the experience" and would also not fulfill demand, they said.
See the impact coronavirus lockdown has had where you live:
"We put our all into Christmas at Pugh’s and generations of families have visited us year upon year so, within the guidelines, we will endeavour to ensure the most magical shopping experience and focus on creating beautiful displays as always, as well as VIP shopping experiences, sumptuous Christmas goodies in the Food Hall, late-night shopping and of course taking our Christmas tree shopping experience to a whole new wonderful and magical level.
"We truly believe that even though the Santa Experience will not be running this year we can still create a Christmas to remember in so many others ways.
"We want to thank you again for supporting us through what has been such an unprecedented period of time in all of our lives.
"Pugh’s will remain at the forefront of creating magical memories for many years to come in one way or another and will strive to round off 2020 with the best Christmas yet."
Their decision was announced on Tuesday and marks the first of this kind of event to announce plans for December time.
The announcement follows a press conference given by health minister Vaughan Gething who said NHS Wales is planning for a possible resurgence of coronavirus this winter.


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Brazil. Livestock and Products Annual. Sep 2014 Sept. 15, 2014
Post forecasts 2015 production and exports of beef to increase by three and ten percent, respectively. This forecast is driven by greater availability of cattle for slaughter, stable domestic cattle prices, and the ongoing depreciation of the Brazilian currency. These factors will likely make Brazilian beef highly competitive in the world market. Pork production and exports are also forecast to increase in 2015 by five and 21 percent, respectively. Driving forces are lower feed costs due to record soybean and corn crops and higher exports due to the weaker Brazilian real and greater demand from the Russian Federation. In general, high indebtedness of Brazilian consumers is the main constraint for a smaller growth path for domestic demand for animal protein.
Most analysts forecast Brazilian economic growth to remain sluggish in 2015. Technically, the Brazilian economy has entered into recession and the effects of the current economic situation will impact next year’s GDP growth, estimated to rise at around one percent. Consumer prices are expected to be near the upper limit of the central bank’s inflation target band and consumer indebtedness will remain high. In view of this poor economic scenario, trade sources forecast weak domestic demand for animal protein, but they are optimistic about greater supplies of beef and pork for exports. In addition, a new federal administration will be sworn on January, 2015 and could implement policies correct economic disequilibria and promote stronger growth and lower inflation.
Animal Numbers, Cattle
For 2015, post forecasts an increase of over two percent in cattle inventories and nearly two percent in the calf crop. The expansion of the Brazilian cattle herd is supported by higher investments in productivity. Cattle producers have access to government programs at subsidized interest rates which encourage pasture improvements and higher use of quality genetics. In addition, due to sustained strong cattle prices throughout most of 2014, cattle producers have used more feed and other ingredients during the dry season (normally between May and September when pasture conditions are poor) to maintain cattle weights. In the past 6 months, the increase in feed for beef cattle reached a record of 3.9 million metric tons. It is also estimated that in 2014, cattle raising will attain a profitability rate of 18 percent, two points above the previous year. The estimated increase of 5 percent in feedlots will also likely contribute to larger cattle supplies next year. The sector is also benefiting from an estimated increase in cattle exports due to a weaker Brazilian currency. Finally, there is a possibility of a shift from corn production to investment in improved pastures during 2015 crop year due to lower prices of corn.
Post forecasts an increase of over two percent in cattle inventories and nearly two percent in the calf crop in 2015. The expansion of the Brazilian cattle herd is supported by higher investments in productivity. Cattle producers have access to government programs at subsidized interest rates which encourage pasture improvements and higher use of quality genetics. In addition, due to sustainable cattle prices throughout most of 2014, cattle producers use more feed and other ingredients during the dry season (normally between May and September when pasture conditions are poor) to maintain cattle weights. In the past 6 months, the increase in feed for beef cattle reached a record of 3.9 million metric tons. It is also estimated that in 2014, cattle raising will attain a profitability rate of 18 percent, two points above the previous year. An estimated five percent expansion in feedlots will also likely contribute to larger cattle supplies next year. The sector also is benefiting from an estimated increase in cattle exports due to a weaker Brazilian currency.
Meat, Beef and Veal
Post forecasts that beef production in 2015 will increase by three percent, due mostly to international demand and a small increase in domestic consumption. The depreciation of the Brazilian currency combined with higher cattle supplies is likely to maintain Brazilian beef at competitive prices. Post also estimates an increase in carcass yields due to higher use of feed during the dry season.
Post projects domestic beef consumption to increase by1.2 percent in 2015 in view of an expected higher inflation rate combined with poor economic growth and higher market prices for beef. The rapid consumer credit growth in Brazil in the past years has been accompanied by escalating indebtedness of consumers.
In 2015, post projects an increase of beef exports of 10 percent because stronger demand for the Brazilian product combined with the depreciation of the Brazilian currency which make the Brazilian product more competitive in the world market. Brazilian beef exporters are optimistic about the new “window” of opportunity for higher exports to the Russian Federation in the next 12 months, although this country is already the largest market for Brazilian beef, accounting for one third of all beef exports in 2014. According to local trade sources, the Russian Federation has approved more than 100 Brazilian establishments to export beef and beef products to Russia, including variety beef. Other important markets for Brazilian beef which will exhibit stronger demand are Hong Kong, Iran, Egypt, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and China. Nearly all markets that suspended or restricted imports from Brazil because of the 2012 atypical BSE case, have reopened.
A major concern of Brazilian beef exports continues to be residue violations for Ractopamine and Ivermectin. According to trade sources, despite the suspension of its use in November 2012, there have been cases of violations for Ractopamine found throughout the country, which jeopardize beef exports to markets such as the Russian Federation, China, Iran, Egypt and Chile. Trade sources also indicated that the use of Ivermectin is another concern that has the potential to affect exports to the United States, despite the recent prohibition of its use in Brazil since early 2014.
Animal Numbers, Swine
Post forecasts hog production to increase by two percent in 2015 to support higher pork exports and to accommodate a small increase in domestic demand. Nearly 60 percent of hog production in Brazil is concentrated in the three southern states of Santa Catarina (which is the only state in Brazil free of FMD without vaccination), Parana and Rio Grande do Sul. Because production in these states is vertically integrated, good profitability is expected for hog producers in these areas due to the strong support from large pork packers. During 2014, hog producers, have so far experienced one of their best years in terms of profitability due to lower costs of inputs (corn and soybeans) combined with an adjustable supply and demand of hogs, keeping pork prices at high levels throughout the year. These factors are likely to continue in 2015 as international demand, mostly from the Russian Federation, will likely increase for Brazilian pork.
Post forecasts an increase of nearly 5 percent in pork production in 2015. This forecast reflects the current optimism of the pork industry due to a rebound in the export markets, mostly from the Russian market and a small increase in domestic demand. Packers are confident that lower feed costs and strong sustained domestic and export prices next year will contribute to greater profitability.
Post forecasts a small increase in domestic consumption of pork as Brazilian consumers will likely remain price conscious in 2015 due to high market prices for pork and there overall indebtedness.
An intense marketing campaign in the past few years has increased fresh consumption of pork, but nevertheless, pork utilization in Brazil is estimated at 67 percent for industrial/processing and only 33 percent for fresh consumption. Promotional activities in Brazil are aimed to address two other constraints affecting fresh pork consumption: consumption during the winter months (June-August) and regional concentration of pork consumption in the southern region of the country.
Brazilian pork exports are forecast to rebound significantly in 2015, mostly due to projected higher exports to the Russian Federation, due to its politically motivated one-year import ban on the U.S and other countries.
In 2015, trade sources expect that Brazilian pork exports will occupy 35-40 percent of the Russian market. The Russian Federation recently re-established the eligibility of several Brazilian pork processing plants to export pork and pork products, although a number of plants are still delisted. The Brazilian government expects to address concerns of the Russian government regarding the use of Ractopamine before the end of the year, which should result in the relisting of additional Brazilian plants.
Except for Ukraine, due to the political uncertainties in that country, pork exporters look forward to increases in pork shipments to markets such as Angola, Hong Kong, Chile and Japan. Other priorities for market access are South Korea and South Africa


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Homepage for the best 3D templates
Scan across the web for STL files with a single click
by Stanislav Kuznetsov
In Bristol, UK, this summer, The Bristol Children's Hospital Charity - The Grand Appeal, is launching "Gromit Unleashed 2" a sculpture trail which includes larger-than-life characters from the TV show and three three 3D printed sculptures.
To announce its newest material, E-RigidForm, EnvisionTEC 3D printed a ridiculously long chain. Measuring out at 328 feet, the links demo the material's tough properties and the possibility of such parts for end use.
American tire company Goodyear will debut a 3D printed tire concept this week at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. Called Oxygene, the tire touts many potential environmental benefits, including improving air quality in cities and recycling old waste rubber.


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Safeway fetes holidays with several food drives
Jeremy Schwartz/Peninsula Daily News
Jason Ostrand, center in white shirt — manager of the Safeway store at 2709 E. U.S. Highway 101 outside Port Angeles — helps load donated bags of food into a Port Angeles Food Bank truck manned by Anthony Jowers of the food bank early Saturday afternoon in Safeway’s “Help Us End Hunger” food drive. Also helping, from left, are Port Angeles High School students Forrest Maynock, Katlyn Bolewicki, Chelsea Casady and Sydney Roberts.
By Jeremy Schwartz
Peninsula Daily News
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Jason Ostrand, manager of the Safeway store at 2709 E. U.S. Highway 101, was one of a half-dozen Safeway employees and other volunteers who helped load donated bags of food into a food bank truck that afternoon as part of Safeway's “Help Us End Hunger” food drive.
The food drive, started in November and running until Christmas, allows Safeway shoppers to buy $10 bags of food, each of which translates into six meals at the Port Angeles Food Bank, Ostrand said.
As of Saturday, Ostrand said the Highway 101 Safeway has sold just more than 1,000 bags of food and sold 129 last Saturday, Dec. 15.
“We're hoping to break 200 today,” Ostrand said.
Other North Olympic Peninsula Safeways are at 110 E. Third St. in Port Angeles, 680 W. Washington St. in Sequim and 442 W. Sims Way in Port Townsend.
Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Last modified: December 22. 2012 5:44PM


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*July 9, 2014: It’s official — Smithfield Market has been saved! And UrbanSpace founder Eric Reynolds has put forth proposals for a Covent Garden-style public market.
*Update! June 30, 2014: Lady Gaga gives a plug to the Smithfield salvation effort! Read the story here — a crowd of Lady Gaga lookalikes marched on Parliament to protest the destruction of the historic market (seriously) — and check out the action on Twitter at #SaveSmithfield
April, 2014: UrbanSpace in London is currently engaged in a high-profile battle to save the historic Smithfield Meat Market, a Victorian era landmark built in 1883, from a controversial £160m plan to scoop out the “innards” and insert blocks of modern shops and offices. The proposed plan would effectively destroy the interiors, leaving only the facade intact.
Despite the success of the public inquiry to save the Victorian era Smithfield Market, which came to a close on February 28th, the battle continues. Henderson Global Investors’ barrister is refusing Save Britain’s Heritage campaigners’ rival plans for the redevelopment of the Smithfield Market in London.
Henderson’s intention is to redevelop the derelict General Market buildings, which once sold meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, into an office building scheme with shops and restaurants. The $266 million plan would “mutilate” Smithfield’s interiors. Eric Reynolds, the founder of UrbanSpace Management, which is working with Save Britain, hopes to enable the spirit and fabric of the historic Smithfield Market buildings to be preserved. The alternative refurbishment plan would retain a significant amount more of the original architecture than Henderson’s plans.


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The evolution of cruise control has big implications for the future.
Audi A5 News
Look for them at dealers this spring.
Defenders of the clutch pedal, rejoice!
The new A5 lineup is filling out with a pair of soft tops.
Last year, we reported that Audi was exploring other engines for the R8. This report may confirm the V6 is coming, along with other interesting tidbits.
Audi rolls out a special edition A5 DTM for Germany with a TDI engine, sporty trim, and no known cheating issues.
This is our first glimpse at the Audi A5 while still wearing heavy camouflage. It reportedly rides on the lighter MLB Evo platform like the upcoming A4.
Audi has announced a limited run of its 2015 RS5 Coupe Sport, with just 75 of the customized, 450-horsepower two-doors being offered up to US customers. Prices start at $87,575, and add unique wheels and a completely reupholstered interior that's been finished in fine Nappa leather.
Audi is issuing a recall covering some 70,000 vehicles worldwide, due to problems with their brake boosters. According to Automotive News Europe, diesel-powered examples of the A4, A5, A6, A7 and Q7 are all being called back due to this issue.
Hey, all you fans of the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, where will you ever use that 204 mile per hour top speed? Probably not in very many places, and Smart would kindly like to remind you that, "Top speed means nothing in the city."
As diesels continue to account for a minority of cars sold by Audi in the US, the German automaker and Volkswagen unit continues to expand its diesel models in Europe for the sake of fuel efficiency. Early this year, Audi will debut its new A4, A5 and A6 variants in Europe as part of what it calls its "ultra" strategy of pairing performance with fuel economy. Audi will have 11 new models for 2014, and the updated A4, A5 and A6 will use Audi's 2.0-liter turbodiesel powertrain. Versions of that en


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Nokia 9 PureView can be screened on February 24
Nokia 9 PureView
Nokia is going to host the event on February 24 in the Mobile World Congress. This information was given by an official of the HMD Global company. The company has not yet clarified what will happen in this event. The market of speculations is hot about the launch of the much-awaited Nokia 9 PureView smartphone. Some reports also discuss the launch of the Nokia 6 (2019). It is also possible that the company launches Nokia 6 (2019) before the Mobile World Congress.
Juho Sarvikas, HMD Global Chief Product Officer tweeted that the company is scheduled to hold an event on February 24. The Tweet says that the company will also stream its event on the Internet. There was no mention of the name of a product in their tweets. Based on the information available so far, Nokia 9 PureView will have five rear camera setup. which is powered by a Zeiss solution and come with low-light technology from Light.
Nokia 9 PureView Specification
Speaking of other specifications, the smartphone will come with a 5.99-inch quad PureDisplay panel, HDR support and in-display fingerprint sensor and Nokia 9 PureView will have Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. It will be equipped with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB inbuilt storage. the phone will be based on the Android One platform and run on Android 9 Pie operating system.
This new smartphone is expected to be the first PureView-branded Nokia phone from HMD Global. HMD Global Company bought the PureView brand from Microsoft in 2018 but has not yet launched any phone from this brand. Pureview branding was first introduced by Nokia in 2013 with the Nokia 808 PureView.
Nokia 6 (2019)
There is also the possibility that HMD Global took the curtain from Nokia 6 (2019) in the event. This phone can come with a 6.2-inch display, Snapdragon 632 processor and 4GB / 6GB RAM. It will also come with two 16-megapixel rear cameras from Zeiss, and support with OZO Audio technology
|Battery capacity (mAh)||4150|
|Screen size (inches)||6.01|
|Processor make||Qualcomm Snapdragon 855|
|Expandable storage type||microSD|
|Expandable storage up to (GB)||N/A|
|Operating system||Android Oreo|
|Wi-Fi standards supported||802.11 a/b/g/n/ac|
|Number of SIMs||2|
|Ambient light sensor||Yes|
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets Trend on Twitter, Facebook, and for regular updates notification click on bell icon.


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We’ve been working with several partners recently who are looking at a combination of customer requirements around migration away from legacy ISDN and towards cloud PBX and cloud call recording.
On 3rd January 2018, the Market in Financial Instruments Directive MiFID II is effective right across the EU and similar rules are fully expected to stay in place once the UK leaves the European Union.
The calls businesses handle contain vital data and information which can easily get lost. We have partnered with Cognia to add a unique call intelligence system to Mobile-X. These services give businesses access to the big data held in voice calls, landline and mobile wherever they are in the world.
October 11, 2021


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The rumors and whispers of a Facebook phone aren't gone, although there hasn't been much news on it lately. With Samsung Electronics covering the development of the next-generation Nexus smartphone for Google, HTC have decided to take a walk down a different path.
They're currently developing a customized smartphone in cooperation with Facebook which is looking to be launched in Q3 of this year at the earliest, as always, according to industry sources. HTC had previously joined forces with Google to launch Google's first own-branded smartphone, Nexus One. This means they're no stranger to cooperation with a large company.
Since Samsung have become the top Android vendor, Google will continue to tap Samsung to develop their next-generation Nexus models. This lets Google use Samsung's innovation ability with regard to the Android platform, and its ability to control the supply of key components, says DigiTimes' sources.
The new HTC Facebook phone would have a platform exclusive to Facebook which would enable and integrate all functions available on Facebook. HTC have previous launched two Facebook-enabled smartphones, the Salsa and Chacha.
- >> NEXT STORY: 'Woodstock', a new Xbox music service to be unveiled at E3 2012
- << PREVIOUS STORY: RumorTT: NVIDIA could launch the GTX 670 alongside its dual-GPU GTX 690


text: The folks over at Samsung Hub managed to get their hands on Samsung’s program schedule at the Mobile World Congress next month, and it has been confirmed that Korean electronics manufacturer will be unveiling the successors to their current flagship devices. On the document, it clearly states that for their product presentation, they will be showing off the Galaxy S 2 and the Galaxy Tab 2. No other details concerning the devices were leaked, but I’m pretty sure Samsung has got the attention of a lot of consumers out there. Their Galaxy Tab hasn’t been around for nearly long enough, yet it’s already getting a sequel, looks like Samsung is feeling the pressure from the other tablets coming out this year as well. Expect it to be packing a dual-core processor and running Android 3.0 at the very least. With MWC only a few weeks away, stay tuned while we bring you the latest updates from the event.


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Free bike rental for 5-11 year olds.
Milan’s successful bike rental service BikeMI has launched an experimental, free version for kids.
Docking station no. 400 in Piazza Castello is open Saturdays and Sundays from 09.00 to 19.00 with a fleet of junior-size bikes at the disposal of kids accompanied by an adult, who must leave an ID document as a deposit and agree to be responsible for the child.
At the same time, a bigger rack has been installed at the same location for extra adult bikes, both pedal-powered and electrically assisted “pedelecs”, so that families can ride together in the Sempione park and in the city centre.
If the experiment is a success, BikeMI management says, it will be extended with more junior bikes around the city. No mention was made of plans to start charging for rental.
The experiment comes on the heels of a milestone in the rental service: the 40,000th subscription was taken out last weekend, and the lucky winner will receive a 10-year subscription as a prize.
BikeMI offers three types of subscription – daily, weekly and annual. And in conjunction with Expo Milan 2015, it is currently offering these subscriptions at a discount of up to 50 per cent with a free entry ticket to Expo thrown in.


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Posted by Dale Buss on April 8, 2013 09:02 AM
AB InBev reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice over its disputed $20.1 billion acquisition of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, which faces inquiry over Mexico worker deaths.
GE to buy Lufkin for $3 billion in oil-and-gas-industry play.
PepsiCo seeks to patent novel high-protein nutrition beverages.
Adidas stops controversial sale of t-shirts around injured Louisville player Kevin Ware.
AOL CEO Tim Armstrong to be honored for pro-women Makers series.
Apple's former advisor to Steve Jobs admits brand screwed up iPhone naming system.Continue reading...
Posted by Abe Sauer on August 14, 2012 11:06 AM
"Don’t buy insurance from Progressive."
No brand wants to see anyone on the Internet telling others not to buy its product. But as any multimillion dollar brand has come to surely experience, there are a lot of haters in the world and talk on the Internet is cheap. But the case with Progressive Insurance is different and its bungled handling of the criticism has turned what should have been one of those dismal, forgettable cases of the insurance industry being the stupid greedy insurance industry everyone knows it is, into a PR disaster that may do the brand genuine harm.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on October 3, 2011 07:00 PM
Apple's rumored virtual assistant feature could outshine Tuesday's iPhone 5 announcement (and rumor mill). Sprint, meanwhile, is reportedly buying 30.5 million iPhones from Apple.
Australia looks beyond cigarettes for plain packaging rules.
Bank of America shares fall on European fears.
Boeing ramps up commercial airline production.
Carnival Cruise Lines signs brand partners.
Daily Mail posts wrong Amanda Knox verdict.
ESPN pulls Hank Williams Jr. signature tune following Hitler remark.Continue reading...


text: The good old upgrade trick is what they are starting to use, saw this last week when a few big large cap stocks were upgraded, it looks like were back into that game again, I don't know how many more upgrades AAPL has left to go, but I think anyone still covering AAPL better just put their $500+ price targets on it now and get done with. AAPL at a fresh 52 week high this morning and with its stock making up 20%+ of the NDX 100 it is GUARANTEED that the NDX 100 closes yet again for the 9th straight day into the plus column, making it positive everyday in December 2010 so far!!! So everyone can be calm today and not worry about an downside since AAPL will lead the way to another great close on the nasdaq! Apple: Goldman Pounds The Table; Sets $430 Target Dec. 13 2010 - 9:02 am | 30 views | 0 recommendations | 0 comments By ERIC SAVITZ Steve Jobs while introducing the iPad in San F... The Apple iPad: Huge sales in 2011? Is Apple (AAPL), with a nearly $300 billion market cap, still a bargain? Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope thinks it is. He re-launched coverage of the stock for Goldman this morning, setting a Buy rating and $430 price target, while placing the stock on the firms âAmericas Conviction List.â Writes Shope: âWe believe Appleâs platform-centric business model is the secret sauce that has enabled it to quickly capture market share in new computing segments while simultaneously enjoying considerable margin leverage. Furthermore, we believe significant growth and profit opportunities for this platform still lie ahead. As a result, we expect revenue and earnings expectations to continue to trend upward, and we view the shares as attractive at current levels.â Shope notes that some on the Street have expressed concern about weakening margins at Apple â but he thinks the worries are overdone. âIndeed, we believe Appleâs margins have already bottomed, and we expect the company to resume its leverage-driven upside in coming quarters,â he writes. Shope also expects both iPad and iPhone sales to exceed expectations in 2011; he sees sales of 37.2 million iPads next year, âwhich could potentially made Apple one of the largest vendors in the global personal computing market,â if you include both tablets and PCs. AAPL this morning is up$4.09, or 1.3%, to $324.65.


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‘We’re looking for the Christmas spirit’: This year, the pandemic isn’t dampening Center City holiday revelry
A season many people thought would have new hope and freedom remains infused with the pandemic's signature uncertainty. This weekend, the Christmas Village brought a chance to feel something normal.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas — and not the 2020 version.
Crowds are filling the Christmas Village, no social distancing in sight. People are smiling, maskless, in front of City Hall’s sparkling tree. They’re holding hands at Dilworth Park’s ice rink and eating bratwurst in LOVE Park.
With the pandemic’s second holiday season underway, familiar scenes — and crowds — have returned to Philadelphia. On Saturday, people were out finding a holiday spirit they’d been long awaiting.
“This year, we’re actually able to get out and enjoy Christmas,” said Mari-Ashli Foy, 31, who was strolling hand-in-hand through the Dilworth Park Wintergarden with Andrae Wiggins, 35.
Their visit was the first festive thing they’ve done this year, the couple said. And if it didn’t feel exactly normal, it was close enough.
“We’re in a state of ambiguity,” Wiggins said. “It seems like it’s never-ending. But we’re just kind of used to it, I suppose.”
“We’ve learned to adapt,” Foy added.
With two weeks until Christmas, a season many thought would be marked by new hope and freedom remains infused with the signature uncertainty of the pandemic. In the last two weeks, coronavirus cases have spiked and the omicron variant has arrived, throwing a wrench into the pandemic recovery just in time to put a potential damper on holiday planning. That’s along with inflation, supply-chain issues, and shipping delays.
Philadelphia’s health commissioner has advised residents to reconsider holding gatherings and bring together no more than three households indoors at once. With early indications that omicron could be fast-spreading and needs three vaccine doses to protect against it, public health officials have asked everyone to get vaccinated against the coronavirus and get booster shots.
But for many out and about in Center City this weekend, the unending nature of the pandemic was a reason to seek joy — and to revel in the differences from 2020, when vaccinations hadn’t yet begun for the general population. They were seeking a feeling of normalcy and hoping holiday cheer would prove contagious.
In front of the giant Christmas tree, University of Delaware students Shannon Keller, Lauren Ingersoll, and Haley Prem posed for a photo together. They had driven to Philadelphia to spend the day at the Christmas Village.
“We just wanted to do something cute and festive,” said Ingersoll.
“And we’re looking for the Christmas spirit,” added Keller.
Between school and the pandemic, it hasn’t really felt like Christmas, the three said. But now they were beaming in front of the Christmas tree, ready to shop for holiday gifts and take a break from studying.
Saturday’s damp weather and balmy winds didn’t mute the cheery mood — people milling about in sweaters and hats, the aroma of mulled wine wafting from mugs, vendors’ booths teeming with shoppers.
“It’s definitely a comeback,” said Cirese Clindinin from her busy skin-therapy booth in Dilworth Park’s Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market.
Last year, Dilworth Park and the Christmas Village both opened, with special social-distancing and other pandemic measures, but it wasn’t the usual extravaganza. Business was slow, recalled Clindinin, who has had a booth selling her creams, candles, serums, and more for six years.
Now, it’s booming — doing even better than before the pandemic, though it’s harder to find people to work. People are “totally” in the holiday spirit, she said — and “they’re ready to spend money.”
“The energy’s good,” she said as she wrapped a citrus-and-sage soap bar in pink tissue paper for a customer. She motioned outside. “When I feel like I need a little bit of holiday, I just look at the tree.”
At the Lion’s Den Candle Co., owner Jacob Anthony agreed: Business was going very well. He didn’t have previous years to compare it with, though — his business was born during the pandemic.
When he started working from home in 2020, he picked up candlemaking as a pandemic hobby. This summer, he quit his job to run the business full time. His stand in Dilworth Plaza near the Christmas tree is his first retail space.
“It feels good,” said Anthony, 34, of Wayne, “and it’s nerve-racking.”
At lunchtime in LOVE Park, a line 50 deep stretched in front of the stand serving German bratwurst.
Mouths full of the pork sausage, the Abbate family of Downingtown stood around a bench eating. They were planning to walk around the village and then go get their Christmas tree.
The visit was special for Anika Abbate, 46, who is from Germany — it’s the third year she and husband Joe have brought their kids, 9 and 11, to experience a traditional Christmas market. And it’s “pretty authentic,” she said.
They were happy to be back this year.
“It’s nice to be able to come here, be outside, and do something close to normal,” Abbate said. “So [we’re] being hopeful.”


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By INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATION | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
EGADE Business School at Tecnológico de Monterrey has presented its Decalogue for the Economic & Business Refounding of Mexico, a guide to key aspects to reactivate the country through a more conscious model of doing business and taking advantage of the opportunities that arise after the contingency of COVID-19.
“In our institution, we are committed to the development of new generations of leaders who transform our societies. The pandemic has shown us the pressing need for better leadership to better deal with the health crisis and future social and economic metastases," said Ignacio de la Vega, dean of EGADE Business School and the Undergraduate Business School at Tec de Monterrey.
Publishing the document, EGADE Business School reinforces its commitment to the Mexican entrepreneurial and entrepreneurial ecosystem and contributes to finding collective solutions to the effects that the health crisis has caused in society.
"With this decalogue, we join the search for collective solutions to the challenges that face us as humanity," added De la Vega.
The ten keys of the decalogue, in summary, are:
1. Develop a more conscious business model. Companies should forget about capitalism that only benefited the shareholder, prioritizing business strategies that incorporate sustainable production, and actively participate in entrepreneurship and social innovation.
2. Build resilient societies and organizations. The shock caused by the pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of most companies and institutions. It is urgent to implement future thinking mechanisms and establish guidelines for a more just and sustainable future for all.
3. Establish the entrepreneurial ecosystem as the core of recovery. The pandemic has created opportunities that many entrepreneurs have been able to capture. It is necessary to consolidate an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation in which companies, universities, and research centers participate as poles of attraction for talent.
4. Leave no one behind: invest in development, education, and opportunity generation. As in previous crises, the most vulnerable populations are suffering the effects of this crisis more acutely. The revival of the economy must go hand in hand with creating opportunities for vulnerable communities populations through public-private investment, and education.
5. Take a closer look at opportunities for a new trade globalization and regionalization scheme. The new reality incorporates a brake regarding globalization and the maintenance of global supply chains, which configures a new map of opportunities that Mexico cannot miss.
6. Embrace digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. COVID-19 has highlighted the urgency of having a national program for the adoption of sales and distribution technologies for proximity commerce, as well as incorporating better e-commerce tools and support mechanisms for proximity logistics.
7. Leverage economic recovery through sustainability and innovation. There is an opportunity to redefine what type of companies and sectors will receive investment, how the economy will be reactivated, directing growth towards a fairer, more inclusive, responsible, sustainable, and competitive model.
8. Drive talent in a connected educational system. Aligning universities and training agents with the new economy and the new technological contexts must be a priority to enhance their impact on the development and competitiveness of the country.
9. Drive global governance and multilateralism. To face the challenges of the future, a multilateral governance system is needed that transcends the needs and capacities of a single institution or interest group, that cares about the common interest, and that incorporates the capacities of diverse groups.
10. Forge collaborative, transparent leadership. We need leaders who can think strategically and communicate effectively, but also who go beyond words and act according to goals and with the decision to face the challenges of an unknown world that must be reinvented and rebuilt.
The full document of the Decalogue for the Economic & Business Refunding of Mexico can be downloaded here.
Since the beginning of the health emergency, the priority of the Tec and EGADE Business School has been the health and safety of its students, professors, and collaborators.
In this way, last March they announced the closure of their campus and headquarters, as well as the implementation of the Digital Flexible Model to ensure and guarantee the academic continuity of their students, demonstrating that, despite adverse conditions, it is possible to maintain the quality standards at a distance and continue to fulfill its purpose: Educating that Transforms Lives.
Recognizing the ability of its community to adapt and be flexible in the face of the uncertainty and diversity of its geographic footprint at the national level, the Tec and EGADE Business School are preparing to start the semester August-December 2020 under HyFlex+, a different and innovative model that will allow students combine face-to-face and remote activities.


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Ever fantasised about going shopping with Coco Chanel, taking a selfie with Steve Jobs, or having a piano lesson with Mozart? Well now you can thanks to a fantastic new interactive exhibition at ifc shopping mall.
Austrian creative troupe BIG NAMES has taken to the stage at the Oval Atrium to bring ten legendary figures from the past back to life. The impressive line-up of deceased celebrities includes Apple mastermind Steve Jobs, legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel, scientific pioneer Albert Einstein, and musical genius Mozart.
[caption id="attachment_38287" align="aligncenter" width="657"]
"Anyone know how to fix this thing?"[/caption]
Curious shoppers can interact with the characters who are dressed in sophisticated costumes and make-up to create the illusion of living statues, each mimicking the behaviour and mannerisms of the legends who helped shape our society.
[caption id="attachment_38291" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
Need some help with your physics homework?[/caption]
"We wanted to bring something new and different to shoppers that has never been seen before," the show's artistic director Radovan Michalov tells Localiiz. "This meant offering more than just living statues that you can see in cities around the world, so we created an exhibition which brings world-famous icons to the public where they can get to know them in a different way.
"People will remember these historical figures more if they have the experience of meeting them, rather than just reading about them, so there's an educational element too. Where else can you meet all of these legends together in one place?"
Come face to face with history at the exhibition which runs until October 13 (12pm to 7.30pm daily). Don't forget to post your pics on Instagram under the hashtag #
ifcBIGNAMES, but watch out for that Coco - she'll spray you with No.5!
for more information, or take a sneaky peak at the video below.
[button color="blue" size="medium" link="https://localiiz.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c2964a434922598f5d8ee53ff&id=07d327a2e8" icon="" target="true"]Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter[/button]


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Next-generation phone is taking shape.
Report claims mass production is imminent.
Function area at bottom of device detailed.
But it could be used for FaceTime and other VoIP services.
‘Active Edge’ feature already available in HTC’s U11.
Rumours suggest this year's handset is bulking out.
Official video comes just days before 23rd August event.
But it will come with 4G on board.
Will this be one of the three colour options for Apple’s new handset?
Sources in US suggest release date could be much sooner than first thought.
Join our email list to get the inside line on the latest phones and money-saving offers. And we’ll help you make informed buying decisions with handset reviews and consumer guides too.


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They create a compound to remove lindane from the ground.
2023/10/23 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
A group of researchers from the University of Navarra and the companies Magna and Emgris have created a compound that facilitates the disposal of lindane from contaminated landfills and lands. This compound can be used directly on the ground to clean the contaminated area. The Journal of Environmental Management announces the achievement.
Lindane is very toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative. It has been used as an insecticide for many years and since 2008 it has been banned in the European Union for its effects on the environment and health.
The new compound is filled with micropores and is especially absorbent in reducing and alkaline atmosphere. “The final product is economically viable, easy to produce, with raw materials of circular economy and very efficient,” explains Javier Erro, researcher at the Institute of Biodiversity and Environment of the University of Navarra.
One of the main innovations is that it can be applied directly without the need to isolate contaminated soil. They have also shown that it removes more than 90% of lindane in a short time. On the other hand, they also serve for the recovery of other organic or inorganic compounds such as heavy metals.


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A new rail service carrying salmon from northern Norway for processing in Denmark and other European countries was inaugurated at the weekend.
The first train, hauling 18 salmon wagons, left the port of Narvik on Friday. Despite winter snow, it arrived without incident in Padborg in the far south of Denmark yesterday. Some of the fish will be sent onto Poland, which has a large salmon processing industry.
The test service attracted so much interest that it was quickly fully booked. It was launched by CargoNet, the Scandinavian rail freight company, which started a similar service to Malmo in southern Sweden 18 months ago.
CargoNet said the development will ensure fresh Norwegian seafood can get to European markets as quickly as road trucks. It should also ease pressure on northern Europe’s roads as well as cutting CO2 emissions. The company has several terminals in Norway.
On its return journey the wagons are filled with general goods and foodstuffs and taken to Oslo and then onto the north of the country.
CargoNet sales and marketing chief Karl Fredrik Karlsen said the new service met all the criteria for the fast transport of fish with the lowest possible carbon footprint. It also contributed to improved traffic safety, he said, because fewer heavy lorries are on the roads, along with offering the seafood sector a simpler and better transport service.
One fully loaded train can carry 700 tonnes of fish, doing away with 10,000 road trailer journeys and reducing 20,000 tonnes of CO2 over a year.
Karlsen said the weekend trip was a test service to gain experience but the intention is to start three trips a week next year, increasing to five a week if demand warrants it.
Eirik Flo, logistics director at Coast Seafood described the development as exciting, adding that Padborg had long wanted a regular seafood rail service from Norway.


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Demand a robust Modern Slavery Act
It's estimated that today there more than 40 million people who are victims of modern slavery in global supply chains and company operations, more than any other time in history. These men, women and children work in slavery-like conditions on farms, fishing boats, in factories and in mines producing the goods and services we use every day.
Australian businesses have a responsibility to ensure the products they sell us and the activities they fund are not supporting people becoming trapped in modern slavery.
Luckily, the Australian Government is introducing a Modern Slavery Act and you have the opportunity to help make it stronger. Under this new Act, for the first time Australian companies will have to declare where operations might contribute to slavery and explain what they are doing to address these risks.
But the Government's draft new law is not strong enough.
The proposed Modern Slavery Act is missing critical elements to ensure companies will be compelled to take the urgent action needed to protect their workers and deal with modern slavery in their operations.
We want to see changes to the Act that will:
- Include penalties for companies that refuse to comply
- Introduce an independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
- Provide support to victims effectively
It's not too late. Right now the proposed Modern Slavery Act is before the Senate where amendments can be made before it is signed into law.
Will you join Oxfam and take action today?


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In an open interview with the Financial Times, French/US chef Daniel Bouludhas revealed his plans to offer more accessible food in the future, which points towards "fine eating" rather than fine dining.
When his flagship New York restaurant Daniel fully re-opens for business, perhaps early next year, he intends to offer a lighter and "very provençal" menu in a buzzier, more casual brasserie-style environment.
"It's about fine eating, I would say ... I think the - how do you say? - the ostentatoire, which means the pretentiousness of things, which can sometimes be perceived in a high-end restaurant... I think this has to go away," he says.
"Right now, we have a restaurant where you come to celebrate. But if I turn it down a little bit, cut it down, you're gonna come to party." He does, however intend to keep a high-end tasting menu for guests in a private dining room, for the elite few.
At the time of the interview, Boulud's two-Michelin-starred Daniel had re-opened in a more pared-back and casual format, with no more dress code and a "more approachable, more casual" menu with limited outdoor seating only, simply known as Terrace at Daniel.
Now a three-Michelin-star restaurant, Noma has changed, but not necessarily on the plate. According to Kenneth Foong, it's all about the way the team works, which is closer to a tech company than a traditional restaurant. Read our exclusive interview with Noma's head chef.
As Scotland's restaurants prepare to reopen with restrictions, the country's foremost chef, Tom Kitchin, says 'enough is enough' and demands that restaurants be allowed to open fully. Here's the full story.


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LACONIA — A good hairstyle can make a client not just look good, but feel good, too. Some people, though, need a little extra help, and that’s where Sue Campo’s new business, Eleganza, comes in. It’s a wig and hat boutique opening today.
Campo has been operating Che Bella, a hair salon, for 19 years. One of her early clients had cancer, and Campo watched as she found a wig, and scarves, to give her a way to manage when her hair fell out as a side effect of her cancer treatment. Through her client, who has since died, Campo saw that there was no local source for wigs short of traveling to Concord.
“I thought, we have a need for it,” Campo said. And she had the space.
Campo started her business on Union Avenue. Five years ago, she bought a building on Irving Street, a short street that connects Union Avenue to Messer Street. That building had space for her salon as well as enough space in a basement level for another business. Campo didn’t want to do tanning or massage — other businesses that are frequently associated with hair styling — she wanted to provide an offering that was unique to the marketplace.
There was clearly a lack of competition for wigs, Campo’s research found. In fact, there were no wig shops north of Concord. That’s a problem, because getting a wig usually requires several trips to the shop: one to select the style and color, and subsequent trips to get the wig fitted to the client’s head, and later to have the wig cleaned and maintained. In the case of a cancer patient, all those trips to the wig shop can be piled on top of a schedule full of medical appointments — and at a time when she’s probably not feeling well.
So there’s a lack of local supply, what about demand? Since she started talking to people, Campo found that there are many more people in this area with wigs than she first suspected. In retrospect, Campo said, that shouldn’t have been surprising. If the wigs are made and fitted well, no one would notice that it’s a wig.
“It’s amazing, there’s more people that wear one than you think,” she said. Some have lost their hair due to cancer treatments, others have another medical condition, such as alopecia, some just have thin hair. And then there are people who would like to be able to wrap their natural hair and try on a totally different look for a day.
“As I talked to people, more and more people said, this is so great, you are going to touch so many people,” Campo said.
The wigs that Campo is carrying to begin her store are made by the California company Jon Renau, and cost between $150 and $600. She is only carrying women’s wigs for now, but is open to helping men, should there be enough demand.
Campo will be hosting a ribbon-cutting for Eleganza at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24. The business is located at 21 Irving Street in Laconia.


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“The MacBook Pro… is in serious need of a revamp considering that the last major redesign happened back in June 2012,” Kingsley-Hughes writes. “What about the MacBook Air? Well, one rumor is that Apple is planning to kill off this line altogether, starting by retiring the 11-inch MacBook Air, since this space is now filled by the iPad Pro.”
Kingsley-Hughes writes, “But it doesn’t seem that the MacBook Air is going anywhere yet, and the latest leaks and supply chain chatter points to this being more of a refresh than a total redesign.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “Replacing all the existing ports with a single USB-C port” would mean more than a mere “refresh” of the MacBook Air.


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Electronics Production | October 21, 2008
HANZA expands in Poland
The Swedish EMS-provider HANZAS is to expand in Poland. The company has a long experience of carrying out production in Central Europe and follows a strategy that has a couple of clear guiding principles, states Ilona Lukaszewicz, president HANZA Poland.
The first is to always have a 100% ownership of the production units. "We have experience of both partnership and ownership," says Ms Lukaszewicz. "Own ownership generally works best. On the other hand, Poland has moved in a direction, where partnerships are associated in Poland with challenges". The second guiding principle is how to establish the company itself. This applies to both, the location choice outside of bigger cities and the process of selecting a region where there is a good supply of qualified employees. Moreover, logistics are important too. "We have experience (knowledge) from most production facilities in Poland. The unit in Wołów – which we acquired - gives us close proximity to our customers in Germany. Additional to that, we can still keep excellent relations to the Swedish market," said Ms Lukaszewicz. "We have also signed an agreement to acquire a unit outside of Gdansk, my home town, but we have chosen to proceed with Wołów, as the total cost within the Gdansk area is a lot higher." After a close cooperation during the spring the subsequent transfer for the Wołów plant outside Wroclaw was completed, the facility now is a wholly owned subsidiary within the HANZA Group. The facility previously housed Poland's first production of motherboards for PCs and until last year, set top boxes were manufactured in large volumes and the company already applied the ISO/TS 16 949 standard. This production standard is HANZAs corporate standard for all its production units. The current production area is 1200 m2 and HANZA Poland employs 140 staff. 125 of these employees work in production. When evertiq visited the factory, several audits from HANZAs customers were conducted. The Wołów facility is the first factory in Poland that is owned by a Swedish EMS-provider, which received a so-called "Ericsson approval", something that the management is particularly proud of. Because the company has got several new electronics customers, an additional production hall of 3500 m2 will be set up and the company plans to add additional assembly lines. When this hall is completed there is also another hall available of 3500 m2 which can be used. The factory management has worked to introduce a Swedish approach to work and pushed through a turning hierarchy pyramid which is not common in Poland. And a major focus has been on employees’ participation and change of attitude – which means that each individual is involved in the company's development. A number of people have also been sent for training to Gotland, Sweden. HANZA’s Know-How-Centre is located on the Swedish island – which is a gateway for new products – and manufacturing then gets scaled up in Wołów. The initial process requires only 1-3 days. The business system used by HANZA – Monitor-ERP – is also implemented in Poland. "Within today's market requests the EMS-provider needs to have full control within the entire chain – from each individual company to the entire group; for HANZA it was natural to have one group wide IT system," continues Mariuzs Novak, vice president of HANZA Poland. ----- Ilona Łukaszewicz is president of HANZA in Poland. Question about how she sees the economic crisis, she responds that the last time there was a crisis – 2001-2002 – Poland was able to win contracts that were transferred from Sweden even faster . It should also apply this time round. Ms Łukaszewicz was also the founder of EMS-provider NOTE and was CEO of the NOTE Gdansk, during the last crisis in 2002.
dSPACE adds West Coast office Simulation and validation specialist dSPACE has opened a Silicon Valley office in San Jose, California as part of its strategic realignment.
Cogiscan, BasiCAE form strategic partnership Quebec-based Cogiscan Inc. has announced a partnership with China’s BasiCAE Technology, a provider of traditional shop control systems and software customization services.
Korea hits new record of industrial robots in operation The World Robotics report presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) shows a new record stock of about 300,000 operational industrial robots in the Republic of Korea in 2018 (+10%).
Keytronic starts production at its new Vietnam facility Keytronic Corporation says it has started shipping product from its new Da Nang, Vietnam manufacturing facility.
USI's looking to accelerate expansion - acquires Asteelflash It looks like we’re ending 2019 with a bang. One of the worlds biggest EMS providers wants to acquire one of Europe’s largest electronics manufacturers.
Devon manufacturer adds capabilities in Dorset via acqusition Devon-based PCB manufacturer, EuroTech Group, is acquiring PCB manufacturer Lyncolec, based in Poole, Dorset.
Kyocera and TactoTek collaborate on IMSE solution Kyocera and TactoTek has singed a marketing agreement which aims to bring IMSE solutions to several new market segments, including industrial and automotive components, electronic devices, and more.
IPC: Unanimous approval of USMCA needed IPC issued a statement this week expressing support of the recently bi-partisan approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and a strong desire for legislative approval by Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.
Nordson's CFO to retire in 2020 after 30 years with the company Nordson's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Gregory A. Thaxton, plans to retire in 2020 after thirty successful years with the company, with the last 12 years as CFO.
KUKA restructures subdivision due to economic uncertainty KUKA is restructuring a subdivision in the Robotics segment that is responsible for automated manufacturing solutions such as cells and special machines.
PCB industry recovers slightly in Q3 PCB manufacturers in the D/A/CH region were able to increase sales sequentially in the third quarter of 2019 by 1.1%. However, sales figures are 11% lower than those recorded for the third quarter of 2018, reports the industry association ZVEI PCB and Electronic Systems.
Garz & Fricke moves into new HQ in Hamburg-Harburg Garz & Fricke GmbH continues to expand. As of late October, the business operations of the HMI and Panel PC specialist will be transferring to the new headquarters in in Hamburg-Harburg.
TF Massif Technologies taps new CEO British Columbia-based TF Massif Technologies has announced the appointment of Tom Peregoodoff as the company’s new chief executive officer.
DoJ: Google, Fitbit deal under review The U.S. Justice Department is looking into anti-trust issues concerning Google's bid to buy Fitbit Inc.
L3Harris Tech secures U.S. Marine Corps order L3Harris Technologies received a USD 50 million follow-on delivery order for Falcon III AN/PRC-160 HF radios and related equipment from the U.S. Marine Corps .
Metair completes Romanian lithium-Ion battery cell factory South African energy storage company, Metair Investments, says that its Romanian units Prime Batteries and Rombat have completed the installation of the group's first Lithium-Ion battery cell manufacturing and assembly facility in Bucharest, Romania.
£5m award marks ‘topping out’ of Cardiff research powerhouse An GBP 80 million Cardiff University powerhouse for Welsh scientific research has been ‘topped out’ by Bouygues UK – backed by over GBP5 million support from Welsh Government and industrial partners.
Advanced Energy expands with new lab near Frankfurt Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. has opened its Advanced Materials Processing (AMP) Showcase Lab near Frankfurt, Germany.
TTM Technologies unveils NY engineering center On the heels of its acquisition of manufacturing and IP assets from i3 Electronics Inc., TTM Technologies has announced the opening of a new engineering center in Binghamton, NY.
EU Commission to support pan-European battery development Seven member states will provide, in the coming years, up to EUR 3.2 billion in funding to support research and innovation in the common European priority area of batteries.
The pulse of the electronics industry Growth is slowing worldwide and the industry’s outlook is less optimistic than in previous quarters, although it is still generally positive, according to the results of IPC’s fourth-quarter 2019 Pulse of the Electronics Industry survey.
Teradyne delivers J750 semiconductor test system to Ardentec Teradyne has hit a milestone with the 6,000th shipment of the J750 family of semiconductor testers.
Season Group names new SvP for global business development Season Group has appointed Stephen Tsao as the company's new Senior Vice President, Global Business Development.
Zestron appoints new sales director Europe Mr. Adam Meinert recently joined ZESTRON as the Sales Director of Europe.Load more news


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The next evolution in wireless networking holds promises of self-driving cars and movies that download in the blink of an eye. 5G is big at this year's Mobile World Congress, but don't expect it until 2020.
One day after the FCC adopted new Net neutrality rules, consumers are left scratching their heads about what it means for their Web-surfing experience. Has anything really changed?
Demonstrations at Mobile World Congress show the growing momentum toward the launch of faster, more responsive mobile networks in 2020.
With so many options out there, it can be intimidating when shopping for a new fitness tracker. That's why we've rounded up our favorite ones for you to consider.
Running Firefox OS mobile software, the Geeksphone Peak+ offers a memory upgrade and truly open Web-based platform, untethered from iOS and Android.
Despite some smart features, the Basis Peak is a fitness watch that's impressively automatic but too limited and unfinished to feel like a truly great product.
The '90s could be back with a vengeance as David Duchovny hopes to return to his quirky "Twin Peaks" role in addition to reviving "The X-Files."
The Spanish startup launches preorders for an updated, higher-end smartphone costing $197 and running Mozilla's browser-based Firefox OS.
The Spanish company is expanding from the developer market to the broader consumer market with the Peak+, a higher-end phone than other Firefox OS models on sale.
"Twin Peaks" fans have been eagerly awaiting official casting news for the new series. The first big piece falls into place as Kyle MacLachlan signs on to reprise the lead role.


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Vodafone expands into car electronics with Italian deal
LONDON, June 16
LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - Vodafone said on Monday it had agreed to buy an Italian provider of electronics services to the car industry for 145 million euros ($197 million) as part of its strategy to start connecting devices such as cars and other machines.
The British company said it had agreed to buy Cobra Automotive Technologies, a provider of security, telecommunications and vehicle tracking.
Vodafone, like other mobile operators, is looking to expand into the so-called machine-to-machine industry to connect millions of devices, as a new source of revenue.
- Alabama man gets $1,000 in police settlement, his lawyers get $459,000
- Doctor who worked in Africa first Ebola case in New York City |
- Exclusive: Charred tanks in Ukraine point to Russian involvement
- Ground offensive against Islamic State months away in Iraq: U.S.
- U.S. stock futures tumble on reports of NY Ebola case


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Despite a weak economy, hair is the only thing a few personal care franchises are cutting as their businesses grow out in Austin.
Boston-based Fantastic Sams Hair Salons wants to double its local presence with 12 new salons by 2015, adding to the eight it has in the area. Meanwhile, Georgetown-based Sport Clips Inc. added three locations in the last 18 months in Austin, bringing its total to 14 stores locally. Sport Clips is in the middle of a dramatic expansion to reach 1,000 stores across the country, with more sites in Central Texas, including one under way in Kyle.
And while it’s taking off hair of a different sort, Aventura, Fla.-based European Wax Center entered the local market last year with two franchises in Austin and has 12 to 13 more planned in the next two years.
“Although it really isn’t a recession-proof business, personal care and hair salons, specifically, are more recession-resistant because people still need to get their hair cut,” said Steve Reiss, vice president and publishing director of Modern Salon Media, a Chicago-area company that tracks trends in the $60 billion hair care industry. “Chains like Fantastic Sams and Sport Clips do well because they are viewed as a good value. People that may be cutting back on luxury items and avoiding expensive salons, but do still want to look nice and somehow save money, seek out the chains.”
Nationally, Fantastic Sams, a full-service hair salon franchise with nearly 1,300 stores, opened 54 locations in 2009 and expects to add 50 in 2010. Each location is 1,100 to 1,400 square feet and generally employs six to 15 people.
“After evaluating our nationwide demographic research, we feel doubling our salon count over the next several years is within reach,” Fantastic Sams CEO Scott Colabuono said.
Meanwhile, Sport Clips, which has 50 people at its Georgetown headquarters, usually employs 10 to 12 people at each store ranging in size from 1,200 to 1,400 square feet. Business was up 7 percent in 2009 and up 10 percent in the first quarter of 2010, CEO Gordon Logan said. The company has grown from 560 stores in May 2008, when the recession was starting to show, to 690 stores two years later.
“We are doing well and committed to staying here in Georgetown,” said Logan, who founded the company here in 1995. “It has been good for us in recruiting great talent and keeping them here because the Austin area is somewhere a lot of people want to be.”
Logan said he welcomes Fantastic Sams’ expansion locally, saying there is plenty of business to be had in Austin and that he doesn’t see the two companies as having the same target market.
Fantastic Sam’s offers hair coloring and facial waxing for women and men, whereas Sport Clips targets men and boys looking for a relatively fast haircut in a masculine environment. The companies are similar, however, in that both try to keep the cost of a basic haircut at about $15 to $20 locally.
“Austin is just a great market all around because we are able to do well in not only the city but also the smaller towns … such as Taylor or Dripping Springs,” said Drew Johnson, regional developer of the Texas market for Fantastic Sams. “We look mainly for grocery-anchored sites near an HEB, Wal-Mart Supercenter or Super Target, and are actively seeking franchisees.”
The first Austin-area European Wax Center opened in March 2009 in the Anderson Arbor Shopping Center at Highway 183 and Anderson Mill Road, with its store in The Triangle at 47th and Guadalupe streets opening four months later. The company stresses value for its quality, with the most expensive service being a $39 Brazilian wax, which typically costs $60 to $90 at other salons and spas.
“Our sales have increased 125 percent over the past 12 months,” said Kirk Risha, who is the Texas regional developer for European Wax Center and a franchise owner. “Regardless of what happens in the national economy, people are still spending money where they perceive value.”
email@example.com | (512) 494-2523


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Facebook has reached a deal to acquire Kustomer, the maker of a “customer service CRM platform built for today.”
Jeff Gennette, Chairman and CEO of Macy’s, says that the iconic 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be happening over two days but without a live audience.
Walmart launches Walmart+ a subscription service that competes directly with Amazon Prime and costs only $98 a year or optionally $12.95 a month. Walmart’s membership option is now available to customers across the country. Membership includes free 15-day trial period.
Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart, discusses how the company has changed to become more digital over the last couple of quarters in response to the pandemic.
RSA currently has 12,500 customers and provides “risk, security and fraud teams with the ability to holistically manage digital risk, including threat detection and response, identity and access management, integrated risk management and omnichannel fraud prevention.”
“We’ve learned this past year that the tracking system we have with the NFL is actually considered to be the best by the broadcasters, coaches, and the fans,” says Zebra Tech CEO Anders Gustafsson. “Our type of technology works particularly well with football but it would also work for basketball, ice hockey, and soccer.”
Levi Strauss began trading on the New York Stock Exchange this morning under the ticker symbol ‘LEVI.’ By mid-afternoon, the stock was at $22.66, substantially higher than the price offered to institutional investors. It’s clear that investors believe that Levi’s can leverage technology and innovation to successfully compete online and in brick and mortar stores.
The former CEO of Saks, Steve Sadove, says that what’s really fascinating is the convergence that is currently happening with online and brick and mortar stores. You have the Amazon’s of the world adding brick and mortar store options and then you have Walmart and Target growing online.


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Google has rolled out an update for the Gmail web app for mobile devices as well as its offline app for Chrome users. The update has much to do with the looks, which the company has made neater, simpler and less cluttered.
The updated Gmail mobile Web app will be available to Android, BlackBerry, iOS as well as Kindle Fire users. Apparently, the motivation behind this app upgrade was the December update of the iOS app, as a result of which, the users told the company they ‘like the redesigned UI, along with new features such as improved search and integration with Google Calendar.’
Google has cited that as somewhat of an inspiration for the new update. The company says that many of the changes liked by the iOS users have been incorporated in the mobile Web app for Gmail, bringing the same features to users across multiple mobile platforms. You can check the new, updated app by browsing to gmail.com on your mobile device.
The interesting part is that the company made no mention of the Windows Phone users in the announcement. This is not surprising, given the fact that the relationship between Google and Microsoft aren’t exactly amicable at this point. Of course, Google can always excuse itself by saying that Windows Phone is a smaller platform, compared to others such as iOS and Android.
The company has also announced that a number of changes have been made to the Gmail Offline app for Chrome. However, the updated app isn’t yet available in the Chrome Web Store. Once it is made available by the company, we would be sure to notify you of the changes, if any, made in it.