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Luxury design and furniture company Vesta has acquired e-commerce furniture rental companies Fernish and Feather, making a play toward the mass market while the sector remains in a slump.
Together, the companies will operate under the newly formed umbrella company Showroom, led by Vesta co-founder and CEO Julian Buckner. Terms of the deal are private; Showroom anticipates hitting a nine-figure revenue within its first fiscal year.
Feather and Fernish were both founded in 2017 as a way to rent furniture from name brands like West Elm and CB2. By August 2020, Feather had raised $76 million, while Fernish landed a $15 million Series A in May 2020 after a $30 million seed round the year prior. Under both models, customers pay a monthly amount to rent an item, like $118 for a sectional, that’s delivered and assembled, with the opportunity to buy the piece at the end of their term if desired.
Buckner said the goal of the acquisitions is to create a company that can serve the same customer at different junctures — from furnishing an apartment with rented items, to designing a starter home, to staging it when it’s for sale. Vesta offers staging services for high-end real estate listings where the displayed furniture is for sale to any interested buyer who can browse the listings online. It also offers interior design services. As Vesta typically works with customers who are listing or buying properties priced at $5 million or higher, the acquisitions mean the company can grow without diluting the brand, Buckner said.
“It came down to a build versus buy decision,” Buckner told Modern Retail. “Were we going to launch our own, non-Vesta mass market brand and start it from scratch? Or, there are these two companies that have amazing customer service and a lot of brand recognition and were best in class.”
The acquisition comes at a time when the furniture industry is facing strong headwinds. High interest rates and inflation that are causing home sales to slow. Demand was also pulled forward when people renovated during the peak of the Covid-19 lockdowns. In turn, the industry is seeing myriad struggles, like the bankruptcies of brick and mortar chains like Z Gallerie and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Overall, furniture and home store sales were down 5.9% in September year-over-year, according to the U.S. Census bureau.
But Buckner said he sees the potential for rental companies to help fill in the gap, noting that “consumer preferences have changed” from wanting to go to a gallery to furniture shop. Not only are younger consumers increasingly ordering furniture online, but the option for renting makes sense for a young professional who will potentially move around in their early career.
“You’re only going to stay in an apartment for one, maybe two years. Buying at this high fixed cost doesn’t make sense, you don’t know if you’re going to be able to take it with you and it ends up on the street,” he said.
The brands generated significant buzz in recent years for bringing a trendy e-commerce DTC play to a market that had been more associated with the budget-friendly basics of Rent-a-Center and boomed during the pandemic; Fernish saw a 300% increase in home office orders during the lockdown era, according to Crunchbase.
Buckner said there won’t be any major changes to the companies’ operations at the outset, with a combined staff of over 200 people. First steps include integrating the technology that helps run the rental, sales and staging businesses. Once streamlined, that inventory management software will be marketed in a business to business play, Buckner said.
Moving forward, the main growth strategy for the near-time will be expanding Fernish and Feather to different cities — which would allow the companies to better support customers in cross-country moves. Currently, the companies serve parts of southern California, Seattle and New York City. Fernish will also launch a more moderately-priced staging product focused on properties in the $1 million to $3 million range, Buckner said.
Buckner also said that Showroom will make plays into commercial furniture rentals, noting the return-to-work option some companies are instilling. Future hospitality design and rental services are also on the table, Buckner said.
“In order to bring people back to offices, people re-thinking what office look like. Beyond a bunch of sit, stand and work stations, people want a residential feel. They want it to feel more lounge, more comfortable, and like a more attractive place to come back to,” he said. “That macro trend is a huge positive for us.”
Having multiple potential revenue streams could be a strategic benefit for Showroom in the current tumult of the market. Chris Ramey, president of The Home Trust International, which runs a network of interior design services, said that while homebuyers and shoppers in the ultra-luxury market, at $5 million and above, are fairly insulated from recessionary woes homes in the $1 million to $5 million market aren’t selling the way they once were. Staging services can make a difference in the way those homes sell, Ramey said.
“A good staging company creates a story for the house. It creates images. It gives the person looking to buy the house a perspective on what they may do with it,” he said.
But overall, the economic climate has delivered a blow to both interior design services and furniture markets, and there’s not much hope for 2024 being better, he said. However, that bodes well for the future of rental services, if people are hesitant to finance four to five figure furniture purchases.
Before the pandemic, financing was the main way people were acquiring furniture or high-priced items. But in this economic climate, people may be ore hesitant to put four-to-six figure amounts into their furnishings, Ramey said, and opt for a rental in the meantime.
“Paying for things over a period of time makes them more affordable, makes it more doable for people,” Ramey said.


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President Trump’s campaign announced a new ad campaign in Wisconsin and other targeted states focused on the economy.
One ad features a woman who says Joe Biden “could never handle the economy after COVID-19.”
Trump’s campaign said the campaign is an eight-figure buy. It didn’t provide specifics on the buy in Wisconsin for broadcast and cable TV.
The woman in one ad isn’t identified other than saying she’s a small business owner. She says Biden would be a “disaster” handling the economy, while Trump has “been the greatest president we have seen.”
“It’s just been the greatest economic environme...

domain: news


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Contact: hi (at) gamermalaya.my
The Amazing Eternals Is A New Free Hero Shooter From The Developers Of Warframe
Back in May this year, Warframe developers Digital Extremes has announced a new game was in the works, codenamed Project Keystone. We only know that it was a free-to-play shooter with deck-building mechanics and a closed alpha was open for sign-ups.
Now the game has a new name: The Amazing Eternals. Alongside the new name is a trailer showcasing bits of gameplay. It is an FPS hero shooter, and the deck-building portion of the game sure looked like what the team has implemented in Warframe before.
If the pulpy B-movie-esque visuals speaks to you and interested in playing another hero shooter, you can sign up for a chance to enter the closed beta here. The closed beta is scheduled to start on August 29 on PC.


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June 08, 2015
HamClock version 2.5 is now available in the app store.
Here’s what’s new:
- Fixed a 12H/24H time bug
- Made the dates easier to read
- Added Apple Watch support
With Apple Watch support you can now find your grid square and location from your watch! With the new watchOS updates announced today, a future update should allow me to show your grid square as a watch face complication.
Here are some promo codes for a free download. When they’re gone, they’re gone!


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Police urge Hampshire businesses to beef up cyber security as hackers target the region
POLICE have urged businesses to beef up their online security and warned them to under-estimate the risk posed by hackers.
Hampshire’s cyber protect officer, James Adnitt said the cyber gangs were among some of the biggest threats to businesses.
Now, as Portsmouth looks to become a ‘cyber safe city, Jame has issued some top tips to help firms avoid falling victim to online crooks.
‘It is vitally important that businesses ensure they have the right policies and procedures in place when it comes to their online security.
‘Business email compromise (BEC) and ransomware are two types of cybercrime that we see.
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‘During a BEC attack, criminals gain access to business email accounts. From there they can alter invoices, leading to mandate fraud.
‘Ransomware is a type of malware that will either lock the owner out of their network or threaten to publish the contents of it unless a ransom is paid.
‘The National Cyber Security Centre has a guide online for small business, which is tailored for cyber security. This online resource gives businesses a 26-point action plan.
‘It is important that businesses don't see cyber security as belonging to the IT department.
‘Human resources departments need to ensure policies are in place, for example to withdraw system access to an employee who has left a company.
‘Due to the constantly evolving landscape, annual cyber security training should be mandatory.
‘Finance departments should have policies in place guiding staff on what to do if a supplier's invoice states that they have changed banks.
‘They should also consider the inclusion of contractual obligations for suppliers to have a minimum security certification of their cyber essentials.’
Hampshire Constabulary’s cyber crime unit provides free ‘cyber protect’ training for businesses, which includes a network vulnerability assessment.
Businesses can also receive tips on the Hants Cyber Protect page on LinkedIn and on Twitter by searching for @HCCyberProtect.’


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Eco-friendly Toyotas to be recycled across Europe - FT
LONDON - Japans Toyota intends to open a European network of dealers and recycling centres for its hybrid gas-electric Prius model, Yesterdays Financial Times said.
Toyota has plans for 600 dealers across Europe including abut 80 in Britain, and is ready to pay for reprocessing the cars batteries at three recycling centres around the continent, the FT said.
The company hopes to sell 5,000 of the cars in Europe after its launch this autumn, exploiting the public outcry at high petrol prices, the FT said.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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Ultra ultra ULTRA-slim notebooks... :)
intel is proposing such a thing
, and it makes sense. Not the "for women mainly" part, though. I'd certainly want an ultraslim notebook myself. And think about it: A PDA has enough power for the main tasks most people use computers for: E-Mail, web, word processing etc. And surely, they could also drive a display with 1024*600 or even 1280*800 pixels.
You know: I still want a Mac sub-sub-subnotebook...
Apple starts working on 10.4.10
After years of forum wars about whether an update after 10.x.9 would jump to a 10.x.10 (which is the right thing, of course), finally Apple will put an end to the debate. Reports about initial builds of 10.4.10 are making the rounds, and the update is expected to fix a couple of things in 10.4, among them a couple of audio issues. The update is expected sometime in the next three months.


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Since the anti-NCP donation work was actively carried out by SSCLF on January 27, 2020, we have raised about 8.24 million yuan and materials worth of about 7.99 million yuan from the community until March 16.
Among them, about 3.68 million yuan was raised through SSCLF’s “Anti-NCP Special Donation Channel”. Recently, the additional companies that donated more than 100,000 yuan are Infineon Technologies (China) Co., Ltd (400,000 yuan), Benesse Corporation (China) Co., Ltd (850,000 yuan), and Win-win Asset Management (Shanghai) Co., Ltd (150,000 yuan).
The main donation work that has been carried out and implemented by the SSCLF from March 3 to March 16, 2020 are as follows:
SSCLF timely purchases materials to support the medical front line
SSCLF has recently made four expenditures from “Anti-NCP Donation Project for Wuhan” to purchase urgently needed medical materials, which are planned to be sent to Wuxue Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hubei, Wuxue Maternity and Child Health Hospital and the front-line medical teams from Shanghai.
Among them, an expenditure of 227,980 yuan from the donation, and 186,020 yuan supported by SSCLF-Kailong Special Fund, altogether 414,000 yuan, was used to purchase 3,000 protective suits.
SSCLF has spent 469,040 yuan to purchase 1,580 disposable medical protective suits, 500 disposable medical masks, 1 infrared thermometer and 5 pieces of moxibustion apparatus.
SSCLF has spent 488,092 yuan to purchase 534 disposable medical protective suits, 5,000 disposable medical masks, 6 pieces of air wave therapeutic apparatus, 5 vibration row phlegm machines and 3 infrared digital temperature-measuring gates.
SSCLF has spent 499,840 yuan to purchase 680 disposable medical protective suits, 5,000 disposable medical masks, 10 ECG monitors, 5 ECG machines and 10 infusion pumps.
Loving organizations continue to donate materials
With the help of Shanghai Charity Foundation, Kailong REI Project Investment Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd donated 42,000 duty-free import surgical masks which have been delivered to the streets and communities in Wuhan and other anti-NCP front lines.
The Qingdao Chamber of Commerce in California, USA donated 5,000 masks, which have been delivered to Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection by SSCLF.
In addition, the 16,000 general protective suits purchased by SSCLF through the “Anti-NCP Donation Project for Wuhan” have all been distributed by March 7. The last batch of 5,000 protective suits was sent to medical units in Hubei and other areas for anti-NCP work.
Fang County People’s Hospital of Shiyan, Hubei, has received the protective suits and other anti-NCP materials


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Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
Qualcomm is launching a couple of chips that are aimed at expanding broadband communications network capacity for connected land lines as well as for wireless Wi-Fi networks.
San Diego, Calif.-based Qualcomm said its Qualcomm Atheros business has introduced GigaDSL chips that enable broadband operators to move from older VDSL technology to faster wired Gigabit access technologies. And Qualcomm is also introducing a three-way radio chip to handle a variety of flavors of Wi-Fi wireless data networking.
The world’s biggest maker of mobile chips made the announcement at the Computex trade show in Taiwan today. Qualcomm Atheros’ new chips are aimed at easing the transition for existing VDSL operators in markets such as South Korea and Japan. The new QCO5700 and QCM5720 chips can provide up to 1 gigabit-per-second broadband over existing telephone lines while still maintaining interoperability with existing modems at carriers.
“We’re in a never-ending pursuit of more network capacity,” said Mark Grodzinsky, senior director of product management at Qualcomm, in an interview with VentureBeat. “This is on both wired and wireless networks. This GigaDSL tech is very important for places that have already deployed VDSL. GigaDSL will be a big help.”
These new products are aimed at supporting Asian carriers as they gear up to handle the expected network traffic for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea and the 2020 Summer Olympics games in Japan, Grodzinsky said. Several customers are already building products based on the new chips. Those customers include Sumitomo Electronic, NEC, and Wave Electronics.
Video typically accounts for 60 percent of network traffic these days. And people expect the Internet to work wherever they are.
“The user experience is at an all-time high” Grodzinsky said.
Qualcomm is also introducing a new 802.11ac Tri-radio platform for home networks. The aim is to boost the capacity of home Wi-Fi and optimize its usage for a better consumer Wi-Fi experience. The new chips bring Wi-Fi features such as multi-user MIMO and Qualcomm Wi-Fi self-organizing networks into new mainstream home network routers. The new chips combine two 5-gigahertz radios and one 2.4–gigahertz radio into a single product to provide more flexibility in a network. The router can dedicate a radio for older legacy devices and alleviate congestion on the network for newer devices.
“We have convergence of many different types of wireless, and we have to get these things working in the phone,” Grodzinsky said. “We have a massive amount of density in terms of devices connecting to the network. I have 16 devices in my home that are connected to the network. You may live in an apartment or a city block where the use of Wi-Fi is becoming a huge issue.”
Wi-Fi is being stretched to its limit, Grodzinsky said. So Qualcomm Atheros is offering two new network tri-radio platforms that can boost a Wi-Fi network to 2.2 gigabit-per-second capacity or even 3.1 gigabits-per-second.
Will the tech industry catch up with the insatiable demand for bandwidth?
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Grodzinsky said. “You can increase channel width, add more bands, and use those bands more efficiently. As an industry, I feel like we have some good technology in multi-user MIMO today. We are getting those products out, and we have a strong pipeline of products coming right behind it.”
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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By Marco La Vecchia, VP Channel Sales, AVG Technologies
The threat landscape has seldom been more risky for small businesses than it is today. Cyber criminals have figured out that most small businesses are holding extremely valuable customer and financial data. They also know that most small businesses are less well equipped to deal with attacks than larger enterprises.
Cyber criminals are constantly inventing new ways to breach small company defenses, often looking for data that might directly or indirectly bring them financial gain. For example, last week hackers managed to access the database of a Domino’s Pizza regional franchise in Europe. They downloaded the personal data of thousands of customers before demanding a ransom for its return. New variants of malware such as Gameover Zeus and CryptoLocker have also been making the rounds. Distributed as part of indiscriminate phishing attacks, there have been numerous cases where small businesses have fallen victim and their systems encrypted. The criminals then offered them a decryption key in exchange for a ransom.
Such ransom attacks are just one threat vector. Another insidious trend is advanced persistent threats (APT), which is malware, usually spread by spam email that is designed to run undetected in the network but can be activated at any time by the sender. And following last year’s PRISM scandal, data privacy is also a major cause for concern. Privacy for company confidential information is something that customers have the right to expect. Here we’re dealing with safety in its widest sense — covering all aspects of company data, whether it’s stored, in the network, or on the move. Small businesses and their reseller partners must take steps to protect themselves/their customers against data loss and take privacy measures to prevent data breaches. A 2013 Ponemon Institute survey revealed that 55 percent of U.S. small businesses suffered a data breach, and 53 percent of those businesses incurred multiple breaches.
The best way to help small businesses take back control of their privacy and security is to offer them a simple, integrated approach where everything that is vulnerable, from mobile phones to PCs, is managed by their trusted IT provider from the same, single cloud security console. It is natural for small businesses owners to turn to their local reseller for help and advice on these issues. With the sharks circling small business, now is an opportune moment to move into the business of offering purpose-built cloud security services.
Small businesses depend on so many devices and applications that personalized, round-the-clock management by a services provider is far more effective than attempting to do it all yourself. If your customers are undecided about cloud security services and are still inclined to do everything themselves, they may be surprised at just how many tasks they will need to find time for. Here are 4 tips that will help keep your customers safe from a cyber-attack:


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Nottingham Pub Removes Foie Gras From Menu
For Immediate Release:
13 March 2017
Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327, ext 222; [email protected]
NOTTINGHAM PUB REMOVES FOIE GRAS FROM MENU
The Ruddington Arms Makes Ethical Decision Following Local Complaints
Ruddington, Nottingham – After hearing from local activists that there’s no humane way to produce foie gras – because birds are force-fed several times a day through pipes that are rammed down their throats – The Ruddington Arms confirmed to PETA that it has decided to remove the cruelly made dish from the menu on ethical grounds.
“The Ruddington Arm’s decision to stop selling foie gras reflects the wishes of the vast majority of the public, who want to see an end to the sale of this inhumane product in the UK”, says PETA Director Elisa Allen. “PETA hopes any restaurants in Nottingham still profiting from the abuse of geese and ducks will follow the pub’s compassionate example by going foie gras–free.”
To produce foie gras, ducks and geese are force-fed several times a day until their livers become diseased and swell to as much as 10 times their normal size. Investigations at foie gras farms have documented sick, dead, and dying birds – some with holes in their necks from pipe injuries. Foie gras production is so inhumane that it’s illegal in the UK and more than a dozen other countries.
High-profile people who support PETA’s anti–foie gras campaign include Ralph Fiennes, Ricky Gervais, Dame Vera Lynn, Kate Winslet, and Sir Roger Moore, who narrated PETA’s video exposé of foie gras production.
For more information on the cruelty behind foie gras, please visit PETA.org.uk.


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By Beth Pinsker
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Looking for the best interest rate for your savings account?
The landscape is about to change dramatically. Thanks to increased competition, some online banks are pushing yields up on savings accounts just as the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates.
On Tuesday, robo-adviser Betterment unveiled a suite of banking products headlined by a savings account with a rate of 2.67%. Until now, Betterment has primarily been an investment adviser, with 450,000 customers and $18 billion in assets under management.
Betterment’s no-fee savings accounts will be FDIC-insured. An additional checking product, which will have a lower rate, will be available in a few months.
Betterment is joining Wealthfront, which leapt into the online savings account market earlier this year, with a rate of 2.57%. This coincided with Goldman Sachs’ Marcus’ cutting its rate from 2.25% to 2.15%, and Ally’s lowering its rate from 2.2% to 2.1%. At sites that aggregate top rates, the range is from 2.5% to 2.0%.
Bankrate.com, for one, does not list financial products like Betterment’s and Wealthfront’s because they are not direct banks, but rather partner with deposit banks under proprietary contracts, said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com.
The rate game may reset soon because the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates at least a quarter point at its upcoming meeting on July 30-31. And if not then, the Fed may cut rates later this year. Some forecasters predict up to three rate cuts by the end of 2019.
“When the Fed moves rates, all banks move. If the Fed moves rates up, rates go up. If Fed goes down, rates go down,” said Jon Stein, CEO of Betterment.
Both Wealthfront and Betterment had plans in place to enter the banking market and said they would weather the rate roller coaster. Officials at each firm said they pass savings along to the consumer as they can, rather than taking more profit.
“Banks are taking a much larger spread,” said Kate Wauck, vice president of communications for Wealthfront, who said that in less than two months, the company had more than $1 million in deposits into cash accounts.
For consumers trying to figure out where to keep their cash, the first thing to consider is what your savings rate is now. Most investors have money at extremely low-rate major banks where the average rate is less than 1%.
“Why are there trillions in savings at the biggest banks, earning 0.1%? To me, that’s the story,” said Bankrate’s McBride.
It might not be worth the hassle to move funds, though. If you already have $10,000 in a high-yield account, the difference among the top competitors is less than $10 a month.
Personal finance guru Ramit Sethi, who has a new edition out of his book “I Will Teach You to Be Rich,” recommends focusing more on how much you can put into a savings account – save 1% more and you make tens of thousands.
“Then you never have to worry about affording an appetizer and dessert again,” Sethi said.
A half a percentage point difference could be the dividing line, said Chris Horymski, senior research analyst at MagnifyMoney.com, which includes a “hassle factor” in its assessment of banks.
Consumers also have to consider what restrictions come with high-yield online savings accounts – some have high balance requirements, some have longer wait times to transfer money, some have hidden fees.
There is often a high inertia factor of just wanting to stay at one’s current bank and a degree of discomfort at not having access to a local branch, Horymski said.
There is also the perennial problem of people thinking they do not have enough money to make a savings account worthwhile.
Sethi has an answer to that, which starts with figuring out what you love to spend money on and finding a way to prioritize.
“There’s a limit to how much you can cut, but there’s no limit to how much you can earn,” Sethi said.


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Video game developer, Tic Toc Games, announced this morning that their latest creation, Adventures of Pip, will hit Wii U on June 11.
Originally scheduled to launch on May 14, Adventures of Pip was pushed back due to last minute polishing and finalizing.
Tic Toc Games launched a Kickstarter campaign for Adventures of Pip and received support from 2, 578 individuals which roughly translates into $65, 974 in backer support.
Adventures of Pip was successfully funded on Oct 4, 2014.
Pure Nintendo recently had the opportunity to play Adventures of Pip and recorded a hand’s on video. That video can be found, here.


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By: Admire Moyo, ITWeb’s News Editor
US-based software giant Microsoft is looking to scale up to 10 000 African start-ups in the next five years.
This was revealed by Kunle Awosika, managing director of Microsoft’s Africa Transformation Office, in a media briefing yesterday.
The virtual media briefing followed Microsoft, through its Africa Transformation Office, this week hosting a meet-up for start-up founders and entrepreneurs, which focused on the essential role of the founder within the start-up ecosystem.
The event, hosted in Cape Town, examined the vital role corporate organisations, venture capital investors, tech accelerators and incubators can play in accelerating start-up innovation and growth across the continent.
According to Awosika, Microsoft is currently already supporting already over 1 000 start-ups through its transformation office, and the immediate goal is to sign up 3 000 businesses.
To enable African start-ups to rapidly scale using investment funding, Microsoft has established industry alliances and partnerships with venture capital investors that facilitate access to $500 million (R8.7 billion) in potential funding.
US-based tech giant Google last year also committed R15 billion over a period of five years to support digital transformation in Africa. The investment includes low-interest loans to help small businesses and equity investments in African start-ups.
Launched in 2021, Microsoft’s Africa Transformation Office is focused on enabling growth and fuelling investment in four essential development areas: digital infrastructure, skilling, small and medium enterprises, and start-ups.
According to Microsoft, understanding that these ambitious goals cannot be achieved alone, strategic partnerships with governments, international organisations, multinationals and African enterprises will accelerate investments in Africa and increase the continent’s export of digital services.
Since its inception, the Africa Transformation Office has spearheaded initiatives and strategic partnerships across Africa to build digital infrastructure, enable SMEs with digital capabilities, support innovative start-ups and skill the current and future workforce.
“South Africa iswell-established as one of the top four start-up ecosystems on the continentand is leading the way for successful exits with more than one-third of the acquisitionsacross the African tech space since 2015,” said Lionel Moyal, commercialpartner director at Microsoft South Africa.
“Microsoft is committed to nurturing and supporting our proudly South African start-ups through engagements such as today’s meet-up.”
Founders attending the event had the chance to network with fellow entrepreneurs and hear from start-up success stories, including Q-Hop and BancX.
Q-Hop offers a contactless, cashless check-out solution to retailers, using a mobile app. The company provides customers with hyper-personalised promotional offers, and retailers with real-time data insights.
Microsoft worked with the team to provide technical support, including a review of the Q-Hop solution architecture and the development of AI algorithms.
BancX says it is a fintech platform that helps companies and banks on the “embedded finance and banking-as-a-service journey, redefining digital banking and financial services and enabling customers to win in the digital-first economy”.
In a statement, Microsoft says Azure is a key component in BancX’s vision to change the financial services landscape in Africa and beyond. Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to BancX, through its various initiatives, provides further fuel for the start-up’s growth, it adds.
“There is huge potential for Africa to become a thriving hub of digital innovation on the global start-up landscape. Our ambition is to see an explosion of local invention and innovation that will contribute positively, not just to Africa’s digital economy, but to global society,” says Awosika.
Microsoft has created partnerships with accelerators and incubators across Africa − including Grindstone, Greenhouse, FlapMax and Seedstars − to provide industry-based start-ups with access to markets, technical skills and funding opportunities.
It notes the Africa Transformation Office has also designed and sponsored business and technical acceleration programmes for start-ups, in partnership with three accelerators in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.
The Africa Transformation Office has engaged with more than 1 500 African start-ups through a series of online and physical engagements, and hosted 10 start-ups at GITEX in Dubai recently, including Q-Hop and BancX.
During the event, they had meetings with potential investors and customers, as well as engagements with the Microsoft leadership team to develop their joint customer pipeline.
Microsoft adds it has already established partnerships with several key venture capital investors, including Banque Misr, Global Venture Capital and Get Funded Africa, and the intention is to grow this network in the next five years to increase funding and enable them to scale up and drive economic growth.
The firm has supported a growth partnership with South African partner Technvst to provide 30 African start-ups with access to customers and market expansion opportunities. Other South African based start-ups − including Finclusion, The Awareness Company, Anisoptera, Omnisient and WalletDoc − have engaged with Microsoft on additional growth and market opportunities.
Microsoft’s Founders Hub was launched in Africa in 2021 under the Africa Transformation Office. The self-service hub provides access to a range of resources, from tools like Microsoft Azure, GitHub and Microsoft 365, to go-to-market and business support.
Microsoft points out this includes opportunities for start-ups to sell to its corporate and enterprise customers. It also supports start-ups in geo-expansion activities, where start-ups can scale up by selling in new countries or regions.
“The Founders Hub allows Microsoft to engage with accelerators, incubators and tech hubs across the continent. Our partnerships with key African accelerators provide crucial support to accelerate our South African growth-stage start-ups with their business development and market expansion plans,” says Moyal.
Microsoft is currently supporting more than 1 000 African start-ups on the Founders Hub, through Azure credit, dev tools, access to mentors and technical support, including nearly 150 South African start-ups.
“Our goal is to enable start-ups to rapidly scale using investment funding, and by providing access to skilling programmes, access to markets and access to technology, with support from our engineering and product teams for co-innovation opportunities. We believe start-ups can contribute significantly to developing Africa’s digital economy and contribute to the wider economic growth of Africa,” says Awosika.
For more articles please visit the following link: https://ngoconnectsa.org/category/articles/
Picture courtesy pexels: https://www.pexels.com/search/Microsoft/


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Six Chinese investors have signed a AUD$15 million ($15.47 million) deal for the purchase of the olive oil company previously owned by two of Western Australia’s most prominent business families, the Kailises and the D’Orsognas.
Kailis Organic Olive Groves was founded in 2001 by Mark Kailis, grandson of Kailis patriarch George Peter, and son of Peter Kailis, who founded fast food chain Red Rooster in 1972.
In 2010 the company bought the olive grove and production assets of Australian agribusiness Great Southern.
The company’s other investors included Marco D’Orsogna, co-owner of Italian goods manufacturer D’Orsogna, and Sydney investment banker Christopher Ryan. Peter Kailis owned about 30 percent, with the remaining 10 percent belonging to Mark Kailis and other family members.
Prior to the buyout, Kailis Organic Olive Groves had experienced a rough couple of years, with AUD$3.4 million ($3.5 million) in losses reported in 2009 – 2010. At its height the company owned 3,813 hectares of plantations in Western Australia, selling around 80 percent of its products to domestic markets and exporting to seven countries, including the United States.
Weakened by low international olive oil prices, the company had amassed $18 million in debt by the time it was handed over to receivers and administrators in November 2011. Scott Langdon of KordaMentha, an Australian business known for their work as insolvency and restructuring specialists, said the deal would at least secure the jobs of the roughly 100 people employed by Kailis Organic.
“It sold as a going concern with all employees transferred to the new entity,” Langdon said. “It’s a pleasing result that the organic olive business is going to continue throughout South East Asia with great prospects.”
According to The West Australian, sources close to the Kailis deal said that it was another indicator of the growing affluent class in China and other Asian countries, where more investors are seeking to diversify their wealth by acquiring large land holdings abroad.
According to the 2013 Beijing International Oil Expo, China is set to become the largest olive oil market in the world. Though consumption is still limited to the high end due its cost, lower prices could result in China consuming half of the world’s olive oil.


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Company registers deragatory domains about its new CEO.
Pharmaceutical company Abbott (NYSE: ABT) has named a new CEO and, with the announcement, snapped up a bunch of defensive domain name registrations.
Last month, the company announced that current COO Robert Ford will take over as CEO next March.
This week, the company registered dozens of domain names that include its new CEO’s name.
Some are friendly, such as robertford.bio and robert-ford.co.
But many of them are derogatory domains that the company wants to keep out of the hands of detractors. These include robertford.exposed, robertbfordsucks.com, and many other ‘sucks’ domains.
While companies often make defensive domain name registrations like these, it can be an exercise in futility. It doesn’t take much imagination to think of other derogatory domains to register.


text: The last few months have been quite the whirlwind for N26 – we’ve celebrated reaching 3.5 million customers worldwide, launched in the USA and also revamped N26 Black to unveil N26 You. And today, we’re excited to announce our Series D funding extension by $170m to $470m. This is one of the biggest rounds ever raised in Berlin and one of the biggest European ones. We’re now valued at $3.5bn, making us the highest valued German startup. We also rank among the most valuable European startups and the top ten of the most valuable FinTech companies worldwide.


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WACOT Limited, a member of the Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, a global conglomerate and leading contributor to the Nigerian economy, launches Dragon Super, an advanced herbicide poised to redefine weed management for farmers across the country.
Dragon Super is a testament to WACOT Limited’s commitment to agricultural innovation and crop protection. This non-selective, post-emergence broad-spectrum herbicide is engineered to control annual and perennial grasses and broadleaf weeds. Its introduction addresses a crucial pain point for farmers, offering many benefits that promise to revolutionise farming practices in Nigeria.
The major benefit of the product is the enhanced duration of weed control. Dragon Super provides an extended period of weed control, effectively eliminating weeds for up to 30 days after application. This prolonged efficacy ensures a sustained weed-free environment, enabling farmers to concentrate on crop cultivation.
The Director of the Agri-Inputs Division at WACOT Limited, Murari Sharma, expressed his enthusiasm about the launch. He said, “This product embodies our commitment to providing practical, effective solutions to the challenges faced by farmers. We believe this revolutionary herbicide will significantly contribute to the advancement of Nigerian agriculture, ushering in a new era of productivity and sustainability.”
The company also highlighted that the product is highly economical, as it requires only half the dosage applied when using traditional herbicides. This offer significant cost savings to farmers, and will no doubt impact the cost of agricultural operations for both the farmer and the consumer.


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in its regular october. At its March 3 meeting, the Lexington City Council conducted a first reading of two potentially impactful items and unanimously approved both items.
The council is considering making Juneteenth an official holiday in towns and easing restrictions on food trucks. A final vote on both is scheduled for the next meeting of the council.
If approved, Juneteenth will become the town’s 11th official holiday. The holiday will be celebrated on June 19, or the nearest weekday if it is a weekend.Lexington will join nearby cities like Columbia, Ilmo, Casey and Orangeburg to establish the day to celebrate the liberation of America’s enslaved people
“We should celebrate that, we should celebrate the people who live in our communities,” Mayor Steve McDougall said. “People who work in this town want to celebrate that and we should give them the opportunity to do so.”
This holiday costs about $7,000 to $10,000 per year, which is a typical range for a holiday in the city, although it can fluctuate. Most of the cost goes to the Lexington Police Department and another portion goes to utility workers.
“Sometimes you spend money because you have to, and sometimes you spend money because it’s the right thing to do,” McDougall said.
Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday last year. Since then, at least 24 states and the District of Columbia have followed suit.
Changes to food truck regulations will expand the number of food vendors allowed on a property, currently capped at one to four per year depending on the size of the property. If approved, the changes would allow the business/property owner to apply for an annual permit, which would allow any food truck to operate on the property, as long as the owner obtains consent from any restaurant within 200 feet.
The council emphasized that every truck must have a business license and pay a hospitality tax to the town.


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US (NC): Apple crop down in North Carolina
Like growers in many apple-producing states around the country this year, North Carolina growers have had to contend with a diminished crop due to early warm weather. As a result, growers are reporting some of the lowest production, as well as some of the highest prices, they've seen in a while.
Unseasonably warm weather early in the year caused tree buds to come out prematurely. When early warm temperatures gave way to cold weather, many trees were left vulnerable to frost. Such was the case for many growers in Henderson County, the region responsible for most of the North Carolina's fresh apples.
“We'll have about 15 percent of a normal crop this year,” said Kenny Barnwell of Ridgeview Apple Packers in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The weather that caused most of the damage wasn't very extensive, noted Barnwell, but because orchards were vulnerable, it didn't take much to damage the crop. “The buds came out early, so it only took a couple of days of frost, on April 13 and 14, that caused us to lose big portions of this year's crop.”
Nationally, apple production is forecast to be 8.06 million pounds, which is down 14 percent from last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's mostly due to diminished production from eastern states which are expected to produce 1.60 million pounds this year, which is down 31 percent from last year's production. North Carolina, with damage from frost, hail and floods, is expected to follow that trend. With low yields throughout large parts of the country coupled with robust demand for fresh apples, growers are reporting strong prices.
“I've been in this business for 32 years now, and I've never seen prices this high,” said Barnwell. He added that current prices for fresh apples are about 25 percent higher than they would be in normal years. But despite strong prices, lower production has made this season one which North Carolina's growers will soon hope to forget.
“It's been one of those years,” said Barnwell. “We're just going to sell what we have and move on.”
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If you live in Hosur or within Krishnakiri district, and come across adulterated or contaminated food item being sold in shops or hotels, then just whatsapp a message to 9444042322.
District collector, speaking about adulteration of food items in the district advised public to be alert on such offences and requested to inform the district administration by sending a message through whatsapp.
If anyone has trouble sending message using the social media app, then they can just call 04343-230102 and inform about the adulteration.
District collector also warned those shop owners who sell edible items to get registered quickly so as to avoid stringent actions that may put them into legal net.
அ சூசை பிரகாசம் : தமிழன் என்பதால் மனிதன்.
தமிழால் இணைவோம் அறிவால் உயர்வோம். தமிழை நேசிப்போம், தமிழில் பேசுவோம், தமிழோடு இணைவோம்.
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Audio ad spend recovering fast
The latest report from the Standard Media Index shows that audio ad spend is recovering fast from the covid downturn.
As Christmas approaches, audio advertising on radio, smart speakers and music streams had a strong increase, with the audio segment of the index increasing by 9.5% overall.
Radio advertising was up 6.5% and digital audio advertising increased by over 50%.
Audio was ahead of the overall total ad spend, which increased by 2.7% overall in October.
TV bookings declined compared with the same period as last year due to covid restrictions and the changed dates for the footy grand final season. Print newspaper advertising declined, while digital news increased.
Magazine and Outdoor ad spends also increased, as did digital advertising on social media.
Compared with pre-covid spending, this month is ahead of spending in October 2019. Total bookings are up 20.7% on the same four months of last year to a level which is $95 million above the amount spent over the same period in 2019. The strong covid recovery continues, with the Australian market now reporting nine consecutive months of higher ad spend.
SMI AU/NZ Managing Director Jane Ractliffe says stronger Government category ad spend continued into October with the total up 60.5% year-on-year as the COVID messaging continued. Retail remains the largest category, despite total investment dipping 9.4% year-on-year mostly due to an unusually low level of October bookings from supermarkets.
In October, SMI has also introduced the market’s first view of ad spend in the Buy Now Pay Later market by creating a new sub-category within its broader Financial Services category.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has also released its latest Australia Online Advertising Expenditure Report today, which shows that the Australian digital advertising market has continued its growth at pace, reaching $3.232bn for the September quarter 2021, up 42.1% year on year.
The IAB report, prepared by PwC, shows that retail remains the leading advertiser category and that video continues to be strong.
The September quarter had a mix of highs and lows, with Olympics activity encouraging investment but the travel market pulling back again with local lockdowns, according to Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia.
The digital advertising market’s September quarter increased 42% on the COVID impacted September 2020, but also increasing 36% compared to the 2019 September quarter, results that are consistent with the SMI trends.
All categories experienced double digital growth on the September quarter 2020, with search and directories increasing 41%, general display advertising increasing by 45.6% and classifieds up 37.3%, but the total digital advertising market declined by 1.3% on the prior quarter.
Retail advertising was the top advertiser category, followed buy the technology sector. Automotive advertising’s share of total spend continued to retract, reflecting the supply challenges; and the travel sector saw the largest decrease in share due to lockdowns reversing the increases experience by travel in the June quarter.
Video advertising’s share of general display advertising peaked this quarter at 62%, an increase of 72% year-on-year to reach $784.1m.
Infeed / native advertising grew 30% year on year, while standard display advertising fell 21% year on year. Programmatic trading again increased in the September quarter.


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It’s really good news for those agog iPad fans. Apple has announced that its revolutionary product iPad is going to accept pre-orders today. Now you should be able to see the customers for the pre-orders of iPad who are lining up before the Apple Store. Of course you also can pre-order your Apple iPad at Apple website.
This time Apple only accepts the pre-orders of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G version iPad, and the solo 3G version still will be launched in April. Anyway, perhaps these preorders will satisfy some people’s thirst for iPad.


text: Americans spend more than $50 billion every year on beauty and skin care products. But there's little oversight into what goes into the products we're putting on our skin and hair. Now a bipartisan group of lawmakers and industry leaders say that has got to change. Under the proposed law, the FDA would test whether chemicals such as propylparaben and lead acetate are being used at safe levels and if not, issue a recall. Jan Crawford reports.


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NEW YORK (AP) -- Weight loss drug maker Vivus Inc. said Tuesday it plans to sell $200 million in convertible senior debt due in 2020 in a private transaction.
Vivus said the initial purchasers will have the option to buy another $30 million in notes, which are due May 1, 2020.
The Mountain View, Calif., company said it will enter in a "capped call" transaction to prevent the dilution of its shares once the debt is converted to stock. Some of the proceeds from the sale will be used to fund that transaction. The rest of the proceeds will be used to support commercialization of its drug Qsymia and development of other drugs, and for general corporate purposes.
Vivus reported $4.1 million in Qsymia sales in the first quarter. The drug was approved in July 2012 and went on sale in September.
Shares of Vivus lost 40 cents, or 3 percent, to $13.19 in morning trading.


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Sep 11, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s expenditure on dairy and dairy products imports rose by 18 percent from a year earlier to 44 billion rupees during 2014, a new report says.
According to a report by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, import volumes increased three percent to 71 million kilograms, and the increase in imports was mainly due to the higher prices of dairy and dairy products.
“The pickup in volumes in 2014 was on the back of a sharp decline in 2013, following issues regarding chemical contamination.”
Meanwhile, the report says export volumes of dairy and dairy products from Sri Lanka in 2014 fell to 595,000 Kilograms from the six-year high of 661,000 kilos seen in 2013.
“Last year’s production was impacted by drought conditions and the spread of foot and mouth disease,” the report said.
The value of exports have declined by 8 percent in 2014, but remained above the average over the previous 7 years.
The largest market for Sri Lankan dairy and dairy products exports in 2014 was the Maldives, accounting for 80 percent.


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In pursuit of sustainable fish feed
Publish on 11/13/2019 05:11:03 PMVTT’s deep-tech incubator teams have two solutions to meet the need for new sustainable fish feed
DASE-SING shrink sleeve packaging solutions
Publish on 11/13/2019 04:11:11 PMIn this video, Ms. Jovy Chen, Sales Manager of DASE-SING Group, talks about the company's latest shrink sleeve packaging technology.
AAK puts spotlight on plant-based solutions, sustainability
Publish on 11/13/2019 10:11:14 AMThis is a logical step for the specialty vegetable oils and fats supplier, especially as it stays in sync with market trends.
How new chocolate flavours can be produced
Publish on 11/13/2019 10:11:02 AMTo stay on top, chocolate manufacturers can tweak the taste and make several different varietals, according to researchers
Equinom beefs up plant-based meat products
Publish on 11/12/2019 05:11:31 PMThe startup aims to helping producers create cleaner, palate-pleasing meat-free products
Outlook 2020: Asia destination, strategy innovation
Publish on 11/12/2019 04:11:16 PMOptimisation key to addressing waste reduction and other issues as companies move toward more sustainable production
Philippines to exhibit halal products in Gulfood
Publish on 11/11/2019 07:11:19 PMThe Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) will lead the FoodPhilippines pavilion showcasing top halal-certified food selections.
Innovative products awarded at yummex ME


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Pocketnow is reporting that a reliable source has informed them that this will be the retail branding of the phone that is going to sport a speedy processor and a high-resolution display.
Originally, it was thought that the HTC Ruby would be called the HTC Hero 4G but HTC Amaze is apparently one of the names that HTC has trademarked lately and it seems to be the lucky winner. HTC has apparently filed for the Amaze in Europe as well so we could see this launch much in the same way that the HTC Sensation did.
As for the specs, the HTC Amaze 4G is going to be a high-end flagship device and not a mid-range phone that was previously rumored. It’s going to have a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch qHD display, 8MP rear camera, and will likely have the same camera features that the myTouch 4G Slide has.
So, essentially, a combination of the Sensation 4G and myTouch 4G Slide. Not bad, not bad at all.
What do you guys think of the HTC Amaze 4G name?
60 Exciting Things You Can Do With the Apple Watch
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Best Smart Home Gifts for Your Parents in 2019
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The Supreme Court in an oral observation Thursday said that films or television shows on OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon need to be screened before they are available to the public.
The court observed, “There should be some screening of films, series shown on OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon… There is pornography in some films.”
The court was hearing a plea on the Tandav controversy — Amazon Prime Video’s head of India Originals’ Aparna Purohit’s challenging the Allahabad High Court denying her anticipatory bail.
The Supreme Court also asked the Centre to submit before it the regulations for OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime while emphasising that programs broadcast on such platforms should be screened.
Live Law quoted Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Purohit, as saying, “These are all publicity seekers who have been filing cases all over India. Look at the FIR, look at what’s happening. If you want to watch this web series, you have to pay to see this.”


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Each year on Feb. 18, Americans across the country celebrate the health benefits of drinking wine in an unofficial holiday. National Drink Wine Day is the perfect day to uncork your favorite bottle of wine and enjoy it with your dinner.
This year, why not make a special toast to your friends and family members for enduring 2020 and to making 2021 a much better year?
Since wine has played an important role in human history for thousands of years, drinking this beverage has also been shown to benefit all kinds of health ailments if consumed in moderation.
Wine making can be traced back more than 9,000 years by archaeologists to about 7000 BC in China. This is when the Chinese began making an alcoholic beverage from wild mountain grapes. However, scientists believe wine making and consumption goes back even further than that.
Local vineyards and wineries will also celebrate National Drink Wine Day.
Mike Chan, owner of Tehachapi Winery, is the only winery in Tehachapi that ferments its own wine.
Located at 22136 Bailey Road, Tehachapi Winery is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and for tasting Friday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
Chan will offer a 15 percent discount on his wine on Feb. 18, and will feature live music the following weekend. His stock features nine different reds. Pizza and charcuterie food boxes are also available.
For more information, call (808) 428-1178.
Ilda Vaja, owner of Rancho de los Viajeros Vineyards, will feature a cabernet for a 10 percent discount.
“My specialty is my Malbec,” Vaja said.
The vineyard is normally open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
“But if you stop by on that Thursday, you can pick up a bottle for that special day,” Vaja said. “Make sure you call before you come.”
Rancho de los Viajeros Vineyards can be reached by calling 822-7735.
Tehachapi Wine & Cattle owners Mike Van Atta and Beth Hamilton will celebrate National Drink Wine Day the weekend before in coordination with their Valentine’s Day celebration.
The vineyard will feature live music by fiddle player Tom Carlson on Saturday, Feb. 13.
On Sunday, Feb. 14, Chef Steve will prepare 12-14 ounce Luigi’s New York steaks with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables. Izzy and the Fins (a jazz duo) will perform while you dine. Cost is $80 per couple (wine is extra). The winery will be closed for this private event from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and reservations are required. The winery will reopen at 2 p.m. for regular business, with Jim Cinney performing music.
“That weekend, we will feature a reserve estate wine that will be the first bottle to say Tehachapi Mountains American Viticultural Area accreditation,” Hamilton said.
Tehachapi Wine & Cattle Company is located at 26877 Cummings Valley Road. For…


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LG has announced the latest addition to its Minibeam line of projectors, the Minibeam Nano PV150G.
“As the number one LED projector maker in the world, we are committed to growing our Minibeam lineup for consumers who are becoming increasingly more mobile but don’t want to give up the comforts of a big display when it comes to their entertainment. The Minibeam Nano is the perfect projector for those who favor portability over everything else. And at only a quarter of a kilogram, you can’t get much more portable than Minibeam Nano.”
-Lee In-kyu, LG Home Entertainment company’s TV and Monitor division senior vice president, head
Tipping the scale at 270 grams, the PV150G weighs no more than a paperback book, but the projector features a wireless mirroring mode that allows it to connect to a smartphone or tablet through Miracast and WiFi Direct for instantaneous big screen viewing. The Minibeam Nano can play and project movies, photos, music, and office documents from a USB flash drive for up to two hours with a 3,800mAh battery.
The PV160G’s LED lamp is rated for 30,000 hours, which is 10 years of viewing for eight hours daily. The Auto Keystone function automatically adjusts and controls the projected image, optimizing for the best viewing experience. The projector can also display a picture of up to 100 diagonal inches.
The Minibeam Nano is available now in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Here’s the rest of the spec sheet:
- Native Resolution: 854×480 (WVGA)
- Brightness: 100 ANSI lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 100,000:1 (Full On/Full Off)
- Illumination: RGB LED
- Throw Ratio:64
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Dimensions: 108x103x44mm, 270g
- Sound: 1W Mono speaker
- HDMI: Up to full HD (1080p)
- Power: 100-240V AC-DC Adapter


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Mercedes-Benz revealed its new flagship sedan's interior designed to look like a luxurious yacht — take a closer look at its opulent features
- The upcoming 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will have a very nautical-themed interior.
- There will be open-pore wood veneers and real aluminum inlays.
- The car will be officially unveiled later this year.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
While we haven't seen the upcoming 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class yet, we now have a better idea of what its interior will look like. It doesn't disappoint.
The S-Class is Mercedes's most executive model. It's the stately sedan that's better to be driven around in than to drive yourself. We already know that the seventh generation, which will be unveiled later this year, will have as many as five screens inside: two in the front and up to three in the back.
The new interior will have "elegant airiness" and "lounge characteristics," according to a Wednesday press release. Mercedes envisions it as a "third place," or, the "refuge between home and workplace." But seeing as we're all currently stuck in a global pandemic, the car might get bumped up to a "second place."
Mercedes says it drew a lot of inspiration from yacht design elements. There will be lots of open-pore wood veneers and real aluminum inlays.
Keep scrolling for a closer look.
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Also from Business Insider South Africa:
- Covid-19 hotspots have been scrapped – just as KZN outpaces the Western Cape – ‘for now’
- You may want to check the expiry date on that beer before you pay
- A giant rig is heading for the ‘Luiperd’ – in a bet worth billions on a big SA gas find
- Hackers hit Momentum Metropolitan
- Why Eskom is load shedding again – and why it’ll get worse


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Home sales dip in April
The Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales cooled in April after setting a record the previous month.
The industry trade group says home sales over the MLS system fell 1.7 per cent last month compared with March.
The decline was led by the Greater Toronto Area, and sales were down in nearly two-thirds of all local markets across the country.
While sales dipped the price did not, the average price for a home sold last month was $559,317, up 10.4 per cent from a year ago, boosted by the Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto markets.
Larry talks to Kamran Bokhari Expert on the geopolitics of the Middle East at the University of Ottawa's Professional Development Institute


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The über-exotic Rapide, Aston Martin’s new four-door, four-seat sports car, officially launches in the second quarter (late Spring) of 2010, retailing for a base MSRP of $199,950. Aston Martin expects to build approximately 2000 Rapides total in the first year of production.
Production will commence at the all-new Aston Martin Rapide Plant in Graz, Austria, and each car will take roughly 220 man hours to build. Naturally, these cars come stocked with the highest levels of refinement, just like the rest of the Aston Martin line, and standard features include things like a Bang & Olufsen Beosound audio system (tuned specifically for the Rapide), heated memory seats, an adaptive damping system, and dual-cast brakes.
The Rapide is now on sale via Aston Martin’s American dealer network, with deliveries starting next year. (The line forms to the right.) Scroll down to read the official press release.
Aston Martin Announces Rapide Pricing for the United States
Irvine, 5th December 2009.
As the eagerly awaited Aston Martin Rapide four-door sports car goes through final engineering and testing phases before being launched in early quarter two 2010, Aston Martin confirms US pricing.
The price of the Rapide will start from $199,950 in the US which features an impressive level of standard specification including: Bang & Olufsen Beosound audio system tailored specifically for Rapide, heated memory seats, dual cast brakes and Adaptive Damping System.
The Rapide is Aston Martin’s first production four-door sports car encapsulating the practicality of a car with extra doors and fusing it with the trademark sports car dynamics synonymous with modern Aston Martins.
Customer deliveries will commence in spring 2010, and it will be the first sports car to be hand-built at the Aston Martin Rapide Plant (AMRP) in Graz, Austria. The new 17,000 m2 building has been designed to reflect the quality levels established in Gaydon since 2003 permitting the fusion of modern technology, advanced manufacturing processes and handbuilt craftsmanship. Each Rapide will take approximately 220 man hours to build and will benefit from timeless craft skills just like the existing range: DBS, DB9, V12 and V8 Vantage do at Gaydon.
It is anticipated that +/- 2,000 Rapides will be built in the first year attracting a high proportion of new customers to the brand. Core to this trend is the mix of huge attention to detail throughout the car, ample accommodation for up to four adults and the spacious trunk while maintaining Rapide’s elegant beauty and sports car profile.
The Rapide is on sale now available to order from the Aston Martin dealership network across North America.
After Mercedes-Benz dropped the legendary M279 V12, another date we were told would come: the Mercedes-Benz Station Wagon will cease to exist (in 2030).
The auction firm has announced another banger: Mario Andretti’s 1978 John Player Special Lotus-Cosworth Type 79
Tesla has announced a further $3.6 Billion investment into the automakers Gigafactory plant in Nevada, adding 3,000 new jobs & two new factories.
Chevrolet unveiled the 2024 Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car Friday at Daytona International Speedway, a year prior to its official competition debut.
Mercedes-Benz has announced its DRIVE PILOT conditional autonomous driving system has been authorized for use on public roads, beginning in Nevada.


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image credit: dapurpacu.com
Toyota has seemed to prepare a new plan concerning their new variant, the new Toyota Agia. Rumor has it that the Agia will be a joint force production between Toyota and Daihatsu. There is no official confirmation or news about it as both companies are keeping their mouth completely shut about this planning. However, if the news is true, then this model will be the third production between Toyota and Daihatsu, after the Terios- Rush and the Xenia-Avanza.
The Toyota Agia has been introduced and launched during the IIMS 2011 or the Indonesian International Motor Show. At that time, the ADM or Astra Daihatsu Motor has introduced the a Concept variant which is claimed to be the next generation of cheap ride model set up for Indonesian market. In fact, the CEO of ADM; Sudirman Maman Rusdi, has mentioned the company’s readiness to introduce the new ride during the 2012 IIMS event which will take place around September.
It s predicted that the ride will be coming with hatchback model and 1000 cc of power, although there is no exact details of the specifications. Rumor has it that the ride will be sold less than IDR100 millions. We’d better wait for further news and details.


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Google has revealed three new games that Stadia Pro members can claim for free in March. It also said Spitlings is available for $14.99 and announced new discounts for Stadia Pro subscribers.
Dragon ball xenoverse 2 RSS
Google has announced a new set of games being added to the Stadia library this week. Borderlands 3 and Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 are available today, with Ghost Recon: Breakpoint coming tomorrow.


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NEW YORK--( / ) October 28, 2015 -- Established in 1970, Bill Blass led the way for American designer brands. Today, the brand is poised to re-enter the market with a thoroughly modern strategy, catering exclusively to eCommerce customers worldwide. The launch collection, designed under Creative Director Chris Benz, includes women’s ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories and shoes, shipping to over 65 countries beginning November 2nd.
The pure-play eCommerce strategy was born from a desire to service consumers in the most responsive and contemporary way. “We are advancing the brand in a way that is digital for today and tomorrow while honoring the brand’s philosophical origin and illustrious past,” says Bill Blass President & COO, Stuart Goldblatt.
Breathing new life into the Bill Blass brand is Chris Benz, a young designer with an eponymous line already under his belt, who will use his social media savvy - he has over 200,000 followers - to engage with customers. “Bill Blass used the most relevant methods [at the time] to reach his customer directly and we will continue that ethos, creating a new, modern dialogue.” Benz is supported in these communications by an in-house digital marketing team.
Today, the Bill Blass team is honoring the brand more rigorously than the brand has been since Mr. Blass’ reign. Benz is mindful however of catering to the modern woman, noting, "looking to the future, one must respect the past and forge ahead leveraging the design history as a language rather than a blueprint.”
Rounding out the executive team is Business Director Kelly DeMeester, who joined the team following years of experience in the finance industry. DeMeester notes, “There is a ubiquitous disclaimer in investment reporting, ‘Past performance does not guarantee future results.’ To some degree this is also true for fashion.” Underpinning her strategic business approach, DeMeester believes, "applying technology and tapping into consumer behavior to enhance the user experience will foster deeper, more personal engagement.”
The brand will be supported by a strong technology platform and will launch with a custom-built eCommerce website- Bill Blass is able to change the site’s content and merchandise in-house, managing a continuous flow of new product. The focus, rather than tied to traditional seasonal delivery schedules, is to present an ongoing stream of product for global distribution. To enhance the company’s agility, Bill Blass has created a state-of-the-art, in-house digital studio where new product can seamlessly go from photography to online availability in record time.
On the eve of the brand’s launch, Goldblatt sums up the spirit of the new team: “Everyone at Bill Blass is passionate about infusing vitality into one of the greatest fashion brands in history. We are committed to investing in our future and creating the foundation for a vibrant global brand, led through eCommerce.”
View source version on businesswire.com:Korea Newswire distributes your news across every media channels through the industry’s largest press release distribution network
CHICAGO--( / ) January 08, 2018 -- GE Healthcare has entered into a strategic, long-term partnership with Roche (SIX: 밤스타그램 야한사이트추천 RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) to jointly develop and 성체위 CHICAGO--(digital clinical decision 이유이 복권당첨확인 support solutions. The partnership will initially focus on products that accelerate and improve individualized 이유이 로ㅗ treatment options for cancer and critical care patients.
The two companies aim to develop an industry-first digital platform, using advanced analytics to provide bj쏘 Thesolutions and apps that support clinical decisions. This will allow 이유이 퓨처비전 the 이유이 이번주로또번호 seamless integration and analysis of in-vivo and in-vitro data, patient records, 밤스타그램 일본야한만화 medical best practice, real time monitoring and the latest research outcomes. Clinicians will then have the comprehensive decision support for providing the bj쏘 Thetreatment and bj쏘 Theof care for their patients.
For example, oncology care teams 밤스타그램 19만화 with multiple specialists will have a comprehensive data dashboard to review, collaborate and align on treatment decisions for cancer patients at each stage of their disease. 밤스타그램 로또1등비결 In the critical care setting, data from a patient’s hospital monitoring equipment will be Javfree Forwith their biomarker, tissue pathology, genomic and sequencing data, helping physicians to identify, or even predict 이유이 severe 이유이 페티쉬사이트 complications before they strike.
“This is the first time that VPNGATE “Thismajor players in healthcare 밤스타그램 로또페턴 have combined advanced 밤스타그램 로또번호분석기 analytics 이유이 토렌트집 with in-vivo and in-vitro diagnostics to this degree. We believe this alliance will help accelerate the delivery of data-driven precision health for customers, patients and the healthcare industry,” 이유이 나의로또번호 said Kieran Murphy, President 떡치는밤 “ThisCEO of GE Healthcare. 이유이 로또기록
“This 이유이 무료로또당첨번호 unique 밤스타그램 partnership will deliver innovative solutions and insights in clinical decision-making. Our 이유이 유유조아 goal is to support clinicians and other 밤스타그램 “Thisstakeholders 이유이 로또당첨번호중복 for the benefit of patients by providing the right decision support at the right time and through 밤스타그램 “Thisdigital offerings,” said Roland Diggelmann, CEO Roche 밤스타그램 Diagnostics.
About 밤스타그램 꿀밤 69com About밤스타그램 로또판매점 Healthcare: 밤스타그램 로또당첨번호확인 이유이 로또당첨번호확인
Harnessing data 섹스노리 Harnessinganalytics across hardware, software and biotech, GE Healthcare is the $18 billion healthcare business of GE (NYSE: GE). As 이유이 a leading provider of 밤스타그램 로또당첨금세금 medical imaging equipment, with a track record of more than 밤스타그램 지난주로또당첨번호 100 years in the industry and more than 50,000 employees across 나이트몰 Harnessingcountries, we transform healthcare by delivering better outcomes for providers and patients. Visit us at or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and The Pulse for latest news
미국정력제 Roche성인여성속옷자극적인거 Rochea global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have 이유이 돈들어오는부적 made Roche the leader in 밤스타그램 시크릿토이 personalised healthcare - a strategy 밤스타그램 로또당첨번호지역 that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.
The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2016 employed more 미호의 The94,000 people worldwide. In 이유이 아이러브사커 HPJAV TheRoche invested CHF 9.9 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 약사명동성인게임장 Thebillion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned 밤스타그램 슈퍼맨TV member of the Roche Group. Roche is 이유이 대방역로또 the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit
View source version on businesswire.com:GE, Roche 밤스타그램 연금복권당첨번호 Enter Partnership 밤스타그램 라이브채널TV to develop an industry-first fNEKl View부전동포커 Viewusing advanced analytics to provide workflow solutions and apps 이유이 미국슈퍼복권 that 수택동화투치기 Viewclinical decisions
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GES is the preeminent annual entrepreneurship gathering that convenes emerging entrepreneurs, investors and supporters from around the world. GES 2017 will create an environment that empowers innovators, particularly women, to take their ideas to the next level. Through two and a half days of networking, mentoring, and workshops, GES empowers entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas, build partnerships, secure funding, innovate, and find their target customers -- creating new goods and services that will transform societies.
Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) has connected top entrepreneurship talent with investors and startup ecosystems across the globe to innovate the world’s most exciting solutions. The summit was attended by 1,500 entrepreneurs from 170 countries. In partnership with the Government of the United States of America, NITI Aayog is proud to host the eighth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India from November 28-30, 2017 addressed by The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. The US delegation will be led by Ms. Ivanka Trump, Advisor to President Trump.
Since the inception of GES in 2010, it has traveled across the world from Washington D.C. to Istanbul, Dubai, Marrakech, Nairobi, Kuala Lumpur, Silicon Valley, and now finally Hyderabad!
THIS YEAR’S THEME: WOMEN FIRST, PROSPERITY FOR ALLUnder the overarching theme of ‘Women First, Prosperity for All’, this year the summit will primarily focus on Energy & Infrastructure, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Financial Technology & Digital Economy, and Media & Entertainment sectors.
Indigenously designed robot Mitra greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ivanka Trump and they inaugurated the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad by pressing a button. CEO of Invento Tech -- Balaji Viswanathan -- and his 14-mmember team deployed two bots at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017. The 'Made in India' robot has been developed by a Bengaluru based company Invento Robotics, founded by Balaji Vishwanathan. Mitra is an ‘end-to-end’ India product. It provides contextual information to customers using a recommendations engine similar to what Facebook and Google use for their services. According to The Indian Express report, 'Mitra' is going to work on facial recognition technology to identify customers. The Company’s website also claims that the humanoid can become a photographer and a DJ and can live tweet from an event.


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[World Wide Web Roundup] According to European media reports worldcarfans December 9th, recently released the first Mercedes-Benz E-Class HD 2016 Interior official figure.
And high-end S-Class, like the atmosphere, 2016 E-Class is also equipped with modern dashboard, it was dual arrangement, all-digital instrument cluster. The car's steering wheel, navigation system, interior and the materials used are different.
Infotainment display mounted next four circular vents, install a temperature control system on the center console and a stylish timepiece. The left side of the instrument panel are several buttons to control rescue system and electric braking system. With the traditional Mercedes-Benz cars, the new E-class front seat adjustment buttons mounted on the door panels, while cooling / heating speaker button, the audio system is also on the door.
About 2016 E-Class, Mercedes-Benz announced the details of the current is very small, but there are reports suggesting that the car will use NFC System - With this system, the driver simply insert the special security SIM card in your phone, you can use the phone as car key. The car is also equipped with the BMW 7 Series is similar to a remote parking system.
2016 E-Class will make its debut in January of next year in the North American International Auto Show. Sedan version is expected to be sold in April next year, while the station wagon version will follow the market. (Internship compilation: SOCIALIST Reviewer: Liu Yang)


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They say you only have one chance to make a first impression. In that spirit, many homeowners are creating unique and elegant front porches in an effort to make a statement about their homes and lifestyles.
Everything from simple turnkey designs to sweeping, sophisticated custom porches with columns, swings, designer railings and other touches are becoming increasingly common in residential neighborhoods. According to research from the National Associates of Home Builders (NAHB), a front porch ranks high on the customer’s wish list.
“There is a definite resurgence in porches in today’s home designs,” said Stephen L. Schoch, AIA, and principal at Kitchen & Associates in Collingswood, N.J. “People may have busy lives, but they love the slowdown feeling that a porch brings to their home. We’ve seen a strong increase during the past decade in homeowners requesting all types of outdoor living extensions: decks, bedroom balconies and especially wrap-around front porches.”
This front porch trend is somewhat regional in nature, according to Steve Roth, research and development manager at Fypon, a manufacturer of decorative urethane millwork that offers balustrade and PVC column wraps in dozens of sizes and styles. He said the architectural style of homes in the South, Midwest and East/Central regions of the United States particularly lend themselves to porches, while the Spanish-style hacienda homes more prevalent in the West do not.
“This is a dream project for homeowners, especially in the southern states where so much of living is outdoors and year-round,” he said. “They can do something as simple as adding column wraps to hide unsightly wooden porch posts or go with a complete addition involving porch posts, balustrade systems and column wraps.”
In addition to building a new porch, many homeowners are choosing to renovate their existing structures. Take Wauseon, Ohio, couple Tina and Brett Mealer, who hired a contractor to transform their bare basic porch into a showpiece. “We had some ugly wooden posts holding up the porch overhang, and the kids kept jumping off the porch area,” said Tina Mealer.
The couple decided to add PVC column wraps to surround the wooden posts and added a Fypon balustrade system to enclose the entire porch area. “We wanted to create more of an enclosure that we could all share together, plus add curb appeal to our home,” she added.
Virginia Decking and Remodeling sells both standard and custom front porch plans, also offering general contractor services throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Owner Mike French, who started the company 25 years ago and also sells plans for decks, gazebos and sunrooms, said he noticed an increase in front porch plan orders two to three years ago.
“A lot of people have already done their decks and are looking to further enhance the value and functionality of their home,” said French, who builds between 150 and 200 front porches a year. “Front porches are also a throwback: The homes many people grew up in had a front porch. So it may also be a bit of a nostalgia thing.”
According to French, building a 300-square-foot porch with pressure treated wood can range in price from $14,000 to $21,000, while the same deck done in composite materials can range from $20,000 to $28,000, or higher.
In addition to treated wood, there are a growing number of composite options like Trex, EverGrain, TimberTech, CorrectDeck, MoistureShield, Veranda and Procell. While these synthetic decking materials have the texture of wood, they do not need staining, painting or sealing to maintain a natural look. The composites also get high grades for resistance of water and termites.
Somerville Lumber, a single-location pro dealer in Bridgewater, N.J., has a 1,500-square-foot display area consisting of a large deck made of a variety of materials, including Trex, TimberTech, EverGrain and Trimax, as well as real-wood options. “We’ve even had people ask to put water on some of the products, to see if it’s slippery,” said Tony Loftus, general manager and special products coordinator. “This display has afforded people a genuine opportunity to see what they’re going to end up with at their home.”
The section slowly evolved over the years from a small corner of the store to its current expanded form. As the composite products became more popular, and as the manufacturers have introduced new colors and styles, the decking section has grown to accommodate the market. “We rearranged the entire store,” Loftus said.
French—who still builds wood porches—has also seen an overriding trend toward composite materials. Speaking of one such brand, GeoDeck, he said: “It doesn’t fade or stain, stays cool to the touch and has a hidden fastener system. People are sick and tired of maintenance. They don’t want a part-time job, but they want to enjoy their homes.”
Fypon’s Roth agreed that maintenance-free products such as urethane balustrade systems and PVC column wraps are the overwhelming choice of homeowners, who “tend to want to get their front porches installed and then sit back and enjoy them.”
In addition, Roth says, it’s important for homeowners to be able to customize their porch to complement their personal style, as well as their home’s style. This can mean they want the pure, simple lines of Craftsman style, or the Victorian style with brackets, gingerbread trim and moldings.
“More than just extending their living space, we see that homeowners value the added curb appeal that a front porch brings to a home,” Roth said. “It sets the personality for their home and can add in resale value. Also, in many communities people use the front porch as a way to interact with neighbors.”
The NAHB’s 2002 study “What 21st Century Home Buyers Want,” revealed that a front porch was listed by consumers as the fifth highest preference as a design feature that would influence their purchasing decision of a home.
“Children play on the front porch, people wave to neighbors walking dogs, etc.,” said Roth. “It’s a social interaction element that people crave.”


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CherryPal’s cloud PC launch date extension came as a shock to the industry. Earlier expected to ship last month, now the cloud PC will be available to you within two weeks hopefully.
The software was not working well with newer SSD, but the problem has been resolved by technicians and experts at CheeyPal.
The company has not given any kind of surety as it might take longer for the issue to get resolved. The cloud PC will be available to you for $249.


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April 6, 2018
Hasbro and Paramount Pictures have hired 10 writers to develop a cross-property, interconnected on-screen universe for the toy company.
The new film franchise portfolio will feature the brands G.I. Joe, Visionaries, Micronauts, M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand) and ROM.
Allspark Pictures, Hasbro’s film label, is slated to produce the films.
Brian Goldner, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Hasbro, and Stephen Davis, executive vice president and chief content officer of Hasbro, will serve as producers and Josh Feldman, co-head of storytelling at Hasbro will serve as co-executive producer.
“Together with Paramount, we have assembled a team of incredibly talented creative minds and storytellers to continue to help tell the rich history and narrative behind this interconnected cinematic universe, and we are thrilled to be working with Akiva Goldsman again to guide this process,” says Goldner. “We are also excited to partner with Paramount to produce the films, as we’ve had a strong and collaborative partnership since our first Transformers movie in 2007.”
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RelayRides car-sharing raises $10M
- Staff Silicon Valley Business Journal
RelayRides, which describes itself as "the world's first neighbor-to-neighbor car-sharing service," said it raised about $10 million in new funding.
Funders include Shasta Ventures and August Ventures, which have offices in Menlo Park; Google Ventures, the funding arm of Mountain View-based Google; and entrepreneur Lisa Gansky.
The San Francisco company said a "growing number of consumers use the service to safely lend their cars to neighbors – and generate on average $250 per month per vehicle. The company, which has unmatched security technology, backs its service with a $1 million insurance policy."
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China is home to a staggering consumer base and Baidu, as we’ve previously reported, is no slouch when it comes to attempting different ways to take advantage of it. Now the wildly successful search engine company and social media entrepreneurs are looking to expand even further, offering Chinese audiences legal music downloads through the recently released Baidu Ting.
The Shanghai-based corporation previously offered listening experiences through Baidu MP3, a service that came under heavy fire for its reliance on directing users to copyright-infringing websites. Baidu’s new music offering looks to rectify this mistake by starting off with a sturdy foundation: the support of several major labels.
Warner Music, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group have all signed an agreement that will allow Baidu’s social music platform to provide users with a wide selection of content without breaking the law. These companies will receive payment in exchange for Ting’s ability to host an extensive streaming and downloadable catalog.
Luckily the service itself is, apparently quite good, offering a number of handy features. Baidu Ting comes equipped with music browsing and streaming, free downloads, popularity charts and social networking aspects like personalized playlists and more.
While Baidu Ting looks to have the recipe for success set in place, the company will still have to compete with existing Chinese music services in order to eke out its share in the highly competitve market.


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Samsung’s annual Galaxy Unpacked event for S-series phones is now in the history books, and there were some impressive announcements — the Galaxy Z Flip foldable looks cool, Galaxy Buds+ will sound better, and every new Galaxy S20 phone includes 5G support. That’s a big step up from last year, when only the largest and most expensive Galaxy S10 featured 5G.
Unfortunately, there’s some bad news regarding the standard S20, especially if you’re a Verizon customer: The entry level model (if you can call a $1,000 phone “entry level”) won’t be available for Verizon’s 5G network for a while — the second quarter of 2020, Verizon says. That means Verizon customers interested in a Galaxy S20 will need to pony up for the $1,200 S20+ or the $1,400 S20 Ultra. The decision can’t possibly have been made lightly, since Verizon is one of Samsung’s largest U.S. phone vendors, and was the first to get last year’s S10 5G.
Verizon’s omission of the Galaxy S20 appears set to give its rivals AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular a multi-month lead on selling the $1,000 device. But they’ll have their own challenge to contend with, as the basic S20 only includes support for sub-6GHz 5G networks, not millimeter wave 5G. To access both types of networks, users will — surprise — need to choose the S20+ or S20 Ultra instead.
This makes some sense because all of the carriers except Verizon are supporting either low band or mid band 5G service at this point, either instead of or in addition to millimeter wave — a practical decision that means a much larger footprint for 5G coverage, but with much slower peak speeds. Users who buy the S20 will be able to access low and mid band towers, but not the faster mmWave small cells that are only available in some major metros (with up to 2Gbps top speeds).
Millimeter wave antenna size may be to blame for this situation. Although 5G component makers including Qualcomm have been actively working to reduce the size of millimeter wave antennas, there might not be enough room in the smaller S20 for current-generation modules, which require nearly 8mm of thickness and several spaces around the device’s edges. While the S20 is 7.9mm thick — 0.1mm thicker than the S20+ — it’s smaller on its other two axes, yet still has to house most of the same components, minus some battery size, a Time of Flight camera, and, more obviously, the larger screen.
We’ll have to see whether Verizon eventually gets a version of the S20 with a smaller millimeter wave antenna, or whether other design compromises are made for that model. It will also be interesting to see whether Apple follows suit with its iPhone 12 lineup, bifurcating the new phones into separate 5G lines with low/mid-only and full low/mid/high 5G support. Since most phone makers have committed to offering considerably more affordable 5G devices this year, companies that only offer 5G at $1,000 (or $1,200) prices may wind up losing market share to more aggressive rivals, particularly in markets such as China, where 5G adoption is expected to soar this year thanks to price competition.
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