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From today, SIDN, the .NL registry, is linking an informative landing page to domain names whose name servers have been delinked.
In its role as operator of the .nl domain, SIDN can delink the servers of .nl domain names reported to the Police National Internet Fraud Desk. At the Fraud Desk’s request, SIDN approaches the domain’s registrant with a view to verifying the registration data. If the data can’t be verified, SIDN is now switching the registered name servers so that the domain name points to the special landing page. Any unsuspecting internet user who lands on the page then sees an explanation of why they aren’t on the website they were expecting.
Protecting internet users against online crime
Shortly after a domain’s name servers are delinked, it becomes impossible to reach the domain using its domain name. “The idea of setting up a landing page to tell internet users why a website can’t be reached is a product of our close ties with the Police National Internet Fraud Desk,” explains Chiel van Spaandonk, Abuse Desk Specialist at SIDN. “Every year, we block access to thousands of malicious websites, often after being alerted by the police. The reason for blocking them is, of course, to protect internet users and prevent them falling victim to internet crime. Until now, though, a user who tries to visit one of these sites has been left in the dark about why they can’t see it. So the new landing page has been set up to explain what’s happened and tell them where they can go to get more information from the police and SIDN. We aren’t alone in doing this. Various other registries, including Nominet, the registry for .uk, have similar policies.”
Rapid action needed
Gijs van der Linden, Team Leader at the Police National Internet Fraud Desk, fills in the background. “Fake webshops and other forms of internet crime are multiplying at an alarming rate,” he says. “The police, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and various market players are therefore working together to address the problem. SIDN is one of the organisations we work with. The Police National Internet Fraud Desk has been set up so that internet users can report fraudulent activities. If the subsequent investigation points to crime, it’s important to act quickly, so as to minimise the number of victims. Disabling the domain name is one way of doing that. But it previously had the drawback that an unsuspecting internet user who has, say, clicked on a link expecting to see a site selling cut-price sneakers simply got an error message. There was nothing to tell them that they almost fell for a scam. The new landing page will help the fight against internet crime by educating users.”
“We are constantly working to tackle internet crime,” adds Chiel van Spaandonk. “While the new landing page doesn’t contribute to security directly, we’re expecting it to promote awareness by letting people see that not all webshops can be trusted. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. In due course, we may start using pages like this more widely. In situations where we have intervened at the request of other organisations, for example. Or where we’ve disabled a domain name on our own initiative after detecting phishing activity. It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to making the internet more secure.”


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PSA/Peugeot-Citroen's planned 3 billion euros ($4.1 billion) recapitalization that would see China's Dongfeng Motor and the French government join the Peugeot family as equal shareholders in the company may create more problems than it solves for the struggling automaker.
Some analysts and members of the French press are already saying that the restructured company -- where a trio of major stakeholders would each hold 14 percent stakes -- would be a "three-headed monster" with an unwieldy and inefficient management structure.
The plan would leave "three main shareholders with conflicting objectives," Florent Couvreur, a Paris-based analyst with CM-CIC Securities, said in a note to investors.
Among potential areas of conflict between the Peugeot family, Dongfeng and the French government would be:
- Dongfeng could pressure PSA to reduce expensive production in France and import Chinese-built cars. French politicians would never agree to such a move.
- PSA will find it hard to form pacts with European partners, who would likely balk at the idea of sharing technology with a PSA that is partially owned by a Chinese automaker.
- The recapitalization does not address PSA's need to achieve the economies of scale required to compete against the largest global players. PSA sold 2.8 million vehicles last year while competitors such as General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen Group all sold more than 9 million units.
Gaetan Toulemonde, a Deutsche Bank analyst, said Dongfeng is essentially a contract manufacturer that is unable to help PSA solve its problem of how to expand worldwide, especially in fast-growing markets such as Russia and Latin America. "Dongfeng brings zero economies of scale," Toulemonde said.
PSA's announcement about the recapitalization in a statement on Monday will help the automaker shore up its financing as the company continues to consume cash.
But the proposed deal has divided the Peugeot family. Thierry Peugeot, PSA's chairman since 2002, is now almost certain to be replaced after he opposed a plan by his cousin, Robert Peugeot, to bring in cash from Dongfeng and the French government.
PSA wants to complete the recapitalization deal before its 2013 annual results are published on Feb. 19. Former Renault Chief Operating Officer Carlos Tavares, who joined PSA on Jan. 1, is likely to be named PSA's new CEO then. He is in for some interesting times!

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New ranking finds U.S. retailers failing to address plastic pollution crisis
by Perry Wheeler
March 1, 2021
Greenpeace ranks supermarkets on plastic reduction efforts
Washington, DC – Greenpeace USA released its second ranking of 20 U.S. grocery retailers’ efforts to reduce single-use plastics today, finding that all of the supermarkets continue to fail to address the plastic pollution crisis. Giant Eagle, headquartered in Pittsburgh, was the top ranked retailer for its commitment to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2025, though additional action is needed to shift its operations toward reuse. Across the board, companies must prioritize plastic reduction efforts, engagement with suppliers, and transparency with customers and the broader public.
“U.S. retailers are moving at a snail’s pace on plastic reduction efforts,” said Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar. “There is not a single place that individuals are confronted with more single-use plastic than in our grocery stores, yet these companies continue to drag their feet and offer excuses. We have seen more greenwashing than action. It is time to turn this around.”
ALDI, Sprouts Farmers Market, The Kroger Company, and Albertsons Companies rounded out the top five retailers in Greenpeace’s ranking. H-E-B was again the worst ranked retailer, as the company continues to fail to take any meaningful action on single-use plastics. Walmart, who Greenpeace Inc recently sued for deceptive recyclability labels on plastic products and packaging, fell to 7th in this year’s ranking. Trader Joe’s and Hy-Vee dropped the furthest, sliding nine spots each to finish 13th and 16th respectively.
Giant Eagle’s commitment to eliminate all single-use plastics from its operations helped move it ahead of ALDI, the top scorer in Greenpeace’s 2019 ranking. Giant Eagle is currently developing sustainable packaging guidelines for its suppliers.
“Every piece of plastic that comes through a grocery store ends up polluting our environment, harming our health, accelerating climate change, and impacting communities on the frontlines of this crisis,” Hocevar continued. “We need to see retailers acting now to dramatically reduce their plastic footprints and move from single-use packaging to reuse and package free approaches. Their customers want better options than retailers are giving them.”
Greenpeace obtained information from supermarkets through a standardized 21-question survey, email and phone conversations, and publicly available information. Supermarkets were scored on their performance on policy, reduction, initiatives, and transparency.
As consumer goods companies and retailers fail to act, pressure is mounting for federal action to tackle the plastic pollution crisis. Over 600 community and conservation groups have put forth a Presidential Plastics Action Plan with executive actions President Biden can take, and the comprehensive Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act is expected to be reintroduced in 2021.
The full retailer ranking can be found here: https://www.greenpeace.org/
Contact: Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 301-675-8766


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How to generate leads via Twitter - the new way
According to the latest figures from Emarketer, Twitter is now the fastest growing social media networking site in the world.
Over the years, we’ve witness how Twitter has transformed into different versions of itself while maintaining the core elements. For instance, integration with other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, Photo Card to attach photographs and App Card to promote directly to mobile phone applications. Today, Twitter is recognized as the best social media channel for lead generation. And subsequently, is identified as a key marketing tool for brands everywhere.
Just this week, Twitter has unveiled an upgraded feature on its Twitter Cards program – the ‘Lead Generation Card’.
This Card is exactly as its name suggests – it generates leads.
It is a new Tweet format that enables users to express interest in their choice of brand, by sharing their email addresses in a single tweet. It essentially acts as a landing page within a Tweet, making things simpler for both end users. It facilitates marketers by allowing for promotional offers to be embedded in a Card within a Tweet (such as a ‘free gift during your first purchase’). Likewise, it gives customers easy access to these deals. Gone are the days for the use of lengthy forms or the need to ‘Open link in new page’. Now, a single customizable call-to-action button enables them to instantaneously sign up to a brand’s feed, without ever having to leave their Twitter page. Since users will be logged on to Twitter, their name, @username, and email address already exist within the Card. And so, the user is literally only a click away from sending their contact details directly (and securely!) to the advertiser. This can only mean big things for brands!
To date, brands have had a difficult time determining the commonalities between their email databases and their Twitter fan base. Now, with the Card’s streamline nature, it encourages users to express interest in a highly frictionless manner, and at the same time, work more efficiently for businesses by assisting them in feeding lead data into their CRM/marketing automation system. Businesses will now be able to build their marketing list right in their Twitter account. This is a long awaited step in the right direction, finally justifying the significance of social media in the workplace.
As of now, the Lead Generation Card is in beta and only made available to Twitter’s managed clients, such as New Relic, Full Sail and Priceline. As expected, findings have been unduly positive; participants have found the Card to effortlessly drive a low-cost-per-lead, in comparison to marketing tools in the past.
And to the eager and hopeful small to medium-sized businesses, you’ll get your hands on these goodies soon enough! We’re sure to be at the front of the line.


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Krypton gas market demand support
1. The market price of krypton gas is rising
The market price of krypton gas rose to 9,000-10,000 yuan/cubic meter in March, with some high prices ranging from 11,000-12,000 yuan/cubic meter. Zhuo Chuang believes that with the release of market demand and the gradual improvement of global public health, the demand for krypton in the chip market will continue to support, and in the short term, it is difficult to have a large capacity release at home and abroad, and the market price of krypton in China is expected to further increase.
Krypton gas market supply is tight, the late semiconductor market demand is still supported.
Before the Spring Festival, the overall performance of krypton gas market was relatively flat. After the Spring Festival, the market was affected by some high-priced orders, and the price of negotiation rose again. At present, the market supply of goods is tight, the main manufacturer has limited inventory, take goods to negotiate the price in 9000-10000 yuan/cubic meter, part of the high price in 11,000-12,000 yuan/cubic meter. At present, the market trading atmosphere has improved, the industry bullish atmosphere is stronger.
2. Downstream demand is still supportive
Since September 2020, under the superimposed influence of multiple factors such as the shortage of wafer production capacity and the peak season of the electronics industry, the multi-brand electronic components and electronic-related industries have entered the price rising mode, and the trend is getting more and more intense. From wafer tight caused by the spot market chip shortage price has spread to the silicon wafer and packaging and even chip manufacturing raw materials, the rally in the recent concentrated outbreak. This wave of strong demand comes from the mature process, no one has expanded production in the past few years, and 5G, AI, automotive electronics and other applications are just beginning to develop, this shortage will be difficult to solve.
Prices of DRAM, NAND and NOR were up across the board and rose more than expected in the first half of the year, according to the sources. In November 2020, U.S. chipmaker Micron announced the development of the industry's first 176-layer NAND flash memory chip. SK Hynix then released its 176-layer chip in December. Kioxia of Japan also recently announced that it has successfully developed 162-layer 3D NAND in partnership with Western Digital. In addition, the company plans to double production this year and raise its monthly output of memory chips to 100, 000 wafers, or about 7 per cent of global output, by the second half. And is preparing for trial production of a 192-layer NAND flash memory chip.
In conclusion, with the continuous development of 5G, AI, automotive electronics and other applications, the market demand for chips will be effectively guaranteed. At present, the market for chip demand is strong, related enterprises have more plans to expand capacity. Zhuo Chuang believes that with the release of market demand and the gradual improvement of global public health, the demand for krypton in the chip market will continue to support, and in the short term, it is difficult to have a large capacity release at home and abroad, and the market price of krypton in China is expected to further increase.


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SAN FRANCISCO – Amazon Game Studios has picked up a lot of high-profile talent in the form of developers who have worked on some of the game industry’s top franchises, including “Portal,” “Left 4 Dead” and “Bioshock.” But how does a studio without a major hit under its belt manage to attract top talent, and what are they doing with that talent?
According to Mike Frazzini, the vice president in charge of Amazon Game Studios, the company is looking to tread a middle path between hard-core games that require massive teams and millions of dollars in investment, and smaller social games that can work with a more minimal budget.
“What we’ve observed is that there’s a type of game that exists in the middle of that spectrum that basically indexes very high on creativity (and) hand-craftsmanship,” he said Monday at the GamesBeat conference in San Francisco.
He continued, “You can tell that the people who worked on it had a lot of autonomy, had the ability to shape the game the way they want to shape it, and so when we tell that story to these fantastic game developers that have worked on some of the biggest franchises ever made, they’re very compelled by that,” he said. “They like the idea that they will be able to have a tremendous amount of creative freedom, and make something that’s amazing and unique.”
If that approach sounds familiar, it’s because Amazon also takes a similar tack with its original video projects. The company is trying to build new hit shows and games by offering high-profile creators the freedom to pursue the projects they want to make, sometimes on a slightly smaller scale than they’re used to.
The strategy hasn’t paid dividends for the Seattle-based company in either arena yet, but Amazon seems committed to keep trying. It recently released the companion app to Sev Zero, its first high-profile game for the Fire TV, on the iPad in a move that broadened the reach of the Fire TV’s first-party gaming experience beyond people with Android devices.


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Bosnia-Herzegovina declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, approving a whole set of new measures and restrictions intended to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
All non-essential shops and businesses will be closed from Wednesday, as well as bars, restaurants and shopping malls.
Only food shops, pharmacies and petrol stations will remain open.
The government also approved sending armed forces to land border posts to build mobile tent quarantines for all incoming passengers from virus infected countries.
Shops in Republika Srpska already started closing down on Tuesday, as the decision was made public. Bars and restaurants in Pale also closed.
Pale bus station was closed as all domestic lines were shut.
The Bosnian government has said that the virus outbreak will have a devastating impact on the already weak economy of the Balkan country.


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UK-built keyboard hailed as world's thinnest (1:47)
Sept. 9 - Scientists at British technology firm, Cambridge Silicon Radio, say they've devised the world's thinnest keyboard. Just half a millimetre thick, the device could be available to consumers within a year. Jim Drury has more. ( Transcript )
Hard-edged reporting, insight and analysis, Reuters TV breaks ground creating informative news and financial videos. Showcasing Reuters’ 3000 award-winning journalists, Reuters TV delivers high-energy investigative journalism with concise explanations. Check it out and let us know what you think.


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The event brings together more than 3,000 attendees, 75% of whom are decision-makers, from global brands such as Amazon, DanoneWave, Ford, Google, Kellogg Company, Nestle, PepsiCo and Walmart.
A lawsuit claiming Monsanto Co.’s popular weed killer Roundup causes cancer was dealt a blow by a judge’s conclusions that the opinions of the experts testifying against it are "shaky," a potentially devastating development for the case getting to trial.
Congressional committees and farm groups have crafted language to fix a provision in the federal tax overhaul that gave an unintended tax advantage to farmers who sell their crops to cooperatives instead of other buyers.
The White House says Donald Trump will campaign to pass legislation this year to upgrade roads, bridges and other public works, as members of Congress from both parties say it will only happen with funding and a push from the president.
The American cranberry industry is one of the biggest losers so far in the escalating trade dispute between the European Union and the U.S.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway said he’s delaying the release of a draft version of the 2018 Farm Bill as he seeks bipartisan support.
Farm Bill Put in Jeopardy Over Food Stamp Work Requirements


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The third season of the Car Price Hike television series features Pakistani automakers. Proton is featured in the debut episode. The Proton Saga and Proton X70 automobile models, which are both locally built, have seen price increases from the start of the show firm. Let’s look at it.
By raising the costs of the Proton Saga and X70, Al-Haj Automotive has taken the initiative in the most recent price hike movement. In the years before that, in 2022, Proton raised the costs of both automobiles twice.
The new prices of X70 and Proton Saga are as follows;
|Model||Old Price (Rs.)||Revised Price (Rs.)||Increase (Rs.)|
|Saga Standard Manual||2,349,000||2,579,000||230,000|
|Saga Standard Automatic||2,499,000||2,729,000||230,000|
|Saga ACE Automatic||2,619,000||2,849,000||230,000|
|X70 Executive AWD||5,400,000||6,050,000||650,000|
|X70 Premium FWD||5,750,000||6,400,000||650,000|
New Prices of Proton Saga
All three Saga models now cost Rs. 230,000 more thanks to a pricing increase by Proton. The sedan’s updated prices are listed below.
- Compared to the previous price of Rs. 2,349,000, the Proton Saga Standard Manual model now costs Rs. 2,579,000.
- In contrast to its previous pricing of Rs. 2,499,000, the Proton Saga Standard Automatic model now costs Rs. 2,729,000.
- Proton Saga Ace Automatic’s new pricing is Rs. 2,849,000 as opposed to its previous price of Rs. 2,619,000.
New Prices of Proton X70
Both X70 models now cost Rs. 650,000 more according to the manufacturer. The Proton crossover’s revised prices are listed below.
- Proton X70 Premium FWD variant now costs Rs. 6,400,000 instead of Rs. 5,750,000 as it did previously.
- Proton X70 Executive AWD now costs Rs. 6,050,000 instead of Rs. 5,400,000, which was the previous pricing.


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The plant-based trend is here to stay. According to Mintel research on plant-based proteins, nearly two in five Americans are trying to add more plant-based foods into their diet, and more than half agree restaurants should offer more plant-based protein options.
So, what is the best way to appeal to this increasingly influential group? Here are five areas to keep in mind when targeting the plant-based consumer:
Appeal to flexitarians
Vegetarians and vegans represent a relatively small percentage of the US population. However, more than one in five Americans is a flexitarian, meaning they eat meatless meals some of the time. Flexitarians represent a larger opportunity, along with vegetarians and vegans. This collective consumer base follows a diet where they are cutting back on dairy and meat in some capacity. While flexitarians tend to be older women, vegans and vegetarians are more likely to be younger consumers who are adding more plant-based foods to their diets. Additionally, diners are more receptive to seeing meat alternatives on the menu, over strictly vegetarian or vegan menu item claims.
Promote health first
One of the biggest questions now is why are consumers eating plant-based foods? There are three main reasons: health, ethical and environmental. Health reasons, such as concerns about blood pressure or cholesterol, act as a main driver for consumers in general. Concerns about animal ethics or the impact of animal products on the environment are secondary drivers.
Despite health acting as a main driver for buying plant-based proteins, taste will always prevail. The novelty of a new plant-based menu item may drive initial trial, but if it’s not craveable, it will not lead to a repeat purchase. More than half of consumers choose a mix of healthy and indulgent options when dining out, creating a need for a spectrum of plant-based menu items, according to Mintel research on healthy dining trends. Plant-based comfort foods, like fried Buffalo cauliflower or Impossible cheeseburgers, have a place alongside health-focused dishes like loaded veggie grain bowls.
Balance health and the taste of meat
Consumers’ dietary preferences vary based on occasion and they’re starting to recognize that processed meat made from plants is not automatically healthier. More than three in five consumers agree whole plant foods are healthier than processed meat substitutes and one in seven agrees meat alternatives like Beyond Meat or the Impossible burger contain too many ingredients. However, diners, especially flexitarians, still crave the taste of meat. More than half of US consumers agree meat alternatives should closely mimic the taste of meat. Different occasions will call for different plant-based experiences meaning restaurants should offer processed meat substitutes as well as plant-forward dishes.
Add a proprietary spin
According to an upcoming Mintel report on dining out, more than one in five diners wants restaurants to offer more plant-based entrees in 2020. While operators across the country are adding more plant-based options, many of these options are the same processed meat substitutes. Offering proprietary plant-based menu items is one way to attract diners and help restaurants stand out from the competition.
Originally appeared in the January 2020 issue of Prepared Foods as "Flex" the Menu.


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DITCH the ice-cream, as experts have revealed you should be eating foods such as SOUP and chilli to cool down in the heat. As Britain experiences one of the hottest summers on record, nutritionist Daniel O’Shaughnessy has compiled a list of the best foods to eat – and avoid - in order to feel cooler. Despite traditionally being considered a winter dish, having a bowl of soup in the evening can actually help regulate your body temperature. The food expert, who has been working with takeaway firm Just Eat, said: “It will make you perspire more, but as the sweat evaporates, the energy is absorbed into the air, therefore cooling the body.” And tucking into watermelon, turmeric and reducing the carbohydrates and protein in your diet are all sure-fire ways to beat the heat. He also believes a spicy chilli is an excellent choice, as the capsaicin found in the food sends a signal to your brain that your body is overheated and you will then sweat more to cool your … [Read more...] about Stay cool in the heatwave with these foods – including soup and curry
COTTAGE pie, lasagne and the humble Sunday roast have topped a list of the nation’s favourite "winter warmers". Researchers who carried out a detailed study also found at this time of year, Brits are fond of beef stew, spaghetti bolognese and cauliflower cheese. Other much-loved classics include mac and cheese, fish and chips and bangers and mash, all guaranteed to warm our cockles amid the chilly winter months. The season of comfort food is in full swing, according to the study of 2,000 adults, with six in 10 saying hot meals are one of their favourite things about this time of year. But with the lead up to Christmas being a hectic period, 74 per cent of Brits admitted taking shortcuts when cooking to make their lives a little easier. Popular meal time savers include using frozen vegetables, microwaving food instead of using an oven when possible and using ready-made sauces. TOP 30 WINTER WARMERS1. Sunday roast A spokesperson from Primula, which carried out the research in … [Read more...] about Britain’s favourite winter comfort food revealed – does your number one meal make the list?
USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) recently released results of a study examining the influence of foodstore access on grocery shopping and food spending. According to the study’s authors, researchers have taken the position that poor access to food retailers selling a wide range of healthy and affordable foods leads to poorer diet and diet-related health problems. And lack of access to stores such as supermarkets may thus mean that households rely more heavily on nearby retailers, such as convenience stores or fast-food restaurants, which do not typically offer a wide variety of healthful foods.The study found that six percent of U.S. households are access-burdened: they do not use their own vehicle to travel to the store for groceries and live more than 0.5 mile from the nearest SNAP-authorized supermarket or superstore (SM/SS). Additional highlights of the study’s findings include:Seventy-seven percent of access-burdened households reported a … [Read more...] about New USDA Study Explores Influence of Foodstore Access on Grocery Shopping and Food Spending
It has been 13 years since the Brazilian Food and Drug Administration (ANVISA) updated the guidelines regulating which drugs can receive over-the-counter (OTC) status. The much-anticipated guidelines, which issued on August 3, 2016 as Rule #98, revoke the previous Rule #138, which was established in 2003. Rule #138 established which drugs could be sold as OTC medications, according to their therapeutic indications. Drugs currently recognized as safe for over-the-counter use under Rule #138 will continue to be categorized as such until a reassessment can be completed and compliance with Rule #98 evaluated; however the new guidelines allow ANVISA to simultaneously reassess the status of currently available OTC drugs while expanding the number of new products available to consumers.Rule #98 was previously submitted to Public Inquiry #27 on April 8, 2015. According to ANVISA’s report on the public inquiry, the general feedback was that the new rule will have a positive impact on the … [Read more...] about Updates to the Brazilian Food and Drug Administration OTC Drug Guidelines
June 6, 2012 - The Senate may take up its version of the Farm Bill as early as this week, while the House is expected to finish its version before July 4. According to the Congresional Budget Office (reports available here and here), the Senate Farm Bill (S. 3240) will reduce spending by about $23.6 billion over 10 years, mostly by cutting direct payments to farmers, conservation programs, and nutritional programs such as food stamps.MapLight has conducted an analysis of campaign contributions from interest groups from agribusiness industries to current members of the U.S. House and Senate from Jan. 1, 2001 – June 30, 2011. BusinessHouseSenateGrand Total Crop production & basic processing$7,994,435$5,518,407$13,512,842 Sugar cane & sugar beets$8,013,222$2,410,396$10,423,618 Milk & dairy producers$6,901,114$2,765,124$9,666,238 Tobacco & tobacco products$5,733,642$2,855,379$8,589,021 Livestock$4,801,988$3,284,489$8,086,477 Forestry & … [Read more...] about Direct Payments to Farmers, Conservation, and Food Stamps Lose While Soy, Cotton, and Bio-Fuels Win in Senate Farm Bill


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10,000 Huracán in four years: A Milestone
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Lamborghini Huracán number 10,000 has rolled off the assembly line. This achievement, which marks a production milestone for the V10 model, is celebrated while paying homage to the Lamborghini’s GT3 victory in this year’s 2018 Daytona 24 hours race. In fact, this Huracán Performante in Verde Mantis, now on its way to its new owner in Canada, is painted in the same color as the winning #11 Huracán GT3 that conquered the 56th edition of the world-famous endurance competition at the Daytona International Speedway in January.
In 2017, Lamborghini confirmed its growth for the seventh consecutive year, with a delivery record of 3,815 cars around the world, including 2,642 Huracán models (+12% over 2016).
Besides featuring in motorsports with the Huracán Super Trofeo and the Huracán GT3, Lamborghini’s V10 model is produced in six breathtaking derivatives: the record-breaking Performante, the open-top Performante Spyder unveiled this month at the Geneva Motor Show, and the four-wheel and two-wheel drive versions in both Coupé and Spyder configurations.
A total of 14,022 units of the Huracán’s predecessor, the Gallardo, were sold in its 10-year glorious production run between 2003 and 2013. Four years after the launch of the Huracán, figures once again corroborate the extraordinary growth prospects of the House of the Raging Bull.
Discover Lamborghini Huracán >


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A CBD store has opened in the domestic terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, selling hemp-based products.
The SunMed Your CBD Store opened in early August next to the main checkpoint at the Atlanta airport, replacing a vending machine spot.
There’s also a SunMed on Concourse D at Hartsfield- Jackson, opened earlier this year.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical that is federally legal when it comes from hemp, a cousin to marijuana, with no more than 0.3% THC, the mind-altering substance in marijuana.
SunMed sells hemp-based tinctures, serums, edibles, supplements, topical treatments, bath bombs, sprays, and other beauty products.
The company has more than 400 locations around the country, including about 37 in metro Atlanta, but Hartsfield- Jackson is its first airport location. The company has a sublease with longtime Atlanta airport concessionaire Business Traveler Services.
Tony Bryan, SunMed’s chief development officer, said the target market for the airport locations is travelers who are stressed, anxious, and “focused on modern wellness.” Bryan said the company sells to people who are 21 and older and has warnings that people traveling outside the U.S. should check the laws of the destination country.
Bryan said having a presence at the world’s busiest airport is great for exposure “to as many people as possible.”
“We have customers that didn’t know we even existed, and then they see us at the airport, and then they show up.... at the SunMed near them” in their hometown.


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Following the majority acquisition of South African food safety company, Swift Micro Laboratories, American Food safety and nutrition service oriented company, Mérieux NutriSciences has expanded Silliker for the first time to South African market, birthing a new brand name, “Swift Silliker”, for the company.
Mérieux NutriSciences plans to grow its portfolio under the new “Swift Silliker” service to match the global offerings of Silliker. The partnership gives Swift immediate and continuous access to the state-of-the-art systems and services of Mérieux NutriSciences.
Swift is the largest privately-owned commercial food and product safety company in South Africa. Swift Micro clients include food processors, retailers and food services. The farming, government and cosmetics sectors also rely on its analytical expertise.
“To date, we have declined partnership approaches from global corporations, but the venture with Mérieux NutriSciences, and in particular Silliker, its Food Safety & Quality Division, is a natural fit. We not only share similar food and product safety approaches, but we also share global clients that operate in Southern Africa. As part of Silliker, Swift will benefit from the strength of the group, and accelerate our development with the introduction of new services for faster expansion in Africa,” said Valmé Stewart, Managing Director of Swift Silliker.
According to President and CEO of Mérieux NutriSciences, Philippe Sans;“This joint venture investment is in line with our strategic goal to further expand our international presence and answer the many requests from customers to develop a presence in South Africa and the fast developing African market.”
Formerly known as Silliker Group Corporation, Mérieux NutriSciences Corporation is an American company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with global presence in 17 countries abd over 65 laboratories in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific.


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currently leads the way in the standardization of Android and iOS phone manufacturers in the interest of consumers and has released a proposal that mandates the version of the mobile operating system and the speeds of security updates, as well as the ease of recovery of the phones with requirements that go beyond then and onward go each
the US has collected so far, with approval towards the end of the year.
Android and iOS software updates
First, security and major Android and iOS version updates should be available for all phones in these ecosystems sold in the European Union within 2-4 months of their release. Google released Android 13 on August 15, so that would mean every phone, up to the Galaxy A03, would need to be updated before Christmas rolls in if the EC gets its way.
Apple’s iOS phones and most major Android manufacturers have already committed to similar schemes, so they won’t see much of a struggle here. Samsung has gone even further by promising no less than four years of Android updates and five security updates, so for the largest manufacturer of Android handsets, the new regulations shouldn’t be a problem.
The other big proposal concerns the repairability of the phones sold in the EU. Repair shops must have access to the original battery, display, cameras, charging ports, mechanical buttons, microphones, speakers and hinges for foldable phones for at least five years after a model has been rejected by the manufacturer.
The batteries receive special treatment because their replacement is left to the shops, but the phone manufacturer must provide them with originals or alternatives that meet the 500 charge cycle standard, i.e. they should retain at least 83% charge after 500 , and 80% charge after 1000 cycles.
So the brands under the BBK holding umbrella – Vivo, Oppo and OnePlus – that together have the world’s largest market share of manufactured phones will be way ahead of the rest of the Android or iOS gang. They also already have Android 13, at least the high-end models, so they wouldn’t have any trouble meeting the software update requirements either.


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Progressive has a slew of available discounts — sharing the top spot for most discounts with Farmers. There’s even one for adding a newly-licensed teen driver to your existing auto policy (surprising given that teenage drivers are among the riskiest to insure). But a policy loaded with discounts isn’t necessarily cheaper than a non-discounted policy, and the Texas Department of Insurance’s data on premiums show that Progressive is, on average, the most expensive for young drivers among the top five in Texas.
Geico: Geico is the fourth-best car insurance company, and even a cave man can see why. Geico customers say it’s easy to file a claim with the company, though some were unhappy with status updates from the insurer. That said, most Geico customers would recommend it and plan to renew their policy. Their rates may have something to do with that: Geico offers lower rates on average than most other auto insurance companies.
"Many companies offer discounts for good grades and for completion of an approved driver’s education or defensive driving course," continued Doreen Haughton-James of 123 Drive! Driving Academy. "Some also have their own discount programs. State Farm, for example, has a program called 'Steer Clear' where students receive discounts for logging driving hours and completing a program."
Travelers: Travelers is the second-best car insurance company. Travelers' customers report that they appreciate the customer service Travelers provides, and the company gets high marks for how it resolves its customers’ claims. Travelers' lost a few points from customers who didn’t feel like they got good value from the company, and Travelers' average annual rates are a bit higher than average among all companies on this list.


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Introducing the E-commerce Sustainability Quotient Matrix
In a war to capture that fleeting consumer loyalty, most e-commerce stores in India are currently operating in the deep-discounting mode and nearly all are running into huge operational losses. However, as the industry matures, e-commerce companies would need to start focusing more on improving profitability by reducing operating costs and improving resource efficiency, says Sustainability Outlook.
E-commerce is changing the way people shop globally. Over the last two decades, multi-billion dollar e-commerce companies have come into being. Even as they see increasing scale and success, e-commerce companies have not turned their focus on environmental sustainability in stark contrast to the initiatives on sustainable production and consumption undertaken by world's leading retailers like Walmart and Ikea.
Realising the acute need for the e-commerce industry to start thinking about their environmental impact, Sustainability Outlook delved deep into e-commerce operations to create an E-commerce Sustainability Quotient Matrix. The E-commerce Sustainability Quotient Matrix will help guide e-commerce companies to assess their preparedness and current state when it comes to environmentally sustainable operations. This matrix also provides an indicative path that e-commerce companies should embark upon to make their operations greener.
The e-commerce scenario in India
E-commerce has suddenly exploded in the Indian marketplace. What was a non-existent concept ten years ago is now a US$ 3.5 billion industry with about 20 million active users and an annual growth rate of 34 per cent. Flipkart and Snapdeal have set targets of Gross Merchandising Value (GMV) of $8 billion and $10 billion respectively for 2015 as the market gets ready to see even greater growth. Brick-and-mortar stores are already feeling the heat as young Indians are now choosing the comfort of ordering from homes (at high discount levels) instead of physically visiting stores for shopping. This applies to everythingfrom clothes, shoes and jewellery to mobiles, laptops, and quite interestingly even furniture, air-conditioners and refrigerators.


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Microsoft has decided to officially release its list of deals that include savings on Surface devices, Windows 10 PCs, Xbox One consoles and other gaming accessories.
Microsoft is flipping its low cost switch on again and turing the Surface Go into the entry level device it was arguably designed to be.
Microsoft’s Brad Rossetti just announced today that the feature is now going offline, and will return in the next few weeks.
At the time, the link redirected to Microsoft’s homepage with no indication of an Xbox Gear shop even being contemplated by the company, however, today, the link now opens a holder page with several people donning various clothing with Xbox branding and the tag, “coming soon.”
Windows team manages to keep the wheels of progress greased and running as they seed build 17634 to Skip Ahead Insider participants.
Store editors are removing the installer tool as the company sees it violating its Store policies.
The Store on Microsoft’s Xbox One console has just updated and, while there hasn’t been any major changes to the way it looks or functions, all of the video games in “Games coming soon” category now feature a bright yellow “PREORDER” label. This was likely done to encourage users to pre-order titles but also clarifies […]
Students and faculty can snatch up a Surface Pro with Signature Type Cover or a Surface Laptop with $150 taken off their respective totals
There are rumors that the Surface Book may be getting the next device in its line sometime soon, but for right now, we can only interpret this as the current Surface Book getting production toned down.
A group of developers got together to see just how bad user perception is versus actual usage and the numbers started to etch out a different narrative.
A deal that’s popped up from time to time is back, and once again, prospective PC buyers can now shop for the perfect device.
Microsoft’s recently announced Surface Studio is already “out of stock” and won’t be shipping until early 2017. The prosumer machine seems to have got a lot of fans worldwide.
A Surface Pro with 256GB, 8GB RAM and an Intel Core i5 processor are eligible for the $150 gift code as well as Surface Books with similar configurations.
Announced a few days ago in a press release from integrated global media and entertainment company Starz, owners of an Xbox One and (presumably) Xbox One S will now be able to stream the network’s original shows.


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Intel, increasingly customising server chips for customers, is now tuning chips for workloads in Big Data.
The market for x86 open-source PCs is now a two-horse race, with GizmoSphere releasing schematics and design documents for hobbyists to build from scratch a Windows 8 computer based on open design.
Intel is looking to use light and lasers to shuffle data faster among servers, and is proposing a new optical interconnect, MXC, that could change the way servers are implemented in data centers.
Nvidia is expecting Tegra chip revenue to drop by as much as 40 per cent this year, with the company indirectly blaming Microsoft's Windows RT OS for the decline.
Intel is developing a version of its energy-efficient "Bay Trail" Atom chip for embedded devices, which can include products like car computers, robots and set-top boxes.
These human-like robots could be the first responders to major disasters in the future
IBM will license designs of the Power microprocessor architecture to other companies including Google, in an effort to expand use of the architecture and reverse declines in its systems hardware business.
The latest beta of Canonical's Linux smartphone system shows the outlines of a possible winner
Samsung has started making flash storage chips that it claims will be twice as fast and up to 10 times more durable than the current flash storage used in mobile devices.
Startup Crossbar emerged from stealth mode Monday to announce its version of RRAM (resistive random-access memory), a new type of memory that could be a successor to flash storage and DRAM.
Tech stocks had an upbeat week as industry watchers appear to be looking at the positive side of earnings from Internet, consumer electronics and networking companies.
A Samsung eight-core chip used in some Galaxy S4 smartphone models is now available for hackers to play with on a developer board from South Korea-based Hardkernel.
Eight-core processors are "dumb," as the consumer wants an experience that comes from more than just throwing cores together, a Qualcomm executive said, referring to new eight-core chips announced recently.
The decades-old legacy of Motorola as a semiconductor innovator remains alive, with Google providing its Motorola Mobility unit a fresh start in chip design with the X8 chip system, which will be used in the upcoming Droid and Moto X smartphones.
Researchers in Silicon Valley have managed to observe electrical switching that is thousands of times faster than transistors used in today's computer chips. Their work could lead to a better understanding of how transistors work at the atomic level ...
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While the size of the initial public offering is subject to amendment, based on this initial filing, Nio's IPO would be the biggest Chinese listing in the USA since the $25 billion public float of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) in 2014. Currently, China is the world's largest electric vehicles market.
Nio expects to start deliveries of a second vehicle, the five-seat ES6 SUV, in 2019, and is looking to introduce a sedan, dubbed the ET7, onto the market in 2020. The new vehicle will be officially delivered in the first half of next year. Nio has a charging systems for homes, along with services for mobile charging, battery swapping and 24-hour pickup and drop-off.
Former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee dies
He was a lifelong poet who revered nature but who oversaw India's growth into a swaggering regional economic power. More than 1,000 Muslims were killed in one of the worst communal riots the country has seen after partition.
NIO incurred a net loss of $502.6 million in the first six months of 2018, its statement said, on $6.95 million in revenues. The company lost $759 million previous year, with Nio generating no revenue and spending nearly $400 million on research and development. Since the start of 2017, the company has spent more than $1.6 billion split between research and development expenses and selling and administrative costs.
Nio's founder and chairman William Li Bin holds a 17.2 per cent stake.
The company recognizes that issues could arise as it proceeds with self-driving technology. The billionaire has said he plans to take the money-losing company private at $420 a share, valuing Tesla at $82bn.
Nio also called out as a risk factor its reliance on manufacturing partners, such as Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., or JAC.
People gather at the booth of Chinese electric vehicle startupNio as it unveils its ES8 SUV at the Shanghai Auto Show, April 19, 2017. It has no plans to sell mass-market cars outside of China, but it does plan to launch one auto per year.
The arrival of Mateo Kovacic as part of the deal which took Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid added another obstacle to his path. The 31-year-old missed the season opener against Huddersfield and was absent from a light training session on Monday.
Couillard was joined in Stowe, Vt., by fellow premiers of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. After a June meeting of the Group of Seven in Charlevoix, Quebec, Trump called Trudeau "dishonest" and "weak".
Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics has confirmed its upcoming Galaxy S10 smartphone will not be the company's first 5G device. It'd be nice if there was more than one to choose from, and maybe we'll hear more from Sprint in the months ahead.
To add insult to, well. insult, after a few minutes with her would-be rescuer, Jessie flew off and landed on another roof. Anxious that the bird was injured, the brigade sent a firefighter up to the roof to carefully bring the bird down.
He called the July 29 election free and fair and said it was conducted according to the principle of democracy. Western countries have voiced doubts about the validity of the latest election in Cambodia .
Symptoms include red eyes, cough, runny nose and high fever, which is followed by a red rash that's spread all over the body. Now, doctors are urging parents to get their kids vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot.
Great Britain , who won the Davis Cup in 2015, will face Uzbekistan in a world group play-off in Glasgow next month. However, an increasing number of top players have skipped matches in recent years to ease their schedule.
Mu Sochua, CNRP's vice president who lives in self-imposed exile overseas , called the new members of parliament illegitimate. Independent election monitors also steered clear but representatives of populist parties in Europe and Asia filled the void.
Ward was guarding Hopkins on a play and as the wide receiver was trying to make a move the safety knocked Hopkins' helmet off. Hopkins was sent to the Texans' practice bubble, while Ward was sent to the sideline, according to the Houston Chronicle .
At least 14 states and many municipalities have filed suits against opioid manufacturers amid the ongoing opioid epidemic. Some of its larger cities, including Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury, have sued Purdue.
Spurs apologise over 'unavoidable' stadium delay
A club statement explained that two test events would need to be held before the stadium could be used for a match. This decision was unavoidable. "We should like to apologise to supporters for this delay".
Queen Elizabeth’s doctor dies in cycling accident
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'Dr Bumbum' charged with murder after death of patient
They sought a judicial order to remain free while their case proceeded, but were turned down by a Rio court and later arrested. The hospital refused to comment. "Many facts have surfaced and I am sure we will show the innocence of Dr Denis".
Amazon is reportedly looking to buy a movie theater chain
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Steel tariffs will save industry
Critics also point to the bigger losses that have resulted from retaliatory tariffs by trading partners. Competition will be "internal, like it used to be in the old days when we actually had steel, and U.S.
Legendary singer Aretha Franklin dead at 76
She started gospel singing as a child at the church of her father, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, a preacher. Three more sons-Edward Franklin, Ted White, Jr . and Kecalf Cunningham-followed.
Trade Deal with Mexico 'Getting Close'
Trump's explanation for Canada's exclusion differed from the one offered two weeks ago by one of his top officials. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, "don't do the deal" unless there was a significant breakthrough in talks.
Brennan says Trump move 'designed to send message'
But Trump later pointed to Brennan's role in investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, says Trump's move is a "stunning abuse of power".


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WASHINGTON (AP) - Nike Inc. is recalling about 235,000 football
helmet chin straps after the company received 18 reports of the
chin straps breaking, including some that resulted in concussions
and facial lacerations, a government safety group announced
Users are at risk of injury when the chin strap's plastic cup
breaks as a result of contact, exposing the player to facial or
head injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The Beaverton, Ore., company has received two reports of
concussions, two reports of facial lacerations requiring stitches,
and a report of a broken nose.
The chin straps, made in China, were sold at sporting good
stores nationwide and on Nike's Web site from April 2006 through
October 2007. They were sold in both youth and adult sizes in four
style numbers: FA0016 046, FA0016 130, FA0021 046 and FA0021 130.
For more information, consumers can call Nike at 888-583-6453 or
visit http://www.nikebiz.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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October 23, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Apple on Tuesday refreshed its notebook line-up with a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display priced at $1,699. It also launched all-new, razor-thin line of its iMac all-in-one desktop computers, besides Mac mini desktop computer. The company also introduced the iPad Mini and an updated version of the six-month-old iPad . The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (227PPI pixel density) runs on OSX Mountain Lion, powered by a 2.5GHz Intel dual-core i5 and i7 'Ivy Bridge' processor and is available with 8GB RAM and 128GB flash memory.
October 2, 2012 |
Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent a letter to the company's employees thanking them for an "incredibly successful year". "Your focus and dedication to making the best products on earth is what makes Apple such an incredible place," says Cook in an email sent to Apple employees. Lauding the hard work of the company's employees, Cook announced the extension of Thanksgiving holiday to an entire week. "To recognize the efforts that made this amazing year possible, I'm happy to announce that we're extending the Thanksgiving holiday once again this year.
September 17, 2012 |
Not so long ago, most laptops used to be the hideous black plastic boxes. And then Apple's MacBook Pro - and in 2008 - MacBook Air happened. This put a squeeze on the laptop makers like Dell and HP . For some time, these companies resisted. But then had to give up as consumers demanded better-looking laptops. Nowadays, the high-end laptop market is full of some pretty machines. Dell XPS 14, which belongs to Dell's ultrabook range, is one such laptop. But we have seen that getting aesthetics as well functionality right has proved a bit difficult for most laptop makers.
June 13, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Apple is reportedly claiming that it will update Mac Pro, the company's full-fat desktop that is largely used by audio and video professionals, next year. According to a report by Forbes, Apple is working on a redesign of Mac Pro and the new models will show up sometimes next year. Mac Pro has gone without a technology update for nearly two years now. While there was speculation that Apple would announce an update to the computers at this year's WWDC, it did not happen.
June 11, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Apple is likely to reveal updated Mac computers, including new MacBook Pro and new Macbook Air, at the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco . WWDC, which is an annual event hosted by the Cupertino-based company for its developer community, will kick off at 10am Pacific Daylight Time (around 10.30pm India time) with a keynote speech from Apple CEO Tim Cook . It is expected that the new MacBooks, which are currently powered by Sandy Bridge processors, will sport the new Ivy Bridge processors launched by Intel in the last few weeks.
June 11, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Apple has announced upgrade to its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air range of notebook computers with the launch of new models. It also took the wraps off its next generation operating systems, including Mountain Lion and the popular mobile OS iOS 6, at its 23rd annual developers' conference WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference). Earlier, Apple had been rumoured to be getting ready to shelve MacBook Air in some quarters. Instead, Apple made it airy and faster.
June 5, 2012 |
TAIPEI: Intel said that Thunderbolt, a technology that enables very fast data connection between devices could act as amplifier for ultrabooks, enhancing their capabilities and helping them perform tasks for which users currently require big machines. At an event in the Computex 2012, the company said PC component makers had started putting the technology on their devices and over 60-Thunderbolt enabled products, including external hard-disks and motherboards, were already in the market.
June 4, 2012 |
BHUBANESWAR: Two students from Bhubaneswar were allegedly attacked and robbed of their belongings at gunpoint in London last week. The victims were identified as Kamakshya and Bhuvan, who are pursuing MBA at London School of Business and Finance. Shockingly, the armed robbery in central London on May 29 came a day after chief minister Naveen Patnaik met a delegation of Odia students and discussed their safety in the UK capital. Moreover, the incident has triggered alarm as it followed the recent killing of an Odia student in Boston . The incident came to light after Kamakshya telephoned his family living in Bhubaneswar's Baramunda area about the incident.
May 15, 2012 |
SAN FRANCISCO: Apple is preparing a new lineup of thinner MacBook laptops running on more powerful chips made by Intel, people with knowledge of the plans said. The MacBook Pro machines, to be unveiled at Apple's annual developers conference starting June 11, also will feature high- definition screens like those on the iPhone and iPad , as well as flash memory to cut startup times and extend battery life, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven't been made public.
November 16, 2011 |
Question: I use a Tata Photon + prepaid device (Huawei EC156) with an Apple MacBook Pro. The data card stopped working after I upgraded my OS from Snow Leopard to Lion. Please suggest how can I get it to work again? - Prashant Yadav Answer: Since the data card has stopped working after the upgrade, it is most likely a driver issue. Visit www.tataphoton.com/tata-photonplus-dialer .aspx and download new drivers as well as the specific dialer for MAC OSX Lion.


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Price decreases in holiday packages, audio and computing systems, and bread have been attributed to deflation and discounting, with consumers taking advantage while providers struggle to compete in domestic markets.
Consumers might be paying more for vegetables (5.2 per cent) and furniture (4.5 per cent), but the cost of staples such as bread fell (3.1 per cent), and analysts say $1 supermarket loaves are dragging down prices and hurting the country’s main bakers, such as Goodman Fielder.
A Woolworths spokeswoman said produce had been in price deflation for some time while a Goodman Fielder spokesman referred to the company’s announcement on Monday which said private label and supermarket brand bread along with higher labour and logistics costs increased competitive pressures and had affected its earnings.
Figures for domestic holiday travel and accommodation also show a 4 per cent decline, suggesting providers are struggling to compete with the appeal of international holidays because of the strong Australian dollar.
Flight Centre spokesman Haydn Long said the decrease was a reflection of airfare prices and the challenge for the domestic market was maintaining market share when international travel was running hot.
“Competition between the airlines has been intense domestically and this has led to some real bargains, just as it has on international routes," Mr Long said.
“This has been a major driver, with the strong dollar and lower costs of living being secondary factors."
A spokeswoman for travel website lastminute.com.au, Nicole Gentle, said domestic bookings were up but were very much driven by the best deals on offer.
This influence can be seen in terms of both the destinations they choose and the style of accommodation they select. For example, some travellers will book self-contained apartments over hotels to save a few dollars by preparing some meals in their own kitchen. The Aussie love affair with travel isn’t going anywhere but people are being selective about how they spend their travel budgets."“Domestic flight prices have been very competitive in recent times and it’s possible that customers are looking for the same bargains with their accommodation bookings," she said.
Online travel agent ZUJI Australia managing director James Gaskell said discount travel packages were a huge factor as well as voucher and daily deals companies were offering at rock bottom pricing.
“Consumers have become wise to the fact that they can get better deals when purchasing a packaged product," he said.
“Voucher and daily deals companies are offering rock bottom pricing."
Travel package provider Discover Australia Holidays managing director Nathan Harding said Tiger Airlines had strengthened since it was grounded last year which contributed to decreased domestic flight decreases. “We’ve seen destinations, like Cairns, Gold Coast, Whit Sundays and Melbourne have had good accommodation deals and that means the providers are needing the extra business."
A 3.8 per cent drop for audio, visual and computing equipment also shows consumers are buying up on discounts.
JB Hi-Fi chief executive officer
“There’s no doubt we have seen continued discounting in the market," Mr Smart said. “However that appears to have eased."
Harvey Norman executive director
Price deflation had been an issue for the past three years and had not eased.
“Also with the collapse of companies such as WOW Sight & Sound, and Dick Smith which is cleaning out stock for a reported buy out, yYou have companies falling over and having fire sales, which drive prices down," he said.
The Australian Financial Review


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According to ESPN reporter Nick DePaula, Victor Wembanyama, the 7’4 prospect who will soon be selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the #1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, will enter the league as an official
Wembanyama first signed a multi-year footwear and apparel deal with Nike while starting his pro career in France. The endorsement deal will reportedly carry over to the beginning of his NBA career. While playing for his French team Metropolitans 92 last season, Wembanyama wore the Nike Air Zoom GT Run in a custom US size 20.5. Next season, the generational prospect will reportedly continue headlining models from Nike’s GT series.
On a related note, while throwing the 1st pitch at Yankee Stadium, Wembanyama was seen previewing Drake‘s unreleased Nike NOCTA Glide sneaker which was custom-made for him. Catch a first look at the sneakers below and look for Wembanyama to debut more silhouettes in the near future.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA Rocking DRAKE x NIKE NOCTA Glide Early 👀 pic.twitter.com/bqMRlA3YND
— HypeNeverDies (@HypeNeverDies) June 21, 2023
Victor Wembanyama’s first pitch at Yankee Stadium pic.twitter.com/S3kY9PEjVT
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) June 20, 2023
Victor Wembanyama in the Nike NOCTA Glide at Yankee Stadium pic.twitter.com/rWi1suG8Uz
— Sneaker News (@SneakerNews) June 20, 2023
View this post on Instagram
Elsewhere in sports, Nike launches well collective.


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Members of Congress say they are very worried about news that someone hacked the accounts of 77 million Sony PlayStation users and say the issue shows Congress needs to do something more about cybersecurity.
Sony revealed Tuesday that earlier this month someone illegally hacked into the firm's PlayStation network and obtained personal information, including names, addresses, birth dates, login information and possibly credit card information. It comes on the heels of a data breach last month at Epsilon, during which the names and e-mail addresses of customers of many companies such as Barclays Bank of Delaware, Best Buy, J.P. Morgan Chase and Walgreens were stolen.
"I am deeply troubled by this latest data breach. It reinforces my long-held belief that much more needs to be done to protect sensitive consumer information," Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, said in a statement. "Most importantly, Americans should be quickly informed when their personal information has been hacked, especially in instances like this where there is an obvious potential for large scale identity theft."
Bono Mack said she will be introducing legislation, possibly as soon as next week, that would provide consumers with additional safeguards to protect against such data breaches.
Not everyone thinks the threat is dramatic. The top White House cyber-threat expert, Howard Schmidt, thinks it's overblown. Read here about what Schmidt said.
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., who also sits on Energy and Commerce and chaired Bono Mack's subcommittee in the last Congress, said he plans to reintroduce a data breach bill he offered before. The bill, which passed the House, would have required for-profit entities that hold personal information about consumers to adequately secure the data and notify the Federal Trade Commission and the affected consumers when a breach occurs.
"Sony touts its PlayStation platform's real-time and networking capabilities to consumers," Rush said in a statement. "The laws of this country should call, similarly, for consumers to be notified in as close to real-time as possible--not according to Sony time--whenever their sensitive information falls into the hands of intruders, hackers, thieves and information resellers."
In the Senate, Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Federal Financial Management Subcommittee, introduced a data breach in the last Congress and said Wednesday that he hopes provisions from that bill will be included in a broader cybersecurity bill that the Senate may take up this year.
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And then there was one. The Blockbuster video rental store in Bend, Oregon is to be the last one remaining. A store in Morely, Australia announced Thursday that it will be closing its doors to rentals. It will permanently close at the end of March, the Verge reported. It is hardly surprising that the Blockbusters are going given the growth of online streaming, but it is nostalgia-inducing all the same.
For anyone who’s been paralyzed by choice at the sheer volume of films available on Netflix, having your choice limited by a physical selection of discs can feel particularly freeing. After today’s final day of rentals, Australia’s last Blockbuster store will remain open until the end of the month to sell off its stock, including DVDs, Blu-rays, and even “shop fittings and fixtures.”
Check It Out: There is Only One Blockbuster Left in the World


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Exclusively for Android users, Hulu is granting free access to today’s top TV shows for a limited time. This means, that even if you don’t pay Hulu’s subscription fee, you can watch shows like South Park, Family Guy, Gotham, and The Tonight Show. (more…)
Deals aside, Google’s venerable streaming dongle continues to impress as more and more apps add casting capabilities. A couple of notable holdouts gained support a few weeks ago and the Slingbox app added it recently, too. Future additions are essentially a guarantee as Google continues to support developers who wish to add Chromecast support. (more…)
Starting today, after updating the official Hulu Plus app in Google Play, Android users are being treated to free content, courtesy of Hulu. For some odd reason, Hulu has granted Android users to sample free content, just as you would on their website from anywhere you are, as long as you have a data connection.
Undoubtedly an attempt to get you signed up for their monthly service, which runs $7.99, Hulu is allowing access to the latest and past episodes of a few good shows, including America’s Got Talent, and more.
Here is a excerpt from the company’s announcement. (more…)
Shortly after Amazon announced its new Fire TV at the beginning of this month, with accurate voice search as one of its highlighted features, pundits quickly questioned its limited searching power. Fire TV’s voice search can only search Amazon content, plus content from one partner app made by Vevo. Amazon promised that more apps would soon join the party, which they have announced today as Hulu Plus, Crackle, and SHOWTIME ANYTIME.
These apps won’t enable unified voice search until this summer, but at least it’s a start or something to look forward to. Before long, I’d imagine this list will grow dramatically, assuming the Fire TV sees any sort of success.
How has your Fire TV experience been thus far? Walking Dead on it is certainly full of win. (more…)
Late last night, Chromecast cast added another mega-streaming service to their minuscule lineup that up until today, had not changed since launch. Hulu Plus is now officially Chromecast-supported on Android (iOS version coming soon). The update is already live through Google Play, so if you are a Hulu Plus subscriber, you’ll want to grab the newest build and begin casting. If you aren’t a subscriber, Hulu will give you a free trial to help you decide if $7.99 per month with “limited advertising” is worth it.
The cast button should show up automatically at the top of the application (on both phones and tablets) if you have Chromecasts setup in your house.
Via: Google Blog
After the latest update to the Galaxy Nexus, readers are sending in countless emails to tell us that Hulu Plus is actually working on their devices. Do note, rooted users still have been left in the cold. Do we have any new 4.0.4 users here that have also noticed this new compatibility with Hulu Plus? If it’s now working for you, enjoy it.
May we just say, “It’s about time.” Finally, Hulu+ has been updated to allow for select Android tablets running Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich to watch their favorite movies and shows. The list is not as long as we would hope and there is no sign of Samsung tablets, but we can cross our fingers that eventually they will receive some love. (more…)


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BEIJING—In August, Internet entrepreneur Zhou Hongyi set out to capture a chunk of China's $3.3 billion search market, an area so dominated by Baidu Inc. BIDU -4.06% that the company is often called the Google of China.
Just three months later, Mr. Zhou's New York-traded Qihoo 360 Technology Co. has a roughly 10% share of searches, according to the company. Using its platform as an Internet portal and antivirus services provider, Qihoo 360 appears to be taking some share from Baidu, which has blocked some of its content from Qihoo's search results.
Mr. Zhou—a slight 43-year-old former Yahoo Inc. YHOO -0.31% executive with a passion for guns and classical music—has also publicly criticized Baidu, arguing that the company's dominance of search has resulted in a weak product that has too many advertisements. Some of China's biggest Internet companies "are in a monopoly position, so those players aren't good at innovation," he said in an interview.
"The reason we are always fighting with giants in the Internet space is because we are trying to play a role as a monopoly breaker and change the landscape for good," he added.
A Baidu spokesman declined to comment about the dispute with Qihoo.
Tensions between the two companies rose to the point that the Internet Society of China, a government-backed industry group, recently stepped in and got China's search companies to agree to a code of conduct, which includes promises to maintain fair competition and specifically forbids the misuse of crawling software, which traverses the Internet automatically to index and grab information.
Though the agreement is voluntary, the Chinese government often regulates the Internet with nonbinding agreements that companies are compelled to follow.
In October Baidu sued Qihoo for 100 million yuan ($16 million), alleging the company used crawler software to make illicit use of Baidu content.
Qihoo's market-share grab marks a rare victory for a small company against one of the large firms that some entrepreneurs and venture capitalists say increasingly dominate China's Internet space. While Chinese startups can still flourish, they say, the market is tougher than elsewhere because companies like Baidu and chat giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. TCEHY -0.35% hold hefty market shares.
"These days, with such an enormous Internet population in China, it's fairly easy to get started, get some traction, and even get some revenue," said Wang Xing, a co-founder of the site that became social-networking company Renren Inc. RENN -0.27% and chief executive of group buying site Meituan. "But it's much more difficult to get sustainable and scalable profit, and especially difficult to build a platform-type business that may challenge Tencent or other incumbents."
Mr. Zhou might be the upstarts' most vocal—and most combative—advocate. But he is also one of the most controversial figures in the Chinese Internet industry, with detractors criticizing him for being as self-interested as his larger rivals, as well as for what some see as grandstanding.
"Never discount how Zhou Hongyi has learned to use a professed enmity with an industry leader to bring attention to himself and to his enterprise," said David Wolf, chief executive of marketing strategy firm Wolf Group Asia." It's essentially combat as a PR stunt."
Qihoo Chief Financial Officer Alex Xu said, "that's certainly not true."
In August, Mr. Zhou switched the default search service on Qihoo's browser and website from Baidu and Google to its own homegrown service, helping it to become a search player virtually overnight. Analysts have pointed out that the switch has led many less knowledgeable users to unwittingly switch to Qihoo's search. The icon for Qihoo's browser also bears a striking resemblance to the one for Microsoft 's Internet Explorer, the largest difference being that Qihoo's is green.
Mr. Zhou says that knowing how to leverage China's millions of low-level users is simply a key industry tactic, but is quick to add he also has their best interests at heart, helping them safely navigate China's malware-infested Internet.
Mr. Zhou has also become known for coupling competitive moves with public criticism via his account on China's popular microblog, known as Sina Weibo. A list of his run-ins in recent years is a who's who of the China Internet world.
Mr. Zhou, who has about 4.3 million followers, in recent weeks has accused Baidu's news site of promoting anti-Qihoo articles and also reposted an entry from a Weibo account for his search service that questions whether Baidu has violated the law by placing advertisements for Botox treatments.
Baidu spokesman Kaiser Kuo said, "we do our utmost to cooperate with relevant authorities to keep all illegal ads off our website, but in the dynamic and fast-changing [Internet] environment, it's not always possible to do that."
Two years ago Mr. Zhou also clashed with Tencent, prompting Chinese regulators to order the two companies to publicly apologize.
China's market is already insulated from foreign competition by language and by Beijing's censors, which block services like Facebook Inc. FB 1.73% and Twitter Inc. and have led Google Inc. to drastically scale back business there. In addition to Baidu's hold on search, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. holds a 76% share of transactions in China's electronic commerce sector, while Sina Corp. and Tencent dominate the market for microblogging services. Tencent similarly dominates instant messaging and controls 36% of China's online gaming market.
China's Internet population, at more than 500 million, is the world's largest. But Mr. Zhou says China's lack of an effective antitrust system and incessant copying makes China's Internet industry like a "jungle."
Qihoo makes its money on the traffic it generates through its antivirus software and a browser. The browser had 303 million monthly users as of September. In the third quarter, Qihoo's revenue grew 77% to $84 million from a year earlier. In 2011, the company posted revenue of $167.9 million.
The antivirus software provoked industry ire shortly after it was released in 2006, Mr. Zhou said. At the time, a number of Chinese companies, including a search engine Mr. Zhou helped to create and eventually sold to Yahoo, would guide users to install toolbars on their browsers that would direct them back to company-generated content. Qihoo 360's software identified the toolbars as malware and uninstalled them.
Mr. Zhou acknowledged that he had helped to make certain toolbars for his search engine, which later his new company, Qihoo, would make a business out of uninstalling. "It's a mistake I made," he wrote in an email referring to helping create the toolbars. He added that he was young at the time and overly focused on competition instead of respecting his customers.
Qihoo's removal of the toolbars prompted Yahoo China, Mr. Zhou's former employer, to sue Qihoo 360 for unfair competition. Yahoo China won the suit and the court ordered Qihoo to stop the activity and compensate Yahoo for damages and legal costs. In 2007, Qihoo lost a similar lawsuit with Baidu. Since 2004 Mr. Zhou's companies have contested seven lawsuits with Baidu.
Detractors say that some of Qihoo's products function much like the toolbars he helped to uninstall, funneling users to Qihoo's landing site where the company sells ad space and charges fees to drive traffic to other websites. Qihoo argues the two are different.
Mr. Zhou, who sold an early search engine called 3721 to Yahoo for $120 million in 2004, said the new traffic will help him to hone the product and improve search results. He points to a planned function within his browser that allows users to give a thumbs up to good search results and as he jokingly phrases it, "the middle finger" to bad and dangerous sites. He plans to offer a product that has fewer advertisements than Baidu's search.
"[Mr. Zhou] understands the science behind search. And as long as he is out there, any company he is associated with has to be considered a player. They're nowhere near the point where they can challenge Baidu, but that's not saying that situation has to be permanent," said Mr. Wolf, the marketing strategy executive.
Write to Paul Mozur at email@example.com


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A SHOPPING area is set for a new lease of life under proposals that have gone on public display.
Improved street lighting, seating, planting and street furniture are set to be installed along the pedestrianised stretch of Queens Road between Roanne Ringway and Stratford Street, near the entrance to the Ropewalk shopping centre.
The council wants the area re-paved with clay pavers laid in a pattern "to reflect the rope-making heritage of that part of the town".
The public, shopkeepers and businesses are now being consulted.
Sketches will be on display for the next two weeks at Nuneaton Town Hall, the central library and Ropewalk shopping centre.
Comments on the plans should be made to the projects team at the Town Hall by February 9.
The plans can also be viewed online at www.nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk


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July 31, 2019: Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman Zubair Gilani on Wednesday assured the Chinese investors and industrialists of complete support and cooperation in execution of projects in different sectors.
BoI chairman was talking to a delegation of Chengdu Association for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAFTEC) headed by Secretary General Xiao Chen, and represented by their partners in Pakistan –South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Chamber of Commerce and Industry during a meeting here at his office.
Zubair Gilani underscored that Pakistan was looking for long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with China and wanted to learn from the Chinese experience in all areas to achieve economic development.
The Chinese industrialists, he said, could benefit from domestic labor and geographic location of Pakistan, particularly by investing in industrial zones near the ports, where the opportunities were ample.
For the industry in Chengdu, the BoI chairman said, there was a lot of potential for production of electric vehicles and agricultural machinery as those products could be sold locally as well as exported to a large international market in Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Xiao Chen said CAFTEC had established an office in Pakistan and was now looking forward to bringing the investors to develop industry for production of electric vehicles as well as agriculture machinery.
He showed interest particularly in the tourism sector and shared different ideas to boost and promote tourism in Pakistan.


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Uber Black drivers fight for unionization at labour board hearing
|Toronto Star 05 Jun 2020 at 14:27|
Toronto drivers for Uber Technologies Inc.’s premium Black service are fighting to bring themselves one stop closer to unionization.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union is appearing in a virtual Ontario Labour Relations Board hearing today to represent Uber Black limousine and SUV drivers working in and out of Toronto Pearson International Airport and downtown Toronto.
The union applied for unionization in January on behalf of 300 of those workers and believes it has met the threshold of support needed to gain certification as the official bargaining agent of the drivers.
The union believes the board’s decision could help gig workers driving for Uber get recognized as employees of the popular ride-hailing app.
Their battle comes after Foodora shut down in Canada in May, months after the board ruled the food delivery app’s workers more closely resemble employees than independent contractors.


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Small & Medium Business Cloud Computing Projections
Forbes Magazine has a roundup of small and medium business cloud computing forecasts, showing that by 2020, 78% of small businesses are estimated to fully adopt cloud computing?more than double the 37% today. Intuit research shows they are primarily using cloud applications for back office work such as bookkeeping and accounting, while 43% are using a smartphone as the primary device to run their business.
About 18% of small and medium businesses with less than 100 employees are currently using hybrid cloud solutions, a number projected to rise to 28% by the end of this year according to Techaisle LLC.
Of SMBs using cloud services, 82% have saved on costs and 59% enjoy significant productivity benefits. Of those not using the cloud, only 30% report productivity benefits from IT.
The most popular cloud apps that SMBs are looking to implement in the next 12 months are e-mail/collaboration software (63%), Web/e-commerce (55%), and office tools & productivity (56%).
Small Firms Lagging Big Business in "Two-Speed Recovery"
The Wall Street Journal reports the lag in recovery since the recession has been much worse than previous economic downturns, and is even worse for small and medium businesses than large firms, according to new research from Goldman Sachs.
Large businesses have generally performed well post-crisis, but small firm business formation has declined, leading the Journal to term it a "two-speed economy."
According to the paper by Goldman's Global Investment Research group, "The recovery felt by large firms and the people who work for them is very different from the recovery felt by small firms and the people who work for them."
They argue this is largely because of new banking regulations designed to strengthen the financial system, which have increased the cost and availability of credit for smaller businesses.
"While perhaps not on a rule-by-rule basis, in the aggregate the cumulative effects of post-crisis regulations appear to have had a negative impact on the relative competitiveness of small businesses, reshaping the U.S. economyand likely in ways that were unintended," say the paper's authors.
More Women Owning Small BusinessesThe Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) has a report showing the amount of women owning small businesses is now 29%, up from 26% in 1997, according to The Atlantic. Women-owned firms have grown 68 percent since 2007, compared with 47 percent for all businesses.
The amount of minority women owning a business has multiplied by 265% since 1997, making up one in three female-owned businesses now, compared to one in six in 1997.
Black and Hispanic women now make up roughly 14% and 11% respectively of all women-owned businesses
However, female business owners still only make about 25 cents for every dollar a male makes, compared to about 83 cents to the dollar in the overall labor market.
Customer focus powers small business growth
SMB leaders listed their number one sales challenge as the need to "help solve business problems" and "measure value based on outcomes"?not price.
The businesses surveyed see an average of roughly 30% of sales from field sales, 17% from physical stores, and 12% each from e-commerce, partners and distributors. Most businesses expected no significant increase in sales over the next 12-18 months coming from online marketplaces such as Amazon or Google, email, or connected devices.
Despite the amount of people accessing the Internet using mobile devices surpassing desktop internet access last year, between 35% and 40% of SMBs surveyed don't plan to use mobile marketing tactics such as apps, location-based mobile tracking, push notifications, or text messaging over the next 12 months.
Copyright (c) 2015 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.
Mitchell Hall, originally from New Zealand, is a senior editorat Studio One. Covering business and technology since 2006, he has worked atMinyanville, Emerging Money and PCMag.com since moving to New York, writing formany more publications both online and in print.


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A couple of weeks ago Forbes had given Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer the title as the worst CEO of a large publicly traded American company today. Based on the article, he outranked John Chambers of Cisco (CSCO), General Electric's (GE) Jeffery Immelt, Walmart's (WMT) Mike Duke and Sears' (SHLD) Edward Lampert. There is a common factor among these CEO's: multi-year underperformance of its stock price.
The Forbes article said that Mr. Ballmer has steered Microsoft away from the fastest growing and lucrative markets. The roll out of new products were constantly delayed and ended up with mediocre products that do not add any value. After dumping its music player, new Windows product and other mobile products, it seems that Microsoft is the same company that it was a decade before. In the cutthroat technology space, incumbent leaders should not be complacent. They should create new products that would generate the fastest cash flows the way Apple (AAPL) did.
Last year, hedge fund manager and activist David Einhorn has openly called for the resignation of Ballmer. He said that he no longer believes that Ballmer is adding value to Microsoft after major missteps. These include lackluster investments and questionable acquisitions, as well as blunder in the tablet business. Obviously, Microsoft did not heed to his call.
Looking at Microsoft's capital allocation
Warren Buffett said that he likes that the management of the companies he own to allocate its capital very well. This is important as good capital allocation decisions translate to shareholder gains.
Over the last 5 years, the company has increased its free cash flow 1.59 times bringing it to $24 billion over the last 5 years. This is actually due to higher profitability. Operating cash flow has grown into a steady 10% growth a year during the same period. Moving forward its growth hinges on its ability to roll out new products that customers would love.
It has spent over $12 billion of capital expenditure over the last 5 years. This brings to an average capital expenditure of $1.5 to $2 billion a year. This does not include the acquisitions, which average to 6 transactions a year since its first acquisition in 1987. Under the helm of Ballmer, the company has acquired more than a hundred companies. Relative to its closest competitor, Apple, it spent 6 times more in terms of research and development. From this we can conclude that there is indeed a lack of the spirit of innovation in the company. The creativity flow to create a product that customers love is not present.
The recent acquisition of Skype has cast doubts on the capital allocation abilities of Ballmer. Many pundits have said that it was an expensive deal at $8.5 billion for a business that has yet to make money and with substantial debt.
Over the 5 year period, incremental cash flow from investing and acquisition is at $9 billion. Excluding acquisitions, the company is getting 70 cents for every dollar invested. This does not immediately erode shareholder's value. If Microsoft continues to make non-accretive capital allocation decisions, it would either run out of cash (due to expensive acquisitions) or run into debt. Eventually the stock price will remain flat for the rest of the decade.
Making progress fundamentally?
In the recent third quarter results, it reported quarterly revenue of $17 billion, an increase of 6% over prior year's results. Operating income was also up by 12% to $6 billion. This translates to a net profit of $5 billion for the quarter.
If you look at the major business segments, it seems that the company is doing a lot of progress. The Servers & Tools business have posted growth of 14% driven by SQL server. Its business division reported a 9% revenue growth reflecting continued strength in Office 2010 with corporate clients. The Online Services division posted a 6% increase and has narrowed its operating loss. Only its Entertainment and Devices division posted a decline of 16% over prior year levels. This is due to the soft gaming console market.
Going forward, the company will report better than expected earnings this year. However, investors are concerned that the company can no longer return to the same growth rates we have seen in the past. Based on the consensus estimates, earnings are expected to grow 11% lower than the average 5-year growth rate of 17%. This is also lower than the industry's growth rate of 26%.
In fact, other technology stalwarts have better growth prospects than Microsoft. Apple is expected to grow its earnings by 40% this year. On the other hand, Google has earning growth rates of 16% next year, higher than the estimated growth of Microsoft.
Cheap by Any Measure
The stock is currently trading at 10 times 2012 earnings. Adjusting for net cash of $3.98 per share, the stock will trade at 9 times. It also has a dividend yield of 2.70%. This seems cheap considering that the company could grow its earnings by 17% a year. Also its net profit margin is at 29% higher than the industry average of 18%.
Conversely, other technology stocks are valued higher. Apple is trading at 12 times 2012 earnings and pays no dividends. [[IBM]] is valued at 13 times earnings and has a dividend yield of 1.70%. On the other hand, Google (GOOG) and Oracle (ORCL) both trades at 14 times next year's earnings.
The undervaluation is undeserved. In terms of returning cash to its shareholders, it has done a good job. It has bought back its own shares for $22 billion for the last 5 years. Also, it has paid dividends of $56 billion for the same period.
The overhang is the notion that Microsoft will never recover its golden age. This is due to the lack of the spirit of innovation. The late Steve Jobs said that Microsoft will not change as long as Ballmer is calling the shots. The focus has been less on the products and more on selling the products. The market seems to agree.


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Officials: Owner of consumer products testing company in New City faces fraud chargesPosted: Updated:
A state senator is calling on a consumer products testing company in New City to issue a recall.
The owner of AMA Laboratories, Gabriel Letizia Jr. is facing fraud charges in connection to a scheme to falsify product test results for the last 30 years, officials say.
Sen. David Carlucci now says the public should know what products AMA Laboratories has tested. He says it's a health and safety issue.
"I think it's absolutely imperative that AMA Laboratories conducts a voluntary recall immediately," Carlucci said.
Products that the company has tested include sunscreens and other cosmetic products.
Officials say Letizia and others tested drugs and cosmetic products on fewer panelists than they reported.
Four other employees at AMA Laboratories pleaded guilty to wire fraud earlier this year.
News 12 reached out to Letizia Jr.'s lawyer, but has not heard back.


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Mew-Genics is officially on hold, Team Meat’s Tommy Refenes confirmed to Joystiq at PAX Prime in Seattle. The game was first revealed in October 2012, though the Super Meat Boydeveloper did not fully explain how the genetically-altered cat lady simulator would operate for another four months.
The decision to drag the game’s esoteric explanation out is one that Refenes seemed to regret, saying the developer “shouldn’t have been talking about it as much in the beginning as we did, because the game expanded beyond what it originally was.” As a result, the game grew beyond Team Meat’s own original vision: “Even some of the posts that we made in the beginning, that stuff doesn’t exist in the game anymore,” he added. For example, the developer discussed a “trinkets” system in December 2012, which is now gone from Mew-Genics, as it’s “expanded into the stores” in the game.
“Every idea that we’ve first said has expanded into this larger idea. And we’re like, ‘we need to shut the fuck up’ and actually get it to a point where we can say, ‘no, this is what it’s going to be when it comes out,'” Refenes added. The game isn’t canceled, but it will be “revised” and “more coherent” when it eventually returns. “Basically, the scope of it is going to change. We’re going to narrow it down more into something that’s manageable for two people to actually do,” Refenes said. He stressed that Mew-Genics is “definitely on hold,” and that the developers’ freshly-revealed tablet and PC game, Super Meat Boy Forever, will “definitely come out before it.”
For those that feel they’ve heard this from somewhere before, think back to February 2013, when Team Meat put a mobile version of Super Meat Boy on hold “til Mew-Genics is done.” The developer is giving themselves until the end of 2015 to launch Super Meat Boy Foreveron iOS, Android and PC via Steam and break this emerging pattern.


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It’s easy to start feeling more than a little overwhelmed with the bad news right now which is why The Great British Entrepreneur Awards are on a mission to highlight the good; the entrepreneurs & businesses who are doing amazing things, who have achieved so much (before and during the Covid-19 pandemic), who may have turned their skills to good and who deserve to be recognised.
A team of self-isolating entrepreneurs from London’s burgeoning Fintech sector built a proof of concept which aims to support the UKs 5m self-employed in the COVID-19 economic crisis.
The idea allows a self-employed person to self-certify and evidence their loss of income due to coronavirus through a web site. The service then uses open banking to collect historic banking data, proving previous income and predicting future loss of income.
To find out more, visit Mazuma’s website.