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BEIJING, Nov. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading Chinese financial technology company CreditEase today announced the release of its English language report, the Report on the Practice of Inclusive Finance in China (the "Report"). CreditEase has released the Report ahead of the participation of the company's founder and CEO, Tang Ning, at the APEC CEO Summit (the "CEO Summit") in Lima, Peru. At the CEO Summit, Mr. Tang will discuss how technology and innovation are creating new paths to economic development.
The Report, which was developed by CreditEase, Chief Economist Ba Shusong at the China Banking Association and Harvard Business Review China (HBRC) and released in Chinese in May, focuses on how technology and innovation are changing inclusive finance practices in China. CreditEase's new report looks at China's current inclusive financing industry from four perspectives -- policy-setting, supervision, technology and commercial operations.
Since the goal to "develop inclusive finance" was introduced by the Chinese government in 2013, corporations like CreditEase have worked to bring this agenda to life. Inclusive finance is based on the understanding that the traditional finance system and traditional financial products are only made available to individuals in certain financial situations. For other groups, who may not have traditional forms of credit or stable incomes, obtaining loans and other forms of financing is challenging. Inclusive finance attempts to use technology to expand the existing boundaries of financial services and increase access to these services.
"Finance traditionally is thought of as only available to some members in society. Inclusive finance takes a different approach, enabling more people to actively participate in the economy and create their own livelihoods," said Mr. Tang. "CreditEase has been a pioneer in the inclusive finance field in China. Major beneficiaries of our efforts have included millions or even billions of small and micro entrepreneurs, people in the working class and even farmers."
In the letter introducing the report, Mr. Tang proposes three crucial steps in the development of the inclusive finance industry:
- The first stage is gaining trust and credit to get a small amount of capital;
- The second stage refers to a variety of financial services such as deposits; wealth management, payments and insurance, etc.;
- The third stage is to help people who are not able to enjoy the traditional financing services to grow up.
Over the past 10 years, CreditEase Inclusive Finance has provided hundreds of billions worth of RMB in loans and served more than two million people in need of financial support, with an average loan size of 50,000 RMB. The business has built a national network covering 251 cities (including HK) and 93 rural areas. In addition, YiQiFin, CreditEase's supply chain fintech platform, aims to raise 20 billion RMB for more than 20,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises within three years. Yinongdai, CreditEase's non-profile loan program, which matches low-income rural farmers with charitable lenders to provide them with the means to lift themselves out of poverty has raised over 200 million RMB to help 20,000 women and farmers jumpstart their business. Finally, the financing and leasing arm of CreditEase Inclusive Finance covers more than 20 provinces and regional areas and involves more than 180 kinds of agricultural equipment.
"Technology is making things possible in finance that were never possible before. Through innovations in big data, we are able to creatively assess credit and give loans to people who did not previously qualify. We are going beyond helping people by empowering them to determine the direction of their lives."


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Virtual Component Exchange revs IP-exchange initiative News & Analysis 7/28/1999 Post a comment Virtual Component Exchange has stepped up efforts to recruit more companies as members to participate in the exchange of intellectual property (IP), courting at a luncheon here this week representatives from numerous systems, semiconductor, foundry, EDA and IP companies.
VSI releases test specs
News & Analysis 7/26/1999 Post a comment Plug-and-play for silicon intellectual property is one step closer to reality now that the Manufacturing Related Test Development Working Group (DWG) of the Virtual Socket Interface (VSI) alliance industry association has completed its first set of specs.
DSPs tailor car audio experience News & Analysis 7/12/1999 Post a comment One area in which automotive electronics is changing rapidly is the automotive audio system. Along with the outwardly visible trends, such as the progression to radio/cassette/CD systems, there are internal technical changes.
Auto PC: Windows CE hits the road News & Analysis 7/12/1999 Post a comment Windows CE is enabling an expanding mobile market for what might be called "PC companions," appliances that promise flexibility, productivity and fun. And the automotive PC is an integral component of the mobile strategy.
Intelligent data bus plans under way News & Analysis 7/12/1999 Post a comment With a design cycle that is much longer for cars than for electronics, and with the electronic content of automobiles increasing each model year, major automakers-General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and the like-have conceded they have a design-cycle problem.
Feature-rich autos drain power News & Analysis 7/12/1999 Post a comment Every new electronic feature on today's vehicles adds another nail in the coffin of the 14-V power supply system. While the nominal 14-V charging system for the 12.6-V battery has existed since the mid-'50s, automotive engineers have known for over a decade that this power system has a limited life expectancy.
Multimedia autos presage 'drive-by-wire' era News & Analysis 7/12/1999 Post a comment It may take us a while to get to full "drive-by-wire" the same computerized guidance and control that now steers airplanes and smart bombs in flight but the automotive industry is taking major steps toward implementing a more thoroughly electronic vehicle system.
In conjunction with unveiling of EE Times’ Silicon 60 list, journalist & Silicon 60 researcher Peter Clarke hosts a conversation on startups in the electronics industry. One of Silicon Valley's great contributions to the world has been the demonstration of how the application of entrepreneurship and venture capital to electronics and semiconductor hardware can create wealth with developments in semiconductors, displays, design automation, MEMS and across the breadth of hardware developments. But in recent years concerns have been raised that traditional venture capital has turned its back on hardware-related startups in favor of software and Internet applications and services. Panelists from incubators join Peter Clarke in debate.

domain: news


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Following in the footsteps of many of his industry peers like Nandan Nilekani and Azim Premji, former HCL Technologies chief executive Anant Gupta has now set up a Rs 100-crore fund to support ventures developing cutting-edge technology products.
Gupta, whose departure from HCL Technologies was announced today, has founded a new investment firm Techcelx' that will focus on developing next-gen digital technology products and platforms.
"With Techcelx, I am pursuing my long-term goals and passion towards promoting our country's entrepreneurship and innovation potential in the technology space," Techcelx founder chairman and chief executive Anant Gupta said.
The Rs 100-crore fund will focus on ventures with specialisation in technologies like machine learning, IoT (Internet of Things), artificial intelligence, analytics and data science and automation across three main sectors of banking, education and healthcare, he added.
The company will invest between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 10 crore in its disruptive technology ventures and the shareholding will range between 15 per cent and 51 per cent.
Three other key partners from investment banking and technology sectors are backing this fund, the statement said.
HCL has elevated current Chief Operating Officer C Vijayakumar to the post.


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Gen.T is a set of lists issued annually by Asia Tatler, part of Edipresse Group. Since 2016, it recognized 400 extraordinary young individuals in Asia.
Advertising Tech is a game changer that’s already seeing ripple effects globally. Nowhere is this more apparent than in a country as populous as Indonesia.
Much of the startup activity in Indonesia has arisen in order to solve local problems, such as that of the largely unbanked population of Indonesia.
Defining it as those who had raised Series B funding rounds and beyond, e27 presents 5 of the most exciting growth stage startups in Indonesia.
Last year, Nalagenetics won its 1st major contract from the Indonesian health ministry to distribute 1,000 genetic test kits in Papua & West Papua.
In the last decade, education systems around the world have undergone massive changes, led by tech disruptions that challenge the status quo.
EV Hive, an Indonesia-based co-working startup, said today that it has raised $13.5 million and expanded into CoLiving and CoRetail.
Feedloop provides the building blocks for marketers to create highly interactive marketing campaigns such as survey, quizzes and interactive storytelling.
The Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) projected a 20-30% growth in the number of startups in Indonesia, thanks to a high demand for digital solutions.
Market for SaaS products is anticipated to growth by 21.2% between 2018 and 2023, reaching as much as US$117 billion in value by the end of 2022.
CEO Satoru Steve Naito said he co-founded Anyplace to meet his own needs as a “digital nomad” who likes to move from city to city every few months.
In a nascent ecosystem like Indonesia, small and quick wins like Loket could go really far. It will turbocharge the venture ecosystem for various reasons
This oversubscribed fund is supported by a diverse set of strong partners including SoftBank Group, Pavilion Capital, Indies Capital, and other investors.
Since 2009, East Ventures is focusing on the early stage startup with young and mostly first time founders, from various industry (agnostic).
Fintech is one of the fastest growing digital industries in the Indonesian startup scene, thanks to the a confluence of good timing and government support.
VC investments can lead to employment and spending growth. Here’s how Indonesian venture capital support the country’s development goals.
Kedai Sayur has more than 2,000 vegetable hawkers joining as their partner in Greater Jakarta area and the number continues to grow by 60% per month.
Now with 70 employees, The Fit Company comprises various wellness operations, including a gym, a healthy catering service and healthy restaurants.
e27 noted down five of the most mind-blowing quotes said by founders when they talked about building their companies. Some of them might surprise you.
In 2018, East Ventures was awarded the most active seed investor in the world by Crunchbase, and it is easy to believe that the VC might just repeat the achievement again this year.
Ticket sales for outbound travel – to destinations like Japan, South Korea, UK, Netherlands, and France – in 2019 make up almost 70% of total revenue.
Through Grab Ventures Velocity, Grab has become a strategic partner for University of Indonesia's startup development program.
Advotics introduced cloud platform to digitize workforce, business network, physical asset, and products, to convert data into insightful metrics.
The insurance scheme, which can be purchased through the Traveloka app, insures homes from incidents for a 30-day period, starting from the departure date.
The investment will accelerate mission of 7.5 Degree to be the most accurate compass for new economy explorers and bringing in more local journalists.


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Home sales in Saskatoon eclipsed the half century mark last week for the first time since the before holiday season. There were 50 firm sales reported to the local MLS in Saskatoon last week, with an average price of $353,215, while the average home sold on average of 43 days on market. Over the past month there have been an average of 44 sales per week, the average price is $349,852 while the average selling price under asking is $8561. These numbers are far ahead of numbers for the same period in 2013. Last year during the same month period, the Saskatoon market averaged 38 sales per week at an average price of $328,648 in an average of 46 days on market, while the average home sold for $6709 under asking price. All things considered, the Saskatoon market in 2014 is more productive in sales volume and prices have gone up nearly 6% during the sample period. It’s illogical to think prices have come up 6% since last year; however one can assume that prices have increased, which is a good sign.
There are currently 1173 active listings (710 single family, 359 condominiums) on the Saskatoon MLS at the moment, which is roughly 150 higher than the same time period in 2013. Last week new listing inventory was rather slow as there were only 126 new listings posted to the market (14 more than 2 weeks ago). There were 132 posted to the market in Saskatoon during the same week period last year.
The Saskatoon real estate market is poised for a very active spring as interest rates are as low as 3.29% for a 5 year fixed mortgage. Rates should continue to be attractive for buyers for the rest of the year as the Bank of Canada is concerned low inflation rates and stated in this article below that we may see a reduction to the base lending rate in the near future.
Contact us to see how you can win a 2014 Ford Fusion with the purchase or sale of a home in Saskatoon.
If you have any questions about the current market or if you’re considering buying or selling, contact us here.


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Not based on the first title the two are releasing: "Playboy Games: Pool Party," set to launch this summer, "will include a set of mini-games depicting animated, bikini-clad Playmates at the famous Playboy Mansion engaged in 'pool party sports' including poolside water balloon fights, waterslide slaloms and aquatic mechanical bull riding."
No terms disclosed, but at best it will be worth a fraction of the $137 million Jamdat paid for Blue Lava Wireless, which held the mobile license for Tetris, in 2005.
The mobile gaming market is growing, though slower than the broader mobile data market. In 3Q07, U.S. mobile gaming revenue grew 24% year-over-year -- to $173 million -- while overall mobile data revenue, including text messaging, Web access, etc., grew 56%, according to Nielsen Mobile. In the four-quarter period through 3Q07, U.S. wireless carriers took in $679 million in revenue from mobile games.
The Playboy announcement didn't impress THQ investors, which sent THQI down another 5% Monday. Shares have dropped some 25% since last Wednesday, when the company slashed March quarter guidance and said it would close its Concrete Games studio.


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Honor 7X price in India was revealed today at an event in London, where the company also showcased the Honor V10; the 32GB and 64GB storage variants will cost Rs. 12,999 and Rs. 15,999, respectively. The handset goes on sale on Thursday in the country, and will be available via Amazon. The highlight of the Honor 7X (Review) are its 5.93-inch bezel-less full-HD+ curved display with 18:9 aspect ratio and dual camera setup on the back (16-megapixel + 2-megapixel). Other key features include the octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 659 SoC, 4GB RAM, microSD support up to 256GB, 4G VoLTE support, 8-megapixel front camera, and 3340mAh battery.
Xiaomi Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus video teasers spotted online
With the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus launch just two days away, video teasers have been released online to drum up hype. However, the videos only show the 18:9 aspect ratio displays and the lack of capacitive buttons in front, something that was apparent from the images officially released on Monday. Previous leaks have pointed to three variants of the handset, with 2/ 3/ 4GB RAM and 16/ 32/ 64GB storage options. Other than that, fans can expect a 3200mAh battery, 5.7-inch bezel-less display, 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, and MIUI 9 from the new Redmi 5 model.
Google Go, Oreo Go, Files Go, Google Assistant for Jio Phone announced
At its Google for India event in New Delhi, the company launched a single app that will provide the unified Google experience. Named Google Go, the app integrates Search, Voice Search, GIFs, YouTube, Translate, and Maps, along with Facebook, Instagram and CricBuzz. It also offers search trends and top stories from the Web on any particular topics. Weighing less than 5MB, the app is aimed at smartphones with less than 1GB of RAM, is available for download from Google Play, and will come preloaded on Android Go devices.
Google also announced Oreo Go at the event, an Android Oreo version optimised for low-end handsets. Google says optimised apps will take 50 percent less storage, and the average app startup time will be 15 percent faster because of this initiative. It will come with Google Play Protect, and Data Saver turned on by default. The Files Go app was announced at the event, aimed at helping users save storage, find files faster and share files offline (Google claims 200 times faster than Bluetooth) with nearby handsets. Along with these, Google Assistant for Jio Phone was announced at the event.
Google Maps gets India-first Two-Wheeler mode, Tez set to cross 12 million active users
Google made several other announcements at the event. Chief among them was the introduction of the “India-first” Two-Wheeler mode in Google Maps, which has been designed to help bikers in the country find the route most suitable for their vehicles. It includes customised routing, voice-guided navigation, and enhanced landmark navigation.
The Internet search giant also revealed that its Tez payments app will cross 12 million active users in the next couple of days; the figure stood at 7.5 million five weeks ago. Google says Tez has processed 140 million transactions since launch, and quoting NPCI data, claimed that in the October-November period, it accounted for 70 percent of transactions on BHIM UPI. The company also plans to take its free public Wi-Fi service beyond railway stations in India.
Jio 4G download speed records new peak
Reliance Jio 4G download speed its peak of 21.9Mbps in October, according to TRAI’s MySpeed app, beating its previous high of 19.123Mbps. Jio is followed by Vodafone at 8.7Mbps, and Idea Cellular is at third spot is 8.6Mbps; Airtel rounds up the list with 7.5Mbps average 4G download speed. As for uploads, Idea continues to be on top, with average 4G upload speed of 6.4Mbps in October. Vodafone is fairly close at 5.9Mbps, while Jio and Airtel are far behind at 4.1Mbps and 3.5Mbps, respectively.
Google Pixel 2 at Rs. 21,001 discount in Flipkart sale
Barely a month old, Google Pixel 2 will be available for as low as Rs. 39,999 in the Flipkart Big Shopping Days sale, which starts on Thursday and ends on Saturday. The discount includes flat discount of Rs. 11,001 and additional Rs. 10,000 that will be subject to card partners in the sale; there will also be exchange discounts of up to Rs. 18,000, and buyback guarantee of Rs. 36,500. Pixel 2 aside, there will be a Rs. 2,000 discount on Xiaomi Mi A1, “unbelievable offers” on iPhones, and the “biggest ever” iPhone X sale in Flipkart Big Shopping Days. Xiaomi Redmi 5A, Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro, and Infinix Zero5 Pro will go on sale for the first time in the Flipkart sale as well.
Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime (2017) specifications leaked
Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime (2017) has made an appearance on the US FCC certification website, suggesting its launch may not be far away. Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime (2017) have leaked online courtesy a separate leak, which suggests the handset will have a 4.8-inch HD display, Android 7.1.1 Nougat, 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos 7570 chip, 3GB RAM, 32GB onboard storage, 12-megapixel rear camera sensor, and a 7-megapixel front camera sensor.
Jabra Elite 25e Bluetooth Headphones launched in India
Jabra has launched the Elite 25e Bluetooth headphones with 18-hour battery life in the Indian market. Priced at Rs. 3,999, the new headphones feature Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, IP54 certification for wind- and water-resistance, and a dedicated volume control button that can call up Siri or Google Assistant. It will vibrate to indicate incoming calls, features music control buttons, and can read aloud incoming messages. The new Jabra Elite 25e can pair with up to 8 devices, and supports 2 simultaneously active connections.
For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2024 hub.


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April 6, 2016 - Sun Sentinel
A Miami builder is set to unveil the second of three developments bringing more than 700 single-family homes for entry-level buyers to Tamarac.
13th Floor Homes will break ground and launch sales April 13 at Manor Parc off Commercial Boulevard and Florida’s Turnpike, along Northwest 49th Avenue. It’ll feature 239 homes priced from about $279,000 to $337,000.
The development is just south of Central Parc, a 253-home project that sold out this spring after less than two years. Prices there also ranged from the $270,000s to the $330,000s.
Later this year or early next, 13th Floor will start sales at Hidden Trails, a 214-home


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Bull has appointed former Logica man Alastair Wilkie as general manager for Scotland. Wilkie will be responsible for customer service, building links with the business community and working on relationships with partner companies in Scotland.
Infrastructure provider says international sales now make up 51 per cent of its revenue
Suzanne Chappell of TMS plans sailing venture after selling Oxfordshire-based TMS to acquisitive Chess
Withdrawal of credit insurance by some providers a 'reflection' of current challenge facing IT sector, according to MD Steve Soper
SMART's UK managing director joins Lenovo to boost SMB business


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INDIA: Unions blast 550 Maruti sackings as Suzuki chairman jets in
Trade unions in India have condemned what they claim is Maruti-Suzuki's decision to sack 550 workers following the recent extreme violence at the Manesar plant that left one manager dead and a hundred hospitalised.
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Sony Makes Video Game Preservation Team
New Sony Hire Reveals New "Video Game Preservation" Team
Rumors of Playstation bringing older games back have existed since those games stopped appearing on newer consoles, but with PlayStation Plus’s new tiers Sony is including PS1 PS2, and PS3 games (PS3 games will be streaming-only however). With Xbox Game Pass being as great of a deal as it is, it was only a matter of time before Sony did something similar. However, unlike the Xbox Game Pass, Sony will not have day one releases available on PS plus. The “subscription service” model is still expected to be a big win for Sony, depending on their catalog of games that will be ready for download.
Garrett Fredley was previously an engineer for a mobile developer, Kabam, and is now joining Playstation as a senior build engineer. On Twitter and Linkedin he was very happy to announce his new position in PlayStation’s “preservation team”. Fredley wrote, “Today is my first day as a senior build engineer for PlayStation, working as one of their initial hires for the newly created Preservation team.” We can't be sure exactly what this role will entail, but since we know that sony has been planning to bring back classic games to their new PS plus subscriptions we can guess that's where they plan to preserve their beloved classic titles
What We Can Expect
Every single Playstation console has had a countless amount of groundbreaking and influential games. Crash Bandicoot, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7, Uncharted, Silent Hill 1 and 2, and the list could probably take up this whole article. Some of these games have had remasters or remakes to let fans and newcomers experience classic games through the benefit of modern tech. However, some of these games are not available on any other platform (legally) except the console they were released on.
The Bigger Issue
Media preservation in the streaming/digital age has moved beyond the need to collect physical releases since the convenience of having all the games you want to play is something most gamers have grown accustomed to. Since players have this new default of being able to buy from an ever-growing library of games on a digital storefront, why can't I play Metal Gear Solid from a PS5? Is it really that taxing on Sony’s servers to add a game to the PS store that came out in 1998? Sony isn't even the biggest offender of video game preservation. Unlike Nintendo, who seems to constantly make efforts to keep classic games only available to play on consoles and handhelds that they don't make anymore.
It may seem unlikely that AAA games that have been released recently would ever be hard to find 20-30 years from now. But with companies constantly locking their classic games behind paywalls, and physical copies of games becoming a thing of the past, are they solving the issue or just prolonging it?
People Found an Exploit To Buy 6 Years of New Playstation Plus Premium At Half Price
More on news


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The NPD Group has released its monthly US retail report for July, and the month had a lot in common with June, once again showing Warner Bros. titles driving the software charts. Total software sales, however, were essentially flat at just $184.4 million, while total hardware edged up two percent to $202.1 million with accessories jumping 17 percent to $161.3 million. Accessories were boosted by point and subscription cards (up 20 percent in dollar sales). Overall, industry sales climbed six percent to $541.9 million.
"In July'15, LEGO: Jurassic World was the highest-selling game on a unit sales basis. However, if sales were included from hardware bundles, Batman: Arkham Knight would be the highest-selling game. Both games are published from Warner Bros. Interactive, which, driven by these games' success, is the top publisher year-to-date with an increase of over 200 percent in dollar sales," explained NPD analyst Liam Callahan. "Sales of new launches were down 3 percent in July'15, but May and June launches are comparing favorably to the performance of launches of last year, up a combined 20 percent. Though May/June launches are performing well this month, this was not enough to offset decreased sales from July releases and older games released outside of the May through July timeframe, which were down 6 percent."
As has been noted by EEDAR, sales of core titles on the PS4 and Xbox One have been very strong, and NPD pointed out that eighth generation software once again grew by 63 percent over July 2014; at the same time, however, seventh generation and portable software declined by 39 percent and 33 percent, respectively.
On the hardware front, Sony and Microsoft separately issued their own statements on their monthly performances. Sony's PS4 was once again the top-selling console, and the company said that its Batman Arkham Knight PS4 bundle continues to be a top seller. As for Microsoft, Xbox One sales were up 44 percent over July 2014 and active global Xbox Live users (Xbox One and Xbox 360) increased 22 percent. Interestingly, NPD's data showed that on a unit basis, Xbox 360 was actually the second-highest selling platform for new physical software sales after the PS4. "One reason for the stronger 360 sales may have been the news of backward compatibility for the Xbox One coming out of E3," hypothesized Callahan. "Consumers may have felt safer buying 360 games knowing that they will be able to play them on Xbox One if they choose to upgrade."
While eighth generation hardware is performing well, overall hardware figures "were depressed by the 56 percent decline in sales of seventh generation consoles," Callahan explained.
"After 21 months, combined Xbox One and PS4 hardware unit sales are close to 50 percent higher than the combined sales of Xbox 360 and PS3 after 21 months on the market," he added.
Here's the full data breakdown for July 2015:


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Boycott of West Bank Products Is Legal: Expert
European governments are fully within their legal rights to boycott products made by Jews in the West Bank, a British legal expert has concluded.
The 60-page opinion by James Crawford, a professor of international law at Cambridge University in Britain, has been shown to senior officials of EU member states in the past few months, according to the U.K. Independent, which also saw the opinion.
“(T)here do not appear to be any European Commission laws which could be breached by a member state taking the decision to ban the import of settlement produce on public policy grounds,” Crawford reportedly states in his opinion.
The opinion comes as some European Union states are considering measures ranging from relabeling West Bank goods to reflect that they were made in settlements to an outright ban on their import.
The opinion will be published this week by the Trades Union Congress, according to the Independent. The Congress has been working to approve a ban on the purchase of goods produced in the settlements, though it does not support a boycott of Israel as a whole


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How the foods are created and sold to people
Michael Moss of New York Times talked to more than 300 people in or formerly employed by the processed-food industry, from scientists to marketers to C.E.O.’s.
After over four years of research and reporting he found that it was a conscious effort — taking place in labs and marketing meetings and grocery-store aisles — to get people hooked on foods that are convenient and inexpensive.
Moss sheds light on how the foods are created and sold to people who appear to be extremely vulnerable to the intensity of the food industry’s formulations and selling campaigns.
A must read article The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food in February 20, 2013 New York Times.


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Category Archives: Tech
Meizu is having a hard time of it right now. The boutique phone maker based in Zhuhai is struggling to keep up with rivals and has now quietly shut its flagship store in Hong Kong!
Yesterday we had spy photos and specs of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi3 now we have details from Antutu and purported packaging from the new phone. August 16th is the rumoured launch date of the Xiaomi Mi3 and leaked details, photos and now packing of the next super phone from the Beijing manufacturer. Todays leaks confirms […]
Xiaomi fans! It is officially time to get super excited about the next generation phone! Keep reading for leaked photos, specifications and rumoured launch date of the Xiaomi Mi3!
iOcean were the first Chinese phone maker to launch a 5-inch, FHD phone running on the popular quad-core Mediatek MT6589, now rumours suggest the iOcean X7 Advanced could launch by the end of this month.
Huawei seem to have a bee in their bonnet about Xiaomi and their amazing popularity, so much so that they are releasing phones to directly compete with the Beijing based start-up like the quad-core Huawei G700. Xiaomi launched their latest entry-level Android phone last month, and since then the phone has been selling like mad. […]
Hisense are expanding their range of Android phones, STB (set top boxes) and smart TV’s with a couple of great new tablets, the Hisense Sero 7 Lite and Pro with Nexus 7 level hardware! Hisense have quite a strong line up of Android tablets and smart TV’s here in China, however they are hoping to […]
JiaYu have been speaking out about a few things this weekend, namely the delay in launch of the G4, and if their will be a 1.5Ghz Turbo JiaYu G4 launched. The last time we spoke to our sources at JiaYu about the possibility of an updated 1.5Ghx MT6589T JiaYu G4 Turbo launching the answer was […]
The original post has now been updated after hearing from Androidguruz, THL and Oppo.
Oppo and THL have spoken out against the much hyped claims the two brands will be entering India, raising concerns over the honesty of India based phone distributor Androidguruz.
Way back late last year, Apple released the Apple iPad mini and just hours after the launch Goopad gatecrashed the party with news of the Goopad mini! It’s taken some months but the GooPad mini 7 is finally on sale.
Remember that rumour about Neo will be updating the Neo N003 to the newer Mediatek MT6589T processor? Well apparently it isn’t true!
The Huawei P6 has been spied once more along with rumours that this 6.18mm phone could see an official launch on 18th June in London.
If you happen to be in Europe and also be in the market for an Android smart phone powered by an Intel Clover Trail+ processor then ZTE have just the phone for you!
BBK’s Vivo phone brand usually hit the headlines with their high-priced flagship phones, but the company are trying to diversify with a range of new ‘Youth’ phones. The Vivo Y19 will be the first lower cost Vivo in the new range. Full details haven’t been released but what we do know is that the phone […]
When we think of low-cost, high-end Chinese phones we tend to think of Xiaomi, but from next week the Beijing based company will have a new rival to contend with.
Meizu are creators of some great hardware, but it has to be said that their ROM, Flyme, is the week link and plagued with issues, so its great to see MIUI making an appearance on the MX2. I’ve always been a fan of Meizu, but the issues with Flyme have had me steer clear of […]
We visit the Qingdao International Auto Show 2013 for a UMi X2 Vs. JiaYu G4 camera shootout! Keep reading for lots of photo and video samples from these flagship Mediatek phones!
If your not a fan of the ‘Fire Truck’ Red Xiaomi Red Rice’s exterior, you will be happy to see that leaked photos of a light blue version of the phone have been revealed.
The Xiaomi ‘Red Rice’ has been popping up online for months now, but it finally looks like the budget Android phone will be making an appearance.
Since Xiaomi began they have gone from start-up phone maker to an electronics phenomenon with their own Android TV Box, clothing and soon their own laptop computers.
The hugely popular UMi website and forum were offline all day yesterday for an upgrade. It’s now back online, with an English site on it’s way!


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Based on two interesting data sets shared by Apple and Cisco, it’s clear that learning on mobile devices, meaning smartphones and tablets, is gaining traction at a rapid pace.
While the data shared by Apple is pretty straightforward and does not leave much room for interpretation, the data from Cisco is more general yet pretty astonishing. So, let’s start with Apple’s data on iPads in education and iTunes U.
Yesterday, Apple announced via press release that iTunes U has surpassed 1 billion downloads, which is a significant milestone for Apple’s flagship education product. And similar to the (ed)tech press darlings Coursera and Udacity, some iTunes U courses have pretty high subscription numbers, up to 250,000 according to Eddy Cue, SVP Internet Software and Services at Apple.
The number of course providers is also pretty significant. Over 1,200 universities and colleges, as well as the same number of K-12 schools and districts, host more than 2,500 courses combined. Stanford University and The Open University both have seen over 60 million downloads of their courses.
It is important to note that most of the growth happened in the past three years, after the launch of the iTunes U app for the iPad. Between 2007 — when iTunes U was launched for the desktop — and 2010 — when Apple last shared the download numbers — we “only” saw 300 million downloads. So in the past three years, the number has tripled.
TechCrunch reports that Apple also sold more than 8 million iPads to educational institutions worldwide, of which 4.5 million were sold in the U.S. I think those are pretty impressive numbers as well, and they show a general interest of adding newer devices to the classroom. Besides, we have to keep in mind that Apple is not the only player in the tablet space, and there are probably Android-based tablets in many classrooms already.
Earlier in February, Cisco shared some telling numbers in a report called The Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2012–2017. As I said, these numbers might not be directly related to the education space, but they illustrate a very interesting trend regarding how people use their mobile devices. One word: extensively.
The two main factors here are smart devices — phones and tablets that run applications — and fast mobile Internet connections. According to Cisco, 4G networks, which only make up 0.9% of all mobile connections worldwide, already drive 19% of the total mobile data traffic. The overall data traffic rose by 81%, from monthly 189MB in 2011 to 342MB per month in 2012.
Over 50% off the worldwide mobile traffic comes from streaming videos, and Cisco estimates that this number will go up to about 60% by 2017.
Now, while we cannot tell which kind of video content people are actually consuming on their mobile devices, most educational content on the web is in video format today, including iTunes U and many of the MOOC lectures. Mobile devices are perfect for consumption, and why not watch part of a lecture on your smartphone or tablet?
Last but not least, rumors around paid channel subscriptions on YouTube are getting more realistic, with code found in the latest YouTube application on Android indicating that you will soon have the option of paid channel subscriptions.
YouTube is investing heavily into original content, and a fair amount of the channels supported by YouTube are around educational topics like history, science and lifelong learning. I wouldn’t be surprised to see at least one education-centered channel among the first paid subscription partners.
Again, it is pretty telling that the code indicating the groundwork of paid channel subscriptions has been found in the mobile application.
What do you think of this trend? Will mobile devices overtake computers in the consumption of educational content? Leave a comment below.


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[Written By External Partner]
The superhero genre came to the fore on the last generation of consoles, with Marvel’s Spider-Man being the peak of that as it was considered to be one of the best superhero games ever made. Now, on the advanced PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, these games could be about to get even better. One of the most exciting announcements is Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League from Rocksteady Studios. This offering looks extremely fun and original and could end up being the best superhero game ever made.
Suicide Squad Franchise is Getting Bigger
The 2016 Suicide Squad movie was considered a major letdown for many. It was an exciting premise, positing the bad guys as the heroes of the piece, but it didn’t quite work. Viewers were disappointed in the DC offering from David Ayer, as it had a muddled plot and there wasn’t much character development.
The characters in this group of supervillains are just too interesting to ignore, though, so luckily DC Films is having another crack at getting it right. The production company is releasing The Suicide Squad in August 2021, a soft reboot directed by James Gunn.
If the new movie is a success, there is strong potential for a successful franchise. The mobile title Suicide Squad: Special Ops was released alongside the 2016 film as they looked to build on the interest around the new offering from DC and there is also a Suicide Squad slot game available at William Hill, which is an online casino in Canada. The game is listed on the first page of the site, highlighting its popularity and pulling power when it comes to attracting players. Along with the upcoming console game, there will likely be future offerings surrounding the 2021 reboot.
Game is a Continuation of Batman: Arkham Series
The most pleasing news to gamers will be that Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is coming from a studio with impressive pedigree in the superhero genre. Indeed, it is actually being billed as a continuation of the Arkham series of games from Rocksteady Studios.
The four Batman games that began with Batman: Arkham Asylum and ended with Batman: Arkham Knight earned high critical acclaim. In fact, the first installment previously held the Guinness World Record for the Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever. It was then knocked off the top by its successor, Batman: Arkham City. The latter was deemed one of the best games of the decade by Metacritic.
If the Suicide Squad game comes anywhere close to the quality of the Arkham series so far, gamers are in for a treat. Considering the fact that the games from Rocksteady Studios have always been visually stunning, it is exciting to think what it will look like on the new generation of consoles.
Could be a Lot of Fun
Judging by the footage released so far, Suicide Squad looks like it will be a thrilling offering. Players will have the chance to play as one of four characters including Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark. There is the option to switch between each of the characters at any time, with the others being controlled by artificial intelligence.
In the game, the antiheroes are on a mission to take down the members of the Justice League, who have been brainwashed by Brainiac. The fact that Superman and co have essentially turned evil will help to justify the player’s actions in going up against them. There is still a long wait in store before the release of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. But when it does come out, it has the potential to be one of the best superhero games ever. The original premise, along with the track record of Rocksteady Studios, should be a winning formula.


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Three Tarrant-area businesses have put out a call for new employees, including Fresh Market, Dave & Buster’s and Chipotle.
Fresh Market grocery is opening a store in WestBend shopping center on University Drive at River Run and needs 80 to 90 workers.
The store is accepting applications online for assistant grocery managers, department specialists, bakers, meat cutters, and seafood specialists. They have a two-step application process.
Applicants can apply online at www.careers.thefreshmarket.com, enter the “keyword search” 195 for Fort Worth jobs.
After applying, candidates will have an interview with The Fresh Market Hiring Team at its Career Open House on Thursday, May 7 that Hilton Fort Worth Hotel, at 815 Main St.
Dallas-based Dave & Buster’s is looking for 240 employees for its newest location in the Glade Parks development in Euless. The restaurant opens May 3.
Interested candidates should complete an online application at www.daveandbusters.com/careers.
And, Chipotle Mexican Grill is hosting a statewide open interview day in each of its Texas restaurants on Monday, April 13 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and again from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The company is looking to hire at each of its restaurants with part-time and full-time positions.
Candidates can fill out an application online at http://jobs.chipotle.com, use Chipotle’s new job application app on their smart phones or tablets or complete an application at their nearest Chipotle, then request a manager for an on-the-spot interview.
Sandra Baker, 817-390-7727


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NEW YORK: Gold rose more than 1% on Thursday as a contraction in the US economy boosted its safe-haven allure and helped to extend gains driven by a less aggressive tone from the Federal Reserve chairman.
The US economy unexpectedly contracted in the second quarter, with consumer spending growing at its slowest pace in two years and business spending declining, which could fan market fears that the economy was already in recession.
Spot gold extended gains on the data, and was last up 1.1% at $1,752.39 per ounce by 1:59 p.m. EDT (1759 GMT), helped along by a subsequent slide in US Treasury yields.
US gold futures settled 1.8% higher at $1,750.30.
After the GDP data confirmed recessionary fears, traders anticipate the Fed will be slower to introduce rate hikes, boosting the appetite for gold, Phillip Streible, chief market strategist at Blue Line Futures in Chicago, said.
Higher interest rates usually dull gold’s appeal because they increase the opportunity cost of holding the asset which bears no interest.


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The investment in yuan would be capped at US$200 million, which would only account for less than 1 percent of Chunghwa Post’s overseas investments.
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 - Page 4 News List
Cross-strait deliveries to be faster
QUICKER, CHEAPER:Chunghwa Post’s chairwoman said packages would clear customs at a much faster pace, while the average charge would be cut from NT$250 to NT$180
By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
This story has been viewed 1193 times.
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It’s probably no accident that Google is sharing details of the Pixel 7 line on the day of the iPhone 14 launch. After all, if any company can steal some of Apple’s thunder, it’s Google – or Samsung, but we’re not expecting anything else big from the Galaxy Fold maker this year.
First, the company revealed that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro would be fully unveiled on October 6, and now – via its online store and spotted by Phone Arena - Google has revealed the colors you’ll be able to get the phones in.
In the case of the Google Pixel 7, it’s a choice of Obsidian, Snow or Lemongrass, and for the Pixel 7 Pro it’s Obsidian, Snow or Hazel.
So not the widest selection, and each model only has one unique shade. Obsidian and Snow are basically black and white respectively, while Lemongrass is a greenish yellow, and Hazel is a greyish green.
Alongside the colors, Google has also revealed the chipset these phones will use. We already knew that it would be the next generation of the Tensor chipset seen in the Pixel 6 line, but now we know the name – it’s the Google Tensor G2.
Google promises this chipset will bring “even more helpful, personalized features to photos, videos, security, and speech recognition.” However, going by the previous version it’s unlikely to match the raw power of the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, which is the current top Android chipset, let alone the A16 Bionic that we’re expecting to see in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Analysis: a new selection of shades
While the Pixel 7 color selection isn’t especially wide, it does include some shades that weren’t offered on the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro.
The Pixel 6 can be had in Stormy Black, Sorta Seafoam, or Kinda Coral, while the Pixel 6 Pro is available in Stormy Black, Cloudy White, and Sorta Sunny. So there’s blacks and whites in both selections, but the Hazel and Lemongrass offerings this year are new.
However, the Pixel 6 line arguably has more interesting colors, because if nothing else many of them are two-tone shades, with a different color above the camera block than below. For the Pixel 7 though Google has ditched this idea.
The new phones arguably look smarter as a result, especially with their metallic camera block, but they also look slightly less eye-catching and distinctive. Still, they're sure to rank among the best Pixel phones.
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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.


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OnePlus will be bringing the refreshed version of the OnePlus 3 to India in the near future as confirmed on their forum. The device was announced on 15 November which is set to replace the original version. The company has also added a 128GB variant to supplement the 64GB version.
Spec-wise the device has received upgrades to nearly everything right down to the processor used. The company has also started selling OnePlus Gear on the OnePlus India website from today. The range consists of a OnePlus Travel Backpack (Rs.2,999), OnePlus Messenger Bag (Rs.2,999) and two T-shirts with different imprints (Rs.999).
Display: 5.5″ FHD AMOLED
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
GPU: Adreno 530
Memory: 6GB RAM
Operating System: Android Marshmallow
Colour: Gunmetal Grey, Soft Gold
Camera: 16MP front 16MP rear


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With the Nintendo Press Conference over and the majority of news being out, it’s safe to say that the conference was a bit of a let down. In some of our past predictions, we thought Nintendo would let us in on some ground breaking news. Such as a storage solution or a new Zelda game… we were wrong (for now, just you wait). But on the bright side, we have gotten some new footage of the intense sci-fi FPS known as The Conduit… Hit the jump for the video.
Posts tagged: 2008
While some may oppose, I would say that last year’s E3 press conference was an epic failure on Nintendo’s part. Although they had some exciting news such as the revelation of Mario Kart Wii and the announcement of 32 player online for Medal of Honor: Heroes 2, the majority of the conference was spent talking about the Wii’s success and how great Wii fit was. Forget about last year.Â Lets talk about how awesome this year’s press conference will be. I would go as far to say that Nintendo will steal the show this year.
This last week has shown some surprises already for the Wii. And while we’ve had our fair share of guesses, at E3 we can expect more surprising announcements. Pikmin 3? Perhaps. A storage solution? Most definitely. A Zelda trailer? Highly probable.
It may sound, stumbling, but let me explain. This article from PureNintendo, which shows when all the 3D Zelda games were announced and released, crossed my path. A good read, but here’s a summary:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Announced- December 1995
Released- November 1998
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Announced- June 1999
Released- October 2000
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Announced- August 2001
Released- March 2003
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Announced- May 2004
Released- November 2006
Now according to the article, every 3D Zelda game was announced one year after its predecessor. Plus, this is the longest time we have waited for Nintendo to announce a Zelda game on a console in over 13 years!
We are overdue. Nintendo will announce a Zelda game at E3 and it will be the most exciting announcement of all three of the console company E3 shows.
If that is not enough for Nintendo to win (which, it is) we can hope for an announcement or an indication of voice chat for the Wii. The DS has it, why not the Wii?
That’s been the question of all online Wii gamers, and Reggie has also been hinting at it for a while. He has noted that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if voice chat made its way onto the Wii. Can we consider that straight confirmation for an announcement?
One last reason why Nintendo will win is the innovation. Nintendo has done some amazing stuff, but nothing to truly show off what the Wii Remote can do (not like Johnny Lee has). Nintendo wants to prove that the Wii Remote is the best controller available, and they are definitely coming up with a game that will show it off. Maybe we’ll see a brand new IP? Or we’ll see them take another existing IP and make a great game perfect for the Remote.Â And seeing their repitoire of past titles, that would be just fine with me.
Nintendo will do all they can to “win” E3 this year. And while it isn’t a competition per se, we know that it is close, and we can expect some major announcements.
What do you guys think? Will Nintendo win E3 this year? You have less than two weeks; give us your input in our forums on what will make this year a great year for Nintendo at E3.
Back on the Nintendo Official homepage, it looks like the Big N is finally looking into that storage problem of theirs. Today they posted a job listing that is looking for a software/hardware tester. But the emphasis is on the ability to be able to “create and execute a test plan for Wii USB devices.” If the purpose of this job is to test a new USB hard drive for the Wii, then we can definitely expect to see a hard drive at E3. With E3 being a couple of weeks away, Reggie hinting at a storage solution for quite some time, and now Nintendo hiring a Wii USB devices tester, It really does seem like Nintendo is making sure that their hard drive is ready to show at E3 2008. My Wii News will keep you updated with this story.
Want to discuss this topic? Take it to the forums.


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Posted by Dale Buss on September 18, 2013 06:37 PM
Kellogg's helped create the American breakfast habit. And brand executives believe they've got a good shot at helping recreate breakfast habits in their crucial but underdeveloped markets in Asia.
The Michigan-based cereal purveyor increasingly has broadened its repertoire over the last several years to include a huge variety of grain-based products beyond breakfast cereals (including Keeblers and Pringles), some healthful proteins (Morningstar meat analogs) and even services (Special K weight-loss apps). Now the company is positioning itself for geographic diversification that could be just as significant.
That's why Kellogg's, echoing moves by other American CPG giants such as Procter & Gamble, recently moved its Asia-Pacific headquarters into the heart of the region. Kellogg's move was to Singapore from Sydney.Continue reading...
social media watch
Posted by Sheila Shayon on July 24, 2013 11:20 AM
General Mills is tackling social media with a twist. The brand, which produces some of the most iconic cereal brands around, including Cheerios and Lucky Charms, launched a social effort dubbed Hello Cereal Lovers at the end of 2012. Over six months later, the social experiment is going strong, but isn't making too much of a fuss.
With over 313,000 likes on Facebook, a vibrant website, Instagram and Tumblr accounts, and a cheery Twitter feed, the Fortune 500 company has built a dedicated home for bowl-based breakfast enthusiasts—whether they're spooning General Mills cereal or not.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on May 3, 2013 01:38 PM
Bowl by bowl, traditional ready-to-eat cereal is getting more nutritious and edging its way back into the healthful perimeter that more Americans are putting around their diets. Kellogg and General Mills, the industry giants, are making that a priority for their brands.
Kellogg, for example, plans to introduce new products infused with more nutrients to help bring back better-educated, higher-income adults to the traditional breakfast that so many of them enjoyed as kids. The new offerings include Raisin Bran with omega-3s and a multigrain version of Special K that will debut later this month in North America. Lately, Kellogg also has been promoting the simple goodness of some of its classic cereals because of their grain content.
CEO John Bryant told analysts that kids and lower-income adults are still spooning up plenty of cereal, according to the Associated Press, but higher-income adults have been cutting back. "I don't think they're really that price-sensitive," he said. "The real issue there is innovation."Continue reading...
chew on this
Posted by Dale Buss on December 11, 2012 11:01 AM
If new products are the lifeblood of a mature business, then hearts at Kellogg's are pumping a mile a minute these days. The venerable cereal maker continues to tap into its innovative side with a bevy of new products on their way to grocery stores.
The new offerings build on the company's recent Krave chocolate cereal launch — its most successful in two decades. Kellogg struck gold beginning several years back by leveraging its Special K breakfast cereal into a weight-loss brand and adding a variety of new products under that brand, including nutrition bars, resulting in a hugely successful extension and rejuvenation of an old franchise.
Since then, Kellogg has continued to go back to the new-product well, especially combining its trusted and high-performing lineup of traditional brands with new approaches.
For example, one of the new versions of breakfast favorites, Pop-Tarts Oatmeal Delights, tries to take advantage of the steadily increasing appeal of oats as a better-for-you ingredient. Pop-Tarts Oatmeal Delights are sprinkled with toasted cinnamon-oats crumbles on a baked oat-flour crust, debuting in two flavors.
Another fave getting an update? Why, Scooby Doo, of course!Continue reading...
Posted by Mark J. Miller on November 7, 2012 12:01 PM
While it may not rule the morning everywhere, the once family-owned Weetabix cereal brand has been ruling British breakfast tables since the 1930s and now it's turning its powers onto another region of the world: Asia. Earlier this year, China’s Food Group Co Ltd agreed to shell out $1.12 billion to secure a 60 percent stake in the company and distribute the cereal all around the region. Marketwatch hears that the company “is considering listing Weetabix … on the Hong Kong stock exchange.”
"The Weetabix brand will have access to all of Bright Food's distribution channels, including our more than 100,000 retail outlets, which will allow it to be brought to Chinese households more quickly," said Wang Zongnan, chairman of Bright Food, according to China Daily.
“Bright clearly has a distribution capability in China that is very robust and much more than Weetabix could organically hope for,” said Clive Black, director and head of research at Shore Capital, according to Bakery and Snacks. “Therefore, assuming that the Chinese pallet for cereal-based breakfasts exists and grows, then this could be, should be, a material source of long-term growth for Weetabix.”
Still, it won’t be the same old Weetabix hitting breakfast tables in China.Continue reading...
Posted by Mark J. Miller on June 27, 2012 11:04 AM
General Mills and Kellogg have been ruling the cold-cereal market for an eternity. Those two behemoths now own about 60 percent of a $9 billion U.S. market, but that doesn’t mean other companies aren’t finding some success cutting into their market.
One in particular, the 93-year-old MOM Brands Co., which was recently renamed from Malt-O-Meal, is producing such cereals as Tootie Fruities and Honey Nut Scooters, which bear more than a passing resemblance to Froot Loops and Honey Nut Cheerios.Continue reading...
chew on this
Posted by Dale Buss on June 8, 2012 09:15 AM
Remember the old aphorism about eating oatmeal because it "sticks to your ribs?" Quaker Oats now plans to find out whether that is at least metaphorically true — and, if so, whether there might be a new "satiety" benefit to eating its oatmeal products that could help promote the brand.
That's just one of the objectives of the new Quaker Oats Center of Excellence, a research nexus announced this week by the PepsiCo brand. The company is streamlining and accelerating research around other potential health and nutrition benefits of oats besides it well-documented, government-approved claim to help lower cholesterol levels and thus mitigate heart disease.
Also, Nestle announced that it has centralized its clinical-research efforts at a new unit in its headquarters city of Lausanne, Switzerland, with the aim of rationalizing the planning and management of clinical trials and fundamental research projects so that it's better positioned to gain health claims by the European Food Safety Authority. The new Nestle unit also is expected to help it expand its global reach and better adapt products to gloabl needs, a Nestle executive told NutraIngredients.com.
Both efforts are significant as mainstream CPG giants seek much bigger gains in the world of better-for-you products, just as they for so long have dominated markets for mainstream foods and beverages.Continue reading...
chew on this
Posted by Mark J. Miller on May 14, 2012 11:04 AM
An enjoyable breakfast means the world to Kellogg’s. And life hasn’t been easy for name-brand cereal makers in general in recent years, as time-pressed consumers skip breakfast while others are on the watch-out for GMO ingredients.
Now Kellogg’s is serving up something fresh to remind everyone about the importance of a great breakfast to get the day going: a major brand overhaul, as Forbes noted on Friday and the Kellogg company outlined in a press release this morning.
The scope of the visual and verbal identity refresh includes “an updated logo, identifying the Kellogg’s brand’s core purpose, incorporating the ‘masterbrand’ into all Kellogg’s marketing campaigns, consolidating 42 company websites around the world to one, and the new tagline, 'Let’s Make Today Great.'"
The move, Forbes notes, puts digital and social media "at the core of its engagement efforts." To that end, Kellogg's US joined Twitter last week to further engage fans and to help promote its London 2012 Olympics sponsorship of eight Team USA athletes, as it's also talking up on its Facebook page.Continue reading...


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Insomniac Leaks Highlight a Major Issue With the Gaming Industry
Two steps back.
Earlier this week, a ransomware group hacked Insomniac Games, the developer behind Marvel’s Spider-Man, stealing info on a slate of upcoming projects, in development clips, and employee’s personal information. The group held the info ransom, which Sony refused to pay, and all that data has now been released onto the web. It’s a disappointing situation that puts hard-working developers at risk, and yet again plays into a strange obsession many have with “leak culture.” Over the years, leaks have become more prevalent in video games, leading to situations like this, where hacking groups deliberately attack a company and hold info for ransom. The truly sad part is that reinforces why the industry has become so secretive, undermining efforts to make game development less mysterious.
For as big as the gaming industry has gotten, there’s still very little that your average consumer knows about the way games are made. Games typically go from announcement to release, with only trailers and scattered interviews filling up that time. Seldom do we see behind-the-scenes footage that dives into the nitty-gritty of how these massive projects come together, and how different departments like animation, level design, or quality assurance, all contribute to the larger whole.
There are, of course, some exceptions to this. Documentaries like the Double Fine PsychOdyssey do detail “how the sausage is made” so to speak, and even this year’s The Making of Karateka is a brilliant way to both preserve and chronicle a classic game. But by and large, companies always want to keep things secret before release, then rarely get into detail post-launch because it’s already on to the next project.
Incidents like the Insomniac leak only reinforce the idea that game development should be kept secret. The big problem is that leaks like this display games in an unfinished state, completely not representative of what a final product will look like. Game development is a process, and it’s entirely unfair to developers to share in-development footage that doesn’t represent a studio’s vision. The exception, of course, is if the developers feel like they want to show footage and information long ahead of release.
The crux of the issue, though, is that these leaks make it harder and harder for developers and studios to feel that way. When leaks become a “gotcha” moment that hackers strive for, and consumers pile on, why would a studio want to share anything? That, in turn, could potentially take away opportunities for content creators and media as access to a game gets stripped away or altered, and plans have to change because of leaks.
In the case of Insomniac, it’s even more egregious because of the personal information that was stolen. 2023 has been a hard, hard year for people who make video games, with over 10,000 layoffs across the industry, including at a support studio for Insomniac called Visual Arts. It’s easy to see how making games would feel difficult and thankless at this point, but having personal info and studio projects leaked on top of that is like salt in the wound.
Video games is one of the few industries with this obsession with leaks: people aren’t chomping at the bit to read pages out of the next Dan Brown novel or hear a verse off of Taylor Swift’s next track. It’s a regressive idea that only furthers the gap between those who make games and those who play them, and provides more fuel for the corporatization of the industry.


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VERB ” a leader in business-focused interactive video CRM, marketing, and sales enablement applications,” is expected to vote for Nancy Heinen to its Board of Directors in a vote today.
Nancy Heinen served as Apple’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for more than 25 years, she worked closely with former CEO Steve Jobs and now works as a board member, investor, strategy consultant.
VERB Chairman and CEO Rory J. Cutaia said they are excited about Nancy joining the team and what she has to offer,
Apple’s former SVP did have this to say about the event,
While she isn’t officially on the board yet, she will most likely be voted through during a board meeting later today.
Sami started falling in love with Apple in 2010 with the iPhone 4S. As a registered developer, he deeply admires the world of Apple. Sami is an aspiring journalist, writer, and actor. He also has devoted his life to sharing his passion and knowledge with others around the world.


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From staff reports
The Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) on Wednesday approved a $50,000 grant to assist a Pinegrove Township farm with the creation of an on-farm milk processing facility.
The total cost for the Mitch-Hill Dairy Farm’s project is $122,624, according to a joint news release from state Sen. Scott Hutchinson and state Rep. R. Lee James.
The new facility, which will be adjacent to the farm’s current milk house, will process milk and flavored milk for commercial sale, the release said.
By placing the container plant next to the milk house, the release said, the safety of raw-milk handling will be maintained, as it will be able to be pumped directly into the processing room without having to use a milk truck for transport.
“As Pennsylvania’s dairy industry has been challenged in the last few years, it’s more important than ever for us to support our hardworking farmers who are trying to boost our local economy,” James said. “Avoiding the need to use a milk truck not only saves money, but also provides greater convenience.”
“In recent years, consumers have been inundated with all sorts of advertisements and claims about other products in the grocery store,” Hutchinson said. “We must do all we can to support our dairies and help them promote their healthy, natural and locally produced dairy products.”


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Udon Thani farmers face mango oversupply due to Russia-Ukraine war
Farmers in Udon Thani’s Nong Wua So district have been able to export only 2,000 tonnes of the 10,000 tonnes of mangos harvested due to several countries limiting cargo flights amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
Udon Thani Provincial Commerce Office chief Prasert Faichaona said on Wednesday that Nongwuasor district has seen the highest output of mangos in 10 years and is expected to harvest up to 15,000 tonnes in May.
“The three kinds of mangos that are in high demand in foreign markets are Barracuda, Fah Lan and Phet Ban Lad. But only 2,000 tonnes have been exported, so the rest will have to be distributed to domestic markets,” he said.
“The commerce office has been working with relevant authorities to find sales channels for these mangos, such as weekend markets, shopping malls, and Blue Flag shops nationwide.”
Prasert said the biggest customers for Thai mangos are Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and European fruit resellers.
“China used to order several thousand tonnes per year, but this year they have decreased their orders drastically due to a lower number of cargo flights and restrictions on imported produce imposed by the Chinese government in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19,” he added.


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The market for high-speed fiber-optic ICs will grow by 27% this year, from $280 million last year, according to a report released by Strategy Analytics’ (Boston) Gallium Arsenide & Compound Semiconductor Service. Overall, the report sees the market growing at a CAGR of 24% through 2009. The report says that since much of the upgrades will be for backbone infrastructure, GaAs IC vendors will be at the heart of this development.
The report sees service providers, after a considerable period of stagnation, once again purchasing optical capacity to meet their growing traffic needs. OC-48 and OC-192 links will be at the center of the renewed growth, with the deployment of high-capacity routers also serving to stimulate OC-768 purchases. While GaAs transimpedance and post amplifiers will see increased competition from alternatives (mainly SiGe technology), crucial laser-driver functionality will, at higher speeds, remain largely the domain of GaAs.
Despite its positive outlook, the research firm warns that industry consolidation will be required to counteract the effects of oversupply and intense pricing competition. “The market for fiber-optic devices is there and it is growing,” says Asif Anwar, director of Strategy Analytics’ GaAs & Compound Semiconductor Technologies Service. “However, the IC industry is in a structurally poor state. For profitability to return, what’s needed is not only growing demand, but some consolidation and stability among IC suppliers.”
For more information on the report, “Fiber-optic Analog IC Market and Technology Dynamics,” visit www.strategyanalytics.com.


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Nobody on the face of the planet has ever been a trillionaire. Soon, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos could be the first.
The e-commerce tycoon has been raking in the cash for some time now, and the current outbreak seems to only have helped. With businesses closed and people quarantining en-masse, online shopping has seen a major uptick – in 2020’s first quarter, Amazon has reportedly recorded $75.5 billion in revenue.
For the past three years, the 56-year-old has been sitting pretty at the top of the world’s rich list, with a current net worth of $143 billion. With screen-to-screen purchases likely to only increase, his fortune could top 13 digits. Who wants to be a trillionaire?
Research conducted by Comparisunlooked at ‘historical valuations of some of the world’s richest companies and individuals in an attempt to predict when they’ll join the Trillion Dollar Club’. Currently, Apple and Microsoft are trillion dollar companies, with Google and Amazon predicted to follow this year.
As for individual business figureheads, Bezos is racing towards that earth-shattering title. Every year, his net worth has seen an average increase of 34% . By 2026, at the age of 62, it’s therefore expected he’ll be the world’s first trillionaire.
However, he certainly won’t be the last. By 2036, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg is predicted to be the world’s youngest trillionaire at the age of 51.
To put into more digestible context just how rich Bezos is, Business Insiderreported that he earns $2,489 every second. His fortune is so immense that the average American citizen spending $1 is the equivalent of him spending around $1.3 million.
News of his impending ascension to the legends of wealth sparked a fascinating revelation on Twitter, with one user pointing out that if he becomes a trillionaire, he’ll be worth more than the individual GDPs of 179 countries with a combined population making up 43.7% of all living humans today.
While Bezos has been seen to donate some money to relief efforts, such as giving $100 million to Feeding America, his personal fortune has been taking huge leaps since the pandemic began.
Earlier this year, the Amazon chief sold off $3.4 billion worth of shares ahead of market collapse, with a later three-day market rally ratcheting up the company’s share price. Currently, Bezos owns an 11.2% stake – it’s safe to say, his clinical decision-making paid off.
On April 14, Amazon’s shares rose again by 5.4%, also boosting Bezos’ fortune by a sizeable margin. Despite criticism, the CEO has been making conscious publicity efforts to assist in tackling the virus, such as cooperating with the World Health Organization regarding distribution of a vaccine, as well as hiring more than 100,000 fresh staff.
However, becoming a trillionaire would mean an almost inhuman level of wealth. Nobody needs that much money, it’s that simple.


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Q2-2020 was a blood bath for most economies as the COVID-1 9 pandemic took the world into the great lockdown. Nigeria was not left behind; this was evidenced by the 6.1%y/y contraction in real GDP over Q2-2020.
Despite the steep contraction in economic output during the period, there were a few bright spots. Notably, the ICT sector – one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Nigerian economy, grew by c.15.1% y/y.
Specifically, the telecommunication, accounting for c.8 0.0% of the broader ICT output surged 1 8.1% y/y. This was unsurprising given the level of digital adoption across the system due to the lockdown. As at June-2020, there were 143.3mn mobile internet subscriber (vs 135.8mn in Mar-2020) and 196.4mn telephony subscriber in Nigeria (vs 189.3mn in Mar2020).
Accordingly, teledensity further improved to 102.8% (vs 9 9.2% in Mar-2020). This fast-paced growth is further reflected in the sharp increase in the number of activities in the digital economy across the country, ranging from massive growth in the eCommerce space, ride-hailing services, drop shipping, affiliate marketing, blogging/vlogging, social media marketing, amongst others.
No doubt, the use of digital channels has expanded in the wake of the COVID-1 9 pandemic and the acceleration is expected to continue even post-COVID. With the foundations of the digital economy being data and voice connectivity, the country seems to be on the right track in developing a functional digital economy.
Beyond, e-commerce, digital marketing and drop shipping, improved data connectivity will also boost the idea of working from home, virtual employments and redefine corporate lifestyle in the pre-COVID era. However, to fully benefit from and fast track the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy, recent development around harmonization of the right of way (RoW) charges among states, must be not only b e resolved, but also friendly.
This will further spur investment in broadband connectivity and other telecom infrastructure across the country, reduce data tariff, ease doing business, boost employment, and improve the traffic situation in cities such as Lagos.


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The Fractal Marketplace plans on launching soon with its first large-scale NFT sale. With a few bumps in the road, it seems that crypto enthusiasts are beginning to see crypto as an innovative new way of doing business with trustworthy partners and high levels of liquidity.
The “nft marketplaces” is a marketplace that allows users to find and trade NFTs. The platform has been offline for the last few weeks, but now it’s back up and running with an official launch.
Justin Kan, Twitch’s co-founder, has had a busy December. In the time it takes most people to arrange a dinner party, we went from announcing intentions to start a gaming NFT marketplace halfway through the month to developing a 100k strong Discord community. Only to be thwarted shortly before Christmas by a high-profile Discord breach.
Things are back on track now, and the Fractal Marketplace is up for business. Putting the past behind it, Fractal will now pursue its objective of expanding the Web3 gaming sector by offering players with a unique environment for exchanging a variety of in-game goods.
Last but not least, thank you for believing in the collection’s mission. We’re excited to see where we can go with this. Wagmi.
Here’s the link to our launch blog post: https://t.co/OSxubvvnIy
30 December 2021 — Justin Kan (@justinkan)
The Sandbox, a ground-breaking metaverse, Aurory, a combat platform, and Syn City, a gangster romp, are among the high-profile games already on board the Solana-based platform. Fractal will allow players to purchase directly from publishers in the future, as well as participate in peer-to-peer (P2P) trading in the secondary market.
Fractal will now continue to expand its ecosystem by bringing additional games into the fold, resulting in a single center for the gaming NFT industry. It will then perform the largest NFT airdrop in Solana history in order to thank its somewhat weary fans.
Take a look at Fractal >>
Watch This Video-
- nft trading platform
- where to buy nft tokens
- nft sales


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A bipartisan group of lawmakers is asking the Obama administration to scale back draft regulations under ObamaCare that would force restaurants to post nutritional information on their menus.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is close to finalizing a rule requiring calorie labels on vending machines and at restaurants and “similar retail food establishments.” Proposed in 2011, the regulations stem from the Affordable Care Act and are designed to combat obesity by helping consumers make healthier choices.
“Specifically, the proposed rule limits the ability of businesses to determine for themselves how best to provide nutritional information to customers,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. “As a result, the proposal harms both those non-restaurants that were not intended to be captured by the menu labeling law as well as those restaurants that have flexibility and variability in the foods they offer.”
The lawmakers pressed the FDA to limit the scope of the regulations, which they say would harm small businesses that are already complying separately with the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act.
Pizza places and grocery stores in particular have complained about the draft standards, saying they would be all but impossible to maintain. For instance, there are 34 million different combinations of pizza toppings, according to an industry trade group. It’s impractical to require that they list calorie counts for all of the options, they say.
The lawmakers, led by Reps. Cathy McMorris RodgersCathy McMorris RodgersThe one Trump pick leaving greens hopeful House, Senate leaders avoid holding town halls Lawmakers fundraise amid rising town hall pressure MORE (R-Wash.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), are pushing legislation that would limit the scope of the menu rule to businesses where food service is the primary source of revenue, allow delivery restaurants to post their nutritional information online and allow firms to choose between multiple approaches for labeling made-to-order items.
The bill, which also would limit penalties for labeling mistakes, has attracted more than 50 co-sponsors, and there is companion legislation in the Senate.
“Yet, to date there is little evidence to suggest that the FDA has considered these alternatives,” the lawmakers wrote to Hamburg. “Instead, it appears that the FDA has withdrawn from interacting with affected industries and instead proceeded on a path that will unnecessarily burden many small businesses across the country.”


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The communications director for the World Bank has accused Microsoft of "appalling" behavior after it refused to provide a refund when his son racked up $4500 of in-game purchases on his Xbox.
Windows 10 review: Microsoft goes back to the future
Windows 10 ISOs now available to download
Poll: Is Windows 10 ready for its launch?
Hands-on: Phone Continuum in Windows 10 Mobile
windows 10 phone continuum
Hands-on: Windows Hello biometric log-in
Apple is changing the way that it refers to apps that cost nothing upfront - ditching the 'free' label and replacing it with a 'Get' button - in response to EU concerns over in-app purchases.
After Europe accused Google and Apple of misleading consumers by offering 'free' games with in-app purchases, Google is making changes to its app policies - but Apple is still dragging its feet.
The Federal Trade Commission announced Apple has agreed to a settlement where the company will offer at least $32.5 million to iOS users for in-app purchases bought by kids without parental consent.


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Kendall Jenner teased that she had a big announcement for fans, which was sold as a "raw story" about some very personal struggles she has faced.
But now the reality television star turned model is under fire after the story turned out to be about her battle with acne and the announcement was really an advertisement for acne cream. As the Daily Mail reported, "momager" Kris Jenner had promoted Kendall's story on her Twitter page, saying the announcement would help Kendall's young followers. When that really turned out to be a ploy to sell acne medication and an announcement that she was a spokesperson for ProActiv, fans turned on Kendall.
As the Daily Mail noted, social media filled with anger toward Kendall and the entire Jenner-Kardashian clan, with many calling it a cheap cry for attention. Others said that the way it was presented, as a raw and emotional story, was particularly deceptive.
"Women are coming forward every day about being victims to rape, sexual assault, abuse etc and Kendall Jenner is gonna hype up and announce her problem with acne," one person wrote.
This is not the first time that Kendall Jenner has been slammed for her appearance in a controversial advertisement. In 2017, she appeared in an ad for Pepsi that critics accused of appropriating the Black Lives Matter movement in order to sell soda. In the commercial, Kendall left a photo shoot to join a group of seemingly happy protesters, and it ends with her handing a can of Pepsi to a police officer and protesters and police joining together to celebrate.
With very contentious protests taking place at the time --- including many protesting police brutality against minorities --- the ad was slammed as tone deaf. Others noted that the ad appeared to take direct images from Black Lives Matter protests.Pepsi eventually pulled the ad.
"Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize," Pepsi said in a statement (via NBC News). "We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position," they added.
While Kendall Jenner may have gotten backlash from her important announcement that turned out to be a pitch for acne cream, it may not affect the reality star turned model too much. The Daily Mail report noted that she took in an estimated $30 million last year, putting her among the top-paid models in the world.


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News and Articles About Google
The top-secret project is reportedly the latest to come out of Googles 'moonshot' division for futuristic initiatives like the self-driving car.
If youre not tracking conversions from click to sales lead to sale, odds are, 80 percent of your traffic is not converting to sales, and you dont know it.
After successfully launching startup community centers in London and Tel Aviv, the global search goliath is now cultivating its entrepreneurial reign in Spain.
What can online-marketing professionals learn about future best practices by studying the search giants present pattern of changes?
Joining a cry from law enforcement officials, big tech companies criticized over blocking law enforcement from access to people's data.
Changes are afoot as the tech giant searches for the right note in the online music business.
The three-year effort has been terminated but key elements for stopping plagiarism and ranking articles remain.
Make certain your business is always pretty as a picture and you won't worry what potential customers see when they look online to decide if they'll visit.
To get the best picture of your website's performance, regularly check these reports and make sure youre using them the right way.
German delivery firm DHL will use drones to deliver medical supplies to a small island.
Could hungry entrepreneurs take a bite out of the tech giant in this particular area?
As Apple continues to investigate its own high-profile hack, CEO Tim Cook wrote an open letter to customers assuring their private data is safe.
Entrepreneurs need to be stoic about the long odds against a new business thriving but it's also true that the greatest successes of our time started small.
The few companies that have won the customer's implicit trust offer valuable lessons.
The Liftware Base Stabilizer uses sensors to steady the dining process for the 11 million nationwide sufferers of essential tremor and Parkinsons disease.
Google-backed biotech company Calico has also forged a partnership with a Chicago-based biopharmaceutical firm to develop age-defying drugs.
The bank is looking to give 20 U.S. small businesses $150,000 in grants.
The tech giant recently completed test flights in Australia with a drone that hovers like a helicopter and flies like a plane.
Now is the time to prepare your business and have a system in place to soften the next hit.
The new device will reportedly use Miracast technology to stream audio and video from computers and mobile devices to television sets.
A new feature within Google Now offers users the ability to Find alternate flights in the event of cancellation or delay.
Kids Under 13 Could Soon Get Their Own Gmail, YouTube Accounts (As If They Didn't Have Them Already )
Kids already use Gmail and they're obsessed with YouTube. Now Google wants to make it legit, as in legal.
Google's YouTube appears set to take on Spotify and Pandora.
As Google celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its IPO, here's a look at the challenges that lie ahead.
Online marketing and SEO expert Neil Patel explains how this listing format can help you rank better in search results.
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The company made the surprise announcement during its E3 Nintendo Direct presentation on June 13, 2017.
All that was revealed was a 43-second animation showing outer space and a ‘4’ symbol appearing, along with a message reading “Metroid Prime 4 now in development for Nintendo Switch“.
Since then, however, nothing more has been seen of the game.
The main reason for this became clear in 2019, when Nintendo’s senior managing executive officer Shinya Takahashi revealed that the game had essentially been started all over again.
“Ever since the announcement, we have not been able to give you an update, but as a result of the continuing development since that time – although this is very regrettable – we must let you know that the current development progress has not reached the standards we seek in a sequel to the Metroid Prime series,” Takahashi said in 2019.
“Nintendo always strives for the highest quality in our games, and in the development phase we challenge ourselves and confront whether the game is living up to that quality on a daily basis.
“If we’re not satisfied with the quality, we aren’t able to to deliver it to our customers with confidence, and the game will not live up to our fans’ expectations.
“From this perspective, we have determined that the current development status of the game is very challenged, and we had to make a difficult decision as a development team. We have decided to re-examine the development structure itself and change it.
“Specifically, we have decided to have the producer, Kensuke Tanabe, work in trust and collaboration with the studio that developed the original Metroid Prime series, Retro Studios in the United States, and restart development from the beginning.
“By collaborating and developing with Retro Studios, we believe we can make this game something that will meet our fans’ expectations.”
Retro has been hiring for Metroid Prime 4 ever since, recruiting the likes of lead engineer Bharathwaj ‘Bat’ Nandakumar (who had previously worked on every Call of Duty: Black Ops entry) and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze lead designer Stephen Dupree, who re-joined Retro after a two-year absence.
It remains to be seen when development on the game will progress to the stage that it’s ready for a re-announcement.


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Penshoppe in your area!
Filipinos will surely be excited about this news!
Homegrown fashion brand Penshoppe has found a new celebrity endorser in Lisa, a member of Blackpink.
Blackpink held its first concert in the Philippines last February. The all-girl group is known for the hits “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” and “Kill This Love.” Before Lisa, other global celebrities who sponsored Penshoppe included Kendall Jenner, Sandara Park, Zayn Malik, and Gigi Hadid, to name a few.
Read more related


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Today Retail Week reported that Amazon is to launch a standalone footwear site in the UK following the success of its Endless site in the US and Javari site in Japan. Although Amazon has been selling footwear on its main site since 2007, it is thought that the new site will have a broader product range, which will drive sales. One big advantage for consumers is that the new site will provide next-day delivery and free returns.
Fashionista's friends at Verdict conducted a survey recently in which 29.4 % of respondents said they purchased fashion items from Amazon. Consulting director Neil Saunders said that Amazon's new launch was likely to pose a threat to existing retailers. "The shoe retailers have not got as strong an online offer as they could have," he said. "Amazon is really stealing a march on them. It brings to the market a very recognised and trusted brand."
Given Fashionista's shoe fetish, anything which increases shoe shopping opportunities has to be welcome news!


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Hoka One One, designers of the cushioned running shoe with adaptable midsole technology, announced the company has appointed Howard Jones as National Sale Manager for the growing footwear brand.
Jones joins the Hoka One One team with a strong footwear background, having held key sales positions with both Nike and Adidas spanning a 20-year period. Most recently Jones was the Sales Manager for Montrail. Jones also has an impressive athletic background and was crowned National Triathlon Champion for Great Britain and an age group World Champion for the Xterra Triathlon.
“I’m very excited about joining Hoka One One,” said Jones. “The brand is uniquely positioned for exceptional growth and I’m looking to leverage my experience in sales and dealer development to build Hoka’s market share.”


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Time really flies when you’re working at a startup. It’s already the second week of April, and it’s hard to believe our SXSW demo was a month ago today. While much has changed since we started at the Accelerator in November, some things – like our passion for the technology, our aspirations for the company, and our core mission – remain the same.
Not long after arriving at the Accelerator, Casey, Skylar and Preston sat down with the R/GA Digital Studio Team to talk Footmarks’ origins, their goals for the Accelerator, and the team’s vision for the company’s future.
Click here to watch the video interview in its entirety.
Or skip through to see the highlights below:
Apple’s validation of the market: 07:30.
By now the story of the beacons’ stealth emergence is well known: Apple released the iBeacon as an unaddressed footnote at last year’s WWDC keynote. Fast forward a few months, and the technology has become one of the biggest tech stories of 2014.
For the Footmarks team, who’d been working with beacons for more than a year before iBeacon’s release, Apple’s announcement was bittersweet. Apple’s technology, embedded in iOS7, was significant validation of Footmarks’ mission, but changed the industry ecosystem overnight. As developers and startups scrambled to get in the game, the pace of beacon-related innovations and developments increased dramatically.
Preston explains, however, that his anticipation of Apple’s market entrance prepared him well for the challenges to come. Indeed, Footmarks welcomes the competition: “Now everyone is involved,” he says. “And that’s a good thing actually.”
He goes on, “So in this perfect world we see this ecosystem where there’s multiple players working together delivering the best experiences possible for everyone involved… [it’s] just about having a different kind of engagement when you’re out in the physical world.”
It’s not actually about the beacon: 12:19 & 21:42 (& 22:38).
Footmarks is first and foremost an experience platform, says Preston. “The value added is in the service layer and in the software. The beacon is just a means of delivery.” Indeed, it’s the platform in its entirety – and most especially Footmarks’ user analytics and its customizable experience templates – that comprise the tools retailers need to fight back against ecommerce: “The ammunition,” as Preston calls it, “to get ahead.”
Moreover, he says, “If it’s done right, the consumer won’t even know they’re using our technology… Brands [will be using] our technology to enhance the experience they’re already providing their customers.” As a customer, “you’ll have our technology on your handset without even realizing. You’ll just start to have better experiences while you’re shopping, which will then convert you [towards purchase] and lead to more sales for the retailer.”
The Design Paradox: 19.17.
Indeed, this idealized invisibility of the Footmarks product is a paradox fully embraced by the team. Asked in the interview about a company Footmarks most admires, the answer is unequivocally Nest (and not just because of its recent $3 billion sale!)
Says Preston, “Nest did it right. They built a beautiful product that worked really well.* Their attention to detail is something that’s ingrained in us. Our product [is also] meant to be hidden. But we still want it to be beautiful and function as its meant to.”
* Recent sales suspension of their smart thermostat notwithstanding.
The Impact of New York City on Footmarks’ Vision: 14:43.
Although Preston admits the Accelerator “dragged” him to New York, the team recognized upon arrival the value of as urban a laboratory as NYC. For one, New York’s a shopping destination. Says Preston, “It doesn’t get much more retail oriented than NYC…Everywhere I turn I meet someone from the retail industry.”
Skylar, meanwhile, noticed immediately the insufficiencies and shortcomings of GPS in a city as vertically dense as New York — a circumstance that makes Footmarks’ bluetooth technology all the more attractive. Indeed, the City’s physical density and massive (smartphone-wielding) population encouraged Preston to extend his vision for beacon technology far beyond the walls of the city’s retailers: Of the density, he says, “that’s where I got the idea – to blanket NYC with beacons, to put them on every street corner….” (It’s a vision Footmarks has since fully embraced: Click here to read our “Beacon State of Mind: Imagining a Digital Infrastructure for NYC” series in its entirety).
And five years from now? 17:49.
Says Preston, speaking for the team, “I’m passionate about what were doing. It excites me to be on the verge of something that is possibly just very revolutionary. The mobile industry when it was just coming out really changed people’s lives, and I feel in the long term our technology will [also] change peoples lives.” He adds, “It’s really exciting to be just on the cusp. It can feel like everyone is doing this [building beacons], but that’s not true. We’re just on the cusp of it. We’re still in the beginning of a new industry thats just coming about.” And five years from now? “Footmarks will be an industry leader,” Preston asserts. Here’s hoping.
And some assorted fun Footmarks facts from the video, if you’ve made it this far:
– Preston, Skylar and Casey are all from Alaska*, but met in Seattle. For the three founders, it was love at first sight.
– For Skylar, the Accelerator grind is no different from the pressures of collegiate wrestling: sleepless nights at the office in the run up to SXSW are no different to “running in plastic” and making weight right before big wrestling events.
– Skylar and Casey were born in Valdez, Alaska – a town of just 4,000 people.
Want to learn more about Footmarks? Join our communities on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and visit http://footmarks.com/ for product enhancements, partnership opportunities, or requests for a demo.