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Britain's government says access for disabled people in stores is "shocking". The government visited and checked over 30,000 shops and restaurants across the country. They found that many places made it very difficult for disabled people to shop and eat. There were many examples of how difficult it is for disabled people to go shopping. Around 20 per cent of stores had no wheelchair ramps and two-thirds of store staff had no training to help disabled customers. Over 40% of restaurants and 30 per cent of stores had no accessible toilet.
Britain's Minister for Disabled People said it was unfair that the disabled had such problems. He said people with disabilities should be able to enjoy shopping just like everyone else. He told reporters: "Everyone deserves to be able to go...shopping." He added that stores and restaurants lose money because they do not help the disabled, saying: "Businesses are missing a trick by not doing more to tap into this market." He said: "A fifth of the British population has a disability and they…have a spending power of over £200 billion [$310bn]."


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UK: Duchy Originals appoints chairman
Duchy Originals, the UK food maker founded by the Prince of Wales, has appointed Michael Jary as non-executive chairman.
Jary, worldwide managing partner of OC&C Strategy Consultants, succeeds Andrew Cosslett, CEO of Intercontinental Hotels, who stepped down from the position earlier in the year due to heavy travel commitments.
As an adviser to the boards of retailers and consumer branded businesses in Europe, the US and Asia, Jary joins Duchy Originals during a period of significant investment in the business as it prepares for expansion in the UK, US and India.
Andrew Baker, group CEO of Duchy Originals, said yesterday (9 October): "Michael brings to Duchy Originals a broad experience of both the food and retail industries alongside a genuine passion for organic food.
"His clear and dynamic strategic vision will help us to achieve our growth plans and continue our donations to The Prince's Charities Foundation, to which Duchy Originals donates all its profits."
Russia's economy, buoyed in recent years by the country's vast natural resources, kicked off 2009 with something of a whimper. Nevertheless, there is the feeling that Russia's food retail sector could...
Duchy Originals, the organic and sustainable food company established by The Prince of Wales, and actress Elizabeth Hurley are to collaborate on a range of organic foods....
It's been a busy week for just-food with the team in attendance at the IFE at London's ExCel, and then at the Retail Week Conference. Coverage from both events proved popular among readers. Elsewhere,...
Demand for organic food in the UK is holding up despite the recession, industry watchers said today (17 March) and there are signs sales will grow in the future....
Growth in the Italian organic sector almost halved last year as consumers looked to trim household expenditure in the face of mounting financial turmoil, a new study has revealed....
The EU's agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has backed a review of the bloc's plan to promote environmentally-friendly food production....
Clearly Canadian has said that it plans to restructure its debt....
Swiss retailer Coop-Gruppe today (19 February) played down the threat that the imminent entry of German discount giant Lidl could have on its business....
- Comment: Nestle reacts to world of 3G and Buffett
- Why it is too early to call Unilever food revival
- France takes big step to uniform FOP labels
- What the analysts say: The verdict on Danone's Q1
- How will Flowers Foods grow in speciality bread?
- Unilever food, refreshment sales rise
- Organic food sales in US up 11% in 2014
- UPDATE: Danone CEO upbeat on 2015 growth
- Nestle sales rise on emerging markets, pricing
- Nestle in "exclusive" Davigel talks with Brakes

domain: news


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Palm Beach County business notes
Sales tax holiday coming
The 2014 back-to-school sales tax holiday is Friday through Aug. 3.
No Florida sales tax will be due on the sale or purchase of any article of clothing, wallet, or bag, including handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags, but excluding briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags, with a selling price of $100 or less per item.
Jennifer Ross returns to Sunny 107.9
Palm Beach Broadcasting (97.9 WRMF and WEAT, Sunny 107.9) a subsidiary of Digity LLC announced that morning radio host Jennifer Ross is returning to the chair she held for many years on Sunny 107.9 (WEAT) along with her cohosts Deena Lang and Bill Adams.
Jennifer Ross, said, “I’ve come full circle returning to Sunny, a place I’ve always thought of as home. The Sunny audience and I have grown up together, I guess we all have a few life stories to share, be it our kids, grandkids, husbands or in my case, ex-husbands or next husbands! I look forward to waking up with Sunny audience and to this next chapter in my radio life.”
Jennifer, Deena and Bill can be heard on both WRMF and Sunny. This will continue until Tuesday, when Palm Beach Broadcasting will debut a new WRMF morning show, station managers said.
SCORE to honor Entrepreneur of the Year
Palm Beach SCORE will honor one of the the fastest growing economic engines of Palm Beach County: the small business community on Aug. 7 by selecting its first Entrepreneur of the Year from dozens of qualified applicants competing for a $5000 cash award.
The celebration at the West Palm Beach Marriott Hotel will also offer workshops on business success, social media and the opportunity to ask an attorney.
The award luncheon honors Palm Beach SCORE’S first Entrepreneur of The Year - who is building a successful business - and recognizes two runners-up. Event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the cost is $55.
There is also a free morning workshop on starting a business at 8:30 a.m. Call 561-833-1672 to register or for more information.


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(PRWEB) April 13, 2010
SMTD term deposits come with a bonus interest rate of up to 0.25% p.a. for 5 million members of ME Bank’s participating super funds and unions. For example, the three-month term offers 5.75% p.a. for members of participating super funds and unions and 5.50% p.a. for the general public.
ME Bank's participating super fund and union members already earn a discount on their home loan with Super Member Home Loans.
The launch of this preferential deposit product for super fund and union members coincides with the launch of our national brand advertising campaign, which reaffirms the bank’s alliance with the industry superannuation movement.
In another first for the bank, ME Bank is offering all of its customers the opportunity to choose their own flexible term for their deposit.
National Marketing Manager, Bevan Morris, said customers can choose a Term Deposit maturity date to coincide with the achievement of their savings’ goal such as a wedding day, an overseas holiday payment, or a home purchase settlement.
ME Bank is extending its Super Members product range from its current Super Members Home Loans, which has up to a 0.45% p.a. discount for participating super fund members and unions, to other products in the range.
"ME Bank is simply offering additional benefits to members of our participating funds and unions," Bevan said.
"Customers will be offered variable maturity lengths on term deposits from 1 month to 24 months for both Retail and Business term deposits," he said.
"The minimum deposit will be $1,000 rather than $5,000 as per the current product.
"Existing ME Bank customers will also be able to apply for a new term deposit and make modifications to their current term deposits and nominated accounts over the phone (based on certain criteria being met), as well as continue to apply for term deposits online."
"This is a fantastic extension to our product range and will reinforce to our super fund and union members that ME Bank is their bank," Bevan said.
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Bed, Bath & Beyond Inc. reported positive financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2013.
Schimenti Construction Company breaks ground on a $15 million retail shopping development in the Deptford Town Center shopping center in Deptford, N.J.
Bed Bath & Beyond reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Aug. 27 rose 26% to $229.4 million, amid improved sales and contained costs.
Bed Bath & Beyond reported Wednesday that profit for the fourth quarter ended Feb. 26 rose 25% to $283.5 million, compared with $226 million a year earlier.
Bed Bath & Beyond said Wednesday that profit for the quarter ended Nov. 27 rose 28% to $188.6 million, compared with $151.3 million in the year-ago period.
New York City-based Centro Properties Group said that Christmas Tree Shops has opened a 33,500-sq.-ft. store at Wendover Place Shopping Center, in Greensboro, N.C.
Developers Diversified Realty Corp. announced that Bed Bath & Beyond through its Christmas Tree Shops,...
Bed, Bath & Beyond plans to open approximately 55 to 60 stores across all of...
Union, N.J., Housewares...


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Ever since the Elephant Print made its first appearance of Michael Jordan’s third signature, it became a classic aesthetic of Air Jordan sneakers. Michael Jordan wanted his basketball sneaker to look luxurious and Tinker Hatfield achieved MJ’s wish by introducing the Elephant Print. Ironically, the “Wolf Grey” version was one of the most popular Air Jordan 3 colorway of 2014, which was released soon before the model was discontinued. Now, small-footed 23isBack readers should rejoice because one of the upcoming December 2014 Jordan release dates will mark the retail debut of a Jordan Spiz’ike that combines both these elements.
Jordan Brand is all set to release this Air Jordan Spiz’ike GS for all the junior Jordan heads, and of course, this also means girls and women will also be able to slip their feet into this new jordans. Perhaps if some shade of green was a part of the color scheme, maybe somewhat like the OG colorway of the Spiz’ike, then this iteration could be regarded as a more appropriate Christmas release. However, even then, this sneaker tends to give off quite the festive vibes.
The base of the upper is in the same wolf grey hue that was seen on the Air Jordan 3 earlier this year. The wolf grey base of the upper has been combined with black accenting, cement grey panels and Gym Red lining. Beneath the complex upper of this sneaker is a white midsole and a Gym Red outsole, both of which contrast well with the upper. Surprisingly, despite being a GS pair, this version of the Jordan Spiz’ike is quite sophisticated and subtle rather than vibrant and vivid.
Nonetheless, 23isBack readers with small feet will likely want to get their hands on this Air Jordan Spiz’ike GS “Black/Gym Red/Wolf Grey.” Even though December 10 is now amongst confirmed 2014 Jordan release dates that was recently announced by Jordan Brand, this sneaker pair can also be copped on eBay rightaway.
Jordan Spiz’ike GS “Wolf Grey”
Wolf Grey/Gym Red-Black-White
Release Date: December 10th , 2014
GS | $125


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It must have been sometime since most of you shifted to Google Plus. Some of you might also be missing the celebrity tweets on Twitter and the celebrity fan pages and updates on Facebook by now. Many celebrity profiles have sprung up on Google Plus in the last one month but there is no way to verify in they are fake or real as of now. Google Plus has announced plans to introduce a verification system very soon so that only authentic celebrity profiles can remain on Google+. In fact, Google is very serious about authentic profiles and there have been a lot of Google Plus accounts either deleted or suspended in the last month due to the same. So, we at Google Plus Tutorials have created a list of 5 genuine celebrity accounts which you might like to follow:
1. Ashton Kutcher: Hollywood actor, producer, director, comedian and former fashion model Ashton Kutcher has utilized social networking websites for promoting his brand value for a long time now. Kutcher has got more than 10.4 million likes on his official Facebook Page, 7.3 million+ Twitter followers and 670K+ Myspace friends. So, it was not surprising to see Kutcher becoming one of the first Hollywood figures to join Google Plus. 36,016 Google Plus users have Ashton Kutcher in their circles as of now. Google Plus is more popular amongst creative minds as of now and so, most celebrities have not been as popular as creative people. However, Kutcher is the most popular Hollywood figure on Google Plus as of now. We wouild like to remind you all that Kutcher was the first person to cross the one million followers mark on Twitter and so don’t be surprised if he suddenly overtakes the others and replicates his success in Google Plus too. He seems to have realized the Google Plus user base quite well and most of his updates till now are related to tech stuff.
2. Alyssa Milano: Hollywood actress and former singer Alyssa Milano is the second most popular Hollywood celebrity on Google Plus. Her profile was also suspended on 23rd of July suspecting a fake profile but she immediately made a public tweet @google from her official Twitter account asking the reason why her profile was deleted from Google Plus. After the verification of authenticity, Google Plus quickly restored her profile the same day itself. 31,219 have added her to their circles and the number is growing steadily. Though she posts various types of updates including photos, videos and links but most of her updates have been short one liners as in Twitter.
3. William Shatner: William Shatner of “Star Trek” fame is another popular celebrity profile you might want to follow. Shatner was also suspended due to suspicion of fake profile but it was soon reinstated after verification. 32,429 Google Plus users have added William Shatner in their circles and he posts public updates to his stream every couple of days or so.
4. Paris Hilton: American celebrity and hotel heiress Paris Hilton is another celebrity profile you might like to follow. She joined Google Plus on 23rd of July and also made a simultaneous announcement in her official website to make sure it is authentic. She has posted four public updates since then and 10,480 Google Plus users have added her to their circles.
5. Britney Spears: Britney Spears is the latest high profile celebrity to have joined Google Plus. Her first update was posted on July 29 and she has been updating quite regularly ever since. Though there is no official confirmation from her regarding the profile that we know of but most of the updates in the profile are photos from her “Femme Fatale Tour”. The profile looks quite authentic and it has 14,497 followers as of now.
Hope that you like the list above and feel free to follow your favorite celebrities. Except Britney Spears, we are fully convinced about the authenticity of the other celebrities in the above list. So, you can add them to your circles without worrying about following some fake celebrity profiles.
Incoming search terms:
- google plus celebrities
- google plus celebrity list
- google plus profiles to follow
- celebrities on google plus
- google profiles to follow
- google plus celebrities to follow


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Originally posted on Star Tribune on March 7, 2022
A chance meeting between two women brewers at an industry event a few years back has led to big things for Minnesota's women brewers — and beer lovers.
"The initial conversation was along the lines of 'I only know of four women in the state that brew, do you know any more?' " said Jordan Nordby, lead brewer at Utepils Brewery in Minneapolis. "And a year later that turned into 'Let's find as many women brewers as we can and bring them all together to make a beer.' So that's what we did. We have now found about 25 women in the state that are actively brewing."
For three years, the group has been meeting at different breweries to collaborate on a beer for International Women's Day on March 8. This year, the group came to Utepils, and the result is the limited release In All Places.
How do the tastes and styles of a large group of brewers come together in one beer? Collaboratively.
"The hosting brewery gets to decide the style of beer that is being brewed since they know what they will be able to sell to their customer base," Nordby said. The brewer drafts the initial recipe, and others weigh in with feedback on the overall concept of the beer, from taste to naming and label design. On brew day, the women convene to help create the beer while learning about the hosting brewery's equipment and processes.
"We are trying to have brew days two times a year to keep building those relationships," Nordby said.
In All Places — a brown ale that's malty, nutty and biscuity with a touch of sweetness — comes with a nod to its purpose: "Every sip of this delicious beer is a reminder that women belong in all places decisions are made." The beer will debut March 8 in the Utepils taproom at an event featuring live music, raffle and a supply drive for a women's shelter. In All Places also will be available in liquor stores and restaurants; check the "find our beer" page on utepilsbrewing.com.
But that effort isn't the only one.
The women of Lift Bridge, led by lab technician Bailey Larson, have released Free the Bibs, its seventh annual beer for International Women's Day — and the first Dunkelweizen-style beer for the Stillwater brewery.
The beer also was created to raise awareness of women's role in the beer industry, notably that men aren't the only ones "wearing the pants" in brewhouses.
The limited-release beer is on tap at and in crowlers at the brewery, with a portion of the proceeds going to Valley Outreach, a Stillwater nonprofit that provides food, clothing and support to those in need.
And Modist Brewing in Minneapolis is among the breweries worldwide participating in the brewing of Brave Noise Pale Ale, a collaborative effort to provide inclusive and safe environments for women, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ throughout the beer industry.
International Women's Day, first celebrated in 1911, is a global celebration marking the economic, political and social achievements of women.


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As Ford has been going global with the latest Focus, we used to be jealous of how much better the European Focuses were compared to our North American version. And it still is that way…somewhat.
Rumor has it that Ford is considering an RS version of the latest generation global Ford Focus. This hint comes from Gunnar Herrmann, Ford’s global boss for small cars during a small press conference this pas week.
While the outgoing Focus RS had a lot of tire-smoking power going to the front wheels, the new Focus RS will have more power and still have the power going to the front wheels. With the last model already punching almost more than 300 horses, it’s hard to imagine how much more they can push at the wrong wheels without having handling issues. However, with their special MacPherson-based suspension called the RevoKnuckle, the boffins at Ford have somehow made it work on the MkII RS.
“I think we stay with our two-wheel-drive strategy [for the new RS], which I think was well executed [for the previous version],” said Herrmann.
Speaking also of the RevoKnuckle the same sort of technology will be carried right over to the new Focus RS, which is expected to launch sometime in 2013 or 2014.
One change that could be made though with this new Focus RS is the smaller engine. Herrmann admitted himself that the 2.5L Volvo-sourced turbocharged five banger was a great engine, but due to the trend to reduce fuel consumption by using small forced induced engines, the engineers at Ford are heavily toying with getting more power out of the 2.0L turbocharged four-banger in the lower ST.
Ford however still has plenty of time to perfect the new Focus RS. And as I was saying in the intro, there’s no word of its launch here on North American soil. So it may be the same case as it was before, leaving us drooling over the better versions of cars that everyone else gets to enjoy but US. Let’s hope that will change as we get closer to the launch date.
2012 Ford Focus RS:
– By: Chris Chin


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News: Reads from WWW
Wednesday, 16 Jul 2014
Fitbit and Tory Burch recently launched a new collection to hopefully bring the words 'fashionable' in line with 'fitness tracker', and targets people who does not wear a silicone wristband solely because they think it's ugly.
Google has announced the creation of Project Zero, a team of researchers dedicated to uncovering zero-day vulnerabilities, flaws and other security issues that could represent a threat to internet users.
Tuesday, 15 Jul 2014
South Korean site ETNews.com reports that Samsung will be unveiling a metal-clad Galaxy Alpha on August 13 to take on Apple's upcoming iPhone(s). Could the Galaxy Alpha be the same device as the rumored-to-death Galaxy F? Hit the link to find out more!
Following news that production of the iWatch has been delayed, the latest rumors suggest that the rumored 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could be delayed as well until next year.
An update to the Shazam app brings new benefits for Rdio subscribers, including the ability to stream a full track after Shazaming it.
Monday, 14 Jul 2014
If these photos and screenshots turn out to be true, Sony's upcoming Xperia Z3 flagship smartphone isn't going to wow anybody.
With the successful development of its two 18-inch flexible OLED and transparent OLED panels, LG Display is saying that it has now acquired the fundamental technologies for building large-sized flexible and transparent displays.
The availability and dimensions of Apple's upcoming iPhone model have been leaked on Amazon Japan's website.
Friday, 11 Jul 2014
The latest Samsung Exynos ModAP integrates the LTE modem into a single chipset. Besides a quad-core processor, the company is also touting an advanced image signal processor.
According to a well-connected analyst, because of various challenges, mass production of Apple's eagerly anticipated iWatch could be pushed back to as late as November.


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Soon after the launch of its upcoming HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360, Microsoft plans to kick off another initiative to attract movie buffs. The company says starting on November 22, it will begin to make available 1,000 hours of high-definition television shows and movies via its Xbox Live network. TV shows will be offered on a pay-to-own basis, while movies will be available for rental only. Content will be provided by CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, TBS, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. By the end of the year, Microsoft says its selection will include TV shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, CSI, South Park, and Star Trek, as well as movies like Mission Impossible 3, Superman Returns, and The Matrix.
The November 22 date is just five days after the announced launch date for Sony’s PlayStation 3, so it looks like Microsoft is actively working to draw sales away from Sony for the holiday season. Epic Games’ Xbox 360-only title Gears of War will also become available at major retailers on November 12, five days before the PS3’s launch.


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- Image via Wikipedia
The California Composite Index of Consumer Confidence increased to 82.7 in May, slightly higher than the February reading of 81.1, according to a survey conducted by the Anderson Center for Economic Research at Chapman University. May marked the third consecutive monthly increase. An index level lower than 100 reflects a higher percentage of pessimistic consumers compared with those who are optimistic. The survey was unchanged in consumer confidence at the national level during the same time period, according to a similar survey conducted by the University of Michigan.
The index measuring consumers’ spending plans declined nearly 18 points from May to February, while the indices measuring current economic conditions and future economic conditions both increased to readings of 66 and 105.1, respectively. The index measuring consumers’ planned spending on big-ticket items decreased to 71.4?the lowest reading since the first quarter of 2009.


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If vibrators aren’t enough to get you in the mood, and you’re one of those people who find that putting on a condom makes sex less sensational, that might not be the issue anymore as two researchers from Georgia Tech have teamed up to spearhead a new approach to safe sex – digital condoms that literally shock you!
Vice reports that the project is called ‘Electric Eel’, and it’s an open source digital condom wired with electrodes, and hooked up to a micro-controller. Once charged, the condom emits low levels of electrical impulses in an attempt to match the feelings of condom-less sex and increase stimulation.
The researchers hope new innovations in condom technology will help mitigate the epidemic of young people who eschew condoms due to the fact that they can dull sensation.
LIPSTIQ participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
© 2020 Vijandren Ramadass. All Rights Reserved.


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[credit provider=”AP Images”]
After signing a $240 million contract this off-season, Albert Pujols will play his first game as a member of the Los Angeles Angels this afternoon.Certainly the game will be on ESPN or the MLB Network, right? Nope.
OK, well Angels fans will see it on Fox Sports West, right? Guess again.
And Cardinals fans certainly will be able to see the game on the MLB.tv or Extra Innings packages, right? Sorry, no.
Well, what about one of those pirate websites. They have everything, right? No.
That’s right. It is 2012, and between sports television packages and the internet, the game’s best player will make his debut with a new team, and the only people that will be able to see it will be the 9,785 fans in attendance.
It turns out, Fox Sports West had a chance to broadcast the game, but chose a later game instead, with the idea that the star players will play more in the later game.
With today’s technology, it is amazing that MLB can’t put a webcam behind home plate for every non-televised spring game and broadcast it over the internet with just the sounds of the game. Fans would pay for the service. Instead, MLB is robbing their fans of something many would want to see.


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By Tiernan Ray
Wedbush Securities’s Scott Sutherland today reiterates an Outperform rating on shares of Apple (AAPL) and adds it to the Best Ideas list, while raising his price target to $530 from $510, after raising his estimates for the iPhone and the iPad and predicting continued dominance by Apple in the “connected devices” market.
Sutherland also reiterated a Neutral rating on Nokia (NOK) and cut his price target to $6 from $7, as part of a broader review of the wireless market that prompted him to cut estimates for the phone giant.
Based on his “checks,” Sutherland now sees Apple shipping 21 million iPhones in the fiscal Q4 ending this month, up from a prior 20 million estimate. He sees the company shipping 8.8 million iPad units, up from his prior 6 million estimate.
Sutherland also raised his fiscal Q1 estimates, with 26 million iPhone units, up from 23 million previously.
Sutherland writes that demand for Apple’s iPhone 4 “remains strong,” while there is “a large opportunity to increase distribution” of the devices, especially in China. He notes Apple added 42 carriers in the last quarter, but is still below the 600 carriers he counts for Research in Motion (RIMM).
Sutherland expects the newest iPhone to debut in October, along with “an iPhone targeting emerging markets,” to be followed by an LTE iPhone in 2012 with a “materially improved user interface,” without explaining any further. The iPad’s competitors, moreover, will continue to struggle, he writes.
Sutherland raised his estimates for fiscal 2012 to $136 billion in revenue and $32.51 per share in EPS, up from $126.8 billion and $29.13 per share.
For Nokia, Sutherland cut his estimate for this year to $54.3 billion in revenue from $54.8 billion, while leaving EPS unchanged at 32 cents per share. He sees Nokia overly exposed to the “feature phone” market, which are on a declining path.
He also sees the company’s smartphone shipments hit by its continued transition to new devices based on Microsoft’s (MSFT) “Windows Phone 7.”
There are some bright spots, however: The Windows devices may “see good market acceptance over time.” And Nokia may upgrade its feature phones, which “could make them look and feel more like low-end smartphones,” he thinks.
Apple shares today are notching new all-time highs, currently up $7.87, or 2%, at $419.50, while Nokia shares are down 2 cents at $5.85.


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WILMINGTON, MA — The Wilmington Memorial Library recently hosted author Ty Gagne for a virtual visit about on his new book, The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites.
The book is a the true story of two friends on a winter hike on the Franconia Ridge that goes awry, and the search-and-rescue efforts that keep it from becoming a bigger tragedy. Ty is CEO of PRIMEX, a public entity risk pool based in New Hampshire, and a certified wilderness first responder.
Watch the video, courtesy of the Library’s Facebook page, below:
Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Recently, more and more examples of ingenious follow focus systems have found their way from the innovative minds of filmmakers, to the pages of the familiar crowdfunding site ...On June 5, 2012 / By Manuel A. Calle
Quick News – Fresh off Nikon’s publicly released patent application for a constant aperture super-telephoto lens comes a duo of diffractive optic offerings from Canon in the form ...On May 23, 2012 / By Manuel A. Calle
If you thought Olympus had their product teasing fill after sending out those mysterious packages of nuts last month, which ultimately ended up being in reference to the ...On May 18, 2012 / By Manuel A. Calle
Fujifilm has just announced a 0.8x wide-angle conversion lens for the X100 today – an adapter promising to extend the X100’s 35mm equivalent focal length to a wider 28mm without ...On May 15, 2012 / By Manuel A. Calle
If you live in the United States and partake in the selling of cameras internationally, or any electric device with a lithium-ion battery for that matter, and regularly ...On May 12, 2012 / By Manuel A. Calle
Over the course of the past year, a flurry of ingeniously designed camera accessories have graced the pages of Kickstarter, hoping to not only capitalize on the cash ...On May 9, 2012 / By Manuel A. Calle
“Take a Photo” – the words Sebastian Thrun likely uttered before capturing an image of the moment above – an intimate time spent between him and his son ...On May 8, 2012 / By Manuel A. Calle
Every now and again, one of the uber-rare Nikkor 6mm f/2.8 fisheyes make an appearance and set the inter-webs abuzz due to its extreme rarity, unique characteristics and ...On May 8, 2012 / By Manuel A. Calle
The Digital Visual started with the goal to create emotional experiences through the visual mediums of film and photography as well as educate and inform by way of a comprehensive blog detailing industry news and views.
This site is geared around the aspiring digital visual maker and the growing community of independent creatives.


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China Biologic Products Inc. (CBPO) Trading 2.2% Higher
China Biologic Products Inc. (NASDAQ:CBPO)’s share price traded up 2.2% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $114.09 and last traded at $113.03, with a volume of 90,457 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $110.64.
Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of China Biologic Products in a report on Saturday, June 4th. Credit Suisse Group AG upgraded shares of China Biologic Products from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 5th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of China Biologic Products from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 19th.
The company has a 50-day moving average of $110.44 and a 200 day moving average of $115.62. The company has a market cap of $3.14 billion and a PE ratio of 35.35.
China Biologic Products (NASDAQ:CBPO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $85.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $74 million. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 21.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that China Biologic Products Inc. will post $4.29 earnings per share for the current year.
In other news, CFO Ming Yang sold 13,908 shares of China Biologic Products stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total transaction of $1,580,505.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 52,282 shares in the company, valued at $5,941,326.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Ming Yin sold 19,618 shares of China Biologic Products stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total transaction of $2,229,389.52. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 51,419 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,843,255.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here.
Other large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Russell Frank Co increased its stake in shares of China Biologic Products by 69.1% in the fourth quarter. Russell Frank Co now owns 14,104 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,993,000 after buying an additional 5,764 shares during the period. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in shares of China Biologic Products during the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,846,000. Finally, WCM Investment Management CA increased its stake in shares of China Biologic Products by 22.8% in the fourth quarter. WCM Investment Management CA now owns 60,753 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $8,655,000 after buying an additional 11,282 shares during the period.
China Biologic Products, Inc (China Biologic) is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is principally engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and sales of human plasma-based biopharmaceutical products in China. It operates in the manufacture and sales of human plasma products segment. It has a product portfolio with over 20 various dosage forms of plasma products and other biopharmaceutical products across over nine categories.
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With the deadline to become compliant with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) just 12 months away, we explore what this new legislation means for businesses around the world.
The GDPR is a set of rules governing the collection, processing and most importantly, the protection of personal data originating from within the European Union. The GDPR will affect all countries that process data from within the bloc and so, despite the Brexit vote, companies within the UK will still need to become compliant should they wish to handle EU data.
The GDPR seeks to modernise outdated legislation, such as the UK’s Data Protection Act of 1998, which are completely out of touch with how most people use data online. It aims to give the user more rights and knowledge when it comes to how, when and why their data is used. It will give users the “right to be forgotten” and withdraw data from processing, as well as the “right to portability,” allowing users to obtain and reuse any data they have submitted in an easy to read format.
One of the biggest changes the GDPR will introduce is the nature of consent and breach notification policy. Data processors and controllers will now need explicit consent for all data processes undertaken. It is not enough for a user to not say “no” to a process, they need to have said “yes” to a set of clear and easy to understand permissions. Under the GDPR it will no longer be acceptable for permissions to be hidden behind obtuse language or within a product’s terms and conditions, nor will tick-boxes signifying agreement be allowed to be pre-ticked.
The requirement for explicit consent may cause issues with powerful marketing tools such as Google Analytics. Under a complimentary ePrivacy Regulation, third-party cookies, such as those that make Google Analytics function, will also require express consent from within a user’s browser, while first-party cookies, ones that originate from the website that the user is browsing, will be given exemption.
On the other side of the agreement, companies will now be held far more accountable for any data breaches that result in the loss of personal data. If a data breach occurs, companies now have 72 hours to inform the relevant supervising authority as to the nature, and potential harm of the incident. When reporting a breach, companies also need to be clear as to how they plan to protect those affected.
As well as informing the relevant authorities, companies now face a two-tier penalty scheme if they don’t comply. These fines may see companies lose up to 4% of the previous years turnover, with a minimum tier-one penalty of £17.25m. The numbers threatened by the GDPR are far greater than the UK’s current maximum fine of £500,000 under the Data Protection Act.
Keeping a Tight Ship
Once collected, data will then be strictly protected within the web of countries that are GDPR compliant. If a country does not meet the GDPR then it cannot handle data relating to EU citizens, removing any potential leaks that may have resulted from mismatched data protection policies.
The GDPR also makes “privacy by default” product and service design mandatory. In the future, security of data will need to be the first consideration during the design process of any product or service if they are to be used within the EU.
But What About Brexit?
The UK’s upcoming exit from the European Union will have little impact on whether UK companies need to abide by the GDPR or not. The UK government has already stated that they believe the new laws to be best practice for companies in the UK. Furthermore, the GDPR applies to any nation handling data originating from the EU, it does not only concern nations within the EU bloc itself and so it’s important for UK companies to be aware of these new rules.
There is a problem with this however. The Investigatory Powers Act of 2016 is in near direct violation with the GDPR due to its interception and storage of data without knowledge or consent. Digital communications through WhatsApp, Facebook, email or similar are considered confidential personal data by the GDPR’s partner legislation, the ePrivacy Regulation, and so cannot be stored without consent. There has been no word as to how these two policies will co-exist. If indeed they can.
Looking to the Future
The GDPR means a lot of change for business across the world. With all processing of data from the EU requiring GDPR compliance, no matter the location of processing, we may well see a similar set of rules become commonplace world wide. Companies in the UK especially should begin analysing their current data protection strategy, to ensure they are compliant come the introduction of the GDPR on May 25th 2018.


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Apple 74 on Info Tech 100 Business Week has released its Info Tech 100 Scoreboard, which lists "which IT companies are the biggest, the fastest-growing, most profitable, or have the best returns"; Apple ranked #74. More.
Apple and enterprise success A MacNewsWorld article discusses the "Five Steps" Apple needs to take to ensure success in the enterprise market: "What steps can the company take to inspire CIOs and IT managers, many of whom already have invested in non-Apple infrastructure, to 'think different' and consider its products for corporate workgroups and data centers?" More.
FTC won't create no-spam list According to IDG News Service, "The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will not immediately start a national do-not-e-mail list, despite a law passed last year that calls for the agency to develop a plan for such a list." More.
What's new in Entourage 2004 TidBITS has released their latest e-book, Take Control of What's New in Entourage 2004. The press release states, "If you use Entourage 2004 (or are considering upgrading), you need this ebook to make the most of Entourage's new and enhanced features." More.
FireWire compliance testing available to WWDC attendees Apple has announced that registered WWDC attendees can have their FireWire devices tested without the usual fees, simply by bringing the devices to the conference. A page describing the program states "The 1394 Trade Association will conduct compliance testing for free, and if your device passes, they will award you the FireWire compliance logo (a small processing fee will be charged if the logo is used)." More.
Previously on MacFixIt:
- Safari: More solutions for connectivity issues; Problems with Yahoo! Plus e-mail
- Mac OS X 10.3.4 (#14): AirPort disconnects sometimes solved by disabling network time; Reminder for Epson printers
- Odds and Ends: Increased .Mac spam; Terms of service for iTunes music store differ between countries
- New and Noteworthy: Apple launches European iTunes music store; Maxtor, LinkSys team for wireless hard drive


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Spotify has acquired Podz, a startup which generates preview clips of podcasts. Podz uses machine learning trained on over 100,000 hours of audio, automating the process of creating highlights to draw in new listeners.
- Spotify has acquired Podz, a startup whose technology generates preview clips of podcasts, the streaming service has announced.
- Unlike other services podcasters can use to manually create clips, TechCrunch says Podz automates the process of finding key moments from episodes using machine learning trained on over 100,000 hours of audio.
- The acquisition is aimed at improving podcast discovery, letting users browse short clips rather than 30-minute plus podcast episodes.
- Spotify says this will make it “easier for listeners to find the content they want to listen to, and for creators to be discovered and build a fan base.” Podz tells TechCrunch that users on its platform typically follow up to 30 podcasts, up from an average of seven.
- Although Spotify isn’t planning on taking its 5 percent cut of subscription revenue until 2023, eventually it’ll have a direct financial incentive to encourage its listeners to find and subscribe to as many podcasts as possible.
Read the complete article at: www.theverge.com


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News Monolith Soft & Xenoblade Staffers Show 1st Gameplay from New Wii U Game
posted on 2014-02-13 19:40 EST
Friday's live-streamed Nintendo Direct presentation unveiled new footage from Monolith Soft's new title for Wii U.
Monolith Soft announced last year that at least two of the staff members are from Squaresoft's Xenogears game and Monolith Soft's subsequent Xenosaga trilogy: Monolith Soft head Tetsuya Takahashi (Xenoblade Chronicles) serves as the executive director (or chief director) of this new game, and Kunihiko Tanaka (Ichigeki Sacchu!! HoiHoi-san, Key the Metal Idol, Ruin Explorers, Sands of Destruction) is designing the characters. Joining them is musical composer Hiroyuki Sawano (Blue Exorcist, Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings, Mobile Suit Gundam UC).
[Via Hachima Kikō]


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After launching a new cloud hosting platform in Singapore, Internet Vikings has expanded its footprint within the South East Asian region.
The new platform will enable Internet Vikings to improve its offering throughout the region to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), iGaming operators and e-commerce platforms.
Largest tech hubs of South East Asia
Victor Jerlin, Internet Vikings CTO commented: “We are very excited to expand our network into one of the largest tech hubs of South East Asia to serve an active community of businesses and organisations with our VMware backed cloud hosting.
“With the new data centre in Singapore, Internet Vikings is improving the quality of its services to customers operating in Asian market by ensuring redundancy and low latency.”
The opening of its new data center would also “provide better performance and more direct connectivity options for latency-sensitive customers that require higher bandwidth,” according to the European global cloud hosting company.
Internet Vikings built its presence in the ASEAN countries’ markets in 2020 and opened a data center in Taipei.
Seven hubs around the world
The business now has seven hubs around the globe, including Amsterdam, Oklahoma City, São Paulo, Stockholm and Sydney, including its centers in both Singapore and Taipei.
Peter Ekmark, CEO of Internet Vikings, added: “The data centre in Singapore is the first one on the list of points of presence we are opening this year, but definitely not the last one.
“Our plan is to maximise our network following the vision of Internet Vikings – to be a leading managed service provider in hosting and online brand protection.”


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According to a new study by Dynamic Logic, audio can greatly increase the awareness of online advertising. The news is reported today on MediaPost, explaining that the study, which was conducted for BabyCenter LLC, found that advertisers experienced 15 percent to 168 percent lifts in awareness by incorporating audio into the creative of ads. A few doubts… - Many people surf the Web at work with the audio turned off… - Many times audio might get annoying instead of interesting to users’ ears. In a way, it’s like pop-ups: an unexpected audio might disturb your quite navigation, taking your attention away from the content you are reading.
adidas advergame advergames advertainment advertising ambient marketing australia belgium best brazil coca-cola email marketing facebook fashion france germany google heineken ikea infographic italy japan marketing mobile content mobile marketing msn nike nokia online ads online advertising online campaign online marketing print advertising rich media samsung sms spain sweden tvc twitter uk video of the day viral marketing volkswagen wieden + kennedy


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Incorporated MA recently unveiled that along with PayPal
Holdings, Inc. PYPL, it continues to expand the global presence of PayPal Business Debit Mastercard. The debit card offering has now been extended to four new countries of Europe — Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The card is already in use across the United States and several European countries.Shares of Mastercard lost 2.4% on Sep 2, replicating declines in broader markets.Coming back, the card, which was first launched across the United States almost two decades ago, does not carry any monthly fees, foreign exchange fees and has a meager ATM withdrawal charge.The PayPal Business Debit Mastercard enables small businesses to undergo eligible spending and earn cash back rewards. Besides, small businesses can enjoy rapid access to their available PayPal funds either through online means or at Mastercard-accepting stores.The recent move reinforces Mastercard’s continuous efforts to bolster its presence across Europe. Mastercard and PayPal have been making efforts to roll out their debit card offering over the past two years in a bid to benefit small businesses in Europe. The card is mainly utilized for buying digital marketing services and retail goods for inventory and supplies across European markets, where it is currently in use.Mastercard has been the preferred choice of partner for companies owing to its strong brand name, local knowledge, extensive network and global presence. The aforementioned factors are primarily the reason behind PayPal’s choosing Mastercard for issuing debit cards to PayPal’s business clients globally. The partnership with Mastercard will enable business customers of PayPal to incur expenses from PayPal accounts across Mastercard acceptance locations of more than 52 million across the globe.The latest partnership reflects yet another significant endeavor of Mastercard in helping small businesses. This initiative comes at an opportune time as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the smooth functioning of small businesses’ operations. The PayPal Business Debit Mastercard can tap the prevailing scenario as it equips owners of small businesses with accelerated and seamless access to funds and earn cash back, resulting in enhanced business growth prospects.Mastercard has always been committed to providing necessary assistance to small businesses, ranging from offering technological assistance to helping them in rolling out new products and enhanced payments solutions. It has also partnered with several financial institutions and undertaken substantial investments for supporting growth prospects of small businesses. Through these initiatives, the company aims to bring more small businesses under the ambit of a growing digital economy.Zacks Rank & Price PerformanceShares of Mastercard, which carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), have gained 1.9% in a year against the industry’s decline of 6.1%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchStocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks in the financial transaction services space include EVERTEC, Inc. EVTC and Equifax Inc. EFX, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.EVERTEC and Equifax have a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 28.42% and 17.71%, on average, respectively.Bitcoin, Like the Internet Itself, Could Change EverythingBlockchain and cryptocurrency has sparked one of the most exciting discussion topics of a generation. Some call it the “Internet of Money” and predict it could change the way money works forever. If true, it could do to banks what Netflix did to Blockbuster and Amazon did to Sears. Experts agree we’re still in the early stages of this technology, and as it grows, it will create several investing opportunities.Zacks’ has just revealed 3 companies that can help investors capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly.See 3 Crypto-Related Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Mastercard Incorporated (MA): Free Stock Analysis Report Equifax, Inc. (EFX): Free Stock Analysis Report Evertec, Inc. (EVTC): Free Stock Analysis Report PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei "Zacks"


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Facebook has plans to give hands-free communication a BIG upgrade. The social media company is working with researchers to develop a wearable device that gives people the ability to type with their thoughts. That’s right — Facebook is working on a mind-reading computer. And the company just got closer to making that technology a reality. Researchers from the University of California found in a study they were able to use the brain-computer interface to decode speech directly from the human brain onto a screen. But don’t get too excited about never having to type with your hands again, Facebook says the technology won’t be available to consumers anytime soon. To learn more about Facebook’s experimental technology, visit the link in bio.


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THE marketplace Shopee, from Singapore, laid off about 50 employees this week, according to Estadão. The contingent is considered low compared to the company’s approximately 1,500 employees in Brazil. This same week, Ebanx also reported changes in the operation, which culminated in the dismissal of 20% of the staff. These are new examples of the difficulty that technology companies have been facing to expand business in the country.
Shopee’s layoffs were reported on the Layoffs Brasil website, which reports employee layoffs from startups and other large companies. The move comes after the company ended its unrestricted free shipping policy for consumers.
In early June, Shopee started to deliver the benefit only for purchases at official stores, which offer coupons for purchases over R$29, and with a delivery fee below R$20. When the products in question do not have the label , coupons for discount on delivery are only valid on purchases over BRL 59 (before, it was BRL 50). It also offers free shipping in seasonal campaigns; the next one will be on the site’s anniversary, on July 7, which will have around R$ 6 million in discount coupons.
According to the report, Shopee also dismissed about 100 temporary service providers who worked in a distribution center in Barueri. The workers were outsourced to the HR company GiGroup and did not have their contracts renewed.
Sought by Estadão, Shopee declined to comment on the case. O Canaltech also contacted the company, which responded with the following clarifications:
In just over two years in Brazil, the company already has more than 2 million registered Brazilian sellers, reinforcing its commitment to the development of local entrepreneurship, and more than 1,500 employees in the country. To support its expansion, Shopee opened, in April this year, its second office, which occupies four floors of a building in Largo da Batata.
The company’s headquarters are located at Av. Faria Lima, also in São Paulo, reinforcing its investment in the local economy and growth of the platform. Currently, Shopee has more than 100 vacancies, which strengthens different areas of the economy. The company, based in the city of São Paulo since 2019, emphasizes that it complies with all local legislation, including the payment of taxes. About employee movements are routine and periodic actions that are part of the business. Shopee maintains its strategy and commitment to Brazil.
The Shopee crisis in Brazil and worldwide
According to Estadão, free shipping for all Shopee purchases in Brazil helped expand the customer base, but proved unsustainable in practice. As a result of the end of the feature, many customers criticized the company on social media.
Shopee is also criticized for allegedly colluding with the sale of imported products without complying with all legal fees and requirements in the country. In addition to Asia, the Argentine Mercado Livre, the American Wish and the Chinese AliExpress and Shein were accused at the time. The companies denied the allegation.
Outside Brazil, the company also faced problems. With only a few months of operation in India, the Singaporean ended operations in the country in March. According to the company, it was due to the uncertainty of the global market. However, the press reported that she had poor growth prospects in the Indian market and was impacted by the gambling ban. Free Fireowned by its parent company, Sea Group.
THE fintech Ebanx, a city of Paraná, informed on Tuesday (21) that it is reviewing its operation, with restructuring of structures, closing of projects and a reduction of around 20% in the staff of more than 1,700 employees.
“The decision was made based on the current scenario of the technology market as a whole, impacted in a profound and fast way by the macroeconomic environment. Ebanx remains committed to its sustainability and growth, following the mission of generating access between consumers and global companies “, the company told G1. O Canaltech also sought out the company and is awaiting a position.
Founded in 2012, Ebanx operates in 15 Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Argentina. In 2019, it became a unicorn company (with a market cap of over US$ 1 billion) and in recent years it has maintained a plan to expand across the region. Its last contribution was US$ 430 million (R$ 2.2 billion) in a series B round, in June last year. In December, I had bought the fintech Online Remittance for R$ 1.2 billion.
Startup crisis progresses
Also according to the website LayOffs Brasil, the cuts announced by Brazilian and foreign startups have already surpassed 1,900 layoffs since March. Possible reasons are the global macroeconomic crisis and the increase in interest rates caused by the post-covid recovery and the war in Ukraine, which have alienated investors.
In June, Kavak, a Mexican used car sector valued at US$ 8.1 billion (R$ 41 billion) in 2021, has laid off Brazilian employees since March – Exame mentioned 150, and Estadão, 300.
Other recent examples were:
- Fifth floor laying off around 160 employees in April;
- Loft laid off 159 people in April after completing the integration with CrediHome;
- Spanish Cabify announced end of operations in Brazil last year;
- American Uber eats stopped working in Brazil in January of this year;
- easily laid off more than 1,000 people after surpassing US$ 1 billion;
- Bitso, a Mexican in the cryptocurrency market, laid off 80 people globally, including in Brazil;
- Domestika, an American provider of online courses, laid off 200 around the world, with 40 cuts in Brazil;
- Favo, a Peruvian online supermarket, ended its operations in Brazil in early June, laying off 171 people in the country;
- Olist laid off approximately 150 employees at the end of May;
- Grupo 2TM, owner of Mercado Bitcoin, laid off 90 of the approximately 750 employees.
Source: Estadão (via MSN), G1, Neofeed, Layoffs Brasil


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PURCHASE, N.Y. -- The Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter is working to help boost the food supply at the Food Bank for Westchester during Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month in June.
The organization is undertaking the effort in part, because Alzheimer’s caregivers are 28 percent more likely than other people to eat less or go hungry, according to a recent report by the Alzheimer’s Association.
In light of this disturbing figure, donors are asked to bring food to the Alzheimer’s Association’s office at 2900 Westchester Ave., Suite 306, Purchase.
The most needed items include beans (canned or dry), cereals (whole grain), canned meat or fish, canned meals (low-sodium), canned or dried fruit, milk, pasta and rice.
Donors should look for labels that say: No sodium, no salt added, no sugar added, unsweetened, reduced sodium, 100 percent fruit juice or lite.
Call 914-253-6860 with any questions about the food drive.
"We feel it is very important to help and support the Food Bank for Westchester,” said Jennifer Scheuermann, interim CEO for the Hudson Valley chapter, “They are an outstanding and needed resource for the Westchester community."
Caregivers can call the Alzheimer’s Association Helpline for assistance 24 hours a day at 800-272-3900. Additional information on the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter is available at alz.org/hudsonvalley .
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Massive recalls on toys from China because of lead sparked Congress to pass legislation that requires specific lead testing on products for kids.
The new law is confusing, and many Utahns think it will put them out of business.
Business owner Kristin Brandt sells handmade diaper clutches, diaper bags and plush toys. She says she will close her business in a month. She says, "I'm gonna close. I'm going to stop making children's items."
Kara Aina, also a business owner, asked, "Who's going to spend $100 to buy a diaper cover?" That's how much Aina estimates it would cost to get her product tested. She can't afford it, but she can't afford not to make these. She says, "This subsidizes our income. This is swimming lessons and gas in our tank."
What's really frustrating to these small business owners is the fact the new legislation is hard to understand. We called the local branch of the Consumer Protection Agency for answers but got no comment. So we called Utah Consumer Protection and U.S. Attorney's office and also got no comment.
Here's a response from Scott Wolfson, a federal spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission: "If you are calling with the media in regards to the Consumer Product Safety Act, please know that we are unable at this time to do individual interview requests."
All these women agree, it's really the consumers who will miss out. Business owner Jennifer Sanders says, "I have so many customers that say I just love that my daughter wears something a little bit different."
And though this law is meant to protect children, these mothers agree it's targeting the wrong businesses. Brandt says, "I'm always going to trust handmade toys over big box, mass-marketed toys."
The federal government enforces the act.


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Globalisation of Australian Manufacturing
Recent Changes in the Australian Manufacturing Industry
Over the last 25 years, the Australian manufacturing industry has moved from a protected environment to an open global environment.
CSIRO’s Advanced Manufacturing roadmap recently concluded that the focus for Australian manufacturers should now be on created an integrated, collaborative and export-focused ecosystem.
Global collaboration using Australia’s specialised resources is the industry’s future.
Ideally, this means innovative products can be produced that would not have been possible using only Australia’s manufacturing resources.
It makes good business sense and allows Australian manufacturers to compete on the global stage.
The Importance of Collaborative Manufacturing for Romar
The Romar team are highly skilled in certain areas of manufacturing, such as silicone and plastic micromolding. We have focused on becoming experts in these niche areas over the years.
We realise other manufacturers have their own specialities, so we often combine our strengths to achieve a goal for customers in Australia or overseas.
For example, we partner with MiniFab in Melbourne who specialises in disposable polymer microfluidic and microengineered products.
We currently manufacture a specific silicone part for them here in Sydney, send it to them in Melbourne to complete the manufacturing process and then they send the completed product onto their customer in the USA.
This product would not have been possible without global collaboration and combining our expertise.
Roadblocks to Globalisation in Australia
Romar founder, Neil Wilson, believes what the government is currently doing to re-establish manufacturing in Australia is not significant enough.
He also believes that the government does not have a deep enough understanding of how the industry works and what it needs to survive on the global stage.
Research and Development (R&D) grants have increased in recent years however subsidies for manufacturing did not follow suit.
At Romar, we see global collaboration as a way forward. It enables us to share risks and to manufacture products that would not otherwise have been made using only Australian resources.


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- OK, bookworms, now you can declare Armageddon: Kindle e-books have overtaken paperback books as the bestselling type of content in Amazon's bookstore.
Amazon made waves when it announced in July that Kindle content was outselling hardcover books. But industry analysts quickly dismissed that milestone, pointing out that paperback books sell far more copies than pricier hardcovers.
E-books have now vanquished their paperback rivals as well.
"This milestone has come even sooner than we expected -- and it's on top of continued growth in paperback sales," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a prepared statement.
In fact, for every 100 paperback books sold, Amazon has sold 115 Kindle books since the beginning of the year, the company said.
Amazon reported record quarterly sales of $13 billion for the three months that ended Dec. 31, up 36% compared to last year. Earnings also topped Wall Street's estimates, with net income of $416 million, or 91 cents a share.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were looking for 88 cents a share on $13 billion in revenue.
Sales in the Canada and the United States jumped almost 50% from a year ago, while international sales climbed 26%.
Though the results were solid, investors were rattled by the online retailer's guidance for the current quarter.
Amazon expects sales to come in between $9.1 billion and $9.9 billion, but it anticipates that its operating income will decline. It set a very wide range for its forecast, saying it expects operating income of $260 million to $385 million -- which would be down a mild 2% or a whopping 34% compared to last year.
For the full year, the Seattle-based company booked a profit of $1.15 billion, up 28% from 2009, as sales increased 40% to $34.2 billion
Amazon has never revealed sales figures for the Kindle. Price cuts late last year brought the most basic version down to $139, and Kindle apps are now available for a wide variety of devices -- including the iPhone, iPad as well as BlackBerry and Android phones.
Beyond the Kindle, other dedicated e-readers include the Barnes & Noble (BKS, Fortune 500) Nook, the Sony (SNY) Reader, and Borders' Kobo.
-CNNMoney staff reporter Hibah Yousuf contributed to this report.
Americans are transforming how they eat -- paying more attention to the origins of their food and how it's made. And Kimbal Musk is at the forefront of a movement that is accelerating the rate of change. More
The Labor Department releases its August jobs report on Friday, and it will have big implications for the Federal Reserve. More
The Samsung Gear S2 is a smartwatch that will make both gadget lovers and watch lovers happy. More
The BauBax travel jacket, with 15 built-in features, needed $20,000 on Kickstarter, but got $9 million. More
Pimco's famous fund once managed by star manager Bill Gross has less than $100 billion in management for the first time since 2007. More


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Reposted from Siemens' YouTube channel.
"Job shops are facing the digital adoption challenge across two fronts — toolroom and production. The transition across the business will be difficult for job shops, especially for owners that do not have teams of engineers and IT specialists to help them evaluate and integrate new, digitally-enabled machining operations.
As a first step to help shops on the toolroom side, TRAK Machine Tools developed a line of machining centers, powered by the company’s popular ProtoTRAK® CNC. Now the company is introducing an all-new line of production-level machines empowered by the Siemens SINUMERIK ONE “digital twin” CNC platform.
Developed from the ground up, SINUMERIK ONE is the first CNC system to master the challenges of digital transformation in the machine tool industry. Real-world machining processes and machine tool behavior can now be simulated in the virtual world thanks to the digital twin. Job shop owners know digitalization is coming — now they have a familiar and trusted partner to help them meet their challenges." ~ Siemens


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Earlier this year, IBM put out the call for developers to come up with the best way to use Watson's talents within mobile apps, and now the winners have been selected.
The winning submissions include apps focused on health, children's interaction with tech, and improving the retail experience, IBM's senior vice president, Mike Rhodin, announced today.
The first winner of the IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge is GenieMD, a Pleasanton, Calif.-based firm that created an app allowing users to better manage their health using information about symptoms, medication, and a more detailed conversation between a patient and healthcare provider.
Manhattan-based Majestyk Apps, meanwhile, created the Friendly Anthropromorphic Network Genome, or FANG, a plush toy that pairs with a tablet to help children grow through better interactions with technology.
Finally, London-based Red Ant proposed linking Watson with its RetailOS app, which helps retailers get a better idea of what customers are looking for while they shop via demographics, product reviews, and prices.
The final three companies were chosen based on criteria such as the overall impact of the app, how it would best incorporate Watson, and a clear vision of how it addressed a particular situation for its target market. All three companies will join the Watson Ecosystem Program and get help from IBM insiders to bring their apps to market.
The competition began in February with over 400 proposals on how companies could use Watson in their app. From that field, 25 finalists were chosen to build an actual prototype for their app, and the top five companies were picked to present at the IBM Innovate Conference(Opens in a new window), going on now in Orlando.
The competition was part of the IBM's $1 billion investment in the Watson Group, which is focusing on the research and development of apps and services powered by Watson that can be released publicly. The supercomputer first made headlines in 2011 when it took on Jeopardy champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Watch the videos below to learn more about the companies that won the competition.
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Auto demand levels expected to continue tapering from 2Q results
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Nov. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On an unadjusted volume level, November US light vehicle sales are expected to advance mildly from the strike impacted levels of October but remain absent of any momentum. S&P Global Mobility projects sales volume of 1.23 million units for November, which would translate to a seasonally adjusted sales rate (SAAR) of 15.5 million units for the month, even with the month-prior level.
"While the end of the UAW strikes provides some potential relief to those automakers impacted, the ever-present affordability concerns remain prevalent for the foreseeable future," reports Chris Hopson, principal analyst at S&P Global Mobility. "Over the course of the next few months, it's difficult to imagine auto sales getting a jump start from the current pace of demand, with the upshot being a bounce in early 2024 production creating a progression for inventory and incentive levels to develop come spring of 2024."
New vehicle retail advertised inventory listings peaked in mid-October just shy of 2.5 million units and have seen a slight decrease since then – from an end-of-October level of 2.35 million units to about 2.3 million in mid-November.
"As of mid-October, there was still more advertised dealer inventory of outgoing 2023 model year models than incoming 2024s, and the 2024 model year inventory was growing at a faster rate than the 2023 model year sell-down," said Matt Trommer, associate director of Market Reporting at S&P Global Mobility. "But as of mid-November, that tide seems to have reversed; there are now fewer 2023s (about 955,000 units) than 2024s (about 1.34 million)."
US Light Vehicle Sales
Nov 23 (Est)
Total Light Vehicle
In millions, SAAR
In millions, SAAR
In millions, SAAR
Source: S&P Global Mobility (Est), U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Continued development of battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales remains an assumption in the longer term S&P Global Mobility light vehicle sales forecast. In the immediate term, some month-to-month volatility is anticipated. October 2023 BEV share is expected to reach 7.8%, similar to the month prior reading and pushing year-to-date BEV sales growth to an estimated 47%. BEV programs previously expected for stronger launches in Q4 2023 have been delayed to 2024, creating opportunity for BEV share advances beginning early next year.
Electric vehicle retail advertised inventories (not including Tesla) also peaked in mid-October at 135,000 units and have declined slightly since then. Most BEV nameplates have reached an inventory plateau and flattened off.
About S&P Global Mobility
At S&P Global Mobility, we provide invaluable insights derived from unmatched automotive data, enabling our customers to anticipate change and make decisions with conviction. Our expertise helps them to optimize their businesses, reach the right consumers, and shape the future of mobility. We open the door to automotive innovation, revealing the buying patterns of today and helping customers plan for the emerging technologies of tomorrow.
S&P Global Mobility is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity, and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help many of the world's leading organizations navigate the economic landscape so they can plan for tomorrow, today. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/mobility.
S&P Global Mobility
248.728.7496 or 248.342.6211
SOURCE S&P Global Mobility


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Following the KX-6000 series x86 processor won the “Shanghai Design 100 plus” awards, The china’s Zhaoxin CPU recently won the 2020 global “Silicon 100” award, becoming one of the eight Chinese enterprises listed , this is the third time Zhaoxin is on the Chinese IC Design Achievement Award award stage.
According to officials, the China IC Design Achievement Award has been held for 19 consecutive years and is one of the most important technical awards in China’s electronics industry.
Silicon 100, formerly known as Silicon 60, is a list of the world’s 100 most interesting companies, selected by EE Times, ASPENCORE’s authoritative industry media, covering the entire semiconductor industry, from mature analog/digital hybrid circuit design sourcing into the new quantum computing and artificial intelligence-specific chip designs, reflecting the technological capabilities and market impact of the companies on the list.
This is the third time that Zhaoxin has been on the stage for the China IC Design Achievement Award, and in 2017 and 2019, Zhaoxin has won the “Greater China IC Design Achievement Award of the Year” award twice, and the CPU research and development team won the “China Outstanding IC Design Team” award in 2019 for its outstanding performance in the First ZX-C and Kai-KX-6000 series processors.
In terms of floating-point performance, the MX-U6780A can reach 72% of the i5-7400 because 3DMark did not open up too much.
Integer performance is a bright spot, KX-U6780A than i5-7400 is about 6% better, which still considers the CPU-Z test also involves some floating-point operation.


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This week President Obama and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk announced that Canada and Mexico have been invited to join the secret negotiations aimed at establishing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
In an announcement published Monday on the USTR website, Kirk wrote:
We are delighted to invite Mexico, our neighbor and second largest export market, to join the TPP negotiations. Mexico’s interest in the TPP reflects its recognition that the TPP presents the most promising pathway to boosting trade across the Asia Pacific and to encouraging regional trade integration. We look forward to continuing consultations with the Congress and domestic stakeholders as we move forward.
That statement was followed by a similar one on Tuesday welcoming Canada to the TPP fold:
Inviting Canada to join the TPP negotiations presents a unique opportunity for the United States to build upon this already dynamic trading relationship. Through TPP, we are bringing the relationship with our largest trading partner into the 21st century. We look forward to continuing consultations with the Congress and domestic stakeholders regarding Canada’s entry into the TPP as we move closer to a broad-based, high-standard trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region.
Notably, in both statements Ambassador Kirk places the approval of “domestic stakeholders” (read: large corporations) on a level with that of the Congress. It is precisely this exalting of big business that has troubled many of the people’s representatives in Congress.
Click here to read the entire article.
Photo: President Barack Obama with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk after he signed the Manufacturing Enhancement Act of 2010 in the White House, Aug. 11, 2010: AP Images


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Ford just announced its best quarterly profits in 13 years, thanks to rising demand for its fuel-efficient vehicles. Profits rose to $2.55 billion in the first quarter of 2011 from $2.09 billion in the first quarter of 2010. “Our team delivered a great quarter, with solid growth and improvements in all regions,” said Alan Mulally, Ford president and CEO.
As the only Detroit automaker to turn itself around without a bailout during the recession, Ford has been moving into the black much faster than its competitors. The company credited “fuel-efficient new products, continued investment in global growth and the strengthening of Ford’s core business” with the positive results, as well as the fact that the earthquake in Japan had a relatively small impact on the automaker’s supply chain.


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Award-winning UVStandTM features spacious sanitisation compartment to eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses from keyboards, mice, mobile phones, and other devices
London, UK. – 6th July 2021 – Kensington®, the worldwide leader of desktop computing and mobility solutions for IT, business and home office professionals and The Professionals’ Choice, today announces the launch of its innovative new UVStand™, Pro Fit® Washable Wired Keyboard and Pro Fit® Washable Wired Mouse in EMEA.
With hygiene and safety a top priority for businesses and employees across the world, tech robust enough to clean with standard cleaning products is not only practical, but necessary. Kensington’s UVStandTM and Pro Fit® washable keyboard and mouse are now available in Europe to seamlessly fit into the new office environment where hot desking and hybrid working feature heavily alongside the essential requirement of hygiene and protecting employees.
A CES 2021 Innovations Award Honoree, UVStandTM safely, easily and efficiently helps sanitise keyboards, mice, trackballs, mobile phones, and other devices, while promoting healthy posture and optimal comfort. Conveniently eliminating up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses from any exposed surface, UVStandTM provides users with a solution that integrates the ability to sanitise frequently-touched items and devices into the desktop workstation.
Knowing that a keyboard can hold the same amount of bacteria as a toilet bowl, being able to clean desktop accessories is more important than ever. Both the Pro Fit® Washable Wired Keyboard & Pro Fit® Washable Wired Mouse can safely stand immersion (as long as the USB connector is kept dry) and frequent use of spray cleaners meaning safe office working in the knowledge bacteria and viruses aren’t being spread through sharing of office equipment.
The new hygiene tech offers the following key features and benefits:
- UVStand™– Elevates one monitor up to 34” up to a more ergonomic height for comfortable use. The disinfection compartment (50 x 28 x 9cm) fits most full-size keyboards, mice and smartphones. The compartment is fully enclosed, keeping UV light inside for maximum disinfection performance and no harmful exposure to users.
- Pro Fit® Washable Wired Keyboard – Computer keyboards are one of the top five areas for cross-contamination for computer products, making it essential for them to be regularly cleaned. The Pro Fit® Washable Wired Keyboard’s waterproof, washable design resists spills and makes cleaning easy, safely standing up to immersion or frequent spray cleaner use.
- Pro Fit® Washable Wired Mouse– Just like keyboards, mice are in the top five areas for cross-contamination for computer products. The Pro Fit® Washable Wired Mouse is a truly washable mouse that can be submerged for thorough cleaning with peace of mind that their tech will not be damaged.
“We have been inside for over a year and everyone is desperate to get back out again. While this is important, the top priority is making sure our environments are safe and ready for the challenges of a post-Covid world. With many businesses downsizing their office spaces and opting for shared and hybrid working spaces, minimising contamination wherever possible is paramount. We are proud to be able to bring our new UVStand™ and Pro Fit® washable accessories to the market to protect and reassure employees, and ultimately to help businesses come back to work safely.” said Nick Revell, Product Manager at Kensington EMEA.
The new Kensington UVStand™ Monitor Stand with UVC Sanitisation Compartment is backed by a two-year warranty. More details can be found at https://contact.kensington.com/uvstand-en


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Testing has already begun, we can’t wait to see how this software can help make things easier.
The drone software of Hungarian startup Aeriu can make shopping at IKEA much easier: it is supposed to help with taking inventories and the whole process of shopping, online and in stores, as well. Why? Because drones are supposed to be faster and more precise than the current system involving manual workers.
The two companies are planning long-term collaboration to develop a technology-controlled system, for which the testing period has already begun in the IKEA warehouse in Soroksár.
How can a drone software help online and in-store shoppers?
We all saw at IKEA that bigger pieces of furniture are usually stored on the higher shelves meanwhile lighter, more easily movable items can be carried away from the lower shelves. With the help of the drones, customers can get ‘real-time’ feedback whether the item is available at the store or not. In the future, this can be a very useful novelty for online shoppers and also for those who visit one of the stores.


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Mumbai: India’s gold imports rose to $4.17 bn in March, which is expected to widen the current account deficit.Gold imports stood at $974 mn in March last year. Imports of gold were on a decline since February 2016 until September 2016. It grew in October and November last year but again dipped in December 2016 and January 2017. In February, the inbound shipments grew to $3.48 bn from $1.4 bn in the same month the previous year.
The increase in gold imports in March widened the trade deficit to a four-month high of $10.4 bn as against $ 4.4 bn in March 2016. Silver imports, however, dipped by 3.19 percent to $204.2 mn in March.
According to rating agency ICRA, the imports surge was led by restocking, as well as marriage and festive season demand. India is the world’s second-biggest gold consumer after China. The imports mainly take care of demand from the jewellery industry.
In volume terms, India imported 560.32 tonnes of gold during the April-January period of the last fiscal. Gold import aggregated to 968.06 tonnes in the entire 2015-16 fiscal and 915.47 tonnes in 2014-15.
At present, gold import attracts 10 per cent duty. The gems and jewellery industry along with the Commerce Ministry have time and again urged the Finance Ministry to consider cut in the import duty. For the full year 2015-16, CAD stood at $22.1 billion, or 1.1 percent of GDP, as against $26.8 bn, or 1.3 percent, in 2014-15.


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Juice company Simply Squeezed has launched a $4 million investment strategy that will see it double the amount of New Zealand oranges it squeezes over the next five years.
Chief executive Adrian Barr said the strategy was two-fold – sourcing more oranges under contract in New Zealand, and investing in greater processing facilities at its Bayview operation in Hawke’s Bay.
The expansion includes a new fruit processing line, which will double capacity to manage increased fruit supply and ongoing demand for juice.
• Just over half an orange is juice and pulp
• Ten good size oranges make a litre of juice
• Valencia is the main orange variety used for juicing
“We take every New Zealand juicing orange we can and we process about 7000 tonnes of fruit made up of both citrus and apples a year.
“By 2016 Simply Squeezed expects to grow fruit processing to more than 10,000 tonnes as the size of the New Zealand Orange crop increases with new plantings that have started over the past several years.
“We have a strong relationship with our growers who are also investing in their citrus industry by planting more trees and it’s these new plantings which gives us the confidence to continue to invest in processing buildings and equipment’ said Mr Barr.
One of the challenges with citrus crops is the bi-annual production with trees producing the main crop every second year.
“We take in oranges throughout the year but the main season is from December to June. Fruit surplus to immediate demand is still squeezed and the juice frozen for production during the year, so the additional space will enable us to manage the greater New Zealand orange crop.
The company employs 100 staff, with 80 based in Hawke’s Bay. It has 43 franchises across New Zealand and 22 grower suppliers.


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Innovations in Comfort, Efficiency, and Safety Solutions.
Sectigo Acquires Icon Labs, Delivering Industry-First End-to-End IoT Security Platform
Market Differentiation by Combining Embedded Device Security with
Purpose-Built, Third-Party Certificate Issuance and Lifecycle
ROSELAND, N.J. – May 9, 2019 – Sectigo (formerly Comodo CA), the world’s largest commercial Certificate Authority (CA) and a leader in web security solutions, has acquired Icon Labs, a provider of cross-platform security solutions for embedded OEMs and Internet of Things (IoT) device manufacturers.
Sectigo’s expanded IoT Security Platform will provide device manufacturers, systems integrators, enterprises using connected IoT, and entire interoperable ecosystems, with the industry-first ability to use purpose-built IoT issuance from a trusted third-party CA. The platform will seamlessly harden device security with embedded tools to protect the integrity of data in transit and at rest, as well as ensure the integrity of all executed code by leveraging multi-phase secure boot.
IHS Markit forecasts that the IoT market will grow from an installed base of about 15 billion devices in 2015 to more than 75 billion in 2025. As the market grows, attacks rise and securing connected devices across the ecosystem becomes more imperative. SonicWall’s 2019 Cyber Threat Report found that the number of detected attacks against IoT devices and networks escalated to 32.7 million in 2018 – a 217 percent increase.
“Icon Labs has been growing and addressing this challenge by securing the device market for more than two decades. For the first time, embedded security technology is combined with device authentication and identity management to provide customers with a complete IoT security platform that solves many of the challenges presented by the rising number of threats,” said Bill Holtz, CEO, Sectigo.
Sectigo provides highly scalable and reliable certificate issuance for connected IoT devices used in many verticals. Sectigo IoT Manager, part of the company’s expanded IoT Security Platform, provides specialized management capability for trust interoperability, so that connected IoT device vendors, service integrators, or consortiums can securely build out, scale and manage their device ecosystems. The technology leverages automation via both open source and proprietary technologies to ensure secure provisioning and lifecycle management.
Sectigo IoT Security Platform
With the acquisition of Icon Labs, Sectigo is the first trusted third-party Certificate Authority to offer end-to-end security for every connected device from the point of manufacture and throughout the entire lifecycle.
Icon Labs’ security modules can be used as point products to meet specific security requirements or as an integrated foundation for developing a secure device by securing the device itself rather than relying on security at the perimeter.
Sectigo (formerly Comodo CA) provides web security products that help customers protect, monitor, recover, and manage their web presence and connected devices. As the largest commercial Certificate Authority trusted by enterprises globally for more than 20 years, and more than 100 million SSL certificates issued in over 200 countries, Sectigo has the proven performance and experience to meet the growing needs of securing today’s digital landscape. For more information, visit www.sectigo.com.
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Though Romania-based footwear brand Musette has been around since the early nineties and boasts fifteen stores throughout Europe, the company has more or less gone undiscovered in the U.S. — till now, that is. This Friday, the European label will open its first Stateside store in Soho, a whitewashed 400-square-foot flagship featuring more than 100 towering styles, offset by the store’s purple accents and silk wallpaper. These kicks are not meant for those sensible New Yorkers who live in understated ballet flats and Converse; most of the boots and pumps feature splashy colors and substantial platforms.
The brand’s team of Italian designers creates more than 100 new styles for the spring/summer and fall/winter seasons, and around twenty new designs will be trickling in from Europe every two weeks throughout September and October. (Look out for exclusive and limited-edition styles later this fall, including two versions of a python heel.) Pumps range from $100 to $300, boots from $200 to $350, and bags and clutches from $200 to $300. Click ahead to check out the collection.
438 W. Broadway, nr. Prince St. (917-691-0012); daily 11—8


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Mainfreight has delivered another full year profit on stronger revenue, but says the outlook for the new financial year is uncertain.
New Zealand's biggest transport company's net profit rose 4.9 percent in the year ended in March to $148 million, which included a number of one-time gains and costs as well as tax adjustments.
The underlying net profit rose 10.6 percent to $156.1m, excluding those items, while revenue rose 4.8 percent to $3.1 billion.
The company said it was pleased with the result and positioned it well to deal with the ongoing supply chain disruptions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the depressed economic conditions.
"Well it is a good result, but of course what we're more interested in is what's in front of us rather than what's behind us, and we are somewhat cautious about that," managing director Don Braid said.
"April certainly was a tough month but we've seen improvement during May, and our Australian business has gone very well, and that's assisted us.
"As well as we're starting to see some improvements here in New Zealand and across some of the other regions that we're in."
Trading across the global business for the seven weeks from 1 April, had seen sales revenues improve by 5.7 percent on the year earlier, bolstered in part by air charter revenues.
However, overall margins were down, with an estimated $6.5m drop in pre-tax operating profit to $9m in the seven-week period to 19 May.
"I think, for us, the USA is of more concern than most of the other regions," Braid said, adding the volume of business in the Americas had declined significantly, but the value of sales was steady.
"They were still trading okay in April, but they got to the shutdown later and we think they'll be later and longer," he said, adding the Americas remained a key area of development potential for the group.
New Zealand's sales revenue was down 16 percent, while the partial lockdown in Australia saw revenue rise 13 percent.
"Australia has just not missed a beat. They've continued right through April and May and they've been the highlight of trading since a year end," he said.
The European business was mixed with an overall 5 percent decline in sales, while Asia improved 41 percent in April and May.
"Asia is back and operating. Their biggest problem is being able to secure space, and for manufacturers to place orders.
"Of course in the US, if they're not receiving, there's no point in shipping."
Despite the uncertain conditions, Mainfreight said it remained cautiously optimistic and the board had approved a final dividend of 34 cents a share, which was the same as last year's.


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The American economy grew 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013, according to the latest data from the Commerce Department. Analysts had projected the economy would grow at a 3 percent rate during the first three months of 2013.
Growth is stronger than it was in the final quarter of 2012, when the economy expanded by 0.4 percent. Growth in the first quarter was slowed by drops in government spending, which declined by 8.4 percent. Defense spending decreased by 11.5 percent, non-defense declined by 2 percent. State and local government spending dropped by 1.2 percent.
Private consumption increased by 3.2 percent, larger than the 1.8 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2012. Inflation remained low at 1.2 percent, well below the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target rate.


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The crucial role of omega-3 in helping to tackle pre and post-natal depression has been underlined by a new meta-analysis, which also found such cases of depression were associated with a higher omega-6/omega-3 ratio.
New omega-3 laser testing technology in New Zealand has showed that 11 widely-available supplements were in line with their label claims, “which should give consumers reassurance regarding the quality of the oil in the capsules.”
Aker BioMarine has pulled the plug on its patent infringement suit that was being pursued before the International Trade Commission. But the company is still suing a Norwegian competitor and an American distribution partner in district court.
The co-microencapsulation of probiotic bacteria with omega-3 rich tuna oil improved its survival and intestinal adhering ability, and also helped to retain a higher proportion of omega-3 fatty acids in the digestive system.