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When Jason Krulicki decided to open his second One Plant cannabis store in the Greater Toronto Area, he took a different approach to choosing its location from the first, which is nestled among a cluster of stores in bustling Kensington Market.
This time, he looked far beyond downtown, all the way to Dufferin and Steeles — the city limits.
“I really liked that location because it's actually right on the border of a place where they had opted out of [legal cannabis retail],” he says. “To be across Steeles Avenue from Vaughan, I thought, was a huge win for the location.”
In the months leading up to weed legalization, Ontario municipalities could opt out entirely from the concept, meaning no legal weed stores would open in those areas, at least not yet. Since it would be impossible to opt out after opting in, some councils decided to at least not move ahead with stores until legalization and its impacts played out in other jurisdictions.
As of May in Ontario alone, 68 municipalities were still opt-outs according to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) — some in dense, populated areas like Vaughan (pop. 323,281), Markham (pop. 342,970) and suburban mammoth Mississauga (pop. 721,599).
Two-and-a-half years after legalization, at least two million Ontarians don’t have a cannabis store within their township or city, creating vast “weed deserts,” as they’re often called. And they’re not unique to Ontario. Citing a lack of available commercial space, White City, a suburb outside of Regina, was the only town to opt out of cannabis retail in Saskatchewan. Six communities in Manitoba — two of which with a strong connection to alcohol prohibition — voted against cannabis retail. And in British Columbia, arguably Canada’s legacy cannabis epicentre, 12 municipalities including Abbotsford, Surrey and Burnaby haven’t permitted legal cannabis retail.
On any given day during the pandemic since they opened on March 21, Krulicki says anywhere from 50 to 75 per cent of the store’s delivery requests come from Vaughan. While he concedes that delivery is not a hugely profitable enterprise, he thinks it makes people familiar with the brand and begin to create some loyalty to the store while also eating into the illicit market, especially with innovative products like drinks and concentrates.
But he also acknowledges that the illicit market is fierce competition, and it can be annoying to see the pages and pages of illicit delivery services listed online, also hoping to serve customers living in deserts.
In November, Peel Police held a press conference to announce they had arrested 88 suspected members of the Mississauga and Brampton-based New Money So Sick gang, who they believed were connected to activities like money laundering, human trafficking, and several homicides.
“This organization has been linked to some of the most thoughtless violence our community has suffered for the last several years,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nish Duraiappah said. Police laid more than 300 charges, alleging that the gang was responsible for the 2019 shooting death of 17-year-old Anthony Davis, who was reportedly watching the gang shoot a music video a rival gang pulled up and sprayed approximately 140 rounds. They said the gang was suspected to beinvolved in the shooting murder of 28-year-old Giovanni Delahaye, who was sitting at a red light near Hwy. 410 and Derry Rd. in Mississauga in October of 2019.
And then there was the shooting death of 25-year-old Abdifatah Salah, killed at a townhouse complex in 2019. Police have not shared a potential motive, but noted that Salah was a loyal customer to the gang’s alleged mobile cannabis operation, Sickspensary. Investigators say search warrants led to them seizing 34 firearms, almost $1.4 million cash and more than $1.9 million worth of drugs, including 1.4 kg of fentanyl, 13.7 kg of cocaine, 1.2 kg of crack and 187 kg of cannabis.
“It is the investigators’ belief that the victim’s association with Sickspensary was a factor in his murder,” said Superintendent Martin Ottaway, leaving a lot to the imagination.
While buying from most illicit services likely won’t get you killed, it’s hard not to wonder how Mississauga’s opting out of legal cannabis could mean that while most of the rest of the country’s illicit cannabis market is shrinking according to Statistics Canada, weed deserts could be trending in the other direction — and what the actual impacts of some of that activity can be.
This past spring, Peel Police presented a report on cannabis, which was requested by town council, to the police services board. Brampton, which opted into legal weed, is now home to several cannabis shops which serve the community and Mississauga, the weed desert next door. They also counted at least 100 cannabis illicit mobile delivery services serving the desert, some of which were former bricks-and-mortar dispensaries that had been shuttered by police (at a cost of about $15,000 per shop, according to the report).
“... a potential buyer will access a website such as weedmaps.com and select a location,” the report explains. “However, upon arrival there is no dispensary, just a seller using a vehicle. Commonly known as a ‘Pop Up,’ the seller will wait at this location until he observes a number of clients arrive and then sell to these clients relatively quickly before leaving the area.”
While it’s hardly an alluring shopping experience, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and town council aren’t underestimating the potential issue, and have agreed to debate opting in again in June. But she has maintained that their concerns about the Ontario legislation are valid — that mandating that stores be a certain distance from schools was a good start, but should include more types of congregate settings like daycares, parks and even bus stops. They also wouldn’t have control over how many stores could cluster in some popular areas, a pattern in some neighbourhoods in cities like Toronto and Hamilton.
Alex Krause, communications director for Canada’s chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML Canada), said deserts could actually be harmful.
“It is clear that opt-out/’weed desert’ zones have resulted in two separate negative consequences,” he said. “It incentivizes illicit market activity in these zones, and also puts pressure on adjacent jurisdictions for more retail stores than they can realistically/sustainably support, which creates ‘clusters’ that may be counter to success of small business entrepreneurs setting up shop in these areas.”
Further, the presence of clusters or any legal cannabis retail has not shown to have negative effects or produce negative incidents in neighbourhoods, he said.
For Michael LeBlanc, a consultant to the Retail Council of Canada said it’s okay that Mississauga and other deserts waited to see what those potential impacts could be, and that they would be happy to sit down with town council to educate and negotiate through some of their concerns about cannabis stores.
“You know, they certainly weren't first in the game, but you know, the old saying: the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time was today,” he said. “Listen, it's never too late. You're not going to hear our retail cannabis retailers, say, you know, ‘I'm not coming there. Because you waited too long.’”
One Plant’s Jason Krulicki knows more competition is planning to cluster near his spot in North York — it’s already mapped on the AGCO website. But he’s confident his store can survive, whether Vaughan opts in or not.
“I think having a bunch of good legal stores is good for everybody because it squeezes out the illicit market,” he said. “And then you have to win on service, selection and price. And those are things that I'm confident that we can exceed at.”


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Palm eases on lower July exports, output concerns provide support
Malaysian palm oil futures edged down on Wednesday on a decline in July exports so far and lower rival Chicago soyoil prices, but losses were capped by a weaker ringgit and supply worries.
The benchmark palm oil contract FCPOc3 for October delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended down 6 ringgit, or 0.14%, at 4,145 ringgit ($979.91) a tonne, after falling as much as 1.76% during the session.
Prices dropped as poor performance in both the Dalian and Chicago exchanges prompted traders to book profits, said Paramalingam Supramaniam, director at Selangor-based brokerage Pelindung Bestari.
A weaker ringgit and firmer physical crude palm oil prices helped prevent a major sell-off, he added.
The ringgit MYR=, palm’s currency of trade, fell 0.19% against the dollar to its lowest since August 2020, making palm more attractive to holders of foreign currencies.
Export shipments from Malaysia during July 1-20 fell 7.9% to 863,586 tonnes compared with the same period in June, cargo surveyor Amspec Agri said.
There are risks that palm oil production could come in below the potential due to the impact of lower fertiliser usage over the last two years and a worker shortage in Malaysia, Ong Chee Ting, an analyst at Maybank Kim Eng, said in a note.
Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract DBYcv1 fell 0.3%, while its palm oil contract DCPcv1 was unchanged. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade BOcv1 were down 1%.
Palm oil is affected by price movements in related oils as they compete for a share in the global vegetable oils market.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; editing by Vinay Dwivedi and Aditya Soni)

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Credit card processing fees are often the highest expense for business owners after inventory and labor. Unfortunately, most business owners don’t realize they can save substantially with a little research and comparison shopping.
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) December 06, 2011
The record-breaking 226 million shoppers that came out in droves Black Friday weekend were certainly welcome to small businesses, but the sales came at a price, says FeeFighters.com, a comparison shopping site for credit card processing services. With increased use of credit cards, smaller retailers will feel the hit of unnecessary credit card processing fees immediately and throughout the holiday season.
It is estimated that small businesses will rack up more than $340 million in unnecessary credit card processing fees over this holiday season. Unlike big box retailers that have the clout to negotiate low credit card processing rates, small business owners get mired in fine print and high fees from credit card processors which can severely hurt their bottom lines.
With 25 to 40% of a retailer’s annual revenue coming from the holiday season, it’s absolutely imperative for businesses to save where they can. Many aren’t aware that there are options to reduce credit card processing fees, which could save them thousands of dollars over the holidays.
“Credit card processing fees are often the highest expense for business owners after inventory and labor. Unfortunately, most business owners don’t realize they can save substantially with a little research and comparison shopping,” said Sean Harper, CEO of FeeFighters.com.
Chicago-based FeeFighters aims to help small businesses cut down their processing fees by comparing rates in a merchant friendly, competitive marketplace. Business owners simply enter information about their business on an online form, and receive competitive bids from processors. This saves an average of 40% on fees, and the process only takes 3 minutes.
"With December being our biggest retail month of the year, I am glad to have recently switched to FeeFighters. We are happy that we will see a substantial savings over our previous credit card processor," says Judith Arnell, owner of Judith Arnell Jewelers, a jewelry store based in Portland, Oregon.
For more information about how to cut down your credit card processing fees, please visit FeeFighters.com.
FeeFighters.com is an online comparison-shopping service that enables business owners to shop for credit card processing services quickly, efficiently, and at no cost.
FeeFighters evens the playing field for business owners, letting them keep more of their money without time-consuming, annoying sales calls from service providers. For ecommerce companies, FeeFighters recently released Samurai, the most powerful online payments tool.


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LONDON — Apple’s App Store helped usher in the smartphone economy, leading to the birth of now-ubiquitous services such as Instagram, Uber and Candy Crush, and providing a transformative new way for people to shop from their phones.
But for companies that wanted to offer their products through Apple’s digital store, there has always been a catch: To reach customers, you had to agree to Apple’s terms and conditions, including sharing certain data with the company and giving them a percentage of any future sales made through the iPhone or iPad app.
Now European regulators are questioning whether Apple’s terms go too far.
On Tuesday, the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, said it had opened a formal antitrust investigation to determine if the terms Apple imposes on app developers violate competition rules. The commission said it also launched a separate investigation to see whether Apple is boxing out rivals to its mobile payments system, Apple Pay.
The new probes come as officials in Brussels and Washington are scrutinizing the power of the world’s largest technology platforms. Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google are being investigated by antitrust authorities over their growing power, particularly their position as gatekeepers upon which other companies depend on to reach customers.
“Apple obtained a ‘gatekeeper’ role when it comes to the distribution of apps and content to users of Apple’s popular devices,” said Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission vice president in charge of competition policy. “We need to ensure that Apple’s rules do not distort competition in markets where Apple is competing with other app developers,” she added.
The case against Apple stems from a complaint made last year by Spotify, whose music-streaming service competes with Apple Music. Spotify and others have criticized Apple for imposing rules and charging a fee of up to 30 percent on anything sold through its App Store. Spotify argued the fee constituted a tax that violated competition laws and merited an investigation. In March, the European Commission said an e-book and audiobook distributor that it didn’t identify filed a similar complaint.
“Apple’s anticompetitive behavior has intentionally disadvantaged competitors, created an unlevel playing field, and deprived consumers of meaningful choice for far too long,” Spotify said in a statement Tuesday. “We welcome the European Commission’s decision to formally investigate Apple, and hope they’ll act with urgency to ensure fair competition on the iOS platform for all participants in the digital economy.”
On Monday, European authorities said a preliminary investigation showed the complaints had merit.
Josh Rosenstock, a spokesman for Apple, said the company disagreed with the European Commission’s decision to start the investigations, describing the complaints that it is breaking antitrust laws as “baseless.”
“Throughout our history, Apple has created groundbreaking new products and services in some of the most fiercely competitive markets in the world,” he said. “We follow the law in everything we do and we embrace competition at every stage because we believe it pushes us to deliver even better results.”
In Europe, the world’s largest technology companies have long been viewed with suspicion as they have consolidated power over the digital economy. In 2016, the European Commission ordered Ireland to collect 13 billion euros in unpaid taxes from Apple, worth about $14.7 billion today. The antitrust authorities have also issued billions of dollars in fines against Google for antitrust violations in recent years, while Amazon and Facebook are also facing fresh scrutiny.
Tuesday’s announcement about Apple is just one step in what could be a yearslong process. The commission could spend a year or more investigating the company’s practices before determining whether to bring charges.
In addition to Apple’s App Store policies, European authorities are investigating the Apple Pay payments service that allows people to make purchases within apps or in shops with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The questions surround the requirements that companies must agree to when integrating Apple Pay into apps or websites. The commission said it would review how the company controls access to “tap and go” technology for rival payment systems on Apple devices.
“It is important that Apple’s measures do not deny consumers the benefits of new payment technologies, including better choice, quality, innovation and competitive prices,” Ms. Vestager said.
The Apple investigation is part of a multifront challenge that the biggest tech companies are grappling with around the world.
In Germany and Britain, lawmakers are debating changes to antitrust laws that would make it easier for authorities to bring tech cases. European Union officials are debating a digital services law with wide-ranging implications, including potential liability rules for harmful content spread on social media, as well as expanded powers for regulators to quickly step in against what they conclude are unfair business practices. Australia, India and Brazil are also cracking down.
In the United States, Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook are facing investigations from the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and Congress, as well as many states.


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At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con 2018 event during a 10th anniversary celebration for the Star Wars The Clone Wars Dave Filoni has announced that Star Wars The Clone Wars will be returning with 12 all-new episodes on Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming service.
The Clone Wars was created by George Lucas and first aired in 2008 following fan-favourites such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padmé Amidala, together with new characters like Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex.
Star Wars The Clone Wars Returns
— Star Wars (@starwars) 19 July 2018
“Its stories were complex, its heroes and villains were perfectly imperfect, and its look was captivatingly beautiful. It became a multi-Emmy winner and is now regarded as essential Star Wars. But it was never finished. The Clone Wars ended after five broadcast seasons — just as Ahsoka left the Jedi Order. A few post-Season Five episodes were later released as “The Lost Missions,” but the story wasn’t over. Fans have clamored for Disney and Lucasfilm to finish what was started ever since. And now it’s actually happening.”
For more information jump over to the official Star Wars website by following the link below.
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.


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The Maine Public Utilities Commission last week voted to require Central Maine Power to offer an opt-out program for customers who choose not to have a standard smart meter installed as part of CMP’s smart meter program.
Under the Maine PUC decision, Customers in CMP service territory will have two new opt-out options: the availability of the smart meter with its transmitter turned off and the ability to retain the existing (or analog) meter.
The customer who chooses an opt-out option will pay the associated costs of that option: a) smart meter with transmitter off will carry an initial charge of $20.00 and a monthly charge of $10.50; b) existing analog meter option will carry the initial charge of $40.00 and a monthly charge of $12.00. In order to address concerns of low-income customers, those who are eligible for Low Income Heating Assistance (LIHEAP), will be charged only 50% of the cost of their chosen opt-out option. CMP is required to develop and implement a smart meter opt-out communication plan intended to inform customers about the program during the company’s deployment of their smart meter program.
CMP started installing the advanced meters in the fall of 2010 and about a third of the utility's customers now have them, according to a news report from Maine Public Broadcasting Network. But it didn't take long after the installations began for some CMP customers to loudly protest the meter deployment – in a scenario very much like the backlash against Pacific Gas & Electric in California in and led to a similar state commission-mandated opt out program.
CMP had strongly objected to offering any options, saying they would be costly and dilute the effectiveness of the technology for the vast majority of customers who want smart meters. In the end, the company chose not to appeal the decision and deferred to the PUC, saying it was up to regulators to set the policy for smart meters.


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Interesting police reports in Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton.
NOT SO CONVENIENT THEFT
6400 block of State Road 64, Bradenton
Lost wallet: A man came to the Sheriff's Office to report he had left his wallet at the counter of a convenience store after he made a purchase. He went out to his car and realize he had left it on the counter. When he went back, it was gone. The man asked the clerk if he could look at the security cameras, but the clerk said only the store manager could show him the video and the store manager wasn't there. The clerk also said he didn't know when the manager might be back to the store. The man told deputies that along with his property, he had him mother-in-law's debit card in his wallet. The deputy asked to speak to the manager about seeing the security footage and was told the manager was not there.
THIEF GIVES UP HER PARTNER
4500 block of 53rd Avenue East, Bradenton
Retail theft: Security cameras captured two shoplifters at the self-checkout station of a department store. The suspects combined to ring up some items and not others. Together, they bagged all the items, failing to ring up 32 items valued at $122.22. Store security stopped the suspects as they left the store. The male subject ran out of the store and fled the scene, leaving behind his female partner. She then gave security the male's phone number, which security called. The male suspect then returned to the store. Both subjects were released at the scene on a Notice to Appear. Security gave Sheriff's Office deputies video of the incident. The video was placed into property and evidence.
THIEF CAUSES HEALTHY LOSS
8500 block of Cooper Creek Boulevard, Bradenton
Theft: A man went to the Sheriff's Office to report someone stole his wallet at a health club and then made a $213.95 purchase at a music store with his debit card. The victim had placed his gym bag, car keys and wallet into a secured locker. When he returned to his locker, he noticed the lock was missing and discovered his black leather bi-fold wallet had been stolen. He immediately checked his bank account and noticed a $213.95 charge at the music store at the UTC mall. He notified his bank and canceled his debit and credit cards. The wallet contained his Florida drivers license, a concealed carry license, his debit and credit card, his USF student ID, his health insurance card, and $400 in cash.
VICTIM MAKES CALL FOR HELP
600 block of Planters Manor Way
Identity theft: A couple contacted the Sheriff's Office and reported they began to notice their home phone was not working property as they could make outgoing calls but they couldn't receive any. They contacted their service provider and learned someone had requested a cellphone with the victim's home phone number. Whomever opened the new accounted had their personal identification number. Eventually, they could even call out from their home phone. The couple began contacting their credit card companies, telling them their identity had been stolen. While contacting the credit card companies, they noticed their Visa card had been used at a grocery store with a charge of $416.25. They tried to use the card at the same store with a charge of $423.52, but it was declined.


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British based company to become part of Sony Professional
Sony has officially announced that it has acquired the UK based company Hawk-Eye Ltd, best known for introducing live sports tracking technology now commonly used in both cricket and tennis.
No financial details of the buyout have been revealed, but Sony aims to use its latest purchase to deliver "innovative solutions for sports stadia and broadcasters"
On the acquisition Naomi Climer, Vice-President Sony Europe, commented, "Hawk-Eye is recognised globally for its innovative solutions for resolving close calls in critical sporting situations, particularly in cricket and tennis where they have developed a worldwide reputation. Players, officials and sports fans have all appreciated the accurate and entertaining way in which Hawk-Eye has integrated its technology into these key sports."
Paul Hawkins, the founder of Hawk-Eye, said, "Over the last decade Hawk-Eye has become the reference standard technology for ball tracking and graphics in tennis, cricket and snooker. Our skills and established knowledge coupled with Sony's breadth of capabilities and technologies will create immense opportunities for the sports industry."
Interestingly, as football governing body FIFA met last week to discuss the possibility of goal-line technology finally being introduced to the beautiful game, this could well pave the way for Hawk-Eye to finally eradicate errors like Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa last summer.
Sony has already kicked up a working relationship with FIFA after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was broadcast in 3D, so Hawk-Eye may just be next on the agenda. Lampard perhaps won't be the only one hoping it does...
Link: Sony Europe


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Europe has been kind to the travel portals. Timely acquisitions, overseas e-commerce migration, and resilient currencies have made the European arms of leading travel sites like Expedia
Now travel publisher Travelzoo
The company behind the Top 20 list of weekly travel deals issued a press release this morning that sounded upbeat at first.
- "7 Million Internet Users Visit Travelzoo's European Websites," reads the headline.
- "UK, German and French Websites Enjoy Record Traffic levels in First Quarter," reads the sub-headline.
- The opening paragraph leans on Google Analytics data, showing Travelzoo's European traffic grew to 7.1 million during the quarter, well ahead of the more than 3 million it claimed during the same three months a year ago.
If it sounds too good to be true, well, it is. Keep in mind that 1.4 million of those visitors came to the company's French site, which opened just three months ago. Another 1.3 million of those 7.1 million users checked in from Germany, a site that was launched just five months ago.
In other words, the German and French websites scored "record traffic levels" during the period because it was their only complete quarter in business. And because neither site was around when Google's
On an apples-to-apples basis, Travelzoo is clearly growing in Europe. The company's United Kingdom website attracted 4.4 million visitors during the quarter. That's a respectable advance from the more than 3 million travel-deal-seeking locals it attracted a year ago. Travelzoo also shows that nearly a third of its traffic is coming from type-in traffic. That is huge news in that it means cheaper customer acquisition costs for Travelzoo, as well as healthy brand awareness.
So what's with Travelzoo's smoke and mirrors here when it still has a good story to tell? It could be that investors haven't been served well by Travelzoo's foreign forays lately.
Travelzoo's stock was slammed two months ago, when the company reported that it barely broke even for its fourth quarter. The problem was that its effective income tax rate clocked in at a whopping 98.3%. And you thought your tax bite was bad?
The reason for the hefty bill is that losses widened in Asia and Europe, and those losses can't be used to offset domestic taxable gains. This morning's press release may be encouraging on the traffic front, but will it spill over into actual profitability overseas soon?
That is what we're waiting for. That is what is holding the company back, unlike more successful niche-specific lead-generating portals Bankrate
The Travelzoo brand and potential are compelling. Now let's see the company roll up its sleeves and deliver real growth without the trickery.
Book this Foolishness:
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has been booking travel online since the 1990s but does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early. The Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Watchdog Ready to Pounce on Local Chicken Cartels15 February 2012
SOUTH AFRICA - While the local poultry industry is urging the authorities to protect it against the alleged dumping of Brazilian chicken, the competition watchdog is wrapping up investigations into anticompetitive conduct by some of its members.
The International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) said on Monday it had asked for additional provisional duty payments from Brazilian poultry producers to protect the local industry — although its findings into claims of dumping had not been finalised.
BusinessDay reports that the Competition Commission yesterday confirmed it was in the final stages of investigating complaints on allocation of markets, bids to stabilise prices, and information sharing in the local industry — and had found contraventions.
The commission’s head of enforcement and exemptions, Keith Weeks, said yesterday "adverse findings" were likely against some of the companies investigated. Negotiations for possible settlements had already started.
Mr Weeks said there had been import competition in the poultry industry, but there were concerns about a lack of local competition.
The commission prioritised food and agro-processing in 2006 due to the prevalence of cartels in the sector and the effect on consumers, especially the poor.
In April 2009, it initiated investigations into complaints about anticompetitive conduct in the market for poultry products, poultry feed and poultry breeding stock and broiler production.
The investigations probed the South African Poultry Association — which brought the complaint against Brazilian producers — the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association, Rainbow Chicken , Astral Foods, Pioneer, Country Bird Holdings and Afgri . The commission has already reached a settlement agreement with Pioneer Foods.
"It seems as if the mind-set of aversion to competition is deeply entrenched in the agricultural sector," Mr Weeks said.
The Poultry Association’s complaint about Brazilian exporters is another indication of the industry’s aversion to competition.
Itac found in its preliminary probe that increased imports of chicken products from Brazil had led to material injury to producers in the Southern African Customs Union.
Zoleka Xabendlini, Itac senior manager of trade remedies, said the decision on material injury was based on a "holistic analysis" of all injury indicators. This entailed an evaluation of price undercutting, price depression, price suppression, sales volumes, sales values, output, inventory, profit, ability to raise capital, market share and productivity.
The commission found that for whole chicken there was "positive material injury" with regard to Brazilian price undercutting, market share and growth.
Return on net assets, cash flows and capital expenditure had to be considered with circumspection as they related to total production of a company and were not product-specific, Ms Xabendlini explained.
Itac found that many of the indicators were in positive territory.
The Competition Commission investigated allegations that members of the local poultry industry had agreed to divide the market by allocating territory and customers.
"As a result of the collusion, the respondents charged significantly higher prices than the independent or small manufacturers, even though their cost bases are similar. Their prices were in some instances 25 per cent higher than those of the smaller poultry feed producers," the commission said in a statement in November 2010.
In Itac’s injury investigation it considered and evaluated data from January 1 2008 until December 31 2010 from three manufacturers in the regional customs union.
From 2008 to 2010, sales value for local manufacturers increased from 100 base points to 104. Even though there had been negative growth in profit during 2008 and 2009, profitability returned in 2010. Output increased during the period of investigation, but market share decreased by 40 percentage points.
According to production and employment figures from local producers, Itac found both had risen.
The consolidated net profit on all chicken products increased from 100 base points in 2008 to 915 points in 2010, and incoming cash flow for the industry increased.
In its preliminary findings, however, Itac found there was material injury in the form of price undercutting, market share (erosion) and growth. It therefore asked for additional import duties of 6%-63% above the existing 27 per cent on whole birds.
David Wolpert, CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters, said yesterday it would use the window of opportunity until the finalisation of the investigation to address some outstanding issues.
His organisation maintained there was no injury and that the financial reports of major players in the local market did not reflect an industry in need of protection.
Some of the information supplied by the importers and exporters had been disqualified by Itac and those were the issues that will be addressed in the next 26 weeks, he said.
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IBM leads the worldwide server market in Q2 2013, claiming a 25.6 percent share with a revenue of $3.156 billion USD, Gartner reports. As per the same quarter in 2012, that number is actually down 9.7 percent from a 27.2 percent market share and revenue of $3.496 billion USD. Both HP and Oracle saw a decline year-over-year while Dell, Cisco, and another of others saw growth.
Whereas the general server market revenue drops to 3.8% in the second quarter, worldwide server shipments actually elevated 4 percent year-over-year. Inspur Electronics saw the most shipments, up 211.8 percent with 20,960 shipments in 2012 and 65,350 shipments in 2013. Only with distant second, Cisco came next with a 58.5 percent increase year-over-year then followed by “others” (14.4 percent) and Dell (1.7 percent). IBM shipments fell 8 percent year-over-year and HP dropped 13.6 percent.
Despite HP’s drop in server shipments, the company remained the worldwide market leader in Q2 2013 with a 23.9 percent market share and 586,857 shipments. Dell with a 22.4 market share came in at a close second followed by IBM (8.5 percent), Cisco (3.2), and Inspur Electronics (2.7 percent). According to Gartner reports that Inspurentered the top five thanks to a significant High-performance Computing (HPC) deal that it won in its native China during the quarter.
“In terms of server form factors, x86 blade servers declined by 3 percent in shipments and 4.5 percent in revenue for the quarter,” the firm said. “The x86 rack-optimized form factor climbed 3.9 percent in shipments and 2.4 percent in revenue for the second quarter.“
Server shipments decline 5.9 percent in Q2 2013 weigh against to Q2 2012, with server shipments reaching 550,537 units particularly in the European, Middle Eastern, and African regions (EMEA). HP led the server market in this region, shipping 222,016 units and owning 40.30 percent of the market. Dell followed with 114,057 shipments as well as IBM (47,550), Fujitsu (24,325) and Cisco (14,484).
Regarding the revenue during the same quarter, HP is still leading the pack with $1.045 billion USD, then IBM with the raking in $834.8 million USD followed by Dell ($434.9 million), Oracle ($193.5 million), and Fujitsu ($175.8 million) — revenue for all others combined was $426.5 million USD. From the top five to show revenue growth, Dell and Fujitsu remained the only two vendors. The EMEA market lacks the hyper scale segment growth that other regions benefit from, Gartner said.
“In the second quarter of 2013, x86 server revenue decreased 4.7 percent in EMEA, while RISC/Itanium UNIX revenue fell 22.6 percent,” the firm said. “Revenue for the ‘other’ CPU segment grew 44.3 percent. The RISC/Itanium UNIX segment continued to suffer from migrations to alternative platforms as users sought lower cost alternatives and more flexibility. The ‘other’ CPU category, which is primarily driven by mainframes, saw a double-digit increase thanks to platform refreshes. “
Adrian O’Connell, research director at Gartner, said that weak enterprise demand, combined with consolidation and platform migration, continued to dampen theEMEA server market during Q2 2013. Recognized vendors like HP, Dell, and IBMwere also gradually more challenged. These challenges are relatively-new vendors such as Cisco and local OEMs like Huawei and the current worldwide PC market leader Lenovo. ODMs selling directly to large end-users also posed as a problem for the larger companies.


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Lucknow Super Giants has become the fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) team to sign up with BookMyShow ahead of the new season.
Lucknow Super Giants follow Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders in partnering with the platform for the upcoming IPL cricket season, which begins on Friday (March 22).
Paytm Insider is signed with five teams, while Royal Challengers Bangalore is selling tickets on its own official website after a tie-up with Ticket Genie.
The Super Giants will collaborate with BookMyShow to establish ticketing booths at convenient locations throughout Lucknow, while home delivery is also available. Fans can also acquire tickets for all home games at the 50,000-capacity Ekana Cricket Stadium via the online platform.
Anil Makhija, chief operating officer of live Entertainment and venues at BookMyShow, said: “We’re delighted to be the exclusive ticketing partner of Lucknow Super Giants for the 17th edition of the world’s most loved sporting extravaganza.
“With LSG’s well-balanced team of iconic veterans and promising new talent, anticipation for the upcoming matches is soaring and we wish the team good luck! Through this partnership, BookMyShow is committed to providing its suite of unmatched services to all fans so they enjoy another nail-biting cricketing season.”
Paytm Insider is partnered with IPL teams Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals, according to India Today. The 10-team competition runs until late May.


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Fiat has partnered with Onto, the electric car subscription service, with 600 electric Fiat 500s to try instead of buy.
There is no doubt that electric car sales are booming, but plenty of those new EV sales are down to businesses snapping them up to provide them to employees with, currently, hardly any tax cost.
But real people who use their own money to buy cars are put off by the price of EVs, the patchy, and often unreliable, charging network and the nagging doubt that EV technology advancement in the next few years – like solid-state batteries – will render their shiny new EV old hat.
So if you want to dip your toe in to EV waters without a big commitment, what to do?
Well, one solution, is to use an electric car subscription service like Onto, which bundles the car and all its costs up in to a single monthly payment with no obligation to keep going.
Now, Fiat has partnered with Onto to deliver 600 electric Fiat 500s to the Onto fleet of subscription EVs, giving an added option for EV newbies to try, although it’ll costs you over £500 a month for the privilege.
Greg Taylor, Fiat and Abarth UK MD, said:
We’re delighted this significant fleet partnership with Onto will take our New 500 to an audience contemplating the switch to electric. Finding new routes to market such as the subscription environment underpins Fiat’s overall fleet strategy to provide customers with affordable and sustainable mobility.


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French resistance and fears of cultural imperialism have greeted the streaming video giant’s march across the continent
Netflix is set to tap into six new markets tomorrow, hoping to gain a big subscriber base in Europe, but is facing a frosty welcome in France. Well-established French competitors are trying to head off a Netflix wave, the French government wants oversight and the cinema industry wants Netflix to inv...
Also read: WTF? Netflix Might Get Banned In Australia!


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'It's just a mecca here right now for fat bike riding'
PORTLAND, Ore. - Who says you can't ride a bike in the snow?
All you need is a "fat bike" with super-wide tires that give you plenty of traction and keep you from slipping and sliding around.
Fat tire biking, which is wildly popular in some areas of the United States, is just beginning to take hold here in the Pacific Northwest.
Methow Valley in Washington recently opened up some of their cross country trails to fat tire bikes. It's a pilot program they're trying out this season and so far, it's really taking off.
"We've just seen this unbelievable response," said Kristen Smith with the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association. "I think the whole fat tire thing is just on the verge of an unbelievable explosion in popularity."
Demo days over the past few months have given people a chance to try out fat biking in Methow Valley and it's obvious that taking one of these souped-up bikes for a spin in the snow is a whole lot of fun. Take a look:
Of course, with anything new there will be some concerns. Smith said that was certainly the case when they first allowed fat tire bikes on the trails.
"When we first announced this, our local community was completely opposed to it," she said. "There were letters to the editor. Everyone was thinking they would destroy the trails - our beautiful, pristine cross country ski trails. And that has not been the case at all. The fat bikes leave way less of an imprint than the cross country skis do."
The opposition has all simmered down now and Smith said the community in Winthrop is starting to embrace fat bikes.
"I just can't imagine that we wouldn't do it again next season," Smith said. "All indications so far point to this as something that we haven't scratched the surface of what it could be."
"It's just a mecca here right now for fat bike riding," she added.
Fat tire biking is also becoming more popular in Bend, Ore., where there are plenty of multi-use trails just waiting for bikes with big tires.
"We put on a number of cyclo-cross races and lately we've been seeing folks down there with their fat tire bikes," said Hank Therien with Visit Bend. "They are starting to poke their head up a little bit."
"We know they're in town and are just coming onto the scene," he added.
What is it like to ride a fat tire bike?
"It's just another bicycle with big, fat tires on it," said Dan Nordendale with Fat Tire Farm in Portland. "They look huge, but a lot of it is air volume, so it's not as heavy as you would think."
"It's like a three-wheeler type tire," he added. "It's meant to have really low pressure in it. It's got a lot of surface area so you get a lot of traction and a lot of float."
And the bikes aren't just for snow - they also work well on loose, rocky terrain and in sand.
"It just floats over sand and snow so much easier," said Gary TeGantvoort with Montlake Bicycle Shop in Seattle. "You've got a tremendously larger surface area that you are riding on. So it's very confidence inspiring in those conditions."
"There is a little bit more rolling resistance," said Nordendale. "But they are actually pretty easy. Once you get them going, they're not too bad. I rode them year-round up in Anchorage."Photo courtesy of the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association.
How much do these bikes cost?
Like any product out there, prices can vary.
At Fat Tire Farm in Portland, which sells high-end bikes, they can cost $5,000 to $6,000. Nordendale said for beginners, though, they usually try to sell customers something in the $600 range to get them started.
In Seattle, TeGantvoort said while some bike shops in town probably do sell a couple of fat tire bikes, there is not a big market for it yet. But he said he can certainly see the potential.
"I would say it's definitely a niche market here," he said. "But I think in other places it can actually bring in a reasonable amount of business. I know shops in Idaho and other places that rent them and sell a tremendous number of them."
Methow Valley does have some fat tire bikes that you can rent. It's best to check ahead of time before you go to make sure one is available.
Smith told us the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association has been trying to purchase a couple of fat tire bikes that they can use to let folks try out on a short trail near their office, but they've had a tough time finding any.
"We can't get them," she said. "The manufacturers are completely sold out. They're all scrambling. They certainly all know that this is something really huge."
- Visit FAT-BIKE.com for more information and resources on the fat bike trend


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EU aviation needs nearly $XNUMX trillion to move towards carbon neutrality
The decarbonization of aviation by 2050 will cost Europe 820 billion euros ($894 billion). This could be an unsustainable amount for airline and airport budgets, according to a report by Destination 2050 and SEO think tank Amsterdam Economics.
The paper notes that the implementation of the plan to move towards carbon neutrality will require financial support from EU governments, as airline profits are shrinking due to high competition and recent crises.
According to the report, the largest item of expenditure will be the purchase of environmentally friendly fuel from animal fat and household waste. This will require 441 billion euros (480,7 billion dollars). It is expected that by 2050 the share of such fuel in air travel will increase from 6% to 83%. This will reduce the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere by 70%.
By 2035, narrow-body hydrogen-powered aircraft should appear on intra-European flights. Experts estimate the effect of reducing carbon dioxide emissions at 60% compared to modern liners.
Earlier it was reported that North Africa is becoming a key export market for Russian diesel fuel and other petroleum products. According to analysts, the jump in Russian fuel imports is explained re-export to other countries, including Europe. The scheme is also used for exports to non-CIS countries, for example, to consumers in Latin America. OilPrice writes about it.


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This could be one of those defining moments. You know, the kind that change an industry. Like the iPod, for instance. Only this time it’s a phone. Not the Google phone, but the Skype phone.
See, the Skype phone, introduced today in the U.K., has the potential to be revolutionary, not evolutionary, if done well. People will place calls using the Internet, or what’s known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The calls are essentially free, or very low cost to the end user, because they use the Internet and not a service provider’s network.
Until now, most Skype calls have been made from computers attached to fixed-line Internet connections. Users call each other around the world wearing uncomfortable microphone headsets that, for the most part, look like something an air traffic controller would wear. Skype has gotten a bit more mobile in the past year — at least around the house — with the advent of Skype-enabled phone-to-computer bridges and portable handsets.
But Skype users have never left home with an actual Skype phone. Until now. Skype and 3, the fifth-largest mobile carrier in the U.K., have teamed together to launch a new affordable handset that lets people make free Skype-to-Skype calls and send Skype instant messages at no cost. It’s the first time an operator has offered a mass market phone tailor-made for free calling over the Internet.
The 3 Skype phone is a fully-featured 3G Internet phone with Skype built-in and always on. The phone, developed in partnership with Qualcomm and Chinese manufacturer Amoi Electronics, also includes an MP3 player and a 2 MB camera. Users press the Skype button to use their contact list and see who is available to take a call.
The Skype phone will be available in the U.K. on Friday. It’s free for existing 3 customers and will cost GBP49.99 on a pay-as-you-go plan. The phone will also launch in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Macau, and Sweden before Christmas. It will not be available in the U.S., at least not yet. Skype and 3 missed an FCC deadline.
Skype, owned by eBay, and 3 hope to sell “millions” of phones over the next few years. “Skype is now truly mobile,” said Michael van Swaaij, acting Skype CEO. “This new handset is incredibly easy to use and lets you make free mobile Skype calls when you are on the move to other Skype users.”
The big questions — and the reasons why this might not be a defining moment — are there are no guarantees of network reliability (Skype suffered a severe crash in August) and, for the moment, the Skype phone only works Skype-to-Skype.
Skype boasts 246 million registered users, with 70 million regular users. Users will not be able to use their Skype phone to call anybody on a landline or cell phone, known as SkypeOut, which allows customers to make cheaper-than-average calls to non-Skype users. SkypeOut is supposed to be available sometime next year.
Finally, most mobile operators — Vodaphone, T-Mobile, and Orange in the U.K. — have not taken kindly towards customers using VoIP solutions on their networks. The relationship between the carriers and free or near-free has yet to be worked out.
Until these are met, that defining moment may not come.


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A look at the single-player campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered for the PS4.
Seasons after Fall is a special kind of game that will attract players with its aesthetic visuals and then take them on a mystical journey.
The season of fear is upon us and what better way to start our Horror Game Icon-series then to look back at the game that popularized the concept of survival horror.
New World Interactive is testing a dismemberment feature for Day of Infamy.
Mafia III involves players going up against the Klan and now online racists are upset.
A fan suggestion on how the Command & Conquer series should be rebooted.
It has been announced that the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship will be hosted by ELEAGUE and held in Atlanta from January 22 to 29, 2017.
Clustertruck allows gamers to live their action film fantasy by combing the elements of a platform adventure with that of a speed runner.
Silicon Valley Comic Con has just unveiled the first batch of special guests that will appear at the 2017 event.
San Francisco Comic Con has announced that the 2017 event will take place at the Moscone Center.
New World Interactive has officially unveil their first mapping contest for Day of Infamy, with the winning selection becoming an official map.
Activision and Infinity Ward have revealed the story trailer for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which gave more details about the story along with introducing several major new characters.
The Resident Evil Anniversary Tour started in San Francisco on September 15 in front of The Yard. Fans gathered to experience the next stage of the iconic horror series in VR while also making new friends and learning more about the game.
Capcom has released a new trailer for the upcoming horror title, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, while also confirming that a new update for the Beginning Hour demo will be available for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
A look at how Freedom Fighters broke the Post-9/11 taboo of pop-culture by depicting New York City under attack.


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Lamborghini promised us a limited edition special model designed to celebrate the car’s 50th anniversary. They also said it will be showcased this week at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Now, we have the first photo with the supercar called Veneno.
Lamborghini mentions they will build only three of these cars and unfortunately for those with extremely deep pockets, all three units are already accounted for. The price for this car is estimated at $4.65 million (3.57 million euros or 3.1 million pounds).
Based on the Lamborghini Aventador, the Veneno is powered by a 6.5-liter V12 engine pumping out 740 hp (552 kW) which sends the power to the wheels through a 7-speed ISR robotized manual transmission. Thanks to this setup, the car will be capable of reaching a top speed of 354 km/h (220 mph).
The styling is typical Lamborghini and it draws its inspiration from previews special edition models such as the Sesto Elemento or Reventon. It comes with a roof scoop, huge wheels, sweptback headlights, as well as several body parts manufactured from what appears to be carbon fiber to lower the car’s curb weight.
Full details will be available on Wednesday when the Lamborghini Veneno will be publicly unveiled in Geneva.


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20 May 2020
Haven apiarist or bee-keeper Kerrie Flett has suggested people grow a variety of flowers to extend a flowering season in efforts to encourage bees in the garden environment.
She said, in response to World Bee Day today, that bees were particularly attracted to blue, purple, violet, white and yellow flowers.
“Bees drink a lot of water, so it’s good to be able to provide a water source,” she said.
“This can be a pond or bird bath, and be sure there are some rocks or even shade cloth in the water source so the bees don’t drown.
Article continues below
“Don’t use chemicals and pesticides because many of these can kill bees. If you must use them, try using them in the evening when the bees are back in their hives, avoiding contact.
“Don’t panic when you spot a bee close to you. Remain calm and walk away if they are particularly interested in you. Usually they are just going about their business.”
Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment, HOPE, has been encouraging people around the world to get involved in an online Waggle Dance Challenge, in the lead-up to today.
The challenge is an Australian-led, global effort to raise awareness of the importance of bees for food and the environment.
Apart from European honey bees, which are important for commercial food crops as well as honey production, Australia is home to a vast variety of native bees, most of them solitary with unique pollen-gathering techniques.
The entire May 20, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!


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By Justine Carreon
The New York Council of Fashion Designers of America gathered together at the Brooklyn Museum last night to honor the most influential people in fashion. To say the CFDA Awards is the Oscars of the industry is a drastic understatement. The event always has all the style, tears, and jokes there are to offer.
The pink carpet‚—technically a green carpet, made of custom-made ECONYL regenerated nylon produced from recycled waste—featured everyone from Ciara to Bella Hadid decked out in custom-made designer goods. Hasan Minhaj and Jessica Williams hosted the gala, where the former joked that because he grew up shopping at Ross and Tar-jay, he didn’t know anyone there.


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TBOS offers a new innovative Article Ad program to its advertising lineup
Tackle Box of Savings is offering a new innovative advertising program called Article Ads. These article ads will allow their advertisers to display not only their products but also include an informative and encouraging article about their products.
Article Ads are a combination of an advertorial and a display ad and was created by company Founder, and Publisher Keith Tauber. "We wanted to bring content into our magazine TBOS without eliminating our ad only focus that has worked so well. We have done that with this innovative campaign that joins display ads with an article that not only explains the product but actually discusses how our retail shop owner readers can sell these products. We believe this new product will revolutionize how print ads will be perceived." says Keith.
How the ads work is when an advertiser buys the size ad they desire, they can then submit an article that will fit into the same space as their display ad and will run adjacent to their display ad. For example: Buy the 2 page spread plan and they would get a full page display ad plus a full page article. These would run on a left hand page and a right hand page respectively.
Keith added, "Each advertiser has some option for their articles. They can allow us to interview their top dealer and compile an article around this dealers success in selling these products or they can provide that info. They may also provide content of their choosing. I strongly encourage using a how to sell this product approach, as that will draw more attention from prospective dealers who are looking at various products to add to their retail stores."
TBOS will be rolling out these new Article Ads in their next issue which is slated to come out in December of 2011. TBOS is optimistic about tackle manufacturers of all sizes utilizing these new Article Ads. "Ads like this provide more value than traditional display ads" says Keith.
One thing is for sure, TBOS offers allot of value to their clients and this new ad program will only ad to their value proposition.
For more information on Tackle Box of Savings and their advertising opportunities, please click here: http://www.tackleboxofsavings.com/
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Tackle Box of Savings is a direct mail publisher that publishes industry specific trade magazines to the sport fishing industry. Our magazine is mailed to retail businesses who sell fishing and boating products. We also offer email campaigns to fishermen


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It’s Tuesday–the day that albums come out–and this one is a fucking doozy, stocked full of highly anticipated albums, including new ones from Evanescence and Five Finger Death Punch. Check out the list of new releases below and let us know which ones you have already or are planning to get. 3 – The Ghost [...]
You’ve been waiting all year for it: The 2011 edition of Revolver‘s annual Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock issue. The magazine is available on newsstands everywhere today, and is also available for purchase online right here. Amy Lee of Evanescence, who have just released their first album in six years, graces the cover, while inside [...]
You’ve been waiting all year for it: The 2011 edition of Revolver‘s annual Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock issue. The magazine doesn’t hit newsstands until October 11, but we’ve made it available for purchase online right here right now. Amy Lee of Evanescence, who are set to release their first album in six years also [...]
Evanescence have released a streaming preview of the new track “My Heart Is Broken” as well as the lyrics to the song, which appears on the band’s forthcoming new self-titled album, hitting stores on October 11. You can check out the song and the lyrics on Evanescence.com. Also, hitting stores on October 11 is Revolver’s [...]
Evanescence have released a behind-the-scenes look at their forthcoming self-titled album, as well as a teaser for the video of its first single, “What You Want.” The video is directed by Meiert Avis, who has previously handled clips for U2 and Iggy Pop. Let us know what you think in the comments.
Hard rockers 12 Stones are set to release Only Human (Executive Music), their fourth full-length, on August 23. The album comes four years after 2007′s Anthem for the Underdog (Wind-up) and follows up last year’s EP The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday. Since forming in 2002, the band’s aggressive sound has earned them at least [...]
Cofounded by singer-guitarist Shim Moore and bassist Emma Anzai


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The Maharashtra government on Monday (29 June) announced that it has extended the lockdown till 31 July in view of the steadily increasing Covid-19 cases in the state.
While all existing lockdown conditions will continue, the government will gradually ease restrictions over the next month.
All visits outdoors, barring for essentials or for specified employment purposes will remain banned during this period.
"It is further directed that the movement of persons for the purposes of non-essential activities like shopping and the outdoor exercises, shall be restricted within the neighbourhood area limits with all necessary prescribed mandatory precautions of wearing masks, social distancing and personal hygiene," a statement read.
In municipal corporations of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) region including Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), all essential-item shops, all currently working industrial units, e-commerce and food delivery services will be allowed, according to an NDTV report.
The MMR region has the most number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
These guidelines are also going to be implemented in other areas such as Municipal Corporation of Pune; Solapur; Aurangabad; Malegaon; Nashik; Dhule; Jalgaon; Akola; Amravati; and Nagpur.
"All Government offices (excluding Emergency, health and Medical, treasuries, disaster management, police, NIC, food and Civil Supply, FCI, NYK, Municipal Services) to function with 15% strength or 15 persons - whichever is higher," the statement said.
However, the private officers in the MMR are only allowed to operate with 10 per cent staff or 10 persons.
For other regions, the government announced some more relaxations in this phase of the lockdown.
"Intra-district bus service will be allowed with maximum 50% capacity per bus with physical distancing and sanitation measures," the government said.
For the past three days, the state has been recording 5,000-plus Covid-19 cases daily, taking its tally to 164,626, and there have been 7,429 deaths till date.
(With inputs from IANS)
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Along with 6 new RF lenses coming in the second half of 2019, Canon is rumored to announce two more RF lenses at the end of 2019 to early 2020. Currently, there is no rumors which two RF lenses will coming. Below are rumors RF lenses according to latest Canon patents.
Read More »
Imaging-Resource has interviewed with high-level Canon engineering execs during the EOS RP (B&H Photo/Adorama/Amazon) launch. From the interview, Canon said that EOS R will also have Eye-AF feature via firmware update soon; The image sensor in EOS RP is same as in EOS 6D Mark II; the Pro/high-end EOS R body is coming, but will take time when everything right in the body.
Along with Canon EOS RP (B&H Photo/Adorama/Amazon), Canon today announced the development of six new RF lenses: RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens, Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens, Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS Lens, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM Lens, Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens. Currently, there is no price, specs info about these six RF lenses. Release date for these six RF lenses will be available in later 2019.
Canon EOS RP (B&H Photo/Adorama/Amazon) will be available for pre-order online at 12:00 AM (midnight) on February 14th, 2019. Due to very low launch price, the demand of this camera seems very high, so you need to order ASAP to get shipped first. Pre-orders usually a bit earlier for some online stores than scheduled, so you can enter email below to get instantly notified.
Canon has just filed more RF lens patents in Japan. Seems Canon is very serious on their new full frame mirrorless system. As already leaked online, Canon will announce at least 5 new RF lenses next week.
Read More »


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This was announced by Volkswagen CFO Arno Antlitz to the agency Reutersthat the task of completely ending the production of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars is of course difficult, but it will be much more difficult for automakers to build up production of traction batteries for electric vehicles in sufficient quantities.
The top executive of the German auto giant raised the issue as EU countries decided to ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines from 2035. The corresponding draft law was presented last summer and the new agreement indicates that the initiative will be given the status of European law in the foreseeable future. Volkswagen said it would stop selling ICE cars by the deadline, but noted some lagging automakers like Toyota might find it difficult to meet that goal.
Nowadays, car manufacturers are striving to ensure sufficient production of traction batteries, but sourcing sufficient raw materials can become a serious problem. What can slow the transition to electric vehicles is the inability of car brands to ensure adequate supplies of lithium, nickel, manganese or cobalt – any shortage can affect the price of cars and threaten automakers’ profits. Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, recently said that this aspect could hit the global auto industry as early as 2024-2025.
Discussion on the initiative to ban new ICE cars in Luxembourg lasted 16 hours and a number of countries including Italy and Slovakia initially proposed a deadline of 2040, but as a result of the negotiations a final decision was made, the sale to discontinue ICE cars by 2035. Exceptions are not reported in the final document.


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Just last month, the self-driving vehicle startup Aurora announced it had partnered with Toyota to develop a fleet of robotic axes. The company has now announced a new agreement with Volvo to build fully autonomous tractor units that will move cargo across North America (via The Verge).
Aurora Volvo Pistachio
The two companies say they’ve been looking into a potential partnership since 2018 when they came together to build a prototype truck nicknamed the Pistachio (above). At the time, Aurora admitted that driver technology was not advanced enough to safely control a vehicle as large and heavy as a semi on a freeway. With the new sensor technologies Aurora acquired in 2019, the two companies now believe they are ready to build a fleet of Level 4 autonomous trucks that will cover busy hub-to-hub routes between major North American cities Driving cities. Not only does Aurora help manufacture the vehicles, it also provides logistics and operational support, and uses the cloud to route these trucks as efficiently as possible.
“These trucks will combine the best of Volvo technology with the Aurora driver, who is uniquely capable of detecting and tracking objects well over 300 meters, into a compelling and scalable logistics platform,” the company said.
Aurora is fast becoming a major player in the autonomous vehicle space. The company made a splash earlier this year when it devoured Uber’s self-propelled unit and received a $ 400 million investment from the hail giant. It is said that it will share more information about its partnership with Volvo in the near future.


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How 'Identity Proofing' Saved New Jersey Millions
“Those are things you can’t Google really quickly ... Almost a year-and-a-half into the effort, $4.4 million in payments have been stopped, and almost 650 instances of potential identity theft have been avoided. Other strategies have yielded even ...
3 ways a criminal can steal your identity today
You might become a victim of identity theft along with millions of other people. If you have used your credit card to pay for something online, there is a chance that this website might get hacked into ... can be used for things that are much worse ...
You Can Legally Profit From Identity Theft
Well, we can — with some risks, anyway — simply by buying a stock that benefits from that risk. Take one of the nastiest risks that continually lurks behind us every day and night: identity theft ... much business does the company actually get?
Protect yourself from identity theft
Get free credit monitoring ... The alerts can be very helpful in detecting identity theft. If you want to be extra cautious, don't make money transfers online or pay bills electronically —use a check. "Paper is much more secure," says Litan.
Fake IDs, Still Coveted, Are Harder to Get
And in a post-9/11 world, being arrested with a fake ID — or worse, trying to make and sell one — can land you in surprisingly hot water. Throw in opportunistic bouncers who know how much you ... that can get them in serious trouble.


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Hit refresh on your social media strategies. Head to Social Media Week in NYC this April 9–11 for campaign insights, content inspiration and new industry connections. Register before March 4 to save 20% on your pass.
Beer cans are booming, which is great if you like your craft brew easily portable, crushable and recyclable. But it's also great if you're a packaging designer.
The can comeback, led by brands like Ska Brewing, Oskar Blues and New Belgium, has opened up a 360-degree canvas for label designers typically restricted to the few stickers on a beer bottle.


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Ford Focus is world's best selling single car nameplate
The Ford Focus became the best selling single car nameplate in the world based on global data from IHS Automotive
The Ford Focus became the best selling single car nameplate in the world based on global data from IHS Automotive. Data revealed the Ford Focus sold 489,616 units in the first half of this year. A Ford milestone has also been achieved with the 350 millionth vehicle rolling off the production line.
The Ford Focus first appeared in Europe in 1998 and won the 1999 “Car of the Year” award. The current, third generation of the mid-size car launched last year was designed on an unprecedented global scale, helping to make more technologies and features economically viable than ever before for cars in this segment. Key innovations in the new Focus include Active City Stop low-speed safety system, Active Park Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Aid, Traffic Sign Recognition, Auto High Beam, Driver Alert and Adaptive Cruise Control.
In Europe the new Ford Focus is available in 5-door, 4-door and wagon versions. This year, Ford launched the 250PS Focus ST, Ford’s first global performance car, and in Europe began offering the Focus with the new 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, which was named the 2012 “International Engine of the Year” in June. A zero emissions Focus Electric, Ford’s first ever all-electric passenger car, will be available in 2013.


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Capcom reveals 3D support for Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City on PC
Capcom has revealed a few more details about their upcoming Resident Evil spin-off title set in Raccoon City.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a third person team shooter that follows an Umbrella Security Services team as they head into Raccoon City in the aftermath of the outbreak first featured in Resident Evil 2.
It has been confirmed that the PC version of the game will provide full support for stereoscopic 3D via Nvidia's 3D Vision tech.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will be released on Xbox 360 and PS3 on March the 23rd with the PC version arriving on May the 18th.
- Thomas Was Alone gets a release date for PS4 and Wii U
- New Warframe update adds space-flight to the gameplay with Archwing mode
- New poll indicates that people believe online gaming is “the least welcoming space” for women
- CD Projekt RED releases The Trail, the opening cinematic from The Witcher 3
- New Project CARS trailer pulls up to the starting grid
- Far Cry 4 dev says linear games will suffer in the new world of gameplay video sharing
- Almost 1,100 developers, students and journalists sign the new #gamediversity petition embracing diversity in games
- Felicia Day breaks her silence about #Gamergate, is almost immediately doxxed
- Ubisoft announces PC specs for Assassin's Creed: Unity and they're killer


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The James Beard Award-winning chef Alexander Smalls, known for backing Harlem hits the Cecil and Minton’s, is eyeing his next neighborhood project.
Alkebulan, which positions itself as the world’s “first African food hall,” will open uptown in Harlem, according to a press release on the project. When it launches, Alkebulan will not only highlight ten food stalls from around the continent, but also feature music and art — a nod to Smalls’ opera singer roots. The NYC food hall is an expansion of an existing project that first opened in October of last year in Dubai as part of an expo held in the city, where, according to the release, it will remain as a permanent outpost. The team is also working on an additional London location. Eater has reached out for information about an opening timeline, location, participating businesses, and whether Smalls will cook there himself.
Los Tacos No. 1 is giving away free tacos today at its new store
The beloved taco chain opens its doors on its fifth location in New York City today. To celebrate, the new outpost at 340 Lafayette Street, near Bleecker Street, will be handing out free tacos from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to co-owner Christian Pineda.
Eric Adams sparks backlash after dismissive comments about food workers
In his first week in office, New York City’s new mayor held a press conference, showing his support for an imminent return-to-work plan. A video from the event is circulating on Twitter, with many criticizing Adams for calling cooks and Dunkin’ Donuts employees “low skill” workers who “don’t have the academic skills to sit in a corner office.”
Several Chinatown businesses forced to vacate ahead of the Manhattan Detention Center’s demolition
Bowery Boogie reports that the city has terminated leases with several Chinatown businesses ahead of the demolition of Manhattan Detention Center — located at 125 White Street, between Baxter and Centre streets — which is slated to be replaced by a controversial, 30-story jail. One of the affected businesses is Bo Ky, a Teochew restaurant related to the Bayard Street original, which opened on Baxter Street in 2019. It is unclear if the restaurant will relocate.


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NFTs have been progressively losing market interest by many, is it because of the false promises or the never-ending lies, or maybe the fact that they are just typically useless. We have seen a downward spike of 35% of total NFT sales in comparison with the past fiscal year, however, GVU is planning to change the whole ball game.
GVU is a prestigious virtual university that promises unmatched utilities, hence stepping up the game for all other NFT collections potentially replacing many of the collections that are solely art-based. The difference with the GVU team is that they are already in the process of building their platform, that would release pre-mint, solidifying their promise to their community.
HEY, #GVU APPLICATIONS OPEN MAY 10! #NFT pic.twitter.com/R1aMOtir4T— Galactic Valley University (@GalacticValley) April 23, 2022
The GVU Story
Galactic Valley University, GVU, is the most prestigious university in all of the observable
universe. Founded in what equates to 10,000BC on earth. The University was the first of its kind in what we know of the universe today. GVU can be found gliding through space 2.5 million light-years away from the Milky Way galaxy, within the andromeda galaxy.
Founded by both the UG (United Galaxies) and the IGBF (Inter-Galactic Beings Federation) GalValUniversity was designed to create a movement against intergalactic violence and provide education for all beings within the galactic neighborhood.
As mentioned, GVU hosts various students from entirely different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and most importantly, galaxies. As student applications begin, on the 1st of May, the GVU community will be introduced to fascinating beings. After this, the MINT DATE will be announced.
Some of the next steps in GVU’s roadmap include reaching future students through Twitter, Discord, and the website, presenting GVU’s story to the public, and announcing the mint date and price.
Afterward, GVU will aim at creating an early presence in many metaverses, whitelisting mint + public mint, and creating scholarships with NFT public sale profits for two international students.
GVU would be giving 30 WL spots to the first people to DM @GalacticValley on Twitter “Enroll me”.


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Germany: Aldi invites customers to design their own dessert topping
German discount retail giant Aldi Sud has launched a promotional campaign called Mein Fan-Pudding, asking customers to design their ultimate dessert topping to be rolled out later this year in their stores.
Shoppers can upload their designs through the Aldi Sud Facebook page from now until 5th April. The one with most votes will then be produced and launched as a new product with name of the creator during September time, according to European Supermarket Magazine.
According to Aldi Sud spokesman, the shoppers will have the possibility to present their "unusual and crazy flavours" ideas for dessert toppings.
This initiative is not the first time Aldi has invited its customers and social media followers to participate in product development. Previously the firm has asked its Facebook followers to help design a new look can for the firm's ‘Riy’n’ energy drink as well as a new pack design for its Kokett napkin range.
Source: European Supermarket Magazine


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Mukesh Ambani’s speech at Reliance Industries’ 42nd annual general meeting confirmed the worst nightmares of incumbent telecom operators on Thursday. Reliance Jio, which has invested around $20 billion to roll out 4G infrastructure, will offer free voice calls and cheaper 4G data, the company said.
“We Indians have come to appreciate and applaud Gandhigiri. Now we can all do Datagiri, which is an opportunity for every Indian to do unlimited good things, with unlimited data,” 59-year-old Mr Ambani said.
Jio’s 4G data packs will be priced at Rs. 50 per GB, around 80 per cent cheaper than current market rate, while voice calls and roaming will be free. Though other telecom operators have also invested heavily and slashed voice and data prices in the run-up to Jio’s launch, the slew of offers announced by Jio today seem to have caught telecom investors off guard.
Shares of market leader Bharti Airtel fell over 9 per cent, while Aditya Birla Group-owned Idea Cellular shares sank as much as 11 per cent to 52-week low. Together, the two companies shed around Rs. 15,600 crore in market capitalization at the day’s lows.
“Incumbent operators will need to match these tariff plans, which basically means there will be reduction in average revenue per user (ARPU) and hence impact on EBITDA,” said Romal Shetty, partner at KPMG.
He warned that existing operators will face a lot of pain over the next 12-18 months as there will be “massive disruptions” from Jio’s formal launch.
“Jio has promised many things free of cost for a long time, so for the incumbent operator, it is about retaining the top subscribers. Once you have lost subscribers, it’s difficult to get them back,” Mr Shetty said.
Though Jio did not commit a date for the launch its 4G services commercially, Mr Ambani announced an offer that enables customers to enjoy data, voice, video, etc., all for free, till December 31, 2016. Jio would seek to have 100 million customers in the shortest possible time, the billionaire chairman of Reliance Industries said.
“I am not that surprised around Jio’s tariff offers because whichever new entrant wants to make a presence in markets, it has to take subscribers from other existing operators. So to that extent, unless the tariff plan and device affordability is good, it does not make much sense anyway,” said Jaideep Ghosh, partner at KPMG Advisory Services.
Jio’s tariff offers will certainly trigger a price war among operators that will strain the finances of incumbent telecom companies, struggling under huge debt, analysts added.
“The operators’ debt profile will deteriorate in FY17 as the agency expects them to incur high capex on network expansion and acquisition of additional spectrum to compete with Reliance Jio,” said Tanu Sharma of India Ratings & Research.
Reliance Industries shares, which were up at the start of Mr Ambani’s speech, closed nearly 3 per cent lower as analysts do not expect Jio to turn profitable for the next many years. RIL shares have outperformed the Sensex and Nifty over the last few weeks in anticipation of Jio’s launch, so some profit taking is expected, traders said.
Reliance Industries’ telecom business is unlikely to be EBITDA positive in its first two years of operations, said market expert Avinash Gorakshakar.
“A lot of companies will undergo consolidation or may get bought out, but customers will get better technology and competitive prices,” he added.
Idea shares closed 10.5 per cent lower at Rs. 83.65, while Reliance Communications shares tumbled 9 per cent to end at Rs. 49.10. Bharti Airtel shares closed off the day’s low, ending 6.3 per cent lower at Rs. 310.85.


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Lostboyslab has ordered 80 new extrusion 3D printers from Prusa Research. The new printers will join the current fleet of 140 printers at Lostboyslab’s Alpha Zero 3D print farm, located on the southern coast of Sweden.
“The Prusa Research FDM 3D printers have just proven time and time again that they are the most reliable machines and with the open material system, very suitable for additive manufacturing with all the recycled and sustainable materials that we are developing with our partners. “said Stefan Larsson, founder and CEO of Lostboyslab.
Lostboyslab is seeing growing demand for its 3D printing services, especially with recycled and bio-derived materials, and is now adding more manufacturing capabilities to its current fleet of 3D printers. The new investment will almost double the FFF printing capacity. The new 3D printers are both the Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ and the upcoming Original Prusa XL.
With more than 200 printers on a single site, the Lostboyslab Alpha Zero 3D printing farm is today one of the largest additive manufacturing sites in Europe. “Our printers are gaining ground in industrial applications and we are pleased that with their quality and reliability they will easily succeed in the competition of incomparably more expensive printers.” Josef Prusa, Founder and CEO of Prusa Research.
Design studio Lostboyslab revolves around disruption and Imagineering, constantly pushing the boundaries of technology in both manufacturing and materials. On a mission to find new ways to use new manufacturing opportunities and new materials, in combination with innovative thinking, the team seeks the best process with software, platforms, 3D modeling and design technology. ‘impression. The company’s functional approach aims to manufacture in the fastest and smartest way, combining parametric design, artificial intelligence, generative design and millions of simulations so that all digital designs are fully optimized for additive manufacturing.


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Monica Eaton-Cardone Featured in Finance Magnates
Chargebacks911 COO Monica Eaton-Cardone, a globally recognized thought leader in the fintech space, was recently asked to weigh in on decentralized finance (Defi) in a new feature for Finance Magnates.
Finance Magnates is the world’s only multi-asset online/electronic trading knowledge hub. Initially focused on the Forex B2B sphere, the site offers a one-of-a-kind knowledge opportunity for industry professionals and trading savvies alike.
Defi is set to be one of the hottest topics in the payments space over the next decade. Many experts believe that decentralizing the finance space will deliver new opportunities and greater efficiency in payments. However, we must also be cognizant of the risk posed by fraud.
“Bluntly stated, inexperienced consumers, make mistakes and are more vulnerable to fraudsters and thieves,” Monica says. “If millions of inexperienced investors migrate to Defi platforms, the cybercriminals will certainly be waiting.”
This is consistent with many trends we’ve observed in the past. Just in the last year, the outbreak of Covid-19 led consumers to shift into remote channels, which resulted in a direct uptick in cybercrime. Making Defi work for consumers and businesses is going to be a delicate process.
“It’s a tricky balancing act because we covet the financial freedoms that come with being unregulated,” Monica says, “but at the same time, consumers expect the protections that can only come with regulations.”


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The Fact News Service
FAU-G mobile game has crossed the 1 million pre-registrations mark in just three days of the registrations going live on the Google Play Store, the game’s developers announced on Twitter. FAU-G appeared on the Google Play Store on November 30 but only for pre-registrations. FAU-G, which is said to be a local alternative to those who used to play PUBG Mobile before it was banned in September. FAU-G was initially expected to arrive in October, but the launch was then delayed to November. We are in December now, and it is still not known when exactly the game will be rolled out.
FAU-G has been developed by nCore games, a Bengaluru-based company. nCore games had announced the pre-registrations for FAU-G on it Twitter three days ago for Android devices. The game has not been listed on the Apple App Store, which could mean that the developers may be sticking to an Android-only game for now at least.
(story sourced through inputs from agencies)


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East of England news
Sky is to open a major new studio at Elstree as part of a £3bn investment in the UK creative sector.
Southern Grove’s student accommodation arm Future Generation has won approval for a £25m scheme in Cambridge.
Shopping centre operator Intu has revealed plans to develop more than 1,000 homes next to its Lakeside mall in Essex.
A look at the ingredients that won Goldsmith Street the coveted Stirling Prize.


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With the launch of two new dual SIM phones – B-5722 dual SIM GSM touchscreen phone and Duos 259 CDMA and GSM multimedia phone, Samsung has augmented in dual SIM portfolio. Including these two new phones, Samsung now has six dual SIM phones in the market. The B-5722 is priced at Rs 10,650 while the Duos 259 carries a price tag of Rs 7799. Updated 19/1/2011: Samsung dual SIM phones
The dual active mode enables operating both SIMs concurrently. For example, if a person is busy on SIM 1 and gets a call on SIM 2, the person can check on the caller and accept or reject the call accordingly. The B-5722 GSM+GSM dual SIM active phone features a 2.8-inch full touchscreen and it also sports a dedicated SIM switching key for easy navigation from SIM 1 to SIM 2. It also includes SNS quick links and instant messenger. The dual SIM phone also features a stereo FM with recording, 1200 mAH battery with a talk time up to 13.4 hours. The phone has an option for up to 8GB external memory and sports an advanced mobile tracker. Samsung Monte launched
“Consumers are showing a growing preference for Dual SIM phones both in the GSM as well as the CDMA space. We are working at catering to this growing consumer need by introducing new differentiated Dual SIM handsets that come with the unique Samsung advantage of Dual Active mode,” says Ranjit Yadav, director–Mobile & IT, Samsung.
The Duos 259 is a GSM+CDMA dual SIM active phone that features a 2.2-inch screen, 262K colour TFT display. It also features a 1.3 megapixel camera, stereo FM Radio with recording, a powerful 1140mAH Battery and SD card support up to 8GB.
“We are looking at the Dual SIM handsets contributing up to 15 per cent of our total handset volumes this year,” adds Yadav. Samsung has hosted a java application in its application store to cater to the Indian consumers who love to download customised applications. Yadav said that Samsung plans to add another 10 applications to its Fun Club by the end of this month. As of now, users can download up to 40 applications. The company plans to introduce its proprietary Bada platform in the second quarter of the year and is in the midst of talks with Indian application developers for the same.


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The ever-changing fuel prices in Costa Rica are changing again. The price regulating agency said Thursday that gasoline and diesel prices were going down to reflect changes in the world market.
The change for November is small, but a much larger price cut is estimated for December. Gasoline prices already are more than $5 a gallon.
The Authoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos said that super gasoline would be going down 17 colons per liter when the new prices are published. That’s about 4.3 U.S. cents. Plus gasoline will drop 12 colons or 2.4 U.S. cents. Diesel will have a negligible reduction of 2 colons per liter.
A better scenario is painted for December when super will drop 79 colons or 16.8 U.S. cents per liter and plus will drop 69 colons or 13.8 U.S. cents per liter. Diesel is expected to decline 25 colons per liter or about 5 U.S. cents.
Costa Rica imports all its petroleum products so it is a captive of the world market.


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In the biggest shakeup to the platform since it was announced, Affinity Photo (the award-winning photo editing suite), has made its way to Windows and added a bunch of new features. Affinity Photo 1.5, considered by many to be Photoshop’s strongest competitor, now offers macros, batch processing and HDR merging, among other new features.
All of these simply bring Affinity up to par with Photoshop, but many of the tools on display in the new version of Affinity seem to work much more intuitively than Adobe’s offerings. A new focus stacking feature, for example, is extremely easy to implement, whereas the feature in Photoshop can be quite tricky.
Affinity 1.5 also includes support for 360-degree photos, PSD write-back, 32-bit editing and automatic lens corrections.
Down from its regular price of US$50, Affinity Photo is available now on both Windows and Mac for US$40 to celebrate the launch of version 1.5. The sale will end on December 22nd, 2016


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A senior official at the Sudan Cotton Company (SCC), the firm charged with marketing Sudan's cotton, has predicted that the country's cotton production in 1993/94 will be the lowest in 20 years. Cotton is Sudan's principal hardcurrency earner, but in recent years, production has plummeted, causing concernin many circles.
Abdel-Rahman Abdalla, the head of SCC's Research & Statistics Department, told AB that Sudan produced a record 1.3m bales of cotton in 1970/71 (one bale = 500 lb = 226.8 kilos gross) but that by 1992/93 output had plunged to just 295,000 bales. "This year [1993/941, we expect to produce even less than that quantity, which willmake it the lowest production in 20 years," Abdalla confirms gloomily.
The loss to Sudan of the decrease in cotton production is considerable. In the 1970s, cotton used to bring in about $450m in export proceeds every year. This represented about 60% of the country's entire export earnings.
Earnings plummet too
However, in recent years, cotton has lost out, and in 1992/93, it brought in only $66m.
Abdalla attributes the fall of cotton output to a variety of factors, ranging from political to agronomical ones. Owing to political considerations, the government has allocated more and more area for food production, Abdalla told AB...


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Indian fintech company, Paytm, has tokenised over 52.3 million cards across VISA, Mastercard and RuPay to align with the Reserve Bank of India’s card tokenisation mandate to control fraudulent activities and secure users’ card information.
One97 Communications Limited (OCL), the company that owns Paytm, released a statement on Monday morning stating that with this development 93 percent of the monthly active cards on the Paytm app are tokenised. “This brings with it faster checkouts, as well as success rates that are at par or higher compared to saved cards,” the statement read.
“We have made great progress in card-on-file tokenization, with over 93 per cent of monthly active cards on Paytm app tokenized. Being a leader in digital payments, we are aligned with RBI’s initiative to make online card transactions safe and secure for consumers,” said the company’s spokesperson.
What is tokenisation?
As per RBI, Tokenisation refers to the replacement of actual card details with an alternate code called the token. This way of transacting is considered safer as the actual information of the cardholder is not shared with the merchant at the time of processing transactions.
The deadline for complying the RBI’s directive on the card-on-file tokenisation (CoFT) for merchants is September 30, 2022. The initial deadline was December 2021 which was later pushed to June 31, 2022. RBI’s deputy governor, T Rabi Sankar, had said in June this year that the payments ecosystem is 'by and large prepared' to implement tokenisation for card-based transactions.
Ever since the mandate was issued last year, companies have been taking steps to develop tokenisation solutions. For instance, PayU launched ‘PayU Token Hub.’ Bengaluru-based unicorn Razorpay launched the ‘Razorpay TokenHQ’ a multi-network card tokenisation solution. Last week, another fintech player, Bengaluru-based PhonePe, announced that it has tokenised 1.4 crore or 14 million debit and credit cards.
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