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July 18, 2018—a US congress subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade Hearing conducted a hearing entitled The Future of Money: Digital Currency. Present were four witnesses to present written and oral opening statements and to answer the subcommittee's questions. Over the duration, the subcommittee attempted to probe the witnesses to learn more about the threat, if any, that cryptocurrencies pose to the US government's ability to enforce its finance laws as well as to the US dollar's dominance as the world's reserve currency.
Subcommittee's opening statements
Mr. Barr, Chair: "The central question before us today is this: are digital currencies simply a new way to hold and transfer value that will have a limited impact and niche appeal, or will it (or a derivative of it) have a far reaching, transformative affect that will change our economy forever? Cryptocurrency has existed for a decade, since the appearance of Bitcoin in 2009. But has flown under the radar for most of its history...How ought the United States government to approach this new technology is of great importance."
Mr. Foster: "I'm concerned that if a significant central bank could issue a digital currency, that it would have the potential to supplant the United States dollar for many transactions and even as the reserve currency around the world. Despite reports that they're exploring it, countries like Venezuala or Russia are not really credible economies that could issue fiat currencies that would supplant the US dollar. But however, if the ECB were to issue digital Euros, then I think the entire world would very rapidly adopt that for many digital transactions...And if there is really a credible threat that a digital foreign currency would supplant the dollar, we have to be prepared to respond to that threat. I look forward to hearing from witnesses on economic feasibility of another currency supplanting the dollar and whether digitization could be a catalyst in such a transition. I also look forward to any thoughts the witnesses might have on some of the decision points that have to made when you decide to create a fiat currency: the currencies could be traceable or not; they could be traceable only with a court order; whether or not trades could be busted, in the same sense that a credit card purchase can be broken in you convince some entity that the transaction was fraudulent; and who makes that call, under what circumstances. These are the really important decisions that cannot be evaded when we design a digital currency...The issue of anonymity is crucial and really at the heart of this, as well as what sort of authentication a person will have to present to transact anything."
Mr. Sherman: "Blockchain is a good technology, but it can be used to track and transfer sovereign currency. There is nothing that can be done with cryptocurrency that cannot be done with sovereign currency that is meritorious and helpful to society. The role of the US dollar in international financial system is a critical component of US power. It brought Iran to the negotiating table...we would have had nothing were it not for the role of the dollar. We should prohibit US persons from buying or mining cryptocurrencies. Mining alone uses electricity, which takes away from other needs, and/or adds to the carbon footprint. As a medium of exchange, cryptocurrency accomplishes nothing except facilitating narcotics trafficking, terrorism, and tax evasion. Some of its supporters delight in that: if you can disempower the US government from being able to prevent terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and tax evasion, you have somehow struck a blow for liberty. That is reason enough to ban it. But its role as an investment is at least as bad, we have certain animal spirits in our culture—a willingness to take a risk to place a bet—this can be harnessed by gambling casinos which at least pay very high local taxes and created a city of Las Vegas out of a desert. We can better yet harness those animal spirits to get people to invest in risky stocks, startup enterprises, and provide the technologies and jobs of the future. Or we can see those animal spirits spent doing nothing but helping create a market for tax-evaders, narco-terrorists, and others who find that the US dollar is not to their liking...crypto offering memoranda and crypto registrations would be considered outright fraud and reason for incarceration if they were issued by somebody selling stocks, bonds, or any other investment. Finally there is signurage: the money that we make as a country because we're the world reserve currency, because we can issue a greenback that does not yield interest, there are people alive today because the profits the US government makes on that; whether it be to fund defense or medical research. All of that gets diminished with cryptocurrency.
Witnesses' opening statements
After the subcommittee read its opening statements, the four witnesses proceeded to read their written statements. Below is a summary of the main points of interest.
- Cash has declined in use, worldwide, to below 2% of transactions.
- There will come a tipping point where businesses and banks will not want to deal with it anymore.
- "The adoption rate of Bitcoin will depend not only on its performance as money but also on the alternative forms of digital money that the central bank provides."
- If the government doesn't provide adequate alternatives for cash, more people may be pushed towards using Bitcoin.
- "The peer-to-peer qualities of cryptocurrencies could allow central banks to provide a digital money with anonymity properties similar to those of cash. Whether or not the central bank would want to do this is a complicated issue that requires balancing legitimate demands for individual privacy against concerns related to tax evasion and other criminal activities."
- The US government should issue its own digital currency with more of the properties of cash.
- "Cryptocurrencies have rapidly expanded since 2008...this innovation should be fostered not smothered."
- Cash is still a popular, often preferred, method of payment.
- "The federal government should not step in to tilt the playing field. It should treat Cryptocurrency and all other forms of money neutrally...removing capital gains taxes for purchases with alternative currencies, including cryptocurrencies and foreign currencies, would be a major step towards leveling that playing field...To further level the playing field, congress should even consider allowing the US postal service and other government agencies to accept these alternatives."
- Competitive currencies help strengthen the US money system by fostering innovation and exposing weaknesses.
- "Centralizing cryptocurrencies within any government agency makes little sense. The technology promises potential benefits because of its decentralized nature. Centralizing the technology at a central bank offers no particular advantage over a more traditional electronic database."
- "Congress and the administration should do all they possibly can to ensure that our central bank never offers retail bank accounts to the public, whether via a central-bank backed cryptocurrency or via a more traditional form of digital money. Implementing such a policy would give the federal government a complete monopoly of money...Giving the federal government the power to directly take money from its citizens with a few computer key strokes in the name of some vague goal of stabilizing the economy simply amounts to the death of economic freedom. It is a terrible idea, and it is congresses duty to protect Americans from those sorts of tyrannical acts."
- US government could benefit from introducing its own Fedcoin.
- ...other such "blockchain, not Bitcoin," b.s.
- "What preserves the US dollar's role as the ultimate safe haven is not just its role as a medium of exchange, but its ability to serve as a safe haven. And that requires US institutions, which I think are still pretty strong and are going to retain foreign investors' trust. I think that as a store of value the US dollar's role remains secure, for now."
- "I think to have a central bank digital currency is one of the worst financial ideas of recent times...If we look at the money of the future, digitalization will continue, but I don't think the fundamental nature of money will change. It will surely be the monopoly issuance by the central bank. It might be a private currency backed by reliable assets. I don't think it will be a private fiat currency like Bitcoin...[However,] an increase in the monopoly power of central banks, which already have too much, should be avoided."
The subcommittee then proceeded to ask the witnesses more specific questions regarding cryptocurrency.
Mr. Barr: "With greater use of electronic payments and the advent of digital currencies, do you think demand for US federal reserve notes will decrease? And what implications does that have for the US dollar?"
Mr. Michel: "...You have to look beyond just the fact that we have a federal reserve that prints federal reserve notes. We have an economy with strong property rights, especially relative to many other countries in the world. We have an incredibly well developed industrialized infrastructure here. As long as you combine those things and have a dynamic economy, the assets of that economy, including the money that dominantly used in the economy, are going to be sought after. That's what you should focus on if you want people to want our money. And there's also a downside to being the world's reserve currency, and that's that we can continue the fiction that we can print and lend as much as we want. And that's frankly not a good idea. And so that's just not the way that I would think of those things."
Mr. Pollock: "...The US has a competitive advantage...in wealth storage services...which arises out of social infrastructure...and a powerful government...I think that will continue."
Dr. Prasad: "It is difficult to see as asset that has no intrinsic value and no backing by the government maintaining value as a store of value. The initial promise of something like Bitcoin is it might become a medium of exchange. And that promise has not quite panned out. Because it turns out it is very inefficient and very costly to transact using Bitcoin...Many cryptocurrencies gaining more traction as mediums of exchange are ones that are backed by fiat currencies...Tether is beginning to gain traction as a medium of exchange."
Mr. Barr: "...Are cryptocurrencies money?"
Dr. Garratt: "...For regulatory purposes, we may not want it defined it that way. The IRS, CTFC have defined it as a commodity...Conceptually, it is money to some extent, but it's not currently a very good one...because of volatility: if I think the price is going down I don't want to receive it, and if I think it's going up I don't want to spend it."
Mr. Barr: Is adoption rate all that's required to decrease volatility and for it to become money?
Dr. Garratt, Mr. Michel: Pretty much.
Mr. Foster proceeded with some questions regarding his general confusion about payment finality.
Mr. Foster: Who will authorize roll-back of fraudulent transactions? How are Sweden and China handling this with their proposed digital payments and AliPay and WeChat?
Dr. Garratt: These are all centralized accounts, that allow for transaction roll-backs.
Surprisingly, none of the witnesses pointed out the fact that because Bitcoin is decentralized, no roll-backs are possible.
Mr. Williams: "What are the impediments to development of alternative currencies, new applications for blockchain technologies, and what can congress do about them?"
Mr. Michel: "The main one is capital gains tax. The fact that you have to keep track of basis in every single transaction you would make; that's a major impediment to using anything other than the US dollar for your transactions...ensuring that nothing is treated differently. Yes it is true that criminals have used Bitcoin. But criminals have also used airplanes, computers, and automobiles. We shouldn't criminalize any of those instruments simply because criminals use them."
Mr. Williams: What would cause citizens to use Bitcoin instead of traditional digital bank transaction or a Fedcoin?
Dr. Garratt "As cash actually disappears, that starts to create problems in a society. Sweden is currently dealing with this...The central bank has to decide if it wants to withdraw completely from providing a payment device for the general public or whether it wants to offer some sort of digital alternative...One of those digital alternatives could be...cryptocurrency offered by the central bank. The primary reason for doing that, I think, is that if you wanted to allow some kind of privacy component within transactions of this currency. Like is currently possible with cash. Subject to limits, and balanced against the risks of tax evasion and criminal activity."
Mr. Williams: Considering the difficulties in classifying all the cryptocurrencies out there, "what is the appropriate framework for us to use if congress approaches legislation addressing the digital currency?"
Dr. Garratt: "People have the ability to issue these private currencies, and they're going to exist. Just as Mr. Michel said, one can't make something illegal just because it might be used for illegal purposes...The central bank does a good job at providing payment services...I think they should continue to provide the best possible product along those lines...at a future date, that best possible product might involve some of these new technologies, but issued by the central banks to remain competitive with those payment devices. As opposed to some of these private currencies which we're less able to monitor."
Mr. Sherman then proceeded on a tirade to "abolish social security and medicare," to ban crypto trading and mining in the US, and how the only use case for crypto is by "those who would do us harm," sanction dodging nations, terrorists, tax-evaders, criminals, narcotics dealers, tax-evaders, narco-terrorists, ner-do-wells, criminals, criminals, more criminals, illegal gamblers, "people placing bets on the value of a criminal tool," etc. etc.
Refusing to allow any of the witnesses to respond, Mr. Sherman put forth the following ill-conceived metaphor:
Mr. Sherman: "We should allow people to own guns in many circumstances. But if the sole advantage of a particular gun is that is has a special tape on it to prevent fingerprints from adhering...the sole benefit...is to facilitate criminals..."
Mr. Davidson still displayed remarkable confusion over whether or not cryptocurrency is currency. To which, Mr. Garratt attempted to clarify.
Mr. Garratt: "Why does Bitcoin have any value at all? As Mr. Pollock just said, for a currency to have value, and to function as a currency, it simply has to be the case that you accept it from someone on the belief that someone down the road will accept it from you. [Bitcoin's] currency supply rule...is known and fixed. And so you don't have to worry that the issuer of the currency will behave irresponsibly and devalue it. So that's a fundamental aspect that gives Bitcoin value...but it also is problematic because it means you have a fixed rule and you are not able to provide currency in a way that might be beneficial in general for the economy."
Unfortunately, at this point the hearing was cut short by some prolonged house vote; however, there is sure to be many more such meetings, as US law-makers attempt to grasp the strange, new concepts introduced by this ever-evolving technology.
- The US government is worried cryptocurrencies may threaten to undermine their strangle hold over the world.
- At least some in congress appear to be asking the right questions—but likely to the wrong people.
- Much confusion, many misinformation, such b.s.
- To be fair, Garratt and Michel, in particular, did put forth some solid facts—however misguided their agendas.
- Mr. Garratt and Mr. Prasad: "Blockchain, not Bitcoin!"
- Mr. Michel is extremely naive if he thinks the US will allow fair competition to their world reserve currency.
- Brad Sherman is a paid bank shill, FUD-monger; and Mr. Pollock is his whipping boy.
As anyone versed in the ways of cryptocurrency knows, congress (along with some of their "expert witnesses") collectively have a long road ahead of them just to understand the technology, let alone to set about combating its supposed threat to the USD's global financial monopoly.
Hopefully, they do seek to truly understand crypto and its economics before taking any rash actions against Bitcoin that may slow its adoption in the US or that they may come to regret in the future.
Featured image: elevenews.com


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NIAGARA FALLS, NY - The store is called Falls Street Emporium in downtown Niagara Falls.
It's leased and operated by Sam Fruscione, a city council member, who also says he operates the property with this brother.
Inside is merchandise of Stefan Magaddino - a deceased Buffalo mafia boss. The merchandise, which includes T-shirts and DVDs of Magaddino are up for sale. There's also a very prominent drawing of Magaddino that's not for sale.
According to the website: Buffalo Police Then and Now, Magaddino was involved in extortion, hijacking and drug trafficking.
He was powerful from the 1920s to the 1960s.
Some groups representing the Italian-American community are opposed to Fruscione selling the items, such as the Federation of Italian-American Societies of Western New York and the Cristoforo Colombo Society.
They say that although Magaddino was respected, he did some very bad things.
"No one should be proud of it. Nobody should be capitalizing on it, I don't agree with it and I'm speaking on behalf of our members," said Ernie Lucantonio, president of the Cristoforo Colombo Society.
Fruscione wasn't available for an on camera interview Monday, because he says he was in the Adirondacks on vacation. But, 2 On Your Side's Jeff Preval spoke to him by phone.
Fruscione was angry that 2 On Your Side was trying to get answers about the merchandise and said "you are wasting my time."
He says that people should make up their own minds about whether to buy the items.
Fruscione also said that the items represent the good work of law enforcement taking down the crime boss.
But, Lucantonio says he doesn't think showing Magaddino's face does any good, no matter how it's displayed.
"It's done, it's over. Why, do something like that? We want to move forward, we have plenty of Italian-Americans in this city proud," said Lucantonio.
Fruscione says he doesn't make much money off the items and that they're not that expensive. For example, the shirts cost about $5. Fruscione says he's also sold mob merchandise through street vendors.
We questioned Mayor Paul Dyster about whether the city has any role on the issue, because Fruscione is a city employee.
"Usually, when there's a situation like this, usually [the organizations] take a position and I would probably leave it up to them to make their views known on this," said Dyster.
According to Lucantonio, Fruscione is part of the Cristoforo Colombo Society.
Lucantonio says he's "disgusted with [the merchandise], that's not something we want to portray."

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June 11, 2013
In recent years, 3D printing has been hailed by many media outlets as a harbinger of a manufacturing revolution that will usher in a custom-built world.
While acknowledging that the news reports are a few decades late, the keynote speakers who opened RAPID 2013 on June 11 in Pittsburgh didn’t exactly disagree with those claims.
“It is truly vital to engage in advanced manufacturing opportunities,” said Brett Lambert, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy, U.S. Department of Defense. “The world has changed and is changing as we gather here today.”
Michael F. Molnar, chief manufacturing officer, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), agreed with Lambert, but said the country needs to focus on advanced manufacturing techniques, including 3D printing. The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) is one way to improve that focus. Molnar said NAMII and three new institutes for manufacturing innovation that will be founded this year, are trying to bridge the gap between research and commercialization.
Edward Morris, director of NAMII, said the institute envisions widespread adoption of additive manufacturing as increasing U.S. competitiveness, revealing new and better products and manufacturing techniques, and spinning off new companies with highly skilled workers. That’s a tall order, but even after more than 20 years, there’s a feeling at the show that additive manufacturing has just scratched the surface of its potential.
Initial attendance figures showed 2,700 people, including exhibitors from nearly 100 companies, traveled to the conference this year. That’s up from less than 1,500 attendees last year and about 1,300 in 2011.
The show floor backed up those early numbers, with crowded aisles and busy exhibitors. Conor and Deirdre MacCormack from Mcor Technologies said their business continues to expand, especially after launching a deal with Staples Printing Systems Division to launch a new 3D printing service called “Staples Easy 3D,” online via the office store.
The booths at Stratasys, 3D Systems, Envisiontec, EOS and others were likewise packed with attendees getting a close-up look at different additive manufacturing and scanning technologies. Surprisingly, there was no sign of MakerBot, which made a point of targeting the engineering industry with its MakerBot Replicator 2.
In any case, the increased media attention seems to have brought the benefits of rapid prototyping and custom manufacturing to light to many new people, but it’s still just getting started.
Read our coverage of day two of the RAPID 2013 Conference & Exhibition here.
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About the Author
Jamie Gooch is the former editorial director of Digital Engineering.Follow DE


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LAS VEGAS, May 24, 2018 – Three official NFL Players Association (NFLPA) licensees – StatMuse, Nike and The LANG Companies – are category winners of the fourth annual NFLPA Licensee of the Year Awards for 2018, it was announced today at the start of Licensing Expo.
The NFLPA, via its licensing and marketing arm, NFL Players Inc., launched the awards to honor the NFLPA licensees that have demonstrated the most successful and creative use of group player rights within the past year.
The complete list of category winners is below:
- Best Breakout Product: StatMuse app featuring natural language processing
- Best Player Activation: Nike’s in-store and hospitality in Minneapolis
- Best Use of Group Player Rights: The LANG Companies’ online calendar customization platform
“Each year, we are excited to showcase the work of some of our most innovative NFLPA licensees and what they have done to feature more players in their product lines and marketing activities,” said Steve Scebelo, vice president of licensing and business development at NFL Players Inc.
StatMuse, the leader in natural language processing (NLP) for sports, launched its first app enabling fans to ask about scores, stats and more, and hear the answers straight from their favorite players. The initial release of the StatMuse app features the authentic voices of more than 25 NFL players. Additionally, the company announced a strategic investment and partnership with the NFLPA through the OneTeam Collective, the athlete-driven accelerator designed to give start-ups and early stage companies the opportunity to leverage the NFLPA’s exclusive group player rights in exchange for equity.
Through Nike’s in-store and hospitality activations in Minneapolis this past February, more than 20 players participated in interactive in-store appearances at Nike’s Mall of America location. The players designed custom jerseys, participated in meet-and-greets and shopped with fans.
The LANG Companies allowed fans to create customized online calendars using more than 300 unique player images and personalized photos as well as collegiate co-branded artwork.
“This is always a difficult process to determine the winners, because many of our more than 70 licensees are worthy of awards like this,” said Karen Austin, assistant vice president of licensing for NFL Players Inc. “The NFLPA, on behalf of all the players it represents, appreciates every licensee that goes the extra mile to bring fans and players together in fun and different ways.”
A panel comprised of NFLPA executives judged entrants on five criteria: (1) number of unique players featured within the licensees’ product lines; (2) the marketing and promotional activations that featured players throughout the year; (3) creativity and innovation in product development; (4) the licensees’ positive development of the players’ intellectual property; and (5) the range of distribution and growth in annual financial performance.
Powered by NFL player licensed products via online and traditional retail outlets as reported by more than 70 licensees, the NFLPA ranked as the 37th largest global licensor by License! Global in 2017. Licensed product categories include men’s, women’s and youth game jerseys and T-shirts, wall decals, figurines, toys, matted and framed photos, vinyl collectibles, bobbleheads, ugly sweaters, plush dolls, drinkware, socks, mobile gaming, virtual goods, electronic device accessories, holiday ornaments and novelties, among others. NFLPA licensees generated retail sales exceeding $1.65 billion during the year.


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The quest to offer greater levels of customer convenience has seen a growing number of U.S. retailers experiment with flexible fulfilment methods, including click and collect, which offers shoppers the opportunity to pick up online orders from a store.
American Express and wearable device provider Jawbone are launching a new partnership giving eligible U.S. American Express card members the ability to “tap to pay” with the new Jawbone UP4 fitness tracker.
Plug and Play brings together retailers and start-ups that offer specific technology and expertise that can relieve merchants’ pain points. Chain Store Age’s Customer Disruption newsletter provides a Q&A with the CEO of one of those companies in each issue. This time, the spotlight is on Arie Shpanya of Wiser.
Lids Sports Group is upgrading to a new Oracle Retail POS solution that will simplify administration and the user experience for the more than 50 different POS screen and receipt configurations for the retailer’s partner brands.


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Stop trying to make Polywork happen. It’s already happening. You may even be working a lot as you read this.
Multiplexing is a venture-backed startup that is building a professional network to help people express their multihyphenated work lives. In other words, if you’re a journalist who’s also a podcaster, wants to write a book, and wants to teach at a university someday, Polywork wants to give you, I am in this situation, a place for expression. According to CEO and founder Peter Johnston, the name deliberately sounds like a verb “that kind of job.”
Polywork announced today that it has raised a $28 million Series B round, co-led by former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Caffeinated Capital. Other investors also participated in the round, including Instacart CEO Fidji Simo and founders of Instacart, Stripe, Lyft, Clubhouse, Lattice, Minted and Divvy Homes. Andreessen Horowitz, who led Polywork’s $13 million Series A round, also participated but did not lead the round.
This round of financing marks the official launch of the internal beta version of Polywork.The founder and CEO of Polywork Peter Johnston The refusal to share specific user numbers, other than the fact that they are growing, shows the platform’s ability to give users a place to express themselves.
In other words, the startup believes it has found a product that fits the market. Since its initial launch, Polywork has tracked registered users to better understand what they want to do after they visit the site – beyond self-expression. The call to action quickly became an opportunity to help people find mutual cooperation, Johnston explained.
“If LinkedIn is a network that offers full-time opportunities, then we are a network that offers opportunities to collaborate,” he added.
Not all features will be available to the public. For example, Polywork is launching Clubs in private beta, a dedicated group space designed to help people collaborate. Imagine a group of people gathered through badge-based entries and proof of experience. According to Polywork, there will be a moderator to facilitate collaboration in the group.
The company’s early adopters are mostly people working full-time in tech looking to expand their part-time jobs as angel investors, podcasters or correspondent writers. The founders explained that some see the rise of multi-hyphenated jobs as just another example of glorifying the hustle and bustle culture. In response, he said, “This generation is definitely getting energy from doing more, rather than making them feel tired or exhausted.” At the same time, some reports It shows that millennials and Gen Z employees have the highest burnout rates at 59% and 58%, respectively.Other reports say More Americans Take Second Jobs to Fight Inflation, not so much their passion. At the same time, more than 50 million people, According to fast companyconsiders himself a creator.
The conflicting trends provide nuance to the need for smoother professional networking and the reality of making multi-hyphenation work more prominent.
“Their expertise gives them the ability to try these multiple things at once,” Johnston said. “A lot of things do come back to the question of money and people wanting to supplement their income, but it’s really more about people needing and wanting energy from it – and breaking down the fact that they’re working during a pandemic … which allows them to try Something completely new in a lightweight way.”
Polywork does not have a revenue plan as it is more focused on growth and product. Monetization in the future might look like custom user Polywork templates or around advanced search similar to LinkedIn Premium.
Polywork faces the same challenges that any market could face. If its value proposition is more partnership opportunities, how does it get not only people who want book agency, but enough book agency to make reading an option? Everyone is probably looking for a podcast co-host, but what if everyone has their own ideas and doesn’t necessarily want to join forces with someone else?
The future of collaboration is fruitful, but also complex. But Polywork has cleverly crafted its focus as a career network focused on the future, tapping into people’s hopes and dreams beyond the past or the present.


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Well-known Chinese news site Sina (NASDAQ: SINA) recently reported that the first Carrefour store in Shenzhen and the second in China ceased operations on June 10. This old store located in the Nantou area of Nanshan has been with the Shenzhen people for 27 years. Just last month (May), Carrefour’s first member store in China, the Shanghai Chengshan Road Store, also suddenly announced it was closing its business. China’s hypermarket crisis has intensified, and Carrefour has been closing its stores nationwide on a large scale. In the first quarter, 33 stores were closed, including the first member store in China. This is just one of the many stores that Carrefour has closed recently. At its peak, Carrefour had a total of 321 stores in China, with sales of RMB 49.8 billion (around US$6.99 billion). Its number of stores, each single store’s performance, its revenue, and other factors., once surpassed its top rival Wal-Mart. As of the end of March, Carrefour China had 114 stores left. Carrefour opened its first foreign-funded supermarket chain in China and became the originator of hypermarkets. In September 2019, the Chinese company Suning spent RMB 4.8 billion (around US$674 million) equivalent to Euros to acquire 80 percent of Carrefour China’s equity, and Suning should have completed the acquisition of all remaining equity by the end of 2022. The transformation and upgrading of Carrefour China may not be worth looking forward to.
Japanese Supermarket AEON also closed its Beijing store, the first one it opened in China back in 2008. US Economist David Huang told the Epoch Times that, based on his visits, retail business in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Wuhan cities is running poorly and sales at many supermarket stores are just at the same level as those in the COVID period.
1. Sina, June 11, 2023
2. Epoch Times, June 19, 2023


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Update: Just found out pricing for the Rogers Curve 8900 will be $179.99 on a 3 Year Contract.
Update: Our buddy Treatz just sent us in some photos of the Curve 8900 "dummy" phone - now arriving at dealers! Two more photos after the jump. *
Remember that BlackBerry Curve 8900 soft launch excitement from last week? Well, we got an update from one our Rogers insiders on the situation late last night and the news is looking pretty good...
- The BlackBerry Curve 8900 passed Rogers certification this past Friday!
- Rogers is receiving the devices today/tomorrow to their warehouse (err.. yesterday/today as I type this)
- Dealer Bulletin should go out by the end of the week!
So it looks like maybe, just maybe, you will be able to put one of these beauties under your Christmas tree this year. Stay tuned for more as we hear it.
Rogers BlackBerry Curve 8900 "Dummy" Phone


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The New York Times has an interesting article today about the rise of non-ammonia based hair dyes in recent years.
PERMANENTLY dyeing hair goes hand in hand with damaging it. The process dries out hair and leaves it jagged. Ammonia — used to open the hair fiber so that dye molecules can nestle in — is as delicate as a can opener. It also smells horrid and sets delicate scalps afire.
So it’s not surprising that makers of lasting hair color have long sought an ammonia-free alternative that offers thorough gray coverage and a less unpleasant experience. Now, L’Oréal Professionnel is touting INOA, which stands for Innovation No Ammonia, as that game-changer, one on par, they say, with the advent of DVD’s or GPS.


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Supermarket chain Asda is considering whether to cut the pay of 7,000 staff in the south east of England to bring it in line with its other stores.
Staff at 39 stores outside the M25 have been paid more for decades to offset a higher cost of living closer to London.
A spokesperson said all Asda staff had recently been given a 10% pay rise to help with soaring inflation.
The GMB union said Asda was set to fire workers who refused to agree to the new conditions.
The union said the workers were already low-paid, and that planning to reduce pay during a cost-of-living crisis was “inexcusable”.
The workers get a so-called “location supplement” of 60p per hour, which Asda may scrap, and a night supplement that it wants to reduce, the GMB said.
It added that those who do not agree to the pay reduction “could be dismissed if they refuse to sign” the new contract.
The consultation is happening at the moment, and Asda plans to bring in the changes in November, the union said.
It accused Asda-owners the Issa brothers of laying the ground for a “debt laden merger” between Asda and EG Group’s UK petrol stations – which the brothers also own.
“These slash and burn tactics, along with food and fuel price increases, will only ramp up if the merger goes ahead,” said GMB organiser Nadine Houghton.
However, an Asda spokesperson said the collective consultation was “in a small number of stores” where workers were paid 60p per hour on top of the £11.00 per hour national rate.
“This supplement is out of line with the wider retail market and has created an anomaly where some Asda colleagues in stores that are close together are paid different rates,” the spokesperson said.
Asda is discussing a “compensatory payment” in return for removing the supplement.
“These discussions are ongoing and no final decision has been taken,” the spokesperson added.
Asda has about 140,000 employees in total.


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West Elm is celebrating the growth of its Local program with two initiatives dedicated to its support of local craft and building communities.
The retailer recently hosted its second annual “Local Showcase,” calling upon local furniture makers and designers to submit their products for consideration in their store’s Local assortment. West Elm also broadened its support of local artists to include musicians, singers and bands with its new concert series “Celebrate Local,” bringing live music experiences to 12 West Elm locations across the U.S. beginning in June.
The 2017 “Local Showcase” will focus exclusively on discovering local furniture makers and designers to expand West Elm’s selection of locally produced furniture products such as side tables, benches, coffee tables and more. West Elm locations invited select makers from online submissions to share their stories and products for a chance to join the assortment and participate in future pop-up events.
“The West Elm Local program sets out to celebrate local craft and build mutually beneficial relationships between our stores and local makers,” said Mo Mullen, director of West Elm Local. “We are excited to bring Local to life in a more impactful way with an expanded local furniture assortment and our live in-store concert series. Together, these local experiences allow us to connect shoppers with the artists behind the craft and grow our Local network of more than 800 artisans and designers.”


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Half a decade late, blog comment company Disqus has reportedly admitted a data breach that saw email addresses and passwords stolen from 17.5 million users.
Disqus, a global company that provides websites like blogs with an extension so users can leave comments on posts, was hit by hackers. The hackers reportedly managed to steal information dated back to 2007, which included usernames with associated email addresses, sign-up dates, lost login dates and hashed passwords.
Breach disclosure delay
The major delay in disclosing the data breach apparently lies in the company’s lack of security alerting systems to notify managers in the event of a breach. They reportedly didn’t know about the breach until owner of HaveIBeenPwned.com, Troy Hunt, received a copy of the site’s confidential information and alerted Disqus about the breach
According to Disqus, as soon as they were told about the breach, they wasted no time in disclosing the breach to the authorities and started contacting users and pushed affected account holders to reset their passwords; all within 24 hours. But this, swift response, post-realisation of the breach, is of course dwarfed by the five-year period the breach was hidden from the company…
Has the damage already been done?
At the time of the breach, the service was used by Engadget, a gaming and entertainment online magazine where editors would publish blogs on recent developments and reviews of gadgets and services, like iPhones and gaming consoles.
During the five years between the breach occurring and Disqus being told about it, cybercriminals may have already utilised stolen data for criminal activity, including using the username, email and password combo to try and unlock other accounts where goods and services could be purchased.
Although passwords were at least hashed, the SHA1 form of cyber protection may have been decrypted by cyber hackers. Disqus’ lack of cybersecurity to prevent a breach and also to detect unauthorised access and use of their data will likely have violated data protection laws.
The Data Protection Act and its Principles imposes obligations on all organisations to ensure any personal and private information held is safe and secure.
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Last we checked, AMD hadn't even announced shipments of desktop Bulldozer processors yet, and server-based offerings that were shipping weren't due out until the fourth quarter. That hasn't stopped a small, U.S.-based e-tailer from jumping the gun and putting up listings for FX-series Bulldozer CPUs, however.
The e-tailer, Bottom Line Telecommunications Corporation, is listing three chips:
The quoted specs match those leaked by Gigabyte in a motherboard compatibility page earlier this month, so we could be looking at the real thing here.
According to CPU-World, which first spotted the Bottom Line Telecommunications listings, final retail prices will likely be $10-20 lower than what you see in these early listings. $266 for the top-of-the-line FX-8150 sounds about right, though. Back in July, AMD quoted an "approximate retail value" of $300 for FX-series CPUs being given out as part of a contest.
|Friday night topic: Light bulbs? Yep, light bulbs||200|
|International Women's Day Shortbread||63|
|Newest Thermaltake Urban case has dual doors||20|
|Deal of the week: Discounted Windows and cheap storage||11|
|MSI gaming barebones has Mini-ITX mobo, external overclocking button||32|
|Fan-made Morrowind remake looks amazing||34|
|Thursday Night Shortbread||41|
|Razer unveils homebrewed mechanical keyboard switches||57|


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Beijing is set to build a “legal digital currency pilot area” as part of its new Beijing Pilot Free Trade Zone initiative – although the project’s masterminds have stopped short of providing details as to what sort of tokens will be given the green light.
Per the Beijing News, via news agency Xinhua, the project will see “a legal digital currency pilot zone” built up along with an accompanying “digital financial system.”
Its mastermind, the Beijing mayoral office, also spoke about the role of blockchain technology in trade financing and cross-border trade initiatives, with the capital’s deputy mayor stating that city authorities intended to “build a system for the of blockchain technology for use in trade financing standardization.”
Plans for a new free trade zone were first unveiled late last month, along with parallel plans for similar projects in the southern province of Hunan and the eastern Anhui Province. All three received formal approval from the Chinese cabinet.
The central government also explained at the time, also per Xinhua, that the free trade zones would seek to “construct innovation centers with a global influence,” adding that they would serve as “pilot areas for the digital economy.”
However, no mention at the time was made about the role of either blockchain technology or “digital currencies.”
Initial coin offerings (ICOs), crypto exchanges and payment using cryptoassets have been illegal since 2017 in China, although the government is already testing its own digital currency in a number of testbed sites – including Beijing.
The mayor’s office made no mention of timelines or budget allocations in its latest announcement.
Learn more: Digital Yuan Testers Spent USD 52 On Average Per Transaction It's Official: China's Digital Yuan To Target US Dollar Dominance


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SurePayroll.com, which tracks the small business economy based on the paychecks to employees and contractors, has some good news for small business owners. For the 12th consecutive month, the average small business salary across the U.S. has risen. As of August, it now stands at $30,114 a year. Although salaries continue to rise, hiring remains flat in the small business economy.
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NORWICH This year marks a milestone for the Norwich Tire Company 50 years in business. And with a project in the works that would expand their product offerings and give them more service space, the company hopes to stick around for 50 more.
Norwich Tire recently was granted an economic development loan from the City of Norwich. Office Manager Vince Anthony explained the loan will be used to help the company to expand. Were transforming one of our existing buildings into an outdoor power equipment center, said Anthony. It will be used for sales and service of our complete line of products.


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Winnipeg is now up to 10 stores selling recreational cannabis.
The newest store, Meta Cannabis Supply Co., located 420 Madison St., is on the site of Winnipeg’s first urban reserve, Long Plain First Nation. They could be challenging a new tax set to take effect in the new year.
Right now, Aboriginal People with treaty status can buy items such as tobacco products and gas exempt from provincial sales tax on the Long Plain First Nation.
But with a new product — like cannabis — the chief says the province’s new tax, the social responsibility fee, should not apply to this location.
“To me, it’s a bit of a mistake the province is making, and it most likely will be challenged.” Said Long Plain First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches.
“They’ve introduced a regulatory fee that will take effect in January, that may be challenged… probably will be challenged.”
The chief says any court challenge would be fronted by the Indigenous governments because that’s an infringement on their treaty rights.
According to the Manitoba government, all cannabis retailers have entered into agreements with Manitoba containing an obligation to pay a social responsibility fee.
Their take is First Nations are no different than any other retailer.
The province didn’t say what sort of penalty Long Plain First Nation could face, Or if they would withhold product until this is sorted out.


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SENTÉ Skin Intensive Bio Complete Cream
Intensive Bio Complete Cream with Retinol
The latest advancement in SENTÉ Anti-Aging Skincare technology coming February 11th
This latest anti aging skincare innovation from SENTE Skin is on the way. And the best news is that it has already been featured on @harpersbazaarus in an article as one of the “10 Retinol Creams You Need Right Now”.
Stay tuned to learn more. But we can tell you that we can’t wait for you to get your hands on the next anti-aging skincare advancement in retinol. The retinol is encapsulated so it melts into the skin and is less likely to cause irritation, she says.
Why You Need Intensive Bio Complete Cream
This anti-aging face cream also comprises DSA (Dermatan Sulfate Analog) and CSA (Chondroitin Sulfate Analog) – two proprietary glycosaminoglycan analogs. These both serve as natural water binders that aid in controlling inflammation. So you know it a hydrating face cream that also treats and calms your skin.
At a media pre launch in New York City that Sente had a few days ago, Jeanine Downie, MD Director of Image Dermatology, P.C., in Montclair, NJ, share her experiences with the attendees. “It’s a usable product that shows tangible results,” she says. Dr. Downie advises some patients to use the new cream nightly with moisturizer but has others use it every other night if they are sensitive to retinol. Fully 95 percent of subjects reported significant improvements at every time point for wrinkles, firmness, discoloration and overall skin appearance—with great tolerability, she says. More than 70 percent of patients reported such improvements in as early as two weeks. The new cream can also help fade lentigines – with less downtime than lasers, Dr. Downie says.
Stay Tuned for on Feb 11 you will be able to purchase this face cream. SENTE Bio Intensive Complete Cream countdown begins now!


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Sunny Leone- Actress and a brand ambassador for Manforce condoms:
Sunny Leone is a former porn star and is currently an actress in Bollywood. She is also the brand ambassador for a Manforce Condom.
The new Manforce condom ad with a Navratri theme:
With the festival of Navratri round the corner, people are indeed busy with preparations. Apart from the navratri food items, we can witness a new change. India’s biggest condom brand, Manforce has roped in Sunny Leone for a new Navratri themed condom ad. The ad features Sunny Leone promoting safe sex during Navratri.
The conflict regarding the condom ad:
Manforce condoms hoarding was in display in Gujarat featuring Sunny Leone. The ad asks people to ‘play but with love’ through safe sex. This hoarding is being displayed across the whole state which has triggered conflicts among traditional groups. The groups held protests at one of the ad’s locations.
According to several traditional groups, the ad is inappropriate and is hurting the religious sentiments for using Navratri as a theme for a condom ad. Many people in Gujarat saw disappointed because of using Navratri as a pawn for promoting the condom brand’s name.
Navratri is an important festival for every Gujaratis. Seeing a condom ad with a navratri theme is making people furious. They feel that their culture is insulted with such kind of marketing practice. The gujaratis are traditional and religious towards their culture.
Mixed responses by people in Twitter:
Some people are angry with the ad and some have opposite reactions. People took to Twitter to respond about the controversy. Many people support the ad because they felt that promoting safe sex is a novel method.
It is also interesting to note the fact that according to a survey by sexual wellness product website, the sale of condoms rose during Navratri.


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US supermarket giant Walmart has completed its nationwide rollout of Walmart Pay, making the service available in more than 4,600 stores across the country. The retailer has also recorded a 45% increase in Walmart Pay transactions in the last week. More
US supermarket chain Walmart has rolled out its Walmart Pay mobile payment service to stores in another 14 US states, including California, New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho and New Mexico as well as states across New England and the Pacific North West... More
US supermarket giant Walmart is rolling out its Walmart Pay QR code-based mobile payment service to Alabama and Georgia following its launch in Arkansas and Texas last month... More
US supermarket chain Walmart has begun rolling out its QR code-based mobile payment service in Arkansas and Texas. Walmart Pay is now available in all 480 Walmart stores across Texas and at more than 110 locations in Arkansas. More
Feed for stories about Arkansas.


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WAAPP Support: Agribusiness Income Streams From Abia Innovation Platform
Fresh Vista For Entrepreneurs In Spices, Stems, Yam
IT is getting clearer by the day that the next goldmine, after petroleum, which is now on the decline, is agriculture. Organisations like the West African Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) are spreading the entrepreneurship gospel round the country.
More people, including youths are tapping into available openings to make good income, while exploring the opportunities to enter into the export of various value-added produce. At the recent Abia Innovative Platform exhibition, ground-breaking products and technologies were showcased.
Beyond the exhibition ground, Engr. Kalu Iche Kalu, the manager of the Abia platform had grown a number of businesses in different agricultural value chains that have attracted so many youths and other investors to turn their faces away from non-existent white-collar jobs.
Kalu narrated that when pro-vitamin A cassava was launched two years ago, the platform went into cultivation of the variety and made good sales and a lot of money selling stems last year. He said they had more of the stems than those who released it, because they came back to them requesting for stems.
Making some business projections, he said the platform expected increase in demand by farmers. With this, the members cultivated a lot so as to multiply the stem, which for Vit. A cassava, was the point of attraction as a raw material to grow the tuber. As it turned out, it sold a 25 one-metre stem bundle for N3,000 and the income was very encouraging, even as more is being done in that direction.
On value addition, innovation is the watchword, Kalu says. “There was a way the cassava stems were cut and distributed. We also discovered that it was not a proper thing for stems not to have labels. So, we designed a sack, where we put the stems with tags, name of the variety, explanation of the potential and advantages.”
Ultimately, farmers are told to plant about three different varieties and compare at harvest to know which of the variety they would prefer for maximum yield.
Kalu revealed that WAAPP team came to Abia about last year and introduced yam seed multiplication technology, but it was too difficult. Leaning on hindsight, he said yam production in the Southeast was on the decline because it was not well managed and sometimes farmers, out of financial pressure may sell even the seed meant for planting.
But with the new yam vine technology, the stem of the yam is cut after two months and rice bran bed is made for the vine. “The vine will be laid flat and covered with the rice bran. By the time you are harvesting your yam two months later, you will be collecting yam seeds from the vine.
Kalu said a vine can give 20 good seeds or more, depending on the size of the plot, as planting materials that are big enough within four months aside the main tubers, which would have been harvested. “It is not difficult and raises hope that the yam barns will come alive again. It is a beautiful innovation. It is a beautiful transformation of technology that we got from Ghana.”
On value addition to gari, Platform Manager revealed that when Vitamin A varieties came, it did not have enough protein; therefore a way to fortify it was devised especially as it had diabetic patients, who avoid plain gari for health reasons in mind. “The idea of adding soya beans to gari came up. We tried three times to blend the two, but it did not work out. We were successful in the next and it is catching on now; the aroma and texture are very good and the product is selling fast.” For now, the platform takes the technique to other farmers’ forum in different places to make Soy-gari.
According to Kalu, the platform also undertakes the production and preservation techniques for scent leaf. “During the rainy season, the leaf is in abundance and attracts very little income, but during the dry season, it is not available in the market. So, we harvest it in the rainy season and preserve by sun drying, then bag it and store,” he said. The dried form is further processed to powder and can be stored for a few years. This form is packaged in 50kg bags and has export market in the UK and US.
In producing and processing the leaf in the course of a year, Kalu said youths, who participate in the scent leaf business in the association have bought new tricycles (Keke Napep) from income made; it is a simple business. He said ‘Wealth is just knowledge application’ and within a space of a plot of land, scent leaves worth hundreds of thousands of naira can be harvested in less than half a year.
‘It grows quite fast, in fact just days after every cutting, especially when you put a little local manure,’ he disclosed.
On administrative bottlenecks working against agricultural innovations, he said the Innovation Platform and a scientist went to Ghana to understudy their yam vine seed multiplication, which they claimed they got from Israel. “When we came back, I tabled it before the Platform and it was immediately explored. We got a piece of land and approval; we started the yam vine seed multiplication. It has survived and it is working. We are looking forward to seeing what the yield would be.”
The scientist, he said is still battling with layers of authority in government, “he is still putting papers together to tell what he saw. He is at the mercy of the directors. However, on our part, we are forging ahead with the crop.


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In light of the positive reception of the innovative sustainable blister that NutraResearch is introducing to the market, the company’s Supply Chain and R&D teams are attending this week’s Pharmapack Europe in Paris. This leading event in pharmaceutical packaging, medical devices, and drug delivery solutions is an opportunity for them to delve deeper into sustainable packaging solutions.
“We are strongly committed to sustainable packaging, an element that conveys the values that govern our company, focused on health, innovation, and quality,” aspects completely related to an important factor such as the environment, explains Gemma Casadevall, General Director of NutraResearch.
Since its launch in 1997, Pharmapack has been the reference event in Europe for pharma sector packaging, bringing together more than 300 companies from this industry from 75 countries, and now clearly focusing on sustainability and social and environmental responsibility.
Casadevall, R&D Director Albert Sala, and Purchasing Manager Juan Antonio Lorente, make up the NutraResearch team that plans to use this event as a vital forum to discuss and promote more ecological and responsible practices in the industry, thus deepening the importance of sustainability in pharmaceutical packaging. In this sense, Pharmapack aims to be the main enabler, a goal that NutraResearch, with its innovative sustainable blister, is more than ready to help achieve.
NutraResearch’s Recyclable Blister
NutraResearch’s commitment to innovation and sustainability is embodied in its latest creation: a 100% recyclable blister, designed to replace conventional plastic and aluminum packaging, which are difficult to recycle. This breakthrough positions the company at the forefront of the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement sector, aligning with the European Union’s circular economy strategy.
Conventional blisters, made of PVC/PVDC and aluminum, provide an effective moisture barrier but at a high environmental cost. NutraResearch’s new blister, however, offers comparable moisture protection, as proven in rigorous validation studies, meeting the requirements of the ICH Q1A standard. These studies involved subjecting products packaged in the new blisters to extreme temperature and humidity conditions, with results confirming their effectiveness and stability.


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Panasonic plots robot porters and wearable translators for Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Panasonic's sponsorship of the 2020 Olympic Games, being held in Tokyo, will feature the brand investing in high-tech and innovative applications such as robot porters and wearable translation devices.
Panasonic: sponsor of the Tokyo 2020 Games
In an interview with Reuters, Masahiro Ido, the director of Panasonic's Olympics Enterprise Division, said the fact that the Games are being held on home ground would help spur new business development, with the aim of moving Panasonic's reliance away from the crowded and competitive consumer electronics sector.
He hinted at high-tech, innovative developments, including robot porters and wearable translation devices.
The consumer electronics giant has been an Olympic sponsor since 1998, but its involvement has mainly been focused on providing television screens to the host venues.
Panasonic's other proposals centred around the 2020 Olympics include eliminating cash with the use of payment cards, which would be accepted on trains, in shops and restaurants in Japan's capital.
Temperature control is also high on the agenda – the Japanese government has already said that cooling Tokyo will be a priority, with the Games taking place during the hot and humid summer months.
Panasonic's proposals include plans to create "cool spots" around the city, with solar-powered fans and mist-spraying jets using existing technology.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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ATLANTA, November 30, 2022--The Coca-Cola Company today announced that Henrique Braun has been named to a newly created role of President, International Development. In this position, Braun will oversee seven operating units that span dozens of countries and territories around the world.
ATLANTA, November 08, 2022--The Coca-Cola Company today announced that Chairman and CEO James Quincey will present Nov. 30 at 11 a.m. ET/4 p.m. GMT at the Redburn CEO Conference.
ATLANTA, October 25, 2022--The Coca-Cola Company today reported strong third quarter 2022 results as the company continued to build on the momentum from the first half of the year. "Our strong capabilities and consumer insights continue to help us win in the marketplace," said James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. "Our business is resilient amidst a dynamic operating and macroeconomic environment. We are investing in our strong portfolio of brands, which is a cornerstone of o


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The Washington Times has a Story that says Slowly and painstakingly, Octavo, a company in Oakland, Calif., is creating a state-of-the-art digital facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible, in partnership with the Library of Congress, which owns one of three perfect copies in existence.
\"Every book has its own personality and behaves differently, owing to varied physical characteristics,\" Ms. Blegen says. \"This book is different because it has no page numbers and weighs more than most. I can\'t tell where I am in it because I can\'t read page numbers and can\'t decipher the text. This is different, too, because it is a national treasure.\"
He\'s Created a book club aimed at men. Attendance has been sparse so far, but Eagan is optimistic it will grow as more guys find out about it.
``I like hearing different points of views on books,\'\' Wolf, a member, said. ``And doing this forces me to read something I might not ordinarily read.\'\'
\"Book-A-Minute SF/F have taken several great
speculative fiction novels and extracted the important
stuff, cutting out all the filler. (You\'d be surprised how
much filler there is sometimes.) With our
ultra-condensed versions of your favorite speculative
fiction, you can read entire books -- entire series, even
-- in just one minute! You can have your books and read
them too! And it costs nothing!
\"That\'s nice,\" you say, \"but I don\'t believe you.\" Yah hah,
skeptical soul! We\'ve got our collection of
ultra-condensed books right here! We\'ve got everything
from Tolkien to Dragonlance! See for yourself!\"
His book \"details the ways that modern technologies and software can help aspiring authors or artists produce their own books at home, taking the power that has belonged to publishers for centuries and putting it instead in the hands of the people.\"
Tom Tugend writes...
\"Hundreds of copies of the Koran have been removed from California schools because of an accompanying anti-Semitic commentary. School board officials in Los Angeles removed the translations of the Muslim holy book, after a history teacher noted the derogatory commentary in footnotes to the text. The books were donated to schools by a local Muslim foundation to promote religious understanding following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. After the teacher complained about the anti-Semitic passages, school principals were instructed to secure all copies in their offices pending a review. It is unclear how the books were distributed to school libraries without undergoing the customary content review.\" More
Cabot writes \"Demonstrators occupied their favourite chairs at the Indigo bookstore in downtown Montreal to protest against the decision to replace soft sofas with hard chairs.
Full Story \"
With signs like \"Save Our Sofas! Stand up for sitting down! Care about chairs!\", it\'s quite an interesting protest.
\"I don\'t know why they\'re doing this,\" a puzzled employee said. \"We have tons of chairs. We\'re not getting rid of our chairs.\"
Some teens in an affluent Chicago suburb are working to get "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and other books translated into Farsi and delivered to kids in Afghanistan. Dr. Seuss apparently doesn\'t translate very well. Read the story, which includes contact information for the program.
USAToday has An Interesting Story on the rather new practice of posting excerpts of new books online to help stoke sales. They say it\'s become normal practice to put a sample online, and it helps sell more books.
\"I would say both publishers and authors feel that putting a percentage of the book online for people to read and get a taste of it is a great promotion for the book and really helps sales,\" said Jessica Carter, an executive in charge of online promotions at the publisher Alfred A. Knopf in New York.\"
ABCNews has A Story, pointed out by Bob Cox, on series of suspense books where everybody already knows the outcome, Christian potboiler novels about the Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Second Coming , they\'ve sold more than 50 million copies.
\"The race is going to be between Desecration and Grisham for the top fiction hardcover [title] of 2001,\" says Daisy Maryles, executive editor of Publishers Weekly, which publishes its annual best seller list in March.\"
jen writes \"But will they have Cliff Notes?
Dave Eggers to edit \'\'Best Non-Required Reading\'\' -- Houghton Mifflin hired the \'\'Staggering Genius\'\' to oversee the teen-focused anthology,
Young people who buy books -- a demographic bright spot for publishers -- are about to get their very own best-of series: \'\'The Best American Non-Required Reading,\'\' featuring literary bad boy/po-mo geek Dave Eggers as the first guest editor. \'\'We were looking for somebody who could speak directly to that readership,\'\' says Janet Silver, editor in chief of Houghton Mifflin. Due in October, the new series, aimed at 15- to 20-year-olds, will carry fiction, reviews, humor, comics, and pop-culture profiles.\"


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As many of the comments on aI wrote on Friday point out, I can at times be shortsighted to potential applications of new technology. When it comes to flexible display technology, however, I practically have telescopic vision. Well at least as far as Hollywood has shown me.
On Monday, Hewlett-Packard and the Flexible Display Center (FDC) at Arizona State University announced the purported first prototype of what they call affordable, unbreakable flexible electronic displays.
For the uninitiated, a flexible display is a paperlike computer display that's made almost entirely out of plastic. According to HP, these displays consume less power than traditional computer displays and of course are more easily portable. They are also said to use up to 90 percent fewer materials than traditional displays by volume.
The press release states that "mass production of such displays can enable production of notebook computers, smart phones and other electronic devices at much lower costs since the display is one of the more costly components," but we'll have to wait and see if costs on these devices are actually lowered because of this technology.
The displays were created via a process called self-aligned imprint lithography (SAIL). SAIL purportedly enables thin film transistors to be fabricated on a flexible, plastic material in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process. According to HP, this allows for a more low-cost continuous production, rather than batch sheet-to-sheet production.
To create the display, FDC produces semiconductor materials and metals on flexible polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates. Using the SAIL process HP then patterns the substrates and then integrates E Ink's Vizplex imaging film to produce the display on plastic.
OK, I'm going to be honest. I have no idea what that was I just typed but it sounds like it could be possible and I figured those interested in the technology would want some details.
Vinita Jakhanwal, principal analyst from iSuppli, an electronics market intelligence firm, expects the flexible display market to grow from $80 million in 2007 to $2.8 billion by 2013.
So yeah, what can this be used for other than cell phones, PDAs, monitors and TVs? Well I can see newspapers and magazines getting in on this at some point and how best to make a product at the grocery store stick out on the shelf than by putting an actual video on the box?
Yes, those last two examples are once again from Minority Report, but they had more cool (and plausible) future tech stuff than even Back to the Future 2. Where else can you guys see this tech being applied?


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Where inflation is back to normal
Inflation is coming down. But it’s been three crazy years since COVID arrived in 2020 and set the economy on a series of wild swings that still haven’t fully abated. So what’s back to normal? And what isn’t?
The annual inflation rate is now 4.9%, down from a peak of 9% last June. Before COVID, it was around 2.3%. So overall inflation is still more than double the pre-COVID level. But the Consumer Price Index includes dozens of spending categories and some of them are back to pre-COVID trend lines.
The following two charts show the price changes in several important categories during the last four years, to capture the total change from the year before COVID until now. As a baseline, we’re including the change in average hourly earnings during that time in each chart. From April 2019 through April 2023, earnings rose 20%. So any product or service category where prices rose by less than that is a net win for consumers during four very volatile years.
Housing costs, including rent, have risen by about the same amount as earnings since 2019. That’s a bit deceiving, however. Housing costs barely rose from 2019 to 2021, largely because mortgage rates were at record lows. That boosted the affordability of both purchased homes and rented ones. Housing costs began to spike in 2022, as rates started going up. So even though the net change since 2019 has kept pace with earnings, housing costs have accelerated since 2021. If owners or renters feel like they’re getting squeezed, they’re right.
In many categories of goods, inflation has abated. Computers, TVs, and other types of electronics cost about 4% less than they did in 2019. Clothing prices are up 4.8% since 2019, barely 1% per year. Appliance prices are up by 15% since 2019, still less than earnings. Travel costs have yo-yoed, since they plunged during COVID, when everybody stayed home, then soared during the recovery. But overall, airfare is up just 9.6% since 2019, with hotel rooms up 14.2%—fairly modest gains.
[Drop Rick Newman a note, follow him on Twitter, or sign up for his newsletter.]
A few things never got dramatically more expensive during COVID, most notably college tuition, health care, and prescription drugs. But inflation for all three of those things was higher than average for many years prior to COVID, so a slowdown in already high prices doesn’t necessarily make them affordable.
What’s causing pain are several categories where prices remain elevated, and these tend to be things people spend a lot of money on. Food costs are up 25% during the last four years, about 5 percentage points more than pay. Transportation is also about 25% more expensive, including fuel, vehicles and maintenance.
Among durable goods, new vehicle prices are up 21%, with used vehicle prices up 38%. There was an insane spike in used-car prices in 2022, as a semiconductor shortage crimped production and caused a shortage of new cars. Many buyers switched to used, sending prices soaring. Used-car prices are now down about 7% on a year-over-year basis, but they rose so much in 2022 that they’re still way above pre-COVID levels. The same phenomena have pushed rental car prices up by 51% since 2019.
Oil, natural gas, gasoline, and electricity prices are down year over year, but they’re still well above 2019 levels. This isn’t so much a COVID story as the end of long period of overproduction by US drillers as the fracking revolution took hold in the 2010s. Energy firms performed poorly in the years before COVID and endured a bloodbath in 2020. They’re now much more disciplined and hoping to make sure prices don’t go too low.
Overall, inflation is heading in the right direction. Most goods are back to pre-COVID price trends, as spending flips back toward services, including travel and outings. Service inflation should come down too, as people spend down COVID-era savings and a strong labor market softens. But inflation has a long tail we may still feel it wagging for a few years yet.
Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @rickjnewman
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JUNE 25, 2012VOLUME 41 ISSUE 26
PREMIUM CONTENT FROM PRODUCT SAFETY LETTER
Congressional appropriations committees listed numerous projects for CPSC in two fiscal 2013 budget bills.
CPSC’s June 20 hearing on its fiscal 2014 agenda and priorities touched on a wide list of products and concerns on the minds of stakeholders, but commissioners’ questions gave some indication of where their interests lie.
Commissioners are slated to vote by June 26 on the final rule to amend the CPSIA testing and certification regulations related to representative samples.
Commissioner Robert Adler June 19 queried upholstered furniture stakeholders about changing designs.
The ASTM F15.21 subcommittee on hand-held infant carriers met June 18 to address proposed revisions to F2050, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Hand-Held Infant Carriers.
CPSC staff and ASTM June 21 discussed revisions to sling carrier labeling requirements as part of a review of F2907, Consumer Safety Specification for Sling Carriers.
Following a series of recent incidents involving bassinets, CPSC staff met on June 21 with the ASTM bassinet stability task group to discuss revisions to ASTM F2194, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bassinets and Cradles.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) June 15 said its risk assessment committee (RAC) could not find data to support a proposed ban of four phthalates from certain products.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) seeks comments by September 19 on ten new priority substances for inclusion on the REACH Authorisation List.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) seeks comments by December 19 on a proposed restriction of a chemical used in some air fresheners and toilet blocks.
Health Canada June 20 issued a comprehensive guide to common hazards that children face.
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association June 13 expressed concern that CPSC is proceeding on a play yard action without proper notice and comment.
A report by CPSC and other agencies, made available June 20, describes research on smoke alarms.
Commissioners voted 4-0 June 19 to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking to revoke rules for cap guns that staff deem obsolete and duplicative.
CPSC is set to launch a 75-day comment period on likely changes to its regulations related to animal testing.
Commissioner Robert Adler, June 14 in Roll Call, urged increased attention to product safety risks and other injury issues for people age 65 or older.
Commissioner Nancy Nord June 19 on her blog described input she recently received about the effects and costs of regulations.
Kids in Danger (KID) June 20 called on CPSC to determine if high powered magnets sold as amusement devices for teens and adults are correctly age graded.
California Governor Jerry Brown (D) June 18 directed revision of regulations involving flame retardants, specifically pointing to concerns related to upholstered furniture.
Briefs on CPSC vice-chair, crib bumpers, bouncers/walkers, air movers/blowers, celing mounted light fixtures, outdoor wall mounted lanterns, strollers.
Briefs on range tops, mouth protectors, dish washers, gates, pole vaults, tents, air conditioners, electric room heaters, electrochemical capacitors, flexible materials, gypsum boards and panels, lamp ballasts, outlet boxes, electric fans.
Briefs on personal care, exposure scenarios, SVHCs, Chesar, ECHA, CHL, wiring, bicycles, cookware, heaters, dumbbells, battery chargers, urns, extension cords, kettles.


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Fortnite maker Epic Video games has raised $144 million for Ukrainian’s affected by the Russian invasion.
Final month, the corporate pledged to donate all proceeds from Fornite for 2 weeks to humanitarian charities working to help Ukrainians.
Xbox additionally backed the initiative, and agreed to donate its web proceeds from Fortnite to these charities for a similar length.
After offering common updates, Epic has provided its “deepest thanks” to everybody who supported its fundraising efforts and revealed it has raised $144 million for Direct Reduction, United Nations Youngsters’s Fund, World Meals Programme, and the UN Refugee Company.
Epic beforehand famous the above organizations are on the bottom offering emergency help, important provides, authorized help, and shelter to individuals who’ve been impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.


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Nine Burger King Locations Across Minnesota To Close
This is a 'whopper' of a piece of news: Burger King will be closing a handful of locations across the state. The news was announced on Friday (April 14th), with the franchisee revealing they would be closing twenty-seven locations across the country.
The closures are spread throughout seven different states. Minnesota is the state that is impacted most, with nine different locations in the state alone set to close. Wisconsin has been spared and no locations will be closed at this time. Burger King locations in Utah, Montana and Nebraska will also close, along with a few others.
At this time, there are no plans to close any more stores, according to Business Insider. However, the same report says more stores may close in the future depending on how things pan out. Low sales and inflation are two of the main factors behind the closures, which is becoming commonplace these days.
Thankfully, Burger King locations in the Northland are safe. There are locations in Cloquet, Hermantown and a handful in Duluth. These will not be impacted. The nine locations that will be closing are three to four hours from the Twin Ports in small towns like Fergus Falls and Alexandria.
- Alexandria: 209 Nokomis Street
- East Grand Forks: 926 Central Avenue NE
- Fergus Falls: 528 Western Avenue
- Litchfield: 21 Depot Street
- Long Prairie: 205 Lake Street
- Montevideo: 586 Southwest 1st Street
- Redwood Falls: 516 East Bridge Street
- Moorhead: 100 21st Street North
- Willmar: 1611 US-12
As for locations to feast in the Northland, there are quite a few to choose from, including the following:
- Cloquet: 1304 MN-33 South
- Duluth: 208 East Central Entrance
- Duluth: 2220 London Road
- Duluth: 210 South 27th Avenue
- Hermantown: 4496 Sugar Maple Drive
- Superior: 724 Belknap Street


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SEATTLE, WA – Feniks Inc., a new Seattle food tech start-up, yesterday announced it has acquired the assets from Outerwall’s Rubi coffee kiosk business.
The deal includes the Rubi brand name, technology and associated intellectual property, along with the completed inventory of Rubi coffee kiosks.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Feniks Inc. was founded earlier this year by Jim Craig, Travis Pierce, and Doug Coppenbarger — three former leaders of the Rubi kiosk product team at Outerwall.
Feniks has raised $1.5m in seed funding to re-launch the Rubi Micro-Café concept over the next two months and will work closely with vending operators around the country to deploy Rubi in retail stores, college campuses, hospitals, and workplaces.
In addition, Feniks announced the hire of Joel Espelien as VP Corporate Development and General Counsel. Espelien is a well-known member of the Seattle start-up community serving as executive at PacketVideo, board member at IQ Engines (acquired by Yahoo) and 640 Labs, as well as being an active angel investor.
“Our work on the Rubi Micro-Café over the past few years has successfully demonstrated the demand for a next generation coffee kiosk that delivers a premium quality product with an elevated user experience,” notes CEO Jim Craig.
“With consumers spending over $18B each year on coffee away from home, we are incredibly excited to continue developing the Rubi platform and bringing great coffee to new places where it is currently hard to find.”
The Rubi Micro-Café was created to help put an end to the world’s bad coffee.
By grinding whole beans and brewing each cup on demand using French Press technology and precise temperature control, Rubi delivers a delicious café-quality coffee drink every single time.
With a large tablet-style interactive touchscreen, customers can order, pay, and customize each cup exactly the way they like it.
Advanced wireless remote telemetry provides real time data and alerts to optimize service intervals, reduce operating costs and increase total uptime.
About Feniks Inc.
Feniks Inc. is a Seattle-based startup and owner of the Rubi Micro-Café concept. Feniks was founded in 2014 by the team that developed and launched Rubi at Outerwall, along with help from technology entrepreneur, Joel Espelien.
Team members include Jim Craig, CEO. Travis Pierce, VP of Product Development and Operations, and Doug Coppenbarger, VP of Technical Services and Customer Support. Espelien will serve as general counsel and VP of corporate development.


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Sony is using next generation of image stabilization technology in their camcorders. And the name of the technology is called the boss. The full form of boss is body optical steadyshot system. In general Sony developers say it’s like adding a gimble inside a camera.
Few days ago we have published the post that Sony will going to announce 8k mirrorless camera, camcorder and lots of other 8K compatible devices just prior to 2020 Olympics. Now we are getting information about Canon 8k camera. According to the latest rumours coming from rumor mills Canon may announce new 8k capable cinema cameras at NAB show which will going to held on the month of April of 2019.
The Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K took NAB 2018 by storm. It really was the talk of the show and everyone prior to it was hoping for an update and they got it. The camera is now shipping but it’s not available in large quantities yet. Demand is high and production doesn’t look to be matching it. While this seems to be an issue with Blackmagic I thought they solved this with the release of the URSA Mini Pro but the Pocket 4K seems to be business as usual when it comes to delivery.
More information coming about the upcoming Olympus EM1 X camera is said to have AI AF (artificially intelligent Autofocus) system. Well for a while we already seen that Canon uses predictive autofocus for focusing on moving subjects, at the same time Nikon is also working on artificial intelligence AI system. Sony already using artificial intelligent technologies in their latest Sony A9 or A7 series camera for human and animals eye tracking and in predictive AF sports mode.
It’s not the equipment, it’s what you do with it. The majority of feature films are shot on expensive cameras but occasionally there are exceptions. “The Possession Of Hannah Grace” which hit theaters just after Thanksgiving, was shot with the Sony α7S II.
According to latest rumours Sony will going to release 8k camera camcorder as well as lot of 8k compatible devices which includes latest laser projector, televisions, post processing platforms. As we all know the 2020 Olympics will be broadcasted in 8k from Japan, and by 2020 most of the camera manufacturers promised to release 8k compatible consumer level cameras before the Olympics.
Sony New 36 MP Sensor Full details are available, The sensor can shoot images starting from base ISO 64. Keep in mind the base ISO 64 is the base ISO limit of the sensor when tested in lab. The sensor is also able to grab 4K at 60p and features
This post is just another confirmation to post that we have published on NOV 8 2018. BCR ranking shows the sales graph of Canon, Nikon and Sony Fullframe mirrorless camera sold from October 2017 to October 2018.
The DJI Osmo Pocket was just announced, and luckily here at Newsshooter, we have been able to get hold of a full production version for a couple of days to review. So without further ado, let’s get on with it.
Let’s talk about the Sony upcoming video dedicated mirrorless camera Sony A7S III. Initial report suggest Sony A7S III camera will have a super jump in resolution. We now have confirmed set of information that Sony developed a 36.4 MP Multi-aspect BSI Stacked CMOS sensor. The sensor Still quality remains limited to Sony A7R III, but new 36.4 MP Sensor utilizes 8K sensor area for creating 4K Videos, as a result the newly developed tech the Sensor gives enormous amount of details in 4K video footage. It surpasses the Video quality all existing Sony Fullframe Mirrlress camera.


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Seasonal retailers are beginning to pop up to sell Halloween costumes and merchandise. Customers will spend an average of $80 on costumes, decorations and candy this year, projections by the National Retail Federation show.
Retailers are optimistic that this will be a big year for sales and that success could be a good omen for retailers looking ahead to the Christmas season, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune said.
“There's certainly a pent-up demand for having some fun this year,” said Phil Rist, an executive vice president for strategic initiatives with BIGinsight, a firm that does research for the National Retail Federation to the Herald-Tribune. “Shoppers are planning to spend their hard-earned dollars on items that help them get into the Halloween spirit.”
The federation estimates that 7 out of 10 consumers will participate in Halloween shopping this year.


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Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes ink three-year $100 MILLION deal with Sirius XM for exclusive rights to ads on SmartLess podcast
SmartLess hosts Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes have inked a $100 million deal for Sirius XM to acquire some exclusive rights to the podcast for three years, according to Bloomberg.
The deal is part of a wider contract between the streaming company and SmartLess Media, which gives Sirius the rights to distribute and sell advertising for the podcast and other shows, including Bad Dates.
The deal, which is expected to go into effect later this year, also includes some live events and access to rerun old episodes, such as the November 2022 installment with President Joe Biden talking about his daily routine.
Over the past three years, Arnett, Bateman and Hayes have built a solid following while interviewing world leaders, music stars and Hollywood executives, and performing live events.
The trio launched SmartLess as a weekly show in 2020, and it quickly became one of the most popular podcasts in America – ranked fourth in the US by Apple for 2023.
SmartLess hosts Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes (pictured together) have inked a $100 million deal for Sirius XM to get exclusive rights to the podcast for three years, according to Bloomberg.
The deal, which is expected to take effect later this year, also includes some live events and access to rerun old episodes, such as the November 2022 installment with President Joe Biden talking about his daily routine (pictured)
Sirius, which ended the third quarter of 2023 with 34 million subscribers, according to Bloomberg, launched a new streaming service last year in a bid to compete with streaming giants like Spotify and Amazon
It trailed only Crime Junkie, The Daily by the New York Times and Dateline NBC for the most-listened-to podcast last year.
On Spotify it was eighth – with The Joe Rogan Experience first, Call Her Daddy second, and Crime Junkie third.
Its enormous – and growing – fan base has made SmartLess a popular property for leading distributors. Amazon.com Inc. has shelled out up to $80 million for the rights to stream the show over three years, according to Bloomberg.
The online marketplace giant released new episodes on its Amazon Music and Wondery+ services for a week before they became available elsewhere in a ploy to attract new listeners while retaining the rights to some SmartLess titles.
“Over the past few years, we’ve doubled down on our commitment to podcasting, and with the addition of SmartLess, we’re strengthening our leadership position in podcasting,” SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein said in a statement.
Sirius, which ended the third quarter of 2023 with 34 million subscribers, according to Bloomberg, launched a new streaming service last year in an effort to compete with streaming giants like Spotify and Amazon.
At the same time, however, Spotify and Amazon have cut back on such spending after it failed to pay the dividends they expected.
Company bosses initially jumped at the opportunity to capitalize on the booming podcast business — a $2.3 billion industry that has grown 25 percent in the past year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
But Spotify’s multi-million dollar deals with the likes of Harry and Meghan, Kim Kardashian and the Obamas have coincided with a huge net loss for the subscription streaming service.
By far the biggest podcast deal Spotify has is with Joe Rogan, who was paid an estimated $200 million as part of an exclusive multi-year deal in 2020.
Spotify lost $565 million in the six months to June on $6.65 billion in revenue, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Spotify shares rose during the pandemic period, along with those of many tech companies as people spent more time streaming and online, but fell amid the launch of high-profile podcasts last year
SmartLess hosts posing with Joe Biden after interviewing him in November 2022
The firm is worth about $31 billion today — down from $70 billion at the height of its powers in early 2021.
So Sirius’ $100 million deal with SmartLess is a big gamble. But the show is already off to a flying start this year with celebrity interviews with the likes of Mark Ruffalo.
Talk to the show this month, Ruffalo remembers having a ‘golf ball-sized’ brain tumor in 2001 following a disturbing dream.
The 56-year-old actor described how he learned he ‘had a brain tumor after the success of You Can Count on Me.’
After suffering a nightmare ‘so intense’ it prompted him to get a CAT scan to ‘deal with it immediately’, the father-of-three revealed to the hosts that he went to the doctor with a ‘sense or doom’.


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- 2 min read
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise cancel voyages amid Omicron scare
Due to ongoing travel restrictions, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line cancelled their sailings.
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday cancelled sailings amid rising fears of Omicron-related Coronavirus infections that have dampened the nascent recovery of the pandemic-ravaged cruise industry.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd called off its Spectrum of the Seas cruise for January 6 after nine guests on its January 2 trip were identified as close contacts to a local Hong Kong Covid-19 case.
The contacts have tested negative but the cruise ship will return to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on January 5 to test all guests and crew who must take a second test on January 8, the company said. A similar decision to cancel trips by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd was made against the backdrop of the United States reporting the highest daily tally of any country for new Coronavirus infections on Monday.
"Due to ongoing travel restrictions, we've had to modify a few sailings and unfortunately have had to cancel," the 17-ship strong cruise operator said, with the embarkation dates for a few cancelled sailings as far out as late April. The cruise line, which requires everyone on board to be vaccinated, has also had to cut short a 12-day round trip from Miami on its Norwegian Pearl ship, citing "Covid related circumstances."
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had last week advised people to avoid cruise travel after launching investigations into onboard cases on more than 90 ships. The health agency starts a scrutiny if at least 0.1 per cent of the guests test positive.
Norwegian Cruise said guests, who were supposed to embark on the cancelled sailings on the eight ships, will receive full refunds and bonus credits for future bookings. The Omicron-led travel uncertainty is also causing guests on other sailings to cancel their bookings as a few ships have also had to skip ports due to onboard infections.
"We booked the cruise last March and assumed that things would be getting back to normal... by mid-December, I was mentally prepared for a change of plans," said Holly Bromley, a consulting arborist, who cancelled her booking on Norwegian Epic.
Meanwhile, bigger rival Carnival Corp said it has not cancelled any upcoming voyages, but its shares fell on Wednesday to close down 2.6 per cent. Royal Caribbean lost 2.1 per cent and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings 3.6 per cent.


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Vk dating ru married dating new jersey
She enjoys travelling and likes to spend her free time socialising with friends and attending music events.
Pheed is a free social media platform for web and mobile devices.
Stars like Miley Cyrus and Paris Hilton are already on Pheed. Very close in design and functionality to Facebook, you can think VK as the "Russian Facebook".
VK is a social network that unites people all over the world and helps them communicate comfortably and promptly.
This difference in social media use is of huge importance for brands who use social media sites for advertising, as it can completely change a marketing strategy that is used in other parts of the world.
That aside, it’s also just interesting to see how online communication can differ in different parts of the world!
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and You Tube dominate the social media world in most countries, but Russia (and some surrounding areas such as Kazakstan and Ukraine) often prefer regional replacements for these platforms.
Russian social networking site has reportedly suffered a huge data breach, with the stolen account information of 171m users currently being sold on the dark web.
Details of the hack were first reported by data breach monitoring site Leaked Source last week, after confirming it had obtained a data set containing 100,544,934 records.
It looks like a "mashup" of popular social networks as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, You Tube, and Sound Cloud. The catchphrase for Pheed is "A new way to express yourself." The i Phone app launched on November 10th, 2012.
On February 19th, 2013, Pheed was ranked the #1 app in the Apple Top Charts social category, above Twitter and Facebook.


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SHAH ALAM: Bermaz Auto Group, has announced that it has fully resumed its service activities for Mazda vehicles and has implemented precautionary measures for its customers and employees to check the spread of Covid-19.
The sole distributor of the Japanese car brand in Malaysia has also carried out social distancing measures as outlined by the Ministry of Health.
As part of such measures, the company has introduced the Mazda Contactless Service where human contact is minimised.
The vehicle to be serviced will be disinfected before and after a scheduled service regardless whether the customer chose a Collect & Deliver Service or Mobile Service.
The Collect & Deliver Service (available at selected service centres via appointment only) is available to owners within a 10km radius from their pickup location.
The Mobile Service, first introduced in 2017, will have a Mazda service representative arrive at their customers' doorstep via appointment only.
On warranty, Mazda said that it has extended the warranty and free service maintenance by the same period of time from the start of the movement control order (March 18), and subsequent conditional movement control order, that's scheduled to end on June 9.
For more information and a list of operational service centres, log on to www.mazda.com.my or call 1-800-22-8080.


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Heating specialist Grant UK has announced a new partnership agreement with Bath Rugby.
The partnership will provide Grant with the opportunity to increase the profile of their range of reliable, efficient heating products. Perimeter board advertising will be erected at the Team’s home ground The Rec, where matches are regularly televised, increasing local and national brand awareness.
With sixteen confirmed home fixtures and a crowd capacity of 12,200 at The Rec, Bath is set to be the home of local rugby once again this season. Furthermore, with England hosting the Rugby World Cup, support for the game is going to soar over the coming months. Great sports fixtures not only bring together local communities but they also unite nations.
The 2015/16 season sees Bath Rugby celebrate its 150th anniversary, which fits well with Grant’s own 20th anniversary in 2016.
Anna Wakefield, Marketing Manager for Grant UK said: “We are honoured to have been given the opportunity to support a club whose reputation is held so highly both locally and further afield. The strong teamwork amongst the players, which is so clear to see when they step onto the field, is just one of the club’s characteristics which Grant values. Bath Rugby’s professionalism, success, and undeniable resolve to be the best in their game are additional values which we as a Company share.”