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It’s only been a week since Pebble began its new crowdfunding campaign for the second-generation of its smartwatches, ‘Pebble Time’ and the company has already raised a colossal $12 million dollars—an amount that is expected to skyrocket following today’s announcement of a sleeker version of the watch ‘Pebble Time Steel.’
With the tremendous success of Pebble’s Kickstarter campaign in an emerging and increasingly competitive gadget market, it can now be revealed that the chief designers of the smartwatch to end all smartwatches are Israelis Itai Vonshak and Liron Damir.
Making mountains from pebbles
Vonshak, VP of Product at Pebble, and Damir, Head of Design, set out as a team early on working at notable technology companies like Emblaze and HP in the United States, and developing the webOS systems for electronics giant LG. From there, they continued to Pebble, which seems to have been a good move considering the potential of the smartwatch market that Apple, Samsung and even LG are tirelessly trying to disrupt. However, the Pebble smartwatch continues to the dominate consumer ratings and reviews, for its compatibility with both Andriod and iOS operating systems (a first of its kind in the gadget world) and for its 7-day battery life (while other models only hold out for a day, max).
The overwhelming support from crowdfunders to the tune of $12 million raised by Pebble in the release of its latest version, Pebble Time, isn’t as exciting as it would be for first-timers to Kickstarter. Back in 2012, when the company released the initial version of its smartwatch, it broke Internet records by raising $10.3 million in a time when crowdfunding was still the new kid on the block. Today, the company announced the release of ‘Pebble Time Steel,’ a more professional-looking, stainless steel and slightly heavier version of Pebble’s standard smartwatch, that will be offered in silver, black and gold. The watch will cost backers $250 (the retail price will be $299), and those who have already backed the Kickstarter campaign for ‘Pebble Time’ will be able to change their order to the ‘Steel,’ without losing their place in line.
Simple, accessible design is the key to Pebble’s success
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The ‘Steel’ may be an answer to Apple’s impressive stainless steel smartwatch revealed in September, but according to gadget geeks and consumers, the tech giant’s version doesn’t begin to compare. The ‘Time’ watch is water resistant, the screen is manageable but not overwhelming in terms of size, it works with a number of languages and, maybe most importantly, the smartwatches’ apps are open to developers. According to Damir, the openness to users’ needs and creativity is what makes Pebble stand out a midst a handful of hefty competitors.
“We aren’t Apple in the sense that we aren’t coming and dictating to you how we think things should be. Pebble understands that this is not our direction, that we have our own way of constructing a product. We still struggle against the forces in the world of technology that are bigger than us, and Kickstarter is one of the ways to get on our feet,” Damir told Israeli business publication “Calcalist” in an exclusive interview.
Vonshak and Damir relate to what degree they take consumer feedback into consideration, giving the example of getting feedback from reddit and ProductHunt users regarding the look of the watch before release. Their attention to what people want (and will actually use) is what brings the Pebble team back to Kickstarter, and though they most likely could get by without crowdfunding, it’s what their brand is all about. Vonshak tells “Calcalist”, “We view life in a much simpler way, ‘Will this product really help someone or not?’ ‘Does it make the life of the user better?’ We aren’t looking to put all of our money into marketing or to get a celebrity to sell our product. If we can build a good product we will do it, and if not, we simply won’t release it.” It seems like the latter is highly unlikely, with 65,000 watches already sold and set to arrive at supporters’ doorsteps starting this May.


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Now that bitcoin (BTC) and many other cryptocurrencies are gaining ground in the field of adoption, the question arises; what is the state of crypto adoption in the world? Statista sorted it out and listed the results!
The percentage of respondents who say that they have used or owned cryptocurrencies. Source: Statista.
Turkey is in the first place. No less than 20% of the respondents say they have come into contact with cryptocurrencies in the past by using them or simply having them in a cryptocurrency wallet.
That Turkey is at the top is perhaps not entirely unexpected. The country is being hit by an ever-decreasing fiat currency, and confidence in the banks is therefore becoming lower. In many similar situations you see people grabbing crypto to protect their money.Brazil and Colombia, two South American countries, are in second and third place. Like Turkey, Brazil is plagued by high inflation. For example, inflation was at its highest point in four years in April. In the same month, more than 100,000 bitcoins ($ 500 million) were traded by Brazilians.
The government of Colombia has a very friendly attitude towards cryptocurrencies. Another fact that makes crypto adoption so high in this country is possibly the million Venezuelans who have fled to the country. Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are perfect for sending money internationally. Refugees and immigrants often use crypto to send money to the family in their home country.
Finally, we see Argentina and South Africa in fourth and fifth place. At 16%, crypto adoption is significant in these two countries. In Argentina, this is mainly due to high inflation, but also to the fact that, for example, public transport tickets can be purchased with crypto.
In South Africa, interest remains high, despite recent government measures to combat crypto. However, South Africans continue to use crypto for international payments and as an investment option.

domain: news


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Remember the teaser images Arc System Works tweeted out over the last week hinting at a new fighter coming to Steam? Well, the developer has just launched a new website revealing the title to be none other than Battle Fantasia, confirming it will be making its way to PC on July 7.
Battle Fantasia is a quirky game that arrived in arcades back in 2007 before appearing on consoles a year later. Emiko Iwasaki headed development of the game after working as an illustrator on the Guilty Gear series, and created her own unique take on the genre. Pulling heavy inspiration from fantasty roleplaying titles, Battle Fantasia uses 3D models and small touches like floating damage numbers to set itself apart from its peers, as well as being more simple and streamlined while retaining a faster pace the developer is known for.
Now that Battle Fantasia is moving to the more modern space of PC gaming, the folks over at Arc System Works want to do a little more than just a straight port. As you’ll see in the galleries below, Revised Edition’s visual fidelity has definitely seen a noticeable upgrade, with certain animations and effects being updated entirely. You can also expect the game to employ delay-based netcode.
If you haven’t checked this one out, it’s a pretty neat and distinguishable niche title, and we’d recommend keeping an eye on it when it comes to Steam next week.
Source: Arc System Works


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By Staff Writer
Beginning in July 2018, Dove is taking another step in ensuring beauty is a source of confidence and not anxiety with the launch of a 'No digital distortion mark'. The Mark will roll out across all branded content globally beginning in July with deodorant campaigns leading the initiative. By 2 January 2019, the mark will be incorporated into all static imagery showcasing women, across print, digital and social and will represent that the image is not distorted. Dove will be held accountable to only show accurate and genuine portrayals of people, showing them how they are in real life. The ambition of the Mark is to help women and girls navigate the media landscape letting them know that the image they see has not been digitally distorted to fit the ideals of what beauty is and isn't.
Visit the official COVID-19 government website to stay informed: sacoronavirus.co.za


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Minors, or people under the age of 18, are not being kept from buying lottery tickets at lottery retailers. The Consumers’ Foundation has asked the Taiwan Lottery Co to help deal with the serious Taiwanese obsession of playing the lottery.
An investigation conducted by the Consumers’ Foundation found that lottery retailers are selling lottery tickets to minors, despite Public Welfare Lottery regulations prohibiting minors from purchasing lottery tickets or claiming prize money. During a recent covert survey, the foundation sent junior high and elementary school students to 80 different lottery retailers to buy lottery tickets, and not one of them was turned away. Roughly 98 percent of the retailers sold tickets to the minors without asking any questions pertaining to age, and only 80 percent of the retailers had signs at the entrance or inside their stores saying you must be at least 18 years old to purchase lottery tickets or claim prize money.
Lottery stand businesses always thrive during the Lunar New Year. The Consumers’ Foundation recently received a complaint from one parent who saw a child buying lottery tickets from a lottery retailer, which prompted the foundation to send out undercover junior high school and elementary school students to purchase lottery tickets. The results of the survey showed that only one retailer had qualms about selling lottery tickets to a minor, but, even so, he assumed that an adult customer standing behind the child was the child’s parent and still sold the tickets to the student without verifying his age.
According to the law, retailers selling lottery tickets to minors can be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$250,000, and the price of the ticket and amount won must be claimed as profits for the Public Welfare Lottery. Although the regulations are clear, retailers are still not complying with the law. The survey showed that the only two retailers who made age inquiries still sold the lottery tickets to the minors.
1. retailer n.
零售商 (ling2 shou4 shang1)
例: The sales tax exemption for online retailers will come to an end this year.
2. qualm adj.
疑慮 (yi2 lu4)
例: Barry has no qualms about downloading pirated music from the Internet.
3. verify v.
核對；查實 (he2 dui4; cha2 shi2)
例: The bank needs two forms of ID to verify your identity if you want to open a bank account.
National Treasury Agency Deputy Director-General Chen Hsueh-hsiang says that the agency will continue enhancing its training and oversight programs. The Taiwan Lottery Co, on the other hand, says it places the utmost importance on the issue and will be working hard to improve the effectiveness of its training, ensuring that retailers do not sell lottery tickets or allow prizes to be claimed by minors, adding that if a retailer is not able to determine whether a person is at least 18 years old, they should ask for identification. The company says that it will also revoke retailers’ lottery licenses if they are caught selling lottery tickets to minors.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)


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Toy Fair 2015 is right around the corner. In just a few weeks Toyark.com, TFW2005.com, Tokunation.com and all of our Network sites, will be bombarding you with thousands and thousands of photos live from the show floor. This is the yearly event that will set up the rest of the years worth of products. You’ll see more reveals at Toy Fair then just about any other event (with San Diego Comic-Con being the only event to rival it).
This year should be especially interesting. We have some major event movies coming this year. There’s no doubt that both Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars: the Force Awakens will have a big impact on reveals. Hasbro won’t be publicly showing any The Force Awakens toys, but that may not stop others from showing off a goody or two. These two licenses won’t be the only big reveals. Companies like Hasbro, Mattel, NECA, Mezco, Square Enix, Diamond Select Toys, Funko and more are set to have a bigger presence than ever.
After the jump, I list ten things I’m looking forward to seeing or finding out at the show. Join in on the discussion and let us know what you are looking forward to seeing.


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The Surge May release date confirmed, CG Trailer revealed
Focus Home Interactive has released a trailer for The Surge titled “Bad Day at Office” and focused on the CREO, a company that dominates the world of the new action RPG of the studio Deck13.
The Surge, the sci-fi action-RPG being developed by Deck-13 and produced by Focus Home, is starring in a new CGI trailer, titled “Bad Day at Office.” The trailer also announces the launch window, which is set to May 2017.
The film thus highlights the main features of the game, which will take us into a world populated by robots and humans merged with powerful exoskeletons.
The trailer explores the background narrative to the base of the title, focusing in particular on the protagonist, Warren, and on his first day of work, which coincides with a catastrophic event in the offices of CREO, a huge corporation whose goal is to save Earth, a world in ruins.
The video also confirms the launch window, as The Surge is expected for the month of May on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, further details on the launch date will be disclosed in the coming weeks.
Focus Home Interactive will share new information in early February, during an event in Paris. The game is in development on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.


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Yo Dog! Put On a Seatbelt!Wednesday, June 6, 2012
This blog goes out to all my four-legged, furry canine friends. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the dream is over. Those relaxing car drives through the country, hanging out the window with your tongue waving around like wet flag in a windstorm are soon to be a thing of the past. Yes, it is a sad day for all pets and pet owners, at least if you live in New Jersey. According to a recent news story, the State of New Jersey is concerned about your family’s safety…and when they say family they mean everyone…even your dog. While you might not be able to claim Fido as a dependent on your taxes, you do have to make sure he is wearing his seatbelt when he is in your car. Yep, we said seatbelt….and yep, we thought the same thing you are right now….they apparently do make seatbelts for dogs. It actually might be a good time to dump that Facebook stock and invest in a dog seatbelt company…it might be the next big thing…or maybe not.
Anyway, what makes this news shocking isn’t the seatbelt; it is the penalty for not following the rule…up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Can you see it now, some big scary guy with a tattoo on his face asks you, what are you in for…and you reply, “For not putting a seatbelt on my dog.” Now I always believe in telling the truth, but in this particular instance you might want to lie.
The word on the street is that next they will be cracking down on illegal catnip dispensaries and will be limiting the legal limit of dog biscuits to 2.7 Milkbones…the small ones not the jumbo ones. Read the original article below.
Original article: NJ: Belt Fido In, or Go to Jail


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Forbes — As businesses adapt to consumer shopping habits in the post-pandemic world, it's important to evolve your direct mail marketing strategy to stay relevant and ensure your direct mail list converts.
Last year saw the rise of teleconferencing, remote working, binge-watching and grocery delivery across the globe. Even before the pandemic hit, the average American worker spent five hours per day on email, according to an Adobe study. While the rollout of the vaccine and dropping Covid-19 numbers are fueling consumer confidence, many Americans expect to continue to telework, and at least 26.7% of the workforce will be fully remote by the end of 2021, according to an Upwork survey of more than 1,000 hiring managers and chief executives. By 2025, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely, an increase of 16.8 million people from pre-pandemic rates.
As our digital footprint hits overdrive and Zoom fatigue kicks in, Americans are craving experiences outside of their computer screens. Email inboxes are overflowing, and people are growing numb to online ads. Direct mail marketing continues to deliver a personal and tangible alternative for customers suffering from screen overload, which will be more important than ever as the country slowly returns to normal. It allows small businesses to reach customers in their community at home, where they spend their time, providing a physical touchpoint of their message.
As technology continues to innovate, direct mail marketing is evolving to provide businesses with real-time marketing analytics to help improve targeting and cut marketing costs. Direct mail can also include unique codes or barcodes to track individual responses to your mailings.
Combine Accurate Direct Mail Lists With Technology Enhancements
Small businesses can leverage their direct mail lists by taking advantage of digital enhancements. The USPS developed a unique feature for your direct mail postcard. Informed Delivery allows residents to get a copy of their direct mail piece in their email inbox before it arrives in their physical mailbox. Marketers can capitalize on this trend by including unique links in the message or videos about the deal. Voice activation technology allows businesses to use their smart speakers, like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, to respond to advertising offers.
Focus On Sensory Experience
Direct mail marketing allows businesses to focus on the sensory experience of their customers. Sensory marketing plays a major role in buying decisions, as it can help strengthen B2C connections. Both vision and touch are key senses that influence product perception, according to a report by IE University in Spain. Your direct mail marketing message can stand out and engage customers by offering an offline sensory experience in our increasingly digital world. Direct mail messages can further stand out by including increased personalization and physical touches like foiling, embossing and even scent.
For example, my company provides an enhanced sensory experience for new residents in the community. We send an upscale, ribbed texture welcome package filled with oversized colorful proven offers from local businesses. Our businesses appreciate the high-quality design, and new movers receive a tangible offer giving them the opportunity to engage with new brands.
Stumbling Blocks To Direct Mail Marketing
While it's clear direct mail is an important tool in your marketing arsenal, it's important to remember that it's not foolproof. Still, the high return on investment that a direct mail marketing campaign can bring makes these stumbling blocks worth conquering. Here are some of the most common hurdles businesses encounter and how to fix them:
• Frequency. Determining the frequency of mailings is difficult to attain. Send out a postcard too often, and customers will cast them aside. Splitting up your list and sending postcards at different frequencies can help ensure you avoid saturation and find that sweet spot. Sending to a new, niche audience each time can also help with this.
• Up-to-date lists. It's also important to keep your mailing lists up to date. USPS can validate the addresses in your database to make sure they're current. Routinely doing a database validation can help make your campaign more effective and could increase returns. If you're working with a company that provides a mailing list, check with it to determine list accuracy.
• Going over budget. Make sure your direct mail marketing campaign generates results. Overspending your marketing budget isn't an option. Many providers offer apps to track the success of your campaign while also providing detailed demographic data to help streamline your next mailing.
As Americans continue to weather the pandemic, reaching them at home with direct mail marketing can provide a solid return on investment for your business and a welcome respite from the digital overload.
Article by Forbes Technology Council Member and President/CEO/CTO of Our Town America, Michael Plummer Jr. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives.
Brittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations.


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Dell Technologies has become one of the largest companies in the world. But it hasn’t forgotten about its dependency on much smaller operations.
The tech giant launched its campaign to support small businesses, offering deals on Dell products and free small business advisors to any small business that reaches out.
Now, Dell has roughly 3.1 million small business buyers nationally, with 275,000 based in Texas. The company classifies small business buyers as customers who have purchased Dell technology and have no more than 99 employees. Dell does not disclose revenue numbers from its small business buyers.
The effort came out of Dell’s internal research that found it becomes 50 percent more difficult to get a company to change a vendor after they’ve locked in on one, said Erik Day, vice president and general manager of Dell North America Small Business.
“Our small customers end up being medium customers, end up being large customers,” Day said. “What we realized is there is a massive need for small businesses to have support.”
While most of those relationships happen virtually, Round Rock-based Dell uses its proximity to Austin to meet with small businesses in person.
Take, for instance, the company’s relationship with Kendra Scott, an Austin-based jewelry designer who grew her company into a billion-dollar entity. Kendra Scott uses Dell PCs, servers, monitors, cloud services and software.
“We were able to nurture that relationship, and as she grew, we were able to grow with her,” Day said.
Dell also works with Austin favorites like Tiff’s Treats, Cuvée Coffee and Wanderlust Yoga. Dell featured its partnership with the three companies at Austin Startup Week’s startup crawl in September.
“It was a huge help to get exposure there,” said Elizabeth Hughes, social media and community manager of Wanderlust Yoga.
Dell gave Wanderlust Yoga computers for its downtown studio this year, and provides virtual around-the-clock small business advisors for support, according to Hughes. Dell's small business advisors are a free service to small businesses.
And Tiff’s Treats, the Austin-based chain known for delivering warm cookies and ice-cold milk, has worked with Dell for more than a decade.
The company, which has been rapidly expanding in the last year, uses Dell computers to operate each store, according to Jeff Sartor, Tiff’s Treats executive vice president of marketing. Tiff's Treats declined to disclose how much the company has spent on Dell products, but Sartor estimated that it spends thousands of dollars on Dell products every year.
The partnership goes beyond Dell computers, Sartor said. Dell frequently features the cookies at company events, and even wrote about the cookie company in Dell’s magazine.
Rather than the partnership being a single check-in, Sartor said, “It was more of the basis of a great relationship that somewhat already existed since we use Dell products all over.”
In February, the company announced that it would open two stores in Nashville, Tenn. and acquire Jake’s Bakes there. By the end of the year, Sartor said, the company hopes to open five or six new stores as part of its "rapid expansion plan."
“With every new store that opens on the business side, we need at least four machines that are Dell-powered machines,” Sartor said. “They’ve been a great partner, and I know that they provide us with small business solutions in terms of us opening up this many stores.”
Day, of Dell small business, says those connections in a growing city like Austin help remind customers that Dell understands “what it’s like to be a small business.”
“We want to be a part of that journey,” Day said.


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Live in Taiwan or China? You'll want to check out a new mid-range handset coming to the two markets — the Nokia X71.
Nokia's tackling the mid-range U.S. smartphone market once more with the Nokia 4.2 — a phone that brings a Google Assistant button, Snapdragon 439, and much more for just $189.
Nokia's ready to expand to North American carriers. To kick things off, it's bringing the Nokia 2 V and Nokia 3.1 Plus to the U.S and Canada!
Timely updates are more crucial than ever before, and it's time to take a look at how the leading manufacturers have fared in this area. This is the state of Android Oreo updates in India.
The Nokia 7.1 and Pocofone F1 are two of the hottest mid-range Android phones money can buy, but which of these two is truly the best?
Last year's MWC marked a re-launch of the Nokia brand under new parent company HMD Global, so it was only fitting that the company would take to MWC 2018 to launch a few more phones.
It's spring, which means there are more phones coming out than you know what to do with. Here's how I make sense of the craziness.
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Green Meadows will host a weekend-long celebration starting Friday, July 8 to coincide with “OIL Day” or “Dab Day” on Sunday, July 10 (7/10). Unlike the 4/20 holiday, 7/10 is a more recent cannabis holiday celebrating concentrates in its many forms, such as cannabis oils, wax, resin, hash, and tinctures. Green Meadows is excited to not only welcome and educate the community about cannabis oil during their weekend celebration but also launch a new line of vaporizer cartridges for both recreational guests and medical patients.
Green Meadows will offer a variety of vape cartridges, with half-gram distillate vapes infused with popular terpenes such as Grape Ape, Limoncello, and Maui Wowie. Their popular organic Chem Fuego strain will be available as a CO2 full spectrum oil vape, offering the full flavor and aroma of the plant while also providing the benefits of the “entourage effect”, where the full spectrum of the cannabis plant works best together, that go along with a full cannabinoid profile. Green Meadows flower is grown organically in living soil at their 35,000-square-foot cannabis production facility in Southbridge, which sits in the same restored 19th century mill building as its dispensary.
For oil novices, Green Meadows will be hosting live demonstrations all weekend at the dispensary, along with food trucks, pop-ups, live music, and prizes. Fernway, ROVE, and other cannabis partners will be present and displaying their oil-based products at the event. Local musicians Madigan Linnane and Larry Lewis will be performing each day, and food trucks from Uhlman’s Ice Cream, Taino Roots, Moon Magick Café, and Melissa Flaherty Cakes will also be available throughout the weekend.
As always, a 21+ only audience is invited to learn about the effectiveness of high-quality cannabis oils and concentrates as a potential alternative wellness option. “At Green Meadows, we believe the best consumers are educated ones”, said Rob Patton, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Green Meadows. “We are committed to being a resource to our community and welcome the public to come and ask questions about these other cannabis products they are likely less familiar with.”
Come by Green Meadows to celebrate Oil Day ALL WEEKEND LONG with food trucks, cannabis vendor pop-ups, live-music, and prizes with FREE admission!
Follow event and vendor details on Facebook: https://fb.me/e/1U97RmDIp
Dispensary Store Hours:
10am – 8pm Friday & Saturday
10am – 6pm Sunday


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Microsoft has started sending final versions of Office for Windows 10 out to beta testers ahead of the operating system's July 29 launch. But despite the apps' billing as software that can work on any Windows 10 device, Microsoft is urging keyboard and mouse users to look elsewhere.
Word, Excel and Powerpoint are all receiving the “universal app” treatment, meaning they will be compatible with Windows 10 running anywhere. While the current versions still say "preview," PCWorld is reporting beta testers have had that designation removed in a new update. However, Microsoft has posted the products on the app store with the word “mobile” in the title, and is pushing mouse-and-keyboard to instead go to the Office website to buy a different version.
The universal app concept was designed to ensure that developers could write a single app and use it on desktop, tablet or laptop. Office for Windows 10 can technically be used on a non-touch desktop, but Microsoft suggests this is not a preferred use.
Microsoft does not consider the final versions as fully complete. Instead, they represent the first of a constantly-upgraded software package that will improve over time. Redmond is taking a similar approach with Windows 10, describing it as “the last version of Windows ever.”
Microsoft is planning to release Office 2016 for Windows in the fall. This version will be distinct from the universal version finalized today and will focus on keyboard-and-mouse compatibility. However, Office 2016 will work on older versions of Windows, unlike the universal version, which will only run on Windows 10.


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Infor® announced that Rosen Hotels & Resorts will partner with Infor to implement key back-of-house hospitality solutions. That includes automating critical business functions like financials, human resources, talent, analytics and workforce management.
As an existing Infor customer for budgeting and reporting, this expanded partnership allows Rosen, with its 6,300+ guest rooms and suites and 730,000 square feet of high-tech meeting space, to utilize cloud-based applications specifically built for the hospitality industry to automate time-consuming processes. By automating critical business functions, Rosen will be able to share better data in real time, create processes that can scale and improve its workforce culture.
“As a modern hotelier, we are always looking for ways to not only improve the guest experience, but also improve workflow for our associates. This streamlined approach allows us to stay cutting edge, capitalize on critical data and intelligence, and synergize our various departments, therefore increasing efficiency,” said Jim Bina, Rosen Hotels & Resorts director of finance. “We are all about relationships here at Rosen and, for us, we felt Infor’s easy-to-use technology/applications will help us continue to be a leader in the hospitality industry while taking operations to the next level.”
By connecting all locations into one common, accessible environment, Rosen Hotels & Resorts can easily track essential activities, trends, and outcomes, thereby increasing visibility, efficiency and profitability.
“By trusting Infor to create a single platform for critical back-office operations, we can provide Rosen with enhanced security, a uniform user experience, ease of on-boarding and more convenience, accuracy and coordination,” said Jason Floyd, general manager of Infor Hospitality. “Infor’s hospitality solutions are built to help hoteliers better manage people and processes. We are excited to partner with the team at Rosen Hotels & Resorts on this exciting new endeavor and digital transformation.”


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Leaked specifications of the Nokia 7.3 smartphone say it is expected to launch later this year and will be offered with Snapdragon 690 and a quad-camera setup
As per the previous reports, it was known that the Nokia Android smartphones to be launched at the annual event are rumored to be Nokia 2.4, Nokia 6.3, and Nokia 7.3. The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin or the Berlin International Consumer Electronics Exhibition or IFA is the annual event of the company. Nokia’s 2020 flagship phone might be delayed, but that hasn’t stopped the Finnish smartphone maker from launching other mainstream phones.
Nokia 7.3 was previously predicted that it will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 series processor and a rear quad camera. But the new leaks of the Android Smartphone says that it will have a Snapdragon 690 chipset and a Zeiss quad-camera setup at the rear.
Renders of the Nokia 7.3 was shared by noted tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer, also known as OnLeaks, who collaborated with IPEEWorld. It was known that the Snapdragon 690 chipset is a fairly new Qualcomm chip that brings 5G at a lower price than the Snapdragon 7 and 8-series 5G silicon.
The Nokia 7.3 smartphone leaked details say that it may be a 5G phone which will feature a 6.5-inch full HD+ display with a hole-punch cutout. The IPEEWorld report claims that the smartphone will come with a Zeiss quad-camera setup at the rear which includes 48-megapixel primary sensor. The smartphone is expected to have a 24-megapixel selfie shooter. It may pack a 4,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.
However, There’s no word on the price and availability of the Nokia 7.3 smartphone. But it was rumored that it could appear alongside the rumored Nokia 9.3 flagship in the fourth quarter of this year. What are your views for Nokia 7.3 smartphone? Do mention in the comment section below. For more news on tech and cybersecurity stay tuned on Android Rookies by subscribing to our newsletter from here.


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Photo: KEVIN GEIL, EMPLOYEES / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
Houlihan's Restaurants Inc. may become the latest chain of restaurants that billionaire Tilman Fertitta has brought out of bankruptcy
along with more than 30 affiliated Companies. But Landry's, the Houston-based restaurant group that runs Joe's Crab Shack, Rainforest Cafe, and Morton's steakhouses, has already offered to pay $ 40 million for the business and take on certain liabilities, court records show. Houlihan has reported assets of approximately $ 80 million and liabilities of approximately $ 77 million.
With a submission in Chapter 11, Houlihan can keep its doors open and employ 3,450 people while a rehabilitation plan or sale is being prepared. Landry's offer is a so-called stalking horse bid, which sets a lower limit for all other offers that arise in a bankruptcy sale process.
Landry intends to offer employment to "many" of its current employees, as court documents show. Lenders, including CIT Bank, agreed to provide $ 5 million to fund bankruptcy.
"We expect the process to run smoothly for our guests, team members, and salespeople," said Houlihans chief executive officer Mike Archer in a statement.Houlihan's expects that The sale will be completed by the end of this year.
Houlihan's was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas .The company operates 47 restaurants in 14 states, including J. Gilbert's, Bristol Seafood Grill and Devon Seafood Grill and 23 franchisees that were not included in the filing.
Houlihan's is currently owned by York Capital Management, which made the company about three years ago with the help of a secured line of credit totaling more Bought $ 50 Million
Changes in the Management, unfavorable leases and the rapid growth of expensive third-party delivery services, said Chief Manning Officer Matthew Manning in a court settlement. A buy-out of the largest franchisee in May 2018 at an unfavorable time put additional pressure on him.
"Houlihan, unlike Chili's and Fridays and Applebee's is involved in the crisis of casual eating," said Darren Tristano, CEO of Foodservice Results. a restaurant consultation. "For over 10 years, these concepts no longer differ. Your menus seem very similar. "
The company has not paid any interest to the holders of its loans since December last year and closed in advance of Chapter 11 twelve losing locations after it had failed to get concessions from landlords, Manning said. A representative of York Capital did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Traditional seating restaurants have come under pressure as consumers increasingly opt for fast-casual options. Rising minimum wage thresholds also do not help, as Restaurants Unlimited Inc. blames such increases in part for bankruptcy in July. Landry, along with Joe's Crab Shack and a Western-themed chain called Claim Jumper, has bought up the bankruptcy of the West Coast chain after seeking legal protection.
"They're looking for value," said Tristano. "They're looking for restaurants that need capital urgently, they're trying to stop the bleeding and waiting for the restaurants, and economies of scale can cut costs."
The company generated $ 202 million in revenue in fiscal year 2019 Ping Jaffray & Co. was hired in June to wind up the sales process, according to Manning, earning about $ 9 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.


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Alberta Zero-Waste Champions remind all to maintain social distancing during COVID-19
RCA and partner organizations provide tips for maintaining solid reduce, reuse and recycling practices during pandemic
Environmental groups in Alberta including the Recycling Council of Alberta, Waste Free Edmonton, Plastic-Free YYC and Environment Lethbridge, are sharing a common message - it is possible to continue to follow public safety measures and social distancing, while also acting to improve the environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Alberta has excellent examples of reduction efforts across the province including reuse, repair and recycling businesses, events, groups and communities," remarked Christina Seidel, executive director of the Recycling Council of Alberta. "While some of these organizations have had to shut down temporarily or limit hours, there are still many actions people can take with the environment in mind and we've shared these below."
Melissa Gorrie, co-founder of Waste Free Edmonton shares steps that can be taken during this time to protect our health and the environment.
"For example, continuing to use reusable items as long as they are properly sanitized, avoiding the temptation to over-purchase food and other goods due to the current scarcity mentality, supporting the second-hand economy where possible, and repairing and repurposing existing items," shared Melissa.
Actions and information include:
• Reusable bags: Based on information from public health officials on the spread of the virus, reusable bags pose a limited risk and can continue to be safely used. A practice that provides protection to both store clerks (who don't need to handle customer bags) and customers (who don't get exposed to plastic bags handled by staff) is the requirement for customers to bag their own groceries. Leaders in this field include Co-op stores (Calgary and Cornerstone Co-ops) and Sobeys, who allow people to bring their reusable bags and bag their own groceries.
• Reduce food waste: Tools to reduce food waste include meal planning (to use only what is needed to limit waste) and freezing excess items. For food scraps and peels, use your green bin or your own backyard compost. "These are challenging times, but community members can continue to reduce waste in their own homes. For example, being conscious of good food storage and preparation techniques can help to reduce food waste and save money (and trips to the grocery store)," shared Kathleen Sheppard, executive director of Environment Lethbridge with more tips on their site, http://wasteless.ca/food and at tips and recipes on, https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/.
• Essential services: Recycling, waste management and packaging recycling have been named essential services in Alberta. Materials will continue to be recycled, but it's important that residents follow the guidelines in their communities. For a list of recycling and enviro businesses in Alberta visit: https://recycle.ab.ca/enviro-businesses/.
• Reuse stores: Second-hand donation services and drop-off services have been closed (these include the Salvation Army, Goodwill and Diabetes Canada). Please respect this and hold onto items until these locations reopen. Items left outside will be ruined - send your items to charity, not to landfill!
• Beverage container recycling: Some Bottle Depots have chosen to close or limit operating hours. Check your local depot or hold onto your beverage containers until the depots reopen.
• Education: Join online educational events to support local organizations. A list of these online events is available on organizations' social media channels.
• Clean-up: Continue to clean up trash in your neighbourhoods (safely with gloves) - Plastic-Free YYC is hosting a virtual community clean up on Earth Day, April 22. Details here: https://plasticfreeyyc.com/how-we-do-it/events/
"The COVID-19 pandemic is definitely posing many challenges for the zero-waste movement including small, local businesses who are being hit hard. It is important that we support these businesses that make conscious efforts to reduce waste or offer zero waste alternatives," stated Briana Loughlin, co-founder of Plastic-Free YYC. "Our buying power has never been stronger and will shape our post-pandemic future."
The economic benefits of recycling have been studied. A study conducted by the RCA in 2018 highlighted that Alberta's recycling sector generated $700 million in economic value in 2018 and supported over 7,500 direct jobs.
"With these environmental, social and economic benefits in mind we continue to advocate for zero waste initiatives and a Circular Economy," added Seidel.


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On Oct. 16, the Burbank City Council is expected to vote on an ordinance to prohibit the sale of commercially bred dogs and cats in pet stores in Burbank. For those who don’t know, “commercially bred” most times means animals that come from puppy and kitten mills that breed these animals under horrific conditions. Many of the “pedigree” papers are falsified and these animals have extraordinarily high incidence of disease and premature death. The profit motive for pet store owners gives little incentive for them to evaluate the conditions upon which their suppliers are raising these animals.
An overabundance of highly adoptable dogs and cats, of every breed, size and personality imaginable, is available through humane societies, shelters and private rescue organizations. Supplying pet stores with these excellent candidates for loving homes would dramatically ease the current overpopulation problem that causes thousands upon thousands of dogs and cats to be killed in Los Angeles County every year. Imagine the savings to California taxpayers if we could reduce the number of shelters needed in our cities, as well as the costs inherent in euthanizing these innocent creatures. With this ban in place, consumers would still have the opportunity to find a reputable breeder, if necessary, and visit that facility to make sure the conditions are humane.


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Can You Trade Bitcoin On Fidelity
Can you trade bitcoin on fidelity. Can I Trade Bitcoin On Fidelity can you trade bitcoin on fidelity Can you trade bitcoin on fidelity February 10, 2021 by As chief operating officer of a serious blockchain agency, I have had a primary-person view of the tremendous uncertainty and apprehension that surrounded crypto even in its growth days Beginning today, bitcoin can be purchased bank of america bitcoin through an online brokerage! Fidelity Investments Support Bitcoin, Mine It. Login to your online brokerage; Search for ticker GBTC; Trade or buy Bitcoin is up roughly 60% this year to trade around $11,500 -- though it’s still about 40% off its all-time high reached in 2017. We’re seeing a spike in exercise by new members coming into BTC not yet reflected in worth, it doesn’t happen usually. Although Bitcoin futures are now available for trading on the CBOE and CME, Fidelity does not currently have any plans to offer Bitcoin futures trading for its retail brokerage customers If you have first and last names, chances are you’re a retail investor and won’t be able to invest in this new fund. Fidelity Blockchain ETF If you can’t invest in Fidelity’s new Bitcoin fund, you could instead trade. However, the spike should be accompanied by an uptick in trading volumes ideally exceeding those of Sep https:. Yes you will be able to buy through online brokers like Charles Schwab, Fidelity, E*Trade or TD Ameritrade.
However, those who have a Coinbase digital currency account can arrange to view those balances on Fidelity.com. I’m going to show you how to buy bitcoin with a brokerage account. Per a new strategic partnership between ErisX and Fidelity Digital Asset Services, institutional investors signed with the latter will now be able to trade Bitcoin (BTC) on the U.S.-based exchange Can you trade bitcoin on fidelity,Though it has some dealings with other types can you trade bitcoin on fidelity of cryptocurrencies but not. Fidelity Expands Its Crypto Services Suite. Abigail Johnson, CEO of Boston, Massachusetts based Fidelity Investments recently gave a speech in recognition of the burgeoning potential demonstrated by Bitcoin. The Bitcoin Index Fund is only available through Fidelity Digital Funds, a new business unit of the brokerage house. Published on August 26, 2020, 5:21 PM coinigy trailing stop loss EDT Have a confidential. It’s a hot topic and one that investors are eager to consider but where financial advisers may be hesitant to recommend in anything approaching a risk averse portfolio Trade bitcoin on fidelity Simple Subscription Plan - Anyone can enroll and reap the benefits of the free 7 day trial period, and after testing out the can you trade bitcoin on fidelity platform, there are a few month-to-month subscriptions can be found..


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“To become the leading brand in men’s fashion.”
This is the goal set by the company and brand John Henrik. And now the journey there must be speeded up.
eEquity intervenes with 70 million Swedish kronor. The funds are intended for building the organization, expanding the range of products and expanding the scope of marketing. This is the first time that companies raise capital and founders, John Ekstrom And Niklas Nordbergwill remain the majority owner after the investment.
“John and Niklas have built a great company that delivers premium clients, which has grown every year from the start with good profitability. The company has undertaken a successful transformation journey in recent years towards a scalable e-commerce business and we are convinced that we will add a lot of value based on our experience from other growth journeys in Neighboring sectors,” writes Victor BorgInvestment Manager at Equity, in a press release.
The company was established in 2008 and has become a rapidly growing alternative in men’s fashion and accessories in the premium segment.
“Unlike other brands, we have customers who come to us for necessities. For example, they turn to us for special occasions, like job interviews and weddings. Our new customers are often young, and they remain loyal customers over the years,” says Jon Ekström.
From the start, physical stores were responsible for the majority of sales, but in recent years the company has changed hands. E-commerce is now the main channel which today accounts for 70 percent of sales.
The company describes its e-commerce strategy as “exceptionally successful” — e-commerce is expected to grow nearly 80 percent during the company’s last fiscal year, which runs through the end of April of this year. In addition to Sweden, customers are located in the United Kingdom, Denmark, the United States and Norway.
Clothing production has been cited as a contributing factor to environmental degradation. How is it working to be as sustainable as possible?
“Now there are two sides here. The first thing I think is the most important is how long the clothes last. We have clients who come back after several years, because only then do the clothes break. We also work a lot with basic clothes and basic colors that never get old fashioned,” says Jon Ekström. So we don’t need to change groups often.”
“But making it as sustainable as possible is a huge challenge. But we are working hard on this front and that is also one of the reasons for raising capital. The goal is to have everything we sell from recycled materials or organic materials in the future,” says John Ekström.
The company’s sales are expected to reach around SEK 135 million during the financial year that runs through the end of April.
“Extreme tv maven. Beer fanatic. Friendly bacon fan. Communicator. Wannabe travel expert.”


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Asian mobile messaging apps are turning out to be a great way to distribute games and monetize them. Japan’s Line announced it has reached 100 million game downloads via its app.
NHN launched Line in 2011 with a messaging app for smartphones and PCs, but in July it added a game downloading platform. Now the service has more than 100 million registered users. With the download number released today, that means the average is one download per person. Line is turning out to be a big game distribution platform, like Kakao Talk in Korea and We Chat in China.
Line currently has 16 games on its platform, including first-party titles Line Pop and Line Bubble. These have been downloaded more than 30 million times. Japan is the biggest market, with more than 45 million downloads. But it is also popular in Thailand and Taiwan. In December, Line expanded to China, taking on We Chat (owned by Tencent), which has 300 million users.
Market researcher App Annie has found that the mobile messaging apps are contributing to considerable revenues for games on the Google Play market. Japan’s DeNA and Gree have also jumped into the mobile messaging space.
[Image credit: Inside.com.tw]


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Elk single-sided staking // Lydia Finance listing on BitMart
Two new exciting announcements have arrived for Avalanche native projects.
Elk Finance has just released a new way for users to earn ELK in the safest way possible.
No impermanent loss, and continued ELK growth for any person with staked ELK. What is not to love?
Lydia Finance is now listed on BitMart.
After previous announcements of this upcoming transition, Lydia Finance is offically listed on BitMart! All features have now rolled out:
- Deposit feature
- Trade feature
- Withdrawal feature
The trading pair will be available as LYD/USDT. Fees are as follows:
While maybe not as well known of an exchange like Binance, BitMart has continued to prove themselves as a trusted exchange. With nearly 275K followers on twitter, their platform continues to grow.
Along with this, BitMart houses over 5+ million users worldwide and over 600+ cryptocurrencies. With a 24/7 support team, BitMart has begun to really show itself to the crypto exchange world.


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Washington, DC – Responding to an overwhelming majority of Americans who oppose blaming restaurants and food companies for obesity, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to once again take up the issue of tort reform with a scheduled vote tomorrow on the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act—dubbed the “Cheeseburger Bill.” The bill protects restaurants and food service companies from the threat of frivolous litigation led by unscrupulous attorneys who insist that thousands of companies are responsible for the size of our love handles.
“Trial lawyers think we are too dumb to make our own food choices,” said Center for Consumer Freedom senior analyst Dan Mindus. “If that’s the case, we’ve got a lot bigger problems than obesity. Unfortunately for the American people, trial lawyers see dollar signs where the rest of us see dinner.”
Americans, however, overwhelmingly think obesity is a matter of personal responsibility, and not the fault of food providers:
• A 2003 Gallup Poll showed that nearly 9 in 10 Americans oppose the idea of holding fast-food companies legally responsible for the diet-related health problems of some of their customers.
• Two out of three U.S. households surveyed by ACNielsen said parents or guardians are to blame for obesity in children 17 and under, with food manufacturers named by only 1 percent.
• Opinion research firm Planet Feedback says Americans “are far less willing to blame the food and restaurant industry than they are to blame a lack of education and self-responsibility for the country’s weight problem.” In fact, 84 percent of those surveyed placed the primary responsibility for Americans’ weight problem on “individuals who do not exercise enough.”
In response to the passage of last year’s version of the “Cheeseburger Bill” (by a vote of 276-139), the Los Angeles Times editorialized: “If kids are chowing down to excess on junk food, though, aren’t their parents responsible for cracking down? And if parents or other grown-ups overindulge, isn’t it their fault, not that of the purveyors of fast food?”


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Editor's Note: The Fontus is currently available for pre-order on Indiegogo. There are two versions being offered: the stand-alone Fontus Airo (available for an early-bird price of $200, plus the cost of shipping) and the Fontus Ryde (available for the early-bird price of $165, plus shipping), which can be attached to a bicycle. The company says the product will ship worldwide, and delivery is estimated for April 2017.
When water is scarce, why not pull it out of thin air? An industrial designer in Austria is hoping to do just that (well, sort of).
Kristof Retezár, a designer based in Vienna, invented a device that can extract humidity from the air and condense it into drinkable water. The handy gadget, dubbed Fontus, can be attached to a bike so that cyclists can generate water during long-distance rides through the countryside, where pit stops may be few and far between.
Fontus works using the basic principle of condensation, which can be easily demonstrated by taking something out of a refrigerator (for instance, a can of soda) and leaving it on the kitchen counter for a bit. Eventually, you'll notice moisture collecting on the sides of the object. [See video of how the Fontus device works]
"This is simply condensation of the humidity that is contained in the air," Retezár told Live Science. "You always have a certain percentage of humidity in the air, it doesn't matter where you are — even in the desert. That means you would always potentially be able to extract that humidity from the air."
The solar-powered device consists of a condensator (which functions like a cooler) that is connected to a series of hydrophobic surfaces that repel water. As the bike-mounted gadget takes in air, and these surfaces get cold, you're left with condensation, Retezár said.
"Because they're hydrophobic, they immediately repel the condensed water that they created, so you get a drop flow [into the bottle]," he explained. "Basically, you're taking air in a vapor state and converting it into a liquid state."
Fontus can produce 0.5 quarts (0.5 liters) of water in 1 hour in what is considered "really good" conditions, with temperatures between 86 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (30 to 40 degrees Celsius) and between 80 percent and 90 percent humidity, Retezár said.
The prototype includes a filter at the top to keep dust and bugs out of the water, but currently it does not include a way to filter out potentially harmful contaminants. [Check out the best reusable water bottles at our sister site Active Junky]
"The water you get is clean, unless the air is really contaminated," Retezár said. "We're thinking about making a bottle that also has a carbon filter, and this one would be for cities or areas where you might think the air is contaminated. But originally, this water bottle was thought to be used in nature, and places where you wouldn't have contaminated air."
Retezár is also working on a stand-alone version that uses an inverted ventilator to suck air into the system (rather than relying on the airstream created from a moving bike). This next-generation version could be used in regions of the world where humidity is high, but water is scarce.
"The idea was to solve a global problem: water issues in areas of the world where there is very little groundwater but very high humidity," Retezár said. "My intent was to invent a machine or device that would be able to filter the humidity in the air and turn it into drinkable water."
The initial Fontus design was shortlisted for the 2014 James Dyson Award, which helped Retezár gain exposure for the project, he said. Since then, he has received funding from the Austrian government that will help cover the technical development phase. The designer is also aiming to launch a crowdfunding campaign in March to cover the cost of mass-producing the devices. Retezár said he is aiming to keep the retail price for the Fontus under $100, and if all goes according to plan, the self-filling bottles could be commercially available in about nine or 10 months.
This article was originally published on Jan. 16, 2016.
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Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.


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Chicago-area tech and startup companies brought in a significant amount of money in November, making for what should be a strong close to the year. Collectively, area tech and startup companies raised at least $184 million, based on public announcements, SEC filings and additional data provided to Chicago Inno by VC database Pitchbook. That’s a jump from October, when Chicago tech companies raised about $94 million.
The bulk of the funding was raised by Uptake, which announced a $117 million investment right at the end of the month.
Here’s the tech companies and organizations that received funding in November:
AES Compassionate Care: The company, which grows and processes medical cannabis, raised $3.4 million, according to PitchBook data. The company was founded in 2016 and has additional offices in Maryland, Nevada and Pennsylvania, according to Bloomberg.
CFX Markets: The fintech startup, which supplies an open and secure trading platform for alternative assets, raised $2.2 million in a funding round led by West Loop Ventures, M25 Group and Origami Capital Partners.
Charlie: The company, which makes Detective, an app-based tool that helps salespeople streamline their research efforts, raised $1.6 million from Silicon Valley-based GoAhead Ventures, Crain’s reported in November.
Cooler Screens: The new company, which puts digital screens on grocery store freezer doors, raised $700,000, according to an SEC filing. The investors were not disclosed. Cooler Screens was founded by Livongo Health CEO Glen Tullman, Argo Tea Founder Arsen Avakian and former Walgreens CEO Greg Wasson.
Exicure: The Northwestern University biotech spinout that’s developing gene-regulating therapies for inflammation raised $11.2 million, according to Crain’s, bringing their total funding to nearly $72 million, according to Crunchbase. Investors included Chinese drug maker Luye Pharma Group.
Monopar Therapeutics: The biopharmaceutical company in Northbrook, Ill., which develops cancer drugs, raised $9.7 million, according to PitchBook data. Investors were not disclosed.
Phyter Food: The food startup, which makes a vegetable-based nutrition bar, raised $1 million in a round led by the Sustainable Local Food Investment Group, a cohort of angel investors that give money to Chicago-area food companies. Phyter said they will use the money to purchase kitchen equipment and launch a marketing program. Their product is being sold in retailers like Whole Foods.
Quicket Solutions: The startup, which specializes in managing sensitive government workloads using a cloud platform, raised $2.5 million in a seed round, according to PitchBook data. It was founded in 2013 by Akshay Singh and Christiaan Burner. Quicket’s cloud platform includes records and case management, mobile reporting, payment processing, advanced data analytics, and more. It currently serves law enforcement, code enforcement, finance departments and municipal courts.
Snapsheet: The tech-insurance company, founded by Brad Weisberg and CJ Przybyl, received $4 million in funding in a Series D funding round, according to an SEC filing. Investors included Tola Capital and the United Services Automobile Association, according to PitchBook data.
Target Data: In a Series A funding round, the startup, which helps companies use data to create marketing campaigns, raised $1.1 million, bringing the company’s total funding to $5.4 million, according to PitchBook data. Investors were not disclosed.
Uptake: The fast-growing predictive analytics startup raised $117 million in a Series D round, led by UK Venture fund Baillie Gifford. Uptake’s other existing investors, like Revolution Growth and GreatPoint Ventures, also participated. The company’s total funding is now at about $260 million.
And a number of Chicago tech non-profits will benefit from a $2 million grant from JPMorgan that the bank announced this month. The grants are part of the bank’s $40 million commitment to foster economic growth on Chicago’s South and West side. Among the list of grant recipients are 1871, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Blue1647, Women’s Business Development Center, World Business Chicago and Sunshine Enterprises.


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CIRT Show 2018 - Mexico City
Orban at the NAB Show 2018 in Las Vegas
Eric Small - April 10, 1946 - March 15, 2018
Eric Small was an innovative broadcast engineer who helped move broadcast technology forward in consulting, technical marketing, and manufacturing roles. He was involved with Orban in the mid-70s in a marketing and technical consulting capacity. When Bob Orban showed him the prototype of the Optimod 8000A with its non-overshooting lowpass filters, he immediately grasped its potential as an industry game-changer and helped commercialize it by showing Orban, then a studio products company, how to do bullet-proof EMI-resistant packaging and how to get the processor/stereo generator package approved by the FCC by making it look like a composite STL, which the Commission had just sanctioned. READ MORE
Orban Wins "Best of Show" at IBC 2017
The OPTIMOD-FM 8700i audio processor won Radio World International's NewBay "Best of Show" Award at the 2017 IBC Show in Amsterdam!
Total Solar Eclipse - August 21, 2017
Photos By Mike Pappas - Orban VP Business Development


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The state of voice in five charts
While it remains a specialized technology, voice is booming. EMarketer released its first forecasts for the voice assistant market, and it’s grown faster than many analysts expected after Amazon introduced the Echo to a wide audience in 2015.
Here’s what’s happening in voice, in five charts.
Amazon dominates, and cheaper devices are a major reason
It’s easy for consumers to try something new if it’s cheap. While the Amazon Echo ($150) and the Google Home ($129) cost about the same, the Echo Dot, the pint-sized Alexa speaker Amazon introduced last fall, beats them at a cost of just $50. Amazon dominates the speaker market on the whole, with nearly 70 percent of the market, according to eMarketer, and the Dot has been the driving force. “The Echo Dot definitely helped drive Echo sales since the release of the second generation model in October 2016,” said Josh Lowitz, partner and co-founder of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. “Amazon priced it aggressively.”
Younger audiences are playing with these things the most
Just as millennials and their younger siblings drove adoption of streaming video and augmented reality, millennials are using voice technology far more than other cohorts. According to eMarketer, nearly twice as many millennials (29.6 million) will interact with voice assistants on a monthly basis as their Generation X counterparts (15.3 million), and the usage gap between millennials and older consumer segments is projected to widen over the next three years.
By 2019, the number of millennial voice assistant users is expected to grow over 30 percent to 39 million, while adoption among Gen Xers will grow just 10 percent. Baby boomer use will remain close to flat.
… and they are asking questions
People are already using voice for a variety of purposes. Voice’s wide array of use cases partly stems from its availability not just in speakers like the Dot, but on all the major mobile platforms (iOS, Android and Windows), as well as a growing range of automobiles. While Business Insider Intelligence research suggests that over half of all consumers using voice technology use it to text, that’s something that you can only do on an Echo if you’re an AT&T customer.
Competition among publishers is already stiff
The number of skills available on a platform like Alexa has already soared past 7,000 in January, according to the voice analytics platform VoiceLabs.
News-focused skills are the second-most popular type of skill on Amazon’s platform, second only to games and trivia bots, VoiceLabs data suggests. Publishers like Hearst are already building centralized voice teams, which will be expected to develop products that can be used on both Alexa and Google, as the platforms begin to diverge from one another.
Users are unforgiving
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and that is especially true in voice. While many publishers are building regular user bases on voice assistants, it’s hard to get people to come back. The below chart, which shows new versus returning users for a Google Home app in late December, shows that just 3 percent of all skills users are active in the second week.
Those numbers may bend as the platforms introduce mechanisms for promoting skills. For now, research suggests any offered skills must be ready for prime time once they hit the platforms’ stores.
HBO Max, Degree and Verizon are among the 2021 Digiday Awards finalists
New audiences, inclusivity and reemergence from quarantine became the backbeat of this year’s Digiday Awards shortlist. Take a look at the finalists.
Member ExclusiveDigiday Guide: How publishers and marketers can use the blockchain in their businesses
You may have heard the term "crypto" or "blockchain" come up during a recent business meeting and felt like a fish out of water. This guide will help both media execs and marketers prep for the expected blockchain revolution.
Member ExclusiveDigiday+ Research: Publishers need to diversify their affiliate commerce businesses
Among publishers with affiliate commerce businesses, close to a third of them are skipping one of the most common paths to monetization.
SponsoredHow cloud technologies are helping media companies unlock the value of data collaboration
Bill Stratton, global head of media, entertainment and advertising vertical, Snowflake Many of today’s media businesses and advertisers are redefining their business models in response to shifts in consumer behavior and the availability of new technologies. For instance, over the past few years, content creators such as Disney, NBCUniversal and HBO have begun selling their […]
Publishers are seeing increases in advertiser requests around climate and sustainability coverage
BBC, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Group Nine Media and The Economist are seeing more interest from advertisers around climate and sustainability content.
Member ExclusiveMedia Buying Briefing: DE&I measurement ‘is a bullshit fix,’ and other takeaways from Digiday’s Media Buying Summit
Feedback from those who do the hard work at media agencies revealed a lot of issues boiling under the surface of their day-to-day jobs, from DE&I shortfalls to massive confusion in the CTV space.


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TAMPA, December 6, 2019 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — PRESS RELEASE: #PAY TAMPA BAY
The Mandalay Group today announced updates for the upcoming #PAY TAMPA BAY event, including additions to the advisory board, two of the keynote speakers for the February 20, 2020 Conference as well as a new community partnership in the Florida technology corridor.
The theme for 2020 event is “Banking, Blockchain and Beyond”. Event proceedings are being co-sponsored by BlockSpaces, a Tampa based blockchain technology innovation studio. This unique event will be staged at the new Embarc Collective innovation hub in downtown Tampa.
“We’re excited to enter into these new partnerships leading up to the event” said Bruce Burke, CEO of The Mandalay Group. “These high-profile supporters and contributors will help amplify our message and attract attention and investment to our thriving technology community.”
Andrew Morris, Founder & CEO of new consultancy The Fintech Agenda LLC, will be joining the #PAY Board of Advisors. An expert in the technologies and trends shaping the future of financial services, payments and commerce, Andrew serves on multiple boards and is an advisor to several fintech organizations, including the Technology Association of Georgia’s Fintech Society and the HOPE Global Forums.
“Having served for 5 years as Chief Content Officer for the Money20/20 conferences, and thus helping to build the leading fintech events globally, I have seen how powerful events can be to move industries and companies forward,” Andrew explains. “The #PAY event brand is in the right space at the right time. I’m excited to play a role moving forward in helping #PAY produce world-class events exploring the innovation that will occur over the next decade in payments.”
#PAY also announced several presenters for the event, including keynote speaker Matteo Rizzi, an unconventional Entrepreneur, Investor, Innovator and Author of the new book “Talents and Rebels, Dealing with Corporate Misfits”. Matteo’s book is an inspirational journey where – hopefully – misfits get a spot to be heard, and everyone gets an opportunity to understand a different innovation perspective. For three years in a row, Financial News has nominated Matteo as one of the “40 most influential Fintech executives in Europe”.
Matteo will be joined by executives from Arival, the first fintech bank. Arival was founded in 2017 by a dynamic trifecta consisting of two seasoned fintech venture capitalists and one young fintech entrepreneur. Regarded for the team’s prior investments in pioneer digital banks such as Simple, Moven, Fidor, & RocketBank – they decided it was time to take the bull by the horns & build their own. CEO, Vladislav Solodkiy, CFO, Igor Pesin and COO, Jeremy Berger will participate in the #PAY event. Arival now boasts a pre-money valuation of more than $14.8 million.
“We’re proud to have so many fintech leaders as headline speakers for #PAY,” said Rosa Shores, Co-Founder of BlockSpaces. “These innovators will explore the most transformative technologies and ideas reshaping the banking, fintech and payments industry. We look forward to shining a global spotlight on Tampa Bay as an emerging fintech hub and, once again, show the nation we are a “go-to” city for blockchain innovation.”
The Mandalay Group also announced a new community partnership with the Florida based non-profit, Synapse. #PAY will host a panel session focused on Fintech investment during the Synapse Summit being held February 11-12, 2020 at Amalie Arena. Leading VC’s, institutional investors and well-funded fintech firms will provide information and insight with key strategies for successful exits.
“Synapse is glad to partner with #PAY to ensure our audience of upwards of 6,000 attendees from all parts of Florida’s innovation ecosystem have the chance to learn about the growing fintech and payments industry,” said Lauren Prager, Synapse Vice President of Community Engagement.
The #PAY TAMPA BAY agenda offers keynote sessions from global leaders in the banking, fintech and payments industry, with more than dozen sessions on topics ranging from opportunities in blockchain, to shifting consumer payment preferences, digital identity, innovative payment solutions and how these changes will reshape the banking, payments and commerce industry.
Reserve your spot today at: www.paytampabay.eventbrite.com
Industry innovators count on #PAY to connect them with key decision-makers at financial institutions, venture capitalists, and fintech startups as well as service providers, analysts and media.
Get your brand message in front of executive-level stakeholders and buyers. #PAY TAMPA BAY has opportunities for speakers, sponsors and supporters.
For more information visit: www.paysymposium.com/contact
About The Mandalay Group
The Mandalay Group is a consortium of professionals focused on accelerating the future in the banking, fintech and payments industry globally. TMG is well known for bringing together thought leaders, innovators and decision-makers from across the financial services industry to discuss the tsunami of transformation changing the face of finance.
Attendees benefit from access to the world’s foremost experts focused on emerging payments technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cryptocurrencies, e-commerce, blockchain, cognitive platforms, digital identity and experiential customer engagement.


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We think of credit cards as a mature technology, but according to the Federal Trade Commission, more than 167,000 people in the U.S. reported a fraudulent credit card account was opened with their information last year. Fraud at self-checkout machines is also rampant. Data from the ECR Group shows that stores using self checkout experience 75% more shrink than stores with traditional checkout only.
It’s clear that retail transactions are desperately in need of an added security layer. New solutions powered by computer vision can automatically validate consumers’ identities by matching live images against an image on file. As a result, retailers can reduce the risk of shrink, while simultaneously offering customers who opt into secure payment programs additional fraud protection.
Here are five key ways that identity authentication solutions are using computer vision to offer customers more secure payments.
Self-checkout fraud remains a huge problem in the retail industry. According to an LPRC study of actual shoplifters, 100% claim to have committed self-checkout fraud. While computer vision technologies like facial recognition are already being used to recognize known self-checkout shoplifters, we expect that more retailers will start requiring individuals to opt-into an identity authentication programs in order to gain the benefit of using self-checkout machines. As an example, Amazon Go requires that customers opt into an identity validation process in order to purchase goods.
Credit Card Fraud Prevention
Fraudsters can often get away with stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise by the time a victim realizes their credit card or identity has been stolen. While rarely mandated by law, retail employees are often trained to ask to see ID when customers pay with a card. According to Consumer Reports, “Merchants can check your ID, but usually won’t. MasterCard says a merchant ‘may request but not require’ a customer to show ID, and American Express simply instructs merchants to ‘verify that the customer is the Cardmember.’”
Face recognition offers a means of identity protection by automatically validating customers’ identities during transactions. This acts as a powerful secondary form of identity in addition to credit cards.
Secure In-Store Pickup
People are increasingly purchasing goods online and then picking them up offline in retail stores. But in-store pickup fraud is a problem. According to TransUnion, “[in-store-pickup] presents an opportunity for fraudsters. Lack of communication and tracking across different sales channels makes it easier for criminals to bypass protections.” Facial recognition offers a means of instantly and automatically validating identity when customers come to pick up goods. This is just another way that identity automation can boost security during transactions.
Instant Age Verification
Retailers often sell age-restricted merchandise, and computer vision can be used as an additional means of authenticating customers’ age. This can also be used as a protection against fake IDs during transactions. In fact, facial recognition systems can even be used to estimate individuals’ age, alerting retailers when individuals who might be underage are trying to purchase age-restricted merchandise.
In addition to a second factor of identity validation during transactions, facial recognition systems can also enable customers to pay using their faces. Customers can opt into solutions to tie their financial details to their face. They can therefore use their face at kiosks to purchase merchandise. In fact, certain retailers around the world have already started rolling out pay-by-face kiosks. The truth is that this is actually far more secure than existing payment technologies like credit cards. Faces are far more difficult to spoof. We therefore expect far more retailers around the world to being using pay-by-face to offer customers enhanced identity protection and convenience.


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Pocket-Sized Drones Offer A Friendlier Version Of The Military Aircraft [Pics]
Currently on Kickstarter, the Pocket Drone is a personal flying robot that is small enough to fold up in a handbag.
Drones have been hovering in the background for the past couple years, but 2014 is set to be ‘year of the drone,’ according to one company that has developed a collapsable, miniature, flying robot for everyday use.
AirDroids has smashed its Kickstarter goal tenfold, raising over $300,000 – more than $250,000 it needed to be funded – for its Pocket Drone. This particular drone is being marketed as an aerial photographer – the first personal flying robot that can carry a high definition camera for capturing all sorts of shots. The campaign page states:
Everybody can already take great looking photos and videos with their camera phones and share them online, but they have been limited to what could seen from the ground. Now with the Pocket Drone, it’s never been easier to capture spectacular aerial images that open up a whole new perspective and insight that had previously been unseen.
For many, drones are either associated with warfare or science fiction, but the Pocket Drone and its photographic capabilities are a way to allow more people to interact and feel comfortable with this new technology.
It is available on Kickstarter at a base price of $415, rising to $455 with a tablet controller.


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Industry leaders gathered at The Pierre hotel in Manhattan for the WWD CEO Summit to discuss the consumer, the state of business and the challenges of the fashion calendar.
The designer thanked his team, his family and WWD for the honor and support.
Puma has extended its partnership with United Legwear Co. to make it the exclusive sock licensee for the brand in the U.S.
Polo Ralph Lauren has found its new director of celebrity dressing in the magazine world.
Attracting quality individuals to a career in retail and fashion is hard to do when the industry is notorious for lackluster benefits and long hours, but…
Yacht charters, automobiles and other vehicles; jewelry; charitable donations, and villa rentals are projected to command the highest levels of holiday…
Fashions from the Roaring Twenties are alive and well at the Galliera fashion museum in Paris.


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For the largest segment in the 2016 Consumer Picks survey, Limited Service, which includes 112 brands offering everything from ice cream to tacos, NRN showcased the top scorers among both treat brands and savory brands.
In-N-Out Burger bested its burger competition to finish tops in the Consumer Picks survey among Limited-Service chains.
This is no surprise. It’s almost a rite of passage for the iconic chain. It makes a frequent appearance at the top of


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Peugeot’s 3008 picks up yet another prize
French carmaker’s crossover wins Irish car of the year title to add to its list of accolades
Michael Sheridan, Irish Car of the Year committee; Tom Dennigan, Continental Tyres; Des Cannon, managing director Gowan Distributors Ltd-Peugeot Ireland; David Walshe, Irish Car of the Year committee
Peugeot’s 3008 has won yet another motoring prize, picking up this year’s Irish car of the year. It comes on the back of several other national successes across Europe along with winning the prestigious European car of the year title earlier this year.
The Peugeot 3008 saw off competition from 60 other new models launched this year on the Irish market. There was also several category winners, with the Kia Picanto named city small car of the year, the Nissan Micra winning small car of the year, Honda’s Civic as compact car of the year, Alfa Romeo Giulia as medium car of the year, BMW’s 5 Series as executive/premium car of the year, Skoda’s Kodiaq as large crossover of the year; Toyota’s plug-in Prius PHEV as green/efficient car of the year; and the Quadrifoglio derivate of Alfa’s Giulia winning performance/sports car of the year.


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Convoy sued after claims its business model 'contributed to' fatal accident
News that digital freight brokerage start-up Convoy cancelled all loads yesterday, and is in the ...
Here’s a bizarre one: yesterday saw the start of what is expected to be an eight-week trial of a UK-based businessman accused of defrauding Dutch shipping company Allseas Group out of $100m it was looking to invest. It is alleged that pretending to be an international financier, 49-year old Luis Nobre was “one of a gang of fraudsters who convinced Allseas Group it would receive €1.2bn within three years if the firm invested €100m in the scheme”. The court was told the gang managed to dupe the company’s executives into believing that it also had Vatican investors lined up. [Interestingly, the case is being heard at Southwark Crown Court, on The Loadstar’s doorstep, the scene of the recent convictions of Australian pseudo-polymath Rolf (“is there no end to his talents”) Harris and PR guru (and purportedly proud possessor of a peanut-sized penis) Max Clifford, both for indecent assault.
We’ll say one thing about Mr Nobre – his hair is the stuff of legend. [Seriously, it’s the sort of barnet Barbra Streisand would kill for.]


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“Thank you both for extending me the courtesy to deliver an opening statement this morning at this important hearing. As a former Chairman of the Commerce Committee, it’s great to be back here today.
“As you know, last week I introduced the Television Consumer Freedom Act. This bill would provide consumers with the option to purchase television channels on a per channel basis, also known as ‘a la carte,’ rather than the tiers of programming that are currently offered by satellite and cable companies.
Basically, I support a la carte (and, I believe, most Americans do) for the basic reason that consumers should not have to pay for television channels they do not watch and have no interest in watching.
“My legislation uses existing statute and regulations as incentives to encourage the retail and wholesale distribution of television channels on an ‘a la carte’ basis.
“Opponents of my legislation will argue the government should stay out of the television industry. But obviously that view overlooks the government’s existing presence throughout the market – in the form of legal benefits like the compulsory copyright license, syndicated exclusivity and network non-duplication.
“It is time, in my view, to restore the proper operation of the market by empowering American consumers. My bill does this, and has already garnered the support of Consumers Union and Free Press. These groups recognize that ‘a la carte’ channel options are the right thing to do and popular with consumers in large part because of rising cable prices, which are dramatically outpacing cost of living. According to the most recent FCC pricing survey, since 1995 the average monthly cable bill for expanded basic service – the most popular tier – has gone up from about $25 a month to $54 a month today. That’s a 6.1 percent annual increase, or a more than 100 percent total price hike, over the past 16 years.
“Consider the following story offered by a cable executive on the significance of ‘a la carte’ channel options. He says: ‘My next-door neighbor is 74, a widow. She says to me, ‘Why do I have to get all that sports programming?’ She has no idea that in the course of a year, for just ESPN and ESPN2, she is sending a check to Disney for about $70 even though it goes unwatched. She would be apoplectic if she knew.’
“Particularly in today’s challenging economy, $70 is a lot for Americans all across the country.
“Admittedly, I am a sports fanatic and I love ESPN. I stay awake many nights in Washington watching games back in Arizona that don’t end until well after midnight. And while I’d never go without ESPN, the fact is that many TV consumers have no interest in sports programming and should not be forced to purchase it. What many of these Americans are beginning to realize is that included in their cable bill is a charge of about $10 per month to just carry sports programming like ESPN which cost nearly $5 a month – and even less popular channels like Regional Sports Networks, which can be almost as expensive.
“Another issue addressed in my bill is channel bundling. ‘Bundling’ is when individual channels are ‘tied’ together by a television programmer and sold to a pay-TV company in packages. But, once again, do consumers actually want bundles? The answer appears to be no.
“According to Neilsen statistics, in 1995 the average cable household was sold 41 channels, but only tuned-in to 11. In 2008, the last year these statistics were compiled, the average cable household was sold 130 channels, but tuned-in to only 18. These excess channels are driving up cable bills.
“Companies like Viacom don’t sell channels like MTV and VH1 individually, but rather bundle them together, which then leaves pay-TV companies with little choice but to do the same to consumers. This bill says that if you ‘bundle’ your programming on the wholesale level, then you also must ‘unbundle’ (that is, distribute your programming a la carte) too. So, the choice remains with the programmer. And, the outcome for the consumer is ‘a la carte’ – and a lower cable bill.
“In addition to a la carte, the Television Consumer Freedom Act ensures that the public’s spectrum resources are used in the most efficient and publicly beneficial ways possible.
“Finally, my bill seeks to end sports blackouts for teams that play in publicly financed stadiums. The antiquated government blackout rules were created in 1975 and are unfair to taxpayers who finance the vast majority of major stadiums these days.
“I strongly believe that consumers are at a tipping point when it comes to their monthly pay-TV bill. In my view, this ‘a la carte’ option is a non-regulatory and consumer-friendly way to provide consumers with the freedom to lower their bills and pay only for what they watch. This Committee has the opportunity to address these challenges and afford consumers the freedom to help reshape the marketplace for the next generation. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity.
“Thank you again for the opportunity to deliver my statement today.”


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CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago disability rights group sued Uber Thursday over wheelchair accessibility, arguing that the mobile ride-hailing company’s adherence to federal disability laws “ranges from token to non-existent” despite its expanding role in the nation’s transportation system.
The 19-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago on behalf of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago and several individuals, seeks an order requiring that Uber comply with the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA, by making far more wheelchair-accessible vehicles available.
“(Uber’s) position threatens a return to the isolation and segregation that the disability rights movement has fought to overcome,” the filing says.
A Chicago spokeswoman for San Francisco-based Uber, Molly Spaeth, emailed a brief statement that didn’t address specific allegations in the lawsuit. It said Uber is committed to “increasing mobility and freedom for all riders and drivers, including those members of our communities who are disabled.”
Both Uber and rival Lyft, which allow customers to use a cellphone app to pay drivers who use their own cars, have argued previously that they are technology, not transportation firms, and so aren’t subject to the ADA, considered landmark legislation in bids for equal rights for the disabled.
A few related suits have been filed elsewhere. Uber and advocates for the blind this year reached a settlement in San Francisco in which Uber agreed to require that drivers confirm they understand their legal obligations to transport riders with guide dogs or other service animals. Uber didn’t admit any liability and denied violating any laws.
What distinguishes the new suit is that it seeks a definitive ruling about whether the ADA applies to Uber and similar companies, said Access Living attorney Charles Petrof.
“Once this is resolved with Uber, the rest of the industry will have to follow,” he said.
The ADA contains an exemption for taxi companies on wheelchair-accessibility rules, but such requirements do apply to cabs in Chicago due to a local ordinance, Petrof said.
Advocates tried but failed to push through provisions that would force Uber and similar companies to meet the same city requirements.
If Uber isn’t a cab company it could be subject to the ADA requirements, but if it is, the Chicago ordinance could apply, Petrof said.
Uber does offer a service called UberWAV, which allows would-be customers to locate vehicles with ramps or lifts. But Thursday’s suit says Uber’s mobile map frequently indicates that no such vehicles are available anywhere in or near Chicago.
In an attempt to demonstrate how hard it is for disabled people to utilize Uber, the suit cites data that Uber provided nearly 2 million rides in Chicago in June of last year alone. But it says Uber gave just 14 rides to motorized wheelchair users over a four-year period starting in 2011.
Rahnee Patrick, a plaintiff in the case who uses a wheelchair, says the lack of suitable Uber vehicles shouldn’t force her and her husband to travel separately.
“Going to dinner with my husband should be the same for me as it is for everyone else,” she said in a statement released by Access Living.
There are around 200 wheelchair-accessible Chicago cabs, Petrof said. To approach similar levels of service, he said Uber should have similar numbers available.


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One of the biggest issues in modern age is that children spends too much time on technologhical devices. Smartphone and tablet usage has been down to under 1 year old. Children spending too much time on them has a negative effect on their physiologhical and psyhcologhical progress. In this situation, the biggest responsibility are on their parents.
When we’re saying televisions, tablets, smartphones now we’ve been surrounded with screens. This screens have become inseperable part of our lives with progressing technology. But those screens which surrounds us causes potential damage and threat to children ’s health and it’s progress.
Mobile devices causes threats at children’s improvement!
Doctors, physiothreapists, language and speech threapists, phychologists and child development specialists who are studying child rehabilitation have been stating for too long about negative effects that causes to a child. Even more ergothreapists have been attracting the attention to another negative effect. In Istanbul Bilgi University in Ergothreapy Field Research Asistant Başak Çağla Arslan have stated that for the past 5 years they have increased complaints at weaknesses in fine motor skills, coordination, postural and muscles into torso. She has stated thay children have been treated with ergothreapists to issues they face because of mobile devices.
Ergothreapists states that especially childrens social skills, behaviours, visions and even their hand writings getting affected. Positions when children puts their fingers to play games on when using mobile phone and tablet might cause some issues. Even more, in topic devices cause perception problems because of they’ve been squeezed in a 2 dimensional World.
Children’s mobile device usage has been increased!
Technological device usage at kids are getting increased more and more. A few years ago, in 2013 when children ’s mobile device has been examined; nearly 38 percent of children under 2 years old and 80 percent of children in the age gap of 2 to 4 years old doesn’t knew active mobile device usage. When we look in our day it’s been up to 97 percent. Evenmore mobile device usage is down to 1 year old. Thus it looks like childrens mobile device usage has been increased 17 percent fort he last 5 years. In short right now nearly all children are mingling with them.
According to research, scrren time increase negatively affects children ’s gaming events and it’s communication with their parents. Children have started to experience hardships in many fields like eye contact, communication ability, social skills, ability to conduct sports.


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Tags: mineral processing
Kemper Equipment has been named the new dealer for the Terex Cedarapids and Terex Canica crushing and screening equipment lines of Terex Mineral Processing Systems (MPS) in four states. Those states include Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Kemper was already the dealer for Terex ...
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text: Science&Tech France views another round against Apple monopoly Posted on March 9, 2021 3 min read Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Tech company Apple may be sued again in France. This time it’s his advertising tool that’s used to make money with some of his apps. Apple would not ask users ‘ permission to receive personalized ads. A French lobby group representing start-ups and venture capitalists is said to have filed a complaint with the French regulator CNIL on Tuesday, reports Bloomberg, which has seen the complaint. The objection focuses on the Personalized Advertising feature, which displays ads in the App Store, at Apple News and the Stocks app, based on user data. The complaint against Apple comes as the tech company prepares a software update for iPhones and iPads. That update should ensure that the amount of data collected from third-party advertising systems, such as Facebook, is limited. Unlike that feature, Apple’s personalized ad system is enabled by default. According to the complainants, France Digitale, users are “insufficiently informed about the use and processing of their personal data”. According to the lobby group, Apple holds too much power because it can determine who is a “partner” and who is a “third party” and that this can change over time without Apple informing the user. According to Apple, the charges are “clearly false”. A group of French advertisers previously lodged a complaint with the competition authority in France. They want to prevent Apple from making changes to the way the company collects data from iPhone users. In doing so, Apple would violate European rules. Also, privacy activist Max Schrems previously stood up against Apple. He filed complaints with the German and Spanish Privacy Watch Dogs. This is because, in its view, Apple has unlawfully installed a service on its devices and apps that allows the tech company to track user behavior.


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Kampala-based drug maker CIPLA – Quality Chemicals Industries (CIPLA-QCI) plans to list on the Uganda Securities Exchange in the next four months, ending a six-year initial public offering drought at the Kampala bourse.
The company had initially toyed with placing its IPO on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, but settled on Kampala because the Ugandan shilling is its primary trading currency and listing in Nairobi could have added unnecessary complications to its accounting.
The drugs manufacturing firm is a joint venture between Cipla Ltd of India, which currently holds majority stake of 62.3 per cent, and Quality Chemicals Uganda Ltd.
According to the latest company transaction brief, Cipla’s shareholding will drop to 51 per cent after the initial public offering (IPO) but the Indian drug giant will retain majority shares in the company.
Telecommunications giant MTN Uganda is also exploring ways to give Ugandans a share of its business, but it is said to be still working on the best model for domestic ownership.
This news is welcome for executives of Uganda’s Capital Markets Authority, who have not seen an IPO since the listing by power distributor Umeme in 2012.
According to a 2007 published report, it was the only company in Africa that manufactured triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. CQCI also manufactures the antimalarial drug Lumartem, containing artemisinin and lumefantrine, and the hepatitis B generic medicines Texavir and Zentair.
Today, antiretroviral drugs accounted for 52 per cent of the company’s total sales revenues in 2016 while anti-malaria drugs contributed roughly 48 per cent to overall sales. Hepatitis B drugs accounted for less than one per cent of total sales in the same period.