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The fraudulent actions related to Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been examined over the past few weeks by researchers at the Bitdefender Antispam Lab.
The percentage of unauthorised Black Friday emails peaked on November 9 at 26% of all messages pertaining to Black Friday, according to specialists who observed that rate between October 26 and November 6.
According to the experts, the majority of Black Friday spam (by volume) (56% of all spam received during the same time period) was classified as a fraud.
By volume, over one in four (27%) of all Black Friday spam emails targeted internet users in the US and Ireland (24%). Germany (16%) and the US (49%) accounted for the majority of the spam related to Black Friday.
The malicious messages used various subjects in an attempt to trick the recipients into visiting the bogus websites to receive huge discounts.
Below are some of the subject lines observed by Bitdefender:
- black friday sale louis vuitton bags up to 86 off shop online now
- black friday ray ban oakley costa sunglasses up to 90 off shop online now
- cyber monday starts now but only for you
- 25 nov 2022 is black Friday
- Claim Your $500 Home Depot Gift Card Now!
- claim your 100 walmart reward just in time for black Friday
- profitezvite de nosoffresspéciale (aimed at German shoppers)
- richiedi un prestito per te 200 di buoni in regalo (aimed at Italian shoppers)
- black friday sale 70 rabatt auf sofort (aimed at German shoppers)
The paper includes information on some of the Black Friday frauds that were examined by the specialists, including the fake sales of Louis Vuitton and Ray-Ban sunglasses. The con artists advertised substantial discounts that could be acquired by making purchases from fictitious stores.
Other advertisements that the experts noticed encouraged consumers to redeem gift cards from well-known merchants like Home Depot.
In this instance, links to phoney online survey pages that have nothing to do with the retailer’s gift card are included in the spam messages.
Once the recipients have completed the survey (even if they provide the wrong answers to all questions), they were directed to another page where we could choose the ‘prize.’ Then the recipients have to pay for the shipment by providing personal and financial data.
“We scored an iPhone 13, though. The displayed page uses the recipients’ IP address to display a localized version of the scam – in our case Romania. We need to pay 15 RON (roughly 3.06 USD) for shipping and enter our name and address.” continues the report. “After entering our shipping details, we were prompted to enter our payment information, including cc number and CVV code.”
Additionally, researchers discovered fake 1,000 euro Amazon and PayPal vouchers being used in campaigns targeted at German users. The goal of these campaigns is to get people to confirm their email addresses and enter personally identifiable information. After that, the attackers sent dangerous links to the users’ provided email addresses.
The following are the suggestions made by Bitdefender:
Below are the recommendations provided by Bitdefender:
- Always check the sender’s email address and look for typos
- Never interact with unsolicited giveaway correspondence
- Shop on legitimate websites you already know
- Researcher any new vendor
- Never access links or attachments you receive from unknown sources – Use a Bitdefender security solution to fend off scam and phishing links
- Add an extra layer of security and privacy to your device when shopping this Black Friday with Bitdefender Premium Security. With anti-phishing and advanced threat protection to block nasty internet threats, ransomware protection, VPN for safe shopping, and a dedicated Password Manager, you can steer clear of malicious attacks and protect your data
The experts also published a guide for secure holiday shopping.
Stay informed of the latest Cybersecurity trends, threats and developments. Sign up for our Weekly Cybersecurity Newsletter Today.
Remember, CyberSecurity Starts With You!
- Globally, 30,000 websites are hacked daily.
- 64% of companies worldwide have experienced at least one form of a cyber attack.
- There were 20M breached records in March 2021.
- In 2020, ransomware cases grew by 150%.
- Email is responsible for around 94% of all malware.
- Every 39 seconds, there is a new attack somewhere on the web.
- An average of around 24,000 malicious mobile apps are blocked daily on the internet.


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1 Min Read
TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp said on Tuesday that it has sold 6 million PlayStation 4 game consoles as of March 2, well ahead of its target for the fiscal year to the end of this month.
Sony has said it hoped to sell 5 million units by the end of March after releasing the PlayStation 4 on November 29 in the United States, Western Europe and Latin America and rolling it out across other Asian countries since then. It went on sale in Japan on February 22.
Reporting by Sophie Knight; Editing by Dominic Lau and Edmund Klamann

domain: news


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As print circulation continues to dwindle and online inventory becoming increasingly competitive, networks searching for Academy of Television Arts and Sciences members have found some out of the box ways to reach voters.
Finally having a chance to catch “Kung Fu Panda 2” last night, I was stunned to see NBC is running “for your consideration” video ads at Pacific Theaters at The Grove pushing the candidacy of “Parks and Recreation.” Playing during the pre-show entertainment, this is this first time this longtime Angelino has ever seen a network push for Emmy consideration in theater. This cannot be cheap and the options, at least in Los Angeles, to really reach voters this way are slim. The Landmark Theaters and Arclight Cinemas (Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Pasadena) would be the premier locations to reach upscale Emmy voters, but they do not allow paid placement of this kind in their theaters (at least not yet). That leaves only Pacific’s The Grove and Culver City locations and AMC’s Century City, Burbank and Santa Monica multiplexes as real legit Emmy voter destinations.
Another interesting observation is that FOX has purchased for your consideration mall posters for “Glee” at the iconic shopping institution, The Beverly Center. Yes, for your consideration ads in a mall. Showtime has also bought outdoor bus ads that co-promote for your consideration of their shows and serve as general branding in the industry friendly neighborhoods of West Hollywood, Burbank, Culver City and, of course, Beverly Hills.
Could this be the future of Oscar campaigning? Probably not, but it will scare studio accountants that’s for sure.
One big difference between the TV Academy and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is membership size. AMPAS has kept the group to about 6,000 members. The TV Academy is more than 15,000. That might not seem like a sizable difference, but when programming niche marketing (which in general is what awards campaigning is), it’s significant. Moreover, many of the general ads for films advertising during awards campaign in New York or Los Angeles are designed to appeal to both consumers and pitch specific performances to industry voters. That’s not the case during Emmy season when most network contenders are in re-runs. The two examples above would have pros and cons for studios.
If the Arclight and Landmark allowed pre-show ads there would absolutely be a flood of for your consideration spots in theater. You couldn’t stop producers, directors and actors screaming at studios to get their promo in there. However, that would be detrimental to those chains business model and, moreover, studios as rule do not like to pay for something in theater. It all goes back to the strange, incestuous and sometimes tempestuous relationship studios have with exhibitors (more on that another time).
The mall banners, on the other hand, could be the next wave, but only if awards season happened during a different time of year. With overall media spending turning around, malls can charge more because of higher demand during the Christmas shopping season. That effectively makes it cost prohibitive to advertise straight FYC ads at The Groove, Century City or Beverly Center malls (not to mention the need to push broader films to a mass consumer audience). But never say never with that one.
Needless to say, even with strict rules from both Academies, the campaign walls are starting to break down. Something to keep an eye on if you live in LA or NY this fall and winter.
Have you caught any FYC ads in theaters, malls or at your local bus stop? Share your thoughts below.


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Why CSC and HPE Merger Might be a Balancing Act?
After the news broke out that CSC and HPE services are coming together, the IT industry was busy making its own predictions about how this partnership would shape up. However, most IT experts thought that this partnership could lead to better IT services. And, seeing how DXC Technology, the newly company formed out of CSC and HPE is pitching towards creating a digital enterprise, the future looks both bright and secure for the millions of HP and CSC customers.
In early May 2016, reports surfaced that negotiations between CSC and HP is making progress and soon both the companies will come together under one brand name. But it was not until April 2017 that DXC Technology came to its full being with over with 170,000 employees and bringing annual sales of $26 billion.
The Digital CIOs of the WorldBy Geoff Wenborn – General Manager, IT, CIO- Origin Energy
Digital technologies have made it possible for platform makers to easily integrate devices and data-streams to positively impact business functions. But, the real success of the digital world is rooted in its ability to empower customers with the knowledge to choose smarter and better products at lower costs. Digital platforms are now seen as modern marvels of technological innovations that have benefited businesses immensely.
Digital use cases are disrupting business models but IT is still managing infrastructure in spite of new challenges; an explosion of data, increase in bandwidth, new channels, unstructured and structured data, faster processing, mobility, wireless, Apps and applications.
Until … you go into work! In a large company it’s still the dark ages, shouldn’t digital make it all easy? Often companies have not given enough thought as to why IT still behaves the same.Read more...
Tech Trends to Watch in 2017By Michael Ioannakis, CMO, MiracleTek
An IT company today provides its customers with a number of innovative solutions and products brilliantly powered by new technologies. The IT growth seems unprecedented at times, but it is hard to argue on the benefits IT has brought onto many different sectors. Here, we have tried to mention a select few tech solutions that are expected to play key roles in driving the future of businesses.
One of the major shifts, particularly in enterprise, is the movement toward ‘cloud technology’. It is ‘trending’ as a necessary part of business. But the term itself,has much hype and perhaps misunderstanding associated with it. Many organizations recognize cloud technology as something perplexing.
Whether it’s an entire CRM or HRM solutions, enterprises today have immense potential of automating nearly all daily operations thanks to highly sophisticated, yet easy to use applications.


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Glasgow is the prosecco capital of Great Britain, according to Aldi’s online sales.
The supermarket website has released the first ever Wine Map of Great Britain, revealing that we’re all guzzling sauvignon blanc like it’s going out of style - but that Glasgow has slightly more refined tastes.
UK prosecco sales are soaring - worth £345 million annually - and most of that comes from Glasgow.
Of course, Londoners have to go the whole hog and plump for champagne instead - but we’re happy with the (slightly cheaper) Italian bubbles.
Prosecco was the second most popular wine after the sauvignon blanc, followed by malbec in third place.
Tony Baines, joint managing director of corporate buying, said: “Our expert team know exactly what makes the UK tick when it comes to wine and we’re delighted to be able to share our insight.”
So what do you think: will fizz replace Tennent’s as the Glasgow drink of choice - prosecco instead of pints?
We can’t say for sure - but we have a hankering for a bit of bubbles tonight to toast our new status, and we’re sure you do too.


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Upcoming smartphone from Sony, Sony H3213 and codenamed ‘Avenger’ has surfaced on the GFXBench listing, which reveals that it will be a mid-range smartphone. The model number and the display resolution is confirmed by UAProf on the official Sony site.
Sony H3213 ‘Avenger’
The listed upcoming smartphone comes with a 6-inch 1080p display, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 or 660 processor, coupled with 4GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage, runs on Android 8.0 Oreo.
The smartphone is listed to come with a 23-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 16-megapixel front-facing selfie camera. The smartphone is expected to feature 4G VoLTE and comes with a fingerprint sensor.
Sony H3213 Rumored Specifications
- 6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) Display
- 2.2 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 630 / 660 Processor
- Adreno 508 GPU
- 4GB RAM
- 32GB Storage + Expandable Via MicroSD
- 23MP Rear Camera With LED Flash
- 16MP Front-Facing Camera
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- Fingerprint Sensor
- 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS
There is not much known about the smartphone yet, but we will in the coming weeks.


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Spiders has announced on Twitter that its upcoming RPG GreedFall will be releasing on September 10th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Previously, it indicated a September release window, but now we have a confirmed date. GreedFall also received a new story trailer at E3 2019 that helps summarize the central premise – check it out here.
Basically, a plague of sorts has affected the city of Serene. As part of an expedition of adventurers and mercenaries, you travel to Teer Fradee to find a cure. The place is brimming with magic, but you’ll have to deal with the locals who can call upon Guardians to battle.
Of course, not everything has to be settled with force. You can use diplomacy and deception to get your way, making friends and betraying them along the way for your own purpose. GreedFall promises complete freedom in how you play the game, whether it’s customizing your appearance and skills or the method for completing quests. Check out GamingBolt’s interview with the development team to learn more about the game’s mechanics.
We’re excited to announce that GreedFall will release worldwide September 10 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC! pic.twitter.com/CJpCOCwxeM
— GreedFall (@greedfall) July 2, 2019


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If players needed confirmation, the recent 12th June Xbox/Bethesda conference confirmed Diablo 4 will launch on Game Pass day 1.
It still sounds unbelievable, but it's true. Microsoft now owns Activision Blizzard and all of their IPs after the historic $70B-worth transaction.
This means that iconic franchises now owned by the tech giant such as Diablo, Warcraft, StarCraft, Crash Bandicoot or Call of Duty might soon become Xbox exclusives.
Nonetheless, it is still far too early to know how exactly will things play out and what does this deal mean for the future of the upcoming Activision Blizzard games, and we will probably not get all the answers this year, as it is expected the deal to be completed in mid-2023.
Still, that doesn't mean that we can't make some educated guesses, based on Microsoft's general gaming strategy and how they have handled their Bethesda acquisition.
For Diablo fans, currently one of the biggest questions is if this means that Diablo 4 will be available on Xbox Game Pass on Day 1. Here's what to know about the Diablo 4 Game Pass.
Will Diablo 4 be available on Xbox Game Pass Day 1?
Diablo IV, the 4th instalment in the iconic series that has defined the action RPG genre, is currently one of the most anticipated Blizzard's games.
It seems like Diablo 4 is bringing the franchise back to its gritty and gloomy roots, with a lot of blood and brutal violence. In terms of gameplay design, the game remains the love letter to hardcore hack and slash fans, while also introducing many innovative mechanics and features in order to reinvigorate the familiar formula.
Diablo 3 was one of the best-selling PC games when it was released, and there's no doubt that Diablo 4 will have huge sales as well, but maybe an even bigger player base if Microsoft decides to put the game on Xbox Game Pass.
And that will most likely happen at launch, as one of Microsoft's core pylons of business strategy is to release all first-party games (which Blizzard games now are) on Xbox Game Pass on Day 1.
This was partially confirmed in the official announcement of the acquisition, where they stated their goal is to "offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass," adding that they plan to do that for "both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalogue."
When is Diablo 4 coming to Xbox Game Pass?
The current prediction is that the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will be completed in the summer of 2023, at which point Microsoft will take full control of the publisher.
Around that time Activision Blizzard games will slowly start to appear on Xbox Game Pass, and given that Diablo 4 will most likely be released in the second half of 2023, Diablo 4 will almost certainly be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
The same probably goes for Diablo 3 and Diablo 2 Resurrected, which will probably become available on Xbox Game Pass immediately upon the completion of the deal.
With that being said, that's all you need to know about Overwatch on Xbox Game Pass.
- Read more: Is WoW coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Featured image courtesy of Activision Blizzard / Microsoft.


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Stepn, an “move to earn” app on the Solana Blockchain that allows users get cryptocurrency rewards for walking or running, is gaining traction in digital asset markets.
In just a few months, the fitness app has seen over 300,000.
Stepn’s native token, the green metaverse (GMT) token (STPN), is currently changing hands for $2.20. That is 17 times more than where it began trading in March, even though it has fallen from its all-time high at $9.
“This actually has value in the long run,” said Will McEvoy, senior associate at the independent investment-research firm Fundstrat. “Price stability is important because if the price were to fluctuate 50% a week, it would incentivize users to pull out.”
The project is burning up the track so much in real life that there’s a waiting list to join its Telegram group, which has over 200,000 members already. To join the app, users must be invited by STEPN. The STEPN team has restricted the number of activation codes. These codes are available in Telegram groups, Discord chats, and other STEPN online community. The company issues approximately 3,000 joining codes each day.
A NFT sneaker can be a virtual sneaker users buy on the STEPN market to earn crypto. It is a shoe that you wear while running, walking or jogging. The app tracks user’s movements in a similar way to a Fitbit. The current starting price for a sneaker (denominated using SOL, the native token Solana), is approximately 12 SOL ($803). The price of the virtual sneakers varies depending on earning levels, the better the quality – the more benefits offered.
NFT sneakers sales are also increasing. According to data from Delphi Digital, sales reached a high of $57 million daily and have dominated most of Solana’s NFT trading volume.
Delphi Digital notes that Stepn volumes result in significant fees for the app. The app charges a 6% commission (2% trading fee, and 4% royalty fee) each time it sells on its marketplace.
Mohammad Noor is a freelance virtual assistant from Bangladesh. He said that he found Stepn through YouTube and became interested in the app as it could be a side hustle that could improve his health.
“Jogging is essential to me and now I earn money to do it,” Noor, 35, said in an interview with CoinDesk. He estimates that he makes $75 per day from running twice a week for 30 minutes each.
According to the company’s white paper, players can choose to lease or sell their NFT sneakers on the in-app marketplace; users’ earnings are stored in the in-app wallet, which has a built-in swap function.
Noor bought his first pair sneakers for 10.8 Sol ($70) and stated that they now cost 20 Sol. He thinks Stepn has a bright future because the app is earning money from users in more than just one way – minting shoes, selling shoes and from refilling users’ energy.
“It seems that the developers learnt lessons from other play-to-earn projects that failed,” said Noor.
Stepn is similar to so-called play-to-earn (p2e) games – where players can earn cryptocurrency rewards from playing video games – in the sense that users partake in an activity and earn a passive income from it. McEvoy says that Stepn is more stable than other p2e games such as Axie Infinity.
“The runway for Stepn is much longer than the runway of Axie,” said McEvoy. “This is because the total addressable market of people who would use Stepn is bigger than those who would use Axie.”
“Over a billion people walk and half a billion use fitness tracking apps on their smartphones. There you have 500 million people that this makes sense for,” McEvoy said.
You can use the green metaverse token (GMT), to unlock, repair and level up your shoes. It can also be minted.
One issue with betting on the GMT tokens, according to Fundstrat’s analysts, is that they can be difficult to value.
Stepn developers are able to change the rules of this game, even though they only have 6 billion tokens.
“In a sense the Stepn developers play the role of a central bank, pulling demand-side levers that either support asset prices or cool them off, much like the Fed,” explains McEvoy. “This makes it difficult to predict how the token will play out.”
Developers have already modified the amount of GMT that is required to make in-game upgrades. To increase demand for the tokens, the developers have increased the GMT required to upgrade users’ sneakers.
GMT is burned when it’s spent on level-ups in the game. This decreases the total supply of the token.
“This type of change should have a positive impact on price and needs to be considered when valuing GMT,” said McEvoy.
According to CoinMarketCap data, GMT’s price reached an all-time high at $9.08 on April 28 and has fallen 58% since then.
Soon, STEPN developers released an update to their game that temporarily substituted GMT for green satoshi (GST), the token needed for minting new NFTs.
GST is a utility token which can be used for purchasing goods within the app. It can be used to purchase goods in the app and has an unlimited supply.
The developers’ changes resulted in a decrease in demand for GST and an increase for GMT.
McEvoy states that these types of updates from developers provide price stability, which should help to ensure the app’s longevity and sustainability.
However, increasing NFT prices mean that less people can afford to play the game. He said that it will be important to strike a balance between GST, GMT, and NFT prices.


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Plenty of Foursquare fans use the app primarily as a means to share their own location and see the locations of others around them, but Foursquare isn’t only about socially-acceptable stalking. At the GigaOm Mobilize conference today, company co-founder Dennis Crowley informed those of us in the room that thinking of Foursquare as merely a check-in app is misguided. According to him, the plan for Foursquare has always been for it to be a customized discovery and recommendation engine first, and a social tool second.
See the original article here:
Dennis Crowley: Foursquare’s a discovery and recommendation engine first, social service second


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just the Round-up - The week in drinks
The week in drinks
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:
Diageo is one of several parties in the running to buy Stock Spirits from its private equity owner, Oaktree Capital Management.
Grupo Modelo's CEO has said that relations with Anheuser-Busch InBev are good, but was noncommittal on takeover talk.
The UK alcoholic drinks industry has come out in favour of the Government's Public Health Responsibility Deal, which has been announced today (15 March).
Foster’s Group has continued the preparations for its pending demerger with the appointment of a CFO for its wine unit.
Bacardi has vowed to continue its battle over the Havana Club trademark in Spain, despite the country's Supreme Court's confirmation of its recent ruling in favour of Pernod Ricard.
PepsiCo has laid claim to having developed the first PET plastic bottle made from plant-based, fully renewable resources.
Japanese brewers have suffered significant damage as a result of the earthquake that struck the country late last week, as concerns grow about the disaster's economic consequences.
Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Co has announced a replacement for its CEO who is set to retire later this year.
Pernod Ricard's subsidiary in Canada, Corby Distilleries, has agreed to sell the Canadian licence for Seagram Coolers to Brick Brewing for CAD7.3m (US$7.4m).
Rémy Cointreau has agreed to sell its Champagne business to France's Societe Europeenne de Participations Industrielles (EPI), according to a report.
- Cuba-US Normalisation: Bacardi, Pernod Winners?
- Review of the Year 2014 - Part IV: Spirits
- Sustainability in Wine - Part I
- Coca-Cola to get boost from Monster in China
- CCE shows faith in Coca-Cola Life with full launch
- Belvédère to sell assets, streamline portfolio
- Diageo welcomes verdict on Crown Royal "confusion"
- Bacardi, Pernod Ricard welcome US-Cuba deal
- United Spirits bids for distribution deal approval
- Gruppo Campari US unit head steps down
- Global vodka insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global Scotch whisky insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- The IWSR Forecast Report - 2014-2019 Global Review
- just-drinks on-trend: Craft beer - fortunes and future
- Global market review of non-Scotch whiskies – forecasts to 2018


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Ford is recalling about 291,000 of its F-150 pickups in the United States because the door might open in a side-impact crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The affected model years are 2009-10.
In a recent filing, Ford told the agency that the interior door-handle spring could break “during normal customer usage, resulting in insufficient spring force to return the handle to the fully stowed position.” The affected models have chrome door handles.
Wesley Sherwood, a Ford spokesman, wrote in an e-mail that the doors would not open under normal driving, but the automaker was concerned that a door could open in a side-impact crash.
In other action this week:
• N.H.T.S.A. said it was opening an investigation into corrosion-related failures of the front suspension on about 400,000 Nissan Pathfinders and its sibling, the Infiniti QX4. It covers the 1996–2004 Pathfinder and 1997–2003 QX4.
• The safety agency intensified an investigation into possible fire problems on 490,000 Volkswagen Passats from the 2001-7 model years. The focus of the investigation involves ignition coils, which fire the spark plugs.
• Harley-Davidson is recalling about 6,900 of its 2011 Softail family motorcycles because an electronic module made by Delphi Automotive Systems is not watertight and a leak could cause the engine to stall. The recall also covers about 800 security system kits that contain the faulty component.
• Fairplay Electric Cars is recalling about 1,600 of its 2010-11 low-speed electric vehicles because a supplier in China did not install a fuse in the accessory circuit, raising the possibility of a fire.
• Think North America is recalling 16 of its 2011 Think City electric vehicles because the driver and passenger seat belts may have been swapped during assembly. The passenger-side belt has a special child-restraint feature. The brand is also recalling 23 models for a windshield-defroster defect. The vehicles are assembled in Elkhart, Ind.
For more information or to report a safety problem, click here.


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Monthly Report: Florida Exports Up 7.1%
By Space Coast Daily // March 25, 2014
Report Comes On Heels of Port Canaveral Cargo Expansion
ABOVE VIDEO: Port Canaveral welcomes the Ship-to-Shore Cargo Cranes to the Port.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA — According to Durham, N.H.-based e-forecasting.com, Florida’s exports for the month of January 2014 were up 7.1 percent. January is the latest month for data according to E-Forecasting.
According to the Orlando Business Journal, exports of manufactured goods contributed significantly to the state’s international trade, accounting for 73 percent of all state exports in January. Exports from state manufacturers increased in January by 2.5 percent from the previous month to $3.77 billion. Exports of non-manufactured goods also went up in January by 21.5 percent to $1.42 billion. This group of shipments abroad consists of agricultural goods, mining products and re-exports — foreign goods that entered the state as imports and are exported in substantially the same condition as when imported.
The encouraging economic news comes only four days after ship to shore cargo cranes arrived at Port Canaveral.
RELATED CONTENT: Cargo Cranes Arrive at Port Canaveral


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UPDATE: The strike is over. Read the latest story on the Ineos strike.
Workers at a pigments plant operated by Ineos in Ashtabula, Ohio, went on strike March 12.
More than 400 workers represented by Teamsters Local 377 and Local 1033C of the International Chemical Workers Union Council "walked out on an unfair labor practice strike," according to a news release from Local 377. The plant makes titanium dioxide, a common whitener used in plastics and other products.
"The Teamsters and Chemical Workers are demanding that the company and its founder, British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, stop violating U.S. labor law," union officials said in the release. They added that workers at the plant say that Ineos is intimidating workers who are involved in union activities, denying workers their right to collectively bargain and failing to provide safe working conditions.
"The workers … have been pushed to the brink by the company's unlawful practices," said Sam Cook, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 377. "Rather than bargain in good faith, this notoriously anti-union company has decided to use stall tactics to avoid negotiating a first contract. We stand with our members in their fight for justice and fairness."
Ineos officials could not be reached for comment. According to the release, workers at Plant 2 in Ashtabula voted to form a union in late 2021 after the firm eliminated workers' pensions, increased the cost of family health care by more than $100 per week and began using under-trained subcontractors to work at the facility.
The plant is one of two in Ashtabula that were acquired by Ineos from Tronox Ltd. for $700 million in 2019. Stamford, Conn.-based Tronox needed to sell the business to clear its purchase of the global TiO2 business of National Titanium Dioxide Co. Ltd., which operates as Cristal.
London-based Ineos is a global materials supplier, whose products include polyethylene and polypropylene resins.


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Scientists at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed the prototype of a 3D printed tree that harvests solar energy.
The flexible leaves of the tree are organic solar panels made using a printing process developed by VTT. They form an electronic system that conducts energy into a converter which can be used to charge small devices such as mobile phones, sensors or LED lighting.
The 0.2 mm thin organic solar leaves consist of layers of polymer and electrodes. According to the researchers, 200 leaves are capable of producing up to 10.4 watts of energy. The tree trunk was created using 3D printing technology and is made of wood-based biomaterials, that have been developed by VTT as well.


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Cargo ships are a gigantic worldwide business, and freight lines have already made changes to use fewer fossil fuels. That includes slowing down, because freight ships already take long, steady journeys that can absorb some extra lead time. But a wind-powered alternative could even eventually increase speeds without putting more demand on the global fossil fuel infrastructure.
OceanBird has five “sails” that are more like airplane wings or helicopter rotors, using rushing air at different speeds to pull the ship forward. For now, it can reach 10 nautical miles per hour, or knots, and will make the trip across the Atlantic Ocean in 12 days compared to eight in a fossil fuel cargo ship.
Like a Prius and other hybrids, the ship will use a fuel engine to get going and then the most efficient energy to cruise. In addition, the development team has made changes to the shape of the ship’s hull and added robust computing power that calculates the best possible configuration to harness the most speed at any give time.
What results is a sleeker, smarter ship design that the company says could also be used to improve cruise ships—a distant-feeling thought in 2020’s COVID-19 shutdown, but something that will eventually come back into play. Overall, Wallenius Marine says it has cut emissions by 90 percent.
While the global cargo shipping industry has taken a variety of steps to reduce its fossil fuel emissions, the sheer size of the industry and ongoing demand means it still makes up about 2 percent of all global emissions. The OceanBird is strictly in the design phase for now, with a fully realized design next year and earliest possible production in 2024.
Wallenius Marine wants to drum up interest now, but it also hopes sharing its ideas will encourage others in the space to continue to innovate. Goods will always need to circulate around the world, making cargo shipping an industry where even small changes can have a tangible and immediate impact.


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The iPhone is changing. 2017 is the 10th anniversary of the iconic smartphone range and
Following independent reports for Nikkei, FastCompany and famed Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, Goldman Sachs has become the fourth major source to state the so-called iPhone 8 (also referred to as the iPhone 7S, iPhone X, iPhone Edition and simply ‘iPhone’) will be the most expensive phone Apple has ever made.
Whereas previous reports said the iPhone 8 could cost $1,000, Goldman Sachs says this will be the starting price for the new range which will sit above incremental iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus updates:
"We expect the iPhone 8 to have 128GB and 256GB models priced at $999 and $1,099, respectively," said Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski in a research note seen by Business Insider.
The end result would be a 2017 iPhone line-up which the global finance giants believes will line up as follows:
- iPhone 7S: from $649
- iPhone 7S Plus: from $769
- iPhone 8: from $999
Add-in sales tax and even an entry level iPhone 8 will cost well over $1,000. Of course the big question this raises is…
Will The iPhone 8 Be Worth It?
On paper at least the answer: quite possibly.
The good news is, despite the price hikes, Goldman Sachs’ report also confirms all the biggest and best changes Apple is expected to make to the iPhone 8. These include a massive new 5.8-inch OLED display, a “no bezel, all screen” design, removal of the home button, “biometric authentication” (position unknown), an A11 chipset and no 64GB option.
Goldman Sachs points out the OLED display adds $35 to the overall cost, plus “3D sensing” (possibly in the camera) adds $20 and faster memory adds $16-$29. This is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. Interestingly, despite some worryingly dull ‘Plan B’ leaks, Goldman Sachs says “we believe Apple has now locked down the design."
With a game changing (if flawed) Galaxy S8 already on the market and Google’s second generation Pixel 2 on the horizon, Apple needs to deliver with the iPhone 8. If it does, I suspect the company will be able to charge what it likes…
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- Activity levels across Australia’s services sector went backwards for a third consecutive month in March. That’s the longest decline since early 2016.
- The weakness was broad based with a deterioration seen across every sub-sector monitored. That’s something that’s not been seen since 2010.
- Sales and inventories fell while margin pressures remained acute. New orders also fell for a third straight month, indicating that activity levels are unlikely to improve much in the June quarter.
- Employment increased slightly after falling earlier in the year. Given the broader backdrop, there has to be some doubts as to whether hiring will continue.
Australia just received another ugly and concerning report card on the state of the economy, adding to concerns the slowdown seen in the second half of last year is becoming entrenched.
The services sector — the largest employer in the country — is going backwards in early 2019.
The Australian Industry Group’s (Ai Group) Performance of Services Index (PSI) stood at 44.8 in March after seasonal adjustments, logging the the first three-peat of sub-50 readings for the first time since early 2016.
This index measures changes in activity levels across Australia’s services sector from one month to the next. Anything above 50 signals activity levels are improving while a reading below 50 indicates they’re deteriorating. The distance away from 50 indicates how quickly activity levels are expanding or contracting.
So at 44.8 in March, activity levels have now deteriorated in each of the past three months, a very different backdrop to what was seen throughout much of 2017 and 2018 when conditions across the sector were far stronger.
As seen in the chart below, that’s a very different backdrop to what was seen throughout much of 2018. The March result adds to evidence that the slowdown in the broader economy likely extended into the March quarter this year.
“Comments from participants were overwhelmingly negative in March,” the Ai Group said.
“Services businesses reported weak customer demand in March, with several businesses noting slower sales and enquiries as well as weakening retail conditions.
“Some businesses that are directly or indirectly affected by the construction sector mentioned a negative impact on their activity arising from lower residential building commencements, a downturn in the housing market and credit tightening.
“In regional locations, excessive heat and drought conditions are affecting some services businesses while floods are impacting others.”
Underlining just how weak the March performance was, activity levels deteriorated across all services sub-sectors for the first time in close to a decade.
“The PSI indicated contraction across both the business-oriented sectors and consumer-oriented sectors in March,” the Ai Group said. “This was the first month in which every sector experienced contraction since August 2010.
The table below from the Ai Group is just plain ugly in terms of the message it is sending about the health of the services sector.
Sales, supplier deliveries and inventories of finished goods all declined sharply, especially for sales, indicating that demand is not only weak but not expected to improve.
Underlining that point, new orders — seen as a lead indicator on activity levels in the future — also fell for a third consecutive month.
Margin pressures also remained acute with input prices and wages continuing to grow while final selling prices went backwards.
Capacity utilisation across the sector also eased, pointing to the possibility of less investment and upward pressure on unemployment in the months ahead.
Like so many other data points in Australia right now, the only real area of strength was in employment which returned to growth after declining earlier in the year.
Despite the modest recovery, the increase was only small. Based on the broader performance across the sector in March, there also has to be some doubts as to whether the improvement will continue.
Attention will now turn to the release of the Ai Group’s Performance of Construction Index (PCI) on Friday, providing another report card on a large and significant parts of the Australian economy.
If the recent reports are anything to go by, it’s unlikely to deliver a welcome message.
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The Internet of Things (IoT) has been around for quite some times among the headlines. The concept is to involves embedded computing devices interconnected with the existing Internet infrastructure seems like need times to adopt. Is it here yet?
IoT prediction includes 30 billion units installed by 2020, nearly $6 trillion will be spent on IoT solutions over the next five years. The challenge for organizations that want to exploits the IoT is to architecting this immature industry and managing the risk it creates. Because IoT demands an extensive range of new technologies and skills that many organizations have yet to master.
In the several years ahead, IoT would look totally different than it does today. Considered as a green market, IoT would attract new players with a whole new business models, approaches, and solutions to overtake incumbents.
Research firm Gartner told that IoT need a new approach to analytics. The currency of IoT will be data if only the masses of data can be translated into insights and information which can be converted into concrete actions that will transform businesses, change people’s lives, and effect social change.
Another consideration is the increasing digitization and automation of the multitudes of devices deployed across different areas of modern urban environments are set to create new security challenges to many industries. IoT is exciting but it demands to build great software and hardware with a sophisticated backend with multiple security levels. Most companies don’t have the talent they need to develop secure products.


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The electronic payment company owns and manages payment brands including Visa and Interlink, as well as product platforms that financial institutions use to manage clients’ credit, debit or prepaid programs.
Looking for leads, investment insights, or competitive intelligence?
News about Visa
Bitcoin technology has gone mainstream.
In the wake of recent violent white supremacist rallies.
It's a fast-growing list.


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A newly released set of federal dietary guidelines has brought renewed and timely focus on reducing sugar intake.
For the first time, the guidelines provide a clear recommended limit on added sugar in the diet: No more than 10 percent of our daily energy intake should come from added sugar, which is less than about 10-12 teaspoons per day.
This is a good start, but unfortunately, industry groups are already working to muddy this simple message.
Makers of highly processed foods and beverages have suggested that, because the government has scrapped earlier recommended limits on things such as eggs, the latest limits on sugar may also be unnecessary.
The science on sugar is clear. The rates of childhood obesity and obesity-related diseases have reached epidemic proportions, with a third of children and two-thirds of adults being overweight or obese. Texas now has the 11th highest adult obesity rate in the nation. Added sugar intake has been consistently linked to this epidemic.
Added sugar has direct links to not just weight gain for children and adults but to diseases such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. During the past three decades, the amount of fat and protein in our diet has not changed dramatically, but the quality of our carbohydrates has.
Carbohydrate intake has shifted from whole grains, fruits and vegetables to sweetened cereals and yogurts, processed chips and crackers, sugar sweetened beverages, and prepared sauces, dressings and desserts. American adults and children are eating and drinking much more added sugar than was the case 30 years ago.
In fact, the food and drink industries add so much sugar to what they sell us that national studies now show the average American, adult or child, consumes about 20 teaspoons of refined sugars daily, excluding naturally occurring sugars found in fruit, milk and other healthy foods.
We Americans eat and drink about twice as much sugar as the new guidelines recommend.
The largest culprit can be found in what we drink, so the new dietary guidelines wisely single out the need to cut back on sodas, fruit drinks, flavored coffees and teas, and sports drinks. Research shows that when you drink your calories instead of eat them, you do not get as full, which leads to consuming more calories over the course. Unlike solid foods, which usually have protein, fat or dietary fiber that help slow down digestion and contribute to how full we feel later, most sweet drinks offer only empty calories.
And because children and teens get even more added sugar from beverages than adults do, the guidelines are key in preventing and treating childhood obesity. This may be especially true in the low-income areas and minority communities where the beverage industry often targets its marketing, leading to higher consumption in some of the areas that can least afford the ill effects of sugary drinks.
Even for children who aren’t obese, sugar intake has been shown to cause behavioral challenges, problems concentrating and lower levels of academic performance. It’s clear that schools, neighborhoods and clinics all have something to gain from adhering to the new dietary recommendations.
During the past decade, people have started to learn more about sugar, and as a result, they’re drinking less of it. But sugar consumption is still too high, and our country has the adverse health effects to show for it. With the new dietary guidelines, I’m hopeful that consumption will continue to come down and bring about better health outcomes as a result.
Simply paying attention — not to industry’s misinformation, but to how much added sugar is in our processed foods — is good motivation to avoid overdoing sugar in our diet. When we do, we’ll begin to look for natural substitutes, the whole grains, fruits and vegetables our bodies really need.
Jaimie Davis is an associate professor of nutritional sciences at The University of Texas at Austin.
To view more op-eds from Texas Perspectives, click here.
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First of all, it’s been over a year since this website began! I’ll have some sort of celebratory post tomorrow, but for now, the news:
– The Oculus Rift Retail Version will cost between $200 – $400 and have several upgrades over the current development kit, including resolution and refresh rate. At present, there is no release date for the consumer version.
– In Japan, Batman: Arkham Knight has been confirmed to be a PS4 exclusive.
– Microsoft is rumoured to be buying Mojang (creators of Minecraft) for $2 Billion, and after that it is rumoured that the creator of Minecraft, Markus “Notch” Persson will leave the company.
– Shigeru Miyamoto is making a short film about the game Pikmin, and the movie is titled Pikmin Short Movie. It will be aired at the Tokyo International Film Festival, then at Toho Cinemas Nihonbashi for free, with tickets won in a raffle.
– Payday 2 is receiving Hotline Miami DLC.
– Finally, a man wearing a Pokémon hat (specifically, a Pikachu), and holding a Pikachu plush toy jumped the White House fence and ran across the lawn before being apprehended by the Secret Service. President Obama was attending a 9/11 memorial while the event occurred.
That’s all the news for this week, but tune in next Friday (19/09/14) for more news from the land of gaming!


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The software firm, Messagenet, is a Skype competitor and wants to make sure Microsoft would not include Skype with the rest of its ubiquitous software. Microsoft, of course, has gotten in trouble in Europe – and the U.S. – for its bundling practices, recently by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows.
From the NYT report:
But legal experts were split over whether the latest complaint, filed Sept. 20 by Messagenet, a company based in Milan that is a rival to Skype Internet’s phone service, would complicate or prevent European approval of the takeover, which would be the largest in Microsoft’s history and the largest takeover in the technology sector this year.
“These types of complaints from competitors are to be expected,” said Denis Waelbroeck, an antitrust lawyer at Ashurts in Brussels. “I would expect that the commission will look at this seriously, but I think that in the end, the officials will reach their own independent decision. This doesn’t mean the complaint will be upheld.”
A Microsoft spokesperson sent seattlepi.com the following statement:
Skype is a valuable and popular product that Microsoft will continue to supply as such. The proposed acquisition is still undergoing regulatory review and we are working closely with the agencies. Until all regulatory approvals are obtained, it is business as usual at Microsoft and at Skype.
Read the entire NYT report.


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Here's the thing with gutsy bets: You win big, or you lose big.
Marvell Technology (NAS: MRVL) is betting heavily on Chinese smartphones, and it's not paying off right now. That's why Marvell shares are crashing through the trading floor today.
As the chip designer geared up for Thursday's third-quarter report, I told you to pay attention to the company's Chinese sales, specifically, in the TD-SCDMA market. That's the smartphone data standard of choice for leading Chinese network China Mobile (NYS: CHL) , and it's a make-or-break product line for Marvell.
The company reported adjusted earnings of $0.24 per share on $816 million in revenue. Those numbers missed Wall Street's estimates by 8% on the bottom line, and 6% in terms of sales.
CEO Sehat Sutardja chiefly blamed the global economy, like everyone else is doing these days. Marvell is also a major parts supplier to Research In Motion, which teeters on the edge of extinction, and isn't helping Marvell's sales at all. RIM's fortunes are flagging so fast, and Marvell has so few customers for its Armada-branded mobile processor line, that this chip line's future may be brighter in newfangled server systems instead.
After those overarching problems, wouldn't you know it -- Sutardja points right at slow demand from Chinese smartphone customers. "Revenue from TD smartphone customers in China declined due to slower than expected demand and increased competition," Sutardja explained. He expects TD orders to stay low for another quarter or two.
The toughest TD-SCDMA competition right now comes from local specialist Spreadtrum Communications (NAS: SPRD) , but American giants Intel (NAS: INTC) , through its purchase of Infineon's baseband operations, and QUALCOMM (NAS: QCOM) , are pushing into this market, too. These are not idle threats from unproven startups, but serious challenges by industry titans.
The Chinese smartphone market is still the key to Marvell's future. Unfortunately, somebody seems to have changed the lock. As a result, the stock is sniffing around three-year lows today. I'll give Marvell two more quarters to show signs of life in China before giving up on my bullish CAPScall. It's all about execution at this point.
How important is China to chip giant Intel? Find out in our brand-new premium report on the industry leader. Inside, we discuss one of the biggest risks facing the chip giant, one that it needs to find an answer for soon. We also provide a full year of updates when key news breaks, so make sure to claim your copy by clicking here now.
The article China Giveth, and China Taketh Away originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributorAnders Bylundholds no position in any of the companies mentioned. Check outAnders' holdings and bio, or follow him onTwitterandGoogle+. The Motley Fool owns shares of QUALCOMM, Intel, and China Mobile.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of Intel. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinion, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days.


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Based on popular demand from exhibitors and attendees at EXPO 2012, this year’s show will once again be held at one of St. Tammany’s beautiful school facilities, Lakeshore High School on Highway 1088. Our annual trade show assembles more than 100 businesses and over a thousand attendees – bringing you countless leads to one location in a single day. EXPO offers your business face-to-face conversations with these potential customers. Rather than chasing down leads, why not let EXPO bring buying customers to you?
This year’s event will be held June 20, 3-7 p.m., and our staff has already begun booth sales.
Those interested in exhibiting at this year’s business EXPO can download a registration form at www.sttammanychamber.org/expo or call 273.3008 to speak to our Membership and Events Coordinator, Melissa Bordelon. You may also email her at firstname.lastname@example.org. Based on feedback from a survey from last year’s exhibitors, we expect booths to sell fast, so call today! We are offering an early-bird discount to those who register and pay in full by March 15.
Our annual EXPO is a special project of our Small Business Council (SBC). Approximately 90 percent of our members are small businesses. The SBC, this year under the leadership of Committee Chairwoman Maria Landry, lends assistance to our members through job fairs, recognition awards and trade shows. They keep abreast of trends and issues affecting the small business community, and in partnership with SCORE and the LSBDC at Southeastern University, plans seminars, workshops and training sessions. The SBC also leads and supports business development and growth through market-driven education, business networking, and opportunities for workforce development.
Special thanks to Lakeshore High principal Brennan McCurley and our superintendant Trey Folse for their support and enthusiasm in hosting us once again for the Northshore’s premier business trade shows. For more information on this exciting trade show, our Small Business Council or any of our programs or events, call our office at 985-892-3216 or visit www.sttammanychamber.org. And we look forward to seeing you at EXPO 2013.
Lacey Toledano is the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce's President and CEO. She can be contacted at email@example.com.


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The A-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s most affordably priced car, designed to attract millennials, which the company views at its next generation of customers. Working with Cookerly Public Relations and other media partners, Mercedes-Benz selected the February 2019 Super Bowl to launch the vehicle. For its efforts, the Cookerly team has earned first place in the “Automotive Campaign” category of the PR Daily Awards.
The plan made perfect sense: The game was placed in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which is also the company’s U.S. headquarters city. Cookerly handled the PR to generate excitement and visibility for the unveiling. Other agencies handled ad campaigns, brand experience activations and organic and paid social media activations.
The PR elements of the campaign were extensive and well-coordinated, including a celebrity spokesperson (Ludacris), a partnership with the Ron Clark Academy designed to bring millennial appeal to the campaign (and make a community connection), a school surprise event delivering tickets to two deserving students, a video, Twitter memes, a press party and a proactive media relations campaign.
The effort achieved 613 media placements, reaching an audience of nearly 2 billion, appearing in the AP, CNN, Business Insider, The Washington Post, Forbes, TV Guide and hundreds of websites and daily local and business outlets and trade publications.
The school surprise and the video exceeded expectations: The video garnered nearly 2 million views and 93,000 engagements with social reach of nearly 61 million. All the other metrics for the campaign were spectacular, notably the fact that millennials drove the most views and highest view rates, suggesting that the launch was successful in driving target demographic engagement.
Congratulations to Donna Boland, Kathryn Reynolds, Beth McKenna, Stephen Brown, Andrew Agan, Emily Rios, Anne Carlson and Madeline McGinty.


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SINGLE BRAND RETAIL
Snowman Logistics surges 5% on bagging IKEA deal
Snowman Logistics is an integrated temperature controlled logistics service provider for backend support.
After stents and knee implants, government now plans to put a price cap on non-essential drugs
Non-essential drugs are those that are outside...
Festive sales finally bring cheers for retail stores
Mall owners and apparel brands have reported a 15-20 per cent surge in sales over last y...
Snowman Logistics bets big on IKEA deal
The Swedish company, which also runs a food restaurants chain, recently forayed into India with the plan to open the first store in Hyderabad by March next year.
'India gets $10 bn investment commitment in food processing'
The World Food India event will see participation of 30 countries and over 50 global CEOs, along with CEOs of leading domestic food processing firms and 27 states, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said.
Single brand retailers may not need to quote MRP
Top European retailers had said the practice increases production cost -in Ikea's case, labelling costs per store could be as high as Rs 7-10 crore.
Triumph launches Street Triple RS at Rs 10.55 lakh
The Street Triple RS is a force machine that delivers in terms of performance and style.
Future Group may raise $400 million via dollar bonds
Two weeks ago, the Future Group announced that it had acquired HyperCity, a 19-store retail network.
Godrej Agrovet lists at 35% premium to issue price
At the issue price, the stock was available at 34.7 times of its FY17 earnings .
Government approves 5 FDI proposals in single brand retail sector
The FDI proposals approved by the government include Oppo Mobiles India Louis Vuitton Malletier, Chumbak Design, Daniel Wellington AB and Actoserba Active Wholesale.
Now, offline stores also buy products from Flipkart, Amazon to resell them at market prices
Small offline traders have accounted for more than 20% of the total sales of smartphones and FMCG products by online marketplaces this festive season.
Harley-Davidson University to debut in India
Currently, the US-based firm has three such universities in the Asia Pacific region. It is planning to open the fourth here at the national capital.
Reliance Retail Q2 PBDIT jumps 68.2% to Rs 444 crore
Revenue of the company in the second quarter grew 81.3% yearon-year to Rs 14,646 crore. The revenue stood at Rs 8,079 crore during the same period last year.
Arvind Internet to offer omnichannel service to brands
Bagging so many clients in a short period highlights that there is a latent demand for this kind of service, a top official said.
PC Jeweller turnover may cross Rs 10,000 cr this fiscal
The national capital-based jewellery major has added 10 new retail stores this fiscal to 85 outlets and plans to open 20 more by end of this fiscal, its MD Balram Garg said.


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Intel unveils pulse-monitoring headphones
Tuesday 07 January 2014
Doctors have long been able to monitor your heartbeat through a stethoscope but soon you too could listen in through your headphone.
Intel last night unveiled a pair of earphones which measure your heart rate while you exercise — as well as play music, of course. The gadget is powered by the audiojack of phones and MP3 players and consists of software which changes the music in a bid to speed up or slow down the heart.
The earbuds were unveiled by Intel’s chief executive Brian Krzanich at the CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. Krzanich said: “The real key here is seamless, no buttons, always listening.”
Intel joins the likes of Samsung, Sony and Google in pioneering “ wearable technology” that can monitor health and be used to control other devices. Take up of products such as Samsung’s Galaxy Gear watch has so far been subdued but analysts predict the field could be a growth area. Juniper Research forecasts that shipments of devices such as smart watches could reach 130 million by 2018, 10 times more than last year.
Intel, which dominated the PC industry, is hoping to get a headstart in the field after largely missing out on the smartphone and tablet boom.
Video: Intel reveals new gadgets
- 1 Howard Jacobson: Let's see the 'criticism' of Israel for what it really is
- 3 Do you know this man? Amnesia sufferer found in park pleads for help in identifying who he is
- 4 PornHub begs users to stop uploading video clips of Brazil getting beaten 7-1
Game of Thrones author George RR Martin says 'f*** you' to fans who fear he will die before finishing Westeros saga
Jennifer Lawrence face palms Emma Watson at Christian Dior show in Paris
Mick Jagger denies being World Cup curse and reason for Brazil’s embarrassing defeat
Gingers face extinction due to climate change, scientists warn
Do you know this man? Amnesia sufferer found in park pleads for help in identifying who he is
Sustained immigration has not harmed Britons' employment, say government advisers
British jihadist calls for 'flag of Islam' over Downing Street and Buckingham Palace
Australia facing international condemnation after turning around Sri Lankans at sea
7/7 memorial defaced on anniversary of 2005 attacks with ‘Blair lied thousands died’ graffiti
Even when it brutalises one of its own teenage citizens, America is helpless against Israel
There’s a nasty smell in the political air – and it’s coming from the Tories
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'Stationery has really taken off': Ames-based Nook & Nest plans second store in Ankeny's Prairie Trail District
Nook & Nest started humbly as one table of products in the Cooks’ Emporium store in downtown Ames. In a short time, it grew to a Main Street storefront, and now a second location of the store is planned for Ankeny’s The District at Prairie Trail in September.
With a selection of stationery, gifts and lifestyle products, Nook & Nest is seeing a boom in business that owner Mindy Bergstrom attributes, at least in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When families were unable to travel, the next best thing besides a phone call is a hand-written note,” Bergstrom said. “There’s still a lot of people out there who like to be traditional or courteous by having hand-written notes.”
Even in a digital age, there are still people who just love paper, she said.
“They’re paper people. They absolutely love different notebooks and designs. They love greeting cards — especially witty ones,” Bergstrom said. “I’m obsessed with Rifle Paper Co. Their designs are beautiful — they’re just so cheery and happy. I just love stationery.”
Bergstrom bought the iconic Cooks’ Emporium, 313 Main St., in February 2018. Nook & Nest took root at the table in Cooks’ Emporium in 2018 and in May of 2019, it moved to its own space next door and last summer it expanded into the building next door. Z.W. Mercantile opened in early 2020.
The owners of the fast-growing Prairie Trail District have been encouraging Bergstrom to open a store there for the past couple of years, she said. They wanted Bergstrom to open a second Cooks’ Emporium there, but she wasn’t ready to do that.
“I feel like there’s a lot more involved with Cooks’ Emporium versus Nook & Nest with stationery,” Bergstrom said. “We expanded Nook & Nest last year in August, during the pandemic, and the stationery has really taken off. The home decor side is doing better than the previous year because I think our stationery is driving people in.”
She said it felt like a good opportunity to try out a store in another community.
“I’m a hardcore Ames fan. I love the community here,” she said. “But I’m excited to see what the store will be like there. The Prairie Trail area is beautiful and is really up-and-coming. I think it’s the right move to try out and expand.”
Nook & Nest’s Ankeny location will be at 1610 SW Main St., Suite 104.


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(Crain's) -- McDonald's Corp. announced Thursday that it will participate in a study of alternatives to caging egg-laying hens.
McD's explores 'cage-free' eggs
But the Humane Society of the United States, which criticizes McDonald's for using only eggs from hens kept in small cages, claims the company is initiating the study to delay reforming its practices.
The Humane Society is encouraging McDonald's shareholders to vote next week in favor of its resolution calling for the company's U.S. stores to start using eggs from cage-free hens.
The group notes that Burger King started using cage-free eggs two years ago, and chains such as Denny's also use them.
McDonald's says it will participate in a study with academics, Minnesota-based Cargill Inc., the American Veterinary Medical Assn. and several other groups to determine the sustainability of alternative hen housing and its effects on animal health, safe and affordable food, the environment and worker welfare.
"This is a welcome initiative for egg purchasers like McDonald's who want to consider all of the sustainability impacts when it comes to buying eggs -- not just animal welfare, but environmental, food safety and economic factors," Dan Gorsky, McDonald's senior vice-president of North American supply chain management, said in a statement. "It is our intention for eggs produced as part of this study, including cage-free eggs, to partially supply McDonald's USA by 2011."


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Cyberpunk 2077 seems to being quite a bit of success recently. CD Projekt RED took to Twitter to reveal that 1 million players have been playing Cyberpunk 2077 every day this week.
“Each day of this week Night City has been visited by 1 million players, both new and returning,” reads the studio’s statement on Twitter. “We wanted to use this opportunity to thank you for being with us and playing the game.”
The game’s recent popularity likely has to do with a number of updates it has gotten since its release, the recent announcement for an expansion, and most recently of all, the release of the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime.
Recently, the number of concurrent players for Cyberpunk 2077 had seen quite a rise since the release of the anime. At the time of publishing, 60,263 players are currently playing Cyberpunk 2077, with a 24-hour peak of 86,130.
Since this only accounts for those playing the Steam version of Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED’s 1 million player figure likely takes more players into account, including the GOG version of the game, as well as the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S versions.
Each day of this week Night City has been visited by 1 million players, both new and returning.
We wanted to use this opportunity to thank you for being with us and playing the game. Thanks, Chooms! 💛 pic.twitter.com/zqggblztF8
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) September 21, 2022


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EMC on Tuesday announced that it is taking another swing at backup and file synchronization. However, this time the company is aiming primarily at mobile users in the enterprise. EMC is acquiring four-year-old startup Syncplicity, which provides file-sharing and storage software as a service that enables synchronization to and from computers, mobile devices and online services.
In announcing the acquisition, EMC noted that it chose Syncplicity over the competition because Syncplicity is focused on the enterprise segment, while most other competitors are still targeting consumers. (EMC had previously tried its hand at the consumer backup market. In 2007, it paid $76m for online storage startup Mozy, but has since handed over much of the responsibility for those assets to VMware.) Like so many of its rivals, Syncplicity started in the consumer space but turned its attention toward enterprises in the past year or so. The company now claims about 200,000 users, including roughly 50,000 businesses.
We’d also note that the deal was driven by EMC’s Information Intelligence Group (i.e., Documentum), which makes sense from a collaboration/workflow/app space, but it does have the potential to cause some internal conflicts. For example, the EMC Atmos team is working closely with Oxygen Cloud, and VMware has Horizon/Octopus.
EMC isn’t disclosing terms of the acquisition, but we were recently told that Syncplicity is still in its early days and is nowhere near the size of competitor ShareFile, which sold to Citrix last year. ShareFile had nearly double Syncplicity’s headcount, and generated an estimated $12m in revenue during the year leading up to its sale. Citrix paid $54m for ShareFile, and is now using the target’s technology in its recently updated CloudGateway 2 product for mobile app management and file sharing. We’ll have a longer report on EMC’s Syncplicity buy later this week.
For more real-time information on tech M&A, follow us on Twitter @MAKnowledgebase.


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Ver has announced the news speaking at a Bitcoin Cash meetup in London on Nov. 19, as he tweeted on Nov. 20. The event was hosted by major global crypto wallet Blockchain.com. The new Bitcoin Cash Ecosystem Fund will focus on payment solutions and non-custodial financial services for Bitcoin Cash, a cryptocurrency that emerged from a hard fork of Bitcoin in August 2017.
The new fund will be investing in payment gateways and wallet acquirers
According to an official announcement, details of the BCH Ecosystem Investment Fund are not yet finalized but it will allow participation from institutional investors. The fund will be investing in payment gateways, processors remittances, wallet and merchant acquirers.
Bitcoin.com’s new CEO, Stefan Rust, has reportedly identified up to 20 potential institutional investors that share the company’s vision and are interested to invest alongside Bitcoin.com’s executive chairman Ver and the company itself.
Bitcoin.com recently launched its own crypto exchange
Formerly known as a website focused on covering BTC and BCH, Bitcoin.com now provides a number of Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash services including crypto trading and storage. The firm behind the website has been gradually embracing more services since its domain name was acquired by Ver back in 2014.
Increasing emergence of new crypto funds
Meanwhile, the number of new crypto-related funds appears to be surging. Yesterday, Michael Novogratz’s crypto merchant bank Galaxy Digital announced the launch of two Bitcoin funds, targeting “the wealth of America,” or people between the ages of 50 and 80. Last week, ConsenSys’ CSO Sam Cassatt announced that his new blockchain-oriented investment firm Aligned Capital is planning to raise $50 million for its first fund.


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AT&T to Sell Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
AT&T revealed at a media event in New York that it will soon offer the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. According to representatives on-hand, the device will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and can access AT&T's HSPA+ network at 21Mbps. Pricing and availability weren't available.
Review: Sony Xperia X - Unlocked
The Xperia X is an unlocked Android smartphone that Sony is selling directly to consumers. The phone departs from Sony's Xperia Z series in ways that are both good and bad.
Review: Sony Xperia XZ1
The Sony Xperia XZ1 is one of the first smartphones to run Android 8 Oreo. It packs the latest processor and camera technology into Sony's age-old, metal-and-glass chassis.
Hands On with the Sony Xperia XZ
Sony's newest flagship-class device is the Xperia XZ. This phone builds on the design and features we saw in the Xperia X earlier this year and makes strides with the camera and video camera tools.
Sony Xperia Phones Can Now Broadcast Games to Twitch
Sony today announced a new partnership with Twitch that will let select Xperia smartphones broadcast gameplay directly to Twitch. Twitch has allowed Android devices to view gameplay before, Sony's Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z4, and Xperia Z4v smartphones, and the Xperia Z4 Tablet can now push Android games to Twitch live.
Sony Says Xperia Z and Other Devices to See Android 5.1
Sony today said that even as it continues to update its Xperia Z line of handsets and tablets to Android 5.0 Lollipop, it will soon begin updating those same devices to Android 5.1. The Xperia Z, Z1, Z2, and Z3, and the T2 Ultra and C3 will all see Android 5.1 beginning in July.


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(ZEROHEDGE) – A staggering number of Nigerians love Bitcoin, but hate government cryptocurrency (CBDCs). In April, leading cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin noted that 35% of the adult population in Nigeria – roughly 34 million adults aged 18-60 – own bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. But when it came to the country's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the eNaira, it was a massive failure.
According to Bloomberg, only 1 in 200 Nigerians use the eNaira – despite government implemented discounts and other incentives, implemented as desperate measures to increase adoption.
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WND is now on Trump's Truth Social! Follow us @WNDNews
Now, the government is looking to boost digital payments by limiting ATM withdrawals to just 20,000 naira, or roughly U.S. $45 per day, Bloomberg reports, citing a circular sent to lenders on Tuesday. The previous withdrawal limit was 150,000 naira (US$350).


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Kraft names leader for snack company
6 December 2011 – In the next step toward launching two public companies, the board of directors at Kraft Foods has announced that Irene Rosenfeld will become chairman and CEO of the global snacks company.
Rosenfeld has been CEO of Kraft Foods since 2006 and chairman since 2007, she has led Kraft Foods’ transformation, improving the face, footprint and prospects of the company and enabling it to deliver top tier results. She has 30 years of accomplishments in the food and beverage industry. These include building several major businesses; integrating Nabisco; leading Kraft Foods through its spin off from Altria to emerge as a strong, independent company; and devising strategies that included the transformative LU and Cadbury acquisitions.
“Irene was the obvious choice to lead the global snacks company,” says Mark Ketchum, lead director of Kraft Foods board of directors “As a result of her bold vision, courage to transform Kraft Foods’ portfolio and investment in core brands and high growth developing markets, we are now able to launch two formidable world class companies.”


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Q&A :: The meat we eat
PR dla Zagranicy
Will consumers start asking questions about conventional slaughter and how the animals bred for meat are treated?
Controversies surrounding the halal and kosher slaughter of livestock, recently banned in Poland, have yielded substantial coverage on the ethical side of the practice and the issue of animal welfare. Has it sparked greater social awareness on the issue?
"I do believe that the awareness of the cruelty in slaughterhouses has recently raised dramatically, so I do believe the consumers will be much more interested in knowing where their meat comes from," says Andrzej Elżanowski, bioethicist and zoologist from the Polish Academy of Sciences, in part two of the interview.
For part one go to: http://www.thenews.pl/1/6/Artykul/143046,QandA-the-bioethics-of-kosher-and-halal-slaughter


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Compared to non-cannabis states, adult-use states experienced a 11% drop in binge drinking. Analysts believe further marijuana legalization will see subsequent drops.
We'll give you a hint: it's not millennials. Plus, women and men prefer different cannabis products, but not in the ways you'd expect.
A supermajority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, despite recent negative coverage due to vaping illnesses.
Twice as many Americans report using marijuana to alleviate medical conditions than for recreation, new study finds.
As well informed and aware Millennials may be, the stigma of being entitled and lazy still follows them to the corporations.
FOR A WEEKLY DOSE OF THE FRESH TOAST
Hand selected from our editors with all the latest news and entertainment with a side of cannabis.
Tom Brady may have enjoyed the usual toke, but letting down his dad stopped him from becoming a marijuana user.
Charlotte Figi came to fame as the sweet little girl who suffered hundreds of seizures a day from a rare condition called Dravet Syndrome.
When Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker shut down all “non-essential” businesses on March 23, he included adult-use cannabis stores among the group.


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Dollar Tree says it will now divest as many stores as needed to get antitrust clearance for its deal to buy Family Dollar.Read More »
Tag Archives: Dollar TreeFeed Subscription
The Division of Consumer Protection says "Clingy Darts," sold at Dollar Tree stores, contains more than six times the federally allowed limit on a chemical known as DEHP.Read More »
Spirit Pharmaceuticals has begun a search for industrial space within the Town of Brookhaven, where it wants to set up a new manufacturing facility.
Tagged with: Amneal Pharmaceuticals Brookhaven CVS Dollar Tree Economy generic drugs industrial space Luitpold Pharmaceuticals pharmaceutical producer Real Estate Retail Spirit Pharmaceuticals WalgreensRead More »
Dollar Tree has signed a 10-year lease for 9,044-square-feet at the Jerusalem Avenue Shopping Center in Hicksville. The discount retailer is scheduled to open its new location in February, pending construction. The 30,850-square-foot Hicksville center is now 98 percent occupied, ...Read More »
Discount retailer Dollar Tree says it has completed the purchase of Canada’s Dollar Giant stores for about $52 million in cash. The Chesapeake-based company said Wednesday the deal includes 86 Dollar Giant Stores, including substantially all assets, inventory, leasehold rights ...Read More »


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The Greene Turtle, located at 17388 N Village Main Blvd in Lewes, will be undergoing both a remodel and a full rebranding in the coming months, according to franchise co-owner Bob Frankis.
Given the sensitivity of the issue and the fact that staff was just informed earlier this week, Frankis declined to provide any further comment on what the rebranding might look like, or whether the Greene Turtle will be temporarily closing for the remodeling.
Nevertheless, such an undertaking is not without precedent, as Frankis and business partner Mike Venanzi took similar action earlier this year when their Rehoboth Beach Greene Turtle became Above the Dunes. At the time, the restaurateurs told the Cape Gazette that “the Greene Turtle name had served them well for the past 17 years, but the sports bar theme had run its course.”
The Greene Turtle was founded in 1981 by friends Steve Pappas and Tommy Dickerson who purchased an English-style pub of the same name and “transformed it into a beloved sports bar,” according to the company’s website.
After opening a few more locations on their own, in 2002 Pappas and Dickerson decided to franchise the business and by 2010, had earned the title as the fastest-growing sports bar franchise in the nation from Entrepreneur Magazine, with some 30 locations spread across the Mid-Atlantic.
Whether or not Frankis and co.’s decision marks the end of their relationship with Greene Turtle remains to be seen.


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Garage sales: for the (early) birds
Garage sale shoppers have different reasons for arriving early to find deals.
By KANTELE FRANKO
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
WARREN -- It was an average morning for Hadley, Pa., resident Paula Addams.
She woke up early, stopped at the doughnut shop for coffee, and drove about 50 minutes from Hadley to Warren to arrive early at the day's most promising garage sale. She scoured the sale for the perfect items and left with a buggy full of random selections, including a lamp base made out of a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Maybe the Jack Daniels lamp wasn't so average. But that was the point.
Addams, a retired nurse and self-proclaimed garage sale early bird, said she makes a habit of arriving at sales early to have the best chance of finding unique items and good deals.
She was one of the shoppers who arrived early to the annual Easter Seals indoor garage sale Aug. 3, which was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Ridgeview Plaza in Warren.
The first early bird arrived just after 8 a.m. Addams and a couple of good friends were among the five people at the plaza by 8:20 a.m. By the time the doors opened at exactly 9 a.m., about 50 people bumped and pushed their way down the aisles of discarded goods.
'No Early Birds'
Early birds make up what filmmaker Michael Bayer calls a "unique subculture" of dedicated individuals -- many of whom are retirees -- who arrive at garage sales long before they are scheduled to start in hopes of being the first to find their perfect item.
Bayer got first-hand experience with that subculture while co-directing the 2001 documentary "No Early Birds," an unusual adventure into the thoughts and lives of some early birds from the Austin, Texas area.
Based on his experiences, Bayer loosely categorizes early birds into three categories: the frugal shopper, the semi-professional, and the obsessive shopper or collector.
Semi-professionals are the auctioneers, antique dealers and those who hope to re-sell their purchases on eBay.
Obsessive shoppers -- like Addams -- and collectors buy things they don't need because they like the experience as a whole. "It's their form of recreation," Bayer said.
Frugal shoppers know what they need and look for inexpensive items to use themselves, such as furniture and children's toys.
Despite their labels, shoppers in all three categories have one thing in common. They love a great deal.
"You don't have to need it," Addams said. "You just want it. It's like having a drink."
Addams illustrated her point as she looked at her reflection in a steel stand-up mixer.
"I just want one because I've never had one," she said. "This is the nature of the beast."
Finds of the day
Such was the case with many of the items that ended up in Addams' $25 worth of purchases after three hours of shopping, including the Jack Daniels lamp, a ceramic yellow pot, sieve, hummingbird feeder and a box of canning jars.
Addams looked above and below tables and through piles, trying to be the first to find the best values she could.
"This is an addictive sport," she said. "Think of the exercise you're getting. Think of the exercise your wallet is getting!"
Despite the enthusiasm she shared with her fellow early birds, Addams knew her limits. The IV pole, an unidentifiable Sears appliance that resembled a small spaceship, a display of adult diapers and a box of dried blood fertilizer were just a bit too bizarre for her taste, no matter how cheap they were.
Addams' neighbor and shopping partner, Carol Swogger, was less conservative. By the time she reached the check out line, Swogger was dragging three shopping carts behind her, full of everything from pots and pans to children's toys and a small turtle statue.
Bayer said he learned that early birds like Addams and Swogger develop a habit and turn it into a recreational activity.
"It's an addictive pastime," he said. "It's like going to Vegas in a way. It's harmless fun, if you can afford it."
Youngstown resident Gerald Thomas said he gambles on the luck of being an early bird when he searches for items to re-sell on eBay.
Thomas spent only three minutes finding his only purchase, a mixer he said he thought would sell on the Internet for at least $5 more than the $20 he paid for it.
And anybody could make the same kind of easy cash, he said.
"I guarantee there's something lying around on the tables," Thomas said. "You just have to know what you're looking for."
Bayer, now an art director who occasionally shops at garage sales when designing sets for commercials, said knowing how garage sales work is helpful, but isn't a guarantee of success.
"It's an incredible resource, but it's really luck," he said.


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Customer feedback is consistent and clear: householders do not want the intrusion of door knockers seeking to sell them energy contracts, EnergyAustralia said today.
EnergyAustralia Group Executive Manager of Retail, Adrian Merrick, said large and small energy retailers must do the hard work of developing sales channels that met the expectations of customers.
“Customers have told us they find door knocking intrusive, and that they want to control when and how they interact with energy retailers,” Mr Merrick said.
“As the industry moves away from door knockers, it is critical that we do the hard work of developing other sales channels, so that we can continue to have strong competition.”
Mr Merrick’s comments followed an announcement today from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that it had sought and received a court enforceable undertaking from energy retailer, Lumo, over conduct of door-to-door salespeople in 2012.
Earlier this year, the ACCC ordered AGL to pay over $1.5 million for illegal door-to-door selling practices, and it filed court proceedings in relation to past door-to-door selling practices against EnergyAustralia and four marketing and sales companies engaged by EnergyAustralia.
“Whether they are providing their feedback directly to retailers or to regulators, the feedback from customers on door knocking is consistent and clear,” Mr Merrick said.
“Door knocking was our most complained about sales channel.”
On 25 February this year, EnergyAustralia was the first energy company to announce that it would cease doorknocking nationwide, based on feedback from customers.
AGL and Origin have followed EnergyAustralia’s lead and also withdrawn from doorknocking.
Mr Merrick said EnergyAustralia had made strong gains in developing other sales channels, particularly online.


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Camellos drinks launched at Global Village
Dubai, October 25, 2012
The newly-launched Camellos brand by Café2Go, an innovative coffee shop chain, has opened its fourth Dubai outlet at Global Village. The new outlet joins three existing Café2Go locations across Dubai.
The opening is timed to coincide with the Eid Al Adha holidays to offer visitors a healthy choice of camel-milk coffee, tea, smoothies, gelatos, camel-cheese sandwiches and camel-meat fajitas, said its top official.
“We are rapidly expanding the Camellos brand and would like to bring camel milk and its many healthy benefits to a wider audience. Children can enjoy the smoothies and parents can sip their hot or cold camel-milk coffee while enjoying the many fun-filled activities at Global Village," remarked Jassim Al Bastaki, the Emirati owner and founder of Camellos.
Global Village attracts millions of visitors every season. The number of visitors rises especially during weekends, public and Eid holidays.
Its attractions will be open from October 21 and run until March 30, welcoming visitors earlier than usual to cover the period of Eid Al Adha.Camellos will be offering a range of ‘weekend specials’ during the five-month Global Village extravaganza.
“Camel milk is good for the whole family. It strengthens the immune system, is low in fat, healthy for bones, a rich source of protein, contains 10 times more iron and three times more vitamin C than cow's milk, and is easy to digest,” noted Al Bastaki.
The Café2Go outlet at Global Village will be open from 4pm to 12pm Sundays to Thursdays, and from 4pm to 1am on Fridays.
Al Bastaki hasplans to expand the Café2Go and Camellos concept through franchised outlets across the Middle East.
He has recently signed a franchise agreement to take the Camellos brand to Libya and is in final talks with a partner in Bahrain, confident that the brand will prove an equally big hit in the GCC and the wider region.-TradeArabia News Service
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- Improvised explosive device used in Bahrain attack


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Apple has been making huge strides in bringing accessibility to iPhones and iPads. Visually impaired users are able to use iPhones by using voice and touch support. Interestingly, iOS devices support Braille access which is not a possibility yet in many popular smartphones and tablets. With every new upgrade, Apple adds more accessibility features to it devices. iOS 7, its most recent upgrade, comes with a number of feature supports for Braille users on iPads and iPhones.
Read more about it here: http://www.aeldata.com/blogs/item/142-journey-towards-braille-with-ios-7


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Naomi Owolabi, LLB student, King’s College London
After Star Wars: The Last Jedi achieved $220 million in its opening weekend late last year, Disney’s potential purchase of 21st Century Fox and its subsidiaries for $52.4 billion (£39 billion) may end up conferring to the company dominance over Hollywood. Disney has publicly stated that its aim with this deal is to enter the market of online streaming and rival its competitors in the sector, the most direct one currently being Netflix.
The Disney-21st Century Fox merger, formally proposed last December, is only the latest and most visible example of a trend of convergence among the big players in the Entertainment and Media (E&M) industry in the last few decades. A convergence that is at the centre of the academic and public eye by reason of its potential compatibility with antitrust regulation and potential economic fallouts. This article seeks to explain the direct and broader economic and legal consequences of this negotiating monumental international merger, which is attracting both praises and critiques from Washington.


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The denim maker is launching its first women’s swim line, manufactured by Anaheim, Calif.-based Lunada Bay, at WWDMAGIC next week, in the same booth in which the deal was signed last August.
“When considering a new line, I look at whether it’s a strong brand, the people involved and the timing,” said Lunada Bay chief executive officer Susan Crank. “Lucky’s distribution is pristine. They’re specialty-store oriented, and it’s the right time for us to expand without sacrificing what’s on our plate.”
Lunada Bay makes swimwear under the Bebe, Becca and Girl Star brands.
Lucky president Barry Perlman said he couldn’t project a volume yet, because “we’re new to the swim business, so we don’t have any expectations except to introduce a great product.”
Crank noted that the first swim collection would comprise about 10 percent of the merchandise hanging in Lucky Brand stores, saying: “I think they’re smart to take baby steps.”
The debut line, shipping at the end of April, consists of four groups based on red, white and blue looks in denim; eyelet; pinstripe, and prairie-bohemian prints. Solids, prints, mixed-print and patchwork styles include several reversible styles.
“The biggest challenge for us was to find a denim fabric that no one else had, since that’s the focal point of the sportswear,” said Patricia Osmanson, vice president of Lunada Bay. The company sourced a new, more liquid-like fabric from Canada that it owns exclusively.
In keeping with Lunada’s fit-conscious credo, the 50-piece collection of bikinis, tankinis and cover-ups will be sold entirely as separates, ranging from XS to L and priced from $15 to $35 wholesale.
Key silhouettes include a banded, scarf-tie halter, a tie-back “corset” top, a low-rise, side-tie bottom and front-flap, boy-cut bottom.
“It’s easier to break a line [closer to season]. That’s exactly when everyone wants their suits, and you can really go for the guts of what’s going on in sportswear,” said Osmanson.
Lucky’s first targets are specialty stores near the water, Nordstrom and the 60 Lucky Brand stores nationwide. A new collection will break in July.
Despite Lucky’s success in jeans, not all retailers consider their entry into the competitive swim category a slam dunk.
“Every sportswear brand is jumping on the swim bandwagon,” noted Helmut Behensky, owner of Bea’s Swim & Resort Wear in Woodland Hills and Palm Desert, Calif. “But there are only so many brands that can hang in a store.”
In addition to the swimwear deal, Lucky reached a licensing agreement with Garson International last October to produce Lucky’s women’s and men’s leather sportswear. The company also licensed Lucky children’s clothing to The Haddad Apparel Group LTD last month. First-year sales expectations for the leather sportswear are between $4 million and $6 million, according to Marc Garson, owner of Garson International.


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Find Your Daily Voice
Popular NJ Kosher Restaurant Shutters After 16 Years, Another Expected To Replace It
As the old adage goes: When one door closes, another one opens.
While a longtime New Jersey kosher restaurant will be closing in June, a new one is expected to open in its place.
Park Place, open for 16 years in Highland Park, announced its last day in business will be on Sunday, June 4.
While the restaurant declined to provide further information, it did say a another kosher meat restaurant is expected to take over in the same space sometime soon.
Posted by Park Place Kosher on Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Park Place, 120 Raritan Avenue, Highland Park.
Most Popular Pizzerias In North Jersey
Some North Jersey pizzerias have been around for decades. Others are brand new. Some have a thin and crispy crust. Others are fluffy and plump.
Whatever your pizza preference may be, one thing's for sure: There are plenty of places to choose from in North Jersey.
Daily Voice polled our Instagram followers on their favorite pizzerias, and (in no particular order) here were the most common answers:
Grant Street Cafe, Dumont
Tenth Street Pasta & Pizza, Hoboken
Park Tavern, East Rutherford
Mario's, Saddle Brook
Star Tavern, Ora…
Undeclared Anchovies Prompts Recall Of Pasta Sauce Sold At Some Wegmans Stores
A recall has been issued for a popular brand of tomato sauce sold at Wegmans supermarkets.
The manufacturer, LiDestri Foods, said 24-ounce jars of Wegmans Italian Classics Diavolo pasta sauce may contain undeclared fish (anchovy).
"People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to anchovy run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.," the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
The sauce was sold at Wegman’s grocery stores in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia,…