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Contact name: Britt Rosenberg
Project URL: www.mercycorps.org
Organization Name: Mercy Corps
Project: Innovative Market Alliance for Rural Entrepreneurs – IMARE
Additional information on location of project: Quiche and Huehuetenango, Western Highlands of Guatemala
Projected Impact: 800
According to a United Nations World Food Program study, Guatemala has the highest rate of malnutrition in Latin America and is the fourth highest in the world. Smallholder farmers in Guatemala, many from rural indigenous communities, face difficulties accessing profitable markets for their products, including coffee, and they often lack the tools and knowledge necessary to improve their family’s nutrition. As a result, farmers face what is commonly known as “los meses flacos,” or the thin months. This means that some families are left without food or an income for five to seven months out of the year. The Innovative Market Alliance for Rural Entrepreneurs (IMARE) program helps farmers overcome barriers, tap into new markets, and increase their incomes to lift themselves out of poverty.
IMARE, supported by USAID, Keurig Green Mountain, and other partners, links rural smallholder farmers to high value commercial markets by helping them organize into producer groups and improve the production, processing, packaging, and transportation of their crops. The program also helps farmers build their confidence, as well as negotiation and business management skills required to enter more competitive formal markets. IMARE ensures that increased income leads to improved food security. This is done by helping farmers diversify their crops and by providing training on storage and preparation techniques for nutritious foods. The program has shifted this year to help farmers cope with the devastating impact of coffee leaf rust, better known as “la roya.”
Now an epidemic in Guatemala, coffee leaf rust is further threatening the food security and livelihoods of already vulnerable families. The fungus attacks the leaves of coffee plants, triggering premature defoliation and reducing the plant’s photosynthesis capacity, leading to fewer and smaller coffee cherries, which means a smaller, lower quality crop. For the 73,000 smallholder farmers relying on a small parcel of land to provide for their family’s needs, the consequences are dire.
Mercy Corps conducted a survey of these smallholder farmers in the rural Western Highlands where we work. They all reported a decline in coffee prices, while the decreases in their production grew exponentially. Last year, only seven percent of the farmers saw their production drop by more than 60 percent. This year, 51 percent lost more than half of their crop and subsequent income, and 85 percent say that this up coming year will be even worse. We also surveyed coffee pickers, only 56 percent of whom found work in the coffee fields this year, compared to 79 percent last year. Their daily rates also dropped by 20 percent.
NGOs, like Mercy Corps, are collaborating with the government and the coffee industry to identify immediate interventions and more long-term solutions. The IMARE program is helping cooperatives grow rust resistant seedlings for renovation, teaching new crop management techniques, and helping farmers to diversify crops for additional income generation and for family food consumption. Though progress is being made, more support for coffee farmers in Guatemala and elsewhere in Central America is still needed. One coffee farming family called this “the year of the crisis,” stating that no one knew how bad leaf rust would become.
What You Can Do to Help
Mercy Corps relies on the support of individuals, foundations, and corporations to make our work in Guatemala and in other coffee growing regions possible. Visit www.mercycorps.org/ways-to-help to learn more about how you can get involved. You can also stay connected to our work and see how we are making a difference by following our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.


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From The Beatles to One Direction, a long line of Britain’s biggest musicians seem to have had no trouble taking America by storm. But its best retailers have a more chequered history.
One of the most recent examples, Tesco’s Fresh and Easy, showed that even one of the world’s biggest retailers couldn’t simply march into the US and expect things to work. With that in mind, the management of Dixons Carphone must be pretty brave.
The electronics retailer announced today that it’s launching in the US. It's the first major maneouvre for the company, which was formed by the merger of Currys/PC World owner Dixons Retail and mobile retailer The Carphone Warehouse last year. It’s made the smart move of partnering with Sprint, a massive brand in American telecoms, and appears to be keeping risks to a minimum.
‘In the initial phase, Dixons Carphone will supply mobile phone retail expertise and proprietary knowledge to Sprint who will open approximately 20 retail stores,’ it said in a statement. If those work out okay, the company will invest just $32m (£20.5m) in a 50% stake in a joint venture, which aims to roll out as many as 500 shops in the long-term.
The company's confidence isn't that surprising after it has delivered a series of solid results since merging. Investors look confident too – Dixons Carphone shares were up 3.53% to 475p at the news. The Carphone (Warehouse) side of the company has form in the American Market – in 2009 it helped launched a mobile phone shop for Best Buy, which later bought it out for £1.3bn (£830m).
Not every British retailer has foundered in the US. Recent expansions that seem to be doing pretty well include Jack Wills, which has capitalised on its Britishness, and Topshop. Dixons Carphone won’t crack America as easily as Ed Sheeran did. But by partnering with an existing brand and avoiding committing vast amounts of cash it seems to be off to a decent start.

domain: news


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Lockdown boosts Domino's deliveries - but coronavirus costs hit collection orders and profits
- Fast food and takeaway sales rose 20% in July against the same month in 2019
- Domino's results are the first to be published under Dominic Paul's leadership
- The return of Premier League football has helped to grow the firm's sales
Pizza takeaway giant Domino's said costs resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic caused its profits to decline despite a surge in orders generated by the lockdown.
Pre-tax profits fell by 4.6 per cent to £47.6million in the first half of the year, compared to the same period in 2019 as it was impacted by over £6million in charges related to the coronavirus.
Like-for-like sales in the British Isles rose 5.5 per cent in the 26 weeks ending June 28, though it remarked that its Irish market suffered a setback from the earlier introduction of a lockdown, as well as a halt in cash payments and customer collections.
Delivery-only orders jumped by more than a fifth, thanks to higher items per delivered order
Customer collections were also suspended for some time in the UK, thereby causing them to drop 87 per cent in the second quarter across the two countries, as the chain transitioned to a wholly contact-free delivery system.
However, delivery-only orders jumped by more than a fifth, thanks to higher items per delivered order. Overall delivery orders leaped by 12 per cent in the first half of last year.
It is the first set of results to be published under the new leadership of former Costa Coffee boss Dominic Paul. He said the firm's 'resilient' performance from January to June was aided by 'encouraging' trading in the following few weeks.
The company attributed the latter to the return of the Premier League football, the reopening of the majority of its stores for contact-free collection, growth in staycations, and the recent VAT cut on hot food.
Domino's predicted two months ago that half-year profits would reduce due to the larger costs arising from the coronavirus even though it was forecasting trade to increase.
The higher costs came from having to adapt its operations to protect both staff and customers, including ending two-person deliveries, spending on personal protective equipment, and the closure of outlets for restocking.
Domino's announced that investors would receive their deferred 2019 dividend next month
Profits were also forecast to be hurt by the increasing demand for desserts and side orders, which have lower profit margins than pizzas.
But as lockdown limits have eased, coronavirus-related expenses are now expected by the business to be around two-thirds lower in the second half of the year. It also announced that investors would receive their deferred 2019 dividend next month.
Adam Vettesse, an analyst at investment platform eToro, said the dividend payments 'will be music to the ears of income starved investors' even if Domino's interim results were 'disappointing.'
The Eat Out to Help Out scheme gives patrons to specific hospitality venues a half-price discount on food and soft drinks from Monday to Wednesday this month
Dominic Paul admitted though that 'the macroeconomic, consumer and competitive backdrop for the second half of the year contain considerable uncertainties.
'Our system demonstrated responsiveness and agility in meeting the challenges presented through the lockdown period, although that did come at some inevitable and, in certain areas considerable, incremental costs.
'While trading in the first few weeks of the second half has been encouraging, it is too early to conclude on how consumer behaviour will evolve.'
Figures released today by the British Retail Consortium and Barclaycard revealed that fast food and takeaway sales went up 20 per cent in July against the same month last year.
Future business could be somewhat affected by the government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which was launched last week and is aimed at encouraging people to visit restaurants, pubs and bars.
Under the programme, patrons can get a half-price discount on food and soft drinks that are consumed in specific hospitality venues from Monday to Wednesday. Each customer is entitled to a maximum discount of £10.
Shares in Domino's rose by half a per cent to 387.8p during the day.
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Check the latest update related to the Long-Haul Travellers’ sentiment towards Europe
Long-haul travel was a key driver of growth for the European tourism sector in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic but has been severely impacted since then. 2021 saw the start of a recovery, especially from the US market. In 2022, the global vaccine roll-outs will help Europe regain some of its prior prominence in terms of the importance of long-haul travel, though the full recovery will take some time. According to the latest Long-Haul Travel Barometer (LHTB) 1/2022 powered by TCI RESEARCH, the intention for overseas travel to Europe has begun to improve, while travel restrictions can be seen as one of the leading factors causing travel hesitancy.


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Piktochart Integrates Its Video Tool Piktostory to Provide an All-in-One Visual Communication Platform
Piktochart and Piktostory have merged into a new platform that offers everyone a flexible way to create visual content.
Visual communication company Piktochart has announced the integration of its video repurposing tool into the core platform. The products have been rebranded under the Piktochart umbrella into Piktochart Visual and Piktochart Video.
Users now have access to a new dashboard, which allows them to easily switch between Piktochart Video and Piktochart Visual from one central place.
Piktochart Visuals enables users, whether they have graphic design experience or not, to create professional presentations, make infographics, build reports, and design printables in minutes. With a Piktochart account, they get access to free visual assets, including templates, icons, illustrations, and copyright-free images.
Marketing Technology News:Nextup.ai Launches Jira Integration+ for Microsoft Teams,…
“For Piktochart users, the video product will allow them to record a brief update, walk an audience through presentations, infographics, and reports – or repurpose videos into multiple content pieces.”— Ai Ching Goh, Piktochart’s CEO
Piktochart Video turns long videos, webinars, virtual events, Zoom, or webcam recordings into customized bite-sized clips for social media. Automatics subtitles are covered in 60 languages, and the tool includes a screen recorder.
The integration has been planned to be seamless. Existing projects and clips created with Piktostory will be found in the Piktochart Video Dashboard.
Pro customers will be granted a number of transcription minutes per user per month as part of their plan. Piktochart will also be adding transcription minutes to all Free accounts to give everyone a chance to try the new video editor.
Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Matt Ramerman, President at Sinch for Marketing
Customers’ quota will remain the same for a period of time, depending on their paid subscription. After the given period expires, the price for the monthly package will increase.
“For Piktochart users, the new video product will allow them to record a brief update for their team or client, walk their audience through presentations, infographics, and reports – or repurpose longer videos into multiple content pieces,” said Ai Ching Goh, Piktochart’s CEO.


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Reusing and recycling has become a national pastime, but how many people would go as far as eating food dumped in a bin?
For the past three years Ali has been doing her food “shopping” via her local supermarket bin.
She describes herself as a freegan.
“Basically, if food is going to be wasted you take it and you eat it,” she told ABC Radio Adelaide‘s Jules Schiller.
It has been estimated that Australian households throw out more than $8 billion worth of food each year.
“There is an unbelievable amount of waste and almost all of it is edible food,” Ali said.
She said by consuming food that would otherwise go to landfill, she was saving money — and helping the environment.
Avoid restaurant bins
Ali said she avoided restaurant bins as the food there was generally offcuts, scraps or had already been handled.
“Supermarkets throw out a lot of otherwise fully edible food.
“A lot of it is still packaged.
“I can fill my entire car in around 30 minutes from one supermarket bin.”
It was not uncommon for a supermarket to dispose of a container of 12 eggs if one was broken during handling, she said.
Ali said she was unsure whether taking food from the bins was illegal, but she admitted planning her trips around when staff were not present to avoid confrontation.
“You don’t want to go there when someone else is there, just because if nothing else it is quite uncomfortable for the workers as it is their job to move you on.”


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Google is ranked as the Most Valuable Global Brand in Millward Brown and WPP’s annual BrandZ study for 2016. Google’s brand value is estimated at $229.2 billion having risen 32% from 2015. Apple is ranked 2nd at $228.5 billion, losing 8% of its brand value since last year.
The Brandz study focused on a number of factors and is available in PDF format to read in full.
Amazon was the fastest rising brand having risen in value 59% since 2015, from $62 billion to $99 billion. The report explained it this way:
Amazon, which leads the Top 20 Risers, rose 59 percent in brand value compared with an 8 percent increase for the retail category. The brand introduced Amazon Fresh food delivery in three US cities and partnered with the grocery chain Morrisons for home delivery of food in the UK. In addition, Amazon delivered more merchandise using its own capacity rather than its logistics partners, a move that enabled it to better control the customer experience, which in some 30 cities worldwide included one-hour delivery for Amazon Prime customers.
The brand also introduced Amazon Dash, a program in which customers signal for replenishment of certain FMCG items at the exact moment of need. It anticipates the transition to automatic replenishment of the Internet of Things. Amazon also developed its cloud storage business, Amazon Web Services, demonstrating how the border between business-to-consumer and business-to-business brands is becoming more porous.


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Eindhoven University of Technology spin-off EmulTech last week launched INFINITY: a unit that allows pharmaceutical companies to encapsulate medicines with very high precision. The resulting microparticle ...
Some of the nation's largest cities are ratcheting up their criticism of prescription painkillers, blaming the industry for a wave of addiction and overdoses that have ravaged their communities and busted local budgets.
Allergan and Pershing Square have agreed on at least one step toward settling a fight over the makeup of the Botox-maker's board.
Cigarette maker Reynolds American Inc. is taking its Zonnic brand nicotine gum nationwide, challenging the pharmaceutical industry's hold and pricing power of the market for products to help people stop smoking.


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U.S. healthcare conglomerate Johnson & Johnson became the latest company to suspend all digital advertising on Google’s YouTube, over concerns that its ads may have appeared on channels that broadcast offensive videos.
Wireless carriers Verizon and AT&T said on Wednesday they would suspend digital ads on YouTube, joining a list of well-known British brands such as retailer Marks and Spencer Group Plc deserting Alphabet Inc’s Google.
Google has come under intense scrutiny for ads appearing alongside videos on YouTube carrying homophobic or anti-Semitic messages. The company on Tuesday vowed an overhaul of its practices.
Control over online ad placement has become a hot button for advertisers, with social networks and news aggregators coming under fire during and after the U.S. presidential election for spreading so-called fake news reports.
Advertisers have also sought to avoid having their brands appear beside content that they categorize as hate speech.
J&J said on Thursday it wanted to ensure that its product advertising did not appear on channels that promote “offensive content.” (http://bit.ly/2nqZNJD)
YouTube has been a key driver of growth for Google as its traditional business of search advertising matures.
Google’s net ad revenue worldwide from YouTube was $5.58 billion last year, according to New York-based research firm eMarketer.
YouTube was not immediately available for comment.


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If you thought the Pandora party was over, think again.The Danish maker of charms, rings and earrings that can sell for less than 100 pounds ($144), reported better-than-expected first-quarter profit, and raised its sales and earnings forecast for the full year. The shares rose 10 percent, the steepest increase for more than a year.
It’s all very different from three months ago, when the market took fright at the prospect of fewer store openings and slower growth.In the current environment, luxury goods groups need affordable products, a great digital experience or a buzz about their brands to win sales from more discerning shoppers. Pandora certainly has the first of those: luxurious treats or gifts that won't break the bank. Think of it as competing with the lower end of Tiffany's trinkets.
And it's working on keeping the brand fresh too, expanding categories such as earrings.They've certainly hit a sweet spot in China, where shoppers are shying away from more overt displays of wealth amid slower economic growth and anti-graft measures.The trend's taken off elsewhere too. While sales growth in the Americas was held back by comparisons with a very strong period a year ago, revenue in Europe, the Middle East and Africa rose 47 per cent, while Asia Pacific was up 58 percent.Overall, group revenue was 34 percent higher in the first quarter. That's slower than the 40 percent across the whole of 2015.
But it's pretty impressive when compared to sluggish growth in the luxury market. Margins are also stronger, with an Ebitda margin of more than 38 percent expected this year, better than the previous forecast.


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Since writing this article, President Trump has issued a proclamation banning travellers from 27 European countries from entering the United States for 30-days. The advice from the World Health Organisation remains unchanged.
The small Gulf State of Kuwait is to suspend all commercial flights to and from Kuwait International Airport from Friday in what could be the most dramatic and restrictive travel ban aimed at stemming the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. It seems like both an intuitive and sensible policy decision and Kuwait certainly isn’t alone in restricting both travel and trade.
A slew of other countries have also imposed their own travel bans. At first, these were mainly aimed at stopping travellers from the virus epicentre in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Soon, these bans encompassed the whole of mainland China and now, as the virus spreads across the globe, the measures are becoming more and more draconian.
Saudi Arabia has banned travel from some of its closest allies in the Gulf despite a relatively low number of cases in the region. Qatar too has banned travel from 14 different countries but interestingly, travellers from Italy – the worst affected country in Europe – don’t face restrictions.
President Trump stands by his policy of banning travellers from China despite a recent spike in cases across the United States, while a number of countries including Australia continue to place restrictions on China despite its own community spread.
But while travel restrictions might at first seem a sensible decision, leading scientists from the World Health Organisation (WHO) expressly advise against travel restrictions being imposed on countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.
“In general, evidence shows that restricting the movement of people and goods during public health emergencies is ineffective in most situations,” the WHO explains in a blog post on its website.
Not only do such measures divert resources and attention from where they could be really useful but travel bans will disrupt aid, resources and most importantly business the UN body explains.
The economic damage that can be exacted by a travel ban is, say’s the WHO, potentially far more damaging than the virus itself.
At least 38 countries have so far reported restrictions imposed on travellers from China but as can be seen in the case of Italy (which was one of the first to restrict travel) that might not necessarily work.
“Travel bans to affected areas or denial of entry to passengers coming from affected areas are usually not effective in preventing the importation of cases but may have a significant economic and social impact.”World Health Organisation (WHO)
That’s not to say that travel bans aren’t always useful. The WHO notes that placing entry restrictions can sometimes “prove temporarily useful” – but that’s only the case if the country imposing the restrictions has few international countries and has limited resources.
If a country does decide to go down that route, the WHO says a travel ban can only be justified for a short period at the beginning of an outbreak so as to buy a country enough time to get the right resources together. Simply put, a travel ban will buy you time but it’s incredibly unlikely to stop the spread.
What should government’s be doing?
So if a travel ban probably won’t work, what does the WHO recommend? Just two simple things – travellers should be given prevention recommendation tips and made to fill out a health declaration so that contact tracing can take place should someone fall ill and so that officials can carry out a risk assessment of their fitness to travel.
The WHO does, however, say that it’s important that anyone who is sick delay their journey and advises vulnerable people such as the elderly or those with underlying medical conditions to avoid travelling to affected regions.
As for temperature screening at airport’s, the WHO debunks that idea saying that alone is “not an effective way to stop international spread”.
Yet, if the WHO and other public health officials don’t think travel restrictions are not only not particularly effective but could actually cause more harm than good, why are they being implemented at ever-increasing rates? It’s a good question that we don’t have the answer to.
The full advice from the WHO on the effectiveness of travel restrictions can be read here. There are also full details on how you can protect yourself from COVID-19 on the WHO’s website.
Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant at the most prominent airline in the Middle East and has been flying throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for a well-known European airline. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt's industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism.


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“We’re now a week away from the announcement that will surprise no one. Steve Jobs will step up to deliver the keynote address [and the new iPhone] at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference,” Rick Aristotle Munarriz writes for The Motley Fool.
As for the rumors, “the real clincher here is the persistent rumor that the new iPhones will sell for as little as $200… If it’s true — and everyone has been repeating that price since unnamed sources relayed it to Fortune last month — fence-sitting iPhone watchers are going to jump off for joy. The new devices will sell like, well, Apple pancakes. In fact, they’ll sell like iPhones,” Munarriz writes.
MacDailyNews Note: The source of the iPhone subsidy rumor was Scott Moritz, writing for Fortune, “AT&T’s planned $200 subsidy on Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone could increase the sales of the new 3G model by 50%, according to one analyst.” That one analyst was Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi. Mortiz and Sacconaghi are hardly the dynamic duo of accurate Apple prognosticating/analyzing/reporting. Far from it, in fact. Please see these related articles: TheStreet.com’s Moritz tries to conjure up Apple iPhone ‘disappointments’ – September 10, 2007, FUD Alert: CNET article based on lone analyst’s view tries to gin up iPhone demand issue – January 25, 2008, and So-called ‘analyst’ finds his ‘missing’ iPhones – January 28, 2008.
Munarriz continues, “Consumers will love it. If exclusive domestic wireless provider AT&T takes on the bulk of the subsidized hit, Apple investors may love it… I get the euphoria, but shouldn’t shareholders also begin wondering about the fate of the iPod Touch?”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yeah, and not only that, what about the iPod touch? Lower case “t.” Sorry, pet peeve. If, big if, the rumor is true, then we assume that Apple will simply be giving them away to Mac-buying college students. Oh, yeah, and selling them to people who just want an iPod rather than a mobile device that comes with a monthly bill.


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Counterfeiters Circulating Fake Money at Crucian Christmas Festival Village; VIPD Urging Vigilance
ST. CROIX — The V.I. Police Department is alerting the St. Croix community and businesses of the importance of checking all currency being presented to them following several reports the department received of counterfeit money circulating at the Crucian Christmas Festival Village.
The V.I.P.D. said the fake bills are being provided to Festival Village booth owners as real money, and the department has provided certain markers to help identify the sham cash.
According to the police department, a common “red flag” to look out for is the actual “feel” of the bill. “It can be easily identifiable depending on the quality of the counterfeit,” the V.I.P.D. said. “This alone often alerts employees to the fake currency. Some counterfeit bills have passed the commonly used marker test. Oftentimes the counterfeit bills being passed are done so at busy times of the business where an employee may be distracted.”
The V.I.P.D.’s Economic Crime Unit has launched an investigation into the matter, and is advising booth owners and businesses, as well as the public to be vigilant and examine the money being presented to them.
If you have any suspicions or concerns, call the ECU on St. Croix at 340-778-2211, on St. Thomas at (340) 774-2211 or call 911.
This post was originally published on this site


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An unfortunate glitch has been discovered in Pokémon Sun and Moon. It appears that saving your game in certain areas can corrupt your safe file and result in the loss of your data.
The second generation of Pokemon will be headed to Pokemon GO in the future, as recent data in the games code has now revealed more exciting information.
BlizzCon 2016 is finally here and with it has come the Overwatch Sombra character reveal through an animated short, new game mode information, and new map details!
The wait is finally over. Nintendo has officially revealed its next console in a trailer. Plenty of anticipated new games, the layout of the console, and other special features of the console were all shown off in this first p...
Bandai Namco just announced that Hit from Dragon Ball Super will be heading to Xenoverse 2, which releases next week.
One of the anticipated Xbox One Exclusives, Cuphead, will be delayed until Mid-2017.
A balance patch will be coming out for all versions of Mortal Kombat XL in a few days. There will apparently be a few character buffs coming our way. The specific details of the patch will be announced in a livestream...
The makers of one of the most beautiful games, Jotun, is back at it again with Sundered.
Happy RIGS Week!
The Adult Swim hit show Rick and Morty has taken over this world, and very soon the virtual world will also succumb to antics of Rick and Morty.


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LineageOS to the rescue!
Tag: Android 11
Android 10 takes the crown, followed by Android 11 and 9.
A Twitter leak has revealed some important specs of the JioPhone Next.
OpenGApps builds are now available for Android 11 ROMs.
Xiaomi picked up Android 11 when it was still in the early betas. The Chinese manufacturer was part of the
Android 12 early build has arrived but some are still waiting for their Android 11 update.
Realme is now adding more devices to the list of smartphones that are eligible for the Android 11-based Realme UI
Google has finally launched Android 11 stable version after months of beta testing. The latest Android version comes with several
It’s been over three months since Android 11 came out of beta and first arrived on Google Pixel devices. Since
A Raspberry Pi is a great mini-computer that helps you explore computing without spending too much on a machine. With


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FTC Says Kids Ratted Out by Mickey Mouse
Filed under: In The News
Well, maybe not directly, but Atlantic Monthly reports the mouse had his big white glove in a very sticky pie.
A Disney-owned company has agreed to pay $3 million for violating Federal Trade Commission rules and selling children's personal information without their parents' consent to other companies.
The settlement was reached with Playdom, the Internet company who gave the world (whether the world needed them or not) Pony Stars, My Diva and some two dozen other "virtual world" games aimed primarily at children and teenagers.
Atlantic Monthly reports company execs reached the out-of-court settlement after being accused of violating the FTC's Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule [COPPA]. The $3 million is reportedly the largest civil penalty ever paid for violating this rule.
Playdom is owned by Disney Enterprises Inc., a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. Pony Stars gathered information on more than 800,000 players did between 2006 and 2010, the magazine reports. Another 400,000 kids registered for Playdom's other games websites.
Children provided their ages and email addresses as well as their full names, locations, instant messenger handles and other personal information. According to Atlantic Monthly, company officials held on to all of this information and allowed children to post it on both profile pages and online community forums.
"Let's be clear: Whether you are a virtual world, a social network or any other interactive site that appeals to kids, you owe it to parents and their children to provide proper notice and get proper consent," Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the FTC, says in the agency's complaint.
"It's the law," he adds. "It's the right thing to do. And as today's settlement demonstrates, violating COPPA will not come cheap."
Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!
Start by teaching him that it is safe to do so.


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Six Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee have asked Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue to relax U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) enforcement of some meat inspection rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has sickened and killed employees and USDA inspectors who work inside some of the largest U.S. meat processing plants.
In a letter last week, ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan (R–Ohio) and Reps. James Sensenbrenner (R–Wisc.), Ken Buck (R–Colo.), Matt Gaetz (R–Fla.), Kelly Armstrong (R–N.D.), and Gregory Steube (R–Fla.), ask Purdue to "revisit burdensome regulations that create barriers to entry and lessen competition in the nation's meat processing industry." It asks Purdue to take steps to bolster small ranchers and farmers and improve the resiliency of the meat supply by creating a more just playing field for small producers.
As Progressive Farmer reports, the letter asks the agency to allow smaller facilities flexibility with their HACCP plans, which are intended to establish a proactive approach to preventing foodborne illness but which often skew in favor of larger producers. The letter also asks the agency to facilitate interstate shipments of meat from state-inspected facilities, cover inspector overtime payments, and streamline some labeling rules. I'm pleased and honored to report that around 20 percent of the citations in the letter reference my own writings here and elsewhere.
The lawmakers' appeal to Purdue comes at an extraordinary time for America's food system. Many of the nation's largest meat processors have been crippled by COVID-19 outbreaks in their plants. Because of massive industry consolidation, Americans get most of our meat from just a few sources.
"There are more than 800 federally inspected slaughterhouses in the United States, according to recent USDA data," I write in my 2016 book Biting the Hands that Feed Us. "The thirteen largest U.S. cattle slaughterhouses account for 56 percent of all cattle killed in this country. The figures are similar for hogs (twelve plants account for 57 percent of all slaughters) and other livestock."
Many of these big plants have been forced to close temporarily or to curtail operations, leading to supply shortages. (This week, a USA Today report, part of an ongoing investigation into meat processing by the paper, raised questions about whether the domestic meat supply was ever in jeopardy of failing to keep up with demand during the pandemic.)
Adding to the pressure on the meat industry, the Trump administration has launched an investigation into allegations of monopolistic practices by those same large processors. In March, even before the pandemic ripped through U.S. meat plants, several Members of Congress wrote to Purdue asking him to amend a proposed rule intended to address "unreasonable, retaliatory, and predatory practices within the [meatpacking] industry." While the government investigates allegations of price-fixing and other potential antitrust violations by the nation's largest meat processors, a proposed class-action lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Minneapolis has lobbed similar claims against those and other parties.
Though it's far too early to be sure, it's not unreasonable to predict the federal investigation, Minnesota lawsuit, calls by some politicians to break up big meat processors, ongoing economic distress and uncertainty, or some combination of these factors could further limit the capacity of the largest processors in the years to come.
That drives home the importance of this month's letter to Purdue. We've seen what happens when the largest processors can't operate at capacity. Our laws and regulations should anticipate similar challenges in the future and embrace rules that strengthen smaller producers and let them grow to meet demand.
Still, though the letter is welcome, even if the USDA were to adopt its recommendations, there are several other concrete steps the agency—or Congress—could take to create real and lasting change in the way meat is regulated and sold in this country. Chief among those needed reforms is the PRIME Act, which would return to the states the power to regulate meat processing and sales within their borders, a power over intrastate commerce they've not had since—as I explained here—Congress wrested it away unconstitutionally more than 50 years ago.
Given the challenges the meat industry has faced over the past several months, the need to improve the way meat processors of all sizes are regulated is more obvious and more important than at any point in our lifetimes. The GOP House Judiciary Committee letter to USDA Purdue is just the latest data point to drive home that fact.


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When the Apple Watch arrived, it quickly became clear that most third-party apps were limited in their features, sluggish, and constrained by Apple's limitations on its Apple Watch developer platform, WatchKit.
Third-party apps on the Apple Watch are currently powered by the iPhone, but big changes are probably coming soon.
Jeff Williams, Apple's senior vice president of operations, promised at Code Conference that Apple would soon allow app developers to build native Apple Watch apps, which has been a chief concern for developers seeking to build richer apps that can accomplish more.
That means developers will be able to write apps that actually utilize all of the sensors within the Apple Watch, opening the gates for new features and better performance than the current crop of apps has to offer.
Jeff Grossman, co-founder and chief product officer of confidential messaging app Confide, said his team even held back some of its plans because they had to create the app without having full access to everything inside the watch.
"We’re looking forward to that, as there’s definitely limitations involved when we built Confide," Grossman said. "We even held ourselves back a little with what we built, partly because we had to build it without using the watch."
In particular, Grossman is especially excited to incorporate the Apple Watch's Digital Crown into the app.
"We want to use the Digital Crown to 'wand' over your message in Confide, to reveal it piece by piece," he said.
Matt Ronge a former Apple engineer who created the drawing app Astropad, agreed.
"We really want access to the Digital Crown, and the current SDK is just a little too limited."
The Digital Crown is just one part of the device that developers are dying to play with — there are also tons of sensors inside that offer a potential treasure trove to developers.
Many app creators are chomping at the bit to be able to pull in data from Apple's heart rate sensor, orientation sensor, and its haptic feedback feature called the Taptic Engine.
"With the Watch, what I think is going to make it really fly is developers tapping into the sensors and coming up with really new and creative ideas," Ronge said. "A lot of the Apple apps are pretty cool but I think when you get it out there to developers you’ll have some really novel stuff that will be really fun."
Most people will agree that there has yet to be a "killer app" for the Apple Watch, but we'll likely see one created after Apple unties developers' hands and allows them full access.
"We’d love to get access to all the sensor data that’s being captured." Jordan Edelson, CEO and founder of the mobile app development studio, Appetizer Mobile, told Business Insider. "When Apple eventually opens that up that’s going to be a big game changer for developers."
When Apple allows developers to access the Apple Watch's sensors, apps will also gain an additional monetization channel. Apple Watch users could decide which health and sensor information to share with third-party apps, which will in turn allow developers to work with advertisers to utilize the new customer data.
"From a marketing standpoint, that’s a huge deal, because if you can gain the trust of the consumer that’s wearing it and they give you access to this information, then you can do some really crazy things," Edelson said. "You can send really highly targeted messages and provide some really relevant content and ads to those users."
Of course, you won't be forced into sharing your heart rate or fitness habits with advertisers or third-party apps. Apple already allows you to pick and choose in its Settings app how much you reveal to third-party apps, but there's no doubt the coming changes represent fertile ground for advertisers.
Apple is expected to reveal iOS 9, its new music streaming subscription service, and announce fully native apps for the Apple Watch at next week's conference. For a deeper dive into what developers say they want to see Apple address at its conference, click here.


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Why Does Theater Popcorn Cost So Much?
Are you getting ripped off at the movies?
July 25, 2008— -- Taking in a blockbuster movie this summer will cost you $12. But the small bucket of popcorn you enjoy while you're watching will cost around $5.50 — that's more per ounce than filet mignon.
University of California-Irvine professor Richard McKenzie wrote a book about popcorn — but even he doesn't know how much it actually costs to make.
"Those are trade secrets, nobody's going to allow me any access to their records simply because I may spill the beans," he said.
But, he's a professor, and figured out that it must cost less than 10 cents an ounce. Are movie goers really paying a whopping 1,300 percent mark up?
"Are they being exploited?" McKenzie asked. "If so, they're being exploited with some enthusiasm."
Everyone goes to the movies. And Americans eat more than a billion pounds of popcorn every year.
"No one is required when they enter the movie theater to buy concessions. We're happy when they do," said Patrick Corcoran of the National Association of Theatre Owners.
This is how movie theaters stay afloat.
"The theater can be paying 70 or more percent of the ticket price to the studios," said McKenzie.
That's because the studio makes the movie, pays the stars, and even pays for advertising the product. Once the movie-goer is lured in, he or she is easy prey to the popcorn.
"It is designed for the aroma to pervade the lobby," McKenzie said.
And the theatre owners keep 100 percent of the profit from the concession stand.
"Many theaters consider themselves in the concession business, not the movie business," said McKenzie.
They want to show good movies because then more popcorn eaters will show up and belly-up to the concession stand. And get this, sad movies boost sales. Scientists at Cornell University discovered that people watching "Love Story" ate 36 percent more popcorn than those watching "Sweet Home Alabama."
"You've got to understand that with that popcorn, you're helping to pay for the lights and the sound systems," McKenzie explained.
"Heating, lighting, air conditioning, the bulbs that are in the projectors take an awful lot of power," Corcoran said.
"If you didn't pay high prices for popcorn and other concessions, you'd be paying high prices for ticket prices," McKenzie said.
Can you cut your popcorn budget?
"You can in fact buy popcorn and smuggle it into the theatre and get the cost, get the amount of the tub down to $1.25," McKenzie suggested.
But then you'd look really cheap in front of your date.
"To me it's similar to the idea of someone bringing their own food to a restaurant. It's, sort of, a little unkind," Corcoran said.
But if you do buy the popcorn, McKenzie said to avoid the large tub in favor of a bag.
"You might think you're going to get more popcorn, and you can. But you might also get less popcorn simply because the sides of the bags are flexible while the side of the tub is not," McKenzie said.
The professor said he once received a medium bag containing eight ounces and a large tub containing just seven ounces.
"You don't want to buy the tub unless you're going to get refills," said McKenzie.
During his research McKenzie discovered that only 10 percent of people take advantage of the free refill offer on the tub. They're too embarrassed, perhaps, to go back for more once the movie has started.
This report was originally published on July 15, 2008.


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Celebrate Surfside’s Leading Women for International Women’s Day
This Sunday, accomplished women in Surfside and around the world will be (officially) lauded for International Women’s Day. Celebrated every year on March 8 for over a hundred years to date, the globally recognized holiday is one that carries great importance. Now more than ever, the significance of the female figure in every aspect of today’s society is being acknowledged and admired, from sports and creative arts to business and philanthropy. This year’s official International Women’s Day theme centers around enabling a gender equal world by encouraging the celebration of achievements and generating awareness to challenge gender bias. The Town of Surfside is incredibly proud of all the women who make meaningful contributions to its diverse community, in turn making it a special place for locals to call home and visitors to frequent as a destination. Below are five of Surfside’s female leaders who are making an impact.
Parks & Recreation Program & Event Coordinator
Without a doubt, one of the pillars in the Surfside community is Rebecca Flores. As the Town’s Parks & Recreation Program and Event Coordinator, Flores is a strong female leader in the community. She has been leading the special events and programming for 10 years and has touched many lives of all ages. It’s not uncommon for Surfside’s families to be on a first name basis with her from all her time spent working firsthand with residents. Whether it’s seeing kids grow up at summer camp over the years or sharing memories and experiences on senior trips, Flores has helped shape the community and its memorable occasions.
Director of Sales & Marketing, Residence Inn Surfside
As a seasoned hospitality professional, Maria Libreiros is one of Surfside’s most hard-working and dedicated women. With 12 years of experience working in the hospitality industry, she has been a part of the Surfside family as the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Residence Inn. Originally from Colombia, Libreiros has been a Miami native since she was five years old. Having studied hospitality and tourism management, Libreiros worked her way up at various Marriott and Hyatt hotels over the years from guest services to sales coordinator, then sales manager, and eventually to the role she holds today. Libreiros’ passion for helping animals was a large part of what made her choose Residence Inn Surfside, a pet-friendly hotel. She volunteers with the local animal rescue and promotes adoptions in the community in addition to raising the next generation of female leaders with her three daughters.
Residence Inn by Marriott Surfside
9200 Collins Avenue
Surfside, FL 33154
Jessica Weiss Levison
Owner, Serendipity Creamery & Founder, Peekaboo Ice Cream
Being self-made is the epitome of the modern-day entrepreneur, and Jessica Weiss Levison did it all right here in Surfside. A former lawyer with a sweet tooth, Levison saw the need for a neighborhood ice cream shop when she moved to Miami’s Uptown Beachtown in 2006. After two years of testing out recipes and learning the craft, she quit her job and opened Serendipity Creamery. She’s been serving up small-batch ice cream and sorbet made from scratch ever since, offering vegan and certified kosher dairy options, with her own homemade toppings. Levison’s passion for the tasty treat, coupled with her duties as a mom, led her to create Peekaboo Ice Cream. A unique concept, the ice cream with hidden veggies allow kids and adults to enjoy dessert with small amounts of nutritionally beneficial vegetables without sacrificing taste. She launched the brand in 2019 and has pints distributed in over 2,500 supermarkets around the country for those who aren’t able to walk into the Surfside shop for a scoop.
Serendipity Creamery & Yogurt Café
9457 Harding Avenue
Surfside, FL 33154
Owner, The Scarlet Letter
Running a successful business for over two decades is no easy feat, and Jessica Bazan is one of Surfside’s female store owners who has helped shape the community. Her stationary boutique, The Scarlet Letter, has been a staple in South Florida for 20 years, having moved from Miami Beach up to Surfside in 2008. Bazan started as an employee prior to the store’s relocation and worked her way up, as the baton was passed on for her to take over the business. Her passion for old Hollywood glamour is evident throughout the store, taking customers back to a time before cell phones to celebrate the art of the personalized, hand-written note. She brings her fashion sense and creativity into curating the store’s luxury stationary, desk accessories, and unique greeting cards.
The Scarlet Letter
9425 Harding Avenue
Surfside, FL 33154
Partner & Creative Director, Amoris Flowers + Events
Yet another female-run business, Amoris Flowers + Events has been a part of the Surfside community since 1992. Partner and creative director Danielle Pinder is now at the forefront to take the boutique into the next decade alongside her mother and partner. With a background in fashion design and photography, Pinder is constantly inspired by the beauty that surrounds her daily. She plans to grow Amoris Flowers + Events from a flower shop into a botanical garden. Already experienced with managing a swimwear line and two jewelry lines, Pinder is ready to take on the family business with her creative eye.
Amoris Flowers + Events
9577 Harding Avenue
Surfside, FL 33154
So many inspiring women are responsible for making Surfside a unique destination, and while International Women’s Day comes once a year, we appreciate their contributions year-round. For this year’s International Women’s Day, celebrate the women in your life with a token of affection and words of gratitude, promoting equality for all genders.
To hear the latest town news, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media, @VisitSurfside. Show us your Surfside moments with #SurfsideLove.
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On Monday the New York State Attorney General announced that testing found four major retailers sell supplements consisting of cheap fillers and allergenic compounds instead of the herbs they claim to contain. Walmart, Walgreens, Target, and GNC are taking full advantage of the lack of regulation in regards to herbals products and selling the public supplements that do not contain the herbs on the label. Instead they are made up of cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants. Who is supposed to make sure that we’re not ingesting cheap pills that have no medicinal value whatsoever? More importantly, why would these retailers take advantage of their customers like this? It’s dangerous, irresponsible, and ethically wrong. Who does that?
Are you surprised?
Big Business Does Its Thing
If you’ve been paying attention to any alternative news, you’re aware of Big Business’s shocking lack of concern for the public in ways large and small. Subway puts a chemical used to construct yoga mats and other rubber products in its bread. Walmart blithely continues to cheat workers of overtime hours, when it already pays the lowest possible wages. When you look at the lack of ethics repeatedly displayed by corporations, is there any doubt that they would take every advantage to maximize profits?
What’s the next step here? The NY state attorney general has issued a cease and desist letters for all. Walmart has stated it will remove these products. A spokesperson for GNC has promised “appropriate” action in response to the letter, but claims it stands behind the quality of its supplement overall. This seems to be the corporate equivalent of a sorry-not sorry. There is a lack of transparency and communication here that should make us all think twice you about doing business with these companies.
So What Can You Do?
Full Disclosure: I like knowing the FDA has minimal involvement in my supplements. The FDA sits comfortably in Monsanto’s back pocket, choosing to intervene for money rather than morals. Their track record is littered with approved Big Pharma drugs that they were then forced to turn around and ban. I whole-heartedly believe that no one is perfect, but it feels like our government’s food and drug administration isn’t even trying.
Do your own research and take control of your health. Supplements can make a difference in your health, but you need to be careful about where you choose to purchase them. Look for small companies that use quality herbs and are transparent in their practices and products. There are resources available to you like the Natural News Food Lab, which definitively tests food and supplement products. Support with your dollars the businesses that want to take care of you. Taking the easy way out leads to picking up a bottle of rice powder and house plants from your nearest big box corporation. Don’t ever buy supplements from stores like Walmart or Walgreens. Even Whole Foods carries a lot of questionable supplements. If you’re looking for the best multivitamin, try making it at home.


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Published on : Friday, March 15, 2019
A survey by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed that the tourism and travel sector in Greece grew 6.9 per cent last year, a rate that was three-and-a-half times higher than the growth rate of the entire Greek economy
The survey illustrated that tourism accounted for 20.6 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, against a global rate of just 10.4 per cent.
This means that one in every five euros spent in Greece last year came from the tourism and travel sector, whose turnover amounted to 37.5 billion euros.
Tourism also accounts for a quarter of employment in Greece, or some 988,600 jobs, the WTTC said.


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The union representing the Port of Montreal longshore workers has announced an indefinite strike on the territory of the Port of Montreal, including the Contrecoeur terminal, effective Monday, April 26, 2021, at 7:00 AM. Normal trucking service and operations will be maintained until Friday, April 23, at 11:00 PM. This announcement follows the recent slowdown campaign by the longshoremen that discontinued overtime work, training activities, and weekend work.
Canadian industry groups believe the ongoing labour dispute has caused serious consequences for people and businesses of all kinds. They have been calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to intervene and help resolve this critical situation.
During the 2020 strike, vessels and cargo were diverted to other ports, and there were months of container backlogs. With this upcoming strike, shippers should expect significant congestion that will lead to delays and shortages of consumer goods.
Deringer will continue to provide updates as negotiations develop between the MEA and CUPE 275 union representatives.


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Atletico beat Getafe as both sides see red IMAGE: Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata scores their first goal. Photograph: Sergio Perez/Reuters... ...http://www.rediff.com/sports/report/pix-atletico-off-to-winning-start-psg-leave-out-neymar/20190819.htm
The DA hike will be paid retrospectively from January this year, providing an annual additional financial benefit of â‚¹260 crore to the state... ...https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/himachal-cm-announces-4-da-hike/story-Kxv2RhLMKw3irTC1g2mpXK.html
In continuation with its ongoing awareness programme conducted on different parts of the state to wipe out intoxicant from Manipur, Coalition... ...http://e-pao.net/ge.asp?heading=2&src=130819
Exclusive: Amit Sadh and girlfriend Annabel DaSilva part ways ...http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/exclusive-amit-sadh-and-girlfriend-annabel-dasilva-part-ways/articleshow/70603863.cms
HP introduced Chromebook 11, Chromebook 14 and Chromebook X2 last year, and expanding its lineup, today HP has launched its new Chromebook x360 in... ...https://www.fonearena.com/blog/288761/hp-chromebook-x360-price-india.html
fuego da g money market.
BHARAWA DA DHABA
love iz da best policy


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Latest KIA models to be produced in Uzbekistan
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In November 2020, the production of KIA K5 and Seltos models will begin at a new plant in Jizzakh. The production capacity of the ADM-Jizzakh plant, which in the future will produce models of other world brands, at the first stage will amount to 25,000 vehicles per year, and then will be increased to 100,000 vehicles.
ROODELL announces that from November 2020, assembly of the latest KIA Seltos and KIA K5 models will begin at the ADM-Jizzakh plant in the Jizzakh free economic zone (Jizzakh city, Republic of Uzbekistan). The plant is initially positioned as a multi-brand - in the future there will be established the production of cars of a number of other world famous brands. Cars manufactured in Uzbekistan will be exported to the CIS countries through partner dealer networks.
“For the Uzbek market, the launch of a completely new private car production is not just a commercial event, but the result of ongoing economic reforms and the creation of new conditions for both investors and end consumers,” said Daniyar Davletiarov, CEO of Roodell. “We can say with confidence that a new milestone in automotive history has really begun in the country, associated with the production and entry of several global automotive brands into the Uzbek market at once. We create space for new investors, conditions for the formation of a market for the production and distribution of components, the construction of dealer and logistics centers. In the first year, we plan to launch the production of cars of three different well-known car brands at once."
Currently, the final stage of construction of a plant in the Jizzakh FEZ is underway and preparatory work is underway to install two production lines designed for the assembly of vehicles of various configurations.
At the first stage, the plant’s production capacity will be 25 thousand vehicles per year. At the second stage, by the end of 2022, as the lines with welding and body painting shops are put into operation, the capacity will increase to 100 thousand.
Localizing the production of auto components and creating new prospects for local and foreign enterprises is also one of the key tasks of Roodell.
The production line for the production of cars was created with the participation of the Russian regional headquarters of KIA Motors. The company has shared its experience and expertise with Roodell’s management and looks forward to a successful partnership.
“The CIS market has great potential, we see a growing interest in KIA cars,” commented Mr. Jin-Ha Kim, President of KIA Motors Rus & CIS HQ. - This is one of the first major projects of KIA Motors Russia & CIS as a regional headquarters. The new plant will produce the latest and high-tech KIA models, because we believe in Uzbekistan and our partners. We wish success to the management and the entire staff of the new plant."
In November 2020, the FEZ Jizzakh plant will begin production of the KIA K5 car, which has become a new global name for the business-class sedan, and the KIA Seltos compact crossover, which is considered a world sensation and has proven itself in many markets. Both models feature superior competitiveness in their respective segments, outstanding design, dynamic performance and user-friendly high-tech features.


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In response to previous rumors that Audi is planning to reform the model naming rules, Audi brand CEO Markus Duesmann confirmed the news in an interview with German media, saying that Audi will use odd numbers for fuel and plug-in hybrid naming and even numbers for pure electric models in the future.
Markus Duthmann said the shift started last year with a mid-cycle refresh of the E-Tron and its rebranding as the Q8 E-Tron. That means the current petrol version of the Q8 SUV could be renamed the Q9 after a mid-cycle refresh later this year. At the same time, he also confirmed that the new Audi A4 will be renamed Audi A5 and the new Audi A6 will be renamed Audi A7. However, Duesmann declined to say how the existing Audi A5 and Audi A7 coupes will be named in the future.
Eventually, with Audi expected to sell only pure electric vehicles around 2033, its EVs will also use odd numbers in their names. Audi has confirmed that its last car with an internal combustion engine will be launched in 2026.
Unlike Mercedes-Benz’s plan to abandon the EQ brand, Dusman made it clear that Audi would not abandon the suffix name of E-Tron.
Markus Duesmann said that Audi plans to launch no less than 20 new models in the next two years, half of which will be pure electric models. Duesmann also confirmed Audi’s plans to launch an EV positioned below the current Q4 E-Tron, though it’s unclear whether he’s referring to the A4 E-Tron or the smaller A2 E-Tron.


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Riot Blockchain saw sales spike in the third quarter after mining 222 bitcoins in the three months
Publicly traded bitcoin mining company Riot Blockchain saw sales surge in the previous quarter. The company reported its July-September earnings yesterday.
Riot Blockchain had mining sales of $ 2.4 million for the third quarter of the year, according to earnings report. This corresponds to an increase of 42% compared to the same period of the previous year. The company’s increased hash performance and the 15% increase in the price of Bitcoin in the third quarter were the main reasons behind Riot Blockchain’s revenue surge.
Although mining capacity declined quarter over quarter (QoQ), it increased year over year (year over year). In the second quarter of 2020, Riot Blockchain mined 227 bitcoins. In the final quarter, however, the number dropped to 222 bitcoins. Despite the quarterly decline, the 222 bitcoins mined by the company are 41% higher than in the prior-year quarter.
Last year, the increase in bitcoin mining capacity could be due to the decision to focus solely on bitcoin mining. Before that, Riot Blockchain also mined Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash in addition to Bitcoin.
Riot Blockchain has also increased its mining capacity over the past three months. Currently, the company’s mining capacity is 556 peta hash per second (PH / s) which is what they expected. The current hash power is 450% higher than the 101 PH / s they recorded in Q3 2019.
Revolt to expand mining
The company plans to expand its mining operations. Riot is acquiring new Bitmain machines, according to earnings report. Riot stated, “As previously announced, the company recently entered into four additional sales agreements with Bitmain to purchase 16,600 models (110 TH / s) of S19-Pro Antminers for a total purchase price of $ 37.2 million in installments pay is. The company expects the first 3,500 of these new miners to be shipped in the fourth quarter of 2020. The remaining 13,100 miners will be delivered in monthly installments from the first half of 2021. “
Riot expects its new 16,600 machines to be shipped and deployed in stages by the end of the second quarter of next year.
Riot Blockchain and other mining companies have benefited from the rally in the cryptocurrency market this year. Bitcoin is up 114% so far this year, with the leading cryptocurrency now trading above the $ 15,000 mark.


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Amazon is using its Whole Foods acquisition to help sell more hardware devices and Prime subscriptions.
The tech giant announced today that it will open pop-up stores at five Whole Foods locations next week. Customers will be able to try out Amazon devices and learn more about the company’s Prime membership programs from staffers at the stores.
Immediately after Amazon closed its $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods this past August, it began selling Amazon Echo devices at some stores across the U.S. Amazon announced today that customers can now buy the Echo, Echo Dot, Fire TV, Kindle, Fire tablets, and other products at more than 100 Whole Foods stores.
The pop-up stores are an expansion of Amazon’s strategy of selling its first-party devices inside Whole Foods.
As you can see in the photo above, I noticed the Fire TV sticks as a new addition at my local Whole Foods in Seattle last week.
And here’s a photo of Amazon’s Echo setup inside the Whole Foods nearby its headquarters in Seattle, just after the acquisition closed in August.
The pop-up stores and addition of more devices at Whole Foods are the latest example of Amazon taking advantage of its new physical retail footprint that includes 470 Whole Foods stores in the U.S., Canada, and U.K.
The company has already added hundreds of Whole Foods items to its AmazonFresh grocery delivery service and there is now a Whole Foods online storefront on Amazon’s website. It also plans to install Amazon Lockers at Whole Foods locations and will integrate its Prime membership program for Whole Foods shoppers.
Amazon also quickly lowered prices on various in-store Whole Foods items like salmon, avocados, apples, and more as a result of the deal.
“Whole Foods Market and Amazon will together continue innovating to provide customers with a great shopping experience, in-store offerings, and lower prices,” Amazon said in a press release today.
The pop-up stores will open next week at Whole Foods locations in Chicago, Ill.; Rochester Hills, Mich.; Davie, Fla.; Pasadena, Calif; and Denver, Colo.
To reflect its growing brick-and-mortar retail presence, Amazon now includes a “physical stores” break-out in its earnings report.
“It’s sales where customers are physically selecting items in a store, versus perhaps ordering online and picking up somewhere,” Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said of the ‘physical stores’ section. “For us, that is principally going to be Whole Foods and Amazon Books. And then as we develop other formats over time, we could see other items in that category.”
The Wall Street Journal reported today that Amazon has consolidated its physical retail and 2-hour delivery service operations under long-time executive Steve Kessel.


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Telstra's price rises will not help its sale
A 13 per cent increase in line rentals will make the politics of selling Telstra more difficult.
There is one thing on which everyone who expresses an opinion about Telstra is prepared to agree: it is not like other companies. It is neither publicly nor privately owned, but a mixture of both. It competes with other suppliers of telephony and internet services, but it also controls the networks that its competitors use. It is expected to compete vigorously, but also to provide a basic community service. It resents the remaining shackles imposed by majority public ownership, but also relishes the market strengths it has inherited from the days when there was a public monopoly of telecommunications, and resists calls for it to be broken up into separate companies, a private retail operator and a publicly owned network. Telstra's differences from other companies infuriate both advocates and opponents of its full sale, for different reasons. But sometimes these differences are also convenient for politicians, as the Prime Minister demonstrated last week when responding to Telstra's announcement of a hefty 13 per cent increase in the cost of line rentals.
John Howard said that the company's majority public ownership had put him in the ridiculous position of having to answer for its actions. It would be better if Telstra were fully sold, he said, because it would then be more accountable. To whom or to what, Telstra's retail customers might ask. The only possible answer is "to the discipline of the market", but this reply has but to be given for it to be apparent why customers might find the reply unsatisfactory, and why they might think Mr Howard is being evasive. He can protest, as he has done, about being blamed for the actions of a company he does not want to run, but this does not acknowledge the fact that the size of the increases in line rentals and other charges is also a reminder of why his Government has been unable to sell the rest of Telstra. Each time Telstra announces price increases of this magnitude, the politics of selling it become that much harder.
In fact the position is complicated, for the line-rental increase relates to the most regulated part of Telstra's business, and comes within the scope of an agreement negotiated between Telstra and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Moreover, Telstra can argue that price increases for its services have been substantially lower than the increase in the consumer price index over the past 10 years. But the political reality is that 10-year statistical comparisons will not console Telstra customers who receive a bill charging them 13 per cent more for renting a line, and an extra charge if they pay by credit card. As we have argued before, Telstra should be subject to the market discipline that Mr Howard has invoked. If he wants to persuade the Senate and the electorate that this should happen, however, he may have to think again about how it should be sold - and perhaps even consider severing its retail operations from its networks, and retaining the latter in public ownership.


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Nothing has announced to bring the much-awaited Android 14-based NothingOS 2.5 to its latest Phone(2) soon.
But first, it has opened the NothingOS 2.5 beta testing to ensure the bugs are weeded off, before making it available to all.
Interested Nothing Phone(2) owners, who don’t like to wait for the official update, and want to experience first hand, can enrol for Open Beta 1 testing (here).
Android 14 is bringing a lot of personalisation features in terms of wallpapers and themes.
The interesting thing to know is that Android 14 is actually playing catch up with Nothing, as it is introducing the Monochrome wallpaper theme now; the London-based technology company rolled out the Monochrome Icon pack with the NothingOS 2 update to the Phone(2) way back in July.
Nevertheless, the new features will offer more customisation options for Phone(2) users in the coming months.
Android 14 also brings a new back gesture option to easily switch between multiple apps. It also introduced a redesigned Quick Settings layout and added Nothing earbuds icons.
It also offers more Lock Screen shortcut options including do not disturb, mute, QR code scanner and video camera.
Once updated to the latest update, users will be able to set ringtone and notification sound volumes separately, with an updated volume control interface.
Also, it brings new regional settings so users can customise the unit and number preferences.
Besides Android 14’s goodies, Nothing is also bringing its own new features such as a refurbished widgets library interface so Nothing widgets appear more clearly.
NothingOS 2.5 comes with a lot of customisation features.
It also introduces a new photos widget, allowing users to display their favourite photos on both the Home Screen and Lock Screen.
With the new screenshot editor and menu, users get more advanced editing features and quick deletion options.
NothingOS 2.5 adds a new option to hide app icons on the Home Screen and app drawer. If a user swipes right in the app drawer, it will reveal hidden app icons.
Also, users will be able to capture screenshots quickly with a three-finger swipe. Also, users can programme the double-press power button gesture to quickly access a chosen feature.
Redesigned a joint Home Screen and Lock Screen customisation page for a more comprehensive view of options.
NothingOS 2.5 also introduces the glass filter to make the wallpapers extra unique.
NothingOS 2.5 will also be released to the Phone(1) soon, says the company.
CMF Buds Pro
DH Photo/KVN Rohit
In a related development, Nothing’s subsidiary CMF has rolled out a new software update to Watch Pro and Buds Pro.
For Watch Pro, the new update optimises the screen UI to display contact details during an incoming call. It will also improve the device in terms of the accuracy of pace data in exercise logs.
It also enhances the readability of the fitness data at the default dial and optimised the layout of activity pages.
And, for Buds Pro, the new update optimises the prompt tone experience.
It will improve the Find My Earbuds function. It will further optimise in-ear detection when wearing one earbud.
The update also promises to enhance the sound experience after calls in gaming scenarios. It optimises the connection experience with Google Fast Pair.
Once updated to the latest firmware version, users will be able to switch between ANC mode and ambient during calls more easily than before.
Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.
(Published 13 October 2023, 06:54 IST)


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Dontnod Entertainment has revealed that the story for ‘Remember Me 2’ has already been written. However, they stated that it’s up to Capcom for the title to be made.
The news came to light in a recent Siliconera interview with Dontnod Entertainment Creative Director Jean-Maxime Moris where he expressed his desire to create a sequel to ‘Remember Me’.
“I would absolutely love to [work on a sequel],” Morris said to Siliconera. “We know what we would do for ‘Remember Me 2′. The main story has been written we know what we would add to the recipe. We know what we would fix. It’s a game that’s ready to be made, but that decision is Capcom’s to make.”
However, even if Capcom did want a sequel to ‘Remember Me,’ Dontnod Entertainment is still currently hard at work on their episodic game series entitled ‘Life is Strange,’ which is being published by Square Enix. And depending on that series’ success, Dontnod Entertainment’s development on ‘Remember Me 2’ could be pushed even further.
“Obviously we need to see and Square Enix needs to see how the first season [of ‘Life is Strange’] does to really decide whether we kick it off or not,” Morris commented.
So who knows, maybe gamers will get ‘Remember Me 2’ or even ‘Life is Strange: Season 2.’ Regardless, there could be hope for gamers who are yearning for more out of Dontnod Entertainment’s existing properties.
‘Remember Me’ was initially released on PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC in June 2013 to somewhat mixed to positive reviews. ScienceFiction.com writer Alan Robinson gave the title a 4/5 Atoms in his review, citing that the game was “something truly unique, offering an excellently-written story complete with superb voice-acting and entertaining gameplay to carry you to the end.”
For those interested in Dontnod Entertainment’s current work, the first episode of ‘Life is Strange’ is available now for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows PC. A second episode is expected to release sometime in March.


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4G LTE to launch in UK on October 30
iPhone 5 owners in the UK have something to cheer about -- 4G LTE service will be available for the first time in the country starting on October 30th.
The ultra-fast LTE service will operate on the network of EE (formerly known as Everything Everywhere), a new joint venture of Orange UK and T-Mobile. Although Orange and T-Mobile customers will soon see their carrier change to EE, they'll need to have an EE data plan in order to take advantage of the faster speeds provided by 4G LTE.
At this point, the service is expected to roll out in 10 cities on October 30th. By the end of 2012, 16 cities -- which contain a third of the population of the UK -- will have 4G LTE, and EE expects 98 percent of the population to be covered by 2014.
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Trion World Network has unveiled more info on its secret project following the recent departure of ex-company president Jon Van Caneghem.
The online game publisher – headquartered in California – has announced that its new, unnamed title will be an ‘MMORTS’, developed in partnership with Nevada-based Universe at War developer Petroglyph.
The title has yet been given a release date, though Trion CEO Lars Buttler stated that it would mark the arrival of the "world’s first truly high-end MMORTS."
“Petroglyph is utilizing Trion’s advanced server architecture, designed to enable massive scalability, dynamic content evolution and cross platform development, to create an epic gaming experience,” read press release from the joint venture.
Trion also stated that the title is the first 3rd-party development on the Trion Platform, and will be published internationally by the group.
Petroglyph is perhaps best known for its work on Star Wars: Empire At War. Its team are comprised of several veteran developers who once worked on the 1992 RTS Dune 2, marked by many as the progenitor of the RTS genre itself.
Trion, meanwhile, has yet to release a game, though the group has managed to successfully secure substantial development funds.
“Petroglyph is extremely excited to be working with a visionary publisher like Trion World Network"”, said Michael Legg, president and co-founder of Petroglyph.
“Combining Trion’s platform and industry expertise with our Glyph game technology and our development pedigree will allow us to unleash a groundbreaking MMORTS gaming experience to the world.”


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She's her own best advertisement! Kate Hudson puts toned figure on display at her athletic apparel store in Los Angeles
Kate Hudson made an appearance at an event hosted by her athletic apparel line, Fabletics in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The 36-year-old showed off her slim physique and long legs as she hosted an 'evening of shopping and champagne to benefit Bright Pink,' according to the brand's Instagram post.
The Almost Famous starlet wore a short grey skirt with a cinched waist and black trimmed zippers.
Scroll down for video
The face of Fabletics: Kate Hudson hosted a charity event by her athletic apparel line, Fabletics in Los Angeles on Thursday
'Champagne and shopping': Kate seemed in her element as she hosted an evening to benefit Bright Pink, according to the Fabletics Instagram post
She paired the Fabletics Amara French Terry Skirt with a black Fabletics Femima Tank and added a pop of color with bold red Brian Atwood heels.
The blonde beauty braided her silky locks to one side and swept her bangs back revealing her flawless complexion.
The Oscar nominee kept her makeup to a minimum but added a smokey matte eye and pale pink lip which showed off her natural beauty.
Leggy blonde: The 36-year-old showed off her slim physique and long legs in a short grey skirt with a cinched waist and bold red heels
Tap into the athleisure trend with Fabletics
If Fabletics is the key to Kate's Hudson's enviable figure then we're all in.
Especially with this new sports luxe trend that is picking up speed on the runways and off.
Think Gigi Hadid, Kylie and Kendall Jenner-- these girls know how to add a sporty touch to their off duty style.
With Kate Hudson's new line of athletic wear, it's easy for us to buy into it too. Take her skirt for instance, the heather grey sweatshirt material fabric, the drawstring and black trim zippers make for an overall sporty look.
We love that she paired it with one of her black tanks from the line and dressed things up with a pair of heels.
While her skirt isn't available for purchase just yet, there are some great offers out there that can get you started on recreating her look.
Have a browse below!
Natural beauty: The Oscar nominee kept her makeup to a minimum but added a smokey matte eye and pale pink lip which showed off her flawless complexion
The event's invitation said guests will receive 10 percent off retail prices and 30 percent of the net proceeds going to Bright Pink.
The organization is a 'nonprofit which is dedicated to the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women,' according to the Fabletics invitation.
In 2013 Hudson co-founded Fabletics, a fitness brand and membership program operated by JustFab.
Pins on parade: Kate's skimpy choice of outfit ensured her toned figure was on display in all its glory
Haka for Hudson: Whaka Paingia performed a traditional haka dance for Kate during the charity shopping event
Fashionista for Fabletics: In 2013 Hudson co-founded Fabletics, a fitness brand and membership program operated by JustFab
Buyer beware: While the brand is hosting a charity event, the company has been under much scrutiny in the past several weeks after an investigation by BuzzFeed News
Dare to bare: Kate's sporty top was completely backless as she worked her magic in front of the camera
Working it: Kate looked like an utter natural as she worked her magic in front of the cameras
While the brand is hosting a charity event, the company has been under much scrutiny in the past several weeks after an investigation by BuzzFeed News.
After some probing BuzzFeed revealed that the company has been conning consumers into unwanted subscriptions since at least 2004 and have received more than 1,000 complaints.
Unhappy consumers have called the company a scam due to unauthorized credit card charges and false advertising.
BuzzFeed additionally revealed cancellations can only be made over the phone and many continue to be charged even after they canceled their memberships or find it impossible to reach a customer service rep once they call.
False front: Unhappy consumers have called the company a scam due to unauthorized credit card charges and false advertising, according to the BuzzFeed report
Discount diva: The event's invitation was posted on Instagram and said guests will receive 10 percent off retail prices and 30 percent of the net proceeds going to Bright Pink
Instagram's invite: Fabletics posted an invitation to their Instagram page for the charity event
Blonde beauty: Hudson co-founded Fabletics, a fitness brand and membership program operated by JustFab in 2013
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May 15 2018
Tapping on New Markets
Following the successful launch of its smartphone app Pintail has extended its reach to the Moroccan communities in Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. With this extension the product is already available and operational in five countries, including France and Morocco.
April 16 2018
Pintail on Finance Portal Finews
On April 16 Swiss finance portal Finews released an extended coverage of Pintail, including an interview with CEO Fredy Walker and an article on the development of the business. Read the full story using the following link.


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TechCrunch and AOL editor John Biggs has launched bitcoin platform Freemit, enabling users to transfer money using bitcoin directly into local currency.
As a starting point, Biggs and the Freemit team will focus on handling smaller payments, enabling users to settle transactions that are often expensive on traditional and existing remittance services or financial platforms such as PayPal.
Over time, Freemit will work to capitalize on the limitations of financial services and applications and move into spaces that cannot be covered by platforms like TransferWise or PayPal.
“We’re starting small – P2P – and then expanding. PayPal isn’t very mobile anymore so it will be hard for them to move into this space,” said Biggs. “We aren’t here to service the guys who want to send $5,000 yet, we want to help the folks sending $50.”
The platform will be released for beta users in January, with support for more than 20 major currencies including US dollars, pound sterling, euros, the Japanese yen and Chinese renminbi.
“It’s going to be faster and better, especially for consumers. Most companies focus on SMBs. We don’t (yet). ” Biggs said on an Ask Me Anything event on Zapchain.
The startup will not generate revenue from its main bitcoin-based remittance service. However, Biggs hinted that the company may charge a decent percentage as a transaction fee for its bitcoin debit cards, which will be shipped soon after the official launch of the platform in 2016.
The Freemit team is currently exploring other alternative sources of revenue. Potentially, the platform may rely on the fees of its debit cards and possibly charge service fees for its world-wide cash pick-up service in the future.
“We have a few ideas. We expect some interesting things to pop up as we light the system up,” said Biggs.
However, Biggs admitted that he encountered problems with the decline of interest of investors in Bitcoin during the early stages of his startup. He explained that most investors these days are more interested in the blockchain technology so startups ostensibly support the blockchain technology while maintaining their core Bitcoin-based services.
“Investors don’t want to hear about [bitcoin] these days but they do love them some blockchain so startups have to serve up the blockchain stew peppered, secretly, with the bitcoin amazingness,” he said.
Over time, the Freemit team aims to branch out its core technology into different Bitcoin and blockchain-based solutions, to address both P2P payments and merchant transactions. Biggs briefly mentioned that the company is looking to provide an API for online businesses to integrate to accept bitcoin and cash with ease.
“I know that’s a cop out [to integrate both cash and bitcoin] but our goal is to have a back end that can support multiple use cases and a few front ends. It’s a Christmas tree with ornaments. We’re building the tree right now and one ornament, which is Freemit.”


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An overnight queue at Shanghai Disneyland has sparked a heated discussion on Chinese social media with many netizens calling it "crazy."
The hashtag "More than 5,000 people lined up at Disney at 3 am" topped Sina Weibo on Wednesday with over 12 million views.
Photos and videos circulating on social media showed thousands of visitors waiting outside Shanghai Disneyland early on Wednesday to buy the 2021 Duffy and Friends Christmas Collection.
The moment the gates opened people dashed into the resort, mostly adults.
In one picture a man was seen kneeling on the ground, possibly worn out by the wait.
Many netizens have called for rational consumption and accused Disney of using hunger marketing strategies.
"I don't understand why this doll is worth standing in line in such cold weather and with the risks of a pandemic," commented a netizen.
"As long as Disney prepares more inventory and does not rely on hungry marketing, it will not be like this," said other netizen.
According to some visitors, there were more than five thousand people at Shanghai Disneyland at 3 am on Wednesday waiting for the opening of the three stores of the park.
On Wednesday morning Shanghai Disneyland issued an emergency notice on its WeChat account
saying that it has suspended the lines to enter the three stores of the park for Wednesday as it reached the capacity limit for queues on its venue.
"We remind all guests to plan their trip properly in the cold weather and to comply with all on-site pandemic control requirements,
including always wearing a mask and maintaining good social distancing," Shanghai Disneyland said in a notice.
包括始终佩戴口罩，保持良好的社交距离 。”上海迪士尼乐园在一则通告中表示 。


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(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; ADDS info throughout, photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- E-Mart Inc., South Korea's leading retailer, on Monday reported that its net loss expanded in the second quarter from a year earlier due to a slump in consumer sentiment and high inflation.
Its net loss for the three months ending in June was 103.2 billion won (US$77.4 million) on a consolidated basis, up from a loss of 63.1 billion won during the same period last year, the retail giant said in a regulatory filing.
Its operating loss rose to 53 billion won in the April-June period from a loss of 12.3 billion won a year earlier, while sales inched up 1.7 percent to 7.27 trillion won.
The company said its weak performance can be blamed on a slump in the domestic market amid high inflation and rate hikes.
Its discount store business raised its revenue to 3.94 trillion won in the second quarter, down 0.5 percent on-year, and extended its operating loss to 25.8 billion won from 19.1 billion won. Its net loss also increased to 79 billion won from 43.2 billion won over the same period.
The company's e-commerce affiliates -- SSG.com and Gmarket -- saw their sales go up 0.9 percent and 13.3 percent on-year to 427 billion won and 292.5 billion won, respectively.
SSG.com's operating loss decreased 22.2 billion won to 18.3 billion won, and Gmarket's operating loss contracted 6.9 billion won to 11.3 billion won.
Sales of SCK Company, the operator of Starbucks in South Korea, climbed 6.2 percent on-year to 707 billion won, and sales of convenience store chain emart24 jumped 7.2 percent on-year to 574.4 billion won.
In contrast, SCK Company's operating profit dropped 11.1 billion won to 36.4 billion won and emart24's operating profit went down 900 million won to 3.4 billion won.
Sales of the retailer's accommodations business, Josun Hotels & Resorts Co., shot up 18.9 percent on-year to 138.5 percent.


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PETALING JAYA: Biscuits manufacturer Hup Seng Industries Bhd’s net profit for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2018 fell 11.5% to RM12.74 million from RM14.38 million a year ago mainly due to poorer margin in certain segment coupled with higher incentive and promotional sponsorship activities given to the distributors during the current quarter.
The group’s revenue for the current quarter decreased slightly by 0.4% to RM85.85 million from RM86.22 million in the quarter ended Dec 31, 2017 as domestic sales registered a drop of 2%.
For the full-year period, Hup Seng’s net profit fell 3.3% to RM42.96 million from RM44.45 million a year ago, with revenue increasing 2.6% to RM307.37 million from RM299.67 million.
It recommended the payment of a third interim dividend of 2 sen per share for the financial quarter under review.
Hup Seng said the operating environment over the next six months is expecting weak domestic growth, uncertainty in global demand and prudent investment in business expansion. Faced with uncertain global and domestic economic prospects, consumers will once again be expected to be more prudent with their spending, leading to weaker sentiment on retail consumption for 2019.
“The group witnessed some margin compression arising from costs pressures amid continued growth in revenue. Nevertheless, the group will continue its efforts to enhance operating efficiency to mitigate as much as possible the impact of higher input costs. The group will continue to focus in improving the group’s performance by innovating products portfolio, broadening the distributor network to safeguard the group’s revenue and profitability,” it said.


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Vodafone has announced the launch of its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services across Kerala. With the help of the new VoLTE technology, you will be able to make calls and enjoy HD quality crystal clear voice with super call connect.
If you are a Vodafone SuperNet 4G customer in Kerala, you will be able to access Vodafone VoLTE without any additional charges. Moreover, all calls are billed as per existing plan or pack benefits. You will be able to experience the best from Vodafone’s Data Strong Network.
Commenting on the launch, Ajit Chaturvedi, Business Head – Kerala, Vodafone India disclosed that the company has been making significant investments to expand, upgrade our network and to deploy new technologies. The main intention is to provide finest quality service experience to valued customers.
The introduction of the Vodafone VoLTE is a big step towards to enhance customer experience and also to enable customers in Kerala to explore new possibilities with the help of smart gadgets.
As a Vodafone Kerala customer, you will be able to access Vodafone VoLTE services on all VoLTE enabled smartphones and tablets. Nowadays, new smartphones are integrated with VoLTE support. You have to verify the specifications before purchase. Alternatively, you can verify the existence of VoLTE support b navigating to vodafone.in/volte. You should also upgrade the operating platform to latest build.
To recall, Vodafone VoLTE service was recently launched in several cities such as Mumbai, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra & Goa, Delhi-NCR, Chennai, UP East, UP West, Karnataka and more. The company added that the service will be available across the country in a phased manner over the next few months.
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