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Back-pedalling Nike drops Lance Armstong
Nike has dropped cyclist Lance Armstong following "seemingly insurmountable evidence" that he participated in doping.
Nike: 'driven' campaign with Lance Armstrong
After initially standing by Armstrong despite US doping authorities accusing him of being a "serial cheat" Nike has now "terminated" its contract with the high profile cyclist and cancer campaigner.
Earlier today Armstrong stood down from his position as chairman of the Nike-backed cancer charity Livestrong.
This afternoon Nike said in a statement: "Due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him.
"Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in any manner. Nike plans to continue support of the Livestrong initiatives created to unite, inspire and empower people affected by cancer."
Last week, a report from the US anti-doping authority Usada, said Armstrong ran "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen".
Armstrong has also been a spokesman for the AB InBev beer Michelob Ultra. Last week the brewing giant stood by Armstrong but a spokesman had not responded to request for comment today.Follow @MaisieMcCabe
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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POST-BREXIT NISSAN CARS MAY HAVE TO USE TECHNOLOGY FROM THE FLINTSTONES
Nissan has called on the UK government to provide investment to replace overseas components after the country leaves the EU, or the new Qashqai model may have to be built using technology from The Flintstones.
Senior executives at Nissan have warned the government that whilst they will agree to continue manufacturing at their Sunderland plant after Brexit, the parts will unfortunately have to be imported from overseas and as a result, it’ll be a bit like trying to build a broom with no head or handle.
Nissan’s Head of Manufacturing Supply Chain Mr. Justin Time said, “We’re all for honouring our deal with Theresa May regarding the continual production of our cars in the UK, but half the parts come from Europe so we may have to amend some of our designs a little bit. Our research teams have been eagerly watching reruns of The Flintstones to see if we can get a steer on how to build cars with no access to any modern car parts whatsoever.”
There are over 5000 components in the average car and these will have to be replaced with alternative materials if the ensuing trade negotiations result in the treaty summit equivalent of a post-football match hooligan fracas, but engineers at Nissan are confident there are enough animal skins, stone and wood sources available in the UK to put together a decent enough take on the latest Juke model.
The primary concern for Nissan if they are to proceed with plans to construct a Brexit-proof car factory, is how to get hold of the technology used in The Flintstones — the majority of which relies on dinosaurs and other long extinct animals like Woolly Mammoths and Sabre-toothed tigers to power machinery.
“The technology used in The Flintstones operated at an incredibly high level of efficiency given the prehistoric nature of their methods and we plan to adopt some of these to build our new car models. Our biggest challenge will be to convince Jeremy Clarkson that, “electric” windows powered by monkeys on the outside, birds acting as car horns that are sounded by the driver pulling on their tails or squeezing their bodies and people having to power the car by running is a viable alternative to what we have at the moment,” Mr. Time added.
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Support Garment Workers at TRAID Late Nights
Seven TRAID charity shops in London will open late on Thursday 26th April and donate all sales made between 6pm – 8pm to support garment workers children in Bangladesh, to mark the fifth anniversary of the catastrophic Rana Plaza collapse which killed and injured thousands of garment workers.
Show solidarity with the garment workers who make our clothes by shopping fabulous hand-picked second-hand clothes, shoes and more from designer to vintage in TRAID’s charity shops in Brixton, Camden, Clapham, Dalston, Kilburn, Peckham and Shepherd’s Bush. Find out shop locations here.
Every sale made between closing time and 8pm will be donated directly to a TRAID funded project in Bangladesh providing day-care, nutritious food and education to around 200 at risk children of the very poorest garment workers, mainly single parents. The project aims to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty which typically sees children never going to school, or leaving early, to supplement the very low incomes of garment workers.
Enedina Columbano TRAID’s Commercial Director said, “Every aspect of TRAID’s work aims to reduce the negative impacts of making, consuming and disposing of our clothes. When you buy a reclaimed garment in one of our charity shops, you help to fund projects ending abusive practices in global fashion supply chains. This work includes maintaining pressure on the fashion industry to protect garment workers so they can work without fearing for their lives, be paid fairly and treated with dignity and respect.”
Through our work to reuse unwanted clothes in the UK and stop good clothes going to waste, TRAID funds work in fashion supply and production chains to protect and strengthen worker’s rights including the right to safe working conditions, to support cotton farmers to grow without using hazardous pesticides and to stop child and bonded labour which is widespread in the fashion sector.


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Sony will soon begin production of the successor to PlayStation VR with the intention of launching the virtual reality helmet in 2022, according to information shared by the specialist in this technology Brad Lynch and spread by GameRant. The rumor is that a chinese manufacturer focused on virtual reality that has collaborated with Sony previously expects collaborate with a Japanese brand to distribute more than a million headsets in 2022.
A Lynch source with knowledge of the Chinese supply chain assures that the company Goertek has signed a contract with Sony to make PlayStation VR 2 (device has no official name yet). Goertek has previously collaborated with Sony in the manufacture of components for PlayStation VR and PlayStation 5.
Goertek, Chinese manufacturer, will be in charge of mass producing Meta Cambria and PS VR 2 (soon!)
Goertek sold off Pico to Bytedance earlier this year, but signed a deal to continue producing Pico headsets
Also expected to supply components for Apple AR/VR HMD— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) January 1, 2022
The Chinese company makes the Oculus Quest 2, now rebranded as Meta Quest 2. In his presentation of financial results, he highlighted the record in the price of his shares thanks to the collaboration with Meta and from the firm they expect to have similar results this year thanks to a agreement with a “big Japanese” partner what do you intend to distribute between one and two million units of that headset last generation in 2022.
The official information of PSVR 2
Sony announces it successor to PlayStation VR in February 2021, although they have not shown images of the helmet. The Japanese company promises to improve resolution, field of view and representation in the game of the player’s actions. At that time they said it would not be launched in 2021, although the first development kits they will be sent to the studios soon.
A month later, in March, we saw the controls, which will replace the PS Move used in the current PlayStation VR. These are two ergonomically focused controls that feature the PS5 controller functions, the DualSense: Hepatic Response and Adaptive Triggers. In addition, they will add touch detection to record finger movement without pressing any button.


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Oracle’s new Bristol accelerator
From VCs investing record sums into UK tech startups to several new accelerators opening in 2016, it certainly seems as if people are stepping up to support British tech talent. The latest vote of confidence has come from Oracle, the cloud computing company, which has announced the opening of a new accelerator this week in partnership with the University of Bristol and SETsquared, the university incubator.
By joining forces, the trio aims to support high-growth companies in Bristol through mentoring, workshops and giving startups the chance to tap into a vast global network. Commenting on the accelerator, Reggie Bradford, senior vice president of product development at Oracle, said: “Oracle understands that startups are at the heart of innovation, and through this program we aim to give startups access to extensive resources and support when they need it most.”
We can only agree and wish the new accelerator and its startups the best of luck.
Silicon Valley struggles to deal with Trump
From his aids introducing us to phrases like “alternative facts” to reported plans to ban refugees from Muslim countries entering the US, it’s safe to say that the first week of Donald Trump’s presidency has been interesting. And now it seems as if Silicon Valley has been drawn into the controversy.
Protestors gathered outside the office of Uber, the ride-sharing company, after it was revealed that its CEO Travis Kalanick had been named one of the 19 tech leaders who would advise the president. Elsewhere, Elon Musk, CEO and co-founder of Tesla, the car manufacturer, came under fire after stating that “Rex Tillerson has the potential to be an excellent [secretary of state].”
This highlights the difficulties entrepreneurs living in world’s tech capital have when it comes to knowing how to deal with their new commander in-chief, a man who 146 tech leaders have previously called a “disaster for innovation”.
The upcoming four years are certainly set to be eventful to say the least.
A lack of digital know-how is holding UK SMEs back
The fourth industrial revolution is upon us. Advances in technology and biology have blurred the lines between man and machine. And while this has led to great opportunities startups risk falling behind if their people don’t have the right skills.
Now, new research from eBay, the ecommerce company, suggests that SMEs failing to upskill employees to meet the challenges of our brave new world could cost the UK economy £20.2bn each year. The company, along with other tech giants like Google and Facebook, has pledged to offer a range of initiatives like training and new partnerships to encourage one million SMEs to become more digitally engaged in 2017.
That’s certainly a movement we can get behind.
When women stop believing in themselves
You only have to hear about Love Home Swap’s Debbie Wosskow, Snact’s Ilana Taub and Unruly’s Sarah Wood to understand the caliber of talent in this country So it’s disheartening to hear that many girls stop believing in their own abilities from the age of six.
According to a new study published in the journal Science, girls and boys at the age of five are equally likely to believe that smart people have the same gender as them. However, just one year later, the girls are between 20% and 30% less likely to believe that members of their gender are clever. They researchers also found that by the age of six, girls are less likely to want to play games for “really, really smart children” but are just as interested as boys in playing games for “children who try really, really hard”.
This is the latest in a string of studies demonstrating how pivotal it is to ensure young women believe in themselves from an early age. Seeing how this could enable them to pursue careers in entrepreneurship, here’s hoping we see more initiatives along those lines in the future.


text: ImaLamer writes: "A C|Net News story is reporting that HP has announced they have made breakthroughs that 'help turn out powerful computers that fit on the head of a pin with room to spare.' Also in the article, that the patent announced Wednesday, will produce no two chips that are the same. 'Each one will be customized for a particular function,' says Stanley Williams, the chemist on the team. The work was done by himself, Phil Kuekes, a computer architect, and James Heath, a UCLA professor. The chips use nanowires and the chips are said to be even less than the size of bacterium. Sounds cool enough. The biggest part of the breakthrough isn't the chips themselves, but that HP plans to be able to 'fix' chips which come out with imperfections, thus saving money on an already cheap process."


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(Adds details, background)
PARIS, April 3 (Reuters) - French electrical gear maker Schneider Electric said it was in exclusive talks with private equity groups The Carlyle Group and PAI Partners to sell its sensors business in a deal based on an enterprise value of $900 million.
Schneider said it would reinvest about $100 million in the business - Custom Sensors & Technologies (CST) - in order to have a shareholding of about 30 percent.
CST designs and makes sensors for clients in the aerospace, transport, energy, medical, and food and drink industries, among others. It had revenue of about $600 million last year, with approximately 4,500 employees in more than 30 countries.
“CST is a well-run, global company, positioned in an attractive market place,” Laurent Rivoire, a partner at PAI, said in a joint statement with The Carlyle Group.
The deal is subject to consultation with French staff works councils, after which the companies said they would enter final negotiations.
Schneider said in February that it was shifting its focus to making its existing business more efficient after a decade-long acquisition spree in which tripled in size. The world’s No. 1 maker of low-and-medium voltage equipment had taken over more than 100 companies in the last 10 years. (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Andrew Callus and Jane Merriman)


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MTY Food Group Inc. and Papa Murphy’s Holdings, Inc.
Smoothie King’s mission of inspiring people to live healthy and active lifestyles continues to translate into franchise development success, as the brand maintained its growth momentum from 2018 an
New menuboards, better tech, more Zoodles. The innovation is just beginning.
Employee vacancies remain a major issue.
Good Times Restaurants Inc., operator of Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, a full-service, upscale burger bar concept, and Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard, a regional quick-service restaurant chain f
The sandwich chain is fighting through sagging traffic and sales.
The fast-food leader wants to trade customers up.
Sales have improved for three straight quarters.
The chain just turned in a red-hot quarter to start the fiscal year.
The chicken chain's sales are rising along with its growth.
CEO Steve Easterbrook has personally chosen to lead the initiative in 2019.
BK Cafe is a long-term investment with staying power.
Former franchisees have transformed the brand.
All locations will once again accept cash by the end of 2019.
"I'd have a tough time sleeping at night," the pizza chain's CEO says.
The fast casual boosted that part of its business by triple digits this past quarter.
Traffic and sales are still in the red as the company plots a turnaround.
ABTB, a company owned by Orangewood Partners and ABDD Capital announced that it has purchased eight additional Taco Bell restaurants in the greater Louisville, Kentucky, market.
Four years ago, the chain said it was on its way to 300 units.
From menu innovations to store designs, the chain says it will emerge from recent closures a better company.
As traffic continues to decline, average spending per guest remains crucial.
With the deal, MTY’s combined network will represent roughly 7,378 stores globally.
Good Times Restaurants Inc., operator of Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar and Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard, announced that same store sales at its Bad Daddy’s concept increased 1.3 percent during
Your Pie announced a successful first quarter on Wednesday, including its biggest ever Pi(e) Day event on March 14 and national recognition for its leadership through industry events, conferences a
Smoke’s Poutinerie announces the official launch of their national franchising EDU-TAINMENT Program benefiting Canadian post-secondary graduates by providing them with an opportunity
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.
ezCater, the world’s largest online catering marketplace, announced Tuesday that it has raised a $150 million Series D-1 investment round co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and GIC.
Executives said the brand expanded too quickly.
Sales remain consistent across the growing brand's portfolio.


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PV sales in November lowest in 7 years: SIAM
Poor sales performance continue to grapple auto industry in India as production capacities of the manufacturer remain constrained due to global shortage of semiconductor chips
New Delhi, Dec 10: Poor sales performance continue to grapple auto industry in India as production capacities of the manufacturer remain constrained due to global shortage of semiconductor chips. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Friday said that the Passenger vehicle (PV) wholesales in the country have declined by 19 percent in the month of November.
While the total PV sales were recorded at 215,626 units in November 2021, whereas in the same month last year, 264,898 units were sold in the domestic market. Similarly, two-wheeler segment too has witnessed decline with 10,50,616 unit sales in last month this year in comparison to 16,00,379 unit sale in November 2020.
Commenting on November 2021 sales data, Mr. Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM said, "Industry continues to face headwinds due to global semi-conductor shortage. In the festive season, Industry was hoping to make up for the lost ground, but the sales in the month of November 2021, were lowest in 7 years for Passenger Vehicles, lowest in 11 years for Two-Wheelers and lowest in 19 years for Three-Wheelers. Amidst the rising threat of Omicron, the new Covid variant, Industry is pro-actively ensuring employee safety and monitoring any supply chain hiccups."
For three-wheeler segment, the total sales in November 2021 stood at 22,471 units in comparison to 24,071 units sales for the same month in 2020. While total sales of PV, Three Wheelers, Two Wheelers and Quadricycles stood at 12,88,759 units for the month of November 2021, the total production, as reported by SIAM, for last month was 16,96,012 units.


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Currently, the standard excise tax is $18 per barrel (31 gallons). But breweries producing less than 2 million barrels a year — everyone except Anheuser Busch-InBev, MillerCoors, and Pabst — pays a reduced rate of $7 a barrel for their first 60,000 barrels each year. For the vast majority of craft brewers, this protection covers their entire output.
Congress saw it fit to protect small craft brewers in 1991 when this law was enacted. So why does the new proposal lack the nuance, the understanding of the product, of the current one?
The bottom line is this tax unfarely (sic) targets a nascent and growing industry of entrepreneurs that have worked hard to carve out a niche where — for a long time — there has been monopoly of light lager beers.
But wait, it get’s weirder: The Atlantic‘s Clay Risen reports on the Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act (golly, that spells “BEER”!), introduced in Congress with the help of the Beer Institute and the Brewers Association. If passed, the bill would repeal the 1991 excise tax increases, lowering them to rates enacted back in 1951. And it would keep the microbrewers’ tax breaks written into current law.
Hold on. I thought wholesome microbrews and their fizzy, yellow counterparts were enemies. So why are Big Beer and The Little Microbrewers That Could teaming up? Risen explains:
For now, at least, it seems the big brewers see the craft sector as an overall boon to the industry — too small to threaten the big guys’ market share, but high-profile enough to elevate beer’s status among higher-income consumers….[W]hen it comes to alcohol regulation and other policy issues, the beer world is realizing that Washington doesn’t differentiate between Coors and Clipper City.
I also get the sense that the BEER Act is a noisemaker, more a statement to get beer companies’ voices heard than a real attempt at legislation. And if it actually passes and the reduction is a boon to microbreweries, that helps the big guys too: More people buying craft beer also means more people unwittingly buying Michelob and Blue Moon.


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Russound to Acquire Colorado vNet
Terms of transaction are undisclosed. Colorado vNet brand name will remain intact.
Terms of the transaction between the two companies were not disclosed. The LOI states that the deal will be done by October 31, 2009.
The Colorado vNet brand name will remain intact, and the company will continue to operate out of offices in Loveland, Colo. Russound is based in Newmarket, N.H.
Russound CEO Charlie Porritt says the acquisition fits perfectly into the company’s product roadmap of pursuing technologies that ease the transition from analog to IP-based solutions. He called the move into home controls “a natural progression for Russound.”
“One of Russound’s goals has been to offer control solutions for security, lighting and thermostats,” says Porritt. “This acquisition immediately gives us access to offering home control through a company that we will own and control, and the ability to merge some of that control technology into Russound products.” He added that Russound has tried to enter the control market in the past through partnerships.
Colorado vNet announced on Sept. 22, 2009 that a would-be investor fell through, forcing the company to close its doors. Just days after the shut-down was announced, Mike Malone, Colorado vNet’s VP of sales, sent an e-mail to dealers that said the company had received “several commitments to invest in the recovery of the business,” and that vNet could have a resolution by the end of September. Speculation then went rampant on who the frontrunner was to acquire Colorado vNet.
3 Reasons Russound’s Colorado vNet Acquisition is Smart
Assuming Russound got a good deal on the acquisition, access to Colorado vNet’s 950 dealers alone makes it a risk worth taking.
The acquisition provides Russound with several key assets from Colorado vNet, including:
Technology: Colorado vNet has 29 different patents granted or applied for, according to Porritt. He says the company will be reviewing individual product SKUs from vNet but initially has no announcements of any discontinued lines.
Personnel: No specific decisions have been made on individual personnel, including Colorado vNet CEO Bill Beierwaltes. Porritt says certain key personnel will be retained.
Dealer Base: Colorado vNet reportedly has 950 direct dealers, of which only about 200 overlap with current Russound dealers.
“Our biggest priority is to take care of the Colorado vNet dealers,” says Porritt. “Colorado vNet will operate independently to preserve its dealer base and will revert to courtesy technical support services for authorized Colorado vNet dealers effective Wednesday October 7th.”
“Of all the companies that expressed interest in acquiring our assets, we believe that Russound makes the most sense for our customers, our employees and our business,” says Beierwaltes. “Russound’s long history of innovation, commitment to customer service and overall leadership role in the multi-room distribution market leaves me confident that Colorado vNet is in good hands.”
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Jason Knott is Chief Content Officer for Emerald Expositions Connected Brands. Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990, serving as editor and publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He joined CE Pro in 2000 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of that brand. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He has been a member of the CEDIA Business Working Group since 2010. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California. Have a suggestion or a topic you want to read more about? Email Jason at email@example.com
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Just like New Year's Day follows New Year's Eve, the giant annual consumer electronics clambake in the desert known as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off a few days after New Year's -- in this case tomorrow -- in Las Vegas. With more than 2,500 exhibitors, the show (always huge) has grown even larger as the computer and consumer electronics industries move ever closer together.
In fact, CES is the largest trade show in the U.S. and Canada, according to Tradeshow Week Magazine. Last year, more than 140,000 people from 115 countries attended the CES.
It used to be that COMDEX, the giant computer show, was huge, but that show has gone the way of buggy whip (anyone know what that is?) so we now have one SUPER HUGE show that will wear out the shoe leather of any journalist.
We'll have plenty to report from the show, but take a look at some of the areas that this show covers (and let me know if any are of particular interest to you:
- Mobile electronics -- car audio and video, navigation systems, satellite radio, security
- "The Download" -- legal file sharing technologies
- Audio -- high-performance audio, portable entertainment devices, satellite radio, home studio products, HD-radio
- Video -- home, portable,l mobile, recording and playback
- Wireless and broadband -- need I say more?
- Robotics -- sure to become increasingly important -- and integrated -- into CE products
- Digital imaging -- cameras, software, hardware in more ways than you can imagine
- Electronic gaming -- hardware, software, handheld, online (who would have thought this would have become so big?)
Like I said, it all starts tomorrow -- all 1.5 million square feet of it!


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With all eyes turning to London for the Summer Games, three of the most promising Olympic contenders took a break from training to hit the red carpet. Here, Menswear’s fashion judges assess the athletes’ recent appearances in mufti.
This story first appeared in the June 18, 2012 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.


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How South Africa Built a Booming Wine Business In a very short time period, South Africa has become a credible player in the worldwide wine marketplace.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist said, "After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb."
The South African economy has climbed many hills. Even today, with mining as the main economic driver, the Rand is very weak.
So maybe it's high time the country look toward the lower west coast and embrace its flourishing wine industry.
"Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again." – Nelson Mandela
South Africa, a country on the southernmost tip of Africa, has been making wine for more than 350 years.
It basically started when the Commander of the Dutch Colony at the Cape of Good Hope planted his first vines in 1685, says Alyssa Rapp and her research team at Bottlenotes.
Around this time the Huguenots, French Protestants who were persecuted in France for their religious beliefs, showed up. Well, the Dutch presumed, that since they were French, they knew how to make wine (much like people presume that since I'm Sicilian I can make a good meatball.)
So they threw them in the vineyards, and while they did impose their Bordeaux beliefs, they land was blessed with fertile soil, sloping hills, and ocean breezes, so they started to produce some great wine regardless of their past skills.
Eurpoean high society, including British writers such as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, took notice, says Rapp.
Even Napoleon, while in exile at St. Helena, requested the Constantia, a sweet red dessert wine, named after the area where it was from.
But outside of Constantia, the vineyards were hit with diseases, they weren't clean and most of the wine ended up in brandy.
The wine industry fell apart and it wasn't until the end of Apartheid, when Nelson Mandela become president, that things changed for everyone.
It was then, in 1994, that the modern South African wine industry officially was reborn.
Related: The Top Wine Trends Expected in 2016
But it wasn't easy. Many of the older vines had to be ripped up and replanted. And they continued to fight much ignorance.
Are there lions in the vineyards?
Can I get ebola from South African wine?
"No and no," says Jim Clarke, marketing manager for the Wines of South Africa, USA.
It wasn't really until the 2010 Soccer World Cup that the world's perception of South Africa finally changed -- for the good.
"When people are determined they can overcome anything." -- Nelson Mandela
The vines are now 15 to 20 years old. They have the largest Chenin Blanc (a white wine grape from the Loire Valley that is halfway between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay) plantings in the world.
Which is why 55 percent of the wine they produce is white and about 45 percent is red.
And there is production integrity now. They have sustainable wine-growing practices and the wines have seals as proof.
With that, the money is coming.
Then Charles Banks, entrepreneur, wine collector and founder of Terroir Capital took a trip to South Africa with his wife, tasted some of the oldest Chenin Blanc on the continent and fell in love.
In 2011, he bought two South Africa wineries: Mulderbosch Vineyards in Stellenbosch and Fable Mountain Vineyard in Tulbagh. He is also a part of Marvelous Wines, a collaboration with a local winemaker and chef.
And it wasn't just American entrepreneurs that saw potential.
Lawrence Graff, the British diamond magnate, is now there making his Delaire Graff wines, says Clarke. And the Indian entrepreneur Analjit Singh ("He is essentially the Indian Charles Banks," says Clarke) saw opportunity and partnered with Mullineux Family Wines.
In 2014, Kendall Jackson, the California-based company, invested in property with a mission to create high-end wines.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." – Nelson Mandela
When guys like Charles Banks drop gobs of money somewhere, people take notice. But more needs to be done.
Native Ken Forrester, known for his fabulous Chenin Blancs (My tip: Try the FMC), is one of the most powerful voices of the South African wine industry. He travels the world and his wines are getting the accolades they deserve.
Unfortunately many of the local South African winemakers are not doing that yet – but need to.
The marketing needs a lot of improvement for the industry. Banks, a brilliant businessman, created a label on his Mulderbosch wines that is basically a stripe down the bottle. It just jumps out at you on the shelf. Genius.
"This is another area where the South Africans still fall short," says Clarke. "They need to learn to market their wines to the U.S."
And they still need better distribution and more focus from retailers and restaurants, says Banks.
But it's all coming. Sommeliers are more open to including these wines on their lists.
"I have been discovering lots of gems as of late," says AJ Ojeda-Pons, wine director for the Zakarian Hospitality Group, with restaurants that include The Lambs Club in Manhattan and The National in Greenwich.
"It always seems impossible until it's done."– Nelson Mandela
Sales are rising again. Wine lovers are realizing that they indeed are producing great wines at even greater values. (We mentioned this in our recent wine trends column.)
That $15 to $20 bottle of wine is the sweet spot for South Africa and so many consumers.
And while Chenin Blanc, the versatile zesty white wine that pairs really well with food, has been their bread and butter, red blends are rising about 13 percent per year, says Clarke. "And I would put a South African Cabernet up against a Californian cab any day," he says.
"We can make world-class wine for a very fair price," says Banks.
So much is yet to be discovered but with capital and expertise coming to the region, the opportunity is there to boost the nation's economy and create jobs.
The entrepreneurs see it. Wine lovers see it.
I think Mandela would be proud.


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It has been 6 months since the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled the FCC lacked authority to impose encoding rules on satellite TV companies and other MVPDs to prevent signal theft. While the court case focused on satellite, the DC Circuit vacated the entire rule, including provisions that apply to cable operators. Enter TiVo. With the FCC having not stepped in to do anything since Jan’s ruling, the company now wants the rules reinstated, particularly when it comes to the provision that consumers must be able to access cable content on retail devices (like TiVo’s) via CableCARDs. More on TiVo’s position here.
More top stories in CableFAX Daily:


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OYO plans to add 70 hotels every month in Indonesia with a target of about $100 Mn over the next five years in order to maximize its reach in different parts of the country. According to a company statement, OYO wants to make its presence felt in about 100 cities in the Southeast Asian nation.
The investment will focus on partnering with the right hotels across the country, training local talent to assume roles of on-grounds captains and skilling the frontline hotel staff in order to maintain the quality of service across various properties.
“We intend to invest over $100 million in this high-growth market and plan to expand our presence to the top-100 cities in Indonesia, including Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya that we recently entered, and break into Bali over the next 11 months,” said Ritesh Agarwal, OYO Hotels and Homes Founder and Group CEO.
Indonesia’s burgeoning hospitality industry coupled with the use of technology in operations and on-boarding mechanisms has helped firms like OYO develop its own brand in the country. Moreover, the demand for quality living spaces in Indonesia is higher than its supply. OYO plans to cater to this demand in the market, according to the firm.
At present, OYO operates about 150 hotels in 16 cities of Indonesia.
OYO’s business model is based on skilling hoteliers across different cities. Tapping into the local talent is crucial for the smooth and cost-effective operations of this hospitality firm that specializes in on-the-grounds partnerships with local B&Bs and hotels. In India, on-ground captains in 100 different cities are appointed in order to resolve customer queries in-person. Skilling institutes have been set up in about six cities in India as well.


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Google to Invest Up to $1 Billion in Airtel to Promote 5G Usage in India
Partnership: Google to invest up to $1 billion in Airtel, both companies will work together to promote 5G usage in India.
This investment includes an equity investment of $700 million in Google Swar Bharti Airtel at a price of INR 734 per share. Of this, up to $300 million will be used to implement commercial agreements.
To accelerate the growth of India’s digital ecosystem and keeping the future in mind, Airtel and Google have entered into a long term agreement. As part of this partnership, Google intends to invest up to $1 billion from its Google for India Digitalization Fund in Airtel. These investments include equity investments as well as funds for potential commercial agreements. This fund will be used in mutually agreed upon identification of areas required for digitization of the country over the next five years.
This investment includes an equity investment of $700 million in Google Swar Bharti Airtel at a price of INR 734 per share. Of this, up to $300 million will be used to implement commercial agreements. This will include investments in expanding Airtel’s products and services. Also, it includes innovation programs aimed at expanding access and accelerating digital usage in India’s digital ecosystem. In addition, various services and tools will also be developed.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Airtel said, “Airtel and Google share a common vision to grow India‘s digital dividend through innovative products. With our future-ready network, digital platform, delivery and digital payment system, we look forward to working closely with Google to comprehensively grow India’s digital ecosystem.”
Both Airtel and Google have agreed to jointly invest and collaborate in a wide range of areas to create digital solutions that will uniquely meet the needs of India. As part of this commercial agreement, Airtel and Google will work together to bring the best of Google-Airtel services and offers, including providing consumers with a range of Android-enabled tools through innovative affordability programs. At the same time, both the companies will continue to identify more opportunities available to reduce the barriers for consumers to single smartphone across the price points series, in partnership with various device makers. Both companies will also focus on shaping and developing the cloud ecosystem in India to accelerate this digital transformation journey. Airtel serves over one million small and medium businesses with its enterprise connectivity offering, and this partnership will help them accelerate their adoption of digitalisation.
As part of the partnership’s larger strategic goals, the two companies will potentially address India-specific network domain use cases for 5G and other standards, with state-of-the-art implementations. Airtel is already using Google’s 5G-ready Evolved Packet Core and Software Defined Network platform, and plans to increase the availability of Google’s network virtualization solutions to provide a better network experience to its customers.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said, “Airtel is a leader in shaping India’s digital future, and we are proud to partner on a shared vision to expand connectivity and ensure equal access to the Internet for more Indians. ” He further added, “Our commercial and equity investment in Airtel is an extension of our Google Digitization Fund’s efforts to increase access to smartphones, enhance connectivity to support new business models and help companies in their digital transformation. ”
Google to Invest Up to $1 billion in Airtel to Promote 5G Usage in India - /10


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An agriculture trade team has been created in hopes of increasing exports of Nebraska agricultural products.
On Thursday, Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Steve Wellman announced the creation of International Grow Nebraska Agriculture. The team will be led by NDA Assistant Director Amelia Breinig and will include Mark Jagels, Angel Velitchkov and Jordan Schlake. It will operate within NDA’s Ag Promotion and Development focus area.
“NDA has always been dedicated to promoting agriculture abroad. This new trade team structure puts a renewed emphasis on international trade,” Wellman said.
In coordination with the new team, Gov. Pete Ricketts has scheduled trade missions to Vietnam and Japan in September and Germany in November. In the next year, NDA plans to host visits of multiple international delegations to the state.
Specifically, NDA is working to increase livestock exports to South America, dry edible bean exports to Bulgaria, and pork, beef, dry edible bean and soybean exports to Vietnam.


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Jokowi kicks off oil palm tree replanting program
The Jakarta Post
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visited on Friday an oil palm plantation in Musi Banyuasin regency, South Sumatra to kick off the replanting of oil palm trees.
“In Musi Banyuasin, we will replant oil palm trees on 4,400 hectares as the existing trees are too old,” said Jokowi, who marked the start of the replanting program by planting a young oil palm tree.
The government will distribute young oil palm trees to the growers together with corn seeds to be planted as side crops at the oil palm plantation, he added.
Jokowi told oil palm tree growers that the government was preparing land certificates for forest land that had been converted to oil palm plantations by locals. “We will certify the land, especially those owned by [local] people,” Jokowi added.Read also: 4,000 hectares of palm oil in Jambi to undergo re-plantation program
As the world’s biggest exporter of palm oil, Indonesia produced 35 million tons of palm oil last year, around 55 percent of global production. The country plans to increase production to 42 million tons by 2020 to maintain its global lead.
The replanting program will be implemented in North Sumatra, Jambi and Riau this year, and then Kalimantan next year, Jokowi added.
He said the newly planted oil palm trees would produce 8 tons of palm oil per hectare, more than the 20-year-old trees that produced 2 tons per ha. (bbn)
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A recent New York Times article points out that noncompete agreements, traditionally reserved for high-level executives, are popping up more frequently in surprising industries. Yoga instructors, hair stylists, and camp counselors are being asked to sign away their rights to move around in their industry.
“What started out as a scalpel for companies to protect their very valuable trade secrets and customer lists . . . has turned into a bludgeon that exploits all types of workers,” says Michele Grant, a lawyer who represents creatives, such as artists, authors, performers, and musicians, in Philadelphia.
For companies, the agreements are a way of retaining top talent and protecting intellectual property. People are valuable capital after all. “The people side of the business is one of a business’s most important products,” says Jennifer Bevan, a career coach. This was true for Sandra Contipelli, as she launched her denim company, Siwy Denim, in 2004. As a precautionary measure, she handed a five-year noncompete agreement to her designer. “This was to keep my designer and partner from starting her own line if she were to leave,” she says. “Sort of a dissuasion. I wanted the noncompete to protect our creative intellectual property.”
“You’re trapped. They can treat you poorly; they can pay you poorly. Why give someone a raise if you know they can’t leave? “
While noncompete clauses may be good for a business, they can have serious, long-lasting implications for one’s career. Contipelli found out the hard way; she signed a noncompete alongside her partner.
“I didn’t really think it would ever pertain to me because I didn’t ‘plan’ at that time to ever be uninvolved in the company,” she says. But when the company was purchased in 2009, Contipelli left and had to comply with the terms of the noncompete agreement. As a result, she was locked out of her industry. “I went from one unfulfilling business idea to another in the last five years; only to find myself still longing to be back in the business,” she says.


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Criminal use of malicious software, or malware, to target users of smart phone apps, has increased by 800 per cent in the past four months, according to GetSafeOnline, the government website.
In a common scam, fraudsters hijack victims’ phones to send repeated text messages to their own premium-rate numbers, experts at the site warned today.
Tony Neate, managing director of GetSafeOnline said: “Smart phones are now at as much risk from fraud as computers and laptops, and represent big business for online criminals. The devices are essentially mini laptops with a wealth of personal information.”
According to GetSafeOnline, fraudsters use online app stores to entice smart phone users to download rogue apps that often masquerade as popular and legitimate online games, or even security tools.…


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BIOEFFECT 30 Day Treatment – Intensive Anti-Ageing Serum Daytime – Nourishing Day Cream for Improved Complexion EGF Serum – Cellular Activating Serum
Step inside issue 27 of Schön! by discovering ingenious Icelandic skincare brand Bioeffect, a brand stripped of austere packaging and focusing instead on what’s important: skin. Writer Rachel McCulloch interviews Dr. Björn Örvar, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of the barley-based brand inside the issue.
To read the full interview why not get issue 27 of Schön! magazine in print, online or on your mobile?


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This new rapid COVID test from Abbot promises to diagnose people for the virus in just 15 minutes, rather than the 15 or so days current testing systems require. The government has already put in an order for 150 million of the tests but seeing how well the Trump administration has handled the pandemic so far, rest assured they’ll find a way to shoot themselves (and the CDC) in the foot over this.
What, you thought Bitcoin was just pulled from the internet’s ether? No, it takes electricity and lots of it in order to mine the digital currency. Current estimates put the practice’s global power usage at just over 7 gigawatts.
Even though the COVID quarantines have us stuck inside and glued to our phones more than ever, the pandemic has not been kind to cellphone manufacturers. A recently released study found that global handset shipments have dropped by more than a fifth since March. Apple, unsurprisingly, appears to be none the worse for wear.
Oh my dear Dunning Kruger. I get that countless people on the internet see themselves as self-styled experts in various fields but this takes the cake. A teenager living in North Carolina didn’t let a little detail like having no functional understanding of the Scottish language stop them from authoring more than 27,000 articles — 49 percent of Wikipedia’s entire collection on the subject — on the subject.
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zoom Italy-based shipping company d’Amico International Shipping (DIS) has, through its subsidiary d’Amico Tankers, signed a memorandum of agreement and bareboat charter contract for the sale and leaseback of the MT High Priority.Under the agreement, signed with a company owned by Sole Shipping Special Opportunities Fund II LP, the 46,847 dwt medium range (MR) product tanker would be purchased for a consideration of USD 13 million.d’Amico said that this transaction would generate, net of the reimbursement of the vessel’s existing bank debt, a positive cash effect upon sale of around USD 6.5 million, “contributing to the liquidity required to complete DIS’ fleet renewal program.”Through this transaction d’Amico Tankers will maintain full control of the 2005-built ship, since a 5-year bareboat charter agreement was also concluded with the buyer, with a purchase obligation at the end of the 5th year of the charter period.Furthermore, the company has the option to repurchase the tanker starting from the second anniversary of its sale.DIS’ fleet comprises 55.5 double-hulled product tankers with an average age of about 7.7 years. d’Amico Tankers also has shipbuilding contracts with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for the construction of six Long Range product tankers with expected delivery between the fourth quarter of 2017 and 2018.
SHERWOOD PARK, Alta. — Trans Mountain Corp. has advised construction contractors to get ready for the restart of its pipeline expansion project to the west coast.Trans Mountain says its directive gives contractors 30 days to ready equipment, start hiring workers, secure goods and services and develop detailed plans.The company says work is to begin soon in communities along the right of way between Edmonton and Edson, Alta., and in the greater Edmonton area.Work is also to resume at the terminal in Burnaby, B.C., which is the end point for the pipeline that is to carry oil from Alberta to the coast for shipment to overseas markets.Trans Mountain says specific start dates in the remaining construction areas are subject to final regulatory approvals and permits. The federal government gave a second go-ahead to the expansion project in June after the courts overturned the original approval.The Liberal government spent $4.5 billion to buy the pipeline from Kinder Morgan Canada in 2018 in a bid to get the existing pipeline expanded despite significant political opposition in British Columbia.That plan was put on hold last August when the Federal Court of Appeal said the government had not done a good enough job consulting with Indigenous communities or studying the impact on marine life.Six British Columbia First Nations and at least two environment groups have filed new court challenges.“We are confident that we have a path forward by which the expansion project construction can commence,” Ian Anderson, President and CEO of Trans Mountain Corp., said in a release Wednesday.The Canadian Press
Calgary homes more affordable than national average; RBC AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to RedditRedditShare to 電子郵件Email Among the positives of depressed energy prices — they have improved home affordability levels in Calgary.According to RBC Economics, people looking to buy a home need to budget just over 35 per cent of their pre-tax income to cover the cost of ownership. That includes mortgage payments, taxes and utilities.“It’s still very affordable and below the long run average. So affordability is not a challenge in either Calgary or Edmonton. The bigger challenge obviously, what’s going on in oil prices specifically, but the economy more generally,” says Wright.It’s well below the national average of 46.7 per cent. Chief Economist Craig Wright says owning a home here will likely become even more affordable because it doesn’t appear activity in oil and gas will pick up any time soon.“That sort of masks some of the underlying currents in the housing market. And as we go forward we’ll probably see those price pressures continue to build on the downside and we’ll see weaker prices, which, barring any big hit to income, should contribute to slight improvement of affordability.”Not surprisingly, housing in Vancouver was dubbed the least affordable in the country, with Toronto not far behind.RBC predicts, if current trends continue, single detached homes in Toronto and Vancouver will soon be firmly in the luxury housing segment, available only to wealthy households. Stock photo by Posted Feb 29, 2016 12:23 pm MDT
THIS WINTER WE’RE being treated to some great evenings with pretty red, pink, and sometimes a purple glow in the sky.You were out in force with your cameras this evening to capture the sight. Here are some of you wonderful shots from around the country.
Source: RCCMinternational7. This Joseph who’s more interested in his feet than the birth of Jesus Christ Source: Hannah Sergeant2. This camel who really doesn’t wannaHeads up, falling camel. AH, THE SCHOOL nativity. We all remember the clamour to get some tinsel and a tea towel for our head the night before dress rehearsal. There was always the lucky guy and girl who got to be Mary and Joseph and bring the dolly to the stable. Then there was the tree, or the standard ‘angel’.Then there are this lot, who probably didn’t take up a career in acting or musical theatre.1. This little girl who is giving it her allThough it’s Joseph’s accusing look that makes it. Source: MrConnor058. This Shepherd who just wants to groom his sheep Source: sampani029 Irish Christmas ads that will hit you right in the feelings>11 of the most non-traditional Irish Christmas traditions> Source: Mike Grimm4. These dogs who are sick of it allStop humans, STOP. Source: abi holmes5. This little girl who needs to learn her rangeWe sing, don’t shout. Source: 2kidzlater6. These confused kids doing the 12 Days of ChristmasSO MANY NUMBERS. It gets confusing, OK? Source: Fail Overflow3. This stable that’s pretty unstableWell that’s not ideal.
There’s been a noticeable trend with the latest Android phones that come to Verizon Wireless. The hype machine starts, the fans get excited, the hype machine kicks it into overdrive, the fans become ravenous, and then the device comes out and the fans are left with this bitter feeling towards it. I find this to be particularly intense on Verizon compared to the other three carriers, perhaps because they are the largest network or because LTE drove an exorbitant amount of early adopters to the service. For whatever reason, the trend seems to be pretty significant. Take, for example, the HTC Thunderbolt. That phone got a bad image early on because of some reports that the phone kept being delayed, despite there never being anything official from Verizon announcing the release of the phone.Now, we have the Motorola Droid Bionic, the latest in the Droid line of phones for Verizon Wireless. Last month, we published a story about the upcoming line of “superphones” headed for Verizon, with the Bionic leading the charge. Now that the phone is out, lets see if this phone lives up to the 9 months of hype and guessing.Look and FeelThe Droid Bionic has a very familiar body shape for any users who have owned the Droid X or Droid X2. The top of the device bulges to hold the camera, and slopes in sharply to create the perfect place to place your index finger when holding the phone. The back of the phone is a thin plastic with a soft touch coat on it, which is a stark difference from many of the previous Droid phones. In fact, the entire design to the casing of this phone is different from the previous Droid devices. Gone are the sharp edges and rugged composure in exchange for soft corners and a smooth touch. Even the glass on the Bionic tapers in before it reaches the bezel, giving it a much more polished look compared to the previous Droid phones.The phone is a little taller than the Thunderbolt, though not nearly as heavy. There’s a pair of speakers and a microphone in the back, which the initial plastic coating on the phone explaining that you shouldn’t cover if you want quality phone calls. Other than that, the phone has all of the usual attributes of a Droid phone. The volume rocker and power button are both brighter than standard, almost chromed plastic around the dark but shiny front bezel. The separate mini HDMI and micro USB ports lay side-by-side like the other Motorola phones that are built for the Lapdock.The Bionic is not the thinnest phone out there. It’s not the lightest, either. It pretend to have a unibody construction or curved glass. It is, however, a phone that feels solid and is built to be cradled in your hand, while giving you the piece of mind that it is unlikely to slide out of your grasp. As far as design goes, this is probably my favorite phone from Motorola since they started making Android phones.PerformanceVerizon’s LTE phones so far have been impressive devices in their own right, but when it comes to raw power they pale in comparrison to many of the phones that have come out in the last few months, and certainly don’t hold a candle to what we know is on the way. The Bionic is the first dual-core LTE phone, bringing the line of devices current. Motorola stuck a 1GHz dual-core processor in the Bionic — the TI OMAP, which replaced the Tegra 2 — nestled right next to 1GB of RAM. As if putting the phone alongside many of the Android tablets out there at the moment wasn’t enough, having access to LTE speeds certainly puts the phone pretty close to the top of the Android heap. Now that 50% of the US is wired up for LTE, with major new markets being unveiled later this month, the Bionic is primed to bring a whole new wave of users to LTE.Sitting side-by-side, it’s clear that the Bionic’s processor makes using LTE a much better experience. Content heavy websites load faster, services like Netflix render video more quickly and they clean up any artifacts almost instantly. The Bionic is also able to handle multiple complicated processes faster, such as streaming Google Music and playing a game. Having Android 2.3.4 enables Google Video Talk, which runs very smoothly on the Bionic as well. All in all, the Bionic’s power and speed make using it very enjoyable, and the hardware ensures that the phone will stay relevant for quite a while.The 1735 mAh battery is a jump over the Thunderbolt’s 1400mAh battery, and combined with Android 2.3.4’s battery saving benefits, the phone will get you through a 10 hour day with LTE on the whole time. On wifi, the Bionic got almost 23 hours of life in it before it started giving 5% battery warnings. While it is clear that LTE is still a huge battery hog, it’s good to see that manufacturers are using things like larger batteries to deal with it.The Bloat Boat: Android with MotorolaVerizon is by far the worst when it comes to the sheer volume of apps that come pre-loaded on an Android phone, and the Bionic is no exception to that rule. Stock Android phones, like the Nexus line, come with 19 apps installed, most of them Google apps and the Market. The Droid Bionic came with 60 apps on board. You’ve still got your Google apps, and Verizon has a suite of their own apps like VzNavigator and Verizon’s freshly update Video service, but some of these are just plain and simple bloat. For example, The Video Surf app. If you are into social TV watching, Video Surf is a cool app, but why did it need to come pre-loaded on the Bionic? On top of all of this, Motorola has some of their own apps, like a social networking aggregation, that come with all of the themed phones from Moto.The UI update from Motorola, that one that isn’t called MotoBlur anymore but doesn’t actually have a name yet, is pretty clearly the result of observation. The app drawer now includes a Market button in the to right of the window from Honeycomb, and is now paginated like Samsung phones, though with a much nicer transition from page to page. The homescreen rotates as though each page is a separate panel in a box, similar to how screen transitions in Honeycomb happen. Everything has a window transition or animation now. If you’re loading an app or returning to the homescreen, the experience is much more animated. Even the initial login, where you are asked to sign in to your Google account, rotates from landscape to portrait with a nice animation. The entire experience feel much more fluid compared to Motorola’s previous attempts, creating a much more pleasant experience.The ScreenFor all of the great things this phone has going for it, the screen completely ruins the experience. Motorola’s pentile qHD screen is packed with pixels for sure, but makes viewing any still shot image or even reading a website a painful experience. Pictures taken on the Bionic look absolutely horrible when you go back to look at them, simply because everything looks grainy and pixelated as a result of the screen. If you’re watching a video on the phone, and the phone is more than two feet from you, the video looks as though it has a grid laid over it.The Bionic is more than bright enough, though, even in direct sunlight, and the screen gets dim enough that you aren’t blinding yourself or other when you pull it out in a theater. Compared to the Thunderbolt, the Bionic’s color intensity is a little low, though you only really notice if you place it beside another phone showing the exact same thing.Final thoughtsI really want to like the Bionic. I think it’s got great hardware, and it’s the first Motorola Android phone that feels good in my hand. I’m looking forward to putting this phone together with some of the accessories that have been announced with this phone, like the lapdock or the inductive charger.For $299 on a new contract, it’s clear that Verizon is sticking to the price hike on their premium phones, which makes it hard to compare the phone out the door to devices like the Sensation or the EVO3D. For now, on Verizon, the Droid Bionic os the most powerful phone in their lineup, just as Verizon’s LTE network is stretching across the US, which puts it in a great place to be sold until the “next big thing” comes along.
His advice is not an uncommon cry and for the Dominican Community which is said to have at least 4,000 registered in country, Hernandez said this is a huge loss for them, but not just for them but for the Turks and Caicos. He added, “The TCI is a high class tourist destination, but if things continue going in the current direction, we will lose everything…” The Assistant Consul for the Dominican Community, Edwin Hernandez called the surge in killings, scary. “if the relevant authorities don’t put a handle on this type of crimes, it will come to a point where it will be totally out of hand and will be impossible to control crime.” Juan Carlos Morla was shot reportedly at point blank range in an armed robbery shortly after 3:30pm on Friday October 7, 2016 in an area officially known as Times Square… steps away from two very popular family eateries and steps away from the Public Library. Morla worked in construction in the TCI. Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp Hernandez pleaded with authorities, and said as a citizen he believes it is high time the authorities respond also with better, stronger cases that they can win in the courts. I quote him again, “..please give the general public an answer, but not just saying who they believe did it, but bringing those guilty before the courts with sufficient evidence to secure a conviction.” Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsAppProvidenciales, TCI, October 13, 2016 – Four Dominicans are dead this year at the hands of cold-hearted criminals and that community is saddened by losses. Two women, whose suspect is behind bars awaiting a sufficiency hearing set for next month so that the double homicide trial can begin and two men; both gunned down in separate instances of armed robberies. Police confirm that the 27 year old killed in down town Providenciales last week was Juan Carlos Morla. Related Items:27 year old Dominican male gunned down in broad daylight, danny depaula killed in tci, fourth dominican killed this year in provo
Lightning put on a show over Clark County late Thursday and early Friday, but appeared to spare the region of any damage, fires or headaches, local officials said.About 40 lightning strikes lit up the sky in Clark County, said Andy Bryant, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Portland. Most of those flashed between 8 and 10 p.m. Thursday, he said, largely in east county near Camas and Washougal.Despite the potent storm, fire officials in the two cities reported no major calls associated with the weather.“Frankly, I’m surprised, as prolific as the lightning was,” said Scott Koehler, fire chief at East County Fire & Rescue.Lightning lasted until around 11 p.m. Thursday, and then started again around 5 or 6 a.m. Friday, Koehler said.Though no injuries or property damage were reported Thursday night or Friday morning, Koehler advised residents to remain vigilant. Lightning strikes can cause roots underground to smolder for days before a fire ignites, he said.Camas-Washougal Fire Chief Nick Swinhart was out of town Thursday night, but noted he did not receive any calls notifying him of any major weather-related events. People should stay inside, avoid standing near tall metal structures and remain on the bottom floor, if they’re in a multifloor building, when lightning storms occur, he said.
Papa Murphy’s, based in Vancouver, has 10 locations in Clark County. The company’s take-and-bake pizza is subject to sales tax as a prepared food in Washington.WASHINGTON — Call it the great “take ‘n’ bake” pizza sales tax dilemma.States are grappling with whether sales taxes should be charged for pizzas or other food assembled uncooked in restaurants and sold to consumers who then cook the food elsewhere.In most states, food that’s sold ready-to-eat is taxed; food sold in the grocery store and cooked at home is not.That sounds as complicated as the “candy” definition states had to settle. After grappling with that one for years, the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board, which attempts to regularize sales taxes among states, decided that candy is defined as something without flour in it, and candylike items made with flour as an ingredient are defined as “food.” Most states tax candy or snacks, but not food.That leads back to the pizza issue and Papa Murphy’s Take ‘n’ Bake Pizza company, based in Vancouver, which raised it. The company has stores in nearly 40 states with different policies, and wants the issue settled.Right now, the 24 states that subscribe to the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board’s guidelines are split on whether to tax the pre-assembled but uncooked pizza sold in restaurants, even though a board committee decided uncooked pizza is prepared food. Washington is one of 11 states that consider take-and-bake pizza prepared food, according to Myles Vosberg, chairman of the governing board’s compliance and interpretation committee.
2019 Porsche Macan S: As lovely as ever 24 Photos 78 Photos Land Rover Range Rover VelarStarting at $49,950, the 2019 Velar is clearly not cheap. But this compact SUV feels far more expensive than it really is. Its minimalist design inside and out makes it one of the most aesthetically pleasing vehicles on the road.The Velar delivers a comfortable, quiet ride with reasonable athleticism and more off-road ability than any owner will ever ask of it. More From Roadshow SUVs Crossovers 62 Photos 2018 Nissan Kicks: Appreciating the unconventional Subaru CrosstrekThe 2019 Subaru Crosstrek starts at $21,895, offers standard all-wheel drive, and hey — you can even get it with a six-speed manual transmission. Equipped with the continuously variable transmission, the Crosstrek is pretty darn efficient, returning 27 miles per gallon city and 33 mpg highway.The 2019 Crosstrek now comes with automatic emergency braking on all models, as well as adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across all trims. 2019 Honda CR-V is one of our favorite compact crossovers 12 Photos 24 Photos Subaru ForesterThe Forester still has enough of its tall-wagon DNA to make it enjoyable to drive, yet it offers all the practicality of an SUV, starting at $24,295.Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assistance package is among the best available in this category, and while the rest of the Forester’s in-cabin tech is a little tame, support for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay mostly mitigates that.A number of 2019 model-year upgrades make the Forester an even better offering in the compact SUV space.Originally published March 21. 2018 Subaru Crosstrek: Just as good as before, only better The 2019 Subaru Crosstrek is rugged, practical and affordable 50 Photos Enlarge Image Honda Boy howdy, do American consumers love their crossovers and SUVs. And because many are looking to utility vehicles in place of compact sedans and hatchbacks, we’ve seen a big rise in the number of pint-size SUVs on offer.To that end, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite small-ish crossovers and SUVs. From cheap-and-cheerful compacts to luxury and performance offerings, these are the best small utility vehicles on sale in America today.. And these days, compact offerings seem to be all the rage. To that end, we’ve gathered up some of our favorite small utility vehicles that hit all the sweet spots, from utility, efficiency, luxury and yes, even sportiness. Subaru Meet Roadshow’s long-term 2019 Volvo XC40 Mazda CX-5Starting at under $25,000, the Mazda CX-5 offers tons of style, inside and out.A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine offers 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. Whether in all-wheel or front-wheel-drive guise, the Mazda serves up genuine driving fun and excitement behind the wheel.The post-refresh model is now considerably quieter and better riding than earlier models, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert standard across all trim lines. Volvo XC40A brand-new Volvo for $32,000? Sign us up.The XC40 doesn’t scrimp on kit, even though it’s the cheapest Volvo, coming standard with the Sensus Connect infotainment system and the always-great “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights.Not only does it look good, the XC40 drives really well, too. Fuel economy isn’t the best, but life is full of tradeoffs. Mazda CX-3The smaller Mazda CX-3 can be had starting at $20,390. While it’s been updated for 2019, Mazda didn’t mess with the good stuff. The same 2.0-liter engine is under the hood as last year, though power and torque have increased just slightly.The rear glass is thicker, which should result in a quieter cabin. The LED taillights out back get a new design as well. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on all trims. The base Sport model can be had with an i-ActivSense Package, including such active driving aids as full-range adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and rain-sensing wipers. Volkswagen Tiguan is bigger all around, but still compact 2019 Mazda CX-5 Diesel review: Was it really worth the wait? Volkswagen TiguanThe Volkswagen Tiguan is softer than it used to be, but it’s also much more spacious, comfortable and quiet than the previous generation. The new look is bold, but also very classic VW.VW’s Car-Net and Digital Cockpit are basically scaled-down versions of the amazing Audi tech we’ve been raving about for years.A rare thing among compact SUVs, the Tiggy can actually be optioned with a third row of seats. 2019 Mazda CX-3 is brimming with personality 33 Photos Nissan KicksStarting at just under $18,000, the Nissan Kicks is a lot of car for the money, and can be had with a truly outstanding Bose Personal Plus audio system.The Kicks is a great, honest little crossover — and it’s not too shabby to drive, either.Aside from moderate noise over bumps, this budget crossover is a lot quieter than many of its competitors. 42 Photos Honda CR-VThe latest-generation Honda CR-V features a lot more style, has a roomier backseat, boats class-leading cargo space, and starts at a reasonable $25,000.A strong engine lineup includes a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated base engine with 180 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, or a punchy 1.5-liter turbo with 190 horses and 179 pound-feet. The good thing about the turbocharged engine is that peak torque is available from just 2,000 rpm.The CR-V provides a well-damped ride quality, while also being competent through corners. 2019 Subaru Ascent review 24 Photos Porsche MacanThe Porsche Macan does the small-sporty-SUV thing better than pretty much any of its rivals. It’s handsome, spacious and super fun to drive. Plus, that Porsche badge ain’t for nothin’ — the Macan will outdrive any other sporty crossover on the road today.For 2019, the Macan S got a brand-new turbocharged V6 engine, and some slightly refreshed style. It’s an SUV we’d love to drive every day — and on some of our favorite roads, too. 2019 Mazda CX-5 adds premium style with new Signature trim Tags Share your voice 7 Comments 22 Photos Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography packs 550 hp, high-end trimmings 2019 Subaru Forester: Welcome improvements for an already solid SUV Land Rover Honda Mazda Nissan Porsche Subaru Volkswagen Volvo
Come August and Monsoons shall turn magical in Kolkata, as the city gears up to host the third edition of Monologues, India’s only solo arts festival. The festival, hosted by Phreedom4Ever, an organisation led by Chaity Ghosh, that envisages cultural excellence, is the brainchild of popular elocutionist and theatre actor Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee. Being the only annual solo arts fiesta in the country, the forum has witnessed performances by stalwarts like Chapal Bhaduri (India’s last living female impersonator in performing arts), Saoli Mitra(the legendary actress and daughter of theatre maestro Shambhu Mitra), Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal, Bijoylakshmi Barman and many others over the last two years. The 2014 edition of Monologues shall kick off on 3 August at Swissotel with a solo by Mita Vashisht, who is an internationally acclaimed film personality. This is the first time that Mita shall present a theatrical performance in Kolkata and her act for the evening is called Weekend, a part of the very famous Teen Ekaant by novelist and activist Nirmal Verma, a noted figure in the Indian literary circles. Sujoy has always brought performances out of proscenium to alternative spaces and this festival endorses that. Also Read – ‘Playing Jojo was emotionally exhausting’Monologues 2014 showcases The Solo Room, the youth- section of the festival, on 9 August at Tantra, The Park as a matinee performance. Infact, Monologues is the only national arts festival that has a special segment dedicated to the youth and the arts. The Solo Room begins with an original dramatic act by Soumya Mukherjee, a very popular youth actor and the founder of M.A.D., a key youth-theatre player in Kolkata. Next on the cards shall be a musical solo by Kabir Chattopadhyay, who will entrance the audience with a whole lot western retro. The final act for the evening is a session of original lyrics and songs by the iconic music composer and vocalist Neel Adhikari. The finale of Monologues 2014 shall be on 10 August at Tollygunge Club. The evening begins with a solo comedy by much-admired media personality Anubhav Pal. What follows is a contemporary dance solo by internationally famous contemporary danseuse Paramita Saha, who shall revisit issues of gender construction through her performance. The crowning act shall be by the legendary Indian theatre personality and activist Usha Ganguly, who shall be premiering her new play Rozana, a monologue inspired by works of Franca Rame and Dario Fo. Going solo becomes an expression of a trajectory of emotions that sums up life and art. No wonder, this solo arts carnival has become the nation’s delight.
Justin Bieber is boys with Johnny Manziel, but Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Chris Streveler apparently isn’t a fan.During a recent game against Manziel’s Hamilton Tiger Cats, a Bombers play was spotted just short of the goal line, so Streveler rushed his team to the line to run a quick play repeatedly yelling the audible call, “F— Bieber” which was picked up on a hot mic. They scored on the next play.Watch here. There’s obviously some explicit language, in case you didn’t pick that up somehow.
Windows 10 Preview Build 17035 launches with interesting changes by Martin Brinkmann on November 08, 2017 in Windows – Last Update: November 08, 2017 – 1 commentMicrosoft published a new Insider Preview build today to the Fast Ring channel that brings the build number of Windows 10 to 17035.Work on the next feature update of Windows 10 began some time ago, and new features and changes are slowly being introduced by Microsoft.Windows 10 Build 17035 features a couple of interesting changes that highlight some of the things that will likely land in the next feature update version of Windows 10, out March 2018.Microsoft Edge has a couple of new features that are worth mentioning. You can save free ebooks that are open in the browser now with a click on the new save button. While that was possible previously as well, it involved right-clicking on the link that pointed to the ebook to save it using “save target as” from the context menu.Another Microsoft Edge related change is that you can click on the audio icon of tabs in which media is played to mute the audio directly. This acts as a toggle for audio playback, and will enable playback again when you click on the icon a second time. The option to right-click on the tab to select mute tab from the menu is still there as well.Microsoft did add new options when you right-click on ebooks in Microsoft Edge. These new options include opening the book in the Microsoft Store, pinning it to the Start menu, and refreshing books.Windows 10 build 17035 features a new “near share” option which adds an option to share files and URLs wirelessly with devices that are nearby. The feature works only for PCs with Bluetooth, and users who want to make use of it right now need to enable it under Settings > Notifications & Actions > Add or remove Quick Actions.Work on the Settings application continues. Microsoft revamped the Settings application several times already in the two years that Windows 10 is out, and there is no end in sight for that.The company moved some of the Sound settings from the Control Panel to Settings. You find those listed under Settings > System > Sound. Microsoft notes that this is a work in progress and that things still need to be added and fixed.An option to limit the foreground downloads bandwidth for Windows Update downloads has been added as well to the Settings. This allows you to limit the bandwidth of update operations when you initiate those, for instance when clicking on the “check for updates” button.The third and final Settings change brings an update for the ease of access settings. New sections are available in Display, Audio, Speech Recognition and Eye Control.Other changes in this build:Touch keyboard has an acrylic background in this build, and supports more than 190 different keyboards.The handwriting panel features new animations, and a new button layout. Word recognition has improved, and a new gesture is available to create more space between words (by drawing a split gesture).Japanese IME supports test suggestions from the AI chatbot Rinna in that build.Text suggestions while typing on the hardware keyboard.You can check out Microsoft’s extensive “what’s new” article for the full run down on features and changes in that build.SummaryArticle NameWindows 10 Preview Build 17035 launches with interesting changesDescriptionMicrosoft published a new Insider Preview build today to the Fast Ring channel that brings the build of Windows 10 to 17035.Author Martin BrinkmannPublisher Ghacks Technology NewsLogo Advertisement
Cancun, Q.R. — The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has approved the development of a new inflatable water park for Cancun and several locations in Riviera Maya.The project is that of Float Fun Entertainment, who have been waiting for approval since September 2017. The new inflatable water park, which is called Wibit, will be an attraction of approximately 3,000 square meters.The company says the large-scale floating park will be another regional tourist attraction for the Cancun, Riviera Maya area. The park will consist of several inflatable models that will be anchored to the seabed.According to documents submitted to the government, “The inflatable toys will be presented in various forms such as jumpers, slides, towers with ropes, bridges, domes, curves, narrow channels and half pipes, among others, whose assemblies will form the words Cancun and Playa.”The project will consist of several different locations that so far include Cancun beaches Playa Langosta, Playa Chac Mool and Plaza Forum. In Playa del Carmen, Wibit will be installed at Playa Mamitas, Playa Maya and Playacar. The inflatable water park will also be installed at the beach Tulum Paraíso, in the municipality of Tulum.The anchorage sites of the modules will vary depending on the high seasons of tourism in the area.Last year, a similar inflatable water amusement park was inaugurated in Puerto Progreso, Yucatan on an area of 1,500 square meters, however, the company says the Cancun, Riviera Maya parks will be larger since they expect around 3,000 visitors per week during high season.In March 2016, company Estructuras Inflables Marinas S.A de C.V set up an inflatable water park at Mamitas Beach Club in Playa del Carmen, however, after numerous complaints from water and tourism operators, an inspection found the inflatable slides illegal and unsafe.Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
LUMEDX Corp. offers the CardioPACS 5.0, the latest version of its cardiology PACS software. The multi-modality, Web-enabled and vendor-neutral CardioPACS 5.0 offers new and better ways to manage images and data with a fully integrated suite of applications, modules.With CardioPACS 5.0, physicians can view diagnostic-quality images in real-time from any network-connected PC in any location the OR, cath lab, or in their offices, remote outreach or mobile clinics. The company said the PACS system easily integrates with other systems (EMR, HIS, clinical or other PACS).CardioPACS offers on-demand, real-time workstations where images for multiple clinical areas, such as the cathlab echo, nuclear, CT MR, PET-CT and SPECT-CT can be accessed. The company said the system allows for advanced, integrated analysis tools, such as left ventricle angiography analysis; quantitative coronary angiography analysis; cardiac and vascular ultrasound analysis; and intravascular ultrasound analysis.The system reportedly allows high-speed access, high-quality images using MPEG4 compression algorithms. The system also allows for single sign-on capability to multiple applications using Microsoft Windows Active Directory.July 2008 FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrint分享 News | PACS | August 08, 2019 NetDirector Launches Cloud-based PDF to DICOM Conversion Service NetDirector, a cloud-based data exchange and integration platform, has diversified their radiology automation options… read more News | Enterprise Imaging | July 29, 2019 Philips Announces 10-year Enterprise Informatics Agreement With Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Nancy Philips and Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire (CHRU) de Nancy, a leading academic hospital in the Grand Est… read more News | PACS | August 09, 2019 Lake Medical Imaging Selects Infinitt for Multi-site RIS/PACS Infinitt North America will be implementing Infinitt RIS (radiology information system)/PACS (picture archiving and… read more News | PACS | July 02, 2019 Laurel Bridge and 3M M*Modal Partner to Improve DICOM Structured Reporting July 2, 2019 — Laurel Bridge Software announced an expanded relationship with 3M M*Modal, a provider of clinical docu read more Technology | July 13, 2008 LUMEDX Offers Multi-Modality, Web-Enabled, Vendor-Neutral Cardiology PACS Solution Related Content Technology | Cybersecurity | August 07, 2019 ScImage Introduces PICOM ModalityGuard for Cybersecurity ScImage Inc. is bridging the gap between security and functionality with the introduction of the PICOM ModalityGuard…. read more Feature | Information Technology | June 27, 2019 | By Greg Freiherr Smart Algorithm Extracts Data from Radiology Reports Radiology reports may contain information essential to figuring out a patient’s condition. read more News | Cardiovascular Ultrasound | July 02, 2019 Konica Minolta Healthcare Partners With DiA Imaging Analysis for AI-based Cardiac Ultrasound Analysis DiA Imaging Analysis has partnered with Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc. to expand analysis capabilities of… read more Technology | Enterprise Imaging | July 05, 2019 Hyland Healthcare Adds ImageNext Imaging Workflow Optimizer to Enterprise Imaging Suite Hyland Healthcare is launching ImageNext, a vendor-neutral imaging workflow optimizer that combines intelligent imaging… read more News | Enterprise Imaging | June 27, 2019 Ambra Health Announces Integration With Box Ambra Health announced an integration with Box to enable the sharing of medical imaging directly from within Box’s… read more News | PACS | June 26, 2019 Mini-PACS Solution for Image Management and Workflow Optimization ImageGrid Mini is a feature-rich, reliable and cost-effective image management and workflow optimization solution, pr read more
in Origination, Servicing Prudential California Realty Picks New COO Agents & Brokers Company News Investors Lenders & Servicers Movers & Shakers Processing Service Providers 2012-09-12 Tory Barringer September 12, 2012 439 Views Prudential California Realty has appointed real estate executive Leeann Iacino as COO.[IMAGE][COLUMN_BREAK]Iacino has extensive experience as a leader in the real estate industry, working as a top-selling agent with Moore and Company in Colorado and eventually founding Prestige Real Estate Group, an independent company that amassed more than $1 billion in sales in the Denver-Boulder area. She also worked to merge two leading real estate brokerages in Denver to create one of the region’s largest brokerages, where she went on to serve as CEO.””This has been an extensive search that’s resulted in acquiring an exceptionally talented and accomplished executive,”” said David M. Cabot, president and CEO of Prudential California Realty. “”We’re coming into a market that’s full of extraordinary opportunities; Leeann is a professional with both the experience and the leadership skills to complement our company.””With offices in San Diego, Irvine, and Encino, California, Prudential California Realty offers real estate services to Southern California. Share
in Data, Government, Origination, Secondary Market, Servicing The “”National Association of Home Builders””:http://www.nahb.org/ (NAHB) wants people to know they may not be saving money by purchasing older homes. With higher maintenance and upkeep costs, older homes may not be the bargain they appear to be, warns NAHB. [IMAGE]NAHB compared the cost of owning a home built before 1960 to the cost of homes built since 2008 and found that after taxes, the total cost of owning a home in its first year is about 23 percent more for an equally-priced older home. [COLUMN_BREAK]””Home buyers need to look beyond the initial sales price when considering to buy new construction or an existing home,”” said Rick Judson, chairman of NAHB. “”They will find that with the higher costs of operating an older home, they can often afford to spend more to buy a new home and still have annual operating costs that fit their budget,”” Judson said. Utilities, maintenance and property taxes for homes built before 1960 average about $564 per year, according to NAHB’s assessment, while these costs total about $241 for homes built after 2008. NAHB also touted other amenities unique to newer homes, including “”open space floorplans, creative storage options and entertainment resources that cater to modern lifestyles, as well as the safety consideration that the structure was built and wired to modern codes and standards.”” While there is quite a range of homes built between 1960 and 2008, the home builder group did not release any findings on operating costs for these homes. Agents & Brokers Attorneys & Title Companies Housing Affordability Investors Lenders & Servicers National Association of Home Builders Processing Service Providers 2013-04-02 Krista Franks Brock NAHB Touts Affordability of Newer Homes April 2, 2013 401 Views Share
Buyers First-Time Homebuyers Genworth Genworth Mortgage Insurance Corp. Home Prices Homebuyers homes HOUSING Inventory mortgage Purchase Loans Supply 2018-05-24 Radhika Ojha Housing Demand Declining for First Time in 4 Years in Daily Dose, Featured, News, Origination Homes sold to first-time homebuyers declined year-over-year for the first time since 2014 according to the latest edition of Genworth Mortgage Insurance’s First-time Homebuyer Market Report released on Thursday. The report, which aggregates all publicly-available government data and proprietary mortgage data into one dataset for its results, found that in Q1 of 2018, first-time homebuyers purchased 411,000 single-family homes a decline of 2 percent from the first quarter of 2017. This set of buyers also accounted for 37 percent of single-family homes sold and 57 percent of purchase mortgages financed.“This quarter’s decline in first-time homebuyer sales reflects a slowdown in cyclical momentum as the first-time homebuyer market approached its historical norms,” said Tian Liu, Chief Economist at Genworth Mortgage Insurance. “It also reflects a shortage of available homes priced at or below the median first-time homebuyer market price of $250,000.” Pointing to the continued pressure from inventory shortage, Liu said that while homebuyer demand was easing slightly for the first time in four years, “supply pressures will continue to drive price appreciation and freeze out a large percentage of the 2.7 million first-time homebuyers who are still missing from the market.”The report also indicated an increase in home sales without financing or all-cash transactions, even as purchase loans made by investors increased by 3 percent from last year. These numbers indicated a rise in speculative demand and otherwise a more competitive environment among potential homebuyers.The quarter’s growth of all-cash transactions and purchase loans made by investors also pointed to a market that was overheating according to Liu. “It is becoming increasingly common to see multiple offers submitted on a property, which results in purchase prices surpassing listing prices, as well as inflated home prices, making cash offers more coveted,” he said. “Because first-time homebuyers prefer using debt over cash when purchasing a home, this quarter’s surge in cash purchases is a competitive disadvantage to them and helps explain their pull-back.”Shortage in housing supply, as well as rising mortgage rates, have also contributed to lower home sales, the report found. Yet, contrary to most forecasts, the report said, “we believe that strong first-time homebuyer demand and an insufficient supply increase will keep home prices growing at their current pace.”Looking at future supply trends, the report said that despite the current insufficient response in easing inventory pressure at the lower end of the market, housing supply will continue to expand to meet the strong first-time homebuyer demand. “In addition to new construction, we will likely see the conversion of rental units back to owner-occupied properties, lower vacancy rates, and increased remodelling activities,” the report said.To read the full report, click here. May 24, 2018 599 Views Share
Many people over the years have claimed that the internet would be the end of the traditional bricks and mortar travel agents. Just last week, Webjet managing director John Guscic commented in The Australian Financial Review that “… the underlying role of the traditional travel agent is arguably in decline…”TravelManagers chairman Barry Mayo holds an opposing view and was quick to point out that his company has the internet to thank for its existence.“It was the internet, the great enabler of modern connectivity that created the opportunity for online travel agents to evolve and ironically, it was also the internet and related technology enhancements that created the opening for TravelManagers and the personal travel manager concept to be born,” said Mayo.“Travel is one sector that is very much moving forward. TravelManagers choose to embrace rather than fight the digital revolution and by using the internet as an effective business tool the company has grown and prospered exponentially.”Mayo said personal service is still extremely important in a growing technological world.“With more than 510 personal travel managers throughout the country, TravelManagers – the only truly national home-based host agency, attributes its key to success being the personal and consistent service delivery and the enthusiasm for the tailoring of travel arrangements to individual client’s tastes and demands.“Service is the key in this internet age with the personal travel manager genuinely looking out for what is in their clients’ best interests. Providing individual tailor made experiences, and having your own personal travel manager is what sets a personal travel manager apart from many traditional travel agents and sole online providers,” said Mayo.“TravelManagers is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year business. Our state of the art technology allowing the ability to access and process every aspect of a client’s booking at any time is critical to deliver on our promise of exceptional client service. With our continued advanced technology focus and personal travel manager knowledge and experience, our clients receive the best travel experiences and value for money holidays that is unrivalled in the industry,” he said.Mayo said TravelManagers clearly demonstrates the home-based personal travel manager model, with its blend of online presence and personal service, is the future of the travel industry.“We have just experienced our best every sales month in February to date, and our first quarter sales are also shaping up to be nothing short of exceptional. The results speak for themselves. Personal travel managers are the way of the future, and you can’t argue with that,” finished Mayo. Barry MayoPTMsTravelManagers
RelatedYourGolfTravel.com – from runways to fairways!Golfing holiday company YourGolfTravel.com has already had huge success as a Skyscanner AffiliateTravel industry ‘need not be pessimistic’ about spending cutsTravel industry ‘need not be pessimistic’ about spending cutsFlight Geek of the Week – Dave HilditchFlight Geek of the Week – Dave Hilditch In the recent poll by the flights comparison website, Skyscanner, found that the ‘power of pictures’ has a very strong influence on Facebookers’ travel plans, with more than half (52%) stating that seeing friends’ holiday pictures had inspired them to book a holiday to the same place.Despite the well-worn joke surrounding the boredom of being subjected to other people’s holiday snaps, a whopping 88% of respondents loved to nose through their friends’ shots with half of those admitting to doing so because “they could see what they had got up to and with whom!”.Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner Travel Editor commented:“They say a picture is worth a thousand words and here is the proof. Facebook is the perfect platform for two very powerful influencers of travel; a personal recommendation combined with alluring images. From Orlando to Australia, seeing our friends’ adventures can certainly plant a seed that later leads to a trip to somewhere you never previously thought about visiting.”45% of respondents also said that Facebook encourages them to visit their friends abroad more and despite some recent reports that have claimed FB reduces real life contact, only 5% of people said that being on Facebook actually meant they were less likely to see their friends in person.The Skyscanner survey also revealed that Facebook is playing an increasing part in the organisation of group travel with 46% of people having either organised or been invited on a trip via the site.Join the Skyscanner Facebook page to get info on deals, compeitions and travel banter!ReturnOne wayMulti-cityFromAdd nearby airports ToAdd nearby airportsDepart14/08/2019Return21/08/2019Cabin Class & Travellers1 adult, EconomyDirect flights onlySearch flights Map Sharing holiday snaps through Facebook, the social network with over 500 million users worldwide, is not only helping people stay connected in the virtual world, but also influencing people’s travels in the real world, Skyscanner can reveal.