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Facebook is gaining in popularity, and I don’t just mean in terms of usage. I mean in terms of marketing.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, announced last month that Facebook has reached a new milestone in usage. There are now 1 billion users on the world’s largest social network. That’s a lot of people when you consider there are 7 billion people residing on this planet. And the good news is the social network is still growing.
Beyond the usage numbers, however, more people are starting to catch on to the idea of using brand pages for marketing. The reason for that is because the 1 billion people using Facebook actually like following their favorite brands on Facebook. In fact, many of them say they’d rather follow the brand’s Facebook page than to spend time on the brand’s website. That’s pretty startling news.
Of course, it could have something to do with Facebook being as much a creative outlet as a marketing tool. With your Facebook brand page, you can interact with your customers in a unique way. Instead of throwing marketing slogans at them, enter into a conversation with them.
Conversational marketing is the new paradigm and Facebook fits into that paradigm perfectly. Your brand page can be a graphic representation of that paradigm and offer your fans a powerful new way to connect with your company. And it’s only going to get better.


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By Becca Carlson
Models sashayed across the stage of the Hagler Auditorium sporting the Cosmetology department’s best recycled materials creations. Nearly 60 Pensacola State College students delighted audiences with their designs on November 11th, 2016.
Students from Pensacola, Milton and Century Center campuses participated in this year’s Fall Fashion Show. Trash bags, toilet paper rolls, fans and feathers are just some of the materials that were on display. Some students confessed to bringing their concepts together in just one day while others spent countless hours perfecting their outfits.
Raven Stanton, a student designer, discussed her concept as her model posed for photos. “She’s a post-apocalyptic warrior. It’s inspiration from Fallout and Borderlands (Video Games),” said Stanton. “I made this soda tab corset— it took over 20 hours to make it. I got a nerf gun and repurposed it, then put a bunch of circuitry and wires on it.”
Other students used items found around their own home. Shelby Risch found her husband’s habits became her resource. “I used some water bottles that I cut down all the way so they are curly spirals. I used some bubble wrap and some grocery bags. I spray painted them a gold and a chrome color, and they are like a tail,” said Risch. “My husband likes to drink a lot of water, so, I thank him for staying hydrated.”
Overall, Cosmetology Coordinator and Instructor Kim Markwick says she is impressed by the student’s creations.“I think it went wonderfully,” said Markwick. “The students really stepped outside of the box.” Markwick also said that many of the students kept their designs a secret until the day of the show.
Kayla Epstein found her inspiration right in front of her eyes. “Well, I made it out of Coke boxes, Coke cans and some duct tape,” said Epstein. “We were just sitting down thinking about our project with a Coke in our hands and were like, hmm— Coke cans.”
Other participants looked to nature as their muse. “I collected fall leaves, and I spray painted them gold. I attached them to the chest and made a crown,” said Lindsey Saccomanno of her design. “It’s all real leaves. It’s all natural.”
Rebecca Spivey only had to look in her own closet for materials. “It’s a recycled prom dress,” said Spivey. She also incorporated a leopard face paint motif and used a medieval inspired hairdo in her design.
Catherine Dowd knew exactly where she would find her inspiration. “I really like comic books. All of us really like comic books, so we kind of just played off of that,” said Dowd. “Purple, pink and blue happen to be the most prominent colors in the comics we had.”
To accomplish the task on time, some teams split their design duties such as Vanessa Sturms and Leah Kea. “[Kea] mainly did most of the work on the dress. She did the origami which is made out of cardboard paper,” said Sturms. “The headpiece, I made. It’s made out of sticks. [The head piece] actually took me three months to do.”
All of the hard work paid off for these Cosmetology students.

domain: news


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FORGET ringtones, games and cameras - the latest mobile phone is simply revolutionary.
For industry giant Vodafone yesterday launched an easy-to-use, no frills mobile for people who do not want the very latest technology.
The new model follows a backlash from users who just wanted to use their phone to phone people - not send email, take photographs, download music or make video calls.
The Vodafone Simply makes and receives calls and texts. It also takes voice messages and shows its own number for those who sometimes forget.
It is designed to look more like a home telephone and its buttons are 30 per cent bigger than usual for those not used to tapping text messages.
A flashing button shows if a message has been received and there are no on-screen symbols, only written instructions.
The launch follows rival company Orange's announcement it was creating a mobile phone television service.
Yet top TV presenter Judy Finnigan was one of the first to welcome the new Vodafone model, while admitting she had never owned a mobile. She said: "I think there are a lot of people like me who feel we've been busy doing other things and steadily technology has almost escaped us. Now it's so complex we're being put off starting.
"I don't want to spend half a day learning how to use a phone.
"I have felt a bit inadequate. I have laughed off my kids' jibes but it is not nice to have to go to someone else to ask them to get my mother on their mobile phone."
A survey of more than 1,200 people carried out for Vodafone showed that 50 per cent of over-55s believed advances in modern technology made life more complicated.
Tim Yates, Vodafone's chief marketing officer, said: "It's ideal for people who have grown up in the 50s and 60s. They're not part of the mobile phone revolution but recognise the benefits of having one."
A retro "brick" phone which only made and received calls took Japan by storm when it was launched there earlier this year and has been outselling the latest 3G models.
Vodafone Simply will be in shops from Tuesday. It costs #80 on pre-pay and is free with a monthly price plan.


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Bugatti is one of the world’s most expensive carmakers, with each one a one-of-a-kind masterpiece of breathtaking power and meticulous craftsmanship. Their cars cost, at the bare minimum, over a million dollars apiece. That’s why a used Bugatti for sale is so rare.
The brand’s cars are built at its Molsheim, France assembly “studio” by a team of master mechanics and technicians that takes immense pride in their craft. Even the leather is carefully chosen, with cows raised at altitudes high enough to prevent mosquitoes from tarnishing their hides. That level of attention to detail has positioned Bugatti as the most prestigious and revered automotive company in history.
Despite this, the brand has only ever produced about 7,900 vehicles in 100 years. The last regular production model, the Grand Sport Vitesse, went out of production in 2015. But that doesn’t mean Bugatti is going gentle into the good night – quite the opposite, in fact. With the Super Sport, a new twist on the Chiron formula that will keep its craftspeople busy for years to come, and the planned 2024 release of an electric Bolide road car, Bugatti is set to make more history as the world’s most exclusive sportscar maker.
To celebrate its rich heritage, Bugatti has opened a special space in its headquarters in Amsterdam to offer buyers and fans somewhere to immerse themselves in the brand’s folklore. The space features a special area where buyers can test drive their future Bugattis, as well as a series of exhibits detailing the company’s history and the legends that surround it. In February, Bugatti says it sold eight Chirons in the Netherlands alone – a huge jump for a brand that typically sells only four to six cars per year.
With its bespoke design and exceptional optimization, the Chiron Sport is perfect for drivers who daydream of hitting top speeds with the merest touch and cornering like they’re in a dream. The car is a true thrill machine that will have you questioning how much you actually paid for it.
A true hypercar legend, the Bugatti Centodieci fuses exceptional design with flawless technology to create a limited-edition beast that may only be seen in as many lifetimes as it’ll take you to save up for its staggering price tag. With just 10 units scheduled to be made, the Centodieci offers a staggering 1,578 horsepower from its quad-turbo W16 and can race from 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds.
As with all other Bugattis, each Centodieci is a one-of-a-kind piece of engineering art that can be personalized to the owner’s tastes. The brand’s resident historian is on hand to explain the various customization options that allow customers to create their very own bespoke vehicle, while designers will work with each customer to ensure their car matches their personality and lifestyle. Aftersales is also a big part of the experience, with Krizsan known to take calls at ungodly hours from clients in different time zones around the world.


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WPP’s Grey buys big stake in German digital agency. Grey acquired a majority stake in k102, a digital media agency based in Dusseldorf. Grey owner WPP has acquired several digital agencies across the globe in recent years including large U.S. digital shop AKQA in June. Clients of k102 include Deichmann, Toshiba, and Transparo.
Digital agency AKQA expands U.S. offices. AKQA is expanding its U.S. presence, adding offices in Atlanta, GA and Portland, OR. AKQA’s network will now include five offices in North America and 10 offices globally with over 1,200 employees. The agency will continue to work with Portland-based Nike and Atlanta-based Delta.
Yahoo’s Spilman joins Millennial Media. Digital ad vet Mollie Spilman has joined mobile ad firm Millennial Media as executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Spilman will lead the company’s global marketing, advertising, branding, and business development efforts. Spilman previously served as CMO at Yahoo.
Hello Design announces new partners. Scott Arenstein and Szu Ann Chen Smith have been made partners of the LA-based digital creative agency Hello Design. The new partners will oversee strategy, account management, and new business. Arenstein and Chen Smith will continue to serve as account director and executive producer at Hello Design, respectively.
Vindico taps top account execs from PointRoll and Telemetry. Video ad management platform Vindico announced the hiring of Kristy Haskett as account executive and Timothy Rodriguez as account services representative. Haskett previously worked as account executive at ad tech firm PointRoll. Rodriguez joins Vindico from ad serving and verification firm Telemetry, where he served as commercial manager, North America.
Deloitte Digital selected by Belk as mobile AOR. Deloitte Digital was selected by Southern department store chain Belk as the retailer’s tablet agency of record for its upcoming tablet effort. Deloitte Digital will help to build a distinctive tablet experience for Belk as part of a company-wide retail initiative.
Barnes & Noble and Microsoft partner to create Nook Media. Barnes & Noble and Microsoft finalized their partnership to create a new subsidiary of the two companies called Nook Media. Nook Media will include Barnes & Noble’s college business and Nook’s hardware, software, and content. Barnes & Noble also plans to expand the e-reader internationally.
Verizon has agreed to acquire Yahoo's operating business in a $4.8 billion cash deal, sealing the fate of one of the internet's pioneering giants.
Do you work in digital marketing and do you love it? Are you new to the industry and feeling overwhelmed by it? Either way, all this constant change means people in this industry are always learning and evolving their marketing strategies accordingly.
Facebook will take the lion's share – more than two thirds – of global ad revenues for social sites this year, according to a report from eMarketer.


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October 20, 2023
Avatar platform, Ready Player Me, has announced the Premium Skins Catalog, which will allow developers to sell premium avatar skins to their players, unlocking new revenue streams.
The Catalog will bring content from Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group's merchandise arm Bravado, Rovio's "Angry Birds," McLaren Racing, and ITV Studios' "The Voice" (in collaboration with the Virtual Brand Group) to thousands of games and apps already integrated with the Ready Player Me platform. Through Ready Player Me's partnerships and new monetization tools, developers can quickly start selling branded skins to their player base to encourage avatar personalization and grow revenue.
"Ready Player Me aims to make it easy for every developer to add avatars to their games, just like big AAA studios can," says Timmu Tõke, chief executive officer, co-founder, Ready Player Me. "These same game studios, who produce mega-hits like 'Fortnite' and 'Roblox,' earn billions of dollars a year by selling premium branded skins and other assets to their players. Now, with the release of the Premium Skins Catalog, every Developer has the ability to sell skins featuring some of the biggest brands in the world with just a few clicks."
"At Warner Music Group, we are committed to enabling our artists and songwriters to connect with their fans wherever they may be, and in the interactive formats they demand," says Jillian Rothman, vice president, new business and ventures, Warner Music Group. "Through this partnership with Ready Player Me, we're empowering thousands of developers to offer fans a way to express their unique identities in digital spaces. The creative possibilities are endless, and we look forward to seeing what they build."
Two of the first skins made available by Bravado are by German metal band Electric Callboy and by Stoked, a Warner Music Group-owned hip-hop lifestyle brand.
"Many music fans are gamers and most gamers are music fans, so it feels obvious to make official merchandise available digitally to allow users to express themselves and show off their fandom just like in the real world," says Holger Christoph, senior vice president, Digital Business Central Europe.
Warner Music Group Germany recently launched its interactive fan platform YOUniverse Berlin, which uses Ready Player Me avatars.
Premium Skins Catalog will be available soon.
Read more about:Warner Music GroupUniversal Music GroupBravadoRovioRovio EntertainmentAngry BirdsMcLarenThe VoiceGlobal
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When coffee chain Dunkin' Donuts released coffee cups this week with pine needles surrounding the word "Joy," it made news. A dose of commercialized holiday Pablum should not be news, but media outlets interpreted it as a knock against Starbucks, despite the company saying it was not meant that way.
In case you missed it – and really, how could you? – Starbucks has made news for releasing holiday-themed red cups that some believed were not Christmassy enough. This is not a bit of marketing sport. Treating it as such – treating it as news at all – is pandering to the lowest common denominator.
None of the news reports on this supposed marketing scuffle have reliably measured just how widespread the initial social media backlash was. Starbucks' holiday cup designs have historically been more winter-themed than particularly Christmas-themed anyway.
Many people on social media noted that they saw far more posts by people angry at the suggestion that Starbucks was destroying Christmas than actual people who were angry at Starbucks. Some speculated that Starbucks may have intentionally made its red cups too plain as a publicity stunt. That seems unlikely. The bigger issue is why this is being discussed at all.
That Donald Trump jumped on the bandwagon, calling for a Starbucks boycott is not evidence of a legitimate movement, but indication the candidate is trying to again appeal to populist bigotry.
During last weekend's Saturday Night Live episode, which Trump hosted, comedian Michael Che rightly skewered positions like this by professing his discomfort whenever "white folks start bringing up the good old days." Mr. Che added: "After all those years of progress, Trump's going to really go with, 'No, I think we had it right the first time?'"
People who speak of a "war on Christmas" believe they are pining for the good old days. But that was a time before we acknowledged a need to embrace the fact that in a diverse society, not everyone's winter holidays include Christmas. That embrace never meant annihilating Christmas; it has manifested in the most benign ways possible. A few "happy holidays" cards and greetings. The trees and the lights and the fairy tales about Santa have all been left well intact.
To object to this is, at best, to desire total cultural hegemony. (Which is troubling.) At worst, it's an expression of distaste at having to live side by side with cultures that do not celebrate Christmas – which is bigotry.
The term "false balance" may apply here. These are not two sides of an even debate. If this tempest in a coffee pot has any impact on the Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks brands, it is only because a disproportionate amount of attention is being paid to people who mask their intolerance behind complaints of a non-existent war on a dominant culture.
There is no war on Christmas. If people should be upset at any marketer, let it be with Bloomingdale's. The retailer had to apologize this week after it ran an ad with a man looking at a woman who is looking away. The accompanying holiday party idea: "Spike your best friend's eggnog when they're not looking."
Now that is actually offensive.


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New Facebook phishing scam has been found which is targeting users and stealing their login data and much more. Phishing scams are very usual now that every month there are 2-3 scam been created by the cyber criminals.
Three main reasons behind cyber criminals using this phishing scams :
1. To steal users login details and other personal details.
2. To get some likes on their Facebook page.
3. To earn money through the ads they have placed in their link.
How These Scams Are Promoted Usually?
First the scammers will start posting a link in the comments section of several Facebook groups with a large thumbnail of a nude girl and that’s not all, to make it look like a legit link they also mention that video already got hundreds of comments, shares and thousands of views too.
Below is the image of two recent scams on some Facebook page which comes in form of a video. Clicking on these video will take you to a phishing site.
Two Possible Ways To Get Scammed
1. Clicking on the so called play button will automatic opens a tab on the user’s browser asking them to login with their Facebook login email or phone and password. After logging in all the entered details are stolen by the scammers and also they will be redirected to an online survey website asking them a bunch of question and eventually congratulating them on completing the survey.
2. Other possible way is that the users get redirected to another website which downloads fake version of flash player on their device. It’s still unclear if the downloaded file is infected with a malware or adware, however users have everything to lose.
So always beware of such scams and never login your Facebook account in any other link than the official link, you can also use the official app always to be away from these scams.


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Commercial27th June 2022
Did you know that scammers are now using number spoofing to make your phone display ‘HMRC’ as the sender, instead of a phone number?
Phishing emails are now looking much more official by using the name of a genuine HMRC employee.
Many businesses need to make sure they are ready for Brexit on January 1st .
Changes are happening with regards to importing and exporting with potential disruptions to supply chains.
Some fear the biggest backlog will be due to new paperwork/untested IT systems.
With announcements being made about top up payments and bounce back loan extensions, it can all start to feel like a bit of a minefield.
Simas will help you and your team to navigate through this minefield and outline what has been laid out.
Having an up to date knowledge and understanding of your credit score is becoming more valuable to businesses and individuals.
Appreciating what improves your score, and what actions have a negative impact is therefore important information also.
A handful of businesses have thrived during the lockdown but unfortunately many have really struggled.
As the governments drive for people to return to work continues, many businesses need to rebuild themselves.
But what does this look like?
Although the government has not confirmed when a post-coronavirus return to the office might happen, but companies have started strategising.
Being ‘Covid Secure’ has become the new buzz word – but what does it actually mean?
The UK’s biggest banks have said they will ease their lending conditions via the bounce back loan scheme to make it easier for small businesses to access cash through the coronavirus business loan schemes. Chancellor Rishi Sunak offered 100 per cent guarantees to the smallest businesses.21st April 2020
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a temporary scheme open to all UK employers starting from 1 March 2020. It is there to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19). Employers can claim for 80% of furloughed employees.7th April 2020
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) to access finance of […]26th March 2020
On 20 March 2020, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a package of COVID-19 measures. The measures on tax include […]


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Apple’s iPad launch event last week was fairly uneventful. The iPad Air 2 looks impressive and the Retina display iMac even more so. But there will be no queues in front of Apple stores this time around. Indeed, most of the event was filler, perhaps to cover the fact that Apple’s product strategy does not have the Jobsian balance it once had. (I mean an iPad Mini 3, “give me a break, it is barely an iPad Mini 2.1!)
But not even announced at the event and hidden in the iPad Air 2 product page was this.
One SIM, Many Options
The new Apple SIM is preinstalled on iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models. The Apple SIM gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in the U.S. and UK right on your iPad. So whenever you need it, you can choose the plan that works best for you — with no long-term commitments. And when you travel, you may also be able to choose a data plan from a local carrier for the duration of your trip.
What does this mean? It means you can change carrier on the iPad without changing SIMs. That wasn’t how it used to work. What used to happen is if you wanted to change carrier you had to have their SIM inside. Now you don’t need this. One SIM will handle AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and EE (in the UK). So you can travel between the UK and US without changing SIM. I suspect there are more carriers to come and all around the world. No more data roaming issues or searching for WiFi hotspots. To be sure, I have never understood why international data roaming hasn’t been resolved but at least we know now that Apple is on the case.
But why was this buried? After all, they had so little to talk about. My conjecture is that this one of those things like “making time in the air.” As Seinfeld said: “isn’t that interesting? Why don’t you just go fast all the time?” So isn’t this ‘soft SIM’ interesting, why isn’t that on all devices?
I suspect the answer is that there is no reason why it isn’t on all devices or perhaps the reason is related to voice calls on cellular networks — something the iPad doesn’t do. So let’s assume that is the case. Then what Apple may want to do is to put out a data only smaller device — an iPad Nano if you will. That device can connect to any network and, of course, can receive voice calls over IP (Skype or what have you). Most users won’t miss the phone part — my 13 year old considers the phone just an app and not an important one at that; he puts it in a folder. This device will appear to be a serious threat to the mobile business model.
What will be the impact of such a change? It would be tempting to think there would be mobile war. After all, consumers can switch daily to the cheapest provider which itself will cause mobile networks to drop prices considerably. But there are limits to this. After all, networks can become congested so it is not clear that price competition will be the result.
More so, mobile telephony is a classic confusopoly. That means that carriers have done their darndest to reduce competition but obscuring precisely what it will cost you ultimately. They get you in with cheap handsets and then it is hard to tell after that but it is usually the case that your mobile monthly bill ends up higher than you expect. Even when consumers can change carriers on their device, those obsfication methods will still be at their disposal. What is more, they will look again to lock people into longer-term contracts, family sharing and other bundles to make sure you don’t actually choose carriers daily.
That said, a big chunk of your mobile bill — for calls and SMSs — will disappear. And high time too.
Apple aren’t making too big a deal about this. I don’t think they have an interest in taking over the mobile phone industry and they know all too well that this technology will open up to other device makers so it is hardly a point of differentiation. I suspect that they are mainly focussed on international travellers and while there are only a handful of carriers to just two countries on-board, the rest will quickly fall in line. In the process, options will be opened up for some new models of mobile competition and for some people (especially those not mobile data connected), that will likely be revolutionary.
8 Replies to “Apple’s quiet mobile revolution”
You’re prescribing a huge role to the ability to switch provider without popping a Sim card in and out. Seems like a minor difference. Changing Sims takes about 5 seconds
You actually have to have that SIM. That means visiting all the providers. That means not losing them.
Well each device came with one sim anyways, T-Mobile sells sims for a dollar on their website with next day delivery. I don’t know about other providers but I can’t imagine they also won’t deliver a sim if you like their options. So getting sims is easy but of course losing them is a potential issue.
Seems like Apple’s added a decent convenience, as with many of their features, but this is far from a game changing development.
GSM Security. The SIM is a crucial part of the security measures in place. Essentially the SIM + IMEI work together to create a unique object on the GSM network. Start writing that into software and you’re opening up security holes. SIMs can be cloned and IMEIs changed (though it’s illegal and carries a £5000 fine) so the security is not water tight…but it is there for a reason.
It could be nothing to worry about…however Apple are probably not the best company to talk to about security given the recent iCloud photo leaks.
My 2011 model 3G Kindle from Amazon has a SIM card that connects and lets me download data (ie, books, and sync information) wherever I am. So far it has worked all over Western Europe, both coasts in the US and Bulgaria.
It is also free – no charges ever.
Glad to see Apple only 3 years behind on this occasion.
Now that more details have trickled out (Verizon not playing and AT&T locking down the SIM if you pick them), I think it’s clear Apple didn’t make a bigger deal about this because “soft SIMs” are (currently) more a proof-of-concept than something people can depend on. There should be plenty of time to make a big deal about it after they’ve ironed out those kinks.
Great idea. the issue will arise from the Network service providers


text: HOUSTON, Oct. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY) announced today that it has agreed to acquire the assets of Distagro, the foodservice division for Montreal, Quebec-based grocery retailer Metro Richelieu Inc., marking the second international acquisition in the past several weeks for North America's leading foodservice distributor. Sysco also closed on the purchase of the foodservice distribution arm of Ireland-based produce company Keelings Foods on October 3. While the specific financial terms of the two acquisitions were not disclosed, the combined annual sales of the entities approach $400 million. "These acquisitions demonstrate Sysco's commitment to pursue quality organizations that will help us better serve our customers, improve our service footprint, grow our business and achieve our goal of increasing sales by one-half percent to 1 percent annually through acquisitions," said Chris Kreidler, Sysco's executive vice president and chief financial officer. "To date, in fiscal year 2013, Sysco has agreed to acquire businesses that, in the aggregate, exceed $500 million in annual sales." Distagro to Add to Sysco's Growing Quebec Presence The acquisition of Distagro's foodservice division, which is subject to the usual conditions including Canadian regulatory approval, is designed to complement Sysco's growing presence in the competitive Quebec market. Distagro supplies food products to customers with operations in Quebec and Eastern Canada. Additionally, within the past 13 months in Quebec, Sysco has acquired Frank and Dino, a Montreal broadline specializing in Italian imports; Viandes St. Laurent, a Montreal meat processor and distributor; and En Gros Pierre, a Montreal seafood company. "We are excited that Distagro's foodservice team will be joining the Sysco Canada family," said Joel Grade, Sysco's senior vice president of Foodservice Operations (North). "The Distagro team has a great service reputation, and we believe we can leverage our companies' strengths to further serve our collective customers in the competitive Quebec market and to position our business for future growth."


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KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 7): Hard disk drive parts maker MQ Technology Bhd (MQ Tech) plans to diversify into providing marketing services and manpower for gaming-related businesses, and proposes a private placement to raise some RM4.15 million for that purpose.
This follows the marketing agreement it inked with Vivo Tower Holdings Ltd today to exclusively develop and implement marketing services, as well as manpower, for Vivo Towre's operations in designated gaming and entertainment rooms in the Star Vegas Resort & Club in Poipet, Cambodia.
In a Bursa Malaysia filing, MQ Tech said it expects a 25% contribution or more to its net profit from the diversification, which may cause a diversion of 25% or more of its net assets, moving forward.
It believes the proposed diversification will provide an additional source of income stream to address its financial concerns, while continuing with its existing principal activities.
“The board will review the group's business operations from time to time, with the intention to reduce its financial losses where possible,” MQ Tech said.
On the proposed private placement, under which it will place out 82.95 million new shares at an issue price of five sen apiece to raise RM4.15 million, MQ Tech inked two subscription agreements with its executive director Wong Ken Hong, and an individual named Woo Yee Foo.
The group said it plans to tap into the Cambodian gaming industry with the diversification, by establishing marketing strategies to attract Asians to the casino premises, including the use of online marketing channels to target Vivo Tower's database customers with various promotional programmes.
The provision of such marketing services will start once relevant approvals under the marketing agreement are obtained, and will last till the end of Vivo Tower's five-year lease — which began on July 1 this year — in the resort, the filing said.
The Star Vegas Resort & Club comprises a casino and hotel complex established in 1999. It has approximately 139 gaming tables, 1,522 electronic gaming machines and 385 hotel rooms, with multiple restaurants and shops.
MQ Tech expects its proposals to be completed by the first quarter of 2018.
At 4.32pm, MQ Tech shares remained flat at six sen with 3.56 million shares done for a market capitalisation of RM24.88 million.


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The enterprise mobility management market is consolidating, and only vendors with the strongest offerings can survive. That is the judgment of John Marshall, founder and general manager of AirWatch by VMware, one of the surviving EMM vendors.
Server backup software--something of a commodity enterprise IT product--appears to be creeping in on the greener mobile device management market. For CIOs, this may mean bundled solutions are on the horizon or a crossover product, mobile device backup/data protection, could gain popularity as vendors attempt to cross sell these solutions to the enterprise, says Nikolay Yamakawa, a 451 Research analyst.
The introduction of Apple's iPhone application programming interfaces with iOS 4 left VMware with its Horizon product far behind in the enterprise mobility race, admits VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger.
I'm sure you have heard that virtualization giant VMware has agreed to acquire enterprise mobility management (EMM) firm AirWatch for around $1.54 billion. What does this acquisition mean for the enterprises struggling with mobility?
Enterprise mobility management will not become easier anytime soon and CIOs should be skeptical of single, silver-bullet solutions, says a new report from GigaOm Research. It's a complex space, thanks to consumerization, the proliferation of cloud-based services and purchasing authority moving toward lines of business, says the report.
Delta Air Lines is providing 19,000 flight attendants with Windows Phone 8-based Nokia Lumia 820 smartphones to process credit cards for onboard purchases, the airline announced on Thursday.
Enterprise mobility management isn't just about device management anymore, explains AirWatch founder and CEO John Marshall. In an interview with FierceMobileIT, Marshall relates how the MDM market is expanding to include mobile application and content management as well. Marshall sees the MDM market consolidating into a few leading vendors in the next two to three years.
Mobile device management firm AirWatch has acquired Motorola Solutions' Mobility Service Platform unit for an undisclosed sum.
AirWatch SecureContent Locker helps secure content on the move.
AirWatch, Citrix, Fiberlink, Good Technology, MobileIron and SAP are the leading vendors in the mobile device management market, according to Gartner's latest Magic Quadrant report.


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EVLN: EV-newswire posts for 20171124
EVLN: XING Miss R> Taipei.tw 4e-motor e-Roadster concept ts:270kph
Startup unveils new electric hypercar prototype, claims specs competing with
Tesla’s new Roadster ... new sports cars coming out. A Taipei-based startup
unveils its new electric hypercar prototype today and compares the specs
with Tesla's new electric vehicle ...
EVLN: Malta capped ice station permit amount> boosting EV use
Limiting number of petrol stations could boost use of electric vehicles,
expert ... vehicles, special-purpose vehicles, agricultural vehicles, buses,
Automakers offer L2-3kW/L1 EVSE w/ differing(no std) AC plugs> (AV-turbocord
Dual-voltage electric-car charging cords: plug confusion for 240 volts?
When the first few thousand electric cars went on sale in California in the
mid- to late 1990s, they used various different charging methods, each with
its own ...
BMW Recalling Every U.S. Sold i3 EV& stopped sales> small(5' 110lb)light
... German automaker BMW is recalling every one of the 29,383 i3 electric
vehicles it has sold in the U.S. and has told dealers to stop sales of the
1,159 currently in ... Belts cut serious crash-related injuries and deaths
by about half and save nearly 14,000 lives ...
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HOWARD COUNTY, Ind. – Officials in Howard County are implementing further restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
On Friday, March 27, the Howard County Board of Commissioners passed a new ordinance ordering any stores that are still open to place signs where non-essential items are stating they can not be purchased.
All businesses must have the new signs up no later than noon on Saturday, March 28.
The Board is deeming the following goods or departments non-essential:
- Home & Lawn Decor
- Toys or Games
- Carpet, Rugs, Flooring
- Non-emergency appliances
- Music, Books, Magazines
- Craft & Art supplies
- Entertainment Electronics
All non-essential businesses have already been shut down due to Governor Eric Holcomb’s stay-at-home order, but these new restrictions go a step further indicating residents would not be able to purchase any of the items the county considers non-essential.
According to a statement, Howard County has been receiving complaints from businesses about customers purchasing non-essential items and causing longer lines and more people in stores.
The County says this goes against limiting public gatherings and social distancing guidelines.
The new ordinance, along with the already declared Public Health Emergency in Howard County, is expected to last until at least April 3.
For more information you can visit https://www.howardcountyin.gov/.


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The prevalence and use of wireless telephones (also known as cellular telephones, cell phones, or mobile phones) has changed substantially over the past decade. Today, an ever-increasing number of adults have chosen to use wireless telephones rather than landline telephones to make and receive all phone calls.
December 22, 2011 update - In the first 6 months of 2011, more than 3 of every 10 households (31.6%) did not have a landline telephone but did have at least one wireless telephone according to a CDC survey covering the January-June 2011 period. Approximately 30.2% of all adults (approximately 69 million adults) lived in households with only wireless telephones; 36.4% of all children (approximately 27 million children) lived in households with only wireless telephones.
The percentage of households that are wireless-only has been steadily increasing. The 1.9-percentage-point increase from the last 6 months of 2010 through the first 6 months of 2011 is not quite as large as the 3.1-percentage-point increase from the first 6 months of 2010 to the last 6 months of 2010. However, it is similar in size to the increases observed for the previous two 6-month periods. A 1.8-percentage-point increase was observed from the first 6 months of 2009 through the last 6 months of 2009, and a 2.1-percentage-point increase was observed from the last 6 months of 2009 through the first 6 months of 2010.
The percentage of adults living in wireless-only households has also been increasing steadily (Figure 1). During the first 6 months of 2011, 3 of every 10 adults lived in wireless-only households. One year before that (i.e., during the first 6 months of 2010), one of every four adults lived in wireless-only households, and 2 years before that (i.e., during the first 6 months of 2008), only one of every six adults lived in wireless-only households.
The percentage of children living in wireless-only households is also growing. In fact, as seen in Figure 1 and Table 1, the percentage of children living in wireless-only households has been increasing substantially faster since 2009 than the percentage of adults living in wireless-only households.
The increasing prevalence of wireless-only households has implications for telephone surveys, as well as landline-based political activities like Get Out The Vote (GOTV) phone banking and various other political phone canvassing activities.
While it many be difficult to impossible for political organizations to use cellphone numbers to call voters, most wireless only adults are accessing the Internet on their smart phones to communicate with friends on FaceBook, Twitter and other social hubs.
To communicate with voters in the 21st century political candidates and organizations must use multiple Internet communication channels. The demographic characteristics of cellphone only adults are highly correlated to the largest blocks of 2006, 2008 and 2010 progressive voters.
The CDC survey covering the January-June 2011 period finds that there are three demographic groups in which the majority live in households with only wireless telephones:
- Nearly 6 in 10 adults aged 25–29 (58.1%) lived in households with only wireless telephones. This rate is greater than the rates for adults aged 18–24 (46.8%) or 30–34 (46.2%). The percentage of adults living in households with only wireless telephones decreased as age increased beyond 35 years: 34.3% for adults aged 35–44; 21.6% for adults aged 45–64; and 7.9% for adults aged 65 and over.
- Nearly three in four adults living only with unrelated adult roommates (71.3%) were in households with only wireless telephones. This rate is nearly twice as high as the rate for adults living alone (38.0%) and three times as high as the rate for adults living only with spouses or other adult family members (23.2%).
- Half of all adults renting their home (52.5%) had only wireless telephones. This rate is more than twice as large as the rate for adults owning their home (20.6%).
Other demographic differences exist:
- Men (31.4%) were more likely than women (29.1%) to be living in households with only wireless telephones.
- Adults living in poverty (46.8%) and adults living near poverty (38.1%) were more likely than higher income adults (27.7%) to be living in households with only wireless telephones.
- Adults living in the Midwest (33.5%), South (33.6%), and West (30.3%) were more likely than adults living in the Northeast (18.8%) to be living in households with only wireless telephones.
- Hispanic adults (40.8%) were more likely than non-Hispanic white adults (27.6%) or non-Hispanic black adults (32.5%) to be living in households with only wireless telephones.
During the first 6 months of 2011, approximately 42 million adults (18.2%) lived in wireless-mostly households receiving all or almost all calls on wireless telephones despite having a landline. This prevalence estimate was greater than the estimate for the first 6 months of 2009 (16.3%).
NPR: Families Cut Land Line [3: 29]
[Wireless only demographics - Huffingtonpost, Huffingtonpost, DailyMailUK, DiscoveryChannel]
Fewer and fewer land line phones in the home, particularly among younger progressives, means it will be increasingly difficult to connect with voters through the classic "live call" campaign phone banking operation, unless people voluntarily provide their cell numbers. Even when cell numbers are available prerecorded automated robo calls to cellular phones in the U.S. are, with very few exceptions, a violation of federal law and FCC regulations. Please see 47 U.S.C. 227(b) and 47 C.F.R. 64.1200(a) for the specifics.
Most political campaigns are careful not to robo call cell phones because the law allows a minimum fine of $500 for each violation. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, TX, paid for robo calls throughout Central Texas during the fall of 2009 when he hired a company to make about 210,000 calls to constituents' wireless phones with a survey on health care reform and other issues. Fortunately for Smith no charges were file, but according to the Federal Communications Commission, robocalls to mobile devices can bring a fine of up to a maximum of $11,000 per call.
The chart below depicts actual survey results through the end of 2009 and projected cellphone-only rates through 2012.
The 2008 Obama campaign developed a strategy to get 3 million supporters to register their cellphone numbers for text message updates. (Large numbers of people were also receiving Obama campaign Twitter tweets on their cellphones. Think of Twitter as cellphone texting on steriods.)
Wireless only adoption varies not only by age and ethnic groups, but also by region and urban verses rural areas. By June of 2010 Texas had the third highest rate (32.5%) in the nation of households ditching their landline phones in favor of a mobile-only lifestyle. Texas also leads in the adoption of smart phones and mobile Internet access. In some metro areas of Texas, such as Dallas County, up to 62% of households can be reached only by calling a mobile phone.
The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) released its latest state by state "Wireless Substitution" report in April 2011. That report shows that as of June, 2010 26.6% of US households were wireless only, meaning there was no landline in the house. In some states the numbers were higher than the average and some lower.
Rhode Island and New Jersey had the lowest rates of wireless substitution households at 12.8 percent, while Arkansas had the highest at 35.2 percent and Texas had the third highest household rate at 32.5 percent. The data suggest that economics are the primary driver of the decision to abandon the landline - lower income areas are going cell-only faster than more affluent areas.
CDC wireless surveys are also finding increasing percentages of so-called "cellphone-mostly" households. Cellphone-mostly households are households that do have a land line, but that line is used for FAX, security systems or other and it is rarely or never used to receive incoming calls. The January-June 2010 CDC survey found that 16% of households nationwide that do have a landline receive all or nearly all of their calls on a cellphone. This means that in order to reach 43 per cent of U.S. households as of June 2010, the only practical way to call their cellphone. If this additional statistic is added the number of cell-only households jumps dramatically in some states.
In Texas, 32.5% of all households are wireless only. But the "wireless mostly" number is 20.3% according to the CDC. Combine those numbers and almost 53% of Texas households rely primarily or exclusively on mobile phones. In several states the combined figure approaches or exceeds 50% of the population:
Metro areas often have even higher cell-only adoption rates than the state as a whole. In Texas, 43.2% of households in Dallas County are wireless only. But the "wireless mostly" number is 17.7% according to the CDC. Combine those numbers and almost 61% of Dallas County households rely primarily or exclusively on mobile phones. The combined figure approaches or exceeds 50% of the population in most metro areas of Texas:
- Texas: 52.8%
- Arkansas: 50.9%
- Mississippi: 49.8%
- Arizona: 48.1%
- Nebraska: 47.3%
- Dallas County: Cell-Only (43.2%) + Cell-Mostly (17.7%) = 61.9%
- Bexar County: Cell-Only (29.1%) + Cell-Mostly (17.7%) = 46.8%
- El Paso County: Cell-Only (32.8%) + Cell-Mostly (14.8%) = 47.6%
- Harris County: Cell-Only (32.4%) + Cell-Mostly (22.1%) = 54.5%
Smartphones and Mobile Internet Access
As of December 2010, nearly a third (31%) of all mobile consumers in the United States owned smartphones, which are cellphones with app-based, web-enabled operating systems.
A global study by research firm Gartner Inc. suggests that by as soon as 2013, mobile smartphone devices will overtake personal computers, including laptops, as the most common way people access the Internet.
But nowhere in the U.S. is the shift from desktop and laptop computers to smartphones making as much of an impact as in Latino, African American and low-income households. In these households the cell phone is often both the only household telephone, and increasingly, the only device used to access the Internet. Again, Texas leads in the adoption of smart phones and broadband Internet access by those smart phone devices. [see Austin American Statesman news article - Increasingly, Latino and African-American teens are using cell phones as their main device to get online.]
Smartphone total market penetration is highest among mobile users who are part of ethnic and racial minorities in the U.S. – namely Asian/Pacific Islanders (45%), Hispanics (45%) and African-Americans (33%), populations that also tend to skew younger. Meanwhile, only 27 percent of White adult mobile users reported owning a smartphone.
With Internet access increasingly within hand's reach 24x7 through their smartphone is it any wonder all young adults and ethnic and racial minorities are in near constant contact with FaceBook friends and receive most of their news on the Internet? (see Pew December 2010 report - "Internet Generations 2010.")The findings have major implications for Democratic candidates and political organizations who have relied on phone canvassing to qualify voters and then Get Out The Vote through phone banking operations. Traditionally, Get Out The Vote programs use land line phone numbers to contact and motivate voters:
Cisco's 2011 Global Mobile Data Traffic Report, a comprehensive analysis of the growth in mobile data over the past year and a look ahead for future development in the wireless space, found:
- In 2010, mobile network connections got faster… The average mobile network connection speed for smartphones grew from 625 kbps in 2009 to 1040 kbps and the average mobile network downstream speed grew from 101 kbps in 2009 to 215 kilobits per second.
- In 2015, tablets will generate as much traffic as the entire global mobile network of 2010… 3 million tablets were connected to the mobile network in 2010 and mobile data traffic was five times higher on the tablet compared to the average smartphone.
- The average amount of traffic per smartphone doubled in 2010... Smartphone usage grew from 35 MB per month in 2009 to 79 MB.
- 788 million people will access the Internet by smartphone in 2015
- For the third year in a row global mobile data traffic nearly tripled, growing 159% over the course of the year due to Smartphone adoption
For the third year in a row global mobile data traffic nearly tripled, growing 159% over the course of the year, thanks to Smartphone adoption growth. New data from research firm In Stat forecasts that more than half of all mobile handsets shipped in the U.S. will be smartphones by the end of 2011.
The classic GOTV phone bank event depends on a set of assumptions: You're at home; you have a [home land line] phone; your phone has a hard-coded area code and exchange which means the GOTV caller knows where you are; ... you're waiting for your phone to ring; when it rings you'll answer it; it's OK to interrupt you; you're happy to talk about a political party or candidate;
The increasingly mobile smartphone world is different: In fact, you don't have a home phone; your number can ring anywhere in the world -- probably when your driving the car; you're not waiting for your phone to ring; nobody calls you on your home land line phone anyway (even if you have one) -- they text or tweet to your cellphone; when your cellphone rings you don't answer it if its an unknown number, you resent calls from strangers - you're the do-not-call list. A GOTV caller is just another telemarketer to be ignored, and a 20 minutes GOTV call [the length of many GOTV calls] interrupts using your smartphone to thumb-type messages to your friends on FaceBook, to read your online newspaper or to watch the video your friend just posted on YouTube.
SummaryThe most progressive segments of the electorate will continue have the highest cellphone only and broadband enabled smartphone adoption rate. Can Internet and Social Media strategies be use in place of classic phone banking operation to contact and motivate voters? The answer is definitely yes, but it's requires new organizing and messaging strategies. It requires strategies that invite voters to join a candidate's or organization's online social network and then that expands that connection to become part of each voter's social networks. Those new organizing strategies include convincing people to provide their cell phone numbers and the permission to call and send text messages and asking for email addresses.
Smartphone Market Penetration Statistics
Although only 42 percent of Whites who purchased a mobile phone in the past six months chose a smartphone over a feature phone, 60 percent of Asians/Pacific Islanders, 56 percent of Hispanics, and 44 of African Americans who recently bought cellphones chose smartphones.
The competition between smartphone operating systems is a heated one. When it comes to the installed base, that is, U.S. mobile consumers who already own smartphones, it is a three-way tie between Blackberry RIM, the smartphone pioneer, Apple’s IOS, which revolutionized the smartphone and popularized mobile apps, and Android OS, the operating system created by Google which has been taking the market by storm.
Analyzing the preferences of those who purchased a smartphone in the past six months paints a different picture, however, one in which Android is clearly in the lead with 43 percent of recent acquirers purchasing an Android device, compared to 26 percent for Apple iOS and 20 percent for Blackberry RIM.
Apple’s iOs is the favorite among U.S. smartphone owners who are Asians/Pacific Islanders. Thirty-six percent of Asian/Pacific Islander who own smartphones have iPhones. On the other hand, RIM Blackberry is preferred by 31 percent of African-American smartphone owners.
Households without landlines Percentage of U.S. adults and children living in homes that use cell phones as their primary home phone, July 2009-June 2010. (The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) state by state "Wireless Substitution" report released in April 2011)
|State||Ages 18 and older||Under age 18|
|District of Columbia||27.70%||30.30%|


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Also private equity funds are now taking the opportunity to offload investments in the sector, which they made before the recession.
They have a slow-growing domestic market so that much of their increases in sales have to come from expansions in the fast-growing markets of the emerging economies of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
The contrasts between the mature and developing segments of the global coatings sector has been evident in the latest annual results of Europe’s paint producers.
AkzoNobel, the world’s biggest coatings producer, recorded 33 percent and 25 percent rises in Asia and Latin America respectively last year in decorative paints. In Europe its decorative sales increased by two percent.
Overall AkzoNobel’s sales of decorative paints went up by nine percent to €5 billion ($7.1 billion) and those of performance coatings by 16 percent to €4.8 billion. With revenue from its specialty chemicals operation, approximately 40 percent of its sales now come from fast-growing markets.
With such big differences in geographical growth rates, many European coatings companies, even SMEs, have been extending their activities outside their Western Europe base into Eastern Europe and countries on the periphery of Europe. The multinational players are now investing heavily further afield in Asia and Latin America.
European coatings companies with a global reach tended last year to be the leading performers in terms of sales increases as well as profitability. BASF Coatings, a large proportion of whose sales come from the global OEM markets, benefited from a revival in the automobile market worldwide with an 19 percent rise in sales to €2.6 billion.
Norwegian-based Jotun, which is probably the most internationalized of the top-ranking pure-play European coatings companies with non-European sales of approximately 60 percent, pushed up revenue by seven percent to 12 billion Norwegian kroner ($2.1 billion) with operating profit up 16 percent to 1.2 billion kroner.
Its combined investments in capacity, personnel, new markets and R&D were the highest last year in the company’s 80-year-old history. A large proportion of the investments were in the Middle East and Asia, which account for the vast majority of its sales outside Europe.
In the running of their increasingly internationalized businesses, European coatings companies are adopting different strategies in different regional markets. Most companies have been intent on reducing costs and raising cash flows across the world. “Our markets have not yet fully returned to pre-recession levels and raw material prices are still volatile, so discipline remains key,” said Hans Wijers, AkzoNobel’s chief executive and chairman.
However in Europe, coatings companies are continuing to be intent on running a lean operation. Some of them are undergoing a lot of restructuring and reorganizing of activities in order to keep a tight grip on costs by improving infrastructure and distribution and curbing investments to increase cash flow and strengthen margins.
With many, the majority of investment is being made outside Western Europe, particularly in Asia. While Jotun is building a new paints plant in Norway after closing two in the country, its other major projects are the construction of a production facility and distribution center in Malaysia and Singapore, two plants in China and an expansion of a powder coatings unit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while it has plans for a new waterborne coatings plant in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
In decorative paints markets outside Western Europe, European companies are channelling a lot of money into building up awareness of their brands. AkzoNobel last year increased promotional expenditure by 30 percent from five percent to six percent of revenue.
In Europe coatings producers tend to concentrate on reinforcing their long-established premium brands by introducing backup services related to them, such as help with color choices and interior design. But these high-margin premium products can be relatively profitable even during periods of sluggish growth, which is a major reason for European coatings multinationals wanting to ensure they retain a firm foothold in the region.
In the global decorative market, volume outstrips value so while decorative paints account for 51 percent of output they make up only 44 percent of the value, according to the latest figures from the International Paint and Printing Ink Council (IPPIC). In Europe the position is reversed with its share of the worldwide paints market being higher by value than volume.
At Finnish-based Tikkurila, a regional player in decorative and industrial coatings covering the Nordic countries, Eastern Europe and Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union, operating margins of approximately 11-13 percent were recorded by its Scandinavian and Russian operations. The exception was its Central and Eastern European activity, dominated by Poland, in which margins slumped to four percent, partially due to intense competition in the Polish market.
Europe does have a number of coatings sectors with comparatively high growth rates, mainly in industrial coatings, which are exported out of the region around the world. These include wood finishes and powder coatings where companies reported last year that growth was in the high single figures or even double digit
Jotun, whose home base in Norway is outside the European Union, is aiming to achieve a 15 percent annual growth in the 17 countries of the Eurozone by exploiting the economies of scale of centralized plants and distribution points, particularly in the protective coatings segment.
The company, which began its international expansion in 1962 with the opening of a plant in Libya, has conceded that it may have to do some reorganizing in the Middle East and North Africa because of the political unrest in the region.
After establishing a major international base in the UAE, it had decided to refocus on North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean as an area of enlargement by building up a dealer network and recruiting personnel. Its plans have also included a new factory in Libya. Now it says that political upheaval in North Africa and the Middle East may slow future growth.
For experienced international operators like Jotun the restructuring of a foreign activity due to political developments will not be unusual. There is still likely to be plenty of opportunities for slower but high-margin growth within Europe itself.


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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said ground beef possibly contaminated with salmonella has been linked to 16 illnesses, resulting in six hospitalizations.
The illnesses were all reported in the Northeastern United States, with nine coming from New Jersey. Illnesses were also reported in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, the CDC said.
The CDC said some of those who reported becoming ill said they purchased 80% lean ground beef from ShopRite locations in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Investigators said earlier this week they're still trying to find the source of the ground beef.
The CDC said it is likely additional people became sick as many recover without medical care.
One of the reported illnesses occurred in late April, while the others happened in late May and early June.
The CDC said cooking beef to a temperature of 160 degrees kills off salmonella. In order to get meat to that temperature, beef would need to be considered "well done."
The Food and Drug Administration says salmonella causes diarrhea, fever and cramps. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and typically those who are infected do not require any treatment.
In addition to cooking meat to 160 degrees, the CDC recommends properly storing meat and cleaning utensils, bowls and other items used in preparing beef.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com


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The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to ban imports of seal products, including fur coats and even some omega-3 pills, in an effort to force Canada to end its annual seal hunt, the world’s largest.
The Canadian government reacted sharply to the move, with Trade Minister Stockwell Day promising that Ottawa will challenge the ban and take the 27-nation bloc to the world trade body if the new law does not exempt Canada.
The strain in relations came on the eve of a key summit between Canada and the European Union in Prague where they are expected to launch negotiations on a wide-ranging free trade agreement.
The European Parliament voted to endorse a bill that said commercial seal hunting, notably in Canada, is “inherently inhumane.” EU governments still need to back the law, but officials called that a formality and said the ban is expected to take effect in October.
The EU ban will apply to all products and processed goods derived from seals, including their skins — which are used to make fur coats, bags and adorn clothing — as well as meat, oil blubber, organs and seal oil, which is used in some omega-3 pills.
Animal rights activists, Inuit seal hunters, fur traders and authorities from Canada and Greenland lobbied hard ahead of the vote. Activists call the hunt barbaric, while the others said it provided crucial jobs and food for villagers in isolated northern communities.
Canada’s East Coast seal hunt is the largest in the world, killing an average of 300,000 harp seals annually. The EU bill targeted the Canadian hunt because of the size of the annual slaughter and the way seals are killed — either clubbed or shot with rifles. In the past, they have also been killed with spiked clubs, or hakapiks.
Gail Shea, the Canadian minister of fisheries, called the EU parliament’s decision biased and insisted that Canada’s hunt was “guided by rigorous animal welfare principles.”
One-third of the world’s trade in seal products passes through EU countries. Last year, Canada exported seal products — pelts, meat and oils — worth around $4.7 million to the EU.
Animal rights advocates were euphoric over the vote.
“(It’s) a historic victory ... to stop the commercial slaughter of seals around the world,” said Mark Glover, head of Humane Society International.
Inuit hunters unhappy
On the other side, Canadian fur traders and Inuit hunters who joined together in a failed effort to avert the ban urged Ottawa not to pursue new trade talks with the EU.
National Inuit leader Mary Simon said the vote will cause economic despair in native areas in Canada’s north and said the exemption for their communities will do little to help if the markets for seal products have been effectively destroyed.
“If there’s no market we can’t sell our products,” Simon said, adding that Inuit hunt seals for food, clothing and income. “It’s all tied together. If you can’t sell the product you’re not going to have an income and therefore you can’t buy the equipment to go hunting and it affects your food source,” Simon said.
Dion Dakins, managing director of NuTan Furs Inc., of Catalina, Newfoundland, criticized the ban, saying it “has been based on complete falsehoods.”
“I can’t imagine being able to do trade agreements or work forward with a group of countries that can’t honor their obligations under the world trade organization,” he said.
The new EU rule offers narrow exemptions so Inuit communities from Canada, Greenland and elsewhere can continue traditional hunts but bars them from large-scale trading of their pelts and other seal goods in Europe.
Another exemption will permit noncommercial, “small-scale” hunts to manage seal populations, but seal products from those hunts will not be allowed to enter the EU either.
Inuit groups said the restrictions will spell disaster for their communities.
“(The ban) is definitely going to impact the lives of the Inuit,” Joshua Kango, head of the Iqaluit, Nunavut-based Amarok hunters and trappers association, told The Associated Press. “We don’t have any other way to survive economically.”
Despite the Canadian government’s opposition to Tuesday’s vote, Day, the country’s trade minister, said Canada would not let it get in the way of a broader free trade agreement with the EU.
But Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Fisheries Minister Tom Hedderson told the AP it would be embarrassing if Day and Harper agreed to a trade deal within days of the European Union’s support for a seal ban.
“The EU just denied us access to their markets. Isn’t this what this trade deal is about?” Hedderson said. “We’re talking anywhere from $30 to $60 million of an industry. If that’s peanuts to Minister Day, so be it.”
Arlene McCarthy, who chairs the European Parliament’s market and consumer protection committee, said a majority of Europeans were against the seal hunt, and for EU lawmakers that took precedence over the wishes of sealers and Inuit groups.
“While we of course have sympathy for those particular groups of people, the reality is that we sit here in the European Parliament and that millions of our citizens would like us to do the right thing and ban the cruel trade,” she said.
Seals are also hunted in Norway, Namibia, Sweden, Finland, Britain and Russia.
The United States already bars such imports under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.


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FedEx Unveils Largest Rooftop Solar Array In U.S.
FedEx has unveiled the largest rooftop solar installation in the country, a 2.42 megawatt solar installation across 3.3 acres of rooftop space at the FedEx Ground Woodbridge distribution hub in New Jersey. The installation will satisfy about 30% of the facilities energy needs.
The unveiling follows on the heels of an announcement earlier this week that Cowley Companies is building a 2.4 megawatt solar array on a warehouse in Arizona.
Among FedEx’s other solar systems, in 2008 the freight division installed two solar power projects. One in Whittier, Calif., is a 282-kilowatt system , while another in Fontana, Calif., is a 269-kilowatt system.
In 2005, FedEx Express started a 904-kilowatt system at its Oakland, Calif., hub. The system meets up to 80 percent of that facility’s peak energy demand.
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Netflix is seeking a license to operate in Vietnam for the long term as the company seeks to fortify its presence in the country, according to local media reports.
In a meeting with Vietnam’s minister of information and communications Nguyen Manh Hung yesterday, Kuek Yu-Chuang, Netflix’s managing director for the Asia Pacific, said the company is committed to the Vietnamese market and will set up a local contact point for handling issues related to Netflix. The company will also consider making investments to produce Vietnamese content.
Netflix started offering services in Vietnam in 2016, but the proliferation of illegal streaming sites, local competitors, and OTT service providers from China have limited its adoption and popularity. Netflix also charges more than most other providers—at least VND 180,000 (USD 7.80) a month for Vietnamese users. Though there are no publicly available subscriber numbers, it is said to only have around 300,000 subscribers in Vietnam.
Vietnam is currently in the process of amending a decree that will potentially require foreign OTT providers to obtain a license issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications in order to provide services to Vietnamese users. All OTT providers will have to ensure that at least 30% of their content available in Vietnam are domestic programs.


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Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian on why empathy will win
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian still believes in empathy on the web.
“I’m spoiled because every day I see it on Reddit,” he said on the Digiday Podcast from Cannes, France. “There’s all this remarkable decency and kindness for people.”
Some edited highlights:
People aren’t perfect
“There are scruffy areas of people. People are scruffy. Everyone accepts. Nobody is expecting perfection, but expecting authenticity is reasonable. This conversation has always happened. You couldn’t see the message in real time and affect it.”
Reddit is an editorial tool
“We want to generate a flywheel of engagement. My favorite example is a New York Times story on prison reform. This reporter wrote the story, then got involved in the discussion on Reddit, then wrote another story for the Times about the conversation he had. We’re not just sending these media sites traffic. We’re helping them come up with new stories.”
People were always segmented
“There were a lot of voices I’d never heard before because of where I lived and what I was exposed to. I was never privy to those conversations. Now that they’re online, they can find each other, and we can find it.”
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Media Briefing: What to expect at the Digiday Publishing Summit
As DPS draws nearer, top pain points for publishers are coming to light.
New app launches through Apple hoping to win with ‘zero-party data’ when others haven’t
Caden's new app lets users connect data from their Uber, Amazon, Netflix and other accounts in exchange for money. Will it take off?


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After all the leaks we’ve been reporting on over the past few months, the HTC Rezound has now been officially launched. At the HTC event today, in NYC, HTC and Verizon announced the HTC Rezound – the only phone in the US with Beats Audio integration (at least for now). And judging by the press release it looks like all the previous information that was reported before was on the dot.
The HTC Rezound will feature a 4.3″ 720p HD display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor (Qualcomm MSM8660), Android 2.3 Gingerbread, an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, a 2-megapixel front facing camera, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot with 16GB pre-installed, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and a 1,620mAh battery. Oh and of course – Beats Audio integration, Verizon 4G LTE, and 4G hotspot capability for up to 10 devices.
Verizon promises an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012, so that should be an incentive for folks looking to pick up this device – though we know that even if HTC/Verizon don’t deliver, we can always rely on the developer community. The phone will go on sale November 14th for $299.99 with a 2-year contract. Anybody planning to pick up this phone then?


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Following on from the cast photo earlier this week (above), Amazon Studios have unveiled the first official poster for their currently in production ZOMBIELAND TV show, and we've got to be honest... boy, is it weak. Seriously, doesn't this look like some horrible straight-to-pound-shop knock-off? We're getting increasingly concerned about this thing... A new dread is dawning more like.
ZOMBIELAND: THE SERIES is part of Amazon Studios' pilot season, which will see 13 shows compete for a 13-episode order - best of all, we choose which. Look for ZOMBIELAND: THE SERIES to debut in the UK later this year on LOVEFiLM.
Share your comments below or on Twitter @STARBURST_MAG
Find your local Starburst Magazine stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. Our issues are also available as fully interactive iPad editions, loaded with multimedia, and can be downloaded via Apple HERE.
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Well it’s something we’ve been expecting for some time now, and finally Google is launching Google Talk with video and voice chat for Android phones. However it’s not coming as a market update of the Google Talk application, at least not initially, but rather as part of the Android 2.3.4 over-the-air update for Nexus S devices. Devices should be updated over the next few weeks.
It should then launch to other Android 2.3+, i.e. Gingerbread and Honeycomb, devices in the future. The new feature will allow you to make video and voice chats from an Android phone to anyone running a compatible version of Google Talk either on their phone, tablet or computer. Calls can be made on 3G, 4G (provided that your carrier allows this) and over Wi-Fi.[Google Mobile Blog]


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JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon backtracks on calling bitcoin a 'fraud'
JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon has backtracked on criticism of Bitcoin, saying he regrets calling the cryptocurrency a "fraud".
The Wall Street boss was one of the most high-profile critics of the digital currency, having said last autumn that he would fire employees found to be trading the digital currency for being "stupid".
But when asked to address the topic, Mr Dimon said those were comments "which I regret making".
Mr Dimon admitted that elements of Bitcoin-related technology warranted attention, including distributed ledger technology or the blockchain, which is seen as an opportunity for financial services to strip costs, speed up transactions and serving as a central ledge to track and verify transactions that cuts out the industry's middlemen.
"The blockchain is real," he told Fox Business on Tuesday.
"You can have crypto yen and dollars and stuff like that. ICOs you have to look at individually", he added referring to Initial Coin Offerings which allow investors to exchange cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for proprietary "coins" or "tokens" linked to a specific firm or project.
"The Bitcoin to me was always what the governments are gonna feel about Bitcoin as it gets really big, and I just have a different opinion than other people," the JP Morgan CEO said.
"I'm not interested that much in the subject at all."
But Bitcoin was unmoved by the admission and was trading lower by 4.2% at 14,330.10 US dollars, according to prices listed by Coindesk on Tuesday afternoon.
The cryptocurrency has fallen from its most recent peak in mid-December when it touched nearly 20,000 US dollars on some exchanges, though is still up significantly from the 900 US dollar mark it was sitting at one year ago in January 2017.
Bitcoin prices have been buoyed by the launch of bitcoin futures by both the CME and CBOE last month following US regulatory approval which has been hailed by proponents as helping to legitimise the use of the virtual currency.
Major international figures including Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund have said "it may not be wise to dismiss virtual currencies".
But Britain's own Treasury has announced plans for closer scrutiny of the cryptocurrency as part of EU-wide plans that will require online platforms that trade in Bitcoin to carry out due diligence on customers and report suspicious transactions.
There are worries over the lack of regulation - as no Government or authority has jurisdiction over its use - and the fact that transactions are encrypted and hard to trace, making Bitcoin attractive to criminals.


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Apple is rumoured to be planning a subscription service for games.
Still in the early stages of development, users will pay a monthly subscription fee to get access to a library of gaming titles. Something akin to a Netflix of games, the service will likely be tailored to an individual’s tastes while also being curated according to trends and analytics.
Gene Munster, an Apple analyst and investing partner at Loup Ventures, told Cheddar that the market for gaming and subscription services is a “big enough market to move the needle for Apple”.
There is also talk of Apple partnering with developers as a publisher, a sign that the company might be looking to assume rights to distribution, marketing, and other related costs for games chosen for this platform.
It’s still too early to really tell what the service will be like. As such, it is not clear what this subscription will cost or what kinds of games will even be on offer.


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Delivery time for customers is a key reason to stay or leave a label supplier. With your business potentially on-stop if there is a break down in your supply chain, we know the importance of delivering our end of the deal. We have been beavering away on our IT systems and uncovering more data on […]
Mercian Labels Ltd has appointed a new non-executive chairman, following the planned retirement of current Chairman Dennis Marrison. Dennis has served on the Board since 2008 following a career building premier brands in manufacturing, including Hamilton Acorn. He will be succeeded by Martin Dallas, previously CEO of Advanced Coated Products. Martin has extensive and broad […]
The post MERCIAN LABELS ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF NEW CHAIRMAN appeared first on Mercian Labels.
We are proud to announce our best sales month ever in October 2018. It was a record sales month for us here at Positive ID Labels with gross sales were over £210,000 for the calendar month of October, beating our previous record by over £37,000! Sales were up across all channels of label production and […]
It could be an expensive year for awards ceremonies – but we don’t mind! We are delighted to have been recognised as leaders in our industry by panels of independent and knowledgeable judges selected for their packaging expertise. Just what our worl…
We wish to appoint an experienced UV Flexo Printer at our Burntwood (Staffordshire) manufacturing site to accelerate our journey towards our vision of becoming a world class manufacturer of labels. ABOUT MERCIAN LABELS Mercian Labels is at the top of its game, an independently owned multi-award winning full-service label manufacturing business with strong brand recognition […]
Positive ID Labels are proud to assist the launch of a new enterprise in the shape of CBD Medic Vapes, a startup into the competitive vape and e-cigarette fluid market. The brand specialises in providing vape fluids direct through their website and via eBay and Amazon. Positive ID Labels were approached to prepare a pharmaceutical […]
Inline double sided label printing is now a possibility thanks to our £15,000 investment in an inline turnbar to upgrade our state-of-the-art MPS 350 printing press. This addition to the MPS 350 press means we can now print double-sided labels with two colours on the reverse liner for back sensing or additional text, graphics or […]
The post Double Sided Labels: New Investment in MPS Turnbar appeared first on Positive ID Labels.
Mercian Labels’ quality manager Karl Shilton went home with a big smile on his face on Friday afternoon – and with every reason. Over the last fortnight inspectors have been crawling through his quality manuals, food safety procedures and our LabelLock security regime to find faults. Our last blog was a pat on the back […]
Delighted to announce that Mercian Labels have passed our triennial ISO 9001 Quality Management System audit to the new 2015 standard today !
The post Mercian Labels passes ISO 9001 Quality Management System appeared first on Mercian Labels.
We wish to appoint two experienced UV Flexo Printers at our Burntwood (Staffordshire) manufacturing site to accelerate our journey towards our vision of becoming a world class manufacturer of labels. ABOUT MERCIAN LABELS Mercian Labels is at the top of its game, an independently owned multi-award winning full-service label manufacturing business with strong brand recognition […]


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Designer retailer and hotel heiress Peri Arenas has opened her eponymous PERI.A boutique on Robertson Boulevard, a popular shopping district in Los Angeles.
Coming off the success of Arenas’ Veri Peri at the Parker Palm Springs, PERI.A is her latest creation supporting the re-emergence of Boulevard as a fashion epicentre, bringing designers from all over the world.
The 2,400 sqft boutique, designed by Los Angeles-based interior designer Lynda Murray, offers a premium shopping experience with a gift wrapping station as well as high-tech dressing rooms, complete with monitors playing music videos and films.
The new boutique – which showcases limited edition and custom pieces like graffiti Louis Vuitton straps and more – is for customers to discover new designers and incubate those with little retail presence as well as carry exclusive items from designer labels.
Commenting on her ideas to shake up the retail scene, Arenas says, “I believe that fashion in America has become safe and I’m ready to bring back a thrill to the art of dressing by inspiring women to wear what excites them.”
Snapchat has been betting big on Augmented Reality’s (AR) retail future consideringJune 22, 2021 | By Jibran Chouguley
Words by Katie Streten Experiential Strategy Director, VMLY&R COMMERCE Throughout the last year,June 13, 2021 | By Shruthi Nair
UAE-based Al Maya Group announced that it will be boosting import of
UAE-based grocery retail chain, Grandiose has opened its first hypermarket in Abu
UAE-based Carrefour announced its theme and plans for Ramadan 2021. The brand
Locally owned supermarket Spinneys celebrates 60 years of doing business in the
UAE-based Carrefour will become the first retailer in the region to offer new levels
The Organic Farmers’ Market is back in Bay Avenue for its 12th
UAE-based Lulu Group recently inaugurated its first-ever all-female staff store in Jeddah,
Jones the Grocer, the gourmet grocer and cheese retailer launches the Jones
UAE-based Al Maya Supermarkets is hosting a two-week food festival at select
Locally-owned supermarket Spinneys has launched its ‘Power of Plants’ initiative in the
Carrefour UAE has launched “Cookit Yourself” — a curated recipe box created
UAE-based Al Islami Foods, one of the largest frozen food companies in
Extravagant, conceptual, great food and views are some of the ways that
Abu Dhabi’s state investment company ADQ is in talks to invest about $500 million
Hong Kong-based Giordano International Limited announced that it has entered into an
SHEIN customers in Saudi and the UAE can now benefit from its
Kuwait-based startup TAMANNA has announced the launch of its online shopping site tamanna.com with
The once powerful department stores that anchored malls and streets around the
Who isn’t a sucker for discounts? Customers today are spoiled for choice
The various e-commerce and virtual retail stores that cater to different product
A private helicopter carrying the chairman and managing director of Lulu Group,
With the inauguration of 11 new stores in 2020 and 14 more
Vacheron Constantin has announced the official opening of its first boutique in
‘Skinification of beauty’ is the key trend that every retailer in the


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Many applications came to mind after reading this article about LG’s new Transparent OLED Displays on MyTechDecisions.com. Too many to list, but here are a few examples from LG.
LG Display unveiled its first proprietary Transparent OLED back in 2019. Since then the company’s Transparent displays have been used in mixed spaces outside the home such as malls, museums, and subways.
“According to a recent study by leading global consulting firm the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the global transparent OLED display market is predicted to expand continuously at a compound annual growth rate of 116% over this decade, reaching a total value of around $2.7 billion by 2025 and $10 billion by 2030.”
Those are big numbers!


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Being healthy and having fun is an important focus for the 2010 Pan Pacific Masters Games and the free Health and Leisure Expo run in conjunction with the Games proves exactly that.
The Expo will be a real social highlight for not only the 10,000+ competitors at the Pan Pacs, but also the general public who are invited down to check out the exhibits. It will be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre – the official ‘Games Village’ – on Thursday, 4 November from 4pm to 8pm, Friday, 5 November from 8am to 8pm, Saturday, 6 November from 7am to 6pm and Sunday 7 November from 8am to 6pm.
Queensland Events Gold Coast General Manager Cameron Hart said the Expo is free for all Games participants and the general public.
“The focus on the Games is very much on health, fitness and well-being, and all our exhibitors will be promoting and showcasing these healthy lifestyle factors,” he said.
“Participants can gain knowledge on how to perform at their peak, which will definitely come in handy throughout the competition. And it’s a great opportunity to discover new products and try out the latest equipment.
“We have run this Expo alongside the Masters Games for years now and it’s proven itself to be a popular event that showcases the latest in health, fitness and leisure trends.”
The comprehensive expo will feature exhibits from the 13th Australian Masters Games, 2XU Performance Centre Brisbane, Lismore Masters Games, Mongolian Koyashai Therapy, New Zealand Masters Games, Power Balance Australia, Masters Athlete and The Running Shop to name a few.
The Pan Pacific Masters Games will run on the Gold Coast from 6–14 November 2010 and features 34 different sports as well as an action packed nightly entertainment schedule.
For more information please visit www.mastersgames.com.au


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Here’s all you need to know about the Lamborghini Egoista Concept including official details and a video. Enjoy!
Street word has it that the next-generation Audi TT RS could get 380bhp.
Seems like the Lamborghini Urus has been confirmed for production in 2017. Great news!
VW will show the 496bhp and twin-turbo V6 powered VW Golf GTI Design Vision at the Woerthersee festival.
Hilarious video here featuring Audi and Spock vs. Spock. Enjoy!
Is this rendering showing the upcoming Audi A9?
The upcoming VW Taigun has leaked through patent drawings.
Porsche has officially revealed the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Porsche 911 Turbo S.


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Fans of doing more extreme stuff, like surfing, cliff-diving or hardcore planking all know that a GoPro is the best way to record the moments where you finally do something that people will be impressed by.
However, while they're a must-have for most sports fans, the GoPro still isn't cheap if you want a bundle of features on board as well.
That's why this new deal for the GoPro Hero4, which we've spotted available at Amazon, Currys and Argos, is one that's catching the eye this Black Friday weekend, as it's taking £100 off the RRP to make it just £229.
Of course, the RRP isn't always the best metric, but other outlets have it on sale for £10-£70 more, so this is a rock-bottom price.
What are you getting for that cash? Well, the silver edition of the camera, which can record 4K video at 30 frames per second for starters.
If you've got a smartphone handy then you can use that as a screen to view the action, and it's got a 'fast and effective Wi-Fi connection' and 'sturdy mounting system', according to our review.
If you consider that the new GoPro Hero5 is between £90-£130 more than this deal, (with the main draw being that model is waterproof), then you can see why it's up there as one of our most popular on Black Friday.
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Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.


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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed suit against Surescripts, LLC, (Surescripts) an Arlington, Virginia based information technology company that supports e-prescription, the electronic transmission of prescriptions between health care organizations and pharmacies, as well as general health information exchange of medical records, for unfair competition. CVS Health, Express Scripts, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association currently own Surescripts. The FTC is seeking a permanent injunction and monetary penalties against the company.
FTC alleges that the company utilized “illegal vertical and horizontal restraints” to maintain its monopoly over two significant pieces of the “e-prescribing” market – routing and eligibility. The routing piece of e-prescribing enables health care providers to utilize technology to send electronic prescriptions directly to pharmacies. One the eligibility side, the company provides a separate service that works with PBMs and insurers to determine a patient’s eligibility for prescription coverage. Surescripts currently maintains a 95%-plus share of both the routing and eligibility markets in a business that has seen routing transactions grow from 70 million in 2008 to more than 1.7 billion by 2017.
The lengthy and detailed FTC complaint alleges that Surescripts intentionally utilized complex exclusivity and loyalty agreements, threats, and other exclusionary tactics to keep other potential e-prescription companies out of the market. The agreements specifically penalized attempts by companies on either side of the routing or eligibility market to “multihome” the e-prescription process, i.e. utilize companies or platforms other than Surescripts, by imposing increased per-transaction pricing on “non-loyal” customers.
“For the past decade, Surescripts has used a series of anticompetitive contracts throughout the e-prescribing industry to eliminate competition and keep out competitors,” said Bureau of Competition Director Bruce Hoffman. “Surescripts’s illegal contracts denied customers and, ultimately, patients, the benefits of competition – including lower prices, increased output, thriving innovation, higher quality, and more customer choice. Through this litigation, we hope to eliminate the anticompetitive conduct, open the relevant markets to competition, and redress the harm that Surescripts’s conduct has caused.”
The complaint against Surescripts follows several other recent actions by the FTC to tackle anti-competitive behavior in the healthcare sector. Earlier this year, the FTC settled with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries over its practice of utilizing reverse-payment patent settlement agreements that served to block consumers’ access to lower-priced generic drugs. In addition, the FTC recently barred Impax Laboratories (another pharmaceutical company) from entering into similar reverse-payment patent settlements that blocked consumers’ access to a generic version of its extended-release opioid pain reliever Opana ER.
Surescripts CEO Tom Skelton issued a statement expressing disappointment in FTC’s action and indicating that the company is “making an important change to our e-prescribing business agreements with pharmacies by removing the loyalty provisions in those contracts. This step addresses one of the FTC’s chief concerns while reflecting the current dynamics of the healthcare industry and the state of electronic prescribing today.”


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Latest Hosting News
LAKEWOOD, Ohio,June 12, 2019/PRNewswire/ -- Ohio-based Onix is hosting "Going Google in St. Louis"June 13at the Anheuser-Busch Biergarten inSt. Louis. This free event offers an afternoon of demos, information sharing and open dialogue about how cloud technology can help transform the way organizations and businesses operate.
During this free event attendees can talk with Google and Onix cloud experts in a relaxed, informal setting. They also will see firsthand the benefits of Google products such as G Suite, Google Cloud Platform, Google Cloud Search, Google Maps Platform, Chrome OS and Chromebooks. There also will be time for networking with reps from Google and Onix, and other IT professionals.
What: Going Google in St. Louis
When: Thursday, June 13, 3:30 - 6 p.m.
Where: Anheuser-Busch Biergarten, 1127 Pestalozzi St,St. Louis, MO 63118
Check-in runs from 3:30 to 4 p.m., followed by a brief kickoff presentation. Register for this free event today.
As a leading cloud solutions provider, Onix has elevated businesses to the next level with consulting services, infrastructure, collaboration, devices, enterprise search and geospatial technology. The company achieves this with solutions from such industry leaders as Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services (AWS), among others. Onix uses its ever-evolving expertise to solve clients' technology pain points across numerous business sectors.
Onix backs its strategic planning and deployment with incomparable ongoing service, training and support. It also offers its own suite of standalone products to solve specific business challenges, including cloud billing and budget management software through OnSpend and digital accessibility of websites and online documents through its Equidox brand.
Based in Lakewood, Ohio, near Cleveland, Onix also has Canadian offices in Torontoand Ottawa. Learn more at www.onixnet.com.