text:
After several people in Georgia fell ill after drinking carrot juice, the FDA issued a consumer warning regarding the refrigeration of juice. The agency does not believe the toxins were present in the juice before opening.
Tesco plans to open a 32,500-square-foot store in a former Albertsons location in Los Angeles, double the size store that retail analysts were originally expecting from the grocer. Tesco expects to invest $470 million in its West Coast business and open 150 stores in Southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
By utilizing technology, surveillance and other tactics, food retailers were able to reduce their 2005 shrink rate to 1.69%, according to the Food Marketing Institute's loss prevention report. "Retailers who reduce shrink are the most vigilant and foster a culture of low tolerance," said FMI Senior Vice President Michael Sansolo, in a statement. "They detect more theft, worthless checks, counterfeit money, and fraud, yet the impact on their bottom line is lower because they recover more losses and prevent more crime."


text:
The fashion show: More than an awards ceremony, the Wednesday affair at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel culminated in a fashion show by Just One Eye, a Los Angeles boutique co-founded by Paola Russo with an eclectic selection from well-known luxury designers and rising stars. No mere walk down the runway, the presentation was as much "show" as "fashion," as the collection came to life in a choreographed spectacle combining modern dance, acrobatics and hip-hop-style head spins.
The crowd: Actresses Kate Walsh of "Private Practice,"
Quotes of note: The audience gave Stone a round of applause when she talked of her recent trip to Washington to campaign for more funding to the arts. "That's more of a response than I got in Washington," Stone said.
The numbers: This year's luncheon set a record, according to Ring, attracting more than 600 guests and grossing more than $275,000 from sales of $275 to $1,000 tickets. Proceeds will go toward the museum's arts education programs.

domain: news


text:
Beringea Holds “Office Hours” For Entrepreneurs. 15 Minutes To Sell A Dream.
“Steve Beeler,” says the cheery, bespectacled man sporting a bright green tie as he extends his hand to me.
“Nice to meet you,” I reply. “Do you have a business card?”
“Um…no,” Beeler says somewhat sheepishly. “We just settled some issues with our [web]domain name.”
Ah, the life of a high tech startup!
We’re sitting in a small room Wednesday morning at the TechBrewery near downtown Ann Arbor. Sitting across the table from Beeler is Jeff Bocan, managing director of Beringea, the Detroit-based venture capital and private equity firm.
Beeler has exactly 15 minutes to pitch Bocan on why Beringea should invest in ArborWind, a startup developing lower cost wind turbines.
Fifteen minutes doesn’t sound like a whole lot of time to sell someone on anything. But it doesn’t matter: Bocan won’t be writing any checks today. For one thing, Beringea only finances later stage companies, not early stage startups like ArborWind.
No, the real point of Beringea’s “Office Hours” is to nurture Michigan’s startup community by providing valuable feedback to entrepreneurs seeking cash for their ideas. It’s also a good way for the VCs to keep their ears to the ground for new opportunities they might not otherwise hear about.
“We give them the chance to refine their pitch,” says managing director Michael Gross. “We either affirm their strategy or point them to another direction.”
So far, Beringea has listened to some 50 pitches from across the state. The quality of ideas varies wildly, from ideas sketched on napkins to things that aren’t exactly venture capital growth opportunities—like tanning salons. But Beringea executives tend to offer similar feedback.
“A lot of entrepreneurs have not researched their markets thoroughly,” says associate David Ruby. “People haven’t thought it through. For example, capitalization, not knowing how much will it take to get from Point A to Point B, how expensive it is to build and scale a business.”
Today, about 20 entrepreneurs will present. First up is Beeler, the launch chief operating officer for ArborWind. The company has a patent pending on a wind turbine design made from light weight composite blends.
Beeler says such technology will provide potential customers like supermarkets, greenhouses, and eventually the federal government a cheaper alternative to other existing models.
The turbine “is big enough to generate meaty power but small enough to be economical,” Beller says.
Bocan patiently listens and then fires off a series of questions.
How will ArborWind market and distribute its technology? Does the company have the personnel who can close a deal? Does ArborWind have the data to prove it can manufacture the equipment and generate sustainable profit margins?
“That’s the biggest problem for wind,” Bocan says. “The margins are terrible. Any sort of price erosion and your business is done.”
Beeler mostly listens and jots down a few notes.
Now it’s Jerry Wolford’s turn. The CEO of E-Go Electric says his startup will convert gasoline-powered vehicles into 100 percent battery-powered electric cars.
He envisions large rental companies in places like California and Calgary sending their fleets to special facilities that will perform the equivalent of an electric car makeover. From Porsche 911s to low gas mileage commercial vans and SUVs, E-Go Electric will tap into growing consumer and business demand for environmentally friendly, energy efficient cars, Wolford says.
One of E-Go Electric’s major assets, Wolford explains, is its management team, which includes the former CEO of Porshe Engineering and a mysterious “Dr. C” in Europe who will only speak by phone.
Time’s up. After Wolford exits the room, I ask Bocan what he thought of the two presentations.
Both companies’ technologies are impressive, Bocan says. The problem is the business side.
Bocan thinks ArborWind will find it tough to break into such a competitive market without well-connected talent that can close a deal.
As for E-Go Electric, Bocan’s main concern comes down to demand: why would anyone pay the company to convert gas vehicles into electric cars when they could just outright buy electric cars directly from the manufacturer?
Bocan notes E-Go Electric will only convert cars that are four years old or younger, which will severely narrow the company’s potential customer pool.
Two down, 18 to go.


text:
NordPass, created by NordVPN team is already a star in the cybersecurity arena. It has been creating headlines again. Having already proved its prowess in providing optimum cybersecurity, NordPass has recently launched many new features that have further reinforced the security of several devices across which it can be used.
In recent times, where every person saves essential details across different high-tech devices, a threat of breach always lumbers on their head, and hence, they need to protect these devices with a robust security screen. NordPass provides them their anticipated security by providing them with easy ways to save and access all their passwords, along with other digital information on the web.
How does it work?
NordPass generates unassailable passwords by using a complex set of characters. The passwords are then safely locked under 256-bit encryption in a “zero-knowledge” database. This ensures high security.
With NordPass, all you need to do is to keep one password in your mind. Furthermore, two-factor authentication further enhances security.
NordPass ensures a heavy blanket of security across sundry devices like your laptops, tablets, or mobile phones, including both iOS, as well as Android.
The Latest Features
The latest NordPass launched several new features to further boost password security
The features are:
Several browsers store user passwords but the security offered by them to safeguard the sensitive data of the users is always questionable.
By the virtue of this latest feature, NordPass guarantees security. With the feature, move from the browser stored credentials to a password manager.
- Cloud storage
NordPass offers 3GB free cloud storage to users, both premium and free. They can download macOS apps, as well as Windows apps. The login is easy with NordPass credentials.
This latest features of NordPass is backed by NordLocker, which is a co-brand.
- Data Breach Scanner
This feature helps to get important information on data breaches. If any information requires security or a password needs to be changed, the feature informs you.
- Password Health
This upcoming feature lets you check the “health” of your password. You can check if your password is weak, old, duplicate, or already available in the violated database.
With this, you can inculcate a strong and secure password.
- Personal Information
Using this feature, you can update important information like name, address, or phone number. You can later use the information while filling registration forms or shopping online.
- Safari Extension
With this feature, macOS users can check the passwords and inculcate new passwords without having to leave their browser. With this extension, they can autofill or autosave passwords on one click.
These latest features of NordPass ensure inviolable security. NordPass, with its excellent features, is making the internet a safe place.


text:
Home Tags Auction
Sotheby’s will present a huge number of serious collector’s items from a galaxy far, far away.
Our favourite vintage watches at the upcoming watch sale.
Including a pacific-traversing, one-off Baltic watch who's proceeds will help to raise awareness about ocean pollution.
Four unique collectors' boxes from a quarter of young, exciting luxury brands are going up for auction...
Christie’s headline auction for serious oenophiles is a hall of fame of the finest, most sought after bottles you could ask for.
The best showstoppers lining up at RM Sotheby's California sale.
A rare Patek Philippe could fetch up to £75,000 at Fellow's upcoming watch auction.
Space memorabilia from NASA's Gemini and Apollo missions, a rare Rolex Daytona or a DB5. What will you bid on?
Highlights include a 1950's Rolex Stelline Triple Calendar and a 19th century pocket watch once owned by Patek Philippe co-founder Antoni Patek.
RM Sotheby's is set to auction a selection of rare cars on the beautiful shores of Lake Como, Italy.


text:
Bestech Australia introduces the high-performance eddy current sensors from Micro-Epsilon, eddyNCDT 3060. With more than 400 compatible sensor models, ease …
CNC-based machining tools has been widely adopted in the manufacturing business. Especially in the era of Industry 4.0, the new …
Bestech Australia announces the release of the miniature version of draw wire sensors from Micro-Epsilon.
Bestech Australia offers a new range of piezoelectric accelerometers designed for vibration monitoring of gas turbines in high temperature environments.
Bestech Australia announces the release of a new capacitive-based contact displacement sensor, EDS from ElastiSense.
Bestech Australia introduces a new laser sensor from Micro Epsilon featuring an extended measurement range for determining distance and displacement.
The new optoCONTROL 2520-46(090) features a rotatable receiver that extends the measurement capability of Micro-Epsilon’s optical micrometer range.
Bestech Australia announces the release of a new fibre optics accelerometer from SCAIME.
Bestech Australia has introduced a new colour measurement system for liquid paints, designed to deliver accurate results in real time.
Bestech Australia introduces a new sensor system that relies on two laser triangulation sensors to deliver accurate thickness measurements.


text:
The Slender Man inspired indie horror game Huntsman: The Orphanage, which was greenlit on Steam back in February, looks intensely creepy. It’s an atmospheric, story-driven game that’s set in an old orphanage that was abandoned when a bunch of kids mysteriously disappeared. Enjoy a brand new trailer from the upcoming game after the jump!
For more Huntsman: The Orphanage, follow the game on Steam.
AROUND THE WEB
this week in horror
This Week in Horror - November 6, 2017 - Pet Sematary, Horror ...
Starry Eyes duo Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch will take over the Pet Sematary Remake, 2017 was the best year for horror movies ever, and James O'Barr will be heavily involved in the upcoming The Crow film. It's THIS WEEK IN HORROR with Whitney Moore!Posted by Bloody Disgusting on Tuesday, November 7, 2017


text:
Chucklefish said earlier this year that the multiplayer update to Stardew Valley that everyone's looking forward to would not be out this summer, and sorry to say, I'm not here to deliver any happy surprises—that still holds true. But work has progressed far enough that the studio is now ready to start talking about how the new feature will work and what it will include, and said that beta testing is expected to begin around the end of the year.
Shortly after the game starts, Robin will offer to build up to three cabins on your farm, each of which will serve as the home for a farmhand who will be controlled by another player. Farmhands have their own separate inventory and can do "almost anything" the main character can, including farming, mining, fighting, foraging, marrying NPCs, and taking part in festivals. Some decisions will have to be made by the main player, however.
Friend invites will be handled through Steam, rather than separate multiplayer servers, and local multiplayer options, split-screen, and PvP aren't currently planned. Marriage between players is in the works, although how exactly that will work is still being hammered out. "It’s an idea we like a lot, and want to make available as a feature," Chucklefish wrote. "Player-to-player marriage won’t use the mermaid pendant, but rather an alternative method that requires a similar amount of effort to wooing an NPC."
The work so far has been focused on the "biggest technical hurdle" of synchronizing multiple games over the internet, and it has apparently been a huge job: Chucklefish said that 15,000 lines of code have been rewritten, and almost every source file has been impacted. But with that aspect of it almost finished, the work now will move to implementing the cabins, updating the UI and menus, figuring out multiplayer NPC relationships, and the usual "polish, testing, and optimization."
"We currently expect to be able to start a beta test at the end of the year for Steam users to help us test the game. Mod authors will be encouraged to update their mods during this beta period," Chucklefish said. "Then, in early 2018 we will release it as the 1.3 patch on Windows, Mac and Linux."
The will be released for consoles as well, but the studio warned that it "will be a bigger patch than usual," and so will take awhile to get to each platform.


text:
Managing Director Jeff Bezos never tries to schedule a meeting before kl. 10.00
"I go early, I travel early, I like to put in the morning" reading the newspaper, drinking a cup of coffee and eating breakfast with his children, he said. Mr. Bezos is planning "high IQ" meetings before lunch, and tries to head home at five o'clock.
Mr. Bezos said his primary job every day as a senior manager is making a small number of high quality decisions. It means getting eight hours of sleep as well. "I think better, I have more energy, my mood is better," he said.
& # 39; Everything I've ever done has started a bit. Amazon started with a couple of people. & # 39;
If he slept less, he could make more decisions. But it would not be worth it. "If I have three good decisions a day, it's enough," he said. "They should only be as high quality as I can do them."
The insight into Mr. Bezos philosophy of time management came as Amazon's founder Thursday addressed an amount of about 1
The explosive growth helped push Amazon last week to shortly become the second American company to reach a $ 1 billion market price after
and has made Mr. Bezos the richest person in the world.
It's a title that Mr. Bezos said he has never applied. "I would much rather say they invent Jeff Bezos & # 39; or & # 39; entrepreneur Jeff Bezos & # 39; or & daddy Jeff Bezos. & # 39; These things are much more meaningful to me, he told the audience.
While Amazon's stock is currently close to record levels, he said he tells the staff the same he has told them for more than two decades of all hands meeting.
"When the stock is up 30% in a month, do not feel 30% smarter because when stocks are down 30% in a month, it will not feel so good to feel 30% dumber – and that's what happens, "said Bezos.
He pointed to a quote by legendary investor Benjamin Graham, who in the short term said that the stock market is a voting machine. In the long run, there is a weighing machine.
"What you need to do is run your business in such a way, knowing that you are being weighed one day," he said. "Never spend time thinking about the daily stock price. I never do."
He also learned the importance of clarity when he chose a name for his company. He would initially mention his online launch Cadabra, as in the ancient magician's term abracadabra.
When he called to talk to a lawyer about incorporating the company, the lawyer misunderstood the name as a carcass. "I was like, OK, it will not work."
About three months later, he changed it to Amazon: "The largest river in the world, the world's largest selection," he said.
Herr. Bezos spent time talking about one of his favorite subjects: the customer.
When he considered expanding Amazon beyond his first book, music and video business, he sent a random group of 1000 customers and asked them what they wanted to buy on his website. Most responded to what they had to buy at the moment, like windscreen wipers.
"I thought to myself," We can sell something this way, "he said.
Mr. Bezos said he would take many of his business-leading lessons to his new Bezos Day One Fund, which He announced Thursday saying that it would be funded with an initial $ 2 billion to help homeless families and to form a new network of preschools in low income areas.
Day 1 refers to one of Mr. Bezos most basic lessons: how to keep a company in boot mode.
"Everything I've ever done has started a bit. Amazon started with a couple of people, "he said." It's hard to remember for you, but it was like yesterday that I drove the packages to the post office myself and hoped someday we could afford a forklift. " He has attempted to maintain that spirit even as the company has sprawled to over half a million employees. "Although it's a big company, I want it to have the heart and spirit of a little," he said.
Mr. Bezos will now bring his legendary customer focus to a new group – in this case, preschool children.
"The No. 1 thing that has made us successful far is obsessive, focusing on the customer as opposed to obsession over the competitor," he said. said. "We must be obsessive, focusing on the child. We must be scientific when we can be. And we will use heart and intuition. "
Write to Laura Stevens at firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
Newest Up and Coming Tech Coming Out of India
India is seemingly becoming the new mecca when it comes to new technological advancements, and there is a ton of exciting news surrounding the tech industry within India every single day.
India is set to become one of the global leaders in the development of some of the most modern tech known to man, and India also seems to be leaning into this role by devoting a large portion of its revenue to research and development.
In this article, we will be discussing some of the newest technology coming out of India that will not only be fun and interesting innovations that you will want to know about, but also revolutionary.
Image Credit = Earth Internet Globalization – Free photo on Pixabay
Virtual Reality & The Digital World
By this point, most people have either heard of VR or perhaps even experienced it themselves. However, the capabilities we have at current are nothing compared to what the future looks like for VR technology, and before
long we may have CR tech that’s so good it will be near indistinguishable from reality.
To give a brief example of how VR may look in the future, take an online casino/ betting site like Comeon.com. Already, sites like this are able to offer people a similar experience to a real-life casino, which has seen the popularity
of real-life casinos go down while people flock to its online counterpart.
However, once the potential of VR becomes realised, online alternatives may be able to offer experiences almost identical to their real life counterparts.
As you could imagine, this would lead to many people opting to simply plug into VR and explore whatever it is that their heart’s desire, and visiting places in real life may even become a thing of the past.
Recently, robots made in India have been recognized by the global tech market, and they have now joined the plethora of nations that have an extremely capable and powerful AI technology industry.
The number of uses for robots and AI is truly incalculable, and when things like robotic surgeons and barbers come into play, it will be almost impossible for humanity to ever look similar to how it was previously again.
India has a multitude of programs like NIRA (National Institute of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence) that specializes in the improvement of advanced robotics and AI, and India is certainly doing more than their part to ensure that humanity gets access to the advantages robots will be able to bring.
Sure, there are some people who may be worried about AI, and that fear is not unwarranted. However, there is no disputing that having AI capable of performing human tasks to near perfection will bring with it a wide array of
amazing advantages to humanity.
The innovations and developments we mentioned throughout this article are but a few of the amazing technologies that India is leading the charge in bringing to life.
It really is mind-blowing just how much India has been – and is – able to contribute to the innovation of new tech, and it is well on its way to becoming the most technologically advanced nation in the world.


text:
Orlando developer Chuck Whittall said he's looking to Southern California for the inspiration and model to rebuild the struggling Orlando Fashion Square mall from the ground up.
"There's really two that come to mind," he told GrowthSpotter. "The first is Fashion Island at Newport Beach. The other is Irvine Spectrum Center. They're both open-air developments that combine shopping, restaurants and entertainment."
Both are owned by The Irvine Company, one of California's most established and respected land developers. Each center is decades old but has maintained its status as a shopping destination by mixing high-end retail, highly curated dining and entertainment options and integrating residential and hotel uses within the development. They attract 16-17 million visitors per year.
Whittall said his Unicorp National Developments is the right company to infuse life into a mall that's "quickly spiraling out of control." The best-case scenario would be to start over with a blank slate.
Whittall said he has a purchase agreement "for the underlying dirt" of the nearly 50-acre site on Colonial Drive. His deal differs from Tampa-based DeBartolo Development, which had been negotiating with The Bancorp, which holds the lease interest in the mall itself as part of a bankruptcy settlement with the former owner.
"Their contract lapsed," Whittall said. "They walked away from the deal because they couldn't put it together."
Whittall said he's now in discussions with The Bancorp. "What we're trying to do first is get the deal structured. Then we would start the land-planning part of it," he said. "If we're able to piece the puzzle together, it would close in the first or second quarter of next year. So there's a limited amount of time to figure it out, but I'm going to give it a good college try."
The success will be largely contingent on Whittall's ability to get buy-in from the mall's department store anchors: Macy's, J.C. Penney and Dillard's. None of the three owns its building, but they all have long-term leases in place. Whittall said destination centers like the one he envisions don't need department stores as anchors -- a high-end bowling alley, specialty grocer or food hall could attract just as many shoppers, he said.
"It's advantageous that they don't own the real estate," he said. "Retail has seen a lot of change and will continue to change. They need to adapt to the new type of development that's experiential and that gets people in the door. I think they would welcome the opportunity to stay and be a part of the new development."
The Irvine Spectrum, one of Whittall's inspirations, replaced a former Macy's anchor with 30 new merchants as part of a just-completed $200 million expansion. A Virtual Reality gaming center moved into a former Red Robin location.
While the mall has stagnated, the area around it has seen significant new investment. Multifamily developer The Cornerstone Group is building a 361-unit luxury apartment complex just north of the mall and recently acquired a pair of office buildings on the 3600 block of Maguire Boulevard.
New York-based REIT Seritage Growth Properties has lured new restaurants -- Longhorn Steaks, Mission BBQ and Olive Garden -- to its adjacent 18-acre property.
Construction was halted on a new Orchard Supply Hardware store on the former Sears pad, but the new $20 million Floor & Decor store opened last month. Whittall said he'd like to acquire both and figure out a way to work them into his master plan.
"We would love to acquire all that interest from Seritage and figure out what to do with it," he said. "We think this is an opportunity to elevate the whole area. It's a 50-acre piece of urban infill area in the heart of Central Florida. Opportunities like that don't exist."


text:
Ever since the Pulwama attack there has been a lot of debate about ‘Fake News’ in India. Jared looks into how much of this ‘fake news’ also exists in the automotive journalism sphere.
There has been a lot of talk about ‘Fake News’. What is it? How does it spread like wildfire? Well, the obvious answers are there but, the moral issue of this so-called fake news is still up for debate. In a broader context, all media houses around the world have published or reported fake news deliberately for decades. State sponsored media is expected to blast out lies to control the sentiments of the general public, but when trusted and respected news agencies create false news stories then it seems the world is being completely mislead. CNN, BBC, Fox, Al Jazeera, and our very own Times of India are just a few examples of some of the big names that have published or reported fake stories, either because they were in a hurry to be the first to cover a story and so it was by error, or, they were paid to put out content, or even worse, they did it deliberately.
But, let’s not get into such a deep conversation about this. We are an auto magazine and website of course, so, right now, I want to talk about fake news in the auto industry. What I am about to say could possibly get me in a lot of trouble with my Editor, but I am currently stuck in bed from an illness and I’m bored. Fake news exists in the auto industry as well. Well, sort of.
I have been writing about, and reviewing, cars and motorcycles for 10 years now and it’s taken me a while to get to where I am. When I first started out, I was handed press releases directly from car and bike manufacturers and was told to write news articles. All I would do was glance through them and then write out a 200 or 300 word story, highlighting the important aspects without questioning anything. After you read about 1,000 press releases you begin to see how their structure and language is almost identical, and sometimes very misleading.
Now, MG Motors is trying to break into the Indian market and they have got a boat load of money to do so, thanks to their Chinese owners, which is not mentioned even once in any of their marketing campaigns focusing on their British heritage – because who cares about Chinese car heritage, right? They have still not officially entered the market but, over the last few months I have received a press release from them almost daily. Today, I received not one, but two, and one of them was about how MG Motors have partnered with a travel website to produce a web-series. In their press release they mentioned that this new ‘non-fiction’ show will “promote and sustain Morris Garages as the world’s foremost luxury car brand.” Excuse me! But, to call MG the world’s foremost luxury car brand is laughable at best. However, if you just do a quick Google search for this story you will see that every auto blog, business website or auto website, has used the same wording. Now, this of course is not fake news. It’s marketing jargon of course, but it’s still not true. Fake news is when the people who write or broadcast the news know they’re delivering false information. This is just irresponsible and lazy journalism.
There are thousands of press releases that mention ‘best-in-class’ this and that, and it’s reported by auto journalists exactly as is. Power figures are sometimes manipulated and fuel efficiency is always overstated. If you ever read the press releases sent out by Volkswagen prior to the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal you would be shocked at how many times they mentioned the ‘clean diesel technology’ of VW. Look how that turned out! Journalists didn’t bother to check, and they simply reported the same and in turn VW customers thought they were doing their part by driving cleaner cars.
This is still false reporting no doubt of which the implications are quite serious, but it’s not really fake news. Let me also just remind you that it wasn’t only VW who lied about their fuel emissions. BMW, Mercedes and even Nissan also got tied up in the emissions scandal, and they told journalists and customers the same thing – that their cars are clean. Triumph Motorcycles also had a similar case in India when they overstated the power figures of all their motorcycles and there were a lot of news sources that didn’t check the actual figures. Customers were also lied to by dealers.
Then, of course, there are paid stories or features. I am sure you already know about them. We are essentially a business, and businesses need profit, and advertisements, are the best way to make profits for media houses and publishers. Of course, nobody wants their readers to be bombarded with ads, and so, advertisements have become paid features, but in some cases media houses don’t take the responsibility of letting their readers know that what they are reading is paid for by a car or bike manufacturer. In every issue of autoX we do have some paid content but, we always let our readers know this. But many auto magazines and websites don’t do this and it becomes misleading.
The fact I am trying to make is that journalism, even auto journalism, has somehow been turned into a black hole. The internet has made information so accessible and at the speed of light any story can spread. There are thousands of auto blogs and auto websites, and these things called social media inlfuencers, that have popped up and are fighting for viewership and followers that they will put any kind of content out there without fact checking just because they want to be the first. Unfortunately, accountability is lost from the OEM’s, whose sole purpose is profit, and history has taught us that all corporations lie. Journalists were once held accountable but, today most of them care about viewership. In the end though, it’s the customers who are affected. So, don’t ever go by what a press release or Instagram post claims, or what a review or news piece states. Fact check everything yourself. And that goes for all kinds of news.


text:
As the UK steel industry begins another year – against the backdrop of a new EU/US tariff-free deal – Chris McDonald, chief executive at Middlesbrough’s Materials Processing Institute, looks at the sector’s future in an increasingly sustainable world.
In recent years, the UK steel sector has rarely been out of the headlines, thanks to threats to production and employment, particularly following the unnecessary closure of the Redcar steelworks in 2015.
Readers could be forgiven for thinking these problems are an inevitable consequence for what is often mis-portrayed as an outdated industry but, compared with other advanced economies, the travails of our steel sector seem to be a uniquely British problem.
Competitors are creating sustainable and decarbonised sectors through new steel plants in the US, the Netherlands and Sweden, while there is government support for innovation and capital investment in Germany, Austria and Spain.
Domestic producers are losing market share due to factors like British energy prices set at double those of France and Germany, unfair competition from steel dumping and US trade tariffs levied against Britain, but now dropped against the EU.
That helps explain why UK content is being displaced by European imports primarily from the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Italy rather than – as usually assumed – from Asia.
Our response matters because steel is the bedrock of any advanced economy, supporting manufacturing supply chains in aerospace and automotive. It is also essential to Britain’s sovereign capability.
We saw this during the COVID-19 pandemic, when supermarket shelves were kept stocked with tinned food from the tinplate lines in South Wales and Nightingale hospital beds were made from steel tubes manufactured in Corby, Northamptonshire.
Decarbonisation is both a challenge and an opportunity; while responsible for nine per cent of UK carbon emissions, steel is also fundamental to every major technology necessary to deliver net-zero.
A McKinsey report, published in January 2021, describes how “the transition to a net-zero economy will be metal intensive”, and how existing and innovative, new boundary-pushing steel products are essential for solar power, electric vehicles, offshore wind, hydrogen generation and more.
Britain, and the North East in particular, has a trump card to play thanks to advanced innovation capacity, not least as two-thirds of the steels made in Britain were invented in the last 15 years, and are focused on higher-value, specialist steels.
As the UK’s national steel and metals innovation centre, the Materials Processing Institute is well placed to develop the required technologies with world-leading expertise and facilities, £22 million of support from the Government for decarbonisation and industry transformation, plus our proposal for an essential new £12 million hydrogen steelmaking pilot facility to make the next technological leap possible.
Steel remains a vital strategic industry.
If Britain is to transform productivity, safeguard sovereign capability, deliver on commitments made at COP-26 and take a leading role in delivering the green industrial revolution, then the Government and industry need to come together to create a competitive and sustainable business environment and industrial policy for steel.
The North East is the UK’s leading location for vehicle electrification; no other region can compare to our credentials.
This was further strengthened by the £3.85 billion worth of electrification investment that landed in the last 12 months, which includes Britishvolt’s gigafactory in Cambois, Northumberland, Nissan’s flagship EV36Zero electric vehicle hub (that includes Envision’s 9GWh gigafactory) and Turntide Technologies’ three acquisitions.
We also boast significant research capabilities.
The UK’s Driving the Electric Revolution (DER) programme is being led by Newcastle University, which will see the establishment of the DER Industrialisation Centre North East.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre, funded by the Government to make the UK a centre of excellence for the research, development and production of low-carbon propulsion technology, also has an electric machine spoke at Newcastle University.
In total, 17 of the 21 automotive related research centres in the North East are focused on electrification.
It’s clear the consumer is ready to switch to electric. However, there are still challenges if we are to fully maximise this trend.
We need to make sure the supply chain is in place.
Brexit means we must adhere to rules of origin. Therefore, it is critical we have the supply chain in place to avoid lengthy customs declarations and avoid any unnecessary tariffs.
This is particularly true of the battery supply chain, where we must ensure we have UK supply of the critical components.
Recent announcements, including cuts to both purchase incentives and grants for home chargers, highlight that the structure is not in place at the moment, and we have to be careful that sales are not outstripping the supply of infrastructure.
We are expecting up to 12,000 new jobs to be created in the automotive sector in the next three to four years.
With the implementation of new and green technologies, this is an exciting time for the sector. The North East will be a major player in delivering the Government’s net-zero agenda and we expect to see more investment within the region on the back of the recent announcements.
Our vision is that the North East becomes the location of choice for automotive investment in Europe, which will see us recognised as a true automotive powerhouse with a very dynamic, forward- looking and competitive supply chain.
All of this will be underpinned by strengths in research, development and innovation in new automotive technologies and manufacturing processes.


text:
The Netherlands gaming sector, as much any other country’s one, has been impacted by the ongoing spread of the coronavirus /Covid-19/, as mitigation measures across the world imply the same approach of isolation, and land-based gaming facilities are on top of the list of non-essential businesses that face temporary closure.
Online Gambling Ads Illegal
Online gambling in the country is still illegal and will remain so until June 2021, but with no brick-and-mortar facilities Dutch players are left with no outlet, and some online operators started to explore every possible way to mop them, including the promotion of “Corona-Free” products, something that spurred the country’s regulator, , the Kansspelautoriteit /KSA/ into action.
Being backed by a recent court ruling in its favour, the KSA initially fired a warning towards all online gaming operators, pointing out that any attempt to take advantage of the dire situation and channel players by reference to Covid-19, will significantly influence the decision the regulator will be about to make whether to grant an operator a license or not, when the licensing process begins.
Any online operator that is targeting Dutch players is in breach of the current law, as it does not have and cannot obtain a license from the KSA, not until the application process has begun.
Heed The Warning Or Pay The Price
This week the KSA firmed its stance as it posted a message on its website, stating that advertising content that makes references to the coronavirus outbreak situation would be considered as a circumstance that allows for penalty enhancement, by at least €50,000, with the upper boundary of the fine dependent on the nature of the promotional content and its reach.
In addition, the Dutch regulator reminded all gambling establishments that online gambling services in the Netherlands are still prohibited and subject to a minimum of €200,000 penalty, which in case of operators that seek to utilize the virus situation in their promotions would automatically go up to €250,000.
The Dutch regulator is adamant that even land-based operators with licenses are not allowed to mention Covid-19 in any type of marketing, and while Article 4a of the Gambling Act requires businesses to undertake moderate advertising only, the regulatory body has confirmed that any reference to the ongoing virus outbreak in the country will be regarded as a breach. Operators will be punished for such breaches even in cases when these come from their advertising or affiliate partners, as well as from a related review website.
All 14 casinos in the Netherlands are currently closed due to the ongoing measures to halt the spread of the virus and they will remain so until the beginning of April, at least.


text:
Four-Star BAP Tilapia On Display At Seafood Expo North America
China has embraced the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program since the release of the BAP tilapia farm standards in 2008 and the certification of the first farm (Elite Aquaculture Co. Ltd. in Guangxi Province, China) in 2009.
There are more than 70 BAP-certified tilapia farms in China, with an additional 60 BAP-certified tilapia processing plants, hatcheries and feed mills. China is home to about two-thirds of the world’s BAP-certified tilapia facilities.
Certification against the BAP standards provides the third-party assurance that the marketplace increasingly requires, as BAP is the world’s most comprehensive third-party certification program, with standards encompassing environmental responsibility, social responsibility, food safety, animal health and welfare and traceability. Additionally, BAP encompasses the entire aquaculture production chain, with a star system to identify, and reward, companies whose processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills are BAP-certified.
About 30 Chinese tilapia processing plants capable of offering four-star BAP tilapia. Many of these companies are exhibiting at Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston in mid-March.
Please join us at SENA on Sunday, March 19, from 1 to 2 p.m. for a cooking demonstration featuring four-star BAP tilapia from China at the cooking demonstration theater on the show floor (3,300 aisle). Chef Rut, who’s affiliated with Sunnyvale Seafood/Guangdong Gourmet Products, will be preparing a variety of Asian-inspired dishes featuring four-star BAP tilapia from China. Learn more about sourcing tilapia from China, responsible aquaculture and the BAP third-party certification program. The cooking demonstration is sponsored by the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA). Chef Rut (Panurat Poladitmontri) has 30 years of culinary experience as a restaurateur, cookbook author, developer of Thai food product lines and foodservice consultant. He owns Harbor Café in Seattle.
But so much more happens behind the scenes as a result of, or in addition to, BAP that has China’s tilapia industry continually improving and acting in an increasingly responsible manner.
The majority of Chinese tilapia farms are not large, corporate farms. They are small, family farms, with the average farm producing only around 200 metric tons per year. There are thousands of tilapia farms throughout southern China, all working with the large processors that export to international markets. (Only about 20 percent of China-produced tilapia is consumed domestically, as it is not a traditional Chinese species.)
Because they are reliant on small, family farms, the processing plants are committed to ensuring that the farmers receive the support they need to thrive. The plants also work with CAPPMA (China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance). Every year, CAPPMA recognizes the top tilapia farmers and processors at an award ceremony where winners are nominated by their peers; this creates an atmosphere of self-improvement through competition as the farmers and processors all strive to be recognized.


text:
India’s leading entertainment content producer – Ekta Kapoor‘s Balaji Telefilms just announced their upcoming show, Dil Hi Toh Hai. The show will originally air on Sony Entertainment Television and later, it will be available for consumption on Balaji’s OTT platform – ALTBalaji.
Starring Karan Kundra in the lead, Dil Hi Toh Hai is a family drama centered around an industrialist family that deals in pharmaceuticals. It’s a story about siblings who love and respect each other despite differences. It also stars Poonam Dhillon, Akshay Dogra, Sudeepa Singh, Gurpreet Bedi, Yogita Bihani, Nyra Banerjee, and Asmita Sood in pivotal roles.
By exploiting the digital rights of this show by itself, Balaji Telefilms and ALTBalaji have become game changers in the Indian entertainment industry. As a content producer, Balaji Telefilms, for the very first time, has retained the intellectual property to a show produced by Balaji and licensed to Sony Entertainment Television to exploit the same on their TV Channel.
Commenting on this development, Mr. Nachiket Pantvaidya, Group COO and CEO ALTBalaji, said, “We are front-runners in creating original content and have crafted unique stories for numerous television networks. With widespread penetration of the internet and smartphones in India, we launched ALTBalaji to acquire new viewers globally, as these users are not encumbered by restrictions posed by TV – both as a device and as a format. The retention of a TV show’s rights by Balaji marks a major shift in the industry and one of many firsts for us. This strategic move is in line with our vision to transform the company from a B2B production company to a B2C consumer and digital company.”
ALTBalaji has already acquired a leadership position as India’s largest platform for original and exclusive digital shows with more than 15 million mobile plus web viewers across 90 countries. The digital platform offers several shows across various genres such as romance, mystery, drama, and comedy. More power to Ekta and her team!
Also, we cannot wait to watch the super hot Karan Kundra in a daily show again. Yay!


text:
Level-5 today (August 26) revealed the next instalment of Professor Layton.
Layton 7 is to be the new entry in the series.
The upcoming puzzle game will have players control multiple people in a small town and will contain role-playing elements.
It is being developed for Nintendo 3DS, iOS and Android.
Although it was released earlier this year in Japan, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy - the sixth entry in the Professor Layton series - will launch in Europe on November 8 for 3DS.
Watch a trailer for Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy below:


text:
China has announced potential retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports, including pork, lots of fruit and wine. While a lot of U.S. wine is sold within the states, China is a fast growing market with a lot of potential. An additional 15 percent tariff on U.S. wine could hurt U.S. winemakers and mean steep competition from countries like New Zealand and Chile.
Linsey Gallagher, vice president of international marketing at The Wine Institute, joined Marketplace Weekend to talk about how the tariffs could impact California's wine industry.
Click on the audio player above to hear the full story.
“I think the best compliment I can give is not to say how much your programs have taught me (a ton), but how much Marketplace has motivated me to go out and teach myself.” – Michael in Arlington, VABEFORE YOU GO


text:
SK planet’s latest official press releases
- Plans to integrate O2O commerce platform with big data analytics in credit card, while cooperating to enhance the availability of O2O and Fintech services
- Paved the way for creation of services that combine commerce, IT, and credit card technologies Plans to add Shinhan App Card as well as big data platform to Syrup Wallet and Syrup Order
Seoul, Korea, November 11, 2015—SK Planet (CEO: Jinwoo So, www.skplanet.com) has entered into a partnership agreement with Shinhan Card (CEO: Wi Sung-ho) to cooperate in the areas of O2O platform and big data for the provision of mobile-based O2O services.
The two partners plan to combine O2O commerce platform with big data analytics in credit card to offer user-oriented services. The synergies created by linking simple payment service with App Card are also expected to boost efficiency in payment.
Under the cooperation, the two companies are set to improve the availability of O2O and Fintech services.
The agreement signing ceremony was held on November 10th at SK Planet’s headquarter located in Pangyo Techno Valley.
By creating synergies between the leading O2O commerce provider SK Planet and Korea’s largest credit card issuer Shinhan Card, the partnership will allow the creation of a broad spectrum of services that combine commerce, IT, and credit card.
Under the cooperation, Syrup Wallet will have the ability to store Shinhan App Card, letting its users to not only make payment with it but also check on their credit card statement and transaction history at a glance. The service will also be linked to mobile pre-ordering service Syrup Order to improve service accessibility as well as user convenience.
Moreover, Shinhan Card’s big data platform will be applied to Syrup Wallet to provide customers with information on special benefits according to time, place, and situation. In addition, the two partners will cooperate on various levels such as synchronization of application process of Syrup Pay and Shinhan App Card, and joining of partnering merchants to expand merchant network and promote card acceptance among merchants.
Suh Sung-won, COO of SK Planet explained, “This is an exciting partnership between two companies with the latest O2O technologies and leadership in Fintech. We expect the partnership to take customer services and benefits to a whole new level.” Suh further added, “Going forward, we will continue to challenges ourselves and make creative efforts to deliver customized benefit services that focus on enhancing customer convenience such as Syrup Pay Syrup Wallet.”


text:
Good news for Windows Phone lovers!! Price of Nokia Lumia 800 has been dropped by a huge margin! Now Lumia 800 is available for Rs. 23500/- in India. The model started with Rs. 29999/- in India and now a 25% direct cut off. Previously, Nokia did the same for Lumia 710 and now for Lumia 800. All these automatically raise a question how well Windows Phones are performing in India. To be honest, it seems Nokia Windows Phones need to go a long way to market in India.
Nokia Lumia 800 is a feature rich phone that comes with Windows 7.5 Mango as OS, 1.4 GHz Scorpion Qualcomm chipset processor, 3.7 inches AMOLED display, 8 MP primary camera and integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Windows 7.5 Mango is a promising operating system. It seems features are not what people in India are looking at. Android is the other factor that may be playing from the background. Nokia Lumia 610 may perform well in India as the starting price is expected to be around Rs. 11000/-


text:
Kirt McMaster, the co-founder and CEO of Cyanogen, says that the company is working with Microsoft to integrate the Cortana digital assistant into the next version of Cyanogen OS.
Square Enix will release Lara Croft GO, the next mobile game in the publisher's Tomb Raider franchise, on August 27 for Windows Phone, iOS and Android for $4.99
Google has updated its Google Translate app for Android, adding support for 20 more languages to its video text translation feature, for a total of 27 languages
The latest update to the free-to-play endless running game Subway Surfers takes the team down under to Sydney, Australia for some new tracks, rewards and additional content.
Nokia is close to signing a deal to sell its HERE Maps division to German-based car makers Audi, BMW and Daimler. The deal is expected to be worth over $2.71 billion.
Samsung has announced it will launched its latest Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S2, in August worldwide. It will come in 8-inch and 9.7-inch versions but no prices were announced.
Heroes Reborn: Enigma, an upcoming first person puzzle game based on the upcoming NBC superhero TV series revival, will be released this fall for mobile devices.
Get the best of Android Central in in your inbox, every day!
Thank you for signing up to Android Central. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.


text:
Capita sells two more businesses as sale of ‘non-core’ assets continues
Capita has agreed to sell two more of its businesses for £60million as part of its plans to sell a number of its ‘non-core’ companies.
The professional services giant has confirmed that its latest sale to WSP includes its Capita Real Estate and Infrastructure (“REI”) and GL Hearn (“GLH”) businesses.
REI provides specialist consulting, design, engineering, environmental and project management services to owners of land, buildings and infrastructure.
GLH provides advice to property developers, investors and occupiers in areas such as planning and development, rating, valuation and occupier services.
Management teams and employees of REI and GLH will remain with their companies upon transfer to WSP ownership.
Reported revenue and pre-tax profit for the two companies combined for the year to December 31, 2021 were £88.6 million and £5.1 million respectively.
Taking cash and debt into account, Capita expects to receive proceeds of £69 million on completion.
The sale is subject to certain consents.
Jon Lewis, CEO of Capita, said: “We are delighted to have agreed to the sale of these two businesses to WSP following a competitive sale process.
“Our REI and GLH colleagues and customers will join an established industry organization with plans to take businesses to the next stage of their development.”
Capita previously announced plans to sell a number of “non-core businesses” to strengthen the balance sheet and focus on its two main divisions, Capita Public Service and Capita Experience.
The agreement to sell REI and GLH follows the completion this year of four other sales processes: Secure Solutions and Services, AMT Sybex, two specialty insurance businesses and Trustmarque.
Total proceeds from the non-core divestiture program will be more than £800m, following the completion of the sale of REI and GLH, Capita said.
Lewis added: “This marks another important milestone as we continue to simplify and strengthen Capita, and become a more successful company over the long term.
“We will continue to execute our plan at Capita to significantly reduce debt through the divestment of non-core businesses.”


text:
Sahil Mohan Gupta, NDTV, August 15, 2011 On January 27, 2010 Apple boss Steve Jobs introduced the world to a little something called the iPad, and unexpectedly tablet became something aside from exactly what you take when ill. A flotilla of various other tablets, primarily Android, followed however fell short to crash Apple’s party. Samsung, with its initial Galaxy Tab starring a 7- inch display and Android Froyo, led the cost but to no…read..
Archive for: Samsung S4 Uputstvo Za Koristenje
…to test the waters with Streak, the first gadget to come prepared with a 5-inch screen. Then came Acer with the Iconia Smart. Nonetheless, neither of these were well received by either customers or reviewers. But, undeterred, Samsung has actually likewise been thinking along the same lines. The world’s finest selling Android brand name plainly felt this was a location they own and they created the Galaxy Note. It appears like the lovechild…read..
Sahil Mohan Gupta, NDTV, July 04, 2011 Intro Last year, the Android ecosystem expanded exponentially, leap-frogging the dominant market share held by Apple and finally providing users a smartphone option to the iPhone. At the head of the Android fee was the HTC factory, but it was the Samsung’s Galaxy S that came in from the outdoors to conquer the Android universe. Integrating the delicious Android functionality with some effective hard…read..
Expectations were sky high when Samsung revealed the Galaxy S4, since the South Korean giant had to better its really own offering, the Galaxy S III, which not just ruled the Android world, but likewise went on to become one of the best selling smartphones of all times. The company unveiled the Galaxy S4 amidst much fanfare and did not disappoint in regards to upping the game in terms of hardware requirements, that included an octa-core processo…read..
Expectations were sky high when Samsung revealed the Galaxy S4, because the South Korean giant needed to much better its really own offering, the Galaxy S III, which not just ruled the Android world, however also went on to turning into one of the very best selling smartphones of perpetuities. The business revealed the Galaxy S4 amidst much fanfare and did not dissatisfy in terms of upping the game in terms of hardware specs, that included an oc…read..
The stylus is back in company and we should offer Samsung some credit for this, which released its first S-Pen sporting device, the Galaxy Note last year. The supposed phablet ended up being a respectable success for the business. The Korean producer has actually since relocated forward to disclose the successor and a bigger version of its Galaxy Note through the Note 2 and Keep in mind 800 respectively. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is yet to reach Ind…read..


text:
D'IBERVILLE, MS (WLOX) - The second annual Taste of the Bay, sponsored by D'iberville Chamber of Commerce, gave folks a taste of some of the delicious cuisine coast restaurants have to offer. Business owners who attended last year say they have been looking forward to coming back again this year.
"It helps out tremendously," said Gary Michael Tolliver. "Every time we do an event like this, we really see a noticeable surge in our business."
Tolliver is head chef and co-owner of Carmelita's Donuts. They brought an array of sweet treats, and even showcased some brand new recipes.
For those who weren't interested in the sugary stuff, Roots to Home had plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to enjoy.
"We educate ourselves and try to educate our customers in regard to what benefits they may gain from trying to have more healthy food on their table," said Lilah Brown.
This year's event featured about nine vendors. Chairman Jerry Dodge said several vendors had to drop out at the last minute.
"It's a little light this year, but we're hoping to build each year. Just build one on the other and our third annual, we're looking for big things," said Dodge.
Dodge said the chamber is already looking ahead, and coming up with ideas to make next year's Taste of the Bay even better.
"I think we'll branch out and cast a wider net, maybe get over on the other side of the bridge, because they have some great restaurants over there and get some of our restaurants to have a little competition," said Dodge.
Despite having a smaller turnout, Tanner Cook said he was happy with the event, and looks forward to coming back again next year.
"The atmosphere is still great. The food is still good, and so I'm hoping next year everyone will come back and make it like it was the first year," said Cook.
Tickets this year were $25. That's $5 less than they were last year.


text:
OnePlus is now releasing the OxygenOS 12 MP4 firmware update for the OnePlus 7 and 7T series in the global market and North American regions. Accordingly, the new update aims to improve minor issues and defects in the device’s system and increases performance fluency.
The Chinese tech maker has already enlisted the OnePlus 7 and 7T smartphone lineup in the EOL (End of Life) listing. Still, these devices are receiving new builds which is no less than a surprise for the corresponding phone owners.
Follow RPRNA on Google News
After the initial rollout in the Indian nation, the manufacturer is pushing the OxygenOS 12 MP4 update for the OnePlus 7/7T series in the global market. The firmware is making its way through the OTA method and could take a few days to cover the eligible units.
Join Us On Telegram
Talking about the changelog, the latest update focuses on the stability and performance grade of the devices. It enhances the functioning of the handset and makes the overall internal system more responsive toward given operations.
Alongside this, the update also looks after the communication segment and enriches the mobile network connection. Besides, users may also find some hidden tweaks in their handy gadgets after installing the new update.
- Improves system stability and performance
- Improves the stability of mobile network connections
In case, you don’t want to wait for the OTA push, you can install the update manually. All you have to do is – go to the Settings menu and select System. Now tap on the System Updates option, and follow the on-screen instructions.
- OnePlus 7
- Global – GM1903_11.H.37
- OnePlus 7 Pro
- Global – GM1913_11.H.37
- OnePlus 7T
- Global – HD1907_11.F.20
- NA (North America) – HD1905_11.F.20
- OnePlus 7T Pro
- Global – HD1913_11.F.20
The update might be available to a handful of users at this moment. But don’t worry as the company will soon kick off a broader release.


text:
Retail property landlords have called on the government to implement a rental support scheme as the covid-19 induced lockdown continues to hit income.
Groups including British Land and Land Securities have teamed up with some of the biggest UK retailers to write to chancellor Rishi Sunak with their concerns, the FT reported today.
They want the government to support a “furloughed space grant scheme” where the state would cover the fixed costs of businesses that have experienced dramatic falls in turnover. Similar schemes have been set up in some European countries.
The groups have proposed a sliding scale of partial payments to cover property costs, which would still leave some of the burden on the tenant and landlord.
The government has already stepped in to help businesses with a series of measures including grants, business rates holidays and lending schemes that provide government guarantees, as well as the furlough scheme that will cover the wages of millions of employees temporarily laid off.
The letter, from the chiefs of the British Retail Consortium and the British Property Federation, warned that “many viable companies” will file for administration if the government does not intervene further.
“We have come together, as voices of both commercial tenants and landlords, to propose that the government introduces a scheme of rental support for the space that has in effect been furloughed, just as staff have been,” said the letter.
Many of the high street’s largest names, such as Top Shop owner Arcadia, have already called in restructuring experts or begun talks with their landlords about renegotiating leases in a shift that could leave hundreds of shops empty across the UK. Others have been forced into administration, including Debenhams, Laura Ashley, Oasis and Cath Kidston.
Further collapses will have a serious impact on landlords, including listed property companies. Shopping centre owners Intu and Hammerson have reported rents falling by two-thirds as tenants closed their doors.


text:
At this year’s MWC, the Chinese smartphone maker Gionee launched its latest flagship, the Elife S7. With the Elife S7, the company revealed that the brand isn’t chasing the slimmest smartphone title since the flagship measures 5.5mm around the waist. The vendor took a step back from the race which it started with the Elife S5.5, later followed by the Elife S5.1. Though the Gionee Elife S7 isn’t the slimmest smartphone out there, but it packs a set of features which makes it the best flagship phone from the brand till date. Apart from a slim design, let’s have a quick look at what else the Gionee Elife S7 offers to brag about it.
Gionee Elife S7: Quick look on the features of the best flagship ever from Gionee
Design & Display
The Gionee Elife S7 sports a solid frame made of aviation grade aluminium magnesium alloy that is merged with stainless steel to make the device light weight. The flagship comes with both the rear and front panels made of glass. A layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protects both the sides of the smartphone from scratches. With such design elements, the Elife S7 is the best looking handset from the brand till date. Coming to the display, the phone flaunts a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with full HD resolution for crispy details. The side bezels around the display are pretty sleek, but on top and bottom, the device has bigger bezels.
Gionee hasn’t compromised with the performance while keeping the Elife S7 pretty slim at 5.5mm. The smartphone utilises a 64-bit 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752 processor, mated with 2GB of RAM. The handset houses 16GB of internal memory, which users can’t further expand via a microSD card. The phone is fuelled by a heavy 2,750mAh battery, which as per the brand delivers 33 hours of standby time with just 10 percent of battery remaining.
On the software front, the Gionee Elife S7 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop along with the Amigo UI 3.0 skin on top. The brand’s new Amigo custom UI is lighter, snappier, and addresses all the issues of the previous iteration of the UI. The device comes with a new quick setting panel inspired by iOS devices, which is now accessible by swiping up from the bottom. In addition, the smartphone also supports several smart gestures like double tapping to wake and hovering hand over the display to browse pictures.
Camera & Connectivity
The Gionee Elife S7 captures images and videos with great amount of details via its 13MP primary shooter that is coupled with an LED flash. The phone impresses the selfie lovers with an 8MP secondary camera. In terms of connectivity, the device misses out almost nothing. The 4G-enabled smartphone supports LTE on both of the SIM slots, including support for India’s Band 3 and Band 40 LTE bands. Other connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro-USB, and A-GPS.
Wrap up – The Gionee Elife S7 has a lot to attract the consumers including its slim, but solid design, almost bezel-less display, latest software features, a long lasting battery, decent photography features, and a powerful octa-core processor for performance hungry users. The most interesting point about the smartphone is its price. It is priced EUR 399, which translates roughly around Rs 24,000 in Indian currency. The brand has recently sent out invites to the press India for the launch of the Elife S7 in the country on April 4th. So, what do you think about the Gionee’s latest flagship? Are you eagerly waiting for it to arrive? Share with us via the comments.
Author Bio:The author is an expert in mobile technology and loves to write about different handsets launched. He has listed the specifications Gionee Elife S7 for the readers to make an informed buying decision.


text:
It’s the fastest and most scalable digital asset, enabling real-time global payments anywhere in the world.
XRP Wallets View All
Brazilian Ripple gateway that supports XRP, BTC and Fiat trading pairs
Australia-based multi-currency exchange and wallet where coins can be bought and sold for AUD.
Offers an assortment of hardware wallets and Chrome extension for multiple cryptocurrencies.
Multi-coin wallet that specializes in transactions with EUR, Ripple and Ethereum (including Augur).
Guarda Multi-currency Web Wallet
XRP Exchanges View All
Gate.io is a bitcoin exchange platform which supports BTC, LTC, Ethereum, Qtum and more blockchain assets
Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange with a focus on the Chinese market and other Chinese coins
One of the largest exchanges in China, offers multiple CNY-to-crypto pairs.
Secure Japanese cryptocurrency exchange with advanced trading tools
Digital cryptocurrency exchange created by international FinTech company QUOINE
Euro-centric exchange that offers a wide variety of EUR / crypto pairs.
Another Ripple Lawsuit Claims XRP Is A Security
Distributed ledger startup Ripple is facing another class-action lawsuit tied to the legal classification of the XRP cryptocurrency.
Ripple Faces Third Securities Fraud Lawsuit
Ripple is now facing its third class-action lawsuit for securities fraud.
Below $0.50: XRP Prices Fall to New 2018 Lows
The price of XRP slid below $0.43 on Friday, hitting a new low for 2018.
Ripple CEO Defends XRP Token's Utility at Fintech Conference
"Let's be clear: Ripple is different than XRP," Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of distributed ledger startup Ripple, argued during CB Insights' Future of Fintech conference on Thursday.
Western Union CEO States Ripple Payments Aren't Cheaper
Six months ago, Western Union began testing Ripple's XRP for payments, but the money transfer company states it has yet to see any financial benefit.
Ripple CEO Claims Bitcoin Is Under Control of Small Group of Miners From China
"I'll tell you another story that is underreported, but worth paying attention to. Bitcoin is really controlled by China. There are four miners in China that control over 50 percent of Bitcoin. How do we know that China won't intervene? How many countries want to use a Chinese-controlled currency? It's just not going to happen."
Twitter Reacts to Coinbase's Surprise Ethereum Classic News
Some members of the crypto community were surprised Tuesday when the U.S.-based exchange startup Coinbase announced that it plans to list ethereum classic.
Another Investor Lawsuit Claims XRP Is a Security
Distributed ledger startup Ripple has been named in yet another lawsuit tied to the XRp cryptocurrency, court records show.
Fortune: R3 Blockchain Consortium Is 'Running out of Money', Director Denies Rumors
While last year R3 had implied that the company had a larger goal of raising $200 mln in funding, R3 told Fortune that the figure came from a now-cancelled plan to sell a stake in a research subsidiary.
Ripple Lawyers Up With Former Chair of SEC in Legal Battle
Ripple is to be represented by two former Securities and Exchange Commission officials - one a former SEC Chair - in the US cryptocurrency's ongoing private lawsuit.


text:
Obama Memoir Sells More Than 887,000 Copies on First Day
Former President Barack Obama’s memoir sold more than 887,000 copies on Tuesday, a sizzling debut that publisher Penguin Random House said marked the largest first-day sales for any book it had ever published.
美国前总统巴拉克·奥巴马(Barack Obama)的回忆录周二售出超过88.7万册，出版商企鹅兰登书屋(Penguin Random House)表示，这是该公司出版的所有书中首日销量最高的一本。
The sales included all formats and editions in the U.S. and Canada, as well as preorders.
“A Promised Land,” the first volume of Mr. Obama’s account of his career and years in the White House, slightly outpaced the opening-day sales of the memoir penned by his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama.
奥巴马讲述了自己的职业生涯和在白宫的岁月，该书的第一卷“乐土”(A Promised Land)的销量略高于他的妻子、前第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马(Michelle Obama)撰写的回忆录首日销量。
Her book, “Becoming,” sold more than 725,000 copies its first day of publication in 2018 and has now logged total sales of more than 14 million copies world-wide in all formats.
Penguin Random House’s parent, German media company Bertelsmann SE, paid an estimated $60 million for the global publishing rights to the books by Mr. and Mrs. Obama. Mr. Obama’s book ranks No. 1 on the bestseller lists of both Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com.
Early retailer demand was so strong that Penguin Random House increased its print run to 3.4 million copies, up from an original run of 3 million.
早期零售商的需求如此强劲，以至于企鹅兰登书屋(Penguin Random House)将印刷量从最初的300万册增加到340万册。
“We’re seeing a strong performance across all channels but independent bookstores in particular are reporting unprecedented first day sales,” said David Drake, publisher of Penguin Random House’s Crown imprint. “They have been worried about their financial survival during the pandemic. I hope this book will make a meaningful difference to their year.”
Mr. Obama’s book is off to a hot start in a year that already has been strong for political books. Mary L. Trump’s memoir “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” sold more than 950,000 copies in the U.S. on July 14, the day it went on sale.
在这一年里，奥巴马的这本书有了一个火爆的开端，这本书在政治类书籍中已经表现强劲。玛丽·L·特朗普(Mary L.Trump)的回忆录《太多永远不够用：我的家人如何创造了世界上最危险的人》(Too More and Never Enough：How My Family Create the World‘s Most Dangage Man)7月14日在美国售出超过95万册，
Journalist Bob Woodward’s “Rage” sold 600,000 copies in all formats in its first week on sale in the U.S., while former Trump White House national security adviser John Bolton’s memoir “The Room Where It Happened” sold more than 780,000 copies in that time frame. Both titles were published by Simon & Schuster, the book publishing arm of ViacomCBS Inc. that is for sale.
记者鲍勃·伍德沃德(Bob Woodward)的《愤怒》(Rage)在美国上市的第一周就卖出了60万册，而特朗普的前白宫国家安全顾问约翰·博尔顿(John Bolton)的回忆录《发生的房间》(The Room Where It Happen)在这段时间内卖出了78万册。这两本书都是由维亚康姆哥伦比亚广播公司(ViacomCBS Inc.)的图书出版部门Simon&Schuster出版的。那是要出售的。
In his book, which took Mr. Obama 2 years longer than expected to finish, he explains the path he took as a young man, through much of his first term in office, with reflections on subjects such as the Arab Spring and the decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. He also writes about his experience as a father and husband.


text:
Hawley Harvest Hoedown
Downtown Hawley will host a Hawley Harvest Hoedown from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Activities around town include old fashioned craft demonstrations, farmers market, arts and crafts vendors, children's games, contests, face painting, pumpkin decorating, refreshments and more.
Entertainment will include down home toe tapping, country melodies, Appalachian clog dancing demonstrations, and the Uphill String Band and more.
The Hawley Farmers Market will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The annual book sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, at the Hawley Library, Main Avenue,
For information on the above events, call 570 226-3191 or visit www.hawleywallenpaupackcc.com.


text:
The NPD Group, known primarily among gamers as the main source of game sales information in the United States, is preparing to launch tracking for digital video game sales this year, according to an interview with David McQuillan, president of NPD’s Games group by GamesIndustry International this week.
There have been calls for years from press and industry alike for better tracking of digital sales – GamesIndustry International specifically pointed out the ESA’s call for more transparency in digital sales at this year’s E3. As downloadable content and digital gaming grows with Steam’s incredibly popular season sales, Amazon’s more and more frequent digital sales, and the upcoming consoles’ day-one digital availability, the lack of usable, detailed information with regard to digital sales is becoming more and more painfully obvious.
It’s not like NPD has had its fingers in its ears, hoping no one would notice. They’ve been tracking total consumer spending since 2010, including digital categories, but not at the level of detail available for retail.
The group has put together a panel of nine-still anonymous-games publishers, focusing on “full-game downloads and downloadable content for consoles, PCs, and portables,” to work out exactly how the tracking will function. While McQuillan couldn’t reveal which publishers are involved, things are moving quickly; they want the service available for the new consoles hitting the market this fall.
With other tracking firms putting out more information more frequently, this is an important step for the group. It’s not clear whether NPD will make more of the digital sales information publicly (rather than to subscribers) available than it has been with retail, but McQuillan said that that hasn’t yet been determined. The tracking, which will be done in partnership with EEDAR, will be global, rather than being limited to North America as with retail sales. This could provide interesting, detailed information about what platforms matter in what regions and why.
McQuillan doesn’t feel, however, that its digital tracking will overshadow its retail tracking. “Anyone who believes that retail sales are not relevant is simply misinformed,” he told GamesIndustry International. He added that the group doesn’t “think digital sales will ever become bigger than physical retail sales at the total industry level,” but adds that isolated content sales may be “at par with physical retail sales.”
The new console releases coming later this year should do a good job of showing us just how true that is. Obviously they’ll impact retail sales heavily with people buying systems and accessories, but whether consumers will take readily to digital purchases of full games in the console space remains to be seen.


text:
There is a well-known German phrase, ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, made famous as the ad slogan for car manufacturer Audi. Although there is no equivalent word in the English language for the terrific Vorsprung, which means ‘to leap ahead’, the phrase can be roughly translated as ‘progress through technology’ – a mantra which suited the Hamburg edition of in-cosmetics perfectly.
Commenting on the 2014 event, which ran from 1-3 April at Hamburg Messe, Reed Exhibitions’ Cathy Laporte, Exhibition Manager for in-cosmetics, told SPC: “We had about 7,260 unique visitors, which actually makes this the best attended show outside of Paris. The previous record was 2012 in Barcelona, but this year we were 2% up on Barcelona.
“One of the greatest achievements was the number of local visitors. Each time we’ve been in Germany in the past, we’ve struggled to get German visitors. But 30% of this year’s visitors were German, just over 2,100. This is double the number of Germans we’ve had at the show ever.”
Laporte attributes this to strong marketing in the run up to the event. “We did a lot of good pre-show promotion… of course the likes of Henkel and Beiersdorf were there, but we managed to get quite a lot of smaller German brands too, and brands focusing on organic and natural cosmetics.”
In addition, there was an uptick of attendees from northern countries including Finland and Denmark. “Having the show in northern Europe enables those people to travel while still keeping costs down,” said Laporte. “While they might not travel to southern Europe, they can drive to Hamburg. It reinforces the reason why in-cosmetics moves location year by year.”
Moreover, morale among exhibitors was good, despite there having been some trepidation prior to the show regarding the four-hall layout. “It’s been absolutely jammed solid for two days,” commented Stewart Long, European Area Marketing Leader at Dow Corning Beauty Care. “I’ve walked around the other halls and seen some of the smaller guys – and I think it’s great that they’re here. We’re seeing new competitors from China (which we don’t want!) but it is a good sign for the industry that they’re here.”


text:
Update (04/01/21): Follow-up reports suggest the so-called B519 remote might actually be a third-party variant intended for use by cable companies. 9to5Mac posted images of the potential layout of the remote, pulled from a recent beta version of tvOS 14.5, but later updated its post to mention the possibility this may not be tied to a potential new Apple TV model. As always, we’ll keep an eye out for Apple TV news.
Original post follows:
We’ve had no shortage of rumors about a revamped, next-gen Apple TV. And while we await an official announcement of some sort, reports are popping up about an updated remote control, which could be launched alongside a new model. 9to5Mac says a new Apple TV Remote is under development with an internal codename of B519.
Potential changes on the remote control front line up with recent reports that Apple has wiped the term “Siri Remote” from its tvOS 14.5 beta, slotting in the name “Apple TV Remote” instead. That name is already used in other parts of the world, but making it standard could point to larger changes in the works.
Of course, rumors of an Apple TV upgrade have been swirling for most of 2020 and into 2021. And despite several opportunities for Apple to announce a new model at any of its online-only reveal events, we’re still awaiting something official from the company. But, as ever, there is hope. There’s still a rumored April event that could focus on updated iPad Pros, but could also sneak in some streaming device news. Beyond that, Apple today confirmed the dates for its online-only WWDC event from June 7 to 11.
Whether we hear about an updated Apple TV at either event, or at some point in between, remains to be seen. As ever, we’ll continue to keep an eye on Apple for any official news about a new model — or, as it seems, a new remote.
Featured Image: Apple


text:
Protek posts FY 2010 net income of 941.6 million roubles
Russian pharmaceutical producer, Protek, has posted a FY 2010 net income of 941.6 million roubles under IFRS.
The net result is sharply lower than the FY 2009 net profit of 3.273 billion roubles, as EBITDA came in at 2.67 billion roubles, with an EBITDA margin of 2.7%, as consolidated revenues rose 9% year on year to 99.84 billion roubles.Protek said the results reflected a new regulatory environment on drug pricing with retail and distribution margin caps, coupled with tougher competition in the distribution and retail markets, with the company noting also that the governments drive for import substitution was spurring production of generics. Vadim Muzyayev, the President of Protek Group, said the results were good in a difficult trading environment with efforts to develop Protek’s customer base bearing fruit in the face of tightening margins.“Despite the tough market environment in 2010, during the reporting period the Group delivered the revenue growth (9.0 %) that outstripped the market (6.4 %**). Our flagship, CV Protek, has retained its leadership in the wholesale distribution segment, as testified by the DSM sales volume rating. Throughout the year, the Company was making vigorous efforts to grow its customer base, beefing it up 12.7 % to 19,000 customers, from 17,000 in 2009. The growth in revenue occurred against the backdrop of sagging gross profits, depressed by state regulation of mark-ups and by price competition in the market.”


text:
Ever tried pisco, the national drink of Peru? Drinks Digest put the grape-distilled spirit to the test during a virtual pisco cocktail making event hosted by Double Deuce Lounge and our verdict is … DELICIOUS.
Double Deuce bartender Alicia Clarke recently won the first-ever Aussie Pisco Chilcano Competition, an initiative from PROMPERÚ (the Commission for the Promotion of Peruvian Exports and Tourism) to promote the spirit to bartenders and at-home mixologists.
The competition challenged bartenders to craft a ‘down-under’ version of the classic pisco cocktail, a refreshing drink that brings together ginger ale, lime, bitters and, of course, Pisco.
Alicia won the top prize for her original Aussie Chilcano recipe – the ‘Queensland Yacht Club’, which mixes pisco with mango and pineapple cordial and Stone’s Ginger Wine. It was inspired by her Queensland heritage and her father’s love of ginger wine.
Chilcano Chief Judge Mike Bennie, with the help of Continental Deli’s Michael Nicolian, selected the ‘Queensland Yacht Club’ as the top Chilcano creation as it showcased both pisco and classic Australian ingredients in one delicious drink. Double Deuce bartender Charlie Lehmann is pictured above sampling the cocktail.
Here’s the recipe for the winning cocktail, which Drinks Digest recreated at home while Alicia (above) whipped up a couple on Instagram during a live video presentation:
Queensland Yacht Club
45ml Del Parral Pisco Quebranta
25ml Mango and Pineapple Cordial
10ml Stone’s Ginger Wine
10ml lime juice
5ml sugar syrup
METHOD: Add all ingredients to a tin and shake hard.S ingle strain into a frozen coupe and garnish with a pineapple leaf.
Drinks Digest didn’t have a pineapple leaf, so we used a mint sprig instead. We may have also over-poured the ginger wine, so our version isn’t the same pretty yellow as Alicia’s. But the results were a tropical treat that we’d eagerly order from the Double Deuce bar menu.
As Ryan Reynolds noted last week, “This is why we need mixologists.”
Double Deuce Lounge, 6 Bridge St, Sydney NSW 2000


text:
OnStar Mexico announced today that its telemetric services are now active on the new Chevrolet Cheyenne (aka Silverado) and GMC Sierra pickups, and will be available on the Cadillac ATS later this year. More vehicles across GM’s four vehicle brands – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac – will be equipped with OnStar throughout 2014.
A call center in Mexico is now, staffed around the clock with advisers trained to assist drivers with directions, vehicle information and emergency services.
“This is a very important step in GM’s global growth and in making connectivity services available to more consumers around the world,” said Mary Chan, president GM Global Connected Consumer. OnStar claims more than 6 million customers and 750 million customer interactions to date.
Some of the services OnStar will offer are:
- Automatic Crash Response
- Emergency Response
- Remote Services
- Stolen Vehicle Assistance
- Turn-by-Turn Navigation
- Vehicle Diagnostics
- Real-time Advisors
OnStar is complimentary for one year to allow subscribers to “experience the services.” Then subscribers may purchase their choice of two available packages, OnStar Connect (monthly: 299.00 pesos or $22.50; annually: 2,999.00, $225.70) and OnStar Connect Plus (monthly: 450.00 pesos, $33.87; annually: 4,500.00 pesos, $338.67.


text:
Roughly 10 months since COVID-19 first made itself known its ongoing impact is still visible. As industries around the world grapple with the repercussions, manufacturing has suffered greatly from supply chain disruptions which are impacting 35.5 percent of businesses. With a reduction in product demand, 78.3 percent of manufacturers anticipate a significant financial impact on […]
License and Republishing: The views expressed in this article Supporting Evolving Needs of Dentistry Through COVID-19 and Beyond are those of the author Julie Charlestein alone and not the CEOWORLD magazine.
We just sent you an email. Please click the link in the email to confirm your subscription!
OKSubscriptions powered by Strikingly


text:
A former accounting manager for Cargill was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing $3.1 million from the company and causing the company at least $25 million in losses.
Diane Backis, 51, of Athens, New York, pleaded guilty exactly one year ago to mail fraud and falsifying an income tax return.
As an accounting manager at a Cargill grain shipping facility at the Port of Albany, New York, Backis was responsible for accounting functions including creating customer contracts, generating and mailing invoices, and receiving and processing customer payments.
As part of her plea, Backis admitted that she stole hundreds of customer payments sent to Cargill totaling at least $3,115,610 and deposited them into her personal bank accounts, according to the Justice Department (DOJ). Backis also regularly created fraudulent invoices and mailed them to Cargill’s customers. The fraudulent invoices charged Cargill’s customers prices substantially less than what Cargill paid to acquire the grain products, causing Cargill significant financial losses. The fraudulent invoices also directed Cargill’s customers to send payment directly to Backis, thereby bypassing Cargill’s corporate controls.
To hide her activities, the DOJ said Backis made false entries into Cargill’s accounting software to make it appear that customers were paying prices higher than those in her fraudulent invoices, and that customers owed Cargill millions of dollars for delivered grain products, only to reverse those false entries. As a result, Cargill lost at least $25 million.
Backis also admitted that she filed a false 2015 individual income tax return because she declared only $61,208 in total income and omitted more than $450,000 in additional taxable income she received by stealing customer payments intended for Cargill in 2015.
'Insidious, greedy, piggish'
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino described the scheme as “insidious,” and Backis’ behavior as “greedy” and “piggish.” D’Agostino imposed a 2-year term of supervised release, to begin after Backis is released from prison. She also ordered Backis to pay $3.5 million in restitution to Cargill.
“Diane Backis was a longtime Cargill employee who was trusted to manage valuable grain commodities,” said Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquit. “She repeatedly betrayed that trust by stealing over $3 million over a decade and causing at least $25 million in additional losses in an effort to cover up her theft. Thanks to the teamwork of federal agents who unraveled Backis’ complex and lengthy scheme, she is being held accountable for her crime.”
In response to the sentence, Backis' attorney, Scott Iseman, said: "We think Judge D’Agostino’s comments and sentence were fair. Diane deeply regrets everything she did and is committed to repaying what she took."


text:
If you've been patiently waiting to get your hands on the Motorola Flipside, then today is a great day for you. AT&T has made the device available via their website for only $99.99 on a new 2-year contract. We've gone hands on, we've seen the specs but with all that is still in the pipeline to be released, we'd have to say the Flipside is one of those niche devices. You've either been really interested in this device from the get go and want one or you've never cared about it to begin with. Either way, at $99.99 AT&T will move some units for those who just want a nice and functional Android device [AT&T]
This leaked green Pixel 5 is the phone color of my dreams
Green phones are having a moment.
TicWatch Pro 3 GPS Review: A huge leap in performance
The TicWatch Pro line of Wear OS watches have always been on the bulky side and running dated hardware. Despite that, the watches are still stand-out options in the Android smartwatch realm. Mobvoi addresses both of these downsides in the TicWatch Pro 3.
Google's Pixel 4a 5G leaks in its full glory ahead of September 30 launch
UK retailer John Lewis has accidentally posted official renders of Google's upcoming Pixel 4a 5G on its website. The mid-range phone is set to be unveiled at Google's hardware event next week.
These are the very best Motorola phones you can buy
Motorola won a legion of new fans when it rebooted its phone line up a few years ago. Things haven't slowed down since then, and this little list right here is a round up of the best that Moto currently has to offer.


text:
Much ink has been spilt discussing the impact of Brexit on Britain’s financial institutions but despite its importance to the future of the UK it remains a little understood area.
In recent times some of the world’s premier financial institutions have chosen to make London their European home, with access to corresponding markets their primary motivation. In accordance with this growth, financial services have become a powerful sector in the UK. Making up 10.7% of the UK economy and delivering a £72 billion trade surplus (our most exported product).
Since the decline of its manufacturing base the UK economy has become dominated by its services sector. This has resulted in the accumulation of huge trade deficits, a trend which has only been exacerbated in the wake of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. December 2017 saw the total good and services deficit grow to £4.9 billion, as a weak pound didn’t see as a big a boost in cheaper exports as expected.
In the face of such an economic outlook, a buoyant services market has kept the UK’s head above the water. So whilst the UK may be heavily reliant on imported goods, it remains competitive on services – with trade surpluses regularly delivered. An integral part of this has been the financial industry and its reputation as being a world leader in its field.
It is perhaps unsurprising then that, according to a House of Commons briefing paper published late last year, the UK has trade deficit with the EU in goods (£96 billion) but a surplus in services (£14 billion). The UK’s exporting of financial services to the EU is facilitated by the ‘passport’ system, a current privilege that will come to an end if the UK leaves the Single Market. To put it simply it means the free exchange of services, meaning banks in the City of London can sell their services throughout Europe without the hindrance of trade barriers.
When it comes to negotiating a final Brexit agreement, there are a few ways that this could be looked at. One is that the UK, due to the EU’s reliance on our banking, accountancy and insurance firms, hold the upper hand. As a consequence, the EU will be pressurised by European business who use these services into maintaining the status quo. Another way of looking at it is that the UK relies so much on Europe as a trading partner and their imports that an ‘off the shelf’ trade deal like CETA (between Canada and the EU) will have to be prioritised. Although these agreements deal only with goods only, the motivation would be the mutual desire to keep tariffs low. The UK will need to fulfil its current reliance on European goods and EU business want to continue supplying a market where there is such a demand at competitive prices.
As Jonathan Ford explained in the Financial Times late last year, the City of London retains a global importance that EU banks simply cannot turn their backs on. A crucial aspect of this is the US dollar markets which are based in London through the CLS International Bank. Combine this with the subsidiaries (and the extra capital needed) that would have to be created by EU and UK banks in each other’s territory to keep current business intact. The loss of the passport rights would signal the end of the current system of bank ‘branches’ in different countries, this is highly efficient in the consumption of capital, so is very beneficial for the entirety of the finance industry.
Losing this system could cause substantial losses in revenue for all of the industry. However, as Ford points out, there would be a disparity in the revenue ‘at risk’ for each institution. For example, UK banks (Barclays, RBS etc.) might lose out but this pales into insignificance when compared to the amounts at stake for European banks such as Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas.
Therefore, the power the City of London can boast, and the integral position it holds for the operations of European banks, set the tone for this aspect of the Brexit talks. In fact, this much maligned industry could save us from the hardest of hard Brexits.
Ben Campbell works in the charity sector in Birmingham. He is interested in European politics and most recently the impact Brexit will have on British industry.


text:
Updating customer price lists to reflect the latest cost increases imposed by tire manufacturers isn't an appealing prospect to most independent dealers-particularly those carrying multiple brands. Nevertheless, dealers would be wise to hike prices rather than absorb the manufacturers' latest round of price increases, which range from 3 to 5.5 percent.
The $1.50 increase this represents in the price of the typical passenger tire isn't likely to cost the dealer a sale in most cases.
However, his failure to pass along these increases well could mean the difference between profit and loss for a dealership's retail sales operation at year's end.
Tire makers blame the increases on rising raw material costs, which have doubled over the past 12 months.
Ironically, all this is the result of booming tire sales, which have brought increased demand for natural and synthetic rubber, as well as other tire materials.
Tire makers point out that the cost of natural rubber has spiraled to its highest level in 40 years. Meanwhile, three of North America's five largest producers of synthetic Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) already have announced their third price hike in 1995. And four producers boosted SBR prices six times during 1994.
Meanwhile, manufacturers say the current round of tire price hikes won't cover all of their increased material costs. Therefore, additional increases in the prices of tires appear highly likely in the months to come.
Tire company officials say they're anticipating at least three tire price hikes during 1995. And most are strongly encouraging dealers to pass along these increases to tire users. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer is in a position to eat these additional costs, they point out.
Fortunately, with the demand for tires running high, there would seem to be little competitive advantage in holding the line on retail prices in the face of rising wholesale costs. As a result, the latest increase in tire prices may actually stick.
For the moment at least, the sun is shining on North America's replacement tire market. Dealers should, as the saying goes, make hay while the sun shines.


text:
PQI releases world's smallest USB 3.0 memory stick 5 May 2011 17:24:52
A new ultra-small USB memory stick has been unveiled by PQI.
The manufacturer claims that the device is the world's smallest USB 3.0 flash drive.
Called the Intelligent Drive U819V, it is available in capacities of between 4GB and 32GB and, thanks to its USB 3.0 interface, is capable of ultra high-speed transfer rates.
USB 3.0 technology offers transfer speeds of up to 5Gb/s - ten times faster than USB 2.0.
PQI says the USB memory stick, which measures just 3cm long, has "a sleek and simple look featuring clean lines and smoothly curving trim, creating a seamless, unitary exterior".
"The disk's glossy exterior coating in ivory white and midnight black gives off a beautiful, glittering silvery radiance," the company adds.
It also features an LED display that flickers when data is being read and an “exclusive” cap retention design.
The news follows the recent announcement that AMD has become the first major microprocessor manufacturer to have USB 3.0-capable chipsets certified by the USB Implementers Forum.
- Transcend announces 'CDROM SD card' - 3 January 2012 12:03:23
- Mo-DV backs SD announcement - 21 December 2011 17:07:01
- Verbatim releases SD reader - 21 December 2011 17:05:17
- iPhone favourite comes to Android - 21 December 2011 09:58:49
- Electronics firms announce new SD partnership - 20 December 2011 14:20:43