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Lockdown families buying online put Hornby on the right track for a happy 100th birthday
Model train company Hornby is celebrating its 100th anniversary as parents and grandparents spending more time with the young in lockdown boost sales.
The company, which also owns Scalextric and Airfix brands, said hordes of new and returning customers have been snapping up its products online.
Hornby said that adults had turned to their old toys as a means of entertainment.
Model train company Hornby, which also owns Scalextric and Airfix brands, said hordes of new and returning customers have been snapping up its products online
'It said: 'Families are building plastic kits together, bringing out their railway systems, setting up their slot car racing sets and introducing our brands to their children and grandchildren.'
Yesterday was the 100th anniversary since Frank Hornby unveiled the first clockwork tinplate locomotive, and it began producing the model trains for which it is famous.
This year it announced it would make a limited edition 'Captain Tom' locomotive, in celebration of the 100-year-old veteran who raised more than £32million for NHS charities.
It said it had raised £140,000 through sales of the trains.
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The debate over the minimum wage exposes the fact that most Democrats do not understand their own ideology. Democrats advocate raising the minimum wage. They also advocate increasing the money supply to "stimulate" the economy.
The "stimulus" in question comes from the Federal Reserve's policy of "quantitative easing." QE is a euphemism for inflation, for driving down the value of the dollar by printing great quantities of money and pumping them into the economy.
Inflation invariably means the rise in the price of goods and services. Your readers should notice that the Federal Reserve is not honest and forthright about this policy of inflation. If it were, it would simply call increasing the money supply, "increasing the money supply."
The Federal Reserve resorts to inflation when the cost of labor rises so high that businesses face great difficulty hiring people, which increases the "unemployment rate." However, the nominal rise in prices results in the real depression of wages and salaries. This only works to increase employment for a short time, because the rise in the cost of living spurs demand for increases in the minimum wage.
In other words, Democrats rely on policies that are at war with each other. They cannot work and will never work. But, that is not the goal. What does work is the ever increasing reliance on government schemes to "fix" the economy, to change the culture from individual self-reliance to servitude. Obviously, no Democrat is going to be honest about that.

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently warned that paid tax preparation help doesn’t always pay off when filing for tax refunds. The bureau reported that more and more taxpayers complain about the fees and quality of service of refund anticipation checks providers.
The federal agency currently plans to raise awareness among taxpayers on unfair practices of paid tax preparers and their hidden fees that can outweigh the benefits they are supposed to bring.
Among the most employed ways of saving time in obtaining federal tax refunds are prepaid cards and costly payment advances, according to the bureau’s data. Moreover, people who usually get tax prep help in tax refunds are low to moderate income taxpayers.
The federal report is also trying to be a wake-up call of regulators who are usually not aware that consumers aren’t always fully informed on the fees such services may involve.
The recent federal report is a beneficial endeavor since refund anticipation checks, a popular cash advance among people entitled to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), skyrocketed in the past few years. EITC is a federal cash benefit program that is currently worth $65 billion.
Consumers usually resort to cash advances to obtain fast tax refunds or delay tax preparation costs.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also announced that it was currently working on the first guidelines on the way prepaid debit cards should be advertised, especially when fees and risks are involved. The new rules will require that all paid tax preparers make it easy to understand the costs and risks to every consumer.
According to an IRS report, refund anticipation checks rose by nearly 17 percent in only two years. In 2014, refund anticipation check market rose by 21.6 million as compared to 2011. IRS disclosed that nearly 50 percent of buyers of refund anticipation checks are also EITC recipients, while more than 80 percent are low-income taxpayers.
But payment advances and their costs will spread even more as tax preparers will advertise them more aggressively in an attempt of boosting their earnings. For instance, prepaid cards and refund anticipation checks account for more than 20 percent of Liberty Tax Service’s annual revenue, according to its earning report.
Additionally, H&R Block plans to obtain an additional $100 million worth of fees in exchange of tax return prep help catered for Obamacare enrollees.
Both Liberty Tax Service and H&R Block claim that they help their consumers make the best choices when filing for a tax refund or using refund anticipation checks. The companies also state that payment advances’ most notable added value is convenience.
But, the tax preparation industry currently lacks any regulation since an appeals court barred in 2014 any background checks and testing of tax preparers. So, the Internal Revenue Service is currently pressuring Congress to create a new authority that would regulate the $10.1 billion industry.
Nina E. Olson, the U.S. Taxpayer Advocate, described the situation as the “wild, wild West,” while she warned that the industry is currently employing unfair practices in both quality of service and pricing as no industry has done before.


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My.Games has acquired a minority stake in hypercasual developer and publisher Mamboo Games.
Through the partnership with the Belarus-based studio, My.Games can expand its hypercasual division.
Founded in 2020, Mamboo Games has already secured 10 exclusive contracts to aid other developers in their projects. Currently, one of the company's games, Billion Builders has a day one retention of 56 per cent.
"Our business approach is based on maximizing transparency in the relationship between the developer and publisher. Our company is built on the foundation where the team is key. MY.GAMES fully supports this approach, so we are confident that our partnership will be highly effective,” said Mamboo Games CEO Ivan Leshkevich.
"The volume of the hypercasual games market continues to rise every year, reaching around $1.2 billion in 2020," said My.Games CMO Elena Grigoryan
"We are also seeing this growth first-hand: we received more than 250 applications from developers within the first month after launching our own hyper-casual department. This is why we decided to expand this business unit, and that’s where our cooperation with Mamboo Games comes in."


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Clear consensus on the need to end planned obsolescence
Consumer goods and the environment
The European Parliament today adopted an own-initiative report from Pascal Durand aimed at extending the life of products to the benefit of consumers and businesses, their employees and the environment.
Greens/EFA rapporteur Pascal Durand comments:
"By adopting this report with a large majority, the European Parliament has set out for the first time a clear EU position on the issue of the lifetime of products. We can no longer ignore the environmental, social and economic consequences of such a throwaway society. Whether it is resource depletion, transport emissions, waste, or the impact on household budgets, the current situation is clearly not sustainable.
"It is necessary to address the issue of sustainability of products as a whole, looking at all stages of their life cycle. On the design side, we need minimum strength requirements and support for industry seeking to improve the sustainability of their products. On reuse and repair, we need better information on the availability of spare parts and active support for more use-oriented and circular economic models, drawing on European models that work, such as the Swedish tax incentive on repairs. Finally, we must tackle the issue of software obsolescence, which determines the lifetime of many consumer goods, to restore consumer confidence and allow prolonged use of objects.
"We now call on the European Commission to take on board the calls of the parliament and support new, more sustainable economic models."


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Altrincham Open Studios has been selected as winner of the Bike Themed Window Competition, organised by Altrincham BID, which has involved almost 30 of the town’s businesses.
Their window display impressed the judge with its creativity and the way it imaginatively highlighted what the community studio has to offer, including the art gallery itself, workshops for adults, teens and children, and other facilities like laser cutting.
The bikes each have a different theme including Pop Art, Disco, Space, Recycling, the Bee Network (Greater Manchester’s programme to build a regional cycling network) and a special Tour of Britain bike. Each bike was decorated with items made by the children of Altrincham in during a series of workshops each of which was led by a different artist.
The ‘Bike Themed Window Competition’ has been coordinated by Altrincham BID, as part of a programme of entertainment and activity to celebrate the OVO Tour of Britain final stage, starting in Altrincham tomorrow.
Just under 30 of Altrincham’s businesses have decorated their shop windows and business fronts, all of which will be on display until Sunday 15th September.
The window displays were judged by Pete Swift, co-founder and managing director of Planit-IE, an internationally renowned design practice with its headquarters in Altrincham. Swift is a landscape and urban designer, with a personal passion for cycling.
He said: “I was incredibly impressed by the creativity of the displays and it was a difficult job to choose a winner. It’s amazing to see Altrincham really getting behind the Tour and you can absolutely feel how proud and excited the town is about hosting this international sporting event. It’s well worth coming into Altrincham, not just to enjoy the bike race, but to have a look at the shop fronts and everything else that’s going on.”
As well as the overall winner there are two runners-up – Toll Opticians and Two Brothers Coffee – who both put together fabulous displays which scored well against the judging criteria. The winner and runners-up will be presented with certificates on the Tour of Britain start stage on Saturday morning at 9am. They will then be invited to enjoy VIP places in the OVO Energy Tour of Britain Breakfast Club.
A special mention by the judge was also given to Optieye Care for the humour and social value of their display. Calderpeel Architects also received a special mention for the beautifully executed hand drawing which made up their display, and Scope for their enthusiasm and inclusion of donated items.
You can see a full gallery of the Bike Themed Competition entrants on our Facebook page here.
Photography: Graham Douglas


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Cricket Wireless has just announced a change to its unlimited data plan that could bother some of the carrier’s most loyal customers. Starting April 2, those enrolled in the $70-per-month tier will see their speeds throttled in areas of network congestion if they use more than 22GB of data in a billing cycle. Cricket calls the practice Congestion Management, and is rolling out the change alongside a new feature that is designed to diminish data usage when streaming video on the AT&T prepaid carrier’s mobile network, called Stream More.
Stream More automatically reduces the quality of high definition video to 480p, and will be activated for all customers by default when Cricket begins implementing the data-saving measure in April. Customers can turn Stream More on or off by managing their account online or using the myCricket app. Alternatively, Cricket is allowing content providers to opt out if they so choose.
The carrier says it will notify customers every step of the way as these new measures begin to take effect over the coming weeks. When unlimited data users top 16.5GB, they will be warned that they’ve used 75 percent of their throttle-free data allowance. Cricket will also send out reminders about Stream More twice before it is activated and once on launch day — though the company says it expects to “notify (users) before October 2017.” This indicates that it might take many months before Stream More reaches all customers.
Although Cricket is likely to come under fire for adding a caveat to its unlimited data plan, the news does fall in line with the practices of many other carriers, including all of the established postpaid options. Verizon and AT&T begin throttling their top-tier customers at 22GB, Sprint at 23GB, and T-Mobile at 28GB.
The commonality between these networks, including Cricket, is that they deprioritize data speeds for unlimited customers who have passed the threshold and are accessing the network during times of congestion. Once the stress lessens, normal throughput is restored. It is important to note, however, that Cricket users are already restricted to top speeds of 8Mbps over LTE and 4Mbps over HSPA+, compared to the 12 Mbps AT&T’s post-paid customers reportedly average on LTE. As a result, throttling might result in slower speeds on the prepaid carrier than it would elsewhere.
Article originally published on 02-27-2017. Updated on 02-28-2017 by Adam Ismail: A previous version of this article incorrectly said users may see throttled speed at peak hours. Data speeds may temporarily be slowed during periods of localized network congestion, according to Cricket Wireless.
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Just an update on Falcon's Fury: the ride has been shut for months after sustaining severe damage from a much stronger than normal lightning strike. Replacement parts from Intamin have now been installed, but I'm told that the ride has to be tested and commissioned again as if it were brand new.
The park want to reopen it ASAP, guest services are currently saying it will be back open in time for Howl-O-Scream however I wouldn't be surprised if it reopened earlier.
Thanks to Nemesis Rider for the signature!
SeaWorld has rescued over 33,000 animals in need!


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EasyCoffee has forged an alliance with London-based Yoyo, the mobile payment and loyalty marketing platform, to provide a new app-based payment and loyalty solution. Yoyo will build and roll out an easyCoffee payment and loyalty app experience, which will provide customers with: secure, straight-through mobile payment; automated easyCoffee loyalty accumulation; instant rewards redemption and voucher sharing; and digital receipt collection.
In 2016 easyCoffee opened its first shops in central London and is now targeting the forecourt sector. The coffee chain plans to open 200 new shops by 2021.
0333 433 0311www.easy.coffee


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In a move to empower female entrepreneurs, a Barbie LinkedIn profile has been created. While the iconic doll has held over 150 different jobs since 1959, her LinkedIn company page uses the Entrepreneur Barbie persona. Barbie 'leans in' by asking young girls to not place any restrictions on their ambitions.
Barbie uses the professional networking site in order to empower women and encourage girls to 'dream big.' In a post Barbie says she recently established a 'dream incubator' where she works as a consultant, inspiring girls to use their imaginations, try different career paths and explore the world.
In addition to creating a Barbie LinkedIn profile, the Mattel brand also created a female entrepreneur-focused page on their website to celebrate the women and business and offer related tips.


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In a series of drives last week, the Customs Bond Commissionerate (CBC), Dhaka seized goods worth Tk 62.5 million imported illegally by misusing the bonded warehouse facility.
Officials said the government has been deprived off Tk 22.5 million in revenue as the goods were imported bypassing the formal taxation process.The goods include fabric item, paper, yarn, plastic raw, chemical, Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOP) film and shoes. Though the goods were meant for use as raw materials in export-oriented products, the importers sold the items in the open market violating the terms of the bond facility.
In a statement, the customs authorities informed that the goods were seized in 16 covered vans during separate drives in different parts of the capital since January 15 this year.
The customs authorities conducted a total of 215 drives in 2019 and filed 174 cases including 11 criminal cases against the offenders. Bond licenses of 371 business firms were cancelled as a punitive action against the misuse of the bond facility.
CBC Dhaka Commissioner SM Humayun Kabir said the abuse of bond facilities should be eliminated for sake of country’s economic development.
“Our drives will continue to check bond misuse,” Humayun Kabir added.
Officials claimed that CBC Dhaka has so far collected Tk 17.53 billion in revenue in the current 2019-20 fiscal, which is 25.77 per cent higher than the same period last fiscal.


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Hamilton Township Police say that on November 29, 2013, the suspect in these photos created a MasterCard debit card using the information stolen from a victim who still had possession of his card. The suspect used the debit card to purchase Visa gift cards at several stores in the Tri-County area. The purchases totaled almost $800.
The Greater Cincinnati Crime Stoppers Award Breakfast event will be held Oct 5. Look under Events Tab for more details.
The Hamilton County Coroner's Office is again hosting a Masquerade Ball. The proceeds will be divided between two non-profits. Cincinnati Crime-Stoppers is appreciative of being selected as one of the non-profits. Tickets and more details under the Events Tab.


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Hackers stole customer credit cards in Newegg data breach
Zack Whittaker reports:
Newegg is clearing up its website after a month-long data breach.
Hackers injected 15 lines of card skimming code on the online retailer’s payments page which remained for more than a month between August 14 and September 18, Yonathan Klijnsma, a threat researcher at RiskIQ, told TechCrunch. The code siphoned off credit card data from unsuspecting customers to a server controlled by the hackers with a similar domain name — likely to avoid detection. The server even used an HTTPS certificate to blend in.
Read more on TechCrunch.


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More and more private companies are asking their employees to work on weekends owing to stiff competition and tough economic conditions, say experts. This was reported by PTI.
Various factors, such as government holidays on weekdays and falling industry earnings owing to downturn in economy, are pushing an significant number of companies to operate on weekends as losing out to competition is not viable. According to executive search firm Top Gear Consultants, around 60-70 per cent of the organisations in the last 6-8 months have begun working on weekends to meet the deadlines and targets of the assigned tasks.
Read the full report here


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Elite Media Solutions in Wellesley Hills, Mass., found a way to combine old New England charm with high-tech in its newly renovated Control4 Certified Showroom. The company spent months gutting the downstairs of its showroom, which is actually a home located on a busy thoroughfare in the heart of historic Wellesley, an affluent suburb of Boston.
The two-story showroom features the showroom downstairs with the company’s offices upstairs and the rack-building facility in the basement. The homey atmosphere is complete with the presence of Hubbard and Kona, the company’s two puppies that are constantly there to greet customers.
Previously, the showroom was much more crowded with gear. The renovation uses brighter colors on the walls and carpeting in a series of vignettes in the open concept showroom.
“As a part of the new showroom here we have added a lot of hands-on displays where our customers can really experience Control4,” says Olivia Gibson, marketing director for Elite Media Solutions, which is the No. 95 company in the 2018 CE Pro 100 with revenues nearly $3 million. “They can turn on the lights, they can turn on music… we even have Alexa voice control.”
Some of the unique touches in the showroom include a hidden panel in the central column that hides the electrical circuits for the lighting control modules. There is also a subtle Triad Speakers in-wall audio and subwoofer solution on one wall, with a lounge open-concept home theater/media room featuring Revel freestanding speakers in the rear. Another wall features a full kitchen. Digital displays run Control4 videos, as well as other content.
Brian Gibson, president of Elite Media Solutions, hosted more than 75 of the ProSource-member company’s top trade partners, architects, interior designers, builders and end-user customers at the showroom on #C4Yourself Day, May 31.
“They were able to come in and see the new technologies, get all excited about it, and learn more about it so they can that fun and excitement and ease of use back to their clients,” says Brian.
Attendees at the 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. reception had a chance to touch the displays and use the automation. The event concluded with the Cookie Monstah cookie truck.
“We have high expectations for this new showroom,” says Olivia bluntly.
Through a marketing partnership with Control4, CE Pro is highlighting integrators participating in the Control4 Certified Showroom program, with an emphasis on dealers' strategic business initiatives. Content is at the sole discretion of CE Pro editors.


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Imaginative minds have sometimes pegged the Internet as the new Wild West, a vast land of opportunity fraught with peril. That’s a bit of a stretch, but if there’s one ideal that should hold as true in this new frontier as it did in the old, it’s Roy Rogers’ plea to never fence him in
In the weeks after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the Mid-Atlantic region, cable was a whirlwind of activity. Engineering crews worked tirelessly to ensure that critical facilities were up and running and that key telecommunications services would be quickly restored.
According to Needham and Co. analyst Richard Valera, Arris stands to triple its sales and double its EPS while adding $2 billion in debt. All well and good, but how Arris goes about executing its merger strategy with the much larger Motorola Home assets remains a work in progress.
Netgear announced that its new CG4500TM voice/data gateway, which has the capability for 24 x 4 channel bonding, has received CableLabs DOCSIS 3.0 certification. On the channel-bonding front, Netgear is using MaxLinear’s MxL267 Full-Spectrum Capture (FSC) digital cable front-end receiver.
With an assist from Comcast Business Services, the Boston Celtics have upgraded their data and voice services between their administrative and practice facilities. The Celtics are using Comcast’s Ethernet service to download and transfer bandwidth-intensive video files and images.
The cost of Cablevision’s video and voice services will remain the same, and the price increase doesn’t apply to subscribers who are currently part of a promotional package, but the new pricing will go into effect once a customer’s promotion ends.
Cablevision announced that it was rebranding its business services division as Lightpath. Lightpath was formerly known as Optimum Lightpath, but the name change separates the commercial service offerings from Cablevision’s Optimum-branded residential services.
Going it alone against a long, winding wireless bill can be scary and confusing. It’s an affliction AT&T will look to alleviate as it rolls out “video bills,” personalized online videos explaining account statements with a soothing voiceover, graphics and music.
Sigma Systems announced that its Sigma Cloud ServiceBroker is now generally available to cable operators and service providers around the world. The Cloud ServiceBroker platform manages telecommunications business services, including VoIP and broadband, as well as cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.
In order to better serve its small business customers, Cablevision has certified its Optimum Voice SIP Trunking offering with the Cisco Unified Communications 300 Series. Small businesses can now take advantage of an IP Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system while avoiding the costs of an analog gateway or T-1.
Chicago may end up succeeding where so many other cities have failed with its plan to build a municipal broadband network. Two dozen communications companies have responded to the city’s request for interest (RFI), including Cisco, Alcatel, AT&T, Verizon, Level 3 and Motorola Mobility.
Canadian cable operator Videotron has added two new residential telephone call management options for its voice subscribers. Videotron voice customers can use its Customer Centre to manage their privacy options and set up call features.
Bright House Networks announced that it had signed an agreement to buy the business of cloud communications provider Telovations for an undisclosed sum. Telovations provides businesses with hosted voice solutions, including PBX and managed SIP trunking.
RCN is offering a holiday promotion of reduced rates on its voice and data services in the New York City boroughs that it serves. Over-builder RCN offers its services in Manhattan and Queens, as well as in parts of downtown Brooklyn, where it competes against Time Warner Cable.
Time Warner Cable has sweetened its triple play bundle with the addition of its Global Penny Phone Plan, which features calling to land line phones in over 40 countries worldwide for as little as one penny per minute.
TV’s user interface (UI) – combining navigation, search, discovery and more – is as sophisticated a product as the TV industry has. But it doesn’t by a long shot get viewers literally everywhere they might want to go. “Disaster” might be too strong a word for TV’s UI, but whatever the appropriate description is, the difference is a matter only of degree.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 service providers remain squeezed by circumstances. Some are scraping up the wherewithal to build infrastructure supporting new services. Meanwhile, equipment vendors continue to devise solutions sized and priced appropriately for the market.
Cox Communications announced a nationwide marketing campaign that was designed to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America during the holiday season. Customers can donate new, unwrapped toys at the 133 Cox stores across the nation. The toys will be donated to local Boys & Girls Clubs in each of Cox's markets.
Time Warner Cable officially opened the doors on its $82 million National Data Center on the company’s Charlotte campus. The new data center will enable Time Warner Cable to leverage the latest IP technology to deliver its video to various services and devices.
In cable, the cable modem and the television converter loom large as signatures of technological advancement. But industry historians point to a far less notorious device as the innovation that propelled the industry from its tenuous origins to an echelon reserved for the truly game-changing. It was a signal meter.
Videotron President and CEO Robert Dépatie used the Mobiz 2012 conference to tout the cable operator’s mobile service, which it launched two years ago. Despite facing intense competition, Videotron built its own AWS network for its illico mobile service.
WaveDivision Holdings, which operates as cable operator Wave Broadband, announced this morning that it raised more than $1 billion in funding. The funding included substantial equity investments from Oak Hill Capital Partners and GI Partners.
Verizon has agreed to sell a portion of its lower 700 MHz B-block spectrum to Nortex Communications, an independent telephone company based in Muenster, Texas. The spectrum is part of Verizon's holding in the 700 MHz A- and B-blocks.
Time Warner Cable was hit with two class-action lawsuits in regard to its decision to charge its data customers a cable modem lease fee of $3.95 a month. The lawsuits were filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey and the Supreme Court of New York.
Sprint announced Sprint Phone Connect for Wholesale, a product for MVNOs to provide their customers with a home phone service without the need for a landline or broadband service. It's a plug-and-play device that enables end users to plug their current office or home landline phone into the Sprint Phone Connect device.


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The latest graphics processors from Nvidia (NVDA) have earned positive reviews but analysts wonder if customers are in a buying mood. That’s the big question hanging over Nvidia stock.
Year to date through Thursday’s close, Nvidia stock is down 57%. The steep decline has erased all of last year’s 125% gain.
At the company’s fall GTC conference on Tuesday, Nvidia introduced new graphics processing units. It calls these devices for gamers and content creators the GeForce RTX 40 Series.
The new GPUs are made by contract manufacturers Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) using its 4-nanometer scale technology. They offer a significant performance bump over the previous models but with price increases.
Nvidia will release its top-of-the-line model first. The GeForce RTX 4090 will be available Oct. 12, starting at $1,599. It will release two lesser configurations, RTX 4080 models, in November, starting at $1,199 and $899. Nvidia raised prices on the new models 7% to 29% over comparable products in the previous generation.
Nvidia Clears Inventory Ahead Of New Products
However, the new chips come after Nvidia took a $900 million charge in its fiscal second quarter to write-down inventory of gaming processors amid weakening demand.
The GeForce RTX 40 series “appears poised for a solid launch” after Nvidia flushed the sales channel of its legacy graphics processors, Oppenheimer analyst Rick Schafer says in a note to clients. Furthermore, he rates Nvidia stock as outperform with a price target of 250.
In afternoon trading on the stock market today, Nvidia stock fell 1.9% to 123.23.
Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Christopher Rolland questioned the price hikes for Nvidia’s latest gaming processors.
“We are somewhat concerned about Nvidia raising prices into a collapsing GPU market, but see the long-term significant positives from these products,” he says in a report to clients. Rolland reiterated his positive rating on Nvidia stock with a price target of 190.
Nvidia Stock Called ‘Snake Bit’
Another worry for Wall Street is the state of the data center market, where Nvidia sells its high-end graphics processors.
“The anxiety about gaming has been replaced by anxiety about the data center,” Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore says in his note to clients. Investors are concerned that cloud computing customers are still digesting prior purchases of data center gear, he says.
Moore rates Nvidia stock as equal weight, or neutral, with a price target of 182.
At the GTC event, Nvidia announced that it has achieved full production of its H100 data center GPUs. Furthermore, it plans to ship them in October.
Nvidia executives also say they believe they can minimize the impact of the US government’s recent trade restrictions with China by offering customers there alternative, lower-performing products.
Wall Street sees Nvidia stock as “snake bit” right now and remains skeptical of the company’s latest product announcements, Rosenblatt Securities analyst Hans Mosesmann says in a report.
But Mosesmann called Nvidia’s latest processors for data centers and artificial intelligence “the biggest compute launches in the last generation in Silicon Valley.”
Mosesmann rates Nvidia stock as buy with a price target of 320.
Follow Patrick Seitz on Twitter at @IBD_PSeitz for more stories on consumer technology, software and semiconductor stocks.
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GALION — In its third year, Third Friday in Galion continues to expand it’s local reach.
“The idea was to get people to come downtown for some family-friendly fun,” said Miranda Jones, member engagement director at the Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce, and the brawn behind the monthly celebration in Historic Uptowne Galion. “And the response has been better each year.”
Still two weeks away, Jones has been busy prepping for the first Third Friday of 2019 on May 17, from, 5-8 p.m..
She is happy with the increased number of people who show up to enjoy the Third Friday entertainment, food and learning and shopping opportunities.
She’s also pleased with the response from Galion area business owners, who have been encouraged to stay open a little later on Third Friday evenings and to have some special events to entice new visitors to their stores, galleries, shops, and eating and drinking establishments.
Sponsors, including Donley Ford of Galion, Firelands Federal Credit Union, Covert Manufacturing, Experience Galion, K&B Laundromat and others have also stepped forward to help support this monthly summer festival.
Jones has organized lots of family-friend events for this year’s Third Friday events.
As in the past, there will be Music at the Gazebo on May 17. Starting at 5 p.m. Galion students will take to the stage for a presentation. The cast of Galion Community Theatre ‘s next presentation, “Mama Mia,” will entertain visitors with a few songs at 5:30 p.m. followed by the “Snow Sisters,” who are planning a “Princess Sing-a-long” at 6 p.m. The Galion Community Band will wrap up the evening’s entertainment, starting at 7 p.m.
There will be vendors on the north side of the square which is where the food court will be set up to offer treats from local food vendors. Some downtown businesses will have sales and discounts and the Brush and Palette Art Gallery is having a sort of fundraiser/flea market that will include and new and gently used art and art-related items.
The Crawford Park District will bring its always-popular Animal Extravaganza to the square May 17, too.
When it comes to Third Friday in Galion, the key word is — and will remain — local.
“The focus is definitely local,” Jones said. “We’ve had bands and other musicians asking if they can perform. We’ve had food vendors and others request information on how to set up here, but this is a local event and the focus is going remain on local businesses, vendors and entertainment.”
For updated information visit the Third Friday in Galion page on Facebook.
The May 17 event is also expected to include an official opening and ribbon cutting for the Main Street Team Shop.


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Mexico to begin negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom
MEXICO – Mexico and the United Kingdom will begin negotiations to agree on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, informed the Mexican Ministry of Economy.
In December 2020, the two nations agreed to maintain as of January 2021 the tariff preferences they have benefited from under the EU-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (EU-Mexico FTA).
As a consequence of Brexit, the United Kingdom lost the benefits of the global trade agreements negotiated by the European Union on behalf of its members.
In London, negotiations for a new FTA with the United Kingdom will formally begin, and Mexico's minister of Economy, Tatiana Clouthier will meet with the private sector, with the aim of strengthening British investment in Mexico, as well as trade ties.
In 2021, in its merchandise trade with the United Kingdom, Mexico recorded exports of US$2.9 billion, a 14% year-on-year growth, and imports of US$2 billion, an increase of 15%.
The transitional bilateral agreement signed at the end of 2020 prevented a large number of goods from facing tariffs in both markets in the event of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.
It has also benefited important sectors for Mexico, such as the automotive sector, and will resize preferential access for Mexican agricultural products with quotas that reflect previous trade flows with the United Kingdom, especially benefiting producers of bananas, asparagus, molasses and honey.
Therefore, the transitional agreement maintains the existing cumulation and productive integration schemes of the current EU-Mexico FTA for three years. These will be reviewed and updated according to the needs of the bilateral relationship in the Agreement that both countries originally planned to start negotiating in 2021.
In addition, a Reciprocal Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement remains unchanged in order to further boost bilateral capital flows.
Source: El Economista


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Cyber criminals are coinciding an iTunes gift certificate scam with Apple's Black Friday sale, consumers have been warned.
Shoppers thought Black Friday had come early on Wednesday after a glitch saw Currys offering the Samsung Galaxy Netbook for just £22.
The evening Inbox has a shopping list of complaints for Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer, as one reader advises you to rent the new Need For Speed. To join in with the discussions email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Pricing details of Apple's annual post-Thanksgiving gift to customers, the Black Friday sale, have been leaked, according to internet reports.
Two of Britain's biggest retailers, Amazon and Comet, have launched a five-day 'mega sale' in an attempt to spark a pre-Christmas shopping rush.
GameCentral talks to Gears Of War 3's Rod Fergusson about the abandonment of the colour brown, understanding chickens, and ray guns in space.
Microsoft’s Kinect motion controller for the Xbox 360 has racked up 2.5million sales in just 25 days, the company has said - meaning it is selling more than twice as fast as Apple’s iPad did.
The first still from Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart's new Twilight film Breaking Dawn has been released.
The evening Inbox worries that Black Friday might be too good a deal for its own good, and gets a very nice letter from Rocksteady. To add your own comments to the Inbox simply email us at email@example.com.
Apple have cut prices on many of their popular pieces of hardware, including the iPad, which has officially sunk below the £400 barrier.
The morning Inbox has more top tips on getting a faster broadband connection, as well as what to do with broken PlayStation 3s and Xbox 360s. To add your own comments simply email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Today's evening Inbox celebrates the 18½ year anniversary of the SNES and gets upset that 2010 has been such a good year for games. To join in with the discussions yourself just email us at email@example.com.
The evening Inbox tries to decide the best way to stand an Xbox 360 and celebrates one of the best years ever for gaming. To add your own comments to the Inbox simply email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Apple's stores will be holding a special one-day shopping event on November 26th to coincide with Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year in the US.
An online festive season shopping price war kicked off yesterday with one major retailer slashing the price of clothes, jewellery and electronic goods.
Hundreds of people have reacted with anger at the speed at which items in Amazon’s Black Friday promotion are selling out in the UK.
Susan Boyle and Take That might have both just released two new albums, but they’re already being slashed to £1 each for Black Friday.
The morning Inbox discovers the world's biggest video game collection and wonders where it's going to find the time to play so many games. To add your own comments simply email us at email@example.com.
Reports suggest that Google and HTC will launch their attempt to take on Apple's iPad in November, with a tablet running Google's new Chrome operating system.
Lindsay Lohan has been cast in 3D serial killer movie Black Friday.
It seems even huge technology giants are not immune from the credit crunch as Apple winds up for a one-day sale.
by ANDRZEJ LUKOWSKI


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On February 28, FD7 Ventures announced the opening of its office in Bangalore, India. The office will become the company’s epicenter of a $250M project to advance Polkadot(DOT) and Cardano(ADA) trading ecosystems in the country. FD7 plans to use the area’s engineering prowess to improve DOT and ADA-related projects countrywide. Neeraj Singh, a local partner to the company, will lead the project.
The UAE-based crypto investment fund had previously revealed its plans to sell off $750M worth of its BTC assets and use the proceeds to boost its DOT and ADA holdings. According to the company’s recent press release, the two digital assets will grow more popular than BTC among investors.
FD7 stated that the move to start the Bangalore project, a center of engineering talents, aims to further seek bright minds for premium blockchain technology to enhance DOT and ADA ecosystems.
FD7 Eye Profits from NFT’s ‘Bullish Trend’
The company recently made it clear on its plans to invest in NFTs, supporting the idea that both DOT and ADA could be profitable long-term investments. The company plans to use the India Institute of Technology to pick out talents who will work on the project.
Prakash Chand, the Managing Director of FD7, said, “Positioning our new location where we have in Bangalore gives us a home-field advantage to tap into some of the world’s best future talent in blockchain and cryptocurrency development.”
Chand gave an example of BONDLY, a DOT-based DeFi protocol that built fast profits when content creator Logan Paul sold $5M worth of NFTs in a day. The Managing Director continued to say Non-Fungible Token use cases like cryptographic art and gaming will interest more people in joining the Defi bandwagon.
Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, welcomed the company to the ADA ecosystem in a tweet, adding that he will offer his full support to the project.
The company’s focus on ADA and DOT is certainly aligned with the tokens’ growing popularity in India. India is one of the few countries where you can buy DOT easily using several methods that include a basic exchange with Indian Rupees.
BuyUcoin is a platform available in India that enables people to convert Rupees to DOT and vice versa. The platform also has a calculator to help investors calculate the amount of DOT they will acquire before initiating a conversion.
NFTs Roads Lead to Indian Entertainment
Chand also shed light on the importance of keeping watch of DOT and ADA ecosystems in the Indian digital market, saying Bollywood and Cricket will not be left behind. He said, “FD7 is excited to have plans underway to work with Bollywood celebrities and star Cricket players on NFT projects in the near future. These are dear friends of mine who also happen to be LP’s in our fund.”


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Research In Motion Ltd. shares flexed their muscles Friday, with the stock rising almost 11% after the maker of the BlackBerry line of smartphone devices reported third-quarter earnings that earnings more than doubled from the same period a year ago.
The results -- along with a better-than-expected forecast -- may help to lift a cloud that has gathered around RIM's RIMM stock. The shares had shed about one-quarter of their value in recent weeks amid worries about the potential effects of an economic slowdown and the credit crisis on Wall Street, home to some of the company's key customer base.
Investors cheered the results, sending RIM's shares up $11.64 to close at $118.63. Despite going through a recent dry spell, the stock has still more than doubled this year.
For the quarter ended Dec. 1, the company reported earnings of $370.5 million, or 65 cents a share, compared with earnings of $175.2 million, or 31 cents a share, for the same period last year.
Revenue doubled to $1.67 billion from $835.1 million last year.
The results were ahead of Wall Street's expectations. Analysts were expecting earnings of 62 cents a share on revenue of $1.65 billion, according to consensus estimates from Thomson Financial.
Following the report, Bear Stearns analyst Andrew Neff raised his rating on RIM's stock to outperform from peer perform, and also increased his target price on the stock to $170 a share from $150.
In a research note, Neff said RIM's report, as well as its outlook, suggest that anxiety over economic concerns and a potential slowdown in U.S. enterprise spending "overstates, in view of the secular phenomenon of smartphones."
Analyst Matthew Hoffman, of Cowen & Co., agreed with Neff's view of RIM and the maket for smartphones, saying that RIM's results "allayed fears" about weakening demand for its smartphones and other handsets.
"According to the company, enterprise spending, holiday consumer patterns and the financial [market] are all performing to expectations," Hoffman said in a research note, adding that the results suggest the mobile-phone market is "continuing to buck fears of a consumer slowdown."
Hoffman holds a neutral rating on RIM's stock.
RIM said it added about 1.65 million BlackBerry subscribers during the quarter, with more than 3.9 million devices shipped. Analysts had been expecting between 1.64 million to 1.7 million in new subscribers, according to brokerage reports.
The company managed strong subscriber growth despite pressures on consumers from the housing and credit markets. Consumers are a growing market for RIM -- the company said in a conference call Thursday that about 34% of its subscriber base is now "non-enterprise."
But the company maintained that it is still aiming at the corporate market.
"We continue to be very focused on growing our enterprise business," RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said on the call. "We believe that the enterprise market remains under-penetrated and that there are many opportunities for growth both in North America and markets around the world."
However, the company added that more than half its new subscribers in the recent quarter came out of the consumer market.
Forecast ahead of Wall Street's estimates
For the fourth fiscal quarter ending March 1, the company projected the revenue will come in the range of $1.8 billion to $1.87 billion. This is well ahead of the $1.75 billion projected by analysts, according to Thomson data.
Earnings are expected to come in between 66 cents and 70 cents per share, compared with analysts' current forecast of 65 cents per share.
On the conference call, RIM executives said they expect to ship more than 4 million devices in the current period. The company said that more than 40% of its current subscribers are using devices that are more than two years old, setting the stage for continued upgrades.
Though RIM has a large share of the growing smartphone market, the company faces strong competition from device makers, such as Samsung and Motorola
In the high-end consumer space, a key competitor is Apple Inc.
Another rival, Palm


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Twelve crates of chocolate have been stolen from a lorry in Gloucestershire overnight.
Police said nearly £10,000-worth of Walkers chocolates were stolen from a lorry parked by a layby on the A417 overnight between 8pm yesterday, October 2 and 6am this morning.
According to police was reported that offenders gained entry to the lorry, which had been travelling towards Aynesbury, before stealing a number of crates of chocolate from inside.
The stolen chocolate from the Birmingham-based chocolate company Walkers is believed to have an estimated value of £10,000.
Neil Rose of Walkers Chocolate said that he was "disappointed and concerned" to hear the news and hopes the chocolate will be recovered.
Gloucestershire Constabulary ask that anyone who was driving in the area between 8pm last night and 6am and may have witnessed this taking place is asked to call 101 quoting incident 42 of October 3.


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The site, at rusticdecob2b.com, will provide a company overview, registration instructions and wholesale portal access. It will give users access to Rustic Deco’s lineup of wholesale-priced products, such as the company’s line of vintage industrial furniture and decor, the release stated.
The platform is only for B2B needs, offering tiered discounts for licensed interior decorators, registered interior designers and mom-and-pop stores, according to the release. Dealers will also have access to discounts compared to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), along with early access to new designs.
The new B2B site will be comparable to Rustic Deco’s existing eCommerce stores, www.knoxdeco.com and www.rusticdeco.com, in that it will offer an entirely online platform. But a new aspect with the B2B site will be the buyer pre-approval through registration, and it will feature wholesale-centric ordering, tax exclusion, shipping discounts and payment terms, the release stated.
In addition, the new wholesale gateway comes with real-time messaging and online appointment scheduling, along with a navigation feature for the company showroom, according to the release.
PYMNTS reported earlier this month on the new opportunities offered to B2B sellers with the migration to the digital mode of commerce. Boris Lokschin, co-founder and CEO of Spryker, told PYMNTS that the initial reason many companies got into the eCommerce world was for cost-cutting, but a lot of them are now seeing the upsides to the new methods, understanding how they can build new streams of revenue.
Lokschin said some issues include facing a newly transparent market where users can easily compare prices and find their best deals.
And, the companies have to go through the processes of migrating their business online, which can take time. And in addition, the hiring of the right digital talent needs to be taken into account.


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Despite unsteady financial markets and global liquidity issues that could eat into transaction volumes, Visa (NYSE:V) seems determined in proceeding with its plans for a public offering this week.
A gutsy move without question, particularly based on the fact that the deal is getting done in the midst of what is otherwise one of the driest IPO markets in recent years. The market certainly reflects nervousness among investors however, the company seems willing to take the gamble.
Visa is the world’s largest credit-card network, connecting banks and merchants. It makes money on each transaction made over its network.
In 2006, Visa processed almost 45 billion transactions, surpassing its three biggest competitors combined : MasterCard, American Express and Discover. During the the fourth quarter alone of fiscal ‘07, the company processed 9.1 billion transactions, printing an increase of 13% despite projection of economic slowdown. Total value of Visa transactions processed for entire fiscal ‘07 - came in at $3.5 trillion.
The company is owned by about 20,000 member banks worldwide, and offers unsurpassed acceptance around the world at more than 30 million merchants and retail outlets. Its sales volume and number of credit and debit cards in circulation is almost double that of number two - Mastercard (NYSE:MA).
Last year, in dollar terms, VISA posted over $3 trillion globally, compared to $1.9 trillion for Mastercard. Operating revenues came in at $5.2 billion for a net income topping $1 billion.
Over 60% of the credit cards in the world carry the Visa brand compared with 30% for MasterCard logo. But then again, Visa declared that it s everywhere you want to be! - Definitely, more exposure there than its rival.
The San Francisco-based company, through its IPO, could raise an estimated $18.8 billion, while offering 406 million shares at $37 to $42 each. With this move Visa will be shifting from being a privately held interest company to a publicly traded one. If there is enough demand for stock, 19 underwriters will then have the option to buy an extra 40.6 million shares.
There are positive and negative aspects in this deal that investors should consider. The card network and brand name are solidly established, however the management team is brand new since the company completed a reorganization end of fiscal ‘07:
- Since Visa is actually a merging of associations, there should be more motivation in cutting costs, especially once it becomes a public company. Cost cuts combined with healthy revenue growth could produce 20% annual gains in earnings per share, and consequently prompt operating margins to grow even further. This will allow more revenue to fall into the company’s bottom line which stimulates growth.
- There is always the risk of Visa remaining the target of a series of lawsuits and government regulations, some a decade old and some still in the works, aimed at introducing more competition to the industry. But the company will set aside $3 billion raised in the IPO to pay out settlements - which may be enough to cover losses. However, rivals continually claim anticompetitive practices and unfair dominance of the credit-card network, thus the insinuation of Visa possibly, facing more costly court fights in a cutthroat market place.
- I wouldn’t expect a spike from ticker when L2 trading, even though the IPO is reportedly oversubscribed.
- It will take some time for Visa (as with any new company) to prove itself. Even MasterCard’s IPO didn’t do that great right away. It took several earnings reports before investors gave their vote of confidence in company’s potential.
MasterCard currently trades at 25.40 times ‘08 earnings with a forward P/E of 22.00 for $7.53 p/sh projected earnings. Analysts expect MasterCard’s earnings growth to approach 20% annualized over the next three to five years.
If you’re bullish on MasterCard, there’s no reason not to feel the same way about Visa. Both companies have a powerful business which is likely to grow in future as people will continue to shift away from cash and towards payment with cards as e-commerce grows.
Visa also plans to offer an annual dividend of 42 cents a share.


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- By Native News Online Staff
Generates Awareness to Growing Fashion Community & Cultural Diversity
PHOENIX — Fashion designer Loren Aragon, a tribal citizen of the Acoma Pueblo, has been named a recipient of the AZ Apparel Foundation’s Spring 2020 Designer in Residence Accelerator Scholarship. Aragon is the founder and owner of ACONAV, a leading fashion brand in Arizona that is gaining popularity with its unique combinations of Native American culture and modern style.
Award-winning fashion designer Loren Aragon
Aragon was chosen from more than 50 applicants for the scholarship, which was awarded to six fashion brands. As a recipient, Aragon will be given six months of office space/workspace, guidance from fashion experts and professionals, training, and other resources to accelerate the growth of ACONAV’s brand. The total package has a value of more than $18,500.
“It is an honor to be chosen among some great talents for this competitive scholarship award,” Aragon said. “This opportunity comes at a great time for me, as I look to expand upon the capabilities of my company.”
Founded by Aragaon in Arizona, ACONAV is known for its use of exquisite Acoma Pueblo pottery patterns and infused cultural ideals. Aragon’s fashion designs have also been showcased on runways in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Denver, Colorado, and New York City.
The AZ Apparel Foundation award adds to a growing list of accomplishments for Aragon, including being named Phoenix Fashion Week Couture Designer of the Year, a collaboration with Walt Disney World, and representation on the red carpet at the 73rd Tony Awards.
Colleen Jennings-Roggensack wearing Native fashion designer
Loren Aragon's design to the 2019 Tony's.
“We're beyond thrilled to have selected Loren Aragon to participate in Arizona Apparel Foundation's Designer in Residence Program,” said Sherri Barry, co-founder of AZ Apparel Foundation. “Loren has the design talent, business acumen and growth opportunity we were looking for."
ACONAV and the five other participants will take residency at the Fashion And Business Resource Innovation Center, FABRIC starting Jan. 31. The AZ Apparel Foundation organization offers this opportunity every year to any qualifying fashion brand. For more information visit AZApparelFoundation.org.
Photos courtesy of ACONAV
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Together, we can educate, enlighten, and empower.November is celebrated as “Native American Heritage Month.” At Native News Online, we amplify Native voices and share our relatives’ unique perspectives every day of the year. We believe every month should celebrate Native American heritage.
If you appreciate our commitment to Native voices and our mission to tell stories that connect us to our roots and inspire understanding and respect, we hope you will consider making a donation this month to support our work. For those who commit to a recurring donation of $12 per month or more, or make a one-time donation of $150 or greater, we're excited to offer you a copy of our upcoming Indian Boarding School publication and access to our quarterly Founder’s Circle meetings and newsletter.


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USDA Plans Purchase to Support Gulf Shrimp Industry
As a person who absolutely loves them, I can not imagine any scenario where there would ever be excess shrimp. But then again up until the year 2020, I had no idea how to imagine a pandemic. That pandemic is the reason that there is such an overabundance of shrimp and that's why the United States Departement of Agriculture is leaning in to help support the industry.
With so many restaurants across the state operating on reduced hours or being totally shuttered Louisiana and the Gulf Coast Shrimping industry are finding themselves in quite a quandary. The problem has not been quantity or quality, the problem has been finding a buyer and getting a fair price for the catch.
That's why the USDA announcement that they will be purchasing $30 million dollars of Gulf of Mexico Shrimp is such welcome news. That purchase should take about 1/3 of the current glut of shrimp off the market. This will allow the market to go through a bit of a correction and should bring prices to a more respectable level for so many of our Gulf Coast fishing families.
One way you and I can help is by eating more than our fair share of Gulf Coast Shrimp. Whether you're purchasing them to prepare at home or you're ordering them in a restaurant for dine-in, pickup, or delivery, just remember every bite counts. Who knew helping could taste so good?
10 Foods That Can Help Boost Your Immune System


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Gold prices holding gains despite steady growth in U.S. manufacturing, service sectors
(Kitco News) - The gold market is holding on to gains as technical buying momentum helps the precious metal overcome steady growth in both the U.S. manufacturing and service sectors.
Friday, IHS Markit said its flash U.S. manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index for February dropped to a reading of 58.5, down from January's reading of 59.2. The data were in line with expectations; economists were expecting to see a reading of 58.4.
Simultaneously, the firm's service sector PMI reading rose to a reading of 58.9, up from January's reading of 58.2. Economists were forecasting the index to come in at 57.9.
The report said that activity in the service sector rose to its highest level in 71 months.
Despite the slightly better-than-expected data, gold prices are holding on to small gains heading into the weekend. April gold futures last traded at $1,786.90 an ounce, up 0.67% on the day.
While the headline data is negative for gold, the economic activity is not coming without a cost. The report noted that inflation pressures continue to rise, which is a positive factor for gold.
Analysts have said that gold is ignoring economic data as it sees a technical bounce after falling to an eight-month low overnight.
While the headline data is negative for gold, the economic activity is not coming without a cost as input prices rose sharply in the month. The report noted that inflation pressures continue to increase, which is a positive factor for gold.
"Firms raised their selling prices at the sharpest rate on record (since October 2009), with panelists stating the increase was due to the partial pass-through of greater costs to clients," the report said.
"Despite headwinds of COVID-19, extreme weather and record supply chain delays, U.S. businesses reported the fastest output growth for almost six years in February," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit in the report. "The data add to signs that the economy is enjoying a strong opening quarter to 2021, buoyed by additional stimulus and the partial reopening of the economy as virus-related restrictions were eased on average across the country."
Williamson added that rising inflation pressures are a concern.


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Skaistė Krikščiūnaitė to become Baltic Amadeus Head of Marketing2021 06 10 · 1 min read
Skaistė Krikščiūnaitė has been appointed the new Head of Marketing at the IT company Baltic Amadeus. Ms Krikščiūnaitė joined the strategic change team of the company, which is currently growing and looking for new personnel, in late June.
“I have joined Baltic Amadeus at a time that is critical for the company, as it is boosting its growth in the Baltic and Nordic regions and rapidly recruiting new specialists, while focusing on research and innovation. The need for growth is driven by external factors, because the potential for deploying digital services and unique solutions is huge at present. I am excited to make my own contribution in introducing and launching Baltic Amadeus’ products on the market,” said Ms Krikščiūnaitė, the new Head of Marketing at Baltic Amadeus.
Before joining the Baltic Amadeus team, Skaistė Krikščiūnaitė spent nearly a decade working in the fields of communication and digital marketing. Recently, she supervised the marketing functions at Interneto Vizija, a web-hosting company, where she was in charge of updating the trademarks and marketing products designed for foreign markets. As a result, the company placed among the Top 10 websites in terms of visitor flows in Lithuania. Prior to that, Ms Krikščiūnaitė was the Head of Marketing for Build Stuff, the largest software engineering conference in the Baltics, and a Communication Specialist at Nortal.
Darius Dužinskas, the former Head of HR and Marketing in charge of marketing affairs at Baltic Amadeus will now focus on HR management responsibilities: “The company has experienced a growth spurt in recent years; as a result, we are spending an increasing amount of time on developing our employees’ experience. Baltic Amadeus has set its sights on an expansion that goes hand in hand with strong communication. Therefore, we are happy that the new addition to our marketing team, Ms Krikščiūnaitė, is a professional with the experience to allow us to supercharge our communication and marketing efforts.”
A key task for the revamped Marketing Department is to promote awareness of the company’s name and introduce its services to potential clients. The new Head of Marketing will work with the company’s Sales and Business Development teams, which have both have been given a facelift, to attract new clients and look for sales opportunities on the Lithuanian and export markets, while developing digital marketing, corporate communication, and a social media presence.
In the words of Mr Dužinskas, the company is strongly engaged in its makeover process and is bolstering its strategic change team, with more than 50 new specialists joining the Baltic Amadeus staff since the beginning of this year.
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North Dakota's blue laws are off the books, but two Sunday restrictions remain.
Retail businesses may now open before noon Sunday. The 2019 Legislature passed a repeal bill brought by Rep. Shannon Roers Jones, R-Fargo, and it took effect Aug. 1. The blue laws had essentially banned Sunday shopping from midnight to noon.
But motor vehicle sales are still prohibited all day on Sundays. The dispensing of alcohol is banned from 2-11 a.m. Sundays, and off-sale of liquor isn't allowed from 2 a.m. to noon Sundays. Alcohol sales are prohibited from 2-8 a.m. on weekdays.
Violations of those laws bring misdemeanor penalties as severe as jail terms and fines.
The vehicle and alcohol sales restrictions are separate from the repealed blue laws. Vehicle sales are part of code for motor vehicle dealer licensing. Alcohol sales are restricted under retail licensing of alcoholic beverages.
Roers Jones said the repeal bill was bound to be difficult to pass, and she didn't want Sunday vehicle and alcohol sales "convoluting the issue or causing it to fail."
She considered separate legislation for those but spoke with auto dealers who she said opposed a repeal of the Sunday vehicle sales ban.
"I just decided that I wasn't going to try to tackle those issues during this session," Roers Jones said.
The repeal bill passed 56-35 in the House and 25-21 in the Senate and was signed into law by Gov. Doug Burgum. A similar bill in 2017 had failed by just two votes in the Senate after passing the House.
The Sunday vehicle sales ban allows time off for employees and, if repealed, wouldn't substantially increase sales, according to Ryan Barth, general manager and owner of Bill Barth Ford-Kia in Mandan.
And everything from financing to insurance verification to clarification on a sales incentive or promotion would be harder or impossible on a Sunday, said Rep. Don Vigesaa, R-Cooperstown, a longtime auto dealer.
There's a consumer protection in that, too, he said, in administering vehicle sales when manufacturers, financial institutions and insurers can be contacted for obtaining or verifying information.
And some customers like to peruse lots on Sunday without the presence of salespeople, he added.
But auto dealers can be open Sunday.
"They can do service. They could demonstrate cars. They could show cars, but the actual sales transaction just is too difficult, so that's why that's exempted," Vigesaa said.
He and Barth, a director with the Automobile Dealers Association of North Dakota, say their fellow dealers prefer the Sunday prohibition.
"It's pretty vastly supported to keep it how it is," Barth said.
Meanwhile, the 2015 Legislature expanded Sunday alcohol sales in North Dakota bars and restaurants to begin at 11 a.m. rather than noon. Minnesota in 2017 lifted its ban on Sunday liquor sales.
Roers Jones said she didn't talk with anyone about the Sunday alcohol restriction when considering a bill.
"At this point I'm not getting any request, any push from people within North Dakota to change either of those laws," she said.
Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or email@example.com.


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Adam Engst’s short interview with Steve Chiotakis of KCRW (Southern California’s leading NPR affiliate) did a nice job of explaining some of Apple’s initial attraction, what was astonishing about the iPhone and iPad, why Apple is being confronted with more competition now, and what challenges the company faces going forward. follow link
Fixing Save as Adobe PDF Crashes
There have been many reported instances of the "Save as Adobe PDF" workflow crashing regardless of application, but precious few workarounds or resolutions. In troubleshooting, I discovered that there were three instances of the "Save as Adobe PDF.action" in three different locations: /Library/Automator; ~/Library/Automator; and /System/Library/Automator. By eliminating all except the version in /System/Library/Automator, the workflow started behaving, and I was able to cut PDFs directly from the Print dialog.
Analyzing Apple on KCRW Radio


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“The new Nokia Lumia is coming!”
Nokia released a 21-second commercial on UK TV to show off the camera and backside of the unannounced Nokia Lumia that is about to hit the shelves very soon.
Nokia is expected to announce the new smartphone at their “Lumia event” in London on May 14.
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(NEXSTAR) – If you’re a fan of vintage tech, now is your chance to land one of the rarest gems in Silicon Valley history.
The co-founders of Apple Inc., Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, designed and created the Apple 1 PC in 1976. One of the desktop computers is now ready Auction on eBay. According to Apple InsiderThe device, which has been in Canada since playing Oregon Trail in the computer class, is one of six well-known Apple 1 devices that are still around.
Apple urges users to install a security upgrade for iPhones and iPads
Wozniak and Jobs produced about 200 devices, which at the time sold for a little under $ 700. CNET According to the devices, the devices contained 8 KB of RAM, which means that modern computers are about a million times more powerful. Nevertheless, the work device is an important part of personal computing history.
However, if you want to take home the wooden keyboard case and contemporary Sony monitor, it will cost you something. The device went on sale for $ 1.5 million late last month, and no one has bought it yet.
According to an online publication, Apple expert Corey Cohen validated the device in August 2019 and the computer comes with a certificate of authenticity.
“This is a verified, fully functional, original Apple 1 computer system in excellent condition,” the publication said. “This Apple-1 is an unchanged NTI card in near perfect condition on the front and back of the motherboard with no changes or repairs made.”
Still, there may be a reason nobody used up the money on it. In 2019, another unit was sold on Christie’s auction house for less than $ 500,000. according to CNBC. Even half a million seems like a decent return on a device that would have cost a few hundred dollars in the 1970s.
- This news is about The extremely rare Apple 1 computer has not yet found a buyer on eBay
- Check all the latest news and articles from this page Apple news and technology updates.


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Different Orlando media outlets are reporting that the entire Walt Disney World bus system was pulled out of service today after a suspicious package was seen underneath one of the buses. As a precaution, every bus was pulled off the road and inspected.
According to the sheriff's office, a Disney maintenance worker discovered the suspicious device around 3 p.m. this afternoon and contacted authorities.
This afternoon, the Orange County Sheriff's Office released a statement indicating the device that was found earlier in the day was not explosive or hazardous. The investigation continues to determine who, how and why the device was placed under a Disney bus.
A Disney spokesperson told local news agencies that the company inspected hundreds of buses. The spokesperson expected bus service to begin to resume later this evening.
Naturally, having the entire Disney bus system offline for several hours caused transportation chaos through the parks, especially at Animal Kingdom, where bus services is the only means of transportation for Disney resort guests. Animal Kingdom extended its operating hours to 7 p.m. to compensate for resort guests' transportation difficulties.
Additional taxis were present at different Disney properties to help ease problems associated with the lack of bus service.
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- Buy 4, get 3 free returns!
- Tip Tuesday: When to eat
- Disney announces new 2010 promotion -- Give a Day,...
- Disney Parks to start their own blog
- The biggest Disney fan
- 2009 Epcot Food and Wine Festival begins today
- DisneyDaddy - one year later
- Tip Tuesday: Waking up Tinkerbell
- Dick Cook resigns as head of Walt Disney Pictures
- Kouzzina officially opens
- Some lingering questions following the Fantasyland...
- Disney bus system halted due to suspicious device
- The Force is strong with these...
- Tip Tuesday: Tables in Wonderland
- Magic Kingdom Fantasyland Expansion is CONFIRMED!!...
- Video from Disney's HUGE announcements yesterday
- D23 Update: Imagineering Legends come together to...
- Depp announces Pirates 4 at D23 Expo
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- More from D23 -- the Treasures Collection
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- D23 Expo Update: Iger opens up first ever Expo
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- Tip Tuesday: To AP or not to AP...
- Report: Marvel characters not likely at WDW
- D23 - previews and LIVE coverage!!!
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- The master of Hidden Mickeys releases 4th edition
- Disney Magic rescues overboard passenger from anot...
- Tip Tuesday: KidCot
- 2009 Disney Legends announced
- ▼ September (32)


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Debenhams has launched a new initiative that offers concession space within their shops for independent local food companies. The scheme is being trialed as a pilot in the department store retailer’s central Manchester, Trafford and Oxford Street stores. It comes after Debenhams said it recorded an 11 per cent uptick in food sales since it added food concessions like Franco Manca, Creams and The Real Greek.
Retailers may have to start checking whether online reviews are from genuine under new guidelines from the British Standards Institution. An estimated £23 billion of spending is thought to be influenced by consumer reviews every year in the UK, but concerns have been raised by the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) over the influence of fake review. In response the BSI has published a new standard, dubbed ISO 20488, for retailers and other companies to ensure the validity of online reviews
Six major retailers have already filed for bankruptcy in 2018, pointing to more struggles ahead. With data from CreditRiskMonitor, we looked at the companies that could be vulnerable in the next 12 months.
Move over Party City….Michaels Companies is making a big commitment to party goods via the Martha Stewart brand.
1999: After entering the online toy market in 1998, Toys R Us endured a disastrous 1999 Christmas period, failing to deliver many gifts in time for December 25.
Data is crucial for retailers to understand and interact with customers. That’s why retailers need to be on top of big EU-driven changes to data laws that take effect in May. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) dictates how you collect, store and use personal information about consumers and employees.
Reports have emerged that Maplin is in “crunch talks” with potential buyers as it races to secure a new owner to guarantee the future of its 2500 employees. The parent company of the electricals chain, Rutland Partners, appointed PwC in January to review Maplin’s options after it identified cost savings and contacted landlords for better rent terms. The retailer is reportedly confident in being able to secure a sale, although no deal has been agreed as of yet.
Congratulations the launch of Peddler! When I saw the site live for the first time, I felt so proud of my incredible team. They have all worked so hard to put all the pieces together and now it’s finally come to fruition, and I couldn’t have done it without them. We’ve already generated heaps of sales and had lots of positive feedback, but we are continuing to make changes based on our customers’ responses to make the site even better for them
Australian stationery retailer Smiggle is set to open a two-storey flagship store on London’s Oxford Street as it ramps up its ambitious expansion scheme.
Retail has been revealed as the most miserable industry to work in, according to a new study on attitudes towards bosses. The study, commissioned by Expert Market and facilitated by independent survey company Vivatic, quizzed 2200 people about their relationship with their managers to determine the industries with the worst bosses. Just over half of respondents – 52 per cent – said that they hated their job specifically because of their boss, and one in 10 said they imagined killing them.


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Amazon workers in Minnesota and Germany are striking as Prime Day kicks off, in a stand against working conditions and wage practices. The action in Minnesota represents the...Retailread more
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is raising red flags ahead of Facebook's proposed cryptocurrency launch.Marketsread more
Epstein is accused of sexually exploiting dozens of underage girls from 2002 through 2005 at his New York and Florida residences. He is a former friend of Presidents Donald...Politicsread more
When you think of Prime Day, you might be thinking about deals on Instant Pots and Amazon Echo devices — not half-off dresses and designer heels. But the market for apparel...Retailread more
David Marcus, the head of Facebook's digital currency project, said the company expects Libra will drive more advertising revenue for the company.Technologyread more
Some White House officials expect the Cabinet secretary, who has known the president for years, to depart as soon as this summer.Politicsread more
Boeing met with aircraft leasing firms and financiers in New York as the grounding of its popular 737 Max planes drags on with no clear timeline for getting the planes back in...Aerospace & Defenseread more
Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib said Trump challenged them personally because he was not able to defeat them on the policy level.Politicsread more
A financial disclosure made by lawyers for Jeffrey Epstein, a former friend of presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, reveals he has nearly $560 million in assets.Politicsread more
Both companies report earnings on Aug. 8, so the CBS and Viacom boards have set that as a natural deadline to agree to a merger. Price won't be discussed by the companies...Technologyread more
The Food and Drug Administration "stands ready" to start reviewing e-cigarettes amid a teen vaping "epidemic," acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless said Monday in a statement.Health and Scienceread more
As trade tensions between the United States and China escalate, short-term but widespread disruption can be expected in Asia — but other regional players may stand to benefit in the long run, said Nick Marro from The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Supply chains in Asia are so "incredibly integrated," Marro, an analyst at the research firm told CNBC on Thursday.
"As a result of the trade war, in the short term, we are expecting pretty widespread regional disruption."
Marro identified three major industries he considered "battlegrounds" for the trade war: technology, autos and agriculture.
Vietnam and Malaysia could benefit the most from the trade escalation particularly in low-end manufacturing of technology products such as "intermediate components and manufacturing of consumer goods like mobile phones and laptops," according to a report by the EIU.
Major electronic companies have existing operations in the two countries, which would make redeployment of investment and production relatively smoother, the report stated.
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit
The sector that has held the greatest importance in the trade war has been technology, and is expected to intensify, Marro said.
"Most tariffs are already on electronic components and machinery and we expect the tariffs to escalate to ultimately cover final finished goods — such as mobile phones and laptops — and to push the discussion around tech increasingly into the umbrella of national security," he said.
The tech sector plays a significant role in the trade war because electronics and related components amount to the "biggest category of US imports from China" and Washington wants to hamper Beijing's Made in China 2025 development agenda — an initiative focused on cultivating high-tech sectors.
U.S. tariffs on Chinese auto parts will bring adjustments in supply chains and investments benefiting some regional players such as Thailand and Malaysia.
"The U.S. is the world's largest auto parts consumer and it has already put tariffs on auto parts that will inevitably squeeze Chinese manufacturers," Marro explained.
This will result in "investment re-diversification, supply chain adjustments into some of China's neighbors," he said.
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit
Thailand's auto space stands to benefit due to its well-diversified trade links with the U.S., Japan and other parts of ASEAN. As such, local parts producers should be able to win market share from Chinese competitors, according to the EIU report.
Malaysia has over 800 auto component manufacturers and a diversified auto component export network, which would be a huge advantage for the sector, the EIU report said.
Disruption in Asia as result of the U.S.-China trade war is inevitable, Marro said.
"China is a major destination for intermediate and final ICT goods from all four economies, meaning that companies in that sector will be heavily exposed to the impact of tariffs on demand for these products," according to the report.
This might have long-term consequences as companies may decide to move towards this position of not being as reliant on China anymore, Marro added.
However, Taiwan and South Korea might be cushioned from the impact as these countries have a secure positioning in the supply chain since they specialize in high precision equipment.
The U.S. and China are currently embroiled in a trade dispute, with both countries slapping additional duties on each other in the past few months. The U.S. has imposed extra tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports — with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to impose levies on all $500 billion worth of goods from the Asian giant. Beijing has retaliated with additional tariffs on $110 billion worth of U.S. imports.
A meeting between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Argentina this month will be of great significance, China's State Councillor Wang Yi, said on Thursday. But analysts are divided on whether any reprieve can be expected from the escalating tensions between two of the world's economic superpowers.


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PLDT HOME and Smart pioneer PH’s first data sharing capabilities
Under its new Speedster Fam Plan 1299, PLDT HOME DSL offers five times faster speeds of up to 10 megabits per second (Mbps) and a monthly data allocation of 50 gigabytes (GB). Moreover, subscribers who upgrade their Speedster Plan with a Smart mobile plan 399 or plan 600 can share 6 GB of the 50 GB monthly data allocation to their mobile phone lines which they can use even outside the home. Customers may get up to four Smart mobile phone lines bundled with their Speedster Fam Plan all conveniently billed under one subscription.
According to PLDT and Smart EVP and Consumer Business Group Head Ariel P. Fermin, this new service takes off from the Filipino value of sharing. “Sharing is at the core of every Filipino family. We share everything, from food to stories, and memories, and now, data connectivity,” he said.
He added that, “Now, more than ever, the strongest connections truly begin at home. With this unrivaled and powerful convergence of the country’s number one broadband provider, PLDT HOME; and the undisputed leader in mobile services, Smart, we are going beyond the home and enriching mobile experiences of our subscribers. It’s certainly not just about the shared gigabytes but we humanize technology by empowering our customers to live their digitally driven lives to the fullest and strengthen the connections they have with their loved ones despite physical distance through the power of digital and mobile technology,”
PLDT HOME’s launch of the new Speedster Fam Plan 1299 comes at the heels of its groundbreaking partnerships last year that enriched the digital lifestyles of its over 70 million subscribers combined. For world-class entertainment content, the two industry leaders teamed up with iflix and Fox International Channels as well as with online business game changers Uber, Zalora, foodpanda and AirBnB to complement the lifestyle needs of their subscribers. PLDT HOME also launched the country’s first 1Gbps plan and partnered with technology leaders Intel and Microsoft to level up the pioneering over-the-top device TVolution Stick.
The PLDT Group’s robust and resilient fixed and wireless networks, with the country’s most extensive fiber optic footprint that spans over 100,000 kilometers, enables PLDT HOME and Smart to offer reliable broadband services that power Filipinos’ connected homes and digital lifestyles.
For more information, log on to www.pldthome.com.
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Poundland has launched a selection of ‘engagement rings’ in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, with the tagline ‘because we promise they’ll want to choose their own’.
For the romantic gifting season the British high street chain has created a line of dummy engagement rings as an option for consumers to propose with, and then go into a jewellery store at a later date to choose the ‘real deal’ together,
The item, which has been branded by the retailer as the ‘bling ring’, comes in a red heart-shaped box, with the words: “Because we promise they’ll want to choose their own”, at the front of the packaging.
Talking to the Press Association, Poundland says the rings provide customers with the means of proposing “before they need to invest in the real rock”.
“These are beautiful placeholder rings because we know they’ll want to buy their own,” a spokesperson says. “We’re looking forward to the Poundland proposal becoming the way it’s done. Our bling ring is setting the scene for the real deal.”
This has sparked a debate on social media, with consumers being divided over the idea that the receiver might want to choose their own piece.
Many have argued that it’s about the commitment, not the piece of jewellery, but others have labelled it a “brilliant” idea.
However, a report launched by national jeweller Goldsmiths yesterday backs Poundland’s theory, with the studying stating nearly half of UK proposers opt to forgo picking a ring out blind, instead choosing to make the decision with their other half.
The question still remains though, would someone be impressed with a Poundland ring being presented during one of life’s most special moments?
A quick look on social media shows the jury is out.
Some people like the idea of the Poundland ring as a placeholder, while others would rather be proposed with an alternative piece of jewellery or without a ring at all.
One thing’s for sure, consumers don’t need to go to Poundland to overcome this particular problem. Many of the UK’s leading jewellers are well equipped to help engagement ring shoppers out, and have several solutions for people wanting to propose without knowing exactly what their partner might want.


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Boron Company, one of the companies Elon Musk has opened for tunneling, is very close to its goal. The last video posted shows that Tesla Model X has gone through these tunnels at a great pace.
While Elon Musk has big problems with Tesla, one of its biggest companies, companies such as SpaceX, Boring Company continue their way smoothly. The Boring Company, which aims to solve the traffic problem from the root by digging tunnel underground, has started to take serious steps in this regard. Musk, now under the Los Angeles city of America, tested the Tesla Model X in these tunnels.
Musk, which advertised the world’s highest-cost car by sending the red Tesla Roadster in the distance, now advertised Tesla via another company, the Boring Company. Thanks to the rails in the tunnel, the Model X was the first vehicle to test your future journey standards.
Vehicles that can be lowered from some points when normal roads become clogged will be able to travel faster. It is expected that the tunnels, which normally allow to travel far higher than the permissible speeds in the city, will be used effectively in the future all over the world.
Tesla’s bad paintings are also affecting other Musk companies. We want to see these companies, which are trying to make the world a better place, with much greater achievement in the coming years.


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The Australian dollar has slipped off a one-month high after subdued retail sales suggested third-quarter economic growth could disappoint.
The Australian dollar fell 0.1 per cent to 71.96 US cents on Friday after data showed September retail sales rose a mere 0.2 per cent, lagging expectations for a 0.3 per cent increase.
Adjusted for inflation, sales grew just 0.2 per cent for the whole of third quarter, the weakest growth in 1-1/2 years, having slipped from 1.2 per cent growth in the prior quarter.
"The data does suggest that the household sector will only make a relatively small contribution to Q3 GDP figures," Kristina Clifton, senior economist at Commonwealth Bank told Reuters over the phone.
Third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data is due to be released in early December.
"Hopefully we will see a stronger (retail) performance next quarter," she added.
"But if we don't it might suggest that falling housing prices is starting to weigh on consumer spending.
"We need to see a few more low figures before making that assessment."
Despite Friday's losses in the Aussie, the currency is up 1.6 per cent on the week so far and is on track for its best weekly showing since September 21.
The gains almost entirely came overnight helped by some shortcovering and a strong rally in risk assets globally on signs that a trade war between China and United States could be contained.


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Royal Poinciana Plaza seeks bigger stores, outdoor dining
Zoning changes would aid courtyards, tenants, management says
The firm that manages the Royal Poinciana Plaza is asking the town for zoning changes it says are needed to help attract small, upscale retailers and energize the high-profile site.
Massachusetts-based Up Markets, which acquired a controlling interest in the plaza in 2014, seeks to increase the maximum size for retail shops in the plaza zoning district to 3,000 square feet, instead of 2,000 square feet.
Up Markets also is asking the town to allow plaza tenants the right to apply for outdoor seating as part of an effort to breathe life into the plaza courtyards and to help restore architect John Volk’s vision for the Regency-style shopping center.
Zoning Administrator Paul Castro told the Planning and Zoning Commission on July 19 that the plaza’s requests could be back before the board in September. That’s if the Town Council directs the commission to study the changes. Up Markets will make its pitch to council members at their next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 16.
Castro said a 1979 property-use agreement between the town and plaza, which contains conditions limiting the plaza’s development, likely will be addressed at that meeting. He said Town Attorney John Randolph has not yet reviewed the requests and how they relate to the agreement.
“They’ll have to demonstrate to the council that the changes aren’t providing further development opportunity that might jeopardize the 1979 agreement,” Castro said. “That’s something they’re going to have to convince the council of.”
In a letter to Mayor Gail Coniglio and the Town Council dated June 20, Up Markets’ Samantha David wrote that allowing larger retail spaces would ease the financial and legal burden on small town-serving businesses that want to open in the plaza. Currently, plaza retailers who want more than 2,000 square feet of space have to ask the council to grant a special exception permit.
David noted the town already has increased the maximum to 3,000 square feet within the zoning district that includes Worth Avenue and the Town Square area.
“We are the only retail district on the island that has this low of a threshold and we have found that it discourages potential tenants from considering the Royal Poinciana Plaza as their future home,” David said via email. “For independent merchants seeking to open a new location, the burden of a multi-month long special exception process is often enough to discourage them from joining us.”
In a separate letter to Coniglio and the council, also dated June 20, David asked the town to allow plaza tenants to have the right to apply for outdoor seating.
Up Markets has embarked on an overall beautification of the plaza and an evaluation of improvement possibilities. That includes the goal of “activating” the restored courtyards to fit their original design, she wrote.
“Photography — as well as the memories of longtime residents — has confirmed that outdoor seating was an integral part of how the courtyards were used when the Royal Poinciana Plaza was energized and patronized,” David wrote.
Sant Ambroeus, the Italian restaurant planning to open in the plaza this fall, incorporates outdoor seating at several of its other locations. The company declined to comment about its plans for outdoor seating at the plaza until a decision is made.
David said Up Markets is not asking for a “blanket right” to outdoor eating, or for additional seats, merely the ability to shift indoor seats to outdoor seats.
“Many restaurant tenants see an opportunity for outdoor seating in the revitalized courtyards but given the way the code reads now, they are unable to ask for it,” David said via email. “Our intention is to open the door for tenants to ask for outdoor seating and allow Town Council to ultimately decide if it will be granted on a case-by-case basis.”


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Toyota has backed flying cars for the future after investing R5 million into the Skydrive project.
According to the BBC, a group of volunteer engineers in Japan have gathered further funding from Toyota to continue development on the Skydrive Cartivator, which, if developed to schedule, will light the 2020 Olympic torch in Tokyo.
It's an exciting time for flying cars. Gusheshe recently reported on the development and finalisation of the European Aeromobile and be assured that with Skydrive, the Asians are not far behind. The Skydrive is more practical and when finished will be what flying cars were always destined to become: Human-holding drones as opposed to reworked airplanes.
Drone technology allows for takeoff and landing without the use of airports, which is surely the only way forward for the flying evolution. In any practical and congested world, remotely driven flying cars - much like Google and Tesla have developed for their ground models - is the safest and smartest way forward.
With traffic congestion a severe problem in all major cities, it makes sense that large manufacturers are now looking to drone-like cars to create the future. It's about time - and for the first time in history, that time is now.