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The shortest part of the journey is often the most complex for self-driving cars. The first and last mile, usually wrought with traffic lights, signage, pedestrians and cyclists, present endless challenges to autonomous vehicles that even human drivers often couldn’t easily navigate.
One company — STEER Tech, headquartered outside of Baltimore — thinks it may have a solution that doesn’t require any new technology from manufacturers. STEER says it owns proprietary autonomous parking technology enabling a service that parks your car after you’ve stepped out of it and onto the sidewalk. The technology, the company says, will be ready as soon as next year and can be applied to almost any car made in 2012 or later.
“We are focused on last- or first-mile, depending on how you look at it, but we’re focused on eliminating a consumer pinpoint on their daily living,” STEER CEO Anuja Sonalker said.
The company, run by former executives behind automotive cybersecurity companies Battelle and TowerSec , is banking on an internet-connected system to retrofit non-autonomous vehicles into part-time level-4 autonomous vehicles. The fourth level of autonomy — rated on an industry-accepted 0-5 scale — is reached when a vehicle can operate without any human input or control, but only in certain geographic or road conditions. For STEER, that geography is a parking lot.
The technology, Sonalker told StateScoop, is an opportunity to simplify parking in typically congested urban areas where spaces come at a premium in both time and money. Sonalker explained her company’s technology as a four-tiered system that relies on communication between an app, designated parking spots, the company’s server and the car. For the technology to work correctly, the company relies on contracts between the owners of existing parking lots or garages and STEER itself to designate drop-off points and STEER-specific parking spaces within the lots.
‘As little upfront cost as practical’
The company already has secured its first of such contracts — the 391-acre Merriweather District Project in downtown Columbia, Maryland, which broke ground in late April with the idea of creating a revitalized core of the city’s downtown, will offer STEER-enabled drop-off and parking spots throughout its mixed-use lots as it is built out over the next 20 years.
Residents near the Merriweather District interested in using STEER will apply online for the company’s hardware kit, which is installed by a certified STEER manufacturer inside the trim of the vehicle. The company has not yet released any information about how much a typical installation will cost consumers. Sonalker told StateScoop the technology will be made available with “as little upfront cost as practical,” but did not cite any numbers.
“If it’s a Ford Fusion, it’s going to be tucked behind your infotainment center, where your CD player is. If it’s a Lincoln Navigator, it’s going to be tucked behind your steering wheel. It’s going to be inside your cabin, but behind your trim,” Sonalker said.
The kit includes software that connects to the electronic “guts” and stock radar and ultrasonic sensors of the car — the reason for the 2012-era manufacturing cutoff, Sonalker said.
“Anything beyond 2012 and newer almost certainly guarantees that the car has enough existing electronics in there to support electronic throttle control, electronic braking, electrical power steering, and things like that. If it’s older than 2012 or 2011 or 2010, then it really has to be a manufacturer-specific case.”
The kit is installed in tandem with a mobile app that drivers download onto their devices, which is securely paired, the company says, with the car through a STEER cloud server. The app can “talk” to the car through an LTE connection, Sonalker said. When drivers pull up to a designated STEER drop-off point, they put their car in park, step out, and press a button on the app to follow a designated route to an available parking space. The same process is followed when the customer wants to leave — the app is used to recall the car to the specific drop-off spot.
Outside of the kit, STEER installs cameras that work with the software to detect pedestrians and other cars in real time, but Sonalker said they won’t change the appearance of the car.
Other manufacturers are trying to build the same technology into their fully autonomous vehicles, she said, but STEER isn’t focused on expanding past the parking lot. Because the product relies on STEER-designated landing spots, it doesn’t present a universal solution to the first- and last-mile issues that automakers are keen on solving without external products.
Sonalker is aware that the successfully implementing the tech is a monumental task.
“The vehicle has to be able to detect pedestrians, read signage, follow along a line, know where curves are, where the road is — all of that requires a high level of cognitive capability. It’s not exactly automotive, it’s not exactly computer science, it’s not exactly robotics. It’s a cross-disciplinary technology.”
Autonomous vehicle testing in urban spaces has rarely occurred without at least one human in the vehicle to override the car in case of emergency. In STEER’s case, it’s successfully secured Maryland’s first AV testing permit in late 2017 to test its technology, and is planning on automated valet parking at the Baltimore-Washington Airport in the near future.
“We don’t have any direct competitors,” Sonalker said, “but there are autonomous vehicle companies that are trying to build level-5, fully autonomous vehicles that are in our periphery. We have focused on just parking — that differentiates us from the others.”
Across the country, autonomous vehicle legislation is developing at the state and city level. A report from the National Governors Association published last week laid out guidelines for state leaders to seeking to adopt self-driving technology, and Boston , Denver and Washington, D.C. have all taken steps to allow autonomous testing on city roads.


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Start-up venture Flexi Reps has signed up more than 50 people seeking temporary field sales and marketing work.
The company was launched earlier this month by former Jet2holidays trade sales manager Craig Davidson as “the go-to place for brands wanting flexible talent on the road, to enhance brand awareness”, in the wake of widespread travel job losses.
ITE travel agent Kelly Freeth is the company’s office manager, while Freeth’s husband Andy – former chief executive of If Only and managing director of dnata UK – will support as a non-executive director.
Davidson, Flexi Reps’ managing director, said he has been “overwhelmed” with demand for the service.
“It’s heart-breaking really, as we’ve had so many reps get in touch – all talented individuals, that are crying out to get back to what they love,” he said.
“Our industry continues to take a battering and some government decisions are really not helping that.”
In the first week of launch, the www.flexireps.co.uk website had more than 2,800 visits and more than 15 companies have been in touch.
Davidson added: “We have had a lot of interest from operators and I’m hopeful we’ll be sharing news of our first project in the next week or two.
“We are already redesigning our website to make sure we can easily post and share opportunities as they come in.
“We have also started a weekly blog and reps’ newsletter, ‘Thank Flexi it’s Friday’.”
Kelly Freeth said: “I recognise so many of the reps’ names as I’ve been trained by lots of them in the past.
“I am gutted they are all looking for opportunities and our industry is at risk of losing them for good which will be a real shame.
“Craig is working all hours under the sun to create demand from partners. He is so passionate about landing projects, I think he’ll probably cry when the first project post goes up.”
Craig added: “What’s also great is how well received we’ve been from existing and well-established representation companies.
“We are keeping our model simple. We provide boots on the ground for travel agent activity.
“Existing UK PR and representation companies do so much more than that, so Flexi Reps is a very natural fit and extension to their proposition to brands they work with.”
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Survey: Small business owners losing confidence in future
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- Atlanta Business Chronicle by Carla Caldwell, Morning Call Editor
A survey released Wednesday by the National Small Business Association finds that 60 percent of small business owners feel confident about the future, down from 75 percent in December, The Associated Press reports.
The latest survey was taken in July, AP reports.
The survey also found that 34 percent of business owners expect a recession in the next year, up from 14 percent in December, the news service says. The number of owners who think the economy will grow or stay the same fell from 86 percent to 66 percent, AP said.
The survey was more negative than one taken in August and released Tuesday by the National Federation of Independent Business, AP adds.
That survey showed that small business owners are becoming more optimistic regarding how their companies and overall business conditions will do after the election and the first of the year, AP reported.
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I'm not talking about the editorials that criticize Sony's new portable; I'm simply referring to the news headlines that indicate the slipping PlayStation Vita sales in Japan.
We've had them. All sources have had them. It's news; the Vita started with a bang and then tailed off. But it occurs to me that when someone logs on to search for information concerning the handheld, they're going to stumble across a hundred different headlines that are – by default – negative. Their not op-eds; they're just negative due to the numbers.
And even those numbers can be interpreted in a variety of different ways. Some will say the majority of interested gamers bought the Vita on launch day, and those who plan to wait will do just that- wait. Therefore, the dwindling sales numbers after the initial launch in Japan seem normal. But put aside the content of all the articles for a moment. Don't the headlines by themselves have some effect on the consumer? As much as people claim to be independent shoppers, as often as people will say they "don't follow the crowds," it's often astonishing to see how many paying customers will purchase a product just because a lot of other people did.
So if others are evidently avoiding said product, there's a part of us that says we should avoid it, too. It's not really anyone's fault, as news sources have to do their job and report the news, for better or worse. But maybe it's inevitable; maybe these headlines are having a definite negative impact on sales, in that those who might be on the fence do the research, only to find a product that may or may not be doing well. Even ambiguity doesn't do it for the consumer. They need to see something pretty damn popular. Of course, the Vita bashing articles aren't helping, either, but this isn't about them. That's a whole other subject.
In short, the worse the Vita sells, the more headlines there will be that may influence a consumer's decision, not based on the product's merits, but its popularity. …or is that too cynical? Nah, just realistic.


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SCCM’s Clothing Closet reopens
Published 3:25 pm Tuesday, May 12, 2020
The Stanly Community Christian Ministry’s Clothing Closet officially reopened Tuesday.
The opening day hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1324 E. Main St., Albemarle.
The closet, which has been closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, has a few new restrictions in place due to the pandemic: every shopper is required to wear a mask and only 25 shoppers will be allowed in the store at one time. Donations are also only accepted during store hours.
Clothing and household goods are given periodically to clients who have a referral from the Department of Social Services or SCCM’s Assistance Center. Though referrals are income-based, emergency vouchers can be given any time they are needed.
The clothing closet accounts for 60 percent of SCCM’s annual revenue, said Jenny Clore, development director with SCCM.
Though closing the closet was difficult, Clore said “the food and financial donations have really taken care of what we lost with having to close the clothing closet.”
From mid-March through the end of April, Clore said 253 new families have come to SCCM for help for the first time, which she said is unprecedented. During April, 98,299 pounds of food was donated to SCCM, much higher than the 69,868 pounds of food donated last April.
“‘Thank you’ doesn’t adequately express our gratefulness,” to the community, Clore said.
The closet is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Financial donations to SCCM can be mailed to P.O. Box 58, Albemarle, NC 28002, or people can go online at sccminc.org. For more information about the clothing closet, call 704-982-0246.
If people are in need of food, they can call SCCM at 704-982-7915 to schedule an appointment. Food can be dropped off at 506 S. First St., Albemarle.


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BY Hannah Militano Jun 16, 2020
Throughout this month, Louis Vuitton is unveiling collaborative windows on select shops around the world, adorning them in bright, colorful rainbows to bring a positive start to the summer season. The rainbow symbolizes hope and new adventure, fitting for this current moment and also for Pride month. The fashion house’s first U.S. installation is on its Fifth Avenue maison in New York City, which was revealed on Saturday.
Titled The Rainbow Project, the artistic collaboration has called upon Louis Vuitton employees, locals, and their children to tap into their imaginations and contribute to the joyous window designs. The Champs-Elysées boutique in Paris has been dressed in a plethora of illustrations thanks to a group of local French children. In Madrid, the windows are adorned in rainbows breaking through the LV monogrammed clouds.
Louis Vuitton has a rich and deep history in regards to their window art, which reaches back to the late 19th century. The fashion house has always considered its decor and displays to be of the utmost importance in making visitors feel invited, welcomed, and inspired.
The new initiative will sweep across locations from several cities in the U.S. to Paris, Rome, Madrid, Mexico, and more, all covered in ROYGBIV designed site-specifically. Alongside this collaboration, Louis Vuitton has partnered with artist Cory Arcangel on an exclusive art series that will feature the artist’s signature gradient style. A piece representing a sunrise will debut June 14, while a sunset will be revealed on June 21. Arcangel’s work will also be featured in the windows of several global Louis Vuitton locations.


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Paragon Kwang Overview
Paragon breaks down the kit for its new Fighter Hero, Kwang, available today on PC and PlayStation 4.
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You have searched for "halal"
Showing 1-10 of 7397
If YOU have been following this column, you would have noticed that we often look at seasonal events around the world and try to share the culinary experience of various regions.
MALAYSIANS will never forget the dish that best represents the roots, culture and identity of Malaysia — nasi lemak.
JOHOR BARU: All 16 entry points into Johor are closely monitored, with thorough checks on imported agriculture products to prevent diseases and pests from harming the people and the agricultural sector.
A campaign in support of Muslim-made products came under the media spotlight last September, with certain quarters calling for a boycott of halal products made by non-Muslims.
PETALING JAYA: Halal beverage maker Etika Holdings has appointed marketing expert Santharuban Thurai Sundaram as the chief executive officer of its newly-acquired Advend group of companies.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s global leadership in setting standards for halal pharmaceuticals has served to facilitate the successful entry of domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers into the international halal pharmaceutical market, which is forecast to be valued at US$134bil by 2024.
KUALA LUMPUR: With rising demand for high-quality beef, halal-certified beef from Argentina is now back on the menu.
PETALING JAYA: Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd (DLMI) has announced the expansion of its manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of 32.59 acres of industrial land in Bandar Baru Enstek, Negri Sembilan for RM56.79mil, which it aims to complete by this year.
KUALA LUMPUR: FGV Holdings Bhd will team up with more small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to expand its animal feed and animal nutrition business.
KUALA LUMPUR: Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd (DLMI) announced the expansion of its manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of 32.59 acres of industrial land in Bandar Baru Enstek, Negeri Sembilan for RM56.79 million which it aims to complete by this year.


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The Magic Valley Boys and Girls Club now has a little more money to help support area youth thanks to a coffee shop and its customers. Dutch Bros coffee shop says they raised a grand total of $7,590 for the Boys & Girls Club to spend on programs for youth.
Customers of a popular coffee shop in Twin Falls will get the chance to get a hot drink and help an area children's club. Dutch Bros says it will celebrate National Coffee Day on Friday, Sept. 29, by donating one dollar for every drink to the Boys and Girls Club of the Magic Valley.
There are few things more pleasurable in life than hot coffee on a cold day at a good diner. My diner visits are slightly curtailed as part of a weight-loss plan but I still enjoy dropping in on new places. Idaho has no shortage of roadside diners, family restaurants and coffee shops...
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho man and his mule who serve coffee to hikers and bikers in remote areas of the popular Boise foothills trails have sidestepped federal regulatory rules by getting permission from three private landowners.


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Sunday, 26 January 2020
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Patterns for Layout Style: Boxed


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Our colleagues at 9to5Google found the first mention of Google’s next smartphone.
What is known
All this tells us that the new smartphone is not just in development, but it is already in the testing stage with some developers.
Recall that according to rumors, Pixel 4 will receive a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and the latest version of the Android Q operating system. The device must also implement support for two sim cards.
When to expect
Most likely, the new generation of Google Pixel will be presented in the fall.


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Auto-roaming around the globe may finally be getting closer.
ZDNet Korea, one of our sister sites, says a new phone released by Samsung on the SK Telecom network can handle CDMA, European GSM and Japan's JCDMA standards. That means the SCH-V920 pretty much works in Asia, Australia, North America and South America. You'd be out of luck in Gabon, but for most business trips or vacations you wouldn't have to worry about renting a phone at the airport.
The $500 phone also comes with an MP3 player, a 1.3-megapixel camera and an electronic translator that can convert phrases from Korean into English, Japanese or Chinese. As in: "They lost my luggage."


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For the year 2020, Europe enacted more stringent fleet-wide emissions standards. The penalties for exceeding the restrictions have plenty of bite, potentially in the billions of dollars (or euros). We’ve already seen some lineup impacts from them: those standards were a significant reason Land Rover ditched the old Defender, and the new one is a fundamentally different vehicle.
But there’s an even more remarkable impact coming soon: Honda plans to phase out internal combustion vehicles entirely in Europe by the end of 2022.
In an interview with Autocar, Honda senior VP Ian Howells said the Honda lineup will be a “combination of full-electric and hybrids” going forwards. He also said that Honda would continue to lean on hybrids in the short-term, as electric cars remain “a third to 50 percent more expensive than a conventional or hybrid vehicle.”
Honda had been struggling to meet fleet-wide European emissions standards on its own; the brand just announced they were joining with FCA in pooling their emissions with Tesla to avoid fines. We don’t know how much Honda is paying for that privilege, but Tesla has earned a reported $1.2 billion from pooling for emissions purposes in 2020.
It’s not clear what, if anything, this will mean for Honda in the U.S. market. America is large enough to be its own ecosystem in the automotive world, and many of the cars Honda sells in America are built for the U.S. and not sold in Europe. That said, Honda was already making a major push toward hybrid power with its most popular cars like the CR-V and the Accord, so we expect that to continue and intensify. But we perhaps should also consider that Honda’s move may be a precursor for what is to come in the next few years here in America, what with manufacturers prepping to move decisively toward zero-emission vehicles.


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Denmark’s largest trade union has joined strike action by Swedish Tesla workers, piling pressure on the US electric car company to agree to collective bargaining rights for its employees.
Members of the Swedish trade union IF Metall have been on strike for six weeks – attracting support across industries, including from postal workers, painters, electricians and dock workers who have all launched secondary action.
So far, Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, appears to have been far from sympathetic – first decrying secondary action at PostNord as “insane” and then mounting legal action against the Swedish transport agency and the postal service over the failure to deliver licence plates for new cars.
The Danish union 3F Transport, responding to a request from IF Metall, is joining the action in a “sympathy strike” aimed at preventing dock workers and drivers from receiving and transporting Tesla cars going to Sweden.
All members of the union are covered by the sympathy strike. The announcement comes amid speculation that Tesla could attempt to circumvent Swedish dock worker strikes by delivering their cars to Danish ports and transporting them by truck to Sweden.
Jan Villadsen, the chair of 3F Transport, said he hoped the move would help bring Tesla to the negotiating table.
“IF Metall and the Swedish workers are fighting an incredibly important battle right now. When they ask for our support, we are of course behind them. Just like companies, the trade union movement is global in the fight to protect workers.” he said.
“With the sympathy strike, we are now stepping in to put further pressure on Tesla. Of course, we hope that they come to the negotiating table as soon as possible and sign a collective agreement.”
In what appeared to be direct criticism of Musk, Villadsen added: “Even if you are one of the richest in the world, you can’t just make your own rules. We have some labour market agreements in the Nordic region, and you have to comply with them if you want to run a business here.”
IF Metall’s contract secretary, Veli-Pekka Säikkälä, welcomed the news, saying: “We are happy that Danish trade unions are closing up.” He declined to comment on whether other Nordic countries were also planning sympathy measures.
Fellesforbundet, the largest union in the Norwegian private sector, has previously said it would be prepared to block Swedish Teslas from coming to the country.
#Danish #union #joins #strike #action #Tesla #Swedish #workers #Denmark


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The start-up Fygaro, which offers a regional e-commerce platform, was the winner of the Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI) for Latin America and the Caribbean 2020. among the 10 finalists in the region. The VEI program in Latin America and the Caribbean is organized in collaboration with Finnovista. This was announced by VISA in a press release.
The fourth edition of this regional competition for startups took place in a virtual environment for the first time and with the challenge of offering new solutions to promote the economic recovery of SMEs and smooth urban mobility.
Visa said it received more than 300 applications from startups across the region, an increase of nearly 60% from last year’s edition.
Second and third place for Brazil and Colombia
The startups mGrana from Brazil and Quipu from Colombia took second and third place. Arnoldo Reyes, Vice President, Digital Partnerships, Fintech Ventures at Visa for Latin America and the Caribbean, stated that Fygaro offers SMEs in the region a unique solution that allows them to find all the tools they need to start their business online start once. faster and safer way.
“At this point in time, this is even more important to the recovery of the economies of our countries, which are so dependent on SMEs,” added Reyes.
Fygaro, a Panamanian company and partner from Costa Rica, is an e-commerce generator with an integrated billing platform. It is an enterprise resource planning system for MSMEs with accounting that has out-of-the-box features such as web shops and payment buttons.
The business model has proven effective as it is available in 30 countries with more than 15,000 users and helps the economy of SMEs with business-to-consumer transactions growing 56% from the previous quarter.
“We are very excited to have won and continue to strive across the region to help SMEs, entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes.Said Ariel Rochwerger, co-CEO and co-founder of Fygaro.
Rochwerger added: “We know that by winning the Visa Everywhere Initiative 2020 program we can make a difference in the region and help the local economy reactivate, and we are very excited about it.”
Fygaro is also headed and founded by Isaac Rochwerger.
VEI is a global startup program that challenges participating startups to solve the payment problems of tomorrow, further improve their own product offerings and provide visionary solutions for Visa and its large partner network.
Promote economic recovery in the region
In Latin America and the Caribbean, this year’s program focused on promoting economic recovery in the region while accelerating the digitization of all economic activity.
Visa and Finnovista tried to help small businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean to reactivate the powerful segment of the local economy. According to Cepal, 99% of businesses in the region are SMEs, which account for 61% of formal employment.
Finalists and Awards
Now, for three weeks, the finalist startups participated in a virtual immersion program that focused on exploring and developing opportunities to work with Visa and its partners through mentoring sessions with experts.
The startups presented their solutions to a jury of Finnish judges and the process was broadcast live and directly to the entire fintech community in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The finalists, who represented a broad cross-section of the Latin American business scene, were: Lendera and Yaydoo from Mexico, FT Technologies from Costa Rica, Fygaro from Panama, Quipu Market from Colombia, Riqra from Peru, Datarisk and mGrana from Brazil, Duemint from Chile and Prometeo from Uruguay.
Fygaro, the first place winner, will receive a prize of USD 25,000 while mGrana, a startup in second place, will receive USD 15,000 and the third startup, Quipu, will receive a total of USD 10,000.
Visa is already exploring various ways to work with the program’s finalists, such as: B. the development of pilot programs or Proofs of Concept (PoC), the generation of specialized mentoring opportunities and much more.


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Belgian brewer InBev hired JPMorgan Chase & Co., BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank as lead managers for a stock sale to help fund its proposed $46.3 billion takeover of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., Belgian newspaper De Tijd reported Wednesday.
Without disclosing how it obtained its information, De Tijd reported that Fortis, ING Groep NV, Royal Bank of Scotland and Banco Santander SA also were appointed as joint managers.
It is not known how much InBev plans to raise by selling stock, according to the publication.
An InBev spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment.
InBev informed A-B June 25 that it paid approximately $50 million in commitment fees to its lending group, demonstrating its resolve to make a deal happen.
The company's lending group is comprised of Banco Santander, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Fortis, ING Bank, JP Morgan, Mizuho Corporate Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland.
Anheuser-Busch director Douglas Warner III was chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York until he retired in November 2001.
On June 26, A-B formally rejected InBev's proposal, calling the $65-per-share offer "financially inadequate and not in the best interests of Anheuser-Busch shareholders."
In his company's first statement since the rejection, InBev CEO Carlos Brito said Tuesday that InBev is committed to its $65-per-share offer price for A-B and said the brewer "will pursue all available avenues" to allow A-B shareholders to have a direct voice in the process.
InBev already has been making preparations to take InBev's takeover offer hostile by either organizing the removal of Anheuser-Busch board members or by taking InBev's offer directly to Anheuser-Busch shareholders.
St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. (NYSE: BUD), through its Anheuser-Busch Inc. subsidiary, is the leading domestic brewer, holding a 48.5 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company's Jacksonville brewery is the seventh-largest manufacturer in Northeast Florida with 620 employees, according to The Business Journal's 2008 Book of Lists.


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Early October 2021, DragonFlyPads, Unifly and partners carried out a series of unprecedented tests for parcel delivery by drone at Rungis International Market, the biggest food market in France, located in a busy urban environment only 15 km from Paris, France and 3 km from Orly international airport. DragonFlyPads installed a vertiport (drone reception station) capable of accommodating surveillance and cargo drones of any brand, while Unifly provided Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology to ensure situational awareness and ability to manage the drone traffic.
Over the course of two weeks, about more than 30 surveillance flights and over 50 transport flights took place day and night within the Rungis Market, with the participation of several wholesalers. Rungis International Market employs over 12 000 wholesalers, it is the size of Monaco, and every day more than 20 000 transportation trucks enter the market where goods are exchanged and dispatched mainly between 2 – 6 am every morning. Various fragile products were successfully transported, ranging from exotic fruits and spare parts to defibrillators and even champagne.
What are vertipads? Why do we need them?
Drones need safe places to land and take off. This hybrid infrastructure, between a service station and mini airport, enables drones to operate in complete safety, sheltered from the elements, offering secure storage for both drones and cargo, repair facilities, and an efficient charging solution. The vertipads, developed and deployed for the first time in France by Dragonflypads, are recycled maritime containers, ecological, mobile, and equipped with a seamless software that manages air to ground connections for the drones as well as the grid of vertipads.
How does the UTM system come into play?
Drones cannot fly in isolation; flights need to be planned and authorized, unexpected changes can occur at any time and need to be dealt with immediately. The UTM system ensures total situational awareness and real-time communication between all stakeholders to ensure the safe and efficient use of the airspace.
The flyby of cargo over a commercial, complex and urban area such as the Rungis Market is a first in France. Authorization was granted by Civil Aviation (DAGC) after a very rigorous process who continue to support DragonFlyPads in the development of new vertipads in other complex areas outside of Paris.
Sissel Thorstensen, CEO of DragonFlyPads: “We have been working closely with Unifly over the past year and are delighted to have conducted a series of successful and conclusive cargo flights together in such a complex urban environment.”
Leon van de Pas, CEO of Unifly: “Using drones in a busy real-life environment like Rungis market brings us another step closer to making drones an integral part of our daily lives and businesses. Together with DragonFlyPads we demonstrated that drones can be used safely and efficiently and that they add value to daily business operations.”
Founded in 2020 by Ms. Sissel Thorstensen and her four associates, DragonFlyPads is a French start-up that designs and deploys vertipads (docking stations) for surveillance and cargo drones. These vertiports provide recharging services, maintenance, and storage for drones of all brands. DragonFlyPads identifies strategic locations for their vertipads in order to create a fine-grained network of operations landing pads for drones throughout Europe.
DragonFlyPads positions itself as a technology service provider for commercial drone operators and as an essential link in the service value chain and solutions provided by drones.
About Rungis International
The International market of Rungis, with an area of 234 hectares on the outskirts of Paris, is a true ecosystem at the service of the French, of the urban logistics of fresh food, the valorization of terroirs and gastronomic heritage. It also ensures maintenance of animation of town centers and specialized retail trade. The market is managed by the SEMMARIS management company of the market, whose main objectives are development, exploitation, commercialization, and promotion of Rungis market infrastructure.
With 1,209 companies, 12,000 employees and 2.8 million tonnes of products sold each year, Rungis International reaches a total turnover of 10 billion euros. Founded in 1965, SEMMARIS is the company managing the Rungis International Market. Their main missions are development, operation, marketing and promotion of the infrastructures of the Rungis Market.
Unifly is the global leading provider of Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology. The Unifly platform connects authorities with pilots to safely integrate drones into the airspace. Authorities can visualise and approve drone flights and manage no-fly zones in real-time. Drone pilots can plan and receive flight approvals in line with international and local regulation.
Unifly was started in 2015 by a team of pilots, air traffic controllers and aerospace engineers passionate about aviation. Having witnessed more drone activity in the airspace, they decided to create safe and smart solutions for the growing volume of unmanned traffic in the world. Since then, Unifly has won several awards and grown in size and presence with aviation and port authorities as its main clients.
In the near future where artificial intelligence is essential to logistics and operations, Unifly continues to play a role in creating this safe and open ecosystem where unmanned and other automated vehicles can operate.


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Pirelli Tire North America has been named the “Official Motorcycle Tire” of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, marking the second consecutive season for the brand and it’s high-performance SCORPION MX tire lineup.
“The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is excited to have Pirelli back in 2017,” said Davey Coombs, president of MX Sports Pro Racing. “The brand is iconic worldwide and boasts an incredible amount of success in the history of motocross. Their commitment in racing continues to play an important role in elevating the sport for our future stars.”
The Motocross Championship will be hosting 12 rounds of intense action at some of the most iconic facilities across the nation, beginning with the Hangtown Motocross Classic on May 19 in Sacramento, California.
In addition to Pirelli’s support of motocross, it will also increase its focus at the grassroots level by providing technical assistance to help riders improve their experience and performance while racing through its tire selection.
With 66 Motocross Grand Prix World Championships, Pirelli has a long record of success by winning on nearly every motorcycle brand, displacement, continent, and country throughout the world. In North America alone the company has seen success in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Monster Energy Supercross Championship, and AMSOIL Arenacross Championship.
Pirelli’s wide-range SCORPION MX lineup offers six different tread patterns and 19 different sizes. The lineup provides peak performance, long-lasting durability, and increased rider comfort in a variety of terrain and conditions.
“Throughout the past several seasons, Pirelli has stood atop the podium on multiple occasions, showcasing that our lineup offers products capable of winning,” said Josh Whitmire, Pirelli national account manager. “It’s great to see many new powersport dealers stocking the SCORPION MX range across the United States and we’re increasing our attention on the backbone of the sport by providing additional resources to local riders and dealerships across the nation in 2017.”
A local amateur motocross support dealership will be setup on behalf of Pirelli at each of the 12 events slated to take place this summer. The entire SCORPION MX lineup will be on display accompanied by motocross and supercross tire specialist, Doug Schopinsky. He brings decades of experience and expertise at the pinnacle of the sport and Pirelli encourages riders to seek technical advice on tire selection and guidance in setting the bike to maximize tire performance at various local tracks.
2017 AMA Pro Motocross Schedule & Dealer Support Guide
- Hangtown Motocross Classic (May 20) – Dirt Tech
- Glen Helen National (May 27) – Chaparral Motorsports
- Thunder Valley National (June 3) – TBD
- High Point National (June 17) – Five Star Powersports
- Tennessee National (June 24) – Litz Racing
- RedBud National (July 1) – Zeigler Motorsports
- Southwick National (July 8) – TBD
- Spring Creek National (July 22) – PDR Performance
- Washougal National (July 29) – TBD
- Unadilla National (August 12) – Parker MX
- Budds Creek National (August 19) – TBD
- Ironman National (August 27) – R3 Motoworx


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YouTube recently launched a new content analysing system that checks to see if videos are violating various copyright claims.
Microsoft revealed today that the Xbox One sold 2 million units in its first 18 days on store shelves, as the battle for next-generation video game console sales supremacy continues.
This guy decided it was a great idea to smash a PlayStation 4 in front of a bunch of people waiting in line to purchase the console at a Best Buy location.
When it comes to retro gaming, emulators — programs that run on your computer and operate almost exactly like a retro game consoles — are everywhere. Surprisingly, it seems programmers are already working on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One emulators.


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Rain dampens sales, not spirits for CycLOUvia
Cece Carson, age 4, darted suddenly on her bike for the nearest water puddle. Normally her parents, Mike and Melissa might have panicked. But not today as Cece and family participated in the second annual CycLOUvia on a traffic free Frankfort Avenue.
"I promised Cece we would come rain or shine. She loves being here on the avenue. It's a great day just to go wild," said Mike Carson.
Many cyclists, runners and walkers participated despite the rain. " It's awesome, they completely shut down this street. Cyclists have time to stop and shop whenever we want," Cherokee Schill said.
But Frankfort Avenue retailers hoping for a pop in sales from the slow moving traffic were sanguine over the rainy weather. Karen Crook, of Lexie's Trading Post and Mark Langley of Cliftons Pizza handed out free bottles of water to passersby.
"You've just got to stick with it, you take your lumps." said Langley. Crook agreed, "Last year was a very good sales day, this year, it'll hurt."


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Residence-grown sports and vitamin tag, Lickety-split&Up is looking ahead to a 3-fold divulge in alternate one day of the unusual fiscal backed by an everyday demand for effectively being and vitamin products among consumers within the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The firm is calling to endeavor into newer segments including the teens category, birth extra products in present segments and enhance its retail footprint to faucet the rising market.
Based totally mostly on Vijayraghvan Venugopal, CEO, Lickety-split&Up, the firm has witnessed a Thrice divulge in revenue since March and expects the momentum to proceed due to rising consciousness among consumers about the need for effectively being and vitamin products.
“Covid in a manner has brought focal point into effectively being and vitamin admire by no manner earlier than. We witnessed 3X divulge in revenue over the final four-to-five months and this used to be glorious basic led by our Filled with life vary of products which contains Weight-reduction map-C, multivitamin, and minerals. Sport, as a section, has taken a beating within the final couple of months. But now with the IPL beginning and the authorities now allowing sports events to occur on a restricted scale beneath the liberate piece, that section is beginning to see some momentum,” Venugopal educated BusinessLine.
Acknowledging a gap within the plant essentially based totally vitamin section, the firm impartial currently launched a recent series of homegrown vitamin products: Lickety-split&Up Curcumin and Lickety-split&Up Terra Natural Spirulina Plus and their plant essentially based totally vegan pleasant Terra series.
. Pre Covid it had 12 products in its basket and it has launched five extra products within the final three months. It extra plans to birth shut to 10 products one day of the unusual fiscal.
“One of many categories where now we admire no longer been unusual in used to be the pure vary of products that are extra plant powered. So we launched products in that section and we want to grow it,” he mentioned.
The firm might maybe be planning to birth a vary of products targeted at teens. The belief would be to originate products that are “enjoyable oriented” so that you just might maybe maybe be sure that moms need no longer push it to teens pretty they stay up for having it.
Lickety-split & Up might maybe be witnessing an everyday demand from company procuring for vitamin and effectively being products as gifting choices (as a change to sweets) for their workers and prospects one day of festive season.
Lickety-split & Up, which is at point out unusual in 8-10 key cities, is calling to enhance its footprint right via the country and is calling to transfer into Tier II towns. The firm, which began ventured into retail section in June final year, is at point out unusual right via 5,000 retailers.
It plans to touch 15,000 retailers by December and transfer into the Tier II towns of Pune, Indore, Mysore and so forth.
“Online is rising glorious posthaste…. India has been underleveraged in this section and Covid has given a first-rate enhance to that and we search that persevering with,” he mentioned.
The firm is planning to roll out smaller pack sizes and including extra variants to swimsuit the wishes of prospects.
Lickety-split & Up, which impartial currently changed into the reliable vitamin accomplice for the IPL team – Chennai Huge Kings, is calling to leverage the affiliation to lift the emblem to the heaps, he added.


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Nearly $38mln Handicrafts Exported from Khorassan Razavi Province
TEHRAN (FNA)- Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department of Khorassan Razavi Province Abolfazl Mokarrami said approximately $38 million worth of handicrafts has been exported from the province in the current Iranian year (ending March 20, 2021).
Mokarrami said that $13.9 million of handicrafts in Khorassan Razavi Province have been exported via official cross-border customs while $24 million were exported in the form of carry-on luggage.
He added that the exported products included woven goods, handmade leather, wooden, wicker, stones, paper crafts, textile fabrics, precious stones, silver jewelry and needlework.
According to the official, the products have been exported to 50 countries including Germany, Austria, Britain, Sweden, Australia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Persian Gulf and Central Asian states.
9,000 people are engaged in handicrafts industry in Khorassan Razavi Province.
In relevant remarks in November, 2020, a provincial official said that more than $1.7 million metric tons of products worth $873 million were exported from Khorassan Razavi province during 8 months (March 20-November 20).
Omid Jahankhah said that Afghanistan, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Hong Kong were the top export destinations of Khorassan Razavi during the eight-month period.
“The exported goods mainly consisted of agricultural products, including saffron and pistachio, as well as minerals, steel products, and construction material,” Jahankhah added.
He noted that 112,000 tons of goods worth $236 million were imported through the customs of Khorassan Razavi province in the same period.
“UAE, Uzbekistan, China and Turkey were the exporters to Khorassan Razavi during the period,” the official went on to say, adding that cotton, silk, raw materials, and industrial machinery constituted the province’s main imports.


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Tim Skiber, the restaurant's executive chef, flexes his culinary muscles for the dinners.
>> Why Winter Restaurant Week is the perfect time to try somewhere or something new
“We just really want people to come in the restaurant and see what we do,” he said.
The dinner is $40.14 per person. Tickets are being sold on Eventbrite.com.
Toxic Brew will pair beers with the following menu:
— First Course: Roasted collard greens and corn egg rolls
— Second Course: Beer-battered cheese curds
— Third Course: Salad with grilled chilled asparagus with shaved fennel, mache lettuce and avocado lime dressing
— Fourth Course: Coffee-rubbed, braised short ribs with sweet pea and Parmesan orzo and poached egg
— Fifth Course: Homemade banana bread foster
>> The SINFULLY sweet brunch dish coming to this new restaurant’s menu
Skiber said Dewberry is gearing up to relaunch its new main menus.
The restaurant's next food event will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 22 and feature beer from Lost Tunnel Beer, a brand launched in October to showcase Dayton Beer Company's "eccentric" and "outlandish" beers.
>> Dayton Beer Company to launch second brand for 'outlandish' brews
Tickets for that meal are $40.14 and on sale now.
>> Best of Dayton 2017 Winners: Bars & Nightclubs
Want to go?
WHAT: Dewberry 1850 Restaurant and Lounge + Toxic Brew Company Pairing Dinner
WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25
WHERE: Dewberry 1850 Restaurant and Lounge at Dayton Marriott at the University of Dayton, 1414 Patterson Boulevard, Dayton
COST: $40.14 per person
INFO: Tickets sold on Eventbrite


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The used vehicle market is doing well these days and prices of used cars have reached their record highs. In fact, there are car dealers looking for the used cars that they could resell at a high price.
With prices of used vehicles at its peak these days, it might benefit you to trade in the old car you no longer find interesting to use. There are a lot of consumers wanting to own old vehicles and are willing to pay a high price for it. As long as it's still in good running condition and is fuel efficient, you have every chance to gain from trading it in. This is possible particularly after the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) increased the values of small and medium sized cars last June.
One of the reasons why the used cars are in demand nowadays is due to the shortage of the popular Japanese vehicles. The low number of new Japan-made cars resulted from the major earthquake that hit the country as well as from the global financial crisis.
Among the used cars, the price difference from their previous rates is pegged at more than a thousand dollars to $6,000. As an example, the NADA used car guide showed an almost $2,000 difference from the price of a one-year-old Honda Civic while the price difference for a three-year-old Toyota Prius was more than $6,000.
Although not all old vehicles are up in their prices, majority have higher trade-in values. The large SUVs are up nearly five percent while the cost of mid-size luxury cars is up six percent. Compared to the brand new vehicles, the values for late-model used cars are higher.
Experts also pointed out that for consumers who have gas efficient old cars, they can trade in their vehicles at a higher price. They also added that vehicle owners still leasing a car but are about to complete their term may be interested to consider trading in their vehicle. What they recommended, however, is owners determine first the residual value of the car and compare it with the trade-in value. It pays to know what you're getting before you turn over the keys to the dealer.
With leased cars, owners may need to exert more effort. An important step to take is to look into the market value of their vehicle by using online sites such as the NADA, KBB.com, Edmund.com, eBay and Cars.com. Then once you find out the information, you will have to put your negotiating skills to work in order to get a higher value from the dealer.
On the part of the car dealers, they will need to buy the leased vehicle from the leasing firm before they can resell it. They may also have to pay some sales tax but there's always an opportunity to profit from selling the leased car.
So if your car has served you well for the past few years and you may want to upgrade to a better one or a bigger vehicle, trading in may be the best option that could earn you profits.


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Google’s update to Bard includes significant advancements in AI capabilities, most notably the global expansion of Gemini Pro and the introduction of image generation technology. Gemini Pro, previously limited to English, now supports over 40 languages, extending its reach to more than 230 countries and territories. This expansion represents a significant leap in making advanced conversational AI more accessible globally.
The addition of image generation to Bard is powered by the Imagen 2 model, a sophisticated AI system capable of producing high-quality, photorealistic images from textual descriptions. This feature opens up new creative possibilities for users, allowing them to generate unique images simply by typing out what they envision. To ensure ethical use, these images come with a digital watermark.
Furthermore, Bard’s double-check feature, which cross-references AI responses with web content for accuracy, has been expanded to more languages. This is a crucial step in ensuring the reliability and trustworthiness of AI-generated content.
This update from Google is a significant milestone in the field of artificial intelligence and its application in daily life. It reflects the ongoing trend of integrating AI more deeply into various aspects of our digital experiences, from language processing to creative content generation.
Artificial Intelligence and Image Generation
The field of AI has seen remarkable growth in recent years, particularly in the area of image generation. This technology, which involves creating visual content from textual descriptions, is rapidly evolving. The development of models like DALL-E by OpenAI and Imagen by Google demonstrates the immense potential of AI in creative fields. These models use advanced neural networks to understand and interpret textual input, translating it into visually compelling images.
The applications of this technology are vast. In the creative industry, it can assist artists and designers in visualizing concepts and ideas. In education, it can be used to create visual aids and learning materials. Moreover, in fields like marketing and advertising, AI-generated images can provide unique and tailored visual content.
Ethical Considerations and Challenges
However, the rise of AI in image generation also brings forth ethical considerations. The potential for misuse, such as creating misleading or harmful content, is a significant concern. The introduction of digital watermarks by Google is a step towards addressing these issues, as it helps in identifying AI-generated images and preventing their misuse.
Another challenge is the cultural and linguistic nuances that AI must navigate, especially as it expands globally. Ensuring that AI systems are inclusive and sensitive to diverse cultures and languages is crucial in their development.
Looking ahead, we can expect AI and image generation technology to become more sophisticated and integrated into various sectors. This will likely lead to more personalized and interactive digital experiences. As AI continues to evolve, it will be important to balance innovation with ethical considerations, ensuring that the technology is used responsibly and for the benefit of society.
Google’s update to Bard, particularly the expansion of Gemini Pro and the introduction of image generation, marks a significant step in the AI landscape. It reflects the growing capabilities of AI and its potential to transform how we interact with technology. As AI continues to advance, it will be exciting to see how it shapes our digital future.


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Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn had relationship with employee and founder/board chair didn’t report it.
Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn had relationship with employee and chair of the board didn’t report it. Now a new board chair has been appointed.
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Best Buy Co Inc said founder Richard Schulze would step down as chairman after an independent board investigation found that he had failed to report allegations of personal misconduct by former Chief Executive Officer Brian Dunn to the board’s audit committee.
The electronics retailer also said the investigation had found that Dunn violated company policy by “engaging in an extremely close personal relationship with a female employee that negatively impacted the work environment.” The inquiry found no misuse of company resources, Best Buy said.
Dunn left the company on April 10 during a probe of the allegations.
Schulze will be succeeded by Hatim Tyabji, chairman of mobile network software company Bytemobile and chairman of Best Buy’s audit committee. The change takes effect at the end of the company’s annual meeting on June 21.
Best Buy shares were up 0.3 percent at $19.34 in morning New York Stock Exchange trading.
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If your product fails, will you get a repair under the warranty? Even a lifetime warranty may not cover you, as a man found with his treadmill motor.


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Scarlet Witch & Vision TV Series Confirmed, Titled WandaVision
Marvel and Disney have officially confirmed a television series surrounding the characters of Scarlet Witch and Vision, to air on the upcoming Disney+ streaming service under the title of WandaVision. This news comes a day after it was reported that a Hawkeye series would also air on Disney+, and a few months after a series surrounding the two Avengers characters was rumored to be in development. This all seems to be part of Marvel's strategy to utilize the upcoming streaming service to tell more intimate stories about characters who haven't necessarily had the screen time to shine in the big Avengers team-up movies.
While Disney+ has yet to launch, the company behind the streaming platform is working on a plethora of shows centered in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars canon, seemingly in an attempt to draw more subscriptions in what is already a crowded streaming market. A Falcon & Winter Soldier series was also announced alongside WandaVision, which will focus on yet more supporting characters in the MCU, hopefully in an effort to flesh out its underutilized characters in a long-form environment like television.
At the Walt Disney Studios' investor meeting, which focused on the Disney+ streaming service and its upcoming launch, WandaVision was confirmed by the company. The series will focus on both Scarlet Witch and Vision, and will bring back actors Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany in starring roles.


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Need a job? DHL hiring 900 at CVG hub
DHL Express will hire 900 employees as the company nears completion on it's $108 million hub expansion at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
The expansion to sorting operations and projected growth in shipments means the company will need 3,300 employees by May. DHL currently has 2,400 employees at the CVG hub.
“We are excited to leverage our newly expanded Americas Hub and welcome talented potential candidates to fill these new positions,” DHL Express Americas CEO Mike Parra said in a statement. “As we look to the future, we know the continued investment in motivated people is the key to ensuring that we meet the demands of our customers and have the ability to handle the continued growth and expansion that will occur at our CVG Hub location.”
The DHL expansion includes a new ramp to park 16 wide-body aircraft, which was the centerpiece of upgrades and productivity improvements. Additional automated sorting capability and 40 new reload positions will enhance the hub’s ability to handle growing shipment volumes.
DHL has invested more than $280 million in its Americas Hub at the CVG airport since 2009, the company said in a statement. DHL’s Americas Region encompasses North and South America as well as the Caribbean.
“DHL is a tremendous business partner at CVG, and we’re pleased about their continued investment and job growth in our community,” CVG CEO Candace McGraw said. “These additional 900 jobs is another demonstration of DHL’s positive impact on the Tristate region.”
According to a previous Enquirer article, the latest investments from DHL are designed to enhance the profile of the region's largest airport as a cargo-handling destination. Fueled by the growth of the e-commerce industry, CVG is now the ninth-largest cargo handling airport in North America, airport CEO Candace McGraw said.
The airport handled 729,309 metric tons (803,926 tons) of freight and mail cargo in 2015, up 11.5 percent from the previous year, according to the trade group Airports Council International - North America. The trade group said CVG was ranked No. 35 worldwide in terms of global air cargo handling.
DHL will host a job fair
DHL will hold a job fair on from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 4, at the CVG Centre at 77 Comair Blvd. in Erlanger. The company said those hired should begin work as soon as pre-employment processing is complete and no later than May 1.
The new jobs at the DHL hub, an equal mix of full- and part-time positions, offer health benefits and tuition reimbursement, as well as allow for a variety of flexible work schedules.
Positions include the new daytime shift as well as the existing evening shifts. DHL will be filling both exempt and non-exempt positions, including some supervisory positions.
Job applicants should bring two forms of government-issued ID, and be able to successfully pass a background check and a pre-employment drug test. For questions about these job opportunities, call 1-859-817-8770, extension 5.


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New HTC smart-phone has just passed via China’s TENNA telecommunications which has revealed the secret of the Device along with the official photographs.
Basically every smart phone user is interested to know about the processor , camera , internal memory , RAM …
So,Simply lets go to features of the phone revealed by China.
|Size||157.7 x 78.74 x 7.74 (mm)|
|Screen size||5.5-inch with 1280 x 720 pixel.|
|OS||Android based 4.4.4 Kitkat|
|Internal Memory||16 GB|
|CPU||1.7 GHz,64 bit Octa core MT6572|
|Rear Camera||8MP with LED flash|


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Hoffman Estates, IL (PRWEB) February 18, 2013— Dr. Mercola announces a special President’s Day sale starting today and ending February 20th, 2013, with a savings celebration of 10 percent off everything in the online Mercola Store.
“With savings of 10 percent* on nearly everything in the store, now is the perfect time to stock up on your favorites – or to try something new. There’s something for everyone here, and our products make thoughtful gifts for friends and family,” said Dr. Mercola.
From quality supplements to pet products, DVDs and more, the Mercola Store at http://products.mercola.com offers a wide variety of natural health and household products. Just a few of the offerings include state-of-the-art workout equipment, toxin-free ceramic cookware, natural organic baby care and pet care products, and whey protein drink mixes.
It’s easy to take advantage of Dr. Mercola’s President’s Day Sale—just enter PRESDAY13 at checkout to get 10% off your entire order.*
*Restrictions apply. Offer cannot be combined with other coupons or discounts.
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Online video streaming viewers are about to get one more option as the world’s largest video streaming company Netflix is set to launch services in India.
According to industry sources, Netflix is expected to announce its India launch at the Consumer Electronic Show at Las Vegas next week.
Netflix could enter India through a partnership with a local telecom firm to take advantage of the 4G networks that make watching high quality video streaming possible on a mobile anywhere.
Netflix did not respond to the queries sent by BusinessLine about their India plans.
Growing demand for video, especially on mobile is creating a large market for online video streaming services in India. As per a Cisco VNI report, 41 billion minutes (77,090 years) of video content crossed the internet in India each month in 2014, up from 31 billion in 2013. That's 15,418 minutes of video streamed or downloaded every second.Growing video traffic
Internet video traffic was 46 per cent of all consumer Internet traffic in 2014, up from 38 per cent in 2013, making video an obvious choice to focus their revenue opportunities on. By 2019, video is expected to grow to 74 per cent of all internet traffic in India.
Netflix offers its service is for $8.99 (about ₹600) a month in the US for watching HD-quality movies and TV shows on any two screens at the same time. However, Indian prices are expected to be much lower.
US-based Netflix is borrowing $1 billion to fund its international expansion including in Asia. South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan are the other four countries in Asia where Netflix plans to offer its services in 2016.
Other such services available in India already include Bigflix from Reliance Communications, Movies section from Google Play, Youtube’s Movie rentals, Eros Now and Spuul, which has partnered with Yash Raj Films to offer the studio’s movies on the website.
Singapore’s on-demand video provider Hooq also launched its services in India in July, 2015. Hooq, a joint venture between SingTel, Warner Bros and Sony Pictures Television, lets a user stream and download movies and TV shows in India for ₹199 per month.
However, what Netflix can bring to India is not just more video but better technology at affordable prices. The service is already popular in over 50 countries with around 62 million subscribers. More than 40 million of those users are in the US.
Indian market has long been ignored by international video streaming websites, given high piracy rates and crawling internet speeds. However, sources say that Netflix is betting big on 4G services in India that are expected to remove the speed bottleneck.


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BRITS desperate for a haircut after weeks of lockdown have had their hopes dashed today after Downing Street slapped down reports that salons could open this month.
The PM's spokesperson said this lunchtime there were no plans for hairdressers to open any earlier than next month.
⚠ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
Overnight there were claims the Prime Minister is considering proposals to reopen them later this month, The Telegraph said.
But this lunchtime the PM's spokesperson said: "The road to recovery plan set out that we’re looking to open hairdressers from July at the earliest."
Asked if that was still the case he said: "Yes."
Many Brits have not had a haircut for more than 10 weeks or have been forced to attempt a DIY job at home.
The news follows calls from the Hair and Barber Council which represents 11,000 salons across the country, to open the sector within the next fortnight.
Hairdressers and barbers are likely to be kitted out in 'dentist-style' PPE when they're at work.
One insider familiar with the plans told the Telegraph: “Hairdressers were supposed to be the next thing. Boris has talked about unleashing the great British haircut again.
"It would be treated under similar rules to dentists.”
Keith Conniford, the CEO of the Hair and Barber Council, previously said most practitioners and barbers would be ready for reopening in mid-June.
He said: "I have spoken to a number of practitioners I know within barbering and hairdressing and resoundingly they said yes."
Businesses have also been asked to get "Covid ready" before opening back up to customers.
In hair salons, this could include staggered arrival and departure times, using screens or barriers for separation and keeping the activity time as short as possible.
The National Hair and Beauty Federation found 77 per cent of members were prepared to resume business.
Hilarious photos have been circulating online of 'home haircuts' - with some truly dreadful results.
During the pandemic, some stylists have even been flouting lockdown rules by secretly working from home.
The Sun revealed last month that hairdressers have been posting adverts on classified websites - like Gumtree and community app Nextdoor.
But many stylists insisted they aren't doing anything wrong as they are wearing masks and gloves.
Some have been advertising their skills at discount prices in a bid to get business, even boasting of their training at "award winning" salons in Central London.
A post on NextDoor advertised a Brazilian blow dry at "half the cost in a salon".
One hairdresser - who did not want to be named - told The Sun: “I have a home salon, and I don’t qualify to be furloughed so I have to make money somehow.
“A few of my clients messaged me to ask if I was still open so I thought ‘why not?’.
MOST READ IN NEWS
It comes as other shops are set to reopen on June 15 with strict social distancing regulations.
These will include a ban on trying new clothes, make-up and testing products.
Tough new social distancing measures also include hand sanitiser for staff and customers, quarantining of returned items and staggering times for click and collect orders.
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One big winner coming out of Apple’s developers’ conference on Monday is Twitter.
Apple announced that the Internet microblogging service will be integrated directly into future versions of the iPhone and iPad software.
That means iPhone users can quickly publish information on Twitter by tapping on a photo taken with the iPhone’s camera, or by tapping on a news article in the phone’s Web browser.
It’s the kind of front-and-center placement that any of Apple’s thousands of app-makers would kill for, and it will likely provide a nice boost to Twitter’s traffic of 140-character Tweets.
It may also represent the latest alliance in the ongoing battle of the technology titans.


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According to the Brookings Institution, the multi-year total is now up to $26,011 or more than nine percent from a calculation based on the inflation rate two years ago, before rapid price increases hit the economy.
Contributing to the increase in costs are soaring food prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index recently showed that consumer food prices are up by 13.1 percent from the last month, and by a whopping 15.8 percent since last year.
Using 2017 data from the United States Department of Agriculture and adjusting it for the current inflation, the Brookings Institution analysis looked at how other expenses contributed to soaring child-raising costs, including housing, clothing, health care and child care, among other expenses.
Families that wish to have children but are starting at a lower income may be the ones most affected by the rising costs, especially those who are only earning $20,000 to $30,000 per year.
The overall consumer price index also rose from 8.1 percent in July compared to last year, according to an analysis from the Department of Labor.
Polls conducted at the end of June also showed that the rising inflation, gas prices and the economy are among the biggest concerns that American families say they are facing. Of the respondents, as much as 33 percent said that inflation is their top concern.
Parents who are currently doing their back-to-school shopping may also be feeling the full effects of the rising costs of raising a child as families are expected to spend an average of $864 on school supplies this month.
Children have always been considered an added family expense, but inflation has significantly increased the cost of raising them, especially for families that are living paycheck to paycheck. This could mean a dip in the population later on as people think twice about raising kids.
"A lot of people are going to think twice before they have either a first child or a subsequent child because everything is costing more," said Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow at Brookings. "You also may feel like you have to work more." (Related: Demographers warn of looming population collapse.)
Young families may also worry about where inflation goes from here. To account for the Fed's actions of raising interest rates to combat the price hikes, Brookings also looked back at trends from the last time inflation was this high – in the 1980s. Their estimates assume average inflation of four percent going forward for children born in 2015.
Sawhill also said it is important to note that the analysis conducted only accounted for the cost of raising a child through the age of 17.
Parents of many adult children also attest that spending doesn't always stop when their children reach age 17, especially if they seek a college degree. NRF said total back-to-college spending is expected to reach nearly $74 billion, up from last year's record of $71 billion.
In June, President Joe Biden said tackling inflation is the highest priority for his administration as "too many families are struggling to keep up with their bills."
Separately, a White House statement said the president plans on tackling inflation "by lowering costs that families face and lowering the federal deficit by asking the large corporations and the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share."
Congressional Republicans led by Florida Sen. Rick Scott have also called for a new minimum tax on the middle class such as firefighters and teachers – which could lead to an average of almost $1,500 less in families' pockets each year. (Related: Americans spent $1.1 trillion on food in 2019 – but the true cost of food is actually three times larger.)
Whether or not the U.S. will face a full technical recession will be determined in the coming months by the National Bureau of Economic Research when more data becomes available.
Visit Inflation.news for more updates about rising costs for parents and consumers.
Watch the video below to know more about how inflation is destroying the savings of working Americans.
This video is from the Thrivetime Show channel on Brighteon.com.


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More than half the year is already over and, with the end of summer soon to follow, we can begin to paint a picture of what direction the sneaker market — both at retail and resale — is taking in 2021.
As we do every quarter, Highsnobiety has teamed up with the data wizards at StockX, who recently released their own report, to illustrate the biggest trends and storylines of the past few months. Instead of limiting ourselves to just Q2 2021, as we have done in the past, we’re using this report as an opportunity to take a look at all of 2021 so far. Call it a halftime report, if you will.
While Q2 was somewhat slower than other quarters before it (more on that later), a lot has still happened in 2021 thus far. Releases have not slowed down, Nike still seems to be releasing a Dunk every other day, and collaborations are getting bigger (and more saturated) than ever. Add to that the fact that the sneaker landscape is continuing to develop, with new and increasingly diverse consumers joining the fray. It’s no surprise that the industry is moving and evolving at hyper-speed.
If you’re marginally into sneakers, you’ll have seen what went down over the past eight months. In this report, we’ll decipher what that means, and discuss what the future of sneakers holds. As always, read on for the industry’s most insightful sneaker report.
Is the Sneaker Industry Collaborating Itself to Death?
What do adidas’ 26 A-ZX collaborations, Travis Scott x fragment design x Nike, and sacai’s whirlwind of projects have in common? They represent an era in sneaker culture that has put collaborations on a pedestal, resulting in an unhealthy obsession with hype. What once made sneaker collaborations special — scarcity, high barriers to entry, and authentic storytelling — has been replaced with an Oprah Winfrey meme-esque “you get a collab, you get a collab, everyone gets a collab” approach to co-branded sneaker projects.
The obsession with getting, designing, and buying a collab has resulted in brands cannibalizing themselves with the frequency at which they release sneaker collaborations. Too often nowadays, collaborations feel like they’re ticking boxes, or exist for collaboration's sake. To summarize: there is an over-saturation of sneaker collaborations.
So much so, in fact, that it has had an effect on the resale market — one of several barometers to measure how successful a sneaker is after it is released. “We’ve seen an uptick in the supply of new collaborative releases, and now-familiar partnerships are producing more models and colorways than ever before,” reveals StockX chief economist Jesse Einhorn.
StockX data shows that, as the number of collaborative releases has gone up, the price premiums of those same projects have gone down. To illustrate this, we highlighted three popular partnerships: AMBUSH x Nike, sacai x Nike, and Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance — and compared the resale premiums and release numbers for their drops in 2020 versus 2021. The former two saw stark increases in the number of releases, with both having nearly 75 percent more sneakers released in the first eight months of 2021 than in the entirety of 2021. At the same time, the price premiums of those releases are down over 30 percent for both projects versus 2020.
“A surge of new drops can lead to a decline in average price premiums. Some proven collabs that used to trade on StockX for 2x or 3x retail are now reselling for significantly less,” says Einhorn. “On the flip side, it means more consumers have access to a product that they wouldn’t otherwise.”
That’s not to say that those sneakers are not still selling for well over retail. They are, and many of the sneakers from 2020 are reselling for even more in 2021 than they were in 2020. But the data set shows that, as these projects pump out more sneaker collaborations at a higher rate, their value on the resale market drops. Hence, one could argue that interest in the sneakers has also dropped, though of course, there can be a myriad of other reasons for that drop — larger stock numbers being one.
“These collabs still inspire considerable hype, and they remain profitable for resellers: their current premiums, while lower, are still bigger than a typical non-collab sneaker,” adds Einhorn. “But because of the increased supply, they simply aren’t fetching the extraordinary prices of years past, and the data here clearly shows that.”
Interestingly, Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance has not produced any more sneakers in 2021 than in 2020, but still, the price premiums are down over 30 percent year-on-year. A different year brings a different zeitgeist and a different type of demand, as well as other competitors on the market. All of these could be reasons for the drop in ALD’s price premium. But it stands to reason that when several colorways of the same collaborative shoe (such as the 550 in ALD’s case) are released, the first few colorways remain the most special and coveted, with subsequent releases losing value.
adidas YEEZY’s increased supply of the Boost 350 V2 is a good example of that. Or Virgil Abloh’s “The Ten,” which quickly warped into “The 50.” There, the resale prices of the original sneakers are ridiculously high, while the colorways and models that followed never lived up to the high bar set by the OG.
On the other hand, however, there are some collaborations that seem to be resistant to the over-saturation. The aforementioned Travis Scott x fragment design x Nike Air Jordan 1s are the most-hyped sneakers of the year. That, although they are the very epitome of hype over substance.
“Jordan Brand and Fragment have a long history of collaboration, yet its popularity is anything but exhausted: the Jordan 1 Low is trading for 900 percent above retail, and the Jordan 1 High boasts an eye-popping 1400 percent premium,” says Einhorn. “Certainly, adding Travis Scott as a third co-signer played an enormous role, and it’s hard to know how much hype this collab would garner if the only two names were Nike and Fragment”
Travis Scott isn’t the only one engaging in three-way collabs. It remains to be seen how the seven further sacai x Nike LDWaffles (with three different partners, no less) will fare in the coming months, though it’s likely they, too, will suffer from there being so many slight variations of the same shoe.
The media and the consumer aren’t blameless in this, as we play along to fan the fire of hype and, ultimately, vote with our wallets and social media posts. As long as brands think this is what the consumer wants, this is what the consumer and the industry will get. At the end of the day, brands are out to make money, and currently, they stand the best chance of doing so by catering to the hype machine.
The Diversification of the Resale Market
The sneaker and fashion industries still have a long way to go in terms of diversity and inclusion — particularly when it comes to positions of power at major brands and multi-national corporations. Things look a lot better on the consumer side of things, however.
“StockX continues to expand internationally, and over the past year, we’ve seen record growth in a number of new markets,” says Einhorn. “Brands like New Balance, Crocs, and Alexander McQueen are growing much faster overseas than they are in the US. As our Current Culture Index report shows, their increased market share is being driven by strong international demand and an increasingly diversified customer base.”
Geographically, the platform’s new users are growing at a rapid rate, with non-US users growing quicker than ever. The same goes for female users, who are quickly adding up to have a powerful voice on the platform. This boom in diversity on the consumer side has meant that certain brands and sneaker silhouettes have seen surprising growth in 2021 so far.
“Globally, Alexander McQueen saw 370 percent growth in the first half of 2021 — an impressive number, by any standard. But outside the US, growth was even stronger, with trades of the luxury brand’s sneakers up over 1,000 percent year-over-year,” highlights Einhorn. “Crocs have been one of the fastest-growing brands on our marketplace, thanks in part to strong demand in Canada, the UK, and Southeast Asia.”
In the past, we’ve seen that different cultures breed sneakerheads with very different tastes. The Nike Air Jordan 1Mid, for example, is a shoe that gets close to no love in the United States, but was one of the most popular shoes in Europe last year. Similarly, Bad Bunny and J. Balvin’s collaborations with adidas and Nike respectively were unsurprisingly incredibly popular in their own country.
It’s not news that tastes vary from country to country and continent to continent. The sneaker culture in Europe has always looked very different from that in the USA. With sneaker resale platforms such as StockX expanding internationally and more consumers getting access to the secondary market, it makes sense that we’re beginning to see these diverse tastes represented in the data. They’ve been there all along, but it’s taken a while for the resale market (at least on organized platforms) to reflect them.
Perhaps more interesting than the diversification of resale through its international expansion is the power and diversity new female users bring to the secondary market. As the graph above shows, New Balance and Reebok’s otherworldly growth is primarily due to women.
“The share of women’s exclusive products on our platform continues to increase, and our female customers are driving sales growth for some of the biggest brands on our marketplace,” explains Einhorn. “For far too long the sneaker and streetwear space wasn’t inclusive, but the market is shifting to become a more balanced one.”
New Balance was one of the fastest-growing brands regardless of gender on StockX in 2021 so far, but the brand’s women’s sneakers are growing 2.5x quicker than the men’s. Reebok’s women-led growth is even more impressive, at 5x men’s, but most impressive — and surprising — is Nike Dunk growth, where women are outperforming men 6x.
“Reebok saw year-over-year sales increase by more than 200 percent in the first half of 2021. Much of this growth can be attributed to the success of the Club C silhouette. Trades of Club C sneakers are up more than 500 percent, and the credit goes to Cardi B,” explains Einhorn. “The top-traded Club C sneakers on StockX are all women’s exclusive Cardi B releases, which speaks to both her influence as an artist and the rising purchasing power of female buyers.”
But it’s not just mainstream sneaker brands that are benefiting from the increase in female buyers and sellers. Brands such as Alexander McQueen, who don’t usually come to mind when thinking of the secondary market, are so well-traded that they are breaking into “best of” lists.
“Alexander McQueen has seen rapid growth this year (+370 percent) thanks to a high number of women’s exclusive releases,” notes Einhorn. “Three of the top 10 best-selling Alexander McQueen sneakers on StockX are women’s exclusive releases.”
Q2 2021 Snackables: Most Expensive, Most Popular, and Biggest Price Increases
To stay updated on everything happening in the sneaker world, check out the best sneakers to add to your rotation this week, follow @highsnobietysneakers on Instagram, and sign up to our newsletter for early access to the best drops sent straight to your inbox.


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Unlock new revenue with crypto payments
Businesses that support crypto payments earn more. 82% of merchants that offer crypto at checkout attract new customers. That trend is likely to increase, with 40% of 18 to 35-year-olds looking to pay in crypto this year alone.
At Beamo, we're bringing our experience of building payments infrastructure at Stripe to help innovative companies grow and thrive in web3.


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Visa is endowing in mobile wallet app LoopPay.
LoopPay has been created to turn a phone into a credit card to swipe at a register. The app utilizes a traditional mobile wallet setup and a small dongle that plugs into the phone to allow users to swipe their virtual cards at the register.
LoopPay do not need stores to update their point-of-sale systems in order to work with its software. It bridges the gap between mobile wallets and the existing payment systems in
Already, Visa has declared the upgrades to its VisaCheckout program, so endowing in LoopPay would enable the company to make an even bigger impact in the mobile payment sector.
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