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The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, has provided a grant to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help curb the spread of COVID-19 across Nigeria. This intervention is to scale up community sensitization and procure essential protective kits such as medical masks, face shields, hand gloves and hand sanitizers which are increasingly needed for healthcare workers and others who are courageously battling the pandemic on the frontlines in the most affected States in the country.
“We are concerned about the coronavirus outbreak across the globe,” said Helen Smith Price, President, The Coca-Cola Foundation. “Through The Coca-Cola Foundation, we are supporting the IFRC and their efforts to distribute medical supplies to frontline workers in Africa. As a longtime partner of the IFRC, we are proud to support critical relief efforts in impacted communities.”
Separately, Nigeria Bottling Company and Chi Limited have donated numerous bottles of Eva premium table water and packs of Evap milk to provide hydration and nourishment for healthcare workers and their patients at the quarantine and treatment centres across many States of the Federation. Both companies will continue to donate these products through the duration of this crisis.
The potential humanitarian impact of this partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation is significant — aiming to directly impact 1.3 million people in Nigeria and other countries in the region. With 1.4 million volunteers and over 12,000 local branches across Africa, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, in collaboration with partners, communities and national authorities, can help even the most remote marginalized populations to protect themselves from COVID-19,” said Dr Simon Missiri, IFRC’s Regional Director for Africa and Special Advisor to the Secretary General.


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Fierce-looking armed policemen Monday stormed the Abuja residence of senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West senatorial district.
It would be recalled that few hours ago, Melaye was said to have been arrested on his way to Morocco at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport but later found his way back to his house at 11, Sangha street in Maitama, Abuja.
When grilled, the leader of the operation, John Aruna who is in plain clothes identified himself as Assistant Commissioner of Police said tersely that they have terms of engagement to be there. And that further inquiries could be directed to the Force Public Relations Officer, Moshood Jimoh for explanation.
“I’m the leader of this team. We know the terms of our engagement. Direct your inquiries to the FPRO’s spokesman.”
All the entrance and exit of the high brow street where Melaye lives were cordoned off by security operatives.
The embattled senator was said to be inside his house as at the time this report was filed. But some of his aides were seen outside in close observation of the possible action the police may want to take.
But Barrister Frank Tiete and Isah Sanusi, media person of the Amnesty International have condemned the action of the police.
It was said that the present police action may not be unconnected with the allegations of possession of illegal firearms and sponsorship of criminal gang preferred against the lawmaker.
Some senators who made effort to pay a solidarity visit to their embattled colleagues were denied access.
Insecurity: Presidency discloses date for delivery of Tucano fighter jets to Nigeria
The Presidency has affirmed that the United States, US, would deliver six Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Nigeria in mid-July.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, disclosed that the six are part of the 12 jets to be delivered to Nigeria by the US.
He also disclosed that 14 personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, are currently in Georgia for training on how to deploy the jets.
Shehu disclosed this in his verified Twitter handle.
“Test flight operations for @NigAirForce newly acquired Super Tucano combat aircraft.
“Six of the 12 Super Tucanos are on track to arrive in mid-July 2021. With the remaining six shortly after that. There are 14 Nigerian pilots currently training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia,” he tweeted.
NCC sensitises telecom consumers at 2021 Enugu International Trade Fair
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in line with its tradition of exploring avenues to engage with telecom consumers, has taken advantage of the opportunity of this year’s edition of the Enugu International Trade Fair to enlighten telecom consumers on their rights and privileges within the telecommunications sector.
Addressing a large audience of telecom consumers during the NCC Special Day held at the recently concluded 32nd Enugu International Trade Fair organised by the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said events of this nature provide the opportunity for NCC, as a telecom regulator, to interact with consumers and attend to their service-related concerns.
In attendance at the NCC Special Day were the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde; Director, Consumer Affairs, Mr. Efosa Idehen; Zonal Controller, NCC Enugu Zonal Office, Mr. Ogbonnaya Ugama, and executive members of ECCIMA.
Represented by the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Danbatta, who spoke around the theme of the Fair: “Promoting New Technologies, Business Ideas and Strategies for Rapid Economic Growth and Development in Nigeria,” highlighted some of the regulatory initiatives emplaced by the Commission for protecting, informing and educating the consumers.
These initiatives include the NCC Emergency Toll-free Number 112; the NCC Consumer Complaint Toll-Free Number 622; the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Short Code 2442, the Regulation on Forceful Subscription and measures put in place to check cases of pre-registered Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.
Danbatta emphasised the importance of the ongoing National Identity Number (NIN)-SIM data linkage exercise, in order to ensure credible citizen database for improved national security. He stressed the need for consumers to be cybersecurity-conscious while online and to always ensure efficient management of e-waste for a safer environment, noting that this year’s World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), which was observed on March 15, 2021 focused on ‘Tackling Plastic Pollution’ in line with the e-Waste Regulation being pursued by the Commission.
Danbatta praised the efforts of the Chamber at sustaining the Fair over the years, pointing out that it remains the largest and most important business event in South-East of the country. “The Fair is pivotal to bolstering the economic and industrial transformation of the region in view of its enormous business potential,” Danbatta said.
In attendance during the NCC Day at the Fair were Executive members of the ECCIMA.
Earlier in his welcome address, the President of the Chamber, Emeka Nwandu, who was represented by the Chamber’s Deputy President, Jasper Nduagwuike, extolled the role of the Chamber in the facilitation and promotion of robust exchange of business engagements in the South-East region of the country over the years through various initiatives, such as the Trade Fair.
During an interactive executive session with the ECCIMA executives at the Commission’s pavilion, Adinde and Idehen fielded questions ranging from consumer complaints management, the recent Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) policy, NIN-SIM linkage exercise and other industry-related issues.
The event attracted many multinational, international and national exhibitors, who took advantage of the Fair to reach out to their customers in the South-East and South-South zones of the country.
The NCC has, over the years, been a regular participant at international trade fairs across the country and has been consistent in its participation at the Enugu International Trade Fair.

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7.20.17: Your morning briefing
Welcome to the PaymentsSource Morning Briefing, delivered daily. The information you need to start your day, including top headlines from PaymentsSource and around the Web:
Card brands want quick action in China: American Express, Mastercard and Visa are all preparing to submit requests for licenses to operate in China within months, reports Reuters, which adds it may still be a long time before the networks can do business in China. The U.S. card brands will have to pass a security review, face other regulatory hurdles and overcome a business and political culture in China that has been inconsistent in how welcoming it will be to foreign financial companies. Visa and Mastercard have long wanted to do business in China, and the government in 2015 said it would open its borders to the companies, bowing to pressure from the World Trade Organization that dates to 2012. But China has not given a clear path to the card networks beyond general rules that would require the companies to make substantial investments and have a local presence inside the country. In May, the U.S. and China agreed that more detailed guidance would come this summer, and Reuters reports that guidance has been issued, citing unnamed sources. Visa, Mastercard and American Express could challenge UnionPay, though they would face an uphill battle given UnionPay's government-backed monopoly over the Chinese credit card market.
No more interchange cap workarounds in the U.K.: British regulators have outlawed card surcharges, where consumers can be charged up to 20% extra for card payments, The Guardian reports. The government is responding to industries that are charging extra "processing" or "handling" fees for cards to get around interchange fees of up to 3% for credit cards and 2% for debit cards. While most companies are absorbing these costs, some, such as movie chains and airlines are levying the extra charges. In an interview with The Guardian, the consumer group Which? said the ending of surcharging was “long overdue" and added, “Previous action to protect consumers from excessive card surcharges has been difficult to enforce, leaving consumers paying over the odds just for paying by card. These new rules will finally put an end to this unfair practice.” Other consumer groups warned industries may respond by raising general prices for goods.
A bad day for Brits who mislead consumers: In another move designed to thwart stealth costs to consumers, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority is warning banks and other currency conversion companies they will face penalties that mislead consumers on rates, reports the Financial Times. The FCA said that despite government warnings, some providers still have tools on their site which convert currency at the interbank rate, a practice that gives consumers the misleading impression that the displayed rate is the one they will receive, rather than the worse consumer rate they will likely get. Consumers are left with the impression these interbank rates are available to them, and often don't find out until it's too late to shop for another currency exchange provider.
Don't 'Venmo' strangers: A week after reports came out that lots of people confess to using Venmo to pay for drugs, the social transfer service unwittingly finds itself in the middle of another odd payment trail. The Verge reports Venmo was used as part of a film equipment theft ring in Los Angeles. The crooks targeted victims on Facebook Marketplace who are looking to sell camera or video equipment. The cash came in small installments instead of a large payment, from a group called "Andy Mai," which insisted victims receive payments via Venmo. The scammer asks the victim to show up with the camera for the exchange, and Venmo subsequently blocked the transfers to the victim's account because of a violation of Venmo policies regarding an exchange of payments for goods. The scammer then escapes with the equipment. The Verge reports at least $20,000 worth of equipment has been stolen in this manner. Venmo told the technology news site that it's designed for payments between groups of friends and people who trust each other—and people should not use Venmo to pay or people they don't know.
From the Web
Alibaba rewrites its e-commerce playbook
Reuters | Thu Jul 20, 2017 - China's e-commerce giant is abandoning its unique selling point. Alibaba is trumpeting a push into bricks-and-mortar shopping. It’s not alone but the stakes are particularly high for the $392 billion giant led by Jack Ma as it marks a reversal of the asset-light model which fuelled its extraordinary profitability. Ma's so-called "New Retail" strategy envisions marrying two worlds. The basic idea is that Alibaba will now build some of its own test stores from scratch and upgrade existing brick-and-mortar shops in partnership with established retailers to make them more efficient in both online and offline sales.
Payments firm Ingenico to buy rival Bambora for 1.5 billion euros
Reuters | Thu Jul 20, 2017 - French payments specialist Ingenico is to buy rival Bambora from Nordic Capital for 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion), the latest in a series of deals in the sector. The acquisition of Stockholm-based Bambora, which had gross revenues of 202 million euros in 2016, would lift Ingenico's earnings and lead to synergies, Ingenico said in a statement on Thursday. Payments firms have become targets for credit card companies and banks seeking to capitalize on a switch from cash transactions to paying by smartphone or other mobile devices.
One-third of card payments contactless
BBC | Thu Jul 20, 2017 - More than a third of all card payments are now contactless, according to new figures. Trade association UK Finance said 33% of all spending on plastic was settled with a tap instead of a swipe in May, almost double that of last year's 18%. There was a particular rise in travel-related purchases, such as foreign currency exchanges and airport terminals. A total of £4.5bn was spent through contactless payments in May. Total plastic card spending was £57.2bn on both credit and debit cards. Compared with last May, people spent more on debit cards at £40.6bn, up from £37.9bn the year before. Credit card purchases increased to £16.6bn from £15.2bn.
More from PaymentsSource
Payment hubs are 'invisible,' but necessary for a dynamic future
Two-sided retail-payment networks such as Alipay, Mastercard and Visa enjoy the limelight, enable commerce worldwide, and are taken for granted by billions of consumers and tens of millions of merchants.
A prepaid fraud solution that's not in the cards, but in the packaging
The simplest scams are sometimes the hardest to thwart. Rather than redesign its prepaid card with added security, InComm is redesigning the packaging in a way that should render stolen cards unusable.
Loyalty provider takes aim at Amazon Prime
Like almost everything else related to Amazon's incursion into retail, the company's premium loyalty program has achieved a scale that appears ready to swallow the rest of the industry.
Citi is latest to issue a heavy metal luxury card
A few years ago the battle among elite travel credit cards centered on topping rivals’ gigantic signup bonuses, and now it’s all about who’s got the heaviest physical card, along with a few other perks.
'Amazon Pay Places' takes on order-ahead apps
Turning a pre-existing digital payment network into an in-store line buster has been a key play for Starbucks and Square, and Amazon is weighing in with its own app that allows its huge network of users to streamline retail experiences.


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The following is a post by Paul Hannam of Bright Green Leadership (a 3p sponsor) – offering internet marketing strategies for responsible businesses. This tips and observations in this series are aimed at green entrepreneurs looking to understand how internet technology can benefit them more. For the last few weeks I have been writing about … Continued
Month: July 2010
There are 30-40 million American households without a bank account, according to the Center for Financial Services Innovation, a fact that could either be seen as a sad statistic – or a tremendous business opportunity. Mango Money sees it as essentially both. The financial services company, launched in 2008, provides prepaid debit cards to customers … Continued
Hot, hot, hot. It almost sounds too good to be true: Using solar power to create fuel. It’s called solar biomass gasification, a concept and process that’s been around for a while, mostly in university research and scientific circles. A relatively new company that has emerged from that university research environment, Sundrop Fuels Inc., apparently … Continued
Update: Twicketer Founder A-Sun Truth commented that this service now works on all web enabled phones. ~~~ Something interesting just happened. Reality met hype. For years now, event tickets have been from box offices and record shops, to online purchases. Eliminating the need to physically go to a ticket outlet is certainly a step forward. … Continued
Like many governments on both sides of the pond, the UK has ambitious renewable energy goals but is struggling trying to meet them. One issue is wind: Britain receives a good share of it, but has struggled building small-scale wind farms because local councils have resisted, choosing to keep the view.
Freedom Environmental Services of Orlando, Florida, has agreed to deliver as much as 12,000 gallons of yellow grease to Pristine BioDiesel, a new startup firm. Under the agreement, Pristine will pay Freedom $1.75 per gallon of grease, which in turn Pristine will refine into biodiesel.
Priscilla Burgess is presently one last fire-resistance test away from really putting the product that she’s developed over the past three years into motion. She’s already cleared the R-value and sound-resistance tests needed to certify that the building insulation her startup, Bellwether Materials, makes is ready for market. Burgess, one of the 100 CleanTech Open … Continued
Snapgoods, which recently caught on in New York, describes itself as the place “where good people meet, share, and put each other’s stuff to good use.” There are lots of cool products out there, but chances are that you just want to take them for a test run first. Or on the flip side, you own a cool bike or electronic contraption that you just do not use daily and you would like some help paying that credit card off.
Cohousing is a rapidly growing trend, showing up in both rural and urban areas. According to cohousing.org, “Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods. Cohousing residents are consciously committed to living as a community. The physical design encourages both social contact and individual space. Private homes contain all the features of conventional homes, but residents also have access to extensive common facilities such as open space, courtyards, a playground and a common house.” I stopped by the Belfast Ecovillage site, just two miles outside of town, took in its quiet beauty and then checked out the 1500 sq. ft. model home with its impressive passive solar, net zero energy efficient design that the builders, G•O Logic, claim can be comfortably heated on a zero degree Maine winter night, with a single hairdryer.
Tourism is a major part of the economy along the Gulf coast. Take 2008, for example, a year when travelers to congressional districts along the Gulf coast spent over $34 billion, which sustained 400,000 jobs, according to a recent report by Oxford Economics. Consider also, the amount of jobs the tourism industry creates for the … Continued
The Plug-In 2010 Conference in San Jose was the site of major announcements by major auto manufacturers Nissan and General Motors. During their Tuesday morning speeches, both Nissan North America’s executive vice president, Carlos Tavares, and General Motors vice president of U.S. marketing, Joel Ewanick, announced that their much-anticipated products would be available in only … Continued
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the eye of the storm for these “conflict minerals.” The resource rich nation of 70 million people has already suffered decades of conflict, and the new riches have only exacerbated the problem for many of its citizens. Mines in Eastern Congo are often located in isolated regions, smack in the middle of armed guerillas who claim these areas as their turf.
It says something about our current state of affairs in business and government when someone in a position of responsibility makes news for telling the truth, but there you have it. But then Seventh Generation’s Jeffrey Hollender doesn’t just tell ordinary truths either. Jeffrey, the company’s Chief Inspired Protagonist (they don’t have a CEO) is the kind of guy who makes you realize that we will never run out of frontier, because as long as there are pioneers like him, there will always be new frontiers.
Utility scale wind power plants have emerged as a global low cost renewable energy resource. In this second part of my video interview with Steve Fludder, Corporate VP for GE’s ecomagination, he outlines how GE grew its wind business in just 6 years into a $6 billion annual global revenue business . And he candidly … Continued
MillerCoors, the second largest brewer in the United States that has a portfolio of over 60 brands, is making more changes in its operations as the company and its competitors grow aware of the various sustainability issues involved with beer production. The company recently released its 2010 Sustainability Report, discussing its accomplishments while outlining future goals related to the company’s labor, environmental, and social impacts.


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By Alfred Branch, Jr.
With its recently announced acquisition of AnyEvent.com, Las Vegas-based Tix Corp. [OTCBB: TIXC] is on a mission to become the number one reseller of concert tickets in the U.S., according to one of the company’s principals.
John Pirample, owner of AnyEvent, said he believes the combined company’s goal is within reach. “Our experience in the market with their revenue will be a dynamite connection,” said the 25-year veteran of the ticketing industry.
Currently, the three largest resellers of concert tickets in the U.S. are TicketsNow, StubHub! and Ticketliquidator, according to the most recent data from Ticketnews.com’s exclusive ranking of the Top Secondary Ticket Sellers. Neither Tix Corp., its wholly owned subsidiary Tix4Tonight, nor AnyEvent cracked the ranking’s Top 20.
Asked how the combined company will achieve that goal, Pirample said he would not disclose their business strategy. “Our goal is to takeover the U.S. concert market and become number one.”
Prior to the acquisition, Tix Corp. concentrated on same-day discount ticket sales to Las Vegas shows and events, compared to AnyEvent, which offers a more extensive slate of tickets across the entertainment spectrum. Tix Corp.’s CEO Mitch Francis said AnyEvent’s selling capabilities, plus the efficiency of its back office operations, will aid the company in the quest to move up in the concert market, but he stopped short of calling that market the company’s main priority. “The company is moving toward selling premium tickets to all events, not just concerts. The theater, shows and sports also have a tremendous number of premium seats available,” he said. “But yes, the concert market is a target.”
Tix Corp. bought Ohio-based AnyEvent for $300,000 in cash and 137,500 shares of stock, which were trading at $3.95 as of the close of the market on March 21. Those shares are valued at $543,125.
Pirample is staying on at the company and is now manager of Premium Tickets, and he will receive an annual base salary of $80,000 and 10 percent of Earning Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and amortization, provided that amount does not exceed $200,000 on a cumulative basis, according to Tix Corp.’s 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company also hired former Ideal Ticket Agency, Inc. president Timothy Bordonaro as a consultant. Bordonaro has “previously provided services to AnyEvent and has experience in the ticket brokerage business,” and for the 90 days he will be working for Tix Corp. he will receive $150,000 and 25,000 shares of the company’s stock.
In total, the deal will cost Tix Corp. nearly $1.4 million in the first year.
The purchase is the second major deal Tix Corp. announced in the past four months. In December, the company signed a non-binding agreement to buy Exhibit Merchandising for $24 million, $10 million in cash and $14 million in stock, based on calendar 2008 EBITDA. Exhibit Merchandising sells licensed products that are based on shows and events, for example Exhibit Merchandising has the merchandising rights to sell items based on King Tutankhamen’s artifacts, which are currently on a world museum tour. With the acquisition, one of Event Merchandising’s major investors, Joseph Marsh, became the third-largest holder of Tix Corp. stock with about 1.5 million shares.
Francis believes Exhibit Merchandising offers Tix Corp. to sell licensed items based on some of the Las Vegas events for which it sells tickets. There is a chance the deal will not come about if Tix Corp. cannot secure $10 million in financing, and if due diligence proves unsatisfactory.


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The FTC released its annual list of the top consumer complaints, and while there are some perennial gripes therein, there are also some new things consumers should watch out for.
Among the more than 2.5 million complaints, not including do-not-call complaints, identity theft once again takes the top spot—a position it’s held for 15 years running now. In 2014, 13% of the complaints the fielded by the FTC, state and federal agencies, consumer protection and other non-governmental groups pertained to identity theft.
Right behind it, debt collection complaints held onto the number two spot with 11% of the complaints, but a new entrant entered the third spot: so-called “impostor” scams.
Impostor scams are when someone calls and pretends to be from a government agency or other authority, usually the IRS, but not always. These scams often revolve around tax-related topics. The FTC says complaints about fake “IRS” agents was almost 24 times higher last year than in 2013.
“IRS employees won’t call out of the blue and threaten to have you arrested or demand specific methods of payment,” says Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. If the real IRS needs to get ahold of you about a tax bill, they know where you live — they’ll do it by mail.
Military personnel appear to be at a higher risk for impostor scams. While it was the third most common complaint overall last year, it was the second-highest complaint for military consumers.
“Whether it’s pretending to be the IRS during tax season, or making false promises of a lottery win, scammers are increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to deceive consumers,” Rich says.
Members of the military also seem to be targeted to a greater degree by shady educational outfits: Although complaints related to education were pretty far down the list among the general population, they ranked seventh-highest among members of the military.
Where you live also makes a difference in the likelihood that you’ll be targeted by scammers. The FTC says the most identity theft complaints come from Florida, Washington and Oregon, while the most fraud complaints come from Florida (again), Georgia and Nevada.
Nationwide, more than half of fraud complaints originate with a scammer calling the victim; about a quarter of the contacts are initiated by email. Fraud pertaining to government documents or benefits was the most common kind, making up almost 40% of complaints. Prepaid cards and wire transfers were the most common ways scammers separated victims from their money.
- Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Undoing Constitutional Right to Abortion
- What the Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision Means for Your State
- The Failure of the Feminist Industrial Complex
- The Fight Over Abortion Has Only Just Begun
- Column: How Stereotypes Shape the Language People Use
- Everything We Know About Beyoncé's New Album, Renaissance
- Homes Made from Straw or Fungi Can Now Get You a Cheaper Mortgage in the Netherlands
- Going on Vacation This Summer? Welcome to the 'Revenge Travel' Economy


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Yusen Logistics Philippines Transports Car by Air
Yusen Logistics Philippines celebrates another milestone in operations with its first handling of 2 Nissan cars by airfreight last July 25, 2012.
The two Nissan Almera cars were shipped by Nissan Motors Philippines to Nissan Trading Japan for testing prior to its launch in the Philippine market by as early as the last quarter of 2012. Nissan hopes to unveil Nissan Almera in the upcoming Philippine International Motorshow in August this year.
Equipped with 1.5 liter, four cylinder engine with elegant colors black pearl and titanium gray, the two Almeras were loaded on KE 390 freighter flight out Manila. Yusen Logistics personnel carefully monitored the pick-up of the cars until the loading on the flight to ensure smooth operations and handling.
Present during the actual handling and loading were Jonathan Gonzales, GM Airfreight Unit; Abby Lacbo, AGM – Airfreight Operations, Anton De Leon, Supervisor Airfreight Operations and Chino Perez, Account Executive. The shipment were also made in coordination with Yusen Logistics Co. Ltd Japan Kanagawa Representative.
With Almera, Nissan can now compete with the likes of the Honda City, Hyundai Accent and Toyota Vios. They have high hopes that Almera can bring back Nissan Philippines to a top-three slot in the passenger car segment in the
next five years.
Yusen Logistics is proud to be a partner of Nissan in their transport requirements and continue to wish them success in the launch of Almera to the Philippine market.


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Leading PVC-UE building products manufacturer, Celuform, is launching two new decorative roofline products.
The new V-Crest and V-Wave decorative barge boards complete the roofline range, allowing specifiers and distributors to offer a complete, stylish, low maintenance choice.
The specialist manufacturer of co-extruded PVC-UE roofline, cladding and window line products, stated that the products were created in response to customer demand.
These new bargeboards demonstrate how Celuform, which recently celebrated 40 years of trading, continues to be at the forefront of product development.
View Roofline fascia boards Product Entry


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Revised July 2022 Since the federal legalization of industrial hemp in late 2018, the cannabidiol (CBD) industry is seeing explosive growth. CBD is now used by millions of Americans to help relieve a number of ailments, including inflammation, chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, depression, and more — and demand appears …Read More
Joe Cortez is an award-winning journalist based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to his published work on CBD oil, his work has appeared in USA Today, The New York Post, and on The Weather Channel.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the main compounds found in hemp — a subspecies of the cannabis sativa plant. And since hemp became federally legal in 2018, CBD has become more and more popular as a means to manage mental and physical ailments, including pain, stress and anxiety, and …Read More


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Intel Corporation has announced the Intel® Reader, a mobile handheld device designed to increase independence for people who have trouble reading standard print. The Intel Reader can assist the estimated 55 million people in the U.S. who have dyslexia or other specific learning disabilities, or have vision problems such as low-vision or blindness, which makes reading printed words difficult or impossible.
The Intel Reader, about the size of a paperback book, converts printed text to digital text, and then reads it aloud to the user. Its unique design combines a high-resolution camera with the power of an Intel® Atom™ processor, allowing users to point, shoot and listen to printed text.
INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, San Francisco, Sept. 24, 2009 – Intel Corporation today unveiled the Intel® Atom™ processor CE4100, the newest System-on-Chip (SoC) in a family of media processors designed to bring Internet content and services to digital TVs, DVD players and advanced set-top boxes.
The CE4100 processor, formerly codenamed "Sodaville," is the first 45nm-manufactured consumer electronics (CE) SoC based on Intel architecture. It supports Internet and broadcast applications on one chip, and has the processing power and audio/video components necessary to run rich media applications such as 3-D graphics.
"Traditional broadcast networks are quickly shifting from a linear model to a multi-stream, Internet-optimized model to offer consumers digital entertainment that complements the TV such as social networking, 3-D gaming and streaming video," said Eric Kim, senior vice president and general manager, Intel Digital Home Group. "At the center of the TV evolution is the CE4100 media processor, a new architecture that meets the critical requirements for connected CE devices."
It has been 10 months now since Intel unleashed its Nehalem architecture and we showed you the Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Extreme Edition. Not much has changed in the high-end sector during this timeframe, as Core i7 processors are still brutally fast and equally expensive.
The most affordable option debuted as the Core i7 920 at $280 and that is exactly how much it costs today. The Core i7 940 has been replaced by the 950, offering a small performance bump and the same ~$570 charge, while the flagship Core i7 965 Extreme Edition was superseded by the even more potent 975 Extreme Edition in the $1,000 price point.
Although the processor front has remained much the same, there is now a serious range of X58 motherboards on offer with more than fifty products available from half a dozen manufacturers. If you know where to look, it is possible to purchase one of these for as little as $170, with the more luxurious models costing upwards of $400.
Another big change has come with the decrease of DDR3 memory pricing. When we tested the Core i7 processors last November, a triple-channel 6GB kit would set you back at least $250, today you have to spend no more than $100. This means you can get yourself a Core i7 920 with motherboard and memory for under $600 today. And while this may sound like a killer deal to some, not everyone needs the processing power of Intel’s enthusiast-grade platform or is willing to pony up the money for it.
The Core i5 750 is the first release in a series of processors based on a mainstream version of the Core i7 platform. It is a quad-core part based on the "Lynnfield" architecture, fabricated using a 45nm process and will use a new LGA1156 platform. This new chip is set to cost just $199, it will operate at a healthy 2.66GHz and feature a whopping 8MB L3 cache, but no Hyper-Threading support will be present.
When we first heard about the upcoming release of a mainstream version of the Core i7 we were excited about the idea except for Intel’s decision of using multiple platforms. That said, the new LGA1156 socket will support a number of new Intel processors, including the Core i3 and Core i5 series. There will also be a range of Core i7 processors designed for the aforementioned socket.
In order to cut the cost of this processor and the LGA1156 platform, Intel has removed one of the memory controllers and replaced the high bandwidth QPI link with the slower DMI chip-to-chip interconnect.
SAN FRANCISCO–Intel has built a prototype of a processor with 80 cores that can perform a trillion floating-point operations per second.
CEO Paul Otellini held up a silicon wafer with the prototype chips before several thousand attendees at the Intel Developer Forum here Tuesday. The chips are capable of exchanging data at a terabyte a second, Otellini said during a keynote speech. The company hopes to have these chips ready for commercial production within a five-year window.
Intel uses its twice-yearly conference to educate developers on its long- and short-term plans. Over three days, hardware developers and partners get a chance to interact with Intel employees and take classes on new technologies.
As expected, Intel announced plans to have quad-core processors ready for its customers in November. An extremely fast Core 2 Extreme processor with four cores will be released then, and the newly named Core 2 Quad processor for mainstream desktops will follow in the first quarter of next year, Otellini said.
The quad-core server processors are on a similar trajectory, with a faster Xeon 5300 processor scheduled for November and a low-power Xeon slated for the first quarter. Intel’s first quad-core processors are actually two of its dual-core Core architecture chips combined into a multichip package.
"Performance matters again," Otellini said, disclosing that the quad-core desktop processor will deliver 70 percent faster integer performance than the Core 2 Duo, and the quad-core server processor will be 50 percent faster than the Xeon 5100 introduced in June.
One reason performance didn’t matter to Intel during the last couple of years was because it was getting trounced on benchmarks at the hands of Advanced Micro Devices’ Opteron and Athlon 64 server and desktop processors. That all changed with the introduction of the Core 2 Duo chips this year.
"With this new set of dual and quad-core processors, we’ve regained our leadership," Otellini told developers. The growing Internet video phenomenon, as evidenced by the spectacular rise of Web sites like YouTube, will keep these processors busy during intensive tasks like video editing, he said.
Road to Santa Rosa
Notebooks will get a face-lift next year with the Santa Rosa platform, which will provide notebooks with new technologies like 802.11n wireless and flash memory. Intel believes that it will be the first to add flash memory to a notebook motherboard, which will improve boot times and reduce power consumption, Otellini said. (full Story)


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By Laura Fitch // Photos of Beijing’s INTRO Festival by Caroline Killmer
BEIJING—Creativity is booming in China’s urban centers, where young musicians, designers, illustrators, and artists are redefining a generation and fueling a growing sense of individuality among the country’s youth.
But when it comes to marketing alternative art and music, banking obstacles, lack of experience in the market and the lack of a developed market around them often mean an artist’s creativity doesn’t go much further than a personal blog. But businesses are popping up in this space, providing much-needed links between China’s burgeoning creative community and the market.
Is Anybody Out There?
According to the country’s national census bureau there are roughly 200-million 15-24 year olds in China, a demographic roughly five times the size of the entire population of Canada. Those under 35 were born after the Cultural Revolution, have experienced steady, double-digit economic growth, are often only children, have unprecedented personal liberties, and are incredibly optimistic in terms of future employment opportunities, says Ben Cavender of China Market Research.
What China’s 18-35 year olds are buying is pushing the country’s economy from one that is export-driven to one based on retail. Increasing economic and personal freedoms are encouraging the development of a lifestyle economy, a key part of which is China’s burgeoning creative class and alternative arts scene.
Though lifestyle purchases are still considered pricey – whether it be an up-to-the-minute t-shirt, or concert tickets to see the latest band – young people have yet to put away their pocketbooks, says Cavender. “This shows how important these choices are becoming.”
Increasing disposable income and personal freedoms combined with a large generation gap are breeding a cultural shift similar in scope to that of the 1950s and 60s United States, says Michael Pettis, a Tsinghua University economics professor, Maybe Mars record label owner and founder of D-22, a live music venue in Beijing that is largely responsible for consolidating the city’s now-booming indie music scene.
In the U.S., a deep chasm between generations coupled with growing economic prosperity formed a counterculture movement and a rise of individuality that eventually moved into the mainstream. “You started to see the popularity of books in particular like Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’ and Salinger’s ‘Catcher in the Rye,’ ” says Pettis. “Both of those books are huge cult hits among the college students in the big cities here in China.”
Though alternative culture in China still largely resides under the mainstream radar, young people increasingly want to look, dress and act differently, says Renee Hartmann, co-founder of Eno, a chain of apparel shops that successfully targets China’s youth market by utilizing young Chinese artists to create t-shirt and apparel designs.
Chinese youth are dying their hair, getting tattoos and piercings, and are looking for brands that reflect their personalities and make them stand out in a crowd of 1.3 billion, says Hartmann. “Art and music are relevant to young kids today and what they’re doing.”
Art and music in China are hardly new. A host of galleries in Beijing and Shanghai feature Chinese art, both contemporary and classical, and they enjoy wide appeal in both domestic and international markets. Classical and traditional Chinese music also have a following in China, along with a pop industry that rivals that of the U.S. in size. Major cities have symphonies, Chinese opera houses, stadiums and other venues to accommodate exhibitions and performances of the highbrow and mainstream arts. But the alternative arts, well established in developed markets with accompanying venues, fan bases and histories, are a new arrival.
“The whole world looks at China as a copycat nation. But really there are some interesting and creative people here, and there’s not always an outlet for that to be shown,” says Hartmann.
Unknown artists working outside the bounds of traditionally defined art have little chance of making a name for themselves, says graphic artist and illustrator Yan Wei. Like Yan, most use the Internet to connect with each other and display their works.
Though Yan has earned a reputation as an up-and-coming talent in the Chinese creative scene – the 28-year-old has worked with Levi Strauss & Co. on ads, and her face adorns Levi’s posters on walls throughout the country in the company’s ad campaign that seeks out and highlights China’s alternative artists and musicians – she still faces logistical problems that limit her marketing potential.
“I don’t have an agent, so I don’t have a marketing plan,” says Yan, who was introduced to Levi’s through a personal connection. Something as simple as being unable to provide invoices for services rendered to a company that can’t pay without one can easily prevent artists from doing a substantial amount of business on their own. Shipping expenses and the hassle of arranging international bank transfers are enough to prevent Yan from selling her works overseas.
“Young Chinese creatives are not necessarily the best at dealing with the commercial space,” says Adam J. Schokora of Neocha.com, an online artist community for young Chinese, and Neocha Edge, a fledgling consulting company that deals with large firms looking to link in to that creative connection that already counts Nike and Converse among its clients.
The commercial space is unexplored territory for many young creative talents, and in the case of alternative art, often the market itself is new. Artists are working with a blank slate, with no idea of how to negotiate rates, or even what things should cost, says Schokora. Brands, on the other hand, aren’t clear on how to approach and deal with the youth demographic.
Neocha.com and Neocha Edge provide artists with a crucial business structure – they can arrange payments and invoices, and research and negotiate decent prices for works, says Schokora. Through Neocha.com, they have ready access to a pool of young creative talent, which large corporations don’t have the time or resources to look for.
There is interest in connection on both sides, but neither really knows how to do it, Schokora says. “We play in that space.”
But connecting with brands isn’t the only challenge alternative artists face in the world of commerce, says Hartmann. The logistical difficulties of opening a business in a developing market can present insurmountable problems for independent artists.
Issues in dealing with factories, quality, distribution and sales in China’s underdeveloped retail market can hinder designers from striking out on their own. In developed markets independent designers can drum up business for themselves by selling to small boutiques and shops. “But in China it’s really hard to grow that way,” she says. “There just aren’t that many sales channels open to you.”
But even when facilities are available to produce or distribute works, the cost can put them out of reach for most. Mainstream record labels in China require their musicians to pay for and produce recordings themselves that the label then feeds into their distribution networks. It takes about four or five days to lay down an album, and another four or five to mix it. With a day in a Beijing studio costing upwards of RMB 5,000, the full tab is prohibitively expensive to most musicians, considering that the average wage of a white-collar worker in Beijing starts at less than 2000RMB a month. Maybe Mars Records turns the process around, prioritizing quality recordings and bringing in young artists to record, often at the expense of its own pocketbook, says Pettis.
A lack of clear rules governing these growing industries can make them subject to sudden, unexpected changes, says Miao Wong, co-founder of electronic music label Acupuncture Records. Begun in 2007 as an electronic music company promoting local talent, AR events started off small, with few people in attendance. Just two years later, AR events regularly draw crowds of thousands. Over 8,000 people attended their first full-scale electronic music festival this past May in a large, empty lot near Beijing’s trendy 798 Art District. This past May, INTRO’s second run drew in over 11,000. Major AR events draw in gross revenues upwards of RMB 100,000.
China’s legal system dates back to 1949, and many of the laws governing industry were created as the country progressed. Operating in this grey area means that unless there is a specific law that allows a certain practice, businesses are often unsure of what they can and can’t do, says Wong. And what you can and can’t do may change in accordance with seemingly unrelated events. This past summer in Beijing, several large-scale music concerts were suddenly shut down, relocated or otherwise interfered with due to government security concerns before China’s 60th anniversary celebration in October.
This uncertainty also presents problems for business growth, says Hartmann. Franchise owners generally don’t pay fees to the parent company for franchise stores, and the parent company has little control over the day-to-day operations of the franchise. This makes careful selection of franchise owners, who will be perpetuating a brand image throughout the country, a crucial choice, as there is little legal protection for companies who choose this method of expansion.
“You’re always worried, you’re always stressed, because until it’s black and white on paper you just don’t know,” Wong says.
Educating the Market
One of the biggest challenges facing the development of alternative industries in China is a lack of a market educated and interested in alternative culture. In developed markets there are support networks for alternative, creative industries. There is a fan base educated through magazines, radio shows, documentaries, festivals and other events dedicated to electronic music, as well as a history of the genre that stretches back at least two decades and has produced a list of star DJs and producers. “Here we don’t have the kind of support and resources we can draw from this market. Everything you do you, have to do it yourself,” Wong says
Wong estimates AR reinvests 85% of the revenue in generates back into events aimed at building an educated local market for electronic music, including documentary screenings, hosting foreign DJs, throwing large-scale parties and teaming up with other electronic music related events in Beijing. “The only way to have sustainable development is to let the culture find its roots.”
Eno’s business model also incorporates elements of grassroots growth. Eno’s flagship store in Shanghai is also used as a performance venue for local bands and other events that link Eno with the alternative scene and boost its presence in the community. This mindset of helping grow a scene from scratch is also evident in Eno’s business model, which uses young artists to create works for Eno’s target market – themselves.
While most apparel businesses work from the top down, dictating the types of designs they want artists to create, Eno works from the bottom up, relying on their team to produce designs that will speak to their core market: young Chinese with an interest in alternative fashion and lifestyles. And it’s working. Eno boasts stores and franchises in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Chongqing, with business growing between 30 and 40 % over the past year alone. Retail sales in 2008 hit U.S. $1-million.
In addition to creating a local base, reaching out to the international alternative arts community is also key to local growth, Wong says. AR has made a concentrated effort to export Chinese electronic music, most recently sending its DJs on a world tour that saw them play at major electronic music festivals in South America, North America and Europe.
MMR also connects local musicians with international producers and performers, such as Martin Atkins, Sonic Youth and Blixa Bargeld in an effort to acquaint international audiences with China’s alternative musicians. Last month three MMR bands, Carsick Cars, P.K. 14, and Xiao He toured the US.
Though growing, China’s alternative art scene is still in its nascent stages, and it will take time for the market to fully develop, says Schokora. Those looking to make a quick buck cashing in on China’s subcultures might want to consider other options. The payout, if any, may be a long time coming, he says. “We’re definitely doing it for the love.”


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If Google adheres to its typical schedule, which we haven’t seen any hint of, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro should be made official during a special event in California in October.
Despite this, we’ve already seen many leaks about the next duet, despite the fact that we’re still roughly three months away. Today, a comprehensive list of the Pixel 8 Pro’s key specifications is making the rounds, so let’s get started.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
– 6.7″ QHD+ LTPO OLED, 120Hz
– Google Tensor G3 + Titan chip
– 12GB RAM
– 128/256GB storage
– Camera: 50MP (OIS) + 64MP UW + 48MP (Tele)
– Selfie: 11MP
– Temperature sensor, Ultrasonic FP
– Android 14
– 4,950mAh battery, 27W wired charging
The more expensive of Google’s 2023 flagship slab-style devices is reported to have a 6.7-inch QHD+ 120 Hz LTPO OLED display, a Google Tensor G3 SoC with dedicated Titan security chip, 12GB of RAM, 128/256GB of storage, and a 4,950 mAh battery with 27W cable charging capabilities.
It will, of course, run Android 14 from the start, and will include an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner as well as a new gimmick: an infrared temperature sensor, which would have been hot in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rear camera system includes three sensors: a 50 MP primary sensor with OIS, a 64 MP ultrawide sensor, and a 48 MP telephoto sensor. An 11 MP snapper is purportedly in charge of selfies. Previous rumors said that the main sensor would be Samsung’s ISOCELL GN2, the telephoto would be the ISOCELL GM5, and the ultrawide would be Sony’s IMX787. A new time of flight (ToF) sensor should make focusing easier.
You wouldn’t be alone in believing that these specifications are remarkably comparable to those of the Pixel 7 Pro from last year, implying that the next model will be an evolution rather than a revolution.


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Peugeot, the French auto maker and a subsidiary of PSA Peugeot Citroen, has put its plans on hold to re-enter the Indian auto market as of now. The reason cited for this move states that the car maker is presently mulling to concentrate on its European activities, wherein it has been operating as the second largest auto maker of the region. A fall in the European auto market has probably acted as a barrier for Peugeot to re-enter the Indian auto space and expand its overseas operations.
Reportedly, Peugeot is counted among the worst hit auto maker’s in the European crisis. It must be noted that the company has a large stake in Europe and major portion of its sales were driving from this region. Therefore it is fairly clear that why the French auto maker could not employ the massive investment of Rs. 4000 crore, which was planned for the Indian auto market. Reportedly, the Indian manufacturing unit of Peugeot was supposed to roll out 1,65,000 units per annum. This unit was anticipated to not just fulfil the demand of domestic market but the auto maker was also looking ahead to export few models in Asian countries. Source close to the development process earlier said that the company is planning to produce its much acclaimed 508 sedan at the proposed plant.
However, the auto company has postponed all its Indian plans for present and also skipped the last date of payment, according to the State Support Agreement (SSA). By doing so, it has failed to procure the piece of land, which was allocated for setting up the plant. Reportedly, Peugeot has already lost 200 acres of land and as the validity of SSA has expired, it cannot even claim the remaining piece of land. Sources close to the development process stated that the inability of Peugeot to employ Rs. 4,000 crore investments has appeared to be a setback for the flourishing auto space of Gujarat as the plant would have generated a significant number of indirect and direct employment.


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Enter Your Zip Code to Connect with a Lawyer Serving Your Area
Identity theft is a growing national epidemic. The 2011 report on identity theft by Javelin Strategy & Research estimated that in 2010 approximately 8.1 million U.S. adults were victims of identity theft, costing consumers a whopping total of $631 billion nationwide.
An identity thief can cash a check, obtain a loan, open credit accounts and charge them to the max, rent an apartment, buy a car, purchase a cell phone and talk to someone all day, and, worse, commit a serious crime -- all in your name.


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The Rural Electrification Agency has commenced the electrification of major markets across the country with solar powered systems.
According to the agency, the project is part of the Federal Government’s Energising Economies Initiative, which aims to provide efficient, clean and sustainable power to strategic economic clusters in Nigeria.
It said the EEI was to showcase the impact that would be derived with the provision of reliable power supply as well as the financial viability of the selected clusters to the private sector.
The Managing Director, REA, Damilola Ogunbiyi, disclosed this at the inauguration of the first phase of the EEI in Sabon Gari Market, Kano, where solar-powered systems were used to provide electricity for 500 shops in the market.
She named other markets to be captured in the scheme as the Ariaria Market in Aba, Abia State; Somolu Printing Community and Sura Shopping Complex, both in Lagos.
Ogunbiyi, according to a statement from REA, explained that the Energising Economies Initiative was private sector-driven with the Federal Government providing project support.
She said Sabon Gari Market was one of the pioneer markets under the EEI, adding that the market had over 12,000 shops, out of which 500 had been electrified using solar energy.
The REA boss said power supply in the market was being provided by multiple independent petrol and diesel generators, adding that the market had been gutted by fire several times as a result of the generators.
Ogunbiyi said, “Arising from the foregoing, REA in partnership with Sabon Gari Energy Solutions Limited, a private sector power company, and Rensource Energy, have successfully connected 500 shops in the market as part of the first phase of deployment.
“These shops will now benefit from stable, affordable and reliable power during market opening hours. The decentralised solar system is equipped with remote monitoring capability, smart meters as well as durable and long-lasting lithium phosphate batteries to support night time load.”
She added, “Developing the first and largest virtual power plant in Africa is extremely exciting; when the project is completed, the 1.3 megawatts standalone solar system project will generate clean and sustainable energy to over 12,000 SMEs.”
According to the agency, the payment platform and collections were facilitated by Paga, through its local Kano-based agents as well as its digital platform to enable mobile payments.
It stated that as a result of this first deployment, over 100 skilled jobs in the clean energy value chain had been created, adding that the figure would increase as deployment continued throughout the entire market.
“The project is scheduled to be completed by Q4 2018,” REA said.
The statement quoted the Commissioner, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperative and Tourism, Kano State, Ahmed Rabiu, as saying, “This initiative will significantly eliminate fire incidents caused by generators that had plagued the market in the past. The use of solar technology together with the metering system installed for Sabon Gari Market is welcomed for all the markets in Kano.”
The Founder, Rensource Energy, Ademola Adesina, was also quoted as saying, “We are delighted to be an inaugural participant in the Energising Economies Initiative and for the opportunity provided to leverage our technology infrastructure, and operational capabilities towards demonstrating the viability of sustainable, clean and cost-effective provision of power for shop owners at Sabon Gari Market.”


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Creative Characters: Monotype enters the podcast arena
Monotype has unveiled a podcast dedicated to the creatives who shape our world.
Aptly named Creative Characters, the bimonthly new podcast series explores “the trends shaping the future of design, branding and creativity with thought leaders at the vanguard.”
The first episode of Creative Characters which aired this week features James Sommerville, co-founder of KNOWN_UNKNOWN and former VP of Global Design at The Coca-Cola Company.
Recently the renowned creative expert with more than 30 years’ experience designing for brands such as Coca-Cola, Adidas and Virgin gave a keynote presentation on his career journey and the future of creative work at Brand Talks Connected EMEA.
Upcoming episodes will feature other doyens including Scott Starrett, co-founder and design director, Tandem, Jenna Blazevich, designer and founder, Vichcraft, and more.
“As our collective industry aims to galvanize the significance of creative work in a new economy, who better to elevate the role creativity plays in building meaningful brand experiences than the designers, agencies, foundries and technology providers behind them” said Alice Palmer, SVP Marketing at Monotype.
“Creative Characters is an opportunity to celebrate the stories of the people who make us proud to be part of this industry and are defining a vision for the future. We believe that the value of creative work is only increasing, and Creative Characters is a piece of a broader initiative we are taking to illuminate its significance.”
Listeners can subscribe to Creative Characters at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever quality podcasts can be found.
As an organization with deep expertise in typography, this podcast is being released shortly following the launch of Monotype’s Up and Coming series, which seeks to profile new and emerging faces in the world of type design.
For more podcasts on design and typography check here.
Tags/ typography, graphic design, monotype, creative industry, podcast


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Increasing connectivity is causing widespread disruption across the automotive industry. Frost & Sullivan’s analysis indicates that connected vehicles will comprise nearly 86% of the global automotive market by 2025, thereby giving rise to many vulnerable threat points for hackers. Cyberattacks and data breach incidents will pose severe risks to the automotive industry as they directly impact driver safety, data privacy, and service continuity. Hence, proper guidelines and regulatory mandates will be critical to ensuring the safety and security of automotive customers in the near to long term.
Indeed, one of the key challenges so far has been the lack of clear and enforceable standards for the connected vehicle ecosystem. However, we are confident that the industry is set to turn a corner with the emergence of two much-needed vehicle cybersecurity initiatives—the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) WP.29 regulation and the ISO/SAE 21434 standard.
Over the past few years, agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, European Union Agency for Network and Information Security, European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association, Society of Automotive Engineers, and Auto-ISAC, among others, have released their cybersecurity standards. These have sought to spread awareness and understanding while helping ecosystem participants build secure vehicles and vehicle components. To date, however, there have been no officially mandated security standards for the auto industry as a whole. The lack of a standardized security framework for the connected vehicle ecosystem has left the connected vehicle ecosystem deeply vulnerable to cyberattacks.
This situation is expected to change from 2021, thanks to a duo of promising initiatives/standards—the UNECE’s WP.29 and the ISO/SAE 21434—that are creating positive ripples in the auto industry. While the ISO/SAE standard is still in the drafting stage, WP.29 was adopted by the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations in June 2020 and is expected to come into force in January 2021. ISO/SAE and WP.29 complement each other as both prepare the automotive industry for securing a new generation of connected vehicles.
ISO/SAE 21434: Emphasis on Security by Design
The ISO/SAE standard proposes to establish a common ground for security among automotive OEMs and suppliers. This standard also mandates the adoption of an effective cybersecurity framework across all stages of a vehicle’s lifecycle—from design, development, and production to decommissioning. It clearly defines the processes for threat analysis, assessment, and management of cyber risks at every stage. OEMs and other supply chain participants have to comply with this standard to ensure that all vehicles, hardware and software components, networks, communication channels, and connectivity platforms are secured. This standard will establish cybersecurity as an integral part of the entire connected vehicle ecosystem, thus limiting vulnerable points in the supply chain.
WP.29: Securing End-to-End Vehicle Lifecycle
Unlike ISO/SAE, the WP.29 regulation places the onus of managing cyber risks along the entire supply chain on OEMs. It emphasizes the need for OEMs to adopt a holistic security approach focused on four distinct principles:
- Implement security by design during vehicle development
- Provide intrusion detection and protection for the entire vehicle fleet
- Manage vehicle cyber risks throughout the lifecycle
- Establish secure communication channels for over-the-air updates.
These principles can be achieved through two key requirements of the regulation—Cybersecurity Management Systems (CSMS) approval and Vehicle Type approval.
CSMS Approval: This requirement will mandate OEMs to build CSMS—a threat assessment and mitigation framework—within their organizations. OEMs will be tasked with proving that their CSMS appropriately handles threat identification, categorization, and remediation during vehicle development as well as throughout the ownership cycle.
More than 30 threats, including message spoofing, data breach, unauthorized manipulation of vehicle code/data, denial of service attacks, unprivileged user access, and transmission of malicious content, are compiled in the regulation document. To acquire the compliance certificate, OEMs have to ensure that their CSMS identifies the comprehensive list of threats and provides the relevant mitigations for each of the threats mentioned in the regulation.
Vehicle Type Approval: The second part of the regulation details the various steps with which an OEM has to comply to receive new vehicle type approvals. Regulatory authorities will test if vehicle architecture and risk assessment procedures are being implemented and executed in accordance with those mandated in the regulation. This regulation also requires OEMs to verify the security of supplier components used in their vehicles. Automakers can take cues from ISO/SAE 21434 guidelines related to building structured cybersecurity processes during vehicle development.
Although both the ISO/SAE standard and the WP.29 dictate efficient procedures for cybersecurity management, they intentionally do not provide technical-level specifications, allowing OEMs to creatively decide on cybersecurity technology KPIs that meet the requirements. This is an intelligent approach as rigid technical measures could prove counterproductive in the dynamically changing world of cybersecurity.
Are Automakers Equipped to Handle the Change?
WP.29 is expected to impact new vehicle type approvals in over 60 countries once it comes into effect. The regulation applies to the contracting parties of UNECE’s 1958 Agreement, which includes specific countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The US and Canada, which were not a signatory to the 1958 agreement, are, therefore, exempt from this regulation. However, a decision on the US and Canada’s potential inclusion in the list of countries governed by the regulation is expected soon. Vehicles need to comply with WP.29 requirements to be sold in these countries. Hence, OEMs need to start identifying gaps and drawing up new process roadmaps to comply with WP.29.
While there are many cybersecurity companies in the market today to help OEMs secure their vehicles at the design/development phase, the need to build a robust CSMS and monitor security risks across the entire vehicle lifecycle has become critical. The limited technical expertise of OEMs and the huge upfront costs involved in executing new processes will challenge in-house implementation. Stringent timelines to comply with WP.29, mostly by mid-2022 for new approvals, will make it even more challenging for OEMs.
Ensuring security requirements are met throughout the value chain is complicated and requires continuous collaborative efforts with suppliers. Frost & Sullivan believes that OEMs will seek to achieve compliance with the upcoming WP.29 regulation by initiating partnerships with third-party companies—tech vendors, security partners, consulting firms, and cross-industry experts, among them—for cybersecurity consulting services, setting up CSMS, managing supply chain risks and performing audit and certification checks. Stringent deadlines, the need to perform extensive checks on large vehicle volumes, and limited auditing budgets will make OEMs dependent on third-party solutions. Some OEMs that are building internal IT and security expertise or hiring CDOs/CIOs will prefer to manage their security architecture internally. However, until these standards mature, OEMs will continue to be dependent on third-party consulting firms for auditing services.
What to Expect in the Future
We believe that the regulations will give rise to new opportunities in the industry:
- New startups will enter the ecosystem with advanced intrusion detection techniques and cybersecurity managed services, thereby challenging current competitive dynamics
- Existing automotive security companies that specialize in on-board security protection will upskill their solutions to include vehicle CSMS to stay relevant in the market
- IT services companies will expand their portfolio into the automotive cybersecurity market to offer back-end cybersecurity services and IT talent to manage OEM-built CSMS
- Automotive suppliers will begin offering security-by-design vehicle components, CSMS, and specialized consulting services to help OEMs comply with the regulations.
To conclude, it is going to be an interesting and slightly bumpy road ahead for OEMs as they embark on identifying security gaps, deciding with whom to partner, selecting what tools/technology to adopt, and determining how to set up new regulation-compliant processes. Achieving cybersecurity management across the vehicle lifecycle and automotive value chain is the end goal for OEMs. Although complex, successful collaborations with ecosystem partners will enable this goal to become a reality.
The automotive industry is set to embrace SECURITY as a vital pillar in its digital transformation journey, encouraging its transition from being an important element in vehicle architecture to occupying a more central role in the connected vehicle ecosystem and among automotive OEMs.
Should you have any queries on the impact of COVID-19 across industries, need more information on this or any related topic, or would like to schedule an interview/interaction with our spokespersons, please email Priya George at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Niantic and Fold develop an AR game where you can earn bitcoin
Development company Niantic, famous for Pokemon Go, and fintech company Fold have collaborated on a new AR game. The game, which they claim is part of the metaverse, is currently being rolled out in a limited beta version, with the experience being released in full next year.
The Fold app already gives you the ability to 'spin to win' bitcoin when you purchase using its debit card. The new AR experience extends this, letting players find bitcoin and other prizes hidden virtually around them in blocks when they access the game via the Fold app.
Every 10 minutes, a new block containing fresh bounty is dropped in the vicinity of the player. When you claim a block, you can earn satoshis, a small unit of bitcoin, alongside other in-app rewards. If you're unlucky, you can lose your bitcoin winnings if, for example, you come across a 'poison pill'.
You don't have to own a Fold card to play the game, though cardholders will be granted additional boosts and prizes. Once the game has been fully released, customers will also be able to hide and trade bitcoin.
The Fold app is currently only available in the United States. The launch of this app follows Niantic's announcement of its metaverse vision earlier this year.


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A month-long celebration of the apple harvest is underway in western New York.
Wayne County tourism is partnering with 12 local businesses to host the 19th Wayne County Apple Tour, starting with a "Tasting Weekend" October 7th to the 10th, according to director of tourism, Christine Worth.
She says there's a good reason for the annual celebration of the apple in Wayne County.
"We're the number one apple producer in New York State, so we grow over a third of all the apples. And really, a lot of the farms are multi-generational," she said.


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Craftsy Increases Revenue and New Buyer Acquisitions by 3X
Jul 29, 2015
Craftsy is the preeminent online destination for passionate makers to learn, create and share. With online classes, popular supplies and indie patterns, over nine million creative enthusiasts are taking their skills to new heights.
Craftsy began marketing on Pinterest because it kept hearing from its members that the popular visual bookmarking platform was one of the key ways that they find inspiration for their craft. The Craftsy marketing team was looking for ways to grow its exposure within the channel and find more members at the moment they are looking for that inspiration.
One major challenge with marketing Craftsy is that each of its 15+ crafting categories have completely different audiences with each requiring its own strategy. Managing this volume and complexity in the native Pinterest advertising platform had become severely inefficient and the Craftsy marketing team knew that it was missing out on the full opportunity that Pinterest offers.
Craftsy engaged with 4C because of the strong paid and organic tools that could help make marketing with Pinterest much more efficient and powerful. With 4C’s Pinterest Content Manager, Craftsy could create bulk pins in a fraction of the time that it took manually, one-by-one, on Pinterest. In fact, to create 10 pins in the native platform took about an hour. With 4C, the same task takes the Craftsy team just 5-10 minutes.
With 4C’s Pinterest Ad Manager, Craftsy could update bids and budgets quickly and more easily than before. Using Smart Groups, campaigns were grouped together for better control. One feature that really has become invaluable is the ability to copy settings and keyword lists from previously built campaigns and promoted pins instead of having to manually recreate these parameters for every new instance.
In the first full quarter of using 4C, the efficiency and optimization capabilities have helped Craftsy grow its three most important Pinterest metrics:
- 3X increase in revenue
- 3X increase in new buyers to Craftsy.com
- 80% growth in email signups


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Barça and the multinational, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, are joining forces to promote the importance of education, nutrition and sport. The private event was attended by FC Barcelona President, Josep Maria Bartomeu; the Club’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Manel Arroyo; and Nestlé SA Executive Vice President, Patrice Bula.
Through this new global deal, the brand becomes an Official Club Sponsor for the next four years in the category of Tonic Food Drink. The agreement also includes the Nestlé Nesquik brand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Starting from the premise that sport and nutrition go hand in hand, the club and Nestlé Milo (the brand's name in Asia) will be working together to promote a healthier lifestyle and to highlight the importance of physical exercise among children through the different activities included in the deal.
Both entities have extensive experience in the development of youth sports programmes in which education and healthy eating are given plenty of emphasis. Nestlé Milo promotes sport and nutrition programmes where the same values that define the club are represented and in which 22 million children participate worldwide.
Statement by the Vice President for Marketing and Communications at FC Barcelona, Manel Arroyo: “The global sponsorship deal with Nestlé Milo consolidates the attempts to make the club more global and reinforces the club's association with market leaders. Nestlé Milo, like FC Barcelona, believes in the importance of playing sport from a young age as a key tool for learning essential values for children’s development.”


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OTTAWA, Oct. 27, 2014 /CNW/ - Health Canada took action today to restrict the import of health products from three Micro Labs facilities in India (Bangalore, Goa and Hosur) because of data integrity concerns identified in recent inspections by international partners.
Health Canada has compiled a list of products affected by the import restrictions. The list will be updated as new information becomes available.
The licences of companies that import products from these three facilities will be amended with terms and conditions to require independent third-party testing prior to the release of any products determined to be medically necessary onto the Canadian market. Products from these three sites that are not on the medically necessary list will not be allowed to be imported or released on to the Canadian market until Health Canada is satisfied that the data integrity issues at the plants have been addressed.
Independent testing against approved Canadian specifications will provide confidence that these products meet Canadian quality standards, and will allow consumers to have continued access to medically necessary and safe products.
Health Canada continues to gather information about the situation at these sites from trusted international partners, including the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the World Health Organization. Based on a review of this information, the Department has significant concerns with the manner in which data are collected and reported, raising uncertainty about the quality and safety of products from these sites. Until Health Canada can be satisfied that the production processes used at these three sites meet internationally recognized good manufacturing practices (GMPs), it is taking this additional precautionary step to keep these products off the Canadian market.
Consumers should be aware that no specific safety issues have been identified with products currently on the market from the list. To date, no recall of products from these facilities has been requested by Health Canada or its regulatory partners. Health Canada has stopped imports as a temporary precautionary measure until it is satisfied of the processes followed at these sites. Consumers should not make any change to their medication without first consulting with a healthcare professional.
Health Canada continues to work with the provinces and territories to monitor the supply situation and, if necessary, develop mitigation strategies. The Department will keep Canadians informed on further developments related to both the supply situation and the import of the products.
Également disponible en français
SOURCE: Health Canada
For further information: Media Inquiries: Health Canada, (613) 957-2983; Public Inquiries: (613) 957-2991, 1-866 225-0709


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Last week, a report from a popular German website spread on the web reporting that iOS 5.0.2 would have been released last weekend. The weekend is now over and we didn’t see iOS 5.0.2 so we’re seeing reports about delays.
AppleInsider today reported that iOS 5.0.2 has memory leak issues that Apple needs to fix before the release so it might have been delayed.
The report says that iOS 5.0.2 new date is not set yet and it will finally fix battery woes for iPhone 4S users:
The rumored iOS 5.0.2 update is said to provide iPhone 4S users with 10 hours of active use. Apple’s official technical specifications advertise 200 hours of standby time, up to 8 hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours of 3G Internet use, 10 hours of video playback, or 40 hours of audio playback.
However, if you are looking forward for an untethered jailbreak for your device, we recommend that you stay on iOS 5 since there’s a bug allowing finding more exploits easily.


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The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has included video game consoles in a list of Chinese imports that won’t face tariffs until December 15, while other imports not granted a delay or exemption will see a 10 percent tariff starting September 1.
According to The Washington Post, that delay gives some consumer products like cellphones, laptop computers, consoles, and some footwear usually imported from China additional manufacturing room ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Video games consoles appeared on a list of products that would see a cost hike as part of the United States’ ongoing trade war with China, prompting major console makers to ask the US government for an exemption.
In a letter later published publicly, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo collectively warned of the economic impact the proposed tariffs would have on the United States video game industry, noting also that any change in console production chains would be a significantly costly disruption.
In a separate conversation, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki warned that the company might have to raise the prices of its consoles in the US to compensate for the impact of the proposed tariffs since the systems are typically manufactured under tight margins as is.
Other companies like Apple petitioned the US government for an exemption, though that particular company was given a flat out no from President Trump over Twiiter (despite now benefiting from deferred tariffs for laptops and cellphones alongside video game consoles). The USTR says that tariffs on some other products mentioned in that original list would be waived entirely “based on health, safety, national security and other factors,” though The Washington Post notes that a final list of products facing the September 1 tariffs has yet to be published.


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Harassment of Raw Milk Farmers in Pennsylvania and New YorkAugust 12, 2007
Starting from Scratch with Small-Scale Cheese ProductionSeptember 30, 2007
Aug. 17, 2007
WORCESTER, N.Y. — Autumn Valley Farm announces that it has received a clean bill of health from the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets and will immediately resume on-site raw milk sales to its consumers. Autumn Valley Farm holds a Department permit to legally sell raw milk, and had voluntarily suspended sales after the Department’s Food Laboratory detected the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in a routine sample taken on July 16, 2007. No illnesses were associated with Autumn Valley Farm milk, and suspending sales was strictly a precautionary measure. The Department’s subsequent testing has not detected any additional pathogens and the Farm has been given permission to resume sales.
“We would like to thank all our customers for their patience and understanding while our milk sales were suspended, and to welcome everyone back now that we’re up and running again,” states co-owner Lori McGrath. “We pride ourselves on our clean operations and run an immaculate farm. Our customers love our milk and were a bit upset when we had to stop sales, but everyone understands that the state has to be pacified because the Agriculture Department is deathly afraid that any kind of an outbreak will hurt the commercial milk industry,” continues McGrath. “What people may not realize is that Listeria is virtually everywhere in the environment and in our homes – it’s probably in many people’s kitchens, and other people may be disease-free carriers. Of all the Listeria strains only monocytogenes actually causes disease in humans, and even that is
pretty rare. And in fact, the Center for Disease Control reported that from 1973 to 2005 there were absolutely no Listeria illnesses at all from drinking raw milk,” says McGrath.
The Department’s web site indicates that Autumn Valley Farm is the third raw milk permit holder in the state to suspend sales in 2007 due to possible L. monocytogenes contamination, and an additional farm suspended raw milk sales due to possible Campylobacter contamination. However, no illnesses were reported from consumption of any milk or milk products from the affected farms and all are presumed to be back in operation.
“I’m a little concerned that the Agriculture Department may be crying ‘Wolf’ a bit too often,” states McGrath. “There’s always a danger that the public may just start ignoring all these warnings after they realize that no-one is actually getting sick, and that might be problematic if there ever is a serious contamination issue in raw milk or milk from the grocery store.” “Clean raw milk from pasture-fed cows really is an amazing food,” states Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. “Clean raw milk can have lower bacteria counts than pasteurized milk and contains the healthy bacteria of lactic-acid fermentation, not the bacteria of spoilage. These probiotic bacteria, active enzymes and other defense mechanisms out-compete any invading pathogens, causing them to simply disappear from the milk. You might be able to barely detect them at first, but within a day they’re just gone. These probiotics nourish your digestive system, contribute to your over-all good health and keep you from getting sick,” continues Fallon.
According to the FDA’s manual for detecting and enumerating L. monocytogenes in foods, the samples first undergo an enrichment and incubation process in order to culture a detectable amount of bacteria. During the enrichment process the samples are chemically altered to specifically encourage the growth of Listeria and prevent the growth of competing bacteria, but the process also disables the protection mechanisms present in the raw milk. The samples are then heated to 86 degrees Fahrenheit and are cultured at that temperature for two days. Autumn Valley Farm reports that an independent laboratory tested raw milk samples taken from the farm’s bulk tank on July 23rd, and as an extra precaution the samples were cultured for an additional day beyond the FDA’s requirements. The independent laboratory detected no viable Listeria cells or other pathogens, and the state’s subsequent test samples were also free of contamination.
“The state’s detection methods don’t take these special properties of clean raw milk into account and treat the samples like any other processed and lifeless food,” says Fallon. “Raw milk from small family-run farms is immediately refrigerated after milking and is typically sold within a day or two – the freshest milk you can find. The conditions and the stress that the milk undergoes during testing bear no resemblance to how the milk is treated in the real world, which explains why they can claim to find contamination but nobody ever gets sick. Since all raw milk permit-holder samples are now apparently being handled in the state laboratory in Albany using an older manual measuring process I’m hoping that these unnecessary contamination alerts will stop with a little education at the state level.”
About Autumn Valley Farm
Autumn Valley Farm has forty-four cows grazing on 160 acres and is owned by Lori and Darren McGrath. Autumn Valley Farm has been in operation for the past six years and has held a raw milk permit for eight months.
About the Weston A. Price Foundation
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity founded in 1999 to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, and is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. The Foundation has local
chapters in all fifty states and in over ten countries.
Autumn Valley Farm
1644 County Highway #39, Worcester, New York, 12197
The Weston A. Price Foundation


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Senet, Inc. announced it has partnered with Eutelsat Communications, TrakAssure and Wyld Networks to bring seamlessly integrated and interoperable terrestrial and satellite LoRaWAN® IoT connectivity to customers across the globe.
Partners with Infineon Technologies and ThinkSeed Systems for secure ranging and location in IoT applications
January 5, 2022
Mauna Kea Semiconductors (MKSemi) announced the closing of Series Pre-A+ funding totaling $12.8 million led by Lightspeed China Partners with participation by marquee investors Qiming Venture and Ivy Capital.
Qorvo® announced it is supplying UWB technology for Google’s Pixel 6 Pro flagship smartphone, enabling a breadth of new use cases from “find my stuff” to location-based “secure association” applications.
The LoRa Alliance® announced that LoRaWAN was officially approved as a standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies.


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US economy shrinks 0.7% in first quarter
The US economy contracted 0.7 % in the first quarter of 2015, with the impact of a ports slowdown and cautious consumer spending worse than originally estimated.
The Commerce Department's revised estimate of gross domestic product Friday confirmed the stall in the first three months of the year, which had raised worries about the underlying strength of the world's largest economy six years after the Great Recession. Economists had expected a sharp reduction in the original estimate of a 0.2 % annual pace of growth, as more detailed data has trickled out in recent weeks.
But the poorer numbers for the January-March period also supported what Federal Reserve economists have pinpointed as largely "transitory" reasons for the downturn, leading to expectations of a firm rebound in the current quarter.The slowdown from a 2.2 % pace of growth in the 2014 fourth quarter was due in large part to the impact on trade of the three-month West Coast ports slowdown that ended in February, and the loss of competitiveness of US exports due to the stronger dollar.
Overall, net trade had a negative 1.9 % impact on GDP. Exports fell 7.6 % in the quarter, after growing 4.5 % the previous period. Meanwhile, imports rose 5.6 %, just over half the pace of the previous quarter.In addition, private inventory investment by businesses was lower than previously estimated. And other key drivers of growth were weak: personal consumption, business investment, and government spending.
Some of that is also linked to extremely harsh winter weather than swept large parts of the country during the period, stifling business and consumer activity, especially construction.On the bright side, spending on houses and business equipment improved in the quarter.
Q2 rebound expected
The second winter quarter stall in two years has supported continued doubts over the overall strength of the US economy. Yet early data for the period since April is generally better, raising hopes for a firm rebound.
The trade backlog is mostly cleared up; housing sales have strengthened; and job creation is solid, even if wages remain flat. "This was not a good picture of the US economy but it is all history," said Jennifer Lee of BMO Capital Markets."We are more than halfway through Q2 and we are seeing signs that the economy is recovering."
There is still some worry that US consumers are still being cautious and not spending the windfall gains from sharply lower gasoline prices. But indications from the tourism industry suggest that consumers are preparing to let loose in the summer holiday season. "The transitory conditions that depressed first quarter growth will reverse in the second quarter with more normal weather and as the effects of the port disruptions diminish," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS."We expect consumer spending to accelerate somewhat in the second quarter with more normal weather."
Markets took the downgrade to the GDP estimate in stride, reacting more to fresh data releases showing a downturn in consumer confidence this month and a slowdown in business activity in the Chicago region. The broad-based S&P 500 lost 0.6 %, but remained close to Wednesday's record, while the dollar edged 0.2 % higher against the euro to $1.097.


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The industry-defining Jaguar F-TYPE has won the Performance Car of the Year category at the prestigious Honest John awards. The two-seater British sportscar has now claimed over 175 awards for its world-renowned abilities on both road and track.
The Honest John Performance Car award is the latest to be presented to the Jaguar F-TYPE for its timeless abilities and industry-leading performance capability. The Honest John Awards are one of the few in the automotive industry that are decided by its readers. The news and reviews related to specific models that bring the most attention to the site are chosen for the awards. In this case, the Jaguar F-TYPE was the site’s most popular Performance Car from April 2018 to April 2019.
Rawdon Glover, Jaguar Land Rover UK MD, said: “The introduction of F-TYPE was a seminal moment in modern Jaguar history and one that we’re immensely proud of. Each and every Jaguar model in the range has taken inspiration from the F-TYPE’s design and dynamic characteristics and it’s fantastic to see its timeless appeal shining as bright as ever with Honest John’s readership.”
UK and Europe:
Telephone: 07836 687898.
YouTube: Jaguar Magazine TV


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Konami has issued a public apology for Xbox 360 users of Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2014 for the issues it has been presenting when it comes to the online features of the game.
Reportedly, some users are unable to download a a data file pack that would allow them to play online, by getting the error message “The downloaded file is broken”.
“We are very sorry for this and we are working hard in collaboration with Microsoft to fix this issue and get you on the field as quickly as possible. We are still in discussions with Microsoft trying to understand what might be causing this.”
That’s what Konami says in their


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Books Below the Equator Raises Global Awareness in Greene County
A group of Greene County middle school students is raising money to promote literacy around the globe. Students from William Monroe Middle School spent the morning selling crafts, cards, and baked goods at the Holiday City Market in Charlottesville.
Books Below the Equator is raising money to take books to students in Ecuador next summer. However, the project's focus is much more than just words on a page.
William Monroe middle school teacher Erin James said, "Part of the project is global awareness and raising environmental awareness not only in our own community, but also helping the students on the Galapagos Islands."
This is the school's first international project, and will be the first time many students have traveled outside the united states.


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Report: Beijing Auto to Build Previous-Gen Saab 9-5 in China
Beijing Auto, the Chinese automaker that has offered to invest in the Koenigsegg-led purchase of Saab from General Motors, has confirmed that in return it will build the current (or previous) generation Saab 9-5 in China. In exchange for its involvement in supporting the deal, Beijing Auto (BAIC) will get all of Saab’s now discontinued 1998-2009 first-generation 9-5 tooling equipment. With the equipment, the Chinese automaker is expected to continue producing the old 9-5 for many years to come.
Beijing has not confirmed if the new versions of the old 9-5 platform will be sold outside of China, but it does expect to have a production facility functioning in the next six months.