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Riegl, an Austrian-based laser scanning firm, is urging the UAV market to better understand the benefits of LiDAR systems in 2019.
Speaking exclusively to CDP at the Commercial UAV Show in London last week, Philipp Amon, business division manager for unmanned laser scanning, described how LiDAR was important in the UAV market as it can do things photogrammetry cannot.
He said: “Seeing existing and new clients this week has allowed us to showcase to them what sensors we have new on the market and highlight how important it is to get LiDAR into the UAV industry because still a lot of people talk about photogrammetry.”
He explained: “Of course photogrammetry is good, it has its purpose, but LiDAR is essential, especially if you think about vegetation mapping, forestry and even to detect wires for power lines it is impossible to do it with photogrammetry. To do this you have to fly low altitude and low speed but if you do it with LiDAR you can detect it clearly and hit the ground surface easier.”
Amon and his company are also looking forward to bringing forward the newly-introduced VQ840G sensor to market next year following its pre-release announcement at Intergeo last month.
Speaking on the company’s plans for the next 12 months, he said: “Actually, we have a huge product portfolio for the UAV market and next year we will be focusing on bathymetric sensors and our newly introduced VQ840G which was introduced a couple of weeks ago at Intergeo.”
He continued: “We need to manufacture first before we can release it properly next year and we are looking forward to getting this sensor on the market. We have done a proof on concept in the last couple of years and previously, our bathymetric profiler provided you with profiles and lines from the UAV measuring through water but now we are looking at our VQ840G which provides you with laser scan data from a specific field of view where you can not only get a profile but you can get a full range of point clouds, green LiDAR data and infra-red LiDAR which gives you the topographic measurements from water and water penetration.
He added: “It is a very niche market but it is definitely going to be there because of climate change and this can really reduce the cost because now everything is done using big UAVs or even manned aircraft and the cost involved in that is huge and we want to bring it down by using UAVs where we can install sensors on fixed wing or multi-rotor UAVs to be less expensive.”
Amon was pleased with the quality of attendees at this year’s Commercial UAV Show, held at the ExCeL in London and felt the exhibition had a real international feel, with industry professionals attending from around the world.
Commenting on how the show went for Riegl, he said: “Really good, great actually. We have seen quite a lot of interest in our products, the products we already have and also the products we introduced a couple of weeks ago specifically for the UAV industry.
“And of course we have met new clients but we have also seen a lot of existing clients from both the UK market and international market which is good. We have met customers from Europe, from South America from South Africa from even America and Australia, it really is an international show here.”


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Cops: Bridgeport man bought 2 computers with fraudulent credit card
HAMDEN - A Bridgeport man is accused of making fraudulent purchases on a military credit card he opened under someone else.
Yanik Opoku, 27, of Shell Street, was charged with third-degree larceny.
The case began on Feb. 8, when police responded to the area of Dix and North streets on the report of suspicious activity.
A concerned resident advised police that a male was opening packages and placing the contents inside of his backpack.
Moments later, officers located Opoku walking in the area.
Inside of his backpack were two new computers, valued at $4,800.
The investigation revealed that the victim, a member of the military, had a military credit card fraudulently opened in his name. The subsequent fraudulent purchases were made with the credit card on a military shopping website.
Opoku is being held on $5,000 and will appear in Meriden Superior Court on Feb. 21.

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Bath-based financial planner Time Finance has announced Adrian Payne (pictured) as its new Head of Sales in its Invoice Finance division.
Payne will be leading and overseeing the South of England sales team to manage the invoice finance solutions packages and continue building its broker networks.
Payne was previously Head of Sales at financial services company Bibby where he was responsible for product awareness across South-West England and overseeing a team of six. He has almost a decade worth of experience in the industry from working as Regional Sales Manager at Aldermore before moving on to Regional Director at Ultimate Finance.
Speaking of his appointment, Payne said: "There’s a definite momentum in the market with investment high on the agenda and many business owners are looking for cash flow funding solutions to help capitalise on new business opportunities.”
About Time Finance
Founded in 1998, Time Finance lends to small UK businesses through a variety of Asset Finance, Invoice Finance, Loans and Vehicle Finance. They provide and arrange approximately £150m of funding every year and work with around 20,000 UK businesses.


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March 14, 2003 |
CHENNAI: A high-level team from German auto major Volkswagen visited Chennai on Wednesday and apprised chief minister J Jayalalitha of the company's plans to locate a car manufacturing plant in India, for which Chennai is being considered an important location. According to an official press release, Helmuth Schuster, head, India project team, discussed the project details with Ms Jayalalitha as well as senior officials. The chief minister has assured necessary support for the venture.
November 23, 2007 |
NEW DELHI: Freight rates for Bangalore and Chennai rose in the local truck transport market here on Friday following busy cargo movements against tight availability of lorries. Delhi to Bangalore depicted higher rates at Rs 30,000 from Rs 29,500 while Chennai freight rates moved up by Rs 1,000 at Rs 32,000. However, freight rates managed to hold last levels on little support.
May 31, 2009 |
CHENNAI: The Rs 150-crore textile exporter RK Industries is foraying into the realty business through its subsidiary KKA Buildtech. It has launched a 'luxury' mall in Chennai, spread over 40,000 sq ft in one of the upmarket retail zone of the city, Khader Nawaz Khan Road. Bergamo will house only premium international luxury brands, its MD Ajay Agarwal said on Thursday. To be ready by mid-2010, the project has been conceived and marketed by Mumbai-based retail consultants Squarefeet Management.
June 4, 2004 |
CHENNAI: Red Hat India, Linux and open source solutions provider, is to set up a sales and support office in Chennai in the next four months. Mr Sachin Dabir, head-enterprise sales, Red Hat India said, it was a part of the company's plans to expand the southern market. He said government, banking, telecom and public sector units would drive the demand for Linux and open source software applications. Mr Dabir said, while the government and public sector units provided the initial thrust, increasingly private sector companies have started looking at Linux-based applications.
February 21, 2014 |
CHENNAI: Seeking to give further fillip to industrial growth by attracting greater investments, Tamil Nadu Government today unveiled a new industrial policy, an exclusive policy for automobile sector and the phase-II Vision 2023 document. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, rolling out the new policy initiatives at a function here, also witnessed signing of 16 MoUs between MNCs and the state envisaging a total investment of Rs 5,081 crore. This is the second major initiative unfolded by the State Government after AIADMK returned to power.
December 29, 2004 |
NEW DELHI: Eveready Industries said on Wednesday it would shift its entire Guindy facility to Tiruvottiyur High Road to integrate the functioning of the Chennai plant. The integrated plant would have a capacity of 450 million batteries annually, the company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange. Eveready's 8.9 acres land at Guindy has been released and the company has entered into an agreement with Chennai-based Khivraj Tech Park Ltd. to develop the site as a building complex particularly suitable for the information technology sector.
January 23, 2005 |
NEW DELHIMUMBAI: IT and ITeS have a new address . Chennai is fast emerging as the new Mecca for these sectors, if you go by investment patterns in real estate. It is estimated that over 10 million sq ft of new space is coming up in the next six months in the IT and ITES industry . Since companies in these sectors provide about 70-80 sq ft of office space per person, it's estimated that the new space coming up will house 1.25-1.5 lakh professionals. So why is there an increased interest in Chennai?
December 21, 2001 |
rajan raheja group has relaunched its globus retail stores in chennai, with an in-house brand called 'globus' to focus on the 'youth' segment. the new look stores now present a strong range of garments targeted at 'the young and young at heart' customers. "the change in the strategy was based on the feedback from customers visiting the two and half year old chennai store," said mr ved prakash arya, ceo, globus stores. he said that the company has been observing an increasing trend among its customers towards 'affordable and trendy clothing' which are not bold but look cool.
May 20, 2005 |
Steeped in tradition, Chennai is fast embracing change. It's reflected in the landscape, the corporate culture and social milieu of this age-old city, India's best example of brick-n-mortar and the IT economies growing hand in hand. In the past eight years, the city has turned cosmopolitan and inclusive as it witnessed a multi-dimensional effect of IT and auto explosion, increasing expat population, tourist arrivals and booming consumerism. Software exports have crossed $2 billion from only Rs 2 crore in 1993-94 and the number of IT companies multiplied from 200 to 800. Similarly, large automobile companies are making cars in Chennai for global markets.
December 28, 2006 |
CHENNAI: Big Bazaar, the value retailing concept of Pantaloon Retail and a part of Future group has set up its first standalone store in Chennai taking the number of Big Bazaars in the country to 40. The over 50,000 sq feet store has been set up with an estimated investment of Rs 15 crore and the company is betting big on its motto 'nobody sells cheaper and better'. "This is our tenth store in south India and we plan to take it to 33 by the end of this year.


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PlayStation 5 usable storage is only at 667GB and Sony doesn’t recommend buying external SSD on day one
‘Mass Effect Legendary Edition’ to include single-player content, DLCs from original titles are ‘optimized for 4K Ultra HD’
‘Rainbow Six Siege’ to Xbox Game Pass? Here’s the very obvious image teaser Microsoft shared on Twitter
Previous online teasers made for Xbox Game Pass promotions have been fun, albeit easy, puzzles to crack. Video game fans may have just been given one more thing to decode, which suggests the addition of “Rainbow Six Siege” to the streaming service is imminent.
Xbox Game Pass Twitter page hints at another major addition
The official Twitter page of Xbox Game Pass recently shared a photo without any caption, and it appeared that fans did not need them anyway. The photo in question may look absurd at first, but not when giving more attention to the other elements in the image.
A medieval castle is the main attraction in the image. Above it, there are six arches of rainbows while the castle itself has a total of six watchtowers. More importantly, the castle is under siege. Even though the photo does not come close to the visuals and theme of “Rainbow Six Siege,” these hidden messages all point to the potential addition of the online tactical shooter to Xbox Game Pass.
This is not the first time Xbox Game Pass had a creative way to hint at a AAA title’s arrival to the service. Just last month, the same social media page shared an internal email that supposedly does not have hidden teasers in it. But after quick editing, the screenshot showed the hidden message, “The Slayer is coming.” And just as fans suspected, “DOOM Eternal” was later officially added to Xbox Game Pass.
It took about a week from the time the addition of “DOOM Eternal” was teased to when it was confirmed. If that is any indication, the announcement of “Rainbow Six Siege” as the newest featured title in the Netflix of video games should happen in the coming days.
‘Rainbow Six Siege’ is unlikely the last AAA title to arrive in the streaming service
Aside from the launch of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, beefing up the Xbox Game Pass library has been one of Microsoft’s notable works in the video game department this year. Of course, it would also be remiss not to mention its blockbuster acquisition of ZeniMax Media and its subsidiaries, including Bethesda Softworks. The latter makes it quite obvious that “Rainbow Six Siege” is not the last AAA title to be added to the Xbox Game Pass in the near future.


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TWO weeks after assuming post as the local chief executive, Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. has ordered for the abolition of the P20 fee, otherwise known as tourism promotion and development fee, being imposed to hotel guests in Angeles City.
Lazatin issued Executive Order Number 9 Series of 2019, “an order abolishing the collection of the tourism promotion/development fee in the amount of P20 collected from every occupant per day of stay in a hotel/motel in Angeles City.”
Section 4 Article GG of the city’s Tax Ordinance Number 61 Series of 2011 states that all hotel occupants in Angeles City are required to pay the fee.
Lazatin added that several complaints were relayed to the Office of the Mayor that hotel and motel owners and managers have been receiving numerous complaints from their guests regarding the payment of said fees.
In the same executive order, the mayor said that in order to prevent the negative response of tourists staying in the city, the local government has deemed it necessary to abolish the collection of fees from hotel guests.
Former Harp president Mitch Otsuru, owner of Yufuin Japanese Restaurant, thanked Lazatin for keeping his campaign promise during a mayoralty debate their organization organized last year.
The Harp, which is now headed by president Maria Fatima Suarez Orfinada, stated that the city government has been collecting the tourism development fee per guest staying at an accommodation establishment since 2017.
Lazatin earlier vowed to work in making Angeles a business-friendly city. He also assured businessmen that there will be no business tax increase in the next few years under his administration.


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Anyone who believes Google isn't "making a play" for desktop users isn't paying attention. In recent years, I've seen ChromeOS making quite a splash on the Google Chromebook. Exploding with popularity on sites such as Amazon.com, it looks as if ChromeOS could be unstoppable.
In this article, I'm going to look at ChromeOS as a concept to market, how it's affecting Linux adoption and whether or not it's a good/bad thing for the Linux community as a whole. Plus, I'll talk about the biggest issue of all and how no one is doing anything about it.
Android powered Nvidia Shield tablet now available for pre-order
Nvidia’s 32GB LTE Shield Tablet is now available for pre-order. The Linux/Android powered tablet is priced at $399 and comes with an 8″ (1,920 x 1,200) display, Tegra K1 CPU and 2GB of RAM.
FOSS Around the World: Latin America
Too often coverage of free/open source software news and commentary tends to focus on either developments and activities in North America or in Europe. While much of the news is made on these two continents, there’s a wider world out there where folks are doing some substantial things, and promoting FOSS in their own way in their own areas.
Periodically, we at FOSS Force will be looking at areas of the world which have been either overlooked or neglected in digital news coverage. Today we’ll start south of the U.S. border with Latin America — Mexico, along with Central and South America, for those of you keeping track on maps at home.
OpenMediaVault 1.0 review
OpenMediaVault is a NAS/SAN Linux distribution that I first wrote about on this site back in January 2013. That was when the version 0.4.11 was released.
The latest version, a milestone release, is OpenMediaVault 1.0. It is based on Debian 7 and uses that distribution’s ncurses installer, just like Ubuntu server.
This is a distribution you want to use if you are looking for an easy-to-use and feature-rich solution to set up a NAS for yourself. The browser-based management interface on this latest edition is a lot better than the one that shipped with previous editions. And it is also responsive.


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On paper at least, Apple looks to be among the biggest winners from the new GOP tax code that is headed to President Trump’s desk for his signature. The new code makes it much less expensive for big U.S. multinationals to bring home the hoards of cash they’ve hidden away from Uncle Sam in foreign subsidiaries.
While Apple leaves more cash overseas than any other tech company, it’s most likely to take a measured approach to how much it brings home and how it spends the money.
While some analysts have projected that Apple will repatriate about $200 billion of the roughly $252 billion held in overseas affiliates, a source with knowledge of the matter tells Fast Company that the company will bring home only about half of its overseas stash.
A Quarter-Trillion Dollars At Stake
Many big U.S. tech companies park cash overseas to avoid the 35% corporate tax rate they’d incur when bringing it back home. But Apple takes this practice to an extreme. As of the end of September, it held 93.7% (or $252 billion) of its $269 billion in cash and cash equivalents in overseas affiliates.
The new GOP tax bill would impose a 15.5% tax burden on all that cash—and just 8% for hard assets such as equipment and inventory—upon return to the U.S.
The Trump Administration wanted the repatriation tax to be just 10%. But the rate rose higher as Republicans sought ways to pay for the expensive items in the tax bill, like tax breaks for wealthy Americans and corporations.
Trump hopes that U.S. tech companies will use the repatriated money to create new jobs at home. If history is a guide, the newly enriched companies will spend most of the money on share buybacks, investor dividends, and executive salary increases. That’s what happened when George W. Bush tried a one-time “tax amnesty” in 2004.
However, Apple CEO Tim Cook has on several occasions made a loose connection between the coming tax reform and job creation in the U.S. Here he is speaking to NBC’s Lester Holt in a November 1st interview:
Meanwhile, Apple CFO Luca Maestri has said it’s more likely that any repatriated money would be used for typical expenditures like buybacks and dividends.
Jobs—But Not Apple Jobs
In the end, it’s likely Apple will use some of the money to reward shareholders, and some to help create new U.S. jobs.
Maestri, speaking at a Goldman Sachs investor conference in February, said it would be difficult for Apple to increase the relatively small amount of manufacturing it does in the U.S.
The jobs the company is most likely to help create aren’t for new Apple employees–they’re positions at its suppliers. In May Apple announced a new $1 billion fund to make investments in U.S. companies, which in turn will create new jobs. The company very recently announced a new $390 million investment in Finisar, the Texas company that makes lasers for the iPhone X’s facial recognition system. Some of that money could be used to expand Finisar’s operations in Texas.
The repatriated money isn’t likely to touch off an acquisition spree at Apple. The company’s acquisitions over the past five years haven’t had much to do with its financial situation at any given time. They relate more to specific technology and engineering needs in the development cycles of future products.
Aside from the repatriation money, Apple and other multinationals will be taxed in a radically different way next year. Not only will the rate be cut from 35% to 21%, but the GOP tax bill describes a “territorial” system where only income earned in the U.S. is subject to income tax. Profits earned and taxed in foreign countries are considered automatically repatriated and can be brought home. Companies can even be credited for taxes they’ve already paid to foreign governments on the returning cash.
On its own, this should be enough to keep the stock market’s streak of all-time highs going. Apple is likely to have sparkling quarterly results throughout 2018, fueled by the popularity of the $1,000 iPhone X and helped by tailwinds from tax relief.
The tax bill was the number-one policy issue for tech companies this year, and they’re about to get a big Christmas present from Uncle Sam.
That may be great for Apple and other wealthy tech companies, but big Christmas presents cost big money and this one was bought on credit. The GOP tax bill will add $1.4 trillion to deficits over the next 10 years, and will add a trillion to deficits even if the tax cuts fire up the economy as promised, according to a preliminary analysis by the Joint Committee on Taxation (aka the “congressional scorekeeper”).
Even if Apple has a strong 2019, the company needs to keep tabs on the new tax law’s long-term impact on middle-class consumers. Their short-term tax breaks will begin to expire in the first half of the next decade, potentially leaving them with less expendable income to buy costly niceties such as new iPhones.
But for Apple even that factor could be mitigated by the fact that much of the company’s growth in the next decade will likely come from large emerging markets like India and China. And now it will be much easier to bring those profits back home to the U.S.
An Apple spokesperson chose not to add to the company’s earlier statements on taxes for this story.


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The Ticker - 0 Comments
Groupon fires CEO
Struggling online deals pioneer Groupon ousted its quirky founder and CEO Andrew Mason, right, amid worries that people are tiring of the myriad of online restaurant, spa and Botox deals that Groupon built its business on.
“After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding — I was fired today,” Mason, 32, wrote in a candid memo to staff.
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American chain of fast food restaurants McDonald’s Corp. will replace the chief financial officer, as well as the global director of procurement.
Kevin Ozan will step down as CFO, which he has held since March 2015, and take up the position of senior executive vice president of strategic initiatives, the company said in a press release. Ian Borden, current president of McDonald’s international business, will be the new CFO.
The changes come into force on September 1 of the current year.
Marion Gross will replace Francesca Debiase as McDonald’s Purchasing Director from now on.
McDonald’s shares lost 0.3% in early trading on Monday. Since the beginning of this year, their value has decreased by 7.5%.


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Google and Microsoft have revealed their AI cards. Here's a short summary.
Microsoft is bringing ChatGPT-like AI to the search results to help summarise results. They then allow you to chat with the AI so you can ask things like:
- Give me a 3 day itinerary to Paris for two people
- Which TV is cheapest?
- Give me the ingredients for a meal plan by supermarket aisle
What's interesting here over ChatGPT is the freshness of content. By being continually updated, the experience can help you compare information across the web.
But Microsoft didn't stop there, they're also bringing Copilot to the Edge browser. So whatever web page you're on, Copilot can be used to summarise, write social media posts and even compare information from other web pages.
Google on the other hand focused mostly on AI within image search along with Google Maps. They included:
- More language translations for Google Translate
- In picture text translation with AI removal of the previous text
- Search for information on visual content, such as a landmark in a video a friend sent you
- Local search from images—want that cupcake you just saw? Search for local bakeries that make it
- AI generated 3D maps and interiors from Street View data
- Augmented Reality for landmarks on the street and navigation in popular places like airports
Of course, the elephant in the room is Bard—Google's response to Microsoft's fast adoption of OpenAI's GPT-3 technology.
Google are working on a chat experience for search results, especially results that have No One Right Answer (NORA). It's using a slimmed down model powered by LaMDA which is in the testing phase with trusted testers.
But what does this mean for SEO and paid ads? They said:
"We continue to prioritise projects to send valuable traffic to a wide range of creators and support a healthy open web"
This is a very interesting position for Google. While their research has been extremely advanced in AI, they have not been making public waves by opening it up to end users like OpenAI has.
It feels like their eye has been on what Apple will do with AR and Maps, and Microsoft has caught them off guard.
Google doesn't want to disrupt their cash cow which is their Google Ads business. But they might just well be forced to do so.
What does this mean for online businesses who rely on SEO and paid advertising?
Will consumers start adopting alternative search technologies like Bing's AI? Or will Google disrupt the playing field to gain organic traffic and maintain a healthy competition in paid ads?
What was notably absent in all of this is the voice assistant. Siri, Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant have no mention whatsoever. I believe the rapid pace of generative AI has yet to be fully understood and voice assistants aren't worthy of the investment by the big players.
Where do you see AI and search going?


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Heads up! Whether you already own a limited liability company for real estate or other purposes or have plans to start a company in the near future, Arizona has a new set of laws that will change how limited liability companies operate. These new laws likely require an amendment to your existing documents.
More specifically, the Arizona Limited Liability Company Act (the “Act”) completely replaces the existing set of limited liability company statutes that have been in place in Arizona since 1992. Now, any new LLC created on or after September 1, 2019, must comply with the Act. And, on September 1, 2020, the Act will apply to all existing limited liability companies.


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With December totals yet to be recorded, U.S. beef exports already set a new full-year value record of $6.49 billion during the first 11 months of 2014 (up 16 percent from 2013), according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. For the year-to-date through November, exports were $626.7 million, up 19 percent from the same period in 2013.
Reflective of tight supplies, meanwhile, U.S. beef export volumes trended 5 percent lower in the month of November 2014, compared to November 2013. But cumulative 2014 year-to-date volume totals remain ahead of 2013, with January-November beef exports up 2 percent to 2.425 billion pounds.
Key Asian markets drive beef export value to record heights
November beef exports equated to 15 percent of total production and 12 percent of muscle cut production, compared to 14 percent and 11 percent, respectively, a year ago. For January through November, exports equated to 14 percent of total production and 11 percent for muscle cuts (up from 13 percent and 10 percent). Export value per head of fed slaughter was $359.77 in November (up 35 percent from a year ago) and $293.96 for January-November (up 16 percent).
November exports to leading market Japan were the smallest since March at 40.6 million pounds – reflecting a seasonal slowdown – but export value ($136.5 million) was still up 35 percent. January-November exports increased 3 percent in volume (496 million pounds) and 13 percent in value ($1.47 billion) as U.S. beef continued to reclaim market share in Japan.
Other January-November beef results include:
- Exports to Hong Kong surpassed $1 billion for the first time ($1.01 billion, up 39 percent) on volume of 302.9 million pounds (up 19 percent).
- Strong momentum continued for U.S. beef in South Korea, as exports were up 14 percent in volume (236 million pounds) and 44 percent in value ($762.8 million). On a value basis, U.S. market share in Korea climbed from 38 percent in 2013 to 42 percent in 2014.
- Exports to Taiwan rebounded from a slow start in 2014, reaching 68 million pounds (up 6 percent) valued at a record $264.8 million (up 15 percent).
- While exports to Mexico slowed in November, totals were still up 14 percent in volume (484 million pounds) and 28 percent in value ($1.05 billion) for the year. (As USMEF has noted previously, however, data issues from January-May 2013 suggest that year-over-year growth for 2014 is likely overstated.)
Source: Cattlemen’s Beef Board
CWT Assists with 2.6 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales
Bankers Expect a Double-Digit Drop in Cash Rents


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Settled in an old industrial zone in the former greenhouse territory in Pagiriai, Homanit Lietuva will undertake not only manufacturing but also brand-new innovation. It is planned to establish a research and development centre here, which will improve wooden goods, their manufacturing processes, and will also create entirely new products.
New companies, new ideas
“We will have our intellectual centre in Pagiriai - this way we will be able to supply the country’s furniture manufacturers, who have made Lithuania into a centre of the furniture industry in Europe with not only new middle (MDF) and high (HDF) density wood fibre boards, but also new ideas. This will significantly boost the added value generated by the entire region.
We have already assembled a managing team for the research and development centre – a group of international experts with vast experience in the wood processing industry, who will form their teams alongside local specialists. Lithuanian professionals nurtured within these teams will also increase the innovativeness of the country’s furniture industry,” says Ostrauskas.
According to the Homanit Lietuva head, the company will settle in a part of the former greenhouse territory in Pagiriai, and for the remaining territory, other high added value-generating companies will be invited to settle in. “We wish to launch a good economic engine in Pagiriai which benefits everyone: new and well-paid jobs will emerge for the people of the city and region, and this economic boost will be felt by both furniture manufacturers in the country, and the state budget,” he believes.
An important centre for the international business group
Homanit Lietuva submitted a project proposal for administrative and warehouse premises to the Vilnius region municipality for evaluation and public discussion, and there are plans to construct a two-storey administrative building alongside almost six thousand square metres of warehouse space.
“Lithuania has a well-developed and high potential IT sector and so, we will establish an IT section for the entirety of Homanit. Its main function will be the digitalisation of processes and manufacturing, and we will dedicate significant attention to this because without digital solutions, it is difficult to imagine a business that can operate successfully in the long-term.
Meanwhile, the warehouse will be adapted to long-term storage, and will be dedicated to the needs of the research and development centre,” Ostrauskas commented.
The administrative building will also house a customer service section, which will handle sales development and work with clients in not only Lithuania, but across the Baltic region.
This article was edited by professional copywriter and proofreader Vicki Leigh. Find out more about her expert writing and editing services at twoflowercactuscreative.com
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The concept for Pear & The Pickle, the new Troy Hill eatery from Alexis Tragos and Bobby Stockard, is simple: a neighborhood coffee shop with a general-store vibe, stocked with a modest selection of household groceries like dish soap, olive oil and Cheerios.
But Tragos and Stockard, who are married with twin boys born just a week before the café opened, are all about letting their customers tell them what Pear & The Pickle should be, and not the other way around.
“I thought we were going to be a coffee shop with breakfast sandwiches. It turns out we’re a sandwich shop that has coffee,” says Stockard. “The people have told us that we’re a sandwich shop.”
Housed in a former antique shop — and decorated with some of its former stock — the café specializes in simple, unfancy fare: no molecular gastronomy, nothing deconstructed. Their fan-favorite bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is what Tragos calls “bodega-style,” meaning its ingredients and name are pretty much the same. No nonsense, and very tasty.
For Tragos and Stockard, their effort is best spent listening to and providing for the needs of the neighborhood, whether that’s Wi-Fi for young professionals, ice cream for local kids or the rooftop garden they’re hoping to have finished this summer.
“We wanted to do something for the neighborhood,” says Tragos. “We wanted to bring it back to what corner markets used to be.”


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Frontlist Book | Stephen King Reveals New Book With Plot Details And Cover ArtworkFrontlist Book | Stephen King Reveals New Book With Plot Details And Cover Artwork
on Aug 05, 2020 It’s a good time to be a Stephen King fan. Movies and TV shows based on his body of work are hot property right now, and on top of that, the acclaimed horror writer has just announced a new novel. Revealed through the author’s Twitter account, his latest book is titled Later and it will be a pulpy crime-thriller with undertones of IT. Titan Books will publish the title as part of its ‘Hard Case Crime’ series, which also includes the King novels The Colorado Kid and Joyland. Along with the book’s title, the author also revealed its retro-style cover artwork and a release date of March next year. See for yourself below:
Next year. March.
Incredible Stephen King Tribute Poster Has Almost 200 Easter Eggs
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China Cosco Headlines
News / COSCO back in the black, with a little help from its state friends
COSCO Shipping posted a net profit of $264m in 2017, reversing a loss of $1.1bn ...
News / Cosco sails back into the black as rate improvements help boost revenue
Chinese shipping giant Cosco Shipping Holdings today reported a 35% year-on-year increase in revenue for ...
News / Cash-hungry niche carrier PIL pops up on the radar of acquisitive mega-carriers
Singapore-based Pacific International Lines (PIL) could be the next container line to appear on the ...
News / Higher rates and volumes shown on carriers's improved balance sheets as SCFI slightly dips
More evidence emerged today that higher volumes and improved contract rates in the second quarter ...
News / Transpacific box trade will get a new market leader after Cosco's OOCL buy
The transpacific container shipping market is set for a fundamental change if Cosco completes its acquisition of ...
Comment / Analysis: Cosco's acquisition of OOCL – the most expensive in liner history?
The China Cosco/OOCL saga is officially over – or is it? Reaction On the stock market, the ...
News / Cosco buys OOCL for $6.3bn to form the world's third-largest liner company
Cosco has teamed with Chinese port operator Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) to acquire Orient ...
Recommends / The geopolitics of container shipping alliances
Shipping expert Olaf Merk looks at the future of container shipping in this insightful blog ...
News / OOCL now a target for CMA CGM following silence from Cosco?
Mid-sized ocean carrier OOCL is seen as “the only attractive takeover target of substantial size ...
- 1.ONE container carrier network now predicting loss of $600m in its first year
- 2.DSV takeover bid for CEVA Logistics rebuffed, but CMA CGM eyes bigger stake
- 3.Market Insight Exclusive: Revealed – the AP Møller-Maersk Group reorganisation
- 4.Analysis: APMM vs GE – dinosaurs, but heading for extinction?
- 5.Market Insight: APMM restructure may be a real opportunity for Kuehne
- 1. Brendan Tout on Roll-out of new UK customs declaration system too slow as Brexit looms
- 2. David Maughan on Roll-out of new UK customs declaration system too slow as Brexit looms
- 3. Gavin van Marle on Samskip targets intra-Europe shortsea traffic with new Italy-Netherlands rail service
- 4. Capt.Bill Waldmeier... on Samskip targets intra-Europe shortsea traffic with new Italy-Netherlands rail service
- 5. Akeo on Guest blog: how blockchain can strengthen supply chain links


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BY ELLAH FOSTER
When CHS junior Natalia Miller found out through her settings that she had spent 38 hours on her phone in the past 10 days, she expressed nothing but shock for that excessive screen time. However, she’s not alone in her time-consuming technology use.
American teenagers spend an average of nine hours online every day, roughly three hours more than adults daily, according to a study released by Common Sense Media. As the first generation to grow up with technology at their fingertips, the mesmerizing pull of the screen might possibly be too difficult to ignore.
This supposed “addiction” began with the creation of the first iPhone in 2007, following the craze of flip phones from the decade prior. Within the span of a few short years, the global use of tablets, cell phones and iPods exploded. By 2014-2015, Pew Research Center reported that 95 percent of teens had access to a smartphone.
Along with personal devices, students in Carmel Unified School District receive Chromebook laptops in sixth grade for academic reasons, although many game and entertainment websites are not blocked.
In an average day at Carmel High, students use their computers in almost every class. That alone adds up to five or six hours of screen time solely for educational purposes. Lunch, passing periods and time after school are free for students to spend on their cell phones, mostly unrestricted by other activities. The nightly amount of time spent on homework can take anywhere from an hour to four times that, meaning even more hours can be spent online.
Time spent on homework, videos, messaging and everything else the internet encompasses quickly adds up in a day. And what about social media? Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter are large components of the problem, with software designed to keep users online for as long and as frequently as possible. The “infinite scroll” algorithm, used on almost all social media apps, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, was created by technology engineer Aza Raskin. The algorithm loads content continuously, causing the user to scroll further down the page rather than select posts manually or visit various pages.
Raskin explains that the infinite scroll allows the reader to continue through the app without giving their brain sufficient time to catch up with their impulses, according to an interview with BBC. The technology engineer also remarks that he feels guilty for creating the algorithm, since his intention was not to addict the users. He gives reasoning to those furthering these addictive algorithms, saying that many designers get caught up in creating these features for the companies that employ them.
“In order to get the next round of funding, in order to get your stock price up, the amount of time that people spend on your app has to go up,” Raskin says.
This feeling of remorse is paralleled with former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris, who left the company in 2015 to further pursue spreading the awareness of online addiction, according to Wired.
After leaving Google, Harris cofounded Time Well Spent, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the effects of the social media and smartphone addiction caused by big technology companies. On their official website, the organization points out that social media apps are not neutral in their design, with features such as Snapchat “streaks” where the app counts the consecutive days in contact with another user or YouTube auto-playing the next video within seconds of finishing the first.
With the latest iOS 12.0.1 update to Apple products, a feature was added to monitor time spent on different applications. Users can set how much time they want to spend on each app in a day and have the app close when they’ve exceeded that limit. When this happens, the app’s logo appears darker, and the user must press the “ignore limit” option when they enter the application.
With social media’s manipulative techniques and features, it is likely for students to develop some sort of addiction. In contrast, students without social media, such as Carmel High sophomore Carissa Mendoza, often don’t find their technology to be as distracting.
“I got my phone for my sixteenth birthday because my parents didn’t want me to get addicted and didn’t think I needed it when I was younger,” Mendoza tells.
To combat poor online habits, Tularcitos Elementary School Principal Ryan Peterson says that he tries to stress the importance of parents monitoring children’s time spent online from a young age. At school, Tularcitos students start using technology as young as kindergarten in their regular classes for roughly 30 minutes every day and occasional free time for computer games.
“In third grade, students get their own Chromebooks,” Peterson explains. “That is the grade where students get into writing and keyboarding more.”
Twice a year, Tularcitos holds a “no-screens” week, where Peterson sends out informational emails regarding the effects of long-term internet use on the young brain to the kindergarten through fifth-grade parents, as well challenges students to spend a week without their technology. This event doesn’t restrict the time students spend in class on their online lesson, which increases once students reach third grade.
“I think a gradual release of responsibility to students to use social media is needed,” Peterson adds. “I worry when social media becomes something close to an addiction.”
Despite being the ones to design and produce the world’s technology, many engineers such as Bill Gates, Tim Cook and Steve Jobs have raised their children in “tech-free” environments, paralleling points made by Peterson. Gates didn’t allow his children to get cell phones until the age of 14, four years later than the national average, according to Business Insider. Similarly, Jobs kept his iPad out of his daughter’s hands.
Many parents in the Silicon Valley have opted for their children to be enrolled in Waldorf Schools, considerably lower tech than most other schools, either public and private. In these schools, students learn with pencils and chalkboards about social skills and creativity.
With various strategies and apps to combat technology addiction, it is ultimately up to the users themselves or their parents to deal with the consequences that come along with every new gadget and tablet.


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Microsoft today announced a “strategic change” in its retail operations, as it is permanently closing its chain of physical retail stores around the globe. Microsoft Store locations closed in late March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company’s retail employees will continue to serve customers from Microsoft corporate facilities – remotely providing sales, training, and support. New services include 1:1 video chat support, online tutorial videos, and virtual workshops with more digital solutions to come.
“It is a new day for how Microsoft Store team members will serve all customers,” said Microsoft Corporate Vice President David Porter. “We are energized about the opportunity to innovate in how we engage with all customers, maximize our talent for greatest impact, and most importantly help our valued customers achieve more.”
Microsoft’s online storefronts will continue to operate, and the company plans reimagined “Experience Centers” for customers in New York City, London, Sydney, and at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
“Our sales have grown online as our product portfolio has evolved to largely digital offerings, and our talented team has proven success serving customers beyond any physical location,” said Porter. “We are grateful to our Microsoft Store customers and we look forward to continuing to serve them online and with our retail sales team at Microsoft corporate locations.”
The first Microsoft Store opened in Scottsdale, Arizona in October 2009, eight years after the first Apple’ stores opened in Glendale, California and Washington, D.C.


text: Well, looks like we're going to have to add a new streaming service to our long list of services. Sure, we have Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, but now we're all going to have to jump on the Apple bandwagon. Apple TV has just ordered two seasons of a show executive produced and starring both Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. No title for the show yet, but it will be about a morning television program like the Today Show or Good Morning America and everything that goes on behind the scenes. It sounds interesting to me, and I'm looking forward to checking it out. But that means getting Apple TV. Like I said, this new golden age of television is great, but it's going to end up being very expensive. Will you get Apple TV so you can watch this new show?


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Indian handloom ethical clothing brand Dressfolk announced today that it has raised ₹3.3 Cr in seed round of funding by All In Capital. Other strategic investors include the likes of Sidhant Keshwani of Libas, Sidhesh Chauhan of Jade Blue, and Riju Jhunjhunwala of RSWM Ltd.
With the new funding, the company plans to strengthen its product portfolio, expand distribution channels, and expand its team and operations.
Aditya Singh, Co-Founder, All In Capital, “Dressfolk’s proprietary designs and highly differentiated products are bringing Indian handloom back in vogue. Sarees have become the biggest and one of the fastest growing apparel category and we are confident that Nitin and his team at Dressfolk will have a meaningful impact in the ethnic wear segment”.
Founded in 2017, Dressfolk was set up with a mission to modernise the traditional Indian weaves, while empowering the local artisans community. With a strong belief that business should be ethical but not slow; fashion should be scalable but not fast, the team at Dressfolk have found a happy medium.
“At Dressfolk we draw inspiration from the past, but create for the future. We design and co-produce all our garments with our artisan community from scratch. We’re delighted that investors saw the immense potential in our long-term vision of building the most compelling destination for luxurious and high-quality Indian looms”, said Nitin Mehrotra, Founder & CEO, Dressfolk. He added, “We are proud of the fact we are not only Made in India but Made of India”.
As of today, Dressfolk works with over 600 weavers and 120 artisans across 6 states and is catering to customers globally. Apart from its own website dressfolk.com, customers can also get access to products from several offline multi-brand and online marketplaces
Sidhant Keshwani, Founder at Libas added, "India’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) market is a growing market with fashion and clothes players owning a larger share of the pie. But this big opportunity comes with a tough competition, and we believe Dressfolk has all the right ingredients to become a true disruptor and challenger brand in the luxury handloom space",
The round also brings in a clutch of angel investors like Vikrampati Singhania from JK Family Office, FinFirst Advisors, Apurva Ramesh Damani from Damani Family Office and Pranav Sanghvi of Petronas. Currently, the cap table also includes the likes of serial entrepreneur and Falcon co-founder, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, MasterChow founder Vidur Kataria, Arjit Johri of Marshot Ventures, Harbir Singh Banga of Victora Group, Samyak Deora of Deora Group, Adit Desai of Doc Tutorials and former business journalist and marketeer Megha Vishwanath.
Going forward, Dressfolk’s long term vision is to build the most compelling destination for luxurious and high quality Indian looms.


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In the wake of crticism from three popular streamers, Epic Games said it plans to make adjustments to controllers on PC in Fortnite.
In its v12.60 highlights post, Epic said it will address controllers on PC next week. The developer said it knows what changes will be made but that it did not want to “release right before the FNCS Invitational Finals,” which begins May 23 in most regions.
Ninja, Tfue, and Aydan all voiced their displeasure for the aim assist controller players get on PC. While these players would be on an even playing field on console, those who choose to use mouse and keyboard on PC do not get aim assist. This, according to several players, has caused these players to be at a disadvantage.
Ninja said nothing would change if players like him, who use mouse and keyboard, said something. He said it would take popular and successful controller players to speak up for change to occur.
Aydan, who has long played with a controller, gave his opinion after Ninja asked what he thought about it. Aydan said he thinks Epic included aim assist for controller players because it wanted these players to have a more even footing with mouse and keyboard players, although he said there are more effective ways to do so.
Tfue tweeted May 17 that “aim assist ruined Fortnite for M&K players.” He had previously said on his stream something similar after dying to a player thought to be using a controller during week two of the FNCS Invitational.


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Emma Bridgewater drives a 10.5% sales uplift via abandoned cart and browse emails with Fresh Relevance
Discover how Emma Bridgewater recovers lost cart abandonment revenue.
Collaborating with Fresh Relevance, Emma Bridgewater is achieving a consistently impressive online sales uplift.
Emma Bridgewater, based in Stoke-on-Trent, is known around the world for its range of high-quality, hand decorated everyday use pottery. Collaborating with Fresh Relevance, this quintessentially British brand is achieving a consistently impressive online sales uplift.
sales uplift via cart and browse abandonment campaigns
cart and browse abandonment emails in a 24 hour period during a special offer
cart and browse abandonment emails sent in one month
Cart and browse abandonment campaigns
Email Marketing Executive at Emma Bridgewater, David Beaumont, comments: “When someone visits our website for the first time a pop-up prompts them to share their email address with us. This is invaluable as it means we know who is visiting us and we can keep them updated with the latest products and offers of interest to them.” The capturing of the email address is the first step in a strategy developed by Emma Bridgewater and Fresh Relevance to maximize revenues from cart and browse abandonment.
When a visitor leaves the website without making a purchase, it triggers an email which is sent within 30 minutes. This reminds them of what they were interested in and the items that remain in their basket, along with a call-to-action to return and complete the transaction. In one month, Emma Bridgewater sent nearly 10,000 cart and browse abandonment emails.
An important factor in Emma Bridgewater’s success is understanding its customers and optimizing its emails to have the same look and feel across all devices, as Beaumont explains: “Half of our customers will view their email on an iPhone, so we have worked hard to ensure we present a consistent brand experience across all devices.”
With Fresh Relevance, the company was able to drive a 10.5% sales uplift via abandoned cart and browse emails. Beaumont adds that the number of emails sent can increase exponentially during promotional periods: “During a recent special offer we sent 850 cart and browse abandonment emails in a 24 hour period.”
Now, emails display the products that the customer placed in their basket as well as similar products that are likely to be of interest, with images pulled directly from the website.
Beaumont adds: “We want our customers to have a personal experience with us, so we have also ensured that a customer will not be recommended a product that they have purchased within the last 30 days.” Beaumont concludes: “The innovation and expertise of the Fresh Relevance team is a real asset to Emma Bridgewater. The quality of service and support from the team is helping us to recover potentially lost sales and driving revenues from the website.”


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Pat Buchanan: Tariffs - The Taxes That Made America GreatPatrick J. Buchanan
May. 14, 2019
Leftists Panic After Seeing 'White Men With LARGE GUNS' Defending Their Own Neighborhoods
Antifa 'Invades The Suburbs' in Yucaipa, CA... It Does Not End Well For Them
Medical Examiner: George Floyd Was On Fentanyl, Died From A Heart Attack And Used Meth
'Have You Lost Your Minds?' CBS Outlet Targets MIDDLE SCHOOLERS Over Un-PC George Floyd Joke, Contacts Police
WAR ZONE: SECOND Driver Filmed Ramming Cop in The Street in New York; Cop Beaten By Mob to Cheers [UPDATE: THIRD Attack]
As his limo carried him to work at the White House Monday, Larry Kudlow could not have been pleased with the headline in The Washington Post: “Kudlow Contradicts Trump on Tariffs.”
The story began: “National Economic Council Director Lawrence Kudlow acknowledged Sunday that American consumers end up paying for the administration’s tariffs on Chinese imports, contradicting President Trump’s repeated inaccurate claim that the Chinese foot the bill.”
A free trade evangelical, Kudlow had conceded on Fox News that consumers pay the tariffs on products made abroad that they purchase here in the U.S. Yet that is by no means the whole story.
A tariff may be described as a sales or consumption tax the consumer pays, but tariffs are also a discretionary and an optional tax.
If you choose not to purchase Chinese goods and instead buy comparable goods made in other nations or the USA, then you do not pay the tariff.
China loses the sale. This is why Beijing, which runs $350 billion to $400 billion in annual trade surpluses at our expense is howling loudest. Should Donald Trump impose that 25% tariff on all $500 billion in Chinese exports to the USA, it would cripple China’s economy. Factories seeking assured access to the U.S. market would flee in panic from the Middle Kingdom.


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ShopBack secures US$45M funding led by Rakuten, EV Growth
The Singapore-based rewards app ShopBack announced today that it has raised US$45 million in funding led by Japan-based Rakuten Capital and EV Growth. EDBI – the government-related strategic investor also took part in the round.
It puts the total investment number at US$83 million.
Amit Patel, CEO of Ebates, Inc., Rakuten’s company, and Wilson Cuaca, Managing Partner of EV Growth, will join ShopBack’s board of directors.
Shopback said that it plans to use the funding for simplifying the shopping experience for its users, expanding data analytics capability to be able to give both business and personal insights. It also wants to accelerate growth in its primary markets.
The company said that it is in the middle of building a cashback rewards feature that allows users to discover and get rewards.
“ShopBack has cemented its position as a leader across APAC region with its customer service, strong user base, and talented team. Rakuten is happy to back ShopBack for further acceleration,” said Amit Patel, Ebates’ CEO.
ShopBack offers cashback for major platforms such as Foodpanda, Booking.com, Alibaba’sTaobao, and Airbnb.
Partnerships that ShopBack have include names like Visa and Mastercard.
Since being established five year ago, ShopBack has attracted investors like SoftBank Ventures Asia.
The startup operates across Asia and just last year expanded to Australia, its first market outside of the region. It also opened a research and development centre in Vietnam and Taiwan that it said has helped triple its numbers of tech, data, and product management talents.
ShopBack said that it had close to US$1 billion in sales from around 2,000 merchants in 2018.


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China’s Sunshine Insurance Group Co. Ltd has agreed to acquire the Baccarat Hotel in New York City for more than $2 million a room, a record valuation, according to people familiar with the matter.
Sunshine is paying more than $230 million, according to a person familiar with the transaction. On a per-room basis, that would match or exceed the 2012 sale of the Plaza Hotel for $2.04 million to India’s Sahara Group, which hotel data tracker STR Analytics says is the all-time high.
The seller, property investor Starwood Capital Group, built the Baccarat Hotel & Residences luxury hotel and high-end condominium project with Tribeca Associates, a New York real-estate developer.
The opulent 114-room hotel features 15,000 pieces of crystal stemware from France’s Baccarat factory and suites expected to fetch up to $18,000 a night. Starwood will continue to manage the property.
The Baccarat sale would also be the rare instance of a hotel selling before its opening, which is expected within the next month. That makes it a more speculative investment than the storied Plaza Hotel, which has been operating for more than a century.
Sean Hennessey, chief executive officer of Lodging Advisors, a hotel consulting firm, says Starwood’s ability to reach a deal before welcoming the first guest is rare.
“This only occurs in very robust market conditions,” he said. Because hotels aren’t pre-leased like office buildings, the risk of filling the guest rooms now falls to the new owner, rather than the developer, he said.
Still, there are strategic reasons for Sunshine to buy before the opening, he added. The company gets a new asset in a crucial market without having to wait years to develop a similar property.
Read more at The Wall Street Journal.


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The Non-GMO Project is constantly surprising us with fun, innovative ways to teach about the importance of Non-GMO labeling.
Nestled in the Waimanalo countryside lies Small Kine Farms, Oahu's first and only organic mushroom farm. That already sounds pretty special, but you haven’t even heard of the amazing things they’re doing there!
Janelle M. is our Front-end Supervisor at Down to Earth Kailua and a beloved member of the Windward community. She's from Waimanalo and grew up on a typical Hawaiian diet, which consisted of a lot of meat and animal products.
October is a special month this year as Down to Earth is celebrating the annual Non-GMO Month and Fair Trade month.
Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, the naturally-occurring chemical compound in cannabis plants, is now on our shelves! HB1819 was passed at the Hawaii State Legislature this year and Governor Ige signed it into law as Act 014 in August.
Sustainable and regenerative food production is key for us at Down to Earth. We are proud to carry these brands that are doing amazing things for the world and for future generations.
Manuka Honey is a unique honey found in New Zealand and Australia. The Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) flowers for only 2-6 weeks of the year making it an extremely rare honey to produce.
We’re excited to announce the winner of our Keiki Chef Smoothie Bowl contest: Lacey’s Monkey Bowl!


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DUBLIN, Ireland, Aug. 27, 2019 (Press Release) -Smurfit Kappa has drawn on its packaging and sustainability expertise to create an award-winning pack for lamps.
Swedish lighting specialist IFö Electric approached Smurfit Kappa to create a packaging solution that would enable its lamps to get from A to B in perfect condition. The lamps, which consist of a heavy ceramic base and glass top, were sometimes broken in transit.Read more
DUBLIN, Ireland, Aug. 15, 2019 (Press Release) -Smurfit Kappa has once again been recognised by the FTSE4Good Index for its commitment to sustainability. The packaging leader’s strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices have secured its place on the list for the sixth year in a row.
Created by the global index provider FTSE Russell, the FTSE4Good indices are used by a wide variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products.Read more
DUBLIN, Ireland, Aug. 8, 2019 (Press Release) -Smurfit Kappa has seen a marked increase in the number of companies seeking sustainable packaging alternatives for fresh fruit and vegetables.
The packaging leader, which launched its Better Planet Packaging initiative last year, has been working on a portfolio of products designed to replace less sustainable packaging as many brands come under increasing pressure to become more sustainable. In a recent survey, 75% of consumers indicated a preference for paper-based packaging against less sustainable alternatives.1Read more
DUBLIN, Ireland, July 29, 2019 (Press Release) -Smurfit Kappa has created an innovative eCommerce packaging solution which has led to an impressive growth in sales for a fresh flower provider.
Jardines de Los Andes is a leading Colombian flower grower that developed a brand called ‘Enjoy Flowers’ to target customers through the eCommerce channel.Read more
DUBLIN, Ireland, July 4, 2019 (Press Release) -Smurfit Kappa has walked away with 11 awards for its innovative and sustainable packaging at the UK Starpack Awards last week.
Creative eCommerce and shelf-ready solutions for a diverse range of products including gin, dry shampoo and motorcycle helmets received praise from the judging panel for their clever use of materials and innovative approach to the brief.Read more
DUBLIN, Ireland, June 27, 2019 (Press Release) -Smurfit Kappa has used its eSmart service to enable the leading Latin American egg provider to successfully enter the eCommerce channel.
Granja Mantiqueira decided to launch a new ‘Egg Club’ through which consumers could order eggs online for home delivery in Brazil. Aware that packaging plays a critically important role for the eCommerce channel, especially for a product as fragile as eggs, the company tasked Smurfit Kappa to come up with a solution.Read more
DUBLIN, Ireland, June 19, 2019 (Press Release) -Smurfit Kappa has won three awards for innovative and sustainable packaging solutions at the 2019 WorldStar Awards.
The first product was for a life-saving dialysis kit. ‘Not a Drop Wasted’ is a secure but easily opened pack with rounded corners to protect the 5-litre bags of dialysis solution inside.Read more


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On May 4th, Ubee Isoft has published a follow -up report on the currently developed action adventure “ Prince of Persian time remake “.
According to this, the development of “ Prince of Persian Sand Remake ” has been decided to be led by Ubisoft Montreal, which developed the original trilogy.
Based on the development results of Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai in India, which has already been developed, it takes the necessary time to re -adjust the size of the game and the best experience as a remake of immortal masterpieces. It is said to provide. The progress of development will be announced in the future.
The original “ Prince of Persian Sand ” is an action adventure released in 2003 for PCs and overseas consoles at the time in 2003 and in 2004. The system that can be rewinded and redone has been well received with a wide variety of actions.
“ Prince of Persian Sand Remake ” for PC/PS4/Xbox One/Nintendo Switch will be announced in “Ubisoft Forward” in 2020, but later changed its release. It is scheduled to be released in 2022 at the time. Ubisoft investors, which have been revealed later, have shown that they are expected to be released at least by the end of March 2023.


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Plans for Eden Westwood, a “mini” Eden project in Tiverton, Devon, are back on the table after delays.
Eden Westwood will be a £200m project including a surf lake. It will create a unique visitor destination as a gateway to Devon. It will celebrate food, farming and life in Devon.
The development will be discussed at a two-day meeting in September.
The project has been on the cards for several years but has been met with delays. Malcolm Dudley-Williams has been working on the concept since 2002. He said: “Mid Devon wants a top destination and I think this is going to take it to the next level.”
Eden Westwood is a joint effort from the Eden Project and investors Friends Life, part of the Aviva Group. Mr Dudley-Williams is a promoter and retains an interest in the scheme.
The destination will be split into four zones. Attractions will include a hotel, a visitor hub, an artificial surfing lake, a food hall, outdoor play areas, cafes and restaurants, shops for small businesses and a designer clothes outlet discount shopping centre.
The surf lagoon will be at the heart of the outdoor adventure zone.
The plans have attracted criticism over the years. Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw fought to block the proposals that will be built on open farmland. However Mr Dudley-Williams said that the scheme would benefit the whole of Devon and will direct visitors to surrounding areas. “This will put Devon at the centre of agronomy,” he said. “Here is an opportunity here to create a new centre of expertise that could be sold to the rest of the world.”
“I would like to think that the number of people who commute out from Tiverton to Exeter, Bridgwater, Taunton and Bristol would come down a bit and create some opportunities here for young people.”
It will create 1,200 jobs and boost investment into the area.
Image courtesy Eden Westwood


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updated 06:55 pm EST, Tue February 7, 2012
Falsely indicated call hasn't ended on display
Nokia has acknowledged that it has a problem with its Lumia 710 smartphone. Users are finding that the phone indicates that they are still staying connected even after the call has ended. Nokia has reassured owners that the problem is a display issue and is working to resolve it.
Nokia launched the phone in December. It hit the US through T-Mobile in mid-January. Customers first began complaining about the hang-up problem in India around January 1, but it appears to be happening worldwide. The company did admit ho having a problem in mid-January, but could only advise customers to "stay tuned" at the time.
Nokia has now blogged that the phone is actually disconnecting the call and that customers are not being billed for any additional minutes. While "close to a fix," and a patch will be distributed through the Zune app, Nokia wouldn't commit to when.
The same behavior is also reported to be happening in the Lumia 800, which has been plagued with several bugs since it hit the market and has seen a number of fixes. [via TNW]


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during the Super Bowl when rates are so expensive - and a minute.
The Jeep ad was created by Detroit's GlobalHue, which has been Jeep's agency since 2009, while the Ram truck ad was handled by Dallas-based The Richards Group, which has handled the truck account since late 2009.
The Ram truck ad, which included a soundtrack by radio commentator Paul Harvey from a 1978 speech about farmers, was the most talked about Super Bowl ad on Twitter and Facebook in the 45 minutes after it aired, according to Bluefin Labs, which tracks consumer sentiment about TV commercials via social media.
The Jeep ad ranked 14th in the Bluefin poll, but had a higher rate of positive comments, 40 percent to 38 percent. The Eastwood ad last year ranked No. 2 with a 59 percent positive rating.
The two ads this year ranked in the top five in USA Today's Ad Meter results, and in the top 10 among the most searched Super Bowl ads on Yahoo.
Keeping up that kind of performance gets tougher every year, Marchionne told WJR. "I'm really worried now about 2014."


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Trump’s Proposed Tariffs on Mexico Would Be Biggest Tax Hike in Almost 30 Years: Report
This information comes from the right-leaning Tax Foundation.
The 5 percent tariff on Mexican goods is set to take effect June 10 and steadily increase until it reaches 25 percent “unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory,” according to a statement from the White House Thursday.
Existing tariffs in place against Mexico would increase revenues by $69 billion, or about 0.32 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the right-leaning Tax Foundation. The 5 percent tariff would increase this figure to about 0.40 percent of GDP. Tax increases under then-President Bill Clinton in 1993 led to revenues of about 0.36 percent of GDP, according to the Tax Foundation.
“The Tax Foundation model estimates that if the Trump administration imposes additional tariffs on automobiles and parts, additional tariffs on products from China, and tariffs on products from Mexico, GDP would fall by an additional 0.50 percent ($124.82 billion), resulting in 0.33 percent lower wages and 387,041 fewer full-time equivalent jobs,” the foundation states.


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Do you know what impact choosing synthetic fibres over wool has on the environment? Or how it impacts the plastic levels found in our oceans? Today, the Prince of Wales is seeking to educate consumers on how even the simplest fashion and interiors choices have lasting impacts, with the launch of his latest Campaign for Wool.
In a series of five short films, created by Blur musician turned cheesemaker Alex James, carpets, curtains and jumpers made from synthetic fibres and wool are compared. Each video highlights the ecological impact of choosing to use manmade fabrics, as opposed to wool, which is 100 per cent biodegradable. It also flags the dangers of decorating your home in polyester furnishings, which are a fire hazard and can require toxic-level cleaners.
It's not the first time that James has teamed up with His Royal Highness: in 2003 it was announced that he would be making cheese using the milk from the herd of Ayrshire cows on the Duchy of Cornwall home farm.
The Campaign for Wool was started by the Prince of Wales in October 2010 to promote the environmental, sustainable and biodegradable properties of wool, and boost the global wool and sheep industries. It unites the wool industries of Britain, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as Norway and the United States. Condé Nast chairman Nicholas Coleridge chairs the project, which has staged over 200 events and campaign initiatives.
You can watch all the video's on the Campaign for Wool's YouTube channel here.


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Apple's annual developer conference in San Francisco.
Candidates include a range of different character emoji, from "face with cowboy hat to "drooling face" and "lying face." "Selfie," an emoji represented by a hand holding a camera, is also on the list, as is "shrug," and "handshake." As for food, emoji proposals include croissant, avocado, cucumber, bacon, potato, and carrot. There are also several proposed animal additions: fox face, eagle, duck, bat, shark, and owl.
According to the Unicode Consortium, these emoji have been chosen for several reasons. Some are proposed based on expected high frequency of use or due to requests from online communities. Others on the list fill in gaps in existing emoji sets or are compatible with emoji characters in existing systems.
Emoji candidates are not finalized so it's possible that some of the characters on the list could be removed before Unicode 9 is released in 2016, and it's also possible that additional characters could be added to the list.
The emoji proposed for inclusion in Unicode 9 are separate from the emoji that will be included in Unicode 8. Unicode 8, which includes specifications for the emoji modifiers that Apple introduced with iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3, is set to be released in mid-2015 and is currently in beta testing.
Emoji additions proposed for Unicode 8 include zipper-mouth face, nerd face, thinking face, robot face, hugging face, hot dog, burrito, taco, cheese wedge, popcorn, and unicorn face, among others.
It is not known if and when Apple will adopt the Unicode 8 and Unicode 9 emoji as it still has not added the Unicode 7 emoji that were finalized in June of 2014.
An upcoming book by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff, Losing the Signal, explores the events that led to the rise and fall of BlackBerry, and an interesting excerpt was shared by The Wall Street Journal today, covering the iPhone's contributions towards BlackBerry's (then known as RIM) failure.
As we've previously learned from Google execs, the launch of the iPhone, which stood apart from all other smartphones on the market at the time, took everyone by surprise. Not only was the iPhone incredibly different from its competitors, it also had features that carriers had previously denied other manufacturers like a full web browser and later, an App Store that had no carrier ties.
One of RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis' first comments was "These guys are really, really good," but despite that fact, RIM failed to see the iPhone as a threat due to its lack of security and the fact that it had no keyboard, features RIM execs thought would make it unappealing to RIM's core consumers.
If the iPhone gained traction, RIM's senior executives believed, it would be with consumers who cared more about YouTube and other Internet escapes than efficiency and security. RIM's core business customers valued BlackBerry's secure and efficient communication systems. Offering mobile access to broader Internet content, says Mr. Conlee, "was not a space where we parked our business."RIM executives did not understand the iPhone and were "incredulous" that people were purchasing it, realizing too late that form had become as important as function in the eyes of consumers. In an effort to combat the threat of the iPhone, RIM teamed up with Verizon to create a competing touch-based phone -- the Storm.
Verizon pressured RIM into speeding up development on the phone, resulting in a product that was riddled with bugs and issues when it launched in 2008. Despite the flaws, the product was heavily marketed and RIM sold 1 million in two months, leading to a lot of unhappy customers who wanted to return or exchange their devices.
The Storm was a spectacular failure that impacted RIM's relationship with Verizon, ruined its reputation, and cost upwards of $100 million. After the failure, the company was demoralized and at a crossroads, unsure of where to take the company going forward and how to compete with the iPhone and other smartphones in a landscape that was radically different from what the company knew.
RIM was unable to fully recover from failure of the Storm and find its footing, eventually leading to the path that it's on today. "The Storm failure made it clear we were not the dominant smartphone company anymore, said RIM co-CEO Jim Balsille. "We're grappling with who we are because we can't be who we used to be anymore, which sucked...It's not clear what the hell to do."
The full excerpt from the book is worth a read and can be found over at The Wall Street Journal. The book itself is coming out on May 26 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon for $21.
The Apple Watch Edition is available in yellow gold or rose gold and is priced between $10,000 and $17,000. Given its high price tag, the Apple Watch Edition delivery process is somewhat different than the delivery process of Apple's less expensive watches, with customers receiving emails asking them to set up a delivery time.
iFixit's Kyle Wiens ordered a 38mm Apple Watch Edition with a Black Sport Band and shared his tracking information and courier emails with MacRumors. His order was initially placed on April 10 and shipped out on Thursday, May 21. His delivery date was originally set for Sunday, May 24, but was moved up to Saturday, May 23.
Wiens tells MacRumors that while he initially ordered the Apple Watch Edition to do one of iFixit's traditional teardowns, he had second thoughts and ultimately decided iFixit couldn't afford to do the teardown. Wiens will be returning the Apple Watch Edition to Apple, but if an iFixit enthusiast has an Apple Watch Edition they wouldn't mind loaning out, he can do a non-destructive metallurgical analysis on the device.
Thus far the Apple Watch Edition has only been available in small quantities in some of the luxury fashion boutiques that have featured the Apple Watch, and it's also been seen on the wrist of several celebrities and designers including Katy Perry, Beyonce, Jay Z, Karl Lagerfeld, Pharell Williams, and more. With shipments going out over the next few weeks, we may be seeing more Apple Watch Edition models in the wild.
As highlighted by everythingiCafe on Wednesday, Apple Watch owners on the MacRumors forums and Apple's Support Communities have been complaining that their Apple Watches are sending data sporadically, with gaps up to eight hours in some cases.
Many of the users are still seeing occasional updates to the Health app, but at unpredictable intervals that are not as frequent as the previous 10 minute update intervals, and some are also seeing duplicate readings. This bug is not affecting all users, as some people are still reporting regular data transfers, but for the users experiencing issues, unreported heart rate data seems to be irretrievable.
I also noticed that my heart rate data in the health app for about a week period is gone and my heart rate data is now updating into the app intermittently. I spoke with Apple customer service this morning, but data could not be restored and their advice was to restart both the iPhone and the Watch, clean the sensor back, and keep an eye on it. That, unfortunately, has not fixed anything and I think there might be a bigger problem on our, er, hands (or wrists).For those unaware, the heart rate information collected by the Apple Watch's sensors is aggregated in the Health app on the iPhone, giving users a picture of their overall heart health throughout the day. With consistent 10 minute readings, the iPhone is able to provide clear and consistent data that wearers can share with doctors and use to make health evaluations.
Data that is sent sporadically is less useful for these purposes, causing this bug to significantly impact the health tracking abilities of the Apple Watch for users who are affected.
Some individuals experiencing issues have said that restarting their devices temporarily solves the problem, but the sporadic measurement times return shortly after. On the Apple Support Communities, one affected user who spoke with Apple suggested that his Apple Watch stopped sending heart rate measurements when he was actively moving.
Apple is collecting information from users who call in with the issue, and some have been told that the company is working on a fix.
OS X 10.11 Could Feature Control Center, 'Rootless' Security and More, iOS 9 to Support A5-Based Devices
OS X 10.11 is still expected to gain a handful of noteworthy features, including a systemwide change to Apple Watch font San Francisco and a new Control Center menu similar to iPhone and iPad. Control Center was originally found in early betas of OS X Yosemite, but was not included in the final release.
"Control Center moves many of the controls from the Mac’s Menu Bar to a pane that slides out from the left side of the Mac’s display, adding on-screen music controls and other iOS-influenced features," the report claims. "However, Control Center reportedly has been in flux during development, and could be pushed back again."
Apple is also reportedly working on a major new kernel-level security system called "Rootless" for OS X and iOS that will help curb malware and protect sensitive data by prohibiting users from accessing certain protected files on Mac and iOS devices. "Rootless" appears to be a permanent feature of iOS, much to the chagrin of the jailbreaking community, but can likely be disabled on OS X.
Apple plans to enhance security one step further by converting many of its core IMAP-based applications on OS X and iOS, such as Notes, Reminders, and Calendar, to have an iCloud Drive backend. Apple expects there to be increased iCloud usage after the transition, so the company is reportedly upgrading its iCloud Drive and CloudKit servers to handle the additional load.
"With iOS 9 and OS X 10.11, Apple plans to transition this sync process to iCloud Drive, which offers better end-to-end encryption and faster syncing than traditional IMAP servers. As an example of how this will work, when a user launches Notes in either of the new Apple operating systems, a splash page offering to move content from the IMAP server over to iCloud Drive will appear, making the transition easy for users."The company is also testing a new "Trusted Wi-Fi" feature that would enable Macs and iOS devices to connect to trusted wireless routers with no additional security measures, while non-trusted routers would have a heavily encrypted wireless connection. Apple could release the feature later this year or hold off until next year's OS X and iOS releases, according to the report.
Apple is also said to be optimizing iOS 9 to better support older hardware, with the report claiming that even legacy A5-based devices including the iPhone 4s and original iPad mini will be compatible with the upcoming software update. The four-year-old iPad 2 and three-year-old fifth-generation iPod touch, released in March 2011 and October 2012 respectively, are also powered by Apple A5 chips.
"Apple is now building a core version of iOS 9 that runs efficiently on older A5 devices, then enabling each properly performing feature one-by-one. Thanks to this new approach, an entire generation (or two) of iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches will be iOS 9-compatible rather than reaching the end of the iOS line."Last, Apple is said to be preparing a major upgrade to its Swift programming language with “Application Binary Interface (ABI)" stability. Swift applications updated for iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 will have preinstalled code binaries that require less space and use less cellular data. The report claims that Apple plans to convert its own apps to Swift in 2016 as part of iOS 10 and OS X 10.12.
As Quartz points out, the Apple Watch saw a notable rise in order interest on April 24, the day most initial Apple Watch pre-orders that weren't high in demand, like the Leather Loop or Black Sport band, began arriving to customers. Social media posts and word of mouth that day no doubt helped Apple receieve a few extra orders, and it reaches back up to around 40,000 on a few days in April and May, but otherwise Apple's new wearable has seen a steady decline in order numbers since its launch date, according to the e-commerce shopping firm.
Even with the steep decline following the start of pre-orders, Apple Watch sales are easily outpacing early sales of the iPod and iPhone, and slightly topping those of the iPad, although Apple's continually increasing user base since the debut of those devices gives the company momentum for each subsequent product family launch.
Slice Intelligence's Apple Watch update today comes a few weeks after providing a break down of initial pre-orders for the wearable, which pegged 62 percent of customers as having pre-ordered the Apple Watch Sport and an unexpected popularity of the Space Gray case and Black Sport band. As with that data, a few factors should be taken into account when looking at Slice Intelligence's order estimates, including its data being limited to the United States and the relatively small pool of customer receipts examined.
Today's report also falls in line with KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's prediction of the Apple Watch order demand beginning to slow down following a high launch period. Although Apple has yet to announced any sales numbers for the Apple Watch and doesn't plan to break the device out into its own reporting segment in financial results, the Apple Watch's entry into the company's upcoming brick-and-mortar retail locations in June could help boost the wearable's sales figures.
"Apple’s ambitions have complicated its negotiations with the broadcast TV networks, because most broadcasters don’t own all their local stations, and have an affiliate, or franchise system. Clearing the rights to show local programs and commercials takes some time — ABC, for instance, spent two years getting the rights to show live programming via its Watch ABC app, and its live streams remain limited to viewers in eight cities."The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Apple plans to unveil its streaming TV service at WWDC, anchored by popular networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN and FX. The web-based TV service for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and other devices is expected to deliver a lightweight package of about 25 channels for between $30 to $40 per month. The report claimed that the service will be available in September.
In benchmark testing conducted by French site MacGeneration [Google Translate], the entry-level 2.2GHz 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage lived up to Apple's claims, demonstrating impressive read/write speeds that topped out at 2GB/s and 1.25GB/s, respectively, in QuickBench 4.0.
Those read/write speeds far exceed the read/write speeds achieved by the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air, which also received faster flash storage that doubles the speeds available in previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Air machines. The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro's performance is similar to the 13-inch MacBook Air.
At speeds that reach 2GB/s throughput, the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro has the fastest storage of any of Apple's notebooks. It took 14 seconds to transfer an 8.76GB file to the machine, compared to 32 seconds for the slower Retina MacBook. With small files, read/write speeds exceed a gigabyte per second.
Like the 2015 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro and 13-inch MacBook Air, the revamped 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro uses a solid state drive manufactured by Samsung. As noted by MacGeneration, it does not use the faster NVM Express SSD protocol that the 13-inch model was updated to, suggesting future machines could see even greater performance improvements with a swap to the next-generation protocol and with continued leaps in SSD technology.
Apple's 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro is available from the online Apple Store at prices that start at $1,999. The notebooks continue to use Haswell processors, but should see performance boosts due to the faster solid state drives.
Split-screen multitasking will display two apps side-by-side on the iPad's screen or two views of the same app, allowing users to see multiple documents in Pages at the same time, for example. As was first discovered in code buried within iOS 8, apps will be able to be arranged in multiple views, covering 1/2, 1/3, and 2/3 of the screen in the latest iteration.
9to5Mac warns that though the split-screen multitasking feature is slated for inclusion in iOS 9, it could be removed before the update's debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference if it is not ready in time as it was originally developed for the upcoming "iPad Pro." 9to5Mac previously said the multi-tasking feature would be included in iOS 8.
Apple is also said to be working on a highly anticipated feature that customers have requested for years -- multi-user login support. This will allow multiple users to have unique profiles on a single iPad, with individual access to apps and documents. Multi-user support will not be ready when iOS 9 launches in the fall, but it could be released later in 2015 alongside the iPad Pro or in 2016.
Both split-screen multitasking and multi-user login support are features that will be added to Apple's rumored larger-screened 12-inch iPad Pro, which may also include features like a USB-C port, a stylus, and a pressure-sensitive Force Touch display. The tablet, internally numbered "J98" and "J99" to represent Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular models, will launch in late 2015, according to the latest rumors. Apple is said to be working to finish software and source hardware components for the device.
Sources have confirmed that Apple is testing jumbo-sized iPads internally codenamed "J98″ and "J99," which are apparently larger versions of the Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad Air 2, save for additional speaker holes.Given the large size of the iPad Pro's display, some apps may be redesigned to accommodate the larger screen real estate available on the 12-inch tablet, with Apple rumored to be working on new designs for Siri and Notification Center. Features tailored to the iPad Pro could work in the same way as features tailored to the iPhone 6 Plus, which has a unique layout in landscape mode to account for a larger display size.
The proposed renovation will consist of the partial removal of the existing mezzanine floor at the front of the store, the relocation of three columns to create a more spacious feel, the removal of the existing main glass stairs leading up to the mezzanine level and replacement with two new side staircases, and re-configuration of the back of house at the basement level with improved staff facilities.
"The proposal looks to enhance the ground floor sales area by removing the front part of the mezzanine and creating a double height entrance," reads Foster and Partners' project rationale. "This partial removal of the mezzanine also enhances the transparency from the street and floods the store with natural light. The interior front facade, with its full height arches, clad in natural Portland stone, can now be appreciated in its full extend. Moreover the visual connection between the two levels of retail is dramatically improved. This is key to the customer journey and the efficient use of the overall retail area."Foster and Partners will also be removing the four Apple logos found on the store's facade in order to allow more natural light inside and preserve the historic look of the building. The store's overall square footage will be reduced by 4,400 square feet, or around 25% of the current size, and the interior will consist of terrazzo floor, GFRC cladding on the walls and oak timber for all fittings and fixtures.
Apple plans to open a temporary store at 235 Regent Street to continue to serve customers during the remodeling process. The temporary location will be located at the basement level of the same building as the permanent store for a maximum of three years, accessible by a carefully designed lobby at ground level with a minimal steel staircase and a fully accessible lift.
Apple's flagship Regent Street retail store opened in November 2004 and attracts over 4 million visitors per year. The iconic store was last expanded and remodeled in mid-2006 to become the largest Apple Store location at the time. Apple has contracted Foster and Partners for several other projects in recent months, including the design of Campus 2 and remodeling of Apple's flagship San Francisco store.
"Sources said last year that the transit functionality for Maps includes larger icons for users to more quickly spot airports, subway stations, and train stations within the Maps app. In addition to the main functionality, there is also a trip planning feature for transit, and a new Transit view alongside the existing Standard, Hybrid, and Satellite/Flyover views."Transit features in Apple Maps were originally expected to launch alongside iOS 8 last year, but were delayed due to personnel issues and data inconsistencies within Apple. The company has reportedly "refined the data, added new cities, and developed a new push notifications system" since that time, however, and the feature is now ready to be unveiled at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Apple has been actively expanding its in-house routing team over the past few years through multiple job openings. In late April, for example, the company put out a job listing for a "Maps Software Engineer" part of the Routing team, as reflected by at least one Apple employee's LinkedIn profile. "As a member of the Routing team, you will work on one of the most anticipated features of Apple Maps," the job description reads.
Apple has also been making progress on its indoor mapping project, which will enable iOS users to navigate major buildings, offices and landmarks. The company has been using autonomous robots with iBeacon sensors to collect indoor mapping data, starting at its offices in Cupertino, although the feature may not go live this year. The indoor mapping project is in conjunction with Apple's van-based street mapping data collection.
Apple is selling individual Sport Bands for $49, while the Classic Buckle, Milanese Loop and Leather Loop retail for $149 each. The Modern Buckle is costlier at $249 and the Link Bracelet is the most expensive Apple Watch strap available at $449. The prices listed are based on the United States and will vary in international countries based on local currencies and exchange rates.
Apple Watch bands can also be ordered online through the Apple Online Store.


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Compass Group, the world’s largest food service company, has committed to eliminating pork raised in gestation crates from their supply chain by 2017. Compass Group runs 10,000 cafeterias in schools, offices, and hospitals. This comes after the recent decision by McDonald's to do the same.
This announcement sends yet another message to the pork industry that the use of gestation crates will not be tolerated. Eight states within the US have banned the use of gestation crates and currently MA, NH, RI, and VT have bills pending to do the same.
Photo credit: Farm Sanctuary